Toco Hills Food Pantry
BRING FOOD FOR TOCO HILLS FOOD PANTRY NOW TILL MARCH 9
CHILDREN WALKING FOR HUNGER (Sunday, March 9, 11:00 AM)
LUNCHEON FOR TOCO HILLS FOOD PANTRY (Sunday March 9, 12:15 PM)
On Sunday, March 9, the children will have an opportunity to raise money for hungry people. They will have a walk at Central. Please support their walk by pledging money to our young walkers. There will be a table in the Commons during the next few weeks. Money raise will go to Church World Service and to Toco Hills Community Alliance. Following worship, we will have a lunch. All donations will go to Toco Hills Community Alliance. A representative of the Toco Hills Community Alliance will speak to us during lunch about all the services they provide. They are our ecumenical neighborhood outreach. Please bring food for the Toco Hills Food Pantry over the next few weeks. You may leave them in the containers in the entryway. We thank you for donations of any non-perishable donations.
Soul Stretch: Lengthening in Lent
Online in Lent
Too often, Lent gets “bad press;” folk ask each other what they have “given up” for 40 days of “purity” or even punishment. Similar to Advent, Lent is a season of preparation. In Advent, we make space for what might be birthed in our lives; in Lent, we prepare to revisit the resurrection. The word “Lent” comes from an Old English word that means “lengthen,” as in the lengthening of days or “spring.” Lent is a time for contemplation and growth, perhaps not a season of penitence. It is a time of renewal, recalibration, and recommitment moving toward resurrection and new life.
To support our annual contemplative season of growth, Rev. Michael will be writing and posting in Lent on three “Cs”: center, compassion, and cleanse. He will post prayers, quotations and spiritual practices on his Facebook page, Central’s Facebook page, and on his blog (www.whereheartandmindmeet.com). Be sure to “like” or “follow” the pages, comment on the posts, and/or share on your own Facebook page.
Weekly meditation and GENTLE yoga practice
Mondays, March 10 to April 14 5:30 - 6:45 PM
Additionally, Rev. Michael is offering a weekly meditation and GENTLE yoga practice on Monday nights on March 10 through April 14 (skipping March 31) from 5:30 to 6:45pm. This practice will include a brief “talk,” breathing meditation, several contemplative (Yin) yoga poses, and ends with an extended relaxation. Registration is STRONGLY requested (for one session or the series). For more information or to register: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
WIFI: Wednesday Night Supper and Program
Wednesdays, March 12 through April 16 5:30-7:30 PM – Fellowship Hall
Supper and fun at Central—no cooking!—every Wednesday March 12 through April 16. Supper from 5:30 - 6:30 and an intergenerational activity from 6:30- 7:30. Yummy casual food (home cooked or catered) followed by games or music or an outdoor walk, even our own Passion Play on April 9. Put WIFI on your calendar now (Wednesday Intergenerational Families and Individuals). And btw, there really is WIFI. OK to bring your homework with you.
Book Group: Open the Door: A Journey to the True Self
Wednesdays, Mar 12 – Apr 16, 6:30-7:30 PM – Fireplace Room
Lent is the season between Marti Gras and Easter that is a time of self-reflection and some “spring cleaning” of our soul. Let’s explore together as we open the door to our heart to reveal the vast treasure of who we are and how the sacred is present in us. Designed as a six-week process with a daily reflection, the class will meet on Wednesday nights after the WIFI dinner. Open the Door, by Joyce Rupp, is readily available in both print and as an e-book. Please contact Chaplain Michelle Holtmann, ( This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ) with questions or to sign-up.
“Joyce Rupp brings new life to the ageless spiritual image of the door, weaving insights from East and West with the wisdom of contemporary spiritual writers, poets, and novelists in a practical format that is just right for contemporary readers. [It is] structured as a daily prayer guide for everyday use over six weeks…” – Ave Maria Press
Calmly Plotting the Resurrection
UCC Lenten Booklets Available
A devotional booklet written by the UCC Stillspeaking Writers’ Group is available. The writers are composed of UCC ministers and authors who collaborate on a wide variety of resources for people in the church, outside the church, and not so sure about the church. Their motto is “Hearing God where you live (and other surprising places.” If you would like a copy of their Lenten Devotional Booklet, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Booklet cost is $3.
Holy Week 2014
Palm Sunday: April 13th
Maundy Thursday: April 17th – Good Friday: April 18th
Easter Sunday: April 20th
Welcome
Founded in 1882, Central Congregational United Church of Christ is a justice-seeking, Open & Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ. Three hallmark elements form the bedrock of our worship, witness and work: extravagant welcome, continuing testament, and changing lives.
To read more about Central and the United Church of Christ, click here.
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