Sunday, Aug. 25, 3 pm

If you have been in Central’s Education Wing recently, you will have noticed it needs some freshening up! Please join Susannah and the Religious Education Committee in reviving and updating this space. There will be jobs for all ages, so bring the kids! We recommend wearing work clothes and closed-toed shoes. We’ll be lifting and moving things, so you’re sure to get a bit dusty and dirty. And don’t worry, we will provide snacks! We’ll work until 6 pm.

Sunday, Aug. 25, 11 am

Join our new Director of Religious Education – Susannah Bales – in Chapel Hall for an update on Central’s children’s and youth programs. Susannah will not only discuss her plans for creating a vibrant Religious Education program, but also her hopes and dreams for this vital church ministry, what is possible when a congregation works together, and how she can support those who choose to get involved. Questions? Contact Susannah.

CCC YouthTrip to Old Sturbridge Village 

On Saturday, Aug. 24, CCC Youth will take a day trip to Old Sturbridge Village, the largest living history museum in the Northeast, celebrating life in early New England from 1790 to 1840 (www.osv.org). We will enjoy the sights and sounds of times gone by and support one of our own, Ellie Hopkins, who is working there this summer! RSVP to Susannah. Details are still to come, so stay tuned.

Please welcome Susannah Bales, Central’s new Director of Religious Education! Susannah holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Religion from Pfeiffer University and a Master’s in Divinity from Emory University. She was Director of Nurture and Children’s Ministries at Embry Hills United Methodist Church for ten years, leading programs and events that included 50 children. More recently, she was Assistant Youth Minister at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, serving more than 100 youth and 50 volunteers. Susannah is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist.

May Grant

A paper written by Central member May Grant was presented at “The Mission and Transmission: Walking in the Congregational Way,” a virtual conference held on Wednesday, July 17. May’s paper discussed Agnes Fenenga. Born in The Netherlands and raised in South Dakota, Fenenga (1874 to 1949) worked for 40 years as a missionary of the Congregational Church – spending 30 years in Turkey and ten in Syria.

July 13 to 21 

This year, CCC Youth will be sticking close to home for its annual week of service, assisting local charities. You can help them collect donations for Friends Way (Rhode Island’s only children’s bereavement center): Camp supplies such as markers, crayons, glue sticks, stickers, and Play-Doh;  Rhode Island Community Food Bank: Grape jelly, soup, cereal, oatmeal, canned vegetables, and juice; and Better Lives Rhode Island (programs addressing homelessness and food insecurity): Hydration station supplies, especially liter- and gallon-size water bottles.  Please place your contributions in the donation boxes that will be on the Chapel Hall stage through July 21.