A monthly publication of the Somers Congregational Church, UCC February, 2012 Gathered in Somers, Connecticut, March 15, AD 1727 Volume 285 Number 2

The Reverend Dr. Barry Cass, Pastor

Church Email Addresses:

Barry Cass - bcass@somerscongregational.org Carly Sanborn - somerscong@somerscongregational.org Jacqueline Nappi - jnappi@somerscongregational.org Liz Scanlon - lscanlon@somerscongregational.org Barbara Anderson - careroom@somerscongregational.org

Website:

www.somerscongregational.org

The First Sunday of each month is

Name Badge Sunday!

Be known! Wear your Name Badge.

No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here.

“I give you a new commandment, that you

love one another. As I have loved you,

you should also love one another.”

JOHN 13:34

What is the sound of a bell not ringing? It

is pretty tough to describe, but I have been

hearing it every day since the first of

January. The fire that destroyed our

Meeting House silenced the bell that tolled

the hours. I miss that. When I walk down

my stairs every morning, getting my day

started, I miss seeing the steeple through

the trees. I had not even realized I looked

at it every morning until it was no longer

there to see.

There is a long list of things I miss now

that our Meeting House is gone. I’m sure

each of you could add to the list – And

perhaps you can name things you counted

on seeing or hearing without realizing what

a part of your daily life they were.

Missing those things and beginning to

name those things is part of the mourning

process . . . .

CONTINUED FROM COVER PAGE . . . .

January has been a month of mourning not just for

members of the church but for many others in our

community as well. As I have said before, the outpouring

of grief, care, concern and support has been

overwhelming. Friends I have not seen in years, high

school, college and seminary classmates, parishioners

from my previous pastorates, former church members, folks from all over Connecticut and the

country and the ENTIRE sixth grade at Mabelle B. Avery School have sent notes, pictures,

contributions and encouragement. Overwhelming.

I hope you all know you have been in the thoughts and prayers of people you’ve never

met and who know us only by knowing our loss. Our loss is felt and shared by people who love

their own churches, who have experienced the joy of community and who understand, or at

least can imagine, the hole in our hearts left by the fire.

Of course, even as we share our grief we are beginning to move ahead. In the great

congregational tradition, we have formed several committees that will help restore the parts of

the building that have suffered water and smoke damage, rebuild the part of the meeting that is

gone, and put together a fitting remembrance of what we have lost. In the weeks ahead there

will be many updates coming from the various committees and your input will be sought as we

move ahead.

As part of the grieving and remembering process we are collecting photographs of the Meeting

House – interior and exterior – and of events that took place there. This includes activities and

celebrations in both the sanctuary and the Foundation Room. It would be great to have copies

of photos we could keep, either hard copies that you do not mind giving to us, or electronic

copies that we can print and share. We are also hoping to collect thoughts from people – a

paragraph or two that you are willing to share about your memories of the Meeting House and

the church.

As we have said, the church is the people, not the building, but it is also true that the Meeting

House was, for 170 years, the center of the church’s life together. We will mourn, we will

honor the memories so important to the life of the church and we will honor those who have

gone before us. And we will turn toward the future.

God, who has been with this congregation throughout our 285 year history, is still with us, still

speaking to and through us. We will build on the strong roots that have been laid by our

predecessors, moving into the future to which we are called by God.

Blessings –

Barry

Second Tuesday Book Club

The Book Group Tuesday, February 14– 7 P.M. -- Open to EVERYONE!

January's book is Crooked Letter, Crooked Lettern by Tom Franklin

Edgar Award-winning author Tom Franklin returns with his most accomplished and

resonant novel so far—an atmospheric drama set in rural Mississippi. In the late

1970s, Larry Ott and Silas "32" Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds were as different as night and day:

Larry, the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, single black mother. Yet for a

few months the boys stepped outside of their circumstances and shared a special bond. But then tragedy struck:

Larry took a girl on a date to a drive-in movie, and she was never heard from again. She was never found and

Larry never confessed, but all eyes rested on him as the culprit. The incident shook the county—and perhaps

Silas most of all. His friendship with Larry was broken, and then Silas left town.

More than twenty years have passed. Larry, a mechanic, lives a solitary existence, never able to rise above the

whispers of suspicion. Silas has returned as a constable. He and Larry have no reason to cross paths until

another girl disappears and Larry is blamed again. And now the two men who once called each other friend are

forced to confront the past they've buried and ignored for decades.

Worship at Blair Manor On the Second Tuesday of each month our church is responsible for a worship

service at Blair Manor. Led by our pastor, worship begins at 10:30 A.M. and

lasts about a half hour. We are fortunate that Anne Larson accompanies the

group in singing two hymns most months. Other members and friends of the

church are more than welcome to join us, to be a part of the service and to add

voices to the singing. If you have any questions, talk to Barry.

The next Blair Manor worship service will be Tuesday, February 14 at 10:30 A.M.

SAVE THE DATE!

February 25th 7PM

Pleasant View Golf Center

Christian Contemporary Concert by

CAYA Worship Team (Come As You Are)

of the Simsbury United Methodist Church

To benefit the SCC Restoration Fund

Stay tuned for additional details….

Altar Flowers for the Month of February February 5 Altar Flowers this morning are given by Sandy and Malcolm Keery in memory of loved ones February 12 Altar Flowers this morning are given by Mike Mangini in loving memory of his Charlotte Mangini February 19 OPEN February 26 Altar Flowers this morning are given by The Bothwell Family in memory of loved ones

It is our custom that altar flowers are donated in memory of or in honor of loved ones. Arrangements can be bought or hand-done. An individual or a group of individuals can donate them.

There can be more than one bouquet on any given Sunday. If you would like to give flowers for the altar in February, please call Claudette Colby (860-749-3570)

Snow Shovelers Needed!

We are still looking for volunteers to shovel. You may sign up for one

day, several days, the same day each week or even a week at a time!

You can sign up with a neighbor, a friend or your whole family. We

have plenty of snow shovels and a snow thrower to assist you!

Please sign up on the big calendar in the main lobby during the week or

at coffee hour on Sundays,

or contact the House and Grounds Committee

houseandgrounds@somerscongregational.org

LENT BEGINS ON

ASH WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2012

Please watch for details in the Sunday

Bulletin and our website regarding our

Ash Wednesday observance.

SOMERS CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH BUILDING COMMITTEE

INFORMATION GATHERING FORM

JANUARY 2012

Thank you for taking the time to share your comments with the Building

Committee, whose responsibility is to build a new church building.

**Please complete this form and return it to the church office or to any member

of the Building Committee. Feel free to use additional paper, as needed.

Question #1 Do you have any special expertise that may be helpful to the

Building Committee as we proceed with the planning, design, and construction of

our new church building?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Question #2 Do you have any comments you would like to share regarding

improvements or enhancements that you would like to have considered during

the building process?

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________

Please provide us with the best way to contact you.

Name:__________________________________

Phone:__________________________________

Email:__________________________________

*************************************************************

Share more comments at our email address:

Build@SomersCongregational.org

All comments should be submitted by March 1, 2012 Thank you for your valuable input.

Special Thank You....... Beautiful Things for Special Sale fundraiser

Italian Villa Restaurant for having a Pasta Supper

fundraiser

Fire Department for having a Pancake Breakfast

fundraiser

Board of Selectmen- having our worship service in

Town Hall for 3 Sundays

Somersville Congregational Church-having our

community suppers on the 15th (January-March)

Johnson Memorial Hospital Board of Directors- offering the Education Center for our worship services until

our new church is built

Somers Congregational United Church of Christ

Free Community Supper Wednesday, February 15 5 to 6:30 P.M.

EVERYONE is invited to share this free Community Supper and to

enjoy the fellowship and good time. Bring your family and friends

WHILE WE ARE OUT OF OUR BUILDING COMMUNITY SUPPERS WILL BE HELD AT

THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH OF SOMERSVILLE

Let us know you are coming by signing up at church, or calling or e-

mailing the church office. The March 15 dinner is still looking for a host – please call the church office if anyone is

interesting in hosting.

Thank you to everyone who made my day extra special with your

birthday wishes and cards. Your thoughtfulness means a lot.

~ Janina Gibson

THANK YOU JIM & DONNA

AND THEIR COMPANY, NEW ENGLAND BLUE

PRINT PAPER COMPANY FOR PRINTING AND

COLLATING THE 285TH

ANNUAL REPORT

Weekly Scripture Readings for February 2012

* passage that will be Church School's prime focus for the week

**passage that will be Church School's secondary focus for the week

February 5 (Communion Sunday) Fifth Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147:1-11, 20c 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39

February 12 Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

2 Kings 5:1-14 Psalm 30 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Mark 1:40-45

February 19 Last Sunday after Epiphany

2 Kings 2:1-12 Psalm 50:1-6 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 Mark 9:2-9

WEDNESDAY, February 22 – Ash Wednesday

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17 Psalm 51:1-17 2 Corinthians 5:20b-6:10 Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

February 26 First Sunday in Lent

Genesis 9:8-17 Psalm 25:1-10 1 Peter 3:18-22 Mark 19-15

Thank You to Our “Christmas Angels”

During our Angel Gift Collection last

November/December 5 children from the Friendship Kitchen,

24 children from Covenant to Care, and 23 children from

Champs Place all received Christmas gifts donated by

members of our congregation. We also used some of our

funds that were earmarked for Loaves and Fishes to purchase

and wrap 36 tween/teen gifts for the Loaves and Fishes

Christmas Party. A long-time benefactor who had always

donated gifts for this particular age group had passed away

last year and our gifts allowed every child/teen at the Loaves

and Fishes Christmas party to go home with a present.

Through our Angel Gift Campaign our congregation was able

to touch the lives of a total of 88 children during the 2011

Christmas season and allow a little of our Christmas spirit to

help brighten their holidays. As always, thank you for your

continued generosity. The Missions Board.

Jewell Vasalie died on Tuesday, January 10, 2012. A Memorial Service was held at

the Connecticut Veterans Cemetery on Friday, January 13 and the Rev. Barry Cass officiated. .

Upcoming Sunday School calendar for February

February 5 Sunday School/ Communion/ Grades 6-8 stay in church

February 12 Sunday School

February 19 Group Activity

February 26 Group Activity

Watch for the Dates : Blair Manor Trip ~ Vacation Bible School

BUCC’S PLAYHOUSE PRESENTS

Council Corner: The Church Council has met 3 times since

January 1st. Highlights include: January 3: Council voted to open a separate checking account for the

purpose of insurance deposits and payment of bills from the insurance

money. Donations to the Building Fund will be deposited into the bank

account for the operating budget and will be accounted for in a

separate non-budget line item. These funds will be used for items not

covered by the insurance. Insurance money will cover expenses to replace what was in the

church building as of December 31st. Inventory of items lost in the fire need to be accounted

for and process needs to begin soon. All committees will be asked to assist in this time

consuming process. Efforts being made to continue with as many scheduled events as possible.

January 10: Appointment of Insurance Committee with Rick Skdinski as Chair, Donna Hanks,

Treasurer and member Beth Rosa. (More people may be added.) Rick Skodinski will have the

responsibility of handling all of the insurance issues connected with the fire. Council voted the

appointment of Restoration Committee who will have the responsibility of restoring the

addition and the Bugbee Center (not electronics or fire alarm system): Jim Jewell, Chr., Jo-Ann

Hornyak (House & Grounds), Liz Scanlon (CE) and Carly Sanborn (Administrative Assistant).

Council appointed the Building Committee who will have the responsibility of building the new

Somers Congregational Church: Mark Marschall, Chr., Jim Jewell, Pat Jones, Tom Mehl, Sara

Mulvihill and John Jones with the understanding a General Contractor will be hired to build the

church. Council voted to give Green Construction and Restoration the contract for the

restoration of the addition and Bugbee Center as well as demolition of Meeting House. Long

discussion on the possibility of hiring a Public Adjuster who would work as intermediary between

us and insurance company; their fees would be a maximum of 10% of the settlement. voted to

table the decision about a Public Adjuster until the next Council. Approved the 2012 budget as

recommended by the Finance Board.

January 17: Appointment of Artifacts Committee who will have the responsibility of compiling

the information, ideas and options of possible artifacts, including but not limited to the church

bell, rocks in the foundation, and wooden beams: Janice Morton, Chr, Ailene Henry, Deb Juzba

and Sharon Renzoni. Information will be given to the building committee when it is completed.

Appointment of Organ Committee to make a recommendation to the building committee on the

organ and its location in the new church: Bill Kirkpatrick, Chr., Laurie White, Jackie Nappi,

Heather Loupe, Rob Trusch, Malcolme Chadbourne and Joanne Chadbourne. Appointment of

Appreciation Committee: Dorian Jones and Sue Jandreau who will take care of writing thank

you notes to donors. Lois will make deposit for donations and keep track in a spreadsheet. Barry

will do thank-you notes when it goes to a church. Anne will thank those hosting benefits. Council

accepted the recommendation of the chairman of the Insurance committee and voted to hire

WorldClaim for the purpose of providing an estimate of the replacement costs for the building

from the firewall forward. Council accepted the recommendation of the chairman of the

Insurance committee and voted to hire a Public Adjuster for the contents portion of our claim.

Survey will be distributed at the annual meeting and available on church website: Question 1, do

you have any special expertise that may be helpful to the Building Committee as we proceed

with the planning, design and construction of our new church building? Question 2, do you have

any comments you would like to share regarding improvements or enhancements that you would

like to have considered during the building process? Barry will be offering a support group by

inviting folks to stay beyond coffee hour, with the purpose of sharing reminisces of the church

starting after our first service at the Community Education Building at Johnson Memorial

Hospital on Jan 29th.

Anne Kirkpatrick, Moderator (abksomers@aol.com)

Moderator’s Moment……….

Amid the horror of the height and heat of the flames, I stood next to Barry in

silence as we watched the steeple and the church collapse on January 1st. It was

an event in my life that I never imagined would happen. Like many of you, words still cannot

describe the emotions.

While the fire was still smoldering and efforts were being made by the firefighters to save the rest of our

church building, decisions were made to move forward. Rick called Utica Insurance and Green Construction

was hired to do the cleanup and water removal, which started at sunrise. Barry led a prayer service at noon on

Monday in Town Hall. The banner that thanked the firefighters for their service was displayed on Tuesday

afternoon. A special council meeting was held on Tuesday night. The re-building of our church had begun.

Tears and hugs were abound on Monday as members and friends of the church and the community gathered

together to share their grief. The heat of the fire from the night before was replaced with the warmth and

support of an entire community and beyond.

Almost a month has passed since the fire. It is amazing what we have already accomplished together! People

came forward and filled vacancies on our committees. The church council had 3 special meetings; six

committees have been appointed and have started. The Building Committee is interviewing architects and

general contractors. With the help of volunteers, the church office is up and running in a trailer with 3 phone

lines, a fax, a copier and four new computers. The information from the old computers was retrieved by

volunteers and downloaded to the new computers. Our annual meeting was held as scheduled: the 2012 budget

was approved; new committees were appointed, a light lunch was served by volunteers and the organizational

meeting was held to decide officers and meeting times for each committee.

Members and friends of our church, our community and beyond have offered prayers, support and

encouragement for our pastor, Barry and the leaders of our church. As Barry said in his sermon after the fire,

sometimes we are asked to do more than we ever imagined. In the wake of this tragic fire, people have already

demonstrated that we can do more than ever imagined. Moving forward, I know we have a long way to go and I

know we will continue to work together to build a church for generations to come. I am honored to be a member

of the Somers Congregational Church. Anne Kirkpatrick

American Veterans ~ Men and Women ~ Our Neighbors

They Fought For Our Freedoms ~ They Need Our Help

A New Year's Mission Support “Soldier On”

The Fight Doesn't End When They Get Home

ITEMS NEEDED (VERY GENTLY USED OR NEW):

SOCKS

UNDIES (NEW PLEASE)

FLIP FLOPS – SHOWER SHOES

TOWELS, WASH CLOTHS

TOILETRIES (NEW PLEASE)

CLOTHING, COATS, GLOVES, HATS

Box for drop off is located in Church office trailer or call Kim Kelley @ 860-265-2098 for pick up. You

may also bring items to Coffee Hour and leave them with a member of the Mission Board.

www.wesoldieron.org

VA Homeless Shelter - Leeds, Massachusetts

Dave's Pet City in Stafford – selling tags as fundraiser

Country Diner in Enfield - selling stickers as a fundraiser

Enfield Congregational Church March 10 at 5:30 pm followed by a

Blue Grass Concert

Jolly Beggars Benefit Concert March 24th

Blair Manor – benefit on March 31st

Shoreline Bell Ringers Benefit Concert

May 12

LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY 2012

Church Staff Pastor The Reverend Dr. Barry Cass 763-4021 Organist/Music Director Jacqueline Nappi 763-4021 Administrative Secretary Carly Sanborn 763-4021

Care Room Director Barbara Anderson 763-4021 Church Council Members

Moderator Anne Kirkpatrick 749-2369 Clerk Valarie Bedard 749-6662

Member at Large Donna Popham 763-1619 Member at Large Lisa Gay 749-5461

Caring Committee Laura Driscoll 749-6045 Christian Education Sharon Renzoni 749-1034 Deacon Jo-Ann Hornyak 763-0141

Finance Scot Stanton 749-3216 House & Grounds Jo-Ann Hornyak 763-0141 Membership Margaret Festi 749-2698

Missions Scott Champion 741-7979 Music & Arts Sara Mulvihill 265-3012

Nominating Kelly Anderson 763-5355 Pastoral Relations Jeff Roig 763-3908

Stewardship Trish Pruden 749-5296 Other Members of the Church Council

Evangelical Ministries Richard Larson 749-4770 Women’s Fellowship Helen Austin 749-6747

Other Officers Treasurer Fran Shaver 749-0526

Assistant Treasurer Carol Kennett 763-0029 Collector Sandy Keery 749-0368 Assistant Collector Lois Lindell 749-7356 Auditor Ed Sullivan 749-3011

Historian Ailene Henry 749-2190 CARING MINISTRY BOARD Meets: 2

nd Monday of Month – 7:00 p.m.

Laura Driscoll (Chair) .............. 749-6045 Ellen Marschall (Sec.) ............. 749-7779 Heather Hight (Treas.).............749-2071 Faith Gelinas ......................... 749-2538 Sandy Mazur ........................... 763-5406 Barbara Anderson ……...……..749-2973

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Meets 1

st Monday of Month – 6:30 p.m.

Brenda Samson (Chair)……….870-1180 Andrea Reid (Sec.)…………….763-5875 Mark Stone (Treas.)..................763-4936 Sharon Renzoni………………...749-1034 Jill Conley………………………..749-8687 Jennifer Phillips…………………763-0067 Karen Wojcik…………………….870-4597 Liz Scanlon…………………413-262-9232

INVESTMENTS & TRUSTS Meets quarterly Jim Popham (Chair.) ............... 763-1619 George Warner........................ 749-7100 Richard Larson.........................749-4770

TOLLAND ASSOCIATION DELEGATES Judy Guerette ......................... 749-9498 Pat Jones..................................763-1330 FINANCE Meets 1

st Tuesday of Month – 7:00 p.m.

Mark Rivard .............................. 763-1397 Jamie Dickman ........................ 265-3482 Mike DeNucci ………………….698-9245 Scot Stanton ............................ 749-3216 David Olsen ............................. 749-9422

DEACONS Meets: 2

nd Wednesday of Month – 7:00 p.m.

Jo-Ann Hornyak (Chair) ........... 763-0141 Jennifer Balnis (Sec) ................ 684-1555 Lois Lindell (Treas.) ................. 749-7356 Tyler Anderson ......................... 749-2973 Valarie Bedard ......................... 749-6662 David Scanlon…………….413-262-9231 Jane Gamble ............................ 749-0392 Pat Jones.................................763-1330 Rich Mazur .............................. 763-5406 Sue Moak ................................ 749-2265 Stephen Samson ..................... 870-1180 John Moak ............................... 749-0245

LEADERSHIP DIRECTORY CONTINUED ….

REPRESENTATIVES TO CT CONFERENCE OF UCC ________________

FLOWER COMMITTEE Meets: Once a year/Organizational Meeting Claudette Colby (Co-Chair) ..... 749-3570 Judy Mehl (Co-Chair) .............. 749-6329 Mary Alsing .............................. 749-9197 Kathryn Campion .................... 749-4875 Judy Bothwell .......................... 684-7839

HOUSE AND GROUNDS Meets 2

nd Sunday of Month – 9:00 a.m.

Tom Mehl (Chair) .................... 749-6329 Jo-Ann Hornyak (Treas.) ........ 763-0141 Jennifer Bothwell (Sec.) .......... 763-5692 Jean Keiper ............................. 749-9075 Mike Mangini ........................... 749-3963 Dick Lindell .............................. 749-7356 Larry Urbon ............................. 749-2896 Andrew Phillips………………...763-0067 Dave Bushey…………………...749-5641

MEMBERSHIP BOARD Meets: 3

rd Sunday of Month – 11:15 a.m.

Margaret Festi (Chair) ............. 749-2698 Amy Palazzesi (Sec.) .............. 763-1299 Joyce Conroy(Treas.).............. 432-0807 Bob Bujak ................................ 763-0464 Sarah Loveday ........................ 916-3665 Marilyn Sladek ......................... 684-7550 MEMORIAL GARDEN COMMITTEE Jane Gamble (Chair).................749-0392 Terri Siver (Sec.).......................763-4233 Laurie Gorski……….…………...749-8496 Barb Moser………………….......749-8142 Rev. Barry Cass........................749-1322

MISSIONS BOARD Meets: 1

st Monday of Month – 7:00 p.m.

Rebecca Antonacci (Chair) ..... 749-0434 Donna Popham (Sec.) ............. 763-1619 Lisa Jaciow (Treas.)…………...698-0594 Scott Champion………………..741-7979 Sue Zdebski ............................ 749-8213 Janice Morton .......................... 749-5980

MUSIC AND ARTS BOARD Meets: 2

nd Sunday of Month – 11:30 a.m.

Bill Kirkpatrick (Chair) .............. 749-2369 Heather Loupe (Sec.) .............. 749-5542 Victoria Goldstein (Treas.) ...... 763-2048 Nori Bliss ................................. 763-2884 Sara Mulvihill ........................... 265-3012 Kim Trusch .............................. 763-3170

NOMINATING COMMITTEE Meets: 1

st Tuesday of Month – 7:00 p.m.

Kelly Anderson (Chair) ............. 763-5355 Sue Moak (Sec.) ...................... 749-2265 Dee Moak ................................. 749-0245 Trish Endweiss ......................... 749-9075 Kathy Fuller .............................. 749-8506

PASTORAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE Meets 3

rd Monday of Month – 7:30 p.m.

Jeff Roig .................................. 763-3908 Joanna Wheeler ....................... 763-4037 Carol Kennett ........................... 763-0029 John Moak ............................... 749-0245 Jim Jewell ................................ 763-1939 PRINTING & PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE Meets: Last Thursday of Month - 9:30 a.m. Karlene Patenaude .................. 763-0206 Lucille Gavlak ........................... 749-0253 Pat Jones ................................. 763-1330 Avonne Robbins....................... 749-0921 Kathy Lombard ......................... 749-0111 Priscilla Souder ........................ 749-4051 Judy Guerette .......................... 749-9498

RECEPTION COMMITTEE Meets: Once a year/Organizational Meeting Laurie Gorski (Chair)................ 749-8496 Sandy Haun ............................. 749-6129 Evelyn Higginbotham ............... 698-6364 Charissa Holmes ...................... 875-3025 Denise Jewell ........................... 763-1939 Dee Moak ................................. 749-0245

STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE Meets 4

th Tuesday of the Month – 7:00 p.m.

Jim Jewell (Co-Chair)............... 763-1939 Denise Jewell (Co-Chair) ......... 763-1939 Trish Pruden (Sec.) .................. 749-5296 Anne Larson ............................. 749-4770 Mary Ann Olsen ....................... 749-9422

TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE Meets 2

nd Saturday of Month – 11:00 a.m.

Tyler Cass (Chair) .................... 604-5570 Tom Gorski (Treas.) ................. 559-8095 Will Paskewitz (Sec.) ............... 763-4685

USHER COMMITTEE Meets: Once a year/Organizational Meeting Trish Endweiss (Chair) ............ 749-9075 Tammy Bley-Gowash .............. 749-1738 Rob Trusch .............................. 763-3170 David Scanlon ................... 413-262-9231 Todd Weigel............................. 698-0594 Abbie Urbon............................. 749-2896

FOOD PANTRY COMMITTEE

Rita Bilheimer ...........................668-7449 Judy Guerette............................749-9498 Kathy Moulton……….…………..749-1071 Janice Morton ……..………...….749-5980 Kit Devlin…………………………749-2125 Rev. Barry Cass.........................749-1322

INSURANCE COMMITTEE

Rick Skodinski ...........................648-1517 Donna Hanks .............................763-0638 Beth Rosa ..................................648-1517

RESTORATION COMMITTEE

Jim Jewell ..................................763-0638 Jo-Ann Hornyak .........................648-1517 Liz Scanlon………………….413-262-9232 Carly Sanborn……………………763-4021

BUILDING COMMITTEE Mark Marschall……………………749-7779 Jim Jewell ...................................763-1939 Pat Jones…….. ...........................763-1330 Tom Mehl………………………….749-6329 Sara Mulvihill………………………265-3012 John Jones………………………...749-1946

Board and Committee Meeting Times 2012

(Note: Meeting date will appear on church calendar/church website/newsletter/bulletin

for 12 months unless you inform church office.)

Church Secretary Carly somerscong@somerscongregational.org (860) 763-4021

**Bulletin deadline is Wednesday** **Highlights deadline is third Wednesday**

**Minutes due for Council packet on the second Wednesday**

Expenses deadline: 30th of each month to submit expenses to Treasurer

1st Monday – Missions 7:00 p.m.; CE Board 6:30 p.m.

1st Tuesday – Nominating 7:00 p.m.; Finance 7:00 p.m.

2nd Sunday – H & G 9:00 a.m.; Music & Arts 11:30 a.m.

2nd Monday – Caring 7:00 p.m.

2nd Tuesday – Book Club 7:00 p.m.

2nd Wednesday – Deacons 7:00 p.m.

2nd Saturday – Technology 11;00 a.m.

3rd Sunday – Membership 11:15 a.m.

3rd Monday – Pastoral relations 7:00 p.m.

3rd Tuesday – Church Council 7:00 p.m.

4th Tuesday – Stewardship 7:00 p.m.

THURSDAYS – Hand bells 6:00 p.m.; Choir 7:00 p.m.

Valentine’s “Anything Chocolate” Bake Sale

Saturday, February 11th 9 A.M. – 1 P.M.

SOMERS TOWN HALL

The Somers Congregational Church will be having its 19th Annual “Anything Chocolate” baked

& home made goodies sale on Saturday, February 11th

from 9 AM to 1 PM in the Town Hall

basement. The sale offers your choice of bars, breads, cakes, candy, cookies or pies decorated

for that special Valentine person. All items will use some type of chocolate as part of the

recipe. Come for a breakfast treat of cinnamon rolls with chocolate served with coffee, tea or

hot chocolate. Join us for a sweet morning out and bring your family and friends. Remember

that friends are the real chocolate chips of life. This is a really fun event and the baked goods

sell fast! The town auditorium is also handicapped accessible.

Deadline for Next Highlights is February 15, 2012.

U.S. Postage Paid

Non-Profit Org. Permit Number 3 Somers, CT 06071

Somers Congregational Church

599 Main Street, PO Box 295 Somers, CT 06071

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Sunday Worship: 8:15 a.m. & 10:00 a.m. Office Hours (M-Th.): 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Telephone: (860) 763-4021 Fax: (860) 763-5146 E-mail: somerscong@somerscongregational.org Web site: www.somerscongregational.org

Senior Pastor: The Rev. Dr. Barry Cass Administrative Secretary: Carly Sanborn Organist/Music Director: Jacqueline Nappi CE Director: Liz Scanlon Care Room: Barbara Anderson