First Church Honors John Hall's Ministry

This Sunday:
John Hall's Final Sermon
at First Church UCC
Middletown

First Church of Christ (UCC),
Congregational
190 Court Street
Middletown, CT

John Hall, pastor of First Church of Christ, Congregational (UCC) in Middletown for 21 years, will speak the final sermon of his ministry here on Sunday. John was called to serve First Church on May 13, 1990, over 21 years ago. First Church has been blessed to have John serve as our 15th minister of our congregation since it was officially chartered in 1668.

John has made many wonderful contributions throughout his ministry: His efforts in the Middletown community, his work concerning environmental issues, his work with the Jonah Center for Earth and Art, and his efforts in planning for riverfront access for canoes and kayaks have been steadfast, successful, and strong. On a personal level, John exudes good will and charm.

John's efforts to secure the names of those who are buried by number, not name, at the CVH cemetary culminated in annual memorial ceremonies at the CVH cemetery that name and bless all the forgotten ones.

Within the church: his sermons are not excessively long!; they are usually humorous, at least in part; and they can be challenging in one way or another. That is, his sermons may be controversial or "out of the box" in some way. One might not always agree with him (not speaking for myself particularly), but there's always food for thought. His presence and his ways will be greatly missed.

The service this Sunday includes, in part

Reading from Scripture: John 21:15-19 and a sermon – The Life We Have. John's final sermon as Minister of First Church will be a personal reflection on the journey that led him to this point, in order to encourage us all to ponder what brought us to this point in our lives, including things we never wanted to happen. And yet, what a blessing it is ­ -- just to be alive!

Music for the service includes

Prelude: Fugue in Eb, Johann Sebastian Bach
Anthem: Psalm 139, Allen Pote
(Senior Choir and Celebration Singers)
Offertory: Come Now Holy Spirit, Dietrich Buxtehude
Postlude: Sinfonia in D, Johann Sebastian Bach

Hymns: All Praise to Thee, for Thou, O King Divine; I Sought the Lord and Afterward I Knew Peace; Lord, Thou Hast Searched Me Tender Thought

If you haven't heard John preach, or even if you have, we invite you this Sunday to witness his final Sunday in ministry at First Church. The service begins at 10 o'clock, as usual, and a reception for John and Susan, his wife, follows in the Parish Hall. Come and see what it's all about.
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Child care is provided every Sunday at First Church--just ask about it at the front door; parking is available on Court Street & in the surrounding neighborhood.

The mission of First Church is to engage and support people in worship, learning, fellowship, and service, so that all may find in our community the Spirit of the living Christ.

First Church is an Open and Affirming Congregation: All are welcome into the full life of our community regardless of their race, age, gender, nationality, marital status, economic situation, mental or physical ability, or sexual orientation. No matter where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome.