Welcome! Thank You for Worshiping With Us Today!
Welcome to The First Congregational Church of Southington. Ours is an open & affirming congregation dating from 1724 & worshiping in our present Meetinghouse since 1830. One of the larger, more vibrant United Church of Christ churches in New England, our church’s 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 our church to be an accepting, caring, non-judgmental community, where faith is renewed, lives are transformed, & power for positive living is received. It’s a church where the Spirit is alive & miracles happen! Welcome!
T. G. I. SUNDAY: CONTEMPORARY WORSHIP
March 11, 2007 11:15am & 6:00pm
INFANT & TODDLER CARE BY ADULTS DURING ALL SERVICES IN CHURCH NURSERY
The Gathering Music
The Welcome & Welcoming One Another
Call to Worship
*A Time for Singing
*Prayer of General Confession (unison)
Eternal God, You call us to love You fully and completely, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
We confess, however, that we are selfish, willful people. We claim You as our God, yet we avoid
relating to You and listening for Your voice. We claim to care about our neighbors, yet we ignore
the needs of others, and even cause much human suffering. We claim to be disciples of Jesus, yet
we spend very little of our time and energy promoting and accomplishing His mission. Forgive us,
O God, and grant that we may live committed, compassionate and courageous lives, following the
manner of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Now in the silence, hear our personal prayers of confession.
*Prayer of Personal Confession (in silence)
*Assurance of Forgiveness
Children’s Message
Children & Teachers Exit to Church School
Video Clip from About Schmidt
Scripture Lessons ISAIAH 55:1-9 & LUKE 13:10-17
Sermon LISTEN, SO THAT YOU MAY LIVE Rev. Dr. Davida Foy Crabtree
Prayers of the Church
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
(Please come forward, break off piece of bread & dip it into cup. In the gold container are
gluten-free, wheat-free, corn-free, soy-free wafers for those with allergies.)
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 (please join hands)
*Song (During this song, an offering will be received to support our church & its ministries & missions)
*Benediction
*Response
PLEASE JOIN US DOWNSTAIRS FOR COFFEE & CONVERSATION
Greeters: 11:15am Janis Festa & Brenda Mabery 6:00pm Pam Brush
Coffee Hour Hosts: 11:15am Bill & Barbara Brush 6:00pm Len & Lorraine Ostasiewski
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Flowers: Given in honor of Rose Dunlap for her 70th birthday by her grandson, Justyn Bowen.
Our Flower Chart to provide flowers in honor/memory of loved ones is now available in Memorial Hall.
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Joys & Concerns for Prayer: We pray for Rev. Linda Fernandes-Bailey & the 16 women on our Spirited Women’s Retreat this weekend. We pray for the Robison family, grieving the death of John, & the Tetreault family, grieving the death of Ed’s mother. Harry Theis will have surgery this Tuesday. Hospitalized this week: Joe Mercuri & Betsy Mauri. We continue to pray for Sue Parsons; Alan Beaudoin; Pat Diego; John Zigmont; Mary Carter; Janet Crocker; Betsy Roberts; Maureen Curtis; Pat Livingstone; & our Stephen Ministers & care-receivers.
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WE WELCOME REV. DR. DAVIDA FOY CRABTREE, our Conference Minister in our CT Conference of the United Church of Christ, as our guest preacher today.
THE EXONERATED: Our adaption of The Exonerated, directed by John Baker (who recently toured with The Sound of Music) comes to Peace Café on March 30 & 31, 7:30pm, & April 1, 2:30pm. It chronicles the stories of 4 wrongly-accused death row inmates. Infused with poignant music, it’s a thought-provoking start to Holy Week, as we remember another death row inmate, Jesus! Space is limited; get free tickets at Coffee & Conversation or from Shelley Nyren (860-628-2523 or shelnyren@sbcglobal.net). Free-will offering at event. Due to adult themes & language, play is not recommended for children under age 16.
MOVIES THAT MATTER will be offered on the big screen with surround sound on Friday, 3/23, at 7:00pm, in Peace Café. The movie, Jesus Camp, will be shown, followed by a discussion led by Sue Meissner & Clare Lindsey. Child care ($3/child for the evening) will be offered & refreshments will be available. All are welcome! Suggested donation: $2/person. Our April movie will be Brokeback Mountain on Friday, April 20, 7:00pm, with discussion leader, Rich Szulczewski.
LENTEN NOONDAY SERVICES: Join us for a special 30-minute Lenten service at 12:00N each Wednesday through April 4 in our Chapel. This week’s worship leader is our own Carol Ann Celella, who serves as Chaplain for the Central Association, CT Conference, United Church of Christ. Lenten luncheons in Memorial Hall follow each Lenten Noonday Service for just $3. ALL welcome!
HOLY WEEK VIGIL: Sign-up today for our Holy Week Vigil, when people will be in our chapel ‘round the clock’ (Maundy Thursday, 4/5, 9PM, through Easter Sunrise, 4/8, 6AM) for 1 hour each, worshipping, praying, meditating on behalf of all of us. Sign-up next to Gordon’s office today!
SUMMER CAMP: Our United Church of Christ runs a wonderful summer camp experience for children & teens at Silver Lake Conference Center in Sharon, CT. Brochure & registration is now available on-line at www.ctucc.org (click on "Silver Lake"). We also have some scholarship assistance available. See Karlene Archambeault or Carole Lantz.
NEW MEMBER SEMINARS: Those wishing to officially join our church are invited to attend one New Member Seminar, 7:00-9:30PM, rooms #201/202, either Tuesday, April 10 OR Wednesday, April 11. Once you have attended one, you may join at any of our 4 services Sunday, May 6. Register for your choice by signing-up next to Gordon’s office or calling our Church Office (860/628-6958).
EASTER BASKETS: We provide Easter baskets for D.C.F. kids through Covenant to Care. TAKE basket(s) following all services TODAY (OR use your own). FILL basket(s) with Easter goodies. Return full basket(s) to Memorial Hall by Palm Sunday (4/1). Questions? Call Cathy Andrini (860/620-9782).
BUY A BUTTERFLY: Our children will sell paper butterflies ($1) following our 9:30, 11:15 & 6:00 services thru 4/1. Butterflies will be hung in church on Easter in memory/honor of loved ones & money will support next year’s Youth Mission Trip to Mexico.
DARFUR INTERVENTION: Chris Doucet, our recent speaker on The Crisis in Darfur, urged us to write to former President Clinton asking him to travel to Darfur to witness & publicize the genocide there. Letters for your signature are in Memorial Hall & next to our Church Office. You may sign & send one yourself, sign one & leave it for us to send, or compose your own, but please help the suffering people of Darfur! Your Missions Committee
A MARCH TO CHANGE PRIORITIES: This Saturday, 3/17, a march will be held at Hartford’s Old State House, 3:00-4:30pm, for new priorities (health, education & jobs for all; safe cities; & benefits for returning troops) & against the war (which so far has cost $400 billion, 3000 U.S. lives, & hundreds of thousands Iraqi lives, not to mention ALL the wounded & ALL the destruction). Carpooling will be offered from our church at 2:00pm, coordinated by Sam Hendrickson. ALL are welcome to join us! Sponsored by Seeds of Hope!