Greetings –
Last year, Memorial UCC and Zion City Church partnered to have a team in the Boys and Girls Club bike ride. We do not have church teams this year, but Marty Smith and his son, Ryan, will be riding in this huge fundraiser on Saturday morning, July 16, that starts at McKee Park in Fitchburg. You can still sign up as an individual rider if you’d like, or you can support the Boys and Girls Club by adding to the total on Marty or Ryan’s pages.
THIS SUNDAY IN WORSHIP
We are calling this Rainbow Sunday and we will focus on the wonderful diversity of people who make up our congregation and our community. Kelly Jetzer and Jeff Darwin will sing “Seasons of Love” from Rent and Orion Jetzer will sing “True Colors.” The scripture readings are from Psalm 25: 1-10 and Luke 10: 25-37, which is the story of the Good Samaritan – a wonderful parable for our theme. The Jetzer family will be providing rainbow treats for fellowship time. But there’s more. We also will be baptizing Neil Gillisman, son of Johanna Beilman-Dulin and George Gillis, little brother to Clara.
…AND FROM LAST SUNDAY
On the July 4 weekend, Pastor Phil combined a bit of history with a message from Jesus. The reflection was called “Two by Two.”
FAREWELL FOR JEAN ON FRIDAY
Jean Lepro, our office manager at church for the last 16 years, is retiring next week. We will have an open house at church on Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. when folks can stop by and wish her well. There will be cake and a basket where you can leave cards, memories and gifts of gratitude for Jean. She has been an incredible presence in the life of Memorial and we surely will miss her. You can read a bit about her here.
You can reach our new office manager, Jamie Schwoerer, at jamie@memorialucc.org or by phone at 273-1008.
SCHOOL REUNION WITH DOCTOR WHO
The Doctor Who and Theology group next meets on Friday, July 15, at 6 p.m. for pot luck and watching “School Reunion”. This 2006 episode stars David Tennant (the 10th Doctor), Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Anthony Head (Giles from “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), and K-9 in a story about old friends, nostalgia, and moving on from previous relationships.
CUBAN LEADER TO SPEAK AT THE CROSSING
The Crossing extends an invitation to hear the Rev. Ernesto Bazán, Cuba National Coordinator for “Evangelism, Mission and Ecumenism” for the Latin American Council of Churches and past vice-president of the Cuban Council of Churches. He will be sharing about “The State of the Church in Cuba” at The Crossing, 1127 University Ave. on Wednesday, July 13th at 7 p.m. This is a unique opportunity to hear directly from a Cuban religious leader about how the Church is growing exponentially on the Island, to learn about the history of the Christian communities in Cuba since the Revolution, and to hear about the way churches collaborate with each other in the midst of a continued embargo on the Island imposed by the USA.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL COMING UP IN AUGUST
Our Vacation Bible School this summer will be in the mornings from Aug. 8-12. VBS is designed for children ages 3 through 9. Children and youth age 10 and older help out as junior guides. There is a sign-up sheet in the niche as well as registration forms. The theme for 2016 will be Surf Shack: Catch the Wave of God’s Amazing Love. If you would be interested in being a teacher or would like more information, please contact Jann Veloff.
NEXT BOOK DISCUSSION TACKLES RACE
Our next book for the Friday morning book group will be Waking Up White by Debby Irving. We’ll meet to discuss it on Friday, Aug. 5, from 7 to 8 a.m. in the church library.
TWO CHOIR SUNDAYS COMING UP
Our choir will be singing on Sunday, July 31, and Sunday, Aug. 28. These are Sundays when anyone who would like to see what it’s like to be part of the choir is welcome to join in. No advance notice is necessary. Just show up at 8:30 for rehearsal that morning, then join the choir in singing at the 9:30 service.
WORDS OF THANKS
Our friends at Good Neighbors Personal Essentials Pantry sent the following note: “We at GNPEP again thank you for your generous ongoing support. Please share with your congregation that they are helping to serve 35 to 70 families per week where there is a job loss, major illness or chronic poverty. The grateful faces we see when our guests receive laundry detergent, toilet paper or shampoo remind us how much we take for granted in our own homes. Unfortunately, more and more people are facing the need for a reliable source of these products and it is GNPEP’s mission to be present to fill the gaps. We are so grateful for your generosity. – Jan Gietzel, GNPEP volunteer
LOOKING FARTHER AHEAD
Vacation Bible School – Aug. 8-12
2016 Back Bay Mission trip – Oct. 30-Nov. 5, 2016
2017 Back Bay Mission trip – Nov. 4-11, 2017
You can check out events on our online calendar at any time.
You can find our worship team lists for this month and next month here.
You can “like” Memorial United Church of Christ on Facebook by going to this page.