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Please join us for a concert of beautiful choral music on October 15, at 4:00 p.m. in our church sanctuary. Dr. Jeffrey Ward, the Director of K-State's School of Music, Theater, and Dance, will direct an ensemble of twenty singers in music by such diverse composers as Felix Mendelssohn, Herbert Howells, and Moses Hogan. Our own Bob Edwards is the organist, and participating choristers from our church include Jennifer Edwards and Gretchen and Jim Lewis. The choral concert will follow the pattern of a Vespers worship service, with Bible readings and a concluding hymn.  We're off to a great start this fall semester for adult Sunday School. About 15-20 of us have enjoyed working with Tai Amri for Peace Training these past few weeks. We've done a lot of deep breathing and holy sharing with one another. Our next class begins on Oct. 1st and we'd love to have you join us! Dave Smit will be leading a seven-week class on "The Language of Faith." Class is each week at 9:30 a.m. and there are options available for all ages (the nursery is open and Sunday School is available for ages three and up). Grab a cup of coffee and join us! October 1 through November 12 (seven weeks) The Language of Faith Led by Dave Smit Ever hear the slogan, “Take people for what they mean, not for what they say?” It turns out the slogan is right. We understand each other in complicated ways that cannot be accounted for primarily by the words we use. The context in which we use words may be more important than the words themselves. In this class, we’ll examine how we talk about what matters to us, following the procedures of Hermeneutics, or the theory and practice of interpretation. We can call it Hermen, for short. We’ll begin by studying how we rely on context to understand each other’s everyday speech and writing, then move on to examine how we bring our own background and experience to written texts. With this as a framework, we’ll delve into how to effectively use terms such as “good” and “bad,” and “right” and “wrong,” how to appropriately interpret sacred texts, and how to share our faith with others who may think our beliefs and values are very strange. We’ll explore ways to make our judgments seem reasonable to people who disagree with us and our faith sensible to those whose beliefs are very different from our own. 
Please plan on reading PART TWO of the curriculum (34 pages) before the retreat. You can download the curriculum for free and place it on your tablet or e-reader, if you have one, or print a copy. Additionally, if you'd like to have the church office print a copy, please let us know when you register.
Trouble with the online registration? Contact the church office (e-mail or call 785-537-7006). Learn more about the curriculum and authors. Read more about the impact of this curriculum in other communities. Tentative Schedule 8:00am Arrival and Light Breakfast 8:30am Welcome and overview 9:00am Training begins 10:30am Snack break 12Noon Lunch 1:00pm Training resumes 3:00pm Snack break 5:00pm Closing Sunday, Sep. 24 from 1:30-3:00pm Youth and Adults, come spend time together and continue to build alliances at the beautiful home of Rachel Martin (please contact Tai Amri or the church office for the address if you don't have a directory). Let's let this event be one step in our journey to make a better world by learning to be one in community. Looking forward to seeing you all there.  RESCHEDULED - New date is Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 8:30 p.m. Join friends from First Congregational at the Islamic Center for evening prayers. We are always welcome to join our Muslim friends for prayer, but on this particular evening you'll know that other familiar faces will be there AND hosts from the Islamic Center will be there to welcome us. Meet up in the parking lot at 1224 Hylton Heights Rd. at 8:20 p.m.and we'll make sure you know which entrance to use. As a reminder, prayers at the Islamic Center are separated into two rooms - women and men. Women are invited to cover their heads as a sign of respect for our Muslim friends, but you can also enter without a head covering. You will be asked to remove your shoes upon entering the building. Children are welcome. If you have any additional questions about what to expect, contact [email protected].
Conversations on Race Reconciliation: A Community-Based Dialogue
Oct. 30, 7-9:30pm at St. Thomas More Catholic Church Our event will begin with a panel discussion of prepared questions. Following that the group will divide into round table groups as we are joined by Cats for Inclusion to discuss the issues raised and possible initiatives to improve issues of race relations. WOW! Look at this amazing panel! Laverne Bitsie-Baldwin Mirta Chavez John Exdell Susanne Glymour Ryan Kelly Richard Pitts This event will feature a panel discussion, small groups facilitated by community members, and time for social networking. Facebook event |
