September 2001

From the Pastor:   Can the summer be winding down so soon? Wasn’t it just yesterday we were planning for Vacation Bible School? And now the pictures remind us of what a wonderful time we had and how grateful we were for the break in the heat wave. The seasons turn once again and we face another fall with Rally Day on Sept. 16th. The 9th will be Church School Registration Day. It’s exciting to begin another year here--my fourth. Oldtown has become a most precious home. They say, "Home is where the heart is", and certainly our hearts are warmed by God’s unconditional love and extravagant welcome here at Oldtown. The First church of the Attleboros has been a church home for so many over our long history. I hope we continue to welcome folks to "Come Home to the Oldtown Heart". This is truly a place to strengthen those heart muscles--by worship, or singing in the choir, or playing chimes, in Church School or in the Women’s Spirituality Group. There are many ways to participate in the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ here at Oldtown. We have a Fair coming up in October, and suppers and some special events that folks have been talking about. So come on home! Come home to the Heart of Oldtown. First Church has a welcome for you and the love of God to share joyously and enthusiastically! Come home! See you in church.   Only by grace, Pastor Katrina

Welcome to the Mission Corner: Dedicated to Serving Christ   The members of the Missions Committee had a great time planning for and dishing out ice cream sundaes at the Children's Day Picnic! On Friday, June 29th we sponsored the soup kitchen meal at the Seekonk Baptist Church. About 30 clients were fed salad and sandwiches and sent home with leftovers. Our next soup kitchen is scheduled for Friday, November 30th at the same location. The next meeting of the Missions Committee is scheduled for Sunday, September 9th; we'll be making plans for the Neighbors in Need Campaign, Thanksgiving donations and Christmas.   Christine Pandozzi For the Missions Committee

From the Massachusetts Conference, UCC   Craigville Retreats: "Clutter Clearing: A Sacred Journey Of Letting Go" Oct. 19-20 Cost: $95. For women: "Aging Outrageously and Courageously" Oct. 26-27 Cost $95.   A Leadership Workshop will be held September 29 in Worcester from 9am to 3:30 pm. Many ideas from websites to stewardship campaigns will be discussed by local leaders. Oldtown has been asked to talk about our website.

Christian Education   It’s Sunday School time again! We are going to try things a little bit differently this year to hopefully have a smooth and successful start. On September 9th we will be holding Sunday School registration. Please come to sign up your children so that we can better plan class sizes and assign children and teachers to the appropriate classes. On September 10th at 7pm we will be holding a Sunday School Kickoff meeting for any adult who is interested in teaching or helping in Sunday School this year. We will be using the numbers provided from registration to plan the classes and the teaching staff. Curriculum will be handed out and classrooms will be assigned. Craft time and Youth Group will also be discussed so if you feel called to help out in either of those areas you are also welcome and encouraged to attend. It’s very exciting to starting a brand new year with lots of new ideas and hopefully lots of new faces too! Thanks for your continued love and support! Kelly

From the Attleboro Area Council of Churches The Annual CropWalk is scheduled for October 21, 2001, beginning at Capron Park at 1 pm.

From the Southeast Area Our Fall Fellowship Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday afternoon, October 21, 2001 at the Marion Church.

Trustee Committee Well, you all will be happy with this news – the sale of the parsonage is scheduled for September 28. After some negotiating with four prospective buyers, we accepted a final bid of $180,000 from a couple who is selling their Attleboro home. The Perc Test is scheduled for August 29, which is the first step in replacing the cesspool with a septic system. Bids will be solicited from several contractors for this installation of the septic system. The broker, DeWolf of Mansfield, was also successful in finding a couple that wanted to rent a home for two months at slightly higher than the previous rent. This couple will be moving out just prior to the closing, as they will be closing on their own home then. We had planned on having an Antique Appraisal fundraiser on September 8, which will have to be cancelled. There was an error made by the firm scheduled to send four appraisers and they are booked for that date. We will schedule another date for next spring at the September meeting. Hopefully you all have had a fun filled summer. Enjoy the rest of the nice weather! Jenn Morrison Trustee Chairperson

Gold Medal Victory Congratulations James Fontaine for your Gold Medal victory at the National SkillsUSA vocational competition in Kansas City, Missouri this past summer. You have the distinction of being the "first" student from Massachusetts to ever win this award. We are all very happy for you and proud of your accomplishments. We wish you the very best. Know that you are in our prayers as you enter Ohio Technology College in Cleveland this fall. God bless you.

Services on Tape We record our Sunday Services, so those who could not attend can share in our worship. Call the church office at 695-1713 if you'd like to borrow a tape

Women's Spirituality Group We meet on the first Monday of each month at Pastor Katrina's house, 43 Grant St. in Attleboro, from 7- 8:30 pm. All women of the church are invited to attend this time of nurturing the sprit through exercises and reflection and prayer. October 1st we begin.

From the Old Colony Association An Ecclesiastical Council and Service of Installation will be held for the Rev. Bette McClure on September 9, 2001 at the First Congregational Church of Fairhaven beginning at 3:00 pm.

Blood Drive Sturdy Memorial Hospital Blood Drive: Friday, Sept. 21, Noon to 6 pm. Call 508-236-8555 for appointment.

Babysitting Workshop The Memorial Hospital of Rhode Island announces a Babysitting Workshop. Oct 13 & 20, 9:30am -2 pm. Cost $50. Held at Richards Library: 401-729-2459

Not-So-Silent Auction Items wanted! Jo-Ellen Fisher is collecting items for The Not-So-Silent Auction that has become a popular table at the fair. The items should be new or very slightly used- things that are a grade above the yard sale items. Some folks craft special items, some donate a special service. Gift certificates are always a popular feature. Please speak to Jo-Ellen about the possibilities!

CRAFTERS Are you crafting things? Are you collecting goodies for the Not-So-Silent Auction? Are you preserving those strawberries? Mark your Calendar: Oct.20th!

Congratulations! To Shane McCracken & Sarah Duggan, married July 14th. To Allysa Chamberlain & Dan Ross Married on August 4th! To Kerri Harrop & Ben Crauder Married on Sept. 1st. To Annee Lynn Evelyn, Cristin Marie Evelyn and Kayla Rebecca Girling, Baptized on July 29th.

In our prayers: Ruth Adams, Alvin Taylor, Fred Fluck, Kim, Julie, Michael, Nora. We are sad to report the recent deaths of Don & Alice Kingman and Joanne DiGiralamo We will be rebuilding the Prayer list anew beginning Sept. 2 when we return to services at Oldtown at 10am. Look for a Prayer List Addition form in the pews.

September Birthdays Sept. 4 Amanda Burgess Sept 17 Judy Harrop Sept 18 Ellen Kingman Sept 19 Maggie Mobley Sept 20 Kyle Nyskohus, Nancy Johnston Sept 22 Brianna Patten, Marion Andreason Sept 23 Mae Elizabeth McLoughlin Sept 26: Jordan Badger Sept 27 Abbey Thibeault

September Anniversaries Sept 18 Dave & Merrilee Fontaine

The Deacon’s Corner Welcome back all. Summer is nearing its end as I sit writing this report of your Deacon's committee. We've all had some down time, some time to relax in the sun, to share and make wonderful memories and enjoying a bit of R&R. Now its time to get back to our regular schedule at Church and enjoy sharing the love and the joy we have in Serving and learning, week by week, about the very special love our Lord has for us. The Deacon's held an organizational meeting in August to get started on the many wonderful things coming up this fall as our Church Year resumes for another Season. Pastor Katrina reported to us that she had had a very busy summer with several weddings in the near future and several Funeral Services that she has attended as the Pastor. Our Parish wishes to extend our heartfelt condolences to the Kingmans on the loss of both of their parents this summer. God Bless dear friends our prayers are with you. We will resume regular Worship at Oldtown on Sunday September 2nd with a Service of Communion on that day. Our Membership Directory will soon be available, and on September 23 we will have a Service of Baptism. Sunday School sign up will be on September 9th with Rally Day being observed on September 16th. What a joy to see these future members of our Church and to have them participate in our Worship Services, with all the wonder and joy of God's love shining on their little faces. How blessed we are to have these little ones with us. Their enthusiasm is unmatched. Please keep in mind as the season progresses that we will once again have our Annual Stewardship Campaign, which will culminate on Thanksgiving Sunday. What spectacular jobs the speakers did last year and as a Church we look forward to seeing just what this committee has planned for us this year. We have come a very long way. Our Children are singing God's praises and learning of his Love for each of them and what special young people they are, under the guidance of many committed people. Our Chime Choir is learning to chime quite proficiently, our choir is growing, and our membership is growing. What a joy to behold the wonderfully awesome things that the Lord is doing in our midst.   God Bless, peace and love to you all, Judy Harrop Vice Chairman Board of Deacon's

Turkey Supper September 22 at 6 p.m Adults $7.50, Seniors $7.00, Children $4 Contact Dot Greene 508-695-5138 for tickets, Volunteers are needed for setup, serving & cleanup! Contact Judy Harrop 508-695-7558 or call the Church at 508-695-1713

Address Change? To help us keep our member/friends information and newsletter mailing list up-to-date, please call the church office if there are changes needed in your name, address or phone number. Thank you.

OLDTOWN FALL FAIR Guess what? The you know what is coming much faster than you think!! What have you been making during the summer? HMMM…is that right! Well, the crafters met a few times and did accomplish a little, but the weather has been so very hot and then again we were washed out a few times with those terrific storms. So here’s the nitty-gritty! We need everyone’s help to make this the successful fair that we always have. Here are some ideas for starters!! If you sew, knit, crochet, paint, make any kind of crafts, do woodworking, make preserves, jellies or relish, PLEASE plan to contribute something. Cleaning out your closets, drawers and other nooks and crannies?? Save that good "stuff", alias "trash and treasures", for the Flea Market. Also, there will be a Silent Auction which is ever so popular so why not think about what you could contribute that someone else would love to bid on. Remember that antique sewing machine from a couple of years ago? WOW…that created a lot of interest! Gift certificates to various restaurants, theatres, and other popular spots are great. You can also make a certificate of your own…such as a homemade dinner to be delivered at a certain time agreed upon between the maker and the buyer. Maybe you could offer some type of service…such as "X" numbers of hours of babysitting, cleaning, papering or painting, lawn work…the list is endless! Maybe you could be real creative and make up some kind of basket … a bath theme, a coffee lovers delight, hobby basket, a basket for Dad or for the kids, Christmas or Halloween "stuff"!! Come on folks…joggle that imagination! We all know you can do it and we’re counting on you, so don’t let us down!! What’s the date you say??? Saturday, October 20th Save that date and try to volunteer a few hours to help work on a table or in the kitchen. There will be a sign up sheet on the bulletin board, so fill in the spot you want before it’s gone!!! Thank you very much!!!! Carolyn

OLDTOWN CHIT CHAT By Carolyn Chretien Our deepest sympathy goes out to the Kingman and Thibeault families on the loss of Donald and Alice Kingman who were both members of our church. Don passed away on August 4th and Alice on August 21st. They are Dave Kingman’s parents and the grandparents of Eric and Kelly. Deepest sympathy also to the DiGirolamos on the death of Nick’s grandmother… Joanne DiGirolamo.   Ruth Adams is recovering from heart by-pass surgery at her home on Cushman Rd. She is coming along and wishes to thank everyone for their cards, letters, visits, and prayers. Dave and Lynne Sias have moved to New Hampshire (boo hoo) where they are happily settling in at their new home. It’s a lovely house and has a big barn for Dave to pursue his woodworking. Daughter JoEllen is now on the staff at University of New Hampshire, so she and her husband are also relocating to NH. Congratulations to our high school graduates as they head off to college this year. Amy Harrop, daughter of Kathy and Skip, is at the Culinary Institute of America learning to become a world class chef! Nice going Amy! Jimmy Fontaine will be leaving shortly for Ohio where he will continue his road to fame! Understand he received some sort of recognition from the mayor! Just can’t keep up to this guy! Keep it up Jimmy!   Congratulations to Alan Clavette on being named drum major for the North Attleboro High School Band. Keep your eye on him as he struts his stuff!!! Way to go Alan!

Upcoming Church Events at Oldtown! Sept 1 Wedding at 11 am (Kerri & Ben) Sept 2 Communion Sunday, 10 am at Oldtown Sept 9 9:30 am- Church School Registration; 10 am worship Mission Committee after worship Installation of Rev. Bette McClure, Fairhaven, 3 pm Sept 10 Christian Education Committee, 7 pm Sept 12 Board of Trustees, 7 pm Sept 13 Wedding Rehearsal, 5:30 pm Sept 14 Wedding, 5 pm (Dumont/Machado) Sept 16 RALLY DAY! Church School begins Sept 20 Board of Deacons, 7 pm Sept 22 Turkey Supper, One Sitting at 6 p.m Adults $7.50, Seniors $7.00, Children $4 Contact Dot Greene 508-695-5138 for tickets, Volunteers are needed for setup, serving & cleanup! Contact Judy Harrop 508-695-7558 or call the Church at 508-695-1713 Sept 23 Baptism Sunday, Worship, 10 am Sept 26 Church Committee, 7 pm Sept 30 Sunday Worship, 10 am