March 31 Colonial Church News

Easter Sunday Worship on April 4

“Dare to Dance Again” Easter Sunday Worship Service

The Easter season is a time of “coming out of the tombs.”

This past year we've experienced the tombs of death, economic loss, grief, and unrest. There are also tombs of our own making, and we ask ourselves, “what holds us back from claiming our freedom to really LIVE and to dance with joy?”

No matter what confines you, our Easter message is one that offers the courage for new starts.

Come to worship outdoors at 10:15 a.m. at Colonial Church. The service will be shown on the front lawn on a screen. Bring your chairs or blankets, wear your mask and social distance. In the event of inclement weather, please worship online. No Sunday School or childcare will be available. The youth will lead an egg hunt afterward. Please bring 5 filled eggs for the youth to hide.

Connect to online live worship service at https://colonialucc.online.church/ at 8:30 or 10:15 a.m.

Or, you can watch our service anytime after 8:30 a.m. on Sundays via YouTube at https://bit.ly/CCYouTubeV

Online Children's Sunday School. This week's Sunday School Bible story will go live on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. https://bit.ly/CCYouTubeVid

Pilgrimage Walk

A pilgrimage is an ancient expression of faith. Again this year during Holy Week, Colonial Church is going to be a pilgrimage site until Holy Saturday. Come walk or drive over and go through the circle drive in front. We will have prayer stations set up - you'll see the signs - for you to pause and reflect on your journey. Please observe physical distancing during your walk.

Worship Update

Outdoor Worship in April

Beginning on Easter Sunday, the 10:15 a.m. service will be shown on the front lawn on a screen. Bring your chairs or blankets, wear your mask and social distance. In the event of inclement weather, please worship online. No Sunday School or childcare will be available.

In-Person Worship Resumes in May

Great news – we are returning to in-person worship in the sanctuary beginning Sunday, May 2 at 10:15 a.m. Masks will be required and social distancing will be observed. No childcare or Sunday school will be available.

We will continue to provide the live online worship at 8:30 a.m.

Volunteers Needed – Returning to the sanctuary means we need worship volunteers again, although the roles have changed a bit. Click here to see updated descriptions for two positions: 1. Door Greeter and 2. Hospitality Table. Please register your willingness to volunteer and we will put together a schedule -- if you are interested but want to wait, there is a field for comments. https://colonialucc.breezechms.com/form/d2371f7. No doubt our volunteer needs will evolve as time goes on. We will continue to have online services as well. Thank you.

AIDS Walk Kansas City

Exciting news! Colonial is designating $5,000 from the Pemberton fund to the Colonial AIDS Walk Kansas City team!

Let’s show our Colonial pride and try to increase our donations to be the top team.

Get your walking shoes on and join us virtually for AIDS Walk Kansas City on Saturday, April 24. AIDS WALK Kansas City raises money to provide shelter, medical care and emergency services for more than 5,700 men, woman and children in Kansas City suffering from HIV/AIDS. AHH (Artist Helping the Homeless) also receives funds from the walk to provide HIV testing for their members.

Go to aidswalkkansascity.org and select Colonial UCC team to join the walk or to donate to a Colonial member.

For questions please contact Shawn Boelter or Stacey Algren.

Colonial Women Activities Resume In-Person

With the return of nice weather and many of us already having received COVID vaccinations, we have decided to get back to some of our Colonial Women’s activities in person, but still with safe distancing.

Colonial Women Breakfast at Big Biscuit - 9:30 a.m. on Monday, April 5. We will meet at Big Biscuit and sit at a large table and wear masks when not eating. Let Kathi Cook know if you want an email reminder. After breakfast, some of us will go to the church to help sort art room supplies and straighten the rooms to make room for rummage sale items. There will be sit down jobs and organizing jobs. Join us if you can.

Colonial Women Blue Moose Tuesday - 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 13. We will meet outdoors at the Blue Moose (weather permitting, indoors if not) to enjoy half price appetizers and wine and in-person conversation! Life gets busy. Let Kathi know if you want to be included in a reminder text.

Colonial Women Book Group - 7:00 p.m. Friday, April 23, Stephanie Graff's home. We will discuss "Transcendent Kingdom" by Yaa Gyasi.

Ramadan Break Fast Dinner

How to prepare for the fast breaking Ramadan dinner on April 27

Email Julie (julie.luttman@colonialucc.org ) or Mariam (mariamfleming@gmail.com) so they can forward the link to you.
Open your link by 7:30 p.m. on the 27^th to learn more of the Islamic holiday month and of the importance of fasting for members of the Islamic community via video.
Share the meal you have prepared with a family of that faith virtually who are celebrating the breaking of the fast in their home. This family may live in another city or country.
Enjoy meeting a new friend, sharing some of your Christian holiday customs, singing a song, sharing a recipe, showing pictures of children and grandchildren or other activities of your choice.
Perhaps Introduce your family to a dish from another part of the world. Go to Google or try these recipes.
Enjoy this opportunity to expand your world.

Colonial Church Rummage Sale Update

Drop Off Information for Sunday, April 11

Time: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Colonial Church back parking lot by the Social Hall doors

Items that will be accepted:

Bagged Soft Goods: clothing (any size) shoes, bedding, hats, mittens, purses, wallets
Boxed Hard Goods: small sporting goods and garden tools, small electrical kitchen items (toaster, blender, coffee pots). Small power tools, smaller CD players, dishes, vases, mugs, pots and pans, candles, baskets, small picture frames, toys, games, stuff animals
Boxed Books

CANNOT ACCEPT: personal toiletries, hazardous items, infant car seats

GOOD NEWS: Our SAVERS collection date has been pushed back to October due to an overabundance of donations during the pandemic so we are planning to have our annual rummage sale on October 15-17. The donations you drop off on April 11 will go towards our rummage sale after we have sorted through them. We will have the benefit of a rummage sale to raise funds for Colonial Women's outreach projects and then split the remaining items between SAVERS, where we will be paid by the pound, and Cross-Lines Store.

PLEASE do not bring any items not listed above as we have limited space. When we are closer to the Rummage Sale we will provide information on drop off of larger items such as furniture.

Thanks to everyone who has been saving items over the past eight months. If you have not contacted Marylee Battaglia, please let her know how many bags and boxes you have as she is keeping track of the volume.

Pemberton Fund Expenditures for Capital Improvements

The Administrative Board on March 21 approved the following uses for the Pemberton Endowment funds.

Repave the Church parking lot and finish work in the Church nursery. (est $18,800)
Replace flooring in the Heritage Room. (est $6,000)
Fund the needed add-on projects for the new audio-visual system. (est $5,000)
Pay for one year the mortgage on a transition house in Kansas City, Kansas, for just-released prisoners. The house is operated by the charity Alliance For Returned Citizens. ($15,804)
Approved purchase of a van for Artists Helping the Homeless. Since this cost will exceed $20,000 congregational approval will be needed.
Donate $5,000 to the Kansas City AIDS walk in April with the stipulation that Colonial Church’s name will be featured as a significant sponsor.

These projects were recommended by the Pemberton Advisory Committee after consultation with church leaders and private research.

Highlights from March 21 Colonial Council Meeting

The Board of Parish Life is looking into ways to make Gathering Sunday special after a year apart.

The Board of Worship is recruiting volunteers to assist in the outdoor services in April.

The group reviewed results of the capital campaign member survey with Mark Holland.

The council is looking for candidates for Assistant Moderator and Chair of Property Management.

The group discussed possible uses of Pemberton Funds.

Bill Sanderson, moderator

Read the full minutes here.

Upcoming Events

April 4 - Youth Lead Easter egg hunt at 11:00 a.m.
April 6 - Youth Room Setup, Snacks, and Movies at 4:30-9:00 p.m.
April 18 - 6-8th Grade In Person Among Us! With Plymouth Group at 4:30-6:00 p.m. in Lawrence (Meet at South Park by the Gazebo)
April 21 - Youth Talk with Pastor Aaron at 8:00-9:00 p.m. (Location TBD, but we are hoping for an outdoor gathering)
May 16 - Cookout & Backyard Games with Plymouth Group at TBD
July 16-20 - UCC Synod Youth Online Events

For more information, email or call Heather in the office.

Your Support Matters

Even though we are not worshiping in person, our work together matters - to each other and to the community. Your pledges help Colonial do its work. You may mail in your pledge checks, as well as any other payments. An easier alternative is to make contributions online. You just fill in your banking information or provide a credit card and your name and email and what fund you are paying (Stewardship, food pantry, etc.) and the amount. Click the donate button below.

If you have any questions, you may email or call Heather in the office or Jayne Quimby, Financial Recorder.

Donate

VANish the Void Supplies

Pre-pandemic, Colonial helped Kar Woo and Artists Helping the Homeless by providing and serving a meal in Mill Creek Park once a month for homeless people. We hope to resume that outreach eventually. In the meantime, the Colonial Board of Outreach is providing funds for non-perishable food items for Woo to hand out when he is out in the Be the Change van helping disadvantaged and homeless people in Kansas City. You can give to that effort here by selecting AHH from the dropdown menu.