CentralNEWS/May 2012
VOLUME 20 NUMBER 5
296 Angell Street
Providence, RI 02906 401-331-1960
From your Senior Minister
The official booklet that describes the United States Senate is fascinating. In the section titled The Senate in Session is this sentence. “At the beginning of each daily meeting, the presiding officer accompanies the Senate chaplain to the rostrum for the opening prayer and leads the Senate in the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.”
Many of you are aware that RI Senator Sheldon Whitehouse had invited me to be the Guest Senate Chaplain on April 19. As I pondered this wonderful opportunity, and learned even more about our Senate and the inner workings of our government, and thought further about our recent mission experiences in Haiti, and reviewed the newspapers on our return home, it struck me how important understanding ourselves as part of this national and international community is. Each of us has a part to play.
As Tom and Ezra and I shared breakfast with Senators Reed and Whitehouse in the Senate Dining Room, we saw other senators talking with each other and with constituents. It really is history in the making. I thought you might like to read the prayer that I offered in the Senate.
Gracious and Loving God,
we thank You for Your presence with us.
You offer wisdom and perspective and grace –
we ask Your blessings to be upon these elected representatives.
May all that we do reflect Your purpose that we live together as Your children in harmony and in freedom.
May Your blessings and our work bring real hope to those who may be struggling or oppressed.
We ask for Your special blessings to be with those who serve our country in the military – at home, at sea, in the air, in foreign countries. Shield them from danger as they work for peace.
This is indeed a gift of a new day You have given to us.
May our endeavors honor You, and may we all serve the cause of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in this beloved land of ours.
May we truly do justice and love kindness and walk humbly with You, our God. Amen.
After touring Washington and having breakfast with our friend Darrell West – whose busy calendar does include offering the next West lecture here at Central in November! – we flew home. With the heady thoughts of our leaders in Washington doing their jobs, it was my privilege and honor to preside at the wedding of Deacon Sandi Seltzer and Bill Connors on Saturday morning. The community of love that surrounded them was so tangible – I thought again. . .here is God working through the relationships of people who care about one another.
Then, gracious Swami Yogatmananda, leader of our local Vedanta Society right here on Angell Street had invited me to participate in the opening ceremony for their new Chapel. There were Jewish leaders, Unitarians, a Muslim in absentia, a Native American, Zoroastrians, Sikhs, Jains, a Christian Scientist, and a Sufi teacher. The gathering of different traditions, plus music from throughout the world, was inspiring.
We were all touched by the spirit of grace and truth so fully present. God who we all approach in our different ways seemed so present as we celebrated our different journeys toward walking in light and peace and harmony.
May we all continue our pathways in searching for how we might best live our lives in relationship with others and with all God’s creation.
Rebecca
Our prayers and sympathy are with…
the family and friends of Bertha Beth “B B” Davis who died on March 31, 2012. A Memorial Service was held at Central Congregational Church on April 5.
May God’s comfort surround all those who mourn.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Constance Howes, her mother died in March and Barbara Nozaki, her sister, Mary, died in April
New Member Sunday
May 6
Please join us for a potluck luncheon immediately following worship. Members of the Congregation are asked to bring a salad, vegetable, side dish or dessert to share. The Membership Committee will provide main dishes. New Member Luncheons are an enjoyable time of fellowship and a relaxing way to meet and welcome new members into our Congregation. We hope you will join us.
160th Annual Meeting . . .
of this congregation will be held at 11:45 am Sunday, June 3, 2012. The 2012-2013 budget will be presented for approval, the Nominating Committee will present the slate of candidates to be voted into office, and other items of congregational interest will be presented.
A luncheon will follow in Chapel Hall. Please make luncheon reservations by returning the form included with this newsletter to the church office by Wednesday, June 1. Childcare is available during the meeting, if requested.
From Claudia
This summer I will be embarking on my first sabbatical ever! I am so grateful to this wonderful faith community for this gift of caring, not only for my ministry amongst you, but also for me—a child of God serving in the midst of all of Central’s children of God! Sabbaticals have their roots in the ancient practice of Sabbath. A. Richard Bullock and Richard J. Bruesehoff remind us that “the Sabbath is more than an afterthought of God’s action in creation. It is a gift of rest given by God, a gift of renewal, refreshment, and a hope for a society—and its churches—preoccupied by a multitude of tasks and responsibilities…God comes again and again offering rest and refreshment for the soul.”
During this sabbatical time I plan to try to experience the “4 R’s” (renewal, reading, retreating and writing) in new ways. I would challenge each one of you to take some time this summer to reflect on ways that you might deepen your spiritual life. The notion of Sabbath comes from a concept of balance. It’s so easy to lose the balance in our lives because of the frenetic pace of our world. It is often seen as a ceasing, but I have always experienced Sabbath time as a movement forward.
I’ll be doing a little pre-sabbatical continuing education this month as I travel to Atlanta for the Festival of Homiletics—a festival of preaching and worship—something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. In the span of about 3 days I expect to hear almost 20 (!!) sermons from some of the most famous preachers and theologians of our time. I will also be spending a day with the New England branch of the Association of United Church Educators (NEAUCE) at their annual gathering on Cape Cod at the beginning of May.
At this point during my actual sabbatical time I plan to attend a retreat in June based on the poetry and writings of Julian of Norwich, a 15th century Christian mystic. As vice-moderator I will be helping lead the annual Craigville Colloquy on Cape Cod whose theme is “Breaking News in a Broken World: The Gospel Unbound in the Mainline Churches.” I will be delivering the sermon and leading the closing worship at that national gathering of theologians, clergy and laity. In August I will be traveling to the Penobscot reservation in Indian Lake, Maine for a weeklong immersion experience, living on the reservation with a Penobscot family. In the midst of all this I hope to get to some writing projects I have in mind and to read the many books on my “to read” shelf!
As I close this article, I want to share a wonderful prayer by Maryland Stephens with you. It is my prayer for ALL of us, that we may find time in the busy-ness of our lives for renewal and refreshment (and even some reading and writing!):
O God, in the course of this busy life,
Give us times of refreshment and peace;
And grant that we may so use our sabbatical
Time to rebuild our bodies, renew our minds,
And refresh our souls,
That our spirits may be
Opened to the goodness of your creation;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Maryland Stephens)
Here’s to being open to the wonder of all of God’s creation! My prayer for all of us is that this summer we will all be renewed in our love for God and for each other. I am looking forward to hearing about how all of you spend time with God this summer as we move forward in the coming year together!! May we all be refreshed and renewed in our mission together here at Central!
Yours on the journey!
Claudia
From Kat
Spring is a time for new life! Yet I sometimes find it can be difficult to stay present and “smell the flowers” when the end of school and summer seem right around the corner. “Jesus is Risen!” I think. “Now it’s time to get back to work!”
My thoughts and attention regularly drift to the exciting summer worship programs we have planned, Vacation Bible School, after-church bike rides and the Youth Mission Trip to the National Youth Event. I also find myself, at times, dreaming about the Fall of 2012 and what Mission and Youth might look like then.
Advanced planning and visioning are important, and setting up programs and infrastructure for the Summer and Fall are key parts of our Spring work. At the same time, if our hearts and minds jump to “Ordinary Time,” we stand to miss the glorious celebration of Easter.
In our church, Easter does not end with the sunrise service at Swan Point Cemetery, the Easter Breakfast and egg hunt at Central or the trumpets and tympani that herald the resurrection at our 10:30 Easter Morning service. Easter is an entire season of celebration—50 days, in fact—culminating in Pentecost, the day we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit among us.
With so many activities and tasks on our to-do lists, it is easy to live in the future and miss the Incarnate Christ among us. When the Disciples missed Jesus on the road to Emmaus following the resurrection, perhaps their hearts and minds were still in the past, mourning and trying to figure out what had happened on the cross. Perhaps they were preoccupied with getting to their next destination on time.
When they shared a meal together—when they slowed down and were fully present to one another and the stranger they met on the road, it was then that they saw Jesus in the breaking of the bread.
May we all find moments to breathe, to pray, to really listen, and may we recognize the living God among us.
Pentecost Sunday with Communion
May 27
Pentecost commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on the heads of the Apostles instructing them to go forth into the world and preach the Gospel. Wearing red reminds us of the flames of fire that appeared over them. Remember to wear red to worship on Sunday, May 27.
Greetings, Church School Families
“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” -Albert Einstein
We’ve just come from the miracle of the empty tomb and of Jesus’ resurrection, the miracle of Easter! Also the miracle of the transformation of the frightened, doubting, misunderstanding disciples of Jesus! We are those disciples–again and again! Our journey through the church year takes us through all aspects of our faith, from waiting for God’s presence, the Word made flesh, epiphanies of the soul, journeying, prayer, death, doubt, emptiness, to a resurrection of spirit and seeing God’s presence in everything. As people of faith–as parents, teachers, doctors, lawyers, writers, artists, scientists–we are invited to see everything as a miracle!
In Church School, we enter into our spring unit with new teaching teams, to which we give our GRATEFUL THANKS:
GABRIEL’S GANG (pre-school):
Justine Dunlop, Lorraine Lalli, Nancy Jacobs, Sam Leander, Alex LaMotte
SHEPERDS/PROPHETS (k – 1st):
Heather Lynch, Tanya Solberg, Ben Frazer
STARGAZER/DISCIPLES (2nd-3rd):
Amy Frazer, Anna Tanalski, Jia Wesson
PEACEMAKERS (4th-5th):
Emily Maranjian, Stephanie Mott, Kirstin DeShaw, Noah Kim
DREAM-MAKERS (6th-8th):
Cathy Clasper-Torch
MAY DATES TO REMEMBER:
Sunday, May 6th
10:00 – 10:20 a.m. Cherub Choir rehearsal.
Sunday, May 13th
9:45 Cherub Choir robes up and rehearses in sanctuary for worship/Mother’s Day
Sunday, May 20th — No Cherub Choir
9th grade CONFIRMATION Sunday
Parent – Child Book Group after worship (see Cheryl Space for details)
Sunday, May 27th — PENTECOST Sunday
(wear RED!)
Blessings & Peace, Cathy Clasper-Torch
Central Church Men’s Group
The Central Church Men’s Group next meets in the Fireplace Room at 7:30 am on Thursday, May 17. This group is open to all male members of Central. Please call Ed Bishop if you have questions.
Baptism
The Sacrament of Baptism is an important part of our worship life together. In an effort to uplift our celebration of Baptisms in our community of faith, we will be offering Baptisms during the following Sundays of the church year.
Children’s Sabbath October 21, 2012
Meetings to prepare parents for Baptism will be held in our Fireplace Room at 9 am on the Saturday of the preceding week. Please speak with the Rev. Rebecca Spencer if you would like to be included in this very important part of life at Central–The Sacrament of Baptism
FIELD TRIP!!
FRUITLANDS MUSEUM
Harvard, Massachusetts
Sunday, May 20
Leaving Central at 12 noon
We will leave no later than noon and will enjoy lunch at the museum’s restaurant and tea room. If you’ve never experienced Fruitlands Museum (actually many museums in one!) in nearby Harvard, MA you are in for a treat.
Once there you will find a Shaker Office (moved there in the 1920’s when the Harvard Shaker Village disbanded), Fruitlands Farmhouse—the famous Alcott family’s home during their experiment in utopian living, a collection of Native American artifacts and history, and a collection of Hudson River School Landscapes as well as 19th century American portrait paintings.
Admission is $12 for adults, seniors and students $10.00, children age 5-13 $5.00, under 5 are free. (We might be able to get reduced rates if we have a big enough group.) Please RSVP as soon as possible to Claudia at 331-1960.
In Home Communion
If you or a loved one would like to receive communion at home, we are now able to offer you this opportunity. A Called to Care member will be available to bring communion from our table at Central Church to you after church services when communion is offered. Please contact Maureen Whittemore to make arrangements.
From the Deacon’s Bench
What’s Faith Got To Do With It? (at work)
Have you ever had a moment when someone has said something that just stops you in your tracks? You know that phrase was meant for you to hear, to absorb, remember, and maybe even change something about the way you live your life? This happened to me almost two years ago and I still remember the person, what she said, where we were … and how it changed my perspective.
I was in a class with Leadership Rhode Island, spring 2010. Each month the program took us to a different place in the state: we focused a day on education, another on legislature, one on the arts. This time, we were spending a day inside the corrections facilities – prison. I was more anxious about this day than any in our 10-month course and my largest worry was encountering something that felt so big and unmanageable to me – human corrections.
What was the point, anyway? Could people be rehabilitated? Or was our corrections system just a game, played by many and won by none? I was expecting to leave the day feeling defeated and lost and helpless. I never expected to leave inspired.
We toured the men’s prison, we went into the big yard with the inmates at the ACI, we listened to a panel of some of the “worst” criminals there; we went to the youth detention center and saw teenagers in cells, behind bars. But the unexpected moment came for me when we heard a talk from the warden of the women’s prison. She was a tiny woman, calm and soft, and her words were picked with care. We learned about her career at the prison, where a calling unexpectedly found her. As she talked, it became clear that when she arrived at the prison, and then rose to the top, that she was very unsettled with the way things were done here – and she was willing to take the kind of risks that would probably put her in danger at times – while also making a difference not only to the women she served today, but to countless women who would follow. Someone asked her what had been most important to her success in the face of huge obstacles. Her answer: “It doesn’t matter what you do, or where you work, but you must bring with you each and every day to your work three things: hope, love, and faith.”
She shared more detail, and I thought about this for a long time. I don’t work in a field that helps people get well or make change in their lives. I sometimes regret that. But for the moment, my job is a means to an end, it supports my family. Why in the world would I bring faith to my work? Isn’t that for social workers and ministers? I heard her words again and again and began to see that I was, at times, living two lives: a working woman and a woman of faith. These lives didn’t seem to easily intersect. And something began to gnaw at me … what place did faith have in my work life, if any? This tiny woman managed a prison with hope, love and faith — and she told us – a group of people in business – that we needed all three in our working lives too, everyday, no matter what we did. As I thought about the role of faith at work, I began to see people around me through a different lens, one that was more forgiving, less competitive, maybe even more helpful.
I didn’t start reciting scripture at work, and I didn’t change my career (yet), but thanks to a warden at the women’s prison, my thinking, and hopefully my actions, have begun to take a different shape. And I have realized that even though my job doesn’t help countless people for generations to come, on a good day I can make a small difference in the life of someone else, no matter where I am.
-Sandi SeltzerConnors
Bylaw Amendment
Abide for a moment in the land of intricate bylaw language, endowment funds, and annual budgets! Not everyone’s cup of tea, but at the base of what keeps our church functioning smoothly. And surely we all care about that.
A committee has been working for slightly more than a year to update our bylaws regarding the use of endowment funds in relation to annual budget needs. We have wrestled with questions such as, “How much may we take from our endowment funds each year and still count upon fund growth that will keep pace with inflation?” And, “What machinery of governance do we need to put in place so that prudent budget discussions can evolve?”
The result of this wrestling, a bylaw amendment, has emerged, is being readied for action at the forthcoming June 3 Annual Meeting of the congregation, and will be available for your review at the counter in the Church office.
Briefly, the amendments: (1) assign various powers and duties to a renamed Endowment Funds Board, (2) conform Church bylaws to the new State law regarding endowment funds, and (3) clarify the functions and interplay of the Prudential and other Committees in creating the Church’s annual budget.
This has been an exhilarating committee experience! Despite illness and last-minute, out-of-town business trips, our attendance at meetings has been excellent. Each member has contributed vigorously to the discussion, and discussions have been intense.
If you would like to learn more, please pick up a copy of the proposed amendments at the Church office; and also talk with any of the of the Bylaw Revision Committee members: Jack Boyce, Donna Chace-Larson, Bill Claflin, Rob Edwards, Mary Hazeltine, John Peters, Curt Richardson, the Rev. Rebecca Spencer, Scott Stevenson, and John Trevor.
Also, come to the Informational Meeting to be held on Sunday, May 6, before the Worship Service, from 9:15 AM to 10:15 AM. in the Deacons Room. -Bill Claflin
JOIN US FOR RI PRIDE ON JUNE 16th
Central Church will have a booth at RI PRIDE this year and we invite your participation. Help is needed in the weeks ahead of the event as well as at our booth on June 16. Over the course of the day we will be talking with people about our church community and encouraging them to come worship with us and to participate in the life of our vibrant community here at Central. Some of us also plan to march in the evening parade. We would love to have you join us. Please be in touch with Bob Iovino or Barbara Bayon for more information or sign up to help. Thank you.
Easter Mangos
“In the Morning When I Rise, Give Me Jesus”
-African American Spiritual
Was it more than a coincidence? We were sitting in the yard outside Lambaré’s Disciples of Christ church, enjoying the congregation’s annual Good Friday campfire and taking in the words of a visiting pastor. He was exhorting us to choose Jesus and not the world, since the world has nothing to offer but the silver of betrayal, when a late mango fell from a tree, struck my neighbor’s thigh with a thud, and rolled right up to the preacher’s feet. If it was more than a coincidence, then what did it mean?
On the one hand, the falling mango might serve to accentuate the pastor’s message; “Mangos” is slang for money. What the world has to offer is ultimately perishable. Our hope for what money can buy us falls flat in the face of the deeper, abundant life that Jesus shares with us.
On the other hand, maybe this harvest mango was a counterpoint to the sermon. Does Jesus demand a discipleship that denies nature’s gifts? I don’t think so. Jesus’ stories are full of planting, seeds, and nature. For example, the disciples gather heads of grain to eat while journeying through the fields in Matthew 12. So, the world has good and healthy things to offer.
Putting the two interpretations together, I believe that in light of this Easter moment, our task is to discern what are the healthy things and what are the unhealthy things in the world. What leads to death and what leads to life? What builds our relationships with God and with each other, and what diminishes those relationships?
In the words of the song quoted above,
“You may have all the rest, give me Jesus.”
Easter Blessings!
-James DeBoer, Central’s Global Mission Partner
Plant & Bake Sale at the Mt. Hope Learning Center
140 Cypress St, Providence
14th Annual Plant & Bake Sale -
Saturday, May 12 9am to 3pm
Sunday, May 13 9am to 12 noon
- Perfect Gifts for Mother’s Day
- Free Gardening & Floral Workshops
- Fun Activities for Kids
- Great Selection of Hanging Pots, Perennials, Herbs & Annuals (All at reasonable prices)
- Cut Flowers & Arrangements
- Proceeds benefit the education programs of the Mt Hope Learning Center
MEET & GREET THE REVEREND GEOFFREY BLACK
Friday, May 4, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.
Chapel Hall
$15 per person
Come enjoy hors d’ouevres, wine, cheese, dessert and coffee with Rev. Black here at Central!
The Reverend Geoffrey Black, General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, will be visiting Rhode Island! This special event is being held to welcome Geoffrey to RI on Friday night. Please mark your calendars and take advantage of this opportunity to meet and greet the head of our denomination!!
Please RSVP by phone to the office by May 3rd or sooner. Questions? Call Claudia.
CCC MEDITATION GROUP
Thursday, May 3
6:00-7:00 p.m. in the Library
This will be our last meeting until the fall. Join us as we explore our faith through thoughtful reflection. Whether you call it meditation, contemplation, mindful deliberation, or any other descriptive name, the practice of spending regular time in such a practice is just plain good for the body and the soul. Call Claudia with any questions—331-1960.
UTOPIAN COMMUNITIES in 19th CENTURY AMERICA
CCC Adult Sunday School
9:00 a.m. on 5/5, 5/13, & 5/20
Fireplace Room
The Second Great Awakening in the United States in the 19th century was a time of evangelistic fervor. It was an exciting religious era. During this time many utopian communities were created with the goal of demonstrating the religious perfectibility of society. There was Old Economy Village in Pennsylvania, New Harmony community in Indiana, the Amana Colonies in Iowa, and the Oneida Community in New York. Nearer to home was Bronson Alcott’s (yes, Louisa May’s father!) failed experiment in communal living—Fruitlands in Harvard, MA. Come learn more about these fascinating groups —truly an American story! Questions? Call Claudia at 331-1960.
Book Group
Rebecca’s noon book group next meets on Thursday, May 24 to discuss Sea of Glory by Nathaniel Philbrick. All are invited to join this lively group.
Global Mission in Sri Lanka
In February Barrett and I travelled to Sri Lanka with a group of trustees of the Jaffna College Fund. I went as the representative of Wider Church Ministries. Congregational missionaries founded Jaffna College and Uduvil Girls School more than 200 years ago. A 30-year civil war, much of it in the northern region, between the Tamil Tigers (who are Hindus) in the north and the Singhalese (predominantly Buddhist) government of Sri Lanka ended in May 2009. The security situation has improved making it possible to visit. Reconstruction after the devastation of the war has started but full mental and physical recovery will take a long time.
Everywhere we went we were greeted warmly with singing, traditional dances and garlands! We met with staff and students at Jaffna College and Uduvil Girls School, the leading educational institutions in the Jaffna Peninsula – in spite of the devastating war. Julian Nitz, a Global Mission Intern, had arrived a week earlier. She is teaching music and English at Uduvil and will teach part-time at Jaffna and the Christian Theological Seminary. At the Christian Theological Seminary, pastors and lay leaders are learning more about trauma counseling. This is an urgent need as most of the people, especially those in the Vanni region, are severely affected by the war.
We visited several day care centers run by our partner church, the Church of the American Ceylon Mission (CACM). The centers serve a large number of children who otherwise would have no opportunity for young age education and care and also allow their parents to seek work while the children are being cared for and provided nutritious meals. Malnutrition and lack of good schools means that thousands of poor children fall behind in the early years of life and never have a real opportunity to succeed in education. The CACM supports children and youth in poor communities by running afterschool programs and youth clubs. The afterschool programs help compensate for the poorly run and inadequately staffed and equipped schools. Through the clubs the youth have an opportunity to learn leadership and ways to address local social and cultural problems.
Some children also face problems in attending school since they live long distances from their schools. CACM provides funds for bicycles for these children so that they can ride to school every day.
Our reception by the parents, children and teachers at each of the centers we visited was overwhelming. They had felt isolated and forgotten during those difficult years. This was particularly true in the Vanni region that seldom has visitors. The children shared with us the songs and dances that they had learned. I could see the joy in their faces as they took part in the ceremonies. I came away with great admiration for the pastors who lead the CACM churches and counsel their parishioners who have suffered so much because of the war. -Mary Hazeltine
Bursting Pomegranate Sale
After church on Sunday, May 6, do your gift shopping for Mother’s Day, graduations, showers, and more. We sell Fair Trade gifts & crafts from artisans in developing countries around the world, a mission outreach of our church. This is the final Bursting Pomegranate sale of this year — come browse & buy!
Stay Green!
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ANGELLIC KNITTERS
Sunday, May 6 – 11:45 a.m. Chapel Hall
Come join us as we enjoy lunch at the New Member Luncheon and knit! We’ll have a special table reserved right in the front of the hall. Whether or not you knit, stop by and see what we are doing as we spread the warmth of Christ’s love through the prayer shawl ministry of Central. And, if you’ve always wanted to learn to knit, there’s no time like the present! We are happy to teach you!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
May 10 from 7:00-8:30 p.m. Deacon’s Room
This month we are reading The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad, an intimate first hand look at Afghani life after the Taliban. Seierstad is invited to live with Sultan Khan, a bookseller in Kabul who managed to save many of his precious books from the Taliban. She accepts and writes a compelling account of his two wives, his children and the other family members who share his four room house in a fascinating look at contemporary life in Afghanistan. Questions? Call Claudia.
PRAYER TREE LUNCH AND GATHERING
Sunday, May 27 12 noon. Fireplace Room
Whether you are a member of Central’s Prayer Tree or not you are welcome to bring a dish to share and to join this group of pray-ers for lunch and a devotional time on the practice of prayer and a time of sharing. Ending with a time of prayer—of course!
Spring Mission Day! Saturday, May 12th.
It’s time to SPRING INTO ACTION For the RI Community Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity
Saturday, May 12th is the annual “Stamp Out Hunger” Letter Carriers Food Drive to benefit the Rhode Island Community Food Bank. This is a great opportunity for members to participate in both mission work and fellowship! The Food Bank is looking for groups of 5 to 10 volunteers to help sort food at several post office sites throughout the state. We will be working a 3 to 4 hour shift during the afternoon of the 12th. All volunteers must be 14 years of age. This is an excellent chance for older children to volunteer with one of our benevolences. For more information or to sign up your group please contact Heather Lynch.
Volunteers are also needed for a May 12th Habitat for Humanity Project. Learn a new skill and get involved! Contact Sandi (Seltzer) Connors for more information.
Got Mission?
Have you Got Mission? Dive in with one of our many activities of the Mission & Action Committee.
Hands-on Opportunities:
- In addition to donations, the M&A committee provides numerous opportunities for involvement in our Mission projects throughout the year. Each Tuesday, members serve breakfast at Amos House from 6:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m. Contract Tracy Baran for more information.
- On the first Saturday of each month, members serve with Habitat for Humanity for a half-day from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., no experience required. Contact Sandi Seltzer for more information.
- Members participate in the Camp Street Neighborhood Ministries food distribution on the last Saturday of each month from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. Contact Beth Taylor for more information.
- Mount Hope Learning Center needs volunteers for its after-school group to help do homework and tutor students and help plan events for children and for its women’s group to help plan and staff events. Please contact Janet Anderson for more information.
Ongoing Collections:
- Camp Street Clothing Collection. Donate new or gently used clothing for the clothing closet at Camp Street Ministries. Drop off your donations at the large wooden box in the hallway in Chapel Hall. Email Beth Taylor for more information.
- Food Collection for Camp Street. Don’t forget your weekly food donations, to be brought up to the front of the church during the first hymn. The amount of those living in hunger in Rhode Island is growing each day—Camp Street needs your donations more than ever!
- Sojourner House Appeal for Toiletries. Sojourner House has a critical need for toiletry items for its women. Please consider donating: toothbrushes, toothpaste (full size), Bars of soap (full size), shampoo and conditioner (full size), shaving cream, disposable razors (for women), and Feminine hygiene products. Please drop off your donated items at church in the bin marked Sojourner House.
160TH ANNUAL MEETING
Members of Central Congregational Church are cordially invited to attend the 160th Annual Meeting at 11:45 a.m. on Sunday, June 3, 2012
Luncheon to follow in Chapel Hall 12:30 p.m.
Hosts: Joan Harrison, Larry Kellam, Laurel McLaughlin
MENU
- Assorted Fruit Green Salad
- Chicken Salad Wrap
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Coffee & Tea
Please make luncheon reservations by returning the form below along with your check payable to
Central Congregational Church by Wednesday, May 30. Tickets are $10 per person
If you are unable to mail in your reservation and payment, please call the church office at 331-1960
…………………………………………………………………………
Annual Meeting Luncheon Reservation Form
Enclosed is $__________for_________adults
Name(s)______________________________________________
Childcare needed during the Meeting for_____________children
Please mail to:
ANNUAL MEETING Luncheon Reservations:
Central Congregational Church, UCC
296 Angell Street, Providence, RI 02906
All are welcome to join our inspired congregation as we celebrate Palm Sunday and Easter Week. We offer a wide range of activities for adults and children and joyous Palm Sunday and Easter celebrations. We look forward to seeing you!