Announcements for October 9th

A congregational meeting has been set for Sunday, October 11, for members to vote on the calling of Caela Wood as Associate Minister at First United. The meeting will take place immediately following services. The vote will be by ballot.

Men's Breakfast! Join us on October 17 at 8:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Guest speaker will be Harry Hollis who will be speaking about: Global Warming- plus more. All are welcome to attend!

Please sign-up if you would like to attend and have not recieved a call or post card.

UPCOMING COLLEGE/GRAD STUDENT EVENTS!

1. College/Grad Student Dinner and Discussion TONIGHT (Sunday, October 11)! Join us at 6 p.m. this evening for a home cooked meal and some good discussion. We're going to be sharing some stories about this topic: "What has been your faith journey so far?"

2. College/Grad Student movie night - Friday, October 23 at 7:00 p.m. in Roger Williams. We are still deciding on a movie, but we'll let you know soon. Snacks and fun discussion will be provided. Come, and bring a friend!

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.

Winter Shelter. 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.

All volunteers working in the winter shelter must attend one of the three training sessions: Wed Oct 14, 6-9 p.m. at First United in Fellowship Hall; Mon, Oct 19, 6-9 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal; or Sunday Oct 25th , 2-5 p.m., First Christian.

Homeless Winter Shelter Needs. We need 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.

CROP Walk. IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN! The annual CROP walk to raise money for worldwide hunger relief will take place on Sunday, October 18, at 2:00 p.m. Participants should plan to gather at MCUM around 1:30 p.m. Moureen Coulter and Audrey Levasseur are coordinating the First United contingent this year. They will be at the table outside Fellowship Hall after the service to sign up walkers and to provide information. If you cannot walk, please support those who do with your donations! Checks must be made payable to CWS/CROP.

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

Need a Ping Pong Table? The Ping Pong Table gets little use here and we'd like to find someone who could use it, or would take it to a local organization who might like to have it. Contact Sarah Burton if interested.

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.

Book Discussion Group. The book selected for October is "Hiding in the Spotlight" by former H-T columnist, Greg Dawson. It's the story of his mother's escape from the Holocaust. The Discussion Group meets the third Monday of each month. Come join us October 19, at 1:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Stewardship Dinners. As part of our upcoming stewardship campaign, the stewardship committee is organizing small dinners in the homes of members. These dinners will be an opportunity to talk about our hopes and plans for the church, as well as what it will take to reach these goals financially. We are looking for volunteers who will be willing to either host a gathering in their home or help with an event. If you would like to help out, please speak with a member of the stewardship committee: Tom Busey, Nick Foster, Lou Cooper, Jacque Soderquist and Pat Martin.

Cultivating a Church with Vibrant Purpose. You can discern God's purpose and the path God is calling your congregation to walk. In this workshop, Graham Standish explores the loss of spiritual vibrancy in many congregations and how to restore that vitality and enthusiasm. Based on his book Becoming a Blessed Church, Standish discusses ways to lead your congregation to become a blessed church. The workshop describes how a church that is open to God's purpose, presence and power can claim God's blessing to be uniquely grounded in a relationship with God with a vibrant sense of faith, hope and love, and to embrace the sacred and not be afraid to serve God in its own way. Cultivating a Church with Vibrant Purpose will help you find God in your midst and become aware of the many ways the blessings of God's Spirit flow through your congregation. The workshop is 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, October 22, at Zion United Church of Christ, 8916 E. Troy Ave. in Indianapolis. The cost is $30 a person ($25 a person for teams of three or more). The fee includes lunch and a copy of Standish's book, Becoming a Blessed Church. MeRC would like to sponsor a group to attend this workshop. Please talk to Sam Troxal in you are interested.

Minister of Care for the week of October 4 is Jeanne Overly. A minister of care is a church volunteer who visits several members in their homes. For more information, call the office at 332-4439.