| The bi-weekly newsletter of Barrington Congregational Church, United Church of Christ. |
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If your email platform lets you see only part of this email, then click on the following link to View as Webpage We don't want you to miss anything! You'll know you've reached the end when you see 'THE END!' in green. |
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Church Office Hours: Monday - Friday, 9:30 am - 1:30 pm. |
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Thurs, Feb 24 7 pm Search Committee meeting, Zoom
Sun, Feb 27 10 am Worship Service (in-person & online)
Mon, Feb 28 10:30 - 11:30 am Bereavement Group, Fellowship Hall 11 am Lay Visitation group meeting, Library
Tues, Mar 1 8 am Peaceful Pause and Prayer - livestreamed 11 am Staff meeting, Dale's office 6:30 - 9 pm Knitting for Others Group meet via Zoom
Wed, Mar 2 Ash Wednesday 7 pm Ash Wednesday service, Sanctuary
Thurs, Mar 3 8 am Peaceful Pause and Prayer - livestreamed 1:30 - 3 pm Women of Faith Reading Group, Library 6 - 7 pm Lenten Bible Study, via Zoom
Sun, Mar 6 8:30 am FFaYM (Faith Formation and Youth Ministry) meeting 10 am Worship Service with Communion (in-person & online)
Tues, Mar 8 8 am Peaceful Pause and Prayer, Livestreamed 11 am Staff meeting, Dale's office 7 pm Church Council meeting
Wed, Mar 9 Noon Deadline for eBridge
Thurs, Mar 10 8 am Peaceful Pause and Prayer, Livestreamed 6 - 7 pm Lenten Bible Study, via Zoom 6:30 pm Outside use of Fellowship Hall
Sat, Mar 12 Bedtime Move clocks forward 1 hour when you go to bed!
Sun, Mar 13 Daylight Saving Time begins 10 am Worship Service (in-person & online) 3 pm Ecclesiastical Council for Racquel Ray, via Zoom
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Opportunities for Worship and Study |
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Our Senior Minister, the Rev. Dale Azevedo is back from his three month sabbatical and will lead worship and preach this Sunday, February 27th with Racquel assisting him. We hope you can join us for worship either in person or online (see below for info on how to watch online). |
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'Peaceful Pause and Prayer' returns |
Dale will resume doing his bi-weekly 'Peaceful Pause and Prayer' online meditations on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8 am beginning Tuesday, March 1st. Each meditation provides moments for reflection, music, scripture, and silence. They can be watched on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bccucc or on the livestream page of our website at https://bccucc.org/live-stream-2/ and will remain available for later viewing on both platforms if you can't watch live. |
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Our Ash Wednesday service will be held in the sanctuary on Wednesday, March 2nd at 7pm. This is a relatively brief service that welcomes in the solemn season of Lent (which, in turn, will carry us through to Easter). The service will consist of prayers, readings, a call to Lenten discipline, and an imposition of ashes (for those who choose). Please join us in person for this service as we renew our commitments to God and our faith community. |
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Journey through Lent to Earth Day exploring the complex issues around Environmental Justice in an 8 Week Bible Study prepared by the SNEUCC Minister for Environment and Economic Justice, Emma Brewer-Wallin. Rev. Emma Brewer-Wallin will be joining BCCUCC on Sunday April 24th as a Mission & Justice invited guest preacher. Join Pastor Racquel Ray weekly via Zoom from 6 - 7 pm on Thursday evenings March 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 and April 7, 14, & 21 as we take up the topic of environmental justice. There are videos to watch ahead of time to better inform the study conversations. Please register to request weekly lessons and links by contacting Racquel at racquel@bccucc.org |
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No Church School or Youth Groups at this time |
Due to the omicron variant, our church school and youth groups were put on hold through the end of February, at which time the situation will be reassessed. Any questions should be directed to Pastor Racquel Ray at racquel@bccucc.org or (401) 246-0111 ext 104. |
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Services livestreamed to Facebook, website and YouTube |
All are invited to join us for our multi-platform worship service at 10 a.m. every Sunday.
For those attending in person, we require masks be worn in worship (with exemptions for those under 2 or for medical reasons). We continue to take precautions to provide the safest conditions possible for everyone.
For those not yet ready, quarantining, or unable to join us in person, the services are livestreamed so they can be watched online - either live or later - in three different places: Occasionally, Facebook doesn't allow us to stream to their platform, and on those occasions it won't be possible to watch the service on either Facebook or our website. However, you should still be able to find the service on YouTube at the link above. |
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Jay Buckley joins church staff |
We’re very pleased to report that church member Jay Buckley recently joined the church staff as our lead custodian. Having recently retired, Jay has stepped in to help out for a couple of days a week until such time as a permanent person can be found. He has agreed to hold the position for a year – and we are delighted to have him on board. Our other custodian, John Cordeiro, continues to also work part time for us. We are grateful to have them both! |
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Racquel's Ecclesiastical Council |
On Sunday, March 13th at 3 pm an Ecclesiastical Council will be held for our acting Associate Minister, Racquel Ray. It will be held via zoom (link with be in the next eBridge). It is hosted by the RI Association of the Southern New England Conference of the UCC, and all Conference delegates, clergy and friends are invited to attend (virtually). An Ecclesiastical Council is the final approval by the association of a candidate's fitness for ordained ministry. It is the last step on the long road toward being eligible for ordination. |
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Au Revoir to the Slickers |
On Thursday, February 17th long time church members Clyde and Mary Lou Slicker moved from Atria in Barrington to The Village at Waterman Lake in Greenville, RI to be closer to their daughter Kathy and her family. Their new address is 715 Putnam Pike, Apt 203, Greenville RI 02828. Mary Lou’s phone number and email address remain the same. We wish Clyde and Mary Lou every blessing in their new home and hope that they're able to come back and visit sometimes. |
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As was announced in church last Sunday, Bethia Rosner had a fall at her home, broke her wrist and was admitted to RI Hospital. When her sister Deb Clarke was preparing to visit Bethia the following day, she fell on ice and broke her hip. Deb also ended up being admitted to RI hospital and underwent surgery. Both of them are now in rehab at Waterview Villa Rehab and Health Care Center, 1275 South Broadway, East Providence RI 02914. (Deb in Room 407, Bethia in Room 417). We wish them both a speedy recovery. |
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Carriage Sheds have a new roof |
The carriage shed project is nearing its completion as a new roof was installed earlier this week. Over the winter the open bays were cleared out, the ground leveled, and gravel was laid. Only a few items were returned for storage, and the rest was recycled or thrown away. Now the only remaining work to be done is the painting of a repair to the siding on the back of the shed beside the river. We continue to be grateful to all of the donors who made this work possible. Be sure to take a look at the sheds when you’re next at church – they look so much better! |
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Loaves and Fishes RI needs volunteers |
As mentioned previously, since the pandemic Loaves and Fishes RI is no longer able to serve communities in person. Instead they will be providing food to a select group of students in need at DelSesto Middle School in Providence. We are partnering with We Share Hope (https://wesharehope.org) to receive groceries to provide 25 student families with food items. Additionally, Books are Wings (https://www.booksarewings.org) have generously offered to donate 2 books per student as a precious gift of literacy. We will be making our first delivery to the DelSesto School on Friday, March 25th. For those of you interested in volunteering with this ministry please join us on Tuesday, March 22nd at 4 pm in Fellowship Hall, or call Jay Buckley at 401-578-6533. We will meet on this date to share the process and recruit a volunteer to shop for additional food items to supplement our donation from We Share Hope. |
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Results of our Souper Bowl of Caring's 'Tackle Hunger' challenge |
On Souper Sunday, February 13th (Super Bowl Sunday) BCCUCC took part in the Tackle Hunger Challenge along with other churches, schools, civic groups etc. Over the course of several weeks prior to Feb 13th, BCCUCC conducted a food drive to collect cans of soup for our local food pantry, TAP-IN. We collected a total of 137 cans of soup and $60 in monetary donations. Thank you to all who donated. The volunteers at TAP-IN were thrilled to receive it all! |
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Tap-In thanks BCCUCC for their support |
We recently received a letter from Tap-In thanking us for our support in 2021. The letter contains information about how many East Bay families they helped with groceries in 2021 (1,020), as well as lots more information. Read the letter here. |
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FREE At-Home Rapid COVID Tests available - no limits |
The church has received another case of COVID test kits from the Town of Barrington to distribute. The kits are available for pick up on the way out of church each Sunday or you can contact the church office (401) 246-0111 or office@bccucc.org to arrange a pick up during the week. Each box contains two tests. There now seem to be sufficient test kits available that we no longer need to limit how many can be taken by a person or household. If you know of others who need them, please take and pass along. |
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From our Mission and Justice Team |
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Proposed project to impact climate change and air pollution |
We recently received an email from Rev. Emma Brewer-Wallin, Minister of Environmental and Economic Justice for the SNE Conference, with the following message: I want to share with you and your congregation an opportunity to join the fight for environmental justice in Rhode Island, supporting the work of The People’s Port Authority and Renew RI (which the Southern New England Conference is a member of).
The proposed Sea 3 Liquid Propane Gas infrastructure project would further contribute to both climate change and air pollution in Providence. The Energy Facility Siting Board needs to hear from you as they determine whether this project is subject to a full environmental review (which it should be!). There are three simple ways to get involved: 2. Submit a public comment, with a template and guide linked here 3. Tune in to the hearings on February 28 and March 1 at 9:30 am, where activists with the People’s Port Authority will testify about environmental racism in the Port of Providence and the negative health and environmental impacts in this expansion process. Watch the hearings here
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The Barrington Farm School is inviting the public to a virtual tour of the creation of their Pollinator Garden - one year, one farm, one dream come true! - on Sunday, March 6th from 2:00 - 3:15 as part of their Cabin Fever Series. Learn more |
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March is Women's History Month |
From the Barrington Public Library: Help us kick off Women's History Month with a documentary matinee showing of Equal Means Equal on Tuesday, March 1st at 1 pm in the Salem Family Auditorium. The screening is sponsored by the Rhode Island League of Women Voters and The Friends of the Barrington Library. |
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Donations for 'Swim Empowerment' taken through end of February |
On Sun, Feb 13th, Ray Rickman from Stages of Freedom was our guest speaker during worship. The organization raises awareness and advocacy for populations of color in our area and beyond. One of the programs they run is Swim Empowerment – a partnership with local YMCAs to provide scholarships and swimming lessons for children of color who statistically drown at five times the rate of white youth. We invite you to make a donation to support the Swim Empowerment program – either by making a check payable to ‘BCCUCC’ with ‘Swim Empowerment’ in the memo line, or online through Tithe.ly on our church website at www.bccucc.org/donation. Thank you to those who have already made a donation. |
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SNEUCC Super Saturday March 19, 2022 9 am - 3:30 pm |
"A Future With Hope: Relevant, Prophetic and Transformative” Due to the increase in Covid cases, Super Saturday is now Virtual.
Guest Speaker: Rev. Sarah Drummond, Founding Dean of Andover Newton Seminary at Yale Divinity School. Sarah has written five books on the subject of ministerial leadership and dozens of articles on the same. She will speak on "Planning for a Better Babylon"
There are also morning, lunchtime, and afternoon workshops you can sign up for. |
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The group will meet on Monday, February 28th from 10:30 – 11:30 am in Fellowship Hall. The group is open to anyone (not just church members) who has lost a loved one at any time. New members are welcome. For more information, contact the facilitator, Betsy Brenner at Brenner at her new email address betsybrenner3@gmail.com or 245-8031. |
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Knitting for Others Group |
The Knitting Group will meet again on Tuesday, March 1st from 6:30 pm until 9 pm over Zoom. You may join the call at any time and stay for as long as you'd like. All knitters and crocheters are invited to participate and new faces are very welcome. For more information on the group, contact Nancy Arena at 401 246-0212 or nancy.arena@outlook.com. The zoom information needed was included in the newsletter emailed to the congregation but isn't included here for security reasons. |
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Women of Faith Reading Group |
The group will meet again on Thursday, March 3rd from 1:30 - 3 pm in the church library. The group welcomes women of all ages from BCCUCC as well as other churches and faith traditions. Their current book for discussion is How to Love a Country - poems by Richard Blanco. For more information contact Jane Tonn at 289-2349 or jtonn2@cox.net. |
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The Book Group will next meet Tuesday, March 15th at 9:30 am. It has yet to be decided if they'll meet in person or on zoom. Stay tuned! They will discuss The Last Child by John Hart. For more information about the group contact Helen Schall at helenschall@hotmail.com or 401 245-4724. All are welcome to participate. |
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Providence Singers 50th Anniversary Concert |
Church member Beth Zarlengo and office administrator Christine Wallis (both members of the chorus) invite you to the Providence Singers 50th Anniversary Concert on Saturday, March 5th at 7 pm in Grace Church, Providence. The program will be: Bach, Magnificat; Schütz, Musikalische Exequien, and the world premier of Wachner, We Two Alone. They chorus will be joined by some excellent soloists and the Providence Baroque Orchestra. More information and Tickets |
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Our response to the current COVID situation |
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Increased COVID safety protocols extended through February |
Additional safety measures were put in place at BCCUCC in early January in response to the omicron variant and resulting high numbers of COVID cases in the community. These protocols were extended through the end of February, after which time they will be reassessed. The following protocols are currently in place: - Continuing masking*, social distancing, and signing in for worship
- No singing of any kind in the sanctuary - by choir or congregation
- Masks will be worn by the worship leaders throughout the service
- Sitting in every other pew. The ushers will oversee this.
- No Church School
- No Youth Group
In addition please note the following changes: - The children should remain in the pews with their families for Children's Time and not come up front
- No choir rehearsals
*If possible, we encourage the wearing of KN95 masks which have been proven to be more effective at stopping the omicron virus. Surgical masks may be worn but because they don't fit as well to the face, they're not quite as effective. Unfortunately, cloth masks are not good at filtering out the omicron virus so should be avoided. |
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The latest blog was written by Racquel and titled 'Superheroes'. If you missed it earlier, you can read it here |
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A note from the Endowment Team (repeated from the last eBridge) |
With the members of the congregation having just passed the annual Budget, this is a good time for a reminder of the meaningful impact of the BCCUCC endowment for our church. Endowment Funds are Assets invested to provide income for the long-term support of the church. They are managed by outside organizations: United Church Funds, The Rhode Island Foundation and the Ocean State Incubator Fund managed by Citizens Bank. The Endowment Team’s goal is to retain the purchasing power and preserve the sustainability of these funds while also providing support to the operations of the church. The general fund is the largest with assets at December 31, 2021 of $2.3 million. A percentage (currently 4.5%) of the balance contributes to the annual budget each year: $82,500 in 2021 and $86,500 in 2022. This is nearly 25% of the church’s annual pledges! In addition to the general fund, we also have funds for designated purposes: The Swensen Music Fund, The Fodor Scholarship Fund and the McGlory Landscaping Fund. Distributions from these funds support their designated purposes. Giving to endowment is a way to sustain the church’s mission for many years to come. If this idea resonates with you consider a legacy gift to the endowment funds. Donations to the general fund, or any of the designated funds are always welcome and a designated fund of your choosing can be created with a gift of $20,000 or more. These are gifts that truly keep on giving. If you are interested in more information, please contact Christine in the church office at (401) 246-0111 or office@bccucc.org. She will contact a member of the Endowment Team.
Your Endowment Team, Kate Colby, Chair, Dick McWhirter and Seth Forman |
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In the event of bad weather |
We will always do our best to notify you of any cancellations, especially if we need to cancel Sunday worship, so be sure to check your email, Facebook, and the TV and radio stations*. If all goes to plan, you should receive any cancellation notification by 8 a.m. Sunday morning - if not sooner. However, in the event that we lose power and/or internet connection we will be unable to post these notifications. *It is possible to check the RI Broadcasters list of cancellations from their home page at www.ribroadcasters.com and scroll down to the red 'View Current Closures' button, or you can access them directly at this link. |
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Keep up to date with our Conference - SNEUCC |
The Southern New England Conference, UCC (SNEUCC), publishes several newsletters - one of which comes out weekly and is titled '5 Things to Know and Share'. Read the latest edition at this link and sign up to subscribe and get it sent to your inbox. Click on this link to see the archive of all of the different SNEUCC newsletters - and subscribe to any that are of interest to you. |
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Masks are required in both the education and church buildings |
Masks are required for all participants in worship - with the following exclusions: - anyone with a medical reason why they can't wear a mask
- children under the age of 2
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Education building safety requirements |
The education building is open for church and public use with the following requirements: - All visitors attending meetings or events shall wear appropriate masks at all times (Note: Visitors includes both church people and outside groups)
- Hand sanitizer shall be made readily available for all attendees (this is the responsibility of the organization/individual holding the event)
- An accurate copy of attendees and contact information shall be kept (this is the responsibility of the organization/individual holding the event)
- Weather permitting, doors and windows are to be propped open
UPDATE: With the introduction of HEPA filter air purifiers in the classrooms and library, it's no longer necessary or required to have a minimum of 20 hours between use of a space by different groups. |
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(Dale dale@bccucc.org (401) 246-0111 x 103. Note: Dale will not be checking any phone messages or emails until he returns after his sabbatical ends on 2/22/22.)
Church Office Hours: Open Monday – Friday, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm. Closed on Federal and State holidays. Building Security: The Education building will remain locked at all times, even when the office is open. Please ring the bell for entry and we'll be happy to let you in - or use the code on the keypad if you have it.
Please remember that masks are required in the education building at all times for all activities and meetings. Thank you for your cooperation. |
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