| Children's Sunday Worship Service 8:00 a.m., Walker Chapel Worship Service 10:00 a.m., Meetinghouse | | “Walk around outside with a child and you will find out how beautiful God’s creations really are.” | We’ve finally made it to Children’s Sunday! Our theme for this year is “God’s Creation.” The entire service will revolve around God’s creation and how we love it and are grateful for it. Remember too, that we are all God’s creation, made individually, imperfectly and perfectly as our own being. The kids are excited to lead the 10am worship service this Sunday morning. Every child has a part whether it be singing, ringing, chiming, reading, greeting, sharing communion or collecting the offering. The children take their parts seriously and are very proud to be able to have such a big role in worship on a Sunday morning. We kindly ask that you help the children sing the hymns in the bulletin, as well as the Musical Response. During the “Listening” portion of the bulletin, the children will be singing one verse after every reading; kind of like we do on Christmas Eve. So if you could help them sing those verses as well, they would greatly appreciate it. After the service is done, we invite everyone in Pilgrim Hall to have lunch with us. Sunday School, CE Board members and parents have offered to purchase Jersey Mike’s subs for the entire congregation. There will be a basket to collect more donations if anyone feels inclined to do so, located on the table where the subs will be located. Our hope is also that you will enjoy lunch with us, and then join Rev. Suz for her first of two of the large group Life Among the Believer sharings in Pilgrim Hall. The chairs will be set up and ready for you to fill! It’s so important during this Interim time for the people of our congregation to gather together and attend these two large group gatherings. We need to come together and help ourselves and our church in this time to repair and move forward. Let’s lay the groundwork for our children to grow into, and then someday, take over from us. So join us for a great worship service, yummy food and a great yet important group sharing. Blessings,
Julia Novaco | Life Among the Believers Two congregational gatherings to share the results from the small groups June 3: 11:30am, Pilgrim Hall; June 10: 11:30am, Pilgrim Hall (Childcare will be available.) If you haven't yet read the Situational Support Consultation report that was done in the Fall 2017, please contact Julia in the church office for a copy, or she can email the report to you. The report may assist us in our Life Among the Believers congregational meetings after worship on June 3 and 10. | Book Group The next Book Group will be held on Wednesday, June 6th at 7pm in the Russel Room.
The book is Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste NG | Summer’s Coming - Ride Easy At last year’s Christmas Fair, the church ran a raffle for an electric bicycle, valued at over $2,000. The Fair Committee made a profit on those sales. Now there’s a bonus. The winner, Bob Criscuolo, who during his life was a great friend of the church, donated the bike back to us for further fund-raising. Church Council has decided to auction off the bike, with first shot going to those receiving the e-spire. Bidding will stay open for two weeks. Highest bid over $1,000 wins. If there’s no successful bidder, we will advertise more broadly, so this is your chance to be on the inside. The bike runs on both a battery (which you can recharge at home) and good old leg power, so you can vary your workout depending on terrain or how you’re feeling that day. It’s a great way to get some exercise and fresh air while you’re running errands or just getting outside. At this price, it’s a can’t miss. You can see the bike in the church office during normal office hours. Bids can be sent to Julia by email (no phone calls or drop-ins – just email bidding). You can check with her – again by email only – as to the highest bid. Julia’s email address is julia@firstcongregationalchurchbranford.org Sorry if this process is a little cumbersome, but we want to be sure that there’s no miscommunication. Good luck and have fun with your new bike. | 2018 Nature Programs on Killam's Point In cooperation with the Branford Land Trust, our church will host four events open to the public giving all who attend the opportunity to enjoy the Point and to learn about how we interact with nature. Space is limited so to register for attendance, please call 203 747- 4184. June 7, 7:00 pm. Protect Our Valuable Neighbors, Horseshoe Crabs Martha Rice will describe the work being done with horseshoe crabs to learn how to protect the species and the research project of Sacred Heart University. Tag a crab and marvel at its complexity. | Attention The Green Committee has asked the town churches to please remind their groups and members that there is NO PARKING on the town grass located anywhere in the center of town, including behind the Baptist church on the All Purpose Room side. | Does anyone have a working electric typewriter they would be willing to donate to the church receptionists? Please call the church office if you have one. | Can you help the Hospitality Committee? Even if you don’t serve coffee/tea on Sunday or bake the cookies, you can greatly help – buy a $25 Shop Rite gift card to donate to the Committee. This money would buy milk, drinks for the kids, and possibly snacks. Here’s another win-win situation. You are not only giving needed support to Hospitality but buying the gift card helps support the church. Just ask Julia or the members who sell on Sunday to give to the appropriate people. Thank you for your support. | Dear God... Bless the poor.
Let it rain for the plants!
Thank you for giving us life.
Please help the homeless.
Thank you for having a church to go to.
Please help my cousin get better.
Thank you for having friends beside me.
We ask that you keep us children safe.
Bless this church and everything that comes with it
Please help those with mental health issues get the help they need.
Make sure our church stands for many more years to come.
Bless the food that we have and let us live many more years.
Please have those in leadership take action to keep our schools safe. Ongoing prayers for… Jody Personette & Ray Gosciniak (Rev. Suz’s mother & her husband), Rick Barker, Jeff Buggee, Walter Woods (John’s brother), Jim Bolan, Betsy & Peter Boynton, Rick Buggee, Daria Carlson, Edward DeFrancesco, John Paul Dineen, Dormer Family, Eleanor Eadie (Emily Fielding’s sister), Robert & Margaret Gehm (parents of Nancy Gehm), Mary Gundersen (Lynda Barker’s mother), Martha Hickman (Lil Sakai’s mom), Alison Hobbie (Betsy Gay’s daughter), John D. Kelly (Mindy Yester’s brother), Frank Malinconico, Ethel Marchesseault (Linda’s mother), Mary, Kirsten & Rosabelle (Sharon Reynolds’ niece and family), Rose & Tom Moore (mother & brother of Sharon Reynolds), Sylvia O’Brien, Debbie Pearl (friend of Lil Sakai), Lincoln Shaw (Frank Shaw’s brother), George Spear, Lou Wells, and Janet Young. | Sunday, June 3 - Communion
8:00 am Worship Service Walker Chapel
9:00 am Christian Ed Board Meeting Russel Room
10:00 am Worship Service/Children’s Sunday Meetinghouse
11:30 am Life Among the Believers Large Group Sharing Pilgrim Hall
1:00 pm Killam’s Point Day Camp Open House Killam’s Point
2:00 pm High School Youth Group Starbucks
4:30 pm Mandatory Mission Trip Meeting Pilgrim Hall/Sunday School Hallway Monday, June 4
9:30 am CDC – Music Pilgrim Hall
10:00 am Branford Transition Program All Purpose Room Tuesday, June 5
10:00 am Staff Meeting Outside APR
7:00 pm Land & Building Meeting Room 25 Wednesday, June 6
11:00 am Evergreen Woods Bible Study Evergreen Woods
7:00 pm Book Group Russel Room
7:00 pm Stephen Ministry Meeting SPT’s Home Thursday, June 7
10:30 am CDC – Happy Feet Pilgrim Hall
6:00 pm KPDC Training Killam’s Point
7:00 pm Nature Program - Horseshoe Crabs Killam's Point Friday, June 8
6:00 pm CDC – Preschool Graduation Pilgrim Hall Saturday, June 9
11:00 am Smile Anyway Meeting All Purpose Room Sunday, June 10
7:00 am Breakfast Run NYC
8:00 am Worship Service Walker Chapel
10:00 am Worship Service Meetinghouse
11:30 am Life Among the Believers Large Group Sharing Pilgrim Hall | Sanctuary Flowers The 2018 Sanctuary Flower chart has now been placed on the bulletin board where the board minutes used to be located, outside of the Russel Room. Please come and fill in the dates! A $35 donation to the flower fund is suggested. | Check Out The Church Facebook Page This is a public page for everyone to be able to see everything going on at OUR church. Please be reminded that this page is open to the public and therefore no pictures should be shared of children unless the parents are asked specifically. The FCCB Youth Ministries CLOSED GROUP is where pictures including children can be posted. Click the link below to be brought right to the page and like it! And be sure to share with your friends. https://www.facebook.com/FirstCongregationalBranford/ | Amazon Smiles Donations PLEASE shop at smile.amazon.com, and First Congregational Church can receive donations from AmazonSmile. StartWithaSmile at smile.amazon.com/ch/06-6042800 for your purchases and Amazon donates to First Congregational Church. | Information Regarding The eSpire • The deadline for an article to be published in the weekly e-spire is 12pm on Tuesdays.
• There is no longer a monthly paper spire. Those who have requested a paper copy now receive a copy of the weekly e-spire in the mail.
• The e-spire is only mailed out weekly if it can be done in a timely fashion. | Are You Connected? Make sure you get all emails and updates from First Congregational Church. It’s easy and automatic to sign up for our email list – just go to www.firstcongregationalbranford.org and there is a sign-up form. Don’t miss another issue! The eSpire is now available on our website at http://www.firstcongregationalbranford.org/newsletters.html | Grocery Cards Grocery cards are on sale Sundays after service or in the church office,
Monday-Thursday 9:00-3:00 pm. Big Y Stop and Shop Shop Rite | |
