Welcome!    Thank  You   for  Worshiping  With  Us  Today!

Welcome to the First Congregational Church of Southington, dating from 1724, & worshiping in this Meetinghouse since 1830.  We are one of the larger, more vibrant United Church of Christ churches in New England.  Our purpose is to love & worship God; extend God’s radically-inclusive love to all people everywhere; make more & better disciples of Jesus Christ; & inspire people & society to become more & more just, loving, compassionate & Christ-like.  You will find here an accepting, caring, non-judgmental  community, where lives are transformed, faith is renewed & power for positive living is received.  Welcome!

February 19, 2006           T.G. I.  Sunday: Contemporary Worship    11:15am & 6:00pm

Christians are placed daily before the greatest choices: to be conformed to the luminous image of Jesus through the gracious assistance of God the Holy Spirit or to be conformed to the ravaged image of the world through the deceitful encouragement of the “cosmic powers of this present darkness”

                                                                                        --Romans 12:2; Ephesians 6:10-13 (Spiritual Formation Bible) --

THE  ORDER  OF  WORSHIP

The Prelude                                                    

The Welcome & Welcoming One Another

The Call to Worship

*A Time for Singing

*Prayer of General Confession (unison)

            Merciful God, You made us in Your image, with a mind to know You, a heart to love You, and a

will to serve You.  But our knowledge is imperfect, our love inconsistent, and our serving

incomplete.  We want to be Your faithful people, but confess that we often don’t know what that

means.  We have failed to continue to grow in our faith.  Instead we fill our lives with busyness

and our minds with clutter.  Day by day we fail to grow in Your likeness.  In Your tender love,

forgive us, O God. Amen

*Prayer of Personal Confession (in silence)

*Assurance of Forgiveness

A Brief Interview With Carolyn Jepson (11:15am) & Scott Garver (6:00pm)

Scripture Lesson                                                   MARK  2:1-12,  PHILIPPIANS  2:1-5,  1 TIMOTHY  4:8

Sermon                                                       SPIRITUALLY   FIT                         Rev. Linda Fernandes-Bailey

Prayers of the Church

The Sharing of the Bread and Cup (Please come forward, break off piece of bread & dip it into cup.)

The Act of Blessing     (A blessing by anointing is offered during communion to all who wish it.

                                       After partaking of communion, go to either kneeling bench, & kneel or stand.)

*Prayer of Thanksgiving & Lord’s Prayer (using sins…..  please join hands)

*Song & Offering  (An offering will be received during this song.   Please pass baskets through your pew &

     then to pew behind you.  If you are a visitor, worship is our gift to you.  We urge those

     who worship here regularly to share the costs of our church & worship life.  Thank you!)

*Benediction

*Response                                        Lord, I Lift Your Name On High!

PLEASE   JOIN   US    DOWNSTAIRS   NOW   FOR   COFFEE   &   CONVERSATION

Greeters:  11:15am Stacy & Derek Jagello & Nancy Scirocco       6:00pm Liz Rogers

Coffee Hour Hosts: 11:15am Lisa & Caitlyn Flynn     6:00pm Dan & Tracy Gabree

Joys & Concerns for Prayer: We pray for our Youth Mission Trip participants & advisors in Washington, D.C.  We celebrate the births of Emily Hayes Taylor (2/8), daughter of Doug & Julie Taylor, & Daniel Joseph Falco (2/15), son of Tony Falco & Michelle Nucifora.  Matthew Plourde had surgery this week.  Hospitalized: Joy Nell, Fran Child & Jeannette Faitella.  Upcoming surgeries: Pat Livingstone (2/27); Clive Greenough (3/2).  We continue to pray for Diane Lamb; Matthew Plourde; Andrea Sinclair; Judy Costa; Maureen Curtis; Pat Diego; Janis Leger; Dorothy Greenough; Mary Lou Thompson; Donna Morin; John O’Connor; Matt Currao; our Stephen Ministers & care-receivers.

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ASH  WEDNESDAY  IS  MARCH  1st: Our holiest season, Lent, begins Wednesday, March 1st.  We offer 3 Ash Wednesday Services of Penance, when you may receive ashes.  Services are at 7:00AM in Chapel (30 min.), 12:00Noon in Meetinghouse (30 min.) & 7:00PM in Meetinghouse (45 min.).  Plan to attend one.  Gordon’s life-giving sermon: Kill the Cyclops.  A luncheon ($3) follows the 12:00N service.

JIM   COLE   IN   CONCERT: Jim Cole, the James Taylor of Christian music, is known around the world for songs like Humble Yourself as a Child, Master of My Heart, Every Generation, & In Bethlehem Tonight.  Mark your calendar: Jim Cole will be with us all day on Sunday, March 26.  He’ll sing alone & with our choir or band at all 4 services, then offer a wonderful, Spirit-filled concert in our Meetinghouse at 7:30pm!  Tickets: $10 ($5/under 18) from Church Office.  DON’T  MISS  IT !

SPECIAL  OFFERING  NEXT  SUNDAY: Our sister church, Central Congregational in New Orleans, can no longer pay its pastor, Rev. Wilmer Brown, because of Hurricane Katrina.  He has committed to stay anyway.  Our CT Conference, U.C.C. is helping with a special offering, hoping that each church can raise $300.  Our offering is NEXT Sunday at all 4 services!  Would you help?

USHERS  NEEDED: Would you usher 1 Sunday/month at 9:30AM starting in March?  Training provided.  Substitutes available.  Get to know more people!  Sign-up next to Gordon’s office TODAY.

MUSIC  OF  THE  AGES  FOR  ALL  AGES:  A  CONCERT  BY  OUR  MUSIC  MINISTRY: Our church is blessed with a fantastic music ministry!  Join us to hear all of our musical groups: Senior Choir, Mustard Seeds Children’s Choir, The Celebration Ringers (handbell choir) & Branches (our T.G.I. Sunday worship band & singers).  It’s Saturday, March 11, 7:30pm, in our Meetinghouse.  A free-will offering will be received for Southington Social Services.  DON’T  MISS  IT!

SUMMER  CAMP  FOR  KIDS: Our United Church of Christ runs a wonderful summer camp for children & teens at Silver Lake Conference Center in Sharon, CT.  Brochure & registration are available on-line at http://silverlake.ctucc.org.  A limited number of brochures are available in our C. E. Office (see Karlene Archambeault or Carole Lantz).  Some scholarship $ available (see Gordon Ellis).

MOVIES  THAT   MATTER happens again Friday, 3/10, 7:00pm, with Academy Award-winning movie: Life is Beautiful with a discussion on 3/12, 7:30, led by Sharon Vocke & Clare Lindsey.  Join us for discussion whether you watch movie at church or home.  FUTURE Movies: April 21 (7pm) The Scarlet & the Black with discussion on 4/23, 7:30pm, led by Gabe Selmi & Alice Niemczyski; May 12 (7pm) 12 Angry Men with discussion on 5/14, 7:30pm, led by Gordon Ellis & Sue Meissner.  JOIN US for these Movies That Matter!

MAUNDY  THURSDAY  ACTORS  NEEDED: 12 actors/actresses are required for our drama on Maundy Thursday, 4/13.  Please contact Crystal Sullivan (860-276-8614 or Kencryss@sbcglobal.net).

QUIET  WORSHIP  IN  THE  STYLE  OF  TAIZE is offered EVERY Tuesday, 6:30-7:00pm, in our chapel.  It includes 10 minutes of silence, along with scripture, prayers & simple choruses.  Join us!

CHECK  OUT  OUR  CHURCH’S  WEBSITE, www.firstchurchsouthington.org.  You’ll love it!

VIDEOS  OF  SUNDAY  SERVICES  &  SPECIAL  EVENTS are available in our Church Library.

CHILD  CARE for infants/toddlers is offered at all 4 Sunday services in our Infant/Toddler Nursery.