Please plan to join us Wednesday, November 25, Thanksgiving Eve, for a Thanksgiving Prayer Services on Zoom 6:30 P.M. Pre-servvice music will begin at 6:15.
Thanksgiving is almost here and I am certain it will be a different kind of celebration than we have experienced in the past. We want to gather with family and friends and share all the traditions of the past. This year it simply isn’t safe to do as we have always done.
Families may have to meet and eat virtually so as not to spread the covid-19 virus. While that may not be our idea of an ideal situation, it is one which we have the opportunity to use to our advantage.
Please do celebrate and give thanks. Gather with family virtually, on the phone, or in person if you can do so safely and responsibly. But give thanks, even in hardship, God’s grace embraces us all.
Blessing of the animals or of the human-animal relationship, and can apply to pets and other companion animals, or to agricultural animals and working and other animals which humans depend on or interact with.
Blessing of animals, or of the slaughtering process, before slaughter, is a key element of some religions.
Secular respect for animals is also strong, for example, World Animal Day, an international day of action for animal rights and welfare celebrated annually, but is still held on 4 October, the feast day of Francis of Assisi, a Christian patron saint of animals. However, we are asking that you have your pet or pictures of your pet prepared for our service of blessing during worship on Sunday, October 11, 2020.
Join us for special liturgy, special music, and blessing a special relationships.
Worship with us each Sunday. Music with Meagan begins at 9:15 a.m. Worship is at 9:30 a.m. Our adult study on White Privilege begins approximately 15 minutes following the end of Worship. Zoom details can be found under the “Events on Zoom” on this web site. Please do join us.
Series begins September 20, 2020 following 9:30 a.m. Worship
Discussion Series: White Privilege, Let’s Talk
Curious about “white privilege”?
Annoyed by the term, but willing to explore the concept with people you trust, using materials provided by the UCC?
Faith Works looks forward to joining you for a weekly Zoom discussion series, White Privilege, Let’s Talk, to begin Sunday, September 20 after Worship.
If you have time, before that first meeting it may be helpful to take a look at two videos recommended by the UCC as resources for the curriculum.
First, a fast-paced, humorous 4-minute video, “Why Does Privilege Make People So Angry?”
Then a 22-minute video, “Deconstructing White Privilege with Dr. Robin DiAngelo.”
Note your questions, objections and other reactions.
To give you a sense of what to expect during our online meetings, here’s a link to the UCC curriculum
Pay attention to times when you feel defensive and be open to exploring what lies beneath your responses
If someone makes a comment you disagree with, let’s try to be gentle with one another, acknowledging we are all learners. You might ask Why do you think that? Or Tell us more about how you came to believe that before you share your perspective.
If you say something that you regret saying, feel free to acknowledge it with a straightforward Oops.
Allow each other and ourselves to change
This could be fun. We will be making discoveries together, with “beginners’ minds.”
Hoping to see you on Sunday, September 20 after worship,
Carol Tyx and Ann Zerkel, co-facilitators for Faith Works
FAITH UNITED CHURH OF CHRIST 1609 DEFOREST AVENUE IOWA CITY We continue to fulfill our ministry with our various on-line activities, fund raisers, and in-kind gifts.
Please listen to this latest message from our Executive Conference Minister
Join us for Music with Meagan and Worship each Sunday at 9:15 a.m. Check “events on Zoom” for the details
Our in-person activities will resume when be believe we can do so safely with our risk to our staff or congregation. Until that time we continue all of your work with outreach groups in our community. Elsewhere on this page you will find an accounting of our ministry even in the midst of COVID-19.
Our Worship continues on Zoom each Sunday morning beginning with pre-service music at 9:20 a,m. Worship is at 9:30 a.m. All information for attending worship can be found here on the web site under the tab Events on Zoom. Come join us. You are Welcome and we would really like to have you with us for worship!!
The members and friends of Faith United Church of Christ continue to work at practicing the truth of the poster above. Everyone is welcome into our ministry.
All in-person activity at Faith UCC ceased on March 17, 2020. Since that time our ministry has continued through Zoom with meetings, informal visits with members and friends, a Wednesday morning Coffee group, several virtual celebrations and Worship. Faith has maintained quality ministry while at the same time keeping in consideration the health and welfare of both our members and friends and the wider community as well.
Activities ,like our Annual Fiesta, Sundae Sunday, Palm Sunday Worship, Easter and Pentecost Worship celebrations have all be celebrated via internet activity. Our success is based on our faith in God, our faith in one another, and our faith that our ministry can continue in meaningful ways even when they cannot be conducted in person.
Now we have come to Christmas in July. We will not be able to conduct this annual celebration in person. An article in our monthly newsletter and here on our web page outlines how we will gather the supplies DVIP will need for their program. Instead on one Sunday in July dedicated to “Undie Sunday” EACH Sunday in July will be designated as “undie Sunday”. Please plan to get your items to the church before the last Sunday in July. Right now it is impossible to get into our parking lot because of city street work. We are hoping that by mid-July there will be a way to do so, so you are encouraged to wait until access to the oarking lot is available. Thank you for your cooperation.
Our Church Council appointed a task group to study, examine and recommend ways in which we might return to in person activities. this group gathered information from many sources based on the best possible outcomes. The health and safety of our congregation and our community is paramount!The task force presented it’s report to the Council at the regular Council meeting June 10, 2020. council received that report and called for a time of study, prayer, and reflection. A special meeting of the Council was set for June 24, 2020. The report was reviewed and adopted as our process for returning to in person activity. The report can be found on this web site by clicking here https://faithucciowacity.com/return-to-in-person-activities/Also, the members and friends of Faith United Church of Christ have received this document via email. Please contact either Church Council President, Ann Satterly at a_sattery@msn.com or Pastor Bob at bob.faithucc@gmail.com with any questions or comments.
Our church leadership will continue to monitor the events around COVID-19. No in-person activities are scheduled for July. The next regular Council meeting will be August 12, 2020. We may be able to better gauge our in person return at that time.
Head Start has plans to return to our building in mid-August. However, they too are uncertain if it will be an appropriate time. They do have a system of working at cleaning, sanitizing, and preparing for each day. There normal classroom size has been 16; but now it is limited to 10 students. All of us continue to watch and wait for signs that the health and safety of individuals is not jeopardized by any in-person aactivity.
God can be found in our world today. Join us for Music with Meagan and Worship each Sunday morning at 9:20 a.m. on Zoom.
Iowa City notified Faith UCC about a road closure on Deforest Avenue. Work began on Wednesday, June 3, 2020. Deforest Avenue is closed to traffic from Franklin Street to Sycamore Street to facilitate the reconstruction of Deforest Avenue and the installation of new storm sewer. A detour route will be posted and access to homes and businesses will be maintained to the extent possible during construction. It is anticipated that normal traffic will resume by the end of the August. Faith UCC has been told we should have continuous access to the church, but we may need to drive across a temporary gravel access and probably approach from Pine Street or Spruce Street.
