The primary goal of this retreat is to provide a confidential, safe environment to aid in the healing process of one’s own grief. The loss can be recent or in the near or far past, an anticipated loss for those caring for a loved one, or a loss of another sort such as loss of health or home. After any significant loss there is grief and this retreat will call on God’s help and a supportive community to be more able to learn and move forward through it. Click here for more info and to register.

Our hearts are with Anne Weiher and her family following the death of her husband, Bill, on Wednesday, July 1. Bill was the father of Jessica and their late daughter, Liz. We pray that all who grieve may be sustained by God’s abiding love. A Service of Thanksgiving for Bill’s life will be held Saturday, July 18, at 1:30 p.m. at First Congregational Church. There will be a dessert reception after the service at the Weiher Family Home. All are invited.

Children Summer Class: Who is Jesus? Children grades K-5* will start in worship and then be dismissed at the beginning (like we've been doing all year). They will go with Lianna and another adult leader to their classroom for a Sunday School class on the life of Jesus.

Youth Summer Class: Sermon Talkbacks! Youth grades 6-12* will start in worship and stay through the sermon. After the sermon message, youth and their adult leaders will go to the Grace Gallery for donuts and conversation.

*Rising sixth graders are welcome to join the class that best suits them.

The annual backpack drive for our community partner the Family Learning Center runs through July 19. This year First Cong is focusing on collecting 50 new adult-size backpacks (17-19") for the older students (we still need 30 backpacks). We also request financial donations to provide for other essential back-to-school items that the Family Learning Center will purchase. Please place your new backpacks in the receptacle in the Link and financial donations can be made here.

Contact Linda Tilly.

Join Rev. Bob von Trebra to study Scripture together – across every season of life, every adult age, every story. While we are grateful for the energy young adults bring, this circle is open wide: all are welcome to read, discuss, and enjoy community as we reflect on the Bible together. Contact Bob von Trebra

Our Summer Food Drive is this week. Pick up a free grocery bag and shopping list after Worship and fill it with groceries during the week. If everyone contributed just one bag of groceries, we could exceed 2025’s Food Drive total of 3,906 lbs. Bring your donations to the little red wagon in the Link next Sunday or to your local neighborhood leader (find your local coordinator on the shopping flyer). Donations are distributed by the pantries of Boulder County AIDS Project (BCAP) and Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA).

7/25 10:00-11:30 a.m. Cottonwood Park Playdate

112 Via Appia Way, Louisville

8/1 9:00-10:00 a.m. Home Depot Kids Workshop

1600 29th St, Boulder

8/8 10:00-11:30 a.m. Kanemoto Pool Splashpad

1151 S Pratt Pkwy, Longmont

Click here for the full schedule. Questions? Contact Lianna.

7/19 5:00-7:00 p.m. Grace Gallery

Nachos and Board Game Night

7/26 5:00-7:00 p.m. Grace Gallery

Cooking and Crafting

8/2 5:00-7:00 p.m. Bowling at CU

1669 Euclid Ave, Boulder

Click here for the full schedule. Questions? Contact Lianna.

Karen and Stewart Hoover invite you to their home at 1497 Lodge Lane, Boulder for a mid-summer Fellowship of the Grape on Friday, July 24 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Bring a summer wine and an appetizer to share (or just one or the other if you are coming solo). Non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. Front door is on Ghandi. All over 21 are invited for summer fellowship and fun with old friends and new!

Join us for an evening under open summer skies and stage lights as we take in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Enjoy comedy and mistaken identities that tilt toward tenderness in the midst of good company. Contact Jill or Bob von Trebra

You are invited into a papier-mâché workshop where personal symbols take shape – small, tactile stories of identity, memory, and what we hold sacred. Guided by Sue Allman, church member and gifted art teacher, we gather in creative community where paper and paste become possibility. We return midweek to add color and bring them to life!

All ages welcome – children, youth, adults, whole families. No experience needed, only curiosity and a sense of playfulness. Lunch

and dinner provided. Register here.

Join the Social Justice Coalition to plan congregational efforts to get out the vote and support democracy this election season. This meeting is for those who want to plan and lead efforts, there will be other opportunities to get involved as a participant. Salad Potluck Dinner at 5:30 p.m., meeting from 6:00-7:30 p.m.. We will provide salad and you can bring a dish to share. Join us to plan and lead our congregation in this effort. Contact: Laura Riihimaki.

Not everyone hears the same or reacts to sounds in the same way. The A2A (Accessible to All) Ministry has purchased noise reducing headsets and ear plugs to aid in making worship more accessible to everyone. If you might find these tools helpful for your worship experience, please pick up a pair in the Narthex or ask an Usher to help you. For more information contact Linda Kowatch.

Join us on August 2, 2026, as we celebrate Colorado's 150th birthday. During the worship service, the Congregational Bells will perform a commissioned piece by Nathan Kleve based on the Colorado state song, "Where the Columbines Grow." Church Historian Chris Cooper will share the history of First Congregational Church and how its story has intersected with Colorado's founding and growth. Eric Malmborg will then offer reflections on the broader story of westward settlement and its impact on Indigenous peoples. Come discover how God calls us to be a voice of love, justice, and reconciliation for Colorado.

Drawing on her work collecting oral histories for the Museum of Boulder’s Proclaiming Colorado's Black History exhibit (2023–2025) and sharing her own family’s journey from enslaved ancestors in 1824 to today, Min. Glenda Strong Robinson will highlight the power of preserving personal and community stories and inspire attendees to document their own family histories. Min. Glenda is a mother, grandmother, associate minister, small business owner, historian and mentor to many. Don’t

miss this forum!

Returning this summer is our Family Camping Trip! As the summer closes, folks of all ages bring a tent and meet up at Rocky Mountain National Park for a weekend of restful joy. This year our theme is "What Every Living Thing Needs." Through nature, conversation, song, and community, we will explore and experience the interconnectedness of the

whole earth. This trip is open to all ages. Adult: $50, Children and Youth (Ages 5-18): $20. For more information, contact Lianna Campos.

With gratitude for a life of faithful service, we share that George Jones,

a member of First Congregational Church for more than 50 years, died on June 30 in Kenya. George devoted much of his life to public service through USAID and USIS, and after suffering a stroke three years ago, he remained in Kenya, where he received devoted care. We hold his wife, Carol, and all who loved George in our prayers, giving thanks for his life and asking God's comfort and peace to surround them. A memorial service will be held at First Congregational Church UCC Boulder on August 29, 2026 at 1:30 p.m.

Thanks to a generous donation, nearly 70 books have been added to the Book Nook in the Faith Center’s west stairwell and the Plymouth Hall lobby area. Come browse the shelves and borrow freely! If you'd like photos showing book titles, contact Pat Whitaker. Reminder: There’s a donation bin, should you have any reading materials to contribute!

Please note that office hours will be adjusted the week of July 20–24 while Julie Griffitts is on vacation. The church office will be open Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. Thank you for your understanding, and we look forward to assisting you during those hours.

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