News & Notes

Thank you for Supporting The "Sunday Lunch Program"

Thanks to all who have already contributed, we are able to contribute $200+ per month for the next 6 months to the Sunday Lunch Program. For the past year, the First Church of Middletown has been providing meals to those in need at the Eddy Shelter and the Men's Shelter at the YMCA through their Sunday Lunch Program. In conjunction with local restaurants, they serve about 80 - 100 per week at a cost of $500. After 41 weeks of service, First Church is running out of funds and Third Church has raised funds to help out. If you haven't had an opportunity to contribute, any amount you can give to this cause will be greatly appreciated! You can send a check to our church office with "Sunday Lunch Program" in the check memo. Checks will be placed in our Missions fund and sent to First Church. Or, you can use the Donate tab on our website. This is a great way to support those in need in our city, as well as local restaurants that are struggling. Please contact Sharon Maloney with any questions concerning contributions, or Kim Kennedy with questions about the program.

Return to Worship in the Sanctuary

Based on currently declining COVID cases in CT, we are targeting March 14th as the Sunday when we'll finally be able to worship in the sanctuary once again. Of course we will still follow all CDC guidelines in terms of social distancing, wearing masks, etc.. We will keep you posted and let you know as plans are finalized or revised.

February 7th Annual Meeting

Over 40 church members attended our 247th Annual Meeting via Zoom last Sunday. Members noted a few changes needed on the Annual Report and a revised, final Report will be emailed to all members next week.

It's Already Time to Think about Easter!

Sue Charter is ready to take your orders for Easter plants. You can choose from three different types of 6 inch plants: Lilies are $8 each; tulips or daffodil plants are $6 each. An order form will be sent to all members early next week. Please place your orders as soon as you receive the form. Our order is due at the greenhouse by March 10th in order to guarantee delivery for Easter Sunday.

Fellowship Time on Zoom, Sunday 2/14

Fellowship Time will resume this Sunday from 11 - 11:45AM. It's St. Valentine's Day! Let's talk about how you celebrate the day -- with cards, flowers, candy, a special meal, or something entirely different? As usual, the email containing login information will go out on Saturday morning at 10 am.

Bible Study on February 17th

The topic for this week's study will be Trusting God in the Wilderness . If you plan to participate next Wednesday, please visit this link prior to the meeting to hear the audio, watch the video, and review the lesson questions. A reminder email, including Zoom login information, will be sent to all regular participants next Tuesday.

New Lenten Bible Study Starts 2/24

Pastor Nancy will be offering a 5 week Lenten Bible Study beginning February 24 and ending March 24. Meetings will be held via Zoom. Topics discussed will include Sin, Sacrifice and Atonement, Gospel of the Kingdom, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. The study will use resources from the Bible Project. It will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7-8 pm. A Zoom meeting invitation will be sent to all church members on Tuesday, 2/23.

REMINDERS!

Amazing Grace Food Pantry Donations

We are still accepting food donations for Amazing Grace. You can drop them off on Tuesday or Thursday between 10AM and 3PM. If you'd like to arrange another time, please call the office at 860-632-0733.

Lent Devotional Booklets

The office has 2021 Lent Devotional booklets. You can pick up a copy at the church office, or we can mail one to you. Lent begins on February 17. If you would like to receive a copy of the devotional booklet in the mail, please email your postal address to Chris Foley.

NACCC (Virtual) Annual Meeting

The NACCC Annual Meeting will be held virtually on Saturday, June 19th and Sunday, June 20th. The meeting will include pre-recorded and live workshops, and all workshops will be recorded for viewing after the meeting. There is no registration fee, but registration will be required. NACCC expects to open registration in early March and we will keep you posted. For more details, please see the registration brochure. You may also want to take a look at the workshops list or the tentative agenda. This is an opportunity to connect with our national association without traveling across the country.

Clothing Donation Shed Now Open

The clothing donation shed in the church parking lot, which was temporarily closed due to the pandemic, has now been reopened. Accepted items: clothing, shoes, belts, purses, blankets, sheets, curtains, pillowcases, and stuffed animals.

Support Our Church through Amazon Smile

If you purchase items through Amazon.com, please consider making Third Church the charity of your choice. If you do, Amazon will donate 0.5% of your purchase price to Third Church, whenever you order through smile.amazon.com. To choose us: