What's New Print

Fall Schedule Begins September 12

Worship services return to 10:15 a.m. and Sunday school begins for all ages at 9 a.m. Nursery care is available from 9-11:30 a.m.

New programs include: Godly Play Montessori style Pre-School/Kindergarten experience, Meet God on the Mountain for Grades 1-5, Pathfinders for Grades 6-8, Our Whole Lives Sexuality Education for Grades 4-5 and 6-8 in October, and Spirituality Based Personal Growth series for adults.

See Education Children, Youth, and Adult for more information.

All-Church Retreat - September 25-26

Register by Sept. 12 for the All-Church retreat at La Foret. For information and the registration form see http://www.ucclongmont.org/content/documents/FamilyRetreatRegistration2010.pdf.

Artist of the Month

The September featured artist is Kathleen Reilly. See Music/Art/Library for more information.

Interfaith Network on Mental Illness

Learn what it is like to have a mental illness and work toward recovery. The In Our Own Voice program, sponsored by INMI to highlight Mental Illness Awareness Week, will be offered on Thursday, October 7 at 7 p.m. at the First Congregational Church, Boulder.

In Our Own Voice is a unique NAMI public education presentation that offers insight into the hope and recovery possible for people living with mental illness. Trained individuals living with mental illness lead a brief, yet comprehensive and interactive, presentation about mental illness. Following the presentation that includes the use of professionally made videos, those who are interested are invited to stay for a dialogue with local faith leaders on the role of faith in recovery.

Area College Campus Ministries

For campus ministry in Greeley, Boulder, and Ft. Collins:

Stewardship Message:Catch Fire

Rekindle the gift of God that is within you... 2 Timothy 1:6

The second week of September in our church is "Rally Sunday." It's meant to be the day we get all revved up for the new program year of the church. The energy level in the congregation rises that day, as people who have been away for the summer return and greet friends and visitors. As September begins again in the church, everything seems possible!

The start of a new program year is a good time to take Paul's advice and "rekindle" all the gifts of God within not just individual Christians, but the church as a whole. Stoke the fire, is what the word means, take the small flames and find ways to add a little tinder here or a little air there and bring warmth and light. To make a fire strong usually requires adding small things regularly, and sometimes large pieces of wood as other large pieces burn away.

What does your church need to really catch fire this September? What gifts, small or large, do you have to contribute to that fire? Are there people around you who have gifts to give that need your encouragement to step up to the fire? Sometimes, as the old church camp song says, it really does "only take a spark." Is that spark you?

Rochelle A. Stackhouse is the Senior Minister of The Church of the Redeemer, United Church of Christ, New Haven Connecticut.

September 2010 God is still speaking,
This resource is a free service and is made possible by your gifts to Our Church's Wider Mission.

For more monthly Stewardship messages:

www.ucc.org/stewardship/stewardship-messages;