Looking back at Children's Day

Today is Children's day. It is the one day every year where we celebrate the Christian education of our young people. I thought I'd take a moment to look back on a few past Children's Days.

In June of 1989 the theme for the day was "Jesus, Our Teacher and Friend." Teachers that year included;
Rosie Main in the nursery class
Kathy Jackson in the kindergarten class
Amy Rezendes in the Primary Class
Carolyn Benker in the Primary Junior Class
Sandy Crouch in the Junior class
Lori Lord in the Junior/Senior High Class
Harry Eiusan as the Adult Class teacher

Mary Brockway was the Sunday School Superintendent and Paul Lorraine was her assistant. George Rezendes was the secretary/treasurer.

During the service the Junior Choir sand "Welcome to the Family" and Amy Rezendes offered a solo. The skits were entitled, "The Life and Times of Jesus Christ", "Jesus Meets Zaccheaus", "The Good Samaritan" and "Jesus and the Children." In those days a member of the adult class gave a short message and that year Dawn Rogoff Soares did the honors.


Some of the student names were Brian Goldin, Kate Strouse, Elaine Montalvo, Amy Brockway, Timothy Rezendes, Joni MacLachlan, Natalee Crouch, Beth Jackson, Allison Walberg, Becky Lord...

On June 12, 1994 we celebrate Children's Day with the theme of "God's All Stars." Our teachers that year were;

Rosie Main in the Nursery class
Deborah Muyres in the Primary Class
Kate Strouse in Grades 1 & 2
Cal Lord & Cynthia Strouse in Grades 5 -7
Amy Rezendes in grades 8 -12
Harry Eisan in the adult class

The skits were titled ""The Bible All Star Game", Hey, Noah!", "David: God's All Star"and "Did You Know?" The message was given by Harry Eisan.


The kids sang "love, Love, Love" and Superintendent George Rezendes hosted the program. During the service there was a family dedication service for Carli Richelle White by her parents Rich & Cindy.

On June 11, 2000 we were nearing the end of a year long celebration of our 200th Anniversary. Children's Day became part of that celebration. Our theme was "The Spirit of Children's Day" and we looked back at the past as well as taking the time to enjoy the present.

Our teachers were;
Rosie Main in the nursery
Jackie Vaillancourt in Grades 1 -3
Amy Rezendes in Grades 4- 6
Cliff Vanase in Junior high
Cal Lord in Senior High
Curt Brockway with the adults

The skits included recitations by each of the classes. They were titled "Heaven's Message", "Why God Made the Stars"and "He is Not Far From Me." We also had a reprint of the Children's Day bulletin from June 17, 1923.

some of the children included Heather Adams, Chelsey Calkins, Rachel Lord, Brianne Jones, Jennifer Dart, Keesen Howe, Austen Shogren, Scott Morse, Sarah Lord, Chris Vaillancourt, Amada Brown, Casey Rezendes, Daryl Alves, Fred Green, Amanda Duntz, Amada Guillemette, Roland Widstrom, Becky Lord and April & Timothy Rezendes.

The Superintendent was Lori Lord. Her assistant was Mary Brockway and Wendy Dart was the secretary/treasurer.

Cal

Rick Barnes visits Norwich

On Tuesday night Rick Barnes was in town for a visit. We arranged to meet him at Papa Gino's and invited former mission team members to stop by and have dinner or just visit with him. Rick was in town as part of his effort to build support for their ministry in Mexico. His trip back East led him north to New Hampshire and west to New York State.

With the World Economic crisis, our Board of International Ministries has told the missionaries that they have to solicit 100% of their support by this September or they risk being called home. Earlier this Spring Mercy Barnes was in the state visiting us. She hooked up with several of us across the state and was the featured speaker at the ABCCONN Annual Meeting.

Right now any of us can support Rick and Mercy directly by going to http://www.internationalministries.org/give and making a gift to them on-line. From now through the end of June, every gift between $200 -2,000 will be matched directly by the Luther Rice Society.

You can also give directly through the church on any week. Just mark your check or your envelope for Barnes mission.

Cal

Softball update.

The First Baptist softball team played two tough games this week and split the pair. On Tuesday night the gang came back from a 6 - 3 deficit against Calvary Chapel with four runs in the bottom of the sixth to take a 7-6 lead. They shut out the opposition in the top of the seventh to come away with their seventh victory.

Jay Mandeville got things started with a sharply hit ball to the shortstop that went right through him. Daryl Alves followed that up with a single. After both Steve Moon and Mike Staron flew out Dan Dutrumble ripped a single to load the bases. Chip Chaffee worked a walk to drive in one run and then Eric Poore ripped a sing to tie the game. Mike Young then hit a single to drive in Eric with what proved to be the winning run.

On Friday we put our 7- 2 record to the test against St. Pats and battle right up to the last out. As a matter of fact we brought the winning run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh. Down 10 - 5 Sean Wilding and Chris Vaillancourt singled to start the inning. After Daryl Alves lined out Steve Moon ripped a single to drive in the sixth run. Then with two outs Chip Chaffee walked and Eric Larsen ripped a two run single to bring us within two. With runners on second and third Mike Young, the hero of the last game came up. He ripped a drive to the outfield that looked like it was going to drop in. Only a great catch by the right fielder prevented the game from being tied up. So the final score was 10 -8 with St. Pats holding on for the victory.

So far this year we lost one game to St. Mary's and two to St. Pats. Our record is 7 - 3 as we approach the mid point of the season.

Keep Chris Adams and Jake Shank in your prayers. Chris has a twisted ankle and Jake a cracked rib. We hope to see them both in action later this year.

Cal

Our Annual Tag Sale

Our Fellowship Hall has been going through a process of transformation this week. After church last Sunday the men set up twenty tables. This week a number of members and friends have been filling up the tables with tag sale items.

From 1986 to 2007 we had a tag sale every year. It was a big deal and our biggest fundraiser each year. Different people stepped up to chair the event over the years. The first year Doris Royce and Paul Lorraine did the bulk of the work. Michelle Lord, Harry & Dot Calkins, June and Henry Pendelton, Amy Rezendes, Hal Brockway, Sandy Crouch, Harry & Betty Eisan, Kathy Duntz, Cynthia Strouse, Mary & Curt Brockway and so many others spent hours down here over the years. The last few years Rosie Main and Geri Diehl took it on. They did a great job with lots of help from people like Brian Goldin, Bob & Helen Walker, George Strouse, George Rezendes, Carolyn Brown, Nancy Allen and so many others. In 2008 we gave it a rest. Everyone was tired.

This year Mary Brockway offered to host the sale in a new way. Instead of us doing all the work and set up, we would invite members and friends to have their own tables and to do their own pricing, set up and clean up.

Today was the day of the sale and we had a good crowd. We raised about $400 for the church and another $92 on the bake table for the Appalachian Mission trip. Several of our members had tables including, Mary Brockway and Amy Meyer. Fred & Gywn Green, Nancy Allen, Erica Corbett, Muriel Roderick and Bob Walker.

Amanda Duntz, Jarod and Joshua LaFlamme, Chelsey Calkins and her friends all helped out at the bake table. It was a fun day.

Here are a few pictures from our Tag Sale this afternoon.

Tuesday night on the town.

On Tuesday night I ran from a softball game to Papa Ginos. We were playing Cavalry Chapel, a team we held on to beat a few weeks ago. When I left we were down 6 -3. It was a real nail biter and I still haven't heard how it turned out.

I rushed over to Papa Ginos where we had scheduled a time to met up with Rick Barnes before he returned to El Centro in the morning. e had a good time. Pastor Michelle came by with Stacy and Chad. Ann was there and so was Mark Kane who brought Rick. June and Ray Deptulski dropped in to say hello and Erica Corbett also came by for a while. It was fun and good to see him.

Before we left and sent Rick on his way, we mad plans to see him next year in Mexicali.

Cal

Praying together for those we love

Yesterday I noted that we had two more examples of answered prayers in the last week. Bob Duntz is doing very well at Yale New Haven Hospital. No one can explain it. He died three times on the way to Yale New Haven Hospital and was resuscitated. They were worried about everything from brain damage to heart damage and he came back strong and still rooting for the Red Sox. He hopes to be home by the end of this week.

Nancy Oat went in for tests and received very troubling news. We lifted her up in prayer and this week came back from more tests with the news that things were not as bad as they were originally thought to be. She claims it is due to our prayers.

In church we heard more good news on other fronts. In the end I can't tell you why some prayers are answered bringing joy and happiness to family and friends while others seem to go unheeded. As Lucy Schoepfer, one of our former members, used to say, "God's ways are higher than our ways." In other words, God always works for the good but we don't always know what is the best thing. So God may answer our prayers in a way that we just don't understand. We need to simply trust Him to do the best thing for those we love and care for.

Meanwhile we will keep praying every time we get together for worship. Our prayer time in worship is special. So if you have someone you want to pray for, join us and lift up their name so we can pray for them with you.

Cal

A day of worship, service and praise

Had a good day at church yesterday. Despite the fact that several regulars were away for the holiday, attendance held its own. My message called on us to step out and do something with our faith. I took my lead from the passage in the book of Acts where the disciples went out and chose Matthias to replace Judas as one of the twelve.

The Praise Team closed out the service by leading us in the singing of Chris Mullin's "Awesome God." Did you know that when he composed the song for his worship class he got a C grade on it and a note that it could never be sung in worship?

In Sunday School the kids prepared for next week's big service as we come to the end of the year and Celebrate Children's Day. They will be giving the message in church next week and sharing some of the things they learned this year. We will also have lots of music as our Cheryl Dutrumble and her dad, Dick Johnson team up with Steve Contois to do some fun stuff.

After church we will head out to Fort Shantock for our annual Church picnic. Everyone is invited.

Cal