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Scenes of the Christmas Season: OUSE MONTHLY

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE Volume 15/Number 1/January 2014 Soup Kitchen/TY/Help Save a Tree..…… 8 The Rummage Room News……....……. 9 Church School………………….…....... 10 Meet Our Child Care Supervisors…… .. 11 First Church Preschool Summer Program12 Women’s Fellowship/Moms Group…….13 Photos from Christmas Eve……...….... 2 Speaking Pastorally/You Are Invited….. 3 Musical Notes………………………… 4 “Souper Bowl Sunday” Soup Sale…….. 5 From the Parish Nurse.………….…… 6 Book Corner/Bible Study/Hats Off....... 7 Music Notes (cont)/Jan Assignments 14 Stewardship……………………..… 15 Nicaragua 2014/Stewardship (cont).. 16 Jan B-Days/Life Events……………. 17 Q & A about FCCOG..…..….…….18 Expenses/Revenue for 2014 Budget...19 MEETINGHOUSE MONTHLY Scenes of the Christmas Season: See more pictures on the next page... The 343rd Annual Meeting of The First Congregational Church of Greenwich, Old Greenwich, CT, is hereby called for Sunday, January 26, 2014, immediately following the worship service. The meeting will be held in the Meetinghouse: To hear and act upon the annual reports of the pastors, officers and committees; To hear and act upon the report of the Nominating Committee and to elect officers for the coming year; To adopt the budget for 2014; To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting. 343rd ANNUAL MEETING
Transcript
Page 1: Scenes of the Christmas Season: OUSE MONTHLY

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Volume 15/Number 1/January 2014

Soup Kitchen/TY/Help Save a Tree..…… 8

The Rummage Room News……....……. 9

Church School………………….…....... 10

Meet Our Child Care Supervisors…… .. 11

First Church Preschool Summer Program12

Women’s Fellowship/Moms Group…….13

Photos from Christmas Eve……...….... 2

Speaking Pastorally/You Are Invited….. 3

Musical Notes………………………… 4

“Souper Bowl Sunday” Soup Sale…….. 5

From the Parish Nurse.………….…… 6

Book Corner/Bible Study/Hats Off....... 7

Music Notes (cont)/Jan Assignments 14

Stewardship……………………..… 15

Nicaragua 2014/Stewardship (cont).. 16

Jan B-Days/Life Events……………. 17

Q & A about FCCOG..…..….…….18

Expenses/Revenue for 2014 Budget...19

MEE

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LY Scenes of the Christmas Season:

See more pictures on the next page...

The 343rd Annual Meeting of The First Congregational Church of Greenwich, Old Greenwich, CT, is hereby called for Sunday, January 26, 2014, immediately following the worship service. The meeting will be held in the Meetinghouse:

To hear and act upon the annual reports of the pastors, officers and committees;

To hear and act upon the report of the Nominating Committee and to elect officers for the coming year;

To adopt the budget for 2014;

To transact such other business as may properly come before the meeting.

343rd ANNUAL MEETING

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Visit our Photo Gallery to view event photos: www.fccog.org/photo-gallery/

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By: Rev. John Collins

Dear Friends, As we cross the threshold into the New Year, I’d like to share something that Henry David Thoreau wrote in his masterpiece, Walden:

The life in us is like the water in the river. It may rise this year higher than man has ever known it…even this may be the eventful year that will drown out all our muskrats.

I love this. When I was growing up, my family spent summers at a small lake in Pennsylvania. Muskrats were among the wonderful variety of wildlife found there and, periodically, they would dam up the lake outlet causing the water to become stagnant in dry seasons. The remedy for this would be a downpour of cleansing rain, raising the water level and clearing out the muskrat dams. After a storm like this the lake water would become clear and fresh again. So, I knew exactly what Thoreau meant when I read his reference to muskrats. Water is a powerful symbol of The Spirit of Life in all of us, and the idea of little dam building creatures that clog our souls made perfect sense to me. And, as I make the turn into 2014, it made me start to wonder what muskrats were at work in my spirit? What dams had I allowed to accumulate that blocked the flow of living water in me? So, I made a little list of my “spiritual muskrats.” Here it is: + Being too quick to judge the behavior and opinions of other people. + Being in too much of a hurry. + Letting whole days go by without noticing the natural beauty around me. + Not paying attention to the kindness and affection of people in my life. + Forgetting that every moment of life, this moment right now, is a precious gift. I could go on, of course, but you get the idea. All of us have spiritual muskrats that clog up our lives and cause us to miss the wonder and mystery of life. The trick is to know they are there and to let the powerful downpour of God’s unconditional love wash them away.

Speaking Pastorally

John

Would you like to attend a dinner party in someone’s home sometime during the month of January? These dinner parties have become a tradition at the Presbyterian Church of Greenwich with great success and are offered at least twice a year. The concept involves asking 8-10 hosts and/or hostesses to offer their homes on a date convenient to them. Their only obligation is to open their homes for our enjoyment. You are then asked to sign up on lists posted on the bulletin board outside the Auditorium for a date convenient for you. You and your host can decide what you will bring to the dinner. Options offered by our good friends at Trader Joe’s and Costco make this opportunity very easy. There is no agenda or other official purpose for these dinners - only enjoying each others’ company. You may walk in the door as partial strangers and out the door as new friends. If some of you would agree to serve as hosts and/or hostesses, please contact Prill Meyer at [email protected] or 203-637-4214 as soon as possible.

You Are Invited!

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“Musical Notes”

First Music and Arts Season continues - Sunday Afternoons Live - 4:00 pm in the Auditorium

First Music and Arts presents another outstanding season in the intimate setting of our Auditorium, complete with coffee, tea, and light snacks. Tickets are $20 per person (available at the door), and all school-aged youth are free. Our season is gratefully underwritten by the late Stella Miazga, a non-church member who attended our concerts and generously bequeathed funds to support the series after her death.

Sunday, February 2: Chad Smith, saxophone

Sax-O-Philm is a unique theatrical concert experience which recreates the atmosphere of the 1920’s. It is a fully scripted and produced show, featuring the music of vaudeville saxophonist Rudy Wiedoeft, as per-formed by Broadway saxophonist Chad Smith, on both alto and c melody saxophones. Sax-O-Philm will transport audiences of all ages back to a time during which radio, ragtime, silent movies and flappers were all the rage. Projected silent films, photo montages, and interesting anecdotes of the period round out the show.

Piano and harp accompany Chad to capture the unforgettable sound of the Golden Age. The story-line embodies the character of Wiedoeft through his style, humor, charm and showmanship. Sax-O-Philm’s unique blend of live music, world-class talent and multimedia make this a concert event unlike any other. Please visit saxophilm.com for more information.

Chad Smith first developed his interest in 1920’s saxophone virtuoso Rudy Wiedoeft while studying with Ted Hegvik at West Chester University in 1992. Chad’s talent with multiple woodwind instruments has made him a sought after Broadway, film recording and concert performer. He has been a member of the Broadway orchestras of Wicked, Legally Blonde, Follies and A Christmas Story.

Sunday, February 9: Peter Griggs, guitar

The Guitar In America concentrates on the unique styles of American guitar music, including traditional finger-picking, ragtime, blues, jazz and popular song, and includes music by Robert Johnson, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, Wes Montgomery and others.

Peter Griggs is a guitarist and composer from New York City. He has presented more than 450 solo guitar concerts in the USA and Europe – primarily in Germany and the United Kingdom, as well as in Scandinavia, the Baltic States, the Low Countries, France, Switzerland, Austria, the Czech Republic and Croatia – at art centers, museums, galleries, libraries, churches, festivals and jazz clubs. His repertoire includes classical music of all periods – from Renaissance to modern – as well as flamenco, jazz, Brazilian music and his own compositions.

Sunday, February 16: Lindsay Kesselman, soprano and Christopher James Lees, pianist

The Many Faces of Love presents a stirring assortment of pieces that bring light to various corners, many rarely heard, of this elusive emotion. Using contemporary American vocal music, sacred and romantic songs are intermixed with passionate, flights of fancy, darkly private and overwhelmingly exuberant expressions of affection. I guarantee you'll "love" it!

Lindsay Kesselman is an American soprano currently on tour with the Philip Glass Ensemble as a member of his groundbreaking opera, Einstein on the Beach. A specialist in contemporary vocal repertoire and chamber music, Ms. Kesselman actively commissions and records accessible, vibrant, and thought provoking music of our time.

Christopher James Lees is a prize-winning orchestral conductor, and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Detroit Symphony, and National Arts Centre Orchestra among many others. He is the Associate Director of Orchestras at the University of Michigan and moonlights as a collaborative pianist, primarily of contemporary vocal music. First Music and Arts Series Continues on Page 14 ...

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" S O U P E R B O W L S U N D AY ” S O U P S A L E ! F E B R U A R Y 2 , 1 1 : 0 0 A M T O 1 : 0 0 P M

S P O N S O R E D B Y W O M E N ’ S F E L L O W S H I P

Get your soup recipes (chili or stews too!) ready for the Fourth Annual Women’s Fellowship Soup Sale in the Auditorium on Sunday, February 2, 2014 from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm (or ‘til the soup runs out!). Soup donations are starting now.

Please sign up for soup donations in the Church Office … instructions will be available … or during Coffee Hour. Quarts of soup will be sold for $10 each and all proceeds will go to support Women’s Fellowship projects. (Note: cost of the ingredients is tax deductible.)

Questions? Please contact Sue McCalley at [email protected] or 203-273-6526.

Below is a soup recipe as an example of a soup that folks can make, but ANY soup or chili is fine as a donation, so start cooking!

TUSCAN BREAD AND TOMATO SOUP

(Yields at least 2 qts.)

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes, with juice

2 tbsp tomato paste

Pinches of sugar and red chili flakes

4 cups water

1 lb stale country bread, crusts removed, cut into cubes (about 7 cups)

2-3 tbsp slivered fresh basil

1. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy soup pot over medium-low heat.

2. Add the onion, and cook, stirring until tender (about 5 minutes).

3. Meanwhile, pulse the tomatoes in a food processor until coarsely blended.

4. Add garlic to the pot.

5. Cook, stirring, for about a minute until fragrant.

6. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, red chili flakes, salt and pepper.

7. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have cooked down (about 10 minutes).

8. Stir bread cubes into the tomatoes.

9. Add water, half the basil and salt to taste.

10. Increase heat and simmer, stirring and mashing the bread, for about 10 minutes until the soup is thick.

11. Stir in the remaining basil, and taste and adjust seasonings.

12. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature with the remaining olive oil drizzled over each serving.

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From the Parish Nurse … Healthy New Year to You by Sue Asselin, RN

Happy New Year 2014! The members of the Wellness Committee wish you and your loved ones a wonder-ful year ahead, full of blessings and good health. We thank you for your support of the services and educa-tional programs planned and presented by our ministry.

I would like to acknowledge the members of the Wellness Committee and express my gratitude toward them for their assistance and support with programs that help us all live more healthy lives - physically, spiritually, emotionally, and in relationship with one another. The members are: Annette Bergh, Ginny Breismeister, Paul Kretschmann, Betsy Kreuter (Chair), Enid Norris, Ruth Reed, and Karen Young. The next time you talk with one of them, please join me in thanking them for their contributions to the congregation’s wellness.

Here are some of the programs the Wellness Committee has planned in the coming months:

Saturday, February 8, 8:00 am to 1:00 pm - Red Cross Blood Drive. Co-sponsored by Women’s Fellowship, this community event is made complete with devilled eggs and live piano music. To schedule an appointment to give blood call 800-Give-Life. Please contact your Parish Nurse if you’d like to volunteer to play piano for a one-hour shift or bring a refreshment.

Thursday, March 6 - Movie Afternoon. An afternoon viewing of the movie The Weight of the Nation, examining the obesity epidemic in the United States and offering solutions and hope for the future. The movie will be followed by a question and answer session with Erica Christ, RD, manager of Greenwich Hospital's Outpatient Nutrition Services. Healthy snacks will be provided.

Saturdays, March 15 & 22 - CPR Classes. CPR classes will be offered for first-timers and re-certifications. Please let me know of your interest in participating in this opportunity to help others. I can be reached at 203-637-1791, extension 21.

A Sunday in March or April - Wellness Second Hour. The focus of this Second Hour will be end-of-life planning, including advanced directives and care options, with Dr. Donna Colletti, Director of Palliative Care at Greenwich Hospital.

Ongoing Wellness programs include blood pressure screening, Medicare Part D counseling, a lending library of books and tapes, Parish Nurse home care eligibility assessment, and informative support for any positive lifestyle changes. If you would like your blood pressure taken, or you have any health-related concerns or questions, stop in to see me, your parish nurse, in Room 203. My hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and Sundays from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm.

If you are interested in joining the Wellness Committee and have some healthful ideas to share, please contact Sue Asselin, Parish Nurse, at extension 21. We especially need volunteer health professionals to take blood pressures on occasional Sundays when the nurse is unavailable. Wishing you wellness of mind, body, and spirit in the coming year!

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Avery’s Book Corner for January

Now it’s YOUR turn.

I have suggested many books over the past year or so … now I would like to ask you, our

readers, what books you feel are important. Please share these with me and I will try to share

with others. I would like to tap into the wisdom of our readers. If you have a book suggestion,

please email it to Barbara Wilkov at [email protected] along with a description of the book

and why you find it meaningful. We will offer up these suggestions in a future issue of the

Meetinghouse Monthly. Keep reading!

Bible Study

Study Daniel with Daniel. The book of Daniel is important for all kinds of reasons, not the least of which is it was the source of Jesus' own self-chosen identity, though it is now often used by the "let's-go-to-the-mountain-because-Jesus-is-coming-Thursday" crowd to bolster their latest calculation. Its real setting is the persecution of Jews under Antiochus Epiphanes, which some of you learned about when studying I Maccabees (but if you didn't, come to Bible Study anyway). It has six stories and four visions that we will unravel beginning January 5. Join us and bring a friend. 11:20 am in the Lounge after the 10:00 am service. The Bible Study for Beginners that we started last fall will return, but we are tweaking the time so more can participate. Watch the bulletin for announcements.

Our Hats Off book study group will begin 2014 with My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor. Our justice of the Supreme Court "recounts her life from a Bronx housing project to the federal bench, a journey that offers an inspiring testament to her own extraordinary determination and the power of believing in oneself."

Please join us on Thursday, January 9 from 10:00 to 11:30 am. This new book will be available then. If you have any questions, please call Debbie Berner at 203-629-1110. We invite you to join us!

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Soup Kitchen Volunteers – Making Food to Feed Our Neighbors and Friends

Thanks to Mark Montgomery and the Confirmation Class for their culinary skills cooking chili in December.

We also want to acknowledge Betsy and Peter Heberling for helping Mary-Ann and Gordon Assing make chili this past spring. We are grateful for their service.

Volunteer cook teams are needed for:

February

March

April

To utilize your cooking skills to make life better for members of our community, please contact Tom Mahoney at [email protected].

Thank You From Pilgrim Towers

To Church Members:

We cannot thank you enough for the joy your spiritual and Christmas gifts brought on Sunday (December 15) to our elderly residents - who have so little - you have given to them so much.

Thank you for your generosity and kindness.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. May the Lord bless your homes on Christmas Day.

Sincerely,

John F. Newton

President

Help Save a Tree! Go Green with the Meetinghouse Monthly!

Our Meetinghouse Monthly newsletter is available in hard copy format sent

through the postal mail service, as well as digitally on the church website. If you

are willing to forego the hard copy and, instead, read the newsletter online,

there are several perks:

You can view all photos in color

You can enlarge the font size and photos for easier viewing

You can save some trees and go green!

So, help save the environment by sending your email address to Barb Wilkov at [email protected]

to start receiving the Meetinghouse Monthly electronically. You’ll be glad you did.

Thank You! The Board of Trustees of First Church would like to express our sincere appreciation to

Ben Menegon

for his extraordinary contribution of time and talents to the renovation of 11 Forest Avenue..

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Happy New Year from The Rummage Room 191 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich

Thursday, January 2: The Rummage Room rings in the New Year with 75% off Christmas merchandise and a 50% off Winter Clearance Sale.

Monday, January 7: Ski clothing, ski poles, and ice skates will be available for your winter enjoyment. NOTE: Neither skis nor ski boots will be accepted..

Monday, January 20: The Rummage Room celebrates Martin Luther King Day with a 50% off everything sale.

Manager Maria's Wish List: Items for Valentine's Day, large shopping bags, hats, scarves, mittens, sleds and ski wear.

Hours of Operation: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, and on Saturday 10:00 am to 1:00 pm.

Hours for Donations: 9:30 to 4:30 Monday - Thursday, and on Friday and Saturday 9:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Congratulations to Maria Drieghe and Nancy Hamilton for continuing their winning ways by being presented 'The Best Original Storefront Holiday Window Decorating Award in Old Greenwich' from The Greenwich Chamber of Commerce; and 'The Best Village Scene Display Award in Old Greenwich' from The Garden Club of Old Greenwich.

The Rummage Room goal for 2014 is to raise money for The Allocations Committee in order to distribute the funds to the many Women's, Children's and Family Organizations locally, nationally and internationally that we help support. Millions of dollars have gone to help these organizations through the years ... all because of those who donate, shop and volunteer at The Rummage Room. Thank you for your past loyalty and please make it your New Year's resolution to help The Rummage Room continue to make a difference in our 50 year celebration in 2014!!!!

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1920 - April 4, 1968): Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it.

MARIA AND NANCY'S AWARD WINNING WINDOWS

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November 3: Regular Church School; Youth Choir Sings in Church

November 10: Veterans’ Day Weekend; Service Sunday focus on Inspirica

November 17: Regular Church School

November 24: Harvest Sunday; All Choirs Sing; Bring bag(s) of non-perishable groceries for Neighbor to Neighbor and H.O.M.E. Co-op in Orland, Maine Food Pantries

December 1: Thanksgiving Weekend; 1st Sunday of Advent; Service Sunday; Advent “Make Your Own” Craft Workshop 2:00 - 4:00 pm (see inside back cover for details).

Church School in January

Calendar:

January 5: Regular Church School

January 12: Regular Church School

January 19: Service Sunday - One Room

Schoolhouse Program in the

Daniels Center

January 22: Parents of 2nd Graders learn

about Communion at FCCOG -

7:30 pm in the Lounge

January 24: Family Fun Night! (NEW)

January 26: Regular Church School/2nd

Grade Special Lesson on

Communion

Hold these Dates:

2nd Grade Class participates in Worship and Communion on February 2, 10:00 am service

3rd Graders and Parents Bible Breakfast is March 2, 9:00 am.

Communion for 2ND Graders

and Their Parents

2nd graders and their parents begin their Communion exploration with a Parents Only Communion 101 class on Wednesday, January 22 with a pastor and Rose-mary Lamie. On the fol-lowing Sunday, January 26, during Church School, the children and their parents will continue to learn together and make family communion banners. At worship on February 2 the families will sit together in the Meetinghouse and participate in communion with the congregation. Any family whose children did not have this opportunity when their child(ren) were in 2nd grade and would like to participate now, should contact Rosemary (ext. 20) or [email protected] to explore this option further.

What is Family Fun Night???

On Friday, January 24 between 6:30 and 8:30 PM join us in the Daniels

Center for dinner and a time for games, music and fun like

you can only get at church!! This is a great opportunity to

invite grandparents, neighbors, children’s

friends’ families. Please sign up on the easel in

the Auditorium or in the Preschool entryway.

You are welcome to drop in any time if you can’t be here right

at 6:30 or cannot stay til 8:30. This can be a great way to stay connected to

First Church even when Sunday morning is not possible for you. Presented

by volunteers of the Church School Task Force, we hope to see you all!!

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Duly Chiappetta and Jeff Waggaman are highly skilled and experienced preschool teachers and child care professionals. We are so blessed to have them leading our team of Child Care providers every Sunday morning. Under the direction of Rosemary Lamie, the Church School Director, Duly and Jeff are “job sharing” the supervision of our Baby Nursery and Toddler Room programs.

Please be sure to introduce yourselves and your children to Duly and Jeff. And if ever you have the desire to spend some time with our babies or toddlers, just let Rosemary know so we can slot you in!

Meet Our Child Care Supervisors!

Duly Chiappetta

Duly has been the Baby Nursery/Toddler Room Supervisor here in our Church School for the past five years. She is currently in her 10th year as a teacher in the First Church Pre-school where she teaches the Pre-Kindergarten class in the Green Door.

Before coming to First Church Duly was a three and four year old teacher at the Preschool at St. Agnes for eight years. Duly lives in Trumbull, CT with her husband, Anthony, and her son Brayden (22), and her daughter Emma (20) both college students.

Jeff Waggaman

It is best to describe Jeff’s experience in his own words: “I have been in the teaching field for over 30 years. I started out in day care and now I am work-ing in an elementary school in Norwalk as a one-on- one. I have also worked in Special Ed, and babysat for many years. When my nephew was christened at First Church, I read that there was a need for church school teachers. I then asked Tom Stiers if it would be ok if I came every week. His response was ‘Wow, really?’ I then signed a 99 year contract, which I was bound to, even after Tom's retirement. No, seriously. I started with ba-bies, and progressed to toddlers, when the 2 groups were split. Suffice it to say I stayed for 29 years, and I saw the kids I took care of coming back to help as teenagers! Yikes! I took off a few years after the death of my parents. I will be returning on an every other week basis, and am sharing the duties with Duly. I look forward to meeting new faces and see-ing all I have met before. Thank you for the pleas-ure of taking care of your wonderful children!!”

Find us on Facebook and LIKE the page!

Follow us on Twitter @FCCOGCT

Check out our YouTube page.

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The Summer Program at First Church Preschool 2014

The Summer Program at First Church Preschool is designed for children between the ages of 3 and 5 years (i.e. must be between turning 3 by 12/31/14 and entering kindergarten in September 2014). The program consists of three 2-week sessions:

Session 1: June 16 – June 27: Our World of Sports: Children participate in a variety of fun sports and physical activities that get their bodies moving and their game on!

Session 2: June 30 – July 11 (closed 7/4): The Arts Factory: Children imagine, design, and create within different media, including art, music, and dance.

Session 3: July 14 – July 25: Little Scientists: Exploration, experimentation, and discovery are encouraged through children’s interactions with their natural environment.

All sessions include arts & crafts, water play, playground time, and snacks.

New this summer!

You will be able to register for just one week of each session.

Seahorses: 3 year-olds only attend Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 am—12:00 pm. Children must be toilet trained.

*Cost per full 2-week sessions 1 & 3: $350; Cost per full 2-week session 2: $300.

*Cost per one-week only of sessions 1 &3: $200; Cost per one-week only of session 2: $150

4 & 5 Year-Olds: Attend Monday – Friday 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. These children bring a lunch from home.

*Cost per full 2-week sessions 1 & 3: $600; Cost per full 2-week session 2: $550.

*Cost per one-week only of sessions 1 &3: $325; Cost per one-week only of session 2: $275

Contact Information:

First Church Preschool

108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT 06870

203-637-5430; E-Mail: [email protected]

www.firstchurchpreschool.org

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Tai Chi Fitness with Luis Duarte

Improve your balance, health and well being. Come and experience the many wonderful benefits of Tai Chi and Qi Gong exercises. Classes are held on Wednesdays at 8:00 am and Thursdays at 9:00 am. Only $10 per class, $8 for seniors. Join

us! You’ll love it! All are welcome.

Women’s Fellowship

Nights Off Update:

Start off the New Year with Nights Off ! The next gathering of the Nights Off Women’s Group is Monday, January 20, 2014 at the home of Irene Savage. All are welcome.

We will meet at 6:00 pm and our activity for the evening will be making soup for the annual Women’s Fellowship “Souper Bowl” Soup Sale being held on February 2.

Lots of hands will make this a fast and fun project. We also have a lot of laughs and fun conversation so please join us and bring a friend!

Also, please bring an appetizer to share and what- ever you would like to drink.

If you have any questions or would like to be added to the email list, please contact Shirley Flierl at [email protected].

Kettle Quilters:

We hope that one of your New Year’s resolutions is to join the Kettle Quilters! We need your help to finish our Log Cabin quilt, which is going to be raffled off at the Annual Meeting of the Women’s Fellowship on May 14. Our deadline to finish the quilt is March 15. We are counting on all of you quilters and sewers to help us. So get on board! You will not regret it!

Mondays 9:00 am -12:00 pm Tuesdays 7:30 pm -9:00 pm

In Room 203 (next to the kitchen)!

Inge Thalheim 203-637-9614

Hilary Lawrence 203-637-1214

Bigelow Tea Party Thursday, January 23, 2014

3:30 pm in the Auditorium

Come and enjoy an afternoon of fellowship and “tea.”

Learn about the history and value of tea from the Bigelow Tea folks.

Bigelow Tea and more will be served.

For Moms of Very Young Children — Join us in January

If you have a baby, toddler and/or 2 year old, join us for an opportunity to meet and relax with other moms and their young kids. The group meets the 2nd and 4th Friday of every

month (January 10 and 24 this month) from 9:30–10:30 am (note the new time) in Room104. For more information, contact Kristen Jacks at [email protected]

or call her at 203-344-1961.

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First Music and Arts Sunday Afternoons Live continued from page 4...

Sunday, February 23 Masayuki Maki, harpsichord

Music of J. S. Bach and his contemporaries. This program will present harpsichord music composed by J. S. Bach, his teacher Georg Böhm, and his son C. P. E. Bach, and, at the same time, you will hear harpsichord music composed by our contemporaries, such as the Dutch composer Louis Andriessen and the Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu. Hearing the music from the old and new, the east and west, do you think the music is changed by time and space, or our perception of them is changed by music?

A multi-instrumentalist on various classical keyboard instruments, Masayuki Maki has extensive experience in lecturing and performing in America and Asia. He was formerly Associate Instructor of harpsichord performance and keyboard accompaniment at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University and is now adjunct faculty at the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College of the City University of New York, teaching harpsichord, organ, fortepiano, and chamber music.

Maki often performs in prestigious concert venues such as Carnegie Hall, Forbidden City Concert Hall (China), and Suntory Hall (Japan). He regularly works at the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Opera as harpsichord technician, and is currently completing his doctorate in harpsichord at Stony Brook where he is also Assistant Director of the Stony Brook Opera.

JANUARY Responsibilities and Assignments

Deacon Assignments:

Invocation - Ed Oppedisano

Hospital Notes - Chris Cantwell

Memorial Service:

Elaine Teeters - Jan. 6

John Denne - Jan. 13

Linnea Stenberg - Jan. 20

April Condon - Jan. 27

January 5 Communion:

Paul Olmsted - Capt

Betsy Kreuter - Setup

Carole Lang - Setup

Chris Cantwell - Setup

Open - Setup

Elaine Teeters - Cleanup

Bob Small - Cleanup

Open - Cleanup

Coffee Hour Committee Host:

Outreach

Apartment Needed

A member of our staff is looking for an apartment in Greenwich

or Stamford. If you have an apartment to rent or know of

one that is available, please call the Church Office or email

Barbara Wilkov at [email protected].

Chad Smith, saxophone

Peter Griggs, guitar

Lindsay Kesselman, soprano

Christopher James Lee, pianist

Masayuki Maki, harpischord

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15 The Meet inghouse Monthly

Like, Connect, Celebrate As of December 24, we had received 270 pledge cards and a total of $836,334 of financial support for the programs and ministries of First Congregational Church in the coming year. We ask that those who have not yet made their intention known will return their pledge cards as soon as possible so our Budget Committee will have a strong foundation on which to build a plan for 2014. Meanwhile, the Board of Trustees gratefully acknowledges pledges from the following members and friends, as well as those who wish to remain anonymous.

Chuck & Maryan Ainsworth

Bob & Persis Alden

David & Colleen Alfano

Mary Ruth Allen

Anne Almy

Erling & Diane Andersen

Ty & Cyndi Anderson

Luis & Laura Angel-Lalanne

Mitzi Armstrong

Shawn & Susan Asselin

Gordon & Mary-Ann Assing

David & Jean Ayres

Sue Baker

Nofal & Elizabeth Barbar

Marty & Lois Berlin

Gary & Deb Berner

Janet Blasberg

Kristen Bodenstein

Steve & Betty Bonsal

Phil Bradford & Dorothy Mueller

Don & Ginny Breismeister

Jean Bruder

Virginia Burgess

Glen Canner

Chris Cantwell

J. Robert Carey

Curt & Joyce Carlson

Judy Chapman

Joan Cleworth

Sally Colegrove

Thelma Colegrove

Tim & Allison Coleman

John Collins

April & David Condon

John & Barbara Cooper

Bill & Marian Cordner

Libby Craig

Steve & Ashley Crihfield

Doris Moss Davenport

Art & Wynnkie Delmhorst

Gregory & Meg Dempsey

John & Joan Denne

Mark & Cynthia DeRiemer

Rick & Marilyn Derr

Dana & Sally Dolloff

Sean & Susan Doyle

Mary Durland

Dan & Claire England

Anders & Mariann Ekernas

Laura & Dave Erickson

Susan Eveland

Libby Fatum

Joyce Ferris

Bob & Mary Ferry

Charles & Joyce Field

Mary Fike & Joseph Dowling

Jane Finch

Bill Fossum

Michaela Fossum

Nancy Fountain

Dick & Kathy Fraser

Randy & Lindy Freeman

Joyce French

Natalie & Billy Frenz

Frosty & Don Friedman

Harold Frost

John Fryback

Donna Gargagliano

Ken & Melanie Garnett

Pat Geismar

John & Jan Gelb

Millie George

Lauren & Paul Ghaffari

Lile Gibbons

Richard & Susan Gilbert

Charles & Dawn Ginste

Bob & Judy Goodchild

Ann Goodson

Al & Judy Gordon

Sally & Tony Graham

Allen Green & Christie Coon

Dale Greene

Peter Griffin & Family

Phoebe Griffith & Joe McBride

Peter & Pam Grunow

George Handley

Chris & Olga Hartwell

Olivia Hartwell

Glenn & Donna Hascher

Larry & Barbara Hathaway

Larry & Erlinda Haviland

Robyn Helmer

Bill & Claire Henry

Carol Hermance

Sybren & Janette Hoekstra

Betty Hornbeck

Bobbie Hopkins

Lisa Hudson

Lucinda S. & Barton Hunter

Helen Ingraham

Gerald Isaacson

Robert & Kristen Jacks

Richard & Diane Jenkins

Paul & Joan Johansen

Marc & Julie Johnson

Mi Heh Kim

Barbara Kneen

Peggy & Tom Krempecki

Paul & Diane Kretschmann

Betsy Kreuter

Eric & Pam Kreuter

Tom & Terri Brown Kutzen

Debbie LaCivita

Fred & Nanette Laffan

Rosemary Lamie

Franklin & Carole Lang

Tad & Pat Larrabee

Gail Lauridsen

Penny Lehman

Mary Leinbach

Mary Lennon

Catherine Lepoutre

Clem & Jenny Lepoutre

Dick & Linda Lewis

Ginge Liddel

Ruth Lindegren

Bobby Littlefield

Marcia Livingston

Robin Loughman

Bob & Bea Luce

John & Mary Maarbjerg

Bob & Carolyn MacLea

Karen & Martin Mair

Joseph & Wendy Mallory

Avery Manchester

Bruce & Martha Marquand

Carol Mawhinney

Stu & Sue McCalley

Patricia McCarter

Chuck & Nancy McConnell

Rob & Dawn McCready

Sandy & John McCue

Leon McKenzie

Bob & Pat Mendelsohn

Ben & Lea Menegon

Fred & Marie-Noelle Meyer

Jan & Prill Meyer

George & Alida Meyers

Brian & Paula Mickley

Christopher Mill

Dick & Lois Miller

Gary & Judy Miller

Mark Mohn & Beth Press

Kevin & Marcie Molloy

Chris & Betsy Moore

Darlene Moore

Tripp & Laura Moore

Sally Morgan

Jim & Nancy Morris

Dale & Sherry Myer

Richard & Tamara Ng-Yow

Marion Nolan

Eric & Kellie Norrgard Jack & Barbara Norrgard

Enid Norris

Paul & Lynn O’Gorman

Paul & Cara Olmsted

Eleanore Olsen

Ken & Erna Olson

Ed & Barbara Oppedisano

Bill & Joan Osgood

Karen Pacent

Nancy Palamarcuik

Dick Peebles & Doug Bloom

Bill & Mary Jane Penwell

Anne Pfetsch

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16 The Meet inghouse Monthly

Nicaragua 2014!

____________

We have our group ready who will represent us in Nicaragua this coming February! We are excited about

the work before us, and we want to provide you updates along the way.

First, this year, we will be working out of Cuzmapa, Nicaragua as we paint, provide children’s programming, work on a coffee farm, and learn about some of the other cooperatives that are providing living wages, education and other life services to the people in the area.

We will be collecting school supplies to take with us, so during the month of January, please feel free to bring pencils, crayons, children’s scissors, notebooks and other supplies. Also, we would love to get lots and lots of stickers of any sort to take with us as well. So bring it on! One of our projects will be making Valentine cards, so heart stickers are great! You can bring your contributions on Sunday to the Auditorium during Coffee Hour following our 10:00 am service. Contributions made during the week can be dropped in the Reception area of the Main Office to Mark Montgomery’s attention.

Finally, if you’d like to help us financially, please visit our fundraising website: http://www.razoo.com/team/Fabretto-Children-S-Organization-Nicaragua. There, you can learn even more about the trip and make a secure, online donation to help cover the cost of our trip. Our goal is lofty, but not as high as our hopes!

Dorothy Pidgursky

Steve & Nancy Pierson

Hans & Sandra Plickert

Pat Pollack

Jack & Judy Provoost

Jeff & Judy Ramer

Sandra Radosh

Mary Ranta

Barbara Rawn

Giff & Ruth Reed

Harlan & Wendy Reynolds

Gary & Janice Riddell

Barrie Richmond

Pamela & Richard Riggs

John & Marie-Theres Riis

Chuck & Dee Robarts

Dorothy & John Robertson

Lynn Robertson

Charlotte & Arthur Robinson

Beth Rollins

Lori Romano

Bill & Sandy Rose

Lilian Ruiz

Mike & Christina Russell

Peter Russell

Leonard & Yanna Saari

Jeff & Heather Sahrbeck

Bill & Irene Savage

John & Elizabeth Schinto

Eric & Lesley Schless

Bill & Louise Schmitt

Patricia Schmitt

Dave & Elizabeth Schrobe

Stuart & Jean Serenbetz

Jay & Debi Shaw

Justin & Jennifer Shaw

Bill & Alice Sherwood

Peter & Ann Simpson

Betty Sleath

Bob Small

Bob & Barbara Smith

Daryl & Tenille Smith

Elen Sotzing

Bob & Pam Speer

Jim & Tommie Starkweather

Linnea Stenberg

Meg & Dave Stewart

Tom & Brenda Stiers

Anne Stolley

Jack Sweger

Mac & Carissa Sykes

Andy Taylor

Andy & Susan Tedford

Elaine & John Teeters

Inge Thalheim

Jan & Sarah Thalheim

Chris Thompson & Dawn Tutje

Sheila Tolmie

Joan Torelli

Cindy Tredwell

Mike & Brook Urban

Barbara Van Buren

Marc & Leslie VanDermeer

Don & Connie Van Rhyn

Anne Wachsman

Jeff & Jean Watkins

Robert & Nancy Weeks

Arthur Weigner

Stephen Weigner

Barry & Peg Wentworth

Car Westbrook

Tom & Lori White

Lynn White Montanari

Peggy Whitlock

Peter & Sandra Wilder

Susan Wilder

David & Ardith Williams

Webb Williams

Rick Woodman & Carolyn Paulus

Nancy Wolf

Jane Yates

Marge York

Kirk & Karen Young

Xin Yun & Pei Fan Zhang

John & Nancy Ziac

Josh & Emily Ziac

Continued from previous page … Stewardship

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17 The Meet inghouse Monthly

JA N U A R YB I R T H D AY S

01/01 Kelly Loughman

01/01 Ginny Ridenour

01/01 Patricia McCarter

01/01 Catherine Goff

01/01 Shannon Boles

01/01 Shira Rieke

01/02 Robert Alden

01/02 Jan Meyer

01/02 Emily LaCivita

01/02 Ben Shaver

01/02 Holly Hanson

01/03 Barbara Martin

01/03 Tom Ragland

01/03 Christian Thalheim

01/03 Austin Cantwell

01/04 Mariann Ekernas

01/04 Susan Glendon

01/04 Arnie Arnold

01/04 Katie Weatherseed

01/05 Katie Carlson

01/06 Joseph McBride

01/06 Jennifer Lepoutre

01/06 Lindsey Kilmurray

01/06 Lindsey Trepanier

01/07 Linda Glover

01/07 April Gurciullo

01/07 Henry Shrier

01/08 Sarah Cleworth

01/08 Mary-Ann Assing

01/08 Christopher Ghaffari

01/08 Owen Tedford

01/09 Mary Leinbach

01/09 Dianne Culpen

01/09 Barbara Pizzimenti

01/09 William Phyfe

01/09 B J Savin

01/09 Bailey Poole

01/09 Ella Carlson

01/09 Ellen Romano

01/10 Deborah Berner

01/10 Bruce Glover

01/10 Lindsay Howland

01/10 Chelsea Bacon

01/10 Ethan Berman

01/10 Raymond Latrell

Burick-Dykes

01/11 Lauren Wheaton

01/11 Kelly Reeves

01/11 Taylor Stafford

01/11 Marquise Burick

01/11 John Russell

01/12 Kathy McLennan

01/12 Rita Dadzis

01/12 Judy Guard

01/12 Patricia Andersen

01/12 Lenore Mallett

01/12 Charles Schrohe

01/13 Peter Heberling

01/13 Eric Plaskonos

01/13 Clare Thomas

01/13 Victoria Mueller Bradford

01/15 Karen Young

01/15 Christy Sadler

01/15 Bob Lubbers

01/15 Charlie Ginste

01/15 Mary Beck

01/15 Nina Kreuter

01/16 Joan Johansen

01/16 Lilian Ruiz

01/16 Trevor Hanson

01/16 Lauren O'Donnell

01/16 Kendall Quick

01/17 Stephen Sotzing

01/17 Karen Thormann

01/17 Beth O'Donnell

01/17 Allison Saari

01/17 William Thomas

01/17 Gregory Lico

01/17 Jake Trask

01/17 Stephen Dodd

01/17 Paulina Eileen Farn-Finz

01/18 Chris Begole

01/18 Jack Taylor

01/19 Cynthia Sandreuter

01/19 Joan Cleworth

01/19 Leonard Saari

01/19 Laura Janelli

01/19 James DeFazio

01/20 Marian Cordner

01/20 Dianne Shrier

01/20 Phebe Huth

01/20 Grace Alfano

01/20 Ainsley Sahrbeck

01/21 Barbara Parker

01/21 Sara Stewart

01/21 Karina Schless

01/22 Carol Hermance

01/22 Barbara Smith

01/22 Dawn Tutje

01/22 Mary Helen Morris

01/22 Martin Mair

01/22 Nishani Naidoo

01/22 Abby von Holzhausen

01/22 Jake von Holzhausen

01/23 John Maarbjerg

01/23 Thomas White

01/23 Alexander Robarts

01/23 Richard DeFazio

01/23 Jadesola Ariyibi

01/23 Maggie Jacoby

01/23 Benjamin John Bates

01/24 Jonny Rogers

01/24 Megan Mahoney

01/24 Blair Johnson

01/25 Allan Ferry

01/25 Tom Wilkinson

01/25 Chris Vandivort

01/25 Liza Johnson

01/26 Fred Christensen

01/27 Lindsay Stafford

01/27 John Enquist

01/27 Clement Lepoutre

01/27 Dawn Ginste

01/27 Heather Breismeister

01/27 Kristin Lovallo

01/28 Jane Jansen

01/28 Christopher Moore

01/28 Paul Kretschmann

01/28 Selene Dunn

01/28 Anneliese Mair

01/28 Lauren Mickley

01/29 Heather Schimenti

01/29 Will Trask

01/29 Ellen Pulitzer

01/29 Elizabeth Mohn

01/29 John Romano

01/30 Gerald Isaacson

01/31 Eric Andersen

01/31 Jake Stewart

Mark Your Calendars:

The Church Offices will be closed Tuesday, December 31 and Wednesday, January 1 for the New Year Holiday and Monday, January 20 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

L ife E vents: Deaths

Sylvia Roberts (mother of Jean Bradley)

Sally B. Mortimer

Warner Finney

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18 The Meet inghouse Monthly

Q & A about FCCOG with Senior Deacon Chris Cantwell and Trustees Chair Chris Hartwell

Q: Where does the Church get its revenue, and how is it spent? Where are there opportunities to increase revenue and reduce expenses?

A: The following page shows the revenues and expenses of the Church for 2014, projected as of early December 2013. The exact numbers in the final budget will vary, but these charts illustrate the type and magnitude of each item. The charts show net revenues of $1,323,017 and net expenses of $1,571,798 - a deficit of $248,781. On the revenue side, the most obvious fact is that the Church is dependent primarily on pledge income, which makes up 65% of revenues. Most of the remaining revenues come from withdrawals of income from the endowment (15%), and net income from the preschool and rental properties (14%). Therefore, relatively small percentage changes in pledge income very significantly affect Church finances. On the expense side, compensation of Church employees (excluding preschool teachers) accounts for 64% of the total, while other largely fixed expenses of administration, operations and maintenance account for 26%. The primary items in this second category are landscaping, utilities, insurance and building maintenance and repair. The Church endowment was established to provide income to cover property maintenance costs, but presently it is sufficient to cover only about half of those costs. Only about 10% of expenses consist of non-compensation “program” expenses. Therefore, there is very little room for making budget reductions without affecting Church employees.

Q: What have the Trustees and Church Committee been doing to try to balance the budget for 2014? What additional measures will be taken?

A: As we discussed in this column in October, the Budget Committee began work on the 2014 budget facing a potential deficit on the order of $375,000, assuming that pledge income (excluding Keep the Faith) remained flat from 2013 and all present Church programs were funded at the same level as in 2013. The Trustees and Church Committee have jointly considered the budget situation and have agreed in principle to eliminating over $100,000 in expenses, including all outreach contributions to the UCC and our own Christian Outreach Committee, all radio broadcast funding (which will be temporarily funded by a restricted memorial fund), all funding for linc in 2014, and certain pastor search expenses and rental property repairs. These reductions are already reflected in the pie charts on the next page. We are also prayerfully considering additional reductions of another $120,000 which would include the reduction of our staff to two full-time pastors, but we are diligently searching for a way to avoid that outcome. So far we have not reached a consensus on any alternative. As of mid-December, the stewardship response has been moderately positive, but has not approached the level needed to support our budget. As promised, we will not repeat last year’s special Keep the Faith appeal. The Board of Trustees believes that borrowing from the endowment to pay current operating expenses is not good policy and should be considered only as a last resort. We are praying for an extraordinary finish to the stewardship campaign, so that we may avoid having to choose between two “last resorts.”

Email your questions to [email protected] or [email protected].

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19 The Meet inghouse Monthly

Expenses (Projected 2014)

Note: Excludes Pre-school and rental

expenses netted against related revenues;

excludes Outreach expenses directly

funded by Christmas tree sales

*includes Church School Director, Financial Ad-

ministrator, Business Ad-ministrator, Communica-tions Director, Member-

ship Director, Administra-tive Assistant, Publishing

Assistant.

Revenues

(Projected 2014)

Note: Pre-school income and rental

income shown net of related

expenses; excludes Christmas tree sales

proceeds used directly

for Outreach

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20 The Meet inghouse Monthly

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich

Ministers: The Members of The First Congregational Church of Greenwich

Interim Senior Pastor: Rev. John W. Collins, [email protected]

Associate Pastor for Youth Ministry: Rev. Mark D. Montgomery, [email protected]

Associate Pastor for Communication and Adult Education: Rev. Daniel B. England, [email protected]

Associate Pastor for Pastoral Care: Rev. Avery C. Manchester, [email protected]

Director of Music: Dr. Craig Scott Symons, [email protected]

Director of Church School: Rosemary Lamie, [email protected]

Director of Membership: Ginny Breismeister, [email protected]

Director of Communications: Barbara Wilkov, [email protected]

Parish Nurse: Susan Asselin, RN, [email protected]

Director of Preschool: Darla Kohler, [email protected]

Pastors Emeriti: Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Stiers and Rev. Sally Colegrove

Director of Music Emeritus: Dr. John Stansell

The First Congregational Church of Greenwich Nonprofit Organization

108 Sound Beach Avenue U.S. Postage PAID

Old Greenwich, CT 06870 Stamford, CT

Phone: 203-637-1791 Permit No. 7017

Fax:: 203-637-1540

www.fccog.org

Children’s Page

Epiphany


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