Schedule For the Week of September 7th
Office hours are Monday-Thursday from 9am-3pm.
Monday, September 8
Monday Morning Women’s Study - 9:30am-11am - Zoom
Together Women’s Rise Potluck - 6pm - Quinsland Home (40 Secor Road, Brookfield)
Tuesday, September 9
Morrison’s Gang (weekly fix-it group) – 8am-12noon - Fellowship Hall
Serendippers Lunch - 12pm - Brooks Hall
Church Council - 7pm - Youth Room & Zoom
Wednesday, September 10
Children’s Choirs - 4pm - 5pm - Music Room
Bell Choir Shine & Dine - 6pm - Brooks Hall
Christian Education Committee - 7pm - Zoom
Thursday, September 11
Bible Study - 10:30am-11:30am - Youth Room & Zoom
Friday, September 12
Office Closed
Saturday, September 13
Men’s Fellowship – 8am-9am – Fellowship Hall
Women’s Fellowship – 8:30-9:30am – Youth Room & Zoom*
Barn Donations - 9am - noon - Barn
Sunday – September 14
8:30am - Meetinghouse Communion Worship with Church School & Nursery Care 10:30am – Meetinghouse
Worship with Church School & Nursery Care Time TBA - Youth Fellowship Kick Off Service Project - Fellowship Hall
* For more information or to get Zoom links, please be in touch with office@uccb.org
Week of September 7, 2025 Announcements
Faith Formation Information:
Church School – The Seasons of God’s Time
This year’s Church School theme is SEASONS OF GOD’S TIME: A Journey Through the Colors and Purpose
of the Church Year. Our children is grades pre-k through 6 will be learning about the seasons of
the church, what happens during each, what special details there are to know about them, and how
they help us grow in relationship with God.
Our older youth in grades 7-12 are welcome to assist in Church School or the Nursery, as well as to
participate in our Youth Service Sundays, which will take place roughly twice a month with
opportunities to put hands to work in service to the Church and the wider world.
If you would like more information about our Church School ministry, please be in touch with our
Church School Coordinator, Barbara Crandell at barbara@uccb.org or through the Church Office.
Youth Fellowship Kick Off Service Project – Sunday, September 14ᵗʰ
We will kick off our Youth Fellowship ministry year with an opportunity to put our hands to work in
service to others. Youth in grades 6-12 are invited, along with their parents, to come and share in
making the hot meal for Dorothy Day Hospitality House. Along with the opportunity to cook, bake and
serve will be the chance to think and talk a bit about Youth Fellowship – what activities we would
like to participate in throughout the year. What important topics do we want to talk about? What
opportunities for service would we like to take? What kind of FUN do we want to have as we grow in
faith together?
More information about the timing of this kick-off event is to come, so if you are not already on
Pastor Jen’s email list for Youth Fellowship, please do be in touch and let her know that you would
like to be added. You can email at jennifer@uccb.org or call the Church Office at 203-775-1259 to
be sure that we have your best contact information for regular Youth Fellowship communications.
NOTE: We have two Youth Fellowship groups that meet throughout the school year. We have a Junior
Youth Fellowship (JYF) group for 6ᵗʰ-8ᵗʰ graders and a Senior Youth Fellowship group (SYF) for
9ᵗʰ-12ᵗʰ graders.
What Feeds Your Spirit?
Throughout the year we try to have opportunities beyond Sunday morning worship for our adults to
grow in faith and fellowship as well. We have Men’s & Women’s Fellowship on Saturday mornings,
Monday Morning Women’s Study, Thursday morning Bible Study, Serendippers Lunches, and our Faith &
Fellowship Group Activities – alongside various Welcome & Fellowship activities.
However, we want to know what would feed your spirit and work in your schedule. Is it a second-hour
program about a particular topic? A one-minute video message shared occasionally? A meditation
space and time during the week? A book study? Theology on Tap? A conversation about current events
from a faith perspective? A movie series?
If you have thoughts or ideas about a particular topic that interests you, the type of study you
would like to engage in, and/or what timing would be best for your schedule, we invite you to reach
out to Pastor Jen at jennifer@uccb.org or Caitlyn Doenges (Christian Education Chair) at
caitlynkennerly@gmail.com.
Yankee Fair Silent Auction Request
Silent Auction is requesting donations of wicker baskets. These can be left under the stairs that
lead up to Brooks Hall as you enter through the courtyard door. Thank you!
Can you arrive 10 minutes early to church? Join the Greeters
The Welcome Committee is looking for additional folks to serve as Greeters. Greeters arrive about
10-15 minutes prior to the service and welcome people at the door as they enter. Yes, it’s that
simple…and a great way to get to know people!
Please contact Carol Ryan at candlewoodcarol@sbcglobal.net if you are interested.
Coffee Hour Sign Up Sheet
The sign-up sheet for fall is now available inside Brooks Hall and outside of the church office.
Coffee Hour takes place immediately after the 10:30am worship service. As a host, you provide a
snack or two for about 40 people - homemade or store bought, cream for coffee and perhaps some
juice for our kiddos. (Paper goods, coffee and tea supplies are provided.) Contact Elayne Schwartz
at elayne0614@gmail.com or the Office at office@uccb.org for more info or if interested.
Together Women Rise Potluck Dinner – September 8ᵗʰ at 6pm
Women and girls in Cambodia face many challenges, most notably, deeply harmful gender norms,
gender-based violence, early pregnancies, limited employment opportunities, and political
underrepresentation. The Girls Access To
Education (GATE - one of the NGOs sponsored by Lotus Outreach) project helps girls overcome
barriers to education in impoverished rural regions of Cambodia. It inspires a passion for learning
and an understanding of the value of education among the girls, who often face severe poverty, risk
of exploitation, and lack of educational opportunities. This grant will ensure these young women
are able to complete secondary education, pursue
self-directed lives, and protect themselves from violence, exploitation, and trafficking. This
project targets high-performing girls who are at risk for leaving school. It works with girls,
their families, and community advocates with a focus on scholarships and safety, a rapid response
to problems, and a
participatory approach for continuous improvement.
Our potluck to support GATE will be at Olivia Quinsland’s house (40 Secor Road, Brookfield). Bring
food to share for dinner, a willingness to learn, and a monetary donation if able. Please let
Olivia know if you plan to attend (ctquinsland@gmail.com or 203-470-7700).
Serendippers Lunch – Tuesday, September 9th at 12noon
We are so excited to welcome you all back to our Serendippers Luncheon, as we begin again with a
wonderful lunch and opportunity to reconnect in Brooks Hall on Tuesday, September 9ᵗʰ.
Menu: Lemonade Punch, Italian Pasta Salad, Rolls, Watermelon, Peach/Blueberry Cobbler with Ice
Cream
Program: Our own Deirdra Wallin will present the Program. Deirdra is a Horticulture Therapist,
Advanced Master Gardener, Master Composter and Master Naturalist. She will provide the program,
"Local Birds and How to Support Them in Your Yard." Deirdra will share a pictorial presentation
about a variety of ways to support our resident, breeding, migrating and rare birds in your yard.
She will discuss a variety of plants that can be planted for the birds as we approach Fall.
Please RSVP ASAP to sue.ronan21@gmail.com or the Church office at office at 203-775-1259.
Faith & Fellowship Campfire Chat – Saturday, September 20ᵗʰ at 6pm
Faith and Fellowship is back after our summer hiatus! And we have planned our first event! If you
haven’t joined us before, please feel free to come and check us out.
What: Firepit Chat
Where: Wendy Elsen’s House (18 Merwin Brook Road, Brookfield)
When: Saturday, September 20th
Time: 6pm
As usual we will have s’mores. Soft drinks and a bit of wine will be available. Please feel free to
bring whatever beverage or snacks you might want.
We will catch up with each other, and chat about future Faith and Fellowship plans. So bring your
calendars! Please RSVP to either Wendy or Susan. We hope to hear from you!
Wendy Elsen - wendyjoelsen@yahoo.com Susan Dodd - susan.dodd@charter.net
Children’s & Bell Choirs Beginning – Wednesday, September 10ᵗʰ
Ring & Sing is Back!
Our Children’s Singing Choirs and Adult Bell Choir are starting up again, and we can’t wait to make
music together! Whether you love to sing, ring, or both, there’s a place for you. Come join the
fun, make new friends, and lift your voice (or your bells!) in joyful praise.
Children's Choir begins Wednesday, September 10th with a kick-off at the "Pj's and Pancakes"
celebration September 7ᵗʰ. All kids are welcome — no experience needed!
Rehearsals will be on Wednesdays:
Grades K-2 will meet at 4:00-4:30pm
Grades 3-6 will meet at 4:30-5:00pm
Adult Bells will have their "Shine and Dine" September 10th at 6:00pm with the first rehearsal on
September 17th.
Let’s make a joyful noise to the Lord!
The Welcome Committee presents a night (or matinee) of theater!
What: “M Butterfly” by David Henry Hwang
For details about the content as well as showtimes, PLEASE see:
https://www.brookfieldtheatre.org/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._Butterfly
Where: Brookfield Theatre 184 Whisconier Rd, Brookfield, CT 06804
When: September 12, 2025 - October 4, 2025
What to do:
● Call 203-775-0023 to reserve tickets (pay by credit card, check, or cash that evening).
● When calling and picking up, inform the box office that you are from the Congregational Church of
Brookfield and use the code “CCB2025”.
● General Admission CCB Discount Tickets: $20, Senior and Student Admission CCB Discount Tickets:
$16
● To use the discount - with no handling fees - do not order on-line.
FISH Drivers Needed – An Opportunity to Serve the Community
FISH is a volunteer program that arranges free car transportation for Brookfield residents for
medical appointments between 9am-2pm. The drivers are all volunteers. Right now, there is a
significant shortage of drivers. If you or someone you know might be willing to be a driver helping
to get people in need of transportation to their appointments, please call 203-616-9678 and leave a
message with your contact information, and one of the FISH coordinators will get
back to you.
Schedule For the Week of August 31
Office hours are Monday-Thursday from 9am-3pm.
Monday, September 1
Office Closed for Labor Day
Tuesday, September 2
Morrison’s Gang (weekly fix-it group) – 8:00am-12noon - Fellowship Hall
Church in Society - 7pm - Youth Room Worship Committee - 7:30pm - Zoom
Wednesday, September 3
Deacons - 7pm - Zoom
Thursday, September 4
Bible Study - 10:30am-11:30am - Youth Room & Zoom
Friday, September 5
Office Closed
Saturday, September 6
Men’s Fellowship – 8:00-9:00am – Fellowship Hall
Women’s Fellowship – 8:30-9:30am – Youth Room & Zoom*
Thrift Shop - 9:00am - noon - Parsonage
Barn Donations - 9:00am - noon - Barn
Sunday – September 7
8:30am - Meetinghouse Communion Worship with Church School & Nursery Care
9:30am - PJ’s & Pancakes Breakfast in Fellowship Hall
10:30am – Meetinghouse Worship with Church School & Nursery Care
* For more information or to get Zoom links, please be in touch with office@uccb.org
Join us September 7ᵗʰ for Pancakes & Blessings
As we kick off our new program year, we invite you to join us in between worship services at 9:30am
on Sunday,
September 7ᵗʰ for a Pancake Breakfast. We also invite any students, teachers and education
personnel to bring their backpacks, briefcases, computer or lunch bags to be blessed into the new
school year with our “Blessing of the Backpacks” during our 10:30 worship.
Together Women Rise Potluck Dinner – September 8ᵗʰ at 6pm
Women and girls in Cambodia face many challenges, most notably, deeply harmful gender norms,
gender-based violence, early pregnancies, limited employment opportunities, and political
underrepresentation. The Girls Access To
Education (GATE - one of the NGOs sponsored by Lotus Outreach) project helps girls overcome
barriers to education in impoverished rural regions of Cambodia. It inspires a passion for learning
and an understanding of the value of education among the girls, who often face severe poverty, risk
of exploitation, and lack of educational opportunities. This grant will ensure these young women
are able to complete secondary education, pursue
self-directed lives, and protect themselves from violence, exploitation, and trafficking. This
project targets high-performing girls who are at risk for leaving school. It works with girls,
their families, and community advocates with a focus on scholarships and safety, a rapid response
to problems, and a participatory approach for continuous improvement.
Our potluck to support GATE will be at Olivia Quinsland’s house (40 Secor Road, Brookfield). Bring
food to share for dinner, a willingness to learn, and a donation if able. Please let Olivia know if
you plan to attend (ctquinsland@gmail.com or 203-470-7700).
Join us September 9 for Serendippers
Serendippers is meeting Tuesday, September 9ᵗʰ from Noon to 1:15pm. Our menu this month is:
lemonade punch, Italian pasta salad, rolls, watermelon and peach/blueberry cobbler. And Deirdra
Wallin will present, "Local Birds and How to Support Them in Your Yard". This pictorial
presentation will share a variety of ways you can support our residents, breeding, migrating and
even rare birds in your yard. A variety of plant choices will be shared for you to consider as we
approach fall - a great time to plant! Deirdra is a Horticultural Therapist, Advanced Master
Gardener, Master Composter and Master Naturalist.
Please rsvp to Sue Ronan sue.ronan21@gmail.com or the office@uccb.org by September 5ᵗʰ.
Yankee Fair Silent Auction Request
Silent Auction is requesting donations of wicker baskets. These can be left under the stairs that
lead up to Brooks Hall as you enter through the courtyard door. Thank you!
Can you arrive 10 minutes early to church? Join the Greeters
The Welcome Committee is looking for additional folks to serve as Greeters. Greeters arrive about
10-15 minutes prior to the service and welcome people at the door as they enter. Yes, it’s that
simple…and a great way to get to know people! Please contact Carol Ryan at
candlewoodcarol@sbcglobal.net if you are interested.
Coffee Hour Sign Up Sheet
The sign-up sheet for fall is now available inside Brooks Hall and outside of the church office.
Coffee Hour takes place immediately after the 10:30am worship service. As a host, you provide a
snack or two for about 40 people - homemade or store bought, cream for coffee and perhaps some
juice for our kiddos. (Paper goods, coffee and tea supplies are provided.) Contact Elayne Schwartz
at elayne0614@gmail.com or the Office at office@uccb.org for more info or if interested.
Sharing to Build, Building to Share Campaign Update
As you may recall, all our Campaign pledge gifts are scheduled to be completed by November 2025. As
of this update, we are still hopeful of receiving nearly $60,000 in outstanding pledge gifts in
these final 3 months. However, based on information we know today; committed pledge gifts expected
may be short by $25,000 from the amounts originally pledged. Our total pledge gifts received will
be known in early December.
A big thank you to:
• all who have already fulfilled their pledge
• those who gave generously over and above their pledge gift
• everyone who made a gift to the campaign without pledging
Each and every one of these gifts, along with donated cans and bottles we redeemed, is making a
significant impact and is truly appreciated. Thank you!
We still owe Cole Construction over $100,000. Our campaign funds in the bank are currently a little
less than $50,000. As we have communicated previously, we may need to borrow funds to cover the
anticipated cash flow gap. At our Annual Meeting this year, the congregation approved borrowing
from the unrestricted portion of our General Endowment with interest (5.5%) to cover this gap.
Please remember that accelerating pledge giving (or any additional gifts!) will greatly reduce any
borrowing. If you are able to complete your pledge before November, we would be grateful to hear
from you. Please contact Jim Sugden at jim@jimsugden.com. If it is not possible, we understand and
thank you for your continued giving, commitment, prayers and support!
Our Fellowship Hall project should receive the official Certificate of Occupancy from state and
local officials by October, and at that point we will know the total project cost.
The Fellowship Hall Financial Task Force (FHFTF) continues to monitor all expenses and timing of
payments to the contractor, and we are hopeful all pledged gifts to be fulfilled. If you wish to
learn more about these income and expense details and project completion timeline, please feel free
to reach out to any member of the Fellowship Hall Financial Task Force: Ken Arifian, Laurie Matson,
Michael Matson, Monica McInerney, Alan Peck, Jim Sugden, and Rod Wutzl.
We continue to rely on God’s guidance giving us confidence, to see God work through us in ways we
never thought possible,
as we move forward completing our Fellowship Hall project welcoming all.
