Extra! Extra!

Hi all. We have some extra information that we wanted to get to you before nest week.

First, the tour of Vita Nova that we scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed. We will let you know when it will be rescheduled.

Second, save the date for September 29th at 6:00 PM for pottery painting! As part of our "Come to the Table" series, we will be having a pate painting party at Picasso Creative Workshop from 6:00-8:00 PM on September 29th, a light dinner will be served. More details to follow.

Third, send us your selfies! As a quick way to get a photo directory put together, we are requesting that you send us a selfie/headshot to use. Please email to office@lakeworthchurch.org. We can also take a picture of you.

Fourth, we are considering a name change for our congregation to better communicate who we are to our community. So far suggested names have been Lake Worth United Church of Christ, First Love United Church of Christ, and Living Well United Church of Christ. Do you have any ideas? We will discuss further at our "Community Conversation" on August 27th.

If you read Monday's email, you can stop here! Look for a new Comma on Monday!

Breaking the Law

This week we spent time with Romans 10:5-15, where Paul continues to write convince his readers to "confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead" so "they will be saved." We followed with Paul as his understanding and experience of God and God's love evolved and took his words as an invitation to go beyond any creed or dogma into the wild water of the Divine. We heard music about walking on water and God as a river. We pondered what it might mean to "transcend and include" on our journey of faith. You can watch the service on our website or in the FCCLW app.

Exploring "Transcend and Include"

This Sunday we talked aboutt he idea of "Trancend and Include," an elemental component of just about every theory of human development. As we learn and grow and, in the case of our spiritual journey, evolve in our understanding of God, we don't jettison all of what we have believed and understood before, we include it in who we are becoming. As we transcend and include, we are able to see and use the value we have found in each step of our spiritual journey. We can also relate to those that are at a different place in tehir own journey. You can read a meditation regarding transcend and include from Father Richard Rohr here. For a beautiful story of transcend and include in the nitty gritty of family life, check out Scott Heaton's Medium Post here.

Vita Nova - Postponed!

On August 18th at 2:30, the FCCLW mission team invites you to tour the Vita Nova facilities. Vita Nova is an organization that provides support to young adults experiencing homelessness, with a special focus on young adults who have aged out of the foster care syestem. We are considering financially supporting this organization, Contact Terry Ralston for more information.

Join us in September as we experience together the open table of communion - with God, one another, oursleves, and the cosmos.  We will  hear the call to dine with Jesus — an invitation that means much more than a simple eating experience. It never was with Jesus. The table was the place where he fed people, and also challenged them to acts of hospitality that reflect God’s way. When we say “yes” to the place at Christ’s table, we accept a way of life that embraces God’s definition of love, peace, grace, and joy. Let us celebrate the depth of communion to which we are called. Other activities during the month include a book discussion group on Mary McGann's The Meal That Reconnects and the opportunity to share meals in each other's homes. You can keep up with everything on the series website.

Join us for a discussion of Dr. Mary McGann's "The Meal That Reconnects". We will dive deep into the sacredness of eating, understand the global interplay of our food systems, and explore the spiritual implications of the current food crisis.

🗝 Key Takeaways:

The theological, ecological, and spiritual significance of eating.
Insights into the origins of Eucharist and early Christian practices.
Strategies to reclaim the meal essence of eucharistic celebration.
📆 Date: Wednesdays September 6th - 27th
🕕 Time: 7:15 PM
📍 Location: 1415 North K St Lake Worth Beach FL & by Zoom

Books are available from the church for $10. You can register for the group here.
 

During the month of September, we will be breaking bread together in one another's homes. You can sign up to host a meal, attend a meal at someone's home, or both! You can sign up at church or on our website.

Vision Process Summary

In March and April our church engaged a visioning process facilitated by United Church of Christ Building and Loan. You can read a summary of the process here. We will have two opportunities to talk about the summary and next steps.  One will be this Thursday evening at 7:00 PM on Zoom. You can join here.

For the past 13 years our church has hosted a community meal on Tuesday evenings.  As we have been in the process of discerning how we might best serve God and God's people in the future, we feel our Communtiy Dinner is an important part of that work. In addition to a meal, we provde showers, laundry, hair cuts, toiletries, and food pantry. As we begin our dinners again in August, we need to replenish our pantry. You can help by picking up the following on your next grocery run: Pop-top Canned Fruit, Pop-top Canned Meat, Granola/Snack Bars. You can also donate funds here.

If you would like to help with this ministry by setting up, serving, or cleaning up, see Susan Peterson.

Hustle to End Hunger

First Congregational Church will once again be participating in CROS Ministries' Hustle to End Hunger 5K on Saturday October 7th. Together, we can aleviate some of the burden of food insecurity in Palm Beach County and this is a fun way to do it. You can register at https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/LakeWorth/Hustle2EndHunger5K.

Join us for donuts, coffee, and conversation in the parlor after worship on the fourth Sunday of the month. Do you have questions for Pastor Jason? Responses to recent worship themes? Thoughts to share on how we practice faith, mercy, and justice together? Maybe you would just like to get to know people better. This is a new opportunity to do just that. We look forward to being together next on August 27th.

The Women’s Fellowship is taking the month of  August off. We will resume our meeting again on the first Thursday in September on the 7th at 12pm. The Reading for Renewal book list is out and this would be a good time to start your reading. I just finished “Revival Season.” It was easy to read. The story made me think about my faith and ask myself questions like: “How strong is my Faith?” Don’t take my word for it. Check it out for yourself. Feel free to send reviews to me of the books you read from the list to share with the other ladies. The reviews may help you decide which books from the list to read. If you need a Reading for Renewal book list, let me know and we will be glad to one to you. Submitted by Carolyn Ludwig.

Practicing Faith, Mercy, and Justice in Community? 

There's an App for That!

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. We have also just added a gaIlery of pictures and a section just for "Minute Messages." 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.

June Financials

June:
Budgeted Giving $11,083

Actual Giving $9,718

YTD:
Budgeted Giving $66,499

Actual Giving $63,238
 

Budgeted Expenses: $113,487

Actual Expenses: $94,950

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 

Dan Hecker, Mark Stanford, Barbara Forsyth, Harvey Littlefield, Gary Sitler,  
Terry Ralston, Victor Stanley, Brigitte Ermansons, Barbara Derryberry,  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.