News and Notes - January 22, 2020
Scroll down to learn about our AWESOME Chili Cookoff, Chips Dinner,
Annual Meeting and more of our upcoming GHCC events!!
Last Sunday ~ Special thanks to Darwin Shen and Yuan Wang for beautiful music. Alida's sermon, "Jacob's Ladder," recalled the powerful prayer of Martin Luther King before the Montgomery bus boycotts - and more. You can listen online by clicking here .

This Sunday, January 26th  ~ It's SPORTS WORSHIP on SUNDAY MORNING! At both our 9:00 and 10:30 services, we're bring 'Sports Worship' into Sunday morning! We're calling it “Superstar Sunday” featuring guest interviews, contemporary music, high school athletes. Join us!

Sunday School from 9 to 10 as normal, over in the Church House! 

Remember that our services are now Live Streamed in their entirety each Sunday on our Facebook page ! You don't have to have a Facebook account -- and you don't have to watch 'in real time' -- video remains available afterwards!
More than You Can Imagine: the Campaign for 2020!
Please help us finish strong by the New Year!
With our Annual Meeting just around the corner, we have 92% of what is needed for our 2020 budget -- and we're chewing our nails! There are several dozen households not yet heard from -- is yours one of them? Please prayerfully consider what your household can offer, and then click the link below.
Please click here to let us know your household's pledge for 2020. Thank you, from your Development Board and pastors!
Youth Groups
SPF  for high school youth, meets tomorrow , Thursday, Jan. 23rd, 6:00 to 7:30. This week we have Huwe Burton who was convicted in 1991 for a crime he didn't commit... and last year, through the work of The Innocence Project , he was set free. Huwe has shared his story on the Today Show and elsewhere -- and now he's coming to share it with us. Definitely another "don't miss SPF" evening! 

JPF  (6th/7th grades) is meeting in the Len Morgan Youth Barn on Sunday, 1/26, from 5 to 6:30pm … We'll be talking about the SouperBowl of Caring, coming up on Feb. 2! 
Bible Study! Make it a New Year's Resolution!  Try Bible Study and get to know "the Good Book". Thursdays, at 10 am (in the Parlor) and 7:30 pm (in the Library) Come whenever you can... You'l l be glad you did!

NOTE: Due to such a strong attendance at the 10 am MORNING Bible Study we have moved to the PARLOR (behind the Sanctuary with easy parking and access). This is ONLY for the morning Bible Study. Evening will still be in the Library in the Church House.
"Help Wanted"! - planning for the Dogwood Festival in May is underway -- but we need people in a couple KEY positions! Here's your chance to get involved with our church’s signature event!  
(1) We need someone (or a couple someones together!) who enjoys organizing to coordinate our ‘Properties’ tasks (tents and tables and signs and such) ... (2) and we need some graphic design help, to get our banners and brochures ready! If either of these important roles sounds intriguing, please drop a note to Alida or to Joanna Patterson !
Thinking of joining the church?   On Su nday, February 2, during our 9:00 service, we will welcome new members to our church family!  Let Alida know if you're ready to 'put down roots' here at GHCC!  
GHCC hosts a young artist showcase this Friday! Join us THIS Friday, January 24th at 7 pm as we witness some wonderful young artists from GHCC and our community in action! Come and enjoy!
The So u perBowl is on February 2! ... and no, that's no typo! Our JPF youth group will once again participate in the nationwide 'Souperbowl of Caring' on Superbowl Sunday, February 2. Members of the Junior Pilgrim Fellowship (middle school) will be on hand before and after the Annual Meeting, to collect your contributions for Operation Hope (in soup kettles!) Please support the cause!
It’s our Chili Competition Cook-Off Dinner on Sunday, February 9th!
Feeling Spicy? Calling all chefs- we are looking for chili aficionados to show off their skills and enter their best chili for our annual chili cook off. Bring a pot of your favorite chili on Sunday, 2/9, to be entered into the competition OR just round up your family, friends and favorite cowboy hat and come for dinner. Either way, yo u won’t want to miss the fun! Aside from chili, also enjoy salad, cornbread, mac-n-cheese and fun activities and cookie decorating for the kiddos. The schedule of events is: 5:00 p.m. Chili set-up for those entering the competition, 5:30p.m. Tasting and Voting, 6:30 Awards. $6 adults and $4 for children. To enter your chili to the Cook Off, please contact Jessica Selden . RSVP for dinner by contacting the Church Office
'Breakfast for Dinner' at Chip's on Monday, February 10th!  The annual fundraiser supper for our Appalachia Service Project Trip!! Enjoy a pancake supper ... and help send our high school youth on the Appalachia Service Project!! Chip's donates ALL proceeds to our trip (yay, Chip's!). Tickets are $13, and you have a choice of seatings at 5, 6 or 7 p.m. You can purchase your seating by  going to the ASP page of our church website!
Lenten Devotional: Writers sought! Willing to share a couple paragraphs of your thoughts?  To have another great GHCC Lent Devotional, we need writers from our congregation to sign up now! This Lent’s theme is “Communion and Community” . Click here to let us know if you’d be willing to write.
Alida's recruiting for ASP!!    We need 90+ adults to accompany our 225 teenagers to West Virginia June 27-July 4, for a life-changing week of service through the Appalachia Service Project. It's a week of home repair for families in need - but you do not need to be a skilled carpenter!! All we need is your willingness to work alongside our teens. Please take a look at the Adult Leader information  on the ASP page of our church website  ... and if you like what you see,  click on the online adult advisor registration !! And of course  contact Alida with any questions !
Summer Camp at Silver Lake! Registration is open for summer camp at the Silver Lake Conference Center, run by our denomination (the UCC).  Spaces fill up very quickly, so if you think you might be interested, please do not delay!. There are programs suitable for all youth ages 8-18, the costs are quite reasonable for an overnight camp AND scholarships are available. If you are interested in learning more, brochures and calendars are available in the Church House or you may visit their website at www.silverlakect.org or speak with Marcia Carothers, who can put you in touch with our GHCC families who have enjoyed Silver Lake!  
Sunday, February 2nd, it's our ANNUAL MEETING of the church! At this meeting, we'll elect our leaders for 2020 and we'll talk about and vote upon our church's budget for 20209. The meeting will be immediately following the 9:00 service (Church School is extended through the meeting, so parents can attend!) NO 10:30 worship.

An AMAZING FREE CONCERT! Saturday, February 22 nd at 5pm, You are warmly invited to a free concert showcasing the community of love created by FOCI from here to India! Saturday, February 22 nd from 5-6:00pm, with great music from Chris Coogan , jazz and Gospel recording artist, and our own Chloe Whelan and Natalie Steele. Reception and refreshments to follow . Admission is free, but there will be an opportunity to make a donation. Come listen, enjoy, and celebrate with us!

The Annual 'Evening for Appalachia' will be on Friday, March 13th! Silent and Live Auctions, reflections on the 2019 trip, fun and fellowship, and a chance to help our SPF teens go and do God's work in Appalachia this summer! Donations of goods, services, vacation homes, ticket s, very much needed!  Just let Alida know of anything you might be able to contribute!!

Women of the church! Join us at our annual GHCC Women's Retreat.  With Alida leading, we'll be in Darien, at beautiful St. Birgitta's retreat center, from 9 to 3 on Saturday, March 7th . Cost will be $35. Make a note of it in your calendar and let Alida know you'll be joining!


It may be winter outside, but spring is just around the corner... and that means  THE DOGWOOD FESTIVAL !! Save the dates... May 8, 9, 10!!! Look for much more information to follow!!
Prayer Concerns:   We invite you always to be in touch with your prayer concerns; you can also  click here to contact Anne Lyons  (or call (203) 615-2302) our prayer chain leader. We also welcome new members of the prayer chain (members of our church family who commit to pray regularly for those in need). Just let Anne know. 

We grieve with Shenton and Kelcey King, Bob and Molly King, and their families, on the death of Shenton and Bob's mother, Mary Helen. Please hold all who loved Mary Helen in your prayers of compassion.

We ask continued healing prayers for Kathy Thackaberry, as she recovers from further knee surgery.

And healing prayers for Pam Brennan, continuing her recovery from surgery last week.
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