Belfry Notes March 2024

Easter Services:

• Easter Sunrise Service begins at 6:30am on the front steps of the Church. Join us for a short morning service to greet the sun on Easter morning. 
• Easter Service at 9am. 
• Community Easter Egg Hunt begins at 9:15. 

Lenten Offering: Owen and I are offering Lenten Contemplative Practices to do in your own time each week during the Lenten Season. They will post each week for you to explore. The Interfaith Neighbors Connecting (INC; comprised of the Orange Churches) will be offering Soup and Devotions each week of Lent. Below are the upcoming Fridays:

• Friday March 15th 5:30-7:30, please support North Quabbin Citizens Advocacy at Soup and Song event at the Boiler Bar and Grille. $10/pp
• Friday March 22nd at 6:30pm, please join the Orange United Methodist Church for Soup, Bread, and Devotions. 

Hello Everyone,

We hope you are enjoying this transition to Spring and staying warm and well. Our Easter Services are listed above. Please feel welcome to join us for Easter Services and our Egg Hunt.

On Saturday March 23rd from 9:30 – 11:30am, the Neighbors Group (see below for more information) will be hosting a Maple Waffle Breakfast at the Meetinghouse/Church. All are welcome and we are accepting donations for future events and for the “planting group”. The daffodils are beginning to pop up. You will find familiar ones that were planted in the previous year and new clusters of daffodils that were planted last fall for this spring.

We are collecting for Fuel Assistance this month. We donate, each spring, 100 gallons of oil to four families in need to help offset their heating costs. On our Heifer Project, we have raise $182 of the $250 we need to purchase our next “animal” which is a water buffalo. Please, bring your quarters to church! 

Remember to mark your calendars for the Annual Meeting on May 19th after Church. Reports should be submitted by May 12th. Please try to attend, your voice matters whether you are a formal member of the Church or not. If you are not a formal member of the Church and would like to be, please reach out so that we can support you on your journey of faith and community. We can always use extra hands and help in our work together. 

Love and Blessings, Charlotte and CCNOT

Birthdays this month include: Pam, Erin, Pat, Thomas, and John. Happy Birthday!!

Special Events:

• A Death Cafe* meeting will be hosted by the Meetinghouse/Church on April 13th at 4pm. Hosted by Austina Towle and Charlotte Weltzin. 
• Annual Meeting on May 19th after Church. Reports are due on May 12th. 
• Cheer Soups will be made and delivered to bring some Warmth and Hellos to our neighbors.
• We are accepting donations for Fuel Assistance.
• Lute Concert Sunday May 5th with Seth Warner (and…maybe some surprise guests?)
• Communion happens on the first Sunday of each month.
• Discussion Group meets after Church on the last Sunday of the month.  
• Sunday School kids join Church at 9am and then move upstairs to explore more.
• Choir meets Sunday mornings at 8am. All voices are Welcome.
• Friday Walks happen each Friday at 10am starting from the Church. 
• Dorcas meets weekly on Wednesdays at 10:30am. 
• First Thursday Lunch at noon at Herricks for an informal gathering of company. 
• Community Yoga Wednesdays at 6pm. 

Neighbors Notes: Working Group Meets on February 15th at 1pm. The Neighbors Group’s primary goal is to be of support to one another in disaster (wind storms, ice storms, and the like).  Each section of our area community has a “cluster lead” who can be reached out to (or will reach out) in the event of need.  The Neighbors Group came into existence after the WindStorm of 2019.  We are beginning to rebuild and strengthen this group. Please reach out if you would like to help or join!!  We offer social events throughout the year. Join us for our Maple Waffle Breakfast to enjoy time with Neighbors and to learn more!

*We are offering Death Cafe meetings (yes you heard that right: Death Cafe) at the Meetinghouse/Church. A Death Cafe is a place to meet and talk about the uncomfortable subject of death and dying. There is no agenda. We are not here to get to “answers” nor are we here to talk about planning for death. This is simply a conversation with others around something we will all experience in our lives and yet avoid speaking about. Grief is welcome, but this is not a grief support group. We will facilitate conversation, but we are not in a counseling role. Hosted by Austina Towle and Charlotte Weltzin. 

If there is anyone you think should receive these Notes, please forward this message. You will also find this message in your email if you are on our Mailing List (please reach out if you are not and would like to be).  We will mail (like post office paper mail) a Belfry Notes after the Annual Meeting in May.