Announcements 3/24/2024
Our Vision—A beacon of God’s love radiating faith, hope, and joy… Everywhere!
Flowers on the Altar are given by the Cruickshank Family In celebration of Kate’s 14th Birthday on March 23rd
Lenten Soup Suppers and Worship
Wednesday Lenten Soup Supper and Service Thank Yous!
A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the Wednesday Lenten soup suppers and services this year. Whether you provided food, led a service, attended the supper and/or service, or watched the service, we appreciated your participation! A special thank you to Betsey Driscoll for organizing the suppers and providing her minestrone soup each week, Maylis for her music, and to those who led services: Dan Ward, Cheryl Ortolf, David Driscoll, Peter Smyton, and Christine Kelley. You each made our Lenten journey so very meaningful!
Please sign-up for the March 28th 2024 6pm Passover Meal.
Our annual Seder on Maundy Thursday this year will be a bit different.
This year we will experience what a Passover meal in Jesus’s time would be like activities going on in Jerusalem, symbolism of the time, and foods that would be served.
Signup sheets are in the front hallway. Let us know how many will attend and if you can help cook, serve or cleanup.
And don’t worry there will still be matzo ball soup! See you then.
Mike Kane
March April Upper Room are out on the Welcome Desk
Easter Flowers
If you wish to provide Flowers to enhance the beauty of our sanctuary during our Easter Services on March 31st, please complete a form from the welcome desk or the credenza near the greeters and send or bring it to the church with your check, or email the office by Monday, March 18th. You will be able to take yours home after 2nd service on Easter.
Pastel Tulips $14.00
White Double-Stemmed Lily $15.00
Blue Hydrangea $15.00
Please order as soon as possible to ensure your order can be fulfilled.
Memorial and Reception Meal for Jan Marson
Janet Marson and Family let us know that her son Jan Marson passed away several weeks ago. His burial will be private before the service. His memorial will be held on April 13th at 11 am in our Sanctuary, with a reception in the Fellowship Hall at noon. Please check in with Betsey Driscoll to find out what you can help with. Please pray for Janet and the rest of the Marson family as they prepare to celebrate Jan’s life.
Confirmation Class
Please keep the following students and their mentors in your prayers during their confirmation journey:
Sarah Antonitis – David Driscoll, Kate Cruickshank – Betsey Driscoll,
Finn Hughes –Dan Ward, Gabriel Rodriguez – Lee Pender.
Coffee Hour in the Concord Room and Adult Ed will not meet This Sunday Only!
Since Troop 81 is using the Fellowship Hall to host their pancake breakfast this Sunday, two other activities are affected! For those who want a quieter, less busy space for Coffee Hour, that will be offered in the Concord Room between the services. Adult Ed will be cancelled for Sunday. And, of course, everyone is invited to attend the pancake breakfast!
Troop 81 Hosting Palm Sunday Breakfast Today, 8:00 – 11:00
Troop 81 BSA invites you to a pancake breakfast fundraiser today, March 24, from 8:00 am – 11:00 am. We will be serving pancakes, butter/syrup, fruit, coffee, tea, and juice for a suggested donation of $10 per person, $8 for senior citizens/kids under 5. We hope you all enjoyed this event last year and look forward to having you join us again. Fundraising events like this help fund our scouting activities like summer camp and maintain our equipment (trailer, camping kitchens, Klondike derby sleds just to name a few).
Opportunities During Holy Week
March 24 PALM / PASSION SUNDAY – Worship at 8:30 and 10:45 a.m. Troop 81-sponsored pancake breakfast, 8:00 – 11:00 am. Chocolate sale by our Youth Group in the hall after each service.
March 28 HOLY THURSDAY – Passover Meal at 6:00 p.m. and Evening worship at 7:30 p.m. Join us for our annual Seder, which will be a bit different this year. We will experience what a Passover meal in Jesus’ time would be like, with activities going on in Jerusalem, symbolism of the time, and foods that would be served. To attend and/or help cook, serve, or cleanup, sign up on the sheets in the front hallway or notify Betsy in the church office, by today. Mike Kane will provide recipes for these simple dishes. (And don’t worry, there will still be matzo ball soup.) If you have questions, you can email him at mdkane22@gmail.com or call 978-590-0556. A service of Holy Communion will follow at 7:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. It will be live-streamed and a recording of the service will be posted on the church web site.
The Prayer Vigil will begin after the service – the Sanctuary will be open until 9:30 for those who would like to stay and pray.
March 29 GOOD FRIDAY – The Prayer Vigil will continue with the sanctuary open for prayer 7:00 am – 6:00 pm with a prayer service afterward at 6:30 pm. Please sign up on the list in the welcome area for a time if you would like to pray or come whenever you would like. Soft music will be played by Jane Vooys from noon to 3:00 pm.
March 30 EASTER EGG HUNT – Saturday at 10:00 a.m. Friends are welcome! (Indoors if necessary!) Join in for a morning of fun including crafts, a movie about the First Easter and a fabulous egg hunt!
March 31 EASTER SUNDAY – 7:30 – 10:30 a.m. Easter Breakfast in the Fellowship Hall with worship at 8:30 & 10:45 a.m. There will be no church school for children and adults.
CHOCOLATE SALE
Sunday, March 24th
After both services
The youth will be selling homemade chocolate in the hall area
after both worship services.
This is a fundraiser for their mission trip to Camp Wanakee in New Hampshire.
Easter Egg Hunt
Saturday, March 30th
10:00 am – 11:30 am
Join us for fun crafts, an Easter Egg Hunt and
a special movie – bring your friends!
EASTER BREAKFAST
MARCH 31ST
7:30 – 10:30 a.m.
Easter Services: 8:30 & 10:45 a.m.
No Church School
Breakfast menu: Egg Benedict, French Toast, Hash Browns, Fruit selection, Bacon/sausage, Baked Goods, Yogurt Parfait, Cold cereal
Vegan/Gluten Free Breakfast Menu: Breakfast Casserole, Sausage and Fruited Coffee Cake
Change for Change
Change for Change continues to contribute to others. In the fall, our youth selected the Alzheimer’s Association as a candidate. $400 has been collected by change and will be donated. Our Adult ED team has selected the Alternative House in Lowell as our next candidate. Change matters. God is Good.
From Kim – Chair of Adult Ed
“Adult Ed would like the next Change for Change designation to go to Alternative House
in Lowell, a domestic violence shelter.” https://www.alternative-house.org/
Adult Study Opportunities
“One – Unity in a Divided World “
“One – Unity in a Divided World” by Deidre Riggs. will be the new Church wide Adult study starting in April. Please refer to the poster in the welcome area for more information. Look for times for the study and more information on the book in the March Advocate. This will include Thursday Morning Bible Study, Sunday Adult Sunday Study, Early Bird as well as other times.
Early Bird Bible Application
We have concluded the Lenten study ‘Were You There?’ I hope that you found it informative and thought inducing. I did.
I invite you to acquire / borrow a copy of “One – Unity in a Divided World” by Deidre Riggs so that we too might participate in the church wide conversation during the month of April and May.
Just as a reminder, there will be no Early Bird next week, 26 March.
Reminder to schedule your appointment for the Blood Drive –
April 20 from 9-2
Please sign up if you can help this important cause. There continues to be a national shortage!
Please call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and search under February 24th to schedule an appointment.
For more information call or email Cate Lehan or Robin Dye or the church office.
Blessings, Outreach.
Children and Youth Singing and Chime Time Schedule
This spring, we will be meeting on the following days:
Sundays, March 10th & 17th from noon – 1:00 p.m. We will have pizza from noon – 12:30 p.m. and practice chimes from 12:30 – 1:00 p.m.
Tuesday, April 9th from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. We will have supper together and then meet for music.
Ice Cream and Sully’s – Monday, April 15th at 2:00 p.m. – Families are welcome to join us at Sully’s for ice cream and fellowship.
Tuesdays, May 7th & 14th from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m. We will have supper together and then practice chimes.
The 36th Massachusetts Spring Ring
The 36th Massachusetts Spring Ring is almost here! We are excited to have eleven Aldersgate ringers joining the massed performances this year.
When: Saturday, April 6, 2024 Concert Time: 3:00 PM-4:30 PM
Where: Tewksbury Memorial High School, 320 Pleasant Street, Tewksbury, MA
The concert is open to the public and offers a wonderful opportunity for you to come and see the beauty and excitement of handbell ringing, and to support our own ringers!
Looking forward to seeing you at this year’s Spring Ring!
Earth Day Celebration
We invite you to join us for worship services and some other activities in celebration of Earth Day Sunday on April 21. We will be joined by Rev. Dr. Larry Jay, the director of Rolling Ridge, who will preach his sermon. There will be activities for children and youth at 9:30 am. At 2:00 pm, we will have a Blessing of Animals at the back parking lot. We invite you to come and join us with your beloved pets and share these events with your neighbors.
Drivers Wanted!
We are compiling a list of people willing to drive people to church services that are unable to get to Aldersgate otherwise. If you are willing to be on such a list, please let Betsy in the office know. We will match you with people who are “on your way.” If we have enough volunteers, it would not be an “every week” commitment. Won’t you help us bring the unchurched into the fold?
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