Have you ever wished you could be the head cook for 2nd Helping, but alas had never gotten the opportunity to be trained? Well this is your opportunity to get trained so you can run the show on a Sunday evening!
Linda Thurston will be holding a training via Zoom for anyone who is interested in cooking for 2nd helping. The training will be this coming Sunday, May 3rd at 2pm. Topic: Second Helping Head Cook Training Time: May 3, 2020 02:00 PM Central Time (US and Canada) Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84403637696 Meeting ID: 844 0363 7696 One tap mobile +13462487799,,84403637696# US (Houston) +16699006833,,84403637696# US (San Jose) Dial by your location +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 929 205 6099 US (New York) +1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown) Meeting ID: 844 0363 7696 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kd5xRk4Td A few weeks ago, we got together to talk about prayer because we know many people are struggling right now and WISH they could pray....but don't know how or where to begin. We talked about some of the things that get in the way of prayer and what we think prayer is (spoiler: we don't think it's just "talking to God").
Ben shared about how prayer is a transformational experience. Caela talked about prayer as orienting ourselves towards God. Both pastors agreed that it goes WAYYYYYY beyond words and shared some of the non-wordy-type ways of praying that work for them. Missed the first conversation? Check out the recorded version below. Join us on MONDAY, May 18th at 12pm Central for another conversation on Facebook Live. This time we're going to dive into Centering Prayer. And...we are still here to answer your questions. So hit us up with those by Monday if you can. You can email either one of us or text them to 785-380-7772. Rev. Caela Simmons Wood is the pastor of First Congregational UCC in Manhattan, KS. Rev. Ben Konecny is a minister at First Congregational UCC in Greeley, CO. (Note: this conversation is rescheduled from May 8th when we had technical difficulties.) A huge thank you to all of the volunteers who are keeping our Second Helping and Blessing Box missions going through this time of physical distancing. The need has never been greater and our congregation is stepping up to do its part.
We had to halt sit down meals in mid-March when the church leadership determined that services and other activities at the church would move on-line. The Mission Committee had already begun planning with Linda Thurston, our Second Helping Leader, on updating our operating procedures to ensure the health of our clients and volunteers. Currently volunteers come in three shifts - two mid-week to make and refrigerate sandwiches and prep the lunch/breakfast bags. The cook and assistant come Sunday afternoon to prepare and box the hot meals. The distribution volunteers bag the hot meal and lunch/breakfast bags for distribution by our Church Host, Reggie, in the parking lot to our clients. In March, 43 volunteers served 200 adults and 6 children a hot meal plus sack lunch and breakfast. A tremendous amount of food is also going out through the Blessing Box. We are particularly grateful to Jonathan Mertz who noticed a damaged shelf one afternoon and to Nick Knicklebine who had repaired our box almost before we could blink. The First Presbyterian Church has adopted our box and members help stock it on Saturdays and the First Lutheran Church has established their own box further up Poyntz. Many of our members include a bag of groceries for the Blessing Box when they get their own food, and bring it by the church. We urge you to wear gloves when doing this if you are able. The Church also receives designated donations to allow us to purchase items for the Blessing Box and Second Helping. This is a community wide effort. Ann Smit is our liaison to the Common Table to work with other meal and blessing box missions at other venues. As a tribute to Earth Day, 2020, the Mission Committee is working on a longer-term plan to convert our supplies to renewable sources in order to balance Manhattan's food needs, cost concerns, and sustainability. With everyone working together, we are striving to ease the burdens of those who live on the edge in our community and who need extra help right now. Again, thank you to the members and all of our food mission volunteers from the Mission Committee. The First UCC People Books
Friday, September 13, 2019 6:30 – 9:00 PM Blachly Room We need books and readers. Books are created by people who wish to tell their story of: a personal experience, a unique experience, or something that matters to them. Readers experience a new way of listening to gain an understanding of the book’s experience and perspective. This innovative event, modeled on “The Human Library Project” offers a comfortable environment for us to meet, ask questions, and learn from each other. To apply to be a “people book”, please go to: http://bit.ly/uccpeoplebooks There you will find more information to help you create your book. To be a “reader”, just come. There will be just a few directions given at the event. The Vitality Committee invites all to participate. We will provide the main dish, drinks and dessert. If you wish to bring a side dish please do. It’s Feast and Festival time! – Join us August 18th at 6 pm in Pioneer and Blachly Halls. Feast and Festival is an evening of food, fellowship, and fun! It is open to everyone. The Deacons will provide a cafeteria-style meal of pulled pork or fried chicken, baked beans, pasta salad, chips, and ice cream (vegetarian options also available). After you’ve eaten, you can visit the craft table offered by the Ministry of the Decorative Scissors, try your luck at the cake/dessert walk, and visit Leo Schell outside for a new and fun activity (weather permitting). Monetary donations are requested and if you have a cake/dessert to donate, it will be appreciated! Our friends from Second Helping will join us.
Sunday, August 18th is our annual Blessing of the Backpacks and Teachers during worship at 10:45am. Children are invited to bring their backpacks and receive a blessing as they return to school. We are thrilled that the Ministry of the Decorative Scissors is again providing the custom-made backpack trinkets for our children. "Big kids" and adults are welcome to bring along their briefcases, diaper bags, work uniforms or other items that represent their daily work in the world. We will also bless those who are returning to teaching – whether that’s in a college classroom, an elementary school, or at home with young children.
PLUS...Sunday School for all ages begins the 18th at 9:30am. Join us! First time visitor? Learn more about what to expect. Sustaining Activism for the Long Haul: Connecting to Your Deep Purpose
Friday, December 14; 5:30- 9 PM Location: First Congregational UCC Co-sponsors: Manhattan Mennonite Church, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship How do we connect to what is ours to do in this world? What can we hold on to while the world swirls around us? How do we stay engaged in advocating for justice for the long haul....without burning out? How might we find joy in the work? We will engage these and other similar questions at this gathering. We begin the evening with a simple supper and use group work and individual reflection to help each participant connect to their sense of deep purpose. The evening will also include an opportunity for brief guided or silent meditation, qigong, community acupuncture, or learning about spiritual direction. This event is appropriate for people of all faiths and for those who do not claim a faith. If you need childcare or have any dietary restrictions, please let us know. Questions? Contact Revs. Barbara Krehbiel Gerhring, Jonalu Johnstone, or Caela Simmons Wood. Facebook event Download flyer NOTE THE REVISED CONCERT TIME: OCTOBER 7, 2:00 PM
St. Thomas More Catholic Church (2900 Kimball Ave., Manhattan) Featuring David Dupree, Clinician/Director, and David Powell, Accompanist Did you know that a group of your friends and neighbors will be preparing a concert of Gospel music for a free public performance on October 6-7? Come, get in the spirit, and share their joy in performing music from this cherished American tradition! Reception follows the concert. It’s not too late to register to sing! You can sign up at https://goo.gl/FuzntX. Questions? Contact Ann at flinthillsgospel@gmail.com. Sponsored by the First Congregational Church, St. Thomas More Catholic Church, the Kansas Oklahoma Conference of the United Church of Christ, and the Dow Center for Multicultural and Community Studies at Kansas State University Shining Light Yoga MHK was born in the spring of 2018 while Pastor Caela was supposed to be quieting her mind during savansana (that time in yoga where you lay down quietly and rest). Instead of focusing on her breathing, she was thinking about how thankful she was for the practice of yoga and how it had helped her immensely with finding calm in the midst of a very hectic (and sometimes downright scary!) world. Caela knew there were a lot of people who are a part of First Congregational UCC and also practice yoga regularly. She started wondering if any of them would be interested in starting a kids' yoga program here in Manhattan. If the world is stressful and scary for adults, imagine what it must feel like to young kids! If we could find a way to help kids honor their bodies, get in touch with their spirits, and learn self-confidence and calming techniques....all while having fun? That would be AWESOME. So we wrote a grant and submitted it to our denomination, the United Church of Christ. We said that we would like to "Improve the overall mental, spiritual, and physical health of children in our community by helping them learn to manage emotions, care for and connect to their bodies. We hope to help the children learn skills for living peacefully and cultivate a commitment to non-violence in a violent world." We received the grant and in the summer of 2018, eight of us were trained to become kids' yoga teachers (seven of us were trained through Om Slice in Chicago and one of us through YogaKids online). We worked with SEG Media Collective here in Manhattan to spread the word about our new program. And now....it's happening! We host a Yoga+Donuts program the first Sunday of every month at 9:30am. You can learn about our upcoming events by following us on Facebook or signing up for our e-mail list. FAQs about Shining LightWhy Sunday morning? Well, that's a time when we already have a group of kids at our church who are used to participating in activities (we have Sunday School the other weeks of the month). And we know that lots of families aren't busy on Sunday morning, so it seemed like a great time to invite people to join us.
This is in a church....are you going to be teaching the Bible to my kids? We are just doing yoga at these events. Yoga is, of course, inherently spiritual in nature and it is a goal of ours to help your child get in touch with their own spirit. But these classes are meant for people of all faiths or no faith at all. Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Baha'i, Buddhist, Wiccan, atheist....you are welcome! It's probably a good time to mention that we believe there are lots of ways to experience the Holy and be a good person. We don't think Jesus is the only way to do that. Of course, if you do happen to be looking for a Christian faith community, we'd love to have you join us....but that is totally optional. How much do the classes cost? We want the classes to be accessible to everyone, so they are by donation only. We do have a few ongoing, fixed costs....the website, food, supplies for class, etc. First Congregational UCC is self-supporting and we aren't a huge church. So if you can chip in a few dollars or $5 or $10, awesome. If not, no big deal. | donate online Do you want me to stay with my child? Totally up to you. If you'd like to enjoy some quiet time you're welcome to hang out here in a different room or go grab a cup of coffee or take a quiet stroll through downtown MHK. If you want to stay and join in the fun, great! If you're interested in doing church-y stuff, we have classes for adults that meet at 9:30am every Sunday, too. We would like to have you come back by 10:20 to join us for snacks. One of our goals is to help parents get to know each other and develop a sense of community. We ask that kids be picked up no later than 10:30am. I have more questions. No worries. We've got you covered. Send us an e-mail and we'd love to be in touch. |
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