The Inreach Team is our ministry that supports the First Church family of members and guests by being a visible manifestation of caring for one and all. We strive to accomplish this through a variety of work groups including: Parish Care, Hospitality, and Fellowship. We welcome and encourage membership involvement.
Inreach touches the lives of our church members and others in the community and involves members in the life of the church in many ways:
Wreaths will adorn the doors of First Church during the season of Advent. Poinsettias can be used to brighten the holiday for another or taken home after worship on December 22. Donations can also be made to the Organ & Carillon Reserve Fund. Online orders and donations can be made HERE or you can print a form HERE to mail in with your payment. All donations must be received in the office by Monday, December 16.
Let’s kick off the holiday season together as we decorate our beloved Meeting House for Advent and Christmas. Come hang the garlands, set up the trees, and get out the candles! No registration necessary.
Our Creative Crafters gather every Friday at 10:30. Reach out to Nancy Ball or anyone pictured here if you want more information.
Lots of happy knitters: Dottie Stone (left), Jeanne Warner and Lisa Carl (center), Martie Taylor and Sue Ross (right).
Starting a No-Sew blanket.
Liz Kuhn, Ginny Vocelli, Barbara Goodwin and Julia Rosa have a “ta-da”; finished blanket!
Each Wednesday morning, at 10 a.m. folks meet over coffee and tea in a new location: Nero Kitchen which is directly across from the church. Park at church and walk over to join us. Anyone is welcome for this casual social time.
The program will consist of 3 rounds and starts in the fall each year. If you have any questions, please contact Susan Tobin at 860-916-1135, Linda Moffitt at 860-874-7786, or Martha Calef at 860-212-1352.
Recently hats were knit for Pediatric Care Center in Bristol to have for babies.
Creative Crafters was started in 2019 to knit or crochet twiddlemuffs for local memory care facilities. Projects were eventually expanded to fulfill church and community needs. We’ve crafted and donated over 200 twiddlemuffs, bed quilts, shawls, lap blankets, hats, mittens and scarfs.
The group is a caring crafting community, sharing the love of doing for others.
Crafters meet every Friday 10:30 a.m. to noon in the church activity room and all are welcome. On nice summer days we meet outside!
Sponsoring altar flowers is a meaningful way to honor or remember loved ones and is also part of our In-reach ministry. Please contact the church office for details at general.mail@whfirstchurch.org or 860-233-9605.
Please note, the price of a seasonal altar flower arrangement has increased to $90.
Inreach keeps in touch with church members and our youth with volunteers who send cards and notes for birthdays, holidays and other occasions. Volunteers also provide members in need with transportation to church and keep in touch with members through Phone Friends.
Following each Sunday service, a volunteer takes the altar flower arrangement and makes smaller arrangements from it to deliver to church members celebrating birthdays, recuperating from illness or surgery, or for other occasions.
Recruiting and Scheduling Ushers for Sunday Services, special events, Memorials, funerals and weddings are part of Inreach responsibilities.
Inreach organizes a cadre of volunteers who prepare food and drinks for the fellowship time which follows each Sunday morning worship service. Volunteers coordinate with all church teams and work groups to assist with hospitality for a variety of receptions for members and the wider community. Please contact Al Day if your interested in being part of hospitality.
Young Adult Fellowship GroupCalling all young professionals! Or others in the “under 40” crowd! This new group encourages all young adults (under 40) in our congregation to connect with other young people in our congregation for social and spiritual events throughout the upcoming year. Please contact Abigail Mitchell amitchell3263@gmail.com if you are interested.