NCC News for the Pews

“Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun” – Psalm 37:4-6

When I was about 4 years old, my cousin, Karl, who was (and is!) a month and a day older than me, got a milk truck for his birthday. I was crazy envious! I must've begged until I was hoarse to have a milk truck of my own! I am not sure how my folks really felt, but I remember sometimes my father would laugh at me, and at others, he seemed kind of annoyed. I promised and promised that I would take care of it, and said I really needed it because I really wanted to be a milk man when I grew up! Finally, my birthday came, and much to my surprise and delight, I got the coveted milk truck. Oh! How I loved the doors that opened and closed, the steering wheel that turned, and, especially, those little crates of tiny milk bottles! I still remember pushing that truck around the yard, making deliveries at frog holes and chipmunk dens. Funny thing is, I didn't grow up to be a milk man. And although I grew up in farm country, I never really wanted to have anything to do with cows. And one year at the local fair, when I was about seven, I made friends with the family that ran the pony rides. And guess what -- It turned out horses were my passion! I read all the books I could on horses that I could and discovered I really, really, really wanted a horse of my own...

When there are things that we want in life, those things tend to consume our thoughts. When we feel we lack something or someone, we may obsessively think about them, and our obsession starts to take up a lot of our time, energy and thought. This pattern of thinking often distracts us from enjoying what we do have, seeing the beauty and abundance around us, and engaging in healthy relationships with others.

When our wants are not met, we may get upset and over-react. It may seem that nothing goes our way and we may feel the world is against us or that nobody listens to us, or loves us. We do not really know what to do or how to move forward or how to turn those difficult situations around. Our fears grow and our anxieties skyrocket. Soon, even the smallest of situations stir our anxiety.

It is our human nature to desire certain outcomes -- getting that milk truck...getting a horse...getting through school or finding a great job...marrying the love of one's life...having a family that thrives and loves one another...growing the church... And it is our human nature to fear losing that which you most desire. What can we do? How do we make it through these uncertain and frightening times?

As Christians, the first step is to take that fear and turn it into faith. No matter what your fear is, give it to God and have faith that God is leading your through the darkness into light. Our God is capable of moving mountains, and can help us get through anything.

You are not alone. God is with you, always with you and within you, and will help you get through anything and everything. God wants to know what gives us anxiety, no matter how big or how small. Let's turn our fears, anxieties, and obsessiveness thinking into prayer. Give it all to God, and let God take care of it. Ask for what you need in addition to what you want. Stop worrying and trying to achieve everything on your own and ask God for help.

Let's also remember that we are living in covenant with one another as a faith community. We are here to share what is on our hearts - our burdens and our joys, as we do every Sunday. And we can also share them in our Sacred Conversations. We are here to listen to each other, to go through these difficult times together. One of the most faithful things we can do is to bring what is on our hearts, especially about our faith community, into a safe and sacred place where we can share, listen, reflect, and pray together.

Most of us have had the good fortune to have someone we can count on in life, providing what we need, while encouraging us to pursue our heart's desire. My dad was like that -- the milk truck was easy. When it came to getting his seven year old daughter a wild Arabian horse, in his wisdom, he only got me a pony. I was crushed for about a few heartbroken minutes, but then - there was this beautiful (albeit much smaller and tamer) creature living and breathing right in front of me! My heart felt like it was about to fly out of my body and over the moon!

As Christians, we have come to know that, unlike milk trucks and ponies or jobs and material wealth, there are things that we desire that only God can give us. There will be plenty of times that it seems like God doesn't hear our sorrows or that our prayer cannot assuage our fears. Be assured! Trust in the Father who loves and treasures us beyond measure! Know that God hears you and knows the desires of your heart. And when the time is right, God will fulfill your desires, perhaps not in ways you expect, but in ways that surely will fill your hearts with Joy and Peace! Be assured! God is with you and the entire faith community of NCC is with you, and we are all in this together.

I welcome all your thoughts and questions, and encourage you to send them to me at pastorkristie.northcc@gmail.com.

Keeping you all in prayer and wishing you a full measure of
Peace and Blessings
This day and always,
Pastor Kristie

Deacon of the Month for February is
Rebecca Glinsman - 860-485-3058

Our Deacons help to serve the church, especially in the areas of worship, and spiritual care and day-to-day support of our faith community. They also enjoy welcoming newcomers and helping them learn more about our faith community. If you need prayer, a listening ear, or to be connected to resources, please reach out to our Deacons. If your situation is urgent, they will help connect you to Pastor Kristie. Pastor Kristie is also available by appointment.

Deacons rotate responsibilities on a monthly basis.

- NCC SUPPORTS THE OPEN DOOR SOUP KITCHEN & PANTRY-
OUR NEXT DELIVERY DATE IS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH
and
PASTOR KRISTIE'S FOOD BANK CHALLENGE:
“SOUP-er Bowl” Sunday, Feb 12th

Food insecurity is a reality. Our gifts of food are so desperately needed by so many in our wider community. Today, I reached out to Kerry at Open Door Soup Kitchen & Pantry in Winsted to find out if there were any updates to the food list below. I spoke with Carrie, the coordinator, who immediately expressed Open Door's deep gratitude for our gifts of food, saying that the generosity of the church helps sustain so many people.

I learned Open Door is both a Soup Kitchen and a Food Pantry. Whatever food items we donate, the cooks utilize what they need to prepare the meals the Open Door offers from Monday through Friday. What the cooks don't use is given away to people in need. The list below, which we've seen the past couple of months, hasn't changed much. When I asked why, Carrie said this is pretty much the food and food prep items they need all the time.

OPEN DOOR SOUP KITCHEN & PANTRY IS OPEN MONDAY-FRIDAY, 9:00-12:30
160 MAIN STREET, WINSTED, CT

PASTOR KRISTIE'S SOUP-ER BOWL CHALLENGE

I'm not sure how many of us are football fans or what the Super Bowl playoffs, this year on February 12th, mean to you. I thought - Super Bowl, SOUPer-Bowl! What a great challenge! How fun would it be to fill our NCC Food Wagon up with SOUP on February 12th! How many cans of soup will our Food Wagon hold? Bring your donations of canned soup (or dried soup beans or packages of soup fixings) on or before February 12th and help us find out!

Meanwhile, remember to bring some of these non-perishable items or household necessities for our Open Door food cart!

Pancake Mix	Juices	Crackers
Syrup	Canned Soups	Saltines
Honey	Canned Veggies	Vegetable Oil
English Muffins	Canned Fruit	Cooking Spray
Corm Muffin Mix	Apple Sauce	Olive Oil
Cereal	Chicken Broth	Ketchup
Oatmeal	Black Olives	Mayo
Coffee	Diced Tomatoes	Salad Dressing
Tea	Black Beans	Sugar
Sloppy Joe	Chili Mix	Flour
Pasta	Taco Seasoning	Garlic Powder
Pasta Sauce	Rice	Onion Powder
Grated Cheese	Tuna Fish	Salt
Egg Noodles	Bread Crumbs	Pepper
Dinty Moore Stew	Gravy- Pork, Turkey, Chicken, Beef

Additional support items such as bathroom tissue, kitchen and household cleaning products,
and laundry detergent are also welcome.

Please contribute as you are able. Bags with lists are available in the Narthax and near the stairs to the Fellowship Hall. Please also reach out to Cele Hoffman who coordinates the delivery to Open Door if you would like to make a donation during times the church and office are closed.

READIN’ AND FREEZIN’ TRIP!

Babies, it’s cold outside! Great time to do some escapist reading! Welcome to our third year of winter read tripping. Will you join us? On Sunday, Feb. 5th, we start reading Anxious for Nothing: Finding Calm in a Chaotic World, by Pastor Max Lucado, America’s (and New York Times) bestselling inspirational author. This acclaimed new book is based upon Philippians 4: 6-7, the most underlined passage in the Bible:
“Be not anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
We all encounter uncertainty and anxiety, but worry and fear need not control our lives. This book may help you find more joy, clarity, physical renewal and contentment. Anxious for Nothing is a convenient 152 pages (only 11 chapters) in larger typeface, with relevant scriptures and study notes at the end. We plan to read about 30 pages a week for 6 weeks. There’s no “homework” but Missions will offer book discussions at church (fun!).
It’s available as a new paperback on Amazon for $13.50 and also on Kindle and Audible. Or you can buy it from our local Barnes & Noble. Please call Donna Howard (860-738-2207) to get your reading plan outlined below. (Don’t let cost of the book be a roadblock; Missions can help.)

MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE BEEN "PARTICI-PAINTING"

IN THE UPDATES TO OUR LAVATORIES!

Due to the frigid temperatures, the Paint Party scheduled for Friday, February 3 was canceled and will be rescheduled soon. Please contact Dave McCunn for info on the next Paint Party time and date at: 860-605-7903.

Volunteers are always a blessing!!!!

February 3, 2023 - With the cold and flu season upon us, and still keeping cautious about the spread of Covid and its many variants, we are asking everyone to mask up while in worship or in the building for errands or meetings. We are also asking that If you have had "direct contact" or you or your family is feeling under the weather, we ask that you remain home pursuant to recommended guidelines.

We are grateful that everyone continues to diligently practicing safety protocols while we worship, enjoy fellowship, and attend church meetings. Kudos to you all your thoughtfulness and diligence that keeps this faith community well!

As always, while we hope we don't have to suspend worship or any of our events, leadership is keeping a close eye on Covid rates in New Hartford and the surrounding area. Numbers of cases are harder to come by with all the home testing and potential non-reporting. We continue to advise everyone to be vigilant, by masking, keeping safe distances, practicing hand washing, using hand sanitizers, and when appropriate, testing. If eligible and not precluded by underlying medical conditions, I encourage you to vaccinate and get boosters when available.

If you have any questions about protocols, or have had direct contact, or are not feeling well, please let Sue, Fran or Pastor Kristie know as soon as possible, so appropriate adjustments can be made for the protection of the congregation.

Also, if you are at home and need a helping hand or feel overwhelmed, please reach out to one of our Deacons for prayers and conversation, or help with organizing appropriate resources.

We pray, with God's help everyone may take care,

Pastor Kristie

When inclement weather is forecast, the Chair of Deacons, Moderator, and Pastor will decide whether or not to cancel the Sunday service. The closure will be announced on WFSB.com and on Channel 3. An email from the church will also be sent out.

NORTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH UCC February 3, 2023 We hope you enjoy this week's News for the Pews!

NORTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH UCC
February 3, 2023
We hope you enjoy this week's News for the Pews!