Happy New Year!
I’d like to echo the sentiments of our First Selectperson Charlene Janecek in this week’s Town-wide email. Charlene gave a shout-out to Sue Germini Humble (and the United Church) for all her efforts, along with the rest of our Outreach Committee, to ease the burden of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays on some of the needier families in our community. Sue and the gang did an incredible job during the holidays of organizing, collecting and distributing turkeys, gift cards and an entire roomful (did you catch a glimpse of the Parish Hall the week before Christmas?) of gifts for local families. We owe them all a huge word of thanks. As I wrote to Sue yesterday, they made the community proud of the United Church of Chester. We are surpassingly grateful.
And let me remind everyone, now that Christmas Day is in the rear-view mirror, that we look ahead to our annual observance of the Remembrance Tree. The tree got kind of crowded out of the narthex during the holiday, but now has a spot of its own and is ready for you to decorate it with the names of loved ones who have passed. We will collect the names during the coming week and remember these dear souls during morning worship Sunday January 8, 2023. So feel free to stop by the church any time between now and next Friday and add the name(s) of folks you would like us to honor and remember.
Finally, on a personal note, thank you all for the kind words and wishes you offered for my return to health following a somewhat prolonged struggle with Covid. Thanks to your prayers, your support and your understanding, I’m well on the way to full recovery. Bless every one of you.
Here are the links to Sunday’s bulletin and service: