Meeting House Monthly April 2005

"Everything is blooming most
recklessly; if it were voices
instead of colors, there would
be an unbelievable shrieking
into the heart of the night."
Rainer Marie Rilke

With springtime trying its' hardest to break the stronghold of winter, the German poet expresses a truth beyond the natural order. Faith surpasses predictability, hope overcomes despair, light exposes darkness, and love conquers evil - when the human blossoms with the transforming energy of the divine.

Easter is our season of affirmation! We affirm the powers of life over death and the "unbelievable shrieking" of Easter morning when our faith (not our common sense) affirms that God's life springs forth from the tomb.

"I am the resurrection and the life.
Those who believe in me, even
though they die, will live, and
everyone who lives and believes
in me will never die."
Jesus (John 11:25)

Yesterday's Easter services were fabulously moving and meaningful experiences of faith! It was first Sunrise Service at the beach for the Young family and we were in awe of both the beauty of the setting (at such an early hour) and the youth (and advisors) who did such a terrific job of putting on the service. And then the two festival services with brass and timpani nearly lifted me right up to the ceiling. To everyone who participated and made Easter such a bright and inspiring celebration - thank you!

What a joy it has been to have our entire family here for this past Easter weekend! Again, I want to say how wonderful it is for us to be here in Greenwich, and more particularly, to be here at First Congregational Church.

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to join with you in the ministry of this church. It is with true joy and excitement that we look forward to the days and months ahead!

St. Francis of Assisi once observed, "Every day is a new flower." With the hint of springtime already here, may we look for new flowers in God's beautiful creation and for new flowers of faith.

April Worship Schedule
All services are at 8 and 10 am
in the Meetinghouse
unless otherwise indicated.

On April 17 the Senior Pilgrim Fellowship will be departing for their eighteenth year to work with our friends and neighbors at H.O.M.E. Coop in Orland, Maine. H.O.M.E. , which stands for Homeworkers Organized for More Employment serves the rural poor of Hancock County, Maine. Their mission is to "Serve first those who suffer most". This is done by responding to need. A lumber mill, shingle mill, and carpentry shop provide materials for the now nearly 40 homes built on their land trusts around d the county. Operation Woodstove makes firewood available for heating homes during the long Maine winters. A day care center, a hot lunch program, a food pantry, an alternative high school, literacy training, auto mechanics training, a cobbler shop provide training in a number of areas. Their work with weaving, pottery, quilting, leatherwork and other arts supply the Craft Cooperative also on their main site.

The main campus of H.O.M.E. is augmented by Mandala Farm where a number of houses provide homes for those in need, as well as work with farm animals and gardens.

This year our First Church Preschool will be sending us north with a number of needed items responding to needs made known to us by H.O.M.E. Our children will be collecting the following goods and packing them for us to deliver.

6-8 gallons of Barn Red paint
Milk Cooler for the Market Stand
Flooring for the Volunteer Center Kitchen
Electric Stove for the kitchen
Transmission for a 1-Tom Dump Truck
Brakes for a 2-ton Mercedes Truck

This year we will be present for H.O.M.E.'s Annual Meeting. We look forward to hearing from their members as to what has transpired for them over the course of this past year. Thank you in advance for your support.

Thank You for Your Generous Support of our Lenten Offering! Your generosity has translated our concerns with hunger in our area and with medical care in Honduras into dollars and cents, soon to become food and medicine. As of Easter Monday, we have raised $6753 for Local Hunger Needs and $16,553 for our work in Honduras. This is augmented by a matching gift of 10,000. The opportunity not only to deliver such needed gifts, but to have a part in the process of their delivery will now be forthcoming. Our concern for neighbors near and far is a mark of what it means to be First Congregational Church, but the raising of needed dollars is just the first step. Now we hope to put prayer and concern into action. Be sure to watch the Meetinghouse News as we both learn and participate in the delivery of these gifts. May God bless your Easter Season.

This month my column is a little messier than usual. Rather than having one single creative writing inspiration, my mind is filled with many thoughts including gratitude for recent programs and ideas for new ones. So, I'd like to tidy up some details for our busy Wellness Committee.

First, I must thank all those involved with the February "Cooking for the Heart" event. We were blessed with a huge success, as over 20 people prepared healthy entrées for 70 attendees. Dr Schuster was well received, and First Congregational Church's hospitality truly radiated out to the community.

So many of the diseases I write about are affected by diet and life style, I sometimes feel like a broken record (or for you kids of the 21st century: a scratched CD). But here I go again: Eating wisely can help prevent many ailments including heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, and osteoporosis, as well as boost your immune system and your energy level. All of these will be addressed at an evening nutritional series here at church:

Sponsored by the Greenwich Department of Health , this great program is FREE. Healthy snacks provided by Porricelli's Food Mart and the Wellness Committee. To Register Call Victoria Quatrone at 622-7850.

For people currently certified in CPR/AED (automatic external defibrillator): One of my responsibilities as AED site coordinator is to keep a record of those certified. Please call me to let me know your certification dates. If you were certified here at church last spring, then I have that information. And for all certified individuals who want to refresh their skills, we now have two classes scheduled for Saturday April 16, at 10:00 and 11:30 AM. Thanks to the generosity of the Greenwich EMS, and to the church covering the reduced fees, we can offer the class at no cost to you. Call me at extension 21 to register.

Lastly, the Lifeline Screening will not take place at our church this spring, due to some changes within their company. We will consider arranging one in the future. Speak to me if you are concerned or would like to be screened at another location.

Those who have participated in John Stansell’s Wednesday evening sessions for self-described non-singers have learned that their individual hindrances to singing were not at all insurmountable, and they have had a lot of fun exercising their emerging skills. There will be six more sessions, March 30, April 6, 13, 27, and May 4 & 11, at 8:00 pm for about forty-five minutes. Consider coming, even if you can only come a time or two, and even if you would only like to observe. A revelation is almost assured!

April 3
Islam Unit begins in Pastor’s Class & 6th Grade Class. Terri and Clem are leading Junior Pilgrim Fellowship (5 pm - 6:15 pm) in the Youth Room.

April 10
Pastor’s Class & 6th graders will meet with Chaplain Antepli of Wesleyan University for a presentation on Islam. Cynthia and Denise are leading JPF (5 pm - 6:15 pm).

April 17
Family Worship in the Meeting House at 10 am. No JPF due to Spring Break!!

April 24
Pastor’s Class meets in the Lounge at 10 am—getting ready for Church School Recognition Sunday! Carolyn and Nancy are leading JPF (5 - 6:15 pm).

Every year teams of interested parents and high school students have found answers to these questions and more by helping our children from infancy to 8th grade learn about faith, Christianity, the Bible and worship.

Recruitment has just begun and twelve slots are filled. MANY THANKS TO THE EARLY BIRDS. There are the following openings for each class:

BABY NURSERY (6 openings)

TODDLER NURSERY (3)

3 YEAR OLDS (5)

4 YEAR OLDS (6)

KINDERGARTEN (5)

FIRST GRADE (4)

SECOND GRADE (5)

THIRD GRADE (5)

FOURTH GRADE (6)

FIFTH GRADE (5)

SIXTH GRADE (6)

PASTORS' CLASS (6)

Where do you sign up? There are signup boards in the Auditorium and in the Undercroft. Stop by to sign-up or call Susie Craig, Rosemary Lamie or Jenny Lepoutre at 637-1791.

"The things that make for peace" is taken from the following passage in Luke 19:42. "As he (Jesus) came near and saw the city (Jerusalem), he wept over it, saying, "If you, even you, had only recognized this day the things that make for peace!"

We would hope to have our children learn about and express their ideas about PEACE - peace in our hearts, peace among our families and friends, peace in our communities and peace in the world. Through reading, writing, drawing, making music and crafts, we will have many opportunities to engage our children.

Although each class will have age appropriate activities, we plan to have one project which will include work from each child. Through this project we will illustrate how the whole is greater than its parts and that is one way peace can be found. If you would like to help in a class at any time during the month of April, please call Rosemary at ext. 20 and we will find a place for you.

In Greenwich at our local food pantry, we've recently been blessed with the annual Boy Scout community effort to collect food from local schools and households. The scouts took all this food to local firehouses, sorted it and brought 200 boxes to Neighbor to Neighbor. This wonderful cache will last for only about three weeks, as the pantry at NTN is now providing 'supplemental' feeding to 275 families each month in Greenwich. Please remember that your donations make a huge difference each month. Special needs this month are: grape jelly, Parmalat milk, tomato/pasta sauce, jello/pudding products. Always look for store specials for canned fruits and cereal.

The intricate “Star of Bethlehem” quilt created by the Kettle Quilters will be on display in the Rummage Room window in mid-April and will be on display at Coffee Hour on May 1. You may purchase tickets to win this lovely work of art for $2.50 each at Coffee Hour or at the Rummage Room. The raffle will take place at the Women’s Fellowship Spring Luncheon on Wednesday, May 4. The winner does not have to be present at the drawing and will be notified by telephone. Thank you for your support. Please note that the quilt is not a King size but a “generous” Queen size. Sorry for the error.

The First Congregational Church College and University Loan Fund has funds available for children of church members who are going off to college and need some extra financing.

We currently lend $750 per semester on a note guaranteed by a parent. All we ask in return is your commitment to commence repaying the loan, without interest, when you graduate.

Application for loans are available in the church office. If you have questions, call Bob Goodchild, the Treasurer, at 637.0763.

April will find the SPF preparing for our annual mission trip to the H.O.M.E. Co-op in Orland, Maine. We appreciate your support for our young people's desire to serve some of the neediest people in our country. Our trip will be April 17-23 this year. We look forward to reporting back next month the good work we get accomplished!

For at least 30 years or more, the downstairs one-bedroom apartment in the gray house adjacent to the Memory Garden (106 Sound Beach Avenue) has been occupied by a member of the First Church clergy - most recently, Ralph and Beverly Ahlberg. It is now vacant and we do not anticipate its use by a clergy member in the near future. Because of its proximity to the church buildings, the Memory Garden, and the church lawns, we feel it would best be occupied by someone in the First Church family. The apartment consists of a spacious living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. It is in excellent condition following a major renovation in 2003. Monthly rent is $1,500 plus utilities. If you know of someone in the congregation who would be interested in the apartment, please call George Handley at the church office.

We are now accepting registrations for the First Church Summer Day Camp. The Summer Camp is open to children ages 3 through children entering 1st grade. The camp offers 3 two weeks sessions: June 27 – July 8, July 11 – July 22, and July 25 – August 5. Campers will participate in fun filled theme weeks: The Rain Forest, The Circus, and Below the Ocean and Outer Space. Campers will also enjoy music activities, creative movement, sports, and arts & crafts. Campers will also be going to the beach at Tod’s Point.

For information on how to register, please contact Libby White, Preschool Director at libbyw@fccog.org or 637-5430.

04/01 Russell Pruner
04/01 Alison Cumming
04/01 Adam Eckhart
04/01 Luke Crihfield
04/02 Bing Vernet
04/02 Rusty Lewis
04/02 Ginny Breismeister
04/02 James Ebert
04/03 Dana Dolloff
04/03 Paul O'Gorman
04/03 Gregg Primo
04/03 Cliff Anderson
04/03 Elizabeth Mendelsohn Tauber
04/03 Abigail Sawyer
04/03 Virginia Stewart
04/04 James Anderson
04/04 Lori Ann Griffin
04/04 Cole Janelli
04/05 Elizabeth Seibert
04/05 Betsy Sandberg
04/05 Elizabeth Goodchild
04/05 Karl Gifford
04/05 Rachel Blandori
04/06 Todd Schongalla
04/06 William Vanneman
04/06 Judith Gordon
04/06 Carole Lang
04/06 Carol Pollack
04/06 Christopher Sotzing
04/06 Genevieve Kimberlin
04/06 Kaela Buggy
04/07 Peggy Beecher
04/07 Kristin Taylor
04/07 Kimberly Pacent
04/07 John Lloyd Jr Enquist
04/07 Caroline Jensen
04/08 Sara Anna Perelli - Minetti
04/08 Dee Robarts
04/08 Gail Bertuzzi
04/08 Chang Wachsman
04/08 Kelsey McHugh
04/08 Malcolm Joung
04/09 Nancy Wolff
04/09 Skyler Serenbetz
04/09 Sarah Briggs
04/09 Dillon MacDonald
04/09 Ryerson Burdick
04/10 Rufus Winton
04/10 Bobbi Hanson

04/10 Andrea Fossum Atkins
04/10 Nikola Newcomer
04/11 Mary Hunt
04/11 Susan Stanley
04/11 Amy Morgan
04/11 William Dakin
04/11 Peter McHugh
04/11 Thomas Oppedisano
04/11 Monty Yort
04/12 Lynn O'Gorman
04/12 Christina Schoen
04/12 Meg Thomas
04/12 Jane Haviland
04/12 Nora Houseknecht
04/13 Marga DeNatale
04/13 Auddy Brooks
04/13 Kristina Berlin
04/13 Lauren Petrizzi
04/13 Matthew Klingner
04/14 Richard Nelli
04/14 Jane Cumming
04/14 Caroline McLennan
04/14 Stephanie Woodman
04/14 Gillian Woodman
04/14 Brecky Huth
04/15 Jennifer Pratt
04/15 Jennifer McCue
04/15 Suzanne McCue
04/15 Kelsey Ingraham
04/15 Sara DeFazio
04/15 Sara DeFazio
04/16 John Gelb
04/16 Marion Nolan
04/16 Doug Bacon
04/16 Kara Donahue
04/16 Donald Haviland
04/16 Devin McDonald
04/17 Ryan Hoster
04/17 Jillian Fryback
04/17 Ted Davis
04/17 Alexi Stafford
04/17 Blake Newcomer
04/18 Scott Tagliarino
04/18 Margaret Dempsey
04/18 Laurence White
04/18 Elizabeth Schrohe
04/18 David Fraser
04/19 Robert Ferry
04/19 Steven Standish

04/19 Jeffrey Whitehilll
04/19 Anna Paskausky
04/19 Eric Schay
04/19 Henry Wheelock
04/20 Kenneth Bonnet
04/20 Timothy Coleman
04/21 Sylvia Roberts
04/21 Penny Lehman
04/21 Courtney Jewett
04/21 Caroline Kolb
04/21 Hannah Hoffman
04/22 Emily Hunt
04/23 Michael Bacon
04/23 Jean Bradley
04/24 Mary Wyatt
04/24 Joan Torelli
04/24 Ronald Blasberg
04/24 David Bradley
04/24 J. Q. Norrgard
04/25 Todd Ives
04/25 Eleanor Mawhinney
04/25 Allison Arsenault
04/26 James Sotzing
04/26 Pamela Speer
04/26 Laura Erickson
04/27 William Schmitt
04/27 Ginny Allen
04/27 Henry Hartwell
04/27 Will Grunow
04/28 Phyllis Palmer
04/28 Henry Huth
04/28 Ann Sawyer
04/28 Maura Thalheim
04/28 Dion Cocoros
04/28 Suzanne De Villiers
04/28 Kyle Kim-E
04/28 Gordon Johnson
04/29 Jan Ruxton
04/29 Lynn Woodman
04/29 Patrice Anibal
04/30 Claire Henry
04/30 Charles Sweatt
04/30 Eileen M Blaker
04/30 David Ayres
04/30 Anna Bonnell
04/30 Jordan Liebowitz
04/30 Colin Crihfield
04/30 Cameron DelCristo

Women’s
Fellowship
Bus Trip

Save the Date: Wednesday, April 20
8:30 - 4:00 pm

Join the Women’s Fellowship luxury bus trip, The Best of Litchfield County with a walking tour led by the Historical Society, a visit to the “Love and Marriage” show, lunch at the famously splendid Mayflower Inn. An enactment at the Tapping Read House and more. The cost is $55 per person which includes transportation, lunch, tips and admission fees. Guests are welcome.

Name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Address: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Telephone: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Please make checks payable to the Women’s Fellowship

David D. Young, Senior Pastor
Susan M. Craig, Senior Associate Pastor
M. Ashley Grant, Associate Pastor and Director of Middle School Ministries
Anna Paskausky, SPF Director
Rosemary Lamie and Jennifer Lepoutre, Church School Coordinators
John Stansell, Director of Music, Senior Organist
Mark Swicegood, Associate Organist/Director
Carolyn Diamond, Associate Musician
Susan Asselin, Parish Nurse
Libby White, Director of Preschool
Thomas L. Stiers and Sally Colegrove, Pastors Emeriti

Sunday Services of Worship - 8 & 10 am
Church School - 10 am
Nursery Care provided during the 10 am Service.
The 10 am Service is broadcast live on WGCH 1490 am Radio.