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This Sunday’s Bulletin

M Y S T I C

C O N G R E G A T I O N A L

C H U R C H

Organized in 1852 at Mystic, Connecticut

May 18, 2008

First Sunday after Pentecost

8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m.

THE ORDER OF WORSHIP

First Sunday of Pentecost

May 18, 2008  -  8:00 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. 

Infant/toddler childcare is available in Noah’s Ark Nursery Room from 8:45 to 11:45 a.m.   Children ages 3 through 8^th grade may proceed with their leaders to the Parish Hall after Time With Children and then to their classrooms.

GOD’S PEOPLE GATHER

FOR QUIET REFLECTION:   A Sacred Conversation on Race represents an effort to articulate our human “vocation to relationship” in the context of U.S. racism, to bring people into dialogue about personal and institutional racism, and to help them create and sustain a community committed to personal and social transformation.  Herbert Perkins and Margery Otto, in an article calledPrinciples and Assumptions Underlying a Conversation on Race 

PRELUDE      

GREETINGS and ANNOUNCEMENTS  Rev. Barbara Libby  

Please sign the black friendship pad located in your pew and pass it along to those next to you.  If you would like to make a prayer request, please locate and fill out a Prayer Card in your pew and place it in the offering plate.

INTROIT (10:00 am)                   

CALL TO WORSHIP (responsive)   A Litany for Unity

One:      Across all our barriers of language, race, and nationality:

All:      Unite us, O God.

One:  Across all our mutual ignorance, prejudice and hostility:

All:      Unite us, O God.

One:      Across all our differences of thought, outlook and religious allegiance:

All:      Unite us, O God.

One:      O God, for your greater glory:

All:      Unite us, O God.

One:      O God, for the triumph of goodness and truth:

All:      Unite us, O God.

One:      O God, that there may be one flock and one shepherd:

All:      Unite us, O God.

One:      O God, to confound the pride of Satan and his assaults:

All:      Unite us, O God.

One:      O God, that peace may reign in the world at last:

All:      Gather together your separated people.

One:      O God, for the greater joy of all your people:

All:      Gather us together and be with us in worship this day.

*HYMN (insert)  Shadow and Substance     TWILIGHT

*PRAYER OF INVOCATION (responsive)

One:            We are not here because we have found God, but because God our Creator has called us,

All:            Challenging us to accept the cost and joy of discipleship, and to be servants in the service of the whole human family.

One:  But the call is also to God’s promise:

All:            A promise of forgiveness of sins and fullness of grace, courage in the struggle for justice and peace, and eternal life in that realm which has no end.

One:            Let us praise God!

All:            Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto God!  Amen!

*LORD’S PRAYER

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.  Amen.

*GLORIA PATRI

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the Beginning, is now and ever shall be; World without end.  Amen.

PROCLAIMING THE GOOD NEWS

TIME WITH CHILDREN (10:00 am)   Kathy Kerns

*HYMN (insert)  God, Creation’s Great Designer    NEW REFORMATION

SCRIPTURE    Psalm 8 (Pew Bible, O.T. page 492)  Bob Chambers      

INTERLUDE (8:00 am)   

ANTHEM (10:00 am, insert)     Lift Every Voice and Sing     Senior Choir

SCRIPTURE    Genesis 1:1-2:4a (Pew Bible, O.T. page 1) 

SERMON     “Starting a Sacred Conversation About Race”  Rev. Barbara Libby

GOD’S PEOPLE RESPOND

CALL TO GIVE OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS  

OFFERTORY                      

*DOXOLOGY                               

Praise God from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Amen.

*PRAYER OF DEDICATION

SUNG CALL TO PRAYER #259 (Blue Hymnal)  Spirit of the Living God

Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.  Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.  Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me.  Spirit of the living God fall afresh on me.

SILENT PRAYER

PASTORAL PRAYER

*HYMN #366 (Red Hymnal)    God of Grace and God of Glory    CWM RHONDA

*OUR COMMON COMMISSION

Let us go forth into the world in peace, being of good courage, holding fast to that which is good, rendering to no one evil for evil, strengthening the faint-hearted, supporting the weak, helping the afflicted, honoring all persons, loving and serving the Lord, and rejoicing in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

*BENEDICTION

*CONGREGATIONAL AMEN        

*POSTLUDE    

*All who are able, please stand.

Flowers

In loving memory of Marion & Harold Gremley,

by their daughter, Kay Hill, & their great-grandchildren,

Scott, Brett, Karly, Diane and Luke

NOTES OF PARISH LIFE

SPECIAL APPEAL FOR MYANMAR CYCLONE FUND CONTINUES  An emergency appeal has been issued for donations through the United Church of Christ for moneys to help aid victims and to prepare for long-term recovery after the cyclone there.  We have been assured that funds will reach the needy through church connections.  Your donations are welcome - please make out checks to MCC and put Myanmar Cyclone Fund in the memo line.

CALL TO ANNUAL MEETING

Members of the Mystic Congregational Church are hereby called to the Annual Meeting to be held in the Sanctuary today at 11:00 a.m.

þ                              To receive and act on annual reports from church officers and committees;

þ                              To elect new officers and committee members;

þ                              To act upon proposed changes to the 2008 Church budget;

þ                              To discuss the following suggestions described in “News from the Moderator” in the May issue of the Anchor:

·                                 Possible change in Membership categories

·                                 Possible options for Missions portion of pledges

(These last 2 items are for DISCUSSION ONLY. A separate meeting will be held to vote on these suggestions on Sunday, June 1, 2008, at 11:00 a.m.)

Stacey Herrman, Clerk for Council

CALL TO SPECIAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

Members of the MCC are hereby called to a Special Congregational Meeting to be held on Sunday, June 1, 2008, at 11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary immediately following the worship service. 

The purpose of this meeting is:

þ  To discuss and vote upon a proposal to amend the Bylaws to provide  for a category of members that would be unaffiliated with the UCC;

þ                              To discuss and vote upon a proposal to allow each member to choose individually each year one of three options as to how the missions portion of his/her pledge would be allocated.

Details of both of these proposals were mailed out to all members

in a letter dated May 8, 2008.

Stacey Herrman, Clerk for Council

FAITH AND THE ENVIRONMENT conversation tonight at 7:00 p.m. at Union Baptist Church is offered by MAEC.  Speaker Dr. Scott Borgerson, a  member of Union Baptist,  is an environment expert, a fellow at the Council of Foreign Affairs, op-ed writer and has a host of impressive credentials.

 EARLY BAZAAR BUZZ   Please save your promotional CDs and put them in the Women’s Fellowship mailbox.  They will become deer/squirrel/crow repellants on sale at the Bazaar!

BIBLE SPONSORS  are needed by the Children's Ministries Committee for our 3rd and 8th grade students to contribute the costs of fulfilling our goal of providing each one of these students with their own Bible.  Your name will be written on a bookplate inside one of the Bibles.  If you wish, you may choose to sponsor a specific student's Bible.  If interested, please contact Stacey Noreika at xxx-xxxx or email.

SUNDAY SCHOOL CHILDREN and their teachers and leaders/assistants will report directly to the Parish Hall when they arrive at church on Sunday, June 1^st, for our only rehearsal for the June 8^th Children's Worship Sunday.  Children's Bulletins and nametags will be available to them there.  Would you like to help?  Contact Kathy Kerns at kathy@mysticcongregational.org or at 536-4259.

2008-2009 SUNDAY SCHOOL REGISTRATION  has begun!   Materials are available in Parish Hall.  They WILL NOT BE MAILED HOME THIS YEAR.  Please complete the available form and leave it in the purple box provided for your convenience, or in Kathy Kerns' hallway mailbox by Sunday, June 8. 

SAVE THE DATE!  Teacher Appreciation and Children's Worship Sunday: June 8, 2008, 10:00 a.m. followed by an Ice Cream Social in Parish Hall.

THANKS FOR KEEPING THE YOUTH SPACE DOOR OPEN  We celebrate the presence of Hugh and Jamie McGee as last week’s Youth Walk-in volunteers in the Youth Space.  If you would like to volunteer, please call Jamie McGee at xxx-xxxx or at email. 

ALL-CHURCH SUMMER PICNIC - JUNE 21^st, SATURDAY (Rain date:  June 28th, Saturday) Join us at the Green Falls Pond picnic area in Pachaug State Forest in Voluntown, CT (about 20 miles from the church).  Our church volunteer on-site cooks will offer this lunch menu:

Ø                               $6.50 for ½ chicken BBQ, potato, green salads, dessert

Ø                               $3.50 for hamburger or hotdog, salad, dessert

Above prices include all-you-can-drinksoda, lemonade, ice tea, water.

Meals must be pre-ordered by June 14th and checks made out to Mystic Congregational Church with Church Picnic in the memo line.  Reservation Forms are now available in the sanctuary entrances.  Questions?  Call Stacey Herrman at xxx-xxxx.

COVENANTAL PRAYERS THIS WEEK are for the Cong’l. Church of New Canaan, Cong’l. Church of New Fairfield, New Hartford North Cong’l. Church, New Haven’s Shalom UCC, New Haven’s Church of the Redeemer, New Haven’s Dixwell Avenue UCC.

PRAYER CHAIN  The Prayer Chain is active!  A group of 15 of our fellow parishioners have gathered around this important ministry.  If you have a prayer concern which you feel could be helped by the prayers of this group, let them know. To put the Prayer Chain in motion for you, call Jennifer Dean at xxx-xxxx, or Pastor Barbara through the Church Office, 536-4259 Ext.112.  All prayer requests are held in the strictest confidence.

HEARING SYSTEM  Please be aware that a system for the hearing-impaired is now available in the Sanctuary.  Questions?  Please ask the Deacons.

CONTACTING PASTOR BARBARA 

Confidential Voice Mail at any time:  (860)536-4259 Extension 112

Email:  barbara@mysticcongregational.org

MORNING MINISTRY

 Ministers:        All Members of the Church

 Interim Senior Pastor:                     Rev. Barbara J. Libby

 Director of Children’s Ministries:    Kathy M. Kerns

 Director of Music:                           Trish Dehls

 Parish Care Coordinators:               Jane Donnel & Lauren Watson

 Scripture Reader:                             Bob Chambers

 Nursery Attendant:                         Kathy Graham

 Nursery Volunteer Assistant:           Amy Manning

 Flowers:          Kay Hill

 Hospitality:     Karin Stuart

 Deacon 8 a.m.:                                Jody Capen

 Deacon 10 a.m.:                              Keith Covin

 Ushers 8 a.m.:                                 Jody Capen, Joan Robinson

 Ushers 10 a.m.:                               Bob and Sheryl Chambers, Bob Haberman, Terry Philbrick

 Trustees:         Herb Anderson,  Julie Stone

Our Mission Statement:  To joyfully bring the Christian principles of faith, hope and love to all through quality worship, education, fellowship and outreach.

CHURCH CALENDAR FOR THIS WEEK

Sunday, 5/18                  8:00 & 10:00 am    - Worship Services

            8:45-11:45 am     - Nursery Care (Noah’s Ark Nursery)

            9:00 am               - Music Committee (Music Room)

            10:15-11:00 am   - Sunday School

            11:00 am             - Junior & Cherub Choirs

            11:15 am            - ANNUAL MEETING (Sanctuary)   

            4:00 pm               - Mary & Martha (Library)

            7:00 pm               - Search Committee (Room 1)

Monday, 5/19                 MEALS ON WHEELS

            2:30 pm               - Count-Me-In (Mystic Manor)

            6:30-9:00 pm      - AA (Parish Hall)

            7:00 pm               - Deacons (Library)

Tuesday, 5/20                 6:15 pm   - Bell Choir (Music Room)

            7:00-10:00 pm    - Shell Club (Library)

            7:30 pm               - Senior Choir (Music Room)

Wednesday, 5/21         9:30 am   - Staff Meeting (Conference Room)

            9:30 am               - Yoga/Pilates Class (Youth Space)

            6:30 pm               - Nancy Peterson Story Hour at Shelter

            7:00 pm               - Trustees (Conference Room)

            7:00 pm               - Outreach Ministries (Library)

Thursday, 5/22               7:00-9:30 pm          - AA (Youth Space)

Friday, 5/23                    MEALS ON WHEELS

            9:30-11:30 am     - WF Budget Committee Meeting (Library)

            7:00-8:45 pm      - Junior High Fellowship (Youth Space)

            9:00-11:00 pm    - Senior High Youth (Youth Space)

Saturday, 5/24                 No Event

Phone numbers are intentionally "x'd" out in observation of our privacy policy.

LINK to 
Mystic Congregational Church Committees and Boards

Updated: Sunday, May 18, 2008 11:55 AM