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Interested in joining UCC New Brighton? There will be a luncheon for people interested in joining the church next Sunday, April 2, after worship. Find out more about what it means to become a member of

UCCNB and get to know us better! There is no obligation to join the church after attending. If you have questions about this gathering, speak with Désirée or with Barb Peterson.

Book/Media Sale: The Book/Media Sale takes place tomorrow from 9-4, and Sunday from 9-1, and after Community Night on March 29. We welcome your donations of books and other media. Donations will be accepted through Sunday. We hope you will also attend the sale! 

 UCCNB Photo Directory: Thank you to all the volunteers who donated their time and talent to this endeavor, and thank you to everyone who took the time to get their photo taken. 

 Quiet by Susan Cain: Several people asked for the title of the book Désirée mentioned in her sermon last Sunday. The book is Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain.

 Our Special Offering for March is Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. The Food Shelf and Community Resource Center celebrated their 40th year of service in 2022. It started as a small closet, serving just a handful of students and their families and now is a full-service community resource hub offering programs and services for nearly 3,000 youth, adults, and seniors each month. They have been pioneers in childhood hunger, removing hunger as a barrier to learning and placing importance on feeding both healthy minds and bodies. Their goal is to ensure the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf is a valuable resource for every hungry person in the community for decades to come. 

The children are raising money for Heifer International. The Heifer offering will go towards a goat this year, and if we reach that goal then we’re going for an alpaca as well. You are welcome to help the kids with their offering. Make your checks out to UCCNB with “Heifer offering” on the memo line. The offerings will be blessed during worship on Palm Sunday. 

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 Adult Education offerings: 

 March 26 – We celebrate Amistad Sunday, when we remember the UCC's deep roots in the cause of freedom and justice. We will learn from the Rev. Dr. Ed Martin about the Amistad, a ship laden with 53 Africans illegally sold into slavery. The Africans revolted, and their case eventually came before the Supreme Court. Rev. Martin, who is Professor Emeritus of Contextual and Historical Studies for United Theological Seminary, will unpack this history for us and help us understand the significance of the Amistad to the UCC. He will join us over Zoom. We will meet in the sanctuary for this session. 
 

 April 2 (Palm Sunday) and April 9 (Easter Sunday) – No Adult Education.
 

 April 16 – we will welcome Monica Helms, creator of the transgender pride flag and author of the memoir More Than Just A Flag. Monica is a vigorous activist for LGBTQ+ causes and a member of Pilgrimage UCC in Marietta, Georgia. We scheduled this session close to Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31st every year), which celebrates the contributions of transgender people while also confronting obstacles they face. Dave McMahill will be interviewing Monica for this program and would appreciate your questions in advance. 

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 The Thursday Lunch is happening on the third Thursday each month. Our next lunch will be April 20. We’ll gather at 11:30 a.m. for fellowship and a shared meal. All are welcome! 
 

 Open and Affirming Cards: The Open and Affirming team has been working on creating cards to pass out as we engage with people who show interest in our church, and particularly in our OnA ministries. Packets of the cards, along with a rainbow comma, will be available to any members/friends who would like to have them. Our OnA commitment has been a draw for new members, both for people who saw our banner supporting marriage equality and for people who see our commitment on the UCCNB website. Wearing and talking about the rainbow comma and passing out cards with information about our church builds on and expands our allyship with the LGBTQUI+ community. If you are interested in having a rainbow comma and packet of OnA cards, please sign up at the OnA kiosk or email David McMahill, chair of the OnA team. 
 

 The International Transgender Day of Visibility (“TDOV”) is celebrated on March 31. year state legislatures are considering an unprecedented number of anti-LGBTQ laws, many of which take aim at gender affirming health care for trans or gender fluid youth. It is critically important to educate ourselves  and speak out! Here are two of the many excellent on-line resources for learning more about the lives of our trans siblings, and about ways the church can respond having a rainbow comma and packet of OnA cards, please sign up at the OnA kiosk or email David McMahill, chair of the OnA team. 
 

 The National Setting of the UCC recently published a letter entitled “Trans youth lives matter: UCC leaders commit to love and justice in action amidst anti-LGBTQ bills.” The letter includes a valuable tool kit and a number of action items for us to consider as a congregation. https://www.ucc.org/trans-youth-lives-matter-ucc-leaders-commit-to-love-and-justice-in-action-amidst-anti-lgbtq-bills/? 
 

 The LGBTQ Religious Archives Network is hosting “Transvisibility Past and Present,” on March 28 at 7 pm Central Time. This event will be a discussion with the Rev. Sarah Flynn, retired clergywoman and LGBTQ activist and Rev. David Weekley, Ph.D., retired clergyman and advocate, both of whom transitioned in the 1970s. For more information or to register, go to https://www.lgbtqreligiousarchives.org/events/trans-visibility-past-present.