Launching the Gift Program!

You can make a child’s Christmas dreams come true!  Come mid-November, there will be a tree in the Narthex festooned with name tags and gift wishes.  Take one and shop for the gift, bring it back and place it under the tree, unwrapped, with the tag. Or, put the tag with money or a gift…

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Moderator Musings – Come Home!

Dear Members and Friends of First Congregational United Church of Christ, Advent is approaching. Advent is a season of open-ended expectation. During Advent we put aside all the probabilities of life, including the unpleasant ones, and we focus on possibilities. During Advent, a season of expectation, we should always be open to the unexpected. As…

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Search Committee Report:  

Since August the committee of five has been meeting on a weekly basis to complete the updated profile for our church. A huge thank you goes to Mary Dork and Mary Moxon for their extensive work filling in the profile based on the information gathered from the work with intentional interim Myles Alexander. Our Associate…

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GEM Handbell Choir

Beautiful music had always been appreciated at the First Congregational United Church of Christ (UCC) in Rhinelander, and for the past 50 years, the ringing of the handbell choir has been a favorite. Tom Winquist was there in the beginning when the brand-new set of bells arrived in the mid-1970s. “Gladys Ekman had served for…

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A PLEA TO VOTE YOUR CONSCIENCE AND ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO VOTE

It is October already, and it will soon be time to vote in our state and national elections.  We want to remind you to vote and persuade your family members and friends to vote also.  There are many issues at stake, so if we want to see sensible solutions we will need to make our…

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Costs of NOT Stopping Climate Change

Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more articles and statements about the occurrence of climate change, as I’m sure you have also.  They have been in magazines, newspapers, on television news, television documentaries, and speakers on television and in person in our area.  It seems everyone who is honest with themselves understands that we have…

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Creation Care Corner

The United Church of Christ Earth Summit was convened for the second time in April 2024.  The keynote speaker was Bill McKibben, who is well-known as one of the leading writers and speakers on climate change.  He wrote his first book on the subject in 1989.  He called the damage from carbon fuels the “greatest…

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Labor Day Weekend

The Bible talks about the importance of rest and with the right approach Labor Day can become a wonderful opportunity for our church members to rest and reflect before starting a new season. Therefore, with this thought in mind, Rhinelander First Congregational UCC will NOT be having service on Sunday, September 1, 2024.  

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What is the Purpose of the Lay Pastoral Care Team?

With compassion, empathetic listening, prayer, readings, and conversation, the Lay Pastoral Care Team offers spiritual support and guidance to members of our congregation in times of life’s challenges, losses, and difficulties, reminding each of God’s constant presence and unwavering love. The Lay Pastoral Care Team will help our members care for each other’s souls while…

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Moderator Musings

Moderator Musings What a busy summer it’s been!  Everyone has had their hands full if not with visiting family and friends, but having them visit us. Our Church community does not stop taking care of each other whether we have a full/part-time Pastor or not. A special shout out, to Sue Bartels this month, who…

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