~ Visit our Worship Celebrations and Upcoming Schedules page ~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday-Sun day June 7-9 NY Conference, UCC, Annual Meeting, Tarrytown, NY Sunday

Sunday June 9     Regular worship at West Center Church:  To Life   Luke7:11-17

Sunday June 16   Faith of Our Fathers   Galatians 3:23-29   Father’s Day Picnic

Wednesday June 19  Council Meeting in the Conference Room at 11:05 am

Sunday June 23   I Declare     Luke 8:26-39

Sunday June 30   Follow Me   Luke 9:51-62   (Our last Sunday in the Sanctuary before we move to air-conditioned Bodge Lounge for summer worship)

During July, Off-Broadway sensation

Richard Binder

is our guest Pianist and Vocalist for Worship.

July 8 - Power & Glory - Special Music of American Patriotic Favorites

July 14 - The Best Samaritan - Special Music from Les Miserables

July 21 - Mary & Martha - Special Music from West Side Story

July 28 - Ask, Search Knock - Special Gospel and Country Music

In August, West Center Church Music Director Arnold Ostlund, Jr. returns with guest Soloists.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

West Center's Lunch Bunch

Do you like good company and good food? Are you available on a Thursday for a few hours? We'd love for you to join us.

The Lunch Bunch started a few summers ago when our Pastor Emeritus' wife (Vanetta Ross) wanted to see her friends from West Center. After an afternoon of conversation and catching up, we all decided to meet again.  Slowly we started getting together more often and are now meeting monthly. Each month the next restaurant is chosen by the group. We repeat many of our favorites and try new places as well.

Our group varies from month to month depending who is travelling or having to work. We try to keep the costs affordable. The bill, including tip, is divided and shared amongst those in attendance.  

Our next gathering will be July 18, at 12:30 at Harvest-On-Hudson in Hastings NY. Call the church office by Wednesday the 17th if you are interested in joining us. (914) 337-3829

West Center Congregational Church of the United Church of Christ

firmly believes that gender, age, physical ability, sexual orientation, and race

do not limit access to leadership positions, membership, participation in the life and

work of the Church, and eligibility to receive Church sacraments and services.

Stop by Often

Find out about the happenings at West Center.

If you live nearby, join us at 11 am on Sunday mornings for an hour of worship.

For those of you farther away, if you're ever in the area, we hope that you will come by and visit us. We would love to meet you in person.

Finding a church home is not always easy. We believe you may find West Center a Church that welcomes persons who are both formed in their faith or are still finding and forming their faith in God. It is a good place to explore and experience the depth of God’s Spirit and the wideness of God’s love in Christ Jesus.

Find out about our activities and programs at West Center which may interest you.

Remember that you that you are a very important part of our church family. Your greatest gift is your presence at worship or participation in a study group, program or concert.

We challenge you to respond to God’s love in Jesus Christ by developing your unique gifts and by sharing them.

We encourage you to deepen your faith and witness by joining West Center Church as a full or associate member.

If you would like any more information, or would like us to include you in our prayers, send us an E-mail at Westcenterucc@verizon.net.

May God richly bless you.
West Center Staff:

John M. Barrett, Senior Minister

Arnold Ostlund Jr., Director of Music

Allan Ross, Pastor Emeritus

Contact us:  

westcenterucc@verizon.net

Phone: (914) 337-3829

    No matter who you are,    

    Or where you are on Life's Journey,    

    You are welcome here!    

Center for Spiritual Growth and Renewal

What's it like to Worship at West Center?

Recently congregants were asked to write two or three sentences about their experience at West Center. Here’s the Description of the Month!

• Warm, welcoming, accepting of people from various religious backgrounds and cultures and experiences. Excellent pastoral and lay leadership.

Come and Have Breakfast

An invitation from West Center Church Pastor John Barrett

We might think that after the Resurrection, Jesus would have some pretty profound and even challenging words for his followers, both for the first disciples and for us in 2013. But actually that’s not what happens. After the resurrection Jesus says things like, “Why are you weeping?”  “Peace be with you.” And my own personal favorite, from the Gospel of John, “Come and have breakfast.”

“Come and have breakfast.”  “Breakfast is ready.” “Come and get it!”  Each of these short and familiar sentences really means one thing: “I love you.”

Whoever calls us to breakfast has made the coffee, set the table, taken out the cereal and milk, maybe they even whipped up some bacon and eggs or blueberry pancakes --- for us. We may have helped in some way, but whoever says, “Come and have breakfast,” is clearly in charge. They are telling us it is time to sit down and eat ---before the hot food gets cold or the cold food gets hot.

Whoever says, “Come and have breakfast,” is also saying, “You are invited, you belong, you are welcome, you are loved, you matter to me, you are family.”

When Jesus invites his disciples and us to breakfast, Jesus is showing us that we are loved by God, unconditionally. At God’s breakfast table we are invited to come as we are: like Jesus’ fishermen disciples, we may be tired, dirty and aching, but whatever we are, wherever we are, Jesus says, “Come and have breakfast.” 

When Jesus says, “Come and have breakfast,” we know that we are not alone. We’re not seated at a table for one, but at a harvest table, a table for all, all who believe and all who wonder.

As members of the church, we are served by Jesus at the Communion table. We are called, fed and strengthened, and we depart to serve.

Being part of the church is being invited to “Come and have breakfast.” Being part of this extended family means a place for us at the table. There is always enough room for us to sit down and be comfortable.               

There is always enough food for us and for everyone: tasty food, social food, emotional food, spiritual food, educational food, which are all re-creational foods. Being part of West Center Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, means knowing you are loved; being part of our church means knowing you are part of and embraced by the Church Family Tree.

So “Come and have breakfast,” under the graceful branches of our Church family tree.  The table is set.  The leaves are rustling.  We are expecting you.

So come and have breakfast. Come any and every Sunday at 11 am. 

You’ll be welcome and welcomed.

Pastor John M. Barrett

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contact the pastor:    Jmbarrett65@verizon.net

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

  Come worship with us this year! 

  Help celebrate our 100th Year 

  of the formation of the  

  West Center Sunday School 

 and the start of West Center Church as we know it today.

At West Center Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, we believe that “God is still speaking, and we are still listening.”  Our worship and community life is Bible-based and open to God’s continuing revelation through our hearts and minds and spirits. Our worship celebrations and sermons are based on the readings of the day from the Common Lectionary.  The musical selections are carefully coordinated with these readings, church holidays and the theme of the day.

We are a friendly, welcoming and diverse congregation. We seek God’s guidance in our corporate life and welcome fellow pilgrims of good will, wherever they may be on their personal spiritual journey.  We invite you to join us for worship and to join us in your spiritual quest as part of our community.  See you in Church!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Puppies Behind Bars

Some were wondering as to how Puppies Behind Bars came to the attention of West Center. A year or so ago, our former Ministerial Assistant, Celia Milton, sent us an email. Knowing the number of animal lovers in our congregatoin, she knew some might consider giving support to this program. Most recently, Puppies Behind Bars was highlighted  in the last episodes of the Oprah Show.