August 19 Colonial Church News

August 30 Online Worship

Sunday Worship Online

Connect to online live worship service at https://colonialucc.online.church/ at 8:30 or 10:15 a.m.

Or, you can watch our service anytime after 8:30 a.m. on Sundays via YouTube at https://bit.ly/CCYouTubeV

Fellowship Time at 9:15 a.m. Immediately following our 8:30 online worship service, grab a mug and come over to our community's Coffee & Conversation online. You can connect at https://tinyurl.com/ColConv

Online Children's Sunday School.Camille Breckenridge teaches the week's Sunday School Bible story on Sunday mornings at https://bit.ly/CCYouTubeVid

If you know of kids who might enjoy taking part in our Sunday School, invite their parents to signup to be on the list to receive the weekly materials at https://bit.ly/CCSSOnline.

August/September Modern Prophets Sermon Series

Prophets are people who speak for God.

Often prophets are not popular, because their words put them at odds with the powers in this world.

Our nation has modern prophets, and we're going to hear their messages in a special series that will take us into the school year.

Rachel Held Evans - August 30
William Barber II - September 6
Bill McKibben - September 13

Heritage Room Kitchen Remodel Complete

Several months ago repairing a plumbing drain problem required damaging a portion of the cabinets in the Heritage Room kitchen. After reviewing the options, a decision was made to remodel the very outdated kitchen. Work is now complete.

Several members of Colonial Women and Jim Cook, chair of the Property Management Committee, worked together to design and select materials and finishes for the new kitchen. Funding for the project came from donations from Colonial Women, the Memorials Committee, the Wedding Committee and the Maintenance Endowment Fund.

The remodeled kitchen features new cabinets, sink, faucet, backsplash, garbage disposal, an over-stove microwave, and new flooring. Cabinet selection allowed for an additional 5 inches of working space between the cabinets. With the microwave relocated off of the countertop, the amount of working space was substantially increased.

Thanks to everyone who participated in this project, we have an attractive and more usable kitchen waiting when we are all able to be together again.

Join the Colonial Church Virtual Choir

Join the Colonial Church Virtual Choir for the 2020-21 season. Kirk Carson has a summer hobby - learning to direct a virtual choir! For this coming year, the choir will rehearse and sing from home. You'd receive a "click track" with your part (and accompaniment). You listen to that in your headphones/ earpods, while recording yourself on your phone/audio recorder and send it to be included in the choir. So, if you'd like something fun and new to try - particularly as the months turn colder - signup today to be part of our choir at https://colonialucc.breezechms.com/form/1f282c

Honor Educators This Sunday, August 30

Pastor Aaron will give the annual teacher blessing during our worship service on Sunday, August 30 and we need your help. Please provide names of educators in our Colonial family and include the grade level or subject they teach. All educators face challenges this fall and with that in mind we want to bless these special people in our lives. You can also share the name of your child's classroom teacher or other educators to include in our blessing. Please send this information to Heather by today.

Gathering Sunday Drive-In Movie Night

Sunday, September 13, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Gathering Sunday during the pandemic is going to be different! We're going to come together for a socially distanced drive-in movie night to watch the movie "Hidden Figures."

For you artists out there, we're going to use sidewalk chalk to decorate our parking spaces in the south lot to celebrate our church community's ministry partners - like Artists Helping the Homeless, Cross-Lines Community Outreach, and Veronica's Voice.

When: Sunday, September 13, 7:00-9:00 p.m.

Where: Colonial Church Back Parking Lot

Free to attend. Bring your own popcorn and drinks

✶ Please wear a mask when you are outside your vehicle.

Let us know you are coming so we can have enough space by registering here.

Highlights of the August 16, 2020 Council Meeting

The YMCA has asked to use Colonial Church classrooms for students to learn remotely. Council members agreed this effort fits Colonial’s mission and plan to work out details and logistics with the YMCA.

The Board of Property Management reported the Heritage Room Kitchen is complete. On the moisture abatement project in the lower level, there have been meetings with a structural engineer and architect to determine next steps, including tuck pointing and redirecting water.

The Board of Outreach funded an effort to provide food for Artists Helping the Homeless.

Read full minutes here.

Vanishing the Void

VANish the Void is a new program by the Colonial Board of Outreach to provide non-perishable food items for Kar Woo (left) to hand out when he is out in the Be the Change van helping disadvantaged and homeless people in Kansas City. Mary Penrose is heading the effort to supply the food for Woo.

Pre-pandemic, Colonial helped Woo and Artists Helping the Homeless by providing and serving a meal in Mill Creek Park once a week for homeless people. You can give to that effort here.

Hold Me Tight Online Couples Therapy

Hold Me Tight® Workshop, an 8-week online workshop that helps couples take troubling patterns of conflict and transform them into emotionally accessible, responsive and engaging interactions, is planned for Saturdays, September 26-November 14, 10:00 a.m.-noon, for Colonial families.

Based on the highly researched method of couples therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy by Dr. Sue Johnson, and her successful book, Hold Me Tight®: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love, the workshop is appropriate for couples of all stages of happiness or distress. It offers a non-judgmental, emotionally safe space for you and your partner to explore your relationship and the struggles that keep the two of you from either having a stronger relationship or having the relationship of your dreams.

The presentation uses video clips to aid in understanding the lessons. Jessica Schroeder, a Licensed Clinical Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Leavenworth, Kansas, will facilitate the course. Cost is $299 per couple.

To learn more and to register, click here.

Ordination Service for Kelly Hansen

Ordination is a celebration for Christ’s church, and we could all use a reason to celebrate these days. Kelly Hansen will be ordained at Colonial Church at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 13. You are invited to the virtual worship service at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84817810369.

Participants in the service include spiritual advisors and representatives from the UCC and Colonial Church.

Kelly is originally from Helena, Montana and moved to the Kansas City area with her husband, Mark, in 2004. After a career in the culinary arts she felt called to ministry and attended St. Paul’s School of Theology. She serves as chaplain at Truman Medical Center as well as several other organizations.

Preaching through the Bible 2020-2021

Most years, Pastor Aaron preaches sermon series that people in our church community suggest. This coming year, we're going to try something new! We're going to use a series beginning in January that begins in Genesis and moves through the history of Israel to the beginning of Christ's church.

Also, on the 4th Sunday of each month, we'll be hearing from a guest preacher from one of our United Church of Christ congregations in the Kansas Oklahoma Conference. Online worship is opening new opportunities for connection and collaboration!

Updates Due Now for Member Directory

Additions/changes to your information for the Colonial Church directory are due now. We plan to have a new directory available in the next few weeks. Please check your listing in the 2019 directory and update address, children, phones, etc. If you haven't previously added a photo or need to update your photo, please send a horizontal one to [email protected].

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You can also go to https://www.colonialucc.org/personal-account.html and update your information. Contact Heather in the church office for more information.

Do Not Sacrifice the Power of Your Vote!

New Voter Education Webinar

Join us Wednesday, September 16, 11:00 a.m. to noon, via Zoom for an hour full of information and questions answered with our guest panelists - Lindsay Begham with The Voter Network and Kathleen Morrow with The League of Women Voters. Let’s consider the history of the vote in our nation, the challenges past and present and, most especially, how to get registered, how to find out what is on your ballot, and so much more.

Please register for the webinar here.

Colonial Women Activities

All women of Colonial Church are invited to gather with others in casual fellowship opportunities, whether you prefer breakfast, happy hour or discussing a book. Check out the options below. No reservations required.

Coffee. Monday, September 7, 9:30 a.m., Colonial Church front lawn. Bring your chair and your coffee.
Blue Moose Tuesday. Tuesday, September 8, 5:30 p.m., Colonial Church front lawn. Bring your own chair, beverage and food as we gather - appropriately distanced - to talk and laugh together.
Book Group. Friday, September 11, 7:00 p.m., via Zoom. We will discuss "Sometimes I Lie" by Alice Feeney.

Pastor Aaron's 10th Anniversary Gift

Pastor Aaron Roberts celebrated his 10th anniversary as Colonial's pastor in June but we were unable to gather for the occasion. We now hope to have a celebration in September.

You still have time to contribute to a special gift as well as funding for sabbatical and/or continuing education purposes for Aaron. Anyone wishing to contribute to this effort is invited to make a donation online (click the Donate Online button below) or through Heather at the church office, designating the gift "Aaron's 10th." Thank you for helping to honor Aaron.

Donate

Watch Our Weekly Services and Sermons

Livestream: Sundays at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. at https://colonialucc.online.church/

On Demand: worship services are on YouTube here. Sermons are available here.

Daily Devotionals

Our denomination, the United Church of Christ, provides an excellent daily devotional, written by the "Still Speaking" writers group. To have the devotions emailed to you daily go to:

http://www.ucc.org/daily_devotional

Your Support Matters

Our work together matters - to each other and to the community. We are needed more than ever in this difficult time.

Your pledges help Colonial to do its work. Counters are counting and we are making deposits. You may mail in your pledge checks or any other payments. An easier alternative is to make contributions online. You just fill in your banking information or provide a credit card and your name and email and what fund you are paying (Stewardship, food pantry, etc.) and the amount. Go to: https://colonialucc.breezechms.com/give/online

If you have any questions, you may email or call Heather in the office or Jayne Quimby, Financial Recorder.