Lent Worship Series - February 21-March 28
Each of us is created a precious vessel of God’s love. Over the past year, our sense of wholeness has been shattered and so this Lent will be a “season of recovery.” We will witness Jesus' solidarity with those who suffer and seek healing practices for body, mind, and spirit both personal and communal, creating beauty from that which feels broken.
When pain comes and brokenness enters our lives, Jesus reaches out to touch and remind us of the treasure that we all are – worthy of new life in the midst of hopelessness. In a year when pandemic has wreaked havoc on our world, we begin by affirming our journey to physical health.
We will use beach glass as a symbol of the brokenness made beautiful. Ordinary pieces of beer or soda bottles flung into the ocean are transformed by years of tumbling until they become polished and rounded. Often found on a beach, it’s as if a miracle tossed beautiful glass on the sand. Ordinary fragments of silica that time and adversity have transformed into something beautiful.
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February 21 Online Worship |
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Sunday Worship Online
Online Children's Sunday School. This week's Sunday School Bible story will go live on Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. 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.
Online Coffee & Conversation. Grab your coffee, your tea, your beverage of choice and join your fellow Colonialites in our Coffee & Conversation Zoom Room. We will be connecting with each other between our worship services. Stop in for a quick minute to catch up with each other! You can connect at https://bit.ly/CCCoffeeCon
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Sea Glass for You
Each week our lenten worship will include an action using beach glass so we have pieces available for you to pick up outside the church exterior office door February 17-20.
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For helping Colonial change lives!
With their generous support of the 2021 Pledge Drive, Colonial members and friends once again demonstrated their commitment to make Colonial Church a blessing to the community. As of February 15, the church had received $385,104 in pledges for 2021 (compared to $409,618 in total pledge giving in 2020).
Treasurer Allan Weil reported that we have already received $143,467 of the 2021 pledge total. “That’s 37% of the pledge commitment for the entire year, which means Colonial is in a secure financial position to start the year,” Allan said.
Kelly Hansen, Chairperson of the Board of Stewardship, pointed out that nearly 60% of our members were able to increase their pledge for 2021. “Given all the uncertainty created by COVID-19, that is extremely gratifying,” Kelly said.
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February 28
- How many noses does a slug have?
- What is the record for the number of hot dogs eaten in one sitting?
- About how many stars are there in the solar system?
Join the Brasel family for a Family Trivia Night on Zoom.
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Family Card-Making March 7
Join Marylee Battaglia on Zoom as she walks you through how easy and fun it is to make hand-crafted greeting cards on Sunday, March 7 at 1:00 p.m. This is a fun, kid-friendly activity using materials you have around your house. Sign up at https://tinyurl.com/Colonial-cardmaking and you'll get information to get ready for the class.
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Molly's Table Valentine's Day Dinner |
Molly’s Table always enjoys hosting a Valentine’s Day Dinner for The Sheffield Place. To keep the tradition going, Lynn Sample and Jeni Cosgrove arranged to have a catered dinner sent to Sheffield Place on Thursday, February 11. Price Chopper delivered individually packaged meals for all the moms and children. Families enjoyed a choice of chicken, meatloaf, a variety of sides, plus cookies and brownies.
“…the delivery was on time and the food was delicious. The continuing support and involvement of Molly's Table is appreciated,” David Hanzlick, PhD, CFRE - Director, Program and Development.
The meal was our way of showing the residents that Colonial Church is holding everyone in our hearts. Until we can gather safely in-person, Molly’s Table will continue to send gifts of friendship and kindness. If you’d like to be involved, contact Lynn, or Jeni for more details.
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Sign Up for Your Lenten Devotional
From the writers of the popular online Daily Devotional, Promises, Promises includes a biblical text, reflection, and prayer for each day of Lent until Easter Sunday. This Lent, bring your cynicism and your scars. But be sure you bring, too, that little bit of hope you still have for a God who won’t let you down. Devotionals will be sent via email. Sign up at https://colonialucc.breezechms.com/form/f2bba3.
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Highlights from the January 17 Colonial Council Meeting
The Board of Property Management reported that the lower-level moisture remediation work has been completed and the mold odor is no longer present.
The Board of Outreach voted to provide $5,000 to Metropolitan Lutheran Ministries to be used for utility and rent relief for those in need.
The council discussed priorities for the year ahead including building and exterior repairs and improvements.
Bill Sanderson, moderator
Read the full minutes here.
February 7 Congregational Budget Meeting
The Semi-Annual Meeting was called to consider the proposed operating budget for 2021. The meeting was held via Zoom due to the pandemic. The proposed budget passed with more than 50 members present. Read the full minutes here.
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Colonial Women Activities
Note: All Colonial Women activities are now virtual. You can attend through the Zoom links below. We need to connect now, more than ever!
Colonial Women Big Biscuit - 9:30 a.m. on March 1 via Zoom
Colonial Women Blue Moose - 5:30 p.m. on March 9 via Zoom
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One Great Hour of Sharing 2021 Special Offering
The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare structural inequities that contribute to increased poverty and injustice. On full display is the plight of the working poor who have lost jobs, are on the brink of homelessness, and are waiting for hours in long lines at food pantries.
The 2021 One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) offering theme is “Let Love Flow.” When you share your gifts to OGHS, you Let Love Flow. Your generosity ensures that, even in the midst of uncertainty, the transforming power of love will continue to change the lives of those who are most vulnerable among us.
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Refugees and asylum seekers are left in limbo, languishing at borders waiting for welcome. Many have been displaced by economic conditions, war and climate change. Among the millions of refugees are families looking for safe places that they can call home.
In the midst of these despairing moments, the United Church of Christ is able to offer hope as we stand in solidarity and mutuality with communities suffering and in need. Through Wider Church Ministries, the United Church of Christ fulfills its commitment to respond to a variety of global and local concerns by providing advocacy, sustainable development resources, long-term disaster recovery support, and assistance for refugee and asylum seekers, working in collaboration with our partners locally and globally.
Thank you for your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing, as together we build a just world for all. Click here to donate to OCHS. Choose One Great Hour of Sharing in the drop down menu.
Click here to download and print the One Great Hour of Sharing calendar.
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Blackout Trafficking Challenge
You can join the Blackout Trafficking Challenge in March with Veronica's Voice, one of Colonial's outreach partners. Choose a black item to wear every day in March and raise awareness of those who have had their freedom taken away by limiting their freedom of choice. Register to raise money for Veronica's Voice to fund the fight for freedom and end of trafficking.
Shop a Just Cause
Check out the Veronica's Voice online store to shop essential oils in Calming, Refreshing, Energizing, Synergy, and Relax healing blends. You can also host a virtual social justice party. Click to schedule a party. Invite your friends, and Veronica's Voice will provide products, testimony, and Q & A with empowered survivor leaders.
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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. Click the donate button below.
If you have any questions, you may email or call Heather in the office or Jayne Quimby, Financial Recorder.
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VANish the Void Supplies
Pre-pandemic, Colonial helped Kar Woo and Artists Helping the Homeless by providing and serving a meal in Mill Creek Park once a month for homeless people. We hope to resume that outreach eventually. In the meantime, the Colonial Board of Outreach is providing funds for non-perishable food items for Woo to hand out when he is out in the Be the Change van helping disadvantaged and homeless people in Kansas City. You can give to that effort here by selecting AHH from the dropdown menu.
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Colonial Women Rummage Fundraiser |
Because of concerns about COVID-19, Colonial Women is hosting a rummage collection rather than the usual sale. The goal is to raise $1,000, which means about 5,000 pounds of items! Savers will pay us by the pound for quality items. To reach that requires 250 13-gallon white trash bags of soft goods and 200 boxes of hard goods. We are also collecting boxes of books for a book sale. So far we have collected 120 bags of soft goods, 44 boxes of hard goods and 23 boxes of books.
Let Marylee Battaglia know how many bags or boxes you have collected so we can see progress toward the goal. Note nothing will be stored at the church.
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Celebrations!
In this time of staying connected remotely, please remember these folks who are celebrating milestones.
Happy Birthday!
18 Hannah Parker
20 Carol McKee
21 Carolyn Steffen
22 Darren Carpenter, Edna Hamera
23 Elliott Korentager, Cecily Lanigan, Pernell Talberg
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Calendar
Thursday, February 18
10:30 a.m.-Thursday Morning Study Group via Zoom
Sunday, February 21
Monday, February 22
10:00 a.m. Colonial Women Board via Zoom
Tuesday, February 23
9:30 a.m. Book Group via Zoom
Wednesday, February 24
9:30 a.m. Coffee with the Pastor via Zoom
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Colonial Staff
Bell Choir Director: Hayden Ferguson
Organist: Dr. Joseph Kern
Building Maintenance: Edson Palacios-Castrejon
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