Creation care is for everyone...and so is Vacation Bible School! You won't want to miss FCC's intergenerational VBS this summer! Designed with all ages in mind and centered around the theme of creation care, we will meet on 3 Sundays following worship for lunch and to share in storytelling, music, and activities. While each date will complement the others, each is also planned to be valuable as a single experience.

As you are planning for the summer, we hope you'll consider the options available at the Christian Conference Center, our regional camp and conference center, in Newton, Iowa. It's a great time to relax and connect, have fun and learn about and experience God's love too. There are options for all ages including Family Camp (1-2 adults and children 0-18) and Grand Camp (1-2 adult grandparents and children age 4-2nd grade) - FYI both of these options tend to fill up fast! Kids in 2nd and 3rd grade can opt to do a mini camp for 2 nights and 3rd-12th graders have camps that run for 6 days. Take a look at the descriptions and dates below!  

Camp Descriptions: https://www.newtonccc.org/scsessions
Camp Dates: https://www.newtonccc.org/scdates

PLEASE NOTE:  

• Registration is now open (using either link above). Get signed up by May 1 for priority placement and to take advantage of the early bird pricing.

• For those connected to our congretation, we cover 50% of the cost of each registration, so be sure to put the appropriate code into your registration to give you that discount.

• Let our family minister (contact info below) when you sign up (or forward your confirmation to her). This helps us to pay for our half of the registraiton, but also make sure you are on the prayer and cards lists as summer rolls around.

Scholarships are available from two funds within the church that were made available through the generosity of persons who were firm believers in the benefits of higher education. Applications are accepted each spring, and the scholarship committee is now taking applications for the 2024 awards. All application materials are due on or before the first Monday in April. Click the links below for guidelines on each scholarship as well as access to the downloadable applications.

• First Christian Church Scholarship (formerly the Helen Gay Scholarship) for participants at First Christian Church
• Sunier Scholarship to encourage participation in English language literature or poetry classes.

It is the time of year when we must consider how inclement weather may affect our plans. First Christian Church's practice around inclement weather is to communicate any weather related changes to our regular operations via our Facebook page, KCRG Closings, as well as by email to our mailing list. Changes may include cancellations, delays, postponements or shifts to online. Please know that we always encourage folks to make the safest decisions for themselves about travel to and participation in worship and activities. Also remember that regardless of the weather, our Sunday worship is available online each week at our YouTube channel, should you decide that is the best choice for you.

The dove has been used as a symbol of peace for thousands of years. December 4th is the second Sunday of Advent when the theme is peace and each year on this Sunday, we invite the congregation to write their names on paper doves, as a promise to nurture and be an agent of peace in the world. Below are links to files that contain outlined doves that you can print out or trace, as an invitation to you to take part in this act of commitment. We also welcome you to send an email or call the church office, if you'd like us to place a dove with your name on the tree in our santuary.

We are grateful for all the ways you have and will stand for peace in the world.

FCC Peace Doves PDF
FCC Peace Doves JPEG

October 13, 2022

First Christian Church has been following the Johnson County Public Health recommended guidelines for when to mask.  We are thrilled to share that our community level is at “Low.”  For the first time in 2.5 years, we are not requiring that people mask during worship or in other gatherings.  However, we kindly ask that if you are experiencing symptoms (such as coughing) or have a COVID-19 exposure, please wear a mask.  Additionally, if you have a positive COVID test or other contagious illness, we ask that you remain home.  We are also mindful that some may choose to continue to wear a mask, and we encourage people to make the choices that are right for them and to respect the choices of others.

We also plan to remove the green tape from the pews which means you are welcome to sit anywhere you choose.  Meanwhile, please remember, especially as we make this shift, to be respectful of other people's preferences.  Ask before you sit next to someone and pay attention to people's desire for physical distancing.  Also remember that hand sanitizer is available in the narthex and we encourage you to use it.

As a reminder, our policy has been that when the community level is at "High" we ask everyone to mask indoors.  When the community level is at "Medium" we ask everyone to mask for worship and large indoor gatherings but allow small groups to decide whether or not to mask as they take into consideration the needs of the group.  Keep this in mind in the case that the community level increases in the future - we could reinstitute protocols.

We will continue to monitor Johnson County Public Health COVID-19 recommended guidelines for the safety of everyone and we continue to encourage people to be vaccinated and get boosters.  In the meantime, we celebrate the opportunity to see more smiles!

FCC COVID Response Team