Spring Workday is this Saturday, April 22
Please join family and friends on Saturday April 22, for our annual Spring Work Day. We will gather at 8:00 AM and work until noon. The Property Committee has prepared a list of projects that folks of all abilities can work on. Refreshments will be served. We hope to you there!…
Do you miss the White Elephant sales? Are “treasures” cluttering your house or garage? Are you a crafter with fabulous creations to share? Join us for a town wide Flea Market, April 29th, from 10am to 1pm at the First Congregational Church of Reading in downtown Reading at the corner of Woburn and Sanborn Streets.
Sellers must register to reserve booth space (about 10’ x 10’ for $20) by April 21st . One table can be included, or you can bring your own; just let us know. Partner with a friend and share the space. Bring the family! Crafters are welcome and encouraged to participate.
Sellers sign up at Tinyurl.com/FCCRFleaMarket
Shoppers are welcome starting at 10am Saturday morning. Plans include crafts,
household items, antiques, tools, toys, books and more. This will be an opportunity for everyone to become treasure hunters. The market will close promptly at 1pm, so allow plenty of time to check everything out.
We cannot accept dropped-off items. Booth renters must take any unsold items with them at the end of the market.
We hope to see everyone at the Flea Market on April 29th from 10am-1pm
at First Congregational Church of Reading.
Join us after church on Palm Sunday, April 2nd, for a sampling of food & wares, a children’s activity, and chances to win fun prizes!
Marketplace stalls this year include Bees, Chicks & Pigs, Sheep & Alpaca, Heifers, and Water Buffalo. Fair Trade Coffee and Clean Water will also be served.
If you can’t join us on April 2nd, you can donate by going to www.churchofreading.org/donate and selecting “Heifer” from the dropdown menu.
We hope you can join us for this annual tradition, and help support Heifer’s global efforts! For information on Heifer visit Heifer.org…
Order your Easter flowers here. Pick up on Easter Sunday in the Sanctuary.
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Shop White Sales For Emmaus
This month, our church’s Mission and Social Action Ministry will hold its annual Linens collection or Emmaus, Inc. in Haverhill. Emmaus House, the family emergency shelter, serves up to 15 families at one time. Emmaus, Inc. runs eight additional housing units for various categories of residents. All of these need bed and bath items.
Donated bed and bath items can be either new or used, except for pillows, which need to be NEW. Only twin-size sheets are needed; sheet sets are especially welcome. Towels and facecloths are also needed.
In addition, Emmaus has requested snack packs that can be put out for hospitality purposes. Sealed bags of chips, Cheetos, or nuts are some examples.
Donations can be left in the Mission Ministry collection box outside the church office.
Thank you!…
You can pick up a Lent Devotional with a weekly reflection on the poetry of Wendell Berry at the church (or one can be dropped off for you). Instead of “Lent in a Bag” this year, there are a few resources from past “bags” to help you rediscover Sabbath and rest that you can pick up as well. These will be set out on a table in the sanctuary beginning February 26.
Let’s Talk on March 8, at 1:30 PM in the Parlor will discuss the topic of Lent, Sabbath, and perhaps a poem or two.
We’ll only have a Soup (and more) Supper tentatively as a potluck on Thursday, March 30 with (and likely at) Temple Shalom Emeth in Burlington for an interfaith dialogue & program to learn about about and from each other on the themes of Passover, Holy Week, and touch on the implications and history of antisemitism (and the role Christians have played especially surrounding the story of the Crucifixion). Right now this is still in the planning stages, so stay tuned
A labyrinth will be set up for walking meditation and prayer in the Sanctuary sometime in late March. Another church lets us borrow this beautiful labyrinth, and we’re still working out the dates. Stay tuned!
Palm Sunday is Sunday, April 2.
We will host a Soup Supper dinner church service on Maundy Thursday, April 6, at 6:30 PM inviting our friends from Old South UMC to join.…
This Sunday after church join Rev. Emelia in the parlor for the 1st in the (re) Member Class series! Learn about the history of FCCR, from its origins over 250 years ago, to the changes, trials, and celebrations we’ve had over the years.
Can’t make it this Sunday? Next Thursday there will be a link in the Enews for a Zoom version.…
Bring on the trucks, and start up the band! This church community always supports our mission collections generously, and it has been no different this month as we’ve been raising funds for Church World Service (CWS) cleanup buckets. At present, donations total $900, which would purchase TWELVE buckets. Plus, the commitment of the Mission Team to match donations up to $500 means we will have another six and a half buckets to add to this number.
If you have not gotten in on the challenge yet, it’s not too late. Simply use the link below to purchase a quarter, a half, or whole bucket – or make a gift in any amount. If you do not use the link here, please be sure to mark your gift with the word “bucket.” Thank you!
The painting party scheduled for Saturday, February 18th, has been postponed. Stay tuned for a new date.
Have you been joining us for worship recently (whether it’s the last few months, or the last few years!) and wondering how to become a member or get more involved with the church?
Or maybe you’ve been a member for decades, but are curious about church history, UCC polity, or find yourself envying the Confirmation Classes and want a refresher on things?
This Winter and Spring, there will be a series of classes covering a variety of topics open to anyone to attend. Attend 2 if you’re interested in joining as a new member (attend 3 and receive a (re)member certificate!). New members will join on Annual Meeting Sunday, May 21 at 10 AM.
Contact the church office at office@churchofreading.org or 781-944-0205 to learn more.…