Westbrook Congregational Church, United Church of Christ (UCC)

Starting on February 1

WCC will be offering an amazing opportunity to explore the basic beliefs of our Christian faith through The Alpha Course ~ which originated in England and has been led all over the world. This course is for believers and non-believers alike.

This eleven-week course has but one requirement: that participants commit to coming every week. There is no homework to do during the week. Just come, be yourself, and enjoy getting to know others. It is a great introduction/refresher to our faith and we welcome adults from both within and outside of our congregation to join us on this venture.

Sunday School teachers, church lay leaders, parents, and all who are interested in growing deeper in both head and heart knowledge of our Living God ~ we hope you’ll prayerfully consider this opportunity. Anyone interested in being on the leadership team (coordinating dinners, babysitting, setting up, being a small group leader, etc.), please speak with Jill Wenker.

Some of The Alpha Course Topics:

• Christianity: Boring, Untrue, Irrelevant?
• Who is Jesus? Why Did Jesus Die?
• How Can I Be Sure of My Faith?
• Why and How Should I Read the Bible?
• Why and How Do I Pray?
• Does God Heal Today?
• How Does God Guide Us?
• Who is the Holy Spirit?
• How Can I make the Most of the Rest of My Life?
• How Can I Resist Evil?
• Why and How Should We Tell Others?
• What About the Church?

The Alpha Course is an exciting opportunity for adults to explore their own faith in a small group setting. Alpha includes a time of fellowship, as we join together for dinner (which is prepared for you!). This will be followed by an engaging lecture on a specific faith topic, after which we‘ll split into small groups for a time of discussion. The Alpha Course will be held on Wednesday evenings, from 6:15 – 8:40 p.m. starting on February 1. A daytime group is also possible. Speak with Jill Wenker if this daytime option interests you.

Here are some common questions we‘ve heard concerning Alpha:

Question: If Alpha is going to present specific tenets of our faith, then I‘m confused. I thought that the U.C.C. didn‘t tell us what to believe. How does Alpha fit into that philosophy? Answer: Alpha fits in beautifully. Alpha presents beliefs commonly held by Christians of all denominations (protestant and catholic). However, if you join Alpha to learn ―the right answer,‖ you may be disappointed. No one will tell you what you have to believe. But what you WILL get is a chance to examine your own beliefs, to grow deeper in your experience of God, and to develop a closer bond with others who are also seeking to grow in their faith.

Question: I‘m still not sure about this. Eleven weeks is a bigger commitment than I‘m used to. Answer: Eleven weeks may seem like a lot, but experience has shown that the bigger the commitment, the much greater the rewards. And a relational ministry opportunity like Alpha needs that amount of time for lasting relationships to develop. Besides, we suspect that the time will go quickly! Plus, there‘s no homework!

Question: Do I need to know a lot about the Bible in order to participate? I‘m nervous that I don‘t know enough. Answer: Alpha was originally developed for those who knew nothing of the Bible whatsoever. It is a very basic course ~ some call it ―Christianity 101.‖ There are no quizzes in Alpha! Plus, part of the reason for going is to learn more about our faith. So, whether you know a little, a lot, or nothing at all — give Alpha a try.

On January 29, we will honor our Sunday School children who have achieved Perfect Attendance and Faithful Attendance (missing three or less Sundays) during the first half of the Sunday School year. With all the competing activities our children face on Sunday mornings, we are delighted at the faith commitment shown by these children and their families!

Winter Weather Advisory

With last year‘s extreme weather conditions, we want to remind everyone what to do if you aren‘t sure whether or not there will be Sunday School or any of our evening youth programs. When this happens, all the teachers and assistants are contacted, however, we aren‘t able to contact every church family.

If there are weather conditions that would make the roads dangerous, we recommend that you check WFSB (on television or online) to see if there is a closing. We are listed under  ̳First Congregational Church, Westbrook.‘ If we do cancel Sunday School or other programs, we will also put a recording on the church answering machine. There is a special mailbox set up for this purpose. The recording will be on that machine, as long as there is electricity and our phone lines are working.

Please note: If the weather is bad enough to warrant our canceling Sunday School, it also means we will not be providing any nursery care or programs for the children. If your family ventures out for worship, you will have the pleasure of keeping your children with you throughout the service — which is a nice opportunity for them to experience a full worship service with their parents.

Sunday, December 4 @ 11:45am   (Immediately following Coffee Hour in Fellowship Hall)

The Board of Christian Education is hosting the annual Advent Festival which includes a delicious light lunch while we enjoy a time of fellowship. There will then be the opportunity to make a bright and festive wreath embellished with colorful jingle bells.

Individual adults and families are encouraged to come out for this festive celebration to kick off the advent season. Children need to be accompanied by an adult. A fee of $5.00 per person or $10.00 per family will be collected to offset the cost of materials.

There will be a sign up sheet on a bulletin board in Fellowship Hall and you are requested to sign up in advance so the Board can plan accordingly for lunch and the craft materials. So please sign up by November 30.

Please feel free to bring a dessert to share! We hope you will join us for this fun event!