The Congregationalist First Congregational Church United Church of Christ Battle Creek, Michigan COME, SHARE THE JOURNEY OF FAITH Volume 61 • No 4 January 2015 THIS ISSUE: ANNUAL BUDGET MEETING JONAH MLK BREAKFAST ON THE JOURNEY SUNDAY AFTERNOON LIVE ANNUAL BUDGET MEETING WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2015 MEAL — 5:00 CENTERPOINT WORSHIP — 6:00 ANNUAL BUDGET MEETING — 6:30 The proposed budget will be available prior to the meeting Pastor Tom Ott 2 Pastor Emily Joye McGaughy-Reynolds 3 Deepening Your Engagement with 4 On the Journey Sunday Afternoon Live Church Family Calendar 4-5 7 9-10 11 Page 2 The Congregationalist At the end of this year, Vickie Forman, our office administrator will be retiring from her position at church and heading south to spend the winter in warmer places. As most of us know, church office administrators are the glue that holds things together in any congregation, and Vickie has been wonderful at it. She has brought the prerequisite gifts of organization, administration and computer skills. But she has also brought wonderful personality gifts of flexibility, patience, compassion and empathy. She has made me look way more organized than I am by prompting me well in advance about those executional details that otherwise wouldn’t occur to me until it was too late. Vickie takes care of a myriad of behind the scenes details including everything from recruiting front desk volunteers to coordinating building schedules to preparing the projection files for worship to handling all of our publicity. She never stands in the lime light or calls attention to herself but has played an important role in practically everything that happens at our church. I’ve appreciated Vickie’s loyalty, her friendship and her support throughout the years of my pastorate here at FCC and am grateful for all that she has done to serve our church well. Even though Vickie isn’t a member of our congregation, she has become an important part of our church family and we will miss her. I know that you join me in wishing her well as she moves on to the next adventures in her life. In January, JAIMIE FALES-BROWN will be taking over the position of office administrator. Jaimie is relatively new to our faith community but has been actively engaged in church work throughout her life. She brings exciting gifts in marketing and publicity that can help us share the good news of what is happening here at FCCBC with people in our community that we want to reach and she is well versed in using web sites and social media as communication tools. Jaimie is passionate about the opportunities we have to reach people who are looking for a progressive faith community that is willing to host their questions honestly and engage the complexities of faithful life with integrity. She came into our church through the Koinonia community and will be a great asset to our ministry team. Vickie will be helping to orient Jaimie to the position during the month of December and Jaimie will take over full office responsibilities at the beginning of the New Year. The position will remain 28 hours a week with the schedule to be determined once Jaimie gets settled into the rhythm of the work. During the weeks ahead, sure to reach out and help make Jaimie feel welcome as she joins our staff ministry team here at FCCBC. Tom Ott PLEASE HELP US BECOME FRAGRANCE FREE! It’s hard to believe something as innocent as scented perfume could cause a person to have health issues, but fragrance sensitivity — an allergic reaction or irritation to chemicals in certain products — is very real and, depending on the severity, can become problematic. In an effort to ensure a quality worship experience for ALL who want to attend our church , we are asking everyone - men and women - to please refrain from wearing “fragrances” to church. Your help is greatly appreciated – thank you! January 2015 Page 3 The Congregationalist Here it is! 2015, hot dog! A new year. A new beginning. I have an idea... One of the things I love about our church is the deep and abiding commitment we share to ongoing faith formation. This is a community of faith that values spiritual exploration, learning, education, contemplation, devotion and meditation. Many of us believe that the key ingredient to a successful spiritual life is to keep seeking, to never stop asking questions, to keep fresh the fruits of the spirit by deepening our study of them. We believe in the power of disciplined discipleship! Last year the Women’s Writing Group decided to join a worldwide movement called OneWord365. It was a grassroots group of seekers, connected by the internet, who wanted to be in community with others around a simple discipline: holding one word all year long. Holding how?-you ask. Well, that was up to us to decide. Some people prayed with their word every morning. Some people found book titles that had to do with their word and started reading. Some people journaled on their word, or took relevant pictures. Others simply paid attention to what their day to day world seemed to be saying about the word they chose. OneWord365 is genius in its simplicity but also in its lack of specificity. You choose the word. You choose the kind of exploration you do. All they do is provide the inspiration. The Women’s Writing Group ran with it and we are so very, very glad we did. Which brings me to my idea. Why don’t you join OneWord365 too? Wouldn’t it be cool if a bunch of us at FCCBC/Koinonia decided to focus our spiritual journeys with intentionality in 2015? I think we’d see incredible results. So consider this your official pastoral invitation. Please ask God, in your prayer life, to reveal what word is best for you right now. Then pay attention to recurring themes: topics in conversation that keep coming up, struggles you’re having at home, work, etc., something you’ve always wanted to study/learn more about but haven’t given yourself permission and your desire is stronger than ever. Then after asking God for guidance, paying attention to recurring themes and deciding on word, start your journey however feels best to you. If you’re a cerebral type: study. If you’re an artist: create. If you’re an extrovert: host conversations on your word. If you’re a contemplative: chant your word. The sky is the limit when it comes to the process of holding a word for a year. But I do think it’s important to cater your process to your individual style of exercising spirituality. I’ve chosen the word “humility” for 2015. My guess is that I’m going to learn some stuff about being comfortable with failure. But I also think I am going to be surprised by how little I figure out given my experience from last year with the word “mercy.” It was one of the best spiritual explorations I’ve embarked on in my life. And here’s what I learned after 365 days of studying mercy intentionally: it’s exactly what I need and I have no idea what it is. God has such a beautiful and wicked sense of humor. Happy New Year, Beloved Church. JONAH's tenth annual Prayer Breakfast will be held on Saturday, January 17, from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at First Congregational Church, 145 Capital Avenue, NE, Battle Creek. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased from any of the JONAH member churches or our host church, First Congregational. Included in the price of a ticket is a delicious a hot breakfast buffet. For more information, please contact Sheri Harris, President of JONAH, for more information via email at [email protected] or cell: 269-832-3670. Page 4 The Congregationalist Deepening Your Engagement with Scripture Are you ready to commit to a serious Bible Study? Make this New Year a time for deepening your own spiritual life by engaging the word of God in scripture. This month we have three opportunities to be in conversation with other people of faith through Covenant Bible Study groups. The groups will be using the resource: Living The Covenant. It is an eight week program that is part of the outstanding Covenant Bible Study series. Living the Covenant focuses on how the faith community lives out it’s covenant in faithful love and how our covenant with God applies to actual relationships in everyday life. The Covenant Bible study series engages participants in daily bible reading and weekly small group conversations to explore the learnings and consider the applications for our own lives. Each weekly group meeting features a 20 minute video conversation with an outstanding Bible scholar to help us understand the background and historical context of the scriptures we engage. Choose a group that suits your schedule. The dates and times of the meetings are: Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 8:00PM starting on January 13th facilitated by Mike Conklin Wednesday morning from 9:00 to 10:30AM starting on January 14th facilitated by Tom Ott Wednesday evening from 6:30 to 8:00PM starting on January 14th facilitated by Jaimie Fales-Brown You don’t need any prior background in Bible Study to participate. The only resources we use are a good study bible (like The Common English Study Bible, The Harper Collins Study Bible, or the New Oxford Annotated) and the Covenant Bible Study: Living The Covenant Participant Guide (order on line at covenantbiblestudy.com/shop). Come and join the conversation as we deepen our faith through our engagement with scripture. Sign-up sheets are at the information desk or you contact the church office to sign up (965-1225 or [email protected]). On the Journey When We Learn More...We Do Better One of my learning experiences over the past many years has been about housing discrimination for African Americans and the impact on their lack of economic viability today. I spent my growing up years I totally white neighborhoods. I really never thought about why neighborhoods were segregated. As my girls were growing up it became evident that their black school acquaintances didn’t live in the areas we did. Ok I thought, if we could have 10% of the homes occupied by black families or even one or two black families, then that would be fairer. REALLY! So only a couple of black families get to live in my nice neighborhood!? What kind of thinking was that? So here are a few things I have “learned” in my trying to “do better.” After the civil war, may black Americans became tenant farmers or sharecroppers. That meant they were still under the thumb of the white landlords. These landlords determined the return on the crops and were able to deem exactly what kind of debt the black farmers were in by that power. Tools, etc. were advanced against the crop return and if a black person protested this arrangement of determining crop return, they did so at the risk of injury or death. “Losses mounted and as sharecroppers, families saw their wages treated as the landlord’s slush fund.” And so the cycle began. January 2015 Page 5 The Congregationalist As black families moved north and found jobs, many felt that they had become true citizens. One thing was missing, a home which was the badge of entry into the American middle class. After WWII, loans were readily available for returning GI’s, that is, if you were a white returning GI. From the 1930’s through the 1060’s, black people across the country were largely cut out of the legitimate home mortgage market through means both legal and extralegal. In Chicago, for example, “whites employed every measure from restrictive covenants to bombing to keep their neighborhoods segregated.” What homes black families could buy were bought on contract which gave the families all the responsibilities of home ownership but all the disadvantages of renting. Homes were sold to black families at inflated prices and then when the family could not pay, they were evicted and the realtor kept not only the down payment but all the installments made on the house. These efforts were condoned by our federal government in various ways. In the 1930’s the Federal Housing Administration underwrote private housing loans so that people could buy a home with only 10% down The FHA manual encouraged developers to include “whites only” covenants in their deeds. This not only resulted in black people being excluded from most legitimate means of obtaining a mortgage but encouraged redlining (withholding home-loan funds or insurance from neighborhoods considered poor economic risks). Thus, black families lacked the opportunity for wealth accumulation, asset accumulation. We have to understand that housing determines access to transportation, green spaces, decent food, decent jobs, and decent services. Housing affects being robbed and shot as well. Fighting these unfair practices was like hitting one’s head against a brick wall. The result today is that in Chicago for example, “the average per capita income of white neighborhoods is almost three times that of its black neighborhoods.” “The income gap between black and white households is roughly the same today as it was in 1970. Four percent of whites and 62 percent of blacks across America were raised in poor neighborhoods as determined by a study of children born from 1955 to 1970. A generation later, the same study showed virtually nothing had changed.” “White households are worth roughly 20 times as much as black households, and that whereas only 15 percent of whites have zero or negative wealth, more than a third of blacks do. Effectively, the black family in America is working without a safety net.” In 2009 typical black households had just $5,677.00in wealth (assets minus debts) while a typical white household had $113,149.00 in wealth. What I learned was that black families have been prevented by policies both legal and illegal from accumulating the types of assets brought about by home buying that have enabled white Americans to live in decent neighborhoods and to provide a secure future for their children. We need to think about the consequences of this for young black children today and in the future. “When we learn more, we do better” and I pray that I have “learned more” about this subject and I pray that understanding this information will help me “do better.” Sandy Wehling Information from The Case for Reparations in The Atlantic by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Direct quotes are in quotation marks. Are you ‘Waking Up White’? Are you ‘Waking Up White’? I have been gripped by the book ‘Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race’ by Debby Irving. Her personal stories illustrate bias, stereotypes, manners, and tolerance that I didn’t realize before. If you are interested in understanding the impact of being white in our society today, a group will be meeting on Wednesday evenings starting January 7th at the church from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. We are looking into a bulk purchase of books and rental through Willard Library. There is also more information about her book and topics at debbyirving.com. . —Jeanne Reid Page 6 The Congregationalist Are you looking for a new “New Year's Resolution”??? How about "making a joyful noise"??? Come join the choir and do just that! Rehearsals are Thursday evenings: Bells (6:30-7:30 pm) and Choir (7:30 - 9:00 pm) No audition necessary, just a passion for music and fun. Contact Jim Miller or Lucy Lower for further information. January 2015 Page 7 The Congregationalist MICHIGAN OPERA THEATRE CHILDREN’S CHORUS Sunday Afternoon Live on January 11, 2015 at 4 p.m. The Michigan Opera Theatre Children’s Chorus (MOTCC), led by Michigan Opera Theatre Chorus Master Suzanne Mallare Acton, is a permanent children’s ensemble for metropolitan Detroit youth. The chorus performs as a separate ensemble as well as with international opera stars in Michigan Opera Theatre main stage productions. Now in its 8th year, the MOTCC presents an annual holiday concert at the Detroit Opera House in December and produces its own fully staged children’s opera every spring. SUNDAY AFTERNOON LIVE ON JANUARY 25, 2015 AT 4 P.M. America¹s Premier 19th Century Brass Band, THE DODWORTH SAXHORN BAND, will bring America’s musical past to life in a presentation of Song that Made a Nation: The American Civil War. The 17 member band, dressed in period costumes, plays music of the 19th century on authentic period instruments. Be prepared to hear old favorites such as Tramp, Tramp, Tramp; When Johnny Comes marching Home, and The Battle Hymn of the Republic. Page 8 The Congregationalist …saying Goodbye is never easy...that being said, I am leaving the First Congregational Church the end of this year and embarking on a new journey. I began at FCC not knowing what the future held for me. My (our) plan was to work for a couple years and then retire with my husband somewhere warmer. God has a way of changing plans in a heartbeat, as I well learned. Seven years have passed and as I reflect back, it has been an exciting, not without a few stressful moments, seven years. I have been with you through many, many changes; some good, some not so good but we have survived together and grown stronger as individuals and as a community. Getting to know and love the people at FCC has truly been a blessing and I will miss the daily encounters with my FCC family. I am excited about moving on and looking forward to experiencing the new adventures that await me. It’s time to start writing the next chapter of my life and I know that your thoughts and prayers go with me. I’m also excited because I feel I am leaving you in capable hands with Jaimie Fales-Brown. I have been helping Jaimie transition into her new role, and I find her to be all-encompassing, extremely computer literate and genuinely concerned for the welfare and future of FCC and it’s people. She is approachable and I hope that you will take the opportunity to stop by and welcome her with open arms. Jaimie’s exuberance for her new role will help light the pathways to new and exciting things at FCC. I appreciate all of your well wishes and words of encouragement and I promise the relationships and bonds I have formed over these past seven years will remain true. My favorite quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson says it all...“This is my wish for you: Comfort on difficult days, smiles when sadness intrudes, rainbows to follow the clouds, laughter to kiss your lips, sunsets to warm your heart, hugs when spirits sag, beauty for your eyes to see, friendships to brighten your being, faith so that you can believe, confidence for when you doubt, courage to know yourself, patience to accept the truth, Love to complete your life.” Stay true, stay strong and most of all “believe”; in yourself and in your faith community. Vickie Articles for the FEBRUARY 2015 CONGREGATIONALIST are due Thursday, January 15th! For your convenience in making contributions to First Congregational Church, you may use either of the following QR Codes with your smart “device”, smartphone, i-pad, etc. In the future, these QR Codes will be shown on future supplements in the upper right hand corner on the front page. If you wish to celebrate an event, memorialize a special occasion, or simply say “Thank you” for the weekly broadcast, please contact the church office at 965-1225. A weekly broadcast is $160, and touches countless lives. PLEASE CONSIDER SPONSORING A BROADCAST January 2015 Page 9 The Congregationalist GRIEF AND LOSS SUPPORT GROUP You are invited to attend the Grief Support Group on Saturday, January 3 at the home of Claire Ott. There will be coffee and conversation at 9 :00 am with the group taking place at 9:30—10:30 am. Please call 968-9934 for directions. Glenn Shultz, a valued member of our congregation, passed away Monday, December 15, 2014. Glenn joined First Congregational Church on April 13, 1975 GLENN H. “BIG G” SCHULZ We want to express of deepest appreciation to our church family and friends who journeyed with us during these past few weeks while Glenn was hospitalized and when he was in Hospice. We appreciated your generous gifts of food and cards but mostly your visits, thoughts and prayers. Glenn loved his church family and looked forward to the times he could spend with all of you. We know that he will be missed by not only his loving immediate family but by his loving “extended” family. Your warm, caring thoughts and expressions of sympathy will guide us through our darkest days as we process our grief. Cathy and family 5th David & Jennifer Laughlin (30th) 14th James & Jennifer Bassler 15th John & Barbara Melangton 21st Greg & Colleen Miner 21st Jared “Oz” and Nikki Rinckey 26th Jeff & Lara VanDis Page 10 The Congregationalist 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Marijayne Dumont Shelley Herrm Nicholas Philipps Joel Simons Susan Case Joscelyn Labrecque Stephanie Campbell Karen Keese Karen Keese Victoria Millsap Gary Skidmore Justin Gower Matthew Gower Alexandria Nemeth Kathleen Griffin Travis Lankerd Karen Noble David Robinson Adam Wheaton Janis Bailey Jennifer Bassler James Bauer Carole Bishop Szenoria Smith Melissa Bivens Patricia Payson Joyce Seifert Missy Sprouse Staib Julie Bush Dana Knight Maggie Rossman Samantha Varalli 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Dale Edwards Pat Horton Sue Edmond Jason Lee Greg Weis Fred Aebli Rebecca Bachman Jeffrey Van Dis Jin Dart-Gerard Jared Knight Cassie McDonald Andrew Bachman Caroline Conway Larry Corkwell Constance McFee Scott Schulz Jeanne Mahoney Deborah Upston Sue Higgs Carroll Sawyer Daniel Grajek Conner Grosteffon Marilyn Sherman Madeline Staib Gayla Nelson David Varalli Julie McGinnis Robert Sackrider Patricia Snyder Marilyn Van Dis 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Denise Jones Janice O'Brien Alexander Wright Alex Welsch Sue Larke Mickayla SimpsonBarron Ronald Sootsman Nicholas Young Steven Kindy Emma Kukuk Wayne Kukuk Ethan Parr Sandra Peck Lauren Thompson Lydia Drikakis Emily Fowler Rose Gawart Donna Sparks Carly Wickens Trevor Ehredt Elaine Forrest Geordn Myers Candice Smith Abram Fowler David Keniston David Squires Rhonda Turner Todd Wilson MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY Rhizomatic reh Choir reh Worship Confirmand Group Mtg Fellowship Koinonia Worship 8:00 9:15 10:00 10:00 11:00 11:45 Rhizomatic reh Choir reh Worship Confirmand Group Mtg Fellowship Koinonia Worship 4:00 Sunday Afternoon Live 5:00 SAL Reception 8:00 Rhizomatic reh 10:00 Worship 10:00 Confirmand Group Mtg 11:00 Fellowship 11:45 Koinonia Worship 8:00 9:15 10:00 10:00 11:00 11:45 4:00 Sunday Afternoon Live 5:00 SAL Reception Confirm and Retreat Rhizomatic reh Choir reh Worship Fellowship Koinonia Worship 8:30 9:00 9:15 10:00 11:00 11:45 COMMUNION 25 18 11 4 5:00 GOD’S KITCHEN FCC OFFICES CLOSED 5 19 12 26 12:30 Winslow/Vore 7:00 23rd Circle FCC OFFICES CLOSED 5:00 GOD’S KITCHEN 5:00 GOD’S KITCHEN FCC OFFICES CLOSED 5:00 GOD’S KITCHEN FCC OFFICES CLOSED 5:15 Strong Bodies Workout 6:30 Covenant Bible Study 10:00 Behavioral Health Svcs 27 10:00 Behavioral Health Svcs 1:00 Nursing Clinic Mobile Unit 1:00 Food Give-away 5:15 Strong Bodies Workout 5:15 Preschool Board Mtg 5:30 Supper Club 6:30 Prayer Shawl Ministry 6:30 Covenant Bible Study 20 10:00 Behavioral Health Svcs 10:30 Women’s Fellowship 11:30 CAN Council Meeting 3:00 Prostitution Abatement 5:15 Strong Bodies Workout 6:30 Covenant Bible Study 13 5:15 Strong Bodies Workout 10:00 Behavioral Health Svcs 6 1st Wednesday Group Staff Meeting Dinner Girl Scouts Centerpoint Waking Up White 1:30 5:00 5:00 6:00 6:30 6:30 21 14 Staff Meeting Dinner Girl Scouts Centerpoint ANNUAL Budget Meeting Waking Up White 28 North Pointe Woods Disability Justice Ministry Dinner Girl Scouts Centerpoint Lion’s Board Meeting Covenant Bible Study Waking Up White Neighborhood Plng 9:00 Covenant Bible Study 1:30 3:00 5:00 5:00 6:00 6:30 6:30 6:30 7:00 9:00 Covenant Bible Study 1:30 Staff Meeting 5:00 Dinner 5:00 Girl Scouts 6:00 Centerpoint 6:30 Covenant Bible Study 6:30 Waking Up White 9:00 Covenant Bible Study 12:00 1:30 5:00 5:00 6:00 6:30 7 WINTER HOURS — BUILDING HOURS: 8 AM - 5PM (TUESDAY - THURSDAY) AND 8 AM - 1 PM (FRIDAY) CLOSED ON MONDAY’S SUNDAY THURSDAY 8 1 God’s Kitchen Prep FULL Staff Meeting Strong Bodies Workout Handbell reh Choir Practice Rhizomatic reh 2:00 5:15 6:30 7:30 7:30 God’s Kitchen Prep Strong Bodies Workout Handbell reh Choir Practice Rhizomatic reh 29 10:00 Behavioral Health Svcs 10:00 Elementary Enrichment Proj 10:00 $2 Book Club 2:00 3:45 5:15 6:30 7:30 7:30 22 10:00 Behavioral Health Svcs 10:00 Elementary Enrichment Proj 10:00 $2 Book Club Congregationalist Articles Due 15 10:00 Behavioral Health Svcs 10:00 Elementary Enrichment Proj 10:00 $2 Book Club 10:30 Parish Care 12:00 Mary Daniels Circle 12:00 Pastoral Parish Relations 2:00 God’s Kitchen Prep 5:15 Strong Bodies Workout 6:30 Handbell reh 6:10 HR Team Meeting 7:00 BTCU 7:30 Choir Practice 7:30 Rhizomatic reh 7:30- Book Group 10:00 Behavioral Health Svcs 10:00 Elementary Enrichment Proj 10:00 $2 Book Club 12:00 1st Thursday Sew Lunch 2:00 God’s Kitchen Prep 5:15 Strong Bodies Workout 6:30 Handbell reh 7:30 Choir Practice 7:30 Rhizomatic reh JANUARY 2015 3:30 Rhizomatic reh 8:00 SPROUT 5:30 Date Night 3:30 Rhizomatic reh 8:00 SPROUT 3:30 Rhizomatic reh 8:00 SPROUT 11:00 Kitchen Reserved for MLK Catering 3:30 Rhizomatic reh 8:00 SPROUT FCC OFFICES CLOSED FRIDAY 30 23 16 9 2 9:30 MLK Breakfast (JONAH) 9:00 Grief Support SATURDAY 31 24 17 10 3 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage First Congregational Church United Church of Christ 145 Capital Avenue NE Battle Creek, Michigan 49017 Phone: (269) 965-1225 Fax ( 269) 965-1228 www. fccbc.org PAID Permit #252 Battle Creek, MI Church Staff TOM OTT Senior Pastor ([email protected]) EMILY JOYE MCGAUGHY-REYNOLDS Associate Pastor ([email protected]) TOM RYBERG Associate Pastor ([email protected]) ED BAUMAN Bookkeeper ([email protected]) LUCY LOWER Associate Music Director ([email protected]) DALE EDWARDS Head Custodian ([email protected]) JIM MILLER Associate Music Director ([email protected]) JAIMIE FALES-BROWN Office Administration ([email protected]) BRENT REID Tech & Comm. Specialist ([email protected]) LEON KEMP Part-time Custodian MARCELLUS WYNNE Part-time Custodian
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