Habitat for Humanity of Cape Cod Update: 

Habitat invites everyone to their Annual Spring Breakfast Gathering on Thursday, March 18, at 8:00 a.m., here at Dennis Union Church!  Come hear about the 2010 Habitat build activity.  There will be a free-will offering.  Please RSVP to 508-775-3559.  Also!  Habitat will have their Spring Community Kick-Off Celebration/Volunteer Information Event here at Dennis Union Church on Tuesday, March 23, at 7:00 p.m.  We will celebrate the start of volunteer construction homes in our community.

WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP

SCHOLARSHIPS

The Women’s Fellowship will offer a limited number of scholarship awards beginning with the 2010 fall semester. Awards will be given to male or female members of Dennis Union Church wanting to pursue further educational opportunities and in need of financial assistance.   

If you are a high school senior or are currently in college and are planning to attend an accredited institution of higher education, applications are available in the church office.  Please return the application along with a transcript of your grades and courses, the scores of your SAT’s and Achievement Tests, your class standing, a reference from your high school guidance counselor and place it in the Women’s Fellowship mail box. Attention: Scholarship Committee. 

If you are an adult wishing to continue your college education or pursue other educational opportunities, please pick up a Women’s Fellowship Scholarship Guide for Adults in the church office, complete the information requested and put it in the Women’s Fellowship mailbox. Attention:  Scholarship Committee. We will contact you to set up an interview. 

Please return completed applications by April 15, 2010 .

SOCIAL CONCERNS

Nights of Hospitality:  Thank you to all the folks that have been signing up to provide transportation, food, and hospitality to our Salvation Army guests.  We currently provide hospitality to women on the 1^st and 2^nd Tuesdays of each month and on the last Friday of each month for the men. 

If you would like to assist with transportation, you would arrive by 6:00 p.m. at Salvation Army (corner of Winter and North Streets, Hyannis) to deliver guests to DUC, and then return in the morning at 7:30 a.m. to drive back.

Co-hosting responsibilities include eating a meal, conversation, watching a movie, and sleeping.    March overnights are as follows: March 2 & 9 for women and March 11 and 26 for men.  

If you would like to donate an item of food, “storable” snacks such as chips, soda and meal items like frozen pizza, coffee, ice cream are welcomed at any time. If you would like to cook our evening meal, please sign up or call me at 778-2683. 

Toiletries, especially deodorant, shaving cream, and bath powder are needed right now.  SOCKS and TEE SHIRTS for both men and women. 

Days of Hospitality:   We have been serving an average of 15 guests.  Our “Days” luncheons are every other month, and we have one coming up this month on the 28^th, Palm Sunday!  Gail Knell has been our head chef, making incredibly delightful and filling main dishes for our guests.  Thanks, Gail!!!  Members of the Youth Fellowship have been the sous chefs making the salad and desserts.  The youth have also done a fantastic job of acting as hosts. We all look forward to seeing the familiar faces of our guests. 

Foster Family:  We are covenanted with the family of Sharon Holly.  Sharon would appreciate the occasional easy dinner or night out at the movies – a rare treat for them.  If you could pick up extra movie passes or coupons for pizza for Sharon and the boys, please drop them by my mailbox.  Also, tee shirts and boys’ briefs (medium and large) and/or gift certificates to Kmart would be excellent as well. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and service.                     

PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY

For several years now, some women in our church have been knitting prayer shawls. When you knit 3 and pearl 3, using a soft yarn, you know that what you are knitting will comfort someone in times of stress. When a shawl is given to a person, a lovely prayer is shared, and both the giver and the recipient receive strength.

If you know of someone with whom you would like to share this experience, please call Betty Boothe (508-385-5735). She will provide you with a finished shawl and the prayer, and she will record the recipient’s name in the Prayer Shawl Book.

A prayer shawl is a wonderful gift of love. If you would like to be a knitter, Betty can provide you with the directions.

If you are interested in finding out more about this wonderful program...please follow this link:

SUPERMARKET GIFT CARDS

You can look for us now at the old location in Fellowship Hall during the hour between Sunday services.  Many thanks for keeping our program alive and well throughout the long, unsettled period.  This flagship program of D-YECH continues to mean much to sustain the vital efforts of the Housing Assistance Corporation in homelessness prevention.  Five percent of what we spend at the supermarket, through the use of these cards, goes to help our neighbors who, for a variety of unfavorable circumstances, are in danger of foreclosure.  Over the years, HAC has assisted hundreds of local families who might have lost their homes had it not been for the help that they received through the program.  As a congregation, we play an important role in homelessness prevention when we take the simple step of buying and using these cards to do our supermarket shopping.  We have cards for Stop & Shop, Star Mkt., Shaw’s, Ring Bros., and Peterson’s.  For added convenience, they’re available throughout the week in the church office.   -Stratton Haskell

Our Church's Wider Mission video

There will be a service of Tenebrae held here at Dennis Union Church on Maundy Thursday, April 1st, at 7:00 p.m. 

On Easter Sunday, April 4^th, we will have our Sunrise Service on Corporation Beach at 6:30 a.m.  

We will then have our 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. traditional services here at Dennis Union.

MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS

For a number of years, scholarship awards have been made to qualifying members of our congregation who will be graduating from high school in the current year and are anticipating entering an approved institution of higher learning.   

Anyone so qualified is encouraged to acquire and submit an application to the Memorials Committee by March 15, 2010.  Applications are available in the church office.  The application is to be accompanied by an up-to-date transcript of the student's grade status, a letter of recommendation from the school guidance department, and any other letters of recommendation or relevant information that the applicant wishes be known.  Also, it would be helpful if the applicant has already received confirmation of acceptance to the school of his or her choice.   

The Memorials Committee will make the decision as to the amount of the award based on the number of applications and the funds available in the memorials accounts.  Depending on these factors, it is possible that any award or awards will be made on a competitive basis. It would be well to mention that the memorial scholarship account at the present time is in somewhat of a lessened state, due in part to other priorities in certain portions of our overall church budget.  

FELLOWSHIP SUPPER

In the spirit of St. Patrick, Tony Coccio & Co. will be preparing their annual Corned Beef and Cabbage Fellowship Supper on Sunday, March 21, at 6:00 p.m.  Tickets ($7.00) will be sold after services on March 7 and 14.

ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE

Your Activities Committee continues to plan what we hope are fun events for our congregation!  On Friday, March 26^th, we are planning a “Game Night” at 7:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.  We will have an assortment of games to play, or you are welcome to bring a favorite of your own!     

EVENTIDE

Eventide presents An Other Woman: An Angry Romance for One Voice on Saturday, March 27 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, March 28 at 2:30 p.m.  A funny and unforgettable story by playwright Christine Rathbun.  Tickets are $18 and can be bought at the door or ordered ahead of time at 508-398-8588

“IDEAS” COMMITTEE

We have a small committee that tried out different fellowship and money-making ideas.  We have compiled a list of events that worked and what has to be done for 2010.  We need a break, and although we’ll be there to help and advise, we’d like volunteers to head up these events and take over the ideas that worked. 

Lobster roll sales?  Apple Festival?  Murder Mystery dinner?   Pot luck and committee baskets for silent auction?  Food/baked goods for the Monday night concerts on the Green?  What others can you think of? 

Please contact John Brink, Joanne Crowell, Ann Goulding, Jane Springer, Pam Thibodeau or Mimi Whitney for more information.  These events should be “all church” events to bring in our town neighbors and more.  Won’t you help?

AL-ANON AND ALATEEN

As many of you know, we host an Al-Anon group right here in our church on a weekly basis.  Al-Anon Family Groups, which includes Alateen for the younger members, is an established community resource for people who have been affected by another’s use of alcohol.  Al-Anon is a spiritual program of recovery which is compatible with all religious beliefs and practices.  The Al-Anon/Alateen program can aid the recovery process for the entire family through hope, comfort and loving interchange among members having a common problem.  If someone turns to you for help and an alcohol related problem is identified, we urge you to suggest that they attend Al-Anon and/or Alateen meetings.  For more information, please call 508-394-4555, or 888-425-2666, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.