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.

This year’s mission trip took 37 of our high school youth and adults back to the Beattyville, Kentucky.  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.

“Cradle – Cross – Crown” was the theme of this year’s Summer Sunday School ministry.  The children explored the seasons of the Christian year which follows the life of Jesus.  That included celebrating Christmas in July by making our own candy canes, an Easter egg hunt and a project where we hatched our own baby chicks.  The Summer Sunday School ministry once again concluded with a carnival at the end of August.

“Escape To The Mountains” was the theme of our all church camping trip the last weekend in June.  The weather was a little damp but spirits were high as 54 children and adults ventured to the Horton Retreat Center in northern New Hampshire for a weekend of hiking, singing and fellowship in the midst of the beauty of God’s creation.

This year’s Confirmation Class retreat was held at the UCC Conference Center in Framingham.  The weekend provided an opportunity for 15 youth and 3 adults to explore their faith and to deepen their friendships.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The skiing was incredible and the fellowship was even better on the Youth Ministry’s ski retreat to Mount Sunapee.

Part of being a family of faith is finding ways to put your talents to work.  So, when the call went out for volunteers to paint the church the response was truly gratifying.  During the month of October a group of dedicated workers gathered each Saturday morning and sometimes during the week to scrape and paint.  Because of their efforts we saved several thousands of dollars that will now be able to used elsewhere.

THE GREAT I AM’S

That’s the theme of this year’s Summer Sunday School and to make those sayings of Jesus come alive we had stained glass crosses (I am the light of the world) , bread baking (I am the bread of life), tomato plants for the children to take home and grow (I am the vie and you are the branches), a lamb (I am the Good Shepherd) and lots of other creative and fun crafts.

The theme for Children’s Sunday on June 11 was “God’s Famous Fathers.”  The service was a great success all the way from the preschoolers rousing rendition of Father Abraham to the 6-8^th grade’s modern version of the Parable of the Prodigal Son which they called the Story of the Selfish Dude.

On June 8^th, 2006 Rev. Hughes turned 50!  So, to celebrate the occasion the congregation got together (without him catching on) and threw him a surprise birthday party after church.  It was a time of fun, fellowship and lots of chocolate with a grateful pastor who let it be known that he feels incredibly blessed to have such a wonderful and caring congregation.  He then ended his remarks by quoting the opening words to Robert Browning’s poem “Rabbi Ben Ezra”  “Grow old along with me.  The best is yet to be.”

Following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina UCC’s Outreach Ministry sprang into action.  In addition to raising $3,000 for Back Bay Mission in Biloxi, Mississippi via donations from the congregation and a special lobster bisque supper that was held at the church.  The Outreach Ministry also successfully collected tooth brushes, soap and other items for 200 health care kits that were sent to Church World Service.