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March 23
, 2017
First Congregational
United Church of Christ
Memphis, TN 38104
901-278-6786
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We worship on Sunday mornings at 10:30 a.m.
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We Believe ...
- That God created the world - and that every single one of us has good work to do in life.
- Our "good work" has to do with living in ways that reflect God's agenda of love, joy, compassion and hope for the world and all its creatures, even in the midst of struggle.
- Jesus showed us how to do this. He had radica
 l trust in the Goodness of God and our ability to share God's agenda of life for the world. We can have this trust and share this agenda too, by following in his way.
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We feel more alive when we're living from our sense of connection - with God, with each other, and with life
itself.
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A Note from our Pastor:
What a powerful time this is to be a Christian! Our witness is needed in so many places, in so many different ways . . . In the midst of threatened budget cuts and healthcare repeals at the national levels of government, I feel so, so blessed to be part of a community of resistance - a community under Christ that calls for justice! 
A lot is happening as we approach Holy Week and remember the death and resurrection of Jesus. Our Adult Forum on Sunday mornings has been looking at how we might support immigrants in our community who are being threatened and put at risk by ICE and national policies. We are open to naming ourselves as a sanctuary church, but realized that the real work is in supporting immigrants as they find themselves right now. We are not hearing requests or need for "sanctuary" as some churches are providing in other cities.
Right now, we'd like to form a Task Force so that we can participate in community dialogue with immigrants, learn more of what services are needed and how we can be of help. Are you interested in serving on this Task Force? Let me know! It would be helpful to have some folks fluent in Spanish, but a sense of calling to be in partnership with this community is the real requirement!
Looking ahead, mark your calendar for Tuesday, April 4th as we commemorate the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr. There's a rally featuring Rev. Dr. William Barber at noon at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church (see flyer below). Mark your calendars now! Just scheduled yesterday - our choir will be performing at the demonstration for justice and labor rights with Rev. Barber later that day - at 4:30 pm at City Hall.
We have some unique ways to strengthen our understanding of what it meant for those first disciples to have high expectations for justice and social transformation, so visible on Palm Sunday as Jesus entered Jerusalem (which we'll observe April 9th); only to
hear Jesus talk about the hard work of caring for each other (Maundy Thursday's footwashing service) and his brutal crucifixion (Good Friday). The expected agendas were totally thrown upside down - but on Easter, we remember that God has the final say - and God's "say" for the world is new life and justice for all!
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Blessings,
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Bending the Arc: Tuesday, April 4th marks the anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination in Memphis. This year, several special events mark the day. The Rev. Dr. William Barber, organizer of "Moral Mondays" in North Carolina and a national leader for civil rights and justice efforts, will preach at a special rally at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church at noon. This rally is the beginning of a national effort as we approach the 50th anniversary of King's killing in 2018. We hope to enable the attendance of many of our community lunch guests as possible. If you can offer a ride from First Congo to Mississippi Boulevard at 11:30 that day, please contact Mark Ratay.
This Sunday's Adult Forum
This coming Sunday morning, March 26th, the Adult Forum (our new name - changed from "Adult Sunday School") will begin a series on Islam. The discussion will be led by Emily Holmes at 9:45 am in the large conference room.
(above) Last night our "human library book" titled
Transgender in Memphis
, was Emerson Kirkpatrick!
We hope you'll join us in the Conference Center next Wednesday for our 4th human book:
My Life as a Missionary
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FREE TAX ASSISTANCE
Attorney Sterling Owens is providing free and professional assistance at First Congo for folks needing help with filing their income taxes:
Tuesdays at 4:00 - 8:00 pm
Saturdays by appointment only
For more information or to schedule an appointment, email [email protected].
Let's help Steph with Food Prep!
Our birthday luncheon for 250 people on April 9th is being coordinated by "Chef Steph" Rollen and she NEEDS OUR HELPING HANDS in the preparations - and it'll be FUN to work together in our wonderful kitchen!
Please let us know (reply to this newsletter) if you can help at one of these times:
Friday, April 7th at 3:00 pm
Saturday, April 8th at 1:00 pm
Holy Week Schedule:
- April 9 - Palm Sunday: Pastors' Celebration & Luncheon
- April 13 - Maundy Thursday Foot Washing Service at 6pm
- April 14 - Good Friday Tenebrae Service at 6pm
- April 16 - Easter Sunday: Children's Egg Hunt at 10am, Worship at 10:30 am
Special Easter Gifts & Plans:
- On Easter Sunday our morning begins with our Annual Children's Easter Egg Hunt! Please start bringing plastic eggs filled with candy to the Sanctuary!
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 Bring a stem of your favorite flowers to church. We'll create gorgeous bouquets to celebrate the diversity of this congregation! You can take some flowers back home with you as a reminder of the gifts you receive from this community!
- Rather than purchasing Easter Lilies, we invite you to share an Easter Gift for our Food Justice Ministries - even these small amounts make a huge difference:
- $1 will provide one fresh homemade community lunch
- $3 will provide one household's visit to our food pantry
- $100 will provide one day's community lunch for everybody who comes!
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This Week at First Congo:
Our Congregational Potluck & Quarterly Meeting last Sunday in the Hub, led by our Church Moderator, Teddy Crum, was well-attended and tasty!
(left) We appreciate our staff bookkeeper, Nikki Jones, and Finance Chair, Janet McCraw Rubenstein, who presented a balanced budget that we can understand!
(below left) And thanks to the service of our hospitality volunteers: Joe Pfeiffer, Jamilyn Cole, Angela Moore (Hospitality Chair) and Danny Grubbs, we all enjoyed a hearty potluck buffet for our congregational lunch!
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Senior Pastor:
Rev. Cheryl K. Cornish
Associate Pastor:
Rev. Sonia L. Walker
Director of Mission:
Julia
Hicks
Revolutions Bicycle Co-op
Director: Sylvia Crum
Minister of Music:
Dennis W. Darling
Music Ministry Team:
Music Ministry Team:
Chris Burgess
Music Ministry Team:
Lisa Gaddy
Maintenance: Mark Allen
Danny Grubbs
Custodial Assistant:
Bryant Wilhite
Housekeeping:
Amy Shaw
Minister of Child Care:
Kenitra Higgins
Anitra Higgins
Pilgrim House Hostel Staff
901-273-8341
 Kim Kamga, Manager
Dalton Jones
Ron Marion
Jamie Jones
Parks Dlugach
MaryPat Harris
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(left) CHEERS to this unsung heroine, Church Secretary Angela Richards, who diligently takes minutes at all of the Congregational Meetings and the monthly Mission Council Meetings!
(right) Did you get a chance to see David Weinrich, who moved to Philadelphia a couple years ago - at church last Sunday? It's not surprising that he was captured in this photo mopping up some rain water in the Global Goods store, because David has always gravitated to helping out and he knows where the mop is!
(left) Geo Lopez
-Kelly and her beautiful baby daughter, Alegria, enjoyed an after-church visit with Pamela McFarland, Nicole Davila and Rosa Mena.
(right)
Here's a photo of one of our cheerful dinner groups! In front is Kevin Williams, and from left are DaMarco Randle, Emma Wilson, Alan
Herbers, TrishGeodecke, David Siefker, Lauren Crowder and Annie - the Manager of Izakaya Restaurant!
(left) At staff meeting, Pastor Sonia blessed our Office Manager, Brenda Nichols, who began chemotherapy treatment today. Brenda will continue her work hours as much as she's able over the next few months while Joe Pfeiffer and Bill Tupis help with day-to-day office duties. You can send Brenda a note of support at [email protected].
Thanks to photographers & videographers,
Roger Courts & Mark Ratay!
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Look what's
happening in
Our free Community Lunches are served at
Cafe Congo on weekdays at 11:00 am till 1:00 pm.
The Food Pantry
is open on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays during lunch hours.
The Clothes Closet
is open Tuesdays & Thursdays during lunch hours.
(right)
Freedom Journey students from Purdue University were a HUGE HELP last Friday, preparing food for the following week, stocking the pantry, and serving the Cafe Congo guests.
If you'd like to help provide groceries - please pick up the following items that are regularly needed for our lunches:
- olive oil
- 1 gallon and quart size Ziplock bags
- mayonnaise
- dessert sized paper plates
- Louisiana Hot Sauce
- milk
- stick butter
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The Food Justice Ministry for March
has been given by
Curtis Bickers,
honoring all who work in our Food Justice Ministries.
"There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them
except in the form of bread" (Mahatma Gandhi)
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Also located in The Hub ...
GLOBAL GOODS
Fair Trade Store
is OPEN on Saturdays
9am till 3pm
& after church on Sundays.
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Here's What's Coming Up ...
- The Hub is OPEN for Cafe Congo and theFood Pantry: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
- MAGY Meeting: 7:00 - 10:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall
Saturday, March 25:
- Global Goods Fair Trade Store is OPEN: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm in The Hub
- "No Hungry Seniors" Food Pick-up: 9:00 am at the back entrance of The Hub
- Adult Sunday School: 9:45 am in the Conference Center
- Children's Sunday School: 9:45 am (new temporary location on 2nd floor)
- Nursery: Childcare is available for babies & toddlers in new location on 2nd floor from 9:45 till noon
- Coffee & Fellowship: 9:45 am till 10:30 am in the Commons
- Worship: 10:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary
- Children's Church: After the children's sermon at worship, our leaders will take the children to their classroom where they will have their own "church" and activities. Parents may pick up their children here after worship.
- Global Goods Fair Trade Store is OPEN: after Church in the Hub
- Open Shop in Revolutions Bicycle Co-Op: 2:00 - 6:00 pm
- The Hub is OPEN for Cafe Congo and the Food Pantry: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Open Shop in Revolutions Bicycle Co-Op: 6:30 - 9:00 pm
- Open Art Studio: 6:30 - 9:00 pm
Tuesday, March 28:
- The Hub is OPEN for Cafe Congo and the Clothes Closet: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Free Income Tax Preparation Assistance: 4 - 8 pm in the Hub (come to front door on Cooper St)
- Tuesday Evening Prayer: 6:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Wednesday, March 29:
- The Hub is OPEN for Cafe Congo and the Food Pantry: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Human Library - this week's book is "My Life as a Missionary": 5:30 pm in the Conference Center
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Vocal Choir Rehearsal: 7:00 pm in the Sanctuary
Thursday, March 30:
- The Hub is OPEN for Cafe Congo and the Clothes Closet: 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
- Revolutions Bicycle Co-Op Open Shop: 6:30 - 9:00 pm
- Open Art Studio: 6:30 - 9:00 pm
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Looking a bit Further Ahead -
Mark
Your Calendars for these upcoming events in the next few weeks & months
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Pastors' Birthday Celebration!
Sunday, April 9th
Maundy Thursday Service of Foot Washing
Thursday, April 13th
Good Friday Tenebrae Service - Extinguishing the Lights
Friday, April 14th
Easter Sunday (with Children's Egg Hunt and bringing our favorite flowers!)
Sunday, April 16th
Cooper Young Festival
Saturday, September 16th
Taste of Cooper Young
Thursday, October 5
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First Congregational Leadership 2017:
Officers:
    
Moderator, Co-Moderator, Secretary, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer,
Teddy Crum Kevin Williams Angela Richards Joe Pfeiffer Bill Tupis
Committee Chairs:
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