FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, UCC
WELCOME TO OLDTOWN
North Attleborough, MA • March 22, 2026
“Every one of us is a stone, dappled grey and edges age-worn rough. Alone, we are solid enough, but together, we could make towers, mark paths, build a home that is safe from the night, and make infinite ripples from pebbles skimmed on the water.”
~ Charlotte Higgins
Ministers: ALL of our Members and Friends
Pastor & Teacher: The Rev. Kelly Thibeault
Welcome to the Oldtown Church!
We are so glad that you have chosen to worship with us today. We invite you to join in on the bold print in the bulletin and to stand as you are able any time you see a ⇑. The restrooms are out the back door of the sanctuary to the right, as is a little space in case your little one needs a walkabout. Here in Oldtown, we are all about being curious, so don’t be afraid to ask questions, and please join us for fellowship with coffee and refreshments after worship!
Finally, as a way of honoring our time together and truly loving our neighbor, we ask that you please silence your phone or, better yet, turn it off, allowing yourself to be truly present in worship.
We’re so glad that you’re here! Now do yourself a favor: turn off your cell phone, take a deep breath, release the tension in your shoulders, and allow yourself to feel the seat cushion beneath you. Don’t worry about what you’re doing later today or what is on your calendar for the coming week. Be present here and now, knowing that God meets you here.
PRELUDE
GATHERING MUSIC
WELCOME / WORSHIP WAYS
OPENING PRAYER
CALL TO WORSHIP
We are all one family,
Made in the image of God.
We are all one family,
Each unique, each special.
We are all one family,
Brothers & sisters on a journey of faith.
We are all one family,
United in the love of God.
Our faith calls us to intimate one-on-one time with the Spirit as we feel and know the presence of God in our hearts, but it also calls us to share our faith in community. Worship invites us to experience both. May you treasure God in your heart today, but also see God in the face of your neighbor.
MOMENT OF LAMENT
SUNG RESPONSE
Hold on, hold on, my dear ones, here comes the dawn. (4x)
PRAYER FOR ACTION
⇑ HYMN C#497–“In Loving Partnership”
TIME OF SHARING
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus,
To reach out and touch Him, and say that we love Him.
Open our ears, Lord, and help us to listen.
Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus.
SCRIPTURE READING: Ephesians 4:25-32 (NT 237)
Taking time to reflect helps us process what we’ve heard and internalize it, making it our own. Take another deep breath as you listen for God’s still-speaking voice. May you be inspired in new and exciting ways.
SERMON: “We Are Community”
PREPARING OURSELVES FOR PRAYER
Change my heart, O God, make it ever true.
Change my heart, O God, may I be like you.
You are the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me, this is what I pray.
Change my heart, O God, make it ever true.
Change my heart, O God, may I be like you.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE and THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.
CHORAL RESPONSE
When we look at the world through the lens of gratitude, we go beyond our struggles and fears and are reminded that we are blessed beyond measure despite them. Take a few moments to think about the things that you are thankful for and how your life is different because of them.
OFFERING OF OUR GIFTS
GIFT OF MUSIC
⇑ DOXOLOGY
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Praise God, all creatures here below.
Praise God above, Ye heavenly host.
Creator, Christ, and Holy Ghost! Amen.
⇑ PRAYER OF DEDICATION
FOR LOVE OF CHURCH
⇑ SENDING HYMN C#467–”Fill the World With Love”
⇑ BENEDICTION
⇑ BENEDICTION RESPONSE
We are walking in the light of God,
We are walking in the light of God. (x2)
We are walking. We are walking, oh!
We are walking in the light of God. (x2)
POSTLUDE
*** Our worship has ended; let our service begin! ***
The Oldtown Message
March 22, 2026
OLDTOWN CALENDAR
Sun March 22: Household Huddle 9am
~ Worship 10am
~ Chime rehearsal after worship
Wed March 25: Second Serving Thrift Shop 9am-noon
~ Coffee Connection 10am-12noon
~ Oldtown PEACE Project 6:30-8pm
Sat March 28: Second Serving Thrift Shop 9am-noon
~ Missions Ministry Meeting 12:30pm
Sun March 29: Household Huddle 9am
~ Worship 10am – Palm Sunday
Wed April 1: Second Serving Thrift Shop 9am-noon
~ Coffee Connection 10am-12noon
~ Oldtown PEACE Project 6:30-8pm
Thu April 2: Maudy Thursday Worship 7pm
Fri April 3: Good Friday Worship 7pm
Sat April 4: Second Serving Thrift Shop 9am-noon
Sun April 5: Sunrise Service @ Capron Park, Attleboro 6am
~ NO HOUSEHOLD HUDDLE
~ Worship 10am – Easter Sunday
Check our Online Calendar for even more Oldtown, denominational, and local events, free webinars, and other resources!! Have something you’d like added to the calendar? Email calendar@oldtownucc.org with all the information, and we’ll get it posted.
OLDTOWN PRAYER LIST
Jim, Meghan, Tom, Gene, Brad, Robert, John, Tony, Russell, Jessica, Kathleen, Lugi, Buddy, Lynne, Bill, Dawn, David, Edie, Edi, Autumn, Logan, Dana, Lynn, Al, Roxanne, Perilene, Jayne, Lydia, Joe, Daniel, Andy, Megan, Rusty, Bill, Joe, Alaina, Cindi, Nancy, Rose, John, Donna, Ben, Deane, Linda, Sister Kathee, Sue, Matthew.
To add a name to the list, email Pastor Kelly at PastorKelly@Oldtownucc.org, text 508-695-1713, or drop a note in the offering plate.
BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING
During the season of Lent, we are encouraging everyone to reflect on the ways that they are blessed and how they can be a blessing to others. There are colored paper strips at the end of each pew. If you have shared an act of kindness during the week, we invite you to write it on a strip of paper and drop it in the offering plate or in the basket by the door. We will be collecting the strips throughout the season of Lent as we all work to bless others and make the world a better place for all.
OLDTOWN UPDATE EMAIL
Do you get our Friday Email, aka “The Oldtown Update”? Our Oldtown Update is like a weekly newsletter that lets everyone know what is going on in Oldtown. If you do not receive it and would like to, drop a note in the offering with your email address or let Pastor Kelly know. Subscribe to our Friday Email Updates online, or let Pastor Kelly know your email address.
Wednesday nights from 6:30-8pm
Sometimes the world feels too heavy, we feel alone, or we struggle with what we hear and see around us. During the season of Lent, starting February 25th, we will be gathering on Wednesday nights to provide a safe space to build relationships, talk, listen, and support one another. We will be reflecting on themes of empathy, action, resiliency, community, and the importance of sharing not our judgments and opinions, but an overarching sense of love and peace.
We may not always walk the same road or see the world through the same lens, but we can still choose to love and support one another, bringing a sense of peace to the world.
STEWARDSHIP CORNER
Weekly Giving
- Last week, we welcomed 57 people in worship, and our total giving to the church for the week was $1,258.39, which is $241.61 less than expected.
- Our congregational giving so far this year is $300 less than expected. We’re doing well, but let’s see what more we can do to grow our church’s ministry and outreach!
Our world is in desperate need of a stronger sense of community. There are many ways we can actively work to build a sense of community among our fellow humans. Avoid judgment, at all costs. Always speak the truth as we understand it, and take the time to check sources to avoid bias, prejudice, misinformation, and propaganda. Be respectful of boundaries, know your audience, and be aware that things you speak may not be taken in the spirit in which they were meant. In all situations, be kind and follow the way of Jesus.
Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
~ Colossians 3:12-14 (NRSVUE)
First Congregational Church, UCC of North Attleborough
(Oldtown Church)
675 Old Post Road, North Attleborough, MA 02760
508-695-1713
Pastor Kelly’s email: PastorKelly@oldtownucc.org
Church Email: church@oldtownucc.org
Website: www.oldtownucc.org
YouTube: www.youtube.com/oldtownucc
Facebook: www.facebook.com/oldtownucc
Subscribe to our Friday Email Updates
Learn more about our denomination: www.ucc.org
0 Comments