Announcements for the week of September 28, 2025

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

QUICK LINKS

  • Sunday Morning Worship – Sundays @ 10:30am; Join Zoom Webinar here
  • Morning Café and Discussion – Tuesdays @ 10am; Join Zoom Meeting here
  • Scripture Reader sign up – Click here
  • Usher sign up – Click here (needed 09/28, 10/05, & 10/12)
  • Flowers sign up – Click here
  • Coffee Hour Host sign up – Click here (needed 10/05 & 10/12)
  • Communion Server sign up –Click here (needed 10/05)
  • Community Kitchen sign up – Click here
  • 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

DON’T FORGET

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, October 3rd, 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, October 1st so she can be sure to have enough food for all and account for any dietary needs.

Racial Justice Lunch & Learn – “Cracking the Healer’s Code”

As a part of a wider community book read, First United is offering a study of “Cracking the Healer’s Code: A Prescription for Healing Racism & Finding Wholeness” by Milagros Phillps via Zoom (click here) 12-1pm on the first and third Thursdays of each month (through December 4th). For the October 2nd gathering, participants should read and come prepared to discuss Chapters 8-15. Additional groups with various meeting times and formats are listed here. You are encouraged to attend whichever group is conducive to your schedule. Contact Pastor Jessica with any questions and if you are interested in participating in the First United study group.

Represent First United at Spencer Pridefest

It’s PRIDE 🏳️‍🌈 AGAIN! We are spreading our witness to the Gospel of radical welcome of First United Church by hosting a booth at the Spencer Pride Festival in downtown Spencer next Saturday, October 4th. Please consider volunteering to represent First United and share our open, welcoming, and affirming message far and wide by taking a 1- or 2-hour shift at the church’s booth. Festival hours are from 1-7pm. Sign up on the sheet available in the Narthex or the online Sign Up Genius (click here). Thank you for helping however and whenever you can!

Poverty Simulation

SCCAP Thriving Connections and the Bloomington Multifaith Alliance Faith for Racial Equity team will offer a Poverty Simulation next Saturday, October 4th, 12:30-4pm at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church (100 SR-46 W, Bloomington). This interactive experience will feature long-time Bloomington community members with lived experience of poverty and local systems and resources. During the simulation, participants will be grouped into nuclear families and given a file on their family composition and income. They will then be given four 12-to-15 minute “weeks” to meet the needs of their family through interactions with employers, government agencies, and themselves. After the simulation, there will be a period to debrief and discuss the experience with a panel of Thriving Connections community members with lived experience. There is no fee to participate, but donations may be made to SCCAP Thriving Connections by clicking here, or sending a check to the SCCAP office at 1500 West 15th Street, Bloomington IN 47404 with “Thriving Connections” in the memo. Click here to visit the Eventbrite page (where you can register). Space is limited, and registration is required. Contact Pastor Jessica with any questions.

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: Audie Farmer (October 1) and Josh Perry (October 1). We are blessed to have you in our lives!

Out of the Office

Pastor Jessica will be out of the office for compensatory time on September 29th and October 8th and 9th given the multiplicity of church-related activities she has been and will continue to attend to on her regular days off. If you need immediate assistance during that time, contact Lisa Stanger (during office hours) or Kim Yaussy Albright (after hours).

A Thank You from Barb Clark

I want to thank everyone who sang, played the organ, fixed goodies, prepared the sanctuary, made my guests welcome, and more – thank you so much. Thank you to Lisa, who kept the logistics straight, and to Kyle, who worked his magic with the sound system and made it possible for Jim’s family in South Carolina to participate in Jim’s Memorial Service. And to Pastor Jessica, for her support and advice and her kind words during the service. And to the First United family, thank you for your support in this difficult time. You are my church family, and I love you.      

In The Making for Twenty Years -Lisa’s Time

After my 20-year celebration, I thought, where has the time gone. Can it really be?

I’ve said thank you over the years. But this time I was overwhelmed! How can I possibly express a simple thank you? It means much more than that, twenty years more. I was deeply touched, full of gratitude and love. What a special day, what a group of special folks! I am truly blessed. Thank you!

Upcoming Board Meetings

The Board of Community and Outreach (Julia Bebeau, Chair) will meet via Zoom on Monday, October 6th, at 5:30pm. The Board of Worship, Art, and Music (Vickey Allen, Chair) will meet via Zoom on Monday, October 6th, at 6:30pm. The Board of Building and Grounds (Emily Mathes, Chair) will meet via Zoom on Monday, October 13th, at 6:30pm. 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 October 12th is “The Girl with the Louding Voice” by Abi Dare—an unforgettable, inspiring story of a teenage girl growing up in a rural Nigerian village who longs to get an education so she can find her “louding voice” and speak up for herself. This novel is both a heartbreaking and triumphant tale about the power of fighting for your dreams. 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.

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 be making periodic announcements and encouraging 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.

World Communion Sunday

World Communion Sunday is next Sunday, October 6th. As part of our recognition of this day, we will be celebrating communion of course; while the elements we serve will be our traditional ones, we want to extend our celebration of the day during Coffee Hour by sharing and sampling as many breads that are native to different countries or cultures as we can. If you are able to provide such a bread (either that you bake yourself or purchase), drop it off in the Fellowship Hall kitchen before worship for our Coffee Hour hosts. Examples might be Vietnamese banh mi, Jewish challah, Ethiopian injera, Indian naan, or German Hefezopf, to name only a few. Please include a label for your bread and indicate any ethnic or cultural connection you may have to it. Your Board of Worship, Art, and Music thanks you!

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 are nearing the end of a 24-session study on “Beginnings of Judaism” during which Dr. Isaiah M. Gafni guides us in an exploration of the roots of Judaism, reaching back to the Hebrew Bible. We will begin a new 12-session study on October 14th; join us for “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.

Traveling University

First United will host “Courage in the Face of Hate: Hoosiers Who Stood Against the Klan” presented by James H. Madison (Professor Emeritus of History, Indiana University) on Tuesday, October 21st, 7-8:30pm. It is free and open to the public. This educational offering is one part of the newly established Traveling University offered by retired university faculty in response to escalating attacks on the fundamental mission of all universities: the unfettered production and dissemination of knowledge and understanding in the public interest. Federal and state officials are eroding the ability of faculty to teach and conduct research free from interference. Here and elsewhere, universities have allowed this to happen, depriving the public of essential knowledge and faculty of their academic freedom. Learn more about Traveling University and their other offerings here.

UPCOMING WORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Sunday Morning Hybrid Worship

Join us for worship each Sunday morning at 10:30am. This Sunday’s service will feature Rev. Jessica Petersen-Mutai in the pulpit as she concludes her sermon series exploring First United’s history and our ancestors in the faith; she will also offer a special message for the young and young at heart. Lisa Kwong will present the day’s scripture and serve as our congregational lead. Kim Yaussy Albright will highlight some of the many ways we are invited to engage in the life of the church and our wider community. Ryan Block and Hyeyeon Ahn will lead us in song, and the First United Vocal Choir will offer special music. Dave Meyer will offer a warm welcome to those who will gather in the sanctuary; click hereto help. And, Kyle Hetrick and Martin Mutai 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 for a time of fellowship and refreshment in Fellowship Hall.

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

Music Ministry
The Bell and Vocal Choirs have begun their 2025-2026 season. The Bell Choir rehearses weekly on Thursdays in Room 4 from 6:15-7:15pm, and the Vocal Choir rehearses weekly on Thursdays from 7:30-9pm in the Choir Room. If you are interested in joining either or both of the choirs, please reach out to Ryan Block (blockryfuc@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!

COMMUNITY CARE

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:

  •  Barb Clark
  •  Phyllis Perkins
  •  Geoffery Franklin
  •  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

First Sunday Food Drive

The Board of Community & Outreach invites you to offer food donations on the first Sunday of each month on at table in the narthex. Next Sunday, October 5th, 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 (formally Monroe County United Ministries, MCUM), 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.

Community Immigrant Support

Pastor Jessica has been actively partnering with community members and organizations to broaden our congregation’s support of our immigrant neighbors. If you are interested in getting involved with this important work, please contact her to learn about efforts currently underway and how to contribute.

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 

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. Many thanks to Noel Koontz and Brishna Arman 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 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. Noel Koontz and Brishna Arman 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

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.

2025 Offering Envelopes and Direct Deposit

We are using leftover offering envelope boxes for 2025. This year, 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.

Contact Information

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