FCUCC Adult Forum & Prayer Vigil Reminder

Please spread the word about all the Ashley Lectures & the Prayer Vigil. Thanks. 

NOTE: FOR THIS SUNDAY'S FORUM ONLY: This Forum will be held in the Sanctuary and will begin at 9:00 am.(Dr. Newell will also be offering the sermon at the Worship Service which begins at 10:30.) 

This Sunday, June 28 – Walter E. Ashley Memorial Lectures, Distinguished Lecturer Rev. Dr. John Philip Newell is an ordained Church of Scotland Minister, noted scholar of Celtic Spirituality, peacemaker, retreat leader and widely-read author of 15 books, including The Rebirthing of God: Christianity's Struggle for New Beginnings. Formerly Warden of Iona Abbey in the Western Isles of Scotland, he is now companion theologian for the American Spirituality Center of Casa del Sol at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico and co-founder of Heartbeat: A Journey Towards Earth's Wellbeing.

ALSO:

Interfaith Vigil for the Loss of Nine Lives at

Charleston's Mother Emanuel AME Church 

 

The Henderson County NAACP invites people of all faiths and good will to a vigil to be held on Monday, June 29 @ 12:00 noon. We will gather at the First Congregational Church of Hendersonville located at 1735 5^th Avenue West; the intersection of 5^th Avenue and White Pine Street.

 

Through a litany of prayers, we will mourn the lives lost in the Mother Emanuel Church tragedy of June 17. We pray the families of the deceased retain their strength and love already demonstrated to the nation. 

 

Join with us to stand together as a community-with love-against racism and hatred.

 

 

FCUCC- Ashley Lectures

Hi Forum Friends,

Please remember to get your tickets and spread the word near and far about this great combination of lectures and music.

"Challenge Your Thinking, Inspire Your Faith"

Hendersonville: John Philip Newell , the first speaker in the semi-annual Walter E. Ashley Lecture Series of 2015 will be featured on Friday, June 26 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, June 27 at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. and Sunday, June 28 at 9:00 and 10:30 a.m in the Sanctuary of First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1735 W. Fifth Ave. An internationally-known author, religious scholar and person of faith, This series unites the Celtic Spirituality of John Philip Newell with the music of Fran McKendree for a vibrant weekend of conversation and inspiration.  John Philip Newell, is a Church of Scotland minister in Edinburgh and the author of the best-selling  book Listening to the Heartbeat of God and most  recently The Rebirthing of God: Christianity's Struggle for New Beginnings.   Fran McKendree led his folk-rock ensemble McKendree Spring, which played venues from Fillmore East to Carnegie Hall.  Fran found his calling in contemplative Christian music, bringing music as worship to retreats.  Tickets for the entire weekend, including all lectures, lunch and Saturday night's Wine/Cheese Reception and Concert with Fran McKendree and friends are $100. Individual lecture tickets can be purchased for$25. Saturday night's Wine/Cheese Reception (6:00)and Concert(7:15) tickets are $35.Tickets available on-line with PayPal or Malaprop's Bookstore - Asheville, Highland Books - Brevard, Hendersonville Travel and Tourism Center or First Congregational United Church of Christ. For more information, call 692-8630, or visit fcchendersonville.org.

 

The second lecturer in the series, Bishop John Shelby Spong, is set for Sept. 25-27, 2015

 

END

FCUCC Forum Reminder

This Sunday, June 21 at 9:15 – Preparing for Ashley Lecturer, John Philip Newell - Larry Anderson Next Sunday's Forum presenter will be the FCC's Distinguished Walter E. Ashley Lecturer, John Philip Newell, well-known scholar of Celtic Spirituality and author of 15 books. Our own Larry Anderson, frequent Forum presenter, retired psychologist, and occasional guest guitarist, will preview some of Newell's prime ideas in order to increase our appreciation of our distinguished Lecturer who will speak June 26-28 on Friday evening, several times on Saturday and on Sunday morning – at Forum and during the Worship Service. Larry will lead a discussion on one of Newell's books, Listening For the Heartbeat of God: A Celtic Spirituality. 

FCUCC Forum Reminder

This Sunday, June 14 at 9:15 - Conversation on the Spiritual Practice of Contemplation -Gary Cyphers, Church Moderator Join our on-going conversation of each of the ten spiritual practices that our fall Ashley Lecturer, Diana Butler Bass, finds in vibrant and growing congregations. The fourth practice is Contemplation: openness for prayer. See the Chronicle article with highlights from Bass' book and reflection questions and join the lively Forum conversation. Each Conversation stands alone; prior participation is not a pre-requisite. 

FCUCC Forum Reminder

This Sunday, June 7 – The Story of the Philadelphia Eleven. Episcopal priests Alison Cheek and Carter Heyward and author Darlene O'Dell will discuss The Story of the Philadelphia Eleven.

Cheek and Heyward were two of the eleven women who defied the Episcopal Church by becoming ordained on July 29, 1974, the denomination's first women priests. After their ordinations, they were very instrumental in helping the media understand why the 11 became ordained (as the covers of Time and Ms. attested at the time). The three will discuss the ordinations and their meaning for the 21st century. 

Alison Cheek, a graduate of Virginia Theological Seminary, taught for many years at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge. Born and raised in Australia, she is a psychotherapist and mother of four and now lives in Brevard. 

North Carolina native and graduate of Union Theological Seminary, Carter Heyward, is a renowned theologian who has written many books. She also taught for a time at the Cambridge Episcopal Divinity School. She retired to Brevard and established Free Rein, a therapeutic riding center. 

Dr. Darleen O'Dell is a writer and the founder of the Mountain Falls Writing Center in Brevard. She has taught at Clemson University and the College of William and Mary and has published a number of books.

FCUCC Forum Reminder

This Sunday, May 31 at 9:15 it's MORGAN SPURLOCK'S "THIRTY DAYS: IMMIGRATION"

Discover what a Texas border security officer learns when he moves in with a family of undocumented workers. Pat and Ed Argue will lead a showing and discussion of this powerful documentary.

Pat, a retired educator and Ed, retired consultant, are members of the Henderson County Immigration Network, the League of Women Voters' Immigration Committee, the Dream Scholarship Committee as well as being "Path to College" mentors. Here at the church, they lead the inclusion group of FCUCC's Social Justice Initiative. 

FCUCC Forum Reminder

MAY 24 -  SINKING BENEATH THE CHATTER – AN INTERFAITH APPROACH  - Tina Fire Wolf (Tina Powell) Motivational speaker Tina's purpose is to ignite us, to help us to realize that we are "Spiritually Free." She walks us through a bit of her own "unleashing" – including a 3 foot-tall corn plant growing in her yard overnight – into a place for us to consider a new way of connecting to the world of the unseen, whatever name we give it – God, Higher Self, Great Spirit, etc. And she shares her Tools, Tips and Tales to help us in our journey Home. 

FireWolf says she grew up feral, and then was trained in the fields of biology, education, and interfaith ministry. She is also a self-taught photographer and author of the newly released book of photos and meditations "that will stir you to ask questions, to allow yourself to feel, and inspire you to see life for yourself".