First Baptist Church
As we look back on the promise and beauty of Christmas, we may feel a bit let down. Another year is passing, and the next stretches out before us. In these times, it is important to remember the spiritual bounty of Christmas is available to each of us every day. God’s gift to us has no time limit and is in fact beyond the limits that human’s place on this life. The Sunday’s sermon title is “The Fullness of Time.”
Sunday Service for First Baptist Church of Bellows Falls has moved back online with a live online interactive service at 10 a.m. Contact the Pastors for details. Everyone is welcome to join in for worship, music and community. Join in at https://www.fbcbellowsfalls.com/this-week-s-service for an inspirational mid-week message and a recording of the Sunday Service.
For more information, contact Pastors Steven and Terri at 802-275-8879. Offerings and donations can be mailed to 9 Church Street, Bellows Falls, VT.
Centre Congregational Church
This Sunday at Centre Congregational Church, the service will be held via Zoom beginning at 10 a.m. For support in accessing the service, call the church office at 802-254-4730 on any weekday.
The Rev. Dr. Scott Couper will lead the service from the sanctuary at Centre Church, 193 Main St. Reverend Couper will offer a sermon entitled, “A Long Awaited Gift” based on the scripture, Luke 2:22-40.
As is the custom at All Souls, lay participation in the service is high. Gathering music will be provided by Matt and Holly Kennedy who will sing an arrangement of “Go Tell It On The Mountain.” The anthem, “See, Amid the Winter’s Snow,” will be sung by Dr. Peter Abell. The scripture will be read by Bill McCarty who will also lead the congregation in the pastoral prayer and the Lord’s Prayer. As always, organist will be Mary Milkey-May.
During the week, there are two Zoom opportunities that continue at Centre Church. On Thursdays at 10 a.m. there is an online devotional using the United Church of Christ devotional series, “Still Speaking.” This will continue through Dec. 31. Also, on Thursdays at 4 p.m. there is an online sermon discussion group that will focus on the sermon of the previous week which can be mailed to you as needed.
Centre Church houses many community groups including Loaves and Fishes, Brattleboro Centre for Children, Alcoholic Anonymous, and several counselors. Call the church office at 802-254-4730 for information about how to access any of these groups.
As always, Centre Church is supporting Groundworks in their efforts to care for the homeless in the community. The church will provide meats and cheeses for a deli platter as well as coffee and rolls for sandwiches at the Quality Inn on New Year’s Eve. If you would like to join in contributing to this meal, call the church office as above. Contributions can be dropped at the front of the Quality Inn on Dec. 31 between 1 and 4 p.m.
Contact the church at admin@centrechurchvt.org or visit the website at centrechurchvt.org
Christian Science Church
Although the First Church of Christ edifice at 57 Putney Road is closed due to the state’s response to the pandemic, the church services have continued via Zoom. Sunday services are held at 10:30 a.m. and a Wednesday testimony meeting is held weekly at 7:30 p.m. For more information, see the church website: csbrattleboro.org.
First Baptist Church
First Baptist Church at 18 Town Crier Drive remains closed due to the dangers of Coronavirus. Words of Encouragement and a weekly sermon can be obtained from emailing pastorsue412@gmail.com, where weekly messages of hope and faith are shared. Pastor Sue can also be reached at First Baptist Church 802-254-9566.
For Thought and Prayer: (Max Lucado) “Forgive and give as if it were your last opportunity. Love like there is no tomorrow, and if tomorrow comes, love again.” Let us Pray: My Lord and my God, fill my heart with Love. Help me reach out to the loveless and bring them Hope, Joy, Peace and Love. Allow Love to dispel the darkness of Coronavirus, for Love conquers all. Thank you, Father, for loving me. Amen
St. Michael’s Episcopal Church
Join the 8 and 10:15 a.m. Sunday services offered each week by St. Michael’s Episcopal Church via Zoom. Go to the church’s website at www.stmichaelsvermont.org for all the Zoom links, including telephone numbers for those who wish to access Zoom by phone. Contact the church office with questions or for more information at 802-254-6048, ext 104 or jeanie@stmichaelsvermont.org
On this First Sunday after Christmas, the 8 a.m. service is Antecommunion and the 10:15 a.m. service, with live music, is Morning Prayer. All are welcome to join the services through the links found in the “Sunday Morning” block on the front page of the Church website.
The Adult Forum at 9 a.m. this Sunday is “The Rehabilitation of Christmas in Colonial New England.” The Puritans famously banned the celebration of Christmas in 1621. Christmas celebrations were illegal, or at best discouraged until the 1750s. It took another 100 years for the modern holiday to emerge. This group will examine how Christmas got a bad reputation and how it was rehabilitated. David Treadwell leads. The Zoom link is on the website under “Sunday Morning.”
There will be a contemplative service this week beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, New Year’s Eve. You will find the links to the service under the “Prayer” block on the front page of St. Michael’s website. The weekly announcements and links to all services are also found in the “eNews” block on the front page of the Church website.
Trinity Lutheran Church
There will be no worship service this Sunday at Trinity Lutheran Church, 161 Western Ave.
On Sunday, Jan. 3, at 10:30 a.m. Trinity Lutheran Church will livestream an Epiphany Worship Service. Epiphany is Jan. 6, but the congregation celebrate it on the Sunday before. A special service of light is offered. Epiphany is when our brothers and sisters in the Orthodox Church celebrate Christmas. Join in to see and follow the Star.
Trinity office is 802-254-4220. Pastor Randy Wilburn is 413-687-5568.
Congregational Church
Dummerston Congregational Church, UCC will meet for worship on Sunday via the Dummerston Church Facebook live stream at 10 a.m. Home devotion editions of the worship service are sent home via email and snail mail copies are available on request by calling the church office at 802-257-0544. This week’s worship will be a celebration of Christmas with many carols included and a special story for Christmas.
Baptist Church
East Dover Baptist Church will hold worship service this Sunday at 34 Dover Hill Road, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The congregation is following restrictions of wearing masks and maintaining social distancing. The Rev. Robert McIntyre is preaching about the Second Christmas. The service is also being simulcast. For more information call 802-348-6366 or visit the church website, eastdoverbaptistchurch.org
Community Church
Grafton Community Church, 55 Main St., is offering virtual worship services via Zoom. Visit the church website at graftoncommunitychurch.org or on Facebook (The Grafton Church).
First Congregational Church
In-person Worship at the First Congregational Church of Newfane has been suspended due to COVID restrictions in Vermont. This Sunday the service will be led by Guest Preacher Matt Deen and will be recorded and available online at newfanechurch.com/. Click on Ministry, and Audio Links, to listen. Special thanks to Matt Deen and Jim Kyle for recording the service and to Mike Kelly for recording the music and putting it all together.
The meditation for this week is titled “God’s Insistence.” The scripture readings are from Isaiah 61:10-62:3 and Luke 2:22-40. Hymns for the service are “All Creatures of Our God and King” and “O Love, How Deep, How Broad.” Thanks to Miriam Allbee for leading everyone in song. The prelude “Away In a Manger” will feature Linda Bastian on handbells, and Mike Kelly on piano and the postlude “When God Is a Child” by John Carter will be played by Mike Kelly, Music Director.
Missions for the month of December are SEVCA Heat Assistance and the Christmas Fund for Veterans of the Cross. The church continues to collect food for the Townshend Food Shelf as well; donations can be left in the baskets in the Narthex. There will be no in-person meetings in the building until COVID restrictions are relaxed. For more information or to leave messages, call the church office at 802-365-4079. Church office hours are Monday and Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Putney Friends
The Putney Friends Meeting (Quaker) community is using technology to gather for worship. The meetinghouse will be closed, but unprogrammed worship will be hosted online at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. To join in using the Zoom platform, email Roger Jasaitis at clerk@putneyfriendsmeeting.org. For more information, visit putneyfriendsmeeting.org.
Walpole Unitarian Church
Walpole Unitarian Church is holding Sunday worship via Zoom online. A link will be posted on the church website walpoleunitarianchurch.org on Saturday before the service. For the duration, join in on a Sunday morning between 9:45 and 9:55 a.m. to get settled. Service begins at 10 a.m.
All Souls Church
Join in for a virtual worship service this Sunday at 10 a.m. by visiting the All Souls Church website, www.ascvt.org and clicking on the “Click here for virtual Sunday Services at 10:00” button.
The theme for this service is “From you I receive, to you I give” with the Rev. Telos Whitfield. As we come to the end of this memorable year, join in a service where gifts of movement, story, creativity, and care are shared.
All Souls Church is at 29 South St. For more information, call 802-254-9377.
First Congregational
Join in with The First Congregational Church on YouTube and BCTV in celebration of the Christmas season. There will be a Carol Sing service on this Sunday, airing at 10 a.m. on YouTube. The Rev. Audrey Walker’s message is entitled “So, Now What” based on Scripture John 3:16. Organist Bill McKim will play for the prelude “O Little Town of Bethlehem [tune Forest Green]” arr. by P Manz and the postlude will be “From Heaven on High”, setting by J Pachelbel. Special music is “Joy to the World” and “I Wonder As I Wander” arr by C Linberg. Steve Rice is the featured soloist. Search Rev Audrey Walker and by date of the service for YouTube. Both services as usual will be shown on BCTV on channel 10 the following week
First Congregational Church is located at 880 Western Ave. Email is fccwb1770@gmail.com. Telephone is 802-254-9767. The office is open Thursday and Friday from 8 to 11 a.m. and by appointment. Pastor hours are by appointment. If you would like to receive the monthly newsletter,” The Parish Visitor” or weekly bulletin, send in your email address or call the church office.
Local missions: There is an on-going collection of canned fruit and vegetables, soups, tuna fish, peanut butter and pasta for the local food shelf. You may drop off your donation on Thursday and Friday mornings. Free Veggies from Vermont Food Bank are distributed monthly on the first and third Monday at the Brattleboro Union High School parking lot.
Quaker
West Brattleboro Quaker Worship Group is meeting via Zoom for unprogrammed worship Sundays from 10 to 11 a.m. To receive Zoom sign in information email prior to Sunday at WestBrattQuakers@gmail.com
First Universalist Church
The First Universalist Church of West Chesterfield at 10 Main St. remains closed until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic.
First Congregational
All activities at the First Congregational Church of Westminster are canceled until further notice. Worship service is offered via Zoom. Send a request for the Zoom link to westminstercongoline @gmail.com.
