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.

A rainbow bouquet of flowers on the altar in front of the cross

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 & Events

(March 17, 2024)

Service (10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.)
Fifth Sunday of Lent
Sermon: “God is Relentless Like a Cat”
Preaching: Rev. Dr. David A. Kaden
Special Music: “Contemplation of the Cross” (Youth Handbell Choir)

AfterWord (11:15 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.)
Exploring the Israel/Palestine conflict with local peace activist Mary Anne Grady Flores

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

Lent and Easter Calendar

Palm Sunday Service           (Sun, Mar 24, 10:00 -11:00 a.m.)
Maundy Thursday Service  (Thu, Mar 28, 7:00-8:00 p.m.)
Good Friday Service             (Fri, Mar 29, 5:15-6:15 p.m.)
Easter Sunrise Service         (Sun, Mar 31, 6:30-7:30 a.m.; Lakeview Cemetery)
Easter Worship Service       (Sun, Mar 31, 10:00-11:00 a.m.)

Blue Cabinet Donations Needed in March

Outreach is leading an effort to have FCCI members and friends donate to Blue Cabinets across Tompkins County during March. A list of locations is in the Bulletin. Once you have made a donation, please take a picture and send it to Patricia Covert at pcove55@gmail.com and we will post your picture.

Examples of appreciated items: instant oatmeal, juice in cardboard containers, Rice a Roni, microwaveable dinners (like Hormel), peanut butter and bread for sandwiches. Sliced cheese, tuna in the pouches, cereal and shelf stable milk.  Don’t forget about things like toilet paper, paper towels, feminine hygiene items which are ALWAYS needed – but cannot be purchased with SNAP (food stamps). Thank you.

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.

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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