News and Announcements


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Congratulations

• To Colin Matthew Riemer, son of Sarah and Matt, who was baptized into the Christian faith on Sunday, June 26.

• To Cecilia Ann Jagow, daughter of Caitlin Zozakiewicz and Andy Jagow, who was baptized into the Christian faith on Wednesday, July 22.

Special Thanks

• To the following church members who have agreed to serve on the newly created Reopening Team: Phil Stepanski (Associate Moderator, Chair), Mike Spalding (Liturgy Team Representative), and Brett Dimmer (Music Staff, Technology). Amy Gilhooly, our Communications Director, will serve as a staff liaison to the Team.

• To the Stewardship Team for ordering two outside banners for the church, encouraging us to "Be the Church". Thank you to Joe Mueller and Claude Zimmerman for installing the vertical banner.

• To Rev. Don Niederfrank for conducting the June 28 "Worship in the Gap" service.

• To the following church members who have been appointed to serve on the Finance Team: Lorraine Halls (Church Treasurer, Chair), Ray Shupe, and Sherrie Dimmer. Owen Madson, our Financial Administrator, will serve as a staff liaison to the Team.

• To the following church members who have been appointed to serve on the Stewardship Team: Jason Jacque (Team Representative to the Council, Chair), Jodi Cowen, Bev Mueller and Craig Modahl.

• To all of the folks who responded to the invitation to "Adopt-a-Flower/Shrub-Bed" to improve our church grounds: Kelly Blum, Mike Dimmer, Jennifer Garven, Christa Karrels, Lori and Mark MacRae, Miriam Mitchell, Joe and Bev Mueller, Beckie Perez, Jeanne Weir and Jana Zimmerman. Special thanks to Jeanne Mantsch and Jane Spalding for their consultations, and to Joe Mueller for ordering the mulch.

• To Brett Dimmer for continuing to produce our "Worship in the Gap" and "Gap Chats" video series.

In Our Prayers

Jim Melichar continues to undergo treatment for glioblastoma (brain cancer). Please keep Jim and Sherri, and their family, in your prayers.

Archives

July 22, 2020

July 8, 2020

July 1, 2020

June 24, 2020
May 17, 2020

April 12, 2020

March 4, 2020

February 26, 2020

February 19, 2020

February 12, 2020

February 5, 2020

January 29, 2020

January 22, 2020

January 15, 2020

January 10, 2020

2019 July-December

2019 January-June

2018 July-December

2018 January-June

2017 July-December

2017 January-June

SUMMER FELLOWSHIP

We will be holding socially distanced Summer Fellowship outside from 9:00-10:00 this coming Sunday, August 9, and on the second and fourth Sunday mornings. Together we can enjoy coffee and conversation on the church lawn to the west of the building (adjacent to the outdoor pool). Please bring your own lawn chair and coffee. The area can get sunny, so consider bringing your sunglasses and sun hat.

We look forward to gathering again on August 23 (weather permitting). We hope you can join us!

"STAYING THE COURSE" - OUR STATUS

Our traditional worship services continue to be suspended at this time. First Congregational Church will continue to provide spiritual guidance and care. We welcome you to call or email if you have any pastoral needs or questions.

REOPENING TEAM

A Reopening Team was recently formed to take a deep look at when we might be able to resume in-person worship services and church activities. The Team had an initial meeting, mostly to get organized and talk about what their process will be. Their focus will be on reopening safely, and they will look at the recommendations of epidemiologists and public health authorities for guidance. In general, the recommendations all say similar things: reopening should proceed in gradual steps, and each step should only occur following several weeks of positive trends in controlling the virus in our community. By most measures, virus activity in Ozaukee and neighboring counties is high and growing, so, at this time, we are weeks away from beginning the first of several steps towards in-person worship. The Team will use this time to work out details of what each phase will look like, and which specific criteria will allow us to proceed to the next phase.

MAKING PLEDGE PAYMENTS

Since we are not currently conducting church services, we wanted to let you know that you can drop off your pledge payments by using our mail slot to the right of our Webster Street entrance. Or you can simply mail it to the church. Thank you!

DRIVE-THRU COMMUNION PICK UP

The next first Sunday morning of the month, September 6, we will hold another Drive-Thru Communion Pick Up. We invite you to drive into the church parking lot anytime between 9:00 - 10:00 where you will receive sealed package(s) of wafer and juice to take home with you, as well as a blessing from Pastor Jim.  We then invite you to watch Worship in the Gap with your communion elements handy. 

DONATIONS TO FAMILY PROMISE

Family Promise is currently in need of the following items: paper towels, toilet paper, laundry detergent pods, deodorant for women, body wash for women, shaving cream for women, new bath towels and gas cards.

You may drop off donations in our church entryway Tuesday through Friday mornings, or you can drop them off directly to Family Promise (136 W. Grand Avenue here in Port Washington). If you would like to make a financial donation, please send it to the church marked Family Promise

DONATIONS TO THE FOOD PANTRY

We have placed a Food Pantry Barrel outside the church, near the entryway doors. We invite you to stop by to make contributions of non-perishable food items so that we can continue to support the Port Washington Food Pantry.

Items on their request list include: progresso soup, pudding, flour tortillas, rice-a-roni, knorr sides, mustard, ketchup, spaghetti sauce, cookie mix, vegetable oil, shampoo, bar soap and dish soap.

WORSHIP IN THE GAP

As a way to continue to stay connected while our church services and activities are suspended, we are pleased to provide you with our YouTube video series, Worship in the Gap. Huge thanks to Brett Dimmer for producing the series!

Click on the links below to view each episode:

Episode 46: Worship in the Gap - August 9, 2020

Episode 45: Gap Chat - August 8, 2020

Episode 44: Worship in the Gap - August 2, 2020

Episode 43: Worship in the Gap - July 26, 2020

Episode 42: Worship in the Gap - July 19, 2020

Episode 41: Gap Chat - Standing in the Need of Prayer

Episode 40: Worship in the Gap - July 12, 2020

Episode 39: Worship in the Gap - July 5, 2020

Episode 38: Gap Chat - Congregational Meeting Update

Episode 37: Worship in the Gap - June 28, 2020

Episode 36: Worship in the Gap - June 21, 2020

Episode 35: Gap Chat - The Congregation's Work

Episode 34: Worship in the Gap - June 14, 2020

Episode 33: Gap Chat - Racial Justice

Episode 32: Worship in the Gap - June 7, 2020

Episode 31: Gap Chat - Dedicated to our 2020 Graduates

Episode 30: Gap Chat - Invitation to Pick Up Communion

Episode 29: Worship in the Gap - Pentecost Sunday

Episode 28: Gap Chat - When Will We Open Church?

Episode 27: Gap Chat - Dedicated to Confirmation Class

Episode 26: Worship in the Gap - May 24, 2020

Episode 25: Worship in the Gap - May 17, 2020

Episode 24: Gap Chat - The Sabbath

Episode 23: Worship in the Gap - Mother's Day

Episode 22: Gap Chat - Church Update

Episode 21: Worship in the Gap - May 3, 2020

Episode 20: Gap Chat - The Gatekeeper

Episode 19: Gap Chat - Social Contracts and Covenants

Episode 18: Worship in the Gap - April 26, 2020

Episode 17: Gap Chat - Anxiety and COVID-19

Episode 16: Gap Chat - We're All Connected

Episode 15: Worship in the Gap - April 19, 2020

Episode 14: Gap Chat - Faith or Folly?

Episode 13: Gap Chat - What Changes After the Gap?

Episode 12: Worship in the Gap - Easter Sunday

Episode 11: Worship in the Gap - Maundy Thursday

Episode 10: Worship in the Gap - Palm Sunday

Episode 9: Gap Chat - A Search Committee Update

Episode 8: Gap Chat - Jim explains "Interim Ministry"

Episode 7: Worship in the Gap 3/29

Episode 6: Gap Chat - Jim & Don discuss Ministry

Episode 5: Gap Chat - Harold Kushner's Book

Episode 4: Worship in the Gap 3/22 -Man Born Blind

Episode 3: Gap Chat - Baptismal Heresy

Episode 2: Gap Chat - Jim and Don Discuss John 4

Episode 1: Worship in the Gap - March 15, 2020

SPRING CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

Our annual Spring Congregational Meeting was conducted via Zoom on Sunday, June 28. The primary item of business was the election of Church Council Officers and Team Representatives. Thank you to the almost two dozen members and friends for joining the meeting! If you were unable to attend, please take a look at the Meeting Summary prepared by Jeanne Mantsch, our Church Moderator, and view Gap Chat #38 as Pastor Jim and a few members of the Council recap the meeting.

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