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Location Change for THIS Sunday's Worship Service

This Sunday (January 29th), we will be holding our service in Fellowship Hall. We hope to see you there!

First Church, Its Mission, and Its Ministry

Congregational Meeting, coming soon!

The First Church annual budget approval meeting will be held THIS Sunday, January 29, immediately following worship. It is crucial that we have a quorum in attendance, so we can thoughtfully discuss and then approve a budget for 2023.

Your attendance and participation is enthusiastically encouraged!

Friday Night Hangout

Our February Friday Night Hangout has been cancelled due to a schedule change. We apologize for any inconvenience, and will look forward to seeing you in March!

Sunday Night Youth Group Do-Over this Sunday!

Things didn't work out for last Sunday Night's Youth Group - our youth are very busy people! - so we are trying again this Sunday. Join us from 6-8 pm this Sunday in the Rocket Room! We will be continuing the priming of the walls, eating snacks, playing games, and having a Faith Formation time somewhere in the middle of that! Come in clothes that can get painted! 



In related news, congratulations to all our youth who participated in the NOYO concert last Sunday: Claire & Patrick, Adelaide, EJ, Maia, and Hiro & Thora! You were wonderful! 

Everybody's Birthday Luncheon is Back!! 

Please join us on Sunday, February 5th after church for a potluck and birthday celebration. If your last name begins with A-M, please bring a main dish for the potluck. If your last name begins with N-Z, please bring a salad or side dish. We also need people to "adopt a month" for the birthday celebration. Please sign up outside the church office to provide a dessert (cake or other) and table decorations for one of the months. If you have any questions, please direct them to the church office or to Sarah Colson at 440/774-2538.

Our Quarterly Directory is Out! View by Clicking the Button Below!

If you see any errors, please contact the office and we will correct it for the next directory. Thank you!

The Lorain Public Library's upcoming programs centered on African American history

The first program we want to share with you is a four-week series of talks on Martin Luther King. Scheduled for 4 PM Fridays (February 3, 10, 17 and 24) at the Main Library in Lorain, the focus of the talks by local activist and historian Iman Paul Hasan is on the four final years of Martin Luther King's life after the Civil Rights Act. The title of the series is "The Fall of King". 

The second program will take place on Saturday, February 18 at 2 PM.  Called the "Toni Morrison Legacy Lecture Series", our goal in this series is to promote African American contributions to American culture, much as Toni herself did during her life.  February 18 marks what would have been Toni Morrison's 91^st birthday. As many of you may also be aware, February 18 marks the second anniversary of the establishment of Toni Morrison Day in Ohio (Ohio House Bill 325).

The first lecture in this yearly series will be presented by Lorain County Community College professor Jewon Woo. The lecture, "Black Ohioans, the Newspaper-reading Citizens", will offer an overview of the vibrant communal life of African Americans from their own perspective and voice. Black newspapers, like various print matters produced by African Americans in U.S. history, can help us rethink ideas and practices on citizenship, civil rights and freedom in the constellation of our interconnected lives through their victorious achievements even when the government failed to regard them as full-right citizens. Dr. Woo will explain historical events found in Black newspapers that mark Ohio as a site of a democratic promise for freedom, equity and inclusion.   Dr. Woo is a recipient of a fellowships from the American College of Learned Societies and the National Endowment of Humanities for her digital project on Ohio's black newspapers.

Human Trafficking in Lorain County

The Bonner Center would like to invite you to a survivor-led panel discussion on human trafficking in Lorain County, an opportunity for community learning that we hope will lead to new conversations about how we might join together in this work. We will gather around 6:30pm in the A-level lobby of the Mudd Center for refreshments, and the discussion will begin at 7pm in the Moffett Auditorium (just across the hall from the new Bonner Center offices).

This event was made possible with generous support from the Nellie Heldt fund, and from our collaborators: The Collaborative to End Human Trafficking, the Nord Center, and Survivors of Sexual Harm & Allies (SOSHA).

There will also be tabling outside the event with representatives from the M.H.A.R.S Board (Mental Health, Addiction, & Recovery Board of Lorain County); Lorain County Safe Harbor, Genesis House; and Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. 

For more information please feel free to email directly at tdawkins@oberlin.edu. We look forward to being with you for this important event. 

No need to RSVP for this event, but if you plan to attend please notify the church office (office@firstchurchoberlin.org) so that we can provide a rough head count to the event organizers. Thank you.

Rural Response Network: Access to Services (Oberlin and Wellington) Questionnaire - Please Fill Out!

This questionnaire asks your opinion about alcohol and/or drug problems (substance use disorders), mental health, and barriers people might face in knowing if, how and where to get help.

It is intended for people ages 18 or older who live and/or work in Oberlin, Wellington and surrounding rural townships. Participation is voluntary and anonymous. All results will be added together and summarized.

This information will be used by The LCADA Way and the Rural Response Network consortium to help direct prevention/education, outreach, linkage, treatment, and recovery support efforts.

There are also physical copies of this survey available in the church office.

For those who picked up a physical copy, please turn into either the office or Oberlin Community Services ASAP!

LORAIN COUNTY FREE CLINIC

Would You Consider Giving 3 Hours Once a Month?

The Free Clinic seeks volunteer Nursing Professionals!

Nurse Practitioners, RNs, L.P.N, Medical Assistants.

 The time commitment is minimal, the impact is enormous!

Get Involved! Give Back to the Community!

Who:  All Nursing Professionals, Medical Assistants

What: Lorain County Free Clinic, Inc.

When: Once a month (3 hours max)! Times are flexible!

Mornings, Afternoons, Evenings

Where: 5040 Oberlin Ave, Lorain Ohio

Why: Uninsured, underserved in Lorain County; to help alleviate uninsured/self pays in physician’s offices and  inappropriate ER visits, unable to afford co-pays or deductibles, prescriptions.

How: Call 440-277-6641 to Enlist your Support!

CONTACT Maira Nieves Clinic Coordinator

lcfcmaira1@gmail.com

MEDICAL LIABILITY INSURANCE PROVIDED

All Professional Medical Volunteers are also covered under The Ohio Good Samaritan Law