Tag: upcoming events

Upcoming Events & Announcements

November 11, 2022 / Kate Blankenship

Youth Missional Giving—Help support Faith Church Youth as they raise money to wipe out predatory and unjust medical debt for families in need in Texas. They will be in the Narthex each Sunday through December 11th offering coffee, cocoa, and cider for donations. Our current goal is $400 and we raised $85 our first Sunday. For each dollar they raise, RIP Medical Debt can pay off approximately $100 in medical debt, meaning we can help pay off $4000 of medical bills for families before Christmas. Go to https://ripmedicaldebt.org/campaign/texas/faith1957? to learn more about and give to our campaign.

Souper Supper Wednesdays—Occurring every other Wednesday through December 14th…Come for food, fellowship, and learning around various topics led by Pastor Carla and Lisa Newman.

We’ll gather and get our food from 6:00 – 6:15p then hold our discussion from 6:15 – 7:00p. One soup will be vegan and grain free. The other will be fully loaded. Bring sides or snacks to compliment the meal if you wish (but not required) and your own beverage.

Series Topics:

11/16 Crucial Conversations
11/30 Boundaries/passive aggression vs aggression, shame vs guilt
12/14 Blue Christmas—Worthiness, not alone, holiday blues, prepping to be around relatives—more of a simple service with communion

Please RSVP to Pastor Carla or Lisa Newman so we will know how much soup to make. Should this event be well-attended, we will consider adding a mid-week mini-worship service in the near future.

These sessions will be Zoomed but not recorded or broadcast on social media. Use the regular Sunday worship zoom link to join us virtually at https://us04web.zoom.us/j/586745671?pwd=aG0wUnZTR3NIKzBXUXp1Vkh2KzJXQT09

Meeting ID: 586 745 671
Password: 008518

OTHER DATES TO REMEMBER:

NOVEMBER

Faith Church 2023 Stewardship Pledge Campaign coming in November

Thanksgiving Potluck after worship – Sunday, November 13th

Music team rehearsal – November 14^th 7:15pm – All are welcome!

Ecumenical Thanksgiving Worship at Peace Lutheran Church – November 17th 6:30pm

Shannon Schaffer from Just Texas speaking at FUC after workship – November 20th

Pastor Carla on Vacation November 23rd – 30th

DECEMBER

Pastor Carla’s Installation Sunday December 11th 3:00pm

Children’s Christmas Pageant—Sunday Dec. 18^th during worship

Caroling at Eden Hill—TENTATIVE DATE December 21^st

Coming Events and Announcements

September 16, 2022 / Faith UCC

09/18 – 55+ Social gathering from 4-7pm in the Baese Fellowship Hall (bring your drinks of choice and a snack to share)

09/25 – Theology on Tap Sept. 25th 4:00 to 7:00-ish pm, Guadalupe Brewing Company (dialogue 4:30-6:30p with fellowship before and after)

Sept. 29 through Oct. 2 – Spiritual Retreat – A 3-day UCC Journey spiritual retreat Sept. 29 through Sunday, Oct. 2 at Camp Crucis, near Granbury.

Monthly Youth Gathering the first Sunday in October, the Youth group will have a Pumpkin Carving Party after worship at Deno and J’s house. Watch for details!

Youth Missional Giving – Faith’s Youth will be serving as baristas and offering an assortment of drinks before worship Sundays during October, November, and December to raise money to pay off medical debt for those being taken advantage of by unjust practices. Please make plans to help support this effort!

Big Serve Day of Community Service, Saturday, Oct. 8th

New Member SNACK Fellowship in the Narthex after worship – Oct. 9^th

Heart of Texas Association Meeting dates:
Fall November 12
Spring March 25

Realm Connect: We continue to roll out our new church communication and giving software. If you have not yet activated your free access to Realm, contact Michelle Perry.

As shared by Mary Blaufuss during her recent visit to Faith Church, one of our UCC Seminaries, Eden, is offering continuing educations for everyone in a program called LIFE (Lifelong Learning Institute of Faith Exploration).

If you would like to explore their catalogue of classes, you can find more information on their website. https://www.eden.edu/life/

Upcoming Events!

August 13, 2022 / Faith UCC

August 15 Early Bird Registration Deadline for the Journey 3-Day Spiritual Retreat

August 15 Music Rehearsal 6:45pm

August 21 Blessing of the Backpacks & Commissioning of Fall Children’s Church Teachers

August 21 Children’s Church Teacher Meeting After Church

August 21 Theology on Tap at Boss’ Pizza on Loop 337

August 28 Family Promise Volunteer Meeting

September 11 Reception of New Members

September 11 Potluck Lunch Immediately After Worship

September 11 Faith Church and UCC 101 Class Immediately After Potluck

September 11-18 Faith Church Hosts Family Promise at Slumber Falls

September 18 Baptism of Harper and Chloe Simpson During Worship

September 18 55+ Social at Church 4:00-7:00pm

September 25 Theology on Tap

Sept 29 – Oct 2 The Journey UCC Retreat

October 8 Faith Church Participating in the Big Serve Day of Community Service

October 9 Potluck Lunch Immediately After Worship

October 15 Informal Social Gathering with Live Music at Krause’s Café 6:00-9:00pm

November 4 Faith Church Weenie and S’mores Roast at SLUMBER FALLS!

November 12 Heart of Texas Fall Meeting

November 13 – Faith Church Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner April 9 2023 EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE AT SLUMBER FALLS

General News, Announcements and Dates to Remember

May 12, 2022 / Faith UCC

Dates to Remember (details below):
Pastor Carla on Vacation May 11th-19th
Deadline to Register for SCC Annual Meeting May 13th
Slumber Falls—Register NOW!!!!
Recognition of Graduates May 22nd
City Council Meeting—Chance to Speak to Support Homeless Services May 23rd
SCC Annual Meeting May 27th-29th
Interfaith Pride Service June 9th
Riverside Pride June 11th

General News and Announcements:
Pastor Carla Vacation Days Pastor Carla will be working remotely May 9th and 10th, then completely unplugged the 11th through 19th. She will begin returning messages and calls at that time. Please plan to be present in worship and prayerfully support Faith Church member, Rev. Rohn Armstrong, who will be preaching that day along with Philip Graves and others who will be assisting with worship May 15th. For emergency needs during this time, please contact a member of Council.

Youth Group Thanks Thanks to those who helped our youth have an amazing time
bowling last week! Ten of our young ones and mom, Melissa, enjoyed the outing. Stay tuned for details of the Cookout and Pool Party June 5th after worship or contact one of our Youth Leaders—Lauren Pearce, Carol Sisco-Martinez, and Sue Ashinhurst.

UCC/Faith Church 101 Thanks Thanks to Rev. Bill and Florence Burns, Revs. Ralph and Sandy Ludwig, Tim Marlow, and others for their help with last week’s UCC/Faith Church 101 session. We had 24 in attendance! Our next class will be the first Sunday in August. Until then, Tim Marlow and others will be presenting special Moments of Our History during worship services and in Glimpses of Faith newsletter articles specifically about the history of Faith Church to help our growing congregation understand our strong and vibrant beginnings and heritage of inclusion, service, and social justice.

Serve Spot Prayer for Unity Gathering Thanks A special thank you to Rev. Jim and Mary Pohl and Rev. Bill and Florence Burns for their presence and help at last Monday’s gathering hosted by Faith Church. Nine of us gathered with Kim Francis of Serve Spot to pray for and with one another as we seek to be closer as faith siblings so we can work together more effectively to care for our community. We left refreshed and encouraged by this beautiful time together and cannot wait for the next gathering to pray and grow and build, to be scheduled every other month.

Deadline to Register for SCC Annual Meeting May 13th Please consider attending our first gathering in-person since the pandemic for a time of worship, fellowship, workshops, and discussing the business of the Conference at gorgeous Camp Allen. Worship will be streamed to churches from the Conference so all leaders may attend. Go to https://sccucc.org/ to register and for more information.

Slumber Falls Registration Filling Up Fast, and Counselors Needed!!!! Rev. Jeremy Albers says more campers than ever from outside the denomination are registering for camp so that long-time attendees may wind up not having a slot available, so register ASAP. Also, Jeremy says the issue is not number of beds, but number of Counselors. Prayerfully consider volunteering for a camp this summer to help make this memorable experience more available to more kids and youth. Go to https://slumberfalls.org/ to register and learn more.

Recognition of Graduates May 22nd If you have a young one set to graduate from high school, please contact Administrative Assistant, Janet Sherman, so we may honor your child and pray for this momentous occasion in their lives on Sunday, May 22nd.

More Pews Available to Members At least one, perhaps two more of the short pews in the fellowship hall have become available to members of the church. To claim one of these for your home or office, please contact Janet Sherman.

Adult Sunday School 9:00am In-Person and By Zoom Rev. Bill and Florence Burns are leading a discussion of Dr. Beverly Brown Tatum’s book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: And Other Conversations Around Race.” Books are available from the Burns. Contact the Burns for more information and join them in the Fellowship Hall or by Zoom. Please let Pastor Carla know if you can help run Zoom for this class.

Building and Grounds Committee Our worship space and surrounding property is in need of some repairs and sprucing up to be good stewards of our buildings and to provide an appealing space for members and visitors. A meeting will soon be planned to walk the property, create a list of items that need attention, make plans for what needs to be done first, and discuss ideas for colors and plants and other updates. To participate in these discussions, let your thoughts be heard, and participate in this revitalized committee, please contact Molly Dixon.

New Members Committee As we grow, it is important that more of us engage in
welcoming visitors and helping new members build relationships and find ways to get involved with our activities and ministry. To participate in this newly-forming committee, please connect with Rev. Bill and Florence Burns and Revs. Ralph and Sandy Ludwig.

General News, Announcements and Upcoming Events!!!

April 14, 2022 / Faith UCC

Faith Church Dates to Remember (details below):

Good Friday Service April 15^th
Easter Breakfast Brunch and Service April 17^th
Lenten Book Study April 20^th
Interfaith Pride Worship Service Planning Meeting April 21^st
Reception of New Members April 24^th
Theology on Tap April 24^th
Homeless Coalition Zoom Meeting April 26th
Heart of Texas Spring Association Meeting April 30^th
Youth Bowling Gathering May 1^st
UCC and Faith Church 101 May 1^st
Serve Spot Prayer for Unity Gathering at Faith Church May 2^nd
SCC Annual Meeting May27-29^th
Interfaith Pride Service June 9^th
Riverside Pride June 11^th

Good Friday Service April 15^th 7:00pm This year we will observe the end of our Lenten journey through a Good Friday service of stories, songs, and prayers. Join us in-person or by Zoom for this special evening in the Christian journey.

Easter Sunday Activities Sunday, April 17th We will hold a Breakfast Brunch at 9:00am at the church both inside and outside (weather permitting) the Fellowship Hall. We’ll then take our full bodies to go fill our spirits further in Worship at 10:30am while our older children help prepare for our younger children to have an Easter Egg Hunt immediately after the service. To sign up to bring items for the brunch, please see Holly Rice or Mikki Ward.

Lenten Book Study Continues April 20^th 6:30-7:45pm In-Person and by Zoom Marcus Borg’s Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally is our focus this season. We meet every other Wednesday evening and our last two sessions are April 20^th and May 4^th. Bill Burns purchased extra copies you can purchase from him. Others ordered through Half-Price Books with no-charge delivery. Make plans to join us for an incredible time of sharing and learning together!

Interfaith Pride Worship Planning Meeting April 21^st 6:30pm Join a team of folx in the Fellowship Hall as we continue working to prepare to host the first ever service of its kind in New Braunfels. Persons are needed to plan marketing, liturgy, music, setup, take down, and snacks afterward. Contact Pastor Carla for more information or go to http://www.nbinterfaith.org

New Members Joining April 24^th Anyone interested in becoming a Member or Associate Member (keep your membership with another congregation while also joining us) of Faith Church, please contact Pastor Carla as we prepare to receive new members during worship that Sunday.

Faithful Praise Rehearsal April 25^th 7:15-9:00pm All are welcome to join Jamie Cameron and other musicians to rehearse music for our weekly services. Next rehearsals will be May 9^th and May 23^rd.

Theology on Tap April 24^th 4:00pm Join us for a afternoon of fellowship and discussing whatever questions of faith the group decides to consider that date. We’ll meet at Guadalup Brewing Company where food is served and animals and kids are welcome. The parents ask that all kids remain at the table with their parents. Come visit, relax, and get to know members of your faith family better in a casual atmosphere.

Homeless Coalition Zoom Meeting April 26^th This vital coalition of those working to support our siblings without adequate shelter meets monthly by Zoom. Our presence is noticed and appreciated and the more we all work together as a church to learn about the needs and resources available, the better we can serve and be involved with projects in our community. Rev. Ralph Ludwig and Molly Dixon have begun attending these meetings along with Pastor Carla and we covet other participation.

Youth Bowling Social May 1^st Thanks to all who helped make our Youth Gathering last Sunday a success! Our young, ages 10 and up, are invited to gather the first Sunday of each month for fun events. Our next gathering is an after-church bowling party. Be watching for details or contact Youth Leaders, Lauren Pearce, Carol Cisco-Martinez, and Sue Ashinhurst.

UCC and Faith Church 101 May 1^st Join us for our new quarterly information sessions to learn more about the UCC and the history of Faith Church after worship with pizza, information-sharing, and time for questions and answers. All current, new, and aspiring members and friends of Faith Church are invited for this special gathering to help learn more about our denomination and church’s history, get to know other members better, and find ways you can participate in the activities of the UCC and the life and ministry of Faith Church. Please RSVP to Rev. Bill and Florence Burns at [email protected] so we may order enough pizza. Also contact them if you wish to help provide information for this session.

Serve Spot Prayer for Unity Gathering Hosted by Faith Church May 2^nd 9:00am The leadership of all 81 churches in New Braunfels are being invited by Kim Francis of Serve Spot to pray together for our ability to unite in service of the needs of our city. Faith Church has the honor of hosting the first gathering and we need all our retired clergy and church lay leaders available to be present that day as we demonstrate the hospitality of Faith Church, even amongst those who may be skittish about coming through OUR doors because of our progressive faith. We will welcome them as we continue to work to change hearts and minds in this town.

New Members Committee As we grow, it is important that more of us engage in welcoming visitors and helping new members build relationships and find ways to get involved with our activities and ministry. To participate in this newly-forming committee, please connect with Rev. Bill and Florence Burns and Revs. Ralph and Sandy Ludwig.

Pride Festival Support If you would be willing to help plan for our booth and/or the 800-1000 pieces of swag we will be able to put into attendees festival gift bags at Pride Festival at the Comal County Fairgrounds Saturday, June 11th, please contact Pastor Carla!!!

Adult Sunday School 9:00-10:15am Rev. Bill and Florence Burns are leading a discussion of Dr. Beverly Brown Tatum’s book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: And Other Conversations Around Race.” Books are available from the Burns or can be ordered on-line. Contact the Burns for more information and join them in the Fellowship Hall or by Zoom. Please let Pastor Carla know if you can help run Zoom for this class.

Announcements, Reminders, and Upcoming Events

March 11, 2022 / Faith UCC

Time Change!! A quick reminder to Spring Forward and set your clocks ahead this Saturday evening, lest you arrive at church as everyone else is heading to lunch!

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Youth Party April 3^rd

All our young, ages 10 and up, are invited to an after-church Pizza, Plan, and Play Party Sunday, April 3^rd. Pastor Carla is working to set up a youth area in the fellowship hall with games and puzzles, places to sit and hang out, a ping pong table, and also a basketball goal outside. Lauren Pearce and Carol Cisco-Martinez have agreed to host monthly gatherings for our young ones, so come eat and play and help plan future outings and pre-teen/youth events and projects.

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Dates to Remember (details below):

Newsletter Deadline April 4^th

New Braunfels City Council March 14^th

Faithful Praise Rehearsal March 21^st

Homeless Coalition Zoom Meeting March 22^nd

Lenten Book Study Begins March 23^rd

Adult Sunday School Resumes April 3^rd

Good Friday Service—April 15^th

UCC and Faith Church 101—TBA

Interfaith Pride Service set for June 9^th(Planning meeting, soon!)

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Faithful Praise Rehearsal March 21^st 7:15-9:00pm All are welcome to join Jaime Cameron and our other musicians to rehearse our music for the remainder of the Lenten season through Easter (April 17th).

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Lenten Book Study Begins March 23^rd 6:30-7:45pm In-Person and by Zoom Marcus Borg’s Reading the Bible Again for the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally will be our focus this season. We will meet every other Wednesday evening March 23^rd then April 6^th, April 20^th, and May 4^th. Bill Burns purchased 6 extra copies you can purchase from him for $20. Others ordered through Half-Price Books with no-charge delivery. Make plans to join us for an incredible time of sharing and learning together!

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Adult Sunday School Resumes April 3^rd 9:00-10:15am Rev. Bill and Florence Burns will lead a discussion of Dr. Beverly Brown Tatum’s book, “Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria: And Other Conversations Around Race.” Contact the Burns at [email protected] for more information and let Pastor Carla know if you can help run Zoom for this class.

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Good Friday Service—April 15^th 7:00pm This year we will observe the end of our Lenten journey through a Good Friday service of stories, songs, and prayers. Stay tuned for more details.

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UCC and Faith Church 101—For New Members and Members in Discernment Plans are underway to share the history, structure, and beliefs of the UCC and of Faith Church to help new members, those considering membership, and anyone who wants to learn more about our denomination and church. This meeting will take place sometime late April or early May. If you would like to help provide this information session by sharing what you know about Faith Church and the UCC, please contact Pastor Carla or Faith Church Moderator, Rev. Dr. Bill Burns at [email protected].

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For Everyone Born, A Place at the Table: 2022 Pledge Campaign Re-Boot! Thanks to those 28 households who have shared their intended giving of tithes and talents for the coming year. We still do not have enough pledges to make or faithfully plan our Statement of Faith (aka, budget), so Council members will be sending letters and making calls to invite folks to share. To participate, please list your intended giving of time, talents, and reources on the forms that can be found on-line https://www.faithuccnb.org/2022pledge/ or on the kiosk in the Narthex. Join us as we plan and prepare to live into the future God is calling Faith Church to this coming year!

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2-3 Year Old Class / Nursery Attendants or Pledges Needed Immediately! We are in need of 4 Children’s Church teachers each week—one for the 2-3 Year Old/Nursery Class, one for the Younger Children, one for the Older Children, and one floater to help as needed and maintain safe protocols for all. If you would like to volunteer, or pledge extra for the year to help hire a Nursery Attendant for our littlest ones, please contact Pastor Carla or Pam Robinson at [email protected].

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Social Media Help Needed As we continue to seek the right fit for our Social Media Outreach and Communication position to help folks find and learn about the life and ministry of Faith Church, we need those fluent in posting to Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and TikTok to work with Pastor Carla and others to develop content and schedule posts. Many who have visited and even joined Faith Church this past year found us on-line, and we want to make the most of this free outreach to let folks know we are a safe and nurturing place for them and their families. Contact Pastor Carla if you can be of service.

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Rides for Members Some members wish to participate in our events but do not feel comfortable driving in the dark. If you would be willing to give them a ride to and from events, please let Pastor Carla or Janet know so we can help arrange these.

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Merging and Updating of Member Rolls As people move in and out of our community in the ebb and flow of life, it can be easy, especially during times like this pandemic, for us to lose touch with our members. Council will be inviting persons to both help update our current Membership Rolls and to join a Phone Tree to help maintain contact with one another as a congregation each month. Be watching for ways you can help these efforts.

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PFLAG Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays had their inaugural meeting and are now in process to become a chapter. If you have interest in this amazing space for supporting loved ones of those who are LGBTQ+, be watching for announcements for their next meeting!

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Ministry Opportunities

Faith Church has a long history of social service and social justice ministry, but life events can shift so those who once led our efforts are no longer able to do so. If you would like to help renew our connection with the Refugee Network or help deepen our connection with the Homeless Coalition, please contact Pastor Carla. There are many opportunities to serve at Faith Church, and we want everyone to feel they have the chance to find their place in serving God by serving our neighbors in whatever way feels right to them.

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Pastor Carla invites you to read the weekly Lectionary scriptures that can be found at https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/daily.php?year=C

March 13

Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18

Psalm 27

Philippians 3:17-4:1

Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a)

March 20th

Isaiah 55:1-9

Psalm 63:1-8

1 Corinthians 10:1-13

Luke 13:1-9