We give thanks, O God, for this day of resurrection, this time of joy, this celebration of your loving power. Christ is risen! The tomb of death could not contain the Redeemer of life, and hallelujahs rise from our lips to greet the risen Christ. We sense with our spirits that Easter is an opening day for faith.
The burdens that seemed immovable as boulders are pushed aside. The anxieties and animosities sealed within us are released. The impossibilities that constrain our imaginations and actions are transformed. With the resurrection of Jesus, faith becomes the way of life.
Open us, gracious God, that we may receive the good news and that we may proclaim it through our faith, in our very lives. Hallelujah and Amen!
Bristol’s Stone Church Coffee House at the First Congregational Church welcomes the New-Hampshire based folk band, The Heather Pierson Trio, on Saturday, April 22nd.
Based in New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Valley, Heather Pierson is a pianist, singer/songwriter, and nationally touring performer whose inspiring live performances and growing catalog of releases delve into Americana, blues, New Orleans jazz, vocal chants, instrumental piano, and folk. Best known for her ease at the piano and her bell-tone vocals, Heather’s songs and musicianship embody joy, honesty, playfulness, and a desire to share from the heart.
Heather (lead vocals, piano, acoustic guitar, tenor banjo, ukulele, melodica) is an award winning singer/songwriter, classically trained jazz pianist, and performer. Heather’s wise-beyond-her-years songwriting, bell-tone voice, and world-class chops have catapulted her into the national spotlight.
The Heather Pierson Trio, with Shawn Nadeau on bass and harmony vocals and Craig Bryan on drums, percussion, and harmony vocals, performs a rich variety of Heather’s original songs and unique re-workings of familiar classics.
Together, these seemingly disparate voices draw on their respective experiences of the American musical voice – jazz, blues, folk – to create a unique and memorable experience.
Bristol’s Stone Coffee House is an affordable, family-oriented, handicap-accessible musical venue. Doors open at 6:45PM and the show starts at 7:30PM. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended. Light refreshments will be available.
On April 4 and 5, the New Outlook Window Restoration team started reinstalling several of the repaired sanctuary windows, starting with the two smaller windows on the South side nearest to the front doors of the church. Then they started installing some of the large sashes on the South side, near the Chancel. As you may have heard, the big delay was procuring the acid etched glass.
If you get a chance, go by the Church and take a look. The newly preserved windows look terrific. We are happy to have some windows installed for Easter. New Outlook will soon remove, repair and reinstall the remaining large sashes on the South facade. Then we will move on to Phases 2 & 3: the windows on the North facade of the sanctuary and on the West facade where the front doors are located.
Bring a dish to the Potluck Supper and add your 2 cents to the ongoing discussion of our Vision for FCC. All ideas are welcome. Come even if you didn’t attend the first “Ideas” Potluck. You can enter the discussion at any point!
Plan to join the party as we all lend a hand in doing a Spring Cleanup of the church grounds and help out some friends after worship service on Sunday, April 23.
UCC Bristol youth learned about an exciting summer opportunity during our March 12th Children’s Sermon. Star Island offers the best in seaside fun for children of all ages, attending on their own or with family. Star Island, off the New Hampshire coast, is home to a retreat center with a faithful community of summer attendees. All are invited to join in at the beautiful and emotionally accepting, beloved Star Island community for fun, relaxation, bonfires, lime rickeys, games, softball, swimming, and making life-long friends! Jen Johnson, who has attended for many years with her children, will gladly answer questions.
The Star Gathering YOUTH Conference is for youth entering 9th grade through newly graduated high school seniors. It focuses on relationship-building, renewal, and spiritual growth for up to twenty vacationing high school students. Its culture centers on faith-building and exploration, rather than traditional bible camp studies, and emphasizes having fun.
This year’s theme is Love – How do we show our love language to others? How do we receive love from others? How do we express our love if we disagree? Regarding relationships with ourselves, our peers, siblings, parents, to God, and to the world at large.
Fees for the Youth Conference are $774 for room and board plus $150 conference fee. For financial aid information, please email SG1registrar@stargathering.org. (Conferees typically bring extra money for the snack bar and gift shop.) Further details and online registration can be found here, https://starisland.org/program/sg1youth/.
The Star Island FAMILY Conference program will focus on celebrating and nurturing the vision of Beloved Community. Through art, music, conversation, reflection, and fun we will create a more inclusive and intentional community, to help spread more empathy and understanding in the world. During chapel, we will explore various stories in the gospels where Jesus encounters people in ways that were unexpected or where the script gets flipped. The Theme Speaker will be Rev. JaQuan Beacham from Yale Divinity School and the Minister of the Week will be Rev. Anna Flowers from United Church in Walpole, MA.
Relax and build community in program while the children have their own chapel and program in the morning, and then rejoin them for some intergenerational activities or island exploration in the afternoon. Don’t miss the Rutledge Marine Lab or the Talent Show! Fees for adults start at $1169 for room and board plus $150 conference fee. For financial aid information, please email SG1registrar@stargathering.org. (Conferees typically bring extra money for the snack bar and gift shop.) Further details and online registration can be found here, https://starisland.org/program/sg1/.
Welcome to the First Congregational Church, United Church of Christ in Bristol, located at 300 High Street. Wherever you are on life’s journey, you are welcome here!
March 5th Second Sunday in Lent Worship 10:00am;
March 12th Third Sunday in Lent Worship 10:00am;
March 19th Fourth Sunday on Lent Worship 10:00am, One Great Hour of Sharing Offering;
March 26th Fifth Sunday in Lent Worship 10:00am;
April 2nd Palm Sunday Celebration Worship 10:00am;
April 6th Maundy Thursday Worship 7:00pm;
April 7th Good Friday Labyrinth Walk, Opennoon-3pm and 5pm – 7pm;
April 9th EASTER Sunrise Worshipat Colt State Park 6:15am and Intergenerational Easter Worship 10:00am.
Officiating all worship will be Rev. Deborah Tate Breault
We are an open and affirming congregation and believe that God is still speaking.
You know the old story about how Shrove Tuesday came to be — because everyone had to use up their naughty oil and meat before Lent started on Ash Wednesday. Whatever! I just like bacon and sausages and pancakes — blueberry, chocolate chip and plain old plain. It seems a lot of people at FCC Bristol do, too. On February 21, some 50 church members and members of the community gathered on a winter evening to enjoy some good food and some good fellowship. The Christian Education Committee and other kind souls prepared a Mardi Gras feast that was so delicious that most people came back for seconds — and SOME people came back for thirds!
Many thanks to all the talented chefs, servers and busy hands that set up the DeWolf Chapel dining room and helped with clean up.
Between the recent Potluck Supper, the Valentine’s Day Senior Luncheon, and this Shrove Tuesday Pancake extravaganza, everyone had so much fun that there are rumors of Potluck Dinners after church once-a-month. Thanks, again, to all who worked to make this a great night. And — stay tuned.
