Announcements for the week of December 28, 2025

by | Dec 26, 2025 | Sunday Announcements | 0 comments

QUICK LINKS

  • Synoptic Gospels Bible Study – Sundays @ 9:30am (begins 01/11); Join Zoom Meeting here, access reading schedule here
  • Sunday Morning Worship – Sundays @ 10:30am; Join Zoom Webinar here
  • Morning Café and Discussion – Tuesdays @ 10:15am (No meeting 12/30); Join Zoom Meeting here
  • Scripture Reader sign up – Click here (needed 01/04)
  • Usher sign up – Click here (needed 12/28, 01/04, & 01/11)
  • Flowers sign up – Click here
  • Coffee Hour Host sign up – Click here (needed 01/04 & 01/11)
  • Communion Server sign up –Click here (needed 01/11)
  • Donate to First United Online – Click here
  • First United YouTube Channel (sermons & more) – Click here
  • First United Vimeo Channel (full worship services) – Click here
  • 2024-2025 Annual Report – Click here
  • Accessible to All 101 Presentation – Click here
  • 2026 Online Pledge Card – Click here
  • Congregational Survey – Click here (deadline 01/16)

DON’T FORGET

A Cozy Christmas & Breakfast!

On Sunday, December 28th at 10:30am, wear something comfy and cozy and join your First United family for a casual, cozy, festive service as we continue to celebrate the season of Christmas and prepare to welcome the new year. Together we’ll share a time of storytelling and song celebrating the joy of community and gift of God’s unbounded love. Come a bit early for light breakfast food in the Sanctuary at 10am! If you are able, you are welcome to bring a breakfast side to share. Note: there will be no CLT or Nursery this Sunday as all are encouraged to participate in our Cozy Christmas service.

End of the Year Charitable Contributions

Some members and friends of our faith community like to make charitable contributions at the end of the year, either to fulfill a pledge or make an additional gift for 2025, or to pre-pay a pledge for 2026. Please note that per IRS guidelines, in order to be eligible for a 2025 tax deduction:

  • donations delivered directly to the church must be received by December 29th
  • credit card donations must be initiated before 11:59pm on December 31st
  • mailed checks must be postmarked by the USPS on or before December 31st
  • stock donations or wire transfers must be completed/processed by December 31st (so they should be initiated by mid-December)

Any donations received or processed after these deadlines cannot count for 2025. Updated contribution statements were sent out last month, but please check with the church office if you want updated information on our 2025 giving so far this year.

Church Office Closures – Holidays and Vacation

The church office will be closed for regular hours December 26th and December 31st-January 4th while Pastor Jessica and Lisa Stanger are away for a mixture of holiday and vacation leave. If you have an emergent need during that time, you may contact Kim Yaussy Albright December 26th-27th, and Michael Shell December 31st-January 4th. Many thanks to Vickey Allen for leading worship and preaching on Sunday, January 4th, while Pastor Jessica is away.

Angel Tree

The Board of Community & Outreach invites you to support HeadStart’s initiative to give Kroger gift cards to each of their families this holiday season as a part of our ongoing efforts to address food insecurity in our community. Please take a tag from the Angel Tree (located in the Chancel) to purchase either a $25 or $50 Kroger gift card(s). Gift cards should be delivered to the church office or placed in the offering plate. Any gift cards received will be distributed to HeadStart families at the beginning of the new year. Thank you for your abundant generosity this holiday season!

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: Liam Kersten (December 30). We are blessed to have you in our lives!

Read the Synoptics in a Year

As we embark on a new year and seek to live out our discerned mission more fully, you are invited to explore the words and deeds of Jesus through studying the synoptic gospels (Mark, Matthew, and Luke) over the course of 2026. This exploration will include daily readings (access suggested reading schedule here), a weekly Sunday morning discussion group beginning January 11th (9:15-10am in Roger Williams Hall and via Zoom, click here), and weekly reflections during worship. Let us join together in following Jesus more faithfully and fruitfully in the new year!

Pizza & Play

Members and friends of First United of all ages and family configurations (and your friends and family) are encouraged to gather for Pizza & Play on Friday, January 9th, 5:30-7:30pm. We’ll enjoy a time of informal, unprogrammed fun and fellowship in Fellowship Hall. As the name implies, pizza, drinks, and dessert will be provided. If you’re planning to attend, please let Pastor Jessica know by Wednesday, January 7th so she can be sure to have enough food for all and account for any dietary needs.

Upcoming Board Meetings

The Board of Community & Outreach (Julia Bebeau, Chair) will meet via Zoom on Monday, January 5th, at 5:30pm. The Board of Worship, Art, and Music (Vickey Allen, Chair) will meet via Zoom on Monday, January 12th, at 5:30pm. All meetings of Boards and Council are open to the wider congregation. Please be in touch with appropriate chairs if you are interested in attending.

Feminist Women’s Book Club

Our feminist women’s book club meets after worship on the second Sunday of the month in Roger Williams Hall and via Zoom. We are women who have a lively discussion starting at 12noon, for about an hour. We read recent fiction “by women, for women or about women.” Members are equally split among women from our church and the community. Feminist women of all ages are invited to join us. Our pick for January 11th is“Night Watch” by Jayne Anne Phillips—a Pulitzer Prize winner with a story about a mother and daughter seeking refuge in the chaotic aftermath of the Civil War and a brilliant portrait of family endurance against all odds. Check out our book club’s Pinterest listing here. For Zoom information or more information about the book club contact facilitator Cindy Stone, stonec@iu.edu.

2026 Offering Envelopes and Direct Deposit

We will use leftover offering envelope boxes for 2026. For 2026, your number box will not be the same; please contact Lisa Stanger if you would like envelopes! 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.

UPCOMING WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Sunday Morning Hybrid Worship

Join us for worship each Sunday morning at 10:30am. This Sunday’s service will feature the story “The Unicorn at the Manger” by Roger L. Robbennolt as we dwell in the Christmas season, and Hyeyeon Ahn will lead us in singing beloved songs of the season. Sara Cole will serve as our congregational lead. Daniel Salvat and Keith Gerber will offer a warm welcome to those who will gather in the sanctuary;click here to help. Kyle Hetrick and Martin Mutai will welcome all who join via Zoom as they ensure the audio/visual pieces run as smoothly as possible. Be sure to join us for light breakfast food in the Sanctuary BEFORE the service at 10am hosted by our Board of WAM and bring a dish to share. While there will be no coffee hour following the service, you are welcome to stick around to eat breakfast leftovers!

Join the Zoom Webinar by clicking here

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

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

Donate online by clicking here

Unhanging of the Greens

The time is nearing to take down the beautiful greens and decorations that have adorned the Sanctuary and Fellowship Hall through the season of Advent and will continue to do so through the season of Christmas. All who are willing and able are invited to gather on Sunday, January 4th, at 1pm, to take down and pack up the decorations so they are ready to go for next year. Thank you for your help!

COMMUNITY CARE

First Sunday Food Drive

The Board of Community & Outreach invites you to offer food donations on the first Sunday of each month on a table in the narthex. On Sunday, January 4th, we encourage you to bring donations of non-perishable food items for our community members in need. As always, all of the collected food and cleaning/hygiene items will go to Pathways, and pet food will go to Area 10 Agency on Aging. Updated food items needed for Pathways include children’s snacks and cereals given that the recipients of the food are families that are in Pathways rather than general food distribution. More specifically, children request sugarcoated cereal like Fruit Loops and individual snacks in small packages. Helper meat boxes such as hamburger helper and tuna helper continue to be needed. Thanks to your generosity, a total of 101 pounds was delivered by Keith Gerber from donations given toward our December 7th food drive!

Finding Focus: Thriving Congregations Grant Project

We recently completed the first phase of our Thriving Congregations Grant Project: Finding Focus as, together, we articulated a compelling, focused mission statement that reflects who we are and who God calls us to be: Following Jesus, Doing Justice, Building Community. We are now actively engaging in the second phase of our project: discerning a justice issue that we, as a congregation, will focus on with intention and clarity. You are strongly encouraged to get involved now by completing this survey (click here) by January 16th and marking your calendars for small group listening sessions on Saturday, January 31st and a congregational conversation after worship on February 1st led by Kerri-Ann Hayes of Ministry Architects.

Please contact members of our grant team (Kim Yaussy Albright, Rebecca Keith, Mitchell Farmer, and Pastor Jessica) with any questions as they are happy to respond to any questions you may have regarding the grant project as we continue work on this phase and move into phases three and four: 3) sharing who we are and what we do more boldly with our community and neighbors and 4) sustaining our focus by investing in ongoing stewardship and generosity that fuels this work for years to come.

Faith in the Face of Fear Rally

In a time of anxiety and division, people of every faith and no faith are gathering to lift our voices, learn practical skills, and stand for dignity, justice, and hope. Indiana Faith Voices for Justice invites you to the free rally, “Faith in the Face of Fear,” on Thursday, January 8th. The rally will begin at 10am at the Indiana Statehouse and conclude with Informative Workshops from 1-4pm at the Downtown Hilton (120 W Market St, Indianapolis). Visit infaithvoicesforjustice.org for workshop registration and to volunteer.

Our Thriving Congregations Grant Team would like to send a group from First United to this event as we seek to discern how we are being called and inspired to engage in doing justice together as a congregation. Contact Pastor Jessica if you are interested in being a part of this group; please indicate if you are interested in carpooling.

Additionally, you are invited to share this information and link with your friends, colleagues, and others as soon as possible. There is no registration for the rally at the Statehouse, and everyone is encouraged to attend. Please contact Mark Lynch at mark@indyhunger.org, Mariann Scott at marianns@cccindy.org, or Crystal Stone at crystals@cccindy.org for more information about the event.

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:

  •         Family of Beth (Overly) Federici
  • Barb Clark
  •         Phyllis Perkins
  •         Frank Ivey (father of Sara Ivey Lucas)
  •         Jean Peters
  •         Gwen Staggs
  •         Elizabeth Hanson
  •         Jen Lane
  •         Jean-Paul & Kathy Etienne
  •         Lisa Young and family (friends of Sara Ivey Lucas)
  •         Sara Cole
  •         Sam Troxal

Task of the Month for Earth Care

All within our congregation are encouraged to participate in Earth Care Indiana’s task of the month, a tangible and manageable way you can get involved in caring for creation. Rebecca Keith will make periodic announcements and encourage participation at coffee hour. Check out this Task of the Month website to learn about the tasks that are scheduled. Even small things can make a difference!

People’s Market

First United houses the People’s Cooperative Market (PCM) in Fellowship Hall on Saturdays, 9:30am-1:30pm, offering fresh, locally grown produce through CSAs to be picked up or delivered.The PCM also operates the high tunnel greenhouse to the south of the church playground, which includes a community garden and produces food that is given out at no cost to members of our wider community seeking local, nutritious fresh food. First United members and friends are always welcome and encouraged to attend the Saturday market! Market members are more than happy to answer questions and guide folks through the growing space. Additionally, you may reach out via email (peoplesmarketmanager@gmail.com) to learn more or to volunteer with the market.

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 

Tuesday Morning Café and Discussion

Our regular Tuesday morning study group will not meet on December 30th; we will reconvene on January 6th. Join us in Roger Williams Hall or via Zoom (click here) Tuesdays at 10:15am-11:30am as we gather for a time of informal conversation followed by thought-provoking theological study and discussion. Currently, we are nearing the end of a 12-session study on “Science and Religion” presented by Dr. Lawrence M. Principe as we explore how science and religion are two crucial forces that helped shape Western civilization and continue to interact in our daily lives. Learn more 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 Children’s Time. CLT will not meet this Sunday, December 28th.

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 Faith Formation.

Nursery Care

Our youngest children are welcome to spend time from 10-11:45am playing in the nursery or on the playground, weather permitting. Nursery care will not be available on December 28th. 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

Stewardship 2026 – Grateful for Every Generation

Thank you for journeying together through the six weeks of our stewardship campaign as we considered what we appreciate about our First United community (past, present, and future) and committed to generously support our congregation in the year ahead through the contribution of time, talents, and/or financial resources. If you have not already turned in your pledge card (hard copy or online here), you are encouraged to do so as soon as possible. Thanks to those who have already returned their pledge cards, we have committed over $173,600 to support our ministry in 2026.

You are invited to experience the stewardship testimonies offered over the course of this campaign by Kyle Hetrick here, by five of our new members here, by Danielle Long (Reimagining Opera for Kids) here, by Kristin Martindale (Pathways) here, and by Malissa Sparks here.

Announcements Deadline

If you have information to include in our weekly announcements email, please send your item to Lisa Stanger by noon on the Monday before.

Contact Information

Email, RSS Follow