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"They spent time together…and broke bread…praising God." Summer Worship Time: 9:30am September 2010 Worship Highlights & Lectionary Readings September 5th 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time We begin our fall schedule on September 12th. September 12th 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 19th 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time September 26th 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time Party Planned for Sunday, September 5th
As you know, our Doug Potter, organist for Union Church,
is retiring. Please plan to join us on Sunday, September 5th at 9:30am
when he shares special music during worship. In addition, please join us
in Fellowship Hall at 10:30am that morning as we celebrate Doug and the
gift of music he has shared with us over the years. September 12th is RALLY DAY! That means we'll begin having two worship services each Sunday morning, at 8:30 & 10:45am! And at 9:30 Sunday school for kids, adult forum, and youth forum. Nursery care is provided all morning for wee ones. Keep an eye on your inbox the third week of August, as more information regarding fall programs will be sent out that week in the September E-News.
Welcome Ben Jeitz
The Worship & Arts Committee would like to welcome our
new organist, Benjamin Jeitz, to the Union staff. Ben lives in
Minneapolis and is involved in many different musical venues. In
addition to his duties as a church musician, he is a teacher of piano,
voice and organ. He also serves as core tenor section leader for the
Minnesota Chorale and is an active accompanist Art & Justice Project With great joy and excitement we announce that our church received a grant from the Justice and Witness Committee of the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ! The money will help to support the Martin Luther King service scheduled for the afternoon of Sunday, January 16th, 2011. The service will be a dynamic celebration honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s vision of justice for all people. Plans are already underway to create a music-filled, poignant service, engaging the entire church, and the wider Elk River community. In addition, an Art & Justice project is also underway. This summer we have begun "Faces of Social Justice". YOU are invited to come to the church on Tuesday nights to an open studio, where you can create a work of visual art or a piece of creative writing that expresses your beliefs on a selected justice issue. Art supplies and other resources will be available to help you along the way! We'll share ideas and get our creative juices flowing. All you need is a willingness to participate and a compassionate heart! And, in January as we prepare for the MLK service, we'll fill our church with our artwork and words! Join us beginning Tuesday, September 14th when open studio time resumes!
Handbells are Ready to Ring!
With great appreciation to the Memorial Committee, the
Handbell Choir will begin the new year ringing bells that have been
cleaned, polished, and adjusted at the Schulmerich Carrillon factory in
Sellersville, Pennsylvania. With replacement of the ringing mechanism,
the clapper, each bell should be working as beautifully as the day it
first arrived at Union, twelve years ago. Thank you to all members and
friends whose donations have made these much needed repairs possible!
The Union Congregational Church Handbell Choir is about to start another
year of making music, working hard, enjoying great friendships, and
sharing the love of God with our congregation through the art of English
Handbell Ringing. The Handbell Choir is open to anyone willing to commit
to a weekly rehearsal on Wednesdays and has some previous experience in
music and a good natural sense of rhythm. New members are always
welcome! The first rehearsal of the new year will be held on
Wednesday, September 8th from 5:45-7pm. Call Marilyn Olson (763)
241-9122 with questions. Adult Forum
Beginning on Rally Day, September 12th, we will
kick off another year of adult forum. We will be offering a host of
topics this year and hope to see as many of you as possible at our
sessions. We will be meeting regularly between services, beginning at
approximately 9:40. The September 12th and 19th forums will address the
topic of compassion and how it relates to our contemporary society. We
will revisit some of the material found in “Living the Questions,” our
resource from a couple years ago. Other sessions will follow, and you
will be kept informed as they unfold. We hope to provide
Theologically Sound
On six Sunday afternoons this fall, from 4-5:30pm, Pastor
Dana will host a bible/book study that’s not your ordinary study! Join
in the discussion as we look at challenging passages in scripture from
alternative perspectives. We’ll talk about the context of readings, how
the cultural experiences that shape us influence our interpretations,
and how interpretations can justify or free our understanding. Please
sign up on the sheet in the narthex or call the church office. Come
to all or one! September 19, 26 October 10, 17 November 14, 21 Make Music!
Beginning Wednesday, September 29th, young adults
and youth in 8th Grade and up, are invited to gather in Fellowship Hall
with Derek Atkinson First Sunday Music Series Beginning in October, the Worship & Arts Committee has special afternoon concerts planned for the first Sunday of each month! Mark your calendar and plan to join us!
Trunk Sale The Centennial Society is planning a Trunk Sale to involve the whole church on Saturday, October 2nd beginning at 9am. Gather your handmade crafts, garden produce, furniture, and anything else you want to sell, and be a part of this FUN day! Members of Union Church may rent a parking spot, and pull up their car or truck, open the trunk, and open for business! Lot spots are $10. Questions? Contact Janelle Johnson or Joyce Riess.
Neighbors in Need On Sunday, October 3rd, we will again take a special offering for Neighbors in Need (NIN). NIN is a special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that supports ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. One-third of NIN funds support the Council for American Indian Ministry (CAIM). Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC's Justice and Witness Ministries (JWM) to support a variety of justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects.
Laity Sunday The Deacons are seeking your nominations for Lay Person of the Year. Forms are available in the entrance to the sanctuary. Please take a moment and nominate someone who you believe is doing an extraordinarily great job as a volunteer! Completed forms can be placed in the Diaconate mailbox in the office, or left in the offering plate. All lay volunteers and the layperson of the year will be honored on Sunday, October 10th.
Guest Speakers Coming to Union Join us Thursday, October 14th at 7pm when our guest will be a representative from the Minnesota Council of Churches, speaking about faithful citizenship. The conversation will cover interfaith principles and God's call to build a just society. And, join us on Thursday, November 18th at 7pm when we welcome a guest speaker from the Refugee Speakers Bureau (RSB). The RSB is a group of refugees and asylees who have studied public speaking and are interested in sharing their stories with communities so that audiences: will learn about the refugee experience; expand their understanding of the world outside the U.S. and the international community within it; learn more about the work of Refugee Services; be inspired to advocacy; and, work to create a community that welcomes the stranger. Watch for more details regarding the speaker in a later newsletter.
Church Council will now be meeting monthly on the first Thursday. All boards should have at least one representative in attendance, and others are encouraged to attend any Church Council meeting. The next meeting will be on Thursday, September 2ndf at 7:00pm.
Feed My Starving Children
Event is Open to EVERYONE Please call the office at 763-441-1203 for more information about any of these upcoming events. Visitors and non-members are always welcome to participate in all gatherings and activities. If finances are keeping you from participating in any event, please talk with Dana. UCC Events: The Annual Meeting for the Minnesota Conference of the United Church of Christ was held June 11th - 13th, 2010 at the College of St. Benedict. UCC Delegates and lay visitors from across Minnesota gathered to conduct the business of the Conference, worship, learn new things, share in community and re-energize. At this meeting, the Minnesota Conference UCC passed a resolution titled "Marriage Equality for Couples Regardless of Gender"; the details of the resolution can be found here. Union Congregational Church Elk River sent three delegates: Edi Apelt, Cheryl Wold and Marce Ediger. To learn more about the Annual Meeting, to see other proposals which were voted upon, and changes made to the bylaws, visit the Minnesota Conference website.
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