Sunday, June 14th at 10 a.m. is set for our annual, anticipated with foot-tapping joy, Jazz Sunday Worship! Please plan to stay for delicious ice cream, served on the front lawn of the church, as the Onion River Jazz Band plays from the church portico. Special thanks to our own Tony Hall for this, the 31st Jazz Sunday, with the Onion River Jazz Band making spirited music together.
“Grief” by Cynthia Angeles
Pastor Sally May and Michael Samara will be facilitating a 6-week conversation focused on pain, suffering and grief beginning on Thursday, May 14th, as we read and discuss “Praying Our Goodbyes” by Joyce Rupp. We will gather on Thursdays at 10-11:30am and again from 5:30-7:00pm. You are welcome to any or all of the sessions. Light refreshments will be offered.
Copies of “Praying Our Goodbyes” are available through the Church Office. Suggested donation is $10.00 per book. Please contact Pastor Sally May or the Church Office to RSVP (helpful, but not required), or for more information. We hope you can join us!
On Sunday, June 7th, First Congregational Church will host the staff of Kairos Earth for the culminating event of a week-long bike ride across New England. The Kairos staff will complete their pilgrimage by biking into Burlington in time to participate in our 10 a.m. service.
At 1 p.m., First Congregational Church and Kairos Earth will co-host a broader, interfaith community event, featuring an interactive presentation about the Pilgrimage for Earth, faith reflections on nature as sacred space, an outdoor workshop on connecting to the land, and more!
You can read more about the Pilgrimage here. Please join us for this community-wide event and share your love for the Earth!
Are you curious about the United Church of Christ? Do you want to know what is involved in becoming a member at First Congregational Church? Please join us for our next “Exploring Membership” gathering to learn more about the church and to meet with our Senior Minister, Rev. Peter Cook, Interim Associate Minister, Pastor Sally May, and deacons in an informal, discussion-oriented setting.
Join us on Sunday, May 31 at 9 a.m. at First Church. Please RSVP here, or call the Church Office (862-5010). Questions? Please contact Rev. Peter Cook.
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PLEASE NOTE: The May 17 conversation and potluck at 4 p.m. has been cancelled.
The First Church Forum embraces the opportunity to explore faith as it impacts the whole of our lives — personal, political, and cultural. First Congregational Church of Burlington is very pleased to welcome former Governor Jim Douglas as our distinguished guest at the Forum on Sunday, May 31, following the 10 a.m. worship service. A Republican, Douglas was elected the 80th Governor of Vermont in 2002 and was reelected three times. Douglas is currently an Executive-in-Residence at Middlebury College, where he teaches a course titled “Vermont Government and Politics.” We will invite Governor Douglas to share his reflections and stories about life in the public square.
Born in Springfield, MA, Gov. Douglas holds a Bachelor of Arts in Russian Studies from Middlebury College. He was elected to the Vermont House of Representatives in 1972, and became the House Majority Leader during his third, two-year term at the age of 25. He left the Vermont General Assembly in 1979, later serving as a top aide to Governor Richard A. Snelling. Douglas was elected Secretary of State in November 1980, a post which he held until 1992. He was elected Vermont State Treasurer in 1994, after receiving the endorsement of both major parties. He served as Chairman of the National Governors Association from 2009 – 2010, and in early 2010, Douglas became the first American political leader to receive the National Order of Quebec from the government of Quebec. Premier Jean Charest recognized Governor Douglas for strengthening Vermont’s historical bonds with Quebec and making improved relations with the province a priority of his governorship.
Governor Douglas has been a member of the Middlebury Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, and for many years, he has been actively involved with the Vermont Conference UCC, including serving as Moderator. He is the recent author of a memoir, The Vermont Way, which takes a guided tour of 40 years of Vermont History and Politics.
Nepalese volunteers unload relief material brought in an Indian air force helicopter for victims of Saturdayís earthquake at Trishuli Bazar in Nepal, Monday, April 27, 2015. The death toll from Nepal’s earthquake is expected to rise depended largely on the condition of vulnerable mountain villages that rescue workers were still struggling to reach two days after the disaster. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
THE UCC RESPONDS to EARTHQUAKE in NEPAL: The UCC Emergency Relief Fund is requesting our immediate support to bolster the humanitarian aid response in Nepal following the devastating earthquake on Saturday, April 25. You can follow UCC updates on Nepal and give online. If you want to make a gift by check through the church to help in Nepal now, please make your check payable to First Congregational Church, MEMO: Nepal/UCC Emergency Relief Fund – or give online through the UCC website.
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING: Our annual all-church, international emergency relief offering, One Great Hour of Sharing, has many powerful stories to tell. The UCC works collaboratively to use OGHS dollars effectively through: National Disaster Ministries; Refugee Ministries; Global Ministries and Volunteer Ministries. Through One Great Hour of Sharing, we are able to reach out with compassion and practical assistance to assist refugees, support sustainable development, and assist worldwide with emergencies – like the recent earthquake in Nepal. Every donation to OGHS makes a difference. If you can make a gift, please make your check payable to: First Congregational Church of Burlington, MEMO: OGHS. You can donate to our OGHS offering online by clicking here. Thank you!
There are also OGHS offering envelopes on the bulletin board at First Church, and they will be distributed during worship on June 14. OGHS dollars are needed for many global development and emergency relief efforts, including in the U.S. You can learn more about OGHS by clicking here.
A Spring Ladies Accessory & Book Exchange will be held on Saturday, May 9, 12:00 – 2:00 p.m., at First Congregational Church. Bring a favorite novel and ladies “accessory” item (scarf, costume jewelry, etc.) to add to the exchange…bring home a “new to you” book and accessory! Tea sandwiches, tea and lemonade provided!
This event is open to girls and women of all ages, and is hosted by “The Reading Ladies”. Tickets are $5 per person. You may pay online (select “Fundraiser” – “Pick-a-Party Payment” and note “Book Exchange”), or call the Church Office at (802) 862-5010.
Join the First Church Team! The COTS Walk-a-thon is set for Sunday, May 3, starting at Battery Park in Burlington. Walker registration opens at 1:00 p.m.; the walk starts at 2:00 p.m. Information and details about helping out as a “walk-day volunteer” will be available after worship on Sundays and at the Church Office. The first COTS Walk-a-thon in 1990 started from our Sanctuary; we have long had close ties with this important local program and event.
First Congregational Church will be an official “rest stop” on the May 3 COTS Walk-a-thon. Musicians will play from our front porch in celebration of community support for COTS. Our volunteers will greet walkers, share refreshments, and our restrooms and water fountain will be open!
COTS provides shelter and services to hundreds of Vermont adults and families each year. COTS has a housing loss prevention program that has helped hundreds of Vermont families and single adults avoid homelessness. Please help keep COTS services strong by joining the First Church COTS Walk Team.
For details, please stop by the COTS Walk information table on Sundays, join our team online, contact Lucy Samara via email, or call the Church Office at 862-5010. Thank you! -The Mission Committee
On Sunday, April 26, from 1pm to 3pm at First Congregational Church, volunteer Vermont attorneys will offer pro-bono (FREE) legal counsel to anyone in the community. Please arrive at 1:00 to reserve an appointment time and to check in.
All are welcome to access this service with any legal questions.
Confidentiality is (of course) guaranteed.
Questions? Want to learn more? Please contact Director of Outreach Ministries, Lucy Samara (862-5010).