Photo Album

Each fall and spring the women of Faith Circle hold a rummage sale to help them support the church. It’s a lot of work but it also provides an opportunity for fellowship and many hands do make light work. Both the women in Faith Circle and others volunteers from the congregation spend hours sorting the clothing and getting everything ready. This 2008 Fall Rummage Sale raised $1,100 and so a big thank you to everyone who donated clothing and everyone who helped with the set up and clean up.

This year’s mission trip took 37 of our high school youth and adults back to the Sea Island Habitat for Humanity just outside Charleston, South Carolina. This important ministry of the UCC provides those who volunteer an opportunity to see what it means to put your faith into action and to live in Christian community for a week away from home. Both the youth and adults will tell you that they discover that it really is true. It is better to give than to receive and in giving not only is someone else blessed but you end up feeling blessed yourself.

Our Summer Sunday School Ministry ended on August 24 with another very successful Mission Trip Carnival. We had pony rides and a dunk tank and moon bounce and lots of yummy things to eat and we raised $1,192 for next year’s Habitat for Humanity Mission Trip.

This year the theme for our creative Summer Sunday School Ministry was Moses and the Ten Commandments. Each week the children learned about a different commandment with activities like a pottery demonstration (You shall not have any graven images) and a visit from a polygraph specialist to help us solve the mystery of the missing cupcake (You shall not lie) and a wedding rehearsal complete with a tossing of the bouquet. (You shall be faithful in your marriage.) Our Summer Sunday School ministry ended again this year with a Mission Trip Carnival.

On June 22 friends and family gathered to celebrate as Rev. Dr. Richard A. Hughes renewed his ordination vows on the 25th anniversary of his ordination. Rev. Hughes was ordained to the Christian ministry on June 26, 1983 in the sanctuary of his home the First Congregational Church in Whitman, Massachusetts.

You shouldn't have to be uncomfortable singing and praising God in church. That will not happen in the Union Congregational Church now that the sanctuary is air conditioned. The decision to air condition the sanctuary means that not only will we worship in comfort in the summer but parents will be able to watch their sons and daughters get married without sweltering in the heat. Sacred goodbyes at funerals won't be diminished by having to sit in unbearable humidity.

"Do You Believe In Miracles?" was the theme for this year's Children Sunday and the service proved to be two thumbs up successful. The sanctuary rocked with the sounds of a saxaphone player and bass guitar and the children presented skits and songs to celebrate some of the many miracles Jesus performed. The 4 & 5 Grades reminded us of the many healing miracles Jesus performed by rushing into the sanctuary wearing hospital masks and smocks and pushing a gurney with an injured pedistrian. The Preschool children sang a spirited rendition of Go Tell It On The Mountain while the older children recited Bible verses they memorized this year. The 6-8 Grades videotapes reenactments of some of Jesus' miracles which you can take a look at for yourself.

Our Ambassadors do a great job of coming up with fellowship opportunities. In May 34 of our members boarded a bus that took them to Symphony Hall for a performance of the Boston Pops. An added treat was the chance to see John Williams who was the guest conductor that evening.

This year's Confirmation Class was a little smaller than it has been in past years, but what the confirmands lacked in numbers they made up in spirit. Confirmation is truly a celebration for everyone in the church as we welcome our young men and women as sisters and brothers in our family of faith.

Each year our Confirmation Class does a fund raiser so they can present a gift to the church. This year the Confirmation came up with a great way to do that and to offer a little fun filled fellowship to people as well. Their Confirmation Trivia Night proved to be a huge success and raised $1000. Here TJ holds the trophy that was presented to the winning team.

A rainy weekend didn’t dampen our spirits for this year’s Confirmation Retreat to beautiful Moussam Lake in Acton Maine. The retreat offers the members of the confirmation class time to reflect on their faith and prepare for Pentecost Sunday when they will be confirmed and join the church.

April 27^th was a very special day for our church family. Following the worship service there was a special collation in Fellowship Hall to mark Margaret Stevens Parker’s 100^th birthday. Margaret is a long time member of the Union Congregational Church and there was great joy as we celebrated with her that day.

The Ambassadors are charged with providing fellowship opportunities for our church family and they do a great job of coming up with ideas that bring us together. For some people it might be a trip to the Boston Pops or a Women’s Retreat or a Secret Pal. Our trip to the Shrine Circus was a big hit and something that we will surely do again next year. While we were waiting for the show to being Pokey the Clown stopped by to visit with us. Pokey is a member of Aldersgate United Methodist Church which is one of our sister churches in town.

Every Friday during Lent Union Congregational Church opens its door to the community for lobster bisque luncheons. People even come from the surrounding communities to partake of the pastor’s lobster bisque, Nancy Parson’s homemade breads and desserts that include Don Putney’s delicious apple cranberry crisp, to brownie sundaes to strawberry shortcake. The success of the luncheons can’t just be measured by the money they raise. The fellowship that people enjoy is equally important.

Holy Week and Easter at Union Congregational Church brought us from the palms and the joyful entry of our Lord into the Holy City to the solitude of the Upper Room which we observed on Maundy Thursday with a Service of Tenebrae (Latin for Shadows). Then it was on to Good Friday and a benefit concert for Christian Community Service and the joyful alleluias of Easter morning.

The last Sunday before the start of Lent was a festive time as we gathered for a Mardi Gras Pancake Brunch. The event was hosted by our senior High Youth Ministry and our middle school Young Disciples. Right after the church service that morning we went up to Fellowship Hall for pancakes, crafts and games.

The birth of our Savior is celebrated each year with our Christmas pageant on the 4^th Sunday of Advent. Our thanks to our Christian Education Director Debbie Putney and the children for their touching gift of faith. On Christmas Eve we then gather for carols and candlelight services at 4, 7 and 11 p.m. to welcome the coming of God’s only begotton Son who came to dwell among us full of grace and truth.

Once again Frosty's Fair was a huge success. Everyone came together and shared their time and talents to produce a fair that had lots of wonderful crafts, lots of yummy things to eat and plenty of fun and fellowship for the young and young at heart.

Our annual Youth Ministry – Adult softball game on October 14 provided an afternoon of great fun and fellowship. With the Red Sox battling to advance to the World Series our battle on the softball field at the Little School proved to be equally spirited. The pictures and the narrative on the 2007 YM – Adult Softball Game page will tell you who finally prevailed.

Our Habitat for Humanity mission trip this year took us to Beattyville, Kentucky. We spent a week volunteering with the Lee County Habitat for Humanity. It was an experience with many grace filled moments. We were in the heart of Appalachia and we saw real poverty. The average yearly family income in Lee County is $10,200. We left Beattyville with a deep love for the people we met and although it was a challenge experience for us…we knew when we left that one of our future mission trips will bring us back to the rolling hills of eastern Kentucky and the friends we will always remember in our hearts.

“Fruits of the Spirit” is the theme for our Summer Sunday School this year and once again we’ve planned a variety of creative and engaging activities to help our children learn about the qualities that makes us disciples of Jesus. Each week the children will learn about patience, kindness, gentleness, joy, generosity, self-control, love, peace and faithfulness. They’ll do that with a petting zoo (gentleness), a clown minister (joy), a tomato garden (patience) and a Mission Trip Carnival complete with a dunk tank for the minister (generosity).

On June 10^th we enjoyed another joyful and successful Children’s Sunday. The theme this year was “Head for the Hills” and featured songs and skits and Bible verses based upon stories of Jesus that took place on mountain tops. Everyone got into the spirit of the day which included some unusual props and ways of celebrating Jesus’ love.

Pentecost Sunday is always a day of celebration for our church family. This year was especially joyful as 14 of our youth confirmed their faith and joined the church. It was a large Confirmation Class and the sanctuary was overflowing with family and friends in the congregation who were there to welcome them into full membership.

On May 20 we gathered to say thank you and goodbye to our student minister Kevin Goldenbogen. During his time with us Kevin and his family became a beloved part of our church family. UCC is a church that takes its Teaching Parish ministry to heart as it walks with students to ordained ministry in the United Church of Christ. Since it was also Mother’s Day there was a brunch following the service. The brunch was prepared and hosted by our middle school Young Disciples and our senior high Youth Ministry and all the women of the church were their guests of honor.

This year’s Confirmation Retreat took 14 youth and 5 adults to Moussam Lake in Acton, Maine. The retreat offers the youth an opportunity to experience a little Christian community and explore their faith in a beautiful setting away from the usual routine of day to day life.

Union Congregational Church is blessed with youth who are very involved in the life and work of the church. Each month both youth groups spend time with the residents of the McGlaughlin House, an assisted living facility for adults who have suffered head injuries. Both the youth and the residents look forward to the visits and good friendships have evolved over the last couple of years. The youth and residents have gone bowling, watched movies, carved jack-o-lanterns and this month decorated Easter eggs together.

Our Roman Holiday dinner was a tremendous success. The fundraiser and silent auction provided everyone with a fun and festive evening with good fellowship and food. The money raised from the event was held to support this year’s mission trip to the Lee County Habitat for Humanity outside Lexington Kentucky.

It just wouldn’t be Christmas at UCC without our annual Advent Workshop. It’s a festive time when everyone comes together to watch and help the children in our Sunday School make a variety of Christmas crafts. Children make angels, decorate Christmas cookies and sometimes there’s even a chance to make their own gingerbread house.