The Board of Christian Nurture along with the Senior High Youth Group will be documenting this year’s comings and goings of the members of First Church to be compiled into a documentary entitled “Faith is a Journey…” and shown on Christian Nurture Sunday in May.  Please consider helping us with this project in one or more of the following ways:

·    Allow video and/or pictures of you and your family to be taken throughout the year

·    Take video and/or pictures and submit them for possible inclusion in the video

·    Participate in the various activities going on in the church this program year

For more information about this project contact Julie Braschler at the church office or Katie Gerrish (katie.gerrish@gmail.com).  If you have a strong preference about NOT being included in this movie please let Julie or Katie know.  We hope this will be a good way to document the life of First Church.  Please help us.

Nothing SHY about the Senior High Youth Group! They are going places in 2010. Starting with a canoe trip down the Concord River on August 30th, the First Church Senior High Youth Group is staying on the move this year. The group is planning to go to Atlanta, Georgia in February to work with the DOOR project for Urban Outreach. They will need to raise money for this journey and have planned many fundraisers. Below is a brief Schedule of Events for the SHY Group. Please mark your calendars.

October 1 Deposit due for mission trip

October 4 SHY Group leads worship

Lunch meeting after church

October 17 ALS Walk 2:30 – 7:00

October 18 Pampered Chef Fundraiser 7:00 p.m.

October 24 Help serve at Turkey Dinner

October 25 SHY Group Meeting 5:30 – 7:30

November 15 SHY Group meeting 5:30 – 7:30

November 22 Bake Sale after church

December 5 Babysitting Fundraiser 6:00 – 11:00 p.m.

December 13 CMS Gift Sorting & Pizza 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.

December 20 SHY Party &Yankee Swap 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

January 10 SHY meeting 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

January 22 Dinner & Scrabble tourney

January 29-30 Confirmation Retreat

February 7 SHY meeting 5:30 –7:30 p.m.

February 12 –16 Mission Trip to ATLANTA

February 28 SHY Group lead worship

March 7 SHY meeting 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

March 28 SHY meeting 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

April 4 Prepare and Serve Easter Morning Breakfast

The Senior High Youth Group is planning a mission trip to Atlanta, Georgia from February 12th-16th.  They will participate in the DOOR program.  DOOR (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection) is a faith-based network that provides opportunities for service, learning and leadership development within the urban context.

DOOR highlights the strengths of our cities; believing this is best accomplished through collaboration, mutuality, and partnership.  DOOR invites participants to see the face of God in the city.  Our service assignment may include engaging in learning activities with children; interaction with homeless people at a homeless shelter; sorting donated food or clothing at a redistribution center; lawn and building maintenance for individuals; or meeting with and listening to groups who are working for change in the city.  There will also be time for reflection on the events of the day.

On Sunday we will participate in Sunday morning worship with an urban congregation.  We will also have time to tour the city, learn about the cultural history of the area, and visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Social Justice and/or the Jimmy Carter Library.

The Senior Highs are planning several fundraising activities for the fall.  For more information, please contact Julie Braschler, Mary Criscione, Katie Gerrish or Kathy Harris.

.Below are photos of our middle school youth in action this past year.

Children and Youth

Sunday School Schedule for Mid-November

11/22 Thanksgiving Sunday “We Gather Together”

Nursery and Preschool class begin at 10:00 a.m.

Kindergarten – Middle School come back for special music during worship today.

Nurture Hosts Coffee Hour

Senior High Youth Group Bake Sale fund-raiser for Mission Trip to Atlanta

11/29 Nursery and Preschool class begin at 10:00 a.m.

Kindergarten – Middle School start out in worship then dismissed to class after teaching moment.

Sunday School Schedule for December

12/6 Nursery and Preschool class begins at 10:00 a.m. Kindergarten – Middle School begin in worship then will be dismissed to class after teaching moment.

12/13 CMS After Fair Sale and Gift Sorting. Nursery and Preschool class begin at 10:00 a.m. Kindergarten – Middle School begin in worship then will be dismissed to class after teaching moment.

12/20 Christmas Pageant Nursery and Preschool class begin at 10:00 a.m. Kindergarten – Middle School remain in worship today

12/27 Lay Led Service; No Sunday school, no nursery today.

12/5—Parents Night Out/ Kids Night In Fundraiser 5:00 – 9:00 p.m. RSVP to Kathy Harris (781-275-9233) by December 4th. For children ages 3 months-12 years; $25/child; $10 for each extra child; dinner provided.

12/13—CMS gift sorting and pizza! 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Bring those permission slips!*

12/20—SHY Group Christmas party! Bring your Yankee Swap Gift – Bring a friend!*
The next Confirmation class is Wednesday December 9th in LFH.

Senior High Youth—You are always welcome and encouraged to assist downstairs during Sunday school. If you have any questions, please contact Julie Braschler.

Mark Your Calendar – Friday, January 22nd Senior High Youth Group Crock Pot and Scrabble experience! This will be a challenge for the ages! The first ever Crock Pot Challenge at First Church....and Scrabble Too! You will NOT want to miss this evening of exotic tastes and words of wonder!

Thanks to everyone who participated in or supported the ALS Walk on October 17th. Team Bedford Walk for Mary Ann had a successful walk this year. Sixteen team members completed the three-mile walk around the lake in Wakefield, in surprisingly good weather. Thanks to your support, the team raised over $2,100 for the ALS Association for research and patient services.

Senior High Youth Group Participated in “Walk to D’feet ALS”

Many of our youth and adults walked the 3.5 mile walk around Lake Quannapowitt in Wakefield, MA on Saturday October 17th. Many thanks to all who walked and made donations to support this.

Despite the inclement weather, rain and intermittent snow flakes, the 2009 CROP Walk got underway in Concord, MA as scheduled on Sunday, October 18th. Walkers were given an option of traversing an abbreviated 2.5 miles trek or returning for a "good faith" jaunt at another time. Mike and Ruth Gural made the trek in one hour inspired by the enthusiasm of the assembled crowd, an on site high school pep band as well as a Dixieland jazz band. Rob Millar, Dale and Judy Watkins and Bruce Blake served as crossing guard volunteers and got drenched.

Middle School students Jeff Burke, Ryan Libby, Anthea Thompson, Amanda Brown, Ben Stacey, Marc Printz and Josh Burke were ready to brave the weather but RAs Allyson Printz, Debbie Burke and Wendy Stacey decided that rain AND snow was just too much!

One of the many highlights of the day was 2nd place recognition by our Middle Schoolers in the very competitive banner contest...and, importantly, raising approximately $1,750 from our congregation and extended family of friends toward CROP's mission of "Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty". Many thanks to those who sponsored our Middle School students!

The variety show sponsored by the youth this spring was lots of fun with participation from both youth and adults.  Below are a few photos from this fun event.

By the time you received our September newsletter, all prospective confirmands should have had their pre-course interviews and be ready to begin the year’s program .

Classes are on selected Wednesdays, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. For the fall semester the class dates are: September 16th and 30th, October 14th and 28th, November 18th, December 16th. Second semester dates are: January 13th and 20th, February 10th and 24th, March 10th and 24th, April 7th and 28th.

We also hope to include a couple of field trips, and our class will attend the MACUCC Confirmation Retreat January 29th-30th. Confirmation Sunday will be May 2nd.