Sunday, November 10, 2024

Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

“Love Your Neighbor”

8:30am and 10:30am Worship Services in the Meetinghouse

(with 10:30am Live Stream)

Coming out of a hard-fought and highly divided national election, maybe it offers us some comfort to know that even Jesus had to walk a thin political line when meeting with the public. Many of the religious leaders of his day clearly hoped to trip him up with a classic “gotcha” question.  For instance, asked to name the his top commandment, Jesus answered first as any good Jewish schoolboy would do – with the shema, the Jewish daily call to “love God,” which Jennifer lifted up in worship last Sunday. But Jesus went further, calling them to go beyond religion into relationship, reminding them of a second commandment, to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

What does it mean for us in this post-election season to work on mending broken relationships with our neighbors, friends and family with whom we differ? How are Christians called to love in our own times? What can we do to help heal the many sources of division in our nation?

We will celebrate Communion during the 8:30 service, and Church School and Youth Service Sunday will take place during the 10:30 service.  The Nursery will be open at both services.  Our Children & Adult Choirs will share their musical gifts with us at 10:30am as well.



Our 10:30am service is regularly LIVE STREAMED and RECORDED.

    You can live stream our 10:30am service for November 10th from the following link:  External link opens in new tab or windowhttps://youtube.com/live/ViVCjxYCV_Y?feature=share 

      Additional recordings of our worship services can be found on our YouTube pageExternal link opens in new tab or windowuccbvideo - YouTube   


      Church School & Nursery Care are available: If you have questions about Church School, please be in touch with our Church School Coordinator, Barbara Crandell at External link opens in new tab or windowbarbara@uccb.org.  The Nursery is open for both Sunday services as well.


      Worship Opportunities

      Labyrinth & Children's Garden:

      Our Labyrinth and the story of how it came to be were recently published in a book of New England Labyrinths, so we are excited to share that with people in our area and beyond. Planted around our Labyrinth, we also have a Children's Garden, where kids are able to experience God's presence in Creation, remember loved ones who have died, and go to play or pray at our church. All are welcome to visit during daylight hours.  You can find the entrance to the footpath to the labyrinth and garden on the left side of the slope down into our lower parking lot.



      Keep an eye on your email, the Congregational Church of Brookfield Facebook Page, or our website on Sunday morning for the links to join us (and please feel free to share the links with family and friends). Afterward, if you are willing to share a photo of you or your family worshipping with us online that may be used on our CCB Facebook page or website, please send it to External link opens in new tab or windowuccbsocialmedia@gmail.com.   If you have missed any of our online worship services you can find them linked below, and you can subscribe to our YouTube channel External link opens in new tab or windowuccbvideo, where our worship services are archived.



      What does it mean to be an “Open & Affirming” church?

      What does the Bible say about homosexuality?

       

      If you’re eager to learn more about The Congregational Church of Brookfield as well as our External link opens in new tab or windowOpen & Affirming statement, you can look at the curriculum we used for our June "Open & Affirming" Bible study at

      External link opens in new tab or windowhttps://reformationproject.org/biblical-case/

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      Call to Share our Gifts & Offerings, Roy Taylor on YouTube

      Sunday, June 30, 2024

      Click here: External link opens in new tab or windowhttps://youtu.be/bSbUnGVt7bY


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      10:30am Sunday Weekly Worship Recordings:

      If you are not able to watch the service live from the beginning, or if you need to join the service late, there will be an opportunity to view the entire recording in a few hours, after YouTube processes it and uploads it to our church YouTube channel. For instant notifications of Live Streams, you can also subscribe to that channel, uccbvideo, by clicking on the red "Subscribe" button on the YouTube page.


       

      Sharing to Build, Building to Share…

      See the New Vision for Fellowship Hall!

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      Brochure link above

      This week’s “Sharing to Build, Building to Share” Project Highlight

      Work on our accessibility addition has been on track. The concrete foundation and retaining

      walls are installed. Next, the walls will be waterproofed, curtain drains installed and the area

      backfilled. Then, the initial plumbing for the bathrooms will be installed.


      Thank you for your continued encouragement, and commitment, both financial and spiritual.

      We are so grateful for the continued support of our church family!


      And congratulations to the Cole Family as they welcomed baby Eli born at 10:26am on 10/26/24!


      If you have any questions about the project or how you can help support it, please reach out.

      Pastor Bryn Smallwood-Garcia (External link opens in new tab or windowbryn@uccb.org)      Pastor Jennifer Whipple (External link opens in new tab or windowjennifer@uccb.org)

      Ken Arifian (External link opens in new tab or windowkarifian@sbcglobal.net)                          Laurie Matson (External link opens in new tab or windowlmatson1380@gmail.com)

       

      (Click here to read more)

      Because we are CCB, we have fun whenever we gather! Even as we worship each week in our historic Meetinghouse, fellowship is at the very heart of our church life and we believe Fellowship Hall should be accessible to all.  We invite you to contribute as generously as you can and help us extend God's extravagant welcome to everyone, "no matter who we are or where we are on life's journey."  Whether we walk or roll, we seek to follow Jesus together!



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      Pastors Fund Thanks & Information

      Our pastors wish to thank you so much for your generous support of the Pastors Fund during these difficult and ever-changing times.  With your help bills have been paid to cover housing costs, medical bills, and emergency repairs as well as to cover other everyday costs like food, gas, and clothing for members & friends of our church and wider community.  The Pastors Fund is supported through the honorarium from the funerals/memorials that our pastors officiate, as well as through the generous gifts of members and friends of our community.  The Thrift Shop has supported the Pastors Fund with gifts from sale profits, and the Pastors Fund is also one of the options for holiday support through our Virtual Giving Tree this year. 
      If you are feeling moved to make a direct gift to the Pastors Fund, gift cards for groceries and gas are always welcome, as are donations made payable to Pastors Fund.

       

      Your Pastors are Here for You!

      Pastoral Care Appointments

      Pastor Bryn and Pastor Jen are available for individual pastoral care appointments either in-person or via phone or Zoom.  If you have something that you would like to address or speak with them about, please feel free to reach out,  ( External link opens in new tab or windowbryn@uccb.org or External link opens in new tab or windowjennifer@uccb.org ) to set up a time to talk and pray together.

       ndayCB

      Church Office Hours

      Monday through Thursday - 9:00am - 2:00pm

      CLOSED on Fridays.

        The church door will remain locked for safety reasons, but our Ring doorbell system helps us to know who is coming to the door.

      If you want to ensure someone will be available to assist you, you can always call ahead to the Church Office at 203-775-1259.


      We are an Open and Affirming Congregation of the United Church of Christ.

      Know that "No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here!"

       

       

       At Home Electronic Worship Options

       

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      Congregational Church of Brookfield

      Listen to the Congregational Church of Brookfield's External link opens in new tab or windowPODCAST.

      Don't have time or an internet video connection?

      Subscribe to our podcast and listen on the go to past sermons.

      Click on:  External link opens in new tab or windowhttps://soundcloud.com/user-98392082