Don’t Wait!
This Sunday, 9/19, professional coach and facilitator Sharon Mast kicks off our BRAVE SPACE session. While each session stands alone, content and skills do stack on one another. You are encouraged to attend one to all four Sundays. Registration is not necessary but will help us plan for seating and food needs. Bring your friends and neighbors.
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Sunday Worship at 9am
September 19, 2021 ~ John 2:1-12
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Live-streaming of our worship is also available through
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IUCC’s current Covid-safety guidelines as more people return to campus:
Our prayerful recommendation is that masks be viewed as one of the ways we care for the most vulnerable among us. Presently, our masking guidelines are as follows:
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Vaccinated individuals may go unmasked. This applies to indoor and outdoor activities. However, you are asked to wear a mask when in close proximity (less than 3 feet) to children (12 and younger) for an extended time (more than 15 minutes).
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Unvaccinated individuals are asked to continue to wear masks indoors. You may go unmasked outdoors unless you are engaging children (12 and younger) for an extended time (more than 15 minutes) in close proximity (less than 3 feet).
- To ensure your own comfort level, all are welcomed to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status.
SPECIAL NOTE to all children, staff, and volunteer leaders involved in faith formation, RISE, or music programs: Anyone 13 and above (teen or adult) should be masked when in close proximity (inside or outside) to anyone 12 and under regardless of vaccination status. We highly recommend anyone under the age of 12 to mask, just as you do in school, since vaccination has not yet been approved for your age group.
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Sunday Adult Forum (formerly Coffee and Conversation) will be meeting 10am. Last week's Kick-off was so well attended we'll be moving to the Lower Level Multipurpose Room. This week will continue with a different short video by theologian and author Rob Bell with discussion afterwards. Each video stands on its own, so please don’t worry if you have to miss a week. Feel free to come to one or to all! Any questions, please email Pastor Beth at clergy@immanuel-ucc.org. If you missed last week's meeting, here is a link to the video we watched. It's called "Rain." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loFBGdeXGtg&t=331s
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Faith formation is open to children PreK through 6th grade, meeting throughout the school year on Sunday mornings from 10-10:45am. Join us for games, art, music, science, and more as together we read Bible stories and scripture, learn what it means to be a Christian and explore how our faith is a part of our daily living. ALL ARE WELCOME! No advanced signup is required. Please note that this year, all students will meet together in the music room to begin. For more information, email Kelly Barnett (barnettkellym@gmail.com) or contact the church office.
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Thursday Nights: IUCC Singers (gr. 7-Adult) will meet evenings from 7-8:30pm. We will be rehearsing and preparing music for worship and special events throughout the fall. ALL ARE WELCOME!
Tueday Afternoons: IUCC Youth and Children’s Arts/Music Programming You can find a condensed description of our fall programming HERE, you are encouraged to be in touch if you have any questions, please email Mr. Stephen at music@immanuel-ucc.org.
A few general notes:
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Registration is not required, but is greatly appreciated. We will need this information regardless, so if you do not fill this out ahead of time, we will ask you to please fill it out the first time you arrive on campus. To save yourself time, the following link will take you to our CONTACT, REGISTRATION, AND RELEASE FORM, where you can enter student, parent, and emergency information as well as sign the photo release and masking policy.
- DROP OFF between 3:30-4:00PM is in FELLOWSHIP HALL. Please walk your child to the door the first time you arrive; after the first time, you may drop off students without getting out of your car. If you arrive after 4:15PM, the doors will be locked, and you will need to call my cell phone (610) 451-8963 to get into the building.
- PICK-UP for all activities will be AT THE OFFICE ENTRANCE off of Waverly street. Parents should park in the lot and wait by your car; we will bring the kids down to the doors at 4:45PM (please allow 5 minutes grace period the first week or two). NOTE: This is also the drop off spot for students who are arriving only for the 5PM activity.
- Programming is OPEN TO ALL – you do not need to be a member of IUCC to enjoy our programming. If you have friends in the area and your student would like to bring them to our activities once, or weekly, that’s great! A heads up is always appreciated, and new students should be escorted into the building by an adult the first time they arrive.
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Breaking Bread will resume meeting this fall on Sept. 24 at 11:30am!
Bring your own lunch and we will partake in conversation, guided by a focus question, supporting scripture, and sending prayer. We will continue to meet outside at the edge of the parking lot (by the Labyrinth) so please bring a chair. In case of inclement weather, an indoor space will be announced prior to the meeting date.
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SPECIAL FALL EVENT(S): VIOLINS OF HOPE |
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Violins of Hope is a collection of violins that survived the Holocaust. The mission of Violins of Hope is to promote unity and understanding in our community, utilizing instruments rescued from the Holocaust.
Several events at Immanuel for the fall will be centered around this collection.
Violins from the collection will be on exhibit at the Schmidt Gallery of GoggleWorks, Miller Gallery in Francis Hall at Alvernia University and the New Media Gallery in the Sharadin Arts Building at Kutztown University from November 1-14, 2021. LIFFT and Senior Ministry are providing two opportunities to view the exhibit at GoggleWorks on Sunday, November 7 and Wednesday, November 10. For more information see LIFFT and Senior Ministry announcements in the coming weeks.
The companion book, "Violins of Hope" by James A Grymes is the October 6 selection for Book Babble. Book Babble will also be hosting a discussion with the author via Zoom on the evening of October 13. If interested in the book, please contact the office. Cost is $10 (checks made out to IUCC) or exact change.
Stay tuned for information on a workshop and concert coming up in November. A full list of events for Violins of Hope is available online at www.violinsofhopepa.org
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Wow….What a team we are!! Many thanks to all who contributed to our first 9/11 Day of Service & Remembrance. Our campus was filled activity on the 20th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11/01.
From members who provided guided labyrinth walks to visitors to those who stopped to honor the bell toll during the observed moments of silence honoring the victims, the campus flowed with respect and love.
In addition, thank you so very much to those that coordinated and volunteered with our 9/11 first responders project. Whether you donated soup ingredients or baked goods, prepared soup at home or at church, picked up lunch items or filled lunch bags, developed the “just right” message for our thank you cards or made banners, packaged the meals or made a delivery, made a monetary donation or provided prayers, or worked behind the scenes, YOU were an integral piece of this meaningful project.
Because of the abundance of food, we were not only able to provide meals for the police and fire departments but also to the Tower Health EMS that serves our community. All recipients were humbled and appreciative for this gesture of recognition.
Projects that bring children, youth and adults together in service and fellowship….truly a God-filled thing of beauty.
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Volunteers Needed for GM Homecoming Community Tailgate!
Governor Mifflin will once again be holding their Community Tailgate from 9:30 am -12:30 pm on Saturday, October 2nd, and IUCC is excited to be participating!
Our Homecoming Booth will be a place to share our IUCC Extravagant Welcome with the GM community. We will be setting up the Brave Spaces adirondack chairs to encourage visitors to take a seat, have a snack, and enjoy being in community with one another.
You can help in 2 ways:
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Volunteer on the day of the event! As a volunteer you will greet visitors, engage them in conversation (fun prompts provided!), help with the "What's your Brave" photo booth, and just enjoy a fun day with our GM neighbors! Sign-Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/.../20F0E4FADAD2FA3F85...
- Donate snacks! We will be handing out individual servings of chips, cookies, popcorn, etc. You can drop snack donations in the main office labeled "GM Homecoming" until Friday 10/1/21.
Please contact Melissa Belinski with any questions!
Melissa Belinski
call/text: 484-824-8538
email: thebelinskis@gmail.com
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Should you or someone you care for be in need of pastoral support
Prayers are powerful! If you or someone you know is in need of prayers, please let us know. It is always confidential. There are prayer cards in the sanctuary or you can contact the church office.
Rev. Megan Huesgen will be on sabbatical July 20 - October 11, 2021
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