Celebration Service!

Masks are recommended, but not required for those attending services in person.

CHILDREN'S MESSAGE

PSALM Psalm 24

Lay Reader: Bard Osborne

ANTHEM: "For the Beauty of the Earth"

SCRIPTURE: John 17:1-11

MESSAGE - "Gospel Table" Rev. Dr. Michael Caldwell

MISSION MOMENT - Stowe Land Trust - Barry Matthews

USHERS - Charles and Susanna Burnham

Youth Group Meeting at 9:20!

The Youth Group will meet Sunday at 9:20

Children's Worship!

For this Week the Children's Worship Lesson will continue to focus on and celebrate Creation Care and celebrating the joys and beauty of God's many, gracious gifts!

Key Verse: They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

Psalms 145:5

Stowe Land Trust Family Workday This Sunday May 21st!

Join us for a day of work and fun!

When: Sunday May 21st from 12:30 till 3:30

Where: Meet the folks from Stowe Land Trust at the Mill Trail parking lot, property at Notchbrook Road, Stowe. We will be helping to pull invasive weeds and doing trail maintenance. The folks at Stowe Land Trust will bring all the tools. We might suggest you bring:

• Protective/gardening gloves (we have a limited supply to hand out for those who do not have any)
• Long sleeves and long pants
• Shoes that can handle mud
• Sunscreen/Bug spray
• Plenty of water
• Light snacks

We are hoping you can join the fun work. All ages are welcome! If interested, please let us know if you can join us or if you have any questions email: [email protected]

Stowe Land Trust is our Mission of the Month for May! Stowe Land Trust is dedicated to the conservation of scenic, recreational, and working lands for the benefit of all. They work to enhance the quality of life for all connected to and living in the Stowe area.

Visit https://www.stowelandtrust.org/ to learn more about the work that Stowe Land Trust is doing.

Special Offering for the UCC Pastoral Preparation Program

Pastor Dan notes that, "One of the mottos of the UCC is United in Spirit and inspired by God's grace, we accept all, love all, and seek justice for all. I am grateful that our church believes this as well and makes every effort to live out the gospel of Jesus in our context. It is truly a privilege to serve as your pastor here at Stowe Community Church and a privilege to serve the United Church of Christ, a denomination whose vision is for a just, compassionate, and peaceful world that honors all of God’s creation."

In honor of Pastor Dan being accepted to serve as a minister in the United Church of Christ, Stowe Community Church would like to offer support to the Pastoral Preparation Program of the Vermont Conference. For the next few Sunday mornings, we will be collecting a special offering to support this important programming. Donations can also be made online. Please note UCC Support on all donations.

Sara Reed in the News!

Our own Sara Reed who is history teacher at Lamoille Union High School will be headed to the United Kingdom next year on sabbatical to research the modern slave trade!

Sara Reed Article Link

Noon Music in May On Wednesday!

Noon Music in May continues this Wednesday with Brazilian pianist Victor Cayres.

Victor Cayres has earned praise for concerts with the Sine Nomine string quartet and as a soloist with such orchestras as Boston Pops and Brno Philharmonic in the Czech Republic. He has been a guest artist at Banff Center for the Arts in Canada, Interlochen Center for the Arts, Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Claflin University, Western Washington University, Moscow’s Tchaikovsky Conservatory, and State University for Arts and Culture ....and Noon Music in May!

Cayres serves as faculty at Boston University School of Music, piano instructor and keyboard area coordinator at Eastern Illinois University, Co-Director for Boston University Tanglewood Institute Young Artists Piano Program, and New England Conservatory Preparatory School and Continuing Education.

Stories from the Holy Land - Carol and Neil Van Dyke

For our group’s final reflection, Pastor Dan asked each of us to share what we were bringing home with us. Besides our purchases of delicious dates and Argon oil products from the Kibbutz Ketura, I am bringing back the feeling of the landscape washing over me: the Mediterranean Sea, the historic Sea of Galilee, the deep, wide, and muddy Jordan River with valley and mountains beyond, the salty Dead Sea, the four days exploring Jerusalem, walking in the awesome Wonder of the World - Petra, and lastly the views of the Red Sea with Israel, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia coming together at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula. Experiencing geography metaphorically and viscerally, the stories of the Bible came alive in technicolor.

People were amazed that we were traveling as an interfaith group. Our tour guide, Danny Ehrlich, bus driver Mahdi, Pastor Dan, Father Rick, and Rabbi David brought this group of travelers together to commonly share as friends the experience with facts, educational stories, and spiritual bonding. Learning the religious and political perspectives of the different people living there helped clarify our understanding of the very complicated conflicts of the region. 

Hearing the sirens wail as the country stopped for two minutes in remembrance of the Holocaust, celebrating Shabbat by the Western Wall and singing in the circle of Stowe women on the Women-only side of the wall, and receiving an emotional Baptism in the Jordan River are amongst the memories I will never forget.

You can still check out more pictures on Dan's Daily Blog here -

https://www.stowecommunitychurch.org/holyland

Prayer Focus for May- The Music Committee

The Music Committee helps plan the music for our services as well as special musical events such as our Christmas Carol Singalong and Messiah Sing. They will be planning special music for the summer services so if you are interested in participating, contact Mort Butler, [email protected]

Please join us in praying for the Committee: Karen Miller, Mort Butler, Greg Morrill, Carol Peterman, and Janet Wilkins-Godin. Plus Chris and Whitney Vigneau who help planning the Evening services.

Upcoming June Events!

Saturday June 3rd - A Night of Hope - a Benefit for Youth at Risk

Sunday June 4th Special Evening Service Cookout! 

Please join us on Sunday, June 4th at 5 pm at the Parsonage for a cookout followed by our Evening Service. Hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken will be provided. Please bring a dish to share, beverages, and either a blanket or chair. The theme for our service will be wonder and hope as we enjoy the beautiful new life emerging all around us this spring

Saturday June 10th - Church Hike

All are welcome to join in a nature walk to Sunset Rock on Saturday, June 10th. We will meet at the Parsonage at 9:00 am. The hike will last approximately one hour.

Wednesday June 21st - Stories from the Holy Land

The greater community is invited Wednesday, June 21, 6:30-8PM at the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe (1189 Cape Cod Rd., Stowe) to see pictures and videos and hear moving stories from the trip.

Sunday June 25th - Picnic at the Parsonage

Bring your blankets and lunches to church on Sunday, June 25th as we enjoy an extended time of fellowship following our morning worship service on the lawn of the Parsonage. 

A Night of Hope ~ A Benefit for Youth At Risk on June 3rd!

6:30 - 8:00PM

Please join us for a special evening at the Stowe Community Church in Stowe, Vermont on Saturday, June 3rd for a ‘Night of Hope’, a benefit for youth at risk around the world.

Canadian singer-songwriter and Twitch streamer Peter Katz will grace the Stowe Community Church with this heartfelt, beautiful folk melodies. Peter holds the honors of being a Juno Award nominee as well as an Emerging Artist of the Year nominee at the Canadian Folk Music Awards. His albums have reached national Canadian public radio charts, and his acclaimed 2015 album ‘We Are The Reckoning’ was hailed by CBC Radio as “one of the most heartfelt, beautiful and vulnerable records of the year,” crowning him Best Male Vocalist in that year’s NOW Magazine reader’s poll.

Tickets: $25 per person, available through Eventbrite and at the door.

STELLAR Bible Camp Coming in August!

We are so excited to announce that for this year's Bible Camp that we will be working with a fabulous curriculum called STELLAR! Join us for a Space Themed Galaxy traveling adventure in helping to shine Jesus' light!  Signup's will be available starting next week, so stay tuned for more info and details! 

The dates and times for the Camp this year are: Monday August 21st-Friday August 25th, 9 am -12 noon each day. Campers from Kindergarten through 5th grade are all welcome and encouraged to sign up, and our Youth Group Middle School students can sign up for a special Outreach Program each day during camp. High School students can sign up to be Camp Counselors, and will receive Community Service hours for their volunteer time! 

To sign up, visit Bible Camp Sign Up

We are also looking for Adult volunteers to help with Camp! We need lots of folks to do various things from helping to prepare welcome bags for campers, to leading a Bible Lesson class, as well as helping with Music, Science and Rec/ sports and games and helping to prepare snacks each day. For most Adult volunteers you could volunteer for just one hour a day, that hour would go so far towards helping us all! Please feel free to contact Taryn Noelle with any questions [email protected]