First Things First!
A weekly E-News publication of  The First Church in Oberlin UCC
United Church of Christ  October 8, 2018
An Open and Affirming, Just Peace, Green Justice, Global Mission Congregation

No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome at The First Church.
TOP
TABLE OF CONTENTS
  1. First Church Weekly Calendar
  2. First Church Announcements & Events (scroll down)
  3. Conversations on Sanctuary - link to website
  4. Community Announcements & Events
  5. October Birthday List
  6. First Church  Meeting House Archives
  7. General Information
  8. Last Sunday's Bulletin
 
FIRST CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS
There will be no Sunday school for our children K-5th grade this coming Sunday October 14th.


Please join us for adult education on Sunday mornings after worship and Wednesday evenings after Wednesday night supper.

Next Sunday, we will watch the first part of the new documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor , based on the life of Fred Rogers.

Click here for the


!!!LAST CHANCE!!!

Don't miss your chance to see Best Selling Author, Regina Brett! Register for this amazing opportunity today. Pastor David Hill will be attending this event and has 3 spots left in his car. If you want to car pool with David please call the church office at 440-775-1711. You will still need to register for the event itself by calling the number below.

!!!Don't miss out!!!


Wednesday Night Supper will be held on October 10th! Help is needed to make these meals a success each week. Please sign up on the sheets located in the hallway, 
or call Diane Kruek at (440) 775-0976. Thank you!

The CE committee needs your help

The Christian Education committee is doing a fundraiser event, for an outside organization, to raise money to send our First Church children to summer camp. We are in need of desserts to help with this event. If you are interested in preparing something please sign up on the sheet hanging on the CE board across from the office. All baked goods will need to be dropped off in the church kitchen no later than 4pm on Friday October 19th.

Thank you!



THE HISTORY OF FIRST CHURCH
A WEEKLY CALENDAR
1984

In this weeks Sunday bulletin you read the beginning of passage that Rev. John Elder wrote entitled "The Future of First Church". This passage was the conclusion to the 1984 "The History of First Church" weekly calendar. 

To read John's whole message, click here. The themes of the challenges John represents include: Peace, Family Life, Women's Rights within the Church; Ecumenical Vision, and Growth in Faith and Faithfulness. 

Take a minute to read his essay and to reflect on what you think the challenges are now, in 2018. Send your comments to  lpricejones@gmail.com  or text to 202-510-5836. We'll share next week.
For October, the Outreach & Service Committee voted to give the following: Crossroads - $800,

Oberlin Senior Center (part of Neighborhood Alliance) - $800, SEPA - $1000, Zion Community Development Corporation (for emergency needs while reorganizing) - $1500. We are grateful to the congregation for their generous support our surrounding community. 


 
Sunday, October 14 at 4 p.m. at First Church Meeting House. A celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. Program features Prester Pickett, MLK actor; Rev. Otis Moss, Jr. , speaker, and City-wide choir. Come sing and come celebrate!

Choir rehearsal Saturday morning 9-11 in the choir loft.

Oberlin Celebrates Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Nobel Peace Prize
Sunday, October 14, 2018, 4 PM.
First Church in Oberlin, 106 N. Main Street, Oberlin Ohio 44074
 
                 There will be a short march from the Tappen Square Bandstand to the church at 3:30 PM
 
The Oberlin Community will again come together to celebrate the work and accomplishments of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on the anniversary of his acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize, on October 14, 1964.
 
The community will celebrate through Discussions, Student Essays, Combined Choirs, Praise Dancers and Reflections from keynote speakers including Reverend Dr. Otis Moss Jr., Pastor Emeritus of The Historic Olivet Institutional Baptist Church, and friend and colleague of Dr. King.
 
One of the highlights of the afternoon will be a reenactment of the acceptance speech of Dr. King, by renowned Cleveland State University Professor of Black Studies, Mr. Prester Pickett. Mr. Pickett is a student of Dr. King, and did an outstanding job reenacting Dr. King during last year's interfaith service.
 
One of the major parts of the effort will be a discussion around the issues and opportunities that face the City of Oberlin. A few unique approaches will be used to assess thoughts of the community. In addition to the student essays from the Oberlin Schools, flyers have been distributed asking the question: "What do you wish your fellow community members knew about the everyday race and social struggles in Oberlin?"
 
Boxes will be placed at the following locations to receive the completed community responses. The locations are:
  • Quick and Delicious Restaurant
  • Oberlin IGA
  • Ben Franklin
  • Oberlin Community Service Center
  • Community Meals
  • Oberlin Public Library
  • The Bridge



calla-lilies.jpg


A memorial service for Helen Taylor will held on Monday, October 29, 7:15 p.m. at Kendal at Oberlin.

Youth Group 

(6th-12th grade) will be held on Sunday, October 28th. We will be going to Brasee's corn maze out in Pittsfield. Due to that the time has been changed to 4pm-6pm. Cost is $6 a person and please make sure I have a new medical form on file for this academic year.


The Jakob's Ferry Stragglers return to Oberlin on Sunday, November 4, at 4pm for a performance at The First Church in Oberlin, UCC, 106 N. Main St. The Stragglers, an Appalachian bluegrass band, draw freely from old-time, bluegrass, rockabilly, and swing music to create their own brand of high energy music of w ell-crafted original songs with emotional depth, masterful picking, and resonant vocal harmonies.

To View a sample video click here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZ179sr9mDY  

funky-blue-header.jpg
New to the ENEWS

The previous Sunday bulletin will be available to view from your ENEWS. At the top, under the table of contents, you will see that there is now a number 8 on the list. This will be the spot for you to check in on any announcements you saw, find the name of that hymn you really enjoyed, or maybe you weren't able to join us on Sunday morning and still want to feel connected. Whatever the case, you now have access to the previous weeks bulletin.


GENERAL
COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS & EVENTS
INVITE THE POLICE CHIEF TO LUNCH

We are writing to ask if you would be willing to host one of an ongoing series of small-group, brown-bag lunches with Oberlin's Police Chief Ryan Warfied.
The purpose of these lunches is to have open conversation between Chief Warfield and community members.  There is no specific agenda for the lunches and no particular expectations, other than to engage in respectful dialogue. 
As host you would invite up to five people (including yourself).    Participants would bring their own lunches and you would provide beverages. The lunch could be held in your home (or other appropriate location) and would last no longer than an hour and fifteen minutes.

If you are willing to host such a lunch, please reply to Sonya Harrell via email:  sharre33@yahoo.com or call her at 440-935-1956 . Sonya is keeping a calendar of dates when Chief Warfield is available.  She can confirm the date you will host and make sure Chief Warfield has your address and contact information.  If you hosted an earlier lunch, please feel free to host another one - so long as you invite people who did not participate before. 
Many thanks for considering this request.  
 
Ray English
Sonya Harrell
A.G. Miller



All are invited to this major fundraiser that uses all the money raised for service projects either at home or abroad. Tickets available at the door - $45 for one, $75 for two. All you can eat, open bar, lots of fun!!!  Most of the food and drinks have been donated so all $$ go to humanitarian cause. Bring your Derby hat and $1 bills for betting on the horses. 


 


Here is the information from the flyer
in case you have trouble reading it

 

  • Tuesday September 11, 7:30pm, Wilder 101. "Immigration, Race, and Sanctuary in Ohio: Reflections by Anabel Barrón Sánchez." Anabel Barrón Sánchez is a community activist, organizer, and co-founder and Vice President of LOIRA: The Lorain Ohio Immigrant Rights Association based in Lorain Ohio.

  • Friday September 21, 12pm, Wilder 101. "Raids, Enforcement, and Forced Resettlement in Rural Ohio." Lecture by Jeff Stewart, Ohio Immigrant Worker Project,"

  • Thursday September 27, 4:30pm 7:30pm, "Sanctuaryscapes in the North American Southwest" Lecture by Aimee Villarreal, Assistant Professor, Our Lady of the Lake College, San Antonio. 

  •  
  • Monday October 8, 4:30pm. "Sanctuary as Family Activism." Lecture by Amalia Pallares, Associate Chancellor and Vice Provost, University of Illinois, Chicago.

  • Monday October 15, 7:30pm. "Black Lives Matter and Sanctuary Activism in Ohio."  Talk by Amber Evans (Juvenile Justice Coalition, Columbus) and Ruben Castilla Herrera (Columbus Sanctuary Collective).


OCS IS COLLECTING:  Breakfast Items, Diapers size 4 and up, child and adult pull-ups, bread, and cranberry sauce

Donations should be dropped off at 285 S. Professor Street, 9am until noon and 1pm until 5, M-F. 




CLICK HERE for the website and weekly announcements!



OCS welcomes your donations. 
Please take them directly to their building  at 285  S. Professor St. 
from 9am until noon and 1pm until 5pm, M-F. Thank you! 

OBERLIN HERITAGE CENTER



First Church has received a few complimentary tour tickets for the Oberlin Heritage Center as part of their appreciation to First Church for being an active organizational member to OHC. If you are interested, please contact the church office. Thank you. 
GENERAL
GENERAL INFORMATION
Communion - When Coming To Church Is Not Possible

The Witness and Membership Committee has members who have recently been trained by Pastor David to serve Communion to anyone in our church who is confined to home, ill or otherwise unable to come to church. One of the members of the Communion team will come to your home and share a brief service with you. If interested, please call Diana in the church office at (440) 775-1711.

 
Drawing on our heritage, we will grow by being an intentionally inclusive, multicultural, just and loving community that practices relevant and inspiring worship, mobilized to collaborate with our wider community by opening our doors to be a central gathering place that is dedicated to healing brokenness in our relationship with God, each other and the Earth. 
The First Church in Oberlin
106 N. Main Street
Oberlin OH 44074
(440) 775-1711

If you are searching for ways to become more fully  engaged in the life of the church,  contact Rev. David T. Hill or call the church office.




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SUBMISSION INFORMATION:
The deadline for articles and information into Monday's Enews is  FRIDAYS at 10 a.m. You may email your items to: office@firstchurchoberlin.org . Thank you.