Open and Affirming Committee 

SPECIAL VOTE MEETING

On Sunday, May 3, our church held a special meeting to vote on our Covenant of Welcome. The Open and Affirming Committee is thrilled to report that the document passed with near unanimity!  Their next step will be to submit an application to the United Church of Christ (our denomination) for official status and become one of the almost 2000 churches in the UCC to declare themselves Open and Affirming of all people, specifically those in the LGBTQIA+ community. Please watch this space and the monthly newsletter for periodic updates regarding the next steps and thank you for the support you gave to this very important step for our ever-welcoming church.

Remember: There is a vocabulary list with definitions to assist in understanding our LGBTQI+ brothers and sisters. Copies of this list are located on the table under the bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall. Please help yourself to a copy.

Doug Showalter, Pat Jackman, Karen Murphy, Angela Carville, Stephanie Beland, Beverly Prestwood-Taylor, Pastor Doug and Terry Hall

Asparagus, Heritage and Flower Festival – Saturday, May 16th 10 am – 3 pm

Spring has sprung and the asparagus is growing!  Once again, it’s time for the annual festival that celebrates the gorgeous, green goodness!

Our church will have hot chowder by-the-cup ($7),  cold chowder by the quart-to-go ($20), yummy brownies, and drinks on the church lawn from 10 – 3. Cold quarts will also be available on the town common (west end), along with raffle tickets for a chance to win Mary Deotte’s beautiful handmade quilt.

Mark your calendars and plan to stop in for a delicious treat and a quart to-go!

How can you help?

Offer support by inviting your friends and neighbors, donate needed groceries for the chowder (butter, half and half, chicken broth – see sign-up sheets on sliding doors), and offer to help clean up at the end of the day when the crew is tired! (approx. 2:45 – 4:30pm) The sign-up sheet for the clean-up crew is also on the sliding doors. This event is one of our 3 BIG fundraisers of the year and everyone’s support is appreciated.

Questions?

See Karen Andersen, Karen Murphy or Terry Hall

And thank you all!

Prayer Requests

Please keep Neil Blodgett and Jim Haynes in prayer.  Neil is still at Holy Trinity Rehab in Worcester and now has the complication of pneumonia.  Jim continues at JGS Lifecare Rehab in East Longmeadow.

Bible Study

The final session of our spring Bible study focused on the book Sermon on the Mount by Professor Amy-Jill Levine will be Wednesday, 5/13 from 5-6:30 p.m.  We will start a bit earlier than usual, at 5 or a few minutes after, so that we have time to discuss both Chapter 6 and the Afterword.

Office Hours

• Friday, May 8^st–  9:30am – 12 noon.
• Wednesday, May 13^th– 3:00 – 4:00 pm
• Friday, May 15^th–  9:30am – 12 noon.

Sharing Cupboard Needs:

The Sharing Cupboard currently needs mayo, mustard, ketchup, cookies, crackers cereal and coffee. Thanks to the wonderful community outreach, our shelves are well stocked with other items. Please leave all donations in the donation box at the church entry.

Meetings this Week

No meeting this week.

***Does your committee or Board have a meeting planned? Please let others know!  Send your meeting date and time to Bonni before any Friday as she posts on Friday mornings. The church email address is fccwbworship@gmail.com. Thank you.

Did you know that we are on YouTube???

Visit our YouTube channel and see recorded sermons from Pastor Doug Williamson.

www.youtube.com/@firstcongregationalchurchofW.B

You can also find a link on our website.  Look under the NEWS tab and you will find SERMONS.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Bonni Holmes
Church Secretary