Tuesday, December 25, 2012 at 08:35AM
Merry Christmas from the First Baptist Church of Bennington, Vermont!
The Christmas Eve sermon is now online. Click here.
Please join us on Sunday mornings for the 9:30 AM worship!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 12:05PM The First Baptist Church of Bennington, Vermont, will hold its Christmas Eve service on Monday, December 24, 2012, at 7 PM. The service will feature familiar Christmas carols and scripture readings, which accompany the church’s gradual lighting of the Advent candles and the service’s culmination when the lighting of the Christ candle takes place.
Accompanying the service music will be First Baptist’s new organist Charles Olegar, who offers the music of J.S. Bach and Henri Mulet. A freewill offering will be taken to support the ministry and mission of First Baptist.
The Rev. Jerrod H. Hugenot will deliver the evening’s message: “Look carefully and you’ll see…” The service concludes with the reverential sharing of the Light among the worshippers and the singing of “Silent Night”. A reception will be offered afterwards in the Della Whittier Church Lounge.
The First Baptist Church is “a place for healing, community involvement, and spiritual grounding”. An American Baptist congregation, First Baptist gathers weekly for worship at 9:30 AM, Sunday mornings. For more information, visit www.fbcbennington.org, or “like” the congregation’s FACEBOOK page for updates. Questions? Call 802/442-2105 or email fboffice@sover.net.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 06:52PM Beginning on Sunday, December 9, 2012, the First Baptist Church welcomes Charles Olegar, our new Director of Music. Olegar will serve also as the organist and choir director of the First Congregational Church of Old Bennington, Vermont [aka "Old First"].
Olegar brings many years of experience serving as a church musician and accomplished organist. We welcome Mr. Olegar to our staff.
A press release announcing this happy news:
BENNINGTON, VT -- Bennington’s First Baptist and Old First Congregational churches are pleased to announce the appointment of Charles Olegar to head their music programs, beginning in December. Olegar comes to Bennington from Great Barrington, Massachusetts, where for the past eight years he served St. James Episcopal Church as organist and choir director.
As a career church musician, Olegar has served a variety of congregations in the Northeast, South, and Midwest, including cathedral and college positions. During the 1980s and ‘90s his work in the English choral tradition earned international recognition. More recently, his “Bach and Beyond” organ recital series in Great Barrington drew a large following as it yielded three CD recordings, one hailed by the prominent journal “The American Organist” for Olegar’s “poetry and passion.” Other accolades include some half-dozen first prizes in international choral competitions and festivals, including two consecutive wins in England’s Elgar Festival, and an honorary degree from England’s Wessex Theological College for his work promoting English church music in America.
A native of Akron, Ohio, Olegar’s initial professional church music training was at the University of Akron and Cleveland Institute of Music, largely informed by the influence of the School of Sacred Music of New York’s Union Theological Seminary, which at the time was providing the majority of America’s church music practitioners and educators. Olegar’s post-graduate studies took him to England’s Royal School of Church Music, where he received tutelage from renowned choral musician Sir David Willcocks.
Olegar views Bennington as an exciting opportunity: “The community impresses me as tremendously fertile for music ministry at First Baptist and Old First churches, and both my wife and I absolutely adore the town and its Green Mountains locale!” He sees his two assignments as complementing one another: “Each church impresses me as having a distinct personality that can be developed in tandem. I am especially looking forward to working with First Baptist’s Rev. Jerrod Hugenot, and Old First’s Rev. Kenneth Clarke, who have already communicated a stimulating sense of vision for vibrant music programs at their respective churches. I am truly thrilled to be able to aid in this mission.”
Charles Olegar resides in Troy, New York, with his wife, Jane, and several pets. In addition to his music-based hobbies, he is a classic motorcar enthusiast and avid gardener.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 10:32AM FIRST BAPTIST ANNOUNCES FALL TAG SALE OCTOBER 5-6, 2012
The First Baptist Church of Bennington, Vermont, announces a Fall Tag Sale on Friday and Saturday, October 5-6, 2012. The tag sale will be held on Friday, October 5th from 3 to 6 PM, and Saturday, October 6th from 10 AM to 1 PM. Please note the Friday sale schedule is now in the late afternoon to allow more families to shop after school or work. The Saturday hours remain the same as previous years.
The tag sale features a wide variety of items (fall and winter clothing, household goods, children’s toys, books, etc.). All proceeds benefit the work of the American Baptist Women’s Ministries.
For more information, please contact the church office at 802/442-2105 or fboffice@sover.net.
First Baptist is located at 601 Main Street in downtown Bennington, VT. To learn more about First Baptist and its mission to be “a place for healing, community involvement, and spiritual grounding”, visit www.fbcbennington.org. Worship services are held Sundays at 9:30 A.M.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012 at 10:32AM On Sunday, September 30, 2012, the First Baptist Church of Bennington hosts “Ending Well: Talking About Your End-of-Life Care Decisions”, an informational forum from 2 PM to 4 PM. With a panel of local professionals in their fields, the forum will explore medical, legal, spiritual and other caregiving decisions involved with end-of-life care. The event will be held at First Baptist, 601 Main Street in downtown Bennington. Please RSVP to 802/442-2105 or fboffice@sover.net.
There is no charge to attend this non-sectarian public event facilitated by First Baptist, offered as part of its mission to be “a place for healing, community involvement and spiritual grounding”.
Panelists include Dr. Richard Dundas, MD; nursing, representatives from Bayada Hospice and the VNA & Hospice of SVHC; Mike Munson of Cormier, Cormier and Munson, PC; and staff from E. P. Mahar & Son Funeral Home. A literature table of sample legal forms and informational booklets will be available. A time for questions will be provided as part of the forum.
Please RSVP and encourage friends and neighbors to attend!