Affirming our commitment to mission, we pray and work together to develop specific goals and plans in all areas of our ministry. As a gathering community, we make conscious effort to enrich our worship experience with the Worship Committee taking the lead supplemented by the Worship Planning team. We started strengthening our music ministry last year.

As a growing community, our Sunday School continues to grow in substance and in number with teachers committed to teaching and learning. While we strive to grow in our ministry for all age groups, our renewed focus is on children, youth and young adult ministry in the next few years. Small groups continue to meet regularly: 'Boonies' 'Friendship Class' and 'Craft Group'. Our women participate in the annual retreat at Weston Priory for spiritual renewal. We are expanding our ministry of nurture including Stephen Ministry, Prayer Shawl Ministry and small group activities in New Member Class, Lay Shepherding, and Men's Prayer Breakfast so that more members could participate in the ministry. We have just reinstated Adult Sunday School between the two Sunday worship services. We continue to meet on weekdays for Mission Studies. In addition, we are developing ways to spend more time with the Lord in prayer and devotion, individually, as a family or a small group. We also would like to increase our awareness of and commitment to our stewardship for all we have received from God and for all God's creation.

As a community of going forth, we continue to participate in activities to reach out to people in need locally and globally as we work with the general church as well as ecumenical and interfaith organizations. We feel that the community we serve is a fertile mission field, the community in general and academic communities in particular at the University of Connecticut and the Eastern Connecticut State University. Also we would like to reach out to Hispanic/Latino community. We are active serving the community in various programs: Steeple Chase Bike Tour, Relay for Life, Walk for Warmth, Adopt-a-Family, "No Freeze" Shelter, Covenant Soup Kitchen, Omega House (AIDS victims), Heifer Project, Red Bird Mission School and Operation Christmas Child.

We thank God for leading us thus far through the good work of the faithful people at FUMC. We are so grateful for the gifts and talents given to the members of this wonderful and lovely congregation. As we pray and work together, we are excited with anticipation that our good Lord will make us even more flourishing in our ministry at this community of faith. We pray that this directory will serve as a useful tool to enrich our ministry.

Pastor John