 Sep. 22 is Faith and Democracy Sunday and we are joining other UCC churches in blessing VOTE-ive candles during worship. Please bring your favorite candle to worship on Sep. 22 OR pick up one of the VOTE-ives we will supply (LED options, too!). After the service, we'll all take our candles home and light them each day as we pray using one of the resources below:
7 day resource (re-use each week) 40 day resource (one prayer for each day) On All Saints Sunday (Nov. 3), which is also the Sunday before the election, we will place an emphasis on those saints/cloud of witnesses who fought to win and safeguard our voting rights, and we will ask all who took part in the 40 days of prayer to return their VOTE-ive candles to place on the worship table/altar; we will light them as a sign of the many prayers that have faithfully surrounded this election. Please know that the prayer portion of this is in addition to: *making and enacting a plan to VOTE *each one, reach five efforts to help our friends and family identify their voting plans *encouraging your friends and family to check their registration status NOW *phone-banking, post-carding, letter-writing, door-knocking *engaging in challenging conversations (with a spirit of curiosity!) to help build more robust communities *checking in with newly-eligible young adults to ensure they know how to exercise their right to vote *collaborating with partner organizations to reach those who may experience obstacles to voting *volunteering at the polls Through collective prayer and action, we can experience the truth that we are not alone as we work to make a More Just World for all people and creation. Many, many thanks to the Potomoc Association of the UCC for inviting us to be a part of this effort. Tuesday, September 17: 7:00 pm KIFA Faith and Public Policy Forum at the UUFM building on Zeandale Road (click for more info)
We've invited experts and passionate advocates from across the state. Panelists include Jayme Morris-Hardeman, an elected member of the USD 383 School Board, who will discuss the state of public education in Kansas; Emily Wagner of Kansas Housing Advocacy Network, who will discuss homelessness and housing policy; Micah Kubic of the ACLU of KS, who will discuss civil rights; and Heather Braum of Kansas Action for Children, who will discuss work and family supports. Saturday, September 28: 10 am to 2 pm Climate Justice Revival Event at the UUFM building on Zeandale Road As many of you know, our Justice and Witness committee at First Congregational UCC has joined with our Unitarian and Mennonite sister congregations to create a combined team, called the Manhattan Interfaith Justice Team. Since January, we have been meeting together to discuss how we can combine our witness for local justice issues. Support of KIFA is part of this, but we are discussing other activities to bear witness to our faith that God calls us to work for justice in our world. The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Manhattan is hosting a Climate Justice Revival on September 28. The September event is part of a national Unitarian Universalist effort to address the specific topic of climate justice, an issue literally heating up in many parts of Kansas and our local community. There will be classes/activities for children, youth and adults, and we will all be invited to participate. Tentative agenda Collective Visioning Making Connections Building Capacity Nourishing Relationships Charting a Course Snacks, drinks, and regular breaks will be provided during the event, and we'll have a potluck lunch to facilitate the fellowship aspects of the occasion. You can sign up for the Climate Justice Revival here. The Rabbi Moti Rieber, executive director of Kansas Interfaith Action (KIFA), will be in our pulpit on Sunday, November 15th with an update about KIFA’s work. Kansas Interfaith Action is a statewide, multi–faith issue–advocacy organization that “puts faith into action” by educating, engaging and advocating on behalf of people of faith and the public regarding critical social, economic, and climate justice issues. KIFA (pronounced “KEE–fa”) supporters are shaped by the values of our diverse faiths, which connect us to an age–old concern for justice, peace, and human dignity. Rooted in faith, we join hands across difference to work for moral public policy in Kansas. You are encouraged to invite your friends to join us for worship on November 15th! Please visit https://www.kansasinterfaithaction.org/ to learn more about KIFA. Rabbi Moti will also join us for Fellowship Hour on Zoom on the following Sunday, Nov. 22nd. Join us at 11:45 a.m. that day on Zoom to chat with Rabbi Moti and learn more about KIFA.   Justice and Witness Board has some Black Lives Movement signs.
Please sign up online or contact the church office if you'd like a sign. BLM MHK mission: Building connections between People of Color and their Allies in the fight against racism. We seek and encourage social action and engagement to channel change. We are the driving force behind social justice and equality for all in MHK. Voicing our rights and moving towards change is our priority. We will never be silenced. Learn more about our local black lives movement from these conversations with Jennifer Edwards and BLM MHK founders Jaynae Cole and Teresa Parks.  Cassidy Moreau is leading another anti-racism discussion group via Zoom and you're invited to participate. The group will begin September 25th at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom. They will be reading How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram Kendi. For more details, contact Cassidy.
BLM MHK mission & focusThe Justice and Witness Board is collaborating with Black Lives Movement (BLM MHK) in Manhattan. BLM MHK is currently focusing on voter registration and collaborating with community organizations and leaders to gather allies. “One of the biggest issues that we would like to tackle is to make sure people are heard and acknowledged, and that we have allies who are aware of certain issues that are affecting marginalized communities, and getting people mobilized to help” Teresa Parks, BLM MHK Co-founder. We invite you to join our very own Jennifer Edwards to meet Teresa Parks & Jaynae Cole, co-founders of BLM MHK, and learn more about their cause. BLM MHK name & logo
Black Lives Movement, Manhattan (BLM MHK) is not affiliated with Black Lives Matter, even though they support the same issues. BLM MHK is committed to organizing the community in a peaceful movement to fight injustice. Join our very own Jennifer Edwards to meet Teresa Parks & Jaynae Cole, co-founders of BLM MHK, and learn more about this local cause, their name, and logo.
“The clenched fist is a symbol of support and expression of your strength and unity” Jaynae Cole, BLM MHK Co-founder. The Justice and Witness Board invites you to join us to collaborate with BLM MHK to “put the faith and the function together” Teresa Parks, to build a more just community. Check out their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/BLMMHK/  You are invited to join a conversation to inform action around race and mass incarceration in America. A new book study of The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander is beginning July 1st via Zoom.
This group will meet every other week on Wednesdays at 7 pm. The study will be facilitated by Cassidy Moreau and will be open to the community. The group will involve reading the book, discussing questions, and action steps to help us all--together--chip away at the systematic racism in our country. The book can be found digitally through Kindle, and similar apps. It is also available via Hoopla through the public library. If you have any questions, please contact Cassidy directly or email the church office to get in touch with her. Join Zoom Meeting https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71411719856?pwd=QWRTZTEwbE16MldwTElORGVoM1NzQT09 Meeting ID: 714 1171 9856 / Password: 66502 Wear Orange with Moms Demand Action Wear Orange Day began when 15-Year-old Hadiya Pendleton, an innocent bystander, was shot and killed on a Chicago street in 2013. Her grieving friends wore orange in her honor, the color worn by hunters to reduce the chance of gun injury. Several national organizations involved in gun-violence reduction adopted the color and Hadiya’s memory as they commemorate National Gun Violence Awareness Day on the first Friday in June to reduce the senseless slaughter that is America’s gun-violence crisis. Wear Orange during the pandemic. Instead of gathering on June 5, 2020 to honor Hadiya and to demand gun-sense legislation to make us safer, we will place orange-painted rocks around town to raise awareness of the issue of gun violence in our community. We will also have a private Facebook event to share information about gun violence and organizations in our community who assist those at risk or affected by gun violence. This will last for two weeks, from May 23 to June 6. We know this is very short notice! It is still helpful if you share this at any time during these two weeks. How can you participate? We would love for community members to help us spread the word about this important issue by painting rocks orange and putting them in highly visible places, such as near your curb or on walking trails around town. On the rocks, you can include messages such as "end gun violence," include the name of a loved one affected by gun violence, or even wearorange.org. We encourage you to join the Wear Orange Facebook Event, where updates are being posted each day. Kansas Interfaith Action Annual EventKansas Interfaith Action invites you to join us for our 2020 Annual Event, on Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 6:30 pm. This year, we will gather virtually. Our featured speaker will the the Reverend Dr. Cassandra Gould, Executive Director of Missouri Faith Voices. We are honoring Rev. Sarah Oglesby-Dunegan, who is stepping out of the role of KIFA Board Chair after nearly 5 years. Rep. Don Hineman will receive the “Legislator of the Year” Award. The program begins at 6:30 pm. For more information and to purchase tickets please click here. If you are unable to attend, but wish to support the work of Kansas Interfaith Action with a tax-deductible donation, please click here.   Timebanking is a value-based service exchange mechanism. The idea is that those practicing timebanking give service, and they receive service in exchange; in timebanking the giving and receiving of services occurs within a community network – the timebank!
The purpose of a Timebank is to build a resilient community and help create neighborhoods where people grow to know and trust each other. The more resilient our neighborhoods, the greater our quality of life. Through Timebanking, we help create more vibrant and connected neighborhoods. When we share what we love to do with others, give of our talents, and receive help when needed, communities and neighborhoods thrive. Timebanking values: assets, social networks, respect, redefining work, and reciprocity. TIMEBANKING ASKS AND OFFERS
If you are interested in joining the time bank please contact Carol Sevin and she will schedule an orientation around that interest and advertise it to the whole church in case others are also interested. 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  |
