Join us Sunday, October 4 10am Worship Service

Transcription

1 F I R S T C O N G R E G AT I O N A L U N I T E D C H U R C H O F C H R I S T 159 NORTH 2ND AVENUE CANTON, IL OCTOBER 2015 Join us Sunday, October 4 10am Worship Service 1

2 Be The Church! If you have driven by the church lately, you may have noticed a new sign on the lawn facing Locust Street. In big letters it says, Be The Church. This new slogan is the United Church of Christ s way of reminding us that we are called to be the church of Jesus Christ. We are to protect the environment; care for the poor; embrace diversity; reject racism; forgive often; love God; fight for the powerless; share earthly and spiritual resources and enjoy life. It is a great message and a great reminder of who we, the people of God, are called to be. We are called to be activist, nurturers, welcoming, justice-seekers, loving, forgivers, givers and lovers of God and life. When we put it into one easy sentence, it all sounds easy to do, until we have to go out into the world and live it. Some days, it is hard to forgive that person who stepped on your toe, whether figurative or literally. Some days, we don t have the energy to confront the person standing in a line at the grocery store who just made an inappropriate remark about a woman s figure. Some days, you just feel like being angry rather than trying to love others. Some days.it s just hard. The challenge of the new UCC slogan, Be The Church doesn t ask us to be perfect all the time. It doesn t even ask us to be perfect some of the time. I think the various ways we are called to be justice in the world that are listed on the new sign are reminders of what members of this church and the United Church of Christ stand for. We all strive to be better people and Christians. Sometimes we need little reminders to be the church. Remember, it was Jesus who first lived his life caring for the poor, the marginalized and the powerless, as he opened the door of God s love to everyone not just a chosen few. Grace & Peace, Pastor Sue 2

3 OCTOBER 2015 SCRIPTURES October 4 October 18 Job 1:1; 2:1-10 Job 38:1-7, (34-41) Psalm 26 Psalm 104:1-9, 24, 35c Hebrew 1:1-4; 2:5-12 Hebrew 5:1-10 Mark 10:2-16 Mark 10:35-45 October 11 October 25 Job 23:1-9 Job 42:1-6, Psalm 22:1-15 Psalm 34:1-8 Hebrew 4:12-16 Hebrew 7:23-28 Mark 10:17-31 Mark 10:46-52 Connie & Mark Smith s Renewal of Vows On All Sain t s Day, Sun d ay, Novem b er 1st, af t er o ur m em o r ial jo ur n eys t o t h e cem et er y, p lease ret ur n t o ch urch t o w it n ess t h e Renew al o f Vow s f o r Co n n ie an d Mar k Sm it h s 25t h Wed d in g An n iversar y, f o llow ed by a ligh t lun ch (n o t TOO ligh t ) in t h e Co m m un it y Ro o m. Feel f ree t o use your p h o nes t o t ake p ict ures if yo u w ish. Council Meeting September 28, 2015 Abbreviated Minutes No Council Minutes available at the time of publishing. They will be sent by soon. 3

4 OCTOBER 24, 2015 You are invited to attend a local Global Oneness Day event hosted by Mark Smith and the Humanity s Team on October 24 from 3-6pm at First Congregational UCC church. Help celebrate our unity in diversity by signing a Declaration of Oneness that will be presented at a later date to the United Nations. During this time of coming together, we will watch a video of signatures being presented to the UN, listen to an online broadcast of Global Oneness Day, and listen to a recording of Oprah Winfrey speaking on gratitude and compassion among other things. Global Oneness Day is a day dedicated to celebrating Oneness. Similar to Earth Day, which galvanized the global environmental movement, Global Oneness Day has become a catalyst for spiritual activism and the emerging global Oneness movement. It represents a profound new paradigm in human culture. Global Oneness Day is a time for people across the globe to join in celebrations of all types, such as crosscultural and interfaith gatherings, song and dance gatherings, walks in nature, meditation circles, and reading of the Oneness Declaration all in true communion and remembrance of Who We Really Are! 4

5 What s happening at Church on SUNDAY OCTOBER 18? A LOT. Special Laity Worship Service Join us Sunday, October 18 at our 10am worship service for a special laity service. On this Sunday, Pastor Sue gets to sit in the pews while some members (laity) of the church lead us in worship. If you would like to be a part of this special service please contact the church office at We will also dedicate the donated school items to Stephanie Nelson on this day. Thanks to all who donated. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. Could we do anything more on October 18?... Why yes we can! We are having a wiener roast and pumpkin carving! 5

6 Song Leader List Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 25 Virginia Vasen Gordon James Debbie Miller Virginia Vasen Greeter & Usher List October 4 October 11 October 18 October 25 Vickie James Jason Baker Charlotte Ann Myers Debbie Miller Please arrive at 9:40 a.m. on your designated day. *If you will be absent on your assigned day, please make arrangements for a replacement THE BOOK OF EXODUS Bible Study continues during the month of October following worship. Bible Study will meet from 11:15a-12p. Please join us as we study the book of Exodus. **There are 2 workbooks to this study, if you would like to purchase them, they are $5 for both. No purchase is necessary to participate in the bible study. 6

7 Monthly Communion Bread Thank you to everyone for making the Church Annual Picnic a success! We had a beautiful day and wonderful food. OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER Charlotte Ann Myers Virginia Vasen Debbie Miller Thank you Gordon and Vickie for ordering and picking up the chicken for the picnic. Thanks to Charlotte, Virginia, Debbie, Larry and Pastor Sue for pulling and trimming weeds in the flower beds. It looked nice. Thank you Matt Buczko for recording worship music and setting up the music system for us. It was great! Refreshment Sign Up List October 4 Virginia Vasen 11 Gordon & Vickie James 18 Wiener Roast 25 (Please sign up in the kitchen.) October 18 BIRTHDAY S & ANNIVERSARIES For the Fulton-Mason County Domestic Violence Shelter They depend on our support! 7 Vickie & Gordon James 12 Kathy Baker 12 Jason & Kathy Baker 22 Stephanie Churchill & Cheryl Lefler 28 Gordon James 7

8 Newsletter Schedule If you have something you would like in the newsletter, please be sure to have it in the morning of October 19, Join us every Sunday Morning for 10 a.m. Office Hours Weekdays 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Office Office Manager, Shelly McLouth shelly@cantonucc.org Office (309) Rev. Sue Harrington Wednesday thru Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Or by appointment pastorsue@cantonucc.org (309) FIRST CONGREGATIONAL UCC 159 NORTH 2ND AVENUE CANTON IL OPEN AND AFFIRMING PEACE WITH JUSTICE CHURCH 8