3/1/26 Weekly Messenger
- 2 hours ago
- 6 min read
Hancock UCC Weekly Messenger for March 1, 2026
Christ is the world's Light, Christ and none other; / born in our darkness, he became our brother. / Christ is the world's peace, Christ and none other; / no one can serve God and despise another. / Christ is the world's life, Christ and none other; / sold once for silver, murdered here, our brother / Give God the glory, God and none other; /
give God the glory, Spirit, three in one.
Choir rehearsals are on Sunday mornings at 9:10 am. All are welcome.
Sunday we will share Holy Communion. For those who will receive the sacraments at home, please prepare a piece of bread or a cracker, and a cup of juice or wine and join us at the table. Also, we will be receiving non-perishable food items, toiletries, and pet food for the Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry. Envelopes are available at the back of the Sanctuary for monetary donations as well.
Handbells will start rehearsals Sunday, March 1, after the service. If you indicated to me that you were interested, please call once more to confirm this week. Thank you and I look forward to ringing with you. Pat Summerer 203-522-2781
During the month of March, we will be receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering, one of the 5 for 5 offerings supported by the Maine Conference. One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) is a Special Mission Offering of the United Church of Christ that supports partners worldwide with ministries that fund health, education, and agricultural development, emergency relief, refugee ministries, and both international
and domestic disaster response. Envelopes are available in the back of the Sanctuary.
The Meditation Group meets Friday mornings, at 9:00 am in the Fellowship Hall. Reach out to Pastor TJ or Alison Boden with any questions. All are welcome!
(revtjmack@gmail.com, 207-323-6743 or aboden3321@gmail.com, 609-865-3236)
Our meetings for the month of March. All meetings are open to all.
Christian Ed, Friday, March 6 at 12 Noon; Deacons, Friday, March 13 at 4:30 pm; Trustees, Wednesday, March 18 at 4 pm via Zoom; Outreach Thursday, March 19 at 4:30 pm; and Council will meet on Friday, March 20 at 11 am. To Zoom, ask Vicky.
Time Change: On Saturday, March 28, Alison Boden will recite the entire Gospel of Mark from memory. Please join us in the sanctuary at 3:00 p.m. for this powerful sharing of the Word. A brief Q&A will follow in the Fellowship Hall, along with refreshments. All are welcome.
Please keep the following people in your prayers this week:
Our thoughts, prayers, and condolences are extended to the family and friends of Kenny Stratton who passed away on Sunday, February 22.
Our prayers remain with Alex & Savannah and Andrew & Tamara, and with Tyler Crabtree and his family. We ask prayers for Gerry and Sonny as Gerry recovers from heart surgery. We ask prayers for Sarina and her Dad as he recovers from a major stroke. We pray for David, Brian, Brad, Donald, Kenny V, James, Marie, Charlie, Jonathan and Jane of Golden Acres. Prayers for Jeanne recovering from a broken fibula and her brother Clem receiving cancer treatments. We pray for Mike & Carol; Dexter B.; Cynthia W.; Judith C.; Eleanor A.; the Raymonds; Hollis & Debbie; Bruce’s sister Lynn; Ruth & Peter; Patrice’s step-sister Patricia; Herbie Lounder; Sandy Phippen; Sue Davies; Sue Davenport; Kirk; Debbie & Lincoln & Aaron & Ashley & Brielle. Prayers for all in Hospice Care. Prayers for all that are unsafe, unhoused, hungry & in need of care & compassion. Prayers for individuals and families affected by addictions. Prayers for all caregivers. Prayers for those who are grieving loss or change or experiencing family conflict; and prayers for all that is in your heart…
We have created a new YouTube channel. Please follow us on the new site by clicking on this link and subscribing.
(The original site will be discontinued soon.)
Hancock Community Resilience Workshop
Share your thoughts on how Hancock can become more resilient and prepared for the future as the Town enrolls in the Community Resilience Partnership and gains access to new funding opportunities,
March 3, 2026, 5:30-6:30 pm
Hancock Town Office, 18 Point Road
We have been invited by Linda Cunningham’s brother, Glen, a Pastor in Massachusetts, to join them on Wednesday evenings at 7 pm for a Bible Study. If you wish, please join by following this link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83610104381.
Pilgrim Lodge has set a goal of replacing all mattresses. We heard your feedback that better mattresses would contribute to a better camp experience, so we’re coming together as a camp community to make this dream a sweet one!
A generous group of donors has contributed the seed money for our Mattress Drive and we’re nearly half way to our fundraising goal of $15,000 to replace our mattresses. Please consider a gift to match their giving to help us reach our goal of new mattresses for great rest at camp! A one-time gift today provides great rest for hundreds of campers for years to come! The link to donate is here. Please put “Mattresses” in the memo of your gift. If you prefer to mail a check, you can send it to 103 Pilgrim Lodge Lane, West Gardiner, ME 04345.
You're invited to join us for another PL BOOK CLUB!
Pick-up a copy of the book "A Little One Shall Lead | Small Congregations Create New Ways of Being Church" by Rev. Susan McNeily Craig and Rev. Dr. Douglas Allan Dunlap and join
PL friends via Zoom on March 16th to discuss the text. We'll once again be joined by the authors!
Charlotte “Charlie” Carmella was born to Vanessa Carlson and Brooks Rondinaro on Tuesday, February 24 at 10:15 pm,
weighing in at 8 lbs. 5 oz. and 20 inches long.
Charlie is the granddaughter of Peg and Carl Carlson,
and the great-granddaughter of Betty and Charlie Lewis.
March Birthdays
12: Tom Severance 13: Zachary Spaulding 15: Harry Lounder III
15: Nick Davis 20: Vivian Foss 21: Eveline Thorsen
21: Savanna Hudson Havey 23: Linc* Ehrlenbach 28: Pam Bowie
From the Midweek News of our Maine Conference
On Any Given Sunday Morning…
Malcolm Himschoot, MESOM Dean
On any given Sunday morning, a holy space is proclaimed, and a moment of prayer is shared. A family’s loss is honored. A milestone celebration is uplifted. The terror of daily life under authoritarian systems is lessened by kindness. Stories of God’s love and risk and vulnerability transform the shape of human living. Gifts are given and not expected back. Encouragement is shared from young to old, and old to young.
On MESOM Sunday this year, between a class session of Intergenerational Spiritual Care and Nurture and the beginning of a workshop in church history led by Wabanaki REACH, the purpose of every given Sunday was upheld and cultivated in Maine settings of the United Church of Christ. Passion for each miracle in congregational life was affirmed, along with the diligence to tend to habits that become leadership, following the Holy Spirit.
On MESOM Sunday, student preachers were invited to local churches to share a Word of scripture, shaped by life experience, the teaching of mentors, an expansive canon, and the critical thinking of the tradition as recorded in books and classrooms over time. These students were energized and undaunted, and some of them already quite experienced. Meanwhile, Maine pastors across rural and remote areas held pulpit exchanges to celebrate the school and raise needed resources.
Congregations last Sunday prayed for the shoots and fruits of seeds planted long ago, to be brought forth from God’s future. It is a beautiful future. This vocation – beholding the realm of God – awes and humbles. Every Sunday, people of imagination and faithfulness gather to listen to each other, learning from diverse journeys what hope and courage and compassion truly mean. Intimating what Jesus holds precious, someone sheds their heart’s tear. Glimpsing what is possible from the witness of others, someone takes baptismal vows, emboldened to go and live them out their whole life long.
On February 22 the UCC calendar marked church vocations and the gifts of seminaries, engaged from generation to generation in asking an impossible question - and receiving only the answer of faith. Who among us will serve to build up the Body of Christ in answering the call of God in this world? How do we collectively equip them for leadership? The Maine School of Ministry is one part of the process in the United Church of Christ, accompanying anyone who is drawn to theological education for lifelong learning, or who serves rural and remote congregations in a lay or pastoral role. MESOM’s certificate program offers classroom education that is affordable and accessible, along with contextual education that is accompanied by skilled mentors. Now in its 13th year, this program is as strong and vibrant as is passion for church life and leadership in Maine! We are grateful each year that many congregations receive a special offering on MESOM Sunday for the Maine School of Ministry.
Comments