FCCWH March Update

March 2021

Welcome to the FCCWH March newsletter!

February Recap

In-Person Worship

This month we continued to have in-person Worship Services. These were made possible through careful planning and following health guidelines set by the city and state. The main guidelines were:

Masks were required while at the service.
Upon arrival there was a short questionnaire before being ushered to an assigned space.
Pre-registration so that we can maximize the number of people that can attend. Find the form here.

Online Resources

As we have in person services we are still posting sermons online for those that are not feeling well or are not comfortable worshipping in person. Videos are available online on both the church website and FCCWH YouTube Channel.

We are also live streaming the services via Zoom. If you would like to watch the sermon live, follow the link on the homepage of our website.

Communion services are now online. If you would like kits to participate from home, they are available for pick-up at in-person services or you can contact Cathy in the church office to make other arrangements.

Below are all the links you'll need to access content that has been posted online. We will continue to post new material as it is available.

Homepage (link for Live Stream)

Recordings - YouTube

Recordings - Church Website

Online Giving - Church Website

Bone Marrow Testing Drive

Top Hat Dance Academy, volunteers from Bailey Middle School and numerous friends and family members orchestrated a bone marrow testing drive for Madi, a 13 year old West Haven girl who is suffering from Myelodysplasia (a rare blood cancer).

Those willing to be tested were able to drive or walk through the Campbell Avenue parking lot and received a prepackaged kit.

FCCWH was thrilled to play a part in this important outreach.

Zoom Meetings

Pastor Carl continued holding Zoom meetings for people to keep in touch while in-person meetings are suspended. Currently he is hosting:

Bible Study & Sermon Review
(based on that week's sermon)
Tuesdays from 6:30-7:10pm

and

Open Office Hours
Wednesdays from 2:00-4:00pm

Information about joining is sent out by Pastor Carl, if you are not receiving it and would like to attend, or, would like to meet one-on-one instead, email him directly at revcarl@fccwesthaven.org.

March Updates

Mission Update

For the month of March, FCCWH will be collecting donations for Madison (Madi) Cicarella!

Madi, as we all call her, is a beautiful, talented, and kind 8th grader who lives in West Haven. Madi has recently been diagnosed with Myelodysplasia, a type of cancer in which the bone marrow does not make enough healthy blood cells (red and white blood cells and platelets) and there are abnormal cells in the blood and/or bone marrow. Madi is starting months of treatments including chemotherapy and will eventually need a bone marrow transplant.

All the donations collected will go to assist Madi and her mom with ongoing treatment and expenses. FCCWH will be matching a portion of what is collected throughout the month of March! Every little bit helps, and together we can help Madi and her mom as they take this journey.

Click here to read more about this month's Mission Emphasis.

Small brown Mission envelopes will be available at in-person services. Please note March Monthly Mission Emphasis in the memo/note on any mailed checks or online contributions. To learn more about remote giving, click here.

Thank you from the Mission Committee

Family Trees

Church Historian Steve Hildrich is starting a conversation about FCCWH family trees. These family histories can reveal interesting and little known connections! Click here to view the new Family Trees page on our website currently featuring the first submissions. Or click here to visit Members and Friends of FCCWH on Facebook and join the conversation.

A Note From Christian Education:

Beginning on March 7th the children will return to Chapel for the first time in over a year. We are looking forward to bringing this normalcy back to everyone's lives. The children will meet in the Parlor on the first Sunday of each month for approximately 15-20 of service. Though Chapel will be a little different than what we are used to. We will be socially distanced, no guest presenters, and the service will be altered.

Another event that we all missed last year was Vacation Bible School (VBS). We are committed to hosting VBS this summer and are working on planning a safe, fun and educational week for everyone. If you are interested in helping with planning, volunteering the week of VBS, helping in anyways possible that you can please contact the Interim Christian Education Director, Kirsten Vargo.

Sunday School takes place both online via Zoom and in person. Attendance has been great and we continue to follow the safe church protocols of socially distancing, wearing masks and checking in upon arrival at church. One change we have made is how everyone enters the building. Everyone is to come up the ramp on the Campbell Avenue side of the building (yes that includes Sunday School families). After check in the children will head upstairs to their classrooms and the parents will be escorted to the sanctuary for service. Once Sunday School and service are over parents/guardians will meet their children outside the Campbell Avenue doors. If you are not receiving the weekly information about Sunday School please reach out to Kirsten Vargo. We hope you will join us.

As we continue to teach our children to pray and how important it is in their faith journey. Please talk to your children and tell them that it is ok to pray wherever they are, it shouldn’t be limited to just church. To continue to encourage our children (adults too) to pray each day here is a monthly calendar of ideas to help everyone pray.

If you have any questions regarding Sunday School, children’s programs or how we are navigating our programs during COVID-19, please do not hesitate to reach out to Kirsten Vargo, Interim Christian Education Director at kvargo@fccwesthaven.org.

Candle of Honor

If you would like to request a Candle of Honor dedication while services are suspended, contact Barbara Brown at 203-430-0298 or bbrown19@snet.net. The suggested donation it $5. Dedications are shared in the monthly newsletter as well as on the church website, Facebook page, and Instagram.

A note for WH members & friends:

The West Haven Health Department has notified us that residents 75 years of age or older are now eligible to sign up for COVID-19 vaccination.

For additional information, contact the City of West Haven Health Department or visit their website here.

General Phone - 203-937-3660
COVID Hotline - 203-937-3530
COVID Email - covid19@westhaven-ct.gov

Contact Information

While there is limited in-person office coverage the best way to get in touch is via email. The general church office email address is: office@fccwesthaven.org

If anyone would like to reach out to Pastor Carl directly, his email is:

revcarl@fccwesthaven.org

If anyone has questions about Christian Education (CE) programs, Kirsten Vargo, Interim CE Director, can be reached at:
kvargo@fccwesthaven.org

Ruth Costa, Chair of Deacons, can be reached at:
sccrmm247@aol.com

As always, feel free to contact me about anything regarding social media - Have any suggestions or comments? Questions about how to access specific content? Send them in! You can reply to this email, send a message to pr@fccwesthaven.org, or click the Email button below.

Facebook

Website

YouTube

Instagram

Recordings of past sermons are available on both on our website as well as the YouTube channel.