Announcements
If you have church announcements, please send them to Kortney in the office at firstchurchucc@sbcglobal.net by Wednesday each week, so she can print them in the bulletin insert.
Second Hour:
Longtime member Dr. Richard Buel gives a presentation: “First Church in the Larger Scheme of Things: an Historical Exploration." He hopes to establish a genealogy between the Congregationalism of the Puritans who established First Church in the seventeenth century and the identity of First Church in the twenty-first century.
Typically Children's Sunday is held at the end of the church school year in June. This year, we've rescheduled the event to Rally Sunday, Sunday, September 11. Look forward to a service that will be out of this world!
Summer Worship: Church is enhanced, not canceled for the summer! You are encouraged to come and invite friends as you refresh yourselves with the LIVING WATERS of Summer Church, Sundays at 9:30am June 26th through September 4th. We will celebrate the unity of collaboration, the nurturing of tradition, the excitement of trying new things, with good ol’ worship held by Middletown and Portland UCC churches. Each service will be fully collaborative; First Church will be represented at each service, and when we host, other churches will be present too. Interdependence is the theme of the CTUCC Connecticut Conference of the United Church of Christ, so we have a special conference staff visitor each Sunday to share in leading us in worship. With pick up choir for special music beginning at 9am, conducted by Music Ministers Shari Lucas and Kasha Breau, each Sunday is also led by Rev. Julia Burkey, Rev. Jane Hawken and Rev Thea Racelis. Look for upcoming complete worship leader schedules, to include visitors such as conference minister Rev. Kent Siladi, Rev. Day McCallister, Rev. Mary Nelson, Karen Zeal, Rev. Michelle Hughes, Debbie Kirk and Rev.’s Theresa and Charla Kovadio, sharing their ministries with us! We are blessed to have such robust interest in our collaboration from conference staff, and we would be even more blessed with your presence. Let us worship God together this summer.
Leadership Retreat: Who? Me?!
When: Memorial Day Monday May 30th
Where: Memorial Room 1pm-5:30pm
Hosted by Rev. Julia and members of First Church leadership:
What does it mean to be a leader? In church, in our families, in our relationships, in church and
in the community? How do we effectively come to know ourselves and our particular gifts for
leadership? Perhaps leadership for you means showing up and supporting an event from the
background, and perhaps it means being a scribe and recording thoughts and ideas and the
movement of the Spirit. Perhaps you have the gift of prophesy and can’t help but tell the truth
as you see it all the time, even if it’s unpopular. We will work with Meyers-Brigg’s and Spiritual
Gifts Assessment, and leave renewed, with a better understanding of who we are and how we
are called to serve with the living Christ in our community and beyond
.
Living Stones, First Church Book Study: Reflections for a Deeper Life and Faith, Mondays at 6:45 pm. Every Monday you are invited to delve into a book study in the Upper Study at First Church. You may join in the discussions at anytime.
Elder Passage
The last meeting of ROPE will be on Thursday, May 26th @ 10:00am. The group will resume next Fall.
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