First Congregational Church

Posted on February 19, 2020 by amberfccmoline

Press play to hear Pastor Craig’s message about Let Light Shine Celebration!

Join us this Sunday for the Let Light Shine Celebration! Pr. Craig will kick the morning off with a tour of the window restoration, inside and outside, weather permitting. The celebration continues throughout worship with jazz music by the Mossman Quartet and celebrating the generosity of our Let Light Shine contributors. After worship make your way downstairs for a Mardi Gras jazz brunch with Jambalaya, red beans & rice, mac & cheese, corn bread, fruit, and Pineapple Upside Down Cake celebrating the last Sunday before Ash Wednesday and Lent. Thank you for your faithful generosity!

The beauty of our stained glass windows, though dimmed, adds to the richness of our worship life together. We have grown accustomed to the dimming of the light, but we are now ready to Let Light Shine, unobstructed and brilliant.

Capital Appeal Committee

Let Light Shine Capital Appeal Brochure

Let Light Shine Capital Appeal Letter

Ways To Contribute

Let Light Shine Capital Appeal Updates

Bovard Studio

Article in the Dispatch-Argus

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Posted on September 5, 2019 by amberfccmoline

September 28th | 4 pm – 8 pm

Join us for our first ever Oktoberfest.

Press play to hear Co-chair Joshua Dyer’s invitation to join us for Oktoberfest!

Free food for kids 10 and under.
Brats, German Potato Salad, Desserts, and more.
Bent River Beer and Wine.
- Uncommon Stout, Oktoberfest, Mississippi Blonde, Undercurrent IPA, Daytrotter Pale Ale, Fruition:Mango Peach
“Squeezy” Wes Miller accordion music, magicians, FREE BOUNCE HOUSE.

Volunteers Needed!

Help share the fun-loving joy of our congregation with our neighbors by helping to host the party (32 volunteers needed to fill 2 hour shifts) or contribute to support this important outreach to our community. Click the button below!

Sign up to Volunteer Here!

Donate Online Here

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Posted on May 28, 2020 by amberfccmoline

Confirmation Class 2020

Congratulations to the Confirmation class of First Congregational Church! Their Confirmation journey started in the fall of 2018, two years is a long commitment! Through discussion, laughter, mission and mentors these wonderful youth learned what it means to be a member of FCC and how to live out their Faith.

Nolan Wandrey

Nolan Wandrey is 14 and an 8^th grader at Wilson Middle School. His parents are Tanya and Andrew Wandrey and his two brothers are Alex and Myles Wandrey.

For fun, Nolan likes the Seattle Seahawks, eating, video games, fishing and running track and cross country.

The class wants you to know that he is tall, nice, polite, helpful, funny and stylish.

Noah Suman

Noah Suman, age 14 is finishing 8^th grade at Wilson Middle School. His parents are Angie and Josh Suman, and his sister is Ella Suman.

In his spare time, he likes to swim and play video games and golf. The class wants you to know that he is quiet, funny and likes to joke around.

Kelsy McCormick

Kelsy McCormick is 14 and an 8^th grader at Wilson Middle School.

Her mom is Laura Mc Cormick, her dad is Brent McCormick and her siblings are Hailey, Alyssa, and Thomas McCormick.

Kelsy likes volleyball, hanging with her friends, cheerleading and reading.

The class sees her as kind, caring, helpful, smart, friendly and with a nice smile. She is often seen with a fancy coffee drink in her hand.

Olivia Glenn

Olivia Glenn is 14 and is an 8^th grader at Wilson Middle School. Her mom and step dad are Amanda and Keith Beck, her dad is Jeremy Glenn. Olivia has 4 siblings, they are Ava, Alex, Emme and Oliver Beck.

Olivia’s interests are soccer, basketball, and babysitting. The class would like you to know that she is outgoing, helpful, funny, and makes friends easily. She is also a wonderful caregiver and is often seen with a fancy coffee drink in hand.

Kenzie Smith

Makenzie J Smith is 13, and is an 8^th grader at John Deere Middle School.

Her dad is Josh Smith, her brother is Cameron Smith and her grandparents are Bob and Laura Miller.

She likes cheerleading, hanging out with friends, babysitting and riding dirt bikes.

The class sees her as nice, sweet, caring, funny, helpful and a leader.

Confirmation Mentors

Thank you to the Confirmation Mentors and Mentor guide for this Confirmation class: Gayle Haun, Phil Koenig, Ian Theiss, Susie Llewellyn, Kristi Bailey, and Sunny Moorhusen. The devotion to the youth of FCC is so wonderful to see, and the Confirmands are so grateful for the time spent learning together.

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Posted on May 14, 2020 by amberfccmoline

CE Celebration Sunday!

The CE Board would like to give a BIG thank you to the Sunday School teachers and shepherds this year! Even though our year was cut short, we have not forgotten the time spent together. Your love and care was felt each Sunday, and we are thankful for it.

Preschool	Margaret Brown, Annmarie Ulrich, & Tanya Wandrey
Kindergarten and 1st grade	Becca Peterson and Emilia Deem
2nd and 3rd grade	Aubrey Meers and Amanda Beck
4th-5th-6th grade	Molly Newell, Tami Marshall, & Angie Suman
Confirmation	Kim Fuller and Mary Newcomb
High School	Brad Dye and Christine Nelson
Adult Bible Study	Dan Hill
Shepherds	Rachel Sommers, Kelly Powell, Lori Willhite, Dawn Ramos, Abby Stickell, Kara Waletzko, Desiree Grace, Sara Wynn, Pam Wendt, Kerry Johnson, Steve Schippers, Tanya Wandrey, Keith Beck, Andrew Wandrey, and Dustin Peterson

CE Board also thanks families for their commitment to Sunday School. Throughout the year 50+ children and youth attend Sunday School, and this is no small feat in the busy life of a family! Your commitment to this ministry is recognized and so appreciated!

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Posted on May 11, 2020 by amberfccmoline

Confirmation Sunday Card Shower

On Sunday May 31st we celebrate this year’s Confirmation class, Kelsy McCormick, Kenzie Smith, Noah Suman, Nolan Wandrey, and Olivia Glenn. Although the ceremony will look different this year, our love for them will not. Join us in celebrating our Confirmands by sending cards of joy and encouragement: Please send to the church office no later than May 28th. Confirmation leaders will give to Confirmands with other gifts of membership from the church.

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Posted on May 8, 2020 by amberfccmoline

Looking Forward to the New “Normal”

Greetings friends. I just sat in on an extremely informative and uplifting webinar hosted by Marcia Erickson, action coach. If you get a chance to watch it, I would highly recommend it. It was sponsored by the Quad City Chamber.

What this message clearly states is we are going to get through this and in many ways we will be better for it. I am amazed at how creative and resilient our Country is. People stepping up in all walks of life. We have come to realize that EVERYONE plays a significant role in how this plays out. From the front-line professionals whose dedication is beyond words to the restaurant server. If there ever was a time for empathy, love and an appreciation for each other, it is now. That’s not so bad is it?

Then there are our great companies; Ford and GM for example. Almost overnight they converted automobile plants to mass-produce the highly needed ventilators. How about the pharma company Gilead who is making significant strides in coming up with a remedy to the virus. Companies are now coming to realize their capabilities….what they can and cannot do. So will we.

Marcia’s seminar included a five step sequence in reopening and recovery. Of course, each business will approach their opening differently. How will we do ours? We are working on it and will continue to do so. Our church staff is keeping the church clean and sanitized. We will have sanitizers about the church along with disposable gloves. Masks are being made and worn. What else should we be planning for? Some of the grocery stores now have one-way arrows on each aisle. Is that something for us to consider? Do we put markers down to indicate six feet of distance? How do we want to configure the pews? Can families sit together or do we maintain our social distance? We don’t know all the answers, but I have every confidence we will figure it out. It may not be perfect at first but we will get there. My money is on us.

During the webinar, newish words were used such as “the new normal” and doing things in stages or “phases.” I like those terms and it seems prudent to realize that we do not need to or should we rush this progression. We will figure it out.

In closing, I encourage us all not to look at our situation as one of despair or futility. Rather, let’s look at this as a new beginning and an opportunity to share God’s love and each other with gratitude and compassion.

We are FCC and I am honored to serve as co-moderator
Wes Llewellyn

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Posted on May 6, 2020 by amberfccmoline

Sponsoring World Relief Food Pantry

First Congregational Church will sponsor the food pantry at World Relief of Quad Cities in July. Our Outreach and Missions committee, along with the Youth Group and the church Garden growers will work together on this effort.

“First Congregational Church has been a wonderful partner in our food pantry and we are grateful that you will be helping again this summer.”
Laura Fontaine, director of World Relief

World Relief has a monthly food pantry especially targeted World Relief has a monthly food pantry especially targeted for the needs refugees and immigrants from other countries who choose foods that remind them of home. Folks from other nations include more fresh vegetables in their meals than many in the United States. Last summer the church garden featured eggplants common to Burma that got an enthusiastic response. The planting was done with the World Relief constituents in mind. Steve Schippers, who is coordinating the garden this summer, already has plans to feature this and other plants with the tastes of our new neighbors in mind. We pray that some will be available already by July.

Outreach and Mission is inviting money contributions to help purchase food for the pantry for July. The target is $850.00. Make your check payable to the church and put “WR food pantry” in the memo line.

The Youth Group plans to support our churches efforts by stocking purchased food at the World Relief food pantry and giving other support where needed in the process…many youth hands make light work.

More information will be forthcoming, but we wanted to “plant” this idea now.

If you are putting in a garden at your home and have a spot for some exotic plant to benefit the World Relief get in touch with Steve Schippers (Schippersstevenc@gmail.com). We will have seedlings available and the plants are pretty hardy.

Sewing Masks

Church of Peace UCC in Rock Island set a goal of collecting 200 masks for inmates and sheriff’s deputies working at the facility to keep them safe. People who sew at First Congregational Moline contributed about 30 masks. The goal was met.

Oh friends, you are fantastic! You have heard me say this before, but one of the problems with the criminal justice system is that it becomes all too easy for those of us on the outside to forget those who are on the inside. Well, Church of Peace (and some phenomenal friends of Church of Peace) refuse to let this happen! You made more than 200 masks for the people locked up in the Rock Island County Jail. Every mask is a tangible sign of God’s love. I am so deeply grateful to you!
Pastor Mariah of Church of Peace

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Posted on May 5, 2020 by amberfccmoline

The Tower: Moving Forward with the Endowment Funds and Management

Dear Members:

As you may recall, at our annual meeting in February we voted to form a committee to explore additional possibilities in the handling of our endowment funds. You now have an opportunity to get involved in this process!

In the link provided you will notice a couple buttons. One button allows for you to nominate members to serve on the soon-to-be-formed endowment committee. The other button allows you to recommend financial firms to handle our accounts. We will gather this information and report back to you with what the results/findings are from this survey.

Please review this and take a moment to share your input by May 31, 2020. Also, feel free to contact either of us should you have further questions.

Endowment Review Survey HERE

Thanks to all,
Wes Llewellyn & Audra Bailey
wes@fccmoline.org
audra.bailey@fccmoline.org

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Posted on April 23, 2020 by amberfccmoline

Dear Friends and Members of First Congregational Church,

By now you have probably received the bittersweet news regarding Pastor Craig’s resignation. We are extremely grateful for his dedication to our church over the past six years and I’m sure we will continue to see echoes of that dedication continue for years to come.

Moving forward, the Council and Personnel Committee have put a plan in place. Pastor Craig’s last Sunday with us will be May 31st. Rev. Kathy Lawes, our Illinois Conference Association Minister, will be with us in worship that day to conduct a service of parting. Our Associate Pastor, Michael Swartz, has agreed to see us through the immediate future as we seek to discern our next steps. We will be establishing a Transition Team for near term planning. We are fortunate to have him take on this position as he is already familiar with the inner workings of our church. This move will also provide our church with some much needed stability during this difficult time.

The process of finding a new senior pastor will begin soon. Continue to look for more communications from Wes Llewellyn and myself over the upcoming months as we embark on this endeavor.

Blessings, Audra Bailey
FCC Co-Moderator

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Posted on April 22, 2020 by amberfccmoline

Greetings Friends and Members of First Congregational:

As one of your church moderators, I send you this in conjunction with the notice which you have, or soon will receive from our senior pastor.

Pastor Craig Jan-McMahon was called to us at a critical time in our church’s history and development. His contributions are many and he leaves us in a far better place than he found us, or we found ourselves. In addition, he provided the stability, vision and leadership to guide us at a chapter in the life of the church where these components were so essential and needed. Of equal importance, Pastor Craig gave the church credibility which will now be critical to our search and selection of our new called pastor.

Life is filled with changes as we proceed through its journey. Pastor Craig now has grandchildren and he understandably wants to share in their lives. This involvement will require being closer to home and closing this chapter in his position at our church. When Pastor Craig was called to serve at the Windsor UCC church near his residence in Madison, Wisconsin, he saw this as an opportunity to continue to serve and to follow his mission while participating in the lives of his family.

Please join me in thanking Pastor Craig for his service and dedication to our congregation by supporting the move and wishing him well. It would be nice to throw a farewell party but those arrangements remain uncertain at this time.

May we now share with him the love and peace Pastor Craig has continually bestowed upon us.

C. Wesley Llewellyn
Co-moderator
First Congregational UCC Moline

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Posted on April 22, 2020 by amberfccmoline

Press play to hear a message from Pr. Craig

Dear Friends,

With gratitude for our time together, I offer my resignation as your Pastor to accept a call to serve as Pastor of Windsor UCC, just 10 miles north of Madison.

This decision did not come easily. When I came to serve as your Interim Pastor in 2014, I intended to stay with you for a brief time, but then it was such a joy to be with you, and we found our footing together and made good progress. Though I would love to be with you in the coming years as the congregation blossoms and grows, the birth of two grandbabies helps me to see that the time has come for me to make a change.

I came to this decision before this pandemic began and have been encouraged by the response of our congregation in these difficult times. FCCLive has been a lifeline, and our congregation has shown strength and resilience during this crisis. Because of your faithfulness, our congregation is sure to thrive in the future. We have found new ways to stay connected and to support one another through this hard time. I am confident we will discover new ways to say our goodbyes, too.

Our last Sunday together will be May 31st. Rev. Kathy Lawes, our Illinois Conference Association Minister, will be with us in worship to conduct a service of parting.

As we prepare to say our goodbyes, we can trust hope and new life will emerge, and the same Spirit who called us together nearly 6 years ago will lead us to new life in the years to come.

Yours in Christ,
Pr. Craig Jan-McMahon

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Posted on April 7, 2020 by amberfccmoline

Holy Week Services on FCCLive

Visit fccmoline.org/fcclive to find us on Facebook and YouTube. Video archive is available to watch services after they are live streamed. Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel–once we have 100 subscribers, we can do new things :-). Watching on your TV is best!

Maundy Thursday | Thursday, April 9th | 6:00pm

Prepare again at home to celebrate communion with us, as we remember the New Commandment, “Love one another as I have loved you.” Ben and Maureen Holmes provide special music. This somber service concludes with the stripping of the altar.

Good Friday | Friday, April 10th
6:00pm

We read the passion narrative with three voices. Ben and Maureen Holmes, Pr. Michael Swartz and Nancy McConnell provide special music.

Easter Sunday | Sunday, April 12th | 10:00am

With Easter Lilies adorning the sanctuary, with soaring music and the declarative sounds of the Quad Cities Brass, we celebrate the power of life, love and hope over the forces of death, fear, and despair. Christ is Risen! Christ is Risen Indeed!

Easter Lilies: The coronavirus interrupted our Easter Lily ministry, but thanks to the generosity of our members, our chancel will be filled with lilies again this year. Because we are unable to publish a memorial list this year, at 9:00am we will post an invitation on Facebook and Instagram (#fccmoline #easterlilies) for you to share pictures and remembrances of your dear ones.

Easter Sunday Children’s Time: Maureen Holmes again leads us in a sing-along and has a surprise (virtual 🙂 Easter Egg Hunt for our kids.

Easter Sunday Parade: At 11:30, when we would otherwise be sipping mimosas and eating chocolate-covered strawberries together, we will post a message on Facebook and Instagram (#fccmoline #easterparade) inviting you to share your 2020 Easter photo. Videos are welcome, too!

First Congregational Church

Gathered To Share God's Love

Let Light Shine! Celebration February 23rd