signposts living god’s love, justice, and inclusion · 1 corinthians 15:1-11; john 20:1-18 april...

Newsletter Title

Special Events:

• Project Share

April 19

• Bake Sale for a

Cause April 22

• Chili Cookoff

April 29

Living God’s Love, Justice, and Inclusion

April 1, 2018

Volume 45, Issue 4

Inside this issue:

From the Pastor 2

NM Faith Coalition

Event

3

Church

Merchandise

3

Prayers 4

Scriptures 4

Compassionate

Conservation

4

Family Promise

Sweet Jazz Concert

4

Children, Youth,

and Family News

5

NM Interfaith Power

and Light Event

6

Signposts

BAKE SALE FOR A CAUSE

In our ongoing year round

Stewardship efforts, our next

Bake Sale For A Cause is Sunday,

April 22nd and will benefit

PROJECT SHARE! Our last Bake

Sale For Cause raised around

$400....let’s beat that figure for

PROJECT SHARE!

Holy Week Events/Services

Thursday, March 29th – Maundy Thursday Dinner Church

Join us at 6 pm in the library as we eat a meal, receive communion, and remember

Jesus’ last supper with the disciples.

Friday, March 30th – Good Friday Urban Way of the Cross 9:00 am -11:30 am

Join people from various congregations on a pilgrimage through downtown

Albuquerque’s community of need. This pilgrimage of prayer and reflection,

solidarity, hope and healing begins and ends at Immaculate Conception Catholic

Church, 619 Copper St NW. Maya Bode will speak about gun violence at one of the

stations. Join us as we walk with those on the margins: neglected children, the

homeless, the elderly, the poor, and the immigrant.

April 1st - Easter Sunday

Come for a delicious pancake breakfast between 8:30-10:00 am. Donations

support our youth activities.

Enjoy worship with brass and celebrate the resurrection at 10:30.

Following worship, the children will participate in an Easter Egg Hunt. There will not

be a first Sunday potluck due to the pancake breakfast.

For our next Stewardship opportunity, we are

having a Chili Cook Off after Church on Sunday,

April 29th. Each Ministry Team will have a pot

of Chili from their own special recipe and a one

pager describing all of the volunteering

opportunities their Team oversees. Sample all

of the Chili and vote for your favorite; Sample

all of the Volunteering Opportunities and sign

up for some. As they say in Chicago, “vote early

and often”; remember that this is a chili cook

off, not a chile cook off!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Congregational-UCC-Albuquerque/141821069198736?ref=hl

Dear Friends,

We are entering Holy Week and I invite you to join us for two unique services. On

Maundy Thursday (March 29th), we will have a dinner church at 6 pm. We will gather

in the library and share a meal around tables and take communion as we reflect on

the scripture together. If you can help with prep or clean up, please let me know.

On Good Friday (March 30th), we will participate in the ecumenical Urban Way of the

Cross from 9:00 – 11:30 am. We will begin and end at the Immaculate Conception

Catholic Church (619 Copper St NW). We will join with people from other churches on a

pilgrimage through downtown Albuquerque’s community of need. Maya Bode will

speak about gun violence at one of the stations.

Easter Sunday will be a grand celebration with brass, a delicious pancake breakfast

(served from 8:30 – 10:00 am), and an Easter Egg hunt after church. We will not have

a first Sunday potluck due to the pancake breakfast.

In the Sundays following Easter, we will begin sharing our stories each Sunday. You are

invited to reflect on what this church means to you and speak for three minutes about

that. If you are willing to tell a story about your experience of this church, please let me

know.

We are deep in the season of nominations where we recruit people to serve on teams

for the coming year. We welcome your participation on Social Justice, Faith

Development, Congregational Life, Building and Grounds, Finance, Circles of Concern,

Stewardship, or planning programs for children, youth, and families. If you are open to

serving, please be in touch with a member of our Ministry Leadership Team and we will

help you get connected. When you share your gifts, you make ministry possible.

You may have heard that Crossroads for Women will be moving this summer and the

Vassar property will be available. We are in conversation with the NM Dream Center

about a possible partnership and teen drop in center. We are continuing to explore

options until we have a firm commitment. Please share any ideas you have. If you

know of a group looking for a home/office space, please let me know.

Are you aware of our car donation program? We have recently received two car

donations. One came from a church member and one from a friend of mine who wants

to support our work. Please continue to let people know about this program. It is the

easiest way in the world to give. They will take any kind of vehicle (car, boat, camper,

motorcycle, etc) in ANY kind of condition (running or not) and 60% of the proceeds go

to the church. One Community Auto does ALL the work. My mechanic and two friends

have made donations of vehicles. Who do you know that might be interested in making

a donation? April 15th is quickly approaching!! Let me know if you would like more

information.

Blessings,

Sue

[email protected]

From the Pastor

From the

Pastor

mailto:[email protected]

Around the Parish…

We offer prayers for:

Kadhim Albumohammed and

Reham Majeed in the death of

their son, Jafar.

Mike Bluespider in the death of

her daughter.

Marla Shin who has entered

hospice.

Ruth Rahe who is recovering

from a broken hip and

pneumonia.

Roxanne Sikes who is

recovering from a recent

choking incident.

This new part of the newsletter is a

place to hear what is happening in

the lives of our members. Please

let us know if you have news to

share: births, baptisms, illness,

recovery, retirement, deaths of

loved ones. Here we will share our

lives together. We will not publish

news without your permission and

we hope you will submit

milestones so that we can let

others know what is happening in

your life.

Place of Honor

The recently purchased

bricks honoring members of

the congregation, friends

and family members will be

on display in Fellowship Hall

on Easter Sunday. This

project supports the church

budget. The bricks will be

installed in the Place of

Honor in mid April. Andy

Zawadzki has agreed to

manage the installation.

Thank you to the members

and friends of First

Congregational for

purchasing the bricks and

supporting the church

financially.

April 15—Third Sunday of Easter

Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4;

1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:34b-48

April 22—Fourth Sunday of Easter

Acts 4:5-12; Psalm 23;

1 John 3:16-24; John 10:11-18

April 29—Fifth Sunday of Easter

Acts 8:26-40; Psalm 22:25-31;

1 John 4:7-21; John 15:1-8

April 1—Easter

Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24;

1 Corinthians 15:1-11; John 20:1-18

April 8—Second Sunday of Easter

Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133;

1 John 1:1--2:2; John 20:19-31

Scriptures for April

We are collecting

change in April to

help provide funeral

expenses for Jafar

Albumohammed.

Meth, Craig, Wesley, Glenn,

Amanda, Marla, Allen,

Eleanor, Roxanne, Anita,

Heather, Ann, Francis, Jill,

Emily, Ruth, and all who

mourn.

We Remember

in Our Thoughts and Prayers

Change for

Change

Compassionate Conversation Workshop

We are called to be peacemakers as Christians and follow the example of Jesus but it's not always

easy. Our current culture is full of arguing and finger-pointing. On April 8th after church there will be

Compassionate Conversation workshop; the second half will be April 15th. Do you have friends,

relatives, teenagers, allies, non-allies that you wish you could talk to but their views are very different

from yours? Does it always degenerate into an argument or a decision to just not talk about it? Come

to this free workshop to learn some new techniques and ways to change hearts and minds. This is a

very fun, interactive practice. Mac Morrison will be teaching it from a strength-based perspective.

Please rsvp to the church office.

Children, Youth, and Family News

5th Sunday- Family Fun April 29th

Immediately following worship you are invited to participate in the 5th Sunday Family Fun event.

Stations will be set up around the church with crafts, music, making a healthy snack, and other fun

activities for people of all ages to enjoy. The fun will wrap up by 1pm. If you'd like to be part of the

planning, please connect with Lilly.

Easter Book Study

Parker Palmer, Let Your Life Speak and A Hidden Wholeness, Easter book study Thursdays from April

12th- May 17th from 6-7:30pm. Please purchase books in advance or find them at your local library.

Look for the sign-up sheet starting Easter Sunday in Fellowship Hall. Once you sign-up, you'll be emailed

the reading goals and guiding questions for each week. If you must miss two or more of the book

studies, please pass on this opportunity. Continuity is important to this experiential learning and

community building opportunity. A light vegetarian supper will be provided.

Let Your Life Speak is described in the following way: "Let Your Life Speak is an openhearted gift to

anyone who seeks to live authentically. The book's title is a time-honored Quaker admonition, usually

taken to mean “Let the highest truths and values guide everything you do.” But Palmer reinterprets

those words, drawing on his own search for selfhood. “Before you tell your life what you intend to do

with it,” he writes, “listen for what it intends to do with you. Before you tell your life what truths and

values you have decided to live up to, let your life tell you what truths you embody, what values you

represent.”

A Hidden Wholeness is described in the following way: "In A Hidden Wholeness, Parker Palmer reveals

the same compassionate intelligence and informed heart that shaped his best-selling books Let Your

Life Speak and The Courage to Teach. Here he speaks to our yearning to live undivided lives—lives that

are congruent with our inner truth—in a world filled with the forces of fragmentation.

Mapping an inner journey that we take in solitude and in the company of others, Palmer describes a

form of community that fits the limits of our active lives. Defining a “circle of trust” as “a space between

us that honors the soul,” he shows how people in settings ranging from friendship to organizational life

can support each other on the journey toward living “divided no more.”

Shared Service Opportunity at St. Martin's Hospitality Center/Hope Works 3rd Saturdays

A small group of 6-8 people is needed on the third Saturday of each month to serve at St. Martin's. Kids

and adults are welcomed to serve. On April 15th a group will meet at FCUCC at 4:00pm and carpool to

St. Martin's. We'll have pizza together afterward. If you/your family would like to be part of the crew and

get reminders, please RSVP via call or text to Lilly (505)234-0694.

We are preparing for our May Annual Meeting where we approve nominations for the coming year.

We would like to know where you want to serve. Are you interested in Congregational Life which

plans fun events and fundraisers? Would you like to be on Faith Development and plan education

events? How about Social Justice where you can be part of outreach? Building and Grounds to

take care of our campus? Stewardship? Finance? Worship? If you aren’t interested in these

teams, would you like to teach Sunday School or help with the youth group? There are many

places to serve. Please let Sue or a member of our Ministry Leadership Team (Marcia Harris, chair)

where you would like to serve.

Where Will You Serve?

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/reclaiming-and-restoring-new-mexico-from-sacrifice-zone-to-the-land-of-enchantment-with-chris-hedges-tickets-43870949190

Leadership

Marcia Harris

Moderator

Rev. A. O. Ferguson

Vice Moderator

Laura Pugatch

Secretary

Claudia Klesert

Treasurer

Rev. Gail Joralemon

Covenantal Partner in Ministry

Rev. Susy Gaffney

SWC Mission Board Delegate

Andy Zawadzki

Building & Grounds

Robin Gaupp

Faith Development

Steve Winton

Congregational Life

Pastor & Staff

Rev. Sue Joiner

Senior Minister

Kris Nolan

Director of Congregational

Preschool

Paul Morbitzer

Administrative Assistant/

Bookkeeper

Tim Beach

Building Superintendent

Lilly Irvin-Vitela

Director of Children, Youth,

and Family Ministries

Ruth Striegel

Director of Music

Venessa Vogel

Nursery Attendant

Reba Joe

Nursery Assistant

Paul Hook

Sunday Assistant

Rev. Mary Browne

Social Justice &

Outreach

Spencer Hatcher

Web Master

God is Still Speaking.

2801 Lomas Blvd NE

Albuquerque, NM 87106

Phone: 505-265-5749

Fax: 505-265-5740

E-mail: [email protected]

First Congregational

United Church of Christ

An Open and Affirming,

Peace with Justice, and

Green Justice Congregation

Living God’s Love, Justice,

and Inclusion

As our parking lot fills up, we are

inviting you to park in the Jefferson

Middle School lot across the street. If

you are able to do so, please park

across the street and make room in the

church lot for visitors and those who

need to park close to the building.

First Congregational United Church of Christ

Electronic giving available on our

website: http://firstuccabq.org

http://firstuccabq.org/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/First-Congregational-UCC-Albuquerque/141821069198736?ref=hl

April 2018

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9 10 11 12 13 14

15 16 17 18 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27 28

29 30

7:30 am Meal Prep 5pm Meal Serving

Project Share

6 pm Preschool Committee

10:30 am Text Study 6 pm Fitness Class 7 pm Meditation Group

6:30 pm Ministry Teams, Executive Committee

1 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry

Sunday School for Children and Adults 9:30 am Sunday Worship 10:30 am

Pastor’s Day Off

Pastor’s Day Off

Pastor’s Day Off

Pastor’s Day Off

10:30 am Text Study 5 pm Finance Comm. 6 pm Fitness Class 7 pm Meditation Group


4 pm Youth Group

Deadline for Signposts Articles

Communion in the Chapel

6 pm Fitness Class

6 pm Fitness Class

6 pm Fitness Class


Church Office Closed


9 am Personnel Committee

6 pm Fitness Class



6 pm Fitness Class

Congregational Life


7 pm Bell Choir Rehearsal



1 pm Prayer Shawl Ministry

Bake Sale for a Cause


Chili Cookoff

Pancake Breakfast Easter Egg Hunt

Easter Sunday

signposts living god’s love, justice, and inclusion · 1 corinthians 15:1-11; john 20:1-18 april...

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