The TRUMPET

April 2017

What does resurrection look like? In less than three weeks Christians will celebrate

Easter, the day that defines the heart of our Christian

message of hope and new life. But what does

resurrection mean? And how would we recognize it

today? Early on Easter morning, people across the globe

will gather on hilltops, by lakes, ponds, and ocean, and

in graveyards and look East to catch the first glimpse of

the rising sun. We are remembering that “Early in the

morning on that first day, before the sun had risen, the

women went to the tomb.” Those lonely witnesses went

to mourn their loss and stand in the solidarity of their

grief following Jesus’ death. Instead – the story tells us – Good News

interrupted them. The tomb was empty. Jesus was no

longer dead, but alive! The long night of sorrow and

loss was over. The dawning light invited them to

experience hope. On Easter morning, we will celebrate that long-

ago event. But because we believe that God is still

speaking, we will also wonder – what is this God of new

life doing right now? Where do we experience

resurrection today? I celebrate these glimpses of resurrection: - The woman who is weeks away from retirement

after a satisfying nursing career. Leaving the familiar

routine behind is both frightening and exhilarating. The

future holds yet unknown possibilities. Easter begins a

story of exploration and discovery.

- The special education teacher who was brutally

attacked by her young adult student. Instead of living

with the fear she experiences whenever she re-enters the

school, she is leaving her much-loved profession and

venturing into self-employment. There is cautious

optimism amidst the sorrow. Easter recognizes loss

while affirming new life. - The grieving widower who can barely get out of

bed in the morning. His sorrow feels like a weighted

blanket that surrounds him with unrelenting pain. Yet I

witness the tender love of his family and friends who

gently remind him he is not alone and I hold out hope

for him to find his way forward. Jesus carried his

wounds with him after Easter, forever marked by pain,

yet still filled with the renewing Spirit. - The man diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Knowing there is no cure, he is determined to live each

remaining day to its fullest. He has re-ordered his life so

it is filled with family and friends, as well as

opportunities to volunteer and make a difference while

he can. Easter turns all of us into witnesses of

resurrection. “The Light shines in the darkness and the darkness

cannot overcome it,” we proclaim on Easter. We stare

death, loss, and grief in the face and declare that God is

present in those painful places. When the world cowers

in paralyzed fear, we venture into sadness with those

brave women, searching for signs of new life and

prepared to be eyewitnesses of God’s miracles. Resurrection happens every day. What will it

look like for you? Christ is risen. Christ is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Yours in Christ,

Rev. Dr. Susan J. Foster

A publication of the East Woodstock Congregational Church, 220 Woodstock Road, East Woodstock, CT 06244 Pastor: Rev. Dr. Susan J. Foster Co-Directors of Christian Education: Sherry Magnan & Dawn Morin

Youth Group Co-Director: Anne Sorensen Music Director/Organist: Nancy Ducharme Bell Choir Director: Andrew Tomkins Secretary: Heidi Tucker

Office: 860-928-7449 Residence: 860-928-7145 Email: econgregtnl@snet.net Website: www.eastwoodstockchurch.org

The Trumpet deadline is the 20th of every month!

The following are the scriptures for the month of April:

You are invited to read them as part of your daily devotions and as

preparation for worship.

April 2 April 9 (Palm Sunday) Ezekiel 37:1-14 Matthew 21:1-11 Psalm 130 Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29 Romans 8:6-11 John 11:1-45

April 16 (Easter) April 23

Acts 10:34-43 Acts 2:14a, 22-32 Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 Psalm 16 Jeremiah 31:1-6 1 Peter 1:3-9 Colossians 3:1-4 John 20:19-31 John 20:1-8 Matthew 28:1-10

April 30 Acts 2:14a, 36-41 Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 1 Peter 1:16-23 Luke 24:13-35

We hope that you can join every Sunday for worship and fellowship –

and bring a friend!

April 2: Communion Celebration with our 4th graders

April 9: Palm Sunday. Enjoy the Men’s Chorus as we begin

Holy Week.

April 13: 7:30 p.m. Maundy Thursday. Gather at the table to

remember Jesus’ Last Supper.

April 14: 7:30 p.m. Good Friday. We remember Jesus’

crucifixion with special music and readings.

April 16: 6:00 a.m. Easter Sunrise Service

10:00 a.m. Celebrate the resurrection!

April 23: Bell choir ringing

April 30: We continue to celebrate the Good News of Easter.

A mid-week

opportunity for

conversation, coffee,

learning, and

laughter.

Give yourself the gift

of time…

Wednesday

morning study

group

10:00 a.m.

Everyone is

welcome!

The TRUMPET Page 2 April 2017

You are invited to Holy Week Services

Palm Sunday worship. April 9, 10:00 am: Palm Sunday marks the beginning

of Holy Week and we gather together for a special worship service. Sanctuary

Singers and Men’s Chorus will be singing.

Service of Tenebrae. Maundy Thursday, April 13, 7:30 pm: The word “tenebrae”

means shadow. Come hear the story of Jesus’ final hours as he chooses to let the

shadow of death overcome him. This is a quiet, moving service when God’s love

and God’s willingness to give his Son for us is made clear. Because this is a

solemn service, we encourage older children to attend with their parents and

younger children to take advantage of childcare in the nursery.

Good Friday Vigil and Prayer Service. Beginning immediately following the

Maundy Thursday service and continuing until 9:00 pm on Friday the sanctuary

will remain open for those who would like to enjoy the peace and silence. You

may come to sit, pray, listen to music, and reflect on God’s movement in your

life and the world around you.

. ~A special service will be held in our sanctuary at 7:30 pm featuring the

combined choirs of EWCC and the Hill Church.

Easter Sunday. April 16

6:00 am: Sunrise service behind the Woodstock Academy.

“On the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb…

and found the stone rolled away from the tomb”. Come and celebrate the

resurrection of Jesus Christ in the beauty of the early morning.

10:00 am: Celebration of the Resurrection! Let us sing our praises

to God and give thanks for the gift of forgiveness and new life.

Sanctuary Singers will be singing and bells will be ringing!

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Who Is My Neighbor?

Don’t miss the last gathering in our Lenten series!

Sunday, April 2: Our Muslim Neighbors EWCC 4:00 pm

Join us for conversation and learning. Several members of the local Muslim

community will be available to answer questions and share their faith.

“Egg” tags with names and ages written on them will be available in Fellowship Hall.

Please pick an egg and an empty basket to fill with fun activities and small toys

appropriate for the age of the child on the back of the tag.

Please return the basket by Sunday, April 9th!

Covenant to Care for Children channels the generosity of caring and faithful people

to advocate for, and provide direct assistance to Northeastern CT’s children who are

neglected, abused and/or impoverished.

Thank you in advance for helping spread the Easter Message of love

and hope to the young children in Northeastern CT!

The TRUMPET Page 4 April 2017

East Woodstock Congregational Church

5th Annual Clothing Sale

1000’s of new and gently used items

for men, women, and children

*Friday, April 28th 3:00 – 7:00 pm *Saturday, April 29th 9:00 – 2:00 pm

(fill a bag for $5)

Loads of brand named items

Exceptional prices – Amazing bargains

220 Woodstock Road

Woodstock, CT

Please contact Dorrie Scranton

at (860) 974-3096

for question or donations.

The TRUMPET Page 5 April 2017

Jamboree News

It is once again time to begin the planning for

the 4th of July Jamboree!

This year marks our 61st annual Jamboree!!

As always, our success depends on the

efforts of many dedicated volunteers.

We will need chairpersons for the many

booths and events as well as crafters,

bakers, set-up and clean-up crews, etc., etc.

EWCC needs YOU!

Meetings are scheduled on April 4 & 18 at

7:00 pm. Please plan to attend and bring your

ideas! Everyone is welcome and suggestions

are greatly appreciated. Let’s make this the

best year yet!!

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Feel free to share your news with us. Just

email Heidi at ewccsec@yahoo.com or call

the church office at 928-7449.

Blake Keegan Johnston was baptized on March

26th. He is the son of Melissa and Ryan Johnston,

grandson of Dawn Sherman and Don Johnston, and

great-grandson of Debbie and Ken Sherman. We

give thanks for this precious child of God.

The “church” is not the building. The “church” is all of us, offering our time and talents to share the Good News of God’s love and hope. This month we especially would like to thank…

Dennis Kelly and Mark Billings for plowing our

church yard and parking lot. You make it possible for

all our church activities to carry on! Thank you for all

your hard work!

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 19 at 1:30 pm in Fellowship Hall. We will be taking a tour of the American Optical Museum. All are welcome. Hope to see you there!

The men of the congregation have been enjoying

gathering for breakfast at the church for good food

and fellowship. Our next gathering will be on

Sunday, April 9th at 8:00 a.m. All men

are invited – and please bring a friend along!

Would you like to become a member of EWCC?

Would you like to get more information about the

church and discover more about our faith, our

works, and our traditions? You are invited to come

to our new members’ classes on the following

dates:

Sunday, April 23 – meet with Pastor Sue after

worship

Sunday, April 30 – 3:00 pm Tea with Deacons

Sunday, May 7 – Reception of New Members

The committee reviewed the following donations for March:

$600 - DKH Annual Giving Appeal

$50 - Refugee Resettlement reserve

$50 - ECHO in honor of Lynda Higgins

$50 - UCC UCONN Alternative Spring Break in honor of Olivia Arsenault

$50 - Habitat for Humanity Eastern CT

$50 – Haitian Health Foundation

$50 - Disabled American Veterans

$50 - Focus on Veterans from Plainfield area – an organization providing medical appointment transportation for local veterans

Do you have an organization that is close to your heart that Missions could consider adding to our donation list? Please contact Lisa Hibbard or any Missions Committee member.

Tea Room for Jasmin – Reserve your spot for an afternoon of tea May 13th to raise funds for Jasmin Floyd. Look for more information in the Trumpet and the bulletins!

EWCC Scholarship – Do you have a graduating high school senior? Encourage them to complete the scholarship application, which can be found on the EWCC website. The deadline for scholarship applications is April 30th. Scholarships will be awarded on Children’s Sunday in June.

Food Pantry – The EWCC food pantry has helped supplement many families in need of a little extra support. Please consider bringing in non-perishable items of all kinds to help keep our shelves stocked. Please be certain to check expiration dates before donating. Some of the very useful items are peanut butter and canned fish/meats. This month’s food pantry item is Beans and Baked Beans. Next Missions Meeting – Our next Missions meeting is Wednesday, April 19th. Starting in May, Missions will be meeting at 7:00 on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at EWCC. If you are interested in being involved in EWCC’s outreach, please join us! Friends of Missions are ALWAYS welcome!

Senior High School Scholarship

A scholarship is awarded each year to a student who is pursuing their education in the field of ministry or in a field

related to human services/social services such as teaching, nursing, social work, etc.

Applications are available for download on the church web site or in the church office.

www.eastwoodstockchurch.org

More Scholarship News

A scholarship for LGBT students and allies who are graduating from high school and going on to higher education is

available from the Hartford PFLAG group. If you are active in your school or community concerning LGBTQ issues,

you are encouraged to apply. More information can be found at http://www.pflaghartford.org/brill.html.

The TRUMPET Page 7 April 2017

Regional Annual Meeting!

Help Wanted June 16-17

Greeters, Ushers, and “Smilers”

Pastor Sue is seeking volunteers from churches throughout our region

to help welcome delegates and visitors to Hartford for the historic joint

Annual Meeting of the Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island

Conferences of the United Church of Christ. The Annual Meeting will

be held June 16-17, 2017 at the Connecticut Convention Center. Sue has agreed to be part

of the Conference Hospitality Team, and is eager to find volunteers to help welcome

over 1,000 people to Hartford!

Why would I want to volunteer?

This is a very special and historic gathering of our wider church family to Hartford. We want to

welcome our sisters and brothers of the United Church of Christ, delegates and visitors, to our

“backyard.” Please help!

What will volunteers do?

Volunteers will be assigned a short 3-hour shift on Friday and/or Saturday, to help greet

convention attendees throughout the beautiful Connecticut Convention Center and the

adjoining Marriott Hotel. Some volunteers will help direct people to activities. Others will

serve as ushers during the huge worship services. Most importantly, you’ll be a smiling face

of WELCOME to all who attend this historic meeting. Volunteers will receive training (easy)

and information to help you.

What do I have to do to volunteer?

(1) Contact Pastor Sue, telephone 860-928-7449 or email econgregtnl@snet.net with your

interest to volunteer on Friday and/or Saturday.

(2) All volunteers must complete an online registration to attend the Annual Meeting:

www.ctucc.org/TriConAm. The registration fee is $85 and includes entry to the event on

both days, and access to all of the exhibits, worship events, presentations and keynote

speaker, and lunch on Saturday. You’ll want to enjoy the event too! It will be amazing

and inspiring!

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Tea Time for Jasmin

Saturday, May 13, 2017

3:00 pm Please join us for tea and conversation at Pastor Sue’s home (271 English Neighborhood Road). There will be no admission fee, but we will be accepting free-will donations to benefit Jasmin Floyd, who suffers from FOP – a debilitating disease which gradually turns soft tissue into bone. Please make a reservation by calling the church office – 860-928-7449 or email ewccsec@yahoo.com.

Advanced Directives Workshop

The Pastoral Care Department of Day Kimball Hospital is presenting a workshop on advanced directives on April 20 from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm at the Thompson Public Library (934 Riverside Drive, N. Grosvenordale). Join us for a discussion about advanced directives to dispel myths and uncertainties associated with these documents and to complete on free of charge. To register call 860-963-6344. www.caredecisionsct.org.

*4th Grade Communion Info -

Thank you to Christine Armstrong for leading this year's first communion class!

Important dates:

March 31st – meeting at Christine Armstrong's house to make Challah bread

and prepare for the coming Sunday

April 2nd – First Communion celebration - 4th graders will be helping with the

services

Questions? Contact Christine Armstrong at jcharmstrong@yahoo.com

*Easter -

April 16th - 7th Grade class will present during services

- Sunday School together (full group activity)

The TRUMPET Page 9 April 2017

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S E N I O R Y O U T H G R O U P

April Events

April 2 Help with Worship EWCC

Come and be a part of worship! We need youth to pass out bulletins, read scripture and collect

offering. We will also be hosting a table at coffee hour to have members of the congregation write

messages to be included in our care packages at the end of the month. See Anne Sorensen to see

how you can help!

April 9 Palm Sunday EWCC

Join us in worship as we commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Join us as we prepare

for Holy Week and anticipate the joys of Easter.

April 16 Easter Sunday EWCC

Hallelujah! He Is Risen! Join us in worship to celebrate the good news. His resurrection symbolizes

the eternal life that is granted to all who believe in Him. Come and share the good news with your

family and church family!

April 23 Assemble Alumni Care Packages FWCC

Meet downstairs after worship to assemble care packages for our youth group alumni! We want to

get these out asap so they receive them just before finals. We had such a positive response to the

packages we sent out in November that we wanted to do it again! Help us to send some love!

Want to know more about YOUTH GROUP?

CHECK US OUT ON FACEBOOK AND INSTAGRAM!

INSTAGRAM: WoodstockSYG Facebook: Youth Group 16-17

Call or text Anne Sorensen 860-428-2198 or EMAIL: youthgroup.woodstock@gmail.com

FRIENDS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!!

The TRUMPET Page 10 April 2017

God is doing a new thing!

Grow! Stretch! Play!

Spring has come to Silver Lake! The garden is full of new life and the woods are waking up. Come find what new things God is doing in your life at Silver Lake this summer!

SUMMER 2017 CONFERENCE DATES:

PreCamp: June 18-24 Week 1: June 25-July 1 Week 2: July 2-8 Week 3: July 9-15 Week 4: July 16-22 Week 5: July 23-29 Week 6: July 30-Aug. 5 Week 7: Aug. 6-12

facebook.com/SilverLakeCT

@silverlakeconfcenter

Summer Camp for grades 4 through 12; register online at

silverlakect.org Friendship Leadership Independence Deepening of Faith

The TRUMPET Page 11 April 2017

Children’s Page

A picture to color.

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Looking Ahead:

May 7 – Reception of New Members May 14 – Confirmands lead worship May 21 – Music Appreciation

COFFEE HOUR

The coffee hour in April will be served courtesy of: Society

The coffee hour in May will be served courtesy of: Pastoral Relations

April Birthdays:

Alexis Parent April 3

Lua Manhanga April 4

Kaleb Morin April 7

Nathan Drouin April 8

Gabby Santos April 13

Haven Magnan April 14

Tyler Chamberlin April 16

Leah Thibodeau April 23

Sydney Asikainen April 28

April 2017

Daily Bread request: Beans & Baked Beans

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1 10 am Birthday

party

2 4th Grade Communion 4:00 pm Our Muslim Neighbors 6:30 pm EWCB

3 9 am Community Kitchen Prep (Hill)

4 10:00 am Tai Chi 7:00 pm Deacons 7:00 pm Jamboree 7:00 pm Sanctuary

Singers

5 10:00 Study Group 7:30 pm Al-anon

6 10:00 am Tai Chi 7:00 pm Bells

7 8

9 Palm Sunday

8:00 am Men’s Breakfast

6:30 pm EWCB

10 9:30 am Music

Class

11 10:00 am Tai Chi 7:00 pm Sanctuary

Singers

12 10:00 Study Group 7:30 pm Al-anon

13 Maundy Thursday 10:00 am Tai Chi 7:30 pm Service of

Tenebrae

14 Good Friday

7:30 pm Service

15

16 Easter Sunday

6:00 am Sunrise Service(Academy) 10:00 am Worship

17 9:30 am Music

Class

18 10:00 am Tai Chi 7:00 pm Jamboree 7:00 pm Sanctuary

Singers

19 10:00 Study Group 1:30 pm LBS 7:00 pm Missions 7:30 pm Al-anon

20 10:00 am Tai Chi 7:00 pm Bells

TRUMPET DEADLINE!

21 9:30 am MOMs

Group

22 Earth Day

23 New Members Class 6:30 pm EWCB

24 9:30 am Music

Class 7:00 pm Society

25 10:00 am Tai Chi 7:00 pm Bells

26 10:00 Study Group 7:30 pm Al-anon

27 10:00 am Tai Chi 7:00 pm Bells

28 3 pm – 9 pm Clothing Sale

Confirmation

29 9 am – 2 pm Clothing Sale

Retreat

30 3 pm New Members Tea w/Deacons 6:30 pm EWCB 7 pm Cemetery

Association

The TRUMPET Page 13 April 2017

Today and every day let us be open to God, who promises always to be with us.

“Christ the Lord is risen to-day,” Sons of men and angels say. Raise your joys and triumphs high; Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply. (Charles Wesley)

Christ is Risen: The world below lies desolate Christ is Risen: The spirits of evil are fallen Christ is Risen: The angels of God are rejoicing Christ is Risen: The tombs of the dead are empty Christ is Risen indeed from the dead, the first of the sleepers, Glory and power are his forever and ever

St. Hippolytus (AD 190-236)

The TRUMPET Page 14 April 2017

THANK YOU, LORD,

for the gift of Your love.

May I be a shining

example of that love to others.

Amen.