Announcements
Sunday Worship
Beginning Sunday, April 4, we will begin worshipping outside (weather permitting) and live broadcasting through Zoom. Please see Mary's Weekly Greeting email for connection or call in information (or call anyone who receives the email for the information). The service will also be recorded and posted to our YouTube site as soon as it is available and a link to the recording will posted here. Worship Sunday March 28
Dear Friends,
Easter blessings to you and those you love! I pray that the joy we experienced on Easter Sunday as we celebrated Christ’s Resurrection will remain with us in the weeks and months to come.
When the pandemic turned our world upside down last year I was reading a book
called “The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions” by Emily P. Freeman. I found the book, which was written for anyone who is facing any kind of decision, to be both insightful and practical. A person of faith, the author offers various ways to connect to what scripture calls the “still small voice of God” in order to help the reader discern their next “right step.”
As our church moves forward in discerning our next “right step” it is important that we tune in to the voice of God so that we can get a sense of the direction in which the Holy Spirit is leading us. Aligning ourselves with God’s desires for us, which is also called spiritual discernment, means having the confidence that God is an active presence in our lives and cares about the outcome of our decision making and the future of our church.
Spiritual discernment requires patience. It’s hard to do things according to God’s timetable and in God’s way, and it's counterintuitive to the messages of our culture that favor instant problem solving, decisive action, and quick fixes. In the life of faith, things work a little differently - the Holy Spirit can’t be rushed! We can do our part in this process by being intentional about inviting the Spirit into our conversations, our decision making, and in our listening to one another (and quite possibly by doing more listening than talking!)
God loves us and cares about our church. So let’s be prayerful and attentive to the ways God might be speaking to us now so that we can take the next right step together in faithfulness to the God who is always offering us hope and resurrection
With every blessing, Pastor Mary
PROJECT 275 Financial Viability All Church Meeting – Sunday May 16
Before the pandemic our church family held a series of Project 275 conversations to assess the seriousness of our church’s financial situation and dwindling attendance and resources. This past year, when much church activity has been suspended due to COVID-19 safety concerns, and with the departure of a tenant, the situation has not improved. The time has now come for us to make some difficult decisions about the future of our beloved church and to prayerfully discern what God is yearning for our faith community to become.
The Financial Viability team has spent the last few months evaluating all of our options and will present them, along with its recommendation, to the congregation for consideration on Sunday, May 16 immediately following worship. We hope to have these materials available for members to review in advance of the meeting either by email or post. The meeting will be held in the sanctuary immediately following worship.
We must follow capacity guidelines for indoor gatherings so please contact Pastor Mary or the church office if you will be attending in person. Face masks and social distancing will be required.
This is an important meeting and we encourage all members to attend. Our best decisions are made when we make them together in prayer.
ATTIC TREASURES CHURCH YARD SALE
SATURDAY, MAY 22 | 9AM – 2 PM | RAIN OR SHINE
We are throwing open our Attic Treasures closet on Saturday, May 22 where you can find great bargains on all kinds of items from housewares and home décor, gardening supplies, games, puzzles, toys, books, DVDs, small furniture, office supplies and lots more! You never know what treasures you might discover.
The yard sale will be held rain or shine from 9 AM to 2 PM in our large fellowship hall and lobby. All COVID-19 public health protocols will be observed. Face masks and social distancing will be required. Current capacity limits will also be enforced so there may be a small wait time during busy periods (usually right at opening time).
Helpers are needed for set up on Saturday, May 15. Meet at the church at 9 AM. If you can help the day of the sale on May 22 or with pricing and organizing during the week, please contact Marcia Olson | 781-344-9547 | baglole.olson@verizon.net
A bottle and can drive will also be held during the yard sale, so bring yours along!
Music Director News
We are delighted to welcome Music Director Gian DiCostanzo to UCC Stoughton. Gian is an accomplished actor and musician having performed in theaters all around the country (most recently "Jersey Boys"). He is originally from North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Gian attended Emerson College in Boston, MA where he earned his BFA in Theatre & Performance. Prior to the pandemic, Gian was living in New York City pursuing a career as an actor full-time. He is excited to share in the gift of music and to get to know each and every member of the community. Welcome to our church family, Gian!
News from the Safe Reopening Team
Now that spring’s warmer weather has arrived and we have encouraging news on the Covid-19 vaccine front, we are all understandably eager to “return to normal” and gather with our friends and family again. That includes gathering together with our church family in person after so many months of “Zoom fatigue” and staying home. As anxious as we are for those gatherings to happen, the health and safety of all congregants must be our highest priority and we still need to be cautious about re-opening too soon. The Safe Reopening Team is staying current on outbreak trends as we make decisions on resuming the use of our church building and trying to develop best practices policies for preventing any further spread of Covid-19.
As we develop these best practices, please follow the guidelines below for use of our church building until further notice:
No groups should meet indoors at the church until the Safe Reopening Team, in consultation with Council and Trustees have given the green light with a clear set of guidelines in place, e.g., a cleaning and disinfecting protocol.
Our first “re-gathering” as a congregation will be outdoor worship for Easter.
Small groups are welcome to meet outdoors on church grounds following state guidelines on the number of people allowed to gather. Please notify the Trustees.
The Safe Reopening Team will be monitoring the CDC, MA, Insurance Board and Conference guidelines closely to see when and what kind of group activities will be safe to resume inside the church building, with priority given to worship and small group church-related activities first rather than strictly social gatherings.
Reach out to any member of church leadership with questions or concerns as we consider how to safely conduct daily operations before attempting to hold in-person worship services or events.
Have You Sent in Your Pledge?
A message from The Trustees
It seems like years since we were last able to meet. We trust this letter finds you all healthy and happy. The good news is, with the recent approval of a vaccine we may soon be able to, once again, gather non-virtually.
As you can imagine, the good work of our church has been, to a degree, slowed but, nevertheless, it continues. Within the first half of the upcoming year, we pray that society opens and our role in Stoughton’s, as well as the wider community, expands to pre-pandemic levels.
This cannot happen without your help. We recently completed our Stewardship campaign and we appreciate all that pledged. However, to date, we have only received approximately half our usual offerings. Without your continued support, the work of the church will be severely impacted. If you have simply forgotten, we ask that you return your pledge form as soon as you can. If you have lost your form, please contact the church office for another (see contact information at the bottom of this message). If due to the pandemic your financial situation has changed, any amount helps, and know that you will be in our prayers.
Remember, there are a couple of ways you can continue to honor your pledge and continue your support:
Write a check:First Congregational Church of Stoughton 76 Pierce Street Stoughton, MA 02072 ATTN: Offering Clerk
Pay Online:Follow this link to the Church website: http://www.uccstoughton.org/ Click on the Online Giving option
Click on the Contribute Securely Online Now Button.
Fill in the boxes as directed. (This, by the way, is an excellent way to ensure that your support continues year round...not just in these trying times.)
Please return a pledge card whether you pay by check or donate online. We need to know your pledge amount in order to present an accurate 2021 budget at the Annual Budget Meeting on January 31.
We need your help and we pray you can see your way to the continued support of our church. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any of the church officers.
Beginning Sunday, April 4, we will begin worshipping outside (weather permitting) and live broadcasting through Zoom. Please see Mary's Weekly Greeting email for connection or call in information (or call anyone who receives the email for the information). The service will also be recorded and posted to our YouTube site as soon as it is available and a link to the recording will posted here. Worship Sunday March 28
Dear Friends,
Easter blessings to you and those you love! I pray that the joy we experienced on Easter Sunday as we celebrated Christ’s Resurrection will remain with us in the weeks and months to come.
When the pandemic turned our world upside down last year I was reading a book
called “The Next Right Thing: A Simple, Soulful Practice for Making Life Decisions” by Emily P. Freeman. I found the book, which was written for anyone who is facing any kind of decision, to be both insightful and practical. A person of faith, the author offers various ways to connect to what scripture calls the “still small voice of God” in order to help the reader discern their next “right step.”
As our church moves forward in discerning our next “right step” it is important that we tune in to the voice of God so that we can get a sense of the direction in which the Holy Spirit is leading us. Aligning ourselves with God’s desires for us, which is also called spiritual discernment, means having the confidence that God is an active presence in our lives and cares about the outcome of our decision making and the future of our church.
Spiritual discernment requires patience. It’s hard to do things according to God’s timetable and in God’s way, and it's counterintuitive to the messages of our culture that favor instant problem solving, decisive action, and quick fixes. In the life of faith, things work a little differently - the Holy Spirit can’t be rushed! We can do our part in this process by being intentional about inviting the Spirit into our conversations, our decision making, and in our listening to one another (and quite possibly by doing more listening than talking!)
God loves us and cares about our church. So let’s be prayerful and attentive to the ways God might be speaking to us now so that we can take the next right step together in faithfulness to the God who is always offering us hope and resurrection
With every blessing, Pastor Mary
PROJECT 275 Financial Viability All Church Meeting – Sunday May 16
Before the pandemic our church family held a series of Project 275 conversations to assess the seriousness of our church’s financial situation and dwindling attendance and resources. This past year, when much church activity has been suspended due to COVID-19 safety concerns, and with the departure of a tenant, the situation has not improved. The time has now come for us to make some difficult decisions about the future of our beloved church and to prayerfully discern what God is yearning for our faith community to become.
The Financial Viability team has spent the last few months evaluating all of our options and will present them, along with its recommendation, to the congregation for consideration on Sunday, May 16 immediately following worship. We hope to have these materials available for members to review in advance of the meeting either by email or post. The meeting will be held in the sanctuary immediately following worship.
We must follow capacity guidelines for indoor gatherings so please contact Pastor Mary or the church office if you will be attending in person. Face masks and social distancing will be required.
This is an important meeting and we encourage all members to attend. Our best decisions are made when we make them together in prayer.
ATTIC TREASURES CHURCH YARD SALE
SATURDAY, MAY 22 | 9AM – 2 PM | RAIN OR SHINE
We are throwing open our Attic Treasures closet on Saturday, May 22 where you can find great bargains on all kinds of items from housewares and home décor, gardening supplies, games, puzzles, toys, books, DVDs, small furniture, office supplies and lots more! You never know what treasures you might discover.
The yard sale will be held rain or shine from 9 AM to 2 PM in our large fellowship hall and lobby. All COVID-19 public health protocols will be observed. Face masks and social distancing will be required. Current capacity limits will also be enforced so there may be a small wait time during busy periods (usually right at opening time).
Helpers are needed for set up on Saturday, May 15. Meet at the church at 9 AM. If you can help the day of the sale on May 22 or with pricing and organizing during the week, please contact Marcia Olson | 781-344-9547 | baglole.olson@verizon.net
A bottle and can drive will also be held during the yard sale, so bring yours along!
Music Director News
We are delighted to welcome Music Director Gian DiCostanzo to UCC Stoughton. Gian is an accomplished actor and musician having performed in theaters all around the country (most recently "Jersey Boys"). He is originally from North Smithfield, Rhode Island. Gian attended Emerson College in Boston, MA where he earned his BFA in Theatre & Performance. Prior to the pandemic, Gian was living in New York City pursuing a career as an actor full-time. He is excited to share in the gift of music and to get to know each and every member of the community. Welcome to our church family, Gian!
News from the Safe Reopening Team
Now that spring’s warmer weather has arrived and we have encouraging news on the Covid-19 vaccine front, we are all understandably eager to “return to normal” and gather with our friends and family again. That includes gathering together with our church family in person after so many months of “Zoom fatigue” and staying home. As anxious as we are for those gatherings to happen, the health and safety of all congregants must be our highest priority and we still need to be cautious about re-opening too soon. The Safe Reopening Team is staying current on outbreak trends as we make decisions on resuming the use of our church building and trying to develop best practices policies for preventing any further spread of Covid-19.
As we develop these best practices, please follow the guidelines below for use of our church building until further notice:
No groups should meet indoors at the church until the Safe Reopening Team, in consultation with Council and Trustees have given the green light with a clear set of guidelines in place, e.g., a cleaning and disinfecting protocol.
Our first “re-gathering” as a congregation will be outdoor worship for Easter.
Small groups are welcome to meet outdoors on church grounds following state guidelines on the number of people allowed to gather. Please notify the Trustees.
The Safe Reopening Team will be monitoring the CDC, MA, Insurance Board and Conference guidelines closely to see when and what kind of group activities will be safe to resume inside the church building, with priority given to worship and small group church-related activities first rather than strictly social gatherings.
Reach out to any member of church leadership with questions or concerns as we consider how to safely conduct daily operations before attempting to hold in-person worship services or events.
Have You Sent in Your Pledge?
A message from The Trustees
It seems like years since we were last able to meet. We trust this letter finds you all healthy and happy. The good news is, with the recent approval of a vaccine we may soon be able to, once again, gather non-virtually.
As you can imagine, the good work of our church has been, to a degree, slowed but, nevertheless, it continues. Within the first half of the upcoming year, we pray that society opens and our role in Stoughton’s, as well as the wider community, expands to pre-pandemic levels.
This cannot happen without your help. We recently completed our Stewardship campaign and we appreciate all that pledged. However, to date, we have only received approximately half our usual offerings. Without your continued support, the work of the church will be severely impacted. If you have simply forgotten, we ask that you return your pledge form as soon as you can. If you have lost your form, please contact the church office for another (see contact information at the bottom of this message). If due to the pandemic your financial situation has changed, any amount helps, and know that you will be in our prayers.
Remember, there are a couple of ways you can continue to honor your pledge and continue your support:
Write a check:First Congregational Church of Stoughton 76 Pierce Street Stoughton, MA 02072 ATTN: Offering Clerk
Pay Online:Follow this link to the Church website: http://www.uccstoughton.org/ Click on the Online Giving option
Click on the Contribute Securely Online Now Button.
Fill in the boxes as directed. (This, by the way, is an excellent way to ensure that your support continues year round...not just in these trying times.)
Please return a pledge card whether you pay by check or donate online. We need to know your pledge amount in order to present an accurate 2021 budget at the Annual Budget Meeting on January 31.
We need your help and we pray you can see your way to the continued support of our church. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact any of the church officers.
We are very blessed
Thank you to all who helped make our Easter service so wonderful - Janet Clough, Susan Hill, and Kay Giroux for setting up the lilies and tulips, John Baglole for arranging the worship space, Gian DiCostanzo for his beautiful music, Ed Porter for touching up the safe distance markings on the church driveway, Leanne Kerman and Julie McGillicuddy for checking people in, and Russ Clough for his help with the recording. We are grateful to Laura Kittery, co-chair of the Board of Trustees, for all the work she has done with our departing tenant. We also thank all who faithfully provided casseroles for the MainSpring dinner in April and Anita Keenan for coordinating this important outreach. We once again thank Marcia Olson for her very successful efforts in selling Attic Treasures on Facebook Marketplace. Marcia has been assisted by Stephanie Clough, and has raised over $1700 for our church. 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.
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.
Pastor's Schedule
Over these past 7 months as we have tried to navigate in a virtual world, communicating mostly by email, text messages and Zoom meetings, it is easy to lose track of regular work schedules as one day blends into the next with no clear boundaries between work and home life. And that is certainly true of our pastor. Church Council would like to remind the congregation that Pastor Mary’s contract with the church calls for a 3/4 work schedule. Pastor Mary has gone above and beyond her contracted hours as she has worked to help our church stay together as a worshiping community in this “new normal.” We are, of course, very grateful for her dedication to our church and we encourage her to take the time off she has earned to rest, recharge and spend time with her family. And we must do our part by respecting her “off” time. Pastor Mary will continue to lead worship on Sundays, except when she is on vacation or study leave, and will attend board and committee meetings as needed. She will always be available in the event of an emergency but her response to non-urgent matters may not be immediate. We ask that you keep Pastor Mary in your prayers.
Outdoor Church: Pastor Mary delivered several boxes of scarves, hats and socks to Outdoor Church at the end of January. Thank you for your generosity! During this cold winter season the Outdoor Church street ministry is greatly in need of warm, waterproof socks, scarves, hats or gloves for the homeless in Harvard and Central Squares in Cambridge. We will be collecting new socks for both men and women over the next two months. Please contact Marcia Olson (baglole.olson@verizon.net | 781-344-9547) if you have some to donate or you can drop them off at the church office.
Ways to stay connected:
Sunday Worship at 10:00 AM. We worship together each Sunday morning at 10:00 AM, outside in the church parking lot if the weather is sunny and warm enough or online if it is not. Face masks and socially distancing will be required for all who attend outdoor worship.
As long as the Covid numbers remain low we will be worshipping in our sanctuary on Sunday, March 16. The church has purchased air purifiers for the sanctuary. Worship attendance will be limited to 50 people and we ask that you sign up by contacting Rev. Mary. Social distancing and face masks are required. We will be live broadcasting the service as well. This will be a "trial run" for returning to indoor worship beginning in June.
Look for details and the Zoom link for online services in Pastor Mary’s weekly Friday email, or on our Facebook or website page (www.uccstoughton.org). For online services you may connect online or by phone. For those who prefer to call in, dial 1-253-215-8782 and enter Meeting ID 811 4826 1177. If you do not get this weekly email, contact the church office at office@uccstoughton.org. If you have any questions or concerns about this service or our plans to reopen the church building, please contact Pastor Mary at 774-571- 7307. Be sure to join us for a few minutes of fellowship immediately following the service.
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
Food Pantry Collection
Stoughton Food Pantries Due to the pandemic, there are many people in our own community who are in need of food assistance. 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.
June 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, June 13. Contact Anita if you need a foil baking pan and recipe or to arrange drop off.
Mask Ministry
As we are experiencing another surge in COVID-19 infections now that the cold weather has arrived and we spend more time indoors, the need for face masks is greater than ever. The Mask Ministry team has started making masks again and have been distributing them to the Outdoor Church of Cambridge, Father Bill’s and Mainspring House, the local Red Cross and Soupman of Brockton. There is plenty of fabric and elastic at the church if you are interested in joining our team. Please contact Marcia Olson (baglole.olson@verizon.net | 781-344-9547) to find out how you can help.
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
Download our latest newsletter
"The Link"
Church Bylaws
Current bylaws
Have a Prayer Request?
Let us know here.