Order Your Christmas Wreaths!
$15 each, Pick up on Sat. Dec. 3 and 10 from 1:00-3:00pm
This year, as part of Robert Mitchell’s confirmation program, the proceeds from our annual wreath sale will go to Hoops & Homework, a safe and nurturing neighborhood-based after-school and summer program which expands opportunities for youth in Framingham. Wreaths are 12-inch and come with a bow for $15 per wreath. You can pick-up your wreath on Saturdays December 3 and December 10th from 1 to 3 p.m. at Edwards Church lower parking lot. Order your wreath here: https://tinyurl.com/2022WreathSale
Lunch Bunch Christmas Luncheon
Wednesday, December 14 at noon in Edwards Hall
The Lunch Bunch Christmas Luncheon is back! Whether or not you are a regular Lunch-Bunch-er, please join us for a chance to taste each other’s holiday favorites. Fran and Debbie will provide turkey and stuffing, and you are invited to bring a favorite holiday dish to share. Dig out your Christmas sweater and your Christmas spirit, take the afternoon off work, and prepare for a feast! Please sign up at church, by calling the office, or by completing this form: https://tinyurl.com/ChristmasLunchBunch
Order Your Christmas Poinsettias!
Help decorate our chancel on Christmas Sunday by donating a flower (or several) in honor of a loved one or in memory of someone who has passed on. The donation is $7 per plant. You can reserve your poinsettias by signing up at church or by emailing Cindy Booth at cbooth53@comcast.net. Please include the name of the person you want to honor or remember.
A New Vision for Coffee Hour
On the first Sunday in November, we enjoyed the first indoor coffee hour in 2-1/2 years! It was simple and delicious; most important, it provided space for conversation and connection. In this time of transition, we plan to have coffee hour on the first Sunday of each month, as a way we continue our communion meal. For each coffee hour, we need a team of three or four volunteers. To streamline clean-up, some teams may choose to bring boxes of coffee from Saxonville Mills or Dunkin. You can divvy up the tasks amongst yourselves in any way you would like.
We have a team who have volunteered for December 7. We need a team for January 1. Please consider if you’d like to help, and sign up in church or contact the church office.
JANUARY STEEPLE
Call for Articles and Photographs!
Articles and photos for the next issue of the Steeple are due early this month, on December 14. Submissions should be a maximum of about 350 words (speak to Nicola if you need more space; rules are made to be broken). We welcome you or your committee/team to send more than one article.
Special Offerings for December
Our Special Offering December 4 and 11 will go to the families at the Pathways Family Shelter for holiday gifts. Pathways is a SMOC facility which serves insufficiently housed adults and children in the Framingham area. There are typically as many as forty people staying there—parents and children of all ages. Donations may be made by leaving checks or cash (in envelopes) clearly marked “for Pathways gifts” in the offering baskets at church or at the church office. Donations may also be made via PayPal on the Edwards Church website by putting “Pathways Gifts” in the note. Every donation helps and is greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance for your donation.
On December 18, you are invited to make a special gift to support the Christmas Fund of the United Church of Christ. The Christmas Fund provides supplementation of small pension payments for retired clergy who often served small congregations throughout their careers. It provides supplementation of health premium costs, to help ensure their wellness throughout their lives. And the Christmas Fund provides emergency grants Christmas gift checks for retirees and those facing unforeseen financial hardship.