Join us every Wednesday in Lent for evening prayer and a simple soup supper. We will gather in the Vestry at 5pm and share a brief time of prayer, song and silence, followed by a simple supper of soup and bread. There is no cost for supper and everyone is welcome to join us. We plan to have a vegetarian soup each week, and most of the soups are also gluten free. Thanks to Two Mums Kitchen in Gray for supplying the soup for our gatherings.
Did you know we share worship on Zoom every Sunday at 9:30am?
You can get the Zoom log-in information at this link.
Sunday at 9:30am doesn’t work for your schedule?
You can watch past Sunday services on our YouTube page.
The events of Christ’s Passion, which take place during the last week of Jesus’ life, often don’t receive enough time in our worship and study. These stories are important to our faith journey and our identity as followers of Jesus. And yet we often move too quickly from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday with little time to take in the dramatic story of that last week. Throughout the six weeks of Lent we will “freeze-frame” moments in Holy Week so we might put ourselves in the picture, thereby “Entering the Passion of Jesus.” How might taking a closer look at the ancient story open us to deeper conviction for our role in its ongoing message?
Each Sunday we will use scripture, story telling, and art to put ourselves into the Holy Week story. Click the links below to see the artwork.
February 26 – The Parade
Scripture – Matthew 21:1-11 Art – “Entry Into the City” by John Swanson
March 5 – The Temple
Scripture – Mark 11:15-19 Art – “Cleansing of the Temple” by Pieter Artsen
March 12 – The Teaching
Scripture – Matthew 22:15-22 Art – “The Tribute Money” by James Tissot
March 19 – The First Dinner
Scripture Mark 14:3-9 Art – “Mary Anoints Jesus’ Feet” by Anonymous
March 26 – The Last Supper
Scripture – John 13:1-16 Art – “Washing the Disciples Feet” by David Paynter
April 2 – The Garden
Scripture – Mark 14:32-52 Art – “Christ on Gethsemane” by JESUS MAFA
This worship series is adapted from materials written by the Worship Design Studio.
Bible Study
Want to dig deeper into these stories? Join us for Bible Study every Wednesday in March from 4:30-5:30pm.
Lent At Home Devotional
We have copies of “Henri Matisse and the Colors of Lent” available in the church office. It uses the art of Henri Matisse to explore the themes of Lent. If you want quick links to all of the paintings referenced in the devotional click here. And if you would like a version of this devotional that you can access on your phone/tablet, contact the church office. Thanks to The Salt Project for producing this beautiful resource.
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NOTE: When we launched the e-newsletter, some of you found that your issues went somewhere other than your email inbox. Among the ways to fix this is to put the church’s email address (office@ngucc.org) in your Contacts so that your email server will “recognize” us and deliver your mail.
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Distribution days for the remainder of the summer are: July 24, August 14, and August 28. Please note that there are 3 weeks between the second July and the first August distribution days.
There are things we “amost never” can purchase at our usual supplier, Good Shepherd Food Bank, so if you are in the giving (and shopping) mood, our clients would love to have:
Beans (baked beans, other canned beans, dry beans), Jam/Jelly, Scallop/Gratin Potato side dishes, Fruit Juice in plastic containers, Spaghetti-O’s or other canned pasta, Coffee, Tea and Hot Chocolate, shampoo, dish detergent, liquid laundry detergent, garbage bags.
PLEASE check expiration dates!
It is our mission to be a reliable source of supplemental food throughout the year. Twice a month, we offer non-perishable foods purchased at Good Shepherd Food Bank and/or given by generous individual donors, and surplus produce, bread and other bakery items collected from the Gray Hannaford store.
Donations are welcome during the week, when the church office is open. Cash gifts are also welcome(click on the MAKE A DONATION tab above)
Distribution of food happens at the back of 19 Gloucester Hill Road, off Church Road, from 8-9:30 AM on the Second and Fourth Saturdays of Every Month.
Open to New Gloucester residents. Quick once/year registration; quick check-in. (New Gloucester residents may also use the Gray food pantry , which is open on the first and third Friday afternoons each month.)
Thursdays at 3
A new set of bible passages each week, tied to the Sunday service. We meet in the church library. Come and explore with us.
If you want to read ahead, you can find a calendar of the readings HERE.
Sanctuary Choir rehearses at 7 pm on Wednesdays. Singers of all voice groups are welcome to join in the fun and fellowship. At each rehearsal we do several voice (and brain) warm-ups before we launch into the anthems. There is laughter, sympathy, prayer, and sometimes sweet treats at the end. We also keep a calendar on the wall so singers planning to be away can pencil in their dates. C’mon. You know you want to!
Handchime choir rehearses at 6 pm on Wednesdays. We could easily use a few more people. Ideally, each ringer has only two or three bells, and some of our regulars have been juggling 5 or 6…so, yes, there’s room for you.
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