Scripture for April: 4/4/21 Easter/Communion Sunday 7 AM Sunrise Outside Service (Weather Depend- Ent) BYOC – Bring Your Own Chair

Scripture for April: 4/4/21 Easter/Communion Sunday 7 AM Sunrise Outside Service (weather depend- ent) BYOC – Bring your own chair. MASKS and physical distancing required – no communion 10 AM on Facebook Live and Zoom Isaiah 25:6-9, John 20:1-18

4/11/21 Second Sunday of Easter 1John 1:1-2:2, John 20:19-31

4/18/21 Third Sunday of Easter 1John 3:1-7, Luke 24:36b-48

4/25/21 Fourth Sunday of Easter Pastor Joyce is away. 1John 3:16-34, John 10:11-18

Center Congregational Church Tele: 860-647-9941 E-Mail: [email protected] United Church of Christ Fax: 860-649-6927 Visit us on our website: www.centerchurchucc.org Manchester, Connecticut Church Office Hours: Mon-Thurs., 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

FROM OUR PASTOR The Center is a publication of Center Congregational Church Dear Friends, United Church of Christ 11 Center Street Manchester, CT 06040 Welcome to SPRING! We are people of the resurrection! We

The Center is published monthly will rise again no matter how much we fall down – even when all (July & August combined) to seems lost. We are at the very beginning of the Easter Season – April keep members and friends in- 4th is Easter. We have made it through many challenges over the last formed of programs of the church and to report news about the faith year. We have spent the season of Lent reflecting on how God contin- community of Center Church. ues to heal and make beauty out of brokenness. We are God’s Holy Vessels! So in this season of resurrection may we continue to embrace whatever comes our way and may we dance through the Easter season with hope and light.

God is calling us to embrace this beautiful life with open, vul- nerable hearts because that is where the awe and glory is located. Even

though there is heartache and sorrow there is so much wonder and grace. Pondering this complex simplicity, I remember a song from Center Church Staff 2000 (yikes – that’s 21 years ago) that I think expresses this concept

Rev. Joyce O. Crutchfield well. It is called “I Hope You Dance” (written by Mark D. Sanders Senior Pastor and Tia Sillers) sung by Lee Ann Womack. [email protected]

Andrea Simmons I hope you never lose your sense of wonder, Director of Music You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger, [email protected] May you never take one single breath for granted, Denise Knox God forbid love ever leave you empty handed, Director of Faith Formation I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean, [email protected] Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens, Cheryl O. Knight Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance, Office/Finance Manager And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance. [email protected]

Brian Lettieri I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance, Property Manager Never settle for the path of least resistance, [email protected] Livin' might mean takin' chances, but they're worth takin',

Mikayla Oken Lovin' might be a mistake, but it's worth makin', Communications Specialist Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter, [email protected] When you come close to sellin' out reconsider, Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance, And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance.

I hope you dance. I hope you dance. Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along, If you need to reach Pastor Joyce in an Tell me who wants to look back on their years emergency, call And wonder where those years have gone. 860-948-0493 or email her at: center- [email protected]

CONTINUE ON NEXT PAGE —->

After this past year of unforeseen challenges, losses, a pandemic, and all the social upheaval, I hope you dance. I hope you love. I hope you live each day to the fullest. Be kind. Be gentle. Be the glorious gift that God created you to be!

With blessings and love,

From Deacons: An Invitation

In this Lenten season we have been using beach glass or river rocks to symbolize our brokenness. It is suggested that parishioners take a photo of these objects that you have been using for your worship. When we are able to join again in our church building bring the photos. We would make a collage out of all the photos for all to share. This sharing of photos can lead to the telling of our stories. How the pandemic affected each of our lives? What did you miss? How did you cope? Were you alone and lonely? Or working from home with family all around making life more chaotic.? Did you cook more? Or did you find yourself eating too much junk food? Did you find comfort in prayer? Or are you angry at God and not praying at all? We all have a story to tell all of them are important. We have been sorely tested beyond which most of us could have imagined a year ago. We can heal each other and open ourselves to new possibilities to becoming a healing hub for our community.

Nourished by Faith, United in Diversity, Called to Mission

Jesus didn’t turn people away; neither do we. The United Church of Christ: No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey …

you’re welcome here.

- Blessings -

Happy Birthday to all our members with April birthdays!

Jeffery Smith CONGRATULATIONS: Ryan Cronin Sarah Christiana Dean and Alex, Lily, Alexis, and Theo Karole Brown Kitchner-Ott Suzanne Valade welcomed baby girl Persephone to their States Wood family. Michael P. Balon John Lawler Laura Wood Judy Chader Debbie Parker Steven Petersen Doug Sanborn Kimberly Harrison Hillary Huttenhower Andrew Zownir

Gratitude Grams

- Thank you to the members of the Ad Hoc IT and Property Committees who have been working tire- lessly drilling and crawling in dark and dirty spaces to run wires throughout the church so we can continue to offer livestream for those who are unable to attend physically even when we reopen.

- Thank you to the Reopening Committee who have eagerly revised the protocols for reopening so when the time comes we are good to go.

- As always thank you to all the essential workers who put themselves at risk to provide services for the rest of us.

- Thank you to all who are caring for all us by wearing masks, physically distancing, washing their hands, and staying the course.

Do you have a gratitude gram you’d like to share with the congregation? Or a life event you’d like to acknowledge in our Congratulations section? Please email : [email protected]

Remembrances

Condolences

Please pray for the following folks who have said good-bye to loved ones who have transitioned home to God.

CORRECTION: Ray Joyner’s sister Susan died, NOT Sharon. My apologies to Ray and his family.

May this prayer, Time is in your hands, O Lord, from www.living-prayers.com bring you comfort.

Time is in your hands, O Lord Love is yours, it bears your mark, You place the sun and moon. Your imprints everywhere. You turn the tides of ocean deep Each tender word I shared remains So you can hold me safe in grief, Love lives beyond our fleeting frame, You can hold me safe. It lives beyond our frame.

Eternity is always there My precious one runs to your arms Around us everyday. I trust them to your care. From every seed that grows a tree You catch my tears and help me see, Creation sings of life redeemed, The hope of Heavens glorious light, In Christ we are redeemed. The hope of Heavens light.

Rebuilding Together Volunteer Opportunities 2021 National Rebuilding Day Saturday, April 24, 2021 8 AM – 12 PM

Outside Jobs Only!  Cleaning up leaves/trash/weeds from around property (raking, leaf-blowing)  Cleaning and organizing outdoor material yard (bricks, patio furniture, etc.)  Painting decks Volunteer Crews Rebuilding Together is committed to providing a safe environment for all volunteers, Re- building Together Manchester will be implementing several new policies and practices based on guidance from OSHA, the National Association of Home Builders, Rebuilding Together National, and others. There will be a lim- it of 10 volunteers per site for the day. Center Church can send two teams of volunteers however we will be assigned to different locations.

Social distancing will be enforced. There will be volunteer sign-up & check-in. Face coverings are required, and all safety PPE will be provided. Rebuilding Together will be providing snacks/lunch which will be individually wrapped for each group at the site.

It will take time to adjust to the new ways of doing things! Everyone’s help and cooperation will be needed. Unfor- tunately, there will still be risks involved and there is no promise of a virus-free site. If you are interested in volun- teering, please, email [email protected] or call Birdi at 860-742-9543.

Center Congregational Church Happenings

2019 – 2020 Annual Report Available If you did not receive the 2019-20 Annual Report via email and would like to have a paper copy, they are now available at the church office. Please, call the church office 860-647-9941 before you come in to pick up your copy. If you need a copy mailed to you, call the church office. This Annual Report will be voted on at the next Annual Meeting, when it is safe to have one!

There is still time to get your pledge card in for the Church fiscal year starting July 1st! Cut out the pledge card down below, fill it out, and send it to

the church!

Faith Formation News for April 2021 Newsletter Spring is here with longer days and warmer temperatures! Make sure to find some time to get outside and enjoy the wonderful beauty that God has created for us! Faith Formation continues to provide faith education for the members of our church family. We are currently planning for the beginning of the new Church School year in September and steps that will need to be taken for in-person Sunday School. Sunday School lessons are taking place via Zoom every Sunday morning from 11:00-11:30 am. The Zoom meeting ID number is 864 9237 9303 and the Password is 220315. The Bible stories this month are Jesus is Alive, Doubting Thomas, Jesus’ Ascension. Lessons are emailed every Thursday for Sunday’s meeting so the children can follow along. There will be no Sunday School on Easter Sunday, April 4th. Adult Sunday School Discussions continue with the Heavenly Virtues Series. This month’s virtue is Humility. Discussion handouts are emailed to all members of the church wide email group. If you do not have email capabilities and would like a copy of the handout, please contact the church office. A copy will be mailed to you. These handouts are for reflection. If you have questions or would like to comment on the topic or if you have another topic that you would like to discuss, please feel free to call me, 860-647-9941, stop in to see me, or contact me via email at [email protected]. I am in the church office Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:30 am – 12:00 pm. If you are aware of any youths, age 13-17, who would be interested in attending Confirma- tion Class, please have them contact Pastor Joyce or me. We are planning on having a Confir- mation Class beginning in September for Confirmation in May or June of 2022. Classes are held every two weeks from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm from September through to Confirmation Sunday. Attention 5th through 12th graders! Silver Lake is holding registration for summer camp opportunities this summer. They will be holding an open house on Sunday, May 16th. For more information you can check their website at www.silverlakect.org. On behalf of the Faith Formation Board, I want to wish you all a very Happy Easter!

God bless you! Denise Knox, Faith Formation Director

Devotion booklets – THESE DAYS and THE UPPER ROOM Using a daily devotional connects you with the writers, people around the world, and God. The Upper Room devotions are invitational, international, and interdenominational. The Up- per Room editions come in regular print and large print (limited #s of copies with large print). These Days is published by the Presbyterian Church of Canada/USA and UCC of Canada & USA. The edition comes in medium print. Call or email Birdi (860-742-9543 or bird- [email protected]) with your current address and your choice of daily devotional and she will get it in the mail to you!

Trust in God with all your heart: do not depend on your own understanding. Seek God’s will in all you do, and God will show you what path to take. Proverbs 3:5-6

Center Church Women Annual Meeting April 10, 2021

CCW is planning a Zoom Annual Meeting. Discussion and voting on important reports and the 2021 budget will be on the agenda. If you are not already on the CCW email distribution list and would like to get information and notifications from CCW, please, call Birdi at 860-742-9543.

PRAYER CHAIN It has been a difficult year with all of us unable to meet together. One thing I have been missing is our final prayer, when we all hold hands. At this point in time it is unknown when we will be able hold hands again. This would be a way for us to connect with each other through the power of prayer. I would like to invite any one interested to join a prayer chain for Center Church. How does this work? Anyone with a prayer request would call the first person on the chain. Then that person would call only the next person on the prayer chain. The second person would call the only the third person on the chain until the last person is reached. If person requesting prayer wants to be added to the weekly bulletin that request will be forwarded by the first person to office Staff. Pastor Joyce will be informed of all prayer requests. Not only those being prayed for but those doing the praying are also healed in different ways. I invite anyone interested in being part of this healing to e-mail me at [email protected] or call 860-289-4473.

With all of us doing more at-home cooking, why not have great tools? Rada knives, kitchen tools and more will be available for online ordering all year long! You can view the entire catalog and purchase your items online. Rada will ship them directly to your home or gift them to a different address. The catalog has a wide selection of knives and gift sets, as well as cookbooks, soup and dip mixes. The knives are made in the U.S and come with a lifetime guarantee. To ensure that Center Congregational Church benefits from your purchase, use this website: radafundraising.com. You will be asked which fundraising group you are supporting. Enter "Center Congregational Church1" to get to our page. If you are not comfortable ordering online, Lisa Wood will be available to help you find what you are looking for and place the order. Lisa will also answer any other questions you have (860-916-6123.) As a reminder, shipping times may be longer than usual in 2021 so, please, plan accordingly. Thanks for your support!

When You’re Hospitalized - Please Let Us Know!

Hospitals cannot release information to us — If you are hospitalized and would like a visit, please:

 Call the church office to let us know you are in the hospital. A family member or nurse may call the church office on your behalf.  When you are admitted, state both your denomina- tion (Congregational) and church (Center Church), so that your name will appear on the clergy census.

Thank you for letting the Parish Care team know!

SCRIP Gift Cards

SCRIP is an ongoing fundraiser for Center Church where we offer for sale gift cards to a wide variety of businesses, including supermarkets like Stop & Shop and Highland Park Market, restaurants such as Long- horn Steakhouse and Panera, Target, Walmart, Amazon, Lowe’s, Home Depot, etc.

With your purchase of a Scrip Gift Card, you receive the full value of the card. Center Church receives a small rebate from the supplier of the cards—making it a Win-Win for all!

Update: Visa Cards now have extended expiration dates!

Please contact Cheryl to request Scrip cards at: [email protected] For additional info or to place an order for pickup. call our Church Office at 860-647-9941 Thank you!

Follow us on Facebook Center Congregational Church, for updates, Facebook Live, and frequent affirmations. @Center Congregational Church UCC

Did you know that you could be getting The Center in your email instead of by mail?

On average you are sent 130 pieces of paper from us per year just by receiving The Center. We highly encourage you to save a tree and ask to receive a full color pdf version of The Center via email. If you would like to Opt Out of receiving The Center all together, please email [email protected] or call the Church Office at 860-647-9941 Please know, you can go back to mail at any time should you prefer.

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April 2021