Scripture Lessons

Matthew 14: 13-21

Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. 14 When he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them and cured their sick. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. 15 When it was evening, the disciples came to him and said, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is now late; send the crowds away so that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves.” 16 Jesus said to them, “They need not go away; you give them something to eat.” 17 They replied, “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” 18 And he said, “Bring them here to me.” 19 Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 20 And all ate and were filled; and they took up what was left over of the broken pieces, twelve baskets full. 21 And those who ate were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

A warm welcome to all visitors and newcomers to our community.

If you are a visitor today... Please sign your name and telephone number in the red book at the end of each pew. First Church offers an inclusive and vibrant Christian community in which to explore your spirituality. We will conduct a class for prospective new members in September. If you are interested in uniting with First Church, please contact Dr. Stiers at the Church Office.
Do you know someone who is temporarily housebound? Or are you going into Greenwich, Stamford, Norwalk or Yale-New Haven Hospitals yourself? Our pastors would like to know. Please give the church a call and let one of the clergy know.
If your child is restless: Child care is available in the baby and toddler nurseries located in the Undercroft.

Greeters: Barbara Norrgard and Laura Erickson
Ushers: Sue Baker, captain; Brendan Loughman, Mary Olsson, Devon Simpson, Catharine Sotzing
Coffee Hour Hosts: Barbara Norrgard and Laura Erickson
Radio Host: Ken Kolb
Hospital Flower Delivery: Sue Baker

Please Keep Your Pledge Current

As we enter the summer months, please keep in mind that the financial obligations of the church do not take a vacation. Could you please help keep the income flow steady by keeping your pledge current? Interim giving statements will arrive in your homes shortly--if you have any questions, please call Kirk Young at 637-1791 x 32.

Next Sunday’s Services

Next Sunday, August 11, Dr. Tom Stiers will preach a sermon entitled “A Basket of Summer Fruit” at both the
8 and 10 am services.

Pastoral Coverage This Week

Dr. Tom Stiers is available in the Church Office this week for any pastoral concerns. Rev. Sally Colegrove is on vacation this week while Rev. Susie Craig continues on her sabbatical.

Going Away this Fall? Sign-Up Now for Church Photo Directory!

Our summer portrait session for First Church's first photo directory in a decade is August 17-18. If you're away this fall or have kids who'll be off at school, this is your chance to participate. You'll get a complimentary directory and a free 8x10 portrait, plus the opportunity to purchase additional prints from Olan Mills. Sign-up today at Coffee Hour.

Our Radio Ministry

Our 10 am Worship Service is broadcast each Sunday on WGCH 1490 radio. This ministry reaches out to the home-bound, the hospital-bound and those in nursing homes or convalescent centers. It costs $220 per broadcast and is supported by donations. Broadcasts may be dedicated to the memory of loved ones or in celebration of special events. You may also share the cost of a broadcast. If you would like to support this valuable ministry, please speak to one of the pastors or call the Church Office.

Help a Member in Need

One of our church members needs some help. If you have 1-2 hours to spare to help with errands, please contact Dee Coover, Parish Nurse, at ext. 21.

New Middle School Leader

As we announced earlier in the spring, Aaron Sinay has been hired to take on some of James Ebert’s responsibilities. Aaron has had extensive experience with youth ministry, teaching, the UCC and lay leadership. He will be working in many areas including the Middle School youth programs, 20-30’s group, the All-Church Retreat, Parish Life Committee and Christian Outreach.
He is currently active as a Deacon at First Church. He has served on the national level of the UCC as a member of the Board of Directors of the Board for Homeland Ministries (BHM).
At Silver Lake Conference Center, Aaron has been a counselor and dean for summer conferences with 4th through 12th grade groups. He was on the staff for nine summers.
Aaron has been teaching at Greenwich Country Day School since 1999 and is also Director of the summer day camp at Innis Arden Golf Club.
We look forward to having Aaron on staff here for our busy fall program. He will be available in his office beginning Thursday, August 8. His telephone is 637-1791 ext. 23 and his e-mail address is aarons@fccog.org.

Quotes to Ponder

“There were some pretty bad times, and there were times when I was pretty near despair. I don’t think I ever gave up. My faith kept me from giving up to despair.”
Former hostage Terry Anderson, The New York Times

“What we need is fewer beliefs and more belief. When the disciples said, ‘Lord, increase our faith, they did not mean help us to believe more things than we now believe. What they meant was, where our faith is weak, make it strong, or help us to make it stronger.”
Bishop James Pike

“To think that creation resulted by accident is like thinking that Webster’s unabridged dictionary resulted from an explosion in a print shop.”
attributed to Einstein

Summer Office Hours

The Church Office is observing summer hours. They are Monday - Friday 9 am to 3 pm.

Rummage Room Closed

The Rummage Room is now closed until September 3. Please don’t leave donations outside the shop, but we would love to have them on September 4 when we begin accepting things again. We want to give a really big hug of gratitude to all our volunteers for all their time and effort. We wish everyone a happy, healthy and safe summer.
See you in September!
Maria Drieghe and Debi Stickney
Co-Managers