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December 2015

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH “CENTER CHURCH”

United Church of Christ One Church Street

South Hadley, Massachusetts 01075 (413) 532-2262 email: centerchurch@verizon.net website: centerchurchsouthhadley.org

Welcome to Center Church where we roll up our sleeves to deepen our faith, extend God’s abundant love and justice, and where laughter and tears are sacred.

A is for Advent. A is also for Anxiety. What can we do this season to spend more time with family and friends and less time in the malls? What can we do in light of the terrorism in Paris, Beirut, Kenya, and Israel? How are we to respond to the Syrian refugees when it appears they maybe left in exile? What can we do to seek the light of hope, peace, joy and love rather than dwell in the darkness of worrying? Our anxiety is ratcheted up a few notches. I don’t know about you but my Advent journey needs to be different this year. Sure I will continue to read devotionals. Sure I will begin playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. And absolutely yes we will walk through our small forest in back to select another Charlie Brown Christmas Tree. But how will Advent differ? I will be an intentional gift buyer and wrapper (not rapper, but who knows!). I will make gift buying not a “have to,” but a “want to.” I will mark each awakening of a day with, “Today I am going to be compassion as I wait the birth of Jesus.” What will this look like? Practicing patience, listening, being open and loving, and serving. And daily I am going to pray for a family member, friend, church member, community activity or local issue, and one country where strife is real. Already as I write this, I feel less anxious. Make your plan for Advent, beginning on Nov 29th, and work it. Maybe you will find an infant at the end of the journey. Hopeful Blessings, Lori

The Thanksgiving Pie Sale was a HUGE success. 43 pies were prepared and sold – watch for a tally in the coming week. There may be a couple more available for sale at the Play it Again Santa Fair so if you missed out - get there early and be the lucky one to buy a pie. THANK YOU to Karen Anderson and her team for all their hard work! They made Thanksgiving dessert easy – and DELICIOUS – for many!

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GREAT STOCKING STUFFERS – Thia has ordered Chocolate bars and Fruit & Nut bars from Equal Exchange - For Sale in the Church Office. Stop in and check them out – there is Columbian Coffee available also. All purchases support Equal Exchange Fair Trade as well as Center Church. Coffee and Chocolate are available year round – we have a few “regular customers” who enjoy the

products so if you want a recommendation let us know. Stop in during office hours or give Thia a call if you want her to set aside items for you to pick up on Sunday. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Christmas Eve services December 24, 2015

4:00 pm Candlelight

7:30 Candlelight service

As is Center Church tradition our Christmas Eve offerings will be directed to Heifer Fund International.

 

                                  Rev. Souder will be away December 26 - January 5.

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Thank you, Deacons, for hosting our November coffee hours. During December the Activities Team will be our hosts. This team helps to enhance the fellowship of the church through non-budgetary fundraising activities. Receptions for funerals and memorial services are also the responsibility of this team. Our big Columbus Day Fair and the upcoming Advent Fair are sponsored by this team. Members are: K. Anderson, V. Bonzek, C. Chartrand, C. Irish,

D. Morrell and J. Tomlinson

Children’s Christian Education Christ Is Born, Alleluia!

In December, our Gospel focus is, appropriately, Luke 2: 1-20, the birth of Jesus. Our theme is, “Christ Is Born in our Hearts – Every Day!” We’ll explore the story of the nativity through the eyes of the wondering shepherds, the first to receive the good news of the Christ child’s birth. Moreover, we’ll recall that every moment of our own lives is an opportunity for us to celebrate the birth of Christ within ourselves, every time we open our hearts, with love, to those around us.

We’ll be welcoming Mrs. Giles and Hairy back, too, which in itself is a reason to be joyous! We can’t wait to find out what Hairy Bear thinks about the Christmas story.

For our outreach project, we’ll be creating some cozy scarves and hats for our Center Church Mitten Tree – our way of reflecting God’s love for each of us out into our community.

And we have a little something planned, a way to thank our friends at Center Church for all their support of the Promised Land…stay tuned!

SAVE THE DATE: On Saturday, Dec. 5, from 10:30-11:30, we'll be having a special Christmas story time and craft in Fellowship Hall. Children can make and wrap gifts while parents shop at the Center Church “Play It Again, Santa” Advent Fair. Everyone is welcome, so please, spread the word!

We’ll also have some crafts available in Fellowship Hall the day before, during the South Hadley Holiday Stroll. If you’re planning to go to the stroll, do stop by first to make a craft and shop the fair!

Coffee Hour Crafts: Thank you to everyone who helped us make luminarias for Advent. We can’t wait to see how they brighten up the neighborhood during the Christmas season.

Do you have an idea for a Coffee Hour Craft? We’d love your input!

Thank you! The Children’s Christian Education Committee is so grateful for all the support we receive in the Promised Land. We wish you all a blessed holiday season!

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Can You Help????? The Holiday Season can be an especially difficult time for already struggling families. For the past few years, Center Church has tried to help those who have called looking for help buying Christmas gifts for their children. We have a few “regulars” that we would like to help. If you would be interested in participating in this endeavor, by contributing to the purchase of Target gift cards, please speak to Thia in the church office

May we all be Blessed this Christmas.

The

Children of the

Promised Land

baked and bagged

cinnamon rolls for ALL the Veterans of Center Church.

They

attached a thank you note that they had

created in Sunday School.

God Bless The

World!

News from the Trustees for December 2015

Trustees spent time hearing in great detail from Adam Suska, our window “restorer,” about how his job on the north rose window has progressed. You will have noticed by now that the “lift” has disappeared from said outside window and in the time frame he projected. He is now finishing up his interior work. There will be documentation of what he has done, both for our records going forward and for anyone else interested. The deteriorated wood from the frame which he showed us certainly gave us all pause. The health of that window was much worse than he/we had anticipated, but he has done an impressive, detailed, and excellent job for us and that window should last for another 100 years at least when he is totally done. Thank you Adam!

The end of the fiscal year is fast approaching. Thanks to all of you who have fulfilled your pledges. We are waiting and watching to see how this year’s income vs expenses totals will finally play out. Although we did not start out with an actual budget deficit brought over from 2014, we did, as was mentioned before, end up with fewer pledged dollars and other income than anticipated when we set our 2015 budget. We are hopeful that the final difference will not be as large as it looks now. We want to thank all the teams who have stewarded their “allocations” carefully and come in under budget, and are thankful that some of the expenses we anticipated have not been as large as we thought. We do thank the Activities Team for their hard work on the Columbus Day Fair and their “contribution” to our overall budget. Nice work to all involved! We were most interested in hearing about some potential new building “users” and projects.

We are encouraged by the information gleaned from the meeting with the Historical Preservation representation and are pursuing all possible funding sources to help us deal with the south rose window work as well as the exterior pointing of the brick. Stay tuned for that.

We will continue to “fine tune” the 2016 budget and were encouraged to hear that many of us had responded positively to the leap of faith request to increase pledges by 10% if at all possible. Word has it that this has been the best of pledging campaigns in a long while. Please accept our most sincere thanks.

Cindy Morrell, secretary

NOTES FROM November’s CHURCH COUNCIL

At the November meeting we heard a presentation by David O’Keefe, Fire District #2 Fire Chief, regarding ambulance protocol as it relates to our church and church activities. The council members will be sharing this information with their teams. Team reports were given, including an update relative to the repair of the sanctuary north side window. Church in Transition: Deaths: November 10th - Mary Pratt November 20th- Allan Patriquin

Outreach Partners of the Month

“Hearts to Hands to Hope”

Christmas Offerings for Heifer

Heifer Fund International's mission is to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth.

Heifer animals provide recipients with both a source of food and reliable income, because agricultural products such as milk, eggs and honey can be traded or sold at market, which brings additional

opportunities.

The core of the Heifer model is "Passing On The Gift". This means families share the training they receive, and pass on the first female offspring of their livestock to another family. This extends the impact of the original gift, allowing a once impoverished family to become donors and full participants in improving their communities.

It all depends on the generosity of donors like you. The goal of every Heifer project is to help families achieve self-reliance, by providing them the tools they need to sustain themselves. You have the power to give a hungry family the tools and training it takes to feed themselves and their children. Together, we can change the world, one family, one community, at a time.

As is Center Church tradition, our Christmas Eve offerings will be directed to Heifer Fund International. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Christmas Fund Special Offering in December

The Christmas Fund Special Offering for Veterans of the Cross and the Emergency Fund of the UCC provides pension supplements, health insurance premium support, and emergency assistance to clergy, their families, and low income church workers in need. This offering is one of four special offerings of the United Church of Christ. For over 100 years, it has been a way that church members can reflect the light of Jesus Christ in the lives of the many women and men who have so faithfully served and who now find themselves facing unforeseen financial crises. The Fund provides direct assistance to individual clergy, their families, and lay church employees. Look for more information about this special offering in the bulletin in December.

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Let’s Fill the Mitten Tree! The Mitten Tree is up! We hope to fill it with mittens, gloves, scarves, and hats to keep our neighbors warm this winter. If you love to knit, this is a wonderful opportunity to share your gifts. If you love to shop, this is also a good opportunity! Gently used items are also gratefully accepted.

We're also putting a box out by the tree for gently used winter coats, warm sweaters, thermals, etc. Providence Ministries has put out a call for winter wear for young and old, as the need is great and their supplies are desperately low. Thank you for your generosity!

Stewardship 2015 ~ Still Leaping... Pledge Sunday on November 8th was a wonderful moment of strength, love and support for Center Church, and those who were with us certainly did all that they could to answer this call! If you were not there to share it with us, we missed you, but your pledge is still deeply appreciated and so very necessary. If you still have a pledge card to deliver, please leave it as part of the regular weekly offering during any worship service or mail it to the church office and it will be blessed and dedicated to the work of Center Church along with so many others. In December we will begin to follow-up with those who may have missed earlier opportunities to submit their pledges for 2016. Let's continue to gain even greater strength in our growing numbers, and the great joy and blessing of our shared faith and this ongoing opportunity to answer God's call for Center Church. Continued Peace & Blessings, The Stewardship Committee

Nominating Team

If you are asked to serve on a team, please say “yes”! Teams are a very important part of our effort to deepen our spiritual growth, to put our faith into action and to carry out the various responsibilities of a church community. Members of teams also form a special bond with each other and thus enhance the Christian fellowship that is so vibrant in Center Church.

Getting to Know You – December 2015 Tim Garrett was born in Savannah, GA and graduated from Savannah high school. He is the middle son of three boys. Tim graduated from Armstrong State University in his home town with a BS in chemistry in the late 70s.

When asked, Tim said that he attended Woodlawn Baptist Church in Savannah from an early age, singing in all choirs and eventually directing the choir, as a paid position, in between choir directors. He also sang both in high school and college choirs. Upon leaving his hometown, he traveled to NYC where he entered a three-year training program at The Acting Studio, modeled for three years for Liz Claiborne-Men's and then spent three years in Los Angeles, returning to NYC in 1993. He spent the next ten years at Home Box

Office (NYC) in sales and marketing, and five years at Solix (Parsippany, NJ) as an account fund manager for the Utility Regulatory Commissions of Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, and Arizona. Following this job, and after receiving his MFA in creative writing from Rutgers, he next moved to MA.

Tim now lives in Palmer, MA and is currently a compliance specialist at Consolidated Health Plans in Springfield. His husband, Ken Dolan-Del Vecchio, is a writer, lecturer, and the VP of Health and Wellness at Prudential. Their household also includes two Chihuahuas, two rabbits, and three chickens.

Tim is a member of our tenor section in the choir. He came over to South Hadley in the summer of 2014 looking for a good music program and edifying preaching, but found a lot more. Tim also likes acting, writing, reading, singing, opera and Broadway, and taking fabulous cruises for the last ten years. Cindy Morrell

Waldo Heinrichs – US Army Jean Lacoste – US Navy

Quilts of Valor presented to four Center Church Veterans

Sunday November 15, 2015

Eliot Chartrand US Army Matt Gage – US Air Force Thank you to ALL Center Church Veterans – we honor your service!

CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS Once again our sanctuary will be decorated with poinsettias for Christmas.

The deadline for placing your order will be Wednesday December 9th.

Number of plants you wish to order 6 “ pots $ 10 each

#________ red # _________white

___________ Total payment enclosed. Please make checks payable to: “First Congregational Church” and note “Christmas Poinsettias” on the memo line.

Please forward your completed order and check to the church office on or before December 9th . Requests received after that date cannot be guaranteed.

In Loving Memory of _______________________________ In Honor of _______________________________

GIVEN BY ___________________________________________ Please check one of the following:

_____ I will pick up after church on Christmas Eve ______ I would like my poinsettia delivered to a shut-in

_____ To help, I will deliver my poinsettia to: ________________________ NAME _____________________________________________________________________

Lori Souder and Lorain Giles invite you to participate in an All-Church Read

this coming winter. We are proposing Being Mortal, by Dr. Atul Gawande, a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and professor at the Harvard School for Public Health and Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Gawande has, in recent years, begun to question--in his own work and in our culture--our society's longstanding medical practices and customs around death and dying. This book is, according to a New York Times book review, Dr. Gawande's "personal meditation on how we can better live with age-related frailty, serious illness, and approaching death."

Dr. Gawande examines these current medical practices and societal customs, and leads the reader on a journey through difficult conversations and decision-making--in hospice care, nursing homes, geriatric clinics, and in his own family.

This book is rich and provocative, and lends itself to discussion and reflection. Which is exactly what we will offer at the conclusion of the All-Church Read--a couple of opportunities for structured conversation, most likely in March. More on these plans later.

Through the Odyssey Book Store, we will be buying multiple copies of the book and offer them at a 20% discount (around $21 each). They will be available by mid-January. You may reserve a copy in advance by submitting this sheet to the Church office or by signing-up on one of the sheets outside the church office and in Fellowship Hall.

I would like to purchase _____ book(s). Name ___________________________

Play It Again, Santa Fair

PLAY IT AGAIN, SANTA FAIR December 4th and 5th

The First Congregational Church , 1 Church Street, South Hadley Center will be holding the Annual Holiday Fair on Friday December 4th from 4-7pm – coordinating with the Stroll,- and on Saturday December 5th from 9:30-am – 3pm.

Some of the items for sale will be culinary, bath luxury and children’s gift bags; herb mixes; jams, sweet treats and a huge selection of gently used Christmas decorations, gift items and a large selection of books – and MORE.

Gift wrapping services will be available both days – for gifts purchased at the fair or gifts you bring in to be wrapped.

On Friday we will have an ongoing children’s craft activity. Saturday, from 10:30 t0 11:30 storytime and an ornament craft will be happening.

Saturday luncheon from 11am – 2 pm will be a choice of meat or butternut squash lasagna or homemade Mac and Cheese with hot god – all include beverage, salad and dessert. All are available for take out. Avoid the malls and do some of your Christmas shopping without being rushed; create an ornament; have lunch – then enjoy the rest of your day!

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A Christmas Concert… presented by the Western Mass Brass Ensemble

will be held on Saturday December 19th at 4pm at the First Congregational Church, 1 Church Street, South Hadley. The music, in the British tradition, performed by a group of brass band enthusiasts, music majors and teachers as well as high school students, includes a sing-along. The concert will be held in the Sanctuary and will be followed by a dessert reception in the Fellowship Hall. A free will offering will be taken which is used to support the ensemble’s music library.

GIFT WRAPPING Volunteers needed!!! Hospice Life Care is looking for volunteers to gift wrap during our holiday fundraiser. This special fundraiser benefits our patients and families. Gift wrapping starts November 27th through December 24th (the booth closes at 5:00 PM on Christmas Eve) at the Holyoke Mall at Ingleside (second floor outside of Target and Starbucks). If you are interested in volunteering for a shift (3 hours) please contact Meghan Deitz at madeitz@holyokevna.org (534-5691). If you would like your gifts wrapped, please stop by and let one of our volunteers wrap a holiday gift for you!!!

Thank you to the Center Church folks who donated Turkeys, fixings and gift cards so that those in need

could enjoy a complete Thanksgiving Dinner.

We were able to offer this to five families –

all of whom were most grateful.

Thank you for your

generosity of spirit!!

The Church Office will be closed December 4, 18, 25 and 28 as well as January 1 and 4. May we all recognize our Blessings this Christmas Season and know Peace in the coming year!

centerchurchsouthhadley.org Your website for all things Center Church

On the first Sunday of each month, please bring any of the following items to worship:

Canned vegetables Canned fruits Cereals Soups

Dried Pastas Rice Canned beans Tuna Fish

Peanut Butter Jam/Jelly Tea Coffee Sugar Drink mixes

Tomato sauce/paste Spaghetti sauce Meals in a can

The monthly offering is used for direct appeals to Center Church

and for donation to local food pantries.

Our gifts are extended to the hungry and the poor - those who need them most! Food offerings may be left inside the Church Street entrance at other times.

Thank you for your compassionate response!

PLEASE submit your annual report as EARLY as possible!

Jan 12, 2016 deadline!

THE MINISTRY AT CENTER CHURCHTHE MINISTRY AT CENTER CHURCH

Ministers: All Church Members Senior Minister: Rev. Lori J. Souder Minister Emeritus: Rev. Charles P. Blakney

Christian Education Program Music Program Children: Stephanie Strand Organist: Larry Schipull Youth: Choir Director: Cheryl Cobb Adult: Randy Purinton and Associate in Music: Cynthia Morrell Betsy Bergen, Team Chairs

Office Administrator: Cynthia H. Jubinville Sexton: Robert Farman

FELLOWSHIP HALL STORE…

Open year round for your shopping convenience

Check out our gently used items for sale

We have an assortment of

Holiday treasures

awaiting you NOW.

Be sure to check out the books in the back of the hall!

02 June Harris

05 Benjamin Sherry

Kingsley Sherry

06 Brenda Mathieu

11 Leland Towne

14 Dan Sherry

17 Sarah Smith

18 Garnett Sherry

20 Jeanne (Morrell) Hough

22 Kate Jubinille

27 Dorothea Ashworth

29 Meghan Moore

Thank you to Center Nursery School students and families for bringing in food for the Church food pantry. We provided 5 families with Thanksgiving dinner this year - using a lot of the items you donated to that cause – and will help more in the future with the wide variety of items you collected. THANK YOU!

Happy Holidays to you and Thanks So Much!!

important Reminder: Please remember to complete

payment of your pledge by December 31st so that we can credit the operating fund

for 2015.

Memorial Donations were gratefully received

In Memory of Mary Abbey

from

Bobbie Ayers

In Memory of Bob Bertram

from

Joy Bock

In Memory of Warren Bock

from

Maureen Couglin

Thank you to All who have contributed this year to the programs and life of Center Church

with their Time, Talent and Financial Gifts.

We are most grateful to and for, each of you and wish for all the

Blessings of the Holiday Season and Health, Happiness and PEACE in the coming year.

Gift-wrapping booth available both days –

bring your boxed gifts and we will wrap them up beautifully.

PLAY IT AGAIN, SANTA Holiday FAIR

December 4th and 5th Friday 4 – 7 pm Saturday 9:30 am – 3 pm

We will be part of the South Hadley Holiday Stroll on Friday evening 4-7pm and open again on Saturday 9:30am – 3pm.

Beautifully assembled gift bags for sale – Culinary, Bath luxuries, and Children’s

also – Herb mixes, jams,, mustards, fudge sauce

and MORE will be available.

We will have a tasty selection of baked goods, candy, fudge and sweet treats

We will also offer a HUGE SELECTION of gently used Christmas decorations and giftable items.

Friday evening there will be an ongoing Children’s activity and on Saturday morning we will host a Children’s Story time and Craft Activity 10:30-11:30.

Lasagna Luncheon 11am – 2pm – a choice of two types of Lasagna - Meat and Butternut Squash

For Kids – Macaroni and Cheese with hot dog