PLEASE READ THROUGH THE END FOR AN IMPORTANT REQUEST

 

Pastor Doug’s upcoming office hours

Vacation time, August 30-September 2, and September 4. No office hours.

Thursday, September 10; 2:00-4:00 p.m.

Friday, September 18; 9:30-12 Noon, 1-2:15 p.m.

 

Glad Tidings

The September issue of our church newsletter, Glad Tidings, will be in your inbox or mailbox in the next couple of days. Be sure to check it out to keep up on all our church news.

Haven’t been receiving Glad Tidings? Please send an email to fccwbworship@gmail.com and let the church office know!

 

Upcoming Bible Study        (PLEASE NOTE ONE DATE CHANGE)

Our six week Bible study has had a change of focus.  We will do a six-week study entitled Signs and Wonders: A Beginner’s Guide to the Miracles of Jesus, by Professor Amy-Jill Levine.     Unfortunately, the book Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of A Controversial Rabbi, was only available at an affordable price from one outlet, and after assuring me they would have the books here by Sunday September 6, they sent me an e-mail saying they could not deliver the books until September 25.  So, we will still meet on Thursday afternoons from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m., the same time as we used in the spring, which seemed to work reasonably well.  Dates will be September 10 and 24, and October 8, 15, 22 and 29.  Books for the study will cost just $12, which is one positive of the book change! Please make checks out to the church and give either a check or cash to Pastor Doug at church on September 6 or at the first session of class. This will be another wonderful chance for us to learn together!

 

Outdoor Worship Service on Sunday Morning, September 20

We are going to hold our Sunday morning 10 a.m. worship service on September 20 on the Common. We will be worshipping with our neighbors from George Whitefield United Methodist Church. We will be celebrating the “Season of Creation” recognized by many Christian churches on the Sundays from the beginning of September through the first Sunday of October, and praying for good weather!  We’ll also be asking everyone to bring a donation for the Sharing Cupboard in lieu of your customary offering (save that for the following week). More details are in a notice in the September Glad Tidings.  Think about inviting a friend to join us that morning, and let’s look forward to celebrating God’s unconditional love for all God’s children under open skies that Sunday!

Pastor Doug

 

Welcoming Pastor Bob Bell to our Pulpit Sunday, August 30th

Pastor Doug will be away on Sunday, August 30th and retired Presbyterian minister, Rev. Bob Bell has offered to lead our service that day. You may have seen Bob over the past few months, as he is a frequent new attendee of our church. Please join your Board of Deacons in welcoming Pastor Bob to our service!

Thank you!

Your Board of Deacons

 

Parish Board

Our parking lot repairs are going well. The drain areas have been repaired, and the sealing and painting of the lines will happen in the next week or so, depending on weather. We appreciate your patience with the parking adjustments. If you have any questions, contact Parish Board chair Karen Murphy.

 

School Supply Drive

This past Sunday, Shelley Fullam offered a huge thanks to all who made donations for the school supply drive sponsored by the Mission Committee this past month. Your generous contributions resulted in many needed supplies for our local children. Thank you all very much!

Mission Committee

 

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

 

 

Birthdays this week

Charlie Lamothe – 9/4

 

Church YouTube Channel

Did you know that we now have a church Youtube channel?!

Miss a Sunday but still want to hear Pastor Doug’s message and Stephen’s beautiful music? Tune in!

https://www.youtube.com/@FirstCongregationalChurchofW.B

 

A Request for Our Consideration

Dear Friends,

Following this note is a request from Eric von Bleicken for assistance for a family in our area.  I thought I might provide a brief theological introduction to that request and a mention of some of the scripture passages (in addition to the fact that Jaclyn and Eric are part of our church family) that inspired me to include that request in our weekly announcements.

There are many Bible verses related to migration. Those passages describe how the people of God are called to treat people who are not of their tribe or community.  Scripture calls God’s people to show hospitality, compassion, and justice toward someone who is displaced from their native land, often translated into English as stranger, foreigner, alien, or sojourner. Today these people groups are often known as migrants or immigrants.

These verses, a handful of which I’ll print here, remind us of our shared humanity and the sacred responsibility to welcome and protect the vulnerable. Caring for immigrants and refugees is a consistent and powerful theme, appearing in many verses across both the Old and New Testaments.

“You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.”  Exodus 23:9 (ESV)

     “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.”
Leviticus 19:33-34 (ESV)

     “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” Matthew 25:35    “Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.” Romans 12:13

Welcoming others, regardless of their background or nationality, is a central theme in scripture. This collection of verses urges us to embrace those who are different and extend kindness to the marginalized. Whether through love, acceptance, or advocacy, these verses show us the importance of caring for the immigrants in our communities. If the Spirit inspires any among us to respond to Eric’s request to assist the family, please e-mail him at the address provided at the end of the letter.  Whether or not we are so led and can assist, let us please keep this family in prayer.

Grace and peace,

Pastor Doug

 

 

Dear Members of First Congregational Church,

I am writing on behalf of a Haitian family I have been helping who have come to our country legally but are now navigating dangerous obstacles to remaining here erected by the current national administration. Together we have managed many challenges to date. One of those was traveling to a mandatory court hearing in Chicago in spite of the family being located in Massachusetts. That challenge required me to reach out for financial help and I was truly humbled by the response from several members of this church family. With their help, and some from other local residents, I was able to drive the family to that hearing

A bit of background: This family of three, (father, mother, and teenage daughter) had Temporary Protective Status (TPS). That was removed as of July 27^th. Prior to that, a program that offered monthly supplemental assistance was eliminated. Of course, this has caused hardship as well as fear and uncertainty within the Haitian community. Fortunately, this family also has a current pending case for asylum in the system. The asylum case, along with the fact that the parents both have work permits and have been employed for over a year, provides the family with a slightly better chance to remain here.

Months ago, I came to the realization that this family needed a lawyer. So, I sought help through immigration services in Worcester. Unfortunately, after utilizing an immigration lawyer working under the umbrella of this service, I quickly learned that these lawyers are incredibly overworked. They are constantly inaccessible, and, when available, prone to making mistakes.

The experience brought the family and me to the inevitable conclusion that a more accomplished lawyer with immigration expertise was necessary. The good news is that we now have found a highly recommended lawyer. The bad news is that the bill is far beyond their means, and mine.

Here is the breakdown: The bill, not including incidentals, will be $16,000. The downpayment of $4,000 is due as of September 15^th. After the initial payment, $400 will be due every month. The family is barely able to pay their rent and put food on their table as it is. I would be surprised if they could handle an extra $200 per month, much less $400!

The plan is to accept “pledges” at this time for anyone interested in helping. We are holding off accepting direct donations until; 1. A dedicated bank account can be set up, and 2. To make sure that the $4000 retainer will be covered by September 15. We currently have pledges of between $1500 and $2000.

This is truly a labor of love at this point. I have watched this wonderful family struggle as they try to do everything right. They represent the best of what an aspiring American citizen should look like. Their employer thinks so highly of them that she has offered to sponsor them for citizenship. I am honored to be a part of the process and thankful for anything you can pledge.

Sincerely in solidarity,

Eric von Bleicken

evonbleicken@gmail.com

 

 

Have a great week,

 

Bonni