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Summer Fun Events

5/24/2022

 
Join Pastor Caela and other friends from First Congregational for some fun on the town this summer. Stop by for conversation or prayer. Grab a quick blessing on your way somewhere else or stay for a spell. Upcoming opportunities to connect:

🍽 Wednesday, May 25, 5:00-6:30 p.m. at Tallgrass Taphouse (enjoy a beverage, snack, or early dinner)

☕️ Wednesday, June 15, 8:30-10:00 a.m. at Radina’s Bakehouse (enjoy a beverage, snack, or breakfast - we can also go sit by the splash pad)
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🌅 Tuesday, July 19, 8:00-9:00 p.m. at Tuttle Creek Observation Point (bring a chair and enjoy the sunset together)
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Celebrating 101 Years of ECM

4/20/2022

 
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Wow! ECM at K-State is celebrating 101 years of ministry! Join us on Sunday, May 8th at Long's Park as we welcome guests from ECM and celebrate with them. And then on Sunday, May 15th we'll have guests from ECM with us at 9:30 a.m. (church basement or via Zoom) to share about what ECM is up to and answer our questions. We're excited to welcome these partners in campus ministry and deepen our relationship with them.

You can learn more about ECM on their website (https://www.ecmatkstate.org/) and you're encouraged to sign up for their e-mail list and/or follow them on social media. ​

Worship in the Park, May 8, 2022

4/20/2022

 
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It's time for our annual Blessing of the Animals and Worship in the Park. Join us at (shady) Long's Park on Sunday, May 8th at 10:45 a.m. for this special service. 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 we'll have a good ol' fashioned potluck and friends from ECM at K-State (our campus ministry) are coming to visit with us so we can help them celebrate 101 years in ministry.

Things to bring to the park:
- your own lawn chair, if you have one
- a potluck dish to share
- your own tableservice, to reduce our use of disposable dishes
- your pet (or stuffed animal!) for a blessing
***If you have any questions about accessibility at the park, please let us know.

For those worshiping at home, please use the regular Zoom link. If you have an animal you'd like blessed at home, please reach out to Pastor Caela so she can arrange a visit.
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Grow Green Match Day, April 22, 2022

3/28/2022

 
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Grow Green Match Day is a community fundraising event that offers a 50% match on gifts given on April 22! Give online, in-person, or by mail. Details below!

This year we will use any funds given for continued technology upgrades to our sanctuary and general budget support. Your donation goes to the Church, PLUS contributions ranging from $25 to $1,000 will receive a local match at $.50 per $1, so a $1,000 gift can receive a $500 local match. The match amount will go into the Church's endowment account at the Greater Manhattan Community Foundation.

Please note that your gift is considered over and above any pledged giving.



Three options for giving:
1) Give online

Gifts can be made online from 12:00 a.m. -11:59 p.m. on April 22. Simply visit https://www.growgreenmanhattan.com on the day of the event.

2) Give via check
  • Download the 2022 GROW Green Giving Form after April 1 at https://www.growgreenmanhattan.com
  • Print and complete the form
  • Write ONE check for the entire donation made out to GMCF
  • Mail the check and donation form (postmarked on or before 4/22/22) to GMCF, P.O. Box 1127, Manhattan, KS  66505

3) Give in person
Friday, April 22, 2022
7:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
555 Poyntz Avenue, Colony Square Atrium

School Staff Appreciation Letter

3/9/2022

 
With gratitude to our local educators, the School Staff Appreciation Committee wrote a letter that was shared with all administrators and board members in USD 383. 
Click to Read Letter

Lenten Continual Prayer Day - April 8-9, 2022

3/7/2022

 
During this Lenten season the Deacons would like to offer our congregation a chance to center ourselves with prayer. We will be holding a 24 hour prayer vigil in our sanctuary. We will have 30 minute increments in which you can sign up for silent prayer beginning on April 8th at 6pm to continue until April 9th at 6pm.

Enjoy the quiet peace of our sanctuary and help us create a 24-hour period of prayer and reflection. A basket with materials to guide your time will be provided. You may want to read devotionals or scripture, draw or color, create music, or simply rest in God’s presence. Invite a friend to join you if you’d rather have company during your shift!

Sign up at uccmanhattan.org/sign-ups or contact the church office to reserve your space.

Can't make it to the building? You can still participate. We are hoping to have a Zoom room open for a portion of the vigil (we'll set up the computer in the sanctuary so you can log in to Zoom and focus your prayer time while viewing a live feed of our sanctuary). If this is something you're interested in, please reach out to Nell so we can coordinate the best time to open the Zoom room.

COVID memorial installation

3/7/2022

 
When Jesus's friend Lazarus died, he wept. Our faith compels us to mourn and bear witness to the pain that the COVID pandemic has caused. As the United States approaches one million deaths from COVID and the Deacons would like to invite you to join us in installing a temporary memorial on our church lawn. We have purchased 1,000 white utility flags (each flag represents 1,000 lives lost). When the U.S. reaches one million deaths - likely sometime in the next few weeks - we will invite people to stay after worship one Sunday to place the flags in the church yard, along with signs explaining the memorial. In doing so, we invite the community to join us as we remember, grieve, and bear witness to the image of God in every life lost. ​

Fire Pit Fun - March 25, 2022

3/7/2022

 
Are you ready for some in-person socializing? Join Deacons for an Outdoor Fire Pit Event on Friday, March 25th at 7:00pm. We will provide s’mores and hot cider and all you need to do is bring a chair and enjoy socializing with friends. Thank you to the Maseberg-Tomlinson family for hosting us in their yard for this event! Please RSVP at uccmanhattan.org/sign-ups (or contact the church office) and you'll receive the Maseberg-Tomlinsons' address as an auto-response when you submit your RSVP online. ​

School Staff Appreciation Week - Mar. 7-10, 2022

2/7/2022

 
We all know that those who work in our local schools have been under an incredible amount of stress lately and we would like to show them some love. You are invited to join us for a School Staff Appreciation Week, March 7-10. We will be hand-delivering small gifts of appreciation to USD 383 middle and high schools and writing thank you notes to school staff.

Here’s how you can participate:

1. If you’d like to help offset the costs of purchasing items for the goodie baskets, please make a special donation no later than Feb. 27th. You can write a memo on your check OR put a note in the “special instructions” box if you donate via PayPal. Checks can be mailed, dropped off at the office, or put in the offering plate. 

2. If you are interested in shopping for gifts or hand-delivering the gifts, please contact the church office no later than Feb. 27th.

3. We encourage EVERYONE to think of a teacher, staff member, former teacher, neighbor who works in the schools, etc. and commit to sending them an email or handwritten note during the week of Mar. 7-10. These notes mean more than you can know. 

4. Please continue to stay informed about actions in our local school board and in the state legislature that affect our schools. Contact your elected officials and/or consider writing letters to the editor to speak up about how much we appreciate our local school staff and encouraging them to create policies that support all educators. 
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Congregational Meeting - Jan. 23, 2022

1/10/2022

 
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We will gather immediately after worship on Sunday, Jan. 23 for our January Congregational Meeting. The meeting will be held via Zoom ONLY. We'll gather in the same Zoom room that we use for worship (http://www.uccmanhattan.org/online). All are welcome to attend and members will also be invited to vote. We will be receiving the annual report for 2021 and approving the final budget for 2022. Copies of the budget are available to preview. You can pick up a hard copy at church or e-mail the office to request an electronic copy.

We will also be blessing our church leaders this Sunday during worship. Join us to help thank those who have been serving and to bless those who are beginning their service for 2022.

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First Congregational United Church of Christ 
700 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan, KS  66502
785-537-7006

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