First Congregational United Church of Christ » Event

Mission 1 is HERE!

Barbara Martin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 19:08:47 +0000

‘That they may all be one’ has been the motto of the United Church of Christ from John 17:21.
During these 11 days of November 1 to November 11, 2011 [11.1.11 - 11.11.11] the United Church of Christ is on a shared mission to feed the hungry and confront food-related injustice.
Each congregation is encouraged to be creative with the #1 to not only bring awareness to the causes of hunger and poverty but especially to offer solutions.
Mission 1 is an opportunity for us to collect food and $$ for food shelves and write letters to congress. HOW WILL YOU HELP?
This church is doing something fun and unique! We have given 11 people $11 and asked them to be creative in multiplying this $ to alleviate hunger or bring awareness to food-related injustice and then tell the congregation about what they did and how it felt. They were instructed to ‘make God proud!’ They will report back to us on Sunday, November 13th!

Lenten Soup and Conversation Series

Barbara Martin — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 14:01:46 +0000

Join us for a simple soup and bread supper Wednesday nights during Lent! We’ll enjoy homemade soup and bread. Supper is at 6:00 p.m. followed by an informal time of Study and Conversation about spirituality and our spiritual formation.
We have just 2 Wednesdays left - April 6th & 13th – from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. We’ve been having a great conversation about our spiritual journey into the heart of God.
No need to bring anything but yourself! ALL ARE WELCOME!

Sunday’s theme is Dazzling Reign

Barbara Martin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 23:42:12 +0000

There are hundreds of art pieces and countless churches named for the Transfiguration of Jesus. Sunday’s lectionary text from Matthew 17: 1-9 tells about Jesus and three disciples climbing a mountain where Jesus carried on a conversation with long-dead Jewish holy men, Elijah and Moses!
The disciples couldn’t get their heads around what they had witnessed so they offered to erect tents or memorials in order to ‘ground’ in reality their sacred encounter. This text may be where the phrase ‘mountain-top experience’ comes from. The disciples were given a glimpse of Jesus in the presence of heavenly ancestors and hearing God’s voice claim him which helped them understand Jesus in a new way – he was even more special than they originally thought!
What mountain-top experience have you had where you returned to daily life somehow changed, having new insight into yourself or the world? How might today’s text illuminate God’s community way of life for you?
See you Sunday morning and we’ll talk more!

Christmas Eve worship at 5:00 p.m.

Barbara Martin — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 19:41:47 +0000

Immanuel, God-with-us, is born among us once again on Christmas day! How will you celebrate? Come, join us for word, song, and a candle-lit ‘Silent Night’ as we celebrate the Light of the World coming to scatter darkness. Bring your children, family, and friends to eat at God’s table and to prepare our hearts to receive embodied Hope and Promise.

Heartbeat of Justice

Barbara Martin — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 20:44:32 +0000

On this 3rd Sunday of Advent, our focus scripture, Luke 1: 47-55, tells about the surprising work of the Spirit in the choice of a very young, unmarried peasant girl, Mary, to be the mother of God on earth. She must have been terrified of what her parents and her neighbors would say about being pregnant out of wedlock. But what about Joseph? How could she explain this pregnancy to him when they weren’t married yet? In her cousin, Elizabeth, Mary can confide her hopes and fears for this unexpected arrival. Her song of joy, also known as The Magnificat, comes from the agony of rejection, the fear of being stoned to death for adultery, and the realization that only God can anchor her in hopeful promise.
For us today, we get a glimpse of God’s power and justice in the reversal of what society expected in a savior which was not a peasant healer. God sides with the poor and voiceless when he chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus, Emmanuel, God-with-us.

We are hosting a SERRV sale …

Barbara Martin — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 21:36:04 +0000

SERRV International is a non-profit organization that has worked for 60 years to eradicate poverty wherever it resides by providing opportunity and support to artisans and farmers worldwide. When you purchase an item from a SERRV sale, you have a “direct impact on our global market’s great injustices: the inequality in income and quality of life for people living in developing countries. With your help, SERRV becomes a powerful tool for putting right the imbalance in the world.”
“Our work encompasses more than just buying and selling.
We offer prepayments so our partners can sustain their business.
Create new designs so they can build their markets.
Teach new skills so they can develop their craft.
Provide grants so they can expand their resources.”
Our church is hosting a SERRV sale on Saturday, Dec. 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. with fair-trade coffee and home-made caramel rolls.
BRING a friend, your wallet, and your gift list! See you there!!

Restore us, O God …

Barbara Martin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 21:44:57 +0000

The gospel according to Luke 12: 49-56 tells us that Jesus confronted the crowd about God dividing and judging them. Wow! What in the world is Jesus talking about here? Is he talking about the church or families or both? Is he talking about the cost of discipleship?
Join us for worship at 9:30 a.m. Sunday and we’ll explore this troubling passage together in sacred space.

MN Conference UCC Annual Meeting in St. Joseph, MN June 11-13

Barbara Martin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:47:27 +0000

The Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Conference UCC will take place
June 11-13 in at the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota.
“Witnesses to the ends of the earth” is the theme of the weekend event.
Contact the Minnesota Conference UCC for registration information.

Mount Carmel Trio to provide worship music on Sunday, June 6!

Barbara Martin — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 15:32:08 +0000

I first heard the Mount Carmel Trio when they played during worship in September last year. The deep, harmonic tones of the cello and the melodic violin perfectly accent the elegant piano accompaniment offered by these three very talented women.
Jane Schuneman, violin, Sonja Hinderlie, cello, and Kay Hoffland, piano will provide our worship music on Sunday, June 6th. Come join us for this special worship & wonderful music!
See you at 9:30 a.m.

A dialogue sermon this Sunday

Barbara Martin — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 19:19:55 +0000

I’ve never done a dialogue sermon before much less with my husband, but this Sunday we’re going to have a conversation as if we are on the road to Emmaus [Luke 24: 13-35]. Paul, a Presbyterian, will be joining the membership of the church this Sunday also. This was quite a surprise to me because his theology is more conservative than mine, so I never thought he’d attend a United Church of Christ much less become a member! Don’t miss it! Worship is at 9:30 a.m.; fellowship and Sunday School will follow.