Midweek Update: 4th Sunday after the Epiphany

Dear friends in Christ,

I hope everyone is staying warm today. We have a number of things coming up as we head towards February:

Annual Meeting 1/29

The annual meeting of the Middlebury Congregational Church to receive reports, approve the budget, and elect officers and board members will take place this Sunday on January 29th after worship. A Zoom link to join the meeting online will be sent out on Saturday.

Scout Sunday 2/5

On 2/5 we’ll celebrate our (BSA) Scouts! Our church is the charter organization for Troops 5 and 6. We’ll be joined by scouts from our troops and other local troops, and we’ll hear some about the scouting program.

Open & Affirming Winter Book Discussion

As part of our Open and Affirming process, we’re reading : Unclobber: Rethinking Our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality by Colby Martin. Martin is a straight, evangelical pastor who changed his mind about LGBTQ people and the church. The book is part memoir of his journey of changing his mind and the impacts it had on his career and family, and the other part of the book is breaking down the common scripture passages people use to claim homosexuality is a sin or to exclude LGBTQ people from the church.

Dates for discussion are scheduled in the conference room for:

Wednesday, 2/1/23 @7pm: Chapters 7-8

Wednesday, 2/15/23@7pm: Chapters 9-10

Church Planning Breakfast: 2/11@8:30am

On Saturday, 2/11, we will be having a breakfast to plan for the coming year and talk about what our priorities are as a church. People from all aspects of the church are welcome to come; this is for anyone in the church who wants to be involved!

Souper Bowl Sunday: 2/12

Mark your calendars! The Mission Board is again going to sell soups for Souper Bowl Sunday on February 12th. We will have a variety of soups to sell for $6.00 a pint.  If anyone wants to make their specialty to contribute to our fundraiser it would be greatly appreciated and  you can get the pint containers in the kitchen.  We are expecting a coconut curry lentil, best tomato soup ever, Lasagna soup, chicken soup and others.  Last year we had a sell out so we are hoping for the same this year!

Ash Wednesday Service: 2/22@7pm

Last year, the First Congregational Church of Watertown invited us to join them for their Ash Wednesday service, and I was the guest preacher. This year we’re going to try it again, but instead, we will have an Ash Wednesday service at 7pm on 2/22 at MCC, and Watertown’s pastor, the Rev. Dr. Cindy Carr, will be preaching.

Mission Projects

Sock-it-to-Homelessness: We are collecting new and gently used socks, including mismatched socks, for Greater Waterbury Interfaith Ministries. Socks are the most needed item of clothing for people experiencing homelessness. Donations can be left in the white bin near the Multiplication Table at the front of the sanctuary.

Mitten Line: We are collecting new and gently used hats, gloves, and scarves for GWIM. Donations can be left on the clothesline in the Social Hall.

Thank You!

Thank you to Ellen A. and Donna O for leading our Soup and Snowflakes event last night! Ellen taught us about making soup, and Donna taught us how to make snowflakes! Thank you also to Janine SW for the idea to have the event! Thank you also to the volunteers who helped with dinner and dessert! There are a few pictures from the night attached.

General Comments

In preparation for Annual Meeting on Sunday, I went back through the past year and made a video of pictures of life here at MCC in 2022: https://youtu.be/La3378Oxz9s

It’s good to remember all the things we were able to do this year, and I want to thank all of you for all that you’ve contributed to life here at MCC in 2022. And thank you in advance to all those who have agreed to serve in positions of leadership this coming year!

Peace,

Pastor Katrina

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