At the Council's recent Annual Assembly, held September 28, our immediate past President of the Board, Rev. Charles Wildman, spoke movingly of the Good Samaritan. The neighbor who stops. The neighbor who takes notice. The neighbor who crosses the street to tend to another in need. Your Cape Cod Council of Churches, acting through ecumenical Christian witness, strives to be that neighbor. The one who stops. The one who takes notice. The one who goes out of the way to tend to another. We are a community of caring.
We live in a time of trouble. People ache with divisive rhetoric, overt disrespect and distrust. Hatred is given reign to sow discord between neighbors. Natural disasters stretch resources and resolve to breaking points.
During such times, we may be tempted to find comfort by over-simplifying what are really very complicated issues and dynamics. We are tempted to seek respite by closing our eyes. By not stopping. Not noticing. Not tending. But God calls us to be community to one another. To care for one another. And we know that during times of trouble, when coping with daily troubles becomes even harder, our caring witness is required even more.
Thank you for partnering with our seven different ministries as we stop, notice and care.
Edye
Other Council News:
Covenant to Care
"It was a magical Friday the 13th evening at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod! Celebrating four years of helping foster kids of Cape Cod achieve their little dreams through FOSTERING-A-DREAM FUND. Loving thanks to an incredible fundraising team, generous donors and dedicated staff of the Department of Children & Family Service for their endless support."
- Elaine Roy
Our Fostering a Dream Fund benefit, which was held on Friday, October 13, 2017 at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod, was a successful and meaningful event. Thank you to all who attended, gave donations and contributed to our Silent Auction.
Entertainment was provided by Joan Kirschner, our volunteer pianist. Joan and Ken Bouchard each sang a beautiful solo. We heard about the tremendous need for foster homes on Cape Cod from Maria Turner, Resource Supervisor at the MA Department of Children and Children, and Michael Medeiros, a foster parent trainer for Mentor of MA and a recent foster Dad. Liz Cross shared her story of what it was like to spend her whole life as a foster child. The guests at the event were deeply moved. It was an evening of laughter and tears as we enjoyed lovely food and drinks.
If you still would like to make a contribution to help foster children with things like summer camp, enrichment lessons, sports equipment and other needs, please make a check payable to Fostering a Dream Fund and mail it to the Cape Cod Council of Churches at 320 Main Street, Hyannis, MA 02601.
Thank you so very much,
Miriam Erickson
Program Director, Covenant to Care for Foster Families
Hands of Hope Outreach Center
invites you to the 16th Annual Dennis Golf Turkey Shoot on Friday, November 10th, beginning at 9 am. Place food on a deserving plate and enjoy a great round of golf at one of Cape Cod's premier golf courses while helping to support Hands of Hope Food Pantry. For more information, please click here.
The holidays will be upon us soon! Please consider donating or volunteering your time to Hands of Hope Christmas gift-giving program, as described below...
We are currently preparing and organizing our Christmas gift-giving program. We serve local families who need assistance to brighten the season for their children.
Once again we appeal to your generosity and faithful spirit of giving, without which the program would not be possible. Our program will be held December 18th & 19th in Dennisport.
Contributions of new clothing, new toys or games, new books, gift certificates for clothing for teens and many other items are greatly needed. We are also in particular need of volunteers to help us set up the shop and serve the families when we are open in December. If you wish to help out, please call us at the Outreach Center (508-432-1312) from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Thursday or Friday 10:00 am to 3 pm.
Set-up will be Sunday December 17th at the Our Lady of Annunciation Chapel, 187 Upper County Road, Dennisport from 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm. Please drop off all toys and gifts at the Church during this time. If that is not possible, please call to make other arrangements. Please do not bring them to our Food Pantry in West Harwich.
We thank you in advance for your gift of time.
Catherine Driscoll, Director
Hands of Hope Outreach Center
P.O. Box 387, 49 Route 28
West Harwich, MA 02671
508-432-1312
churcheshoh@comcast.net
For a list of suggested toy donations, please click here.
A Baby Center
Ho Ho Ho! Would you believe that Santa is coming to A Baby Center on December 7, 2017 from 10 am - 12 pm for a special holiday party designed for our clients?! You must be a current client to attend. To make this party a success we are in need of brand new toys for over 220 children (220 children had a new toy from Santa last year).
We are looking for dollies for NB - 4 year olds
Trucks, Fire Engines and Police Cars for NB - 4
Building Blocks
Toddler Toys
Taggies
Hand Held Rattles
We are also looking for a sponsor or two for the event. Breakfast snacks are needed along with beverages.
If you would like to make the season magical for some precious babies, please call Robin or Meagan at 508-771-8157. Thank you!
Robin Hayward
A Baby Center Director
Youth StreetReach
Our Youth StreetReach Schedule is set for the coming season with seven breakfasts planned. This is an opportunity for church, school, or civic groups to sign up to help feed our homeless population a hearty breakfast as well as to provide clothing and hospitality. All the breakfasts are held at Fellowship Hall at the Federated Church in Hyannis. The overnight programs provide a more in-depth look at the issue of homelessness through speakers who have “been there” and by interactive programs. We already have some groups signed up, so please contact Marilyn Lariviere at mlariv@comcast.net or 508-776-6059 to get a packet of information for youth leaders and to reserve your spot. If you want to see what it’s all about, please feel free to stop by for breakfast (7 - 9:30 am) on any of the dates listed. We can always use donations of warm clothing, backpacks, and toilet articles. This program is run by youth, but we welcome supportive adults as well. It is an experience you will not forget!
November 18 Breakfast (set-up the night before)
December Breakfast run by St Paul II High School
(Weekday to be selected - probably Dec. 18, 19 or 20)
January 26-27 Overnight
February 24 Breakfast (set up the night before)
March 23-24 Overnight
April 28 Breakfast (set up the night before)
.
Community News:
The Church's Role in Education Equity
Join St. Mary's Episcopal Church and All Our Children on Saturday, October 21, from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm. for this special forum. Tickets are $20 and include lunch. To learn more, please click
here.
Courageous Palestinian and Native American Women of Resistance will be presented by The Tree of Life Educational Fund on Sunday, October 22, 2017, 2:00 pm in Science Lecture Hall A at Cape Cod Community College, 2240 Iyannough Road, West Barnstable. Lots 8 and 9 are recommended for parking. A suggested donation of $10 will be appreciated; students are free.
Madonna Thunder Hawk, Fayrouz Sharqawi and Jihan Nassar will describe their work to build a better and more peaceful future for future generations. For further details, please click
here.
Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Opera The Pilgrim’s Progress
October 27 & 28, and
November 3 & 4 at
7:30PM
Church of the Transfiguration, Orleans, MA
Gloriæ Dei Cantores and Elements Theatre Company present Ralph Vaughan Williams’s opera,
The Pilgrim’s Progress, fully staged with orchestra and guest soloists at the Church of the Transfiguration, Orleans, MA. For the first time
in twelve years, the production is returning to a New England stage. The opera will draw an international audience into a timeless story portraying the universal journey of humanity’s search for spiritual redemption.
The Pilgrim’s Progress is the featured event of an international symposium celebrating the arts and commemorating the 500
th Anniversary of the Reformation. Sponsored in part by the Vaughan Williams Charitable Trust of London, it will be the first fully staged performance of the opera worldwide since performed in London in 2012. A limited number of tickets are available!
Tickets; $40-$75
508-240-2400 or
pilgrimsprogress2017.org
Cape Cod: Making It the Best Place for All of Us!
"Police are the Public and the Public are the Police"
- Sir Robert Peel
Please see the attached
flyer for details on an excellent community event coming up at Cape Cod Community College on October 28. It is free and open to everyone (including lunch), but pre-registration is required. An important forum for strengthening our communities.
Organ Concert
Join us for an organ concert by guest artist Gabriele Giacomelli, Italian organist and musicologist from Florence. The concert will be performed October 29
th at 3pm on the E.M. Skinner organ at the Church of the Transfiguration, Rock Harbor, Orleans. For more information, visit
artsandecumenism.org
$25; $20 for seniors
Tickets: 508-240-2400
“The E.M. Skinner organ at the Church of the Transfiguration is a masterpiece of balance of harmonics, voicing, scale and color that is just overwhelmingly breathtaking.”—Organ Historical Society
Ripple Effects of the Opioid Epidemic -
A Workshop for Nurses
A workshop will be held at Our Lady of Lourdes in Carver, on Sunday afternoon, October 29
th.This workshop is designed for ANY nurse- not JUST for parish nurses- so please feel free to share with any nurse who may have an interest in supporting families of loved ones with addictions. Contact hours will be awarded (2.25 hours). For any nurses wondering what parish nurses do, this workshop is an example. For more details, please click
here.
Hope you can join us!
Karen Wenger, MS, RN, FCN
Faith Community Nursing Educator
Faith Community Nursing
Office of Chaplaincy Programs
Secretariat For The New Evangelization
Archdiocese of Boston
66 Brooks Drive
Braintree, MA 02184-3839
617-746-5841
karen_wenger@rcab.or
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The Conversation Project presents
Intergenerational Conversation Starters about What Matters Most before Facing a Health Care Crisis, a free breakfast presentation on October 31, 8:00 am - 10:00 am, at the Cape Codder Resort and Spa in Hyannis. Come be part of this interfaith gathering! To learn more, please click
here.
16th Annual Dennis Golf Turkey Shoot
will be held on Friday, November 10th, beginning at 9 am. Place food on a deserving plate and enjoy a great round of golf at one of Cape Cod's premier golf courses while helping to support Hands of Hope Food Pantry. For more information, please click
here.
Wanted: Volunteers!
Duffy Health Center is in search of volunteers to serve in the role of Waiting Room Concierge! You may be wondering, what does a Waiting Room Concierge do?
As you might imagine, the waiting areas here at Duffy can be very busy at times. Our patients often arrive at our doors in a state of distress, and could use a welcome, calming presence while they wait to be seen by a provider. We are in search of volunteers who will act as Duffy representatives in the waiting room and a liaison between patients and staff, in order to keep patients calm and help to lighten the load of the front desk staff by providing direction, insight, and other helpful information to patients. Training will be provided; we are looking for an ongoing commitment of one or two times per week for this important role as part of the Duffy community!
If you are interested in volunteering as a Waiting Room Concierge, please visit our
website to fill out an application, contact Christina Donnelly at cdonnelly@duffyhealthcenter.org, or call her at (508) 771-7517, ext. 169.
Job Opportunity!
The Craigville Tabernacle is in need of a part time (20 hours/week) Worship Director for the summer of 2018. Ordination not required. For more information, please click
here.
