No matter who you are, or where you are on life’s journey,
YOU ARE WELCOME HERE
Join Us for Worship
In-person worship: Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
Our doors are open for in-person worship each Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Masks are currently optional. Masks will continue to be worn in the areas of the nursery and young children. We are committed to keeping our members and friends as safe as possible. We will also continue to offer for our remote members and visitors the live stream service, listed below.
Online Live Stream Worship Service: Sundays at 10:00 a.m.
Click here to live stream our Worship Services or view our Progressive Christian Bible Study.
Guns to Garden Tools
Church members are working on a creative solution to gun violence. Partnering with RAW Tools we are considering becoming a “disarming site,” which means FCCI-ers would get trained on disarming guns so the pieces can be melted down by blacksmiths and transformed into garden tools. It’s called “guns to garden tools.”
Sunday Service
Twenty-sixth Sunday After Pentecost (November 17, 2024)
Preaching: Rev. Dr. David Ashby (guest preacher)
Sermon: “Thankfulness”
Anthem: He Hath Regarded (from the Magnificat)
After Service Event
None this week
Against Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia
The leaders of First Congregational Church of Ithaca were horrified to learn of the recent anti-Semitic, dehumanizing, and hateful posts to the online Greekrank forum. To label any human being with the appalling language in those posts is unacceptable, and to threaten such unspeakable violence is immoral in the extreme. To target Jewish human beings in particular in this way, given the centuries of anti-Semitism in our collective history, is heartbreaking and soul crushing. There is no place for this language or the hate behind it in human society. We denounce it unequivocally.
We feel nothing but compassion and deep empathy for our Jewish siblings in the Abrahamic faith at this time; indeed, we are holding all of our Jewish siblings closely in prayer. Since October 7th we have heard too many comments that somehow Jewish people are exempt from being treated as fellow human beings who are worthy of compassion because of the policies and practices of the State of Israel. This, too, is unacceptable. At the same time, we denounce any attempt to lump all of our Muslim siblings in the Abrahamic faith together with extremist groups who threaten hate and violence in the name of God. It is also immoral in the extreme to treat every Muslim person as if they were a member of Hamas. This is both untrue and dangerous. Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia are abhorrent.
We hold to the ancient belief that every human being regardless of state in life or religious identity is precious, made in the “image of God” (tzelem elohim). No one should be dehumanized because of who they are. We grieve whenever human beings are hated, threatened, victimized, oppressed, or attacked. We grieve for the innocent Palestinians who are subjected to displacement and war. We grieve for Jewish people who fear for their safety simply because they are Jews. We are committed to the belief, voiced by Jesus centuries ago and proclaimed by modern luminaries like Dr. King, that love is the only way. “I’m foolish enough to believe,” said Dr. King, “that through the power of this love somewhere, men of the most recalcitrant bent will be transformed. And then we will be in God’s kingdom.” We pray that all human hearts will come to embrace this fundamental message of love. We pray for peace borne of justice.
On behalf of the leaders of First Congregational Church of Ithaca,
Rev. Dr. David A. Kaden
Giving Tree
The Outreach Action Group at First Congregational Church will be dedicating our annual Giving Tree to Lynne Whetzel, an Outreach Action Group member, who passed away in 2024 and dearly loved this event. Be on the lookout for our Giving Tree at the entrance Sunday November 24th and Sunday December 3rd. Gifts are due back to the church Sunday, December 8th.
Kids Craftapalooza!
Back by popular demand! Tis the Season to Get Crafty! Families with children ages 5-12 are encouraged to join us Sunday December 1 from 1:30-3:30pm for an afternoon of crafting! Enjoy creating together at our 10 stations of projects including beading, ornament making, watercolor painting and more! Plush toys from our Stuffy Wellness Center program will be available for adoption. Free and open to the public, donations welcome.
United Church of Christ Special Hurricane Appeal
The National Ministries of the United Church of Christ has a long history of supporting communities as they recover from disaster and their plight fades from the headlines. Your support of this appeal will ensure that communities are supported and accompanied for years as they rebuild. Donations can be made by clicking HERE.
Sanctuary Ministries at FCCI
With the support of the Ithaca Sanctuary Alliance (ISA), the First Congregational Church of Ithaca (FCCI) in July 2020 welcomed a teen mother and her young daughter into the apartment they built to provide sanctuary for immigrants at risk of deportation. Drucila Francisco Mateo and Jessie lived at the church for more than two years.
In the fall of 2023, we welcomed a new family of sanctuary guests. If you would like to view the coverage of the press conference held on September 27 at FCCI covering our sanctuary guests and work that Ithaca does to support refugees, please follow the links to Spectrum News 1, The Ithaca Voice, WHCU 97.7 FM/870 AM and WENY News.
Latest News
We are open for in-person worship at our Sunday 10:00am service. See above for details. We will continue to offer our worship services online as a live stream each Sunday as well.
If you’re interested in subscribing to Highland Highlights, our email newsletter that contains all of our latest announcements and news, please contact the church office.
Calendar
YouTube Channel
Visit our YouTube channel to see recent Sunday Worship services, Sunday morning previews for children and youth, and Progressive Christian Bible studies.
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