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“Food For Friends”
The
Take and Eat program is supported by faith-based groups who prepare and
deliver free meals on weekends to the same people who receive the
weekday Meals on Wheels. This program has been established in the South Hadley / Granby
area, with St. Theresa’s and St. Pat’s preparing meals on the second
and fourth Sunday of each month, plus every “fifth” Sunday. Center
Church, along with the Falls and Granby Congregational, United
Methodist and Our Savior Lutheran churches, have been busy getting a
program up and running that covers the third Saturday of each month. We have named the program for these churches “Food For Friends”. We
have all of our cooks and coordinators in place, and many volunteers
signed up for the various roles of baking, kitchen prep and clean-up,
packaging and driving. This is proving to be
a great chance for everyone from all the churches to get to know each
other, and to share with the wider community. The program
is being supported by monthly contributions from each of the
participating churches, as well as our membership in the Western Mass
Food Bank which will provide some of the food at no- to low-cost. Saturday, February 20 is our next meal preparation. If
you have any questions about the program or are interested in joining
the ranks of volunteers, please contact the Center Church office at
532-2262.
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Topics at the first three "house" meetings• We need to find ways to encourage church membership and to promote the church and its ministries. What groups of people we wish to attract will determine how to promote.
• "Center Church is a place where the soil is so fertile you can't put down the roots unless you want to grow."
• New landscaping needed
• People are inquiring about the church finaces and structure of committees--wanting a revision.
• Strong desire to go deeper with our faith journey-make things relevant. More adult syudy
• How can we utilize the church 7 days a week?
• What kind of vocabulary do we use when expressing our faith? Make it bold and fresh.
• What is our common understanding--hence the exploration to go deeper. What do we teach?
• Develop trust, respect
• Yoga ministry
• Offer an ecumenical Open House or a dialogue around ecumenism and interfaith
• Music Ministry-wow
• Interest in reaching out to mhc students
• contemporary worship needed
• Many go to church for the support of the community
• Many attend church where you matter
• ONA discussion
• Vintage Clothing Store – how to, who would need to be at the table, where might it be, whom might it serve
• Hot Topics – in and outside of the church service
• 5th Sunday as a service to the community (March, May, August, November). Possible interactions with: Kate’s Kitchen, Springfield Mission, Wingate, Soldier’s Home, Loomis House, South Hadley Council on Aging. Next step: contacts with 3 congregations already participating, with reports to Charlotte by Feb. 10
Bible Study ... People sometimes think that Bible Study is for those who are familiar with the Bible already - so far from the truth. Bible Study is for everybody! Recently we welcomed a parishioner who knew almost nothing about the Bible though she is a lifelong church person. She's having a great time! We all are! Join us! ... meets Thursdays from 10:00-11:00 a.m. in the Reception Room.
Associated Flooring installs the new carpet in the renovated chapel. Framed posters on loan from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music hang on the wall.
Did you know that Center Church ministers and deacons host a worship service once-a-month at the Wingate Community? These services are usually about 30 minutes, include a couple hymns, a reading from Scripture, a homily and prayers. There are usually around a dozen attendees. Below are pictures of some of our Wingate friends during the October service when Bobbie Ayers and Randy Purinton were the hosts...
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This portrait, hanging in the Reception Room of Center Church, is not a portrait of Rev. John Woodbridge, second minister of Center Church. More later...
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