NEW MEMBER CLASS/FIRST UNITED ORIENTATION. Are you new around here?? Interested in considering official membership in our congregation?? We are always searching for ways to help the new ones in our midst to understand what makes our congregation function.? There will be two more classes that are informational in nature. September 25th and October 2nd at 9:30 a.m.?
KITCHEN WORK MORNING, SATURDAY?OCTOBER 8, 8:30-10:30 A.M. ?REFRESHMENTS PROVIDED. ?
WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY ? OCTOBER 2. On Sunday, October 2, we will celebrate World Communion Sunday by including a variety of traditional breads from cultures all around the world on the patens (bread plates) for our Communion service.? To add to the international flavor of the day, we invite you to wear traditional clothing from other cultures (e.g., saris, Lederhosen, kilts, kimonos, Mayan huipiles) in honor and celebration of the diversity of the human experience around the globe.?
HOW ARE AMERICAN STUDENTS SHAPED BY INSTITUTIONAL RACISM? On?Sunday, October 2nd, the Sacred Conversation on Race group will focus on how white privilege affects our educational institutions.? We will explore historical and contemporary patterns of discrimination and racism for various racial groups.? Please add your voice and experience to the Conversation!? We hope to see you at 9:30 in Room 6. ? ??
COMMUNION SERVERS. “Did you know that at First United Church anyone can serve communion; members, non-members, friends, youth. ?All you need to do is sign your name and email address (or phone number) on the sign-up sheets in the lobby outside the Fellowship Hall. ?The day of communion you will be given easy to follow instructions and if you have any questions you can ask Florence Shelton or any member of the Board of Worship.”??
COMMUNION-LOVE FUND-MCUM. Contributing to Love Fund and Monroe County United Ministries (MCUM) food pantry on the first Sunday of the month is one meaningful way we can extend our communion table out into the community. Love Fund is our fund for assisting people in need who contact or are referred to our church office (we took in $815 last month, and gave out $679, helping 11 folks who might otherwise fall through the cracks). MCUM is one of the service agencies in Bloomington we support, including monthly donations to their food pantry. Please consider helping us extend our table.
SYLVIA AND FRIENDS SING ?LOVE STORIES? FOR SHALOM. SAVE THE DATE!?The annual Sylvia and Friends concert is coming up soon! On October 9 Sylvia McNair and Friends will dazzle and delight with a wonderful new program of ?love stories.? Two-time Grammy Award Winner McNair along with soloists from the Jacobs School of Music will perform at 2:00 PM in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church. Seating is limited, so get your tickets now! Tickets ($30.00 for adults; $20.00 for students/children) may be purchased at the Buskirk-Chumley box office, online at www.bctboxoffice.com, or at the door. ALL proceeds will go to the Shalom Community Center. Please enter through 4th Street doors.?
YOU?RE INVITED TO THURSDAY PRAYER AT FIVE IN THE CHAPEL. We meet together with the intention of praying as a body for our church and community (both broadly and narrowly defined). Meetings are stewarded by a different individual from the group each week; our practices vary?at the direction of the facilitator.?We seek?to actively build up our community and one another through humble prayer together. If you can?t join us in the chapel, you?re invited to pray with us wherever you are on Thursdays at 5:00pm.?
STUDENTS, JOIN US FOR LUNCH. Students are invited to join us for lunch after worship Sundays in September in Roger Williams Hall (exit through the wooden doors at the front of the sanctuary and go down the hallway to the right).?
CURIOUS ABOUT SPIRITUAL DIRECTION??Spiritual Direction is a historically rooted ministry of our Christian tradition. A trained spiritual director serves as a spiritual companion to others on their faith journey, listening and discerning together. The purpose of spiritual direction is to become more attentive to God and specifically focuses on our relationship with God. It is not oriented toward a therapeutic management of life?s problems and crises even though God is very much present in all of life?s circumstances. It helps us to heighten the awareness of God?s presence and action in our lives and to make decisions based on that awareness. Your first session is FREE. Further sessions are based on a mutually arranged fee scale. Contact Dawna Petersen at spiritual.director@firstuc.org or 812-272-5404 to arrange your FREE session or to arrange an informal coffee date to chat about practice and prayer or to learn more about spiritual direction.?
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING. This month of September is our One Great Hour of Sharing drive. OGHS is an ecumenical offering for use here and around the world for disaster relief, refugee assistance, and development aid. This offering began as a response to help in war torn Europe after World War II. Ruth 1:16, Where will I go…”? proclaims this year’s focus on the refugee crisis. Please, join your sisters and brothers across denominations to generously assist refugees and those stricken by recent natural disasters.?
GROUNDS KEEPING. Have you ever wished you had a large home with great grounds to putter in? ?You do. First United Church with its 5+ acre lot is yours and mine. ?Join me, Laura Kao of the Board of Building and Grounds, on Thursday mornings at 8:30 this growing season for an hour of yard work. ?There is always weeding, trimming, and tidying to do, and I’ll be here every Thursday morning that I am in town. ?If you let me know you’re interested, ?e-mail me, I’ll know to keep you in the loop. ?laura_b_kao@hotmail.com ?Thanks!?
LOOKING FOR CHILDREN’S LEARNING TIME TEACHERS.? Do you like working with kids aged 3-12?? Do you have a passion for helping children learn how to live well with others?? Do you find fulfillment in teaching children about our shared faith and this amazing world we live in?? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we may have a teaching opportunity for you!? Please see Ted Wininger, Hopi Stosberg, Derek Roe, or anyone else from the Education Board for more information!
MINISTER OF CARE FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 25, IS DOUG PETERSEN.? A minister of care is a church volunteer who visits members in their home.
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