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Live from Mevo

Live from Mevo

Live from Mevo

Live from Mevo

Hey guys, Melanie has just gotten the Youtube link for the live stream of her upcoming Master's Recital tonight, April 30th at 8pm. Livestream Link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fSxiDdtuWLA&fbclid=IwAR0x_CA-KKxa2LNj80bQhtGhwY7G7X7SA8Yr_PmRR39J18sYCdIOpT7vk7w

First Congregational Church partnered with Post Franklin Elementary students, staff and volunteers to celebrate Earth Day by cleaning the grounds, prepping raised garden beds and taking care of our neighborhood school. Environmental stewardship matters!

If you have young people in your life that would benefit from deeper understanding of healthy sexuality, invite them to this event during Spring Break!

We are so glad to be a partner of this great program, offering space for storing items and packing supply bags in our building.

http://www.secondwavemedia.com/southwest-michigan/features/From-business-to-office-space-Battle-Creeks-First-Congregational-finds-new-ways-to-help-0228.aspx

We are inviting together people of all different professions, calling and community involvement to demonstrate to students at Post Franklin Elementary School that whatever your path in life, reading is a skill you need! Join us in reading to K-2nd graders on March 28th, starting with registration at 9:45am. You can bring your favorite children’s book or choose a book available at the school. If your profession or community involvement includes a specific uniform, please wear it! (white coat, scrubs, collar and stole, helmets, etc. welcome!) First Congregational Church Participants, you can also get an "FCCBC Loves Post Franklin" shirt for the event through the Church Office. RSVP at https://goo.gl/forms/yuFvaZ64rJ8druC03 no later than 4pm on March 18th. Brunch for the community readers will be provided at 10:30am, following reading time.

This week, First Congregational Church became a daytime Warming Station for anyone in need of shelter from record setting low temperatures. We also hosted folks overnight as an emergency shelter on Thursday night. Your generosity of spirit, time and finances truly saved lives this week. Here is a brief snapshot of the outcome of your generosity and/or faith in action: --Over 80 people were fed meals Tuesday-Friday. These were all paid for through financial donations or food that was dropped off. --We were open 8am to 10pm each day (Tue-Thu). We provided the use of our Cinema Room, church library, magazines and games for visitors. We also had nap areas, a shower and laundry facilities available. --Over $600 was raised to provide for food, extra staffing, supplies and other needs. --30 people stayed in our church overnight on Thursday night including 21 men, 7 women and a single mother and her teenage daughter. --No one left the church without the opportunity to receive a coat, hat, gloves and/or other winter gear they needed. --Canned goods, dry goods and household items were donated and then distributed to visitors. Most of this happened on Tuesday when we had visitors who were snowed in without access to food. There were other results that cannot be easily captured in a list. By Tuesday afternoon, volunteers had lost count of the number of people from the Battle Creek community who had stopped by to help out, to drop off piping hot pans of baked spaghetti, to donate food for meal service, to offer winter gear or to let us know how they can take part in offering warmth and safety for those who may have need. We had teachers, social workers, students, pastors, recovery coaches, staff members of other organizations and even a Shipt Shopper who helped make all of this possible. Members of First Congregational Church were integral in the operations, providing janitorial support, food service and encouragement of staff members along the way. Even if we don’t know each of your names, please know that you had an immense impact on so many people this week. Thank you for your generosity and for the privilege of bearing witness to community faith in action. All of this could not have been possible without the help and support of the following organizations and local businesses: Sprout BC who donated food for meal service Voces who provided prompt and responsive translation of publicity Charitable Union who helped spread communication and were ready with winter gear as needed Umami Ramen who donated (amazing, delicious) food Garden of Dreams Community Preschool and Child Care who donated milk Battle Creek Pride Resource Center who offered the use of their board game collection Battle Creek Transit who provided transportation to and from shelters Battle Creek Police Department Emergency Services Department who offered logistical support and coordination Calhoun County/Greater Battle Creek Homeless Coalition who provided logistical support and coordination St. Phillip Catholic Church who donated food First Congregational Church of Battle Creek believes that God calls us to live in right relationship: with God, with one another, and with creation. Therefore we value solidarity and accountability with those who bear the impact of unjust powers and principalities. We value ongoing learning and faithful attention to where pain and brokenness exist in the world. We engage the work of identifying and removing barriers within and beyond our walls. This week, being in right relationship looked like opening our doors and giving of our time and resources to those who were most vulnerable to harm during this storm. Beyond this week, FCCBC will continue living into its value of justice as we join the Calhoun County/Greater Battle Creek Homeless Coalition, develop further partnership with the Battle Creek Police Department Emergency Services Department and take part in creating a community-wide emergency plan so that we are equipped to assist with emergency operations in Battle Creek.

Breakfast is available all morning at FCCBC. Lunch is pork roast and vegetables (and assorted leftovers.) Dinner is sausage, vegtables and white bean soup. If you are in need of food and shelter today, the Battle Creek Police Department can dispatch someone to come pick you up and bring you here.

Warming Center Update: Thank you all for all the ways you've showed up the Battle Creek community today. We have had so many donations of food and winter clothing as well as financial donations from around the country! Because of your generosity, we served dinner tonight and we will be able to serve both lunch and dinner tomorrow and Thursday. We have also been distributing donated dry goods and produce from Sprout BC to folks who may have a place to stay but want to be sure they have enough food to last them a couple of days. Anyone who is present at our Warming Center this evening will be shuttled to overnight shelters. Everyone will be leaving the church with hats, scarves, gloves and coats. We will be open tomorrow, 8am to 10pm, with lunch at noon and spaghetti dinner at 6pm. Leftovers and soup will be served on Thursday. We do have volunteers for tomorrow and Thursday and anyone who shows up will be put to work. :) At the end of the week, any remaining dry goods will be donated to the Franklin neighborhood food pantry. Leftover winter gear will be donated to the Charitable Union. Any funds that are left over at the end of the week will be used in partnership with Legal Services of South Central Michigan to help folks avoid homelessness through rent supprt and legal advocacy. Thank you again for your generosity. If you are someone who prays, pray with us that all of these efforts will result in lives saved. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven; GIVE, AND IT WILL BE GIVEN UNTO YOU. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back.” Luke 6:37-38

Thanks to a donation from Sprout BC , soup and bread is on the menu for dinner this evening at First Congregational.

We are thankful for donations that have come in! We do have snacks, cereal, soup, etc. We also have coats, hats, scarves, etc. available as well.

FCCBC will be open as a Warming Station, Tues-Thur, 8am to 10pm. Please get the word out to anyone you know that needs to stay warm this week! We are in need of volunteers and other help. See below! How you can help... --Make a financial contribution (note Warming Station in the memo line or on PayPal at https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=M3BMGBKKSLEJS&source=url) --Donate water or snacks --Donate food for our Wednesday night spaghetti dinner (sauce, garlic bread, cheese, etc.) --Sign Up to Volunteer (https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=M3BMGBKKSLEJS&source=url) to welcome folks, run our movie theater, help with janitorial tasks and/or shovel walkways. We are also looking for on call volunteers/supervisors overnight should FCC need to be used as an overflow overnight shelter. --Contact: Church (closed on Mondays): 269-965-1225 Church Administrator, Jaimie (call or text) 269-589-8418 or [email protected]

Live from Mevo

Live from Mevo

Live from Mevo

Live from Mevo

Join us on December 21st at First Congregational Church as we observe the Longest Night and make space for our grief, loss and other sadness during the holiday season.

2018 Choir Camp Finale: Rescue in the Night

Why do immigrant rights matter to people of faith?

Protesting the injust and inhumane treatment of immigrant families. Mantengan a las families juntas!

Pride Parade 2017

Pride Parade 2017