Build a New World March “There are few human rights achievements that are so universally celebrated today as the farmworker-led Fair Food Program.” Truthout On Tuesday, over 100 workers and allies started their March from Immokalee to Palm Beach to protest the exploitation of farm workers. Specifically, The Colaition of Immokalee Farmworkers are demanding that Publix
and Wendy's to join the Fair Food Program which insures fair wages and safe working conditions. Several of us will be joining the group to march the last two miles through the Town of Palm Beach. If you would like to participate, you can register here. Let us know that you will be joining us so we will have a t-shirt
for you. Look for more pictures on our website. The Christian scriptures offer many images of where love, grace, forgiveness,
righteousness, and healing can REALLY be found. And it is not in the “usual” places. Isn’t it as true of us today as it was of the scriptural authors? Don’t we often look for wholeness and happiness in places that offer only temporary “good feelings” and satisfaction? Lent is a wonderfully reflective time to reassess where we are searching for meaning and purpose. We’ll move through stories of Jesus to find out who offers the “real deal.” The Samaritan woman at the well found out that the water she came for was not really the water the needed so desperately. This woman had looked for love in many places, in many faces and when finally offered a soul-quenching love by Jesus, she became a powerful messenger of Good News. Just as the water given by
God that flowed in the desert for the Israelites offered new life, the desert of our lives can be refreshed if we look for love regularly at the well of living water and offer life-giving water to others Last Sunday, we stood with stood with Jesus and the
woman at the well. You can watch the sermon here. What is your "Lookin' For Love"
Testimony? Where have you found love? How do you let more love into your life? Share with us by video or in-person during worship. This week, we will hear from Carolyn Ludwig. Proposed Florida Constitutional Amendment: Right
to Clean and Healthy Waters On March 21st at 4:00 pm in Beverly Hall on the Naples United Church of Christ (NUCC) campus and via the webinar link below, the Environment Subcommittee will hold an educational
program to discuss the proposed Florida Constitutional Amendment titled, Right to Clean and Healthy Water. Joseph Bonasia who serves as the Southwest Florida chair of Florida Rights of Nature Network and Communications Director of Florida Right To Clean
Water, the two organizations leading the campaign, will discuss the need to amend our state constitution with this fundamental “Right to Clean and Healthy Waters.” He will explain key aspects of the law, provide concrete examples showing how it can help solve water quality issues in SW Florida, and note how the attendees can help get the amendment on the 2024 Florida state ballot. The petition needs 900,000 signatures to place this referendum on the ballot for a vote in 2024. Here is the summary of the initiative that appears on the individual petition
form. You and members of your congregation are invited to attend or participate via the zoom webinar link to learn more about this important topic. Please click the link below to join the webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84417300886?pwd=K21xb0tMT0VOWDZhbWF0amYyVU1rQT09 Passcode: Floridians Webinar ID: 844 1730 0886 Passcode: 0593201289 For the next 6-8 weeks we will be taking time to listen to one another and to our community to discern how we might best live the gospel and participate in God's reign. This will take place in series of gatherings of
our friends and members, facilitated by Jill White from the national setting of the United Church of Christ. The dates and times are: Saturday March 11 9:30-11:00 Saturday April 1st 9:30-12:00 Saturday April 22nd 9:30-12:00 The second session will be to analyze all the information gathered in our gathering information session, and prioritize that
information to come up with our core priorities for First Congregational. Everyone is invited to sign up for this session. You can register online, in the app, or sign up in the lobby. |
This year we will once again be participating in Pride at Bryant Park. This is a
great opportunity to share God's love with our community. You can sign up in the lobby to take a shift at our booth. We will have tickets and
tshirts available this Sunday for those participating. On Monday, March 27th, at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, we will
gather with people of faith from across the county to ask our public officials to commit to solutions to problems we are facing as a community. We will be arranging rides for those who do not drive at night. When you register, let us know if you will need a ride. We currently have 64 people committed to attend. Let's get to 100! You can register here. Wisdom Lenten Study For almost 1,700 years the Benedict order has been operated using the Rule of Benedict. Within the Rule one can find most of the ways that a human community can be operated. Joan Chittister OBS (Order of Saint Benedict) wrote a book, Wisdom Distilled From the Daily, that for the better part of ten years Rev. Nelson Stone taught in a course titled The Wisdom of Benedict. For this Lent you are invited to join
him in person and on Zoom to spend some time reflecting on Sister Chittister's vision of a life ruled by The Rule. This week we will discuss the fourth chapter, "Community." Please register here. The Zoom link is https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9548808629?pwd=MlRpa0tHU1JHZzFBOENhdEIvQkpDdz09 Practicing Faith, Mercy, and Justice in Community? Our new church app has been released in the Apple App and Google Play stores just for our church. You can stream our worship services, keep in touch with friends, keep up with events,
and financially support First Congregational Church all in one place. If you are an iphone user, you can download the app in the App Store, if you have an Android phone, you can download from Google Play. Along with this platform change, our online giving platform will be changing. If you have a regular giving plan set up with us, you should have received an email with instructions on how to switch that over to our new platform. You can find those instructions here. |
Dan Hecker will be in rehabilitation for the next couple of weeks at The Legacy Room #438 6363 Verde Trail S Boca Raton, FL 33433
January Financials Budgeted
Income $11,083 Actual Income $9,257 Our January financial recap can be viewed here. 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! |
- Grocery Bags
- Peanut Butter
- Pouches of Tuna and/or chicken
- Canned Vegetables (tab top and/or single serve sizes are best)
- Ravioli, Spaghetti, Beefaroni (tab top)
- Canned Soups/Stews (tab top)
- Single serve ready to eat
meals
| We are in desperate need of the following mens' clothing items: - T-Shirts sizes L & XL
- Socks
- Boxer Briefs sizes L & XL
- Athletic shorts sizes L &
XL
- Backpacks
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Dan Hecker, Mark Stanford, Barbara Forsyth, Harvey Littlefield, Gary Sitler, Terry Ralston, Pat Gregg, Victor Stanley, Bob and Gail
Howell, Brigitte Ermansons, The Zook Family, Barbara Derryberry, The Family of Bob Davis, The Gonzalez Family, The Spangler Family for the loss of Benjamin, The Stone Family, Bob Lily |
Thursday Morning Chat & Fellowship
Join us on Thursday mornings at 10:00 for virtual chat and fellowship in our “virtual parlor.”
You can join us by clicking here. The password, if you need it, is fcclw. If you join us by computer, clicking the link will download the necessary software and take you right into the “parlor.” If you are joining on your smart phone or pad, you will need to download the Zoom app from the Apple App Store or Google Play. You can also call 646-558-8656 and enter Meeting ID: 718 419 400 and then Passcode: 839769.
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Connect with our congregation and community through our YouTube channel. Watch (and share) sermon and
teaching videos, as well as videos from our life together. Be sure to subscribe and share with others.
Go to our Facebook page and "like" us. To make sure you see everything from us, go to the pull-down menu and click "Get Notification."
As much as we love gathering together on Sundays, there are times when we are out of town or unable to be together in person. You can 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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