Churches

Lent and Easter Services at Second Baptist

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The Second Baptist Church invites you to join us for any or all of the following events in the season of Lent. Book Group – Sunday, March 31 at 6:30 p.m. in the Parlor. We begin our conversation on The Art of Living by Thich Nhat Hahn. Palm Sunday Worship, April 14 at 10 a.m.: “When Silent Voices Sing: Encounters With Christ.” This is a choral drama presented by the Second Baptist Sanctuary Choir and guests. Maundy Thursday Worship, April 18 at 7 p.m. This is a combined service with the Third Baptist Church which will include the celebration of Communion, the Passion story read from Matthew’s Gospel, hymns and anthems.

Easter Sunday Worship, April 21 at 10 a.m. Celebrate in song, spirit and word this Holy Day of resurrection. 

Churches

MLK, Jr. Remembered

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This year’s interfaith service at the Third Baptist Church honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, January 21, was held almost five weeks later on February 24, and that was two years after the last such observance in town – both delays having been caused by weather problems – but the event made up for the delays with its enthusiastic spirit and the forcefulness of the messages offered. The little church was close to full when Suffield’s Interfaith Choir and members of Third Baptist marched slowly in with the customary powerful opening spiritual, We Come This Way by Faith. Portions of the service were led by representatives of three Christian churches plus the Islamic, Jewish, and Baha’i faiths, including readings significant to the occasion. Hana Saleh of the Islamic Society of Western Massachusetts summed up the spirit of the occasion with one of King’s excellent quotes and added “Let’s work together to fulfill Dr. King’s Dream!”

The main message of the afternoon was delivered in a traditional manner by Third Baptist’s new pastor, Rev. David E Penn, with the expected enthusiastic response from his audience. Perhaps in deference to the interfaith audience, his address was not overlong, but he had time to make strong points about the need to overcome hatred and intolerance, likening the task to David’s task against Goliath.

Churches

Welcoming Father Mathieu Isaac

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You may notice a new face around town and at Sacred Heart Church. Father Mathieu Isaac is new to Suffield and will be in residence at the Sacred Heart Rectory. Father Mathieu Isaac came to the United States from Haiti in 2010 after the earthquake, and he returns to Haiti annually. He has had assignments in numerous Connecticut parishes since being ordained on May 12, 2012, in the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Hartford.

Churches

When Silent Voices Sing

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Please join us on Sunday, April 14 at 10 a.m. for a very special Palm Sunday service featuring the presentation of When Silent Voices Sing. 

A choral drama by Tom Long and Allen Pote is a fresh retelling of the gospel story from the perspective of three women: Mary, the mother of Jesus; Rachel, the woman caught in adultery; and Mary of Magdala. The Second Baptist Church Sanctuary choir and guest vocalists will be directed by guest conductor Lorraine Cetto and accompanied by Jean Aldrich-Jones on piano, Celeste Cannon on flute, Harry Kliewe on oboe, Tom Gotwals on trumpet, and Chris Latournes on percussion. Don’t miss this powerful Holy Week presentation with a special message and beautiful music. 

Churches

First Church Events

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The following events are happening in April at First Church, An Open and Affirming Church. Worship is held every Sunday at 10 a.m. All are welcome!! Six Week Lenten Study Online via Zoom, continuing Mondays at 7:30 p.m.

Entering the Passion of Jesus: A beginner’s Guide to Holy Week. To join this study, please contact Rev. Diann H. Bailey associate@fcsuffield.org

April 1 & 8 – Qi Gong, 10 a.m. in the Chapel. $10 per class.

Churches

Easter Breakfast at WSCC

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West Suffield Congregational Church will be hosting a continental breakfast this year after the Suffield Easter Sunday Sunrise Service on April 21. Immediately following the service, we will be serving donuts, bagels, muffins, fruit, hard boiled eggs, and coffee. All are welcome to join us in the church hall at as we celebrate Our Risen Lord. 

Churches

Crossroads Food Pantry

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For the past six years, in addition to operating the Crossroads Food Pantry, the West Suffield Congregational Church has partnered with Foodshare to offer a town site to hold a Mobile Food Truck. The food truck is a pantry-on-wheels for people who are in need of food assistance and visits towns in Hartford and Tolland Counties. Food choices vary from week to week but usually include several types of fresh produce. Our Mobile site is restricted to people living in the state of Connecticut. Founded in 1982, Foodshare is the regional food bank serving Connecticut’s Hartford and Tolland counties, where 121,000 people struggle with hunger.

Churches

News and Events at Second Baptist Church

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On Sunday, February 10, the Second Baptist Church received a “Green House of Worship” award from the Interreligious Eco-Justice Network (IREJN) as a Level Two Green Congregation. Second Baptist has been encouraging its members and others to be more consciously aware of our life choices and the positive and negative effects these have on the human and other-than-human world. The church has been advocating practices and life-style choices that will be mutually enhancing to people and planet, such as, eliminating the use of bottled water, Styrofoam, plastics (in whatever way is possible); eliminating the use of toxic chemicals in our lawn-care; replacing all lighting with LED bulbs; making our building and one’s home more energy efficient while conducting an energy audit on our building; putting in a water bottle re-fill drinking fountain in the church building, and advocating for state and federal policies that put the health of humans and the planet as a top priority. We are always looking for ways to live more consistently with our faith for the health and well-being of all people and all creation. On Sunday, March 3 at 3 p.m., Second Baptist will join with The Friends of the Farm at Hilltop and the Suffield Land Conservancy to host a workshop about the importance of bees.