Enjoy the new October 2020 newsletter edition of the news@godsacre. All the seasonal events and news is in there. Click here to read.
Submissions for the November newsletter are due October 19th. Please contact Laurel Carr, laurel@godsacredev.wpengine.com.
This year marks the 400th Anniversary of the journey of faith our Pilgrim mothers and fathers embarked upon that brought them to the shores of New England, bringing our congregational tradition with them. The Pilgrims we not perfect people, nor did they perfect the Christian faith, but they are our people, and we are a significant part of their legacy.
Click here for the week-by-week program guide.
Come and learn about all we have in store for you this year on God’s Acre!
On Kickoff Sunday, instead of eating a meal together, we invite everyone to bring non-perishable food items to support the Inspirica Food Pantry in Stamford.
Cohort X, (last names A-L) please bring – Canned Soup, Canned Green Beans, Canned Fruit & Vegetables, Non-perishable/Powdered Milk, Pasta & Sauce
Cohort Y, (last names M-Z) please bring – Rice, Macaroni & Cheese, Cereal & Granola Bars, Baby Food & Formula
Youth Ministries, Church School, & Children’s Choir have teamed up to create an offering built around faith, fellowship, and unconditional love. Our program year will start this October. Please be on the lookout for an email to register your child(ren) for our offerings this fall. See you soon!
Sunday
YG (High School) #1: 4:00-5:30pm
YG (High School) #2: 7:00-8:30pm
Monday
7th Grade: 3:00-4:30pm
8th Grade: 5:00-6:30pm
Tuesday
K, 1st, & 2nd Grades: 4:00-5:00pm
Quest: 8:00-9:00pm
Wednesday
5th Grade: 1:00-2:30pm
3rd & 4th Grades: 3:00-4:30pm
6th Grade: 5:00-6:30pm
Wednesday Morning Bible Study with Chapin
Wednesdays, 9:30-11:00am, on Zoom
Garden Meditation
Thursdays, 9:00-9:30am, Church Memorial Garden. Join Marianna Kilbride, marianna@godsacredev.wpengine.com for Lectio Divina.
Fridays with Merton
Fridays, 8:00-9:00am, on Zoom. Join Marianna Kilbride, marianna@godsacredev.wpengine.com to discuss Thomas Merton’s Thoughts in Solitude
Men’s and Women’s Small Groups
Small groups are forming now for the 2020-2021 program year.
Contact Marianna Kilbride, marianna@godsacredev.wpengine.com for Women’s Groups and
Steve Case, scase135@gmail.com forMen’s Groups.
Inspirica
Our offering plate donations at the Sunday outdoor services in September will go to Inspirica. The Sneaker Tree Project begins on September 13. We encourage you to buy a pair of sneakers for a homeless child in need. Donate a catered meal for 30. For more details visit www.godsacre.org.
Noble House Renovation
Join us on Saturdays – 9/19 and 9/26 – to continue renovating this sober living space in Bridgeport.
Filling in the Blanks
Back to School Backpack Collection. Bring a new backpack to the outdoor worship services or drop off in the bin outside of the church office to help a child in need this fall. Contact Marianna Kilbride, marianna@godsacredev.wpengine.com for a complete list of our mission opportunities!
Musical Moments
Jody Blaine Davis resumes her virtual 30 minute organ recitals each Wednesday beginning on September 2. Click here to watch.
Handbell Choir
If you are interested in being a part of the Handbell Choir contact Jody, music@godsacredev.wpengine.com to learn more!
All are invited on Sunday, August 9, from 5:30-7:00 PM, to a Sabbath Picnic on God’s Acre!
Continue reading
Thursdays, 9:00-9:30am, Church Memorial Garden
August 6-27
Join Marianna Kilbride, marianna@godsacredev.wpengine.com, on Thursdays at 9:00am in the garden for Lectio Divina, a spiritual meditation.
Wednesdays, 7:00-8:00pm on Zoom
July 1-22, no class on 7/15
Paul is second only to Jesus as the most important person in the development and spread of Christianity. There is a consensus among scholars that some letters of the New Testament attributed to Paul are authentic, meaning they are assumed to be written by Paul. Others are disputed. A third set of these letters are assumed to be inauthentic. They might be important and influential, but generally, scholars believe they are not of Paul’s hand.
In coming weeks, we will explore Paul’s letters and focus on themes that seemed most important to him. What theological themes repeat in Paul’s letters? What seemed to be most important to him to proclaim about Jesus and the life of faith? Contact Eric Dupee, eric@godsacredev.wpengine.com to learn more.
Wednesdays, 9:30-11:00am, Church Memorial Garden and on Zoom
July 15-August 26
Support the New Canaan Food Panty
Donate produce from your home garden!
Contact Debbie Shew, scwheatenterrier@yahoo.com
We are pleased to join our friends at St. Mark’s in support the New Canaan Food Pantry, Person-to-Person, and others with food insecurity locally by donating extra produce from our home gardens. Contact Debbie Shew scwheatenterrier@yahoo.com to sign up. (Debbie will even harvest for you if you are out of town!)
July Plate Donations at Outdoor Worship
Volunteer to sort and pack clothing or deliver food.
Contact Marianna Kilbride, marianna@godsacredev.wpengine.com
Our plate offering at the outdoor service in June and July will be donated to Person to Person in aid of those especially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, in the form of financial assistance, food, and clothing, or household necessities. In addition, we have the opportunity to volunteer by sorting and pre-packing clothing and/or delivering food to clients.
Provide a Meal for our friends at Pivot.
Contact Mary Aly, maryaly@pivotministries.org
We continue to have the opportunity to provide our Pivot friends with meals or contribute to that cause. Visit our website for full information and a link to their Meal Train.
Off-site Volunteer Opportunities are available.
Contact Suzanne Brannan, suzbrannan1@mac.com
Suzanne Brannan has continued to find creative ways to serve meals to the men at Pacific House while they are not receiving volunteers on site. If you would like to participate, please contact Suzanne.
August Plate Donations at Outdoor Worship
Backpack Collection for Back to School
Contact Marianna Kilbride, marianna@godsacredev.wpengine.com
In August our plate offering will go to Filling in the Blanks, who provide weekend food to children in school meal service programs. In addition, we will collect backpacks for them.
Tuesdays, 4:30-5:30pm, Children’s Garden
July 7 – August 11
Contact Anush Avetisyan, anush@godsacredev.wpengine.com
Creative Christian Camp is a place of community for the kids of New Canaan run by Director of Children’s music and Drama, Anush Avetisyan. Our activities include developing drama skills, acting out Bible stories, playing fun instruments like bells and drums and team building exercises that help exercise our kind Christian muscles! Please sign up and tell a friend. We are open to anyone who is looking for a place of welcome and creativity this summer! If you can’t come for the full 6 weeks, no worries – weekly sign ups are possible.
Gather with your church family on God’s Acre!
All are invited on Sunday, August 30, from 5:00-6:30 PM, to a Sabbath Picnic on God’s Acre! To RSVP or if you have questions please contact Caroline Leather, caroline@godsacredev.wpengine.com.
There is plenty of space for all to spread out for social distancing and still enjoy each other’s company.
Food trucks will be in the front circle serving dinner and dessert, however you are welcome to bring your own food and drinks if you wish! Bring blankets and/or lawn chairs and be sure to leave space between you and your neighbor (6 feet please)!
Chapin will lead us in Sabbath Dinner practices and bless the children as they begin a new school year.
Kids, church school and youth ministries have some great socially distance games in store for you!
It’ll be a nice, relaxing evening of food, fun, and fellowship “COVID Style.” Don’t forget to wear your masks when you enter and exit the church property or when you are mingling from a distance off your blanket.
Saturday, July 4 at 12:00pm
Contact Jody Davis, jody@godsacredev.wpengine.com
On Saturday, July 4 at noon, hear Jody Blaine Davis play a patriotic concert on God’s Acre. Church windows will be open so bring a chair, wear a mask, and keep 6 feet in distance for this 30 minute organ program. *Concert will take place weather permitting.
30-minute organ recitals
Wednesdays, godsacre.org/musical-moments/
Thursdays, 7:00-8:00pm, Church Memorial Garden
July 16-August 27
Contact Erik Burns, burns@godsacredev.wpengine.com
Summer Quest begins on July 16, from 7:00-8:00pm meeting in the Memorial Garden. Quest meets every Thursday until August 27. Location may vary based on the week (church calendar will be updated to reflect those changes). Quest is open to all high school students grades 9-12.
Join Marianna Kilbride each Thursday in August at 9:00am in the garden for Lectio Divina, a spiritual meditation. This group will meet weekly throughout August, drop in anytime!
We will be joining the Gospel Garden Givers program in their efforts to support the New Canaan Food Pantry, Person-to-Person, and others with food insecurity in our community.
Continue reading
Whether you are an adult, teenager, or child, I hope this compilation allows you to feel supported in engaging in what can be an uncomfortable topic. Now is not the time to bury our heads in the sand and wait for this to pass. Instead, it is a time to embrace our Christian faith and the duties that come with it.
Friends our brothers at Pivot are in need. Their two big suppliers of donated food are unable to provide for them during the COVID-19 crisis. They are reaching out to longtime partners for help. If you could provide a lunch or dinner and deliver it they would be incredibly grateful.
Continue reading
As many of you know tonight we would be celebrating our youth and lifting up our YG Seniors at the annual Beacon of Light Dinner. This dinner is not only a reflection on our past year but a moment for our younger fish to glimpse what is in store for them next year and beyond. Even though we are not physically meeting tonight, Kelly and Erik still wanted this evening to be a mark of hope and celebration for our youth. Attached below is the link to YG’s Mission Trip Video from our Mission to Sacramento this past February. In the video you will witness the work our Fish were able to accomplish and how our group came together serving the communities of North Sacramento and Rancho Cordova. We hope that this is a reminder that all of our youth continue to be beacons of light in our world and that their love is a driver for change. Despite us not being physically together for this event we are still together in spirit.
I hope you all enjoy!
Jesus tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves. What does that look like amid the COVID-19 outbreak? Here is how we, as a church community, are helping.
First, we are heeding the town-wide efforts: staying at home and strictly limiting the amount of out of the house time, particularly anyone over 60 or with underlying conditions. This reduces the numbers who get sick, the spread of the virus, and the strain on our emergency volunteers, our healthcare workers and facilities, and will get us back to something like normal sooner.
Second, our younger and healthy congregants are helping out church families or members who may need an errand in the upcoming weeks, a grocery or pharmacy shop, following safety protocols.
Third, we are still connecting. We can’t be physically together, but by helping each other through this challenge, whether a senior with more of life experience is reassuring someone younger, or the young and healthy shopping for those who can’t get out, these instances bring us together. They teach us how to love each other, our neighbors.
Thank you to all who have been supporting the effort to keep our community healthy, both physically and mentally. We have a great team of volunteers in place serving those in need, and as of right now, we are keeping up with the demand, but if future needs arise, we will be posting them here.
We are excited to launch book groups for both YG/Quest & MSYG this week!
Our youth expressed an interest in doing something with their church family that didn’t completely involve screen time and could take their minds off of everything else going on in the world right now. After a few weeks of research and reading we have decided that that YG/Quest will read Just Mercy written by Bryan Stevenson and MSYG will explore The Alchemist written by Paulo Coelho.
Just Mercy is a worthwhile read for all young adults and adults alike. This incredible true story, provides us an opportunity to think about the role we have as Christians in advocating for justice. Starting Wednesday, April 22nd the book group will meet for discussion over zoom during the first half hour 7:00-7:30pm of Quest on Wednesdays for the foreseeable future. All high school youth are welcome to join. Once we’ve finished the book we will have a virtual viewing party of the movie adaptation that was recently released! The church has a few additional copies that we’ve purchased on hand from Elm Street books for $11.00 each and can arrange a pick-up of the book for your child.
MSYG will follow the story of a young shepherd, Santiago on his way to finding his dreams. On his journey he learns to follow his heart and navigate unexpected challenges along the way. We think this story will give our middle school students the opportunity to think about how our faith can guide us when our life may be chaotic or without direction. MSYG book group will meet a half hour before MSYG on Sunday from 3:30-4:00pm. We also have copies of The Alchemist available should you wish to purchase one for your middle schooler.
Should you have any questions about how to participate please reach out to Kelly (leather@godsacredev.wpengine.com) or Erik (burns@godsacredev.wpengine.com).
We look forward to reading and learning together!
