Dear First Congregational Church Members and Friends:
We, together, are amazing. We are worshipping together, we are finding ways to connect despite every challenge, we are engaged in social justice in our community and in the world, we are feeding God’s children and their children, we are learning and growing our extravagant welcome – all these things, AND COVID variants, numbers, and cases are skyrocketing in our community, country and world.

Here are some photos from the August 21 pantry drive. It was a huge success! Thank you for supporting this effort.

We continue to hear positive things from participants! "I came depleted  and I left revived."  "It was so meaningful spending time talking about things that matter to people I have missed being with this year"

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,  nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:38-39

Here are photos of the Share Place food store for the Birchwood Food Desert Fighters. This is where your contributions for the August 21 will go to be shared by the neighbors who need some help with food.

Food deserts are neighborhoods where people have limited access to healthful and affordable food due to having a low income or having to travel farther to find healthful food options.

Remember Shopping for the First Day of School? There is a certain excitement and anxiety with the opening of school for everyone. Multiply this if you are a family experiencing homelessness that includes a mom, two middle schoolers, and two high school students

Last week I strongly recommended that churches worshipping inside return to wearing masks and pause congregational singing. The CDC also came out with a recommendation that people wear masks indoors anywhere COVID transmission was "substantial" or "high." A week ago, a little under half of our churches were in counties that did not fall within CDC guidelines.