AdultPrograms - First Church of Christ, Congregational, in Bedford, MA

PROGRAMS FOR ADULTS

Our church offers many programs and activities for adults of all ages...discussion groups...social groups...craft groups, etc. Below are listed some of the programs we offer.

Dates to Remember

See the News and Events page for a list of dates to put on your calendar.

Men's Breakfast Group

The Men’s Breakfast Group continues to meet every Wednesday morning at 6:30 a.m. in

the Vestry. All men are welcome. They enjoy coffee, toast and conversation. They often read a book in their meeting (no preparation required).

8:15 Group

The 8:15 Group meets most Sunday mornings from September through May at 8:15 a.m. in the Church Vestry to discuss a book or to watch a video from an interesting TV program while enjoying a continental breakfast and coffee. They take turns bringing a light breakfast and have lots of good discussion and fellowship.

The 8:15 Group concluded their discussion of Living Buddha Living Christ by Thich Nhat Hanh. They are now in the process of discussing Conquering Fear-Living Boldly in an Uncertain World by Rabbi Harold S. Kushner. The book draws on the teachings of religious and secular literature and on the true stories of people who have faced their fears. It helps us to see that fear can present us with opportunities to rethink our values and change our lives for the better and to change the world.

We always welcome new people. For more information, contact Ken or Pat Konkle.

Moms' Book Group

The MOMs Book Group meets at 10:00 a.m. in the church library from October through June. Please consider joining us for our monthly book discussion- we welcome new members. Listed below are the books we will be reading for the rest of this season:

March 5th The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows
April 2nd Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
May 7th The Help by Kathryn Stockett
June 4th The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Happy Reading!

If you are interested in childcare, please contact Ann Guay or Wendy Stacey.

United Workers

Come join this group and have fun, fellowship, great desserts, and help support the work of the church. Meetings are from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., on the first Wednesday of the month. They meet every month except July. United Workers make beautiful potholders for our fair. Contact Donna Dobbins for more information. They now need old mattress pads to use for stuffing the potholders...please leave them in the church office.

We salute the United Workers, organized February 19, 1890. For 120 years, the United Workers have been using their busy hands for special needs of our church, most recently new drapes for Upper Fellowship Hall — or over the years, electric stapler, water pail for the kitchen, new dishes, towels, homemade donut sales in the driveway, etc.

The record states that over the past 10 years they have made well over 2400 potholders. Their pot holders are world famous — labeled “best in the land. We celebrated their birthday with cake after church (photo below).

Prayer Shawl Directions

Continue reading here for prayer shawl directions... more...

Soul Sisters

Women's Fellowship (now the Soul Sisters meets from September through May, usually beginning and ending with a Pot Luck dinner. They enjoy a wide variety of programs and enjoy visiting with each other, sharing both joys and concerns.

After much discussion, we decided to rename the group, the “Soul Sisters” in recognition of the part of the crowd of First Church women who marched in the Bedford Day Parade, “The Red Hot Soul Sisters.”

Ladies’ Lock-In? Women’s Retreat?

No matter what you call it, you won’t want to miss this high energy experience! The theme is “Walking in Faith” and this event is all about shoes, feet and where they take you. Please sign up early for this March 19th-20th saucy, spiritual and sensational summit of sisters with soul! Program starts at 6:00 p.m. in UFH. A suggested $10.00 donation covers cost of food, crafts etc.

Red Hot Soul Sisters Lawn Chair Team Members

The Redh Hot Soul Sisters Lawn Chair Drill Team formed in the winter of 2009 and rehearsed to march in the September Bedford Day Parade. It was a lot of fun and a huge success. Will they do this again? Contact Jane Taylor if you are interested in joining.

The Red Hot Soul Sisters practice for the first time.

Getting ready to give a preview of the routine to our church family on Homecoming Sunday

Handicrafter's Workshops

Handicrafters meet most Tuesday afternoons from May through October. They welcome new ideas and workers. If you would like to help, contact Phyllis Cooke. Below is a photo of them making items for the Fall Festival and also a photo of the afghans they knit for VA Veterans. They also knit blankets for Project Linus and hats for newborns at Emerson hospital. Others in the church help with the knitting projects too. (they welcome donations of yarn!) This year, they made 90 baby hats for Emerson Hospital’s nursery, 15 blankets for Project Linus for children in area hospitals, 10 women’s cancer hats and 9 afghans for the VA hospital. They thank everyone who has donated yarn or fabric for these projects. They always put it to good use. They appreciate yarn or 8-inch knitted squares (for the afghans)—a good winter project. If you would like to help knit, contact Shirley Muir.

Knitting Ministry

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."