Weekly Newsletter
Week of June 30th - July 6th
Gilead Congregational Church, UCC
ChurchPhoto
Meetings and Services this week:





Wednesday, July 1st:
-7:00 p.m. Live Stream Wednesday Evening Music and Prayer on Gilead Church Facebook Page
-7:30 p.m. Technology Committee
on Zoom



Thursday, July 2nd:
-7:00 p.m. Deacons on Zoom



Saturday, July 4th:
-11:00 a.m. Wedding of Carolyn Bennett and Patrick McConnell in Garden of Remembrance



Sunday, July 5th:
-9:00 a.m. Summer Sunday Worship Service live-streamed on our Gilead Church Facebook Page
-10:00 a.m. Coffee Hour on Zoom



God is Still Speaking
  About Us:

Pastor:
Reverend Dr. Denise Esslinger  
 

Minister of Music:
Danielle Hoehn
 

Administrative Assistant:
Sally Fritsche


Summer Worship: 9:00 a.m.


Gathered: 1748
Meeting House: 1838
Fellowship Hall: 2008
 
We are an Open & Affirming Church
 
This Week's Live Stream Services

Join us this week for our Wednesday evening music and prayer and for Sunday worship! We'll be gathering on our Gilead Church Facebook page. In order to be a part of this service, please join our Gilead Church Facebook page at http://tinyurl.com/GileadChurchUCC and tune in at the designated times.

We will also be sharing Holy Communion together. Before the time of the service, you’re invited to prepare some bread, a slice or a small loaf of any kind of bread. In some parts of the world tortilla, rice cake, cassava are used as this element which is defined not as a wheat product but as the most common food of the people. Let it be something you alone or you with others in your house may break and share. Prepare a cup or cups of juice—perhaps grape or cranberry. Use whatever you have available, knowing that God makes the uncommon holy. On Sunday morning, set these elements in the space where you experience worship electronically with our faith community. 
Wednesday, July 1st at 7 p.m.

J oin us for a time of reflection, music and prayer. In this brief time (~10 minutes), we will share with you a piece of music, its history, and a prayer.
Sunday, July 5th at 9 a.m.
Join us at 9 a.m. for our Summer Sunday worship service with Communion.
Coffee Hour 

Join us after worship on Sunday for a virtual Coffee Hour. We'll be meeting on Zoom at 10 a.m. Bring your own coffee and we hope to see you there!

Log in information is below. If you need assistance with connecting, please let us know (gcc@gileadchurch.net or 860-228-3077).

Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 834 3607 4321
Password: 296423
One tap mobile
+19294362866,,83436074321#,,,,0#,,296423# US (New York)

Gilead Technology Committee

A group of Gilead Church folks have been meeting on Zoom to discuss how we can use technology more effectively at the Gilead Church. This Technology Committee has defined its mission as being:
 
To utilize technology in the most effective and appropriate ways
to share the message of God’s love and hope
that is alive at the Gilead Church.  
 
The Committee is currently working on defining projects and priorities and would like your input. A very brief survey is at the link below. The survey will take about 5 minutes to complete and will be helpful to this Committee as well as to our Deacons as they discuss how and when to resume in-person worship.  The deadline for completing the survey is today.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Pastor Denise or Heather Summerer. Thank you!  


Update on Worship

Our Deacons will be meeting this Thursday, July 2nd, to discuss worship and how we will move forward. They would appreciate hearing your thoughts, ideas and feelings on our gathering for in-person worship and how and when to do this. We invite you to contact Pastor Denise or any of our Deacons (Amy Huhn, Jon Kimball, David Kline, Jim Ledbetter, Kate McClaine, Teresa Olio, Gary Sarra, Margot Sheehan, and Doug Stewart) with your thoughts, hopes and ideas. Thank you!

Youth Group "MOO-vement"

The GCC Youth Group "MOO-vement" continues! Yard cows are "moo-ving" among GCC members and friends and we invite you, when one comes to graze in your yard, to keep it for about a week and then "moo-ve" it on to another member or friend of GCC to help spread joy! Our hope is that the cows will connect us in spirit and help us remember that although we are apart, we are still together in our hearts. When the cow comes to your home, please take a picture with the cow and forward it to Sally at  gcc@gileadchurch.net . We'd like to continuing sharing as many pictures as we can.  Thank moo!
The Chabotte family gave the Gilead cow fresh water and allowed for grazing in their lawn!.
Caitlin McClaine and the Gilead cow spent time in the sunshine around flowers!
Bonnie & Al Tarbox's dog made friends with the Gilead cow!
The Gilead cow grazed in the Fredette family garden for the entire week!
The Gilead cow joined the Biggs family for a week and they all agreed that the
Giilead cow was easier to take care of than a real cow!!
Gilead Church Lending Library
"Planting Seeds of Hope"

While many summer programs have been canceled, we’re excited to announce one that will be opening on Monday, July 6th!

The Gilead Church is opening a lending library of books for children, youth and adults with books focused on the topics racial understanding, multiculturalism, inclusion, kindness, compassion and empathy. 

The books will be available in a tub located outside of the main entrance from the parking lot which is under the awning. There will be two tubs. One will contain the books to “take" and the other tub is for books when they are “returned". When books are “returned", they will be sanitized and put back in the “take” tub. There will also be sanitizing wipes available by the tubs for you to use.

We are people who believe in the power of God’s Word, and we hope that the sharing of these words will be a meaningful expression and reminder that we are all God’s beloved children. We also hope the books will provide an opportunity for families to read together and share in conversations that support social development. 

Our Board of Christian Education is supporting this endeavor. If you have any questions, please feel free to speak with Lynn Lukach, Margot Sheehan or Pastor Denise.  

Back to School Drive
Tubs will be available outside of the main entrance to the Church
for school supply donations. Thank you for your support!
Lord's Bounty II Cookbooks

Our Women's Fellowship is selling copies of our Gilead Church Lord's Bounty II Cookbooks. If you'd like a copy, please contact Margaret Gibbs at 860-384-4327. She is willing to deliver! Cookbooks are only $10 each and make a wonderful gift.

Gilead Quilters Making Face Masks

Our Gilead Quilters have been making face masks. If you need a face mask, please contact Sally at gcc@gileadchurch.net or by calling the Church Office at 860-228-3077. Thank you!

Thank Yous

Dear Gilead Church Family,

I just want t o say thank you for all your prayers, good wishes, cards and meals. Hearing the word "cancer" is scary, but having all the love and support from all of you made it less scary. I'm fortunate that the doctor was able to remove the entire mass and there are no signs that it spread anywhere. I'm truly blessed. Thank you for being such a supportive and caring community. I look forward to the day when we can all gather together. Until then I will keep you all close in my heart.

Love,
Cheri Williams and the entire Williams' crew

*******************************

Dear Church,

Thank you for everything you've done for me and thank you for the Bible.

Zeke
Administrative Assistant Office Hours 

For the summer, our Administrative Assistant, Sally Fritsche, will be working from home on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. She is available for assistance via email (gcc@gileadchurch.net).

Scripture Reading and Prayer for the Week
Matthew 11: 16-19, 25-30

Gracious God, in the stillness of this day, we call on you.  We call on you believing that you are with us.  We call on you knowing that you will meet us wherever we are.  We call on you knowing that you will carry us, we who carry so much.  Help us to be present to you in this day, and strengthen us to bear the load of our weary lives and of a weary world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Contact Info
Sally Fritsche
Administrative Assistant
672 Gilead St
Hebron, Ct  06248
860-228-3077
  
Office Hours: O ur Administrative Assistant, Sally Fritsche, will be working from home. She is available for assistance via email (gcc@gileadchurch.net).