Hancock UCC Weekly Messenger for January 14, 2024
Praise to God, immortal praise, for the love that crowns our days! Bounteous source of every joy, let thy praise our tongues employ.
Upcoming services, meetings, events, and opportunities
Join us for Worship in our Sanctuary or on Zoom at 10:00 a.m.,
or watch the recording later on Facebook or YouTube
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 822 2425 2518
Passcode: 755650
Find us at Hancock UCC | Hancock ME | Facebook or
on YouTube at Hancock UCC - YouTube
As the Boards and Committees meet for the first time in the new year, please remember to let Vicky know who the new Chairs and Council Representatives will be. Thank you.
Our meetings are open to all. If you would like to attend a meeting, please let TJ or Vicky know and they will provide the Zoom link, or you are welcome to attend in person.
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Outreach will meet Thursday, January 18th at 5:00 p.m.
Council will meet Friday, January 26th at 11:30 a.m.
Day of Lament and Reassurance – Wed. January 24th – at St. Andrew Lutheran
Sanctuary open to the community 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. with services at Noon and 7:00
A pop-up choir for the 7:00 p.m. service will gather to practice at 6:30. All are welcome.
Anyone interested in reading or providing music is encouraged to let Pastor TJ know.
No plans yet to Zoom the Noon service… Here is the Zoom link for the 7:00 service.
Topic: Service of Lament & Reassurance
Time: Jan 24, 2024 7:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 827 0769 8006
Passcode: Hope
On Saturday, January 27th we will be hosting Chris Ross in concert. The doors will open at 6:00 p.m, music at 6:30 p.m. We are suggesting a donation of $20 at the door. Chris has written and recorded several albums and regularly performs throughout Maine and New England. He is an award winning Hancock native and the son of Renata Moise.
Installation of Officers and Members of Boards and Committees will take place at our 10:00 Worship Service on Sunday, January 28th. Please plan to attend.
Sacred Conversations on Gun Control – Saturday, Feb. 10th from 10:00-11:30 a.m.
at Hammond St. Congo Church in Bangor. Join Pastor TJ?
Lent begins on February 14th. All are welcome at our Ash Wed. Service of Soup and Prayers at Noon in our Fellowship Hall. We would love one or two people to volunteer to make soup.
Lenten Study Group begins Wed. Feb. 21st
Join Pastor TJ for C.S. Lewis and the Delightful, Diabolical Daring of Lent:
A Lenten Companion to “The Screwtape Letters.”
Let TJ or Vicky know if you are interested. Start time to be determined by participants.
Upcoming January Birthdays and Anniversaries
21: Gary Hunt 21: Carol Skinner 23: Avabelle Havey
25: Holly Harriman 29: Jen Remick
Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
Prayers for the people of Lewiston and all of Maine; Prayers for the world, suffering loss and grief in Israel, Palestine, Ukraine, Russia, and so many other ongoing wars and conflicts. Prayers for Cynthia Wood’s Aunt Barbara who is receiving Hospice Care; Ron & Kathy; Bob & Karen; Ruth; Sally’s sister Martha & her husband John; Everett’s brother Darrell; Doris; Jim Snyder; Kenny Houghton; John Wood; Nancy & John & Jonas; Vicky’s brother-in-law, Buster; William; Sue Davies; Jonathan Holmes; Sue Davenport; Coulter; Austin’s cousin Danny; Liz & Jim; Debbie & Lincoln & son-in-law Aaron, daughter Ashley, and granddaughter Brielle; Kenny Stratton; Joy & David & Lori; Sandy Phippen; Betty & her step-daughter Mollie; Debbie & Hollis & Holly and Debbie’s Aunt Linda Reed; Patrice’s niece Erica; Amy Nickerson; Renata’s sister-in-law Joanne in Hospice Care; Tom & Judy’s son Andrew & family; Prayers of strength and healing for all awaiting diagnoses and for all recovering from surgeries & procedures; Prayers for all that are unsafe, unhoused, hungry & in need of care & compassion; Prayers for all individuals and families experiencing addictions; prayers for all caregivers; and prayers for all that is in your heart…
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11
How Shall We Then Live…
I have heard so many stories lately of how the Spirit is moving throughout our conference. Just today I heard from a Pastor in a tiny church that is in conversation with another tiny church to come together as one shared ministry with her as Pastor. Another tiny church plans to have discussion with a sister church this spring. The York Association’s Annual Meeting will focus on where the Spirit is moving its churches in new and hopeful ways as we look into God’s future church. MESOM is vibrant and alive with their team visiting and preaching at churches throughout our conference, and is continuing to provide vital, Spiritfilled curriculum for creative pastoring models that God is calling us to consider. I have preached in several small churches over the last couple of months that are spontaneously adopting models to assure their vitality: mission to the community, new ways of welcoming the unchurched, and creative pastoring. Pilgrim Lodge programming for the summer will include climate justice and welcome for ALL youth, whatever their orientation, status, or religious affiliation.
My friends, I could give many other examples, but I hope these few examples stir your hearts and reverberate deep within your spirits. The most wonderful part of all these spontaneous, Spirit-filled instances is that each one is in line with the wisdom in the statistical literature and in testimonies throughout our denomination around how churches of all sizes can be alive and thrive in God’s realm on earth as it is in heaven.
I know there are churches in our Conference who wonder about their future; who wonder if the conference minister cares; who wonder what the role of the conference is in the day to day life of the local church. I honor you and I invite you into conversation with me, with other churches, and in your association gatherings; I encourage you to pray long and deep, to have continual conversation with God: “What is our future that you hold for us? How do we catch the hope that is ours through you?”
We are in a transition time in this post-Christendom period. I have spoken often about the changes we have seen over the past 40 years that crystalized during the pandemic time. Transition times are hard. And they can be conduits through which we venture from what was to what can be. During transitions we can be vitally creative as we wonder with God and with one another “can we truly believe that although we do not know what the future holds, we trust that God holds our future?”
And How Shall We Then Live…
I am with you in prayer and presence, in hope and in comfort, Marisa
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