An open and affirming, Just Peace, Green Justice, Global Mission Congregation

No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here!

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Meeting House Hearing Loop 

If you use a hearing aid that connects with the hearing loop in the Meeting House please be aware that where you sit in the Meeting House may affect your audio experience. The installer of the hearing loop recently met with our lead A/V technician and conducted a thorough test of the Meeting House hearing loop. The system is functioning properly but due to some of the structural features of the Meeting House there are some seating areas where it is possible to experience a noticeable diminishment in amplification. Specifically, the ends of some pews in the center seating section. If you are seated at the end of a pew (i.e., on the aisle) in the center seating section of the Meeting House and find the hearing loops amplification insufficient try moving either more towards the center of the section (i.e., inward toward the middle of the Meeting House) or shifting to a seat in the side section of pews. If you find you are still having difficulty connecting with the hearing loop, please notify the church office.

First Church, Its Mission, and Its Ministry

Adult Education THIS Sunday:

First Church History

Following the worship service on April 14, there will be an adult education session in the JFO Room. At this session, Laurel Price Jones will give a talk about the early history of First Church, from the founding of the church, the college, and the town of Oberlin in 1833. The early years of the church were dedicated to survival of the church and the college as well as the spread of abolitionism. Laurel will talk about the arrival of Charles Grandison Finney in 1835 and the building of the Meeting House beginning in 1841. To leave time for discussion, she will close with the changes that were coming at the end of the Civil War.

This program is sponsored by the Stewardship Committee, which hopes to connect this fascinating topic to the mission of the Finney Tent Society. Everyone can be assured of a warm welcome!

Jen is on vacation April 15-21!



Our director of Faith Formation will be taking some time off in mid-April, and will not be checking email or phone messages between April 15th and April 21st. Please call the office if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks for allowing our staff the ability to disconnect during sabbath times! 

Bel Canto Concert

Bel Canto Ringers will play a short concert for First Church attendees on Sunday, April 21 at 11:30 am. Come to Fellowship Hall after the service to hear First Church bells played by this Kendal handbell choir. 

Climb the Christology Ladder!

As promised, here is the link to the podcast about Christology Jen mentioned in her Low Sunday Reflection. If you watch on YouTube, a transcript is available of the discussion as it happens. Click on the word "more" under the podcast video, and then click on the word "Transcript."

Happy Listening! 

Highlights from the Executive Council meeting 3/26/24:

The Executive Council will try to offer a brief summary of topics discussed at the monthly Council meetings. Below is our first installment, with highlights from the meeting held on March 26. Look for more information each month following the meetings.



• Plans are coming together to host a second annual Spring Festival on Saturday, May 11. Music, food, entertainment, and non-profit organizations will all gather at First Church for fun and community outreach. Volunteers always needed.
• Narcan boxes will be installed, without charge, one indoors and one outside, for overdose prevention.
• A new sound system will be purchased that will enhance performances held on the outdoor Terrace. 
• The possibility of being the new home of the Ginko Kittens is being discussed. If this happens, the kittens would be housed in an upstairs classroom.
• The annual congregational meeting will be held Sunday, May 5, immediately following worship.

Join us for Broadway and the Bible! 

On Wednesday, April 24th, at 7 pm, in the JFO Room, join Jen Bertoni for Broadway and the Bible: the Outcast Edition! We'll be examining Broadway songs by and for people on the margins, starting with the first Biblical outcast - Eve, the mother of all. Refreshments will be provided.  

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Discernment 

(But Were Afraid To Ask)! 

On Sunday, April 28th, after worship, Jen will be sharing about her journey as a Member in Discernment. Ever wondered about the process people go through to be ordained? (Ever wonder if it might be for you?) Come find out about how it all works, and how close Jen is to the finish line! Refreshments will be provided.  

Save the date! 

Saturday, May 11 we will host our second annual Spring Festival at First Church! Games, music, entertainment, non-profit groups, food, balloons, and lots of fun are in store, but your help is needed. We will need plenty of volunteers on that day, but also encourage those who can help organize and have good ideas to contribute to help plan now. If you have ideas to share or just want to be part of the fun, please contact Moderator Anne Sprague moderator@firstchurchoberlin.org

Summer Camp Registration is Open!

Registration has started for the final summer of camp at Templed Hills. All the usual camps are here: MMADD, Grands and Family, Camp Out (for LGBTQAI+ youth), Sports Camp, and more! There is a NEW registration system, so be aware: if you would like help from First Church with camp expenses, please make sure to call Jen Bertoni FIRST, so she can provide you with the First Church discount code, which will enable you to only pay the $75 registration fee - we cover the rest!

You can find more information about the camps, as well as a registration link, at this link: 

https://heartlanducc.org/templed-hills/

Thanks to all for your continued support of Outdoor Ministries! 

Please fill out our Winter Retreat Survey!

With the closing of Templed Hills, we are looking at new places and ways to hold our annual Winter Retreat - and we need your input to create the best event possible! Please fill out the survey below by April 22nd, and help the Chirstian Ed. Committee determine the best course of action for future retreats! 

Thanks in advance for your time and your input. 

Kairos Kolumn

from the First Church Green Team

Making Our Actions Count: An Introduction to Strategic Nonviolent Organizing

Change-makers, assemble! Join a multi-generational workshop equipping individuals & groups with leadership skills for nonviolent community organizing. In this day-long training, learners will get an introduction to strategic nonviolent action and how to increase the success of their climate justice advocacy and movement.

The Family Life Center 16349 Chillicothe Road, Bainbridge, OH, United States

Join a multi-generational workshop equipping individuals & groups with leadership skills for nonviolent community organizing. In this day-long training, learners will get an introduction to strategic nonviolent action and how to increase the success of their climate justice advocacy and movement facilitated by Joe Worthy

Did you know...

Single-use plastics have become one of the most urgent environmental threats. These are too often buried in landfills or dumped untreated in our precious water sources. Even the manufacturing process itself has been identified as a major source of climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions.

As people of faith, we are not exempt from the overuse of plastics. Communion cups, nativity scenes and Easter eggs are just a few of the Christian staples that contribute to our single-use plastics issue. Bleyer Industries was once the only American manufacturer of plastic eggs, and at its height in the early 2000s, it was making 250 million eggs a year. It has since gone bankrupt because it could not compete with the cheaper plastic eggs coming out of China.

The First Church Green Team meets via Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month @ 5 pm. Contact Martin Buck at mbuck@oberlin.net for an invitation and link.

Do You Enjoy Singing?

We are looking for people who enjoy singing to join the Finney Choir. We meet Thursdays 6:45-8PM, and at 9AM on Sundays before the service. You don’t need to have a lot of experience or read music - there are many friendly people in the choir to help you out! If you just want to come for part of the year, like preparing for Advent or Easter, you’re very welcome to. You can write Tom at musicdirector@firstchurchoberlin.org if you have any questions.

The Wider Community

Can you help?

I know it's an odd pairing, and we don't plan to mix them — can you even imagine?! But the OCS pantry needs both canned meats and cereal options this week. If you're passionate about ensuring folks in southern Lorain County have access to food, please donate at 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin. 

Thank you so much for helping! We are so grateful to get community support, and so are the roughly 350 families who get food each week.