Third Sunday after Pentecost Worship Service 8:00 a.m., Walker Chapel Worship Service 10:00 a.m., Meetinghouse Rev. Suzanne Personette Preaching
Scripture Lessons: Psalm 138
The Gospel of Mark 3:20-35 | WHOOSH! Wow, FCCB, you really are some Believers! What an excellent turnout we had at our large gathering last Sunday, June 3, at 11:30am. You are a strong, committed group of Christians. You love your church, and you love to gather to be together. To me, the most powerful and unifying time was at the closing when we circled up and members openly prayed for our church and one another, and thanked God for all of our blessings. Whoosh. I’ve typed up the presentation - you may ask Julia for an email or paper copy. I can’t wait until this Sunday, June 10, 11:30am to meet again in Pilgrim Hall with you! This is where we’ll set our 3 priorities for this interim time on the Life Among the Believers Ark. We’ll prepare ourselves for how to survive and thrive on the turbulent waters of life. It would seem that we’re going to come together fairly easily on the priorities, and we’ll spend a little time on the initiatives for each priority. As a member offered, prayers for thoughtful decision making and progress. Yes. Another member took a stab at what the 3 priorities might be: an evaluation of our ministries and programs; how do we view our endowment; how does God see FCCB in the 21st century. We would discuss the initiatives for each priority. Council could commission a team of 5-7 members to work on this, who could invite the congregation to fellowship a few times to study and discuss the endowment, as well as to discuss what we see as God’s vision for FCCB in this time and place. The team would report back to council in 4 months with a proposal to bring to the congregation. I’ve heard our Life Among the Believers theme from Acts 2:43-47 has been embraced. : ) You’ve said, that is what we are. It can be our motto to bind us together. Let’s experiment with it! As someone relayed, it’s our campaign. Let’s see it above the Calendar in the Sunday bulletin, on Facebook, on the website, in the liturgy - from Life in the Church to Life Among the Believers. This is how we'll be known. We could use a logo! Anyone interested in submitting a design? I’ll ask again on Sunday during the group. John Woods has placed the motto inside our brick nameplate sign! That’s how we’ll advertise ourselves - maybe not forever, but for right now. Perhaps our life together can be a return to the way Christian community was presented by Peter for The First Converts (Acts 2:37-42). Let me know what you think. | Life Among the Believers Congregational gathering to “build” our ark! June 10: 11:30 am, Pilgrim Hall (Childcare will be available.) This Sunday is our last day of Choir before they go on a much deserved break before start-up in September. They’ll sing Our Grateful Hymn of Praise. We’ll share in a responsive psalm, with the congregation taking the even verses. The lectionary scripture lesson is Mark 3:20-35 in which Jesus says a house divided against itself cannot stand. The sermon title is The Wounded Healer, in which I’ll probably lift up FCCB as a wounded healer. Praise be to God whose Power is made Perfect in weakness, in woundedness. We’ll sing The Church’s One Foundation, The Old Rugged Cross, and an FCCB fave, Shine, Jesus Shine! The goodness of people: I observed a woman in an Essex park on Monday bent over a peony that had fallen on the ground pre-bloom. She painstakingly propped it up with a stick, in an attempt to help one sole peony bloom. That’s how our God is! See you believers at 8a and 10a this Sunday! Please, please, please wear your name tag. If you need one, please contact Julia in the church office. Thanks, believers. Let it Shine!
Rev. Suz, Interim Senior Minister
Office Hours: T-Th 9am-3pm (or 1p-3p visits) if evening mtg., 3pm-9pm
revsuz@hotmail.com church (203) 488-7201, ext. 107; cell (860) 304-1054 | | Father's Day Worship on Killam's Point | June 17, 2018 at 9 am Come celebrate Father's Day with worship with us on Killam's Point! On Branford Festival Weekend, Life Among the Believers moves to Killam's Point for worship. There will be one service at 9am, with music provided by a brass quartet. We will welcome new members to our family of believers, and offer the Sacrament of Baptism. If you need directions, please click here. | The church staff will be offsite for a staff retreat on Monday, June 11th at 3:30pm; therefore the office will only be open from 9am-1pm. | 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. | We give thanks for......
The gift of children and their gifts to us in last Sunday’s worship
The awesome turnout for Life Among the Believers on June 3rd
Kylie Broughal, who graduated from the Physician’s Assistant Master’s Program at Clarkson University; she was honored with induction into Pi Alpha National Honor Society for PA’s We pray for.....
Folks living on the streets of our towns and cities
Safe and happy celebrations of all graduations
The Supreme Court of the United States We grieve with…..
Those caught in the path of erupting volcanoes Ongoing prayers for…
Jim Novaco (Jay’s father), 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. | Life Among the Believers 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 Monday, June 11
10:00 am Branford Transition Program All Purpose Room
3:30 pm Staff Calendar Planning The Owenego
7:00 pm Stewardship Board Meeting Room 25 Tuesday, June 12
1:00 pm Staff Meeting Outside APR
6:00 pm Trumpet Recital Meetinghouse
7:00 pm Mission Board Meeting All Purpose Room
7:00 pm Diaconate Board Meeting Russel Room Wednesday, June 13
8:30 am WIC All Purpose Room
11:00 am Evergreen Woods Bible Study Evergreen Woods Thursday, June 14
8:30 am WIC All Purpose Room
10:00 am Knitting, Purling, Praying Russel Room
10:30 am CDC – Happy Feet Pilgrim Hall
6:00 pm KPDC Training Killam’s Point Friday, June 15
5:30 pm Branford Town Festival Town Green Saturday, June 16
8:00 am Branford Town Festival Town Green Sunday, June 17 – Father’s Day
7:00 am Branford Town Festival Town Green
9:00 am Worship Service/New Members/Baptism Killam’s Point | 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 | |
