Tuesday Tidbits 9/1/26

First Congregational Church of Vernon United Church of Christ

Tuesday Tidbits

September 1, 2026

Welcoming Our New Pastor of Congregational Care

We are pleased to announce that, at our congregational meeting on Sunday, August 30th, the congregation voted to call Rev. Dr. Chuck Williams to serve as our new Pastor of Congregational Care. We are excited to welcome him to our church family and look forward to the compassion, wisdom, and care he will bring to this ministry.

He will begin serving with us on September 8th. We invite the congregation to join us in extending a warm welcome and in praying for him as he begins this new chapter of ministry among us.

Welcome, Rev. Dr. Chuck Williams! We are grateful to have you with us.

Happy Birthday to all who are celebrating a birthday in September.

Last Sunday of Summer Worship

This Sunday, is our last Sunday that we will be worshiping downstairs in fellowship hall at 9:30am. On September 13th, we will be moving back upstairs for worship at 10am.

Church Office Closed

Church office will be closed on Monday, September 7th in observance of Labor Day. If you have a pastoral emergency, please call 860-266-5781.

Mark your calendars, Rally Sunday is coming up on September 13th!

We’re kicking off our 2026–2027 program year with worship, food, fellowship, and fun for all ages.

After our worship service that morning, head to Fellowship Hall for...

Exploring our Programs- with a chance to win a prize! – Visit all five program tables to collect stamps. Five stamps gets you a raffle ticket to win a fabulous prize, and a FCCV grocery bag while supplies last.

Bingo – Join us for Bingo, and we will have more great prizes up for grabs!

Bounce House & Kids’ Activities – Kids can enjoy a bounce house outside, plus board games and coloring inside.

Lunch – We’ll provide sub sandwiches for lunch. There will be a sign-up sheet at the Programs Table for side dishes.

Bring someone with you! Rally Sunday is the perfect opportunity to invite a friend, neighbor, or anyone who has been thinking about coming to church.

Worship, eat, play, connect, and celebrate a new program year at FCCV. Are you able to volunteer that day? There is a sign-up by the church programs table- or, call the office and ask for Sarah.

Our Deepest Condolences

Our deepest condolences to Roger Conley and family. Roger’s brother Kenneth Conley passed away yesterday. Please hold Roger, Elsa and family in your prayers.

New Member Class

Interested in Joining FCCV? If you’d like to hear more about our faith community and explore becoming a member, we invite you to join our upcoming New Member Class. This two-hour gathering will be held on a Sunday after worship, scheduled for a time that works best for everyone. We’ll share lunch together, learn about FCCV’s story and mission, and get to know one another. If you’re interested, please contact Pastor Alisa or the church office.

Coffee Hour Volunteers Needed!

Coffee hour fellowship runs September 13th – June 30th, and we need your help to keep it going!

There are three different ways to get involved:

Weekly Coffee Hour Leaders
Recruit your own group of volunteers to make coffee, set up, bring treats, and clean up for a week of coffee hour. This commitment comes around once every 6–8 weeks, depending on how many people sign up.

Coffee Hour Volunteer Coordinator
Help behind the scenes by building the volunteer schedule, sending out reminders, and finding substitutes when someone can’t make their week.

Team Member
Not ready to lead? We’ll add you to a team so you can pitch in with coffee, setup, treats, or cleanup when your week comes around.

If any of these roles sound like a good fit, please contact the church office to volunteer or ask questions. Thank you for helping make coffee hour possible!

Happy Anniversary

Tomorrow, September 2nd, David and Irene Pinkham will be celebrating there 65th anniversary. Congratulations to David and Irene.

Worthington Vineyards and Winery

Due to the recent temporary closure of Cassidy Hill, we will be gathering at Worthington Vineyards and Winery for our summer concert outing!

Date/Time: Sept 4th, 5-7pm (rain date- Sept 12th, 2-5pm)

Address: 359 Mountain Road, Somers, CT

Bring a comfy chair and some snacks! Enjoy the music of local band, "Red Loves Blue". There may be a food truck, and wine will be available for purchase. This is the first day of their Flower Festival, and you can pick your own sunflowers/wildflowers in their meadow and check out the flower themed vendors. All persons under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult. No outside alcoholic beverages allowed. Dogs are welcome!

It should be a good time. Mind the rain date- if we do get rained out, the event will be rescheduled to Sept 12th, which is a Saturday. Hope to see you there!

“How Great Thou Art Wall” Change

Artists, please start thinking about our next installation on our “How Great Thou ART Wall”!

We will be changing the artwork on September 7th, and a suggested theme is Fall. However, all works and artistic styles are welcome!

We encourage a variety of art forms, including: weaving, embroidery, photos, glass, acrylics, watercolor, pastel and water-based oils.

We appreciate everyone who has participated and shared their creativity with us. We look forward to seeing your upcoming contributions and another wonderful display of local art!

Join the Choir!

Love to sing? The Choir is always looking for people to join in at any time! Choir will practice on the Saturdays before each service, at 10am. We would love to have you! Everyone is welcome.

First practice will be September 12th at 10am in the Sanctuary.

Monday Morning Bible Study is Returning

Our summer hiatus will be ending, and we will resume classes on Monday, September 14th at 10:45am in Kellogg Hall. All are welcome.

Sermon Salon

It's a few days after the Sunday service and you've pondered the message of the Scripture reading and the sermon, but there's no one to share your thoughts with. Well, you are not alone!

As part of your FCCV Church Programs, we are currently exploring the development of a "Sermon Salon" for those who wish to have a deeper discussion regarding each week's sermon and Scripture reading. If this is something YOU would be interested in, please contact Sarah at the Church Programs office (sromangreaves@gmail.com).

FCCV Fall Festival, September 26th

Mark your calendars for Saturday, September 26th for a Fall Festival. This year’s event will include a mum flower sale, bake sale, and a huge tag sale - an excellent opportunity to donate previously loved items you no longer enjoy to the church. If you have items to donate for the tag sale, please bring them to church starting on Sunday, September 20th through Friday, September 25th at noon. Items can be placed at the far end of Fellowship Hall near the childcare area. Please no books, clothing or flammable items. Only working electrical items will be accepted. Also, we are in need of grocery and smaller sized paper bags for the tag sale shoppers. If you have any to spare, please bring them to Fellowship Hall as well.

If you are interested in baking, helping with the mum or tag sale, contact Greg Mias or the church office.

Church Programs Office

Members and friends of the church are welcome to stop by the Church programs office during Sarah's office hours, which are published here in Tidbits weekly (subject to change due to appointments).

Sarah coordinates our Innings and Outings program, which is for adults of all ages in the church to get together and do fun activities. If you have an idea for a fun activity we can do together inside or outside of the church, and you cannot meet during office hours, e-mail Sarah at sromangreaves@gmail.com.

Upcoming Innings/Outings:
Summer Concert at Worthington Vineyard, Sept. 4th 5pm-7pm (rain/postpone date: Sept 12th 2-5pm)

250 Acts of Kindness

As part of the United States of Kindness campaign by Kindland, we have committed to doing 250 acts of kindness by the end of 2026.

There are two ways we are counting acts of kindness. For every kind act you go out of your way to do, bubble in one of the bubbles on the tracker (colored markers are by the suggestion box). You can also submit a shout-out if you'd like to bring attention to the kindness of someone else in the congregation. Do not include names if you wish to remain anonymous. These will be read during worship services.

For every new bubble and shout-out, we will add a heart to our kindness trail, as a more visible representation of how we are doing.

Here's our progress so far! We are up to 117 acts of kindness... please join in adding to our kindness trail, and soon we will have these hearts trailing out into the halls!

Women’s Fellowship Holiday Fair - November 7th

Planning and crafting are underway for the holiday fair which will be on November 7th this year. If you would like to get in on the ground floor of organizing, please let us know. We would love new ideas and fresh perspectives.

If you have helped run a table on the day of the fair and would like to do so again, we'd love to hear from you...and you may already be on our list!

If you have a church group looking for a fun fundraiser, we would love someone to run the luncheon. We have instructions and a menu/shopping list, or feel free to try something different. It typically earns $300-$500.

Wednesday Night Craft Crew - Meeting September 9th at 6:30pm

Wednesday night craft crew will start meeting again on Wednesday, September 9th at 6:30. We will do some assembly of craft items, sort through our supplies and of course, there will be Jeopardy!

Thank You

The mission team dropped off 90 pounds of food yesterday to Hockanum Valley Food Pantry. Thank you all for your generous contributions.

Food Donations

Many in our community are struggling to feed their families. Your donations to Cornerstone and Hockanum Valley Food Pantry help fill those empty shelves.

Suggested donations include cereal (not family size), peanut butter and JELLY in plastic containers, canned goods, boxed sides, Mac and cheese, and individual packs of snack sized cookies and crackers.

Please leave donated food items in the white bins in the Narthex or downstairs in the entryway. Double bagging heavy items helps our deliverers.
More information can be found at the website for Cornerstone (cornerstone-cares.org) or Hockanum Valley Community Council (HVCChelps.org). Thank you for your generosity.

Help for Our Furry Friends

They are especially in need of dry cat food.

The Vernon Pet Pantry has partnered with the Hockanum Valley Community Council to support pets in need. Sadly, many animals are going hungry or being left behind as families struggle to afford their care.

You can help by donating wet or dry cat and dog food, treats, or other pet supplies. Donations may be placed in the new plastic bin located in the lower-level entryway or dropped off directly at the Vernon Pet Pantry at HVCC.

New at the library from the bookworm-

Wednesday Walkers

What a beautiful morning greeted the Wednesday Walkers last Wednesday! The trail was busy with happy walkers, runners and cyclists of all ages enjoying nature and greeting each other. Nature may be giving us a different kind of day this week, but we still gather together and enjoy the camaraderie and exercise. Join the walkers at 9:00 at the Church Street parking lot for the Vernon Rails to Trails.

Cornhole Fellowship

Located at the grassy area across from Center Road School

Join us every Wednesday evening (weather permitting) for casual, friendly cornhole games and great company! Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a total beginner, all are welcome — and don’t forget to invite a friend!

Not a player? Come hang out, spectate, and cheer everyone on! Note: We currently have one set of boards, so if you have your own boards and bags, please bring them along. BYO refreshments and let’s kick off these Wednesday nights with some laughs and friendly competition.

If you have any questions or if you want to be added to the phone list, please contact the church office (860-875-7580) or church.secretary@firstchurchofvernon.org

Caregiver Support Group

A caregiver support group is being offered to members of our church. We meet every Wednesday in the church library from 1:30pm-3:30pm. This is a lay led group that is very supportive and caring and offers much needed help and encouragement to caregivers. If you are or recently have been a caregiver, consider joining us. Conversations are confidential.

Men’s Fellowship Breakfast

Men’s Fellowship Breakfast meets at 7am on Thursdays at the Vernon Diner.

Theology on Tap

Theology on Tap will be resuming on September 24th. More information to follow.

Grief Support Group

The Grief Support Group continues to meet on Tuesdays at 10am in the Church Library. Anyone who has lost a loved one is invited to attend, and the group is not limited to FCCV members. ALL are welcome and you can bring other family members and/or a friend to the group. Any further questions, please call the FCCV Church office at 860-875-7580.

Remember to Pray for:

Carole – Bettye K's sister, Kelly- Jeannie Peirce’s friend, Lorraine Doyle – Terri's cousin, Lenora- Ellen's sister, Val M, Burkie-Linda's friend, Doug- Addi's grandfather, Sue- Cindy S’s friend, Dana-Sandy D’s friend, Emilio L- Emily and John’s friend, Christina- Andy and Joanne’s daughter, Doug Bacon- Marilyn's nephew, Herb Slicer, Bill- Sue's neighbor, Mary-Marjorie's friend, Amy S- Joanne's friend, Kay and Horst, Leesa S, Shirley- Ginger's sister, Angie- Ruby-Richie-and Barbara K, Bobby A- Althea's brother-in-law, Brandon, Lucy- Elly's sister, Bev and Robin D, Bonnie and Paula-Millie’s friends, John Stevens- Susan Nolet’s brother, Betsy G, Delight C, Tammy and Jim, Marjorie F, Ernie & Janice—Nancy’s friends, Barb Fox, Pat L, Jim Muro, Lisa A, Nicholas—Karen’s grandson, Dawn G—Betsy’s niece, Jane Morse, Thomas E, Pat M, Susie—Barb’s daughter, Linda D, Mary M—Pat Melville’s sister, Janis R, Steven S, Chrissy and Ella—Jim and Cheryll’s daughter and granddaughter, Donald M, Dave S, those living with HIV/AIDS, and all who are navigating a difficult season of mental health and their loved ones who walk beside them.

Prayer Request

We strive to keep our prayer list as accurate as possible. If you have an update for us, to add or to remove someone, please contact the office by email or call (860) 875-7580. Or click here to fill out a form.

Pastoral Emergency

If you have a pastoral emergency, please call 860-266-5761.