Pilgrimage Herald

Sunday, January 2, 2005

Morning Worship, 10:00 am , Rev. Gary L. Marks, preaching.

Deacon of the Month: Dave Moreland

Christmas Poinsettias The following Christmas Poinsettias were given after the enclosure was printed in the last Herald: In memory of Ann, Trina and Duncan. Given by Robert Francis Fabri. In memory of Duncan and Catherine MacLeod and Jack and Decia Fabri. Given by Robert Francis Fabri. In memory of Leonard and Viola Reynolds. Given by Lynn and Roz. In memory of Mary Ann Hunter. Given by Lynn and Roz. In memory of Helen and John Wilson and Marjory D. Christie. Given by Ted and Barbara Simpson and family.

Thank you to all who donated or loaned poinsettias for our Christmas services in memory of loved ones. We also thank people who delivered plants to shut-ins to bring Christmas greetings and cheer from The Church of the Pilgrimage. Once again, our Flower Committee did a magnificent job in organizing the Christmas poinsettia project and decorating the sanctuary to beautifully. You, Flower Committee, are a hidden treasure!

Notice from Board of Trustees Chair: It is imperative that the alarm in both the Church House and Church Building be set if you are the last person out. No exceptions. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

We thank Jennifer Trott and her sons Andrew and Christian for conducting the Fourth Sunday in Advent Service on December 19th.

Membership Classes: Rev. Marks is assembling a list of those who have indicated an interest in becoming members of The Church of the Pilgrimage. If you are interested in membership, please let Rev. Marks know or phone the church office. Dates of a series of three membership classes will be announced in the near future.

Pledges for Fiscal Year 2005
Needed to date: $85,721.08
($3,571.71/week)
F/Y 2005 Total Pledge Receipts received to date: $68,863.74
As of 12/12/04 -$16,857.34
Please keep your pledges up to date, so that we can meet our overall operating needs!
Thank you,
Jonathan Porter, Assistant Treasurer


garymarks@8townsquare.org danspacek@8townsquare.org	January 2 , 2005	office@8townsquare.org
Volume LXXVII		No. 1
Dear Friends, I am sure that I am not alone in expressing a kind of disbelief that it is already New Year. (It will be by the time most of you receive this issue of the Herald). I've expressed elsewhere in this issue that we had a fabulous Advent/Christmas season at The Church of the Pilgrimage, but it did all seem to come and go so quickly this year. No matter that the Advent season seemed to rush by, it was one which had many spiritual highlights which will long linger in my memory. We have much to anticipate as the new year begins. The congregation has voted overwhelmingly to proceed with plans to renovate the Church House. In so doing the congregation has accepted a huge challenge and we shall all be required to work hard and encourage one another as we proceed with our plans. I hope that we will see in increase in excitement as our dreams and plans begin to materialize and as we begin to realize what an improved office/educational facility can mean for our ministry and mission in the community and globally. I hope, too, that our generosity will be stimulated as plans turn into actuality. We shall have many opportunities to ease the financial obligations we agreed to accept beyond the amount already pledged. Pledged support continues to come in, and seeing work begin should stimulate further generosity. The fact that we have accepted a challenge to build for the present and the future is not only exciting, but is an indicator of our faith in God and confidence in our congregation's future. We have a wonderful congregation which is becoming the talk of the community. People are attracted to a church that shows in concrete ways the spiritual vitality which defines the congregation at its core. People see faith issuing in good works and actions and that represents spiritual hope for those who are seeking spiritual foundations for their own lives and families. As 2005 begins I am also energized by the God Is Still Speaking campaign undertaken by The United Church of Christ. Our denomination is as old as the nation itself in a part of its composition. In fact, the part of The United Church of Christ whose legacy we as a congregation bear is far older than the nation itself in a part of its composition.. Our congregation was already active for 156 years prior to the American Revolution of 1776! From our earliest beginnings as a Covenant people we have been at our best when we have been faithful to applying the gospel of Christ to the ever shifting realities and changes of life in which the church exists. A vital part of our past has always been to be aware of God's future. A defining mark of The United Church of Christ's legacy is that its covenantal obligation is to be open to God's future. The realization is that God has not only spoken, but is speaking to those who listen. May God bless you and our congregation as we begin 2005! A rallying cry for us at the onset of 2005 might be: Back to the Covenant, ahead into God's future. Love, © The Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, MA Inc., all rights reserved.
Sunday, January 2, 2005 Morning Worship, 10:00 am , Rev. Gary L. Marks, preaching. Deacon of the Month: Dave Moreland Christmas Poinsettias The following Christmas Poinsettias were given after the enclosure was printed in the last Herald: In memory of Ann, Trina and Duncan. Given by Robert Francis Fabri. In memory of Duncan and Catherine MacLeod and Jack and Decia Fabri. Given by Robert Francis Fabri. In memory of Leonard and Viola Reynolds. Given by Lynn and Roz. In memory of Mary Ann Hunter. Given by Lynn and Roz. In memory of Helen and John Wilson and Marjory D. Christie. Given by Ted and Barbara Simpson and family. Thank you to all who donated or loaned poinsettias for our Christmas services in memory of loved ones. We also thank people who delivered plants to shut-ins to bring Christmas greetings and cheer from The Church of the Pilgrimage. Once again, our Flower Committee did a magnificent job in organizing the Christmas poinsettia project and decorating the sanctuary to beautifully. You, Flower Committee, are a hidden treasure! Notice from Board of Trustees Chair: It is imperative that the alarm in both the Church House and Church Building be set if you are the last person out. No exceptions. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We thank Jennifer Trott and her sons Andrew and Christian for conducting the Fourth Sunday in Advent Service on December 19th. Membership Classes: Rev. Marks is assembling a list of those who have indicated an interest in becoming members of The Church of the Pilgrimage. If you are interested in membership, please let Rev. Marks know or phone the church office. Dates of a series of three membership classes will be announced in the near future. Pledges for Fiscal Year 2005 Needed to date: $85,721.08 ($3,571.71/week) F/Y 2005 Total Pledge Receipts received to date: $68,863.74 As of 12/12/04 -$16,857.34 Please keep your pledges up to date, so that we can meet our overall operating needs! Thank you, Jonathan Porter, Assistant Treasurer
CHURCH RECORD Recuperating at home, George Carter. Recuperating at home, Gloria Johnson.
THIS WEEK Sunday,Jan 2.: Morning Worship 10:00 a.m., Rev. Marks, preaching: Cherub Choir Rehearsal, following worship. Monday, Jan 3.: Aerobics, 9:15 a.m., Allerton Hall; Girl Scouts #1128, 3:30 p.m., Church House; Tiger Pack 47, 4:00 p.m., Church House (upstairs); Pilgrimage Women's Fellowship, 7:30pm, Allerton Hall. Tuesday, Jan. 4: Rev. Marks will be in the church office, 9:30-11:30 am;CE Meeting, 6:30pm, Sam Diego's Restaurant; Aerobics, 6:30 pm; Stewardship Committee Meeting, 7pm, Church House. Wednesday, Jan. 5: Aerobics, 9:15 a.m., Allerton Hall; Staff Meeting, 10:00 am; Brownie Troop #122, 4-5:30pm, Allerton Hall;Capital Campaign Executive Board Meeting, 6pm, Church House; Troop 47/Den 4, 6-7:30, Church House (up);Troop #47, 7pm, Church House; Prayer Group, 7pm, Sanctuary; Choir Rehearsal 7:30 pm, sanctuary Thursday, Jan. 6: Ephiphany: Aerobics, 6:30pm, Allerton Hall. Friday, Jan. 7: Aerobics, 9:15 am, Allerton Hall; Rev. Marks will be in the church office, 9:30-11:30am. Saturday, Jan 8:
NOTES: Food for Church Pantries: We thank Debby Porter for organizing a huge food drive at South Elementary School just before Christmas. The children, parents, teachers and administrators contributed two truckloads of food and toiletries over a two-day period, with even more pouring in on the third day! This significant contribution went directly to the Food Warehouse on Resnik Road to be distributed to pantries in the area. Overnights of Hospitality: The interfaith program to provide emergency housing to the homeless men in Plymouth is now in its second successful week. People from The Church of the Pilgrimage are providing lunches on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, doing laundry and many will be volunteering for overnights as needed. Thank you to those who have provided towels and blankets too. Please call Meg Bross at 508-830-9745 or Janet Holmes at 508-746-7148 if you would like to be involved. NEXT MISSIONS COMMITTEE MEETING: January 19th at 6:30pm in the Church House. The 11th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast will be held 7:30-9:30am on Monday, January 17, 2005 at the Plymouth South High School in Plymouth. The guest speaker will be award-winning journalist Liz Walker. Ms. Walker is a news anchor for WBZ-TV news in Boston, and is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School. Tickets purchased prior to the day of the Breakfast will cost $8 for students and $12 for adults. Adult tickets purchased at the door on the day of the event will cost $15. Tickets are available from Ken Heckman or Dan Spacek. From the Membership & Evangelism Committee: On January 23rd after church, the M & E Committee will have a Chicken Soup for the Soul luncheon in honor of the new members. We will be making the soup and beverages, but we are asking A-M people to bring a plate of sandwiches to serve 8 and N-Z to bring desserts. All are invited. Thank you for helping. Pastor's Pasta Reminder: Our third annual Pasta sale will be held on Sunday, January 30, 2005. As we did last year, it will include a quart of pasta sauce, a pound of spaghetti, a loaf of Jenny's bread and cookies for dessert for a bargain price of $15. Mark you calendar and we will be taking orders during the month of January. Prayer Group: .Please watch the Herald for Wednesday evening prayer groups. There are some evenings when they will not be held. The meetings will be announced in the Herald and form the pulpit. The next meeting will be January 5, 2005, 7pm in the sanctuary Our Christmas and Advent Seasons at The Church of the Pilgrimage were and are marvelous! (The Christmas Season continues). Rev. Dan and Rev. Marks offered a four-week Advent course which was well attended and seemingly well received by participants. The Wednesday evening prayer sessions were held and were centered on Advent themes. Our Christmas Eve Services were wonderful and both had large numbers of worshipers in attendance. There were more than 400 people at the Family Nativity Service and between 250-300 at the 11:30pm Candlelight Communion Service. There was a terrific spirit evident in both service. The ministers want to thank all who worked so hard to make all our Advent/Christmas Eve activities so very meaningful. There is an enormous amount of work which goes into activities and services. We thank the Missions and Outreach Committee for giving the church the gift of worship and fun on December 12th. Many new toys were collected for needy children and who can forget Barbara Peavey's drawing? Thank You! The ministers also thank the secretary, Shellie McCormack, for all the extra bulletins and other preparations during the Advent season. We also thank the choirs and organist for being so faithful in producing magnificent music. We are blessed with the finest music in a church of our size anywhere. I hope you'll take time to thank those who enrich our services with such quality music throughout the year. We extend our congratulations to Cliff and Laura Sampson who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary! The ministers and the church take this opportunity to thank Cliff and Laura for their dedicated service to the church. Junior and Senior High Fellowship: January 2, 2005 Youth fellowship from 3-5pm (Jr High & Sr. High will meet together). Meet at the church house 3:00 Dress warmly. (Please note: the Jr. and Sr. High fellowship will be combined unless otherwise indicated.) On January 6 from 5-7, Hip Hop Dance Class taught by Amanda Singer and Emily Harrington.
Coming Events: Jan. 9 Rev. Dan will not be in church. He will be running in the Disney Half-Marathon. Jan. 12 Prayer Group in the sanctuary, 7-7:30pm Jan. 15 Wedding in the sanctuary, 4pm Jan. 15 Eagle Scout Ceremony, Sanctuary and Allerton Hall.
Clerk - Lois Post; Moderator - Steven Triffletti; Treasurer - David Kegel; Collector - Thomas Mudgett; Music Director - William B Richter; Organist - Chandler Gregg Secretary - Shellie McCormack; Sexton - Tony Nightingale; World Mission Emphasis - Heifer Project International; Church Building Telephone - (508) 747-1341.