Coffee hour this week will be full of gratitude for the supportive and sustaining services of our bridge minister, John Krueger, and all the glorious music provided and encouraged by our music director, Vini Frizzo. Each of these individuals, one for the short term, and one for five + years, has brought gifts of solace and beauty to our worship.
To celebrate their ministries, and say our heartfelt goodbyes to John, Vini (and his family Ashley and Jo), join us for an ice cream social after Sunday’s service. Sometimes you just need to eat dessert first!
SPIRITUAL READING GROUP
We will have a meeting on August 10th with a new book, Mind in the Balance – Meditation in Science, Buddhism and Christianity by B. Alan Wallace who taught in the Department of Religious Studies at UC Santa Barbara and is now the founder and president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies. Adam Frank, professor of University of Rochester comments “Always challenging and controversial, B. Alan Wallace’s abilities as a scholar and writer give this book an accessibility and breadth rarely encountered. As a book intended for a broad readership, Mind in the Balance successfully bridges history, theory, Christianity, Buddhism and science, making it truly unique.”
Part 1: Meditation will be discussed on August 10th. All are welcome to attend. Bring your questions! For more information, please contact YouShin Choi (youschoi@gmail.com).
Time: 11:00-12:30, Place: Roger Williams room
Music Director Search
It is with great sadness that First United Church announces Vini Frizzo’s resignation as Music Director. He has accepted a wonderful full-time position as Director of Music Ministries at Highland Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, beginning August 15th. Though we are sorry to see him leave, we are excited for his future and wish him, Ashley, and Jo the very best. Please know that church leadership is hard at work to ensure a strong future for our rich music program. A search will begin within the week and auditions will be held later in August. We hope to have a new director within the month of September. Vini’s official last Sunday will be July 28th, but he has scheduled worship music for the month of August to provide continuity and allow time to properly search and audition candidates for the position of Music Director.
Want a Permanent Name Tag?
Paper name tags can be found in the brown pew registries. But if you would like a permanent name tag, we are placing an order shortly. (We need a minimum of five tags per order.) You do not have to be a member. You can also request one if you can’t find yours! Contact Florence Shelton or any usher to request yours and specify/spell your name.
In Our Pulpit
Next week, our UCC Conference Minister Rev. Chad Abbott will return to our pulpit on August 4th just before we welcome our new Interim Minister, the Reverend Dr. Monica Dawkins-Smith in the office on August 5th. Her first Sunday in worship will be Sunday, August 11th, which will be followed by a celebratory potluck.
Ushers Needed.
Ushers perform a very important role for our Sunday Church services in greeting our members and guests.
You do not need to be a member of the Church to serve as an usher. All you will need to do is to arrive early for Church service (about 10:15a.m.)
To volunteer to serve as an usher, you can do so by signing up on the August usher list, which is next to the kitchen door near the Fellowship Hall or see Pat Martin, who is serving as usher captain for the month of August. You can e-mail Pat at pat0304martin@comcast.net or call at 812-606-6141. Please consider volunteering for this very important service for the church.
Next Play Friday.
August 9, 5:30p.m.-8:00p.m. Celebrate (or mourn) the kids going back to school at Play Friday in August! What’s that? School already! Yes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have some summer fun! Join us for indoor and/or outdoor games, some therapeutic crafts for those that might need it, or rambunctious playground time!
Play Friday is a recurring game and craft night at First United Church. It repeats the second Friday of every month. Pizza is served at 6. We offer vegetarian and vegan options. Come spend a relaxed evening playing your favorite games, hanging out with friends, and creating. This is an evening of fun for all ages. We hope to see you there. It helps with food planning if you RSVP to Hopi Stosberg at hopi@stosberg.com or to the Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/350080822328245/
Centering Prayer Embraces Summer
The cool quiet of the First United chapel is perfect for summertime contemplation. In keeping with the laid back tempo of summer in Bloomington, some Sunday mornings there will be some quiet music and a reading. Other times the space will be just quiet. Candles and meditations are always there for you. All that is really required for you to seek the presence of God is you. Sundays from 9:45 – 10:15am.
Join First United’s website Directory! You can now create a profile for yourself in the secure online directory, access member-only files, and RSVP for events. You can still see weekly announcements and listen to sermon recordings too. To register, please go to http://www.firstuc.org/register. To see an instructional video for how to fill out your profile, please go to http://bit.ly/JoinFirstUC.
Minister Of Care For The Week Of July 28, Is Emily Caldwell. A minister of care is a church volunteer who visits members in their home.
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