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50th Anniversary of Rev. Harold Smith's Ordination
Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 2:00 pm
We will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Ordination of The Reverend
Harold C. Smith on Saturday, July 18 at 2:00 p.m.
Rev.
Smith was called to serve the Trinity United Church of Christ on Congress Street in Bridgeport in July, 1958. He was ordained and installed as their pastor on January
11, 1959. He continued to serve the church as it moved to a new location in Trumbull. He remained there when the church merged with the Park Street Congregational Church
and became know as Unity Hill United Church of Christ. After 40 years of dedicated
service he retired on July 1, 2000.
We
are pleased to honor him with a fun filled evening beginning with dinner at 1:00pm in the church hall, followed by special
entertainment. We hope you will attend and congratulate him
on this important milestone in his ministry.
A
sign up sheet is on the bulletin board. All you have to do is sign up, come and enjoy a wonderful evening. If there are any questions,
please see Florence or Dawn Brezina, Lucille Baver or Dottie Vars.
Save the date!
Fellowship of Unity Hill Annual Get Together
Saturday, July 25 beginning at 2:00 pm
at the home of Carole and Allen Fanslow,
31 Bridgeview Place, Stratford.
Bring a lawn chair and your
bathing suit.
Cost is $12 per person - Children
are free.
Profit will be given to Back
Bay Mission.
Please sign up on the bulletin
board in church.
UNITY HILL UCC CHURCH PICNIC
Sunday, August 23 at 1:00 pm
Save the Date Now!
As summer draws to a close, what could be a better time for a church picnic?
Criss and Marion Gaetano have offered their park-like yard for an afternoon
of swimming, games, fellowship and, of course, delicious food made by you.
A sign up sheet is on the bulletin board.
Our “Pie Tasting Contest” is one of the fun things to do at the
picnic.
So men and women, go through your pie recipes and plan on making one.
They will also be used on our dessert table.
Because summer is such a busy time, please sign up early before you forget.
And mark your calendars also. Hope
to see you on Aug. 23!
Everyone is welcome, including friends.
Homecoming Sunday
September 13, 2009
Mark your calendars
and plan on attending
Homecoming Sunday
at Unity Hill UCC!
In worship, we will celebrate long-time
members of our congregation, recognizing their commitment to serving God in our church community.
This Sunday also marks the
beginning of our Sunday School regular program,and so we will be dedicating our teachers
for the 2009-2010 academic year.
Following worship, the church
will have a potluck picnic.
NOTE FROM CHURCH COUNCIL
COFFEE HOUR … Just a reminder … When hosting coffee hour,
it is very acceptable to bring just some cakes or cookies and some type of sugar free snack.
Milk and punch or juice should also be provided. Anything more is at the
discretion of the individual. Summer is a difficult
time to get hosts, so please help by signing up on the bulletin board. Thank
you!
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION FROM TAMMY
SATTERLEE
This summer come visit Galilee
during Summer Sunday School. We are looking forward to another fun filled summer visiting Galilee and
learning about Jesus and his teachings while he was in Galilee.
Sunday, June 14 was Children’s Day. Thank you so much
to the Finizio Family for hosting our annual Sunday School Picnic. Everyone had
a wonderful time.
Many thanks to everyone who
supported our Sunday School program and our events this year. We look forward to new curriculum in September. If you know
of children who are interested in attending Sunday School, please feel free to bring them in or talk to Tammy with any questions.
All children are welcome!
NEWS FROM MUSIC DIRECTOR,
CAROLE FANSLOW
News of our choirs … Do you play a musical instrument? Or like to sing, but not every Sunday? Well, we are looking for you to play or sing on a Sunday this summer.
Just contact me and say yes! Share your talents with us at Unity Hill.
COMMITTEES AND FELLOWSHIP
GROUPS
MISSIONS COMMITTEE ~ The Missions Committee would like to thank the Fellowship of Unity Hill and
all the members of the congregation who supported our Drumming Event. We raised $200 to send to
Africa through Global Ministries.
FELLOWSHIP OF UNITY HILL ...
At
the June 7 meeting plans were finalized for this year's get together on Saturday,
July 25 beginning at 2:00 pm at the home of Carole and Allen Fanslow. Please sign up on the bulletin board in church.
Fellowship
of Unity Hill will assist at the next community suppers program on Wednesday, August 26. Additional help is always needed and appreciated.
Future
meetings are: Saturday, September 12 at 6:00 pm at the home of Rose and Roger Vars; and October 4 at 7:00 pm at the home of Betty and Frank Heffelfinger.
The
Roast Pork and Sauerkraut Dinner will be held on Saturday, October 10. More details to follow, but save the date. ~ Henry Parker, President
WOMEN’S FELLOWSHIP OF UNITY HILL NEWS TO NOTE …
Our Fall meeting will be on Thursday, September 17 with a trip to the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport. We will carpool from church. Cost is $5. Gather at 11am.
Bring a sandwich. Beverage to be provided.
The Executive Board will meet on Wednesday, September 9 at 12 noon with Lillian Mohrwinkel,
hostess. Our meetings are open to men and women and of course guests are always
welcome. ~ Betty Vida,
President
Golden Hill Community Suppers
Special thanks to the members of Unity Hill that helped out at the June 17th
community suppers program at Golden Hill United Methodist Church in Bridgeport. We
fed 113 people plus plenty for seconds. Those attending enjoyed a meal of Shepherd's
Pie plus wonderful salads and desserts prepared by the following: Rev. Judith Cooke, Wally and Ed Yeager, Hank Parker Rose
Vars, Marsha Piper, Dot Pickens, Ricky Eldridge, Danielle King and Carole and Allen Fanslow.
It’s always a special evening. Our next turn is Wednesday,
August 26. Just ask one of our church members that regularly attends
this program, and they will tell you how gratifying it is to help out.
Greater Bridgeport CROP Walk Committee is sponsoring another Bridgeport Bluefish baseball game on Tuesday,
August 4 at 7:00 p.m. at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport. Please see Carole or Allen Fanslow for details.
PRAYER LIST
Please remember our homebound in your prayers or with a note:
Ben Conte, Eleanor Dooling,
Charles Evans, Pat Fischer, Mary Hassell, Alex King, Vincent Vida and Nellie Wirth.
Mary Hassell has been admitted
to Life Care Center of Palm Beach, 175 Villa Nueva Avenue, Room 207-A, Palm Beach, FL 32907. Her son said she would love to hear from her friends at Unity Hill.
Second Appeal Update
When Unity Hill was hit hard by the recent economic downturn, we saw our endowment drop significantly and we turned to our church family for prayer, for suggestions, and
for additional donations.
While there is still a ways to go, the response so far has been inspiring!
Wanting
the church to have a visual aid of the progress, a bulletin board in Fellowship Hall was assembled, which is based on the
story of Christ feeding the multitudes with only a few loaves and fishes. On
this board, each loaf of bread represents a $1000 donation, and each fish represents a donation of another amount. Currently, we have six loaves on the board, and over a dozen fish.
How blessed we are at Unity Hill UCC to have such a committed church family, willing to support our church like this!
If you would like to join this effort and support our church with your Second Appeal
donation, pledge cards (and submission box) can be found on the table by the loaves and fish bulletin board
in Fellowship Hall.
MISSION MOMENT FROM THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
The 27th General Synod of the United
Church of Christ
This month folks from all
across the United States will be attending our Twenty-seventh General Synod, which begins June 26 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our theme is “Immerse Yourself”—appropriate in Grand Rapids, where
the Grand River flows within steps of the convention center where we will gather. So
too we are mindful of the ways in which water plays a central liturgical role in our faith story—in Creation, in birth,
in baptism and in life itself.
The General Synod experience has been described
as being like a family reunion, a church picnic, and a huge church camp experience, all rolled into one. Church business is conducted in plenary sessions, but there are also
workshops, sponsored meals, service projects, and worship.
The
General Synod of the United Church of Christ meets every two years, gathering delegates from Conferences,
Covenanted Ministries, and a broad range of interest groups to consider the business of
the church and its relationship with the wider world. Because every UCC congregation
is self-governing, its resolutions speak “to” but not “for” the local church. Members and friends
of the United Church of Christ are invited to join the celebration in Grand Rapids;
just check out www.ucc.org for more information.
June 2009 God is still speaking.
News from Parish Nurse, Louise
Evans, R.N.
Help Avoid a Blood Emergency—Give
Blood!
Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.givelife.org today for an appointment that is
convenient for you or for more summer blood drives.
Every summer, blood donations plummet, as vacation season and warm weather activities keep people away from blood drives. Please help keep Connecticut patients safe — they can’t take a vacation
from the treatments they need. Giving blood only takes about
an hour, and costs nothing. Yet each donation can save up to 3 lives!
Call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or visit www.givelife.org
Ban BPA now!
What
is BPA? It is a chemical compound that is used to harden plastic used in making bottles and food containers. It poses great risk to
babies and children.
Many plastics start to break down as they age and when they are heated, scrubbed or subjected to harsh detergents. BPA leaches into the food or milk when the contents of the container are heated. The Harvard
School of Public Health found that levels of BPA showed up in the body in a very short time.
Some
of the bad effects included problems during pregnancy, early puberty, and pre-cancerous changes in breast
tissue, irregular heart rate, liver diseases and fertility problems in males. Canada has proposed banning BPA from baby bottles, as have many retailers, and major U.S. baby bottle manufacturers. Chicago,
Minnesota, Connecticut and Suffolk County in New York have passed their own bans of
BPA from baby bottles and sippy cups.
It may be worth our while to find BPA-free products, since they are available. Glass and unlined stainless steel are
generally safe alternatives, although not as convenient, and they are more expensive. A good rule to follow would be to use glass containers to reheat or cook in the microwave. To minimize your exposure to the chemicals found in plastics, when you bring groceries home, remove the
plastic packaging and wrap all your cheeses and meats in freezer paper or waxed paper before putting them in a plastic bag
or container.
Watch for news articles and log on to www.healthbeat.yourtotalhealth.com for more information.
July is UV Safety Month
American Academy of Ophtalmology
P.O. Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120-7424
(415) 447-0213
August is National Immunization Awareness Month National Center for Immunization & Respiratory
Diseases
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE, MS E-05, Atlanta, GA 30333
(800) CDC-INFO
(232-4636) English/Spanish
(877) 394-8747 International Travel Information
www.cdc.gov/vaccines
Celebrating a birthday during
the month of July… HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
3
Cathy Parker
5
Henry Parker
8 Rose Vars
11 Eleanor Csire
12 Martha Walker
13 Kathy Yalof
14 Katie Schneider
14 Betty Vida
16 Don Singer
18 Brittany Beaudry
Celebrating a birthday during
the month of August … HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1 Tammy Satterlee
4 William DeNomme
4 Richard Foehrenbach
7 Lydia Sanchez
15 Jeffrey Baez, Jr.
18 Russell Bailey
25 Dawn Brezina
26 Criss Gaetano
27 Kaitlyn Santiago
STEWARDSHIP MESSAGE FROM THE
UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
“Not Exactly ‘Twitter’”
Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns … And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you not even
Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these. (Matthew 6:26a, 28-29 from
Matthew 6: 25-34)
Anyone who now or ever has lived with a teenager
recognizes the central fallacy of Jesus’ argument. Flowers are beautiful, but they wear the same outfit every
day! … Retirement savings are a kind of “gathering into barns.” Isn’t
it socially responsible, even if last year was a financial “barn burner?” … It’s fine to critique
contemporary time poverty, but, in a season of record unemployment, cruel to offer
people laid off sowing and spinning this twisted paraphrase: “Do not worry about tomorrow. Put today’s worries on your credit card.”
We have a love-hate relationship with Jesus’ classic teaching found in both Matthew
and Luke. It challenges common sense, responsible planning and even church stewardship. We hope it has nothing to do with our relationship to money, but is a gentle nudge
to enjoy the summer weather, recognize how precious and brief time is with our children,
and free ourselves of the hamster cage of worry. But Jesus is addressing our resource attitudes.
Every day we make choices about money, possessions, security … and giving. Today-living is the secret to giving, open-handed giving. Future-thinking easily becomes fist-thinking. In fact, nobody is happier giving than the person headed for a job interview, one with a shrunken 401K,
a church community whose endowment is en-down-ment. Today-giving replaces stress with bless. As long as we can bless one other person, we have the perspective to recognize that God’s tomorrow is another
priceless today, what Jesus called God’s realm. An old hymn sings across all our twitter, all our worry, “God’s
eye is on the sparrow and I know God watches me.”
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