Volume 10/Number 12/December 2009

Old Greenwich, THE FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH United Church

Connecticut OF GREENWICH of Christ

M EETINGHOUSE M ONTHLY

2 The Meet inghouse Monthly

Speaking Pastorally…

“The Father uttered one word: that word is His son: and God utters him forever in everlasting silence… and the soul to hear it must be silent.”

- the 16th century Spanish Mystic St. John of the Cross

So many things are happening in our world, with such rapidity, change and uncertainty – that it is needful for the soul to take moments of quiet to hear what is really at the center of things. Sometimes, nothing speaks more loudly than silence. And what is at the center is a word, the Word become flesh… and that Word is love.

I can hardly believe I’m writing about Advent and Christmas already. Each year it seems to come faster and faster (but that may be because, along with each of you, I’m getting older and older). I used to wish I could slow things down and keep people from putting up Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving – but I gave up that desire long ago. Now stores begin at Halloween, so who am I to stop “progress”.

So… here I sit the day after Harvest Sunday (a convergence of Thanksgiving, Advent, Stewardship and our exciting Mission Teams) writing about Advent – a season of waiting, preparation and anticipation. And I remind myself that I can’t change the world around me any more than I can change things on the other side of the globe. But I can attune my spirit to a word which was uttered beyond time for all time…and my world can be changed.

“And the Word was made flesh and lived among us…full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

And so it was. And so it is! This Advent let’s take time amidst all the chaos, confusion and concern of our world and the busyness, bustle and bombardment of the season to quiet our souls to hear the silently uttered word… and remem-ber that that word is part of us as well.

“How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given” – from O Little Town of Bethlehem

And in the words of the Trappist Monk, Thomas Merton:

“God utters me like a word containing a partial thought of himself. A word will never be able to comprehend the voice that utters it. But if I am true to the concept that God utters me, if I am true to the thought in him I was meant to embody, I shall be full of his actuality and find him everywhere and find myself nowhere. I shall be lost in him.”

Shhhhh!

December 6 is a Special Sunday Dr. Henry Perry (a very close friend of Avery Manchester) will be our guest preacher as he addresses the theme Mothers and Children around the World: Yesterday, Today and To-morrow. He will explore the Magnificat (Luke 1: 39-55) and will talk about the high levels of mortality and morbid-ity suffered by mothers and children through the centuries, recent progress, cur-rent status, and what we can do today to improve the lot of mothers and chil-dren around the world. continued on page 8…

IN THIS ISSUE

Speaking Pastorally.…...…….…..... 2 Messiah/Bible Study……….….….. 3 Noye’s Fludde 2009……..……..…. 4 Advent Devotional Booklet/ Christmas Flowers……………… 5 New Members/Women’s Ministries Bus Trip…………….. 6 Stewardship Campaign..……......… 7 FCCOG Giving Tree…….…....…. 8 The Rummage Room…………….. 9 White Gifts/Soup Kitchen…….… 10 Birthdays…………...…………… 11

3 The Meet inghouse Monthly

Messiah 2009

A BEAUTIFUL TRADITION

With the sounds of Noye’s Fludde still ringing in our ears, thoughts turn to another beautiful tradition of First Con-gregational Church, our annual performances of Part I of Handel’s Messiah with the “Hallelujah” chorus. The per-formances will take place on Saturday and Sunday afternoons at 4:00 pm, December 19 and 20. A large chorus, nearly one-hundred singers from many nearby towns, rehearses two weeks to prepare. They are ac-companied by a twenty-piece chamber orchestra, the players of which joyfully return year after year for this, one of their favorite engagements. This year the soloists will include folks we know. Our own Hanna Golodinskii, who fre-quently graces our Sunday worship with her lovely voice, will be the soprano. Mezzo-soprano Wanda Brister, a resi-dent of Larchmont, New York and Tallahassee, FL, has sung in our Messiah on several occasions. Tenor Thomas Mooney, whom John Stansell knew years ago on Long Island but now lives in Greenwich, will be new to our roster. Bass Erik Kroncke, who sang for several years as our Chancel Choir section leader, is coming down from his new home in Vermont. These singers are guaranteed to delight you. The candlelit atmosphere of our Meetinghouse on a winter afternoon is absolutely magical, as the light shining through the front stained-glass window dims and the pictures change to gold, lighted from within. It adds a visual element equal to the aural. These are not the only performances of Messiah around Fairfield County, but they are ours, are very good, and deserve our support. Plan now to come. You’ll be glad you did. You don’t need a ticket. We take up a collection and request a $20.00 per person contribution from all who are able to give.

JOIN THE CHORUS Have you ever considered joining the community chorus that assembles every year for this event? It is open to all without audition. Some experience with choral singing is good to have, but in a chorus of about a hundred there are always veterans to support and lead the newcomers. Rehearsals are Tuesdays and Wednesdays, December 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 8:00 pm. Most of the singers miss a rehearsal or two, so don’t worry about 100% attendance. We want as many people as possible to enjoy this great experience! Registration begins at 7:30 on December 8, or you can arrive early at any rehearsal to sign up. Just bring a twenty-dollar deposit for your red-bound score. We’ll see you there! Hallelujah!

Bible Study, 2010... The popular Bible Studies will continue in late January with Paul’s letter to the Romans, a weighty treatise to be sure, but not impossible. This is the book that dawned so brilliantly on Martin Luther and was the foundation of the Protes-tant Reformation. It is the summary of all that God revealed to Paul about the meaning of Jesus’ life and ministry and the truths that impelled early Christians to tell the gospel to the whole world. For modern Christians, it gives ground-ing and content to our faith and will move us beyond a mere vague emotional connection to the church and to God. Be sure to be a part of this series.

Also… new to the web page (www.fccog.org) are recordings of Dan England’s Bible Studies (well, most of them any-way) beginning with the Genesis study that started in the fall. There are also CDs of each session available for loan in the Church Office.

4 The Meet inghouse Monthly

5 The Meet inghouse Monthly

Christmas – The Most Wonderful Time of the Year?

A note to our families from Pastor Kate

I was recently emailing with an active member of our church – a working mother of two young children. This is what she shared with me about her experience of Advent and Christmas: It seems every spare minute is full with func-tions, work parties, holiday events at school and at church, gatherings of friends and multiple family events... Each individual event seems like a wonderful idea but the multitude of them often drain me completely. Then add in the extra responsibilities of the season like decorating, shopping, cooking, wrapping, baking, card writing, spending money I do not have, etc. and some-times by Christmas Eve I am too tired to remember why we are doing everything we are doing. This is, of course, above the normal demands and stress of being a full-time working parent (which can do me in some weeks all alone). When I finished reading her email, I felt exhausted! And I also realize that this is not a unique experience of hers, but one that most of you share.

In a perfect world, Advent is a time of patient waiting – when our hearts are beating in quick anticipation of the coming Christ-child. It is a time of wonder, when our imaginations are captured at the capacity for love and peace during times of hate and war. It is a time of mystery and quiet – when the whole world was turned up-side-down by the birth of a child. But for most of us – it is anything but those descriptions, especially for our busy families.

But how long does it really take to make something meaningful? By now you should have received in the mail an Advent devotional booklet for families as well as an Advent calendar. I challenge you that in this busy time, you can make Advent more meaningful for you and your family by spending five minutes together a night reading your devo-tional, perhaps around the blinking Christmas tree or in the light of a simple candle. During this time of hustle and bustle, of wants and, yes, of disappointments, too – remember the one who offers us a peace that goes beyond under-standing, and a gift that truly satisfies. Your family will thank you for it. May God bless your Advent and Christmas season.

Christmas Memory/Honor Flowers and Decorations

The Chancel Committee invites contributions for decorations for the Meetinghouse this Christmas. Any amount is welcome. Please deliver the completed form with your check to the Church Office (payable to the First Church Flower Fund) on or before Sunday, December 13. Thank you.

In Memory/Honor of ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Enclosed is my check in the amount of $_______________

Please print names legibly to minimize spelling errors.

CHRISTMAS TREE SALE REMINDER

Our trees arrived Saturday, November 28. Sales be-gan at 9:00 am and continue on weekends until the trees are sold out. The sales benefit our outreach pro-grams.

CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING AND CAROLS

As part of the First Lights Celebration, First Church will light its tree on Saturday, December 5 at 5:30 pm. There will be hot chocolate and festive caroling!

6 The Meet inghouse Monthly

First Congregational Welcomes its New Members...

Dana Zikria with husband Dean and children Gavin, Nadia and Kameron

Holly Wilkinson

Matt and Paige DeFusco with son Jack Colleen and David Alfano with daughter Grace

Jennifer (Jennie) DeFazio with husband Ric

Greg and Kimberly Kuppenheimer with sons Grant and Hayden

Women’s Ministries Bus Trip Additional Reservations

To friends, both male and female, of Women’s Ministries and its members: this year’s bus trip on Wednesday June 9, 2010 is fully subscribed with a wait list. Arrangements have been made for a second trip on Thursday, June 10. High-light of the trip will be a tour of Philip Johnson’s Glass House and Grounds and Accessory Buildings in New Canaan, with a short stop at one of the New Canaan Historical Society Museums, lunch, and a visit to the Laurel grove at High-stead Arboretum in Redding, CT. Attendance is limited and reservations are needed as soon as possible as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, owner and manager of the Glass House, wants payment in January. (Since the reserva-tions had to be made a year in advance, a date for the full bloom of the Laurel was selected.) Also, a vote is being taken on a bring-your-own-lunch picnic or lunch at a prize-winning restaurant - see the sign-up sheet in the Church Office. Questions? Contact Joyce Nye at joyceathome@sbcglobal.net.

Women’s Ministries Bus Trip Attendees and Wannabees

If you would like to be kept up to date on bus trips, send your email address to Joyce Nye at joyceathome@sbcglobal.net. Doing so will be helpful to Women’s Ministries’ need to cut back on mailing costs, time and effort.

7 The Meet inghouse Monthly

There’s a Place For You… In Giving

Since David’s sermon kicking off our 2010 Stewardship campaign on October 18 we have, as of November 23, re-ceived 215 pledges of financial support for the Church’s programs and ministries in the coming year. We hope that those who have not yet made their commitments will return their pledge cards soon enough to take advantage of the matching gift program noted in Tim Coleman’s letter; that deadline is December 10. Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees gratefully acknowledges pledges from the following members and friends, as well as those who wish to re-main anonymous:

Chuck and Maryan Ainsworth

Bob and Persis Alden

David and Colleen Alfano

Mary Ruth Allen

Erling and Diane Andersen

Ty and Cyndy Anderson

Lydia Anderson

Mark and Susan Anderson

Fred Arndt

Gordon and Mary-Ann Assing

David and Jean Ayres

Bob and Cindy Bailey

Sue Baker

Elizabeth and Peter Beam

Annette Bergh and Gary Lico

Gary and Deb Berner

Janet Blasberg

Bill and Deb Bonnell

Ken Bonnet and July Gao

Steve and Betty Bonsal

Mary Boudreau

Don and Ginny Breismeister

George and Jean Bruder

Becki Burdick

Virginia Burgess

Jane Campbell

Chris Cantwell

J. Robert Carey

Judy Chapman

Carolyn Colegrove

Sally Colegrove

Thelma Colegrove

Tim and Allison Coleman

Bill and Marian Cordner

Libby Craig

Steve and Ashley Crihfield

Barbara Crilley

Harry and Dianne Culpen

John and Barbara Davidson

Judy Davis

Ric and Jennie DeFazio

Matt and Paige DeFusco

John and Joan Denne

Rick and Marilyn Derr

Dana and Sally Dolloff

Betty Edgar

Anders and Mariann Ekernas

Dan and Claire England

Dave and Laura Erickson

David Erickson

Susan Eveland

Frank and Jennifer Feenstra

Bob and Mary Ferry

Warner Finney

Terry and Lisa Flanagan

Kate and Taj Forer

Nancy Fountain

Joyce French

Natalie Frenz

Lynn Mickert Friend

Harold Frost

John Fryback

Maxine Gaddis

Dick and Pat Geismar

Paul and Lauren Ghaffari

Justin and Roxanne Goh

Bob and Judy Goodchild

Ann Goodson

Al and Judy Gordon

Allen Green and Christie Coon

Dale Greene

Andy and Phyllis Gregor

Peter and Pam Grunow

Stephanie Hanbury-Brown and

Ed Healy

George Handley

Chris and Olga Hartwell

Larry and Barbara Hathaway

Larry and Erlinda Haviland

Lucy Hedrick

Bill and Claire Henry

Dick and Carol Germane

Lenore Hill

Nadean Hirth

Sybren and Janette Hoekstra

Kevin and Lucia Hoffman

Rich and Bobbie Hopkins

Dennis and Pam Humbert

Bob and Helen Ingraham

Gerald Isaacson

Gordon Jamieson

Ken and Elizabeth Jacobs

Rob and Cheryle Janelli

Marc and Julie Johnson

Wayne and Emily Jostrand

Ron and Janet Klingner

Ken Kolb and Kathy McLennan

Peggy and Tom Krempecki

Alexander Kulchuk

Greg and Kimberly Kuppenheimer

Tom and Terri Browne Kutzen

Fred and Nanette Laffan

Rosemary Lamie

Frank and Carole Lang

Tad and Pat Larrabee

Penny Lehman

Leidy Family

Dick Lewis

Charles and Alison Leigh

Ginger Liddel

Bobby Littlefield

Chuck and Marcia Livingston

Mario and Lilian Lotufo

Robin Loughman

Dana and Anne Low

Joe and Penny Low

Bob and Bea Luce

John and Mary Maarbjerg

Joe and Wendy Mallory

Carol Mawhinney

Eleanor Mawhinney

Patricia McCarter

Chuck and Nancy McConnell

Leon McKenzie

Bob and Pat Mendelsohn

Ben and Lea Menegon

Jan and Prill Meyer

Christopher Mill

Gary and Judy Miller

Dick and Lois Miller

Mark Mohn and Beth Press

Kevin and Marcie Molloy

Betsy and Chris Moore

Earl and Darlene Moore

Sally Morgan

Dale and Sherry Myer

Marion Nolan

Jack and Barbara Norrgard

Enid Norris

Joyce Nye

Chris and Beth O’Donnell

Paul and Lynn O’Gorman

Eleanore Olsen

Ken and Erna Olson

Gary and Karen Oztemel

Dick Peebles and Doug Bloom

Bill and Mary Jane Penwell

Anne and Fred Pfetsch

Steve and Nancy Pierson

Hans and Sandra Plickert

Frank and Marie Preucil

Ben and Kristen Quick

Jeff and Nancy Ramer

Mary Ranta

Giff and Ruth Reed

Barrie Richmond

Gary and Janice Riddell

Bill and Ginny Ridenour

John and Marie-Theres Riis

Dorothy and John Robertson

Lynn Robertson

Charlotte and Arthur Robinson

Joe and Colette Rogers

Beth Rollins

Lori Romano

Mike and Christina Russell

Bill and Betsy Sandberg

Jeff and Heather Sahrbeck

Robert Salmonsen

Bill and Irene Savage

BJ Savin and Ashton Vines

Peter and Patricia Schay

John and Elizabeth Schinto

Charlotte Schmidt-Fellner

Pat Schmitt

Christina Schoen

Jaclyn Schofield

John and Jane Seel

Jay and Debi Shaw

Meg Sherman

8 The Meet inghouse Monthly

David and Beverly Silliphant

Debbie Silverthorn

Peter and Ann Simpson

Doris Sisley

David and Cathy Sloan

Elaine Smith

Nan Snyder

Elen Sotzing

Steve and Janet Sotzing

John and Libby Standish

John Stansell and Michael Pellegrino

Jim and Tommie Starkweather

Linnea Stenberg

Angela Stevens

Dave and Margaret Stewart

Martha Stisser

Mac and Carisa Sykes

Scott and Donna Tagliarino

Sheila Tolmie

Joan Torelli

Cindy Tredwell

Howard Truss

Barbara Van Buren

Don and Connie Van Rhyn

Dan Vandivort and Marie Pipitone

Peter and Katharine Wall

Connie Walton

Jeff and Jean Watkins

Arthur and Cathie Weigner

Stephen Weigner

Car Westbrook

Lynn White Montanari

Peggy Whitlock

Betty Wiiken

David and Ardith Williams

Nancy Wolf

Betty Woodman

Jane Yates

Marge York

David and Michelle Young

Kirk and Karen Young

John and Nancy Ziac

Josh and Emily Ziac

Dana Zikria

Alone for Christmas? If you or anyone you know is without a place to go on Christmas and would like to join with others from our congregation for the holiday, please let one of the pastors know. Is there room at your table? If you would like to host someone at your Christmas, please let one of the pastors know.

Special Sunday—continued from cover…

Dr. Perry will also share with us during a very special Second Hour in the Auditorium following Worship, focusing on the work of Curamericas Global, an agency with which he works very closely. (www.curamericas.org) Dr. Perry is a physician with advanced training in public health, the social sciences and general surgery. He has three and one-half decades of experience in the design, implementation and monitoring/evaluation of maternal and child health programs as well as in research and teaching about health and health care in resource-poor settings. Dr. Perry is now a Senior Associate in the Health Systems Program of the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Perry obtained his MD, PhD and MPH degrees from Johns Hopkins University during the period from 1970 to 1976. He completed formal training in general surgery at the Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine from 1976 to 1981. He resides in Baltimore, MD with his wife Mir-lene, who is a nurse at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Church Calendar on the web... Please remember that the church calendar is now posted on our website. The calendar is the most up-to-date version there is, having been reviewed weekly at the staff meeting. It contains all events, locations and times. If you want to add something, please contact one of the staff. Let us know if you spot any errors.

FCCOG Giving Tree

There may still be gift tags available with wishes for gifts from our neighbors in Maine at H.O.M.E. and at Pilgrim Towers in Stamford. The Tree is outside the Lounge (or maybe in the Auditorium). On the table next to the tree is the log book where you must indicate which name and gift tag number(s) you have taken. Deadline for returning your wrapped and tagged gifts is Wednesday, December 9, 2009. Mark Montgomery will deliver our gifts to Maine. Rosemary Lamie along with our sixth graders and teachers will make the deliv-ery to Pilgrim Towers.

9 The Meet inghouse Monthly

10 The Meet inghouse Monthly

Needs and Wants… Soup Kitchen volunteer chefs

Our faith calls us to serve others with our bounty - to reach out to those in need. What does that mean to you?

First Congregational Church has the wonderful opportunity to put our faith into action by volunteering to shop and prepare a meal for the Yerwood Center’s soup kitchen in Stam-ford. The Yerwood center serves the community by providing the basics of a meal to those who are in need of food. Our church volunteers provide a noon-time meal on the First Mon-day of each month. Bill Penwell coordinates the volunteers for the serving of this meal on Monday and Michelle Young coordinates the preparing of the meal.

Now is the time to answer your call to service by contacting Michelle at michelleyoung5@gmail.com and offering to lead your own team of volunteers for a one time commitment to shop and prepare a chili meal during 2010. The shop-ping list will be provided as well as the instructions on preparing the food in the church kitchen. Funds are available if you wish to be reimbursed for the food purchases.

We hope you will respond by serving the needs of others.

So select a special item and wrap it up right, Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

WHITE GIFTS are clothing, toys, books or other useful items wrapped in white paper that are of-

fered during our 10:00 am and 4:00 pm Worship Services on Christmas Eve. The white paper gives the illu-sion of snow under the trees in the Meetinghouse. Ribbon and bows are not necessary but gifts should be la-beled indicating an appropriate age and gender. All gifts will be donated to local agencies who can then dis-tribute them throughout the year to someone who has a special need. (Hint: If you find yourself without white paper at the last minute, some patterned papers reverse to white or use white tissue paper.)

‘Twas the night before Christmas And all through the Meetinghouse All the people were stirring, …Even the mouse. Carrying white parcels up to the “altar”, Navigating the crowd without even a falter. Families placing their gifts under the tree; The multitude of offerings was quite a sight to see.

Gifts for boys and girls, young and old, Toys and clothes to protect from the cold. The candlelight shimmered on the objects below, Together they appear as a blanket of snow. Off to our neighbors these goodies will fly, Ready for birthdays and holidays with no need to buy. Much happiness these surprises will bring in the year, Giggles and smiles and maybe a tear.

White Gifts

Offering

11 The Meet inghouse Monthly

DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS

12/01 Wallace Jansen 12/01 Susan Cohen 12/01 Kathy Fraser 12/02 Frank Preucil 12/02 Barbara Luce 12/02 Judith Chapman 12/02 William Sandberg 12/02 Ted Carter 12/02 Abby Huth 12/03 Elizabeth Janis 12/03 Lauren Bacon 12/04 Helen Ingraham 12/04 Pamela Sheehy 12/04 Nicole Thompson 12/04 Andrew Sproule 12/04 Edward Sproule 12/05 Dana Low 12/05 Fredirick Arndt 12/05 Gail Halvorsen 12/05 Anne Strother 12/05 Robert Speer 12/05 Richard Ng-Yow 12/05 Christina Pastore 12/05 Jacqueline Ryckman 12/05 Katherine Livingston Janis 12/06 Linnea Perelli-Minetti 12/06 John McCue 12/06 Paul Olmsted 12/06 Kristofer Arnold 12/06 Katherine Anderson 12/06 Juliana Penna 12/07 Patricia Pollack 12/07 Katharine Wall 12/07 Chris Cantwell 12/07 Bonny Edwards 12/07 Holly Hanbury-Brown

12/07 Jillian Leigh 12/07 Lucas Dell'Abate 12/08 William Savage 12/08 Edward Mendelsohn 12/08 Ann Garlid 12/09 Polly Koehler 12/09 Joyce French 12/09 Barbara Norrgard 12/09 Nancy Weeks 12/09 Elizabeth Bonsal 12/09 Cathy Sibirzeff 12/09 Joshua Ziac 12/09 Peder Maarbjerg 12/09 Ivan Golodinskii 12/09 Anton Bystedt 12/10 David Cowles 12/10 Anne Stolley 12/10 Barbara Oppedisano 12/10 Alexander Jensen 12/11 Mildred Wescott 12/11 Terri Kutzen 12/11 Justin Goh 12/11 Frank Osborn 12/11 Peter Gurciullo 12/11 Olivia Gurciullo 12/12 Sue Baker 12/12 Hannelore Moeckel- Rieke 12/13 Dr Ralph E Ahlberg 12/13 Margaret York 12/13 Sarah Saviskas 12/13 Rebecca Coleman 12/14 Karen Pacent 12/14 William McKee 12/14 Parker McKee 12/14 Alison Tierney 12/14 Sarah VanDermeer

12/14 Lila Jane Braddock 12/15 George Taylor 12/15 Theodore Allen 12/15 Alex Sibirzeff 12/15 Helen Dempsey 12/16 Barbara Richmond 12/16 Anne Sherrerd 12/16 Jennifer Breismeister 12/16 Ashley Tufts 12/16 James Willard 12/16 Emily Weir 12/17 Caralliene Westbrook 12/17 Patricia Mendelsohn 12/17 Lise McDonald 12/17 Michael Provoost 12/17 Alexander Ng-Yow 12/18 Jack Provoost 12/18 Bobby Bailey 12/19 Sergio Roque 12/19 Robert Luce 12/19 Erin Kilmurray 12/19 Rachel Wolfe 12/19 Amanda Scopelliti 12/20 Gerald Rigg 12/21 Peter Janis 12/22 Robert Burdick 12/22 John Fountain 12/22 Drake Teeters 12/23 Arthur Weigner 12/23 Marie Noelle Meyer 12/23 Will Speer 12/23 Cassie Dunn 12/23 Lindsay Anibal 12/24 Sandy Plickert 12/24 Andrew Schay 12/24 Christina Assing 12/24 Wyatt Davis

12/25 Dale M Greene 12/25 Kellie Norrgard 12/25 Mark Sproule 12/25 Parker Bonnell 12/25 Grace Kim-E 12/25 Darin Jacks 12/25 John Gabriel Freeman 12/26 Stephanie Hanbury- Brown 12/26 Tyler Sandberg 12/27 Julie Smith Koppenheffer 12/27 John Gordon 12/27 Philip Thalheim 12/28 Karen Robbins 12/28 Louise Guy 12/28 Linda Wilkinson 12/28 Suni Unger 12/28 Jake Carlson 12/29 Diana Klingner 12/29 Christian Burke 12/29 Esther Hoekstra 12/29 Trevor Kelly 12/30 Karen McCalley 12/30 Stuart McCalley 12/30 Frederic Parker 12/30 Jeff Waggaman 12/30 Benjamin Quick 12/30 John Allen 12/30 Thomas Hedrick 12/30 Charles Carnegie 12/30 Andrew Sisley 12/31 Adriana Seibert 12/31 Jane Seel 12/31 Ciella Angel-Lalanne

Please submit material for the January Meetinghouse Monthly by December 15.

12 The Meet inghouse Monthly

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich Nonprofit Organization 108 Sound Beach Avenue U.S. Postage Old Greenwich, CT 06870 Bulk Rate Phone: (203) 637-1791 PAID Fax:: (203) 637-1540 Permit No. 17 www.fccog.org Old Greenwich, CT Change Service Requested

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich

Ministers: The Members of The First Congregational Church of Greenwich

Senior Pastor: Rev. Dr. David D. Young, dyoung@fccog.org Minister of Communication and Adult Education: Rev. Daniel B. England, dengland@fccog.org

Minister of Pastoral Care: Rev. Avery C. Manchester, amanchester@fccog.org Associate Pastor for Christian Education: Rev. Kate S. Forer, kforer@fccog.org

Associate Pastor for Youth Ministry: Rev. Mark D. Montgomery, mmontgomery@fccog.org Director of Music/Senior Organist: Dr. John Stansell, drjohn@fccog.org

Associate Organist/Director: Terence J. Flanagan, terryf@fccog.org Director of Church School: Rosemary Lamie, rosemaryl@fccog.org Director of Membership: Ginny Breismeister, ginnyb@fccog.org

Parish Nurse: Susan Asselin, RN, susana@fccog.org Pastors Emeriti: Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Stiers and Rev. Sally Colegrove

H.O.M.E. Craft Sale

A Sampling of Goods sold at the H.O.M.E. Craft Sale in November. Despite the economy, we provided much needed support for the Homeworkers Organized for Employment.

Sixth graders visit the residents at Pilgrim Towers

On November 8, our sixth grade Church School Class prepared a wonderful lunch of veggie lasagna and salad for 25 or so residents at Pilgrim Towers. After singing some old classic songs the residents knew, we shared lunch and conversa-tions. Since we could have stayed longer and enjoyed each other’s company more, we have scheduled a Christmas visit for December 13.

The Church Offices will be closed Friday, December 25 and Monday, December 28 for the Christmas Holiday.

The Church Offices will be closed Thursday, December 31 for New Year’s Eve.