“Pentecost was originally a Jewish harvest festival when the first fruits of crops were given as offerings to God. On the first Pentecost after Jesus’ resurrection, the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus’ followers. They were filled with power and love, thus empowering them to witness to God’s actions in Christ to all who were nearby. Some 3,000 people responded to their claims that Christ was Lord and Savior of mankind.

“The outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ first followers on the day of Pentecost is often called the Church’s birthday. You can read the entire story in Acts 2.” (from The Newsletter Newsletter)

On Pentecost this year (Sunday, May 27), our worship will be enhanced by a Dixieland jazz ensemble. May our joy in the Spirit overflow!

This special worship service is for those who need healing, or have a loved one in need of healing. The service includes scripture, prayer, a guided meditation, and the opportunity to be anointed with oil and prayed over by the laying on of hands.

The gospels bear witness to Jesus’ desire for health and wholeness in human life and in our world. In Scripture, faith and the forgiveness of sins are often closely associated with healing. There are many types of healing: physical, mental, emotional, relational and spiritual.

You are invited to come either to ask God for healing for yourself, or to be a channel of God’s healing for someone else. Or come just to soak in the healing Presence of God and to pray for those seeking God’s healing power.

This service is open to all ~ both within and outside of our congregation.

This yard sale is one of the main fundraisers for the Teen Connection summer mission trip to Clendenin, West Virginia. The Youth Group and their adult leaders will be hosting the yard sale, along with any parents, chaperones and interested volunteers who would like to help. (See Rev. Wilson, Nicole Gulliford or Jill Wenker if you’d like to volunteer!) We’d especially appreciate any volunteers who are good at pricing the treasures we will sell.

The sale will take place on the lawn in front of our church. We will have a special jewelry table again this year, as well.

Bring all your valuable yard sale items to the church during the week of May 6, but please wait until after the Confirmation Class reception during coffee hour.

Please start setting aside items to donate. Come visit our sale ~ you never know what treasures you might find! And it’s all for a great cause!

To honor the class, the Board of Deacons is sponsoring an all-church potluck dinner. This year’s Potluck Dinner will be held on Wednesday, May 2, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Everyone is invited! Bring either a salad or a main dish to feed ten. Dessert and beverages will be provided by the Board of Deacons.

Operation Overboard

- Dare to Go Deep with God! -

This year’s Vacation Bible School will be Monday-Friday, July 23-27, 9am – noon.  To sign up, download and print the registration form.

For more information, email cedfirstcongchurch @ sbcglobal.net

Since  1949,  Presbyterians  have  joined  with  millions  of  other  Christians   through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God’s love with people  experiencing  need.  Our  gifts  support  ministries  of  disaster  response,     refugee  assistance  and  resettlement,  and  community  development  that   help  people  find  safe  refuge,  start  new  lives  and  work  together  to   strengthen  their  families  and  communities.    Recognizing  that  the  hope   we  have  in  Christ  is  lived  out  in  our  hope  for  one  another,  we  respond   with  gifts  that  help  our  sisters  and  brothers  around  the  world  find  the   hope  for  a  brighter  future.

Contributions  to  One  Great  Hour  of  Sharing  make  a  difference  in  the   lives  of  people.  Church  World  Service,  a  division  of  the  National   Council  of  Churches,  with  overseas  partner  churches  and  church   councils  are  often  the  first  on  the  scene  following  a  disaster  of  natural     or  human  origin.  Local  church  leaders  identify  the  needs  of  their  people.   Priorities  are  set  to  bring  long-­term  solutions  that  will  improve  the     quality  of  life  for  individuals  and  communities  around  the  world.  One   Great  Hour  of  Sharing,  nearly  50  years  old,  continues  to  respond  to   needs  equally  critical  as  when  it  was  first  created.

$8.00  Adults

$5.00  children  4  -­  12

FREE  for  children  3  and  under

The  Youth  Group  will  provide  a  delicious  pasta  dinner  with  a   program  afterwards  for  individuals  and  families  both  within  and outside of our congregation.  We hope you’ll come and will invite your  friends!    Tickets  will  be  sold  by  Youth  Group  members.    The   proceeds  will  go  to  support  their  mission  work  in  West  Virginia.

The evening program will both entertain and share what it’s like to participate  in  one  of  our  Teen  Connection  workcamps.    This  is  a  great   opportunity  for  the  families  of  potential  Youth  Group  members  to   learn  about  the  opportunity  the  young  people  will  have  in  the  future,   as  well  as  those  new  to  our  congregation  and  our  youth  mission  trips.      This  event  is  being  planned  and  hosted  by   the  Youth  Group,  with  the  support  of  their   leaders  and  parents.  Come  join  us  for  an  enjoyable  evening  of   fellowship,  entertainment  and  support.

For  more  information,  speak  with  Nora   McNeil  or  any  member  of  the  Youth  Group.

As you can imagine, use through the years has worn some parts and breakdowns have occurred during the most inopportune times. In order to realize the full benefit of both the quality of sound and maintain its wonderful antique status it needs 22 specific repairs and upgrades to headquarters in New York, and met with their representatives, as well as a firm which will perform the restoration. This work will restore the picked specialty woods, materials and adhesives. While we could go into infinite details as to the planned changes, several are listed below:

• Three (3) Steinway tubular action rails
• All new keyboard felts
• Refit the key frame to the key-­bed
• New hammers, shanks and flanges New whippens
• A complete tuning to A-­440

The full list of all repairs and actions is available for review.

The cost of these changes and renovations is $16,900. This includes cartage to the repair site, all the required actions, tuning and delivery back to the sanctuary. We plan to do this over the summer and have the instrument fully renovated and ready for the beginning of the new church year in September.

We have received an anonymous gift of $10,000 toward this project, leaving us $6,900 to complete the effort. Given the beauty of the instrument, the magnificent tones and enhancement to our worship service, we are asking those who are able and can see the vision to support this effort. As Trustees of our church and having oversight responsibilities of our assets, we believe that this expenditure is a wonderful use of our funds.

David Stoner, Chair The Board of Trustees

Palm Sunday, April  1

7 a.m. Men’s Annual Palm Sunday Communion Breakfast ::  at  Deep  River  Congregational  Church.   Please  call  our  church  office  to  make  a  reservation.

8:15  and  10:15  a.m. Palm  Sunday  Worship  Services  ::  held in the sanctuary, there will be nursery care and church school at the 10:15 service.  We will celebrate the entrance  of  the  King  of  Kings  into  Jerusalem.

Maundy  Thursday,    April  5  

7:30  p.m. Worship  Service  ::  held in the sanctuary, this is a service  of  Communion  and  Tenebrae.  We  re-­enact  the  events  that took  place  on  the  night  on  which  Jesus  was before  his  crucifixion  through  scripture  and  music.

Good  Friday,  April  6     

10:00  a.m. Walk  Through  Holy  Week  ::  Walk  through  the  experience  of  Holy  Week  with  your  family.    Become part  of  the  story  as  we  walk  with  Jesus  through  his  last  24  hours  on  earth.

7:00  p.m. “The  Passion  of  the  Christ”  ::  The movie will be shown  in  the  sanctuary  as  a  worship  event.  This event is open  only to adults and  older  teenagers  with  parental  permission.

Holy  Saturday,  April  7     

3:00  p.m. Special  Service  of  Healing :: held in the sanctuary

Easter  Sunday,    April  8     

6:15  a.m.  Sunrise  Service ::  held  at  the  Westbrook  Town  Beach

8:15  and  10:15  a.m.  Worship  Services :: held in the sanctuary, these  services  will  be  identical  and  filled  with special  music,  nursery  care  and  a  video  for  children.