News and Announcements

CLICK HERE to view the Worship Bulletin for Sunday, September 19, 2021.

A note from our guest preacher Rev. Doug Wysockey-Johnson

For those of you who usually sit in the same place in the sanctuary–  your pew has missed you! We have not been able to worship together inside for a long, long time. So as we re-gather in our sanctuary for the first time in 19 months, it is worth celebrating. And also asking ‘What makes a sanctuary a sanctuary?  What makes a space holy or sacred?  I hope you can join us for worship on Sunday, INSIDE and TOGETHER.

Join us this Sunday at the Old Round Church, with special LIVE Music by Ginny Churchill and the RCC Choir. Outdoor Coffee Hour to follow.
Please wear a mask and practice social distancing inside the building.

The Round Church Pilgrimage is an almost annual tradition, and our chance to remember our historic roots as one of the five religious groups to build the Round Church in 1813. During the service we will also have a time of silence and prayer for remembering the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. NO ZOOM this Sunday, but we will try to livestream the service to our RCC Facebook page,  https://www.facebook.com/rccucc 

If the cell phone signal doesn’t work for the livestream, check back on Facebook for a recording posted on Sunday afternoon!

I look forward to worshipping with you! 

With Peace,

Katelyn

CLICK HERE for the worship bulletin for Sunday, September 5, 2021 – Labor Day Sunday and Communion service.

With all that whirls and swirls in the world and in our hearts, consider yourself invited to come and rest from your labors this Labor Day Weekend and join us for our final outdoor worship service of the summer season on Sunday at 10 am. This weekend is also a great chance to say “thank you” to all of the essential workers who keep the world running. During worship we will celebrate Communion together and have a time of giving thanks and sharing our gratitude for all that we have learned and experienced this summer as a hybrid worshipping community. If you’re worshipping online, please prepare your own communion elements. If you’re worshipping in person, you can partake of the pre-portioned elements provided or BYOC – bring your own communion and bring your own chair.

CLICK HERE to see the bulletin for the worship service on August 29, 2021.

We gather to worship in stressful times – the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban, yet another natural disaster in Haiti, floods and hurricanes in the U.S., rising Covid sickness and death, countless immigrants at our borders looking for hope and a new life being returned to violence and oppression, and lingering racism that continues to pervade our culture and demean human life.  As a nation we are so divided we cannot even talk about where to begin to address these issues.  It is easy to give up.

The apostle Paul knows of our exhaustion.  He writes, “Let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time if we do not give up.  So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.”  Maybe our national discussions should begin with these questions:  What is right? What is just? As a country, how do we work for the good of all? Maybe we would discover we have more common ground than we thought.

Peace, Rev. Neal Sadler

CLICK HERE to see the bulletin for our Worship Service on August 22, 2021.

This coming Sunday, August 22 we’re having Spiritual Show & Tell – a chance to share a favorite, poem, prayer, story, piece of music, or story about an object that points you towards God or shimmers with the Spirit. We will do the time of sharing during the “Sermon time.” If you would like to participate in the sharing, but cannot attend in person, please send Pastor Katelyn your poem or prayer or story in advance and I will gladly share it with the congregation on your behalf! Email to: katelyn@rccucc.org

CLICK HERE to see the bulletin for our service on August 1, 2021. Worship will be led by Rev. Laura Engelken, Director of Interfaith Engagement and Education at the University of Vermont. Other volunteers include Morgan Wolaver – Deacon, Jerry Carpenter & Esther Nui – Technical Directors, Carole & Jay Furr – Welcome Team, Carole Furr – Reader, Jen Greenwood – Musician, and Morgan & Melissa Wolaver – Hospitality.

CLICK HERE to see the worship bulletin for our Christmas in July service, 7/25/21.

Christmas in July! On Sunday, we’ll gather online and in person to celebrate Christmas in July. Our worship will start with lighting the Advent Wreath and will include scripture, poetry and Carol singing as we tell the story of Jesus, the light of the world and the Prince of Peace, coming into the world. There may even be some Christmas cookies for Coffee Hour! Feel free to dress up in red and green! I will be asking for volunteer readers on Sunday to help with all of the lessons.
 
Our congregation is not the only church celebrating Christmas in July. Here’s a wonderful radio story which appeared earlier this week on NPR. As NPR corresponded Deena Prichep said, “Christmas is usually celebrated on one of the longest nights of the year, when the light of the world scatters the darkness. Nobody knows when Jesus was really born. It might not have been December at all. And for many congregations, finally coming together again brings that hope of a new dawn.”
 
So let us gather with hope, peace, joy and love as we celebrate Christmas in July!
 
With Advent(urous) Anticipation,
 Katelyn

CLICK HERE to see the worship bulletin for Sunday, July 18, 2021. This week, our service will be led by guest preacher, Rev. Doug Wysockey-Johnson. There will be sharing in both word and song, reflecting on the most recent mission trip to Nosara, Costa Rica in memory of Soren Wysockey-Johnson. Other worship leaders: Jenn Arnott – Deacon, Ingrid Cichoski & Barb Wyman – Welcome Team, Jen Greenwood, Ginny Churchill & Gary Beckwith – Musicians, Cindy Preston – Reader, Francis Churchill – Technical Director, and Carole & Jay Furr – Hospitality.

CLICK HERE for a copy of the worship bulletin for July 11, 2021.

On Sunday morning, we’ll gather outside and online at 10 am hear how David welcomes the Ark of the Covenant into the city with joy, dancing and music. The Covenant/Tabernacle contained the two stone tablets with the Ten Commandments and was thought to house God’s presence among the people. What makes you dance with joy? Or, like David’s wife Michal, have you ever been embarrassed by someone else’s dancing? We’ll dig into the complexity of this story during the sermon.

CLICK HERE to see the Sunday Worship Bulletin for July 4, 2021

CLICK HERE to see the Scripture passages and Discussion Questions.