Our new church website is ready! Join us this Sunday for Celebratory Show and Tell at two times and locations. The session at Frasier includes a Stewardship update and time for refreshments and fellowship.

Support our community partner Mindful Works as they sell cookies and other items for Valentine’s Day! Your items can be picked up as indicated on the order form at Mindful Works. Mindful Works is a social enterprise providing empowering work to individuals striving to overcome obstacles due to mental health challenges. Don’t miss out on these tasty treats!

We invite you to join in donating now through Friday 2/7, as we collect food and household goods to help our neighbors in need through the food banks of Boulder County AIDS Project (BCAP) and Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA).See a list of requested items to guide your shopping. Bring your donations to the little red wagon in church on Sunday or to your local neighborhood leader: Bob Matthias, SE Boulder; Roy McCutchen, North Boulder; Bob Patoff, Lafayette/Louisville; Kristen Aldretti, Gunbarrel/Heatherwood; and Phil Braudaway-Bauman, Longmont/Niwot. Questions? Contact Don Reed, Drive Leader.

We extend our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Patricia “Pat” A. Ostwald. Pat died on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at the age of 98, and was a member of our congregation for more than 60 years. We will celebrate Pat's life in a service of Thanksgiving and Memorial this Tuesday, Feb. 4, at 11 a.m. A reception in Plymouth Hall will follow the Memorial service. Memorial gifts in Pat's honor can be given to the Endowment Fund of First Congregational Church.

We warmly welcome as this year’s MacKenzie Lecturer, Dr. Nancy Ammerman, a world-renowned sociologist of religion and leading expert on congregations and congregational life. For Saturday’s workshop, she will be joined by Dr. Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi of Iliff School of Theology in Denver.

Lecture, Friday, 2/7 at 7:00 p.m. | Sanctuary and YouTube

How Shall We Gather? Reflections on America’s Changing Religious Landscape and the Necessary Future of the Church

Workshop, Saturday, 2/8 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. | Plymouth Hall

Envisioning the Church of the Future

Worship, Sunday, 2/9

Contemplative Prayer Service at 8:30 a.m. | Chapel

Sanctuary Worship at 10:30 a.m. | Sanctuary and YouTube

Invite others to attend with you!

Following the MacKenzie Lecture, we are hosting a reception in honor of our speaker, Nancy Ammerman and Kristina Lizardy-Hajbi. If you would be willing to prepare and bring finger food similar to what we serve at Sunday morning coffee (fruit, small sandwiches, cheese and crackers, cookies, and brownies), please text or email Shirley Harkess regarding your contribution no later than Monday, February 3 (785) 865-9858 or sharkess@nc.rr.com. Food will need to be brought to Standish Room by 6:00 p.m. on Friday, February 7.

Recent events have sparked a wave of misinformation and fear, affecting many in our community. This question-and-answer session with FCC member and Boulder City Council Member Nicole Speer offers a safe space to voice your concerns, learn about Boulder’s efforts to safeguard our values and people in these chaotic times, and learn practical ways to make a difference. 

This year's annual high school mission trip, June 15-21, is taking us to Fort Worth, Texas! We will focus on Food Insecurity, doing hands-on work in places like community gardens and food pantries/kitchens and also learning about advocacy efforts to secure and increase affordable access to healthy food. This trip is open to all current high schoolers (grades 9-12). Register online. On Sunday, February 9th at 9:15 a.m. in the Standish Room, we will have an orientation meeting for high schoolers and their families. See you there!

February is Black History Month and our local NAACP BC has 3 exciting events planned for the month - in Lafayette, a Portrait Exhibition of Educators on 2/15, in Boulder and Longmont, an Art Workshop on 2/8 and 2/9, and this year's Freedom Fund Event, a performance of the Cleo Robinson Dance Ensemble! Go to NAACCPBoulderCounty.org to find out more and to register to save your place in Macky Auditorium on 2/16 at 3:00 p.m. for the Freedom Fund Celebration.

Thank you to all who turned in their pledges and their prayers for the church last weekend. We are well on our way. We are thrilled to have nine new pledges so far this year and we have about 66% of our one-time gift match of $25,000. Your Stewardship Team will be reaching out next week to remind folks who have not yet pledged. If you are in that group – save the call! You may make your pledge and/or your one-time gift at our online Pledge Form. We are reaching for 100% pledging this year. Every gift counts, no matter the size. Thank you!

The Missions and Justice in Action Board would like to thank you for your purchases and donations at the Alternative Gift Market in the amount of $11,541.50! Whether it was relief and counselling for Ukrainian children, digging wells in South Sudan, educating students in Kenya and Lebanon, or any of the other opportunities, your engagement in this market is truly an example of God’s love through gifts and resources from our community. THANK YOU!

With so many concerns in the world today like lives lost to wars and senseless acts of violence, entire cities burned by wildfires, divisive policies enacted, and struggles in our personal lives, where do we find hope? Through whole & small group discussions with old and new friends and having fun together, the Men’s Retreat provides an opportunity to build an Active Hope. The retreat cost is $185.00 with partial and full scholarships available. Email Peter Oakes or Linda Kowatch for more information and then register online.

ARTS Camp returns June 1-7! All children and youth grades 2-8 (for the 2024-2025 school year) are invited to a week of summer camp at Highlands Camp in Allenspark, CO. We will put together a musical, learn different arts media, and do traditional summer camp activities like a low ropes course, rock climbing, boating, and a talent show! Registration is $550 per camper and camperships are available from the Voss Camp Scholarship Fund. Register online.

Here’s a great way to show your support for the Youth of our Church! The Board of Faith Formation is coordinating an auction (to be hosted in the springtime) and a Pick-a-Party event to raise money for their Mission Trip to Fort Worth, TX in June. Can you donate an auction item/experience or host a Pick-a-Party?

Pick-a-Party works like this: Hosts decide a theme to their event, a time and place, and a price per person for their event. The host will be in charge of their event, but the Board of Faith Formation will collect all the information about participants and collect the money for the event. Some ideas from the past include dinners with cuisine from different parts of the world, a games night, crafting, geocaching, hikes and just about anything a host can imagine.

Both of these fundraisers require donations of your time, talents or auction items to make it a success! Please sign up for the auction or to host a party. Thank you for your support!

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