An open and affirming, Just Peace, Green Justice, Global Mission Congregation

No matter who you are, or where you are on life's journey, you are welcome here!

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We invite you to join us for Easter!

Raise the roof with brass and organ on Easter, March 31st at 10:00 AM in the Meeting House.

To all of our young friends, we will be having our Easter Egg Hunt after our Easter Sunday service on March 31st on the front lawn.

All are welcome!

We look forward to worshiping with you!

Meeting House Hearing Loop 

If you use a hearing aid that connects with the hearing loop in the Meeting House please be aware that where you sit in the Meeting House may affect your audio experience. The installer of the hearing loop recently met with our lead A/V technician and conducted a thorough test of the Meeting House hearing loop. The system is functioning properly but due to some of the structural features of the Meeting House there are some seating areas where it is possible to experience a noticeable diminishment in amplification. Specifically, the ends of some pews in the center seating section. If you are seated at the end of a pew (i.e., on the aisle) in the center seating section of the Meeting House and find the hearing loops amplification insufficient try moving either more towards the center of the section (i.e., inward toward the middle of the Meeting House) or shifting to a seat in the side section of pews. If you find you are still having difficulty connecting with the hearing loop, please notify the church office.

First Church, Its Mission, and Its Ministry

Holy Saturday & Easter Vigil Services

March 30th, 2024

9:00 AM and 7:30 PM

Christ Episcopal Church

The short, simple liturgy of Holy Saturday, March 30, commemorating Christ at rest in the tomb, will be at 9:00 a.m.

At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, we will have the Great Vigil of Easter, beginning in total darkness, with the lighting of the new fire and readings from the Hebrew Scriptures by candlelight interspersed with a cappella Gregorian chant, leading into the Easter proclamation and the Holy Eucharist.  

One Great Hour of Sharing,

Collected on Easter, March 31st!

One Great Hour of Sharing is one of four special mission offerings of the United Church of Christ. This Lenten Offering supports the disaster, refugee, and development ministries of the United Church of Christ within Wider Church Ministries. This year, the special offering's theme is sharing our light!

We can make a difference. We do make a difference. Your generosity makes all the difference. Your gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing provide immediate aid and long-term support to people experiencing hunger, thirst, disaster, or crisis around the world. 

"You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world."

-Matthew 5:14-15 (The Message)

The 2024 offering will be collected on Easter, March 31st. It is possible to contribute in one of three ways: 

1. By mailing a check made out to The First Church in Oberlin with “OGHS” in the memo line to the church office, 
2. By using the offering envelopes on the Welcome Table and depositing your donation in the wooden donation box in the Narthex at the top of the steps leading to the Gallery, 
3. Or, by going to our First Church website, scrolling down and clicking on "Donate Online" and then going to the “One Great Hour of Sharing” section. Alternatively, click here and it’ll bring you to the page.

Please see below for the Mission Moment for this week, the bulletin insert for this year's offering, and intergenerational activities meant to help us think about and plan how we can share our gifts with others. More information can also be found on the UCC website. 

Let your gift help to put prayer into action. The need has never been greater. The opportunity is now. It’s time to share.

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine... Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine..."

SPAM ALERT

It has come to our attention that at least one person has received a spam text message claiming to be Pastor Hill. The text came from the number (815) 214-1260 which is not a number associated in any way with First Church or its staff. Please beware. If you receive an odd text message claiming to be from a staff member at First Church, do not respond until you can confirm that it originates from a known number associated with the church. If you have any concerns, please contact the church office. 

Summer Camp Registration is Open!

Registration has started for the final summer of camp at Templed Hills. All the usual camps are here: MMADD, Grands and Family, Camp Out (for LGBTQAI+ youth), Sports Camp, and more! There is a NEW registration system, so be aware: if you would like help from First Church with camp expenses, please make sure to call Jen Bertoni FIRST, so she can provide you with the First Church discount code, which will enable you to only pay the $75 registration fee - we cover the rest!

You can find more information about the camps, as well as a registration link, at this link: 

https://heartlanducc.org/templed-hills/

Thanks to all for your continued support of Outdoor Ministries! 

Enter the UCC Climate Hope Art Contest!

The UCC is holding a Vote for Climate Change Art contest for youth - to give them a voice, and to remind adults to have our environment in mind as they vote this November. Entries are available in the gallery at church. Please submit completed artwork to Jen before April 16th! 

For more info, watch the video below! 

Bel Canto Concert

Bel Canto Ringers will play a short concert for First Church attendees on Sunday, April 21 at 11:30 am. Come to Fellowship Hall after the service to hear First Church bells played by this Kendal handbell choir. 

David’s Vacation

The Pastor is taking some time off from Monday, April 1st, through Sunday, April 7th. In his absence, Barbara Davis will serve as the contact person for Pastoral Care. Should you wish a pastoral visit please contact Barb on her home phone at (440)774-1660. Our Guest Preacher for Sunday, April 7th, will be Jen Bertoni.

Additionally, the office will be closed on April 1st for Easter Monday. Jen and Miranda will be back in the office on Tuesday, April 2nd.

Save the date! 

Saturday, May 11 we will host our second annual Spring Festival at First Church! Games, music, entertainment, non-profit groups, food, balloons, and lots of fun are in store, but your help is needed. We will need plenty of volunteers on that day, but also encourage those who can help organize and have good ideas to contribute to help plan now. If you have ideas to share or just want to be part of the fun, please contact Moderator Anne Sprague moderator@firstchurchoberlin.org

Kairos Kolumn

from the First Church Green Team

Me Power & We Power...

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed individuals can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” What Margaret Mead, the famous anthropologist, said played out in the story of Earth Day. One man, distressed over the environmental degradation he saw, initiated the first Earth Day, 53 years ago. He claimed his “Me Power.”

Another man, employing his organizing skills, joined him and made possible the expansion of Earth Day so that it now reaches billions of people in 192 countries. Together they turned the effort into “We Power.”

We too can change the world— with our individual and corporate actions. Let’s celebrate the possibilities, claim our power, and get to work!

(from the Creation Justice Ministries)

Did you know...

Currently wending its way through Congress is the bill H.R. 6053: “To amend the Solid Waste Disposal Act to reduce the production and use of certain single-use plastic products and packaging, to improve the responsibility of producers in the design, collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal of consumer products and packaging, to prevent pollution from consumer products and packaging from entering into animal and human food chains and waterways, and for other purposes.” Contact your Representative to advocate for its passage and use our “We Power”.

The First Church Green Team meets via Zoom on the first Wednesday of every month @ 5 pm. Contact Martin Buck at mbuck@oberlin.net for an invitation and link.

Do You Enjoy Singing?

We are looking for people who enjoy singing to join the Finney Choir. We meet Thursdays 6:45-8PM, and at 9AM on Sundays before the service. You don’t need to have a lot of experience or read music - there are many friendly people in the choir to help you out! If you just want to come for part of the year, like preparing for Advent or Easter, you’re very welcome to. You can write Tom at musicdirector@firstchurchoberlin.org if you have any questions.

The Wider Church

Registration Open!

2024 Spring Vitality Festival

The registration process has been updated and looks different! Click the button below to sign up. It will take you to a page with all the details. From there:

1. Click Register
2. Choose the number of tickets you need by clicking the + icon - this should be the same as the number of people you're registering. Don't forget to include yourself!
3. Click Continue
4. Enter your contact information, and then the information of everyone else if you are signing up for multiple people
5. Click Complete Order

Since this is a free event, you will NOT be asked to enter any credit card information!

The Wider Community

Can you help?

Calling out to our wonderful donors: We could really use canned diced tomatoes this week, as well as soup of any kind! If you're looking for a way to help people in need, please help  us stock the OCS pantry! Food can be delivered to 500 E. Lorain St., Oberlin, during business hours (we're closed Friday, however).

Thank you so much for helping! We are so grateful to get community support, and so are the roughly 350 families who get food each week.