This Week December 18, 2018

Dear Folks,

One week to go. Are you ready?

This coming Thursday, December 20, is my Prayer Day. If you have any joys or concerns you would like me to lift up, please let me know.

Friday, December 21 is the Longest Night Service at 6:30 P.M. This is a time for quiet reflection, song, prayer, and candlelight; a time when we can acknowledge the darkness in our lives, but know that Christ is the Light of the World.

This Sunday, December 23, is the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The Fourth Advent Candle, "Love" will be lit.  The scripture is Luke 1:39-55. The sermon is "Mary's Song".  

This Sunday, we will also be taking the CHRISTMAS FUND for the Veterans of the Cross and Emergency Fund offering. This is the primary source of annual income used to support and honor those who have served and are serving the United Church of Christ. Your gift to the Christmas Fund helps provide a lifeline of hope to many lower-income active and retired clergy and lay employees of UCC. Donation envelopes can be found in the pews. Please remember that your generous contribution can and will make a difference in the lives of many.

Christmas Eve Services will be held Monday, December 24. The Family Service is at 4 P.M., the Lessons and Carols Service is at 11 P.M. Candle lighting will be featured at both. Come, celebrate the reason for the season, the birth of Jesus!

Let us pray. O God of love and grace, may your presence be upon us now as we ready ourselves for the celebration of the birth of your Son. Help our hearts to be open and receptive to his gifts of hope, peace, joy, and love. Help our hands to be open to spread these gifts in the world.  Amen.

In Christ's love,

Rev. Lucille

This Week December 11

Dear Folks,

As Advent marches on, how are your preparations for the coming of Christ?

This Sunday is the Third Sunday of Advent, December 16.  We will be celebrating with our annual Intergeneration Christmas Pageant.  Come and enjoy!

There is still time to get your poinsettia order in for Christmas Eve. Each plant is $15.  Please use the form in the Sunday bulletin or Belfry or contact Judy Tucker.

THE CHRISTMAS FUND for the Veterans of the Cross and Emergency Fund is the primary source of annual income used to support and honor those who have served and are serving the United Church of Christ. Your gift to the Christmas Fund helps provide a lifeline of hope to many lower-income active and retired clergy and lay employees of UCC. We will be taking your offering on December 23. Donation envelopes can be found in the pews. Please remember that your generous contribution can and will make a difference in the lives of many.

Longest Night Service will be held on Friday, December 21, 6:30 p.m. December 21 is the longest night of the year. For many people, dark is symbolic of the harsh things of life. Those harsh things become more evident in the light of the "shoulds" of Christmas time: we should be happy, we should be glad, we should be joyful. Sometimes our life is not conducive to the shoulds: we have lost a loved one, or a relationship, or a job, or whatever. We don't feel happy and glad. The Longest Night Service is a time to realize that for some, all is not goodness and light. We can come, acknowledge the darkness, but also look to the Nativity for our hope and our Light. 

On Christmas Eve, we will have our 4 P.M. Family Service and at 11 P.M., the Traditional Lessons and Carols service.  O Come, let us adore Him!

Women’s Fellowship is offering Keep Christ in Christmas magnets for $4, located on the table by the coat rack. Please leave your money with Sue Lindley or Karen in the church office.

HCNS is accepting donations for Toys 4 Tots. If you would like to donate, please drop them off in the box in the hallway outside the nursery school rooms.

Please have your 2018 pledge up-to-date by December 31, 2018. The church 2018 financial books for accepting pledge contributions will close on January 1, 2019 – all checks must be dated December 31, 2018. PLEASE NOTE 2018 in the memo. Any contributions received after this date will be credited to the year 2019. Also, if you have not returned your 2019 Faith Promise/Pledge Card, please do so as soon as possible.  Your generosity is vital to our continued ministry here at HCCUCC.

Let us pray.  O Holy God of light and love, may you fill our hearts with joy this season that we may know the power of your presence in our lives.  May you motivate us to live for your purposes and will.  Amen.

In Christ's love,

Rev. Lucille

This Week December 5, 2018

Dear Folks,

I hope you are finding a moment during this busy season to remember what it's all about: the coming of Jesus, the Light of the World.

This Sunday, December 9, is the Second Sunday of Advent.  We will light the candle of Peace.  The scripture is Luke 3:1-6.  The sermon is "Prepare". 

"Under the Tree" Christmas gifts are due this Sunday.

Sunday, December 16, is our intergenerational Christmas Pageant.  Come, join the fun!

I still need readers for our 4 P.M. and 11 P.M. Christmas Eve Services.  Please sign up in the Alcove.

Friday, December 14^th, Holly Fassbender will be preparing a Christmas meal for the residents of Spooner House Homeless Shelter. Please look for Holly or Gerry in the alcove or Fellowship Hall after Sunday service to make a donation to help cover the cost of both the meal and gifts for the children. 

THE CHRISTMAS FUND for the Veterans of the Cross and Emergency Fund is the primary source of annual income used to support and honor those who have served and are serving the United Church of Christ. Your gift to the Christmas Fund helps provide a lifeline of hope to many lower-income active and retired clergy and lay employees of UCC. We will be taking your offering in December. Donation envelopes can be found in the pews starting Sunday, December 9. The offering will be taken on December 23. Please remember that your generous contribution can and will make a difference in the lives of many.

 

Huntington Center Nursery School is accepting donations for Toys 4 Tots. If you would like to donate, please drop them off in the box in the hallway outside the nursery school rooms.

The Longest Night Service will be held on Friday, December 21 at 6:30 P.M.  Even in the darkness, a light still shines!

Let us pray.  In dark and cold times of our lives, hope can be hard to come by.  Help us, O God, to perceive your light and your warmth, claim it, and carry it into the world.  Amen.

In Christ's love,

Rev. Lucille

The Rev. Lucille L. Fritz

revluce23@comcast.net

Huntington Congregational Ch

This Week November 27, 2018

Dear Folks,

The Season of Advent is almost upon us.  May we take many moments in this busy time to contemplate the gift God gave us in Jesus Christ.

This Wednesday is our LEO (Let's Eat Out).  If you haven't signed up, please let me know ASAP if you will be coming.  Deadline is tomorrow at noon.

This Sunday, December 2, is the First Sunday in Advent.  The scripture is Luke 21:25-33.  The sermon is "Reading the Signs."  Holy Communion will be celebrated.  We will be taking the Emergency Assistance Fund offering which is used to help people in our church community as well as our wider community with help in the event of an emergency.

Immediately following worship will be a meeting for all members of the Huntington Congregational Church UCC for the purpose of presenting a draft budget for 2019. 

Following the Congregational meeting, the Deacons will be decorating the sanctuary for Christmas.  Any help would be greatly appreciated!

St. Paul's is hosting a Carol Sing on Sunday at 4 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal (historic) Church.  All are invited.

On Friday, December 14, Holly Fassbender will be preparing a Christmas meal for the residents of Spooner House Homeless Shelter. Please look for Holly or Gerry in the alcove or Fellowship Hall after services on today and next Sunday to make a donation to help cover the cost of both the meal and gifts for the children.

The Mission Committee is sponsoring the Under the Tree program to benefit needy adults and children at BH Care in Ansonia. Watch for tags listing gift requests on our Christmas tree in the alcove and select a gift request to help make Christmas a little brighter for someone in need. All purchased gifts need to be returned by Sunday, December 9. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

Please take note of the poster in the Alcove with suggested items for the Valley Food Bank bin in Fellowship Hall. Of course, all items are gratefully accepted, but the Missions Committee put together a list that attempts to target items that may be needed more during certain seasons or months. The need is great, so please be generous!

Women’s Fellowship is offering Keep Christ in Christmas magnets for $4.00 located on the table by the coat rack. Please leave your money with Sue Lindley or Karen in the church office.

Let us pray.  O Holy God, be with us as we watch and wait for signs of your loving presence among us.  If we do not see it, help us to be it.  Amen.

In Christ's love,

Rev. Lucille

This Week November 20, 2018

Dear Folks,

 

How quickly the time is flying!  It's already the holiday season!  Starting with the Thanksgiving, a time of gratitude, may the season it be a blessing to us, as we in turn are blessings to the world.

 

Tonight, Tuesday, November 20 is the Shelton Clergy Association's Interfaith Thanksgiving Service.  It will be held at 7 P.M. at the First United Methodist Church of Shelton, Long Hill Road and Rocky Rest.  I will be preaching. Non-perishable food items are welcomed for the Valley Food Bank.  The monetary offering will go to Spooner House, our local homeless shelter.  After the service, everyone is invited to fellowship time featuring pumpkin desserts.  Please feel free to bring your favorite to share!

 

This Sunday, November 25, is the Reign of Christ.  The scriptures are II Samuel 23:1-7 and John 18:33-38.  The sermon is “Higher Ground".  Mr. Eric Gramse will be bringing the message.  Eric is a student of the New York School of Ministry, a Member in Discernment with the Fairfield East Association, part-time pastor at the United Church of Christ of Bridgeport, and a chaplain at Griffin Hospital.  I am his mentor.

 

Our next “LEO” (let’s eat out) is Wednesday, November 28, 6:30 P.M. at Carmine’s on River Road.  Please sign up in the Alcove.

 

On Friday, December 14, Holly Fassbender will be preparing a Christmas meal for the residents of Spooner House Homeless Shelter. Please look for Holly or Gerry in the alcove or Fellowship Hall after services on December 2 & 9 to make a donation to help cover the cost of both the meal and gifts for the children.

 

The Mission Committee is in the process of connecting with BH Care sponsoring the Under the Tree program to benefit needy adults and children at BH Care in Ansonia. Watch for tags listing gift requests on our Christmas tree in the alcove and select a gift request to help make Christmas a little brighter for someone in need. All purchased gifts need to be returned by Sunday, December 16. Thank you in advance for your generosity.

 

There will be a meeting for all members of the Huntington Congregational Church UCC

immediately following the worship service SUNDAY, December 2, 2018 for the purpose of presenting a draft budget for 2019.  Please be sure to come!

 

Following the budget meeting, the Deacon's will be decorating the sanctuary for Christmas.  Please help!!!

 

Let us pray.  O Generous God of All Good Things, may our thanks and praise be continual as we not only acknowledge but cherish all the blessings with which we have been blessed.  Amen.

 

In Christ's love,

Rev. Lucille