The Board of Outreach is continuing their church-wide discussion on "uniquely different" members of our community.  In case you may be unaware, Outreach is using the term, "uniquely different," in place of the traditional term, "disabled."  A questionnaire was developed to obtain data on our church members and the ways in which disabilities may impact their lives.  You may have already received this questionnaire in the mail. If not, please be on the lookout for it.  PLEASE (anonymously) complete this questionnaire to the best of your ability and return to the church office by February 14th.  Your input is so very important to the Outreach Board, to our church family and to our community.  Once the questionnaires are received, Outreach members will read and compile the information.  There will be an after church round-table to discuss the data on Sunday, March 7th. Please mark your calendars!  The Board of Outreach thanks you in advance for your help with this project.

It has become tradition that we have a Lenten Food Drive for the Bedford Food Pantry.  On Easter Sunday, please bring the food you've collected during Lent and leave it in the vehicle in the church driveway.  

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.

The construction trailer at the Bedford site was broken into last fall, and over $3500.00 of power tools were taken (mitre saw, 2 Cordless Saws...All with Batteries...1/2 Hammer Drill, Cordless Drills, 18 Volt Chargers, 2 Jig Saws, Orbital Sander, Palm Sander, Corded Drill, Skill Saw, Dewalt Batteries, Tape Measurers, Hammers). This is the second time we have had a break in at the site. Eastern Bank donated money to replace the tools. Others also responded. Many thanks to all.
Holly Webster

House of Hope is pleased that since July, they have placed over 30 families into permanent housing. And they have opened a new shelter, called Hope to Opportunity ( H2O), for five of the most vulnerable families “who are further traumatized by having to live and function among 18 families in the very dense space at House of Hope.”

The House of Hope is always appreciative of the donations we take to them.  They always need toddler items, especially larger size diapers, size 4, 5, and 6.  There were some extra donations to the Church Wider Service baby kit project that will be taken to them, too.  Food and paper goods remain constant needs.  The Outreach Committee expects to sponsor the Mother’s Day Basket project again.  That was a huge highlight for the Moms at House of Hope last year.  Look for details in next month’s newsletter.  We will probably be asking the congregation to fill about 25 baskets with toiletries and items to show special care for the Moms.  Mother’s Day is May 9th.  Thank you, again!

Their recent newsletter can be seen at:www.hopelowell.org. Check it out! And thank you!

The Extravagant Welcome Committee is pleased to announce that some of the Shower of Stoles will be here for you to enjoy.  They will be on display Sunday, March 14th with lunch being served and again on March 21st.  The Shower of Stoles is a collection of liturgical stoles and other sacred items from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons from 32 denominations in 6 countries.  Each contains the story of a GLBT person who is active in the life and leadership of their faith community in some way.  This extraordinary collection celebrates the gifts of GLBT persons who serve God while lifting up those who have been excluded from this service.  Do plan to attend.

On Sunday, December 13th, the Middle School Sunday School class transported the gifts from First Church’s City Mission Society gift gathering to First Congregation Church, UCC in Winchester for sorting for CMS’s Christmas Shop. In Winchester, the group helped unload cars of gifts from other churches, sorted gifts into like items (a very big and important job since gifts come in all mixed up), made scarves and drew Christmas cards. Our group is becoming experts at making scarves since we worked on additional scarves the first weeks of December to take with us to CMS. Carl McDonald, Boston Urban Outreach, CMS, greeted us and explained that all the gifts are distributed to agencies to give to people who are not able to purchase gifts for Christmas. When asked if anything is ever left over (because the generosity is overwhelming), Carl stated that there is never anything left over. It is all given away. The Senior High Youth came as we left and continued the work of the Christmas Shop.

This summer Eric, Wendy, Courtney, Eliza, and Ben Stacey flew to Guatemala for a family mission trip. At Pastor Jamie’s encouragement, they shared their adventure with the congregation on November 15th with a slide show and talk. The congregation eagerly listened to every word and learned so much from them. The Stacey family learned about this mission need from Long Way Home, Inc. They helped build a green construction project (the Tecnico Maya School) using recycled tires and liter-packed bottles (filled with dirt). Go to Global Giving on the web to find out more about this project, ways you can help, and see photographs too. Remember the church records services…this is one DVD you may want to borrow to hear about their experiences.

The THIRD ANNUAL FUN BRIDGE GAME for Habitat was held at our church on Friday, February 5th from 10:00 to 3:00 p.m.The Fun Bridge Game was a success!!!  We made $900!!!  Thank you to the prize suppliers for donating prizes:  Bedford Florist, Bedford Jewelers, Olde Bedford Package Store, Chip-In-Farm, Asiana Bistro, Art of Flowers, Great Road Gallery, Bedford Barber, and Dalya's Restaurant.  The committee was wonderful and I have already sent them personal thank you notes.

Please note the next fundraising event, for which I have posted a flyer on the bulletin board in the hallway to Upper Fellowship Hall.  It's another hike for humanity.
Habitat also is having a GALA event in Chelmsford to raise money for $75/ticket.  If anyone is interested, I can obtain more information.

Habitat has also put lots of money into a special fund for Haitian victims.  Just so everyone knows that it isn't just locally that help is being given.
Holly Webster.

The Outreach Board would like to offer a heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to this year's Mitten Tree collection.  This year we collected a total of 36 caps and 47 mittens and gloves.  The items have been boxed and shipped to the United Church of Christ in Pierre, South Dakota.  They will be distributed to needy Native Americans.

As in the past, we partner with our sister churches for this collection in support of the UCC of Native American churches of the Dakota Association, which is part of the South Dakota Conference of the United Church of Christ.

Many thanks to everyone who donated so generously
 

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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."

Hello friends! Have you been wondering what is happening outside city hall in Worcester? Worcester Fellowship had a great summer with close to 100 people attending every week. We had a social at Lake Park and a bowling trip. This fall we went to Trinity Northboro to play Pictionary and had a delicious lunch, and we have an Advent event at First Church Marlborough.

As the weather gets cooler (we've had snow at worship already!) we have 25-40 for worship. Every time it rains or snows we think of you all in Bedford as we hand out umbrellas. Although we mostly "lend" the umbrellas the numbers are beginning to dwindle.

There is much discussion in Worcester about the closing of the PIP shelter, many people are getting housing, but there is anxiety about how the program will work out. We continue to offer a stable, hopeful presence at worship and on the streets.

Many thanks to all of you for your donations, your support, and your prayers! Liz Magill