Our All Church Work Day up at 130 North Road was a big success.  We had over thirty people volunteering...from painting to cooking. 

The weather was rainy but there was plenty of work to do inside and I hope the powers that be were pleased with all we got done. 

The lunch was delicious too, and we had lots left over, but Jim, the local supervisor, took what was left to a halfway home in Lowell that are always appreciative of any food contributions.

We'll hope that we can have another build day in the spring.   Holly Webster

Currently, the House of Hope in Lowell has 23 families in residence which involve 19 children. Only two are of school age, the oldest being seven. Six women are pregnant and one is expecting twins. Again, they expressed their thanks for the baby shower items! They were just great! They now need clothing (new or gently used) for toddlers and infants. Anything up to size 5/6 would be wonderful.

For food, their shelves are pretty depleted of everything. Pasta is a favorite for the little ones: canned spaghetti with or without meatballs, ravioli, mac ‘n cheese, jelly, applesauce, soups, cereal, large bottles of juice, etc. Thank you!

Christmas planning has begun. Last year they helped 103 families with toys, household goods, and a present for the moms. It is also possible to “adopt” a family or just one child. House of Hope helps families recently relocated, too. If you are interested in contributing toys in general or sponsoring a child or family, please contact: Edna Gustafson (Operations Coordinator), 978-458-2870. Her e-mail address is:ednahoh@hopelowell.org. For more information about House of Hope, visit: www.hopelowell.org. And thank you, again and again!

Questions? Win Webster is a willing “point person.”

The THIRD ANNUAL FUN BRIDGE GAME for Habitat will be held at our church on Friday, February 5th, with a snow date of Friday, February 19th.  So please think about your bridge playing friends and get them all to mark it on their calendars and plan to come. Lets keep up this new and fun tradition!!!

For this church year, the Outreach Board has chosen Disabilities as our theme. We plan to educate the congregation and to take steps to improve our handicapped accessibility in some portions of the church building.

Last year we chose Service. We hope to present more opportunities for everyone to participate with more “hands-on” opportunities to faithfully serve God and to work with others in the church. We are already a busy church with many groups that knit shawls for healing, maintain the church gardens, make dinner for the Bedford Food Pantry, craft potholders for the church fair and much more. More recently the Gulf Mission Team had formed to help with the rebuilding and healing in the gulf region and soon we will be supplying teams of workers to help build the Habitat Homes here in Bedford.

Finally, when thinking about “service,” it’s important to remember that everything we do is “service” if we do it with care and intention. Yes, folding laundry, listening to our friends and even simply arriving at a meeting on time are acts of service to others and therefore service to God.

There are always more ways to serve God. Please contact any member of the outreach board with more ideas or comments

YOU ARE INVITED…to share with the congregation your volunteer experience and its connection with/impact on your own spiritual journey. How does your volunteer venture affect how you see God, how you look at the world, how you think of other people? Do elements in it cause you to feel thankful, challenged, joyful? Our Outreach Board hopes to highlight an individual/team once a month in worship and/or in the newsletter. The board believes that it’s important for all in our congregation to hear people’s own stories of where they put their values and faith into practical action. If you are interested in offering a very brief “Volunteer Moment” in worship or in the newsletter, please speak to a member of our Outreach Board: Alison Weaver, Barbara Coombs, Ruth Gural, Rob Millar, Cindy Webb, Holly Webster, or Win Webster.

Our knitting ministry knits prayer shawls to give to those who need comfort. And our knitters have been busy! If you have been in church recently to see the shawls on the altar waiting to be blessed, you would have seen a rainbow of colors. Many of our shawls were taken to Louisiana with our Mission Teams this year.

A BIG THANK YOU to all who are helping with this ministry!! Every shawl counts. So it doesn’t matter if you knit fast or slow, every one you do is appreciated. If you have never knit a shawl and would like to be a part of our ministry, instructions and assistance are available by contacting Nancy Guetersloh.
Questions:
Where do I get the yarn? The supply of yarn is in the office wing closet across the hall from Loryne Koebele’s office. It is in one of the three blue storage containers in the bottom of the closet; instructions are there too.

What do I do with my shawl after I have finished knitting it? Please leave it in the church office (not in the closet in the office wing). Our pastor then places it on the altar in the Sanctuary, where she blesses it during the Sunday service.

Are there special prayer shawls for children? Yes, they are smaller and have a pocket in them. We put a tiny stuffed animal in the pocket.
Where are completed prayer shawls kept? They are stored in two of the three blue bins in the office wing closet.

What do I do if I want to give a prayer shawl to someone? First, go to the closet and look at the list of recipients taped to the lid of one of the bins. Check carefully to be sure nobody else has already given a shawl to the same person. If in doubt, check with a staff member. Second, write the name of the person you are giving the shawl to and also include the date. Third, choose a shawl, and be sure in include the brochure and card that go with each shawl. Remember the brochure is different for children.

How much does it cost to make a shawl? The price varies. If the yarn is not on sale it costs $15 to make one shawl; if it is on sale, the cost is $11 (used to cost $10).

Should I donate yarn? Special yarn is used and Nancy Guetersloh purchases it for us. We prefer a monetary donation to cover the cost of the yarn we buy.

How do I make a monetary donation to the prayer shawl ministry to help pay for the yarn? If you would like to make a donation to the prayer shawl minnistry to help pay for the yarn, please write your check to First Church of Christ, Congregational, with a notation in the lower left corner, "Prayer Shawl Ministry."