Pilgrimage Herald

Hymnal Dedications: A hymnal dedication is a unique gift to give during the Christmas season. A dedication in honor of, or in memory of, a loved one is available for a $25 gift to the church. We will be acknowledging seasonal dedications on Sunday, December 18th Please see Bill Harting or Louise Brown, or you may call Bill at 508-746-4097 until the 16th to make a dedication, purchase one of our uncirculated hymnals, or for more information.

Holiday Bake Sale: The Pilgrimage Women's Fellowship will hold a Holiday Bake Sale on Sunday, December 18, 2005 after the service. There will be pies and other goodies for sale to make your holiday baking a little easier. Plan to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase homemade Christmas sweets on the 18th. This is an annual event to benefit the Fellowship and it's charities.

Special Bulletins: Bulletins created especially for our Thanksgiving and Advent services have been created by Paul & Rosalee Sinn as a part of the Membership & Evangelism's attempt to make visable some of the wonderous aspects of our Christian community. We are grateful to the Sinn's for providing these on a trial basis and looking for your responses regarding their value. After that we will determine whether they are cost effective.

New England Women's CelebrationVII will be at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Burlington, VT March 17, 18 & 19. Women's Fellowship and Membership & Evangelism are encouraging a group of Pilgrimage women to attend this special UCC Women's Conference. At the present time 5 to 7 of us plan to attend and would love to see an even larger number travel together to this time of worship, workshops and celebration. A registration deadline is December 31st. Look for registration forms and information at the membership desk in Allerton Hall. If cost is a problem please contact Women's Fellowship co-presidents, Marna Blomberg or Jenny Healy.


garymarks@8townsquare.org	December 11 , 2005	office@8townsquare.org
Volume LXXVII		No. 37
Dear Friends, Our educational/administration/office building, named Church House, was dedicated in1967. Prior to Church House our church school and office were housed in various locations in downtown Plymouth. For a time the church secretary was housed in rented space in the 1749 Court House in Town Square. I think some of our church school classes were also held in that building. For some period of time church school classes were held in the upper story of the Buttner Building. The minister had a desk under the staircase in the church building, now a custodial closet! The Church House was never a popular building. Our people, it is claimed, were not pleased with the way it was configured. Most agreed that the ceiling was beautiful, but spaces for offices, classes, social gatherings, etc. were not what was expected and inadequate to the church's needs. For all the years I've been a minister here there have been dreams of a proper facility in which to educate our young, house our office and provide a pleasing and confidential place for ministers to meet with people. Finally, on December 11, 2005 a completely refashioned Church House will be dedicated! The interior space of the building doesn't even resemble what it was. It is a beautifully laid out facility now and it is up-to-date in everything from heating/air conditioning systems to lighting. The Capital Campaign Committee has done an admirable work, as have all others involved in the planning and execution of the project, and tens of people deserve our gratitude. Projects such as ours are never easy, never without frustrations, but we think people will be amazed at the way architects and builders have literally transformed the interior space still defined by the same exterior frame. I hope you'll come to worship on Sunday and join the procession to Church House for a service of dedication and a soup and sandwich lunch. This is a great defining moment in the long history of a congregation which has its tap-root in a covenant faith that is about to celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2006. We will honor that covenant with a renovated building dedicated to the glory of God. Church House (soon to be renamed) is a tangible affirmation of a covenant people being led by a God who is still speaking. As our forebears before us did, so do we in the present, trust in a God whose truth has been made known to us or will be made known to us. Join us to celebrate a renewed old faith! Love, © The Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, MA Inc., all rights reserved.
Morning Worship: 10:00am, Rev. Heather Moody, preaching; The Dedication of our renovated Church House will follow the morning service in Church House. A soup and sandwich luncheon will be served. Deacon in Charge: Dottie Bottomley Flowers: Pulpit: In loving memory of Esther Surrey, Danielle McNeely and loved ones. Given by Sandy Mann Santos and family. Right Side: In loving memory of John Robinson. Given by Marie Robinson.
CHURCH RECORD Hospitalized: Jean Patenaude at Jordan Hospital. Recuperating: Kristin Sander at the Beverly Manor Nursing Home. Hector Patenaude is at the Newfield House. In Memoriam: On December 1, 1005 Rev. Marks conducted a funeral service for Harriet Bussolari. On December 9, 2005 Rev. Marks conducted a graveside service for Ruth Thom. Both these wonderful women were life-long members of The Church of the Pilgrimage. We thank God for their witness and loyalty.
Hymnal Dedications: A hymnal dedication is a unique gift to give during the Christmas season. A dedication in honor of, or in memory of, a loved one is available for a $25 gift to the church. We will be acknowledging seasonal dedications on Sunday, December 18th Please see Bill Harting or Louise Brown, or you may call Bill at 508-746-4097 until the 16th to make a dedication, purchase one of our uncirculated hymnals, or for more information. Holiday Bake Sale: The Pilgrimage Women's Fellowship will hold a Holiday Bake Sale on Sunday, December 18, 2005 after the service. There will be pies and other goodies for sale to make your holiday baking a little easier. Plan to take advantage of the opportunity to purchase homemade Christmas sweets on the 18th. This is an annual event to benefit the Fellowship and it's charities. Special Bulletins: Bulletins created especially for our Thanksgiving and Advent services have been created by Paul & Rosalee Sinn as a part of the Membership & Evangelism's attempt to make visable some of the wonderous aspects of our Christian community. We are grateful to the Sinn's for providing these on a trial basis and looking for your responses regarding their value. After that we will determine whether they are cost effective. New England Women's CelebrationVII will be at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center in Burlington, VT March 17, 18 & 19. Women's Fellowship and Membership & Evangelism are encouraging a group of Pilgrimage women to attend this special UCC Women's Conference. At the present time 5 to 7 of us plan to attend and would love to see an even larger number travel together to this time of worship, workshops and celebration. A registration deadline is December 31st. Look for registration forms and information at the membership desk in Allerton Hall. If cost is a problem please contact Women's Fellowship co-presidents, Marna Blomberg or Jenny Healy.
THIS WEEK Mon., Dec. 12: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am; Monday Meals, 10:30-1pm, Allerton Hall; Brownie & Girl Scout Troops, 4-7 pm, Church House. Tue., Dec. 13: Rev. Marks will conduct a worship service at the Newfield House at 10:00 am He will be in the church office following the service. Wed., Dec. 14: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am; Staff Meeting, 10:00am; Girl Scouts and Daisy Troops, Church House, 3:30-6pm; Evening Prayer, Sanctuary 7-7:30pm; Choir Rehearsal, Sanctuary, 7:30pm. Thurs., Dec. 15:Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am; Rev. Marks will be in the church office, 9:30am. Fri., Dec.16: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am.
Coming Events: Dec. 18: Christmas Sunday celebration, 10am Dec. 24: Family Christmas Eve Service with Living Nativity in the sanctuary at 7pm. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Lessons and Carols and Holy Communion, 11:30pm in the sanctuary. Dec. 25: Christmas Day Service, 10:00am in the sanctuary.
MISSIONS AND OUTREACH NEWS- --DECEMBER 18TH: Everyone wishing to donate unwrapped toys again this year for the Old Colony Memorial Christmas Drive, should bring them to the 10:00am church service. The children will carry the gifts to the Christmas tree in the sanctuary during the Time for Teaching with Rev. Heather. After the service, volunteer drivers will deliver the toys to the OCM for distribution. --This year, the annual Mission and Outreach dinner for everyone in our congregation, will take place on Saturday, January 7th from 5-7:30pm in Allerton Hall, as a celebration of Epiphany. We ask that everyone bring some non-perishables for the Plymouth Area Food Warehouse. (In Eastern Massachusetts alone, there are more than 500,000 people going hungry.) We will have the children's craft and march as usual, followed by dinner and a carol sing, led by Rev. Heather. Mark your calendars and plant to join us for this joyous occasion. PAC TV: The airing of The Church of the Pilgrimage Services on PAC TV has been an important part of our ministry and outreach to the community. This is the opinion of your Membership and Evangelism Committee and we hope it is your opinion as well. We now have the Sunday 8am and 10pm time lots on PAC. But we need someone, maybe you, to help tape or edit these Church Services. Tom Healy needs help! He can't do it himself. Do you want to learn a new skill? PAC will train you. You could tape, edit or both. We need help! If you can spare 2-3 hours on a weekday to edit or 11/2 hours to tape Sunday Services, please see Kathy Marks, chair of Membership and Evangelism. You wouldn't need to do both and probably only 1 or 2 times a month. Thanks for considering this form of ministry to our town. Membership: If you are interested in becoming a member of The Church of the Pilgrimage, please call the church office or speak to Rev. Marks. You may obtain information about the United Church of Christ and The Church of the Pilgrimage upon request. Cribroom Volunteers: We need volunteers to help out in our Crib Room! The Crib Room provides a valuable service to our church. It is a recently renovated space in the church building. It is a pleasing and safe space where parents are invited to leave their children while they attend worship. We are working hard to organize volunteers so that this crucial part of our ministry is continued. There is a Sign-Up Sheet in the Crib Room, or you may phone the church office for information. Nametags: We ask that everyone wear their nametags at church on Sundays so our new members and our Associate Pastor can learn everyone's name. Thanks! Rev. Heather's Office Hours: Rev. Heather will have office hours on Tuesday from 1-3pm, Wed from 10am-12pm and Thursday 10am-12pm. She will be at home working on her sermon on Friday. Practice for the Christmas Eve Family Service will be held on December 18th following the worship service. Memorial Poinsettias: Christmas is fast approaching. By your loving purchase of poinsettias, we can enhance the beauty of our church for the Christmas services. Sign up in the lower vestibule following the service. There will be an insert listing the donors and those memorialized or honored in the Christmas week Herald. The suggested donation for a poinsettia is $15, although a donation of any amount is welcome. The flowers may be given to shut-ins, or picked up after the Christmas Eve services or the following Sunday. Volunteers will be welcomed to take flowers to shut-ins following the Christmas Sunday service.

Clerk - Lois Post; Moderator - Steven Triffletti; Treasurer - David Kegel; Collector - Debra Richters 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.