eNews for Thursday, July 22, 2021

John Dorhauer: We are a denomination on the move

The collective body of the United Church of Christ is living into Jesus’ prayer, taking on the twin pandemics of COVID-19 and racism and urgency of the crisis that is climate change.

General Minister and President John Dorhauer, in his State of the Church address to General Synod on Saturday, July 17, measured the denomination’s health and vitality by “our ongoing efforts to heed the call of the Holy Spirit and continue to display our courage in the struggle.”

He pointed to examples of unity, welcome, love and justice at every level of the church as the way clergy, congregants, Conference ministers, lay leaders and national staff have answered the call as “agents of transformation” in the mission to which they were called.

Read more about the State of the Church

General Synod Recap

The UCC’s 33rd General Synod closed with worship Sunday, July 18, eight days after the historic “Special Edition” event opened. Instead of descending on Kansas City for their biennial General Synod, members of the United Church of Christ gathered virtually instead. Coming together from their homes, or perhaps in small groups from their local church, delegates conducted the business of the church remotely.

Read a summary of the business of the General Synod at ucc.org

Congratulations to Bob Reichert

Congratulations to Bob Reichert on his appointment to the City of Duluth Energy Plan Commission. The purpose of the commission is to advise the administration and city council on ways to achieve the goal of reducing the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent by 2050.

Blessing Box

Our Blessing Box is looking a little empty lately—please bring in your non-perishables and household items to keep it stocked! Try to avoid chocolate-covered granola bars or other things that might melt in our summertime heat. Thank you!

—Jon Welles

August Book Club Meet Up

Since most of us are anxious to get back together, and because during the summer we can meet outdoors, we thought it would be a great time to have our August 9 meeting be a potluck in Lois Heller’s yard at 9129 Congdon Blvd. We’ll meet at 4:30 pm, nosh on the goodies we bring, and then discuss and choose our books for the next 6 months. So come join us with your food contribution and your book suggestions. It would be helpful to know if the book you suggest is available in paperback.

Please get in touch with the office to RSVP.

Thank You from CHUM

Thank you for Pilgrim Congregational Church's donation of $6,550.00, including the third of five $5,000.00 gifts, two quarterly donations of $750.00, and $50.00 for the CHUM Food Shelf. Your gift will allow us to continue to provide food, shelter, advocacy, and a caring community for some of Duluth's most vulnerable residents.

We are hope-filled this year as we look forward to advocating for those we serve in the current political and social environment. We persevere in our mission of providing basic necessities, fostering stable lives, and organizing for a just and compassionate community. Our collective social consciousness must lead our hearts, prayers, and actions to the work that will protect our neighbors at risk.

CHUM is proud to be a diverse community that celebrates together, welcomes all comers, stands in solidarity with our neighbors, demonstrates generosity, and spreads love in the world. Thank you for being part of that community.

Sincerely,
Gracia Swensen, Development Director, CHUM

Pastor Carla's Candidating Weekend

The Pastoral Search Committee is thrilled to welcome the Reverend Carla Jean Bailey for a Candidating Weekend July 24 and 25, 2021.

• Friday evening Pastor Carla will share a meal and fellowship with search committee members and their families.
• Saturday morning Pastor Carla will meet with Council and committee members from 10:00 to 11:30 am.
• All members and friends of Pilgrim Church are invited to a reception in Salter Hall Saturday afternoon from 2:00 to 4:00 pm to meet and get to know Pastor Carla.
• On Sunday, July 25, Pastor Carla will lead worship during our regular service.
• After worship there will be time to ask questions of Pastor Carla. This will be followed by a vote on whether to affirm Carla as our settled pastor.

For those of you who may not be able to attend events on July 24 or 25, some of Carla’s recent sermons are available on the web page of her present church: The Second Church in Newton, UCC.

Please join us the weekend of July 24 and 25 in meeting and welcoming Pastor Carla to Pilgrim.

—Jane Killough, Chair, Pastoral Search Committee

Congregational Meeting

A special meeting of the members of Pilgrim Congregational Church, UCC, will take place in the church sanctuary on Sunday, July 25, 2021, following the morning service.

Members will be asked to affirm the Rev. Dr. Carla Bailey as settled pastor and teacher of Pilgrim Congregational Church of Duluth, United Church of Christ. Only members of the church may vote. Balloting will take place in the sanctuary and over Zoom. Following the collection of ballots, two members of the church council will tally the votes and report their results. Please note that if you wish to vote over Zoom, each member must be using their own device.

If you feel that you have sufficient information about Pastor Bailey and would like to vote prior to July 25, you are welcome to cast your ballot in the church office during the week of July 19-22 from 9:30 am-4:00 pm.

Here is the link to join the congregational meeting on July 25: Join us on Zoom.

—Julie Johnson, Moderator

OWL—Our Whole Lives

From Cindy Grindy, for students in 8th and 9th grades

I just spoke with Nathan Holst from Peace Church about the OWL program for this next school year. As you know, this is a great program to help participants make informed and responsible decisions about relationships, health and behavior. It equips participants with accurate, age-appropriate information in six subject areas: human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture. It provides facts about anatomy and human development and helps participants clarify their values, build interpersonal skills and understand the social, emotional and spiritual aspects of sexuality.

Learn more about the program at ucc.org.

Nathan wanted me to emphasize a few things

• This is one of the best things we can do for ourselves and our children.
• It is a commitment. Participants are expected to do their best to attend the majority of the sessions. His hope is that the parents are committed to their child's participation as well.
• The cost will be approximately $100/participant. (Scholarships may be available.)
• The program will start mid-September and run for 24 Sunday evenings at Peace from 6:00-7:30 pm.

It would be wonderful if a few Pilgrims got trained as facilitators. He does not want parents of their enrolled child to be a facilitator, but thinks parents whose children have been through the program make great facilitators. Other people who make great facilitators are people who are comfortable discussing sexuality, enjoy being with young adults, and are open to learning. Are you interested? Once trained, the facilitator commitment is 10 hours/month attending every other session.

Please email Cindy Grindy if you would like to sign up or need more information.

Lost Glasses

Several pairs of glasses have been turned in to the office following the memorial service for Cliff Grindy. If you are missing a pair of glasses, please get in touch with the office.

Sunday Worship at Pilgrim

Join us Sunday at 10:00 am for Sunday Worship at Pilgrim, in person or online. You can view the service on Pilgrim's YouTube channel and Facebook page.

You can download a Bulletin here.

This Sunday's scripture readings:

• Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; 31:7-17

If you have an announcement that you would like read during a Sunday service, please get it to the office or directly to Pastor Judith by Monday each week.

Please send in your prayer requests to include in Sunday services. Send your prayer requests, joys, and concerns to Pastor Judith via email by Friday each week to be included. We will use only first names during the service in order to maintain confidentiality, and your prayer requests will be passed along to Marge Fraser and Pilgrim's Prayer Chain.

In case you missed it, you can view last Sunday's worship service on YouTube.
Attendance: 24
YouTube views: 29
Facebook reach: 29

Morning Coffee

Wednesdays | 10:00 am
Join Pastor Judith for your morning coffee! We'll have a time for checking in with each other, prayers, and perhaps a brief meditation. Grab the beverage of your choice and join us on Zoom.

Meeting ID: 497 627 641
Passcode: 926781

Prayers and Condolences

Keep in your prayers:

• Bob Reichert as he undergoes treatment
• Carol Bacig asks for prayer for Matthew, her grandson-in-law, as he transitions to his home from his many days in the hospital
• Anita and her family as she undergoes medical treatment
• Wanda and her family as she recovers from surgery
• Betty and her family as her son undergoes medical treatment
• Andrew, as he continues with medical monitoring

Show Us Your Walks

Near Enger Tower

We're lucky to live in a community with so much beauty and access to nature. Send Patrick your photos to share your walks with us in future emails! It's another way to stay connected in these troubled times.

What Patrick's Listening To

Fun stuff: Bartok's Rhapsody No. 2 for Violin and Orchestra, played by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, with a wonderful young soloist in Stephen Waarts.