Sprucing up the Garden is underway and soon there will be new plantings of pachysandra, New Guinea impatiens, columbine, and azaleas (replacements for the ones which did not survive the drought two years ago). Speaking of plantings, are you cleaning out or dividing any white blossoming plants in your garden? If so, consider donating them […]
April 15, May 20, and June 10 We have two books and a planning brunch coming up this spring. Please join us! April 15: The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish “An intellectual and emotional jigsaw puzzle of a novel.” Hosted by Karen Roberts, 3 Kenilworth Rd Winchester. Facilitator: Teresa Cader (see book description below) […]
The Ripley Chapel Working Group has been working for the past six months to develop the final design for the chapel renovations. In December we re-engaged Torrey Architecture, Inc. to work with us to complete the final design and develop construction ready plans. In January we added Kaplan Construction as our tentative general contractor in […]
The 3-year transition is coming to an end – at our May 6th annual meeting. ‘What 3-year transition?’ some may ask! Three years ago, this church voted to suspend, for three years, a portion of the bylaws, to enable us to experiment with a new church structure. This structure was recommended by the Transition Team […]
As we move through Eastertide (the fifty days between Easter Day and Pentecost Sunday), we reflect upon the words of Isaiah 43: “Behold, I am doing a new thing, do you not perceive it?” It may take us more than 50 days, indeed it make take a lifetime, to perceive in our bodies, minds, and […]
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” —John 14:27 One of the privileges I have as a pastor of the First Congregational Church in Winchester is witnessing the love and care […]
Saturday, April 28, 2018 8:30 AM to Noon, Tucker and Palmer Rooms We hope you’ll join us for an interactive discussion and workshop on the topic of civility. Using material from various curricula, a conversational technique called “Reverse Debate,” and the spiritual practice of “Welcoming Prayer,” we will explore a variety of methods for carrying out and modeling civil discourse […]
Last weekend, after our baby shower, my wife Kerri and I went back to our house with both of our moms to unwrap the generous presents that many of you gifted us. As we unwrapped each one, we showed them to our family. The moms took a look at some of the items we registered […]
The Leadership Team would like to thank the congregation for passing the 2018 budget on Sunday, and for bringing such insightful questions to the Budget Q&A the previous week. The budget process was a thoughtful, thorough one that involved the efforts of many people: Each ministry provided a “bottoms-up” budget that would adequately support their […]
Thursday, March 22, 2018, 6 PM Join State Representative Michael Day and Dr. Kenneth Mitchell of the Department of Mental Health, for agency presentations on children and family services, substance use and addiction. Consumer experiences will be shared along with updates on access to emergency services, recovery resources and advocacy groups. Open to the public, this informative program is free of […]