by admin | Jul 15, 2021 | mental wellness, ministry team
A Note from The Ministry Team: Healing is hard work. How do we begin to heal? Reverend Laura Mariko Cheifetz gave us a starting point in her sermon Sunday on the beheading of John the Baptist. She brought our attention to the verse when John’s disciples came and...
by admin | Jul 8, 2021 | mental wellness, ministry team
A Note from the Mary Alice & The Ministry Team: You know I often speak about mental health challenges. When I do, I do not talk about healing, but instead I speak about recovery. Recovery is defined as a process of change through which individuals improve their...
by admin | Jul 1, 2021 | mental wellness, ministry team, sabbatical
A Note from the Ministry Team: Congregational Sabbatical Journey: Building Our Spiritual Resiliency HEALING Living in this world is the most challenging thing we do. Every day requires that we demonstrate the resilience that God has so graciously bestowed upon us. It...
by admin | Jun 24, 2021 | mental wellness, ministry team, sabbatical
Dear friends, During this month, we have been exploring grief. Whether you have delved deeply into the meditations and practices, or simply listened as our guest preachers and fellow congregants have striven to give a voice to grief, you have been a part of this...
by admin | Jun 17, 2021 | COVID-19, mental wellness, ministry team
To begin to talk about resilience, Hilda Seidman writes that we “do need to talk about grief and mourning. Grief is the organic process that begins when we experience the acute pain of loss. It is our psyche’s way—its medicine— to deal with the pain. Mourning is...
by admin | Jun 11, 2021 | mental wellness, ministry team, sabbatical
Welcome to week two of our summer sabbatical journey, “Becoming the Beloved Community – Building Spiritual Resiliency.” We had a wonderful start to our journey, with a devotional study exploring grief on Resiliency Thursdays. On Sunday, we welcomed a guest...
by admin | May 28, 2021 | Uncategorized
I appreciate First Christian Church providing a time of sabbatical this summer. I pray these months will offer rest and renewal through the opportunities that await us all. The congregation will focus on the theme of Building Spiritual Resiliency through worship and...
by admin | May 20, 2021 | worship
This week we celebrate Pentecost! The story of Acts 2 is vibrant with images and sounds – a dramatic depiction of the Spirit’s coming. Each year we hear the words, imagine their vividness and chaos, and give thanks for the gift of the Spirit. We ask what does this...
by admin | May 15, 2021 | mental health, mental wellness
May is Mental Health Awareness month, and we will observe Mental Health Sunday this Sunday. First Christian seeks to be a support to those facing mental health challenges. We started the journey of what that means some years ago and continue to learn how we as a faith...
by admin | Apr 30, 2021 | COVID-19
by John Indermark Not long after I had pre-enrolled in seminary, my pastor gave an essay to me written by one of the Niebuhr brothers. The paper explored the theme of freedom and responsibility, and Pastor Pollmann asked me to present a series of short presentations...
