Welcome to First Congregational UCC of Burlington

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Holiday Shopping and Community Connection:  The annual First Church Holiday Fair – hosted by Women’s Fellowship – is this Saturday December 7 from 10am to 4pm.  Come in to do your Christmas shopping, pick up your wreath, and stay for lunch, too! That’s right, the Connections and Partners in Pastoral Care Teams are working with Women’s Fellowship to host the December Let’s Lunch also on Saturday December 7th as a special holiday event in tandem with our annual Fair. What could be better than gathering with friends and getting your holiday shopping all done. Looking for a way to volunteer to support this event? Sign up online using this LINK

Let’s Lunch:  Lunch – soups, sandwiches and salads – is open to all and will be from 12 to 2pm – by donation.  Need a ride into town to enjoy “Let’s Lunch” and the Holiday Fair?  Email Pastoral Care Team member Lucy Samara and she will connect you with a ride.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s Wreath Season!  Deck Your Halls With Boughs of Holly

Wreath pick up is at First Church this Saturday December 7th from 10am to noon – or if necessary – you can pick up a wreath after worship on Sunday December 8.    The youth still have many wreaths to sell – to reserve one CLICK HERE one drop by the Holiday Fair between 10am and noon on Saturday!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Words For the Beginning: Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity writes: Advent is a season of endings and beginnings. As the calendar year comes to a close, a new church year begins. Christ’s birth ushers us into new ways of living and loving; and yet, the world as we know it spins madly on. In many ways, pregnant Mary was surrounded by endings—large and small, personal and political. But Mary proclaimed hope in a God who was and is making all things new. When we ourselves navigate seasons filled with endings and beginnings, we need reminders. We need words that can feel like steady ground, like a path for our feet to find as we step forward into the unknown. This Advent, let each week offer you new words, each one a blessing for your next beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You are invited to worship in person at First Church at 10am on Sundays in our beautiful Sanctuary at 38 South Winooski Avenue in Burlington OR via the live-stream (or later recording) on the FirstChurchBTV YouTube Channel. Fellowship time follows worship at First Church.

The Order of Worship, Announcements, etc. for worship on the second Sunday of Advent – December 8 – linked below – will be updated prior to the worship service and posted here:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Advent Activities Abound: Take the Time to Slow Down and Wonder
• Brief Blessings: Online Prayer and Meditation Join these 10-minute online devotionals Mondays-Fridays at Noon, starting December 2nd throughout the season of Advent on the First Church Facebook Page
• Sanctified Art Devotional and Calendar: Pick up your copy of Sanctified Art’s Advent Devotional and Advent Calendar in the sanctuary. Each are specifically designed to coordinate with this year’s theme, Words for the Beginning
• Children and Youth Pageant: It’s that time of year again! Children and youth will be preparing their annual Christmas Pageant during Sunday School and Youth Group over the next few weeks. Contact Hilah Clarke, hclarke@firstchurchburlington.org if you have any questions or would like to volunteer your support.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stewardship 2025

10,000 Reasons to Give: Our 2025 Stewardship Campaign – “10,000 Reasons to Give” is ongoing – more pledges are needed to meet important ministry and mission budget goals!  To learn more and to watch the beautiful videos recorded for the campaign – use this LINK. There are so many reasons to give to this church – please add yours when you pledge online – or by using a printed form available in the Church Office.

CLICK HERE or on the image above to watch The Rev. Elissa Johnk’s video about her reasons to give.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CLICK HERE for more information about our programs for Children & Youth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Introducing Flamy Grant Celebrating Reconciliation with Creativity and Joy
This New Year’s Eve, First Church is proud to be hosting award-winning, chart-topping, drag queen, Christian singer-songwriter, Flamy Grant (a nod to the 90s Christian pop star, Amy Grant). If you’re wondering why it’s important for us to host an event like this at the church, join us for a discussion following worship this Sunday December 8th at 11:30 in the Dining Room. We will listen to her music and discuss the ways in which First Church can continue to support reconciliation with the Queer community as an Open and Affirming United Church of Christ.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 CLICK HERE for the Thursday 8:30am Bible Study Zoom
Our Bible Study gatherings are in person – 6:15pm on Wednesdays at First Church – and via Zoom online – Thursdays at 8:30am. All are invited to explore scripture together!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who is my neighbor? The one in front of you in need. Looking for a way to serve your church and community? Join our Good Neighbor Crew. Every morning and evening, we need folks to help us clean our grounds and check in with those gathered here in an effort to build relationships and maintain a safe space for all. Email Director of Congregational Life, Ava Bilton, with the days and times you’re available to serve, or signup in the Church Office.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The FCCB Climate Justice Team offers articles via the Climate Corner (website page) to share ideas about what we can do to help preserve this beautiful world and the life on it that we’ve inherited. CLICK HERE to check out the on the First Church website Climate Corner

SUSTAINABLE HOLIDAY IDEAS from the FCCB Climate Justice Team
The holidays are upon us!   We can reduce consumption by using renewable resources and repurposing objects. Celebrations can be a time of sustainable traditions and helping the environment.

• CLICK HERE for some fun ideas for “greening” your holiday decorations, gifts, food and more. 
• Have a safe and sustainable holiday and share eco-friendly practices with family and friends.   As Christ led by example and inspired us, let us do the same by making “green” choices.

In faith,
The Climate Justice Team at FirstChurchBTV

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Learn about the First Church Elmwood Community Snack Project HERE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Our FirstChurchBTV Outreach Team invites volunteers to donate meals for youth at Outright Vermont gatherings. Want to know more? Please contact Outreach Team member Louise Brewster at lrbrewster@gmail.com for details and potential dates.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MEAL TRAIN: A First Church Pastoral Care Ministry!
Our PIPC – Partners In Pastoral Care – Team and affiliated volunteers known as: “Friends at First” have been busy in the ministry of providing meals for many years. In collaboration with our clergy, PIPC coordinates meal deliveries within our church community in response to various times of need. Interested in participating in an upcoming Meal Train? Contact: Lucy Samara at lsamara@firstchurchburlington.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NAME TAGS BUILD COMMUNITY  Please drop by – or call the Church Office – 802 862 5010 ext 4 to request a name tag – let us know your specific name request (nickname, pronouns, etc.). Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

OUR THRIFT STORE – THE POSSIBILITY SHOP:
• Our Thrift Shop has a long history of serving the community and church!

Donations & Volunteers are needed!  Please bring Possibility Shop donations to First Church any time between 10am and 3pm – Wednesday though Friday. Clean clothing and household items in good condition are always needed.

ESPECIALLY NEEDED NOW: Warm winter clothing in excellent condition for all ages.

VOLUNTEERS INVITED:
• Greet customers in the midway (near Church Office) – a great opportunity for readers and knitters!
• Assist with the financial aspects of the shop, @two to three hours per month.
• Handle and help sell older, valuable items that are donated to the shop.
• Questions? call Karan Dewar 802-922-3821 or Brenda Fraser 802-862-4747.

Thank you.