No matter who you are or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here! |
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This Sunday, August 15, 2021 |
Worship at 10:00 AM, In Person & Livestreamed
Led by Rev. Mia White, Emily Stokes,
Dr. Sarah Bereza, and Hannah Rice
Greeter: Karen Safe
Liturgist: Jim Hartley
Soloist: Mary Brown, Soprano
Sunday's worship service will be livestreamed from our sanctuary. You may attend with us in person or watch online. You will be able to view the service live on facebook, Youtube, or on our website at 10:00 AM this Sunday. In order to use the chat features you will need to have an account with facebook or YouTube.
If you are joining worship online, we invite you to follow along with the worship bulletin, which you can find by clicking the links below. You can print it, or have it open on one device as you view worship from another.
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CONFERRAL OF JIM MORICE'S HONORARY DEGREE
& RECOGNITION OF THE SERVICE OF OUR MEMBERS
Sunday August 15, 10 AM Worship
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Eden Theological Seminary is honoring First Congregational Church member, Jim Morice, with the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters. On August 15 we will be joined in worship by Deborah Krause (President of Eden Theological Seminary), David Greenhaw (President Emeritus of Eden and FCC member), and David Luckes (Vice Chairperson of the Eden Board of Trustees), who will officially confer this degree upon Jim. |
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VIRTUAL COFFEE HOUR
Sundays at 11:20 AM on Zoom
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We're continuing our Virtual Coffee Hours every Sunday on Zoom! The gathering will begin at 11:20 AM. You can join by video on a computer, tablet, or smart phone, or just audio on any phone. To join, download Zoom and enter the meeting ID and password. You can also click the link below, or dial from your phone for audio only.
Join the Virtual Coffee Hour:
Meeting ID: 314 721 5060 (The church phone number)
Password: coffee
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These announcements have been approved
by our Executive Committee.
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MASK WEARING REQUIREMENT REINSTATED AT FCC |
Effective immediately and until further notice, all people age 5 and over will be required to wear masks while indoors at First Congregational Church, and strongly advised to do so when outdoors in group settings. |
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A NOTE ABOUT LAST WEEK'S ANNOUNCEMENT OF SARAH'S PREACHING |
Some people have asked Sarah if she is leaving FCC for seminary. Sarah is very happy ministering here at FCC! |
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CHILD PROTECTION & PERMANENCY UNIT (TRUANCY INITIATIVE) SUPPLY DRIVE |
Join us in supporting St. Louis City's Child Protection and Permanency Unit (formerly named the Truancy Unit Initiative) as the new school year approaches. Joli Baker and her team are helping families and foster children prepare for 2021-2022 and could use the donations listed below. Please sign up here and plan to drop off your items at the church between 10:45-11:45 am on August 15th.
$50 gifts cards to WalMart (goal: 15)
Deodorant (goal: 30)
Laundry detergent (goal: 15)
Small hand sanitizers (appropriate for carrying in a backpack or storing in a school desk) (goal: 30)
The Unit is still determining if in-person tutoring offsite will be possible. If you would be interested in volunteering as a tutor with Joli's team, please let Robyn Wiens (robyn.viloria@gmail.com) know and she will pass your name along to Joli.
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ANNOUNCING NEIGHBOR 2 NEIGHBOR! |
Neighbor 2 Neighbor is an exciting new Fellowship & Outreach program being brought to you by Membership & Fellowship as a program that Rev. Mia has used very successfully with past congregations. We’ve divided the church into 15 smaller geographic groupings of 4 - 6 households/families who can check in on each other, provide support & form a smaller more close-knit group within the larger congregation. It’s an opportunity to get to know those in the church close to you geographically - and to be a way to share resources when needed - from help during a power outage - to meals during an illness - to something as simple as a referral for a good dentist or handyman in your area. Eventually it can also be a way to reach out to other neighbors and friends who may be interested in a way to get to meet other folks at First Church. As it says in Mark “Love your Neighbor as Yourself” - and this is a wonderful way to share the love! Expect to hear from your Neighbor 2 Neighbor leader in the next few weeks - to give you an update on our plans for Kickoff Sunday on Aug. 29th! (Note to Leaders - our final orientation will be this Tuesday 7:00 pm by zoom - check your email or contact Carol Klein at carolsklein@me.com for the link.)
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NEW LEADERSHIP FOR THE WORSHIP & EDUCATION COMMITTEE |
Ann Kittlaus has stepped down as chair of the Worship and Education Committee. Val Jackson has been appointed as Ann’s successor by a unanimous vote of Council.
In stepping down, Ann writes: “The role of this committee evolves with each new pastor and the needs of the church. In terms of where we go next, I want to leave an opening for new partnerships, new leaders, and new ideas. Like so many in this “post”-Covid era, I’m burned out. What I really need right now is to sit in my pew, love my neighbors, and gain strength from Pastor Mia and the ministry team’s leadership. Besides providing arms & legs, my gifts are in program planning and I'll continue in that way as needed. And, I’ll continue to cheerlead - I’m really optimistic about our church and I love all of you.”
Under Ann’s leadership the last few years, the Worship and Education Committee set goals for Christian Ed, created new structures for Sunday school, integrated programming around ONA, helped develop online worship, and set up new structures for volunteer recruitment.
Thank you, Ann, for your loving, devoted leadership to the Worship and Education Committee and Council.
We welcome Valerie to her new leadership role at FCC. She has extensive and multi-faceted experiences in praise, worship and church education. As a youth leader in her church of origin, she helped design the annual youth service and taught Sunday school. As an adult, Valerie served as chair of the Holy Ground, a community interfaith service and worship co-op in the Central West End. There she helped design interfaith worship and community service for the group. At Metropolitan Community Church, Valerie served as the Worship Participants leader responsible for volunteer lay members serving in various roles in the worship service. She also facilitated the weekly discussion/educational group called Sunday Morning Conversations. Valerie’s theory of worship comes from Professor Christopher Grundy at Eden Theological Seminary. WORSHIP BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE. For class projects at Eden, Valerie designed worship services and education classes featuring various ethnicities, races, and denominations. Her hope for FCC is that we realize our goal in becoming a more racially and ethnically diverse community with exciting, excellent worship and educational experiences.
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YOUNG PROFESSIONALS OF FCC HAPPY HOUR
August 19, 5:00 PM at Hwy 61 Roadhouse
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All young professionals at First Congregational are invited to join in a happy hour from 5-6:30 PM at Hwy 61 Roadhouse (34 S Old Orchard Ave, Webster Groves) on August 19. If you have questions, contact Lydia Aiken. |
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FAITH IN AN ANXIOUS WORLD INFORMATIONAL MEETING
August 19, 7PM on Zoom
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Parents of 6th-12th graders are invited to an online informational meeting about the upcoming program for youth - Faith in an Anxious World. Non-members are welcome. The meeting will be on Zoom on August 19 at 7:00. RSVP for the meeting to Emily Stokes and she'll send you the Zoom link. |
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CRAYON COLLECTION FOR ISAIAH 58 |
To take advantage of before-school sales, Isaiah 58 is asking FCC to contribute 500 boxes of 24-count crayons for next year's Back-to-School Fair. Target currently has a great sale going through September 11! Bring your donations to church by Sunday August 22 so they can be taken over to Isaiah 58 that week. Contact Jim Hartley (314-832-2723) if you have questions.
Update: We’re more than halfway to our goal of 500 boxes of 24-crayons each for Isaiah 58! We have collected 268 so far! We have two Sundays left before we have to deliver what we have to Isaiah 58 on August 25th. The children & families are helping out with their own drive for contributions. Remember that Target still has their sale on Crayola brand crayons for 50 cents a box. They also have another brand for 25 cents a box of 24. You can bring them to church this Sunday or August 22, or drop them off at church during the week (except on Mondays). The Mission and Outreach Committee give thanks to God and to all of you for your contributions to this worthy cause.
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KICK OFF SUNDAY
August 29
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Join us for Kick Off Sunday on August 29! Worship will be uplifting, our choir is back, and children's Sunday school begins (outdoors - see Emily Stokes for more information.)
As part of Kick off Sunday our kiddos will be starting a theme of compassion. On the 29th we will be learning about Abraham and Sarah welcoming guests and we would like to welcome you to come pick up a treat on the Garth after worship!
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POSTPONED: PASTOR MIA'S INSTALLATION SERVICE |
Out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to postpone Pastor Mia's installation service. There is no new date planned yet, but we will keep the congregation informed. |
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MSB SCHOLARSHIP
Applications due by September 1
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In loving memory of their daughter Molly, Jane and Bill Beavers established The Molly Suzanne Beavers Memorial Scholarship Fund to help students pursue higher education. This fund helps college and graduate students who are members of FCC pay for books and other incidental expenses. Chrissy Paterson, sister to Molly and daughter of Jane and Bill, continues to oversee this scholarship fund. To apply for the 2021-2022 academic year (if you are a previous recipient, please re-apply), please send a letter to the church office and address it to the Molly Beavers Scholarship Committee by September 1. In your letter, please include: Where you will be attending school; What your major course of study will be (if known); A statement of need and how you plan to use any scholarship funds you may receive; A little information about yourself, your academic interests, and other personal interests.
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FAMILY NIGHT AT THE BALLPARK
Friday September 3, 6:45 PM
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All FCC families are invited to a night at a Gateway Grizzlies game on September 3rd. Tickets are $11/person and will be purchased in advance. Please RSVP to Emily Stokes and turn in your payment to the church office by August 15th. |
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INTERFAITH CONCERT
Sunday September 12, 4:00 pm
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The 10th Anniversary Interfaith Concert sponsored by Arts & Faith St. Louis will feature soprano Christine Brewer and the Interfaith Youth Chorus, with performances by choirs and ensembles of many faiths on stage at the Sheldon Concert Hall. You can stream the concert live at www.hecmedia.org and YouTube. Stay up to date on the concert and other Arts & Faith St. Louis news on Facebook (@artsfaithstlouis), Twitter (@ArtsFaithSTL), and Instagram (@artsfaithstlouis).
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Calling all tech-minded folks! Currently Hannah Rice is the only person trained to run our Sunday morning livestream. Since she will occasionally be on vacation or otherwise unavailable, it is necessary to train others to help with our online ministry. It is not hard to do, but does take someone a little tech-savvy, preferably with their own laptop or tablet they can bring. We're hoping to gather at least four volunteers. If you are interested, please contact Hannah.
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Now that we are back to worshiping in person together, we are welcoming volunteers to help serve on Sunday mornings. We need greeters/ushers and liturgists. If you're interested in learning more, contact Hannah Rice, or sign up online HERE.
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SACRED STUDIES AND FELLOWSHIP
Tuesdays, 10:00 AM
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Valerie Jackson leads the Sacred Studies and Fellowship group, which meets every Tuesday at 10:00 for study of the Bible and other texts, personal sharing, and lots of laughter. The group meets in the church Parlor. All are welcome to join! |
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STAFF TEAM WEEKLY DAYS OFF |
Pastor Mia White: Mondays and Fridays
Emily Stokes: Mondays and Saturdays
Sarah Bereza: Mondays and Saturdays
Hannah Rice: Mondays and Saturdays
(The church office will be closed on Mondays)
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Thank you to all of the medical professionals who continue to serve the public during these challenging times. We are thinking of you and praying for you. Please join in prayer for members of our community who work in the medical field. Are you a medical professional, or is there someone you care about who is? Let us know and we'll add to our list. |
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Dr. Mark Barlow
Dr. Ken Blumer
Dr. Mitch Botney
Dr. Melanie Bryan
Dr. Katherine Buchowski
Dr. Bill Chao
Dr. Kristy Holland
Dr. Bruce Jones
Dr. Cheryl Lynch-Lawler
Dr. Josh Madden
Dr. David Piston
Dr. Karen Smethers
Dr. Brandon Tan
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If you would like to continue to give offerings to First Congregational Church, you may do so online HERE.
Alternatively, you may mail your offering to the church at 6501 Wydown Blvd. 63105.
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Phone: 314.721.5060 Fax: 314.721.2716 Preschool: 314.721.7404
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