COFFEE HOUR host(s) may volunteer by signing up on the pad in the Fellowship Hall Foyer. Treats are provided by the Board of Worship and Kitchen Committee, but special goodies, especially in celebration of a noteworthy occasion, are always appreciated but never an obligation. If you have never been a Coffee Hour host(s), please sign up and indicate whether you wish to be paired with an experienced kitchen helper.? Contact Malissa Sparks sparksmalissa@gmail.com with any questions or suggestions.
FIRST UNITED CHILDREN’S CHOIR! The Children’s Choir will begin rehearsing for Candlelight Service starting November 5th. We meet in the choir room immediately following Sunday morning service during Coffee hour. Ashley Frizzo, Rebecca Keith, and Vini Frizzo will all help with the rehearsal process, and all children are encouraged to join. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn music and be a part of a beautiful and long tradition. Candlelight Service is Sunday, December 10th at 7pm. ??
GLASS VASES FOR FLOWERS. Glass vases used for Sunday flowers should be returned to the church kitchen so they can be re-used. Purchasing new ones of the proper size each week will increase the cost.? Thank you for helping.?
APPLAUSE! After inviting comments and ideas from the congregation on the issue of applause in church, the Board of Christian Worship learned that there is no consensus or even interest in pursuing the topic further.? If you wish to clap for musical performances, please do so.? If you don?t like to clap in church, don?t clap. If you would like to use ASL ?jazz hands? to show appreciation, please do so. If you want to say AMEN after beautiful music, say it.? If you prefer to remain quiet or prayerful, do that.? The important thing is to follow your conscience and show (or not show) appreciation as you see fit while also respecting others? choice to show or not show their appreciation as they wish.? Thanks to all who offered their (diverse and divergent) thoughts on the topic.
INTERFAITH WINTER SHELTER TRAINING SESSIONS–Please pick up a yellow sheet of all the sessions scheduled so far. Today, Oct. 15, and next Sunday, Oct. 22, we’ll train volunteers in Fellowship Hall at 2 p.m., but all IWS training sessions are open to everyone, any of them will qualify you to volunteer any night, and only trained adult volunteers can sign up to help when our homeless guests are present. It takes more than 30 volunteers every Monday night to staff the shelter at First United, each working a shift of about 3 hours between about 7 pm and 7:30 the next morning.
Also, we?re looking for a daytime volunteer to help Maria Schmidt put shelter supplies in order between the nights it?s at our church?if indeed it?s at First United at all this winter before we start hosting at Wheeler Mission. Maria can tell you all about that, and you can buttonhole me and ask me anything. Sara Frommer, IWS volunteer coordinator, First United Church. firstucshelter@gmail.com
SAVE THE DATE! ON NOVEMBER 11 FROM 9:00A.M. TO NOON, HELP PREPARE THE CHURCH GROUNDS FOR WINTER.
AN INVITATION TO FUN & FRIENDSHIP.?Coming for fall, Creative Companions and Conversations is a time and place to drop in and work on your favorite project in community, to share your skills, to laugh, to chat and to reconnect with your creative spirit.
Hunt through those drawers and closets or pack up what?s next to your favorite chair! Bring your creative project (knitting, crocheting, painting, quilting, origami, woodcarving, beading, basket weaving, coloring, needlework, collage, doll-making, scrapbooking, ? ) to begin again or to start anew.
Or just come! – empty-handed and open-hearted. Kibbitz or learn from the other folks there. Or explore something new each time as well (drawing mandalas, Zentangle?, book-making? ) – direction and supplies provided.
The first gathering of Creative Companions and Conversations will be Saturday, October 14, 9:00a.m. to noon and Sunday, October 15, noon to 3:30p.m. Come for one day or both for as much time as you can. Bring a bag lunch if you like. There will be salad and fruit provided as well.
Bring a friend! If you need a ride to attend this event or could provide a ride contact Dawna Petersen at spiritual.director@firstuc.org.Future dates are November 4 & 5 and December 2 & 3. Mark your calendars now!
?FRIDAYS AT FIRST UNITED?
Play Friday: The next Play Friday is November 10 from 6-8 p.m. Play Friday is a recurring family friendly event on the 2nd Friday of each month. As usual there will be a pizza dinner and assorted games. November will also feature some “puzzling” activities and games. It helps with food planning if you RSVP to Hopi Stosberg at hopi@stosberg.com. See you there!
Just Friday: Just Friday is a monthly adult discussion group focused on various issues of justice. As the year closes we will focus discussion on issues of Abundance and Scarcity. Some people have far more than they need while others struggle, and are at times unable, to meet their basic needs. Join us as we discuss big questions of what is enough, what kind of responsibilities do we have to the world when privileged with abundance, different ways to give to the world, and how to balance abundance with scarcity. How can abundance and scarcity live side by side? There will be light refreshments, no childcare provided. Discussions will occur at First United Church in Roger Williams Hall from 7-9 p.m. on the following Friday evenings:
October 27-Food: Americans lead the world in food waste, yet there are people starving. When faced with packed grocery shelves it is all too easy to overbuy. Explore the abundance and scarcity of food as a balancing act.
December 1-Giving & Materialism: Just in time for the holiday season we reflect on the value of giving toward the world instead of toward ourselves, but sometimes what we want to give is not what is most needed.
?MINISTER OF CARE FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 15, PHYLLIS PERKINS.? A minister of care is a church volunteer who visits members in their home.
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