Announcements for the week of November 3, 2024

by | Nov 1, 2024 | Sunday Announcements | 0 comments

QUICK LINKS

  • Sunday Morning Worship – Sundays @ 10:30am; Join Zoom Webinar here
  • Off-Topic Scripture Circle – Mondays @ 10am; Join Zoom Meeting here
  • Morning Café and Discussion – Tuesdays @ 10am;Join Zoom Meeting here
  • Scripture Reader sign up – Click here (needed 11/10)
  • Usher sign up – Click here (needed 11/10 & 11/17)
  • Flowers sign up – Click here
  • Coffee Hour Host sign up – Click here (needed 11/17)
  • Communion Server sign up –Click here
  • Community Kitchen sign up – Click here
  • Online Commitment/Pledge Card – Click here
  • Donate to First United Online – Click here
  • First United YouTube Channel (sermons) – Click here
  • First United Vimeo Channel (full worship services) – Click here

DON’T FORGET

Pizza & Play – TONIGHT!

Members and friends of First United of all ages and family configurations (and your friends and family) are encouraged to gather for Pizza & Play TONIGHT, November 1st, 5:30pm-7:30pm. We’ll enjoy a time of informal, unprogrammed fun and fellowship in Fellowship Hall and surrounding areas, both inside and out (weather permitting). As the name implies, pizza, drinks, and dessert will be provided. This celebration will be a little extra special as we’ll also be celebrating Pastor Jessica’s birthday (November 4th) and fourth anniversary as Senior Minister (November 2nd).

Daylight Saving Time Ends – Fall Back

A reminder that Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, November 3rd at 2am, so remember to set your clocks back one hour before you head to bed on Saturday night and get an extra hour of snoozing time, or you may end up at the church an hour earlier than intended!

All Saints’ Sunday with Special Music

Join us this Sunday, November 3rdm as in reverence and remembrance we light candles and toll a bell in honor of the life of congregants who have died in the past year. As part of our observance, we invite you to bring candles to light in remembrance of deceased loved ones and display them on a table on the side of the sanctuary. These can be for family members and friends or other influential individuals; there will also be an opportunity to share the names of these beloved. Those who choose to bring candles should take them with them at the end of the service.

Additionally, the First United Vocal Choir will mark the occasion with a very special performance as they have been working hard to prepare various settings of English remembrance texts, with Hansol Kim accompanying at the organ. Two pieces they are singing come from the famed “Songs of Farewell” by composer Charles Hubert Hastings Parry. These texts feature the poetry of Henry Vaughan and John Davies and, while not explicitly sacred, contain imagery we often associate with the divine. In addition, they will sing a setting of Revelations 21 by Edward Bainton and will offer a choral benediction with John Rutter’s famous “The Lord bless you and keep you.” The service will feature more music from the choir than usual, as we wish to present these pieces on this special day in as much of their entirety as possible. We hope you will be able to join us this All Saints’ Sunday for this very special presentation.

Harvest Ingathering

While the Board of Outreach regularly invites you to offer food donations on the first Sunday of each month, in November, we encourage you to bring a donation every Sunday leading up to our Annual Harvest Ingathering on Sunday, November 24th. Please bring non-perishable food items anytime and every time you come to our building to help with this critical community need. As always, all of the collected food and cleaning/hygiene items will go to Monroe County United Ministries (MCUM), and pet food will go to Area 10 Agency on Aging. Click here to for a list of MCUM’s ongoing needs. Thank you for your generosity!

CLT Workday

All those interested in supporting Children’s Learning Time (CLT) are invited to gather for a CLT Workday this Sunday, November 3rd, at 12pm to organize Room 2 (where CLT meets). Work will also include relocating supplies from the church office and taking note of what materials we are in need of. CLT adult leaders are strongly encouraged to attend to share their input regarding CLT room needs and to become more familiar with what supplies we have and where they are stored. We will meet in Room 2.

Voice Faculty Cabaret

The Voice Faculty Cabaret will take place in our sanctuary this Sunday, November 3rd, at 6pm. It will feature members of the Voice Faculty of the Jacobs School of Music, including Jane Dutton, Kim Gill, Alice Hopper, Deanne Meek, Tichina Vaughn, Patricia Stiles, Brian Gill, Thomas King, Zachary Coates, Matthew Gemmill, and Allan Armstrong. Admission is $10. Proceeds go to benefit the Student NATS (National Association of Teachers of Singing) chapter at IU.

Out of the Office

Pastor Jessica will be out of the office for vacation on November 4th and 11th-17th. During that time, if you have an emergency, you are welcome to contact Lisa Stanger during regular office hours and Mitchell Farmer outside of those times. Many thanks to Vickey Allen for offering worship leadership while Pastor Jessica is away on Sunday, November 17th.

Election Day

As you are likely aware, Election Day is this Tuesday, November 5th. All those eligible are encouraged to make your voice heard through voting on the 5th. Click here for more information regarding voting in Monroe County, including finding your polling place and sample ballots.

NEW/UPDATED THIS WEEK

Happy Birthday!

Please remember in your prayers and give thanks for those who will be celebrating their birthdays in the week ahead: Jessica Petersen-Mutai (November 4), Marie Webster (November 5), Malissa Sparks (November 6), and Steven Knipp (November 8). We are blessed to have you in our lives!

Advent Study

Advent is just around the corner with Christmas soon to follow! All are invited to consider the biblical stories regarding the birth of Jesus through a four-week Advent series based on “The Birth of Jesus” by John Shelby Spong. The group will gather in Room 1 each Sunday in December, 9am-9:45am, to discuss the assigned reading for the day. The reading schedule will be forthcoming. Please contact Pastor Jessica by November 18th, if you would like assistance locating a copy of the book, or have any questions. A couple of copies will be available through the church for participants interested in sharing a copy with others; contact Pastor Jessica if interested.

Off-Topic Scripture Circle – Cancellation

You are invited to join members and friends of First United via Zoom (click here) each Monday morning at 10am to check in and explore the week’s lectionary scripture readings in a casual setting where you will never be asked to leave your brain or your heart at the door. We will not meet on November 4th and 11th as Pastor Jessica will be on vacation.

Keeping Up with Our Congregation

One of the gifts of being part of a community of faith is that we don’t face the ups and downs and middles of life alone. We invite you to share what is going on in your lives by contacting Lisa Stanger and/or Pastor Jessica so we can appropriately share information (with your permission) with our wider community of care that we might offer our support whatever you may be facing.

You are encouraged to offer your prayers and actions of support for:

Jerry Barker (Jen Lane’s mother)

Jameson Poorman (Jen Lane’s nephew)

Rachel Workman

Anne Wright (Mary Peckham’s sister)

Sam Troxal

Danielle Sheets Ivey (Sara Ivey Lucas’s sister-in-law)

Christopher Meincke (Eric’s brother)

Office Closure

The church office will be closed for regular hours Monday, November 18th through Friday, November 22nd while Lisa Stanger is away. Please contact Pastor Jessica should you need immediate assistance.

UPCOMING WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Sunday Morning Hybrid Worship

Join us for worship each Sunday morning at 10:30am. This first Sunday of the month, we will gather at God’s welcome table and celebrate communion together. Note: Communion elements (bread and wine/juice) will be served in the pews for those gathering in the sanctuary; online worshipers are encouraged to prepare a “nibble” and a “sip” prior to the start of the service. Kim Yaussy Albright, Dawn Faris, and Gwen Staggs will serve those who gather in person and could use some help.

This Sunday’s service will feature Rev. Jessica Petersen-Mutai in the pulpit; she will also offer a special message for the young and young at heart. Kim Yaussy Albright will present the day’s scripture and serve as our congregational lead. Additionally, Mitchell Farmer will highlight some of the many ways we are invited to engage in the life of the church and our wider community. Eric Meincke and Hansol Kim will lead us in song, and the First United’s Vocal Choir will offer special music. Linda Smith, Keith Gerber, and Dave Meyer will offer a warm welcome to those who will gather in the sanctuary. And, Kyle Hetrick and Jim True will welcome all who join via Zoom as they ensure the audio/visual pieces run as smoothly as possible. Finally, be sure to join us in Fellowship Hall after worship for a time of fellowship and refreshment hosted by Lisa Green.

Join the Zoom Webinar by clicking here

Dial-in number: (312) 626-6799; Webinar ID: 828 3681 0281

The service will be posted on Sunday evening on First United’s Vimeo channel (where you can access all of our previous worship services).

Donate online by clicking here

Join Our Church Choirs!

All those who are musically inclined are invited to join First United’s Bell and Vocal Choirs. The Bell Choir rehearses weekly on Thursdays in Roger Williams Hall from 6:15-7:15pm (NO rehearsal on November 14th), and the Vocal Choir rehearses weekly on Thursdays from 7:30-9:00pm in the Choir Room (NO rehearsal on November 7th and 14th). If you are interested in joining either or both choirs, please reach out to Eric Meincke (ericdmeincke@gmail.com). Hansol Kim can also answer questions about joining the Bell Choir (mitsol919@gmail.com). No prior experience is required to join either group! If you love music and want a way to express that love through fellowship, the First United Church Music Ministry is the place for you!

Time to Order Holiday Poinsettias 

Brighten the church sanctuary with Holiday Poinsettias and support the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra by ordering poinsettias through the BSO’s Annual Poinsettia Sale. To order poinsettias to decorate the chancel during Advent and take home afterward, bring your check (made out to “BSO Poinsettia 2024”) to the church office or place it in the offering plate no later than Friday, November 15th; write “poinsettias” in the memo line. Each plant costs $15.00, beautifies the church, and supports the Bloomington Symphony Orchestra. Your poinsettias may be picked up outside Fellowship Hall on Monday, December 16th, if you would like to take them home. Please let Lisa in the church office know if you would like to order one.

COMMUNITY CARE

Fall Workday

Join the Board of Building and Grounds on Saturday, November 9th from 8am to 11am for a workday to help us keep the grounds looking good. We will be raking, weeding the courtyard, cleaning leaves from the gutters, and doing other chores. We have some rakes and snips, but more would be welcome. Hope to see you then; it will be a good time!

People’s Market

First United houses the People’s Cooperative Market in our Fellowship Hall regularly each Saturday. During the winter season, the market will shift to a more limited schedule for full, live market days while continuing to pack and deliver CSA every Saturday, 10am-2pm. Mark your calendars for their Winter Market dates: November 16th, and December 14th and 21st, 10:00am-2:00pm. The People’s Market is an intersectional anti-racism farmers market and artisan vendor space that focuses on food justice work. All are welcome to attend the Saturday markets and/or order from their online CSA for pickup or delivery; food is always made available to anyone in need. You are also encouraged to consider volunteering with People’s Market; if interested, contact them directly at peoplesmarketmanager@gmail.com.

Support Refugees

Our Displaced Immigrant Support Program (DISP) needs your help. We need more volunteers so that we can help additional refugees. In three years, we have helped and nurtured relationships with Ahad, Bertha, Brishna, Carlos, Dara, Emaan, Emraan, Fares, Heela, Jasary, José, Keren, Mohamad, Muntana, Ossama, and Tasnim. That is a lot for a team of five volunteers! To help more people from Bloomington’s growing refugee population, we need to grow our volunteer team! We are currently working most actively with a Syrian family that speaks Arabic.

The good news is that DISP is partnering more with the Bloomington Refugee Support Network (RSN). This allows for future volunteers to more easily participate in “one-off” activities such as driving a refugee to/from an appointment without making a longer-term commitment. Can you help? Please contact Dave Meyer at dave@davemeyer.org for further information.

First United Covenant Groups

Are you looking for a space where you can connect with others from First United? Your Member Relations Committee (MeRC) invites you to join one of First United’s four Covenant Groups: Journaling; Faith, Food, and Fellowship; LGBTQ+ Fellowship Group; and In-House Projects. These groups of 8-10 people meet in homes or in the wider community. Learn more here (includes descriptions of groups, start dates name and contact information of hosts). Please email hosts to ask questions and/or let them know you’d like to participate.

Hurricane Relief

The impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton is widespread and devastating. Our siblings in the United Church of Christ and American Baptist Churches-USA have experienced this devastation; they and the wider communities of which they are a part are in need of our assistance as they begin the long road of recovery. Both the UCC and ABC-USA have a long history of supporting communities as they recover from disaster well after their plight fades from the headlines. As we continue to pray for and respond to those who have experienced unimaginable loss this past week, please consider a gift through the Hurricane Helene Recovery Appeal (UCC) or the American Baptist Home Missions Society relief fund (ABC-USA). Your gifts matter. This is something you can do to help alleviate suffering, rebuild homes, and restore communities. Your gifts will make a difference to those who are struggling during these difficult times and enable needed assistance as we stand with impacted communities in the years ahead. Thank you for your generosity.

The Joy of Hosting

Our Member Relations Committee continues to offer support to weekly coffee hour hosts and encourage everyone to sign up to host—it’s easy, fun, and a great way to serve your church family with a one-time commitment. Sign up as buddies or families, invite someone you’ve been wanting to get to know, use the occasion to showcase a family recipe or try out a new one. Sign up to host by clicking here.

EDUCATIONAL OFFERINGS 

Feminist Women’s Book Club

Our feminist women’s book club will meet at 12noon next Sunday, November 10th, in Roger Williams Hall and via Zoom to discuss “Cackle” by Rachel Harrison. All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position in a small village in upstate NY. It’s perfect, picturesque and the people are friendly and warm. Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. Annie can’t help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the townsfolk seem…a little wary of her. Sophie’s appearance is ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power. Feminist women of all ages are welcome to join! Check out our book club’s Pinterest listing: http://pinterest.com/reginammoore/feminist-book-club/. For Zoom information or more information about the book club contact facilitator Cindy Stone, stonec@indiana.edu.

Tuesday Morning Café and Discussion

Join us in Roger Williams Hall or via Zoom (click here) Tuesdays at 10am-11:30am as we gather for a time of informal conversation followed by thought-provoking theological study and discussion. We recently began a new 24-sesson study: “Jesus and His Jewish Influences” presented by Jodi Magness. Follow an acclaimed archaeologist to unearth the roots of Jesus’s actions and teachings within the traditions of early Judaism. This fascinating course approaches the subject from a historical, rather than scriptural, perspective; one rooted in ancient texts and archaeological discoveries. Discover hidden insights into how the tumultuous events of Jewish history shaped an individual whose legacy endures to this day. Learn more about the series here. Previous participation and perfect attendance are not required.

Children’s Learning Time

Each Sunday morning, children in kindergarten and up will begin in the Sanctuary with their families and proceed to Room 2 with their adult leads for Children’s Learning Time (CLT) following the Children’s Time. Many thanks to Noel Koontz and Megan Merrick for leading CLT this Sunday.

You are invited to consider whether you might be able to join our teaching rotation to enrich the program for the kids and gain so much from the experience yourself! Lesson materials and supplies are provided, and we have seasoned leaders to help get newer volunteers acclimated. If you are interested or have questions, please reach out to Megan Merrick, Pastor Jessica, or any member of the Board of Education.

Nursery Care

Our youngest children are welcome to spend time from 10am-11:45am playing in the nursery or on the playground, weather permitting. Brishna Arman and Jessica McIntosh will ensure our little ones are safe and engaged in fun activities during worship this Sunday. We are always looking for additional volunteer assistants to help in the nursery occasionally. Contact Jessica McIntosh if you are interested and with any questions.

CONGREGATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

First United Is on Instagram and YouTube

First United is now active on Instagram and YouTube! You are encouraged to check out both these online offerings: Instagram (firstuc2420) and YouTube (@FirstUCBtown). Share them with your wider circles as we share more broadly our open, welcoming, and affirming message of Progressive Christianity and invite more folks into the impactful ministry of First United.

Announcements Deadline

If you would like an announcement included in next week’s church email, please have your item to Lisa Stanger by noon on the Wednesday before.

2024 Offering Envelopes and Direct Deposit

Offering envelope boxes are available in the church office. Whether you’ve used them before or this is your first time, you are welcome to pick up a box! Alternatively, if you would like to give to the church through direct deposit, please contact Lisa in the office to make sure she knows you would like to give in this convenient way and has your updated information.

Contact Information

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