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Calendar First Congregational Church of Ashfield UCC Sunday services are in-person, masks optional for singing, with Coffee Hour in Friendship Hall following worship. Zoom access for Sunday services available at this link. Meeting D: 878 8863 1016 Saturday, June 13:
Sunday, June 14: Rev. David Jones will lead our 10 a.m. worship service and Meg Reilly will provide our music. Coffee Hour will follow worship, with thanks to Mission and Social Justice for providing our goodies. The Church Council will meet following worship. Tuesday, June 16: Communications, 9:30 a.m., Zoom Saturday, June 20: Military Funeral for Warren Kirkpatrick 2 p.m. at the First Congregational Church of Ashfield, followed by a Military Burial at Plain Cemetery and then a Reception back at the church. Sunday, June 21:
Sunday, June 28: On this, the last Sunday of Rev. David Jones being our Settled Pastor, our worship service will include the Litany of Release, Choir 9 a.m., 10 a.m. worship. Sunday, July 5: We will gather at Ashfield Lake for our 10 a.m worship service, up behind the tennis courts. The Ashtones (report by 9:30 a.m.) will sing and Holly Wescott will lead our service. Following the service all are invited to join together for our Potluck Lunch. (In case of rain, our service and potluck will be held at the church.) If you can help set up tents, bring chairs and other supplies from the church, gather @ 9 a.m. at the church and contact Wendy Prée ([email protected]). 
Songs of Slavery & Emancipation with Dr. Kathy Bullock & The Berea/Jubilo Singers at the Bombyx Center, Sunday, June 21 1:00 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. June 21st: Music Workshop led by Dr. Kathy Bullock Doors open at 12:30 4:00 p.m. June 21st: Concert with Dr. Bullock & the Berea/Jubilo Singers. Doors open at 3:00 Join us for an unforgettable performance of music, led by Dr. Kathy Bullock, Professor Emerita of Berea College; carrying a people through bondage & into freedom. More than a concert; this is a living tribute to resilience, faith & the unbreakable spirit of a people. The Berea/Jubilo Singers of KY bring songs composed & sung by slaves either preparing for, or commemorating revolt. To this collection is added the songs of the abolitionist movement, dedicated to the eradication of the slave system, composed by fugitive slaves or free Black people. The concert is preceded by a hands-on singing workshop under the direction of Dr. Bullock. Together they weave a powerful tapestry of narratives and melodies rooted in the history of enslaved people’s journey to freedom and the abolitionist movement. Learn more at: Songs of Slavery and Emancipation Reserve your Tickets here for the workshop and/or concert. Ticket cost is on a sliding scale starting at $25/workshop & $35/concert. Please give generously; this tour was originally supported by a grant that was eliminated by the present administration. 
Call for Musicians!
Summer worship is a wonderful opportunity to share the musical talents of our entire church community. Do you love to sing but can’t always make it to choir practice? Have a guitar you’d like to dust off? Maybe you’ve been putting the finishing touches on that steel drum piece? Or perhaps you have a friend or family member in the area who would like an opportunity to share their music with our community? All volunteer singers and instrumentalists are welcome to share an anthem/interlude or offertory piece (or both!) during a Sunday service now through the start of choir season in the fall. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Meg at [email protected] . She will work on finding an available date that works best for you. Thanks, and we look forward to hearing all the wonderful music that fills your hearts. Rev. David's Office Hours Rev. David continues to take parental leave time throughout May, but is available for pastoral visits (by appointment) and in the event of a pastoral emergency. Email [email protected], text or call him at (904-868-9641). |
Relay For Life
Saturday, June 13, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. The Survivor's Lap kicks off the event at 10
There are activities throughout the day and a number of Raffle Baskets will be in the Baby Barnyard building. Donations to the American Cancer Society can be made even after the June 13th, Relay for Life is over. Click on this link https://secure.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLCY26NER?pg=entry&fr_id=111795 Choose DONATE and type in "Stein Feick" in the box asking who you would like to support. Or you can mail a check made out to American Cancer Society and mail it to Stein Feick, 3115 Shelburne Falls Rd., Conway, MA 01341 
2026 Franklin County Pride Parade
Saturday, June 13th! 
WHO WILL MARCH IN TOTAL: About 70 teams in all are marching, as of earlier this week. Our church as team “ASHFIELD UCC.” [By the way, St. John’s also has a team. They are right after us in line.]
WHO WILL MARCH FROM OUR CHURCH: HELP! I DON’T KNOW YET! I’ve not heard from anyone! Please contact me* if you’re planning to march with us! I will be attempting to make individual contact with as many of you as possible who have marched before, between now and Saturday morning. WHAT: Franklin County (FC) PRIDE is our county’s portion of the world-wide LGBTQ+ PRIDE movement. PRIDE started after the NYC police raided the favorite local LGBTQ+ gathering place, the Stonewall Inn, and this led to the “Stonewall riots.” The First PRIDE Parade took place in June 1970, to mark one year after the riots. The term “pride” was chosen as an antonym for “shame,” and as an affirmation of self and community. Franklin County PRIDE is not just the parade on June 13th but is also a whole series of events which run from January to July! We are all welcome to partake in any or all, but the parade is what we do each year as a team, and our church supports FC PRIDE as a co-sponsor. WHEN: Though the parade officially kicks off at noon, marching groups may arrive as early as 11 AM (but no sooner). It is best to arrive at Sanderson Street no later than 11:45AM, so everyone has time to stop at the registration desk, find our spot in line, and maybe even pick up a mini-flag or a snack or water bottle, if there are any left. WHERE TO LINE UP: is along Sanderson Street by the Greenfield Middle School. Our Team Ashfield UCC is #24 in line. There will be markers along the edge of Sanderson St indicating where each group is to line up. The parade heads down Federal St, turns right at Main St, then takes a quick left to finish at the Energy Park, where an afternoon of great events will take place. WHERE TO PARK: Parking is available in the middle school parking lot, nearby street parking, Chapman Street Lot (behind the former Wilson’s), and the parking garage. They encourage you to carpool as much as possible. WHY: It is so much fun to march! More seriously, it means a lot for all people to see among the Parade participants that churches and other faith communities are right there, marching both as allies for - and as members of - LGBTQ+ families, friends, neighbors. It’s especially important in this current political climate, when studies show that, in the past couple of years, violence, hate, and discrimination against members of the LGBTQ+ community have increased significantly. Also, popular media often continue to lump all “Christians” together as being “homophobic” or “transphobic.” It is so very important to show people the truth with our feet and our smiling faces! HOW: **CARPOOLING IF POSSIBLE: One good idea is for two carpooling groups to plan together, so one group parks near the start and the other parks near the finish, so no one would need to walk the parade route twice. Marchers who park near the start could shuttle those who park near the finish up to the starting line before the parade, and then after the parade, marchers who parked near the finish could shuttle those who parked near the start back to their cars. I was already asked to give a ride to the leader of the St. John’s team, and we each have to bring our church’s banner with poles in my little car. As team leaders, we have to arrive extra early. However, of course I’ll help others get carpools going, if that works for them. Please contact me! SELF-CARE: (Per the Parade director, Jake Krain): “We recommend wearing shoes/clothes you feel comfortable walking in (the parade route is 0.9 miles). Please bring a filled water bottle. Hydration is important! We have refilling stations at the check-in station and in Energy Park. Signs, decorations, banners, etc. that reflect your group’s personality and joy! Snacks to keep you going! There’s food at the check-in table and at Energy Park. It’s always good to pack more just in case! BATHROOMS: There will be an accessible “port-a-john” located on Sanderson Street for parade participants to use. Additional bathrooms are also located at Energy Park. Gratefully, Bruce Bennett, Team Ashfield UCC Marching Group Leader Interested in finding out more about Bubble Up? Want to find out what keeps people coming month after month to this long standing church gathering? Bubble Up is the 3rd Tuesday of every month, with Nov. 21 being the next time for this gathering. Just head up to the Green Room at 7 pm. All are invited, whether you want to come just once and check it out, or think you’d like to be a "regular member." Questions? Talk with Bruce Bennett. |