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TWO services ~
8:45 a.m. in the chapel
11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary/online
World Communion Sunday
We welcome Glenn Priest as our guest organist/choir director.
Food Pantry Sunday ~ As we are fed at Christ’s table so we reach out to feed our neighbors. In just 11 months, we have collected 2426 lbs. of food. The first Sunday of each month is the collection of non-perishable foods for the food bank. Any items in jars and/or cans along with items that have a long shelf life like pasta, pudding, Jello, etc., are appreciated. The old standby items of peanut butter, jelly and spaghetti sauce are also needed.
8:45 a.m. ~ With sunlight shining through the beautiful chapel windows, we gather to worship. Pastor Wes will preach on Isaiah 2:1-5, meeting God on the mountain with all the nations. We will celebrate communion.
11:00 a.m. ~ Pastor Wes will preach on Isaiah 2:1-5. The Choir will sing two anthems: Heleluyan arr. by Jerry Ulrich and Sizohamba Ney (trad. South African text) by Terry Taylor. We will sing our way around the globe with music as we celebrate World Communion Sunday.
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To Register Online for this Event, please click here.
If the above QR code does not work for the Silent Auction…you can also participate in the auction by using the following: www.32auctions.com/Comedy4aCause.
Bidding open until October 3 at 7:00pm
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I want to thank you for your prayers during my recovery from the pacemaker, that also had to be replaced with defibrillator, which was quite scary, especially for my family who was scared, but kept the faith and kept praying.
I thank all UCC family members who sent beautiful encouraging cards. of well wishes. Also for my birthday .
We ae thankful that we have a church with a Pastor who cares.
Sincerely
Lee Smith
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Tuesday and Wednesday Bible Study Continue this Week
On Tuesday evenings at 6:30 p.m. on Zoom we are discussing Reading the Gospels in 50-ish Days. If you are curious and want to know more, please join the zoom next week.
On Wednesday morning at 11 a.m. sessions are talking about the prophet Isaiah.
 Our Sacred Conversations on Race will continue on Wednesdays in October at 3 p.m. October 9 and October 23 we will be watching excerpts from the PBS Show on the History of Hip Hop Music.
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Tuesday, October 8, 11:30 am in Syster Hall
 The Women’s Association and the Green Team have assembled a panel of experts on our water quality and conservation –
Is our water safe to drink? How can we make it cleaner? How can we make it last? A panel discussion with: Dr. Abbey Tyrna, Executive Director of Suncoast Waterkeepers; Michael D’Imperio, Univ. of Florida Extension Agent for Water Resources; Dr. Dave Tomasko, Executive Director of Sarasota Bay Estuary Program
Here are the facts. 97.3% of the earth’s water is saltwater found in the Ocean. The remaining 2.7% is freshwater, but of this 2.7% only 30.1% is ground water, that is, water we can access to drink. The other 68.7% is in glaciers and ice sheets. That means only .8127% of the water on the entire planet is freshwater. That’s less than 1%, and, of course, we do not have access to all of that for drinking. That should give us pause.
Join three experts of diverse areas of study in a conversation about our water. From how our planet’s water got here and shaped our world, to the characteristics of saltwater and freshwater, to why the twain do not meet. We admire water’s beauty and its bounty. We thirst for it. And we also fear its power, its quick ability to destroy, and its rapid warming. Without it, shall we be like sand through the hourglass with our time running out?
All are welcome. Luncheon costs $15. Sign up after either Sunday service or call the church office at 941-953-7044.
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 Artful Prayer will meet on Thursday, October 10th at 2 p.m. both on Zoom and in person in the Oasis Center. The presenter will be Rev. Donna Papenhausen.
Please bring drawing paper, pencil and crayons, markers or colored pencils. Contact Pastor Wes for Zoom link
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 Join our Table for the Project 180 Strong Voices Luncheon & Movie Premier! October 11, 2024 @ 11: 15 AM (Michael’s on East)
Join your church friends for the Oct. 11th Project 180 luncheon and program! If you have purchased a ticket, please let Barbara Smith-Bacon know, as we put together a table. The luncheon at Michael’s on East starts at 11:15 AM, and features the premier of “The Light They Cast,” a documentary about the men of Project 180. (Film run time: 1 hour, 11 minutes) More details on the Project 180 website. Tickets are $45 – buy yours now! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-transformative-power-of-project-180-october-11-tickets-861686305937?aff=oddtdtcreator Again, please contact Barbara Smith-Bacon so we can add you to our table!
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The monthly men’s breakfast will reconvene on October 12th after the summer break.
Doors to Syster Hall will open at 8:00 am with coffee, tea and juice being served. Chef Clarence Rogers will prepare breakfast, which will be served at 8:30 am. Each attendee will be asked to share, in less than 2 minutes, one life-changing event. Please register by Thursday, October 10th by calling Sherry at the church office at 941-953-7044. Plan to come to catch up and or to meet new church friends!
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 Drumming as a Spiritual Practice meets the first and third Tuesday in the Chapel. Our next meeting is on Tues 10/15 at 3:00pm.
New drummers are welcome; drums are provided.
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Wednesday, October 16 at 4:00pm we will have the first Singing Our Prayers gathering in our beautiful glass-stained Chapel led by Greg Chestnut.
We will sing simple prayers for the people interspersed with silence, meditation, and poetry in a sacred space. The Prayer Circle invites you to be a part of it and bring along others for this unique spiritual experience.
Our Prayer Circle has grown and now consists of Linda Butler, Greg Chestnut, Sheryl Overheidt-Smith, Linda Pursley, Maggie Revere, Jane Delgado Semidei, George Taylor, and Ruth Ann Waid.
Please click here to send a prayer to the prayer circle.
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On October 20 following the 11 a.m. worship, members of Budget, Finance, and Stewardship will discuss our 2025 budget. This will be part of the livestream on YouTube and Facebook. Please plan to attend this important conversation for our church.
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Come One, Come All
to the
First Congregational, UCC Mission Fair
Hosted by Missions and Peace & Justice
Sunday October 27
After Worship in Syster Hall
COME and ENJOY food, drinks and fellowship
ENGAGE with staff and volunteers from non-profit organizations.
LEARN about their mission, volunteer opportunities, and ways YOU can support their work
Come and learn how we can live out Matthew 25:40
…then Jesus will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
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Wednesday, October 2
Lay Visitation Team, 10 a.m., Chapel
Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m., Chapel
Thursday, October 3
Pastor Wes back in the office
Plymouth Harbor Circle Group, 2 p.m., Plymouth Harbor
Sunday, October 6 ~ World Communion Sunday ~
Welcome Glenn Priest as guest organist
Early Service, 8:45 a.m., Chapel
Service at 11:00 a.m., Sanctuary and Online
Fellowship Time Birthday Sunday, noon, Syster Hall
Monday, October 7
Facilities and Ground, 10 a.m., Oasis Center and Zoom
Racial Justice Mission Group, 11 a.m., Zoom
Tuesday, October 8
Endowment Team, 1 p.m., Oasis Center
Peace and Justice Team, 3 p.m., Oasis Center and Zoom
Reading the Bible in 50ish Day, 6 p.m., Zoom
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clean up the campus after Hurricane Helene came through. There were many branches and twigs. Thank you to Mark and Bud for all their hard work!! 
The October Newsletter is now ready for you to read!! 
Susan Moore will be available after the 11 a.m. worship service to take photos for the online directory. If you attend the 8:45 a.m. service and would like your picture taken, please let Susan or the church office know. Thank you so much!
