 | “There is no friend as loyal as a book.” - Ernest Hemingway Come together as we create space to honor the loss many of us feel after the devastating fire at Hale Library. We will gather at 8pm on the north lawn outside the library. Bring a favorite book and a blanket or lawn chair with you and we will read favorite passages aloud. Envision a candlelight vigil....but with words lighting up the space rather than flames. People of all ages, abilities, and from all walks of life are welcome. Facebook event Sponsored by ECM @ K-State (www.k-state.edu/ECM) First Congregational UCC (uccmanhattan.org) |
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It’s not too late to get involved with the Poor People’s Campaign’s 40 Days of Action in Topeka. Needs include people present at the rallies, volunteers for specific tasks on rally days, and those willing to participate in direct action. If you are interested and are not currently on the Kansas PPC mailing list, please email the church office to learn how to get on the Kansas PPC Mailing List. Upcoming dates/themes are as follows: Week 3 (TUESDAY May 29) The War Economy: Militarism and the Proliferation of Gun Violence Week 4 (Monday, June 4) The Right to Health and a Healthy Planet: Ecological Devastation and Health Care Week 5 (Monday, June 11) Everybody’s Got the Right To Live: Education, Living Wages, Jobs, Income, Housing Week 6 (Monday, June 18) A New and Unsettling Force: Confronting the Distorted Moral Narrative Week 4 (June 3-9) The Right to Health and a Healthy Planet: Ecological Devastation and Health Care Week 5 (June 10-16) Everybody’s Got the Right To Live: Education, Living Wages, Jobs, Income, Housing Week 6 (June 17-23) A New and Unsettling Force: Confronting the Distorted Moral Narrative 40 Days of Action, May-June 2018Week 3 (May 27-June 2) The War Economy: Militarism and the Proliferation of Gun Violence Week 2 (May 20-26) Linking Systemic Racism and Poverty: Voting Rights, Immigration, Xenophobia, Islamophobia, and the Mistreatment of Indigenous Communities Week 1 (May 13-19) Somebody’s Hurting Our People: Children, Women and People with Disabilities Living in Poverty August 2017 Mass Meeting in TopekaPhotos by Rachel Shivers of Vibrant Life Photography. Used with permission. During the month of May we will be worshiping in alternate locations TWO weeks in a row. Do not come to 700 Poyntz on May 6th or 13th. You won't find us here. Look below for information about what we'll be up to on those Sundays. We will re-gather here on May 20th for Pentecost.  MAY 6 - SHARED WORSHIP AT FIRST CHRISTIAN Join us at First Christian Church (115 Courthouse Plaza) at 10:45am for a shared worship service featuring the Thundering Cats Big Band! Our pastors will lead worship together and we will all enjoy this special service of beautiful music. Communion will be shared and the table is open to all. Sunday School will still take place at First Congregational at 9:30am. Additionally, the Thundering Cats are hosting a special benefit concert that same afternoon at 2pm, also at First Christian Church. A free-will offering for ECM (Ecumenical Campus Ministry) will be received at the afternoon concert. | Facebook event PLEASE NOTE: We will have Sunday School on May 6th in our regular location (700 Poyntz). Adults will finish up the We Sing Freedom! class and nursery care/Sunday School is also available for the kids. May 6th is the final day of Sunday School before we take a break for the summer.  May 13 - WORSHIP IN THE PARK & BLESSING OF THE ANIMALS Join us at Long's Park for our annual worship in the park and blessing of the animals. Please bring along your own chair if you've got one. During worship, we'll bless our pets. Childcare staff will be on hand to care for young kids who want to explore the playground or the rest of the park. After worship, stick around for a good ol' fashioned potluck. Bring a dish to share and your own plates/silverware. Drinks will be provided by our Board of Deacons. | Facebook event  May 20 - PENTECOST + CHRISTIAN ED RECOGNITION + FLOORING DEDICATION
It's Pentecost! We celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit in worship on this Sunday each year and you are encouraged to wear red, yellow, or orange to worship so we can make a flame together. This year, Pentecost is also Christian Education Recognition Sunday. We will celebrate and bless children, youth, and adults who have participated in or led education activities. After worship, we will dedicate our new flooring during Fellowship Hour. Don't miss it!  Before Dr. King's assassination 50 years ago, he initiated the Poor People's Campaign to seek justice and policy reform related to racism, poverty and militarism.
You are invited to join us Saturday, April 14th from noon to 4pm to learn about the local work being done to re-invigorate his vision for equality and justice in our community, state and nation. The training session will be held in the Fellowship Hall of the First United Methodist Church in Manhattan (612 Poyntz Ave., ATA Red line). At the training, we will review the basic principles and goals of the Poor People's Campaign: ending systemic poverty, racism, militarism and ecological devastation. We will also discuss how these four core issues affect our local community and introduce how we can get engaged at the state and local level in making positive social change. During the training, we will video conference with participants in 40 other states as we hear from Rev. Dr. Barber and Rev. Dr. Theoharis. Together, we are building unity across lines of division as we support one another in our efforts towards morally just social change. To sign up for the April 14th training follow this RSVP link. We are working on plans to provide childcare and there is a place to indicate your need for childcare on the RSVP. For more info on the national Poor People's Campaign, you can visit their website. PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! Share the Facebook event for the April 14th training Print flyers for the event (single page, two-to-a-page) Join us for our annual blessing of the animals on Sunday, May 13! We'll gather at 10:45 a.m, in (shady) Longs Park. Please bring along your own chair if you've got one. During worship, we'll bless our pets. Childcare staff will be on hand to care for young kids who want to explore the playground or the rest of the park. After worship, stick around for a good ol' fashioned potluck. Bring a dish to share and your own tableservice. Drinks will be provided by our Board of Deacons.  We are honored to have Rabbi Moti Rieber speak at our service on Sunday, March 18. Reb Moti is the Executive Director of Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA) and a life-long activist on peace, social justice, and environmental issues. He is a regular presence at the state capitol and testifies at hearings and meets regularly with legislators in pursuit of KIFA goal of bringing a faith-based moral voice to public policy in Kansas. KIFA acts on the belief that everyone deserves equal opportunity and equal protection, and the right to live in peace per their principles, which includes discrimination based on religion, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other variables that describe marginalized populations. Reb Moti will speak on non-violence as a faith-based action for change. The Vitality Committee will host an extended Fellowship time with a light brunch and the opportunity to meet Reb Moti and learn more about KIFA and his current work in Topeka.  This year First United Methodist will be privileged to host the Community Lenten Lunch series of the Manhattan Ministerial Association. The theme of our Lenten Lunches will be “The Final Words of Christ from the Cross.” During each luncheon we will hear from a Pastor of another Christian denomination here in Manhattan. They will plan a 30 minute worship service unique to their own worship style. We will have the rich diversity from Roman Catholic to Mennonite expressions. See below for our worship leaders.
Every Wednesday noon we will gather for a church provided lunch in the church’s Fellowship Hall, followed by a 30 minute worship service. The food line will be prepared at 11:45 am with our worship service beginning at 12:15 pm. Everything will conclude a little before 1:00 pm so people can return to work. A free will donation will be accepted, suggested amount $8. RESERVATIONS ARE APPRECIATED. Please call the church office, 785-776-8821 or go to the website, www.fumcmanhattan.com to make your meal reservation every week prior to Monday noon. SCHEDULE OF SPEAKERS: February 21: Father Kerry Ninemire, Seven Dolors Roman Catholic Church February 28: Rev. Jerry Reynolds, First Lutheran Church March 7: Rev. Helen Hutchison, Trinity Presbyterian Church March 14: Richard and Barbara Gehring, Manhattan Mennonite Church March 21: Rev. Valencia Jackson, Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church March 28: Rev. John Parsley, First Baptist Church  The Flint Hills Community Gospel Sing was established in 2018 as an effort to bring singers of all backgrounds together.
Even if you’ve never sung Gospel music before, and even if you don’t sing in a choir, you can experience the joy of learning and performing music in this cherished American tradition. You don’t have to read music either with call-and-response style direction. And if you do read music and you think you depend on a score, well, this will be a different musical experience. Find more information and register, please visit our website. Wednesday, Jan. 10, Topeka Statehouse 11:30am-1pm #KSPeoplesAgenda Rally (2nd Floor Rotunda) The Capitol Opens at 8:00am, Lobby Training 9:30-11am PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE: KansasPeoplesAgenda.org MAPJ Bus Available from Manhattan to Topeka: Sign up for bus here Facebook event This is an inclusive event and agenda planned by many Kansas organizations and hundreds of folkx from every region and walk of life. The rally will feature speakers sharing personal stories related to the issues, music and performance art. We believe that standing together to represent a broad fusion of concerns and demands from the people of Kansas is a way to build power and to be heard. We believe that art and music are part of our story as people. We will also be joined by many groups, faith traditions, organizations, and intersections, who stand as a moral witness to our movement and to our struggles and suffering. We represent people from all over the state in addition to many different experiences in Kansas.  |
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