First Congregational Church of Hamilton

AWC Baby Bottle Drive

Women’s Ministry is sponsoring a loose change collection in support of A Woman’s Concern. This life saving ministry works to turn unplanned pregnancies into unexpected blessings. AWC clients are provided loving, free help and services for as long as they need it. Empty baby bottles are available to fill with coins. Lots of loose change adds up to make a big difference! Please return your baby bottle donation by Father’s Day, June 17. Contact me for more information.
LuBeth Kuemmerle • lubethk@comcast.net

Community Groups

Welcome to the Community! Are you looking for a way to get to know people within our church body in a more intimate way? Are you looking for a place where you can gather with others from our church to pray together, study the Bible, and spend time in fellowship together? If so, I encourage you to consider being part of a Community Group. These groups, made up of 6 to 12 people, meet weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly to get to know one another, share their lives, and grow in the faith. If you are interested, sign up in either the Ministry Center or the church foyer. Take a chance, and step into a Community Group. You will be so glad that you did.
Pastor Robert Tansill 978-468-1940 • rtansill@fcchamilton.org

Men’s Breakfast Postponed

The men’s breakfast originally scheduled for June 2 has been postponed to a later date to be announced.
Pastor Robert Tansill 978-468-1940 • rtansill@fcchamilton.org

Women’s Salad Supper: May 22

Please sign up today to join us on Tuesday, May 22, at 6:30 pm in Heritage Hall for our Spring Salad Supper. Each woman is asked to bring a favorite salad to share. Rolls and beverages will be provided. Following supper, we will enjoy a program of music, scripture, and prayer as we follow Paul’s exhortation from Ephesians 5:18-20. We are providing childcare and encourage moms to let us know they will be bringing their children.
Margot Rox • mrox@fcchamilton.org

VBS Volunteer Orientation Mtg: June 5

Come to our Volunteer Orientation meeting on Tuesday, June 5, at 7:00 pm. Save the dates for Time Travel with Children of The Promise: July 9-13, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon for kids 3 years to grade 8. If you like to meet people and impact our community, VBS is the place for you! We encourage you to begin praying now for your neighbors and bring them to VBS with your family. This is a community outreach event and you can strengthen it by your participation. Volunteer and sign up at the foyer display.
Cece Gough 978-468-1940 • cmgough@fcchamilton.org

Take a Step of Faith, Find a Place of Joy

Children’s Ministries is looking for men and women to make a difference in the lives of others. We are now seeking volunteers for fall ministries, weekly or occasional. You can make a difference helping a young child come to know Jesus. Do you want to meet others? Find new friends? Make an impact by dedicating a few hours a week. All volunteers serve on teams. Take a step of faith and find a place of joy. Call or email me today. I’d love to hear from you.
Christine Hendrickson 978-468-1940 • chendrickson@fcchamilton.org

Missions Update

Please pray for Liz and Ben Cressy. Liz works with the Boston Project in Dorchester, and Ben is in the process of raising the funding he needs to join the B.P. staff on June 1. Pray for the start of a Children’s Community Learning Garden this spring, that it would be a blessing to the neighborhood and a place of deepening relationships. Pray also for lasting changes in the lives of individuals who will be involved in the summer outreach programs.

Youth Ministries

•Sunday Morning Bible Study: 9:45 am in the Barn.
May offering is for Mission Denver.

High School: 1 Thessalonians

7-8th Grade: James

6th Grade: Big Questions

High School Youth Group Tonight at 6:30 pm.
A great way to start your week. We are praying for you all as you wind down the school year.

Middle School Youth Group: Wednesday at 6:45 pm.
We are going to have some adventures out on the town. That’s right, Scavenger Hunt with a bit of mystery thrown in. We will also continue talking about how life with Jesus is the best kind of life.

Service and Prayer Concerns:

Instrument Drive

Madison Berry is holding an instrument drive for the Henry K. Oliver School in Lawrence and the New Theological College in India. So if you have any instruments that are in good shape and using up space in your house, drop them off at the Barn during the Sunday School hour. Donations are also accepted for the repair of these instruments.

Mission Denver: June 25-July2

Please pray for our team members as they prepare to serve this summer on Mission Denver: Sam Azuscena, Caleb Hanna, Madison Berry, Stephen Heintz, Chris Celso, Dani Knudsen, Katherine Drake, Julia Little, Zach Enfield and Cammie Payne.

Pastor Kevin Baird

978-468-1940 • kbaird@fcchamilton.org

AWC Baby Bottle Drive begins Today

Women’s Ministry is sponsoring a loose change collection in support of A Woman’s Concern. This life saving ministry works to turn unplanned pregnancies into unexpected blessings. AWC clients are provided loving, free help and services for as long as they need it. Today is Mother’s Day and empty baby bottles are available to fill with coins. Lots of loose change adds up to make a big difference! Please return your baby bottle donation by Father’s Day, June 17, and contact me for more information.
LuBeth Kuemmerle • lubethk@comcast.net

Spring Clean-Up Work Day II: May 19

Thanks to all who participated in our April clean-up day. What a beautiful difference it made to our campus, but we still have more to get done. Another opportunity is now available to help. Please join fellow FCCH members and friends on Saturday, May 19, from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon as we do some yard work not addressed at our last work day. In particular we have a lot of cleaning to do around the Mission House yard. No special skills are needed – just a ready spirit and a willingness to have fun as we work together. For more information or to let me know you will be participating please contact me.
Phil Best • bestpa@msn.com

Women’s Salad Supper: May 22

Please sign up today to join us on Tuesday, May 22, at 6:30 pm in Heritage Hall for our Spring Salad Supper. Each woman is asked to bring a favorite salad to share. Rolls and beverages will be provided. Following supper, we will enjoy a program of music, scripture, and prayer as we follow Paul’s exhortation from Ephesians 5:18-20. We are providing childcare and encourage moms to let us know they will be bringing their children.
Margot Rox • mrox@fcchamilton.org

Men’s Breakfast: June 2

On Saturday, June 2, from 8:00 to 10:00 am in Heritage Hall, Ken and Reid Swetland will be joining us again for Part 2 of their talk, “Rethinking An Old Issue”. This time we will focus on practical ways of addressing an old issue in our lives, and/or the lives of those around us through accountability. Join us for some great food, fellowship, and discussion on this very important topic. The cost is $5.00 per person. Make plans now to attend and bring a friend.
Pastor Robert Tansill • rtansill@fcchamilton.org

VBS Volunteer Orientation Mtg: June 5

Come to our Volunteer Orientation meeting on Tuesday, June 5, at 7:00 pm. Save the dates for Time Travel with Children of The Promise: July 9-13, 9:00 am to 12:00 noon for kids 3 years to grade 8. If you like to meet people and impact our community, VBS is the place for you! We encourage you to begin praying now for your neighbors and bring them to VBS with your family. This is a community outreach event and you can strengthen it by your participation. Volunteer and sign up at the foyer display.
Cece Gough • cmgough@fcchamilton.org

Community Groups

Welcome to the Community! Are you looking for a way to get to know people within our church body in a more intimate way? Are you looking for a place where you can gather with others from our church to pray together, study the Bible, and spend time in fellowship together? If so, I encourage you to consider being part of a Community Group. These groups, made up of 6 to 12 people, meet weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly to get to know one another, share their lives, and grow in the faith. If you are interested, sign up in either the Ministry Center or the church foyer. Take a chance, and step into a Community Group. You will be so glad that you did.
Pastor Robert Tansill • rtansill@fcchamilton.org

Take a Step of Faith, Find a Place of Joy

Children’s Ministries is looking for men and women to make a difference in the lives of others. We are now seeking volunteers for fall ministries, weekly or occasional. You can make a difference helping a young child come to know Jesus. Do you want to meet others? Find new friends? Make an impact by dedicating a few hours a week. All volunteers serve on teams. Take a step of faith and find a place of joy. Call or email me today. I’d love to hear from you.
Christine Hendrickson • chendrickson@fcchamilton.org

Missions Update

Becky Lahna, works with InterVarsity on North Shore college campuses. Becky has reached her fundraising goal in a matching grant campaign this spring. Please pray for:

•Eight new believers who committed their lives to Christ while on the Katrina Relief Urban Plunge spring break trip

•Favor with the Endicott College administration, as it’s possible that Inter-Varsity’s access to campus may be denied because their commitment to holiness cannot endorse homosexual practice

Youth Ministries

•Sunday Morning Bible Study: 9:45 am in the Barn.
May offering is for Mission Denver.

High School: 1 Thessalonians

7-8th Grade: James

6th Grade: Big Questions

•High School Youth Group Tonight at 6:30 pm. Don’t miss this time at the start of your week to meet for fun and discussion of faith and life. We look forward to seeing you.

•Middle School Youth Group: Wednesday at 6:45 pm. Relay Night with all sorts of wacky back and forth adventures. Bring clothes that can get a little bit messy!

Upcoming Event:

•Mission Denver: June 25-July2

We have a great group of high school students signed up to go. We are in the process of planning, so keep us in your prayers. If anyone is interested in being on the waiting list or being considered as a late addition, contact me.
Pastor Kevin Baird • kbaird@fcchamilton.org

Preparing For Worship

Please switch off cell phones and pagers upon entering the sanctuary. Welcome and make room for those who arrive during the service by leaving space at the ends of the pews.

Thank You for Waiting to be Seated

If the worship service is underway when you arrive, the ushers are aware of points in the service (marked with the symbol + in each week’s worship folder) when you can enter without distracting those who are already worshipping. We appreciate your patience and cooperation.

Please Remember to Lock-Up!

If you are the last to leave the church buildings after a meeting or function, please take the time to insure that the lights are turned off, and all windows and doors are securely closed and locked. Doors on the older buildings may need an extra tug to close tightly. Thanks for your help.

First Place 4 Health

Tomorrow, May 7, we will begin our next 12-week session on Monday mornings from 8:45 to 10:00 am. Balanced Living will be our study and new members are welcome. If you would like to participate but this time does not work for you, please contact me as we would love to begin an evening group and a men’s group.
Maribeth Ting• mbting@verizon.net

Work Day II on May 19

Thanks to all who helped out at our recent work day. Much was accomplished, but there is still work to be done. Please hold the date and join us on Saturday, May 19, from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. We are planning for another fun time as we build community working together.
Phil Best • bestpa@msn.com

Men’s Breakfast & ‘Courageous’ Seminar

Men, mark your calendars for this Saturday, May 12 and join us for wonderful food and a great time of fellowship. Our guest speakers for the morning will include one of the actors from the movie ‘Courageous’ and men from the church where the film was produced. They will address issues of marriage, parenting, and accountability in a man’s life. It promises to be a great time of discussion. The cost is $10 per person or you can bring a dish to share. We will meet in Heritage Hall at 8:00 am and conclude at 12:00 pm. Sign up today to join us for this very special event!
Pastor Robert Tansill • rtansill@fcchamilton.org

IMPORTANT Parking Reminders

Please do NOT ever remove any of the cones, or block people’s driveways, or enter driveways to turn around. It is vital that we respect our neighbors and follow our parking guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.

― Parking Guidelines ―
The Driveway is One-Way off Bay Road (route 1A) coming onto the church property. When you leave the church grounds, exit on the Cutler Road side. Please do not exit directly out the driveway onto Bay Road.

For the Elderly, Handicapped, and Families with Young Children, parking is available in the main church lot. The parking spaces along side the church off Cutler Road are reserved for the handicapped and elderly.

General Parking is Available Only on the west side of Bay Road (same side as the church), on the north side of Cutler Road (side opposite the church), and at the Town Hall.

Please Do Not: •Park in locations not specified above •Use private driveways to turn around •Disregard, park in front of, or move orange cones •Double-park along the side of the church •Park in any fire lane •Park within 15 feet of a driveway or street corner •Block walkways

Please treat Cutler Road as one-way traveling away from Bay Road (route 1A). Turn right onto Rock Maple Avenue (0.7 mi.) to return to Bay Road.

Youth Ministries

•Sunday Morning Bible Study: 9:45 am in the Barn. Our May offering goes to Mission Denver. High School: 1 Thessalonians
7-8th Grade: James
6th Grade: Concluding Ideas
•No High School Youth Group This Week. You are invited to the wedding of Pastor Dori’s daughter, Courtney, at 2:30 pm today, and to the reception following.

•Middle School Youth Group: Wednesday at 6:45 pm. Round 3 of Cluster Battle Star Galactica and the third part of our Ultimate Life series.

Upcoming Events:

•Senior Banquet: May 12 Seniors and parents, please R.S.V.P. to Kevin your plans for the May 12 celebration and get your photographs to him. Juniors, please let me know if you are available to serve our seniors and their families. Thanks.

•Mission Denver: June 25-July2
We have a great group signed up, so please keep us in your prayers. If anyone is interested in being on the waiting list, contact me. Pastor Kevin Baird
978-468-1940 • kbaird@fcchamilton.org

Missions Update

Please pray for Carl and Ursula Williams working with Wycliffe in Benin, Africa. At the end of the dry season there is a shortage of water for the hydro-electric dams, causing many power outages and impeding the use of computers. Ursula asks for prayer in translating the challenging book of Romans, so that they are able to adequately communicate God’s Word.

Rose on the Pulpit

Today’s rose is to announce the birth of Mark Christian Reed born on April 20 to Christopher and Christianna Reed.

Children’s SS Open House Today

Join us this morning for our Children’s Sunday School Assembly and Open House beginning at 9:45 am in Heritage Hall. Preschool through grade 6 will be gathered for this celebration, which will include Bible presentations for grades 1 and 6. Pick up a cup of coffee and come join us in honoring our teachers and students. At 10:15 am parents are invited to come to their child’s classroom for an Open House. Don’t miss this special time!
Christine Hendrickson • chendrickson@fcchamilton.org

Men’s Breakfast / ‘Courageous’ Seminar

Men, mark your calendars for Saturday, May 12, and join us for wonderful food and a great time of fellowship. Our guest speakers for the morning will include one of the actors from the movie ‘Courageous’, and men from the church where the film was produced. They will address issues of marriage, parenting, and accountability in a man’s life. It promises to be a great time of discussion. The cost is $10.00 per person or you can bring a dish to share. We will meet in Heritage Hall and begin at 8:00 am and conclude at 12:00 pm. Make plans now to join us for this very special event!
Pastor Robert Tansill • rtansill@fcchamilton.org

First Place 4 Health

We will have an orientation meeting for our next session on Friday, May 4, at 9:00 am in the Ministry Center Café. Then on May 7 we will begin our next 12-week session on Monday mornings from 8:45 to 10:00 am. Balanced Living will be our study, and new members are welcome. If you would like to participate but this time does not work for you, please contact me as we would love to begin an evening group and a men’s group.
Maribeth Ting • mbting@verizon.net

Missions Update

Pray for the North Shore chapter of Young Life, an organization that works to reach middle and high school students with the gospel. After months of searching and praying, a new area director has been found. Philip Bowling, his wife Katie and infant son Judah, will be moving to our area from Virginia Beach. Philip will assume the directorship on August 1. Please pray for a smooth transition and for the Bowlings search for a home.

IMPORTANT Parking Reminders

Please do NOT ever remove any of the cones, or block people’s driveways, or enter driveways to turn around. It is vital that we respect our neighbors and follow our parking guidelines. Thank you for your cooperation.

― Parking Guidelines ―

The Driveway is One-Way off Bay Road (route 1A) coming onto the church property. When you leave the church grounds, exit on the Cutler Road side. Please do not exit directly out the driveway onto Bay Road.

For the Elderly, Handicapped, and Families with Young Children, parking is available in the main church lot. The parking spaces along side the church off Cutler Road are reserved for the handicapped and elderly.

General Parking is Available Only on the west side of Bay Road (same side as the church), on the north side of Cutler Road (side opposite the church), and at the Town Hall.

Please Do Not: •Park in locations not specified above •Use private driveways to turn around •Disregard, park in front of, or move orange cones •Double-park along the side of the church •Park in any fire lane •Park within 15 feet of a driveway or street corner •Block walkways

Please treat Cutler Road as one-way traveling away from Bay Road (route 1A). Turn right onto Rock Maple Avenue (0.7 mi.) to return to Bay Road.

Youth Ministries

•Sunday Morning Bible Study: 9:45 am in the Barn.
Our April offering is Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger.

High School: 1 Thessalonians

7-8th Grade: James

6th Grade: The Apostle’s Creed

•High School Youth Group: Tonight at 6:30 pm. Help us welcome our friends from Ipswich Presbyterian tonight. We will hear from one of their leaders, Scott Poblenz, play games, eat, and have a great time together.

•Middle School Youth Group: Wednesday at 6:45 pm. Round 2 of Cluster Battle Star Galactica and the second part of our Ultimate Life series will not disappoint. Bring three friends from school or two from your neighborhood.

Upcoming Events:

•Senior Banquet: May 12
Seniors and parents, please R.S.V.P. to Kevin your plans for the May 12 celebration. Don’t forget to get your photographs in by May 1. Juniors, please let me know if you are available to serve our seniors and their families. Thanks.

•Mission Denver: June 25-July2
We have a great group signed up, so please keep us in your prayers. If anyone is interested in being on the waiting list, contact me.
Pastor Kevin Baird • kbaird@fcchamilton.org

Men’s Breakfast and “Courageous” Seminar

Men, mark your calendars for Saturday, May 12, and join us for wonderful food and a great time of fellowship. Our guest speakers for the morning will include one of the actors from the movie “Courageous”, and men from the church where the film was produced. They will address issues of marriage, parenting, and accountability in a man’s life. It promises to be a great time of discussion. The cost is $10.00 per person. We will meet in Heritage Hall and begin at 8:00 am and conclude at 12:00 pm. Make plans to join us for this very special event!

Pastor Robert Tansill 978-468-1940 • rtansill@fcchamilton.org

Children’s SS Open House Sunday

Join us next Sunday, April 29, for our Children’s Sunday School Assembly and Open House beginning at 9:45 am in Heritage Hall. Preschool through grade 6 will be gathered for this celebration, which will include Bible presentations for grades 1 and 6. Pick up a cup of coffee and come join us in honoring our teachers and students. At 10:15 am parents are invited to come to their child’s classroom for an Open House. Don’t miss this special time!
Christine Hendrickson 978-468-1940 • chendrickson@fcchamilton.org

Clean-Up/Work Day Saturday

Spring has arrived and the church campus is due for a little TLC. As always we seem to have more to do than we have people or time to complete the work, so please plan now to join us this Saturday, April 28, from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon to help out. We need people to clean windows and screens, clean out our plant beds and garden, and in particular clean up the yard around the Mission House which we didn’t get to completely last fall. Bring your servant heart, any tools you think would be helpful to get things done, and plan for a fun time as we build community working together. For planning purposes please let me know if you can join us for all or part of the morning!
Phil Best • bestpa@msn.com

Missing a Mission?

If you are interested in pursuing a family-based short-term mission opportunity to build homes for Native Americans at the San Carlos Apache Reservation, please send me an email to indicate your interest. Go to Amor.org to see their offerings for church groups. If we have enough interested people, we will explore the timing and feasibility of participating.
Laurie Hoover • lh22europe@yahoo.com

Lost Watch and Charm

A lady’s watch and a single charm have been turned into the church office. If you are missing either of these items, please contact the church office at 978-468-1940.

Easter DVD’s Are In!

A DVD of the Easter service is reserved for each Children’s Ministries volunteer who served on Easter morning. Pick up yours today in the church Fellowship Foyer at the sign-up table.
Christine Hendrickson 978-468-1940 • chendrickson@fcchamilton.org

Missions Update

Please pray for Heather and Andrew Kaiser, who are in Scotland while Andrew finishes his doctoral studies. Pray that the June 7th review of his doctoral work will go well so that they can “get back to China as quickly as possible.” The Kaisers’ sending organization, the Jian Hua Foundation, suffered a complete shut-down of their email system at the hands of a hacker. Please pray that they will recover from the financial loss, and continue to have everything running smoothly to support the workers in China.

Nursery Volunteers Needed

Please consider volunteering in the nursery on a Sunday. It promises to be a fun-filled hour with the littlest ones in our church. Volunteers are needed especially during the 11:00 am service. Please contact me or stop by the nursery to sign up. Thank you in advance for your help.
Gail Gowman • feeni5@verizon.net

Youth Ministries:

•Sunday Morning Bible Study: 9:45 am in the Barn.
Our April offering is Project Bread’s Walk for Hunger.

High School:1 Thessalonians

7-8th Grade:Colossians

6th Grade:The Apostle’s Creed

•High School Youth Group: Tonight at 6:30 pm. Christian community is essential for our lives as followers of Jesus. We hope you will make youth group a part of your Christian community. Join us for some great times of fun, prayer, and discussion.

•Middle School Youth Group: Wednesday at 6:45 pm we kick off Cluster Battle Star Galactica. That’s right, we are forming into elite squads to compete for all the glory and fabulous prizes. Bring your friends for some great fun and also some great discussion about God’s work in our lives.

Upcoming Events:

•HS Mission Denver: June 25–July 2

Deadline is Today. Join us for our service trip, a great opportunity to serve, learn, grow, and see God’s heart in the world. Get your $50 deposit to Kevin today, and register online at www.missiondenver.org/ participant_application_summer.html.

•Senior Banquet: May 12

Seniors and parents, please R.S.V.P. to Kevin to let us know whether you will be able to attend as we celebrate your accomplish-ments and send you off with God’s blessings. Don’t forget to get your photographs in by May 1.
Pastor Kevin Baird 978-468-1940 • kbaird@fcchamilton.org