The mission of this congregation is to be a welcoming community which proclaims

the Word of God and the Gospel of Christ, nurtures Christian beliefs and behavior,

and encourages lifelong maturing in faith. Here we are empowered to grow as

Christians, so that we may minister to others spiritually and physically. We welcome you!

Greenfeild Hill Church

July 8, 2018

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GREENFIELD HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT

JULY 8, 2018 9:30 A.M.SERVICE

We love kids! But sometimes services are too long for even the happiest child. So ... • For infants we have nursery care in the Church House, first floor. • For children from 3’s through 7th grade, we have a wonderful Church School program during our 9:00 hour. • And if your kids get squirmy, the Church Parlor has toys; the service is amplified in the Parlor

and the seats are comfortable!

Prelude Meditation on “The Ash Grove” David Lasky

* Our “Summer Chorus” Sweet, Sweet Spirit Hymnal, no. 261

* Call to Worship

Loving God,

May that sweet, sweet spirit be with us all week long;

May the sweet, sweet spirit color our conversations and shape our

relationships;

May that sweet, sweet spirit govern our church and guide our steps. Amen

* Hymn O Christians, Haste Hymnal, no. 482

* Confession Prayer, said together:

We confess, Lord God, we don’t know where to begin:

Harsh words, bad thoughts, poor choices, wrong motives, white lies, dark secrets.

Missteps, sins large and small. Each missing the mark.

All that we confess, yearning to be both forgiven and better.

Amen.

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(silence for individual prayers of confession)

* Assurance of Forgiveness

* Gloria Patri Hymnal, no. 35 (This hymn, sung every Sunday, expresses our gratitude for forgiveness)

Welcome and Announcements

Please sign the green pad in your pew, and pass it to your neighbor. Thank you!

Children’s Message

Following the Children’s message, our younger children (ages 3 through those entering 2nd grade) are invited to the Church House for church school class. Parents may pick up their

children immediately following the worship service in Room 4, on the lower level.

Worship of God through Prayer

Sharing our Joys and Concerns

We welcome your prayer concerns. You may write them into the prayer request book in the Narthex, or contact the pastors.

Pastoral Prayer/The Lord’s Prayer In place of The Lord’s Prayer today, please pay special attention to our offering solo by Wendy of “The Lord’s Prayer”

Worship of God through Giving: (We give in many ways, by various means. Some give monthly, quarterly, yearly, credit card, by mail or automatic withdrawals. Yet it is still important to “present our offerings” on the altar as part of genuine worship, our way of giving thanks to God.)

Offering

Offertory The Lord’s Prayer Solo

* Doxology Hymnal, no. 46

(This ancient hymn is sung every Sunday to thank God for all the gifts of our lives)

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Prayer of Dedication, said together:

Holy God,

We give thanks to you in a hundred ways all day long,

For friends and health and nation and love and family

And faith and Jesus and church and summer

Now we give thanks through our offerings,

Our humble gratitude for all of your blessings to us

Amen

Scripture Philippians 1:12-18

Sermon “Religion in the News” Rev. David Johnson Rowe

* Solo “I Want Jesus to Walk with Me” Spiritual

Pastoral Benediction

Postlude

* All who are able, please stand.

Serving in the Chancel: Deacon Ellen Waugh

Soloist: Wendy Gerbier ~ Mezzo Soprano

Don’t forget our Iced Tea and Lemonade fellowship on

the lawn. Stay for a moment, greet someone new, learn one new thing, and have a lovely day.

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CHURCH NOTES

Good Morning!

Having you with us for worship is a blessing we treasure. There is a special

delight in being together, joined by a common desire to draw close to God

and to one another. Thank you for being here.

Summer Church Schedule TODAY through Labor Day

8:15 a.m. Outdoor Worship, on the Lawn by the Memorial Room. This

morning’s service was led by Meghan Baer and Nicole Baratz, next week will be

led by Pat McCullough and Kim Baer. Fun, Inspiring, Informal, Brief, and

Great! Yes, bring the kids, grandkids, or even the neighborhood kids!

9:30 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary. We will have a children’s

message each Sunday after which kids age 3 through 2nd grade will have

summer Church School, “one room school house” style, across the street.

After Worship… Please join us on our patio for refreshments immediately following worship! It’s a wonderful way to keep up with friends old and new during the summer!

Visitors: We are glad you are with us today. Want to know more? Take a bag

home from our Visitors’ Table, just outside the front door! If you are interested in

joining this church, please just speak with Alida!

At our service this morning you have been greeted by Deacon Greg Bambach

and Junior Deacons Cole Markham and Will Stearns. Junior Deacons assisting

with Church School are Owen Edminster and Caroline Lauf.

A note about children in worship: We love them! But if you’d prefer to enjoy

worship on your own, our Church Nursery for infants-toddlers is across the

street in the Church House. Special beepers/pagers are available to parents so

that they may be quietly contacted during the worship service if their child

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misses them! If your child in worship becomes restless or unhappy, please make use

of the Parlor (through the double doors by the choir loft, or head outside and through the side doors). There is a comfortable space there for your child to play

with toys and a speaker which carries the service!

A special thank you to our Finance Board this week for our iced tea hour! We

hope you’ll come enjoy and stay a bit to relax and enjoy the wonderful

fellowship of our Church.

Remembering our Soldiers

Laura Riebel . . . Mark Riebel . . . Brian Shelton . . . Derrick Keene . . . Mike Lincoln . .

. David Elliott. . . Stephen Honan . . . Molly Hanson . . . Shelby Wallace . . . . . . Kelsey Wallace . . . Lawrence Benjamin . . . Dale Cates

If you or a loved one is hospitalized, please contact us! Hospitals do not notify us independently.

Many thanks for helping our pastoral ministry

CHURCH SCHOOL NOTES

During the summer months, we offer a weekly combined church

school class for children ages three years up to through 2nd grade (as

of this fall). This morning’s class is being led by Marcia Carothers

assisted by Junior Deacons Owen Edminster and Caroline Lauf. This

morning they will be talking about The Two Debtors.

Our church school classes share a morning snack during their class

time. If your child has any food allergies, we ask that you alert your

child’s teacher in order that we may ensure the safe participation of

all our children! Following the worship service, parents may pick up

their children from Classroom 4, located on the lower level of the

Church House.

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UPCOMING EVENTS AT CHURCH

Celebration of Pies! Yes, that's right! On July 15th, we're

starting a new tradition: a midsummer Sunday with a

smorgasbord of pies for all to enjoy after worship! We are

looking for bakers of those delicious home baked pies! If you

would like to contribute one (or can help out with serving, etc,

the day of) please let David (drowe@greenfieldhillchurch.com),

or Linda Allegretti (lindaallegretti@gmail.com) know. This

could go down in history as David's favorite day ever!

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NOTES

Do you have an overabundance of zucchini or bumper crop

of tomatoes? Dani Prohaska would be happy to take them off

of your hands! She is collecting fresh vegetables for the Operation Hope food pantry as part of her Fresh for All

initiative. There will be a bin in the Narthex on Sunday

mornings this summer where you can drop off any of your extra produce. Don't

have a garden at home? Then consider buying an extra zucchini, eggplant, or

cucumber (or 2) to donate! Thank you!

The Fellowship Board is hosting a fabulous event at the

Savannah Bee Company on Wednesday, July 18th from 6pm-

8pm! Come learn more about the important role that bees play

as pollinators of our food. It is sure to be a fun and educational

evening. Light appetizers will be served as well as

cocktails. They are located at 43 Church Lane in Westport.

Please rsvp to the Church Office if you plan to attend

(info@greenfieldhillchurhc.com)

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CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 8, 2018 Sunday 8:15 a.m. Outdoor Worship (The Grove in front of the Memorial Room)

(7/8) 9:30 a.m. Worship in Sanctuary

9:30 a.m. Summer Church School – Church House

Sunday 8:15 a.m. Outdoor Worship (The Grove in front of the Memorial Room)

(7/15) 9:30 a.m. Worship in Sanctuary

9:30 a.m. Summer Church School – Church House

CELEBRATION OF PIES!!! On the Grandin Patio!

Faith/Art All summer at Sunday Services

Do YOU have a faith-based piece of Art? May we borrow it for one Sunday?

Photography... Sculpture... Painting... Collage... or any other medium?....

Tell David or Roni and we’ll be in touch!!

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David’s Summer Reading List

Each summer, David likes to share what he’s been reading, and books you

might enjoy to. We call it “Literature that Feeds Our Faith”, books that help us

think about the “big issues.” And if you’ve read something that’s piqued your

thoughts and inspired you, David would love to know!

Here’s his list:

The Ninth Hour, by Alice McDermott. Beautiful novel of Brooklyn nuns helping

to “raise” a young mother and child in the early 20th century. Great characters,

lots of life lessons.

The Delight of Being Ordinary, by David Brooks. Imagine a secret road trip by the

Pope and the Dalai Lama. Interesting conversations.

The Cloister, by James Carroll. Carroll, former Priest, tells a parallel story. The

efforts of legenday Abelard and Heloise to rid ancient Christianity of anti-

semitism in the 11th century matches a 20th century love story centered in NYC’s

Cloister Museum. Healed Within: An acupuncturist's journey after a burn accident, opioid addiction, and a

love affair., by Simone Wan Moran. Simone, a church member, tells her

astounding story of a horrific burn acciedent to her new career in traditional

healing. Availble only for ereaders on Amazon.com.

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Signals, by Tim Gautreaux. When I wrote my newest book, “Water into Wine”,

my hope was to mirror the short stories of Flannery O’Connor as both realistic and spiritual. Gautreaux succeeds.

1947: Where Now Begins, by Elisabeth Asbrink. The author explains why post-

WWII 1947 was such a key year, weaving surprising group events and people.

The Choice: The Christ-Centered Pursuit of Kingdom Outcome, by Hoag, Rodin, and

Willmer. I’ve just joined the Bridgeport Mission Board, and this is required

reading. Try it along with me. How deep are we willing to take our Christian

faith? Copies will be available in the Narthex.

Go, Went, Gone, by Jenny Erpenbeck, and

Yiza, by Michael Kohlmeier

If you are interested in refugees and the immigration crisis these two books will

take you deep. Yiza tells the story through the eyes of three refugee children on

their own in Germany. Go, Went , Gone tells of a retired man in Germany who,

after viewing immigrants in his life in Berlin, decides that he needs to know

them. So two great books from two sides of the story.

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GREENFIELD HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT Telephone: (203) 259-5596 Fax: (203) 255-4641

Website: www.greenfieldhillchurch.com email: info@greenfieldhillchurch.com

www.facebook.com/GreenfieldHillCongregationalChurch

OFFICERS: Rev. Dr. David Johnson Rowe, Pastor; Rev. Dr. Alida Ward, Pastor; Carol McCullough, Church

Council Chairperson; Sue Bambach, Church Clerk; Aun Singapore, Treasurer.

STAFF: Roni Widmer, Office Manager; Sandra Shaw Murphy, Music Director; Sara Mastrony Hoefer, Junior

Choir Director; Marcia Carothers, Director of Christian Education; Susan Rippey, Nursery School Director; Jessica Campbell, Financial Manager; Amity Almond and Kelcey King, Assistant Treasurers; Sarah De Meneses, Accountant; Jim Zalenski, Sexton; Rachel Baumann, Pastoral Assistant.

CHURCH BOARD MEMBERS Adult Education: Rebecca Huselid, co-Chairperson, Sandra Timmermann, co-Chairperson, Linda Allegretti, Edward

Jordan Children and Youth Ministries: Erika Duffy, co-Chairperson; Andrea Muhlhauser, co-Chairperson; Mike

Dwyer, Scott Ettl, Amanda Heyn, Anna Taylor, Michelle Wormley Communications: Dave Hinkle, Chairperson;

Lauren Raps, Sarah Schunk Development: Joe Holland, Chairperson; Tom Kreitler, Don Lord, Martha Lord,

Joanna Patterson, Adam Snyder, Jeff Taylor Diaconate: Carole Lisi, co-Chairperson, Ellen Waugh, co-Chairperson;

Kim Baer, Greg Bambach, Seth Baratz, Dan Carpenter, Jason Dies, Jen Hinkle, Karin Keith, Pat McCullough, Jon

Passmore, Blake Titrud Facilities: Andy Hoder, Chairperson; Jeri Barrett, Jim Cullinan, Todd Flanagan, Mike

Licamele, Gary Rafsky, Dom Savino, Walt Siemon, Fred Zarrilli Fellowship: Cathy Fell, Chairperson; Kathy Baratz,

Chris Gannon, Barbara Hayslip, Amy Hios, Heather Lajeunesse, Casey Mitchell, Pamela Patterson, Beth Schaefer,

Christine Wegener Finance: Amy Johnson, Chairperson; LaWanza Holder, Jason Konschnick, Andy Muhlhauser,

Jon Persson, Aun Singapore, Chris Tormey Junior Deacons: Hannah Amendola, Witt Badger, Maddy Baker, Liam Ballou, Reid Brown, Maggie Burns, Elizabeth Cutler, Garrett Cutler, Ava Derbyshire, Casey Dies, Cooper Eckert, Owen Edminster, Eloise Gacetta, Helen Glover, Ian Greenwood, Liam Hawley, Ella Holland, Taylor Horine, Henry Houghton, Carly Jones, Mary Keden, Caroline Lacey, Meghan Lajeunesse, Caroline Lauf, Cole Markham, Maddy Markham, Allison Milicia, Connor Navin, Sophie Nightingale, Gillian Orben, Emma Powell, Anna Ruppert, Olivia Savino, Peter Schwinn, Georgia Sharpe, Charlie Simon, Hope Smith, Will Stearns, Ben Steele, MacKenna Tormey, Severin Tormey, Hunter Vogel, Jack Vogel, Isabella Whelan, Devenny Widmer, George Wyckoff, Amelia Yoder,

Caroline Young Member Care: Wendy Savino, Chairperson; Nicki Callahan, Sharon Jacobs, Carol Langeland, Kim

Markham, Anne Orvis, Eleanor Page, Sue Trischman, Elyse Tsou, Lisa Vacheron Member Involvement: Jen Chandler, co-Chairperson, Adam Simon, co-Chairperson; Tony Derbyshire, Glenn Horine, Kerry Manning, Jon

Sabrowski Mission and Outreach: Michelle Stearns, Chairperson; Michelle Baker, Val Collison, Murray Jacques,

Chris Kenney, Meg Lowe, Laraine Petersen, Bevo Tarika Church Council At-Large Members: Scott Craighead,

Mike Howard, Martha McKeon Church Historian: Lynn Van Winkle Internal Auditor: Mark Durham.

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Dogwood Festival, Mike & Karen Mitri Flowers, Lynn Davies Ushers, Marcy Michaud CT UCC Conference,

Vicki Frankenburg, Bobbi Williams Church Housing Representatives (Parish Court), Tony Derbyshire, Scott

Powell, Peggy Ruble Memorial Garden, Lynn Davies Nursery School, Alison Lochridge Fairfield East Delegate,

Bill Carothers Bridgeport Council of Churches, Michelle Stearns Human Resources, Cheryl Jones

CHANCEL CHOIR Bert Andren, Cary Andren, David Callahan, Lia Carter, Wendy Gerbier, Thomas Grant, Zoe Grosser, Rebecca

Huselid, Sue Leiss, Donald Lord, Peggy McCain, Art McCain, Michael Moore, Jon Passmore, Melinda Reynolds, Beth Schaefer, Earlyne Seaver, Dianne Simpson, Bob Stilson, Michael Trnik, David White

CHURCH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS Amity Almond, Kim Baer, Meghan Baer, Katie Baiocco, Jennifer Bargas, Jessica Campbell, Sarah De Meneses, Dawn Dzurik, Scott Ettl, Betsy Ewing, Karen Fox, Mark Gilrain, Rachelle Giordano, Marjorie Glover, Ann Harvey, Kelly Hayes, Amanda & Ted Heyn, LaWanza Holder, Katie Holland, Andra Horsch, Mary Janacek, Stacie Kenney, Bob & Molly King, Jen Lubarsky, Krishna Lynch, Mollie Milano, Andrea Muhlhauser, Rachel Parrish, Gwen Powell, Allyson Power, Lauren Raps, Jen Richard, Kirsten Sabrowski, Amanda Schmidt, Sarah Schunk, Skylar Smith, Kara Snyder, Cate Steczkowski, Brenda Steele, Wendy Steinfeld, Marike Toothaker, Chris Tormey, Kelly Vogel, Ellen Waugh, Nikki Wingate, Michelle & Nick Wormley, Sara York, Kathy Wyckoff, Betsey Young