Our Move to the Gales Ferry Community Center

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="1b9005a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC00" FACE="Arial" >Living Hope Christian Fellowship</FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Living Hope Christian Fellowship"><B>Home</B></A></div> <div> Back to  <A HREF="ch_life.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Life"><B>Church Life</B></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=160 BGCOLOR="#000066" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="32ac8043.jpg"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="135" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#000066" BORDERCOLORDARK="#FFCC00" FRAME="ABOVE" RULES="NONE" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFFFF > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#FFCC00 HEIGHT= 16 WIDTH="131"><div> <B>Church Life:</B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <A HREF="children_s_corner.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Childrens Corner">Children's Corner</A></div> <div> <A HREF="2004_summer_camp.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2004 Summer Camp a Success!">2004 Summer Camp</A></div> <div> <A HREF="2003_summer_camp.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2003 Connecticut Summer Program">2003 Summer Camp</A></div> <div> <A HREF="open_house.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Open House Potluck">Open House</A></div> <div> <A HREF="church_yard_sale.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Gods Blessing Makes Church Yard Sale A S">Church Yard Sale</A></div> <div> <A HREF="women_luncheon_03.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2003 Womens Ministry Fellowship Luncheon">Women Luncheon 03</A></div> <div> <A HREF="30_hr_famine_2003.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="30 Hr Famine 2003">30 Hr Famine 2003</A></div> <div> <A HREF="bowling_party.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Bowling Party">Bowling Party</A></div> <div> <A HREF="discovery_wknd_02.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2002 Discovery Weekend">Discovery Wknd 02</A></div> <div> <A HREF="pancake_breakfast.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Apple Pancake Breakfast Community Social">Pancake Breakfast</A></div> <div> <A HREF="women_luncheon_02.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Womens Ministry Fellowship Luncheon">Women Luncheon 02</A></div> <div> <A HREF="children_s_party.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Childrens Party">Children's Party</A></div> <div> <A HREF="9_11_remembrance.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="9/11 Remembrance Service">9/11 Remembrance</A></div> <div> <A HREF="memorial_day_2002.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="2002 Memorial Day Weekend">Memorial Day 2002</A></div> <div> <B>Our Move</B></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="32b00042egerdp.jpg"> <div> <I><B>Our Move to the Gales Ferry Community Center</B></I></div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="1" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="598" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#000066" BORDERCOLORDARK="#FFFFFF" FRAME="BELOW" RULES="ROWS" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 1081 WIDTH="598"><div> <B>March 24, 2002</B></div> <hr> <bR> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="250" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 945 WIDTH="250"><div> <IMG SRC="2c6faf30.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="243" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Loading time...  How are we ever going to fit all this stuff on my truck?</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2c8fa980.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="152" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> Some excitement, lots of cooperation, a sprinkle of hard work, and of course a pause for a picture make a perfect recipe for good fun while moving.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2cafac40.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="196" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> How many people should it take to put up a sign? It depends on the level of enthusiasm we have.  Everyone seemed to want to step in to help.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="2ccfa9e0.jpg" border=0 width="250" height="158" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> There we are... In our new church home. Come and visit us. We hope to see you there soon.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> After many years at the Gales Ferry Fire Hall, on March 24th we moved to the Gales Ferry Community Center.  Everyone pitched in to help in some way and the move was very smooth. An atmosphere of excitement and anticipation filled the entire event, as we all looked at our new church home and allowed ourselves to dream about its potential. The new location will certainly enable us to reach out better, be more visible, and become more and more a part of the community we have been called to serve. Our relationship with the Gales Ferry Community Center has begun on a very positive note, and we look forward to years of friendship and cooperation. "We can very clearly see God's blessing in all this" have stated several members, especially in consideration of the fact that it all came about as an answer to prayer. </div> <bR> <div> Some of us had met to share our concern over the fact that the few children we had the blessing to have in our congregation did not have other children of their age group.  Another concern was about our visibility and the amount of setup and take down we had to do, which made it difficult for some of our men to fellowship as needed. As we acknowledged the concerns, we decided to bring them before the Lord. The answer came very quickly. Several other children were added to our congregation, and they all loved the children's worship and the teacher so much that they wanted to come back regularly. In fact, they have become so many that we now faced another problem: we had no room for all of them. It was not long at all, however, until the door opened for us to move to the Gales Ferry Community Center. The problems were solved, at least for now. Visibility has been increased, set up has been reduced, and our children finally have the space they need. Rarely can we find something more special than the spark of joy in the eyes of our little ones. What a blessing!</div> <bR> <hr> <bR> <div> <B>First Service at the Community Center - Easter 2002</B></div> <div> Our first service at the Gales Ferry Community Center was indeed a joyful time for all. The service began with a call to worship, followed by a special prayer of dedication of the new facility, and a request for God to bless the ministries we will conduct from the Community Center. After some praise and worship, <I>Peggy Donovan</I>, one of our members and a professional story teller, addressed the children with a very inspiring story about Jesus and His resurrection. A special inspirational song, entitled "He's Alive" was performed by <I>Elisabeth Cozzi</I>, followed by more praise and worship and another song, "How Beautiful" performed by <I>Jean Higgins</I>. After a scripture reading based on John 20:1-18, pastor <I>Luciano Cozzi</I> gave the sermon on the resurrection, entitled: "Jesus and Mary Magdalene." The service was closed after communion. Throughout the service and fellowship we have enjoyed, a spirit of joy and anticipation permeated the hall, as we all shared in the joy of the resurrection and at the same time in the joy of a new beginning for our little congregation.</div> <bR> <div> It is our prayer and hope that this new location will continue to be blessed by God and used for His glory and for the furtherance of His kingdom. We also pray that this enthusiasm will continue in the days and months to come and will become contagious to everyone around us.</div> <bR> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> Copyright © 2003 Living Hope Christian Fellowship  -  All Rights Reserved</div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>