November 4 Colonial Church News

November 8 Worship – Veterans Day Weekend Service

We have a very special time of worship this Veterans Day weekend!

Colonial Church was founded by veterans returning from the most terrible war in human history. This Sunday we will hear from Dorothy Mulford, our church community's last surviving WWII veteran and charter member.

It is a message of hope for healing the divisions of our current time as we continue our mission for compassion, justice, and mercy.

Sunday Worship Online

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

Fellowship Time. Each Sunday, between our worship services, we gather together via Zoom. Grab a mug of coffee or a cup of tea and come say hi. This is a chance to catch up and chat, discuss a little about Sunday's message, and anything else that might be on your mind. You can connect at https://tinyurl.com/ColConv

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

If you know of kids who might enjoy taking part in our Sunday School, invite their parents to signup to be on the list to receive the weekly materials at https://bit.ly/CCSSOnline.

In this church community you join with that cloud of witnesses in our time to change lives...to stand up for the poor and marginalized. And one way we do that is with our partnership with Cross-Lines Community Services.

Each day Cross-Lines provides food and clothing for people. Each day Cross-Lines provides vital assistance to people who are in danger of having their utilities shut off or being evicted. And each Christmas, Cross-Lines allows families in financial poverty the dignity of going shopping for Christmas gifts.

This year, the Cross-Lines Christmas store can’t happen the way it usually does. But, our Board of Outreach unanimously responded by providing gift certificates for families to shop.

The money that you give to Colonial Church makes that happen.

Listen to this…

Meeting the Need - Cross-Lines During the Pandemic

Because of you, Colonial Church is changing lives. Because of you, there is a voice speaking up for the poor and marginalized in our metro area.

This month we are asking you to make a pledge to support our continuing mission to change lives. You’ll be receiving a letter this week about that.

You can also make your pledge online now by clicking below.

Pledge Now

ADVENT DEVOTION WRITERS STILL NEEDED!

Advent devotional writers – you still have an opportunity to pen a devotion. Simply pick a day, read the text from the Advent Daily Lectionary and write a short reflection on what the verse means to you, along with a prayer. You are welcome to pick more than one day. The devotion is due two weeks before the day you choose. Submit your devotion to Julie at julie.luttman@colonialucc.org

2021 Altar Flowers

The calendar to provide flowers for our altar is almost full for 2021. Remaining dates are: January 24, February 21 and 28, May 30, and November 7. Your cost is $50 and you may take the flowers following the 10:15 a.m. service or designate them for the Care Committee to take to homebound or hospitalized members. If you would like one of these dates, contact Linda Moses at 913-522-7308 or luvslife48@gmail.com.

In past few years we have been able to share Colonial's Thanksgiving meal with families from the Dialogue Institute of Kansas City who are refugees from Turkey. We have reunited with friends and made new ones as we shared time together. This year we can turn to technology to help us celebrate with some who are new to this special western world holiday.

Let us know that you would like to participate and we will connect you with a family via Zoom to be a part of your Thanksgiving Day. You can share greetings, special prayers and/or activities of your family celebration. Are there special dishes, a way to share thanks or family jokes and games that brings you together? You may want to learn more of the changes that the refugee family has made during their journey to the Midwest.

Send your name to Julie at julie.luttman@colonialucc.org or Mariam Fleming at mariamfleming@gmail.com

Once again, Colonial will be collecting new toys for Operation Breakthrough’s holiday store. The gift giving will be a little different this year due to COVID. Instead of a tree in the narthex to select ornaments from, go to the Operation Breakthrough Gift Registry to choose toys to purchase.

Place the unwrapped toys in the box outside the church entrance by the office door before 4:00 p.m. Monday-Thursday. We need the gifts by November 30. Gift cards should be mailed to Colonial Church, 7039 Mission Rd, Prairie Village, KS 66208.

If you need help getting the toys or gift cards to the church, contact Cindy Burgdorfer at 630-776-0511 or cburg1954@gmail.com.

Highlights from October 18 Colonial Council Meeting

The AV project in the sanctuary is underway with Rev. Mark Holland managing the effort.

The Board of Property Management continues to explore options to eliminate high moisture levels in the southern section of the lower level.

The Board of Stewardship reports that the 2021 pledge drive is set to launch on October 25.

The Cross-Lines Christmas Store will not happen this year but Colonial will provide gift cards for families in need.

To read the full minutes, click here.

I Am Not Your Negro, a collection of James Baldwin’s writings, speeches, and interviews has been added to the collection.

BALDWIN’S NIGGER – 1969

One of the most terrible things is that in fact, whether I like it or not, I am an American. My school really was the streets of New York City. My frame of reference was George Washington and John Wayne. But, I was a child, you know, and when a child puts his eyes in the world he has to use what he sees. There’s nothing else to use ...

I know how you watch as you grow older, and it is not a figure of speech, the corpses of your brothers and your sisters pile up around you. And not for anything they have done. But what one does realize is that when you try to stand up and look the world in the face like you had a right to be here, you have attacked the entire power structure of the Western world.

Weekly Services and Sermons

Livestream: Sundays at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. at https://colonialucc.online.church/

On Demand Video: worship services are on YouTube here. Sermons are available here.

Podcasts: Sunday sermons are now available as a podcast. You can access the podcast via our Sermons page on the Colonial Church website or directly through Apple Podcasts or Stitcher.

Daily Devotionals

Our denomination, the United Church of Christ, provides an excellent daily devotional, written by the "Still Speaking" writers group. To have the devotions emailed to you daily go to:

http://www.ucc.org/daily_devotional