Posts by First Congregational Church Of Westminster, MA (Page 6)
Church Regathering: Phase 1
As most of you already know, the Commonwealth has lifted almost all COVID restrictions for gatherings that were instituted during the state of emergency. In light of these changes and the most recent recommendations of the CDC, FCCW is prepared to move forward with the first phase of returning to in-person worship. This is what Phase 1 of the Regathering will look like. 1.  Summertime outdoor worship:  Beginning June 6, 2021, and continuing through Labor Day Sunday (September 5, 2021) in-person worship services will…
May Generous Giving
A message from the Generous Giving Ministry: “Steadfast Love”By: Greg Smith, Generous Giving Ministry Is it human nature to make excuses as to why we do not want to do something? Have we all placed importance on something that we should have placed on something else, which the latter was more difficult? Do we choose the path of least resistance because it was easy? Why do we wait until the last minute to accomplish our tasks…could it be if it…
WHY BE A DEACON?
Here is a short offering and my perspective as to why I chose to serve and to appeal to you to prayerfully consider offering your time and talents to be a Deacon at some point in the future……While attending church on a regular basis as part of sanctuary choir, I began to be interested in the behind the scenes orchestration of how this church functions. From Trustees to Welcoming, from Women’s Fellowship to Music Committee, each group focuses on finding…
May Christian Ed
Hi families!I would like to start off by congratulating both Abby Brogan and Catherine McGee on their confirmation this past April. We enjoyed a special socially distant service with their families at the church. As soon as we are all able we will recognize and celebrate the girls with a coffee hour dedicated in their honor as a church family. Â Thank you to everyone who sent in cards for them, it was a nice addition to help us all stay…
FROM THE PASTOR’S PEN
The day of Pentecost will fall on the fourth Sunday of May this year. Pentecost is typically referred to as the “Birthday of the Church†because that was when the Holy Spirit transformed a group of leaderless Jesus followers, into a vibrant body of believers who would boldly change the world. In the second chapter of the Book of Acts we are told that, “When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.†Hearing that…
April generous Giving Update
A message from the Generous Giving Ministry: “A Year Like No Other” By: Greg Smith, Generous Giving Ministry As we recognize the year anniversary of one of the most trying times in our world’s history, we’ve been inundated with information and statistics of enormous capacity. Not a time any of us have ever experienced before, chaos and uncertainty reigned supreme as we looked for direction and purpose. As we made our way through the year, no one had any real…
April Christian Ed Update
Hello families and Happy Spring! I would like to invite our church school kids to an outdoor Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday April 3rd. Between the hours of 10-12 am (weather permitting), there will be eggs located on the side lawn of the church. There will be a scavenger hunt list in the lesson plan bucket at the side entrance to the church guiding you on how many of each color to collect and the significance of the colors. Each…
From The Pastor’s Pen
During 2005, torrential rains battered California, leading to massive floods and mudslides that did billions of dollars in damage and took a toll on human life, as well. But in nearby Death Valley, instead of death and destruction, the rain brought new and unexpected life. Death Valley’s name is well deserved because it is one of the least hospitable environments in North America. Death Valley normally sees an average of two inches of rain in a year. But that year…
COVID-19 RESPONSE TEAM
The Response Team which is made up of the Pastor, Moderator, Staff, and representatives of Diaconate, Trustees, and Safe Church have been meeting regularly since the beginning of the pandemic. We monitor trends in the progression of the virus thru various agencies such as the CDC, Southern New England UCC Conference, and Federal and State covid Safety Standards. We are currently reviewing the information, forms, and protocols that we have been working on since the onset of the virus in…
March Generous Giving
My dad was determined to teach me about money and its value. On my 10th birthday, he took me to the bank and made me sit in a bank office to set up my own savings account. I faithfully deposited money anytime I got it, usually from my burgeoning babysitting enterprise. When I was 16 and desperately wanted to buy a car, he made me go to the bank and withdraw all that hard-earned babysitting money. But even before opening that…
From The Pastor’s Pen
It was the First Sunday of Lent, and the minister called all the young people to the front for the children’s sermon. She asked if anyone could tell her what Lent is. One young boy raised his hand and said, “Yes, it’s what we get out of our pockets.†Which is not such a bad answer, actually. Lent is a time for reaching deep into our pockets and cleaning out what has collected there without our noticing. Not the lint…
Say Please and Thank you!
Notes from Generous Giving Ministry As a new committee member and incoming chair of the Generous Giving Ministry committee, I want to express my immense gratitude to the current members and its past chair, Jim Tamulen. His leadership and commitment have led this church through many, many successful Generous Giving campaigns through the years, and as incoming chair, I seek to listen and learn from him and the current committee about how to best serve this church and this community in this…
Hello families!
As a child, February held what was always my favorite holiday. I loved going into school on Valentine’s Day where we had the paper bags that we decorated set up on our desks just waiting for the little colored cards to be placed in them from our classmates and “secret admirersâ€. Although I am well passed the years of receiving character notes in a classroom, I still believe that everyone loves receiving a nice piece of mail. Now I’m not…
From the Pastor’s Pen
Ash Wednesday begins the season of Lent. The forty days of fasting (not counting Sundays) includes the offering of the imposition of ashes on the foreheads of the faithful who desire it. The virtual Ash Wednesday Service will premiere at 10 am on February 17. This year, there will be two options available for receiving ashes while following the pandemic guidelines. 1. There will be a “drive-through†imposition of ashes at the office entrance to the church, following the Virtual…
From The Pastor’s Pen
2021! We made it! Good Riddance 2020! This sure does feel like a New Year to celebrate. Although, we should also remember that life is not really like a slate that we simply wipe clean of that which the previous year has written. It is more like the beginning of a new season in a Netflix series. Some of the conflicts of the previous year may have been resolved, but there will be other challenges to take their place. A…
Christian Ed
Hi Families! As we enter into a new year, (2021, yay we made it!!!) I would like to take this time to thank you for all of the support and behind the scenes help that you have all given me from home this past year. Also a thank you to all of the teens and adults who have volunteered to do a special guest appearance segment during our lessons. We are all a team, the CE committee, the families at…
From the Pastor’s Pen
People have undergone unprecedented loss this year. Family and friends have succumbed to death in this pandemic, millions have lost economic security through loss of jobs, some have lost businesses they built over a lifetime. Most of us have lost our beloved rhythms of life that felt familiar and gave our lives the richness of gatherings and adventure. And we can name so many losses related to hatred and violence. Throughout Advent we proclaim hope, love, joy, and peace in…