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The Church Caller

A monthly publication of Ellington Congregational Church December 2016/January 2017

SUNDAY

WORSHIP

SERVICE

8:45 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, DECEMBER 4TH SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

COMMUNION

BELL SUNDAY

Isaiah 11.1-10

Psalm 72.1-7, 18-19

Sunday, DECEMBER 11TH

THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT

SENIOR CHOIR CANTATA

“Almost there” Luke 1.46b-55

Sunday, DECEMBER 18TH FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

ALL CHURCH WORSHIP

CHILDREN’S PAGEANT

“Jesus Means Christmas to Me”

Matthew 1.18-25

Sunday, DECEMBER 25TH

CHRISTMAS DAY

LESSONS & CAROLS

10:30 AM SERVICE ONLY Isaiah 52.7-10

Psalm 98

John 1.1-14

Save The Date!

“An Evening in

Vienna Austria”

Saturday,

April 1, 2017

This will be a fantastic evening, beginning

with gourmet, hot & cold hors d’oeuvres,

followed by classical music,

and ending with fancy,

Viennese mini-pastries & petit fours.

Don’t miss this beautiful event.

Watch for details &

ticket sales in early 2017.

See Page 2 For Advent and Christmas Happenings

W.I.N.D. ~ Worship in New Directions 6:00 pm Dinner & Fellowship ~ 6:45 pm Worship

Wed., Dec. 7th 1st Week of Advent ~ Communion

Wed., Dec. 14th 2nd Week of Advent

Wed., Dec. 21st NO W.I.N.D. ~ Blue Christmas at 7:30 p.m.

Wed., Dec. 28th NO W.I.N.D. ~ W.I.N.D. will resume on Jan. 4th

Join members and friends on Wednesday evenings for Worship in New Directions, an informal, contemporary experience of small group worship, at 6:45 in Room 201. Prior to worship, a simple family-style dinner and a time of fellowship are offered in the Social Room. All are welcome. Come to nourish your body, mind and soul!

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Celebrate Advent and

Christmas

With Your Church Family!

Friends and Extended Family Are

Always Welcome…

Sunday, December 4th

Second Sunday of Advent

8:45 a.m. Worship ~

Sacrament of Holy Communion

10:30 a.m. Worship ~

Sacrament of Holy Communion

& Bell Sunday

Sunday, December 11th

Third Sunday of Advent

8:45 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Senior Choir presents

“Almost there”

Annual Holiday Turkey

Dinner Noon in the Social Room

Sponsored by TELOS

Sunday, December 18th

Fourth Sunday of

Advent

8:45 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Christmas Pageant

All Church Worship “Jesus Means Christmas to Me”

Wednesday, December 21st 7:30 p.m.

Blue Christmas Service

Holidays are not always a

merry or happy time for

everyone. Come join us for a

service of comfort, healing and hope.

Saturday, December 24th

Christmas Eve

Evening Worship

5:00 p.m.

A Family Service

Featuring the Cherub Choir, Junior Choir,

Junior Bell Choir and the Chime Choir

7:00 p.m.

A Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with the

Sacrament of Holy Communion

11:00 p.m.

A Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with the

Sacrament of Holy Communion

Featuring the Senior Choir and

the Senior Bell Choir

Sunday, December 25th

Christmas Day

10:30 a.m. (only)

All Church Worship

Lessons & Carols No Fellowship

Sunday, January 1, 2017

New Year’s Day

10:30 a.m. (only)

All Church Worship

Communion Sunday No Fellowship

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SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE

8:45 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.

Sunday, JANUARY 1ST NEW YEAR’S DAY / EPIPHANY

COMMUNION

10:30 AM SERVICE ONLY

Isaiah 60.1-6

Psalm 148

Matthew 2.1-12

Sunday, JANUARY 8TH FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

BAPTISM OF THE LORD

3RD GRADE BIBLE SUNDAY

Isaiah 42.1-9

Psalm 29

Matthew 3.13-17

Sunday, JANUARY 15TH

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY 1 Corinthians 1.1-9

Psalm 40.1-11

John 1.29-42

Sunday, JANUARY 22ND

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY Isaiah 9.1-4

Psalm 27.1, 4-9

Matthew 4.12-23

Sunday, JANUARY 29TH FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

MISSION SUNDAY Micah 6.1-8

Psalm 15

Matthew 5.1-12

W.I.N.D. ~ Worship in New Directions 6:00 pm Dinner & Fellowship ~ 6:45 pm Worship

Wed., Jan 4th Epiphany and Communion

Wed., Jan. 11th Hymns of Praise

Wed., Jan. 18th Contemporary Praise

Wed., Jan. 25th Contemplative Music Service Join members and friends on Wednesday evenings for Worship in

New Directions, an informal, contemporary experience of small

group worship, at 6:45 in Room 201. Prior to worship, a simple

family-style dinner and a time of fellowship are offered in the Social

Room. All are welcome. Come to nourish your body, mind and soul!

CALL TO THE

ANNUAL MEETING

of the

Ellington Congregational

Church

United Church of Christ

Thursday January

26th Dinner Served at

6:30 p.m.

Dinner will be followed by our annual

business meeting to elect officers, adopt

a budget, and act on other matters of

importance concerning our future.

A DUE DATE

FOR THE ANNUAL REPORT

It’s time for the Boards and Committees to

start thinking about their reports for the Annual

Report. The deadline for electronically

submitted reports and reports that require

typing or significant formatting is December

30th and the deadline for financial documents

is January 20th. If you need copies of last

year’s report or have any questions, just call

the church office at 860-871-6606. THANK YOU!

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YOU ARE INVITED…

Ellington Congregational Church,

UCC

Saturday, February 4th

What’s a Summit Meeting? Who goes to this church meeting?

Are you on a committee?

Or going on to a committee?

Are you a new member?

Or a long time member?

Are you confirmed?

Or a member of TELOS?

Everyone attends!

P.S. A Summit meeting contains prayer, planning, and people

Our ninth annual Leadership Summit will begin

with registration and coffee at 8:30 and will end at

12:00, followed by a light lunch.

Marsha Andzans

Moderator

(snow date: Saturday, February 11, 2017)

to all the volunteers that

supported the Church Office this past year!

Your time is greatly appreciated!!

PLEASE NOTE:

Social Room

Floor to Be Refurbished

Mon., Dec. 26, 2016 through

Mon., Jan., 2, 2017

The Social Room will be inaccessible.

Scheduled meetings

have been cancelled.

Please plan accordingly.

NO Fellowship on

December 25th or January 1st

Thank you!

NEWS FROM THE

CHURCH OFFICE

The Church Office will have limited hours on Thursday,

December 8th & Friday, December 23rd. (Subject to

change.)

All the offices will be closed on December 24th,

December 25th and December 26th in observance of

Christmas and January 2nd. At all times the church

answering machine provides instructions for urgent

call service and is on 24 hours a day.

The Church Office will have limited hours December

27th through December 30th. (Subject to change.)

Please check the weekly bulletin announcements for

updates and or changes.

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Message from the Trustees

Dear Church Family,

As stewards of the church, we need to continue

working at holding down costs and spending. We are

beginning the final quarter of the church year. Our

pledges received are down from what has been

budgeted. Stewardship will be encouraging the

congregation to catch up with their pledges, but we

also need to hold costs as much as we can, so that we

do not have to take money from our trust funds to

make up the difference/shortage.

Additionally, we would like to ask that as we move

into the final quarter of the year, expenditures for 2016

are submitted prior to December 15, 2016. In order to

provide an accurate accounting of receipts and

expenses for the year, invoices and requests for

reimbursements need to be submitted for payment and

processing in the year that they are incurred. Once the

year is closed out, expenses paid in January 2017 will

be charged to the 2017 budget, even if they were for

the previous year. We are unable to charge expenses

back to a previous year. Please keep this in mind and

request invoices from vendors before the end of the

year, and please submit requests for reimbursements

for 2016 prior to December 15, 2016.

Blessings,

Jack Hagopian, Chair, Trustees

Offering envelopes for 2017

are available in the Narthex for

pick-up to help defray the cost

of postage. If you are not

currently using envelopes or a

giving number, and would like to, please call the

Church Office at 860-871-6606 to make

arrangements. Thank you!

Have you visited the Church

Website?

Check it out at

WWW.ECCUCC.ORG

Adult Education Series

Advent – 5-week study

“Not a Silent Night” Thursdays at 10:00 am or 7:00 pm

November 17th – December 22nd NO CLASS ON NOVEMBER 24th

Cost of book $15.00, please stop by the church office

to register.

Coming soon …

2017 – 9-week study

“Praying the Psalms” Wednesdays at 10:00 am

January 4th – March 1st

Join Us for Friendship Class The Friendship Class meets the first Tuesday of the

month at 1pm in Room 201.

December 6th at 1:00 PM

All are welcome to join the Friendship Class at any

time! After a short business meeting Pastor Karen will

share with the Friendship Class her experiences and

photos during her recent travels to Indonesia, Malaysia

and Singapore. Should you have any questions about

the Friendship Class, please contact Dianne Durgan at

860-872-6090.

In the coming months, we will hear about Angels on

January 3rd. Bev Russo will be presenting and has

asked that each person attending bring an Angel that is

special to them.

Pastor Karen will present what the ECC Confirmation

program is all about and how the young students

prepare themselves for this journey on February 7th.

Then on March 7th, Bev Russo will once again present

about Hospice, something she has been involved with

for many years.

Mark your calendars and join us for these wonderful

and interesting topics.

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Sacred Stitches

As we go about our Christmas chores and

look forward to celebrations with family and

loved ones, December is the time to put our

quilt work in order by finishing up projects, cleaning

our sewing rooms and readying ourselves spiritually

for Christ's birth. In this spirit, Sacred Stitches will

meet the second Monday of December (12/12) at 10

a.m. in the Social Room. Along with your lunch, you

may find a Christmas cookie or two in honor of the

season. If you have questions, call Peg at 860-454-

7360 or Judy at 860-875-6642.

Historically in the quilting community, January is the

time to plan and begin a new quilt. This is also the

beginning of another year for Sacred Stitches. Let us

resolve to rededicate ourselves to the children we sew

for and perhaps try to bring new friends into our

quilting group. As you know, they don't need to know

how to quilt to be part of Sacred Stitches. Try to make

that your New Year's resolution. We meet on the

second Monday of the month in the Social Room at 10

a.m. Bring a bag lunch and your sewing kit.

Questions – call Peg at 860-454-7360 or Judy at 860-

875-6642.

Prayer Shawl Ministry The Prayer Shawl Ministry does not

meet in December. We hope you will

join us in the new year on Thursday,

January 26, 2017, at 9:30 a.m. in the social room.

We are thankful for the recent donations of money and

yarn. It is most thoughtful for people to support our

group.

There are new "pocket" prayer shawls with a cross

design available in the room off of the Narthex. Please

help yourself to these as well as the shawls.

Jan Starkweather

The Church Office follows the Ellington

School System for delayed and closings

due to inclement weather.

For Sunday and Wednesday Service

delays and closings due to inclement

weather, see only www.WFSB.com and WFSB Channel

3 screen streamer.

Meeting: December 10th

Meet early for Pancake Breakfast Prep

January 14, 2017 8:30 a.m. ~ planning out the New Year

Any questions please Contact:

John Bellezza (860-875-1434)

Gary Chaplin (860-875-9907)

Scott Noble (860-749-7005)

Richard Steele (860-649-4732)

Ellington Congregational Church

Breakfast with

Santa Presented by the Ellington Congregational

Church Men’s Fellowship

Saturday Dec. 10th 9AM

Enjoy a delicious pancake & sausage breakfast with

all the fixings ---

Bring your camera & capture the moment of your child’s special visit with Santa.

---

Story Time with Santa's Elves ---

Sign up on the poster at the back entrance of the church or call 860-749-7005 or e-mail

SANTA@Aetna.Com ---

Donations accepted

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From the Historian…

Part 1

Debby Wallace and I had found some slides in the

archives. Fred Bird, our wonderful photographer, made

photos from them. We discovered several photos of

Rev. Sandau when he was our pastor. I thought he and

his family would like a copy of them. So when Betsy

Cottle sent off invitations for our 100th Anniversary

Celebration Sunday, she included the photos with a

note of explanation from me to Rev. Sandau. To our

disappointment it came back as undeliverable. We

were then in the throes of getting ready for the

celebration and it wasn’t until we were returning things

to the archives that I remembered about his packet. So

I decided to contact the UCC office in Hartford to see

if they knew his current address and they did! So I sent

off the original packet as well as another letter,

program and anniversary booklet. I was very pleased to

receive a note from him which I did share with Mildred

Dimock as she was mentioned in it. I thought you

might enjoy reading it as well. 25 Oct.’16

Dear Ms Peterson-

Thanks for finding me.

I live here (Brunswick, ME) with my

older son, Steve (the baby in one of the

pictures you sent) and his family. My wife

died in 1982.

The material you sent was fascinating

and I recognized a few names in the current

membership list-but only a few-times change

and my memory dims. But Ellington was a

wonderful place to begin to raise our two

sons. My other son John lives in West Hill,

Calf. When we left Ellington we were called

to Cheshire, Ct. where I served First Church

for 35 years -retiring in 1999.

I would have enjoyed the celebration but

probably not been able to come-getting

around is very difficult. Please greet the

few who might remember me and especially

Mildred Dimock (if she is still with us) one

of God’s saints!

Sincerely,

Wayne Sandau

The Note Card

Rev. Sandau (1957-1965) Mildred Dimock (2012)

Part 2

Excerpt from the July-August 2016 Caller:

We were hoping to uncover the two boxes of

memorabilia from 1867 and 1915 that are housed in

the cornerstone on the right-hand side of our church.

The block holding these is marked 1915. Jack

Hagopian had some masons come to see if it was

feasible to drill out the block holding these boxes.

Since blueprints were unavailable and none of the

masons were confident that it would be successful plus

the cost, we decided to forgo this idea. Perhaps it is

best that they remain as our cornerstone.

However, we would like to create a new “time

capsule” that will be more easily unearthed in the

future.

Contents of 2016 Time Capsule

2016 100th Anniversary Booklet

September 18, 2016 Church Bulletin Celebration

Service

275th ECC Anniversary Button

250th ECC Jubilee Anniversary Button

Currency: Dollar (bill) & Quarter, Dime, Nickel and

Penny (cents) Images of Debit Card and Credit Card

Nokia 2005 Cell Phone

Images of Desktop Computer, Laptop, Tablet,

Kindle, Flat Screen HD TV and Smartphone

(communication, research, social networking,

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reading materials, programs, movies, games and

applications) Twitter and Face Book logos (samples of Social

Media)

Historic Headline announcing first Afro-American

President of the United States November 8, 2016 Election Headline (taken from

the Internet)

The time capsule will be placed in the third church

cornerstone which is housed in the Narthex.

Historian, Wendy Peterson

Editor’s Note

We thank Wendy for her 6 years of service as

Historian, taking the position after Mildred Dimock’s

retirement. Wendy maintained ECC’s archives with

diligence in addition to gathering and creating

permanent collections of all of the church’s ministries,

documenting with photos. Her monthly “Caller”

articles were always anticipated and informative,

providing the congregation with a glimpse to our

church’s long history. Wendy’s service culminated in a

beautifully presented historical display of the 100th

Anniversary of our Fourth Meeting House.

The Fellowship Ministry supports our weekly Fellowship hours after our

services with a team of volunteers who bake as well as

offer time to set up and clean up each week for these

services.

As we prepare to create the schedule for 2017, we need

to look for anyone interested in becoming part of this

ministry, either for volunteering for baking and/or

helping on the committee for setup/cleanup. If you are

interested in joining or have any questions, please

contact Joann Scott at 860-454-4189, or email at

jmscott10@comcast.net. Thank you!

T.E.L.O.S. Happenings

Basket raffle tickets are

available for purchase after and

between services running through

Dec., 11th and during Winterfest on

Sat., Dec., 3rd.

Drawings for the basket raffle will take place after

dinner on Dec., 11th.

Annual Holiday

Turkey Dinner

Join Us Sunday, Dec., 11th

NOON in the Social Room

Sponsored by TELOS

Adults $7, Children $3

As always, donations of turkeys are MOST welcome.

CANDY BAR

SALE

Help support

TELOS as they will be selling Munson’s Milk,

Dark, Almond and Crisp Chocolate Bars from

January 8th until February 12th.

THANK YOU!

Thank you for supporting our youths’ Mission work!

NOTES FROM GROWTH

AND NURTURE Name Tag Reminder: Wearing our

name tags is a sign of welcome and

hospitality to visitors and newcomers.

If you need one or a new one, there is a

form to request a name tag in the Narthex or call the

Church Office.

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2016

Saturday, Dec. 3rd

Ellington Congregational

Church

Come Join the Celebration!

2:30-3:30p.m. Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Ellington

Congregational Church invites everyone who loves

to sing, to our 6th Annual Christmas Carol Sing led

by Denise Richards, Nora Chapman and friends.

Join us in the Sanctuary for a joyful hour of singing

Christmas Carols, woven with the beloved

Christmas story, in the spirit of the season at this

year's Winterfest celebration. This is a free event,

open to everyone. 4:00-6:30p.m. Winterfest Café! Our Dinner

Committee will be offering a “family-friendly”

menu, with continuous seating in the Social Room.

Chili ~ Chicken Soup

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Macaroni & Cheese

Brownies ~ Assorted Beverages

4:55p.m. Church Bells – Listen for the sound of

our church bells along with St. Luke’s as we

celebrate.

There are many other events throughout the day as

part of the whole town Winterfest Celebration,

including a Tree-Lighting Ceremony; Ellington

Singers; Open House at the Nellie McKnight

House; Festival of Trees; appearances by Santa

Claus, Mrs. Claus and Frosty the Snowman and a

Torchlight Parade that you don’t want to miss. Join

the Fun!

ELLINGTON CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

ELEVATOR ACCESS

ACCESSIBLE ENTRANCE FROM THE

BACK PARKING LOT

STEWARDSHIP FLASH

The month of October 2016

Income from Giving: $27,210.00

Expenses: $24,414.00

Year to Date (10/2016) Giving Income: $318,875.00

Expenses: $318,022.00

The Joy of Generosity

Pledge cards were received during Worship on

November 13th. Please return your pledge card by

December 6th, either by mailing, using the Sunday

offering plate or leave your pledge envelope in the

Church Office. Blank pledge cards are located in

the Narthex along with envelopes should you need

one. Thank you!

REMINDER

End-of-Year 2016 Contributions

All Contributions for the 2016 tax year

must be in the church office by

9:00 am on December 30, 2016.

No exceptions.

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Board of Missions Mail

The 2016 Christmas Wish Tree

Is For Our Local Food Banks

The CHRISTMAS WISH TREE may be found in

the Narthex…November 13th thru December 11th.

Tags displayed on the tree ask for $25 BIG Y GIFT

CARDS. THIS IS IMPORTANT: Please attach the

Activation receipt to the gift card.

If you are able, please take a tag or two to help

provide for those in need this Holiday Season.

Please drop-off your purchase each Sunday in the

box provided at the Christmas Wish Tree.

Your generosity will benefit the clients who greatly

depend on the Crystal Lake Food Pantry & the

Ellington Food Bank.

This is a Vital Holiday Supplement to our on going

SHOPPING CART MINISTRY.

We Wish You and Your

Family a Blessed

Christmas Season

~ The Board of Missions

FOOD BANK --

SHOPPING CART

REQUEST

FOR THE

MONTH OF

DECEMBER

Hot or Cold Cereal

Canned Soup

Peanut Butter

Jelly or Jam

Canned Tuna

Canned Fruit

Pasta Sauce

Rice

Instant Mashed Potatoes

Dessert Mixes

THANK YOU!

FOOD BANK --

SHOPPING CART

REQUEST

FOR THE

MONTH OF

JANUARY

Jarred Baby Food

Dry Boxed Baby Food

THANK YOU!

BIG Y

GIFT

CARD

$25

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The Women’s Fellowship of the Ellington Congregational Church is open to all members and friends

of the church. We encourage you to participate in our organization.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace

in its various forms.” From The Message, 1 Peter 4:10

All Church Christmas Pot-Luck

To the women of Ellington Congregational Church,

We have much to be thankful for and I am hoping

that this holiday season is filled with family and

joyful festivities for you. The Farmhouse Fair was a

sparkling success. More people attended and a

larger profit was realized than last year. A couple of

new rooms were fun and so popular. This success

was a result of many folks working together –

creatively, tirelessly and cheerfully. So,

congratulations to all that were involved.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the All

Church Christmas Pot-Luck, Tuesday, December

13th at 6:30 pm. Once again…

Last Name Beginning with A – M

Please bring hot dish / casseroles

Last Name Beginning with N – Z

Please bring salads

Beverages and Desserts will be provided

Remember to bring a wrapped gift for the Yankee

Swap. It should be a great evening, so, plan to

come.

Would you like to “Refresh Your Soul”? That is the

theme of the Women’s Retreat for 2017. It will be

held on Saturday, February 25th. We will have many

more details for you at a later date. This will be a

day where you can treat yourself to Psalms and

lavender. We are excited about this and looking

forward to being refreshed.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Blessings,

Susan Mason

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

April 30, 2017 Annual Spring Tea

****************************************** REMINDER – hawkwing: Women’s Fellowship

collects gently used coats and new

items for the Lakota people in South

Dakota and the items are distributed

through the efforts of hawkwing, a non-

profit organization. There is a box in the narthex for

depositing clean coats in good condition, and Jan

Danforth faithfully collects and stores them each

week. (Thank you, Jan D.!). Our congregation has

been extremely generous in their donations and every

donation makes a difference, so thanks! For

additional information about this mission, the website

is www.hawkwing.org. You may also see Janet W. or

Peg D. at church, as they coordinate the hawkwing

missions for our church.

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Campbell Labels & General Mills Box Tops! Please continue to save the

UPC Campbell bar codes and General Mills

Box Tops for Education coupons for Elon

Homes & Schools for Children in North Carolina.

They may be deposited in the red box in the Social

Room or in the folder on the downstairs bulletin board

– where lists of what to save are also available. The

Elon Homes and Schools and the ECC Women’s

Fellowship thank you for your continued support.

THE FARMHOUSE

FAIR

55 YEARS!!

Thank You All for your help at the 55th ECC

Farmhouse Fair! Thanks to every one of you who

contributed your time, craftsmanship, monthly

participation and labor at the Fair itself!! Thank

you especially for your eagerness to sign up, to

bake, to greet and welcome, and for your smiles for

all of our visitors!!

And now for the details. Six hundred and twenty-

four people came to see, to eat, to shop, and to

enjoy the welcoming atmosphere. Some people just

love to go to Fairs, indeed--we learned of one

couple who went to two other Fairs in the morning,

came to our Fair to have lunch and were planning to

visit two other Fairs in the afternoon!

On Friday night, we took in $3,111.76. After

Saturday we had a total of $6,685.85, and after

Sunday afternoon the total had climbed to

$10,489.36! After paying expenses, this money will

be used by the Women’s Fellowship to serve the

church, buying new items, such as Sanctuary

curtains, which are not in ECC’s budget.

As of this moment, we are planning a meeting for

Saturday, January 7, 2017, at 10am, in the Church

Social Room. We will be discussing the 55th

Farmhouse Fair. Everyone is welcome!! If you

took any photos of any particular room displays or

of social interactions, please share them with us. We

would love updates for ECC’s website!

Women’s Fellowship is putting together a new

leadership team for the Fair! If you are interested in

helping to organize this very special project, please

contact Janet or Peg, and we will talk! Thank you

again!!

Janet Wieliczka, 860-871-1080

Peg Doffek, 860-454-7360

A NOTE FROM FABULOUS FIBERS…

Thank you to everyone who donated handmade

items for Fabulous Fibers. Quite a few beautiful

handcrafts were left off prior to the fair with no

name attached. I am sorry that I cannot respond to

each of you personally. So to all of you, I wish to

send my appreciation for your time and effort spent

toward making the fair a success! Carolyn Bunick

See You All at the

56th Farmhouse Fair

Friday, November 3, 2017

Saturday, November 4, 2017

Have you ever noticed…

Thank you to all of the “silent” church people who

handle the small and large projects; detailed items; a

nail here; flowers there; holiday arrangements; etc.

Sometimes you just see things appear and then

disappear. These volunteers keep the church

building and grounds running, beautiful and

welcoming. A blessing for all of us to be thankful

for.

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The Church Family News

DECEMBER

Birthdays

Dec. 1 Josh Sandamena

Dec. 2 Raoul Fortin

Dec. 2 Nicholas Koehnke

Dec. 3 Aaron Hinze

Dec. 4 Marcia Hesse

Dec. 6 Charity West

Dec. 6 Shannon Close

Dec. 8 Charlotte Byam

Dec. 9 Erin Chichlowski

Dec. 9 Matthew Chichlowski

Dec. 10 Madison Quinlan

Dec. 11 Priscilla Bazan

Dec. 12 Ethan Parlante

Dec. 15 Autumn Flickenschild

Dec. 16 Joy Cloukey

Dec. 17 Sam Walch

Dec. 18 Laurie Hazleton

Dec. 18 Charles Firetto

Dec. 20 Peter Bazan

Dec. 21 Amanda Leonard

Dec. 28 Ellen Adams

Dec. 28 Scott Noble

Dec. 28 Brooke West

Dec. 29 Olivia Ledoux

Dec. 29 McKenna Cahill

Dec. 30 Joanne Raulukaitis

JANUARY

Birthdays

Jan. 1 Donald Ellis

Jan. 1 Jackson Scott

Jan. 2 Phyllis Maslak

Jan. 3 Arthur Caldwell

Jan. 7 Ciara Troy

Jan. 8 Curtis Thompson

Jan. 9 Peter Walch

Jan. 9 Alex Lettieri

Jan. 10 Virginia Heim

Jan. 10 Barbara Peck

Jan. 10 Barry Cottle

Jan. 11 Kristen Sternat

Jan. 11 Avery Wilson

Jan. 12 Vanessa Close

Jan. 12 Lucas LaPierre

Jan. 13 Benjamin West

Jan. 13 Sarah Cocuzzo

Jan. 14 Emalie Bellezza

Jan. 15 Elaine Blair

Jan. 15 Earl Palmer-Lavoie

Jan. 15 Owen Cloukey

Jan. 16 Alessia Hessinger

Jan. 16 Lauren Galeota

Jan. 17 Nolan Byam

Jan. 19 Delani Oliver

Jan. 20 Julianne Pashe

Jan. 21 Jack Hagopian

Jan. 21 Nancy Parker

Jan. 21 Eric Vincens

Jan. 22 Caren Rasmussen

Jan. 22 Brianna Mellen

Jan. 23 Carl Ferrara

Jan. 24 David Sirag, Jr.

Jan. 25 Derek Litty

Jan. 26 Lucas Van Deventer

Jan. 26 Thomas Samson

Jan. 30 Dave Hazleton

Jan. 31 Emily Byam

Jan. 31 Brady Powell

DECEMBER Anniversaries

Dec. 27 Erin & Stephen Quinlan

14

JANUARY

Anniversaries

Jan. 2 Esther & Lino Pezzella

Jan. 11 Laura & Keegan Hoey

Jan. 13 Deanna & Michael Piotrowski

Jan. 24 Mary Lu & Jack Scarlato

PRAYER GROUP

& PRAYER CIRCLE

The Prayer Group meets at the church for one

hour every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. to pray for

people in need. If you need prayers for someone

or would like to be included in the Prayer Circle,

please let Carolyn Ladd or the church office

know.

SANCTUARY FLOWERS We thank the following for

providing sanctuary flowers

in November: The Hinze

Family in honor of Dorothy

Tilton’s Birthday in Heaven,

we love you Mom and

Grandma; Penny Gates in

loving memory of Robert A. Gates; Jack and

Carol Hagopian in loving honor and memory of

Family; Sharon McLaughlin and The Wieliczka

Family in loving memory of Don McLaughlin;

The Meyer Family in loving memory of F. John

Arens and by Jon and Lyn Allen in loving

memory of Bill and Doris Borges, Lyn’s

parents.

We thank the following for

providing sanctuary flowers in

December: The Durgan’s in loving

memory of Dianne’s father, Daniel

W. Earle, Sr. and Bob’s father,

Alvin R. Durgan.

Hospitalized

since the last Caller

Elaine Blair ~ Caren Rasmussen

Ed Thirsher

If you go to the hospital and

would like a visit by a Pastor…

Please CALL our office as soon as you know

you will be admitted.

In your admitting process, you will be asked if

you are part of a local faith community

(church). If so, please answer YES, and give

the name and town of your church.

You will also be asked if you want your name

released to representatives of your church. If

so, please answer YES.

If you say no, or if you do not give the name of

your church, the hospital will not be able to

release your name to us.

Grandparents Dean and Caren

Rasmussen celebrate the birth

of Selah Christine Rasmussen,

born on November 1, 2016 at 1:17 p.m.,

weighing in at 7 lbs. 6 oz., and 18 ¾” to proud

parents David and Suzanne Rasmussen and

big sisters, Hadassah and Elizabeth and big

brother, Joel in Cleveland, Ohio.

Our prayers and congratulations to you all!

15

Service People on Active Duty The following list contains people called to active

duty. Please keep them and their families in your

prayers. If you know of someone who should be

on this list (or have a correction), please contact

the church office at 871-6606 or sec-

eccucc@sbcglobal.net. Thank you.

Full Name Submitted by

143rd Regional Support Group CT Army National

Guard

250th Engineering Battalion Army National Guard

Allysson Belval

Bill McDonald

Chelsea Hinton Jay Walpole

Chris Perrett Moriah Nutt

Chris Saucier

Damon Matus

Danielle Hanson

David William Chokas Andrie Bellezza

David Nutt

Del Plato

Donald McLaughlin, Jr. Janet McLaughlin

Eric

Evan Peterson

Gary Feldman, Jr.

Greg Fearnley

Ian Rivers

Jeremy Allen Jon & Lyn Allen

Jessica Lannan

Jim

Josh Smidge

Kyle Ciesco Melissa Ciesco-Rolland

Larry Oliver

Nicole Walsh

Rachel Korzub

Sean Belmont George & Marty Nickerson

Tom Kutscher

Troy Ciesco Melissa Ciesco-Rolland

We give God thanks for the

life of

Beulah McKenna

Our sympathy is expressed to the McKenna family and friends.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4)

Baptized by Water & the Holy Spirit

November 20, 2016

Alice Liberty McNamara, daughter of Valerie and

Nicholas McNamara. Her godparent is Dr.

Benjamin Franek.

We wish Alice and her family all

God’s blessings!

2017 SANCTUARY FLOWERS The flowers we enjoy in worship

each week are donated by church

members and friends to celebrate,

honor or remember loved ones. The

2017 Flower Chart is now available

in the Narthex for sign-ups. Please

consider signing up to provide

sanctuary flowers for a week that is meaningful to

you.

The cost for flowers for 2017 will remain the same

as 2016 ~ $35.00, which includes delivery to the

church. The person ordering the flowers will have

the responsibility of the flowers after the last

morning service. Therefore, you are invited to

take your flowers home with you or you may

deliver them to a sick or shut-in person or someone

you wish to have them. Pastor Don and Pastor Karen

are also great resources to inquire as to an individual

that is sick or shut-in.

16

Christian Education News (Sunday School, Youth Groups, Confirmation, Adult Education)

SUNDAY SCHOOL

DECEMBER Sundays

4th 10:30

Sunday School

- Communion Sunday

- Children will begin in class

11th 10:30 Sunday School

- Cantata Sunday

- Children will begin in class

18th 10:30 NO Sunday School

- Christmas Pageant

All Church Worship

NO CRADLE ROLL

25th 10:30 NO Sunday School

- Lessons & Carols

All Church Worship

NO CRADLE ROLL

This month in Sunday School the

children will be learning about

Advent and the Christmas story.

The Sunday School classes adopted a family and a

senior from Ellington Human Services to provide

gifts for their Christmas. Please pick a “star”

with your child from the Christmas Tree located

right outside of the pre school classroom in the

lower education wing if you are able to help. Each

star has a different gift that the family or

senior asked for. Donations are due back by

12/11/16. Thank you for helping to make a happy

holiday for an Ellington neighbor in need.

YOUTH NEWS T.E.L.O.S.

A mission-based

program for students in

Senior High School

DECEMBER Confirmation & TELOS Schedule

Sunday unless noted: 12/03

Saturday

9:00a -

Noon

4:00 –

7:00

TELOS Leaders

Meeting

TELOS -

Winterfest

Basket Raffle

Ticket Sales

12/04 Between

& after

services

5:00

6:30

TELOS - Basket

Raffle Ticket

Sales

Confirmation

TELOS

12/11 9:00 –

2:00

5:00

TELOS Turkey

Dinner & Basket

Raffle Ticket

Sales – serving @

Noon

Confirmation

12/18 5:00 Combined

Confirmation &

TELOS Potluck &

Yankee Swap

Party

12/25 Merry Christmas

NO Confirmation

& NO TELOS For updates, check www.eccucc.org

17

Christian Education

News (Sunday School, Youth Groups,

Confirmation, Adult Education)

SUNDAY SCHOOL

JANUARY Sundays 1st 10:30

NO Sunday School

All Church Worship

NO CRADLE ROLL

8th 10:30 Sunday School

-3rd grade Bible Sunday

- Children start in Worship

15th 10:30 Sunday School

- Children start in class

22nd 10:30 Sunday School

- Children start in class

29th 10:30 Sunday School

- Children start in Worship

Thank you!

A big thank you to everyone who donated a gift

for the families or Senior and her dog the

Sunday School children adopted for Christmas.

We were able to provide almost everything on

their list! Thank you for making the holidays

brighter for an Ellington neighbor in need.

YOUTH NEWS T.E.L.O.S.

A mission-based

program for students in

Senior High School

JANUARY Confirmation & TELOS Schedule

Sunday unless noted: 01/01

Happy New Year!

NO Confirmation

& NO TELOS

01/07

Saturday

9:00 am

- Noon

TELOS Leaders

Meeting

01/08 Between

& after

services

5:00

6:30

TELOS Chocolate

Bar Fund Raiser

Begins

Confirmation

TELOS Meeting

01/15 Between

& after

services

TELOS Chocolate

Bar Fund Raiser

NO Evening

Confirmation &

NO TELOS

01/20

Friday

6:30 pm Confirmation off-

site

01/22 Between

& after

services

5:00

6:30

TELOS Chocolate

Bar Fund Raiser

Confirmation

TELOS Meeting

01/26

Thursday

5:00 pm

set-up;

etc.

ECC Annual Mtg. (Helping with the

dinner counts as a

Confirmation

Service Activity)

01/29 Between

& after

services

9:00 am –

2:00 pm

TELOS Chocolate

Bar Fund Raiser

TELOS Lasagna

Dinner For updates, check www.eccucc.org

18

GATEKEEPERS – DECEMBER 2016

Sunday

Worship

Service

DECEMBER 4TH

SECOND SUNDAY OF

ADVENT

COMMUNION &

BELL SUNDAY

DECEMBER 11TH

THIRD SUNDAY OF

ADVENT

SENIOR CHOIR

CANTATA

DECEMBER 18TH

FOURTH SUNDAY OF

ADVENT

CHILDREN’S PAGEANT

ALL CHURCH WORSHIP

DECEMBER 24TH

CHRISTMAS EVE

ALL CHURCH WORSHIP

DECEMBER 25TH

CHRISTMAS DAY

~ 10:30 AM ONLY ~

LESSONS & CAROLS

ALL CHURCH WORSHIP

Greeters:

(10:30)

Barbara Peck John & Marsha

Andzans

Laurie Hazleton 5:00 PM – Bob &

Dianne Durgan

7:00 PM – Barbara Peck

11:00 PM – Janice

Schaeffer

Welcomers:

(8:45)

Joyce Jordan

Joyce Jordan

Joyce Jordan

NO 8:45 am SERVICE

(10:30) The Forst Family Duane Van Deventer Dottie Marshall

Lay Readers:

(8:45)

No Readings No Readings 5:00 PM -

7:00 PM – Patti Hany

NO 8:45 am SERVICE

(10:30) Lyn Allen No Readings No Readings 11:00 PM – No Readings

Deacons on

Duty: (8:45)

Al Tiedt

Jennifer Boynton

Beth Cocuzzo

Brian Wright

5:00 PM - Bryan Forst

Beverly Russo

NO 8:45 am SERVICE

(10:30) Basil Stone

Earl Palmer-Lavoie

John Bellezza

Bryan Forst

Joanne Raulukaitis Carolyn Ladd 7:00 PM

Earl Palmer-Lavoie

Beth Cocuzzo

AL Tiedt

11:00 PM

John Bellezza

Jennifer Boynton

Basil Stone

Katherine Meyer

Anna Carroll

Ushers:

(8:45)

Dottie Marshall

Ingrid Royle

Dottie Marshall

Ingrid Royle

Dottie Marshall

Ingrid Royle

5:00 PM – Jeremy &

Robin Galeota NO 8:45 am SERVICE

(10:30) Chas Gross

Elaine Duckett

Chas Gross

Elaine Duckett

Chas Gross

Elaine Duckett

7:00 PM - Tim Adams &

Children

11:00 PM – Ada

Thompson &

Bob LaPierre

Mike Scott

Ingrid Royle

Food Bank

Deliveries:

Cornerstone Cupboard

HVCC Food Pantry

Cheryl Dinse

Crystal Lake Community

Food Pantry

Laurie Hazleton

No Food Collection Ellington Food Bank

Debby & Rob Wallace

19

GATEKEEPERS – JANUARY 2017

Sunday

Morning

Worship

Service

JANUARY 1ST

COMMUNION &

EPIPHANY SUNDAY

10:30 SERVICE ONLY

JANUARY 8TH

BAPTISM OF THE

LORD &

3RD GRADE BIBLE

SUNDAY

JANUARY 15TH

SECOND SUNDAY AFTER

EPIPHANY

JANUARY 22ND

THIRD SUNDAY AFTER

EPIPHANY

JANUARY 29TH

FOURTH SUNDAY

AFTER EPIPHANY

&

MISSION SUNDAY

Greeters:

(10:30)

Carolyn Ladd Dottie Marshall Marcia Hesse Debby Wallace Joanne

Raulukaitis

Welcomers:

(8:45)

(10:30)

Lay Readers:

(8:45)

(10:30) George Nickerson Jon Allen Jack Hagopian Bev Russo Jen Boynton

Deacons:

(8:45)

(10:30)

Ushers:

(8:45)

Marsha & John

Andzans

Marsha & John

Andzans

Marsha & John Andzans

Marsha & John Andzans Marsha & John

Andzans

(10:30)

Tim Adams

Karen Johnson

Tim Adams

Karen Johnson

Tim Adams

Karen Johnson

Tim Adams

Karen Johnson

Tim Adams

Karen Johnson

Food Bank

Deliveries: Cornerstone Cupboard

Richard Malone

HVCC Food Pantry

Cheryl Dinse

Crystal Lake Community

Food Pantry

Laurie Hazleton

Ellington Food Bank

Debby & Rob Wallace

Board of

Missions

20

THE CHURCH CALLER Ellington Congregational Church United Church of Christ P.O. Box 216 Ellington, CT 06029-0216

Non-profit Org.

U.S. Postage

PAID

Vernon, CT

PERMIT #201

(TIME VALUE December 1, 2016)

New home? Phone? E-mail? Please call or e-mail the Church Office so we can keep our

records up to date. Thank you. Phone: 860-871-6606 eccucc@sbcglobal.net

HIGHLIGHTS

An Evening in Vienna Austria p. 1

Advent Happenings & Merry Christmas p. 2 Call to Annual Meeting & Report Reminder p. 3

All contributions for the 2016 tax year must be in the

church office by 9:00 a.m. on December 30, 2016.

Thank you!

Annual Summit p. 4

Message From Trustees & Friendship Class p. 5

Sacred Stitches, Prayer Shawl & Breakfast with Santa p. 6 Historian p. 7

TELOS Happenings p. 8

Winterfest & Stewardship p. 9

Missions p. 10

Women’s Fellowship p. 11 – 12 The Church Family News p. 13 – 15 CHURCH STAFF Christian Education News p. 16 – 17 The Rev. Don Bailey-François, Senior Pastor Gatekeepers p. 18 – 19 / Church Calendars p. 20 – 21 The Rev. Karen Bailey-François, Associate Pastor

Esther Pezzella, Director of Music

MISSION STATEMENT

We are a welcoming family of Christians dedicated to living and sharing Christ’s teachings through a faith continually renewed by God’s grace. We come together in worship, study, and mission, bringing a diversity of talents and offering opportunities for each member to express a personal faith through shared responsibility and service. We commit to provide a Christ-centered atmosphere for both individual and communal growth in which all can realize their full spiritual potential.

Adopted 9/11/94

Lisa Crocker, Associate in Christian Education Leigh Lezotte, Church Secretary

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS

8:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M. Monday - Friday Closed Holidays

SUNDAY WORSHIP IS AT 8:45 & 10:30 A.M.

Communion is served the first Sunday of the month

HOW TO CONTACT THE CHURCH (860) 871-6606

eccucc@sbcglobal.net Web Page: http://www.eccucc.org