What if the landscape itself could teach us something about God? This fall, explore the ancient spirituality of Celtic Christianity, rooted in land, sea, and sky. Discover a faith shaped by wonder, original blessing, creation care, justice, and God’s living presence in the world. Join Rev. Hal Chorpenning and Rev. Jane Anne Ferguson, retired pastors and congregation members, whose travels and pilgrimages in Ireland and Scotland have deepened their connection to this enduring tradition.

From UCC to FCC is an opportunity for newcomers, visitors, and new members to learn more about the United Church of Christ and First Congregational Church. We’ll explore what makes the UCC distinctive, the story and values that shape FCC, and how you might find your own place within this community. There will be time for questions, conversation, and sharing something of your own faith journey. Come share a meal, meet others finding their way into the life of our church, and discover more about this community we call home. Please RSVP to churchoffice@firstcong.net so we can plan for food and childcare.

This fall, join Lianna in Bible study after worship as we sit with and learn about women of the Bible who sought and provided shelter, nourishment, and healing alongside the God who created them. On Sunday, October 11th, we will read the story of Lot's wife (Genesis 19:15-26). All are welcome! Contact Lianna for more information.

Join Drew Schwartz and author Dr. Pius Kamau for small group discussions on his new memoir Running with Lions. We will discuss the memoir and various socio-economic topics around life in Africa, including the state of medical care and public health, as well as the differences between the US and Africa in healthcare and whatever other areas the group would like to discuss with Pius. Bring a bag lunch. Copies of the book are available for sale at Men's Breakfast and after Sunday Worship this week. Contact Drew for more details.

Support Groups for grief and caregivers meet every month. These groups are always open to new participants, including first time visitors and those who haven’t attended in a while.

Grief in person meeting: Noon-1:30 p.m., Room 312. Contact Bill Forbes or Jean Manifesto

Caregivers Zoom meeting: 2:30-4:30 p.m. Contact Bill Forbes

The laughs were good and the gasps and yips were audible last Sunday during our Campaign Kick-Off. If you missed it, you can view the kick-off skit here. Libby Black and Jon Hinebauch announced that we kick off this phase of our Legacy Campaign with pledges of $2,250,000. Wow! Thanks be to God – we are more than half way to our $4 million goal. Everything you need to know is included in the mailing you have or will receive. :Learn more at our Legacy Campaign web page. We encourage everyone to participate and to stretch to help us reach our goal. We are so grateful for everyone’s generosity in spirit and pledging.

Surrounded by the beauty of the mountains in autumn, this women's retreat invites you to linger in conversation, make art (without pressure), worship, and deepen friendships, both old and new. Inspired by the rhythms of the Christian year, together we'll explore practices that cultivate resilient faith: waiting with hope, living with wonder, embracing renewal, receiving God's gift of rest, finding joy that dances even in the darkness, and discovering God's presence in the ordinary days of our lives. We'll begin with dinner Friday evening and conclude Sunday morning after worship. A Saturday-only option is available. 

Do you find yourself asking what all these Ballot Initiatives mean? Some of them seem very obvious, but you aren’t sure what a yes or no vote really means. Join members of First Cong’s Social Justice Coalition for a Zoom Forum on Thursday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m. to walk through the initiatives. We will review what a yes or no vote means and what might align with our Social Justice Ministries and covenants.

Meeting ID: 848 6776 7645, Passcode: 947691

On behalf of our partnerrs at Community UCC, our Gun Violence Prevention (GVP) Ministry invites you to an evening of community building around ending gun violence, becoming better advocates through resource sharing and a chance for a mini-training on testifying, writing letters and more. Food, drinks and childcare will be provided.

Get free tickets.

Join us for the First Cong Fall Highway Cleanup! We will gather on Lefthand Canyon Dr. adjacent to the Greenbriar Inn to conduct this cleanup on Route 36. Covered toes and long pants are strongly recommended. Some work gloves provided. Orange vests and bags provided by CDOT. It’s a beautiful area of the county and the cleanup is much-appreciated by bike riders passing by. Coffee and donuts will be provided by the Climate Action Team. While RSVP's are not required it is helpful if you can contact Allison Hamm to volunteer. (There will be time to participate in the No Kings event in the afternoon!)

This new documentary film explores three Land Back stories: a Nebraska landowner who returned land to the Pawnee Nation, the town of Eureka, California, which returned an island to the Wiyot Nation, and Boulder, where work continues to return land to the Arapaho, Cheyenne, and Ute Nations. Following the one-hour screening, filmmaker Margaret Jacobs will be joined by Jerilyn DeCoteau and Rick Williams for conversation. See the trailer and register online.

On October 18, we celebrate 39 years as an Open and Affirming church. In 1987, First Congregational became the 16th church in the entire United Church of Christ to publicly affirm and welcome LGBTQ+ people into the full life and leadership of the church. We give thanks for the courage of those who led the way, the generations who have carried this covenant forward, and the loving welcome we continue to embody today.

WANTED: Crop Walkers! No, not to pick crops... the Crop Hunger Walk raises funds and awareness for Community Food Share, committed to helping feed people in need in our community, and Church World Service, who provide disaster relief around the world. Dust off your walking shoes and join us! Walk and/or donate here and stop by the Crop Walk Table in the Link. Contact Lianna for more information.

The Discernment Team for the Mission & Social Justice Initiatives of the Capital Campaign presented a Forum on August 30 providing the Timeline and Proposal Submission process for initiatives. If you would like to submit an Initiative Proposal, please answer each of the questions from this sheet and submit it electronically to... discernmentteamfcc@gmail.com no later than 10/18. You may also submit your proposal by filling out an online form. If you have questions, please contact the Discernment Team. Click here to see the Timeline.

Feed My Starving Children is coming to Atonement Lutheran Church and we are invited! Across three days at this interfaith event, they will be packing 100,000 meals and need your help. Join other FCC folks on Friday evening and pack nourishing meals for children around the world. Contact Lianna to participate.

This year to celebrate Halloween, we are hosting Trunk or Treat. We’ll decorate our car trunks so children and folks of all ages can come trick-or-treating! Come for a fun afternoon of Halloween festivities.

We are looking for Trunk Hosts and lots of treats! Trunk hosts decorate the trunks of their vehicles and pass out treats. P.S. There will be prizes for the top 3 decorated trunks! Please sign up to be a trunk host here. Treat donations will be collected in the Link starting October 4th.

Creativity is alive and well at First Congregational! Share your artistic gifts in our Fall Member Art Show, on display from early November through early January. All mediums are welcome – including painting, drawing, photography, fiber, textiles, and more. There are no size limits! Interested in participating? Contact Melody Fuller for details and submission information.

Join us for our annual Sawyer Memorial Organ Concert, made possible by the generous gift of former Director of Music and organist Jane Sawyer. This year features Clarion, an organ and trumpet duo performing contemporary music, with acclaimed musicians Melody Turnquist-Steed and Keith Benjamin. Free and open to all!

Those Who Sing Pray Twice, an Evening of Prayer and Song.

Sunday, 11/1, 5:30 p.m. | Sanctuary.. More information.

The Annual Sawyer Memorial Organ Concert featuring Clarion

Friday, 11/6, 7:00 p.m. | Sanctuary

How to Build Solidarity with Indigenous Peoples

Saturday, 11/7, 10 a.m.-4:00 p.m. | Plymouth Hall. More information.

Worship and conversation with Peter Marty of The Christian Century

Sunday, 11/8, 10:30 a.m. Worship, 11:45 a.m. Conversation & Lunch

More information.

Service of Thanksgiving for the Life of Helen Connolly

Monday, 11/9, 11:00 a.m. | Sanctuary. More information.

A screening of Louder Than Guns followed by a conversation

about gun violence and finding common ground.

Monday, 11/9, 7:00 p.m. | Dairy Arts Center. More information.

Author Talk with Pius Kamau on his Memoir Running with Lions

Wednesday, 11/11, 6:30 p.m. | Sanctuary. More Information.

Our church uses the Collective Action List to inform members of ACTIONS you can take to support the work of our Social Justice Ministries. Many of these ACTIONS relate to the approaching mid-term elections, but all of these will be non-partisan which is defined as follows: As a church group we can act on issues, but we cannot endorse candidates. To join this list contact collectiveactionadmin@firstcong.net 

If you are ready to take a deep dive into Celtic Christian Spirituality, please join the Revs. Jane Anne Ferguson and Hal Chorpenning on a pilgrimage that includes ancient standing stones, an extended visit to Iona, a pilgrimage walk around St. Andrews with a renowned scholar from Scotland’s oldest university, two nights on Holy Island (Lindisfarne), and a visit to Edinburgh and Inchcolm, a monastic island in the Firth of Forth. Together, we’ll journey, worship, explore, and enjoy companionship along the way. Jane Anne and Hal have been longtime students of Celtic Christian spirituality and have led pilgrimages in Ireland and Scotland. 

Our Director of Music, Kajsa Teitelbaum, has been invited to serve as one of three music directors for the 2027 Resonance Music Tour, which is heading to Germany and the Czech Republic. The trip, planned for June 27-July 7, is open for singers, handbell ringers, and anyone who loves music and culture. We will visit and perform in Berlin, Wittenberg, Leipzig, Prague, and many other places with cultural and historical significance. For more information, contact Kajsa.

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