News and Announcements
Congratulations
• To Jess Shupe, daughter of Ray and Brenda, and Bob Korup who were married at Sandy Knoll Park in West Bend on Friday afternoon, October 8. Pastor Scott officiated the wedding ceremony.
In Our Prayers
• Bob Woelfl. Bob took a bad fall preparing for the upcoming cross country ski season and broke his pelvis.
Welcome
Special Thanks
• To Jennifer Dimmer and the Fellowship Team for hosting a Fellowship Hour after the 8:00 service on October 3 and after the 10:00 service on October 10.
• To Jennifer Dimmer, Sherrie Dimmer, Jane Spalding, and Phil Stepanski and Tracy Bretl for assisting with the refreshments after our Installation Service.
• To Jeanne Mantsch, Phil Stepanski, and Joe Mueller for taking part in the Installation Service.
• To Jeanne Mantsch for leading the litany “Reception of New Members” during the 10:00 worship on September 26.
• To Dave Eslinger and Alice Sanem for helping Pastor Scott with Confirmation Class on Monday evening, September 20.
• To Jane Spalding and Ken Matthews for teaching some First Congregational Church history for our new members class on September 19.
• To Sherrie Dimmer for handwriting greeting cards for our congregation.
• To Brenda Shupe for filling our Little Free Library.
• To Jane Spalding for creating a beautiful Autumn arrangement for the Altar Table.
• To Peter Muehleis for placing the garbage carts at the curb on Thursdays of each and every week.
• To Karl Pradel for continuing to change our Christ Candle each and every week.
• To Joe Mueller for overseeing repairs to our outdoor sculpture.
• To Bill Bond, Claude Zimmerman, and Joe Mueller for completing additional window work in the church sanctuary.
"Congregational Connections" E-Newsletter
Archives
September 22, 2021
September 15, 2021
March 7, 2021
February 24, 2021
February 3, 2021
January 27, 2021
January 20, 2021
January 13, 2021
January 6, 2021
December 30, 2020
December 22, 2020
November 1, 2020
October 21, 2020
October 14, 2020
TWO WORSHIP SERVICES ON SUNDAY MORNINGS AT 8:00 & 10:00
During the program year, we celebrate with two services at 8:00 and 10:00. On the fourth Sunday of every month at 10:00, we celebrate with a Family Service which includes the participation of our Confirmation Class and Children's Choir. Nursery care is available at the 10:00 service.
WHEN GATHERING INSIDE THE CHURCH BUILDING...
Masks are required inside the church at this time, regardless of vaccination status.
NEED A PASTORAL VISIT?
Pastor Scott invites all members and friends to reach out if a pastoral visit would be welcomed.
STEWARDSHIP KICK-OFF
The Fall Stewardship Campaign is underway. The Stewardship Team invites you to view the following:
click here to read their Kick-Off letter and click here to view a personal testimonial by longtime member Bonnie Jacque.
OCTOBER E-NEWSLETTER
Click here to view the entire October "Congregational Connections" monthly e-newsletter. It has a lot of information and some fun photos too! If it is easier, you can click on specific pages:
Pages 1 & 2: Pastor Scott's Lead Article and New Members
Page 3: Confirmation and Church School
Page 4: Choirs Back in Action!
Page 5: Neighbors in Need and More
Page 6 & 7: Spotlight on Stewardship and Kick-Off
Page 8: October Lectionary Readings
Page 9: Service of Installation Celebration
Pages 10: Ways to Serve and More
Page 11: Act of Kindness in the Mail
Page 12: Thanks and Prayers
Page 13: September Action Shots
Page 14 & 15: Church Council Minutes
Page 16 & 17: October Calendar, Bdays & Anniversaries
Page 18: Church Contact Information Including Fall Hours
CHILDREN'S CHOIR
The Carol and Chapel Choirs will be temporarily condensed into one Children's Choir led by Sherri Melichar. The choir is now rehearsing from 5:45-6:30 on Monday evenings, in the Sanctuary, and performs on the 4th Sunday of every month.
All elementary and middle school kids are invited to participate! 7th and 8th graders can choose between the Children’s Choir and the Chancel Choir. Invite your neighbors and friends! Come as you are able - no long-term commitment required. Join at any time!
HANDBELL CHOIR
Do you have two hands? Can you count to four? Do you like music? Come join Handbells! The Handbell Choir is back in action and is now under the direction of Lydia Clough. The choir rehearses for an hour at 7:00 on Wednesday evenings in the Music Room and performs on the third Sunday of every month. The choir will perform for the first time in over a year on Sunday, October 17.
CHANCEL CHOIR
The Chancel Choir sang for the first time in over a year on September 26, under the direction of Brett Dimmer. The choir rehearses for an hour at 6:30 on Monday evenings in the Sanctuary and performs on the second Sunday of every month. The choir is open to anyone 7th/8th grade and up. No experience is necessary, just a desire to sing! You do not need to know how to read music. Come as you are able - no long-term commitment required. Join at any time!
NEIGHBORS IN NEED
On Sunday, October 10, we received our annual Neighbors in Need offering, which supports the outreach work of the United Church of Christ throughout the United States. You may contribute through the end of the month.
WEDNESDAY LUNCH GROUP
Everyone is invited to join the lunch group at noon on Wednesdays as we meet together in Marquardt Fellowship Hall, bring your own beverage and lunch, and discuss the Bible passages that will be used in worship for the coming Sunday morning. You don’t need to be a Bible expert to participate! Pastor Scott provides some thought provoking questions and leads the discussion. The conversation is always interesting, there is usually lots of laughter and the sharing of individual opinions and perspectives. We’d love to hear your thoughts! So make the Wednesday Lunch Group a part of your weekly schedule - you’ll be glad you did!
THURSDAY MORNING MEN'S BREAKFAST
Every Thursday morning at 8:00, a dedicated group of gentlemen from the church gather at The Beacon restaurant, which is located downtown on the first floor of The Harborview hotel. The Thursday Morning Men’s Breakfast Group is open to all the men of the church. Everyone places their own order and pays their own bill. It is a great way to spend an hour (or two) and begin your day. You are welcome to join the group at any time!
SACRED CONVERSATIONS - STUDY SERIES
Our Justice Team is hosting a study series based on the UCC-developed curriculum "Sacred Conversations to End Racism". The 8-week series will be held in Fellowship Hall on Tuesday evenings from 6:30-8:00 through November 2nd. Please contact Pastor Scott if you have any questions.
FELLOWSHIP HOUR
There will be a Fellowship Hour following our 8:00 service on the first Sunday of each month, and following our 10:00 services on the second and fourth Sundays of each month.
CHURCH SCHOOL AND FAMILY SERVICES
Church School meets on the second Sunday of each month at 10:00. All children 4K through 7th grade are invited to participate in our next Church School Sunday on October 10! Church School will focus on the Mark 12:28-34 scripture passage to love God and love others. In addition to story telling and discussion, there will be activities/projects related to love. Among the projects, the kids will make a Love Wheel with "love languages" showing how they love God and others (acts of service, quality time, etc.).
The overall program continues to be planned and organized by our Church School Leadership Team. They welcome interested parents and church members to join the team!
We also celebrate a Family Service on the fourth Sunday of each month. All children and youth, along with their families, are invited to attend the 10:00 service.
CHARITABLE FUNDRAISERS
Every year, members and friends of our church participate in charitable fundraising events (walks, runs, bike rides, etc.) helping to raise thousands of dollars for a variety of worthy causes. As a church community, we support these efforts by contributing $100 per event from our Local Mission Fund.
If you are planning to participate in one of these fundraisers, please complete and submit the Charitable Fundraiser Contribution Request form.
RECORDINGS OF WORSHIP SERVICES
Our Sunday worship services will continue to be recorded each week; if you would like to view the service as soon as it is uploaded, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel ("First Congregational Church of Port Washington"). This allows you to receive immediate notification.
PAYPAL ONLINE GIVING
If you are interested in giving to the church through PayPal, please look for the PayPal button on the home page. Please contact us if you have any questions or any problems using this giving feature.
