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Page 1 of 16 January 2016 Wintonbury Spire
“THERE IS NO FEAR IN LOVE, BUT PERFECT LOVE CAST OUT FEAR”
1 John 4:18
In our January 2017 Spire, I as your Pastor, invited all of us to
“Build Hope and Seek Peace”.
The reality is that there are situations in our lives that
many times do impact how we build hope and how
we seek peace. FEAR often limits our capacities to build
hope and to seek peace! Fear of what could happen or go wrong
in our futures and the future of those things we care about
including family, health, political climate, economics,
environmental concerns, justice, racial tensions,
Church growth.
As Christians and people of faith we are called to cast out fear
with love. Not a passive and insensitive love but a caring and
compassionate love that moves us to actions that empower and
celebrates life for us, our loved ones, our neighbors and town as
well as our world! Remember…
“For those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength
They shall mount up with wings like eagles” Isaiah 40:31
Pastor Ed
Th
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FEBRUARY
2016
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Page 2 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
PASTOR ED’S Pastor Visitation Ministry:
It continues to be a blessing for me to visit members and friends of our Congregation. Please let me now if you would like me to visit you! Contact Andrea (Church Office) or Karen for coordination of a visit!
Church Council and Pastor Ed’s Goal for 2017:
As your Pastor I would like you to be aware that with love and passion I will be working with our Church Council on the following priorities/goals in 2017. Church Growth & Stewardship; Strengthening Ministry Teams including Music Ministry Team; Overviewing Staff goals and priorities; Enhancing Musical ministries; Supporting Pastoral Search; Creative Worship experiences.
New Members:
I would like to invite those who are interested in becoming members of First Congregational Church to express their interest to me (Pastor Ed); I am looking Forward to work on Membership Classes As Soon As Possible. Let me know!
Church Growth Ministry Team:
I would like to promote a very
flexible new ministry team…I call it
the “Church Growth Ministry
Team”…It would be a think tank to
explore ideas and suggestions
regarding how to help our
Congregation grow. Interested? Let
me know…Three people have
already said YES! No fixed
meeting days…open to creative
/strategic thinking!
IDEAS TO HELP OUR CHURCH
GROW. PUT IT IN WRITING or TALK
TO PASTOR ED:
Creative Programmatic Ideas…let
me know! (Have a program in
mind?)
Visitation Ideas… let me know!
Church growth ideas… let me
know!
Stewardship ideas… let me know!
Inviting others to come to our
Church…any ideas?
Other… let me know
MAY GOD BLESS YOU, YOUR
LOVED ONES, OUR
CONGREGATION AND GOD’S
WORLD WITH ALL ITS RICH
DIVERSITIES AND
CHALLENGES!
SHALOM…Pastor Ed
Page 3 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
News For Kids,
Youth & Families LOVE, LOVE, LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED…
February is a wonderful time to show
love. The Sunday School will be showing
love by decorating Cupcakes to support a
Covenant to Care Birthday Party. We will
decorate cupcakes during Sunday School
time on February 19th and then sell them
during coffee hour, for $2.00 each.
Come to coffee hour and buy a cupcake or
two to support the Sunday School’s
mission to show love for children in need
of a celebration.
Thursday Bible Study will be beginning a
new book soon, The Great Spiritual Migration.
Join us @ 10 am on Thursdays. You can
purchase a book in the church office. We will
be glad to see you there.
The Youth Group will be collecting your spare
change for Souper Bowl of Caring on Super Bowl
Sunday February 5th. They will be holding Soup
Pots for you to give your spare change at the
exits as you leave church. The proceeds of
this Fund Raiser will be going to Bloomfield
Social Services. Many youth groups will be
collecting money around our Nation and giving
their proceeds to their local food banks. Each
Youth Group will then enter the total amount
collected into the National Total collected
@ www.souperbowl.org. Check out our FCCB
page on this website and see how we did in our
collection and can see how the nation did in
helping stop hunger. Help us end hunger. This
is our 7th year collecting and over the years our
total collection is $1,100.00 Great job FCCB!
Thank you for your support. Don’t forget Youth
Group, we will count the money at Youth Group
and eat soup! This year we will hold a Listening
Circle for the Youth at the same time!
The Sunday School children are working on
a Musical to share during worship on April
23rd. Have your child join us for Sunday
School every Sunday to practice. Our
Musical is “The Tale of Three Trees”.
You will not want to miss this Musical led
by Marnie Clark, along with help from
Sarah Morgan and Lisa Jaffery. Come to
Sunday school get a CD to practice with
at home. Join us for this special event.
Sunday School
February 5th Communion Sunday
Sunday School for Preschool ~ 9th Grade
and Communion.
February 12th Sunday School for Preschool
~ 9th Grade - Fellowship Hall decorating
cupcakes.
February 19th Sunday School for
Preschool ~ 9th Grade.
February 26th Sunday School for Preschool
~ 9th Grade.
Youth Group Schedule
February 5th Collect for Souper Bowl of
Caring after worship 11:00.
Youth Group 4:00~5:30 Souper Bowl Sunday
Counting Party and Soup and Listening Circle.
February 19th Youth Group 4:00~5:30 TCBY.
Page 4 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
Please remember to support our
Youth Ministry with their
Souper Bowl of Caring.
Sunday, February 5, 2017
Page 5 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
SAVE THE DATE 7th Annual CTUCC Youth Revival
When Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 3:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Where First Church of Christ Congregational 12 South Main Street West Hartford, CT 06107
Phone 860-761-7103
Email [email protected]
Contact Debby Kirk
View Registration Forms 7th Annual CTUCC Youth Revival →
WHAT IS A REVIVAL? This is a dynamic worship service that will renew your spirit. Come and lift your praises, celebrate vitality, and embrace diversity! WHERE WILL IT TAKE PLACE? The Youth Revival will be co-sponsored with First Church of Christ, Congregational and Manantial de Gracia, two of our UCC churches in West Hartford. There is plenty of parking, both in front of the church at 12 South Main Street, and behind the building. WHO IS INVITED? All youth in grades 5 and up and their pastors, parents, or adult leaders. Bring a few or bring your whole group; fill up your car or rent a bus and meet us in Hartford. WHO IS PREACHING? Rev. Da Vita “Day” McCallister, Associate Conference Minister for Leadership and Vitality will preach. We will also have testimony from several youth from around the state. WHAT ABOUT THE MUSIC? There will be lots of upbeat music provided by Isaac Monts as well as the musicians from our host congregations. WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THIS REVIVAL? This is our 7th Annual Revival so be prepared for an amazing celebration that features music, dance, inspiring testimony and more! WHAT IS RJM? RJM stands for Racial Justice Ministry. The Revival is a RJM event because it is intentionally multi-cultural and multi-racial. We believe God calls us to create a beloved community that affirms the dignity of all individuals. DO I HAVE TO REGISTER? This event is free, however we request that you reply below to let us know how many are coming. WILL THERE BE AN OFFERING? Yes, we will take a collection to support Youth Ministry at our host congregations as well as a designated outreach program in the Hartford Community. WHAT ABOUT FELLOWSHIP? Of course, there will be time to hang out afterwards! You’ll see friends from SLCC, JCT, TAWFG, NYE, Giv2, and Y@S. (need a key for all these acronyms? See below) There will be refreshments as well as displays about some of the great programs in our CT Conference. HOW CAN I GET INVOLVED? All who want to sing or dance should contact Debby Kirk at the number above. We will post music titles a month before the event so you can practice at home to be in our pick up band and choir.
For more information contact Debby Kirk, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministries
[email protected] 860.761.7103 www.ctucc.org
Page 6 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
The United Church of Christ is the church the world needs today.
Three-Legged Stool of Justice Work “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God?” Micah 6:8
Justice and ministries of compassion help to weave us together in shared purpose. We need each other to make an impact. Our churches are
mindful that congregational vitality is present when our churches are working to make a difference where God has planted them.
The Connecticut Conference believes that together we can make an
impact on the world. Our justice ministries provide focus in three important areas:
Racial Justice Ministry •Held several successful fundraisers to support Racial Justice Ministries in the
Conference: •CT Women of the UCC raised $13,250 •#GivingTuesday brought in $4,585 for CT, MA and RI Conferences
•Footsteps of Peace event held with the Asylum Hill Congregational Church
raised $3,550 •Conducted 10 Racial Justice Trainings (Conference Wide and Staff) •Over 40 Racial Justice Facilitators Trained across CT, MA and RI Conferences •Held 10 local church Racial Justice Events •First Youth Racial Justice Training offered with Minnesota Conference •8 youth completed the Joseph Clemmons Job Training Program
Economic Justice Ministry •Led the launch of The Coalition Against Casino Expansion in CT with 10 Interfaith
Partners •Formed The Advocate Corps of lay and clergy leaders willing to call their
legislators on economic justice and environmental issues of concern to CTUCC
Environmental Justice •3rd Annual Environmental Justice For All Retreat held
•500 conferees participated in Earth Avengers sessions at Silver Lake
•125 confirmands participated in Creation Care Workshops at Confirmation
Retreats •Conference leaders collaborated with national UCC leaders through UCC
Council for Climate Justice •Workshops were held at Super Saturday, MACUCC Youth AFIRE Conference,
National Youth Event, and Outdoor Ministries Association Side by Side Conference with PCCCA
•$2,400 worth of wholesale organic produce was harvested from the Silver Lake Garden
2016 Ministries of the Connecticut
Conference UCC
Page 7 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
Ministries at Silver Lake Conference Center •800 young people learned leadership through 37 summer conferences •71 deans, 134 counselors, and 7 chaplains led, nurtured, and inspired •52 dedicated summer staff sang, cleaned, ran, protected, and mentored the conferees •20 took a mission trip working with Simply Smiles •22 attended Clergy Camp •Thousands of youth and adults enjoyed weekend retreats at Silver Lake during the spring and fall •$65,055 in sponsorships were provided by individuals, churches and associations •$21,405 in Silver Lake Scholarships were awarded to 75 individuals •The Golf Tournament and Fancy Camp Gala raised over $3,000 to support the ministry of Silver Lake •$7,300 in cash and in-kind donations were received to furnish the newly renovated Lodge
Ministries in Collaboration Ongoing Collaboration with the Massachusetts
and Rhode Island Conferences •274 CT Conference church leaders joined 188 people from MA and 26
from RI at Super Saturday in Killingly in March
•Tiffany Vail hired as Associate Conference Minister for Communications for the three Conferences; transitioned to shared website platform
Looking to the Future
•555 people responding to a survey indicated support for greater
partnership amongst the 3 Conferences •Hundreds engaged in a “Season of Discernment” considering future
ministry together •3 Conference Boards will decide in early 2017 whether to bring a proposal
to the joint Annual Meeting in June, 2017 •Youth from the 3 Conferences will travel together to Youth at Synod event
in 2017
Inspiring & SupportingVital Ministry •390 inspired by Bishop Yvette Flunder at Annual Meeting in June
•80 clergy and Conference staff attended a reimagined General Association
for a deep discussion on race •236 youth and leaders from 24 congregations participated in Confirmation
Retreats •58 leaders participated in Faith Formation Stepping Stones workshops
•More than 200 clergy and lay leaders attended workshops on stewardship,
endowment and financial management •More than 400 Giv2 youth and adults gave almost 1000 service hours to
local communities •82 youth and leaders from 19 congregations attended National Youth Event •Staff assisted 86 churches in some form of transition during 2016
•50 pastors were placed as leaders in installed, bridge or transitional
positions; 10 ordinations
Telling the Story •New CTUCC and Silver Lake websites launched •CTUCC This Week modernized •Invited guest bloggers to tell their stories •Expanded list of writers contributed to weekly devotionals •CTUCC published 175 news stories and blog posts
Staff Arrivals •Ryan Gackenheimer, Executive Director of Silver Lake •Tiffany Vail, Associate Conference Minister for Communications
Staff Departures •Eric Anderson •Andy Wicks
f the Connecticut, Mas
Ministries of Congregations •Over 12,000 weekly services of worship •Average weekly attendance of over 21,000 people •Thousands of volunteer service hours near and far •Church members contributed over $41 million (2015) •Churches contributed over $5.8 million to UCC and other
ministries (2015)
The Connecticut Conference United Church of Christ • ctucc.org • 125 Sherman Street, Hartford, CT 06105 • 860.233.5564
Page 8 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
FEBRUARY 2017
Every Sunday 8 & 10 am Worship 12:30 New Birth Community Church
Every Monday 6pm Bell Choir 7pm Narc. Anon.
February 5 Bible Discussion @ 8 am – Worship @ 10 am
Communion Sunday Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Lectionary Possibilities: Isaiah 58: 1-9; Psalm 112: 1-9;
Matthew 5: 13-20
6
February 12 Bible Discussion @ 8 am – Worship @ 10 am
Lectionary Possibilities: Deut. 30: 15-20; Psalm 119: 1-8;
1 Corinthians 3: 1-9; Matthew 5: 21-37
First Congregational Church 279 Years on Feb 14
13 1 pm Deacons
February 19 Bible Discussion @ 8 am – Worship @ 10 am
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
Lectionary Possibilities: Leviticus 19: 1-2, 9-18; Psalm 119: 33-40; 1 Corinthians 3: 10-11, 16-23; Matthew 5: 38-48
20
Church Office Closed
February 26 Bible Discussion @ 8 am – Worship @ 10 am
Last Sunday after Epiphany One Great Hour of Sharing Campaign starts
Lectionary Possibilities: Exodus 24: 12-18; Psalm 2 or Psalm 99; 2 Peter 1: 16-21; Matthew 17: 1-9
27
March 5 Communion Sunday First Sunday in Lent
6
Loaves & Fishes
Preparation on
Mon Feb 13
Serving on
Tues Feb 14
Page 9 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
FEBRUARY 2017
Every Tuesday Exercise
Every Wed. 9:30am Jump Bunch 7 pm Alc. Anon.
Every Thursday 10:00 am Bible Study
Every Friday 7:30 pm Alc.Anon
Every Saturday
9:15 am Exercise
1
2
3 9:15 am Exercise
4 3 pm Bloomfield Historical Society Concert
7 6:30 pm Prosser Library Puppet Show
8
9
10 9:15 am Exercise
11
14 Happy Valentines Day!
FCCB
15
16
17 9:15am exercise
18
21 9:15 am Exercise
22 4 pm ABC
23
24 9:15am exercise
25
28
1 MARCH 2 3 4
Fri Feb 24 Spire Party 10:30 am
FCC is
279 years old!
Feb 22 Church Council
6:30 pm
Page 10 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
CT, MA and RI Boards commit to forming new Conference
1/21/2017
By Tiffany Vail Associate Conference Minister for Communications
The Boards of Directors of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island conferences on Saturday voted unanimously to commit to forming a new Conference to minister and come together to make an impact as people of faith. The three Boards came together for a meeting in Woodstock, Connecticut, and after worship and conversation together, went into separate meetings. Each Board then voted unanimously to adopt a resolution (text below) stating their intent to move forward in creating a new Conference. The three Boards worshiping together They will ask the Annual Meetings of the three Conferences, being held together June 16 and 17, to endorse their intent to draft a proposal for a new Conference. The Boards would then bring that specific proposal to another joint Annual Meeting in 2018 for ratification. Several Board and staff members spoke passionately about this new Conference as being much more than an adjustment in structure. They said they see it as a new entity able to both support the church of today and walk with new manifestations of “church” in the future. “This truly is our time,” Massachusetts Conference Board Chair Vard Johnson said. “We’re called to do this. The wind is at our back and we are in God’s hands.” In the resolution, the Board says their time of discernment has led them to believe the proposal for a new Conference would call for a single
Board of Directors, and “may also recommend a transition to a unified budget and a new staffing structure.” Some Board members said they have heard reservations about committing to the formation of a new Conference before all the many details have been worked out. But others said the time for a commitment had come. “When they decided to create the United Church of Christ, they were clear they were creating a new denomination,” said The Rev. Paul Goodman, Interim Pastor of the Plantsville Congregational UCC in Connecticut. “How they would make that work was not hammered out. They prayed about it and they knew, moving with the Holy Spirit, that once the decision was made to come together, their commonalities were greater than their differences.” Small group discussions were a part of worship “I think we are back in that same spot, standing on the shoulders of our forebears who created the denomination,” he said. The Rev. Jocelyn Gardner Spencer, pastor of the First Congregational Church of Woodstock, Connecticut, pointed out that Conference boundaries have not changed since the UCC was created in 1957, and that they are limiting. “Here in Woodstock, if you travel a few miles north, you are in Soutbridge, Massachusetts. I do not know the pastor in Southbridge because the state line is there,” she said. “I do know the pastor in Westport, which is the opposite corner of the state.” “So we would be decreasing those artificial boundaries that divide us in unnecessary ways, and on the flip side increasing our shared prophetic voices. We are a lot stronger and a lot louder when we speak together,” she said. The meeting was originally scheduled for Jan. 7, but was postponed due to a snowstorm. Jan. 21 had been chosen as a snow date months ago, before the Women's March on Washington and its sister marches were planned. Connecticut Conference Minister The Rev. Kent Siladi acknowledged that many in the room wished they
Page 11 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
could be at a march instead of a meeting. He said sometimes our two worlds - the need to be well organized and aligned, and the need to be flexible and innovative - collide. He urged the gathering to think about becoming "bi-cultural" and =likened to that the challenges facing the church of the future, challenges a new Conference may better be able to navigate.
The Rhode Island Conference Board just before their voteThe Resolution below was adopted by the three Boards.
RESOLUTION Be it resolved that the __________ Board of the ______________ Conference of the UCC adopts the following statement of intent: Grateful for the 2015-2016 time of discernment, we believe that God is calling our Conference to live into increased interdependence with the other two UCC Conferences of southern New England, that we make an impact by ministering and witnessing together, and that we live in a time when God is calling us to do a new thing. As of today, we commit our Conference Board, staff and designated representatives to work with our counterparts from the other two UCC Conferences of southern New England to engage in a visioning process that includes (among other things) reasonable sharing of records and information, due diligence in sharing financial information as well as cultural and operational
practices, encouragement of our members, churches and Associations to participate in each other’s’ programs and initiatives, and responding to each other’s’ inquiries – all focusing on the creation of a proposal that would be brought to a joint annual meeting of the three southern New England Conferences of the UCC in June 2018. Our time of discernment has led us to imagine that this proposal will be to create a new Conference: i) with a single Board of Directors made up of diverse members coming from the three Conferences. ii) This single Board would also act, as necessary, as the Board of Directors for each of the Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island Conferences. iii) The proposal would allow for the three historic and legal Conference entities of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts to remain in place; iv) The proposal may also recommend a transition to a unified budget and a new staffing structure. v) The proposal recognizes that Conference boundaries – including changes in Conference boundaries – are determined by vote of synod and we anticipate that if this proposal is approved by the joint annual meeting of the RI, CT and MA Conferences in June 2018, we will appeal to synod in 2019 for recognition. vi) The proposal may also provide a common table for other faith communities, both historic and those coming into being, to share in common vision. We also recognize that the planning process we now begin may lead us to respond to God’s call and increase our interdependence through other means. Read the full United in Ministry and Mission Case Statement accompanying the Resolution At www.ctucc.org.
Page 12 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
FEBRUARY IS
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
What we now call Black History Month originated in 1926,
founded by Carter G. Woodson
As Negro History Week.
The month of February was selected in deference to
Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln
who were both born in that month
Page 13 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
Janelle Hales Feb 2
Adelle Wright Feb 2
Brandon Gee Little Feb 10
Janet Swan Feb 14
Paul Wilson Feb 17
Kim Letendre Feb 19
David Weaver Feb 19
Trudy Barnard Feb 20
Eric Markiewicz Feb 27
Bloomfield Historical Society ~ Feb 4
Prosser Library Puppet Show ~ Feb 7
*Prayers for Lawrence Bosse (Father of
Sharon Goetjen) who is having health issues.
*Family of the late Doris Ahrens.
*Family of the late Jean Turek.
*Keep Calvin and Estelle Cole in your
thoughts and prayers. Calvin is at Bloomfield Center for Nursing and Rehab, Estelle is in rehab at St Mary’s Home, W.H. Cards and calls would be appreciated. * Michael Edwards, praying for release.
*Prayers that God will speak to us and
through us as we seek God's leading and vision for our Church. *Family & Friends of All Soldiers Who Have
Fallen in Iraq & Afghanistan. *Our friends at Community Solutions, Inc.,
that God will support them as they find new opportunities and hope for the future. Dave Berg ~ Charlotte Babcock ~ Julie Cato Sue Davis ~Gladys Dunbar ~ Jane Doble ~ Madge Edwards ~ Hicksbert Grant ~ Charles Miles ~ Elaine Nelson ~ Faye Smith ~ Carol Wolcott ~ Adelle Wright
Page 14 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
Council Corner
December 2016
Reviewed evaluations of staff and
determined allocation of salary increase
pool. Prepared and presented Pastor Ed’s
performance appraisal, including goals to be
used for Council and staff planning
purposes:
1. Grow the Church, especially new
membership and stewardship
2. Fill the Ministry teams
3. Increase involvement in staff goals
and evaluations
4. Round out musical offerings
5. Support Search process
Financials – Met with Child Development
Center to discuss/revise some financial
arrangements that also help to close the
budget gap presented at the October
meeting.
January 2017 - Focused on the first goal
above – Church Growth. Pastor Ed was
very excited about this goal because it is
consistent with a role he has performed in
the past. He presented an outline that begins
with creating a team to explore and develop
effective strategies. He already has a few
folks who are interested in participating but
we could use more. IMPORTANT: If have
a desire to help this Church grow, please let
Pastor Ed or any Council member know.
Financials – On track year-to-date.
Membership Rolls – Carolyn and Priscilla
are working with Andrea to update this
information, which is especially important
as we go through the Search process.
Assistance is welcome.
Ron Robinson (Chair), Carolyn Delgado,
Colleen Dobo, Scott Goetjen, Priscilla
McCatty
Kindness counts • Make blankets or scarves for homeless
people.
• Send a care package to someone who’s in
college or the military.
• Collect coins for a charity or cause.
• When you can’t attend an event, give the
tickets to strangers.
• Provide tutoring or mentoring in your field
of expertise.
• Offer to babysit or pet-sit for free.
• Send a note of appreciation to someone
who’s made a difference in your life.
• Share your gifts of music, reading or
conversation at a nursing home.
• Donate old sports equipment to schools.
• Give someone the benefit of the doubt —
maybe even a family member or yourself!
Page 15 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
Pastoral Search Update
February, 2017
As you read this newsletter, we should have completed the 3rd Listening Circle in our series. All of
us on the Pastoral Search Team sincerely appreciates your support and participation at these
discussions. Your insights and ideas have been revealing and inspiring.
And although our Listening Circles are wrapping up, we have not stopped listening! Don't hesitate
to reach out to any one of our team if you would like to discuss your ideas and opinions about the
search process. The questions from the Listening Circles are also still located on the stand in front
of our bulletin board. You may fill them out by hand and deposit them in our mail box if you like.
We sincerely value and are seeking the input of as many church members as possible. Don't be
shy...Speak up!
We will hold one more Listening Circle especially for our Youth Group on Sunday, February 5, at
4:00 pm. This is the same Sunday they have the Super Bowl of Caring. We hope that all of our
youth group will participate in this combined activity.
The Pastoral Search Inventory (the Survey) will remain open until Sunday, February 12. So if you
have not completed it yet please do as soon as possible. The more members that complete the
survey the more accurate our results will be. Click on the following link or type or copy it into your
browser.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/r/firstcongregationalchurchbloomfield
You can also access the survey from the homepage of our website under the Sunday bulletin or
Wintonbury Spire buttons. Please don’t wait until the last minute. You never know when your
computer will act up.
The next task on the Search Team's to do list is to complete our UCC Local Church Profile based
on the information we have gathered during this time of reflection and discernment. We plan to
complete this by the end of the month and post it with the UCC.
This has truly been an enlightening and inspiring journey so far. We have enjoyed listening to the
voices of our congregation and getting to know so many individuals better. We hope that this has
been as valuable a process for the Congregation as it has been for the Search Team.
Thank you and peace...
Your Pastoral Search Team,
Kevin Colvin, Ursula Dang, Cecelia Simmons, Mike Riley, Oz Gibbs,
Sophia Gray, Chante Wilson, Clay Hart, Trudy Barnard
Page 16 of 16 February 2017 Wintonbury Spire
THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
10 Wintonbury Avenue Bloomfield, CT 06002 Church Office: 860-242-0776 Nursery School: 860-242-0183 Church Fax: 860-243-8035 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The Wintonbury Spire, newsletter of the First Congregational Church in Bloomfield – United Church of Christ, is published monthly to provide information to and about our members and friends.
The Wintonbury Spire will be mailed at the end of each month. Please join us for the “Spire Party” where we stuff, fold, label, seal and stamp the Spire from 10:30 – 11:30 am on a Friday morning.
March 31, 2017 April 28, 2017 May 25, 2017 June 30, 2017 August 31, 2017 September 29, 2017
STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION Rev. Edwin O. Ayala, Interim Pastor [email protected] 860.242.0776 x 2 860-836-6651
Andrea Davey-Mercer Administrative Assistant [email protected] 860-242-0776
Eustace Straker Minister of Music [email protected] 860-242-0776 x 3
Dorine DeCarli Christian Education Director [email protected] 860-242-0776 x 4
Shantel Bremmer Child Development Center Director [email protected] 860-242-0183 x 5
Michelle Alves Building Management [email protected] 860.888.1025