“New Year, New You”: this is the message we get from pop
culture, year after year. We vow to make changes to our diet, exercise habits, or lifestyle, but in spite of those resolutions, many things stay the same. This may be cause for disappointment, but there is some consistency we can celebrate. God’s promises to us do not change with the calendar or the latest fitness trend. So maybe, along with focusing our energy and attention on making (and, often, breaking) promises to ourselves, let’s spend the first part of the new year also appreciating God’s
unbreakable promises.
Join us each week as we remind ourselves of God’s great and wonderful promises to us!
February 9th - God’s Promise of Guidance
February 16th - God’s Promise of
Freedom
This week we heard God's promise of blessing from the Gospel of Matthew. You can watch the sermon here or watch the whole service on our Facebook page. This week, we will continue in the
Sermon on the Mount as we explore God's Promise of Guidance.
Thank You!
Special thanks to our Men's Fellowship for a delicious soup lunch this week. And thank you for your generosity in supporting CROS Ministries. We will have a total for you soon.
Green Team
The Green Team will meet in the Parlor after the Sunday worship service. We will be preparing for Earth Day activities.
Also, mark your calendar for Sunday, March 8 following worship when the Green Team will host Richard W. Emory, Jr., an EPA veteran top enforcement lawyer, whistle-blower, and author of Fighting Pollution and Climate Change. He will share information about his work on federal investigations into pollution crime and recommendations for actions to help save our planet.
Gold Coast Regional Meeting of the
Florida U.C.C. Women
February 15, 2020
11:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Program: Valentine's Theme
Hosted by First Congregational Church U.C.C. of Lake Worth
1415 North K Street
Lake Worth, Florida
The purpose of this gathering is to:
1. Connect women of the U.C.C. churches in this area
2. To share something of our mutual stories
3. To choose officers for our region
A free-will donation will cover your lunch.
LGBT Asylum Task Force Happy Hour Fundraiser
On Monday February 17th, from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM there will be a Meet & Greet at Palm Beach Posture Balance at Park Place and South Dixie in West Palm Beach. Rev. Judy Hanlon will host along with speakers from around the world who have sought asylum in the United States because it is illegal to be gay in their native countries. You will learn more about the LGBT Asylum Task Force's 10-year mission to
house, feed, and provide community for nearly 300 people from 25 countries. See Pastor Judy for more information or RSVP to attend to gracelift@aol.com.
Voter
Registration
Just a reminder that to vote in the Democratic Primary, you must be registered as a Democrat by February 18, 2020. If you wish to register, contact the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections at www.pbcelections.org or phone 561-656-6200. You can also visit the PBC Supervisor of Elections Office at 240 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33415.
Gleaning
Saturday, February 22nd is our annual church-wide gleaning day! While some in our congregation glean every Saturday, once a year we all take part together. What is gleaning you ask? It is the practice of going into fields that have either
already been harvested or left unharvested to pick fresh produce that goes to food banks in Palm Beach County. This is a great way to quite literally do the heavy lifting of helping to ease hunger in Palm Beach County. We hope you will join us.
Wisdom School with Cynthia Bourgeault
Cynthia Bourgeault is an Episcopal priest and retreat leader who teaches in the wisdom tradition of Christianity. She holds Wisdom Schools all over the country. Now, through the Center for Action and Contemplation, there is the option of participating in a Wisdom School without the expense of traveling. Beginning March 4th, you can spend 12 weeks engaged in an introduction to the wisdom tradition with
Cynthia. Find out more on the CAC website.
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Marsha Stevens-Pino in Concert
Contemporary Christian singer/songwriter, Marsha Stevens-Pino, will be in concert here at our church on Thursday March 19th, at 7pm. One of Marsha’s songs, For Those Tears I Died, which she wrote when she was 16 years old, is considered by
some music historians to be the first song called contemporary Christian music. Come and listen to her music and hear her story about navigating the Christian music business as an out lesbian. This concert is FREE and open to everyone so please come and bring a guest or two with you!
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Nehemiah
On Monday, March 30th at 7:00 PM, we will gather with 2,000 people of faith from 20 other churches all over Palm Beach County at the South Florida Fair Grounds to hold our public officials responsible for the problem of
homelessness in our county.
At First Congregational United Church of Christ, we practice faith, mercy, and justice in community. One of the ways we practice justice is by, once a year, coming together to exercise the power that we have in our number to make
positive changes in our community.
There have been some exciting things that have taken place over the last year, and we are expecting great solutions to issues of homelessness and police and community relations.
Our goal this year is to turn out 100 people. You should be invited by one of our Justice Ministry Network Members. If you need a ride, we will be car-pooling from the church.
We are looking forward to doing justice together!
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Our Book Club continues to meet on the third Tuesday of each month at 6:45 p.m. in the parlor. Copies of the Florida UCC Women's Reading for Renewal Book List are in the Church Office. For more details,
contact Carol Lewis or Marilyn Stone. Join us for discussion and fellowship.
Our book selection for February is Becoming, a memoir by Michelle Obama. Join us in the parlor for an informative and friendly discussion on February 18 at 6:45 PM. The selection for our March 17 meeting is our mission book, We Fed An Island: the true story of rebuilding Puerto
Rico, one meal at a time, by Jose Andres.
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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.
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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!
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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!
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