The Church Bell
First Congregational Church, UCC
2101 16th St. ▪ Greeley, CO 80631
353-0828
www.firstconggreeley.com
THE CHURCH BELL (USPS 110-560)
PERIODICALS MAILING
April 5, 2017
VOLUME 72 ISSUE 4, Wednesday, April 5, 2017
THE CHURCH BELL (USPS 110-560)
Published once monthly by First Congregational Church,
2101 16th St., Greeley, CO
Periodicals Postage Paid at Greeley, Colorado
POSTMASTER: Send Address Changes to THE CHURCH BELL,
c/o First Congregational Church UCC
2101 16th St., Greeley, CO 80631
“Who is my neighbor?” This question was asked by a religious person feeling uneasy
with Jesus’ message. As often was the case, Jesus did not respond directly to the
question. Instead, he told the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus ended the parable
by turning the tables and asking his questioner a question, “Which one of these men
lived out neighborliness?”
The more we think about this exchange, the more brilliant—and relevant—Jesus’ response becomes.
The question Jesus was asked sought a simplistic, categorical answer. But Jesus refused to categorize one group of
people as “neighbor” and another as “not your neighbor.” Instead, he turned the question around on the questioner
and inquired, “What does being a neighbor look like in action?” This subtle shift is easy to miss—but its implications
are significant for faithfully following Jesus.
When we ask the question, “Who is our neighbor?”, it’s important to remember that Jesus didn’t give a list of
mandatory requirements another must meet to qualify for this status. “Neighbor” is not a label that needs to be
earned by others, but a way of life that we are called into as followers of Christ.
Today, this question continues to make people as uneasy as it did for the first person who asked Jesus. We see the
vast majority of responses reflecting the sentiment of that first incredulous questioner: “Samaritans (or should we say
Muslims, refugees, and the undocumented) don’t qualify as our neighbors—right, Jesus?”
As followers of Jesus, it is critical for us to consider how the story of the Good Samaritan should shape the way we
see, think about, talk about, and treat others.
With the intention of being faithful to Jesus’ call to live out neighborliness, our church has formed the Immigrant Care
Group. This group has begun conversations about how our faith community can be neighbors to people in our
(continued on next page)
From Rev. Miller
First let me offer my profound gratitude for the gift of my time on Sabbatical January through March. It was time for
renewal, healing and refreshment. During my time in Florida, New Zealand, Australia and California, I wrote 25 pages of
reflections and observations. My chief form of meditation was during long walks, averaging 6 miles each day. Much of
my time was spent in solitude so I was able to catch up on some of my reading. As my time away drew to a close I grew
anxious to return to my work here, planning ahead on bulletins and sermon ideas through July. I have worshiped in
churches large and small, energized or struggling to survive. One Saturday Evensong service I was one of three in the
congregation! (Yet we got the full 30-minute sermon! Observation: singing hymns with only 2 other people is
awkward!)
I set aside significant blocks of time to create a receptive disposition to listen to what the Spirit has to say. My
expectations were exceeded as ideas and insights bubbled up like a fountain! In the coming months and in several
contexts I look forward to sharing fresh insights, ideas and possibilities.
Many thanks to all those who made my time away possible, particularly the church staff who covered the gaps created
by my absence and to our leadership who are so faithfully committed to the continued vitality of our congregation.
With Great Hope,
Rev. Nathan Miller
2017 Spring Youth Retreat
Camp La Foret
(Minister’s Message—continued from previous page)
community who are currently feeling vulnerable and afraid—including those who are undocumented, refugees,
immigrants, and Muslims. Unfortunately, concerns for these groups of people are sometimes mischaracterized as
“political.” This label can raise hackles and quickly polarize people. It also prevents Christians from engaging scripture,
praying, and entering into conversation to inspire and illuminate how to faithfully live out neighborliness in word and
action.
We hope our Immigrant Care Group will help our church consider our faithful response to the question, “Who is our
neighbor?”.
We realize responding to this question has never been easy or simple for Christians. However, we hope that as we look
back on our church’s witness, we can say with great confidence, “We truly have been neighbors to those in need
around us, and in doing so, we have been faithful to Christ.”
Rev. Ben
Wednesdays
Evenings
Dinner @ 5:45
in Chadwick
Programs @ 6:30
The Church Responds
Wednesday Night Live will focus in April on ways
the church has responded to key social and
cultural issues. We will look at how some Christian
leaders in Germany responded to the rise of the
National Socialist State of Germany during the
1930s. We have the opportunity to see a film
documenting the impact of American Nazis on
Skokie, Illinois (see article elsewhere in the Bell),
and attend a presentation at UNC given by a child
survivor of the Holocaust.
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Palm Sunday, April 9
The chancel choir, along with soloists, orchestra and
organ, will perform Requiem for the Living by Dan
Forrest during the 10:00 worship.
Maundy Thursday, April 13
Service of Tenebrae with Communion
7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary
Saturday, April 15
Easter Egg Hunt
10:30 a.m. on the 16th Street Lawn
April 12: No WNL - HOLY WEEK
April 19: The Nazi Era and the Churches
Monday, April 24, 7:00 p.m. at Church:
“Surviving Skokie” movie in partnership with
the Mizel Museum, Denver, and the Holocaust
Memorial Observances Committee of Greeley
and Northern Colorado
April 26: 7:30 p.m., Ballrooms at UNC:
Holocaust Memorial Presentation. Mr. Steen
Metz, survivor from Denmark who was taken
to Theresienstadt Camp north of Prague.
John Mills Orchestra Concert
Sunday, May 7, 2:00 p.m.
First Congregational
Church Sanctuary
Come and hear some great jazz
and big band music and support
our church youth. A free will
offering will be received to
benefit this summer’s youth
mission trip to the Rosebud Indian Reservation in
South Dakota.
Easter Sunday, April 16
Sunrise Worship at 6:30 a.m.
(outdoors, weather permitting)
Sanctuary Worship at 8:00 & 10:00
Saturday, April 15, 10:30 a.m.
At 10:30 a.m. there will be an Easter Egg Hunt on
the 16th Street lawn. Bring your Easter baskets and
plan for a good time! We are asking for cash
donations and/or plastic Easter eggs filled with
wrapped candy and small trinkets. You may bring
your donations to the office. We are also asking for
volunteers to help monitor the children as they
hunt eggs so that they don’t run into the street or
other unsafe areas. If you can help, plan to arrive
by 10:15.
It’s Scholarship Application Time!
Scholarship application forms are now available in the office for graduating seniors
pursuing higher education. Applications must be submitted by Monday, April 24. If
you have questions, please contact [email protected].
“Grow a Row”
Holocaust Memorial Observances Week
A new garden ministry is being planted in
Greeley! “Grow A Row” is being started by
church member Jackie
Johnson to provide fresh
produce to the Weld
Food Bank. Plumb Farm
has offered significant
space on their plot of
land to get this project...well, growing! Grow a
Row is looking for volunteers who are
interested in gardening or donating needed
supplies (seeds, garden tools, financial gifts). If
you are interested in being involved in this
exciting new collaboration in our community,
please contact Jackie Johnson at
[email protected].
April 23-30, 2017
This year marks the 34th Annual Holocaust Memorial
Observance of Greeley and Northern Colorado. The
guest this year is Mr. Steen Metz,
incarcerated in 1943 as an eightyear-old in the Theresienstadt
Camp north of Prague. His
Wednesday evening, April 26,
presentation in the Ballrooms at
UNC is free and open to the
public, as are all the other 18 events.
comings and goings
 Rev. Steve Monhollen will be away April 6-8.
Back by “PUPular” Demand
The youth groups are making
and selling dog bone treats. They
will be on sale after the 10:00
worship on Sunday, April 23.
Treat your dog and support our
youth mission trips!
Help Wanted
Weld Food Bank Volunteers Needed
We are renewing our call for adult volunteers
willing to join our mission to help feed our area’s
hungry. Volunteers can include
church members as well as friends
or associates. Choose one of the
many “calendar-friendly” options
for both individuals and small
groups to pitch in on an occasional
or regular basis. For info call or email Wayne
Trainor, 353-9534 or [email protected].
Our congregation is a co-sponsor with the Mizel
Museum in Denver and the Holocaust Memorial
Observances Committee of a showing of the
documentary, Surviving Skokie. You can see it on
Monday evening, April 24, at 7:00 p.m. in Chadwick
Hall. If you plan to bring students, the film is suitable
for those who are a minimum of 13 years old.
Surviving Skokie documents Jack Adler’s poignant
Holocaust testimony to his filmmaker son, set amid
an American Nazi effort in 1977 to march on Adler’s
beloved Skokie, Illinois, home to almost 7,000 Shoah
survivors. The Nazi threat created seminal First
Amendment court cases, a survivor movement
confronting antisemitism and hatred, and a moving
connection between father and son.
For more information, you can visit the Facebook
page, HMOGreeleyNorthernColorado, or
www.aims.edu/student/studentlife/holocaust.
New Mission Proposal
“Bundles” is the temporary name for a proposed
mission to support church members and their families
with food during difficult or transitional events such
as rehab stays, returning
home from the hospital, the
birth of a baby, etc. Church
members can provide
immediate food assistance
with nutritional entrees from a recipe kit. Ways to be
involved are planning/organizing, putting together
ingredients for recipe kits, cooking, or making
donations to support our church families when they
experience challenging times. If you have questions
or want to learn more, contact Maddie Heil at 3565381 or [email protected].