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!

Greenfield Hill Church

May 19, 2019

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THANK YOU for

OUR WONDERFUL DOGWOOD FESTIVAL

#84

TONIGHT at 6:30pm SPORTS WORSHIP with Special Guest

Mike Jarvis Featuring our own

High School Athletes

“My America” Take home a copy today...

Take a copy to share Read and Respond

My America + Your America= Our America

(yes, still free) Also available on Amazon Kindle

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GREENFIELD HILL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH FAIRFIELD, CONNECTICUT

MAY 19, 2019 9:00 AND 10:30 A.M.

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 Air Gordon Young

Our Coming Together Prayer in unison:

Holy God,

we welcome one another in Your presence,

we bring our full selves to this sacred place,

we turn to You for guidance and wisdom,

we offer the best of ourselves to your service,

we open our hearts and minds to the world around us, we count on Your Spirit to bind us together as a powerful force of

love.

Amen.

Choral Introit (10:30)

* Hymn God of the Ages Hymnal, no. 725

* Unison Prayer of Confession:

Oh my goodness, Lord, confession is not easy. We sin and fail and

disappoint in ways known and unknown, public and private, large and

small, intentional and unintentional, by omission and commission. Yet,

confess we do. It’s good for the soul, we’re told. It is our first step

toward You and the gift of forgiveness You offer. Amen.

(silence for individual prayers)

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* 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 registration pad in your pew, and pass it to your neighbor. Thank you!

Anthem (10:30) In This Very Room Ron and Carol Harris

Words ~ Hymnal, no. 295

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 Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not

into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the

power, and the glory for ever. Amen.

Worship of God through Giving (Note: We give in many ways, by various means. 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 Fall on Me Chad Vaccarino/Ian Axel

Duet - Caroline Lauf and Wendy Gerbier

* Doxology Hymnal, no. 46 (This ancient hymn is sung every Sunday to thank God for all the gifts of our lives)

Prayer of Dedication, said together:

God of every good and perfect gift, accept our gifts, perfect them

in our ministry, and bring about great good through our church.

Amen.

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Unison Scripture 2 Chronicles 7:13-15

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the

locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my

people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from

heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Now my eyes

will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this

place.

Sermon My America Rev. David Rowe

* Parting Hymn O Beautiful for Spacious Skies Hymnal, no. 720

* Pastoral Benediction

* Choral Benediction (10:30)

Postlude

* All who are able, please stand.

Serving in the Chancel:

9:00 ~ Junior Deacons Brook Byrne and Harry Chandler

10:30 ~ Junior Deacons Maddy Crawford and Kate Duffy

Acolyte: Hudson Schunk

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CHURCH NOTES

GOOD MORNING! ….. We are so grateful to have you in church today. Love makes the world go ‘round, but people make the church go ‘round. Your presence, participation,

and help is a great encouragement to all we do in ministry and mission.

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 9:00 a.m. service, you have been greeted by Deacon Carolyn Houghton

and Junior Deacons Witt Badger and Zachary Amendola. At our 10:30 a.m.

service, you have been greeted by Deacon Carolyn Houghton, Junior Deacons

Ella Holland and Abby Jacobs, and our Junior Greeter Scarlett Jacobson. Junior

Deacons assisting with Church School are Maggie Burns, Maddy Baker, Cooper

Eckert, Eloise Gacetta, and Helen Glover. Our crib room helper today is Chloe

Whelan.

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 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!

FABULOUS FELLOWSHIP!! After the 9am service, please join the Fellowship

Board in the Church House Memorial Room (across the street) for refreshments

and fellowship.

The flowers on the communion table are given by Laraine Petersen, thanking

all of GHCC- pastors, staff and everyone who is part of this Christ-like

community - for all that you do.

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

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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

This morning in our Church School classes…Our preschool through

Kindergarten classes are learning about Best Friends.

Our 1st Grade through 6th Grade classes are continuing to learn about

Paul through our rotational learning centers…

1st - 2nd – 3rd Grades – Art Center

4th – 5th – 6th Grades – Games Center

In order to allow our parents and teachers to have an opportunity to

meet and greet one another, our Church School Dismissal Procedures

for all of our church school classes up through, and including 2nd grade

will be for Parents to pick up their children from their respective

classrooms, promptly at 10:00 a.m. dismissal time. Children in Third

Grade through Seventh Grade will be dismissed from their respective

classrooms at 10:00 a.m.

Some of 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!

TODAY AT CHURCH

SPORTS WORSHIP TONIGHT at 6:30 pm... Bring the Family! Join us \for the next in our popular 'Sports Worship' services! We're delighted to welcome

our own Mike Jarvis as our evening's speaker, and we'll have special music as

well from Joe Holland. We especially love having ALL ages together in worship

-- come one and all!

Following the 10:30 service today, David will host a discussion about his

essay, “My America”, in the parlor. Religion in the News will resume next

Sunday!

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Bake Sale today! GHCC teens from the ‘Help for India’ club at Fairfield Warde

will be offering goodies for sale after worship – with all proceeds going to help

our work in India through Friends of Christ in India (FOCI).

CHURCH EVENTS THIS WEEK

SPF (our high school youth group) continues this Thursday from 6-7:30pm in

our Len Morgan Youth Barn. We cover everything from fun and games to tough

discussion and fabulous speakers. Come see why this is the most popular event

every Thursday night!

Bible Study: Try Bible Study and get to know "the Good Book". Thursdays at 10 am and 7:30 pm in the Church

House Library. New Topic: We’ll look at the most

revolutionary story in the Bible that changed religion forever ~ the story of Jonah.

See you there!

UPCOMING EVENTS AT CHURCH

Join us on Sunday, June 23rd for our Second Annual

GHCC Beach Day! So much fun for the whole family!

We’ll have games and treats for the kids and it will be

the perfect opportunity for relaxing family fellowship!

Come on down to Jennings Beach in Fairfield from

2pm-4pm (just look for the GHCC banner near the volleyball

nets!). Bring your own snacks and beach gear, and we’ll provide the fun! No

beach sticker? No problem, just call the church office by 6/21 and we’ll help you

out!

ALSO AT THE BEACH... Summer Fellowship at Sasco Beach Wednesday

Evenings starting weekly June 19 at 6:30pm til dark. Everyone is invited to

bring their own food and beach chairs and meet up with other GHCC worshipers

for a a casual night at the beach. Anyone who lives out of town without a beach

sticker can carpool or text 203-521-3057 so we can arrange to meet you at the

corner of Post Rd and Sasco Hill Rd to bring you to the beach. See you at the

beach.

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CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NOTES

Alida’s recruiting adult leaders for the Appalachia trip!! We still need about

10 more adults to accompany our 225 teenagers to West Virginia June 29th-

July 6th, for a life-changing week of service through the Appalachia Service

Project. It’s a week of home repair for families in need – but you do not need to

be a skilled carpenter!! All we need is your willingness to work alongside our

teens. Please take a look at the Adult Leader information on the ASP page of

our church website (greenfieldhillchurch.com/asp) … and if you like what you

see, click on the online adult advisor registration!

Spring is in the air! Time again for friends to gather

together at Greenfield Hill Cemetery. Our mission is to

restore our cemetery on the hill before our 300th

Anniversary. One more official “fun” day planned on Sat

June 1 – 8:30-1:30 with a cookout picnic for all our

volunteers at Noon. Thank you all for your energy and

support. Questions to Jeff Taylor at

Jeff.taylor@bwater.com. 978-760-1103.

Summer Worship Leaders Sought! One of the best traditions

in our church is our lay-led services that take place each summer

Sunday at 8:15 a.m. on the Church House lawn. These services

are a chance for individuals or families in the church to have fun

sharing their faith and their thoughts in worship. We are

looking for people to help lead these summer services! The

pastors are very happy to sit with you and help plan, so you are absolutely not

on your own. A great way to get closer to God and your faith, a great project

for a family to do together! Please be in touch with Deacon Dan Carpenter

DanCarpenter61@gmail.com to express your interest!

C’mon out and support the Connecticut Institute for Refugees and Immigrants

(CIRI) by attending their upcoming Motown Dance Party on Friday, June 7th

from 7-10 PM at the Carriage Barn Arts Center in New Canaan. This will be a

fun night with food trucks and dancing to live music, all for an amazing

cause! To purchase tickets: Buy online: www.cirimotown.givesmart.com or pay

by check to CIRI, Attn: Claudia Connor, 670 Clinton Ave., Bridgeport, CT

06605. Save the dates for this event are available in the church foyer. If you have

any questions, please direct them to Jennifer Jenkins (917.952.2469)

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WORDS TO TODAY’S MUSIC

Words to Offertory by C. Vaccarino, I. Axel , M. Bocelli, F. Zampaglione

I thought sooner or later

The lights up above

Will come down in circles and guide me to love But I don’t know what’s right for me

I cannot see straight

I’ve been here too long and I don’t want to wait for it

Fly like a cannonball

Straight to my soul

Tear me to pieces and make me feel whole

I’m willing to fight for it and carry this weight

But with every step

I keep questioning what is true

Fall on me

With open arms

Fall on me

From where you are

Fall on me

With all your light

With all your light

With all your light

I close my eyes

and I'm seeing you everywhere I step outside

It's like I'm breathing you in the air

I can feel you're there

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CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 19, 2019

Sunday 9:00 a.m. Worship in Sanctuary

(5/19) 9:00 a.m. Church School in the Church House Classrooms 10:30 a.m. Worship in Sanctuary 6:30 p.m. Sports Worship in Sanctuary Monday 6:00 p.m. Knitting Group in Church House Library

(5/20)

Thursday 10:00 a.m. Bible Study in the Library (5/23) 6:00 p.m. SPF in the Barn 7:30 p.m. Bible Study in the Library 7:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Practice

Sunday 9:00 a.m. Worship in Sanctuary

(5/26) 9:00 a.m. Church School in the Church House Classrooms 10:30 a.m. Worship in Sanctuary

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Concerned about China?

Worried? Interested?

In our world today, China has emerged as one of America's greatest challenges. Our own Jonathan Ward has written a powerful and important new book, China's Vision of Victory. We've invited Jonathan to speak to our Adult Education class following worship on Sunday, June 2, at 11:30 a.m. Jonathan's book is available on Amazon, or at church ($25)

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Special Dates you won’t want to miss! Kids Communion Sunday... the first Sunday of June, (June 2nd) we

will celebrate Holy Communion with our kids at the 9am service (a Church First Day!)

Thank you Sunday will be on June 9th here at GHCC. It’s

our way of thanking and honoring some of our “unsung heroes” who help to make our church community such a special place, as well as our church kids.

And we celebrate our Dads and Grads on Father’s Day, June 16... We love Dads and Grads! On Father’s Day our 9:30 worship

service will include a presentation of gifts to our high school graduates – so if you have a graduate in your household, please encourage them to be in worship that day! AND, you are also in store for a fabulous Strawberry Shortcake Social after both the 8:15 am and 9:30 services! Come join in the fun and start the day off right!!

Sunday, June 23rd ... It will be a FANTASTIC day at church when we

will be commissioning an amazing group of ASP participants

Also on June 23rd, our Second Annual GHCC Beach Day! Join us from 2-4pm when we will have games and treats for the kids and

tons of FUN!

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Appalachia Trip Adult

Participants needed!

June 29 – July 6, 2019

The 225 teen participants in this

year’s Appalachia Service trip are

excited to serve the people of West

Virginia – but they need you to go

with them! We can raise the money

and pack up the tools, but we can’t go

without enough adult participants! ASP

requires two adult leaders for every

crew of five youth: and with 45 crews this year, we seek 90 adult

leaders. 80 awesome people have already signed up! Can you be one

of the 10 we still need?

What’s ASP? On ASP crews of teens do home repair for families in

desperate need in West Virginia – all while developing relationships

with each other, with God, and with the families for whom they work.

As life-changing as the trip is for teens, it is also a spiritual

experience of service for the adults who accompany them. Having

some repair skills is great but not essential: far more essential is a

willingness to open your heart in service, to empower our young people

to give of themselves. And, yes, you do need to be willing to sleep on

a mattress, swing a hammer, and help drive too!

To learn more, go to greenfieldhillchurch.com/asp – or contact Rev.

Alida Ward, award@greenfieldhillchurch.com.

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“MY

AMERICA”

A NEW

ESSAY BY

DAVID

YOU LOVE AMERICA?

READ DAVID’S “MY AMERICA”.

THINK ABOUT YOUR AMERICA.

LET’S MAKE IT OUR AMERICA.

LONG? YES

PROVOCATIE? YES

BIBLICAL? YES

ON KINDLE, TOO? YES

RESPONSES WANTED? YES!

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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; Kelcey King, Assistant Treasurer; Sarah De Meneses, Accountant; Jim Zalenski, Sexton; Rachel Baumann, Pastoral Assistant.

CHURCH BOARD MEMBERS Adult Education: Linda Allegretti, Rebecca Huselid, Max Reid, Fred Schaefer Children and Youth Ministries:

Andrea Muhlhauser, co-Chairperson; Anna Taylor, co-Chairperson, Mike Dwyer, Scott Ettl, Amanda Heyn, Skylar

Smith, Michelle Wormley Communications: Sarah Schunk, Chairperson; Todd Jones, Lisa Rousseau

Development: Joanna Patterson, Chairperson; Andy Allegretti, Greg Bambach, Betsy Ewing, Rich Gannon, Bert

Tunnell, Adam Snyder, Jeff Taylor Diaconate: Kim Baer, co-Chairperson, Ellen Waugh, co-Chairperson; Pam

Brennan, Dan Carpenter, Jason Dies, Joel Edminster, Jen Hinkle, Joe Holland, Carolyn Houghton, Pat

McCullough, Jon Passmore, Kathy Rafsky Facilities: Andy Hoder, Chairperson; Jeri Barrett, Jim Cullinan, Todd

Flanagan, Amy Johnson, Don Lord, Jon Sabrowski, Walt Siemon, Fred Zarrilli Fellowship: Chris Gannon,

Chairperson; Kathy Baratz, Ana-alyse Castelluccio, Talli Connell, Lynn Eckert, Barbara Hayslip, Amy Hios,

Linda Johnston, Heather Lajeunesse, Rachel Parrish, Pamela Patterson, Allison Perkins, Jessica Selden, Sara

York Finance: Chris Tormey, Chairperson; Jason Konschnick, Martha Lord, Andy Muhlhauser, Jon Persson,

Aun Singapore, Beth Schaefer, Jeff Whitaker Junior Deacons: Zachary Amendola, Witt Badger, Maddy Baker,

Maggie Burns, Brook Byrne, Harry Chandler, Maddy Crawford, Elizabeth Cutler, Ava Derbyshire, Casey Dies,

Kate Duffy, Cooper Eckert, Clarie Edminster, Eloise Gacetta, Helen Glover, Liam Hawley, Ella Holland, Hudson Houghton, Abby Jacobs, Andrew Jones, Meghan Lajeunesse, Erik Langeland, Cole Markham, Kerry

McKeon, Sophie Nightingale, James Richard, Alyvia Ronning, Olivia Savino, Charlie Simon, Hope Smith, Ben

Steele, MacKenna Tormey, Severin Tormey, Hunter Vogel, Emily Wegener, Will Whelan, Devenny Widmer,

Skylar Wingate, George Wyckoff, Chloe Yoder Member Care: Sharon Jacobs, Chairperson; Carol Langeland,

Carole Lisi, Martha McKeon, Anne Orvis, Eleanor Page, Wendy Savino, Cathy Scoville, Sue Trischman, Lisa

Vacheron Member Involvement: Adam Simon, Chairperson; Amy Desel, Erika Duffy, Glenn Horine, Francine

Jaques, Nicole Lacey, Kerry Manning, Emily Orben, Liz Schwinn Mission and Outreach: Chris Kenney,

Chairperson; Michelle Baker, Val Collison, Holli Horine, Murray Jacques, Meg Lowe, Bevo Tarika, Peter von

Euler Church Council At-Large Members: Scott Craighead, Mike Howard, Martha McKeon Church

Historian: Lynn Van Winkle.

COMMITTEE CHAIRPERSONS Dogwood Festival, Mike & Karen Mitri; Flowers, Lynn Davies; Ushers, Marcy Michaud; Memorial Garden,

Lynn Davies; Nursery School, Amanda Innes; 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, Michael Moore, Jon Passmore, Melinda Reynolds, Beth Schaefer, Earlyne

Seaver, Dianne Simpson, Bob Stilson, Michael Trnik, David White

CHURCH SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS Amity Almond, Jennifer Bargas, Jessica Campbell, Sarah DeMeneses, Donna Ellett, Scott Ettl, Betsy Ewing, Karen Fox, Rachelle Giordano, Marjorie Glover, Ann Harvey, Kelly Hayes, Amanda Heyn, Katie Holland, Andra Horsch, Carolyn Houghton, Mary Janacek, Stacie Kenney, Bob & Molly King, Jennifer Lubarsky, Mollie Milano, Andrea Muhlhauser, Rachel Parrish, Gwen Powell, Allyson Power, Lauren Raps, Kirsten Sabrowski, Amanda Schmidt, Sarah Schunk, Pamela Scott, Skylar Smith, Kara Snyder, Wendy Steinfeld, Marike Toothaker, Chris Tormey, Kelly Vogel, Nikki Wingate, Michelle & Nick Wormley, Kathy Wyckoff, Sara York