Announcements
IMPORTANT NOTICE! DUE TO THE CONTINUED HIGH OMICRON COVID INFECTION RATE OUR WORSHIP SERVICE WILL BE ON ZOOM ONLY. WE WILL RESUME IN PERSON WORSHIP ON FEBRUARY 6th. PLEASE SEE THE FRIDAY EMAIL FOR ZOOM INFORMATION.
Dear Friends,
Blessings and peace to you as we ring in the New Year! I pray that your hearts and homes will be filled throughout the year with the love and joy of Emmanuel, God-with-us.
I believe that this year will see us moving closer to the future that God envisions for us. I have encouraged you over the past few months to visit local UCC churches and to share your experiences at the informal meetings we had after worship in September, October, and November, which many of you have done. I will now be working with Church Council and our denominational leaders to plan our next steps.
In this time of transition, it is vitally important that we pray for God’s continued guidance and that we share our thoughts and questions with one another. Good and honest communication, while always important, is essential to the transition process. No question or concern you might have about our future is unimportant. If you would like to speak with me about this or any other matter, just call or text my cell phone and we can set up a time to talk.
I am grateful for each of you and the ways you show your love for one another, our church, and our community. May the New Year bring us the confidence to know that the God who created us and loves us is also the God who abides with us, no matter what. Thanks be to God for this good news!
With every blessing, Pastor Mary
Per CDC guidelines face masks MUST be worn when inside the church building.
Welcome, Elizabeth Silvia!We extend a hearty welcome to our new music director, Elizabeth Silvia! Elizabeth is a 23-year-old musician and nanny from Woonsocket, RI. As a singer, actress and rhythm guitarist, she has shared her gifts on many different stages across New England. Elizabeth grew up performing with her family band and participating in various theater productions. She is following in her parents’ footsteps leading the musical elements of worship and has a passion for making music for people to enjoy! Please give Elizabeth a warm welcome!
January Worship Schedule
All services will be held in the church sanctuary unless otherwise noted. We ask that you wear a mask and observe social distancing while in the building
January 2: Epiphany Sunday & Communion Sunday - Pastor Mary leading worship
January 9: Pastor Mary leading worship REMOTE
January 16: Pastor Mary leading worship.
January 23: Pastor Mary leading worship.
January 30: Pastor Mary is on vacation. You are welcome to worship at the First United Methodist Church on
Pleasant Street at 10:00 or any of our local UCC churches.
Annual Budget Meeting Sunday, February 6, 2022
ALL MEMBERS, PLEASE PLAN ON ATTENDING
(A quorum of 14 is needed to approve the budget)
In keeping with the requirements in the Church By-laws, a congregation-wide meeting will be held on Sunday February 6, 2022, at 11:00 AM after worship.
The focus of the meeting will be a review of the church’s financial position and consideration of the proposed
budget for 2022.
Agenda
This meeting will be held in the church sanctuary and all COVID-19 face mask and social distancing safety protocols will be followed.
Copies of the proposed 2022 budget, 2021 Financial Status Report, 2021 Annual Report will be emailed to all members for review by Wednesday, February 2, 2022.
Members without email access may request a copy be sent by U.S. mail by contacting the Church Moderator,
Marcia Olson at 781-344-9547 no later than Sunday, January 30, 2022.
Dear Friends,
Blessings and peace to you as we ring in the New Year! I pray that your hearts and homes will be filled throughout the year with the love and joy of Emmanuel, God-with-us.
I believe that this year will see us moving closer to the future that God envisions for us. I have encouraged you over the past few months to visit local UCC churches and to share your experiences at the informal meetings we had after worship in September, October, and November, which many of you have done. I will now be working with Church Council and our denominational leaders to plan our next steps.
In this time of transition, it is vitally important that we pray for God’s continued guidance and that we share our thoughts and questions with one another. Good and honest communication, while always important, is essential to the transition process. No question or concern you might have about our future is unimportant. If you would like to speak with me about this or any other matter, just call or text my cell phone and we can set up a time to talk.
I am grateful for each of you and the ways you show your love for one another, our church, and our community. May the New Year bring us the confidence to know that the God who created us and loves us is also the God who abides with us, no matter what. Thanks be to God for this good news!
With every blessing, Pastor Mary
Per CDC guidelines face masks MUST be worn when inside the church building.
Welcome, Elizabeth Silvia!We extend a hearty welcome to our new music director, Elizabeth Silvia! Elizabeth is a 23-year-old musician and nanny from Woonsocket, RI. As a singer, actress and rhythm guitarist, she has shared her gifts on many different stages across New England. Elizabeth grew up performing with her family band and participating in various theater productions. She is following in her parents’ footsteps leading the musical elements of worship and has a passion for making music for people to enjoy! Please give Elizabeth a warm welcome!
January Worship Schedule
All services will be held in the church sanctuary unless otherwise noted. We ask that you wear a mask and observe social distancing while in the building
January 2: Epiphany Sunday & Communion Sunday - Pastor Mary leading worship
January 9: Pastor Mary leading worship REMOTE
January 16: Pastor Mary leading worship.
January 23: Pastor Mary leading worship.
January 30: Pastor Mary is on vacation. You are welcome to worship at the First United Methodist Church on
Pleasant Street at 10:00 or any of our local UCC churches.
Annual Budget Meeting Sunday, February 6, 2022
ALL MEMBERS, PLEASE PLAN ON ATTENDING
(A quorum of 14 is needed to approve the budget)
In keeping with the requirements in the Church By-laws, a congregation-wide meeting will be held on Sunday February 6, 2022, at 11:00 AM after worship.
The focus of the meeting will be a review of the church’s financial position and consideration of the proposed
budget for 2022.
Agenda
- Opening Prayer
- Distribution of the 2021 Annual Report
- Distribution of the 2021 Financial Status Report
- Consideration of the 2022 budget as presented by the Board of Trustees
- Closing Prayer and Adjournment.
This meeting will be held in the church sanctuary and all COVID-19 face mask and social distancing safety protocols will be followed.
Copies of the proposed 2022 budget, 2021 Financial Status Report, 2021 Annual Report will be emailed to all members for review by Wednesday, February 2, 2022.
Members without email access may request a copy be sent by U.S. mail by contacting the Church Moderator,
Marcia Olson at 781-344-9547 no later than Sunday, January 30, 2022.
We Are Blessed
This month we thank Church Treasurer Russ Congdon, who has been extra busy preparing the 2022 budget
and responding to other financial needs of the church. Thanks also go out to Joan Roan for her creativity in updating the bulletin boards in our church lobby, Ed and Gale Porter for their faithful maintenance of our church grounds, Janet Clough and Maurine Upton for selling knit goods at the Weymouth Craft Fair, and Marcia Olson for her continued success in selling Attic Treasures on Facebook Marketplace. We also thank the Worship and Music ministry team for their help with the Christmas Eve service and Janet Clough for organizing the Christmas poinsettia dedications that made our chancel look so festive. We are also grateful to everyone who donated to our “Adopt a Family For Christmas” outreach, including the Stoughton Police Department and officer Nate Derby, who gave us gift cards from their “Fill A Cruiser” event in December. We are very blessed!
Wednesday Phone Prayer Service
Pastor Mary will be hosting a brief prayer service by way of a conference call each Wednesday morning at 10:00 until we are able to resume our in-person gatherings. Dial 1-253-215-8782 and when prompted, enter meeting ID 862 2469 5175. There will be a scripture reading and time for the sharing of our prayer concerns.
Confirmation News
Confirmation classes began on Sunday, October 3 and will be held after worship on the first Sunday of the month. These classes are led by Pastor Mary with the assistance of parent volunteers. If you would like your child to participate, please contact Pastor Mary.
Pledge Sunday was Sunday, November 21. If you have not yet done so, please mail your pledge to the church office to the attention of the Offerings Clerk at 76 Pierce Street, Stoughton, MA 02072. You can also drop your pledge off in person by depositing in the church mailbox to the right of the lower door at the bottom of the handicap ramp. Your offering for next year is so vital for supporting the life and ministries of our beloved church. We are grateful for your generosity.
Feb 6 Annual Budget Meeting: All members are encouraged to attend this very important meeting immediately following worship. The agenda will be published in the January Link.
ATTIC TREASURES ONLINE
Our Church Fair may have been postponed until spring 2021, but you can still shop for just that right gift, find that hidden gem, or snag a bargain. Don’t miss out! We have been regularly posting selected items from Attic Treasures on Facebook Marketplace - and you can shop now! Here’s how:
- Go to Facebook Marketplace (https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/109554902404443/).
- Type “Online Church Fair” in the Search Marketplace box.
- Most items that pop up at the top of this search have Stoughton MA listed as the location of the seller.
- Click on one of those items, scroll down to Seller Information and click on Marcia Olson. You can also scroll down that post and see all the treasures currently for sale that day.
Ways to stay connected:
Sunday Worship at 10:00 AM. We worship together (currently remote only)each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM. Please pay careful attention to Pastor Mary’s weekly emails and other church communications for any changes in Covid-19 health and safety protocols. The Safe Opening team, after monitoring the current data on the Omicron variant surge and recent CDC recommendations, has decided that worship will be remote only until further notice. If you do not get the weekly email, contact the church office at office@uccstoughton.org. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Pastor Mary on her cell phone.
On Wednesday mornings at 10:00 AM Pastor Mary leads a 30-minute conference call Prayer Service. Dial 1- 253-215-8782 and when prompted, enter conference code 862 2469 5175. There is a scripture reading and a time for the sharing of our prayer concerns. This weekly gathering is open to all, so if you have a friend who might find this opportunity helpful, please share the information.
Pastor Mary has set up a private Facebook group called UCC Stoughton Prayer. No one sees the posts except group members, so it is a safe place to share your prayer requests, pray for others in our community, or just vent. If you have a Facebook account and would like to join the group let Pastor Mary know.
Also remember to check our church Facebook page and church website (http://www.uccstoughton.org/).
Church Council has been meeting on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7:00 pm via Zoom. These meetings are open to everyone, not just Council members. If you would like to attend, please contact Pastor Mary and she will send you the link to the meeting. If you prefer to call in by telephone, dial 1-646-876-9923 and enter Meeting ID: 837 8927 2962
Jan 29 (Sat) Outdoor Church of Cambridge: We will be serving at the Outdoor Church on Saturday afternoon, January 29 and would love your help to either make sandwiches that morning or travel into Cambridge to distribute them. We also welcome donations of new socks, which are much needed by those who live on the streets. Please let Pastor Mary know if you’re interested in helping with this important outreach.
Socks for Outdoor Church: The weather is getting colder and the street outreach ministry of The Outdoor Church in Cambridge is greatly in need of warm, water-resistant socks for the homeless in Harvard and Central Squares in Cambridge. We will be collecting new socks, as well as scarves, hats, and mittens for both men and women over the next two months. Please contact Marcia Olson (baglole.olson@verizon.nebaglole.olson@verizon.nett | 781-344-9547) if you have some to donate or you can drop them off in the Giving Corner in the church lobby.
Food Pantry Collection
Donations are still urgently needed. Now that we have resumed indoor worship, you can bring your non-perishable food items to church on Communion Sunday each month or leave them in the Giving Corner in the church lobby at any time. Please check the expiration dates. If you are looking for practical ways to help your neighbors, please consider making a monetary donation to the Stoughton Food Pantries.
To donate by credit card:
Food Pantry Foundation of Stoughton
To donate by check please mail to:
Food Pantry Foundation of Stoughton
- Box 757 Stoughton, MA 02072
Prayer Shawl Ministry
Although we cannot yet meet in person, we encourage you all to continue to knit prayer shawls for those who need to feel God’s loving care wrapped around them. You can also work on knit goods for the church fair.
February 16 (Wed): Mainspring House: This is this next date we are scheduled to provide dinner for Brockton’s homeless shelter. Although we cannot serve dinner due the pandemic, food donations are still needed. If you can make a casserole or make a monetary donation to defray the cost of salad and dessert, please contact Anita Keenan keenans21@gmail.com (781-244-7742). It’s a busy time of year so you can make your casserole early and pop it in the downstairs church freezer any time before Sunday, February 13. Contact Anita if you need a foil baking pan and recipe or to arrange drop off.
Bottles and Cans: Please donate your clean, redeemable bottles and cans. Monetary donations are also gratefully accepted and the money collected is used for various church ministries and operational needs. Cans and bottles can be left in the drop-off container at the bottom of the stairs just before the church office or contact Maurine Upton for more information.
Sunday Worship
10:00 AM in the Sanctuary
Wheelchair Accessible
Coffee Hour
After worship in the
Fellowship Hall
The Link
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"The Link"
Church Bylaws
Current bylaws
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