Prayerspeak - Week 3

"I'll pray for you." It's a common phrase, and a nice one to hear. But how do we pray for others? And who should we pray for?

Allaboutprayer.org outlines biblical prayers that we can say for other people.

Notice the varying topics of biblical prayers:

• Wisdom and power: Ephesians 1:18-19a (NLT) says, "I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope [God] has given to those [God] called—[God’s] holy people who are [God’s] rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe.”
• Strength and knowledge of God's love: Ephesians 3:16-19 (TNIV) says, "I pray that out of [God’s] glorious riches [God] may strengthen you with power through [the] Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."
• Discernment: Philippians 1:9-11 (NKJV) says, " And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."
• Spiritual understanding and knowing God's will: Colossians 1:9 (The Message) says, "Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to [God’s] will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works."
• Steadfastness: 2 Thessalonians 3:5 (NLT) says, "May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ."

When reading those biblical prayers, you may think, "I can't pray that fluently." When praying, do not worry about how your prayer is phrased. Our communication to God should be just as you would talk to your friends or family. Pray for others whenever you think of them (at work, home, doing chores, in the car). Soon, praying for others will become a part of your daily life!

Who should we pray for? We may already pray for our friends and family members. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 (The Message) says, "The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation." Who are some of the leaders we can pray for—in our government, schools, churches, and community outreach organizations?

Jesus also tells us in Matthew 5:44 (WE) to "Love your enemies. Ask God to do good to those who trouble you." How does it make you feel to be asked to pray for your enemies? Who are your enemies—those you argue with at work, those who promote hate and fear, those who stand for things you disagree with? How can you pray for them? What benefits could there be to praying for people whose actions or ideas make your blood boil?

Part of praying is broadening our perspective and opening our eyes to the people who God loves. My grandmother taught me to pray whenever I heard a siren. What other everyday events can we use to prompt us to pray for others—to look outside ourselves and see the people God sees?

Sometimes our prayers are filled with frustration. One thing we can ask God when we're angry or overwhelmed is "What is my part in this?" We can ask God to show us a way to react differently, intervene, or take further action.

Prayerspeak - Week 2

How do you pray? Is prayer something you do often? Is it something you find yourself doing at church, or is it something you deliberately incorporate into your everyday life?

Brother Lawrence, a monk in 17th-century France, called prayer “the practice of the presence of God.” When we pray, we are consciously opening ourselves up to God’s presence—which is always surrounding us—and beginning a conversation.

Let’s begin our discussion on prayer by making ourselves mindful of God’s presence. In the book Rest: Living in Sabbath Simplicity, Keri Wyatt Kent says, “The ancient Jewish name for God … was actually four Hebrew vowels put together to represent the name of God (Yahweh). But because the name was so sacred, it was actually unpronounceable. Saying the four vowels one at a time, you get something like “Yahweh,” or “Yah, hey, vod, hey.” The name of God … is the sound of breathing …. Just as we are often not conscious of our breathing, we are often unaware of God. This does not negate God’s existence, anymore than our lack of attention means we have stopped breathing. Rather, both instances tell us something about our level of perception. Becoming aware of God is like becoming aware of our breathing. We simply need to be quiet and pay attention."

Let’s take some deep, deliberate breaths and recite the vowels of God’s name—not because God is somewhere else, and we need to call God back to us, but as a reminder to ourselves that we are preparing to converse with the spirit of God.

The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) is a template for prayer. We can read the traditional words (TNIV) or an updated paraphrase (The Message), but the ideas are the same:

• We acknowledge God’s presence.
• We express our desire for God’s vision for the world to come true.
• We ask that our needs will be met.
• We acknowledge that everyone makes mistakes—we do, and others do, too—and ask that all would find (and give) forgiveness.
• We ask not to be tempted to do what we know is wrong.

Let’s spend some time in quiet reflection, thinking about each of these components of prayer.

How can you bring about God’s vision for the world? Are there areas in your life where you could be doing more—or just doing something differently—to bring God’s desires for all people into reality?

Part of asking God for our daily bread is acknowledging that God gives us the resources for what we need. Let’s spend some time thanking God for what we have … and now let’s spend some time asking God to make us more aware of ways in which we can be better stewards of our time, our money, our personal talents, and of the earth’s resources.

When we choose to become aware of God’s love, we find ourselves called into the way of forgiveness. Is there anyone in your life who you need to forgive—to let go of the hurt, the anger, the distrust, and the uneasiness that you feel when you think about or encounter this person? Ask that God’s love would surround you and replace these negative feelings with a calm, quiet sense of peace. And is there anyone in your life who is hanging on to their own hurt or anger? Pray that they would be compelled to follow the Christ-demonstrated way of forgiveness and find peace for themselves as well.

The second-greatest commandment given by Jesus was, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Often we find ourselves behaving selfishly, without regard for others—sometimes purposefully, but often without any thought at all. Let’s take time to ask for greater awareness of how our actions affect others, and to be more mindful of ways to share God’s love.

While the Lord’s Prayer provides a good model for prayer, our prayers don’t always have to be long, complex, or structured. While it’s nice to have a template for prayer to help prompt us into conversation, we also don’t want to find ourselves scared away from short, simple, “just checking in” prayers. We can take a message from teenagers who send hundreds of text messages to their friends in the span of a week—most of which just say “hi.” Prayer is the act of saying, “Hi, God. I’m here.” Rev. Fred Rogers (yes, Mister Rogers) said that the best prayer is, "Thank you, God." Sometimes the best conversations—and the best prayers—can be short and sweet.

How will you practice the presence of God this week?

Prayerspeak - Week 1

Hello, friends! I'll be posting the notes from each week's Prayerspeak meeting so those who weren't able to join can catch up. For our first week, the topic of discussion was "What is Prayer?"

First let’s start by recalling our memories of prayer. As a child, did you grow up in a household where people prayed? Do you have early memories of prayer in a house of worship? In early adulthood, when you first left home and started creating an independent life for yourself, was prayer something that was a part of your life?

Is prayer something that is part of your life now? Do you experience any discomfort or conflict over the idea of prayer? Do you have any difficulty praying?

So what is prayer, anyway?

In Janet Haag’s article What is Prayer? A Conversation with Sister Joan Chittister, Sister Joan of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA shares her thoughts on prayer:

Fellowship in Prayer: How do you define prayer in your life?

Sister Joan Chittister: After more than 55 years of growing into a life of prayer through a lifestyle based on it, my definition of prayer is consciousness, immersion, and relationship. Prayer makes us aware of the elements of the divine in human life, bringing us into contact with the God-life in and around us. Prayer is not personal devotion; it is personal growth. Prayer brings us to the ultimate and the eternal, the daily and the regular, the total consciousness of God now. Prayer enables us to be immersed in what is fundamentally and truly divine in life right now. It is not meant to be a bridge to somewhere else because God is not somewhere else. God is here. Prayer is the act of beginning the process of becoming one with the One we seek—eventually, melting into God completely ….

How does your commitment to the rule of St. Benedict influence your prayer?

It is extremely influential in my prayer. Benedictine prayer is based on reading the Scriptures and praying the Psalms three to five times a day, every day. Interestingly enough, St. Benedict says "Let your prayer be short." This surprises most people because generally speaking, we think that a prayerful person is someone who spends all day in church or praying the rosary. Benedict suggests that formal prayer, choral prayer, community prayer should all be brief and what is learned in these moments of prayer is what we should carry with us throughout the rest of the day. Prayer should simply form the basis for reflection and attitude-building throughout our lives.

The Christian faith is rooted in Jewish tradition. Jesus lived the life of an observant Jew, and Jesus’ life was shaped by Jewish ritual, including the Jewish attitude toward prayer. We can learn much about prayer from our Jewish brothers and sisters. These excerpts are taken from Judaism 101:

The most important part of any Jewish prayer, whether it be a prayer of petition, of thanksgiving, of praise of G-d, or of confession, is the introspection it provides, the moment that we spend looking inside ourselves, seeing our role in the universe and our relationship to G-d ….

Observant Jews are constantly reminded of G-d'-s presence and of our relationship with G-d, because we are continually praying to Him ….

Many people today do not see the need for regular, formal prayer. "I pray when I feel inspired to, when it is meaningful to me," they say. This attitude overlooks two important things: the purpose of prayer, and the need for practice.

One purpose of prayer is to increase your awareness of G-d in your life and the role that G-d plays in your life. If you only pray when you feel inspired (that is, when you are already aware of G-d), then you will not increase your awareness of G-d.

In addition, if you want to do something well, you have to practice it continually, even when you don't feel like doing it. This is as true of prayer as it is of playing a sport, playing a musical instrument, or writing. The sense of humility and awe of G-d that is essential to proper prayer does not come easily to modern man, and will not simply come to you when you feel the need to pray. If you wait until inspiration strikes, you will not have the skills you need to pray effectively. Before I started praying regularly, I found that when I wanted to pray, I didn't know how. I didn't know what to say, or how to say it, or how to establish the proper frame of mind. If you pray regularly, you will learn how to express yourself in prayer ….

The mindset for prayer is referred to as kavanah, which is generally translated as "concentration" or "intent." The minimum level of kavanah is an awareness that one is speaking to G-d and an intention to fulfill the obligation to pray. If you do not have this minimal level of kavanah, then you are not praying; you are merely reading. In addition, it is preferred that you have a mind free from other thoughts, that you know and understand what you are praying about and that you think about the meaning of the prayer ….

I also find it useful to move while praying. Traditional Jews routinely sway back and forth during prayer, apparently a reference to Psalm 35, which says "All my limbs shall declare, 'O L-rd, who is like You?'" Such movement is not required, and many people find it distracting, but I personally find that it helps me concentrate and focus.

Pastor and contemporary theologian Rob Bell shares his thoughts on prayer in the video NOOMA™: Open. Let’s recap Bell’s answers to the question, “What is prayer?” from the video. Prayer:

· is taking part in the ongoing creation of the world.
· is tapping into the divine energy that is the source of everything.
· is not passive—it is being open to the God who’s at work here and now.
· is honest.
· is truth.
· is assuming that you will be involved in the answer.
· is your whole posture toward life.
· is listening.
· is when you never stop asking, “What is God up to—right here, right now—and how can I be a part of it?”
· is the divine energy that made the world flowing between us and drawing us closer together.
· enlarges our perspectives.
· gives us a bigger heart.
· changes things—changes us.
· makes us better people.

Okay, so ... this prayer thing ... how do we do it?

Join us next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. to learn more!

Announcements for January 29th

Young Adult Lunch will take place Sunday January 31. Please join us immediately after church. We'll decide on a locally-owned place where we can share a meal and fellowship together. Please bring along some cash to pay for your meal. In addition, we need someone to coordinate these lunches while Caela is on parental leave. Please let her know if you would be able to help.

Circle of Women's Ministries will meet Tuesday, February 2 at 1:30 p.m. in Roger Williams Hall. Attorney Chris Holly will speak on "Preparing for Long Term Care." Sarah Burton will give devotions. Mary Alice Crable and Ginny Fiscus will be hostesses. All women of the church are invited.

Haitian Relief. We are still taking offerings for One Great Hour of Sharing for the Haitian Relief. Your gifts of cash will be directed toward earthquake relief efforts being undertaken in Haiti through both the American Baptist Church and the United Church of Christ. Envelopes are in this week's bulletin. Please make checks out to First United Church and indicate "One Great Hour of Sharing" in the memo line. Anything you can give will be greatly appreciated.

Childcare Help Needed for Spong's Visit. We are in need of one or two people to help Audrey in the nursery during Spong's afternoon lecture on February 14 from 1:30 p.m.-3:30 pm. If you are available, please contact the church office and let us know. Thanks!

Donations for MCUM on the First Sunday. Each month, we collect donations of nonperishable food items for the food pantry at Monroe County United Ministries. We bring them up and place them under the Communion Table during worship to symbolize the ways we are fed by Holy Communion and, in turn, go out to feed the world. If you bring items in on the first Sunday of the month, would you please consider placing a few of them under the Communion Table? You could put them there before worship or bring them up during the Communion Hymn. (Donations are accepted throughout the month on the big wooden cart located by Fellowship Hall. (Checks can also be made out to "MCUM" food pantry in the memo.)

A Thank You from Caela. Many thanks to everyone who contributed to the purchase of my new robe. It did arrive, safe and sound - and I was even able to zip it up over my belly. It looks pretty funny right now, but I can't wait for it to make its debut after I return from my parental leave. A big thanks, also, to everyone who helped make my ordination on January 10 a lovely day - it was so wonderful to see so many of you there in the pews, the Board of Worship did an excellent job organizing the service and the reception, so many of you sent well-wishes, Ed provided wonderful music, and the flowers were just beautiful. Thank you!

Church World Service Kits for Haiti. There is a donation box in the Narthex to collect items needed for the Haiti relief effort. Micah Mobley's students from Edgewood Junior High will be collecting and assembling the items into Hygiene Kits and Baby Kits to send to the people of Haiti. Buehler's, CVS, Town Hall, and the Boys and Girls Club (all of Ellettsville) also have drop off locations if you would prefer not to wait until next Sunday. Those interested in contributing can take a list of needed items from the poster that is set up with each donation bin.

ORAL HISTORY PROJECT. The First United Youth Group is doing a videotaping project to document the personal and public stories of our church. We would like to interview anyone who has a story to share, or would like to answer a few questions before or after church. We have some guideline questions and you can answer any of them.

• Why did you start coming to FUC?
• What was the church like when you first came?
• What in particular did you like about it?
• What were your (or your family's) religious beliefs when you were younger and how have they changed?
• What was an important event or decision that happened in the church and how did it affect you or the congregation?

If you would like to schedule an interview or be involved with the project in some other way, just come talk to anyone in the youth group!

Sunday School Room Change. Due to the large size of the adult Sunday School class on Bishop Spong's book Eternal Life, we will be changing the room for that class to Room 5 for the duration of the course (until February 14). The Seasons Lectionary class will temporarily meet in Room 6.

Jack's Midweek Class began Tuesday, January 12. This class meets from 10:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m. on Tuesday mornings in Room 6.

Scripture Readers needed. We need people to volunteer to be Scripture readers for the months of February and March. A Sign-up sheet is posted outside the kitchen by Fellowship Hall.

VacationBibleSchool. We are planning a meet on Monday, February 22 at 6:30 p.m. in the church library. We will set the date for VBS and begin to assign volunteers and plan the event. There was a great turn out last year that helped us have a great VBS. I hope to see you there. Ted Wininger.

Minister of Care for the week of January 31, is Jeanne Overly. A minister of care is a church volunteer who visits members in their homes. For more information, call the church office at 332-4439.

Flower sign-ups. Thank you to all who have signed up for January, February, and March. The next open date is June 20, with only 14 more dates left open after that. We now have sign-up sheets that are laid out on the table outside Fellowship Hall. Sign up now for the date you have in mind.

Men's Breakfast February 20, 8:00 a.m. Join us in Fellowship Hall. The speaker will be Professor Bill Witte, head of the Economics Department, speaking about when will the recession end. Anyone who does not get a phone call or a postcard and would like to receive information about the men's breakfasts, please sign up with Lisa in the office or call Hassel DePree to be put on the list.

Annoucements for November 22nd

Hanging of the Greens. Come join us as we decorate our sanctuary for the Advent and Christmas seasons Sunday, November 22, 4:00 p.m. We will be setting up trees, lights, ornaments, candles, chandeliers, wreaths, garlands, and more! Kids can participate in decorating the sanctuary, putting up and decorating the Christmas trees, and some extra kid-friendly crafts. A simple meal will follow at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.

MITTEN TREES. Our annual Mitten Trees will be set up the evening of November 22, when we 'hang the greens'. Please contribute new and gently used hats, mittens, gloves, scarves, and even socks for children who are in need of warm clothing this winter. Our donations will be passed on to MCUM for distribution in the Day Care Program there. Last year, we donated over 200 items for this worthy cause! Our trees will be located in the Narthex and in the Fellowship Hall foyer. The trees will be up through December 27.

Partners at the Holiday Bazaar. Partners will be at the Shower's Building for the Holiday Bazaar on Saturday, November 28. We will be outdoors in the local product section. See you there! Then on Sunday November 29, Partners will be displaying for sale our greeting cards, holiday wrap, and other miscellaneous items after worship in Fellowship Hall.

A Circle of Women's Ministries Style Show of fashions from Opportunity House chosen by Peggy Petranoff will give you the chance to start shopping early for Christmas by attending the next meeting. This meeting is scheduled on Tuesday, December 1 at 1:30 p.m. in Roger Williams Hall. Each member is asked to bring a child's toothbrush to be put in a Santa's bag. The toothbrushes will be given to each youngster in MCUM's Pre-School. Mary Cavin will give devotions and Peggy Petranoff and Peg Rollins will be hostesses.

Want to support fair trade and the Bloomington community during the holidays? Global Gifts, the fair trade store on the square, is having a special Black Friday Charity Event on Friday Nov. 27. Instead of heading to the mall for the sales, come check out some of the beautiful crafts and products made by artisans from around the world who get paid a fair wage and work in safe and healthy conditions. All day, Global Gifts will donate 10% of the proceeds to Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, Stepping Stones, and two fair trade advocacy organizations! Hope to see you there! Global Gifts could also still use volunteers leading up to Christmas.

Family Advent Devotion/Activity books now available: Christian Ed has ordered Advent devotional booklet for our children and their families. You are invited to pick one up for your family. They will be in Room 3, beginning this Sunday. Look for yellow booklets in a clearly marked box. We hope your family will enjoy using them this Advent season.

Advent and Christmas Events:

• Meditative Advent Services. Wednesdays, December 2, 9, and 16, 5:30 p.m. You are warmly invited to participate in these short meditative services. They will be held in the Chapel, and will be followed by soup suppers in Roger Williams. If you can help to provide food for the suppers, please sign up on the sheet near the Fellowship Hall kitchen.
• Christmas Dinner. The annual Christmas dinner will be on Sunday evening December 6, at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. This year meat, bread and drinks will be furnished. We ask that you bring a side dish (casserole/vegetables), salad or dessert. We have invited guests from the Muslim community to share this meal with us. We ask that you not use any pork or pork products in preparation of your dishes. A sign-up sheet is on the table outside Fellowship Hall. Please let us know if you are attending so that we can plan quantities of food and seating/table set-up. Childcare will be provided.
• Candlelight Communion. Sunday, December 13, 7:00 p.m. You will not want to miss this special service of Advent music, Christmas carols, Scripture readings, and Communion. After the service, the Board of Outreach will host a cookie reception in Fellowship Hall. Childcare will be provided.
• Christmas Eve Service. Thursday, December 24, 7:00 p.m. Come with your friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Childcare will be provided.

Repeat Performance! We would love to see the kids sing at Candlelight Communion again this year, so David will meet with any interested kids right after church on December 6th and 13th to learn a fun and easy song! They will meet in the choir room for 15-20 minutes both weeks and then right before Candlelight Communion at 6:30 p.m. All kids are welcome!

Three Sisters, the First United women's group, will hold its next potluck supper on Friday, December 4, at the home of Audrey Levasseur and Moureen Coulter. We will gather at six o'clock for food, drink, and good conversation. Please call 824-5344 if you plan to attend so that we can estimate how much food we will need. (Audrey and Moureen have three dogs, in case anyone is allergic to pet hair.)

Interfaith Homeless Winter Shelter Information:

• Moureen Coulter is the site director for the winter shelter. Contact Moureen if you need information about the shelter and/or if you want to help.
• Interfaith Winter Shelter. Want to help? Volunteer? Donate? Don't miss the next training. Learn how much there is to know about people who have no place to sleep, how addictions and mental illness impact people who are homeless and how you can help. Training will take place on Thursday, December 10 6-9 p.m. at FirstUnitedChurch on East Third Street. Check out our website: Interfaithwintershelter.org or email: vhall@trinitybloomington.org.

Free Kittens! Please see Lisa in the office if you would like to give a precious kitten a good home.

Minister of Care for the week of November 22 is Malissa Sparks. A minister of care is a church volunteer who visits members in their homes. For more information, call the office at 332-4439.

Ordination of Caela Simmons Wood. Save the Date. You are invited to join us in celebrating the Rite of Ordination for Caela Simmons Wood on Sunday, January 10 at 4:00 p.m. This special worship service will happen here at First United Church.

De-Mystifying the Music. "The roots of Christian music" is a seven week Sunday School class taught by David Wood. The class will delve into the questions churches face every week when planning music for worship, from how the hymns will fit lectionary readings, to issues of inclusive language, to what style of music will be offered and how it will be taught. There will also be a trip to the organ loft for a question and answer session with our organist Ed Penhorwood, and an introduction to a new song supplement published this year by the United Church of Christ. Join us in Room 6 now thru December 13.

Announcements for November 15th

You will find the Announcements for this Sunday below. Sunday School starts at 9:30 a.m. with Worship service starting at 10:45 a.m. We would like to invite you for coffee hour which is right after worship in Fellowship Hall.

Keep up with First United activities by visiting our blog.

Also, remember that Jack and Caela's sermons and other interesting information are available on our web site.

Work Day November 14. The Board of Physical Plant & Facilities has called a fall work day for Saturday, November 14, from 9:00 a.m. to noon, weather permitting. Our principle tasks will be leaf raking and removal, weeding and removing dead plants. Please bring rakes, tarps and other tools we might need. Many hands make light work. Please come help us tidy up our grounds.

Volunteering at Global Gifts. If you're sticking around Bloomington for the holidays and will have some extra time to volunteer, consider helping out at Global Gifts! Global Gifts is a non-profit fair trade store that works to promote fair trade, gender equity, environmental sustainability, and alternative consumer choices. Global Gifts is looking for passionate volunteers to help out especially December 10 thru December 31. There will be a volunteer orientation for holiday volunteers on Sunday November 15 at 3pm. Email Hannah at btownvolunteer@globalgiftsindy.com with questions!

Harvest Thanksgiving Food Drive. The Board of Outreach is sponsoring its annual Harvest Thanksgiving Food Drive during the month of November to help MCUM keep up with the demands of the holiday season. All donations (non-perishable food items) can be put in Room 1. The drive will come to a close the Sunday before Thanksgiving (November 22) with a beautiful display of the collected food in the sanctuary. That Sunday we are also looking for volunteers to help pack up the food after church, and then on Monday to help deliver the food. To volunteer, or if you have any questions, please contact George Birthisel. As the leaves begin to fall, let's join together in sharing our gifts to help our neighbors in need.

Student/Young Adult Sunday evening dinner. The final college student/young adult Sunday evening dinner for the semester will be Sunday at 6:00 p.m. Join us for fellowship, food, and conversation.

Hanging of the Greens. Come join us as we decorate our sanctuary for the Advent and Christmas seasons Sunday, November 22, 4:00 p.m. We will be setting up trees, lights, ornaments, candles, chandeliers, wreaths, garlands, and more! Kids can participate in decorating the sanctuary, putting up and decorating the Christmas trees, and some extra kid-friendly crafts. A simple meal will follow at 6:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.

Advent and Christmas Events:

• Meditative Advent Services. Wednesdays, December 2, 9, and 16, 5:30 p.m. You are warmly invited to participate in these short meditative services. They will be held in the Chapel, and will be followed by soup suppers in Roger Williams. If you can help to provide food for the suppers, please sign up on the sheet near the Fellowship Hall kitchen.
• Christmas Dinner. Sunday, December 6, 6:00 p.m. Join us in Fellowship Hall for this festive dinner planned by our own church members. Reservations will be required. Details will be forthcoming. Childcare will be provided.
• Candlelight Communion. Sunday, December 13, 7:00 p.m. You will not want to miss this special service of Advent music, Christmas carols, Scripture readings, and Communion. After the service, the Board of Outreach will host a cookie reception in Fellowship Hall. Childcare will be provided.
• Christmas Eve Service. Thursday, December 24, 7:00 p.m. Come with your friends and family to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Childcare will be provided.

Repeat Performance! We would love to see the kids sing at Candlelight Communion again this year, so David will meet with any interested kids right after church on December 6th and 13th to learn a fun and easy song! They will meet in the choir room for 15-20 minutes both weeks and then right before Candlelight Communion at 6:30 p.m. All kids are welcome!

Three Sisters, the First United women's group, will hold its next potluck supper on Friday, December 4, at the home of Audrey Levasseur and Moureen Coulter. We will gather at six o'clock for food, drink, and good conversation. Please call 824-5344 if you plan to attend so that we can estimate how much food we will need. (Audrey and Moureen have three dogs, in case anyone is allergic to pet hair.)

Interfaith Homeless Winter Shelter Information:

• Moureen Coulter is the site director for the winter shelter. Contact Moureen if you need information about the shelter and/or if you want to help. She can be reached at 812-824-5344.
• Interfaith Winter Shelter. Want to help? Volunteer? Donate? Don't miss the next training(s). Learn how much there is to know about people who have no place to sleep, how addictions and mental illness impact people who are homeless and how you can help. Training will take place, Monday, November 16 6-9 p.m. at First Christian Church, Kirkwood and Washington Street and on Thursday, December 10 6-9 p.m. at FirstUnitedChurch on East Third Street. Check out our website: Interfaithwintershelter.org or email: vhall@trinitybloomington.org.

Free Kittens! Please see Lisa in the office if you would like to give a precious kitten a good home.

Minister of Care for the week of November 8 is Norm Overly. A minister of care is a church volunteer who visits members in their homes. For more information, call the office at 332-4439.

Ordination of Caela Simmons Wood. Save the Date. You are invited to join us in celebrating the Rite of Ordination for Caela Simmons Wood on Sunday, January 10 at 4:00 p.m. This special worship service will happen here at First United Church.

De-Mystifying the Music. "The roots of Christian music" is a seven week Sunday School class taught by David Wood. The class will delve into the questions churches face every week when planning music for worship, from how the hymns will fit lectionary readings, to issues of inclusive language, to what style of music will be offered and how it will be taught. There will also be a trip to the organ loft for a question and answer session with our organist Ed Penhorwood, and an introduction to a new song supplement published this year by the United Church of Christ. Join us in Room 6 now thru December 13. -This week we answer the question, "Why do they keep changing the words to the old hymns?"

Announcements for October 23rd

UPCOMING COLLEGE/GRAD STUDENT EVENTS!

• Young adults are invited to join us for our monthly lunch out Sunday immediately after church. We will meet up after worship and walk somewhere close by to eat lunch together.

The Mennonites of Bloomington invites members of First United Church to the service of installation for their new pastor, Kelly Carson, to be held at 5:00 p.m. Sunday in the chapel here.

Men's Retreat will be October 30 and 31. More information to come. If you have questions please speak with Norm Overly, Al Ruesink, Paul Soderquist, Ted Wininger or Hassle DePree.

A thank you note from Mike Swick, a big thank you to all those who called, sent cards, prayed, and e-mailed because of my surgery. Your concern was much appreciated.

WINTER SHELTER

• Last chance to attend a winter shelter training session: Sunday Oct 25, 2-5 p.m. First Christian.
• People who have trained and have turned in their volunteer sheet will find a posted sign-up sheet that lists your shift and day. Please check this sheet, and if you have been listed for the wrong shift or day; please contact Moureen Coulter
  
• Moureen Coulter is the site director for the winter shelter. Please contact Moureen if you need information about the shelter and/or if you want to help.
  
• Please help the Homeless Winter Shelter with its needs of; Twin sheets (fitted & flat), pillowcases and twin-sized lightweight blankets. Please bring freshly laundered sheets, cases, and/or blankets. Put them on the table against the wall inside Fellowship Hall (next to closet); sets do not have to match.

Weekly Playgroup. Attention all Parents!! We are having a weekly playgroup at church on Thursdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Bring a lunch, invite friends, and come play! If you have any questions feel free to call Jacque Soderquist

Midweek classes. Join Jack's class on Tuesday mornings (10-11:30 a.m.) for "First Light: Jesus and the Kingdom of God" or Caela's Tuesday evening class (7-8:30 p.m.) for a seven-week series on Spirituality. More information available in the Christian Ed brochures or online. Also, don't forget the two NEW adult Sunday School classes "Faith and the Photographic Image" (please sign up) and "Stewardship as a spiritual practice: Taking the fear and guilt out of faith giving."

Advent and Lent Worship. Calling all worship lovers! We are making plans for Wednesday evening worship and suppers during Advent and Lent. You're invited to shape and plan these times with us. We hope to spend some time together exploring what worship is and what forms contemplative worship may take; then form some teams to plan our services. You can let us know your interest by signing up in the lobby by Fellowship Hall, or by contacting Kyle Hetrick or Dawna Petersen.

De-Mystifying the Music. The roots of Christian music a seven week Sunday School class taught by David Wood. The class will delve into the questions churches face every week when planning music for worship, from how the hymns will fit lectionary readings, to issues of inclusive language, to what style of music will be offered and how it will be taught. There will also be a trip to the organ loft for a question and answer session with our organist Ed Penhorwood, and an introduction to a new song supplement published this year by the United Church of Christ. Join us in Room 6 with your own questions or a curious mind starting on November 1.

Coffee Hour sign-up sheets for November and December have disappeared. If you have signed up for anytime during those months, please re-sign-up on the new coffee hours sheets. Thank you!

The Stewardship Committee is organizing a series of gatherings in the last week of October and the first week of November. We will be meeting in small groups to discuss the future goals for our congregation and how to achieve these goals. The sign-up sheets for these gatherings are in the entryway near Fellowship Hall. Please sign up for a gathering in the next two weeks.

BABY SHOWER. A baby shower for Caela and David Wood, Sunday November 15, following morning worship service. Pitch-in-lunch. Caela and David are registered for gifts at: http://www.thethingsiwant.com/phaedra13/list/baby%20registry/ or go to http://www.thethingsiwant.com and then search for Caela Wood or David Wood.
They would also appreciate gently-used items. Sign up with Lisa or outside Fellowship Hall. Jeanne Overly and Jacque Soderquist.

Minister of Care for the week of October 25 is Erika Edens. A minister of care is a church volunteer who visits several members in their homes. For more information, call the office at 332-4439.