Worship Service 9:00 a.m., Meetinghouse

Service Notes

Worship service this morning is led by the Revs. Wayne Jacobson and Susan Power Trucksess.
Portions of today's liturgy are drawn from An Iona Prayer Book

After worship everyone is invited to join us out on the lawn for lemonade.

Our Stephen Ministers are trained care givers offering one-to-one Christian care and support to people in the congregation and community who are experiencing life difficulties. This morning Carol Rutt is our Stephen Minister who is available for an informal prayer or to chat.

Responding to Disaster

In our relative safety here in Branford, we watch in horror the unfolding of the unbelievable damage caused by Hurricane Harvey as it whirls around inflicting more and more death, hardship, and loss.

What can we do – as individuals and as a community? There are many good ways to respond, but the Mission Board, with the approval of Council, has opened the way for us at FCC to respond as a church, through the church – to carry out our commission to care for the least, the most vulnerable, the most needy.

The Mission Board has established a special offering opportunity to provide financial aid to victims of Hurricane Harvey through the UCC Disaster Ministries. Contributions will be received for the next 3 weeks – from September 3rd – September 17th, and they will be forwarded to the _Emergency USA Fund for Hurricane Harvey Relief._

The UCC Disaster Ministries has already geared up for “long-term recovery work in the region and contributions for Harvey survivors means providing community support for holistic recovery, repairing house and home for families and children and restoring dignity for the most vulnerable who have lost everything in the wake of this catastrophic event.”

This agency of our denomination promises that 100% of the funds received will be used in direct emergency relief efforts.

All kinds of individual responses are welcome and needed, but for our congregation to respond as a congregation would be a sign of our vitality, our compassion, and our Christian commitment to meeting the needs of God’s world. The Mission Board will designate some moneys, but we believe much more will be forthcoming from our members and friends when we work as a body of believers.

2000 years ago the Apostle Paul pleaded with believers and stable churches to make a “collection” for others in need as proof of their love (II Corinthians 8:24). Can we do less?

As a good way to show our love, we can contribute through our church to the efforts of the wider church of Jesus Christ. Gifts may be made out to First Congregational Church marked for Hurricane Harvey in the notation line, and put in the collection plates on Sundays or delivered or mailed to the church office.

Practicing Joy Together - Another Opportunity to Strengthen

Beginning September 19th

Discipline.....Exercise...practice, practice, practice!

How do those words strike you? Perhaps as important, worthwhile, noble activities...but not too joyful? Not something we would choose to do eagerly?

Well, I am hoping that a few of us would like to gather together to re-think and experience
the value of doing practices - spiritual practices - together as a group.

I am eager to join with some others to begin Practicing Joy Together, a communal activity where we would meet periodically to explore or grow in understanding and appreciation of some of the age-old "spiritual disciplines" that have shaped Christians for centuries. We would spend some time learning more about various exercises, and then commit to practicing them together and on our own until hopefully they became part of our daily lives.

We could think of spiritual exercises as demanding sweat, blood and tears (as hours in the gym do for many of us). Or we could envision them as....
* Making space for God in our busy worlds
* Clearing away the clutter which weighs us down so much of the time
* Seeking first the Kingdom of God
* Keeping company with Jesus
* Training in faithfulness.

Any one of these intentions sounds pretty joyful, exciting, expansive, doesn't it? And while spiritual disciplines are most often thought of as done individually, there is extra benefit when practiced in community. As one pastor puts it, "When we do things with others, it makes up for our own shortcomings [and lapses]."

Guided by a book called Joy Together, I envision us meeting once a month to consider such things as Thankfulness, Contemplative Prayer and Scriptural Reading, Hospitality, Sabbath, Fasting - and other less structured practices which we do almost without thinking.

Our first meeting would be on Tuesday, September 19th from 6-7:30. That is the same time that Teen Talk will be held, so parents of youth attending that meeting would be free to join us while they wait for their offspring. At that time we will consider future meeting times.

All are welcome - all who are eager to tap into God's wisdom amidst the accelerating pace of life.

Talk to me if you are interested, or just come and we will talk then. SPT

Ireland Trip

I am heading up another trip to Ireland. We will have an informational meeting Monday, September 18th at 7:00pm in the Russel Room. If you are interested, please contact Theresa ahead of the meeting. The trip will be in April.

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/

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 