Mission: 1 (10/11/11)

Diane Beckwith and I have just returned with some of our youth group from a trip to Heifer Project’s Overlook Farm, where we learned about hunger and poverty around the world. Nick Supron was inspired by a world map exercise to help us think about how to reduce our consumption. Amy Milner and her friend Mia became Kenyans for a night, and Nick Supron, Justin Milner and his friend Will were Guatemalans. They cooked meals over an open fire, carried their own water, and milked goats. We all came back inspired, ready to take action to address hunger and poverty in the world. And lucky for us, the congregation and our whole denomination are taking part in an effort to do just that!

The whole United Church of Christ is on a mission to feed the hungry and confront food-related injustice. This UCC-wide campaign is the first 11 days of November, and we’re starting early, so we’ll have plenty of time to reach our goals!

By 11/11/11 (one month from today), we hope to:

• Gather 1,111+ cans of food to donate to Kitchen Cupboard and the food pantry at the Baptized Church of Jesus Christ.
• Contribute $1,111+ to address hunger needs in the US and West Africa.
• Send 111+ letters calling on our Senators and Representatives to make hunger a priority.

This Sunday, bring canned goods, and we’ll have an opportunity to pack lunches for people without homes and to write letters to our elected representatives.

From the United Church News: “The entire United Church of Christ will make good on its "that they may all be one" motto with a coordinated mission campaign to gather more than one million food and household items for local food banks and marshal its 5,300 congregations to advocate collectively — and loudly — for hunger-related causes, both domestically and around the world.

"In a nutshell, 'One united church on a shared mission for 11 powerful days to feed the hungry and confront food-related injustice' is the centerpiece of this major push that we are launching today," the Rev. Geoffrey A. Black, the UCC's general minister and president, told United Church News. "If you've ever yearned for the whole UCC to walk hand in hand to achieve a common goal, this is the answer to that prayer."  

So join us in this effort – we CAN make a difference! And be sure to check out these other opportunities to be engaged in the life of our church – including this Saturday’s work bee (drop in for as much or as little time as you can), Wednesday’s men’s breakfast and Searching for Jesus study, Thursday’s handbell and choir practices, Sunday’s Lunches of Love and Lunch Bunch, and next Monday’s women’s study group and Spirit: Uncorked. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Blessings,

Manda

When We Serve, We Are Served! (9/6/11)

As we begin a week of being inundated with pictures of buildings blowing up and traumatized people, I keep looking at this picture taken on that day 10 years ago. And, I wonder, who got more? The dog who needed a comforting touch or the firefighter, who needed a moment of connection to something 'normal'? My bet's on the fire fighter! And, so it is with church, when we engage and serve, we always, always receive so much more. So, through this lens of reflection, I offer a message from Cyndi Slothower, Chair of our Nominating Committee:

"We are a Congregational Church. By definition that means this is OUR church, OUR community. Each of us plays a very important role in this Body of Christ. I believe that our interests and our talents are God-given and when we use these to engage in our church community, we are a piece of the puzzle, a tile in the mosaic, a square in the quilt, that helps to create the whole beautiful work that God wishes for us to be—together.

At FCC, we organize our chosen ministries into the work of committees. When we serve on a committee, a synergy happens: wonderful work gets done, and we are personally blessed with fellowship and feelings of belonging in this body. If you are not currently involved in a committee, we invite you to join one. And if you are serving on one, but feel your time and talents better fit another, we are happy to help you make the move.
 
There are three committees that are in particular need of more members: Outreach, Worship and Adult Education. Please read the descriptions below and listen for the small voice that says “yes!”. If you hear it, reply to this email or call the office and let us know where you feel you best fit into this body of Christ. Listen for that way that will help you receive so much in your giving!

Outreach: This committee enables our Church to make a difference in our local community and in the wider world. They guide us in channeling our financial gifts and our time and energies in ways that witness to the love we find here.

Worship: This committee works with the ministers and music director in fashioning the arc of worship in our church. Members also enlist other members and friends for the weekly staffing of the worship service: ushers, readers, communion servers.

Adult Christian Education: This committee is responsible for planning our AfterWord (adult forums) - held the hour after the weekly Sunday services, the Foote lectures in May, Lenten programs, Adult Bible Studies and whatever else they deem interesting and helpful for our Congregation to learn."

Wishing Many, Many Blessings for You ALL, Cyndi & Laura Lee