Civil War speaker at Women’s Fellowship

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Church member Bob Wicklem will speak about the American Civil War at the Women’s Fellowship meeting at 10 a.m. Jan. 6. Both women and men are welcome to join us in the Gathering Room for this informative program.

Bob describes what draws him to this pivotal event in our history as a nation:

“I have been asked by the Women’s Fellowship to give a talk about the American Civil War. It has been an interest of mine for at least the past 25 years. I have read about and visited most of the national historical sites related to this period, which was a defining moment in our nation’s history. I intend to give a general overview of the war, including why it happened, some of the events and what resulted from this tragic, yet important event.”

Epiphany party Jan. 6

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Join us as we close the 12 days of Christmas with a welcoming of the Three Kings at 6 p.m. on Epiphany, Friday, Jan. 6. All ages will gather for supper, a brief time of prayer, song, and sharing hopes for the New Year around an outdoor bonfire. Bring a small piece of your holiday greens for the bonfire. Sign up in the Gathering Room to bring any kind of chili to share, and we will have a blind tasting with prizes. The Children’s and Intergenerational Ministry Teams will provide beverages.

New refugee group needs winter clothes and supplies

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The Roseville Schools Adult Learning Center, where several FHC members volunteer in the English language program, has received a new group of refugees from Ethiopia who need warm winter clothing now. As you receive new items for Christmas, please consider giving good items you no longer use, or look for sales after the holidays.

Needed now through the end of January are gloves, socks, hats and other warm clothing and blankets. The refugees can also use towels, pots and pans and other basic items. Place contributions in the grocery cart near the coats, or in designated boxes. We will work through the Learning Center staff to distribute them.

The refugees are Anuak people, a minority ethnic group in southwestern Ethiopia near South Sudan. The mostly Christian Anuak have been under attack from the government and other groups. After fleeing to refugee camps in Kenya near the equator, this group arrived in Minnesota this summer with few clothes and flip-flops for shoes. Now winter has arrived and there is little support for them here.

Contact Nancy Duffrin for more information, [email protected].

Christmas caroling to shut-ins Dec. 14

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On Wednesday, Dec. 14, join us for a 5:30 p.m. soup supper, then leave in groups around 6 p.m. to go caroling to our shut-ins and elders. Carolyn Hill (651-646-6656) and Tracy Faville (651-483-0260) are coordinating the light supper. Give them a call if you would like to help.

Christmas giving opportunities

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Poinsettias for Keystone: Buy a live poinsettia for our chancel garden to honor or remember a loved one, and/or purchase a silk blossom for our Gathering Room tree, for $15 each. A small portion of the live poinsettia cost and all of the silk flower proceeds go to Keystone Community Services, which operates food shelves and other services for the poor. Deadline to buy live blooms is Monday, Dec. 12. More info in the Sunday bulletin and Connections, or call the church office.

Socks and Mitten Tree: Look for the Christmas tree in the lobby where we’ll collect socks and mittens for children, youth and adults. These will be distributed by the Department of Indian Work at Interfaith Action in St. Paul. Bring donations by Monday, Dec. 19.

Elders at Lyngblomsten: The staff at Lyngblomsten Care Center is collecting money and gift cards to buy gifts for senior without family or friends to remember them at Christmas. Purchase Target, JCPenney, Walmart, Kohls or Macy’s cards at our Scrip table at Sunday coffee hour, or place checks payable to Lyngblomsten Foundation in the designated box in the lobby no later than Dec. 11.

Annual Christmas Fund giving: We will receive this annual offering to help support retired United Church of Christ clergy who are in need. Envelopes will be provided in the bulletins on December 18, and you can also send checks to the church office with “Christmas Fund” in the memo line, by December 27.

Join us on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day

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We invite you to join us on Saturday, Dec. 24, for Christmas Eve worship:

  • At 4:30 p.m. – A shorter service of readings, carols from around the world, story-sermon and candle-lighting, intended for all ages.
  • At 10 p.m. – Readings, traditional carols and candle-lighting, with music by our Chancel Choir. Cider and snacks follow the service.

On Sunday, Dec. 25, we celebrate Christmas Day at 10:30 a.m. with a brief service of carols and stories for all ages. Nursery care will be provided.

“Counting on Christmas” pageant Dec. 11

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We’re counting down the days to this year’s intergenerational Christmas pageant, “-1-C-2-O-3-U-4-N-5-T-6-I-7-N-8-G-9- ON CHRISTMAS,” which will be presented during worship at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 11. The show is written by Margot Olsen, with inspiration from “The Lion Storyteller Christmas Book” by Bob Hartman and Krisztina Kallai Nagy. For more information, contact the church at 651-646-2681.

 

Church profile nearing completion

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The following update was shared at the Congregational Meeting on Nov. 20, 2016.

The Pastoral Search Committee has been diligently working on the written profile that will provide the potential candidates a summary of who we are as a community and a church. In partnership with the congregation through the guided conversations this summer, and the all-church survey, members of the committee have taken the answers from 37 questions (with many of the questions having 4-5 sub-questions) and created the first draft of an organized narrative with pictures highlighting our life together as a church. When reviewing this draft, the group marveled in the details that spoke to the mission-mindedness of our congregation and how our building is used in so many ways for both our activities and to support our partners in the community.

The Pastoral Search Committee has two meetings scheduled in early December and our goal is to finish our work on the church profile document so it can then be submitted to our UCC Associate Conference Minister, the Rev. Rick Wagner. With the busy Christmas and New Years holiday schedule now here, we don’t expect feedback from Rick until sometime in January. Based on his help and feedback, there could be additional work necessary before the profile document will be ready for congregational review. However, the PSC is hopeful we can have a final profile ready by mid-January for our members to review and give their feedback to the search committee about the profile.

If there are no major changes necessary and we are able to stay on this anticipated timeline, it’s expected we can formally post the position for our new pastor online with the United Church of Christ Employment Opportunities site at the end of January or first part of February. This will be a momentous step in our journey! The search committee is as anxious and excited as everyone else, but we’ve been strongly advised not to hurry at the expense of not finding the right person. As we continue to move forward, we ask for your prayers not only for our work still ahead but also for potential candidates, as they have some major decisions to make in the next few months about career, family, moving, and their own journey.

– Carol Holm and Kari Willey (for the Pastoral Search Committee, including Jenica Domanico, Joe Vance, Pat Bohman, Mike Bradbury, Margot Olsen)

Joint Thanksgiving service Nov. 22

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Falcon Heights Church will be the venue for a three-church celebration of Thanksgiving at 7:30 p.m. with New Life Presbyterian Church in Roseville and Como Park Lutheran Church in St. Paul. We’ll have music and readings from a variety of traditions. A combined choir will rehearse at 6:30 p.m. with Joel Johnson. After the service, a pie social!

(Contact Peter Duddleston at [email protected] if you can help with greeting, ushering or hospitality or bring a pie.)

Choir to present music of G.F. Handel Dec. 4

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The Chancel Choir of Falcon Heights Church and a professional orchestra will present some of George Frideric Handel’s greatest choruses during worship at 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. Music director Joel Johnson conducts this popular annual event. For more information, contact the church at 651-646-2681.