This Week at FCCLW 5/21/17

Published: Thu, 05/18/17

 
May 21, 2017                                                                 
 
Church Night Out












 





This Friday night, May 19, we will be going to Green Cay Nature Center and then Sweet Tomatoes for dinner. You can check out the details on our website.


 
Beer and Hymns


Oh wow! We are looking forward to Friday June 9th, our last Beer and Hymns of the season as we gather for the Southern Gospel edition. Some fine area musicians will be joining us as we sing favorites and learn some new songs. Of course, there will also be the great food, soft drinks, beer and wine Aioli’s provides. This is a great opportunity to be together and to invite your friends for a great night out!

All My Days
Throughout the summer, we will be exploring the subject of prayer in worship. Each week, we will engage a different type of prayer, a different way of connecting to God. For each method we discuss, we will add a bead to a set of prayer beads we will create over the course of the summer.
 
In preparation for these exciting weeks together, we are inviting you to participate in two specific ways:
1. Be thinking and praying about who you will invite to join us in this time together.
2. Consider donating $50 to cover the cost of one week’s worth of beads. You may do this in honor or memory of a loved one or event, which we will print in the bulletin. You can give online here.

Tools for Comfort & Growth

In the lobby of the sanctuary, we have material available to assist you on your spiritual journey. The Upper Room is a daily devotional and Care Notes each tackle a specific issue such as prayer, aging, losing a loved one, or parenting. Pick one up and consider donating so we can continue this ministry.

School's Out for Summer!
Sunday School will be taking a summer break the months of June, July and August. During this time we welcome our children into Intergenerational worship with us. If your child would like to assist in worship by greeting, lighting the candles or reading scripture please talk to Cathy Austen who coordinates our volunteers. You can look forward to additional opportunities for participation in the service along with the rest of the congregation. 

Facebook Live


As much as we love gathering together on Sunday mornings, there are times when we are out of town or otherwise unable to be there in person. You can now watch our worship service live on Facebook right on your computer, tablet, or smart phone. At 10:30 on Sunday just head over to our Facebook page and join us!

Facebook
First, go to our page and "Like" us. However, just liking us does not mean that you will see everything we post. Each of our Facebook posts only goes to about 2% of the people who like our page. To make sure you see everything, after you like us, go to the pull-down menu on the "Like" button and click "Get Notifications." This way everything that we post will show up on your own Facebook wall.  If you are on Facebook, you can keep up with what is happening "between Sundays" on our Facebook page.
 
Hey, Thanks!
You're sharing this newsletter with your friends! More people read (or at least opened) our newsletter than we send out. 

If there is something here that interests you, it may interest someone else.

If a friend sent this to you and you would like to receive it regularly, you can subscribe on our website.

  
You're Invited!
Join us in worship on Sunday June 4th as we celebrate Pentecost, the birthday of the church. We will gather just like those first followers of The Way, waiting to experience how Jesus wants to move in our midst. Wear your red and come ready to celebrate!



CROS Ministries

In May we will be collecting peanut butter and jelly for CROS Ministries.

Scholarships
Applications are now being accepted for scholarships for First Congregational Church college students. Applications can be picked up in the office or downloaded from our website. Applications are due by May 28th with interviews to be scheduled in June.

Grief & Bereavement
When a loved one dies, we are never fully prepared. Grieving is part of what it means to be human, part of the price of loving another. There are many resources available for those that are experiencing grief. Pastor Jason facilitates a bereavement group at Midcounty Senior Center on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 9:30 AM.

On Being recently aired a program with Sheryl Sandberg, who experienced the death of her 47 year old husband, and Adam Grant, a psychologist. It was an excellent conversation about resilience after loss. You can listen to the broadcast here.  

Why Did We Switch Coffee?
Pastor Jason explains why we are using different coffee and cups here. Hint: It's about answering the call to practice faith, mercy, and justice in community.

Online Giving
Have you explored the opportunity of electronic giving? You can choose to have a set amount taken from your bank account on a regular basis or you can make a one (or more) time gift by checking account or credit card on our website. Your regular electronic giving means that your gift is available for ministry even when you are away (or forgot your checkbook!). Thank you for your continued support of the ministry of First Congregational Church!