This Week:
11/22 - Onward House Coat Drive Continues thru Thanksgiving
11/27 - Noon Thursday EBlast
11/27-28 9 am -12 pm Pick up Advent Fest Kit and Wreath Orders
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FCCGE's Traditional
Advent Festival 2020
Kits Available for Pick Up at FCCGE
Nov. 27th and 28th
9 am- 12 pm
FCC has a loooong tradition of our yearly Advent Festival when families and individuals come together and make crafts together, share a meal and sing carols. The tradition continues this year with take-home kits! The kit contains crafts (yes, the yearly banner too!) and makings for a simple clay Advent Wreath. You can purchase a kit with or without a glue gun and glue sticks, so you'll have everything you need. Kits are limited so order now. Kits are $10 without a glue gun and glue sticks and $15 with a glue gun and glue sticks. Click here to order.
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Advent Wreath Only Kits
Available
Nov.27th and 28th
9 am- 12 pm
One of the many wonderful happenings in the Advent season in the church is the lighting of the candles in the Advent Wreath in the sanctuary. Since circumstances this year won't allow for in-person candle-lighting, we are offering an alternative. You can now order an Advent Wreath kit for home ( don't confuse this with our Advent FESTIVAL kits!). Your kit will contain a base, candle holders and candles (provide your own greenery) - all you'll need to perform your own lighting. But this gets better: on Sundays November 29th, December 6th, 13th and 20th at 5 pm we will all gather on ZOOM, listen to the liturgy and light our candles together. Order your wreath-only kit by clicking here.
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Poinsettias for
Christmas Eve
Adorn Our Sanctuary
It's that time of year when you can put in your order for poinsettias for the sanctuary for our Christmas Eve service recording. They are available in red, white and pink and cost $12.50 each. Please email Jennifer Darnall or call/text at 708.712.3712 to place your order along with the message you would like printed in the Christmas Eve bulletin accompanying the poinsettia donation (in memory of, in celebration of, etc.). Purchased poinsettias will be delivered to your home the week of Dec. 17-23rd. Thank you for helping to create a beautiful and traditional worship in a very untraditional year. |
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FCCGE Community Advent Wreath Candle Lighting
Sundays, 5 pm
We all know we can't physically be together to light our 2020 Advent Wreath Candles (don't be sad), but we certainly can in spirit and still see each other's beautiful faces. On Sundays
- November 29th
- December 6th
- December 13th
- December 20th
at 5 pm we will all gather on ZOOM, listen to the liturgy and light our candles together. November 29th:
Candle of HOPE
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Longest Night Worship Service
Tues., Dec. 1st at 7 pm
Longest Night Services typically occur around the longest night of the year- marking the way that darkness is part of our lives physically and spiritually during this time. Because we know season is a particularly hard one for many of us- with isolation- physical distancing- loneliness.
We are inviting you to join us in a space of sacred lament
December 1, at 7:00 pm via Zoom
for a live service where we can join our hearts together with God.
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New COVID-19 Restrictions in Effect for DuPage, FCCGE
Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Monday announced that heightened restrictions for DuPage, Kane, Kankakee and Will counties went into effect Wednesday, November 11, 2020, as COVID-19 cases surge to the highest levels since May. As Illinois returns to Tier 2 restrictions, this impacts the size of small groups and gatherings for FCCGE.
The restrictions are as follows:
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Restaurants – No indoor dining. Outdoor dining reduced from parties of 10 to 6 people.
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Meetings and social gatherings - Reduced to 10 people indoors and outdoors. This means all gatherings such as weddings, funerals or church meetings are reduced from 25 to 10 people, indoors and outdoors.
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Homeless shelters are exempt – therefore FCCGE will continue to host PADS on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday evenings. The PADS program was reinstated on Sunday, November 8 and is approved to serve up to 20 guests. Actual attendance has been well below this so far.
Pastors Seth and Kendra will continue to schedule one-on-one meetings with members, especially outdoors, as weather permits. Individuals or household groups of less than 10 are still invited to schedule time to meet outside, and individuals and households of fewer than ten people can make an appointment to visit in the Sanctuary for reflective prayer. Please call the church office at 630.469.3096 Mon-Fri, 9 am -5:30 pm beforehand to make a reservation.
For complete documentation of the latest FCCGE Pandemic Policy, click here.
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Glen Ellyn Youth and Family Counseling Services
Supporting Families Through Uncertain Times
GEYFCS is welcoming parents and caregivers with children who attend Glen Ellyn schools to attend a support group. This support group is provided free of charge. Learn more Sunday November 29th 10 am during our Adult Christian Ed hour (see article below).
Monday Evenings
Held virtually via Zoom
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Sanctuary Open for Individual Prayer Time
We recognize that in these difficult times, many of us are especially in need of the comfort of familiar and calming spaces. What better place than our beautiful, quiet and tranquil sanctuary? We are now making the sanctuary available for individual prayer/reflection/quiet time during the weekdays. Please call the church office at 630.469.3096 Mon-Fri 9-5:30 pm beforehand to make a reservation. We ask that you limit your time to 45 minutes and follow these protocols. We hope this gives you a time to breathe and feel the loving and hopeful presence of God. |
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Noon Prayer
Wednesdays
“For what does one get for all the toil and anxious striving with which they labor under the sun” Ecclesiastes 2:22
If you are feeling the pulling- of the work- of the world- of family- of Covid- of politics- of your own expectations worries and doubts. If you need a place to come and center in the presence of the One who is the Center, please join us for mid-day/mid-week prayer, as we pause from doing to being. This service will be one of shared liturgy on Wednesdays, 12:00-12:20, https://zoom.us/j/97047994594. |
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Yoga Classes Begin Soon!
Thurs. Dec. 3rd, 9:30 am
Do you miss yoga class with Cathy Christoff? Well, we do too and we have some news to make you flip (actually, stretch). Yoga will begin again on Thursdays at 9:30 am via ZOOM. The first class will take place on December 3rd, just in time to calm you in the hectic holiday season. Contact Cathy if you have any questions.
ZOOM link:
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Join our Newly-Forming
FCCGE Mental Health Ministry Team
In response to feedback from our congregation, the Service and Justice Committee has embarked on the development of a new FCCGE Mental Health Ministry Team. We have identified three initial focus areas:
1) Destigmatizing mental illness, 2) Educating our faith community on mental health issues, and 3) Connecting our members who struggle with mental health issues to resources and support within the congregation and in the community. Ultimately, we see the Mental Health Ministry Team leading an effort to certify our church as a UCC WISE (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, Engaged) Congregation for Mental Health.
If you have an interest in educating the congregation about mental health and supporting mental health initiatives, sign up here to help set the direction and launch this still emerging, vital Mental Health Ministry Team.
To learn about a myriad of opportunities the team might pursue, take time to review a fellow UCC congregation's experience establishing a WISE Mental Health Ministry Team.
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Adult Christian Ed
Nov. 22nd
10 - 11 am
Join us for the last week of our curriculum when Professor
Dear White Christians.
ZOOM link:
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Upcoming
Adult Christian Ed
Sunday November 29th 10 am
via Zoom
Deanna Filkins, the Executive Director of the Glen Ellyn Youth and Family Counseling Center- will be offering a program for parents who have young people who struggle with mental health. Whether you are a parent- a grandparent- a mentor or teacher, the topic of mental health affects so many young people we love and we want you to be part of the conversation. If there are specific things you want covered share that information with Pastor Kendra so we can be sure to address them in the talk. Join us via this link at 10 am Nov. 29th. |
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Christmas Fund
Nov. 22- Dec. 13th
We’re collecting donations for the Christmas Fund, which enables the UCC to provide financial assistance to low-income, retired clergy and widowed spouses. Make checks payable to First Congregational Church, with “Christmas Fund” on the memo line or click here to pay online (look for "Christmas Fund for Retired Clergy" in the dropdown menu). |
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2020 Advent Calendar
A Family Activity to benefit the
Glen Ellyn Food Pantry
Drop Off at Grace Lutheran Jan 4-8
Help make hungry history in our community! Fill a bag or box with a different item of food every day of Advent, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 24. Then deliver to the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry at Grace Lutheran Church, 493 Forest Ave, GE (Grace Lutheran Church, not First Congregational, please!) from Jan. 4 – 8, between 9-11 a.m. As the Bible says in Proverbs: “A gift opens and ushers the giver into the presence of the great.” The calendar is available at www.GlenEllynFoodPantry.org. |
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Care for Our College Students
Send Some Love!
This has been a hard year for college students and we at FCCGE would like to treat them to something special via mail. Fill out this form if you would like us to send a care package to your college youth. |
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Our 2020-21 Youth Education Online Registration Link |
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Welcome Shu-Hui (Janet), FCC's New Organist!
Great news! A new organist has accepted the position at FCC! We welcome Shu-Hui (Janet) Tsai. Janet comes to us with a rich background in music performance and music education and we are so blessed to have her as part of our staff.
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Anything Going on at Church? Yup. |
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Roof and HVAC Repairs
More Exciting Than You Think...
So why would you want to read about roof repairs? For starters, the folks still working in the building don't have to wear raincoats at their desks anymore, which is pretty cool (ok maybe part of that isn't true...). For seconders, these repairs wouldn't have happened without your generosity in contributing to our Capital Campaign (perking up yet?) No more drip drip drip in the music offices, no more ceiling stains. This is a long-overdue and welcome change to our old building and it thanks you!
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Giving During the Interim
We have a number of options for you to give during this interim period of At-Home Church:
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Flowers 2021
We are starting to schedule altar flower donations for 2021. Please give your calendars a gander and see which Sunday(s) you would like to donate. It's super easy-just call or text Jennifer Darnall at 708.712.3712.
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