Events

UPDATES FROM THE FIRST CHURCH

RE-OPENING TASK GROUP

Masks are still encouraged, and if you haven’t already done so, please consider shifting to an N95 or KN95 mask. At a minimum, be sure to use a multi-layered cloth mask, or better still, consider double-masking.

Please be aware that with winter temperatures, windows in the Meeting House will need to be closed and we will need to rely on the ceiling fans for air circulation during worship.

Please be sensitive to the physical distancing needs of those around you and ask before sitting within 6’ of another parishioner.

Check back frequently for information and updates regarding the re-opening protocols at First Church.

For all of the updates to the COVID protocols, and how this affects First Church events, please see the PDF below.

AV Support Needed

We are in desperate need of expanding our AV team to ensure the continued live-streaming of Sunday worship services, as well as other church related and community events.

This is an urgent matter as we currently have only two trained AV technicians and if they are not available we risk not being able to reach church and community members who connect with us remotely.

No prior AV experience necessary.

If you know your way around a smartphone or tablet you can learn how to set up and run our AV system.

Please contact the church office to arrange for training. Thank you.

Sunday School Wrap-Up!

Our last Children's Church and Sunday School times before summer will be this Sunday, May 15th.

The Children have been invited to sing on Sunday, May 22nd, as part of the Music Sunday Extravaganza! Please arrive at 9:30 am that day to practice with the choir. Children will remain in worship for the whole service on Music Sunday.

We will start Summer Storytime on May 29th. Join us for Leah Henderson's A Day for Rememberin' - a story inspired by the events of the first Memorial Day.

ASP Kicks Off New Initiative

Friends of ASP: Today, Friday, May 13th at 7pm in the JFO Room, please come listen to ASP Executive VP Melisa Miller speak about a new initiative: ASP is coordinating/leading an effort to build new homes for families displaced by flash flooding in Waverly, TN last fall.

A quick primer on last month's groundbreaking ceremony for that effort is here: https://www.wsmv.com/2022/04/07/local-ministry-plans-build-25-new-homes-after-waverly-flood/

Her talk, along with a Q&A session, is expected to last one hour.

Summer Storytime is coming!

Do you want to get to know the youth of the church? The perfect opportunity is on the horizon! You are invited to come read a story on a summer Sunday to our children and help supervise them for a short play period during the sermon time. You will be provided with the story - all you need to bring is you!

A sign up sheet for the weeks of our summer break is currently in the gallery. We invite you to pick the week that seems best to you. Thanks in advance for making a commitment to our youth this summer!

On May 10 and 17: Tender at the Bone, an autobiography by Ruth Reichl. Discussion led by Janet Kelsey Werner and Mary McDaniel.

On May 24, 31, and June 7: Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard (bestselling account of the rise of James Garfield). Discussion led by Linda Gates.

The group takes a break over the summer and a small task force uses that time to develop a list of 25 - 30 books to be considered at the first meeting in September. Everyone who wants to participate in Book Group will vote at that time to create the reading list for 2022-2023.

Feel free to join in at any time. To get the Zoom invitation, email Laurel Price Jones who is serving as the Group contact: lpricejones@gmail.com.

Music Sunday and Sunday School Reception is May 22nd!

Join us Sunday, May 22nd at 10 am for our family friendly Music Sunday service, where we celebrate God's gift of music in its various forms and expressions. We then invite you to attend a reception immediately following worship, where we will recognize our Sunday School teachers. Come one, come all to help us have a ball! You can worship with us either in-person in the Meeting House or via our Facebook page. We hope to see you there.

Here's the schedule:

Fri., Jun. 3, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m. - Optional Rehearsal, Orchestra and Chorus, for musicians who have already arrived on campus. Conservatory C25

Sat., Jun 4, 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. - Choral Rehearsal, Conservatory C25

Sun., Jun 5, 12:30 p.m. - Combined rehearsal, First Church, 106 N. Main St.

Sun., Jun 5 - 1:30 p.m. - Performance, First Church, 106 N. Main St.

Since we'll have such a small amount of rehearsal time, preparing our parts in advance will be crucial!

Marked Choral Score (click to download) - if possible, print and bind this in a black 3-ring binder prior to coming to campus. If you use your own copy of the score, please copy all markings from this score. (You'll notice many places where one voice part is added to double another, to help with balance, for instance.)

For access to the practice part recordings, please contact First Church's office and they will send the link to you. These recordings are licensed specifically for our use on this project, please do not share this link publicly.

Performance attire: All black, with masks (which do not have to be black).

If you're available, I hope you'll join us for this performance!

Assistance to Ukraine

“Members of the United Church of Christ are joining the global community to respond to the events unfolding in Ukraine,” said the Rev. Karen Georgia Thompson, associate general minister, Wider Church Ministries and Global Operations. ”We are praying earnestly for peace and for the hundreds of thousands of people displaced by the war. And, we are adding our resources to ensure that all can have access to safety and shelter as the fighting escalates.”

The UCC, through Global H.O.P.E. and Global Ministries, will be collaborating with ACT Alliance and the Reformed Church of Hungary (RCH) to bring aid to Ukraine. RCH is responding to the situation in the war-torn country through its agency, Hungarian Reformed Church Aid. That group has been offering humanitarian assistance since Russian troops first attacked Ukraine on Feb. 24. It’s working with elderly and other vulnerable communities inside the country who have not been able to leave, including immigrants and migrant populations who are experiencing difficulties crossing into other European countries. HRCA is also working with refugees who are leaving the country.

“We are particularly grateful the Reformed Church of Hungary is prioritizing care of vulnerable populations who are unable to leave Ukraine for multiple reasons,” Thompson said. “The elderly and other internally displaced persons have emerging needs requiring attention.”

Gifts to the UCC Ukraine Emergency Appeal will provide shelter, food and other care to war refugees and internally displaced people. It also will help refugees and asylum seekers from African, Middle Eastern and other countries who had sought refuge in Ukraine and now are twice displaced, as well as other citizens of more than 125 countries living in Ukraine. Donate here.

Many have asked if there is a way in addition to our prayers that we may be of aid to those who are suffering in Ukraine. The answer to that question is “yes”! The Heartland Conference S.A.R.A. partnership will serve as a conduit for aid to partners in Ukraine who are suffering as a result of the war. Daily, our partners are bringing food and water relief to displaced Ukrainians in Transcarpathia. Those wishing to make a donation via this channel may do so by clicking h ere. Those wishing to make a donation by mailing in a check, make the check to Heartland Conference UCC, mark the memo “SARA - Ukrainian Relief” and send it to Box 1230, Worthington, OH 43085. Please know that your gifts of any size make a difference in this critical time

Worship - Live Streamed on Sundays @ 10am
Children's Church (grades K - 5) 10:15 AM each Sunday
Sunday School (grades 5 - 12) 11:30am each Sunday (Hot Topic discussion on the 4th Sunday each month)
Friday Night Hangout (all grades) - first Friday each month from 7:00 PM - 7:45 PM via Zoom
Sunday Night Youth Group (grades 5 - 12) - last Sunday each month from 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Finance Committee - 3rd Monday each month
Facility Committee - 1st Tuesday each month
Stewardship - 2nd Tuesday each month
Office Staff Meetings - Mondays at 1:30 PM
Book Group - Tuesdays at 4pm via Zoom
Witness and Membership - 2nd Wednesday each month
Christian Education Committee - 1st Thursday each month
Friday Night Hangout - 1st Friday of each month
Green Team - 1st Wednesday of each month