Pilgrimage Herald

New England Women's Celebration VII 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.

Attention All Committee Chairs Please remember that you should be submitting 2 copies of your monthly meeting minutes to Shellie in the church office for record keeping purposes. Thank you, The Advisory Board.

SHHHH...IT'S A SECRET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The congregation would like to continue our holiday tradition of giving Christmas gifts to our pastors, our secretary, and our sexton. Any contributions you could make would be very much appreciated. There will be a Christmas bag on the Women's Fellowship Bake Sale table in which to make a donation on Sunday, December 18th.


garymarks@8townsquare.org	December 18 , 2005	office@8townsquare.org
Volume LXXVII		No. 38
Dear Friends, It was good to have celebrated the renovation of Church House during Advent! The dedication service last week was one of joy and those who had not until then entered the building were a bit in a state of wonder regarding just where they were. Those two experiences are, of course, Advent themes and, in a sense, the rebuilt Church House represents our desire to welcome the challenges and rewards of being the Church of Christ in the present and future. There were a great many people of all ages in attendance at the dedication, some estimated there to be over 200. It was a service of prayers, litanies, music, food and grateful recognitions. The portion of the service under the heading "The Act of Dedication" was superbly managed by Fred Northrop and Allen Hoyt. There were several speakers and Fred did a masterful job of naming the very large number of people who over a period of several years have been involved in the project. The Capital Campaign Committee, with its many sub-committees, has accomplished a beautiful thing which enhances the church's ministry and which makes a witness to the Way of Jesus in Plymouth, 2005 and beyond. I will not attempt to match the masterful job Fred did in "naming names" in his presentation at the dedication service last Sunday. I will say that my heart was full of pride and gratitude during the service. I am thankful to God that so many people have sacrificed time and have given financial support to a project which has been a part of their own personal faith pilgrimage. The rebuilding of Church House very much involved prayer at its outset, and so did prayer accompany The Service of Dedication. It should be remembered that one of the first of the several subcommittees formed as the campaign began was a Prayer Committee! The goal was to keep ever before those most intensely involved in the renovations that the renovations were an indication of faith, not merely the refashioning of an initially poorly designed and inadequate multi-purpose space. The goal was, and is, to glorify God! That latter observation brings me again to the holy season of Advent. The birth of Christ under the most unlikely circumstances in Bethlehem was seen by the vision of faith to be an identity of God with human, worldly, secular life. The holy birth represents to the faithful that amid the weary world's woes, hurts, greed, violence there exists a sacred vision for a world of which it is incapable by itself. We all know in Advent, 2005 that the world is still, lo these centuries later, still in "sin and error pining." But, when we bow in adoration before the Christ-child, faith still knows that the sacred and holy has been, as is, among us as a divine "lure" toward hope, peace and love. Praise be to God for that vision which has the capacity to redeem us! Love, © The Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, MA Inc., all rights reserved.
Morning Worship: 10:00am, Rev. Gary L. Marks, , preaching. New toys, unwrapped, will be presented during the Children's Message (see notes). Deacon in Charge: Dottie Bottomley Flowers: Christmas poinsettias are in loving memory of relatives, friends, and loved ones. The names are printed on the enclosed sheet. Also, Cathy & Clarence Delano give a poinsettia in memory of loved ones, and Goodwill & Valerie Stewart give two poinsettias in memory of loved ones.
CHURCH RECORD Hospitalized: Jean Patenaude and Bettemae MacLeod at Jordan Hospital. Hector Patenaude is now at the Newfield House. Happy 100th Sydney Rowland! We extend congratulations and best wishes to Sydney Rowland who celebrated her 100th birthday on December 9th! Gary visited her on her special day with a bouquet of roses on behalf of her church family. Sydney now resides at The Ryder House in Plymouth. God bless you, Sydney!
New England Women's Celebration VII 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. Attention All Committee Chairs Please remember that you should be submitting 2 copies of your monthly meeting minutes to Shellie in the church office for record keeping purposes. Thank you, The Advisory Board. SHHHH...IT'S A SECRET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The congregation would like to continue our holiday tradition of giving Christmas gifts to our pastors, our secretary, and our sexton. Any contributions you could make would be very much appreciated. There will be a Christmas bag on the Women's Fellowship Bake Sale table in which to make a donation on Sunday, December 18th.
THIS WEEK Mon., Dec. 19: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am; Monday Meals, 10:30-1pm, Allerton Hall; Brownie & Girl Scout Troops, 4-7 pm, Church House. Tue., Dec. 20: Rev. Marks will be in the church office, 9:30am; Aerobics, 6:30pm, Allerton Hall; The Board of Trustees will meet at 7pm in the Church House. Wed., Dec. 21: Forefather's Day-Winter Begins! 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. 22: Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am; Fri., Dec. 23 Rev. Marks will be in the office, 9:30am; Aerobics, Allerton Hall, 9am. Sat., Dec. 24 Christmas Eve Family Christmas Eve Service with Living Nativity in the sanctuary, 7:00pm. Christmas Eve Candlelight Service with Lessons and Carols and Holy Communion, 11:30pm in the sanctuary. Sun., Dec. 25 Christmas Day Service in the sanctuary at the usual time, 10am. Please note that there will be no coffee hour following this service. The Church Office will be closed on Monday, December 26th and Monday, January 2nd.
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. 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. Practice for the Christmas Eve Family Service will be held on December 18th following the worship service. Please be present, if you have a child in the service. This is the only practice we will have! 12th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Prayer Breakfast Monday, January 16, 2006 at Plymouth South High School, Long Pond Road, Plymouth beginning at 7:30am. The guest speaker will be The Reverend Dr. Peter J. Gomes. 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. Pilgrim Association Massachusetts Conference-United Church of Christ To the churches, clergy and lay delegates of The Pilgrim Association Greetings! At the request of Old South Union Church in South Weymouth you are invited to attend the Ordination into Christian Ministry of Gloria Carlson At Old South Union church, 25 Columbian Street, South Weymouth, Massachusetts on Sunday, January 8th at 2pm. Refreshments will be served following the ordination.


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.