September 23 , 2022

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

a congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM INSIGHTS

“Rejoice in the Savior always! I say it again: Rejoice! Let everyone see your forbearing spirit. Our Savior is near. Dismiss all anxiety from your minds; instead, present your needs to God through prayer and petition, giving thanks for all circumstances. Then God’s own peace, which is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:4-7, The Inclusive Bible)

Most of us know what it is to be consumed with fear and anxiety. Maybe it was only for a short time; a near miss while driving or a loss of footing while walking in the winter, or maybe it lasted for years; a child or parent who struggled or a medical condition that threatened your well-being. In either case, the worry and distress have the potential to displace virtually everything else in our lives. We lose sleep and can’t concentrate. We find it hard to make decisions or be creative. Nothing else seems to matter to us, and we can’t seem to find our way out of it.

 The above Bible passage is a good counter to our bouts of anxiety. Sometimes we roll our eyes at well-meaning friends who tell us not to worry. They often don’t take the time to find out the root of our anxiety and seem to minimize what we are going through. Hearing “Don’t worry – Be happy!” isn’t going to help much. But Paul knows what he is talking about. He writes to   Philippi from a jail cell. There was definitely reason to worry, but Paul chooses not to. He found ease for his anxiety by remembering that God was working in his life, even when it seemed unlikely. He kept up his prayer life and didn’t just ask God to fix things, but also remembered to express gratitude. This allowed him to rejoice, and to remember where this was all headed.

 In systems theory, anxiety is the root of a lot of our dysfunction. Anxiety short-circuits our logic and throws our decision-making process into the primitive part of our brain (sometimes called the “lizard brain,” but I don’t think that’s particularly fair to lizards!). What’s stored there, below our consciousness, are all of the patterns of behavior and reactions that were modeled for us by others when we were just forming our awareness. And the more anxious the situation, the deeper it imprinted on us. Violent episodes, angry words and actions, fear and hate, all got stored and the patterns got established as a “default setting” for tense situations. It’s why many of us hear our parents’ words coming out of our mouths when someone “pushes our buttons.”

 In the life of a congregation (which is, after all, a system), this can be especially destructive. We often don’t realize how important certain things are to us until someone tries to change them. We become anxious when someone wants to use guitars instead of the organ or replace the altar with a table or take the offering before the sermon. Our anxiety overrules our logic and reverts to imprinted stores of responses and we find ourselves saying and doing things that are out of character for us. The result is more anxiety in others and before we know it, the whole system is behaving in ways that inhibit good decisions and bad behavior is rewarded by stalled projects and nothing changes.

 In an interim time, this can be compounded by worry over the future of the congregation. A new minister means change, and no one can be sure the things they care most about won’t be affected. One part of the Interim Minister’s job is to lower the over-all anxiety level of the group. Often, just having someone in the position is enough to keep people from being anxious, but most of the time, the Interim works to maintain a “non-anxious presence.” Much like a control rod in a nuclear reactor, we absorb the anxiety of the system without reflecting it back into the system. (It’s one of the reasons an interim cannot be considered for the settled position – that would impair the ability to resist anxiety.)

 So I do understand that there is a lot riding on decisions that will be made in the near future, but in reality, that is always the case. What is different now is that we are more aware of it, and perhaps more anxious about it. And like Paul, I am going to   encourage you to “dismiss anxiety from your minds.” We make good decisions when we focus on how decisions are made. We have healthy systems when we respect boundaries and encourage honest communication and expression. And like Paul, we have to pay attention to our prayer life and remember to be grateful (and laugh a lot! Laughter is a good remedy for anxiety!). We will reach the future we want when we make decisions that are thoughtful, not fearful.  Amen.

   Pastor Dave 

Are You Thinking of Going on a Cruise? Think Again!!

 Jay and I went on a cruise along the coast of Alaska several years ago. We enjoyed it, but we didn’t realize we were helping to destroy our oceans. According to my summer newsletter from Friends of the Earth, “the massive ships often the size of skyscrapers and carrying thousands of tourists – nearly 30 million passengers cruised in 2019 – created tremendous amounts of pollution and waste that are destroying our oceans and marine life and devastating coastal communities.”

Cruise ships dump enormous amounts of waste. Glass and plastic end up in the bellies of marine wildlife. Noise from the ships impact whales and interfere with their natural behaviors. Whales also suffer violent collisions with cruise ships.

Coral reefs are being pushed to extinction by these ships. They pump oily bilge water, scrubber wastewater, hazardous waste and sewage into our oceans. The waste can increase acid in the waters while decreasing oxygen levels. These are conditions for algae blooms that threaten coral reefs and the abundant wildlife they host.

Friends of the Earth puts out an annual cruise ship report card which grades cruise giants on their environmental practices and shines a light on their push for profits over the health of our communities and oceans. To view the report card just click on the link: foe.org/cruise-report-card 

Leslie Cummings, for the Creation/Justice Team 

Neighbors in Need Special Offering of the United Church of Christ

 The Neighbors in Need offering, which we will receive on October 2, supports the UCC’s ministries of justice and compassion throughout the United States. Two-thirds of the offering is used by the UCC’s Justice and Witness Ministries to fund a wide array of local and national justice initiatives, advocacy efforts, and direct service projects. Through our national Justice and Local Church Ministries office. You can find resources, news updates, and action alerts on a broad spectrum of justice issues by clicking this link: Justice & Local . Working with members of the UCC Justice and Peace Action Network (a network of thousands of UCC justice and peace advocates), Justice and Witness continues its strong policy advocacy work on issues such as the federal budget, voting rights, immigration, health care, hate crimes, civil liberties, and environmental justice. Neighbors in Need also supports our American Indian neighbors in the UCC. One-third of the offering supports the UCC’s Council for American Indian Ministries (CAIM). Historically, forebears of the UCC established churches and worked with Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, Mandan, Hidatsa, Arickara, and Hocak in North and South Dakota, Wisconsin, and northern Nebraska. Today there are 20 UCC congregations on reservations and one urban, multi-tribal UCC congregation in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These churches and their pastors are supported by CAIM. CAIM is also an invaluable resource for more than 1,000 individuals from dozens of other tribes and nations who are members of other UCC congregations in the U.S. With your assistance, we together can help our Neighbors in Need Please give generously. And remember, contributions to Neighbors in Need can be made online at any time. Please visit www.peopleschurchofflint.org to donate. Designate your check or electronic contribution for "Neighbors in Need" or "NiN".

Pastor Dave 

Upcoming Affiliate Activities

    Informational Links:    

Quarterly Council Meeting      Environmental Justice is Racial Justice       Installation Service   or   Edgewood UCC, Youtube 

CLICK HERE for Zoom link:     Heather Cox Richardson

GOOD THINGS are HAPPENING in and

AROUND US 

Search Committee Update, The Search Committee is completing the Profile of Peoples Church (a document that gathers information about a church) and will be sending it out soon to our denominations. The Profile asks questions about our history, our current faith journey, our finances, and our demographics. Through the information we have provided, the Profile will give a description of who we are as Peoples Church. The Committee has taken great care to honestly portray who we are. Applicants will read this profile and ask themselves if they can envision joining us and if they can, they will send their application. We will read each application and as a team decide which applicants, we think would be a good fit for Peoples Church. The Search Committee is mindful of what we have been entrusted to do and what the congregation has shared with us through the surveys we sent out. We are looking forward to the next stage of the process and of course to our choice of the right person to be with us on our journey.

 Thanks so much!

                                                                Linda Angus, Search Committee Member

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

 Adult Forum, 9:30 am Sundays, is presently in-between books. We will be reading various works of poetry until our next book has been chosen. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .

Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!

September 09 , 2022

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

a congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM INSIGHTS

If you insist on remaining silent at this time, vindication and liberation will come to our people through another source, but both you and your family will surely die. Who’s to say? – you may have come into the royal court for just this moment. (Esther 4:14, The Inclusive Bible)

The words above (written in Hebrew originally) were sent in a note by Mordecai, a Jew living in Susa, the capitol of the Persian  Empire and working for the government, to his adopted daughter, who was a member of the royal harem who had been elevated to Queen of the Empire. An edict had been issued that all Jews remaining in the Empire were to be killed in the most barbaric and cruel way. (No one in authority knew that their queen was a Jew!) So in the face of genocide, Mordecai is asking Esther to consider how and why she came to be Queen.

It is often in retrospect that we figure out the “why” of the events of our lives. What seems random and unimportant to us suddenly seems to have been part of a greater scheme or plan that as events were unfolding, made no sense to us. Maybe we only changed a well-worn routine in a very minor way, but in so doing we avoided a catastrophe. Maybe a particularly trying time in our life gave us the strength we needed to face something even worse. Maybe we were in the right place at the right time to make a major difference in someone’s life. What I like about Mordecai’s note is that it recognizes the sovereignty of God. If we say no to what God wants, God will make it happen through someone else. But at the same time, it does not let Esther off the hook. “You may have come into the royal court for just this moment.” God had a hand in positioning her for the work that needed to be done.

Maybe it’s because I have thought long and hard about my own call to ministry over the years, but I am in awe of this whole idea. Before we even know there will be a need for something, God is working to put the right people and resources into place. I normally don’t think of God as the Cosmic Puppeteer, pulling the strings that make people behave in certain ways, but over and over again, people of faith, myself included, have discerned a pattern to how God works. We look back at the events of our communities and see that God provides what is needed.

In an interim time, it is important to remember that. Before a pastor even decides to leave a congregation, God has already been working to bring the next pastor into the void. Our whole understanding of “ordination” is based on the spiritual understanding that God “ordains” people to serve. So, even now, God is working to equip and call people to serve Peoples Church of Flint, even after your next pastor is long gone!

If that sounds too deterministic to your ears, don’t worry; it sounds that way to me, too! I don’t like the idea that my career has been one long string of pre-ordained jobs. I like to think I had some say in the events of my life. But, even so, if I had said no to  anything, “vindication” would have come from another source. (I sometimes imagine that there is a slight pause where God puts up a screen-saver and says, “recalculating,” before the new plan goes into effect!) And I think we can take comfort in the knowledge that this is how God works, inviting and persuading, equipping and calling, until we say “yes” to God’s work. So even now, as our search committee puts together a profile, our finance team comes up with a package of salary and benefits, and our members and friends build on the ministries we do together, God is putting into place the right person for just this moment.  Amen.

  Pastor Dave 

It’s Not Just The Turtles

Did You Know? Single-use plastics account for 40 percent of the  plastic produced every year. Did you know plastic bags and food wrappers have a lifespan of mere minutes to hours, yet they may persist in the environment for hundreds of years?                                              

The chips that were in the bag might have been tasty but the bag… not so much.

“Once in the ocean, it is difficult—if not impossible—to retrieve  plastic waste. Mechanical systems, such as Mr. Trash Wheel, a litter interceptor in Maryland’s Baltimore Harbor, can be effective at picking up large pieces of plastic, such as foam cups and food containers, from inland waters. But once plastics break down into micro-plastics and drift throughout the water column in the open ocean, they are virtually impossible to recover.”     

“Millions of animals are killed by plastics every year, from birds to fish to other marine organisms. Nearly 700 species, including endangered ones, are known to have been affected by plastics. Nearly every species of seabird eats plastics.”

“Most of the deaths to animals are caused by entanglement or starvation. Seals, whales, turtles, and other animals are strangled by abandoned fishing gear or discarded six-pack rings. Micro-plastics have been found in more than 100 aquatic species, including fish, shrimp, and mussels destined for our dinner plates. In many cases, these tiny bits pass through the digestive system and are expelled without consequence. But plastics have also been found to have blocked digestive tracts or pierced organs, causing death. Stomachs so packed with plastics reduce the urge to eat, causing starvation.”

“Plastics have been consumed by land-based animals, including elephants, hyenas, zebras, tigers, camels, cattle, and other large mammals, in some cases causing death.  Tests have also confirmed liver and cell damage and disruptions to reproductive systems, prompting some species, such as oysters, to produce fewer eggs. New research shows that larval fish are eating nanofibers in the first days of life, raising new questions about the effects of plastics on fish populations.”

 Above is from:   Plastic bag bans are spreading. But are they truly effective? (nationalgeographic.com)

   Kendall Brown, for the Creation/Justice Team 

GOOD THINGS are HAPPENING in and AROUND US

Transition Update, Hello Peoples People! With great strength and connectedness, we are completing the first season as a church moving through the preparation stages of finding our new pastor.  We have worshiped together, prayed together, worked together, eaten together, celebrated together, and looked to our future together.  The Board of Directors is communicating about the business of the church.  Pastor Dave is leading and guiding us as needed.  Jay, with all his discernment and love, continues to help those who have needs within our community. Carla and the Search Committee invest their time and spirit in finding our next leader. Jerry and Karla continue to help the needs of our church and office run smoothly.  We have seen new faces.  We have seen the reemergence of friendly faces.  Together we will enter each season stronger than the one before, more dedicated to our mission, more engaged to “be the change”, and more reverent of each other.  

In that vein, remember that our September 18th service will be dedicated to RIP Medical Debt Relief. There is a letter attached to the last edition of Peoples Press that details this program.  Please plan to help in whatever way you can, using the link provided in that letter. You can donate on the 18th, or at any time through the link in the letter.

RIP Medical Debt link:, click here.

And as always, the board and I are here to help you as you need.

FYI: for weekly sermon information, please refer to the calendar on our church webpage:

https://peopleschurchofflint.org/ 

Blessings,

Jamie Schmidt, Moderator

Search Committee Update, If each of us wrote down what we anticipate our next pastor to 'look' like, I suspect we'd have 75 different responses, and that is no surprise. To be sure, as evidenced by the feedback from the surveys the search committee sent out, there is also much agreement! With each discussion by the search committee on this matter, we have affirmed that our desire is to first and foremost seek a pastor that aligns with Peoples Church's vision and mission statements as well as our Garland Declaration and defining documents. We are determined to be open to whomever aligns with our statement to live 'Jesus' way of social justice'. That person may not initially 'look' like what we individually envision or imagine, but that is part of the joy (and the challenge) of living Jesus' way, and we are often surprised by where that leads us! We strive therefore, to be open to every applicant, to listen to the Spirit's leading, to be prepared for something new, for something we didn't anticipate; or perhaps, for exactly what we imagined. As always, please continue to pray for the search committee and the applicants. Our hope is that we honor all that Peoples Church stands for.

Thanks so much!

                                                                Carla Pierik, Chair Search Committee

Upcoming Affiliate Activities

Excavating Our Roots: Baptist History and the Origins of White Supremacy in the United States

November 10-12, 2022
The Equal Justice Initiative, Montgomery, Alabama
Ticket Price: $50/person

The Alliance of Baptists Invites you to join us November 10-12 in Montgomery, Alabama for a pilgrimage to the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Legacy Museum as part of our ongoing efforts to become an antiracist organization. The National Peace and Justice Memorial is the nation’s first memorial dedicated to the legacy of enslavement, lynching, racial segregation, Jim Crow, and police brutality. The Legacy Museum tells the story of how our nation went from enslavement to mass incarceration. Together they provide a more full context of the history of racial violence in the United States and the contemporary manifestations of that violence. Additionally, they help to show how racial violence was and is common in our society. The hope of the museum and the memorial is that if people know what happened and is happening we will be moved to act differently and chart a different course.
The museum and the memorial are the perfect place for us, as a group of progressive and liberation-oriented Baptists, to go as we go deeper into our antiracist work. While we rightfully seek to stand on the right side of history through our actions today, the history of Baptists is one that is intimately involved in our country’s  history of racial violence and white supremacy. As Baptists we must reckon with our role in a violent past that continues to shape our future. By visiting the memorial and the museum together we will get the opportunity to sit with that history and imagine new possibilities. 

Conference Annual Meeting October 22 (via Zoom)

Installation of The Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel, October 23 (Hybrid service)

In-person at Edgewood UCC, East Lansing, online via Youtube

https://www.youtube.com/EdgewoodUnitedChurch

 COVENANT ASSOCIATION

The Covenant Association Committee on Ministry invites you to attend

“Ceremony for Blessing a New Ministry”

for Rev. Jenn Tafel

 Haslett Community Church

1427 Haslett Rd.
Haslett, MI 48840

 3:00 p.m.  Sunday, September 25th

 Clergy are invited to robe and wear red stoles.

A light reception to follow.

Quarterly Council Meeting, which gathers pastors and representatives from the churches for community building, worship, and business. It will occur Saturday morning October 15, and will be held Hybrid — in person and online both. Go to www.abcmc.org.

  Informational Links:

The Alliance of Baptists

Installation Service

Quarterly Council Meeting

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Thursday Book Group, is reading The History of the Bible is Black by Dr. Theron D. Williams. This book is described as, “An unveiling of truth captivating, thorough, and culturally liberating!” For more information please contact Jay Cummings at 517-392-0209.

 Adult Forum, 9:30 am Sundays, is presently in-between books. We will be reading various works of poetry until our next book has been chosen. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .

Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!

August 26, 2022

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

a congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM INSIGHTS

Now on the same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. (Luke 24:13-17, NRSV)

My parents grew up in the years following The Great Depression, and because of that, they acquired some quirky ways of doing things. My dad saved used nails, straightened and reused them. My Mom saved bread wrappers, aluminum foil, and Cool Whip containers. When I heard them talk about their childhoods, there was a wistfulness in their stories, almost as if they missed those days, but not enough to want them to come back again. Life was hard for them, but there was also a sense of community and   interdependence that made them value others and recognize their own worth as well.

We sometimes find ourselves, like the disciples in the Emmaus story, telling stories from the past with some longing for what used to be. Certainly, Jesus’ followers were in grief and pain after the crucifixion, traumatized by the violent end to such a hopeful and idealistic period in their lives. Luke tells us that when Jesus (whom they don’t recognize) presses the two walking disciples for details about their conversation, they stop walking. And that is how grief often is for us. It immobilizes us and distracts of from many of the tasks at hand. But we cannot proceed until we tell the story again, invite others into our pain and accept our loss as real and irreversible. I have heard it said that all change involves loss, and all loss evokes grief, and all grief must be mourned.

Peoples Church of Flint has seen a lot of changes in the last few years, that cannot be denied. I have heard you telling the stories, describing people who are no longer part of the congregation, and programs that no longer exist. There is a wistfulness to many of these conversations. It would be normal and expected in any congregation whose pastor has departed to find a sense of loss and grief, but for Peoples Church, it is a change compounded by a long series of significant changes. The progress you’ve made is    laudable, but there have been losses also, and the inevitable grief that goes with them. There is nothing wrong with grieving change. It does not mean that you want to go back to what was, or that you don’t want to be part of what is unfolding. And it is okay to stand still for a moment or two, reflecting on the story you share. It is how grief gives way to purpose.

Luke does not tell us when the trio in this story starts moving again. Maybe no one in the group realized when it started. Suddenly, they are near their destination. Perhaps that is the metaphor that Luke intends. There are lots of indicators that you are on the move: plans for the facility, efforts for justice and compassion, strengthening community and a process for hiring a new minister. But we mustn’t confuse busyness with progress, or substitute activity for the hard work of grieving. Maybe you have already attended to your grief. Maybe it is a part of your daily routine. But I invite you to visit your losses again, whatever they are, and tell the story again. With any luck, you will find that there has been on this journey with you, a Divine Presence that opens you to the future.  Amen.

  Pastor Dave 

80 Years! There are many to thank for the fun time after church celebrating my 80th. (I still can’t believe I’m 80!). Laura Eufinger and my daughter Kathy Eaton head the list! I know Joe Eufinger pitched in too. And several others who aren’t from Peoples Church. Everything was so pretty and delicious!  I loved the banner Karla Holiday put together and I’m still looking over all the cards, notes and pictures given to me. Thank you to everyone who came. It is a memory that boosted my spirits and made me feel loved. 

Karen Eaton 

An Ancient Companionship: Mystics and Naturalists

 Frequently heard is the comment, “I am not religious but very spiritual.” The words ‘spiritual’ and ‘spirituality’ have become catchwords so burdened with use that meaningfulness has been wrung out of them. In the academic world which prepared me and many others, the rich, deep spiritual side of Christianity was largely overlooked or briefly footnoted in Christian history classes. In spite of this abuse, Christian spirituality is manifested in the lives of the Mystics who have been active and around since Biblical days.

One would be hard pressed to study the life of a mystic without learning about the mystic’s devotion to meditation.

The shamans, healers, sages, and wisdom keepers of all times, all continents, and all peoples, in their ageless wisdom, say that human spirituality is composed of three aspects: relationships, values, and life purpose -- Five characteristics of spirituality include: meaning, value, transcendence, connecting (with oneself, others, God/supreme power and the environment), and becoming (the growth and progress in life)

 Some mystics have developed practices still widely used today. Modern methods of meditation draw from a well of wisdom and traditions that is fed by many streams of faith and is not limited to Christian traditions alone. Tara Brach is a prominent meditation teacher. Her work is rooted in Buddhism and, like the work of many who teach meditation practice, has a strong appreciation for our oneness with the universe in a manner that reflects Buddha, Francis of Assisi, Hildegard of Bingen and Thomas Merton and many others. Important to mindfulness, as Brach teaches, is the concept of kindness. The spiritual self is kind to one’s self, others and the environment (including the universe). Through this kindness our environment and all nature take on a wholly different  dimension in our faith life. No longer is nature or the universe simply the physical stage upon which our salvation history, both  individual and communal, is worked out. Through meditation, the physical world becomes an essential part of our spiritual life as we ourselves become more aware of our oneness with nature. Having even a small part of that experience makes inevitable being an advocate for the natural world. A person cannot claim to be spiritual without assuming responsibility for the care of the earth. 

 Having said the above, it is no wonder that meditation and mystical experience go hand in hand with environmental activism and stewardship. William Blake, John Lennon, Henry Thoreau, Samuel Coleridge, Ralph W, Emerson and many others with a transcendental/mystical bent might say, “We told you so.”

 Footnotes:

1.Google.Elements of spirituality.

2 Guided Meditations - Basic Meditations - Tara Brach. 

  Kendall Brown, for the Creation/Justice Team 

To Michigan Conference UCC Churches,

Did you know that medical debt is the number one cause of personal bankruptcies in America? And 1 in 10 adults in the U.S. have medical debt?

Bethel UCC in Waterford, in conjunction with the Prophetic Integrity Mission Area Team, has partnered with RIP Medical Debt  Relief, has started a campaign to eliminate the total amount of personal medical debt for every person in Michigan who fits the criteria of low-income as described by the National Poverty Level. 

I’m asking you and your congregation to join us in this important endeavor.

Every donated dollar we raise together allows Rip Medical Debt Relief to reduce Michigan’s entire debt of $4 million, as part of a bundled portfolio, for pennies on the dollar. Therefore, our goal is to raise the entire $40,000 it will take to eliminate Michigan’s entire debt.

That means, that if every UCC church in Michigan raises $275 and donates it to our campaign, UCC churches of Michigan will be responsible for eliminating the entire Michigan debt, thereby relieving the crushing burden placed on already sick Michiganders who cannot afford the medical cost of their illness. We are urging each church to give what they can and raise what they can. And ask their friends, families, and ecumenical partners to join in.

Won’t you please join your fellow UCC members who are following God’s direction as stated in Hebrews 13:6 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

All you have to do is visit ripmedicaldebt.org and find “Michigan UCC – United in Love” located under the “Campaigns” tab.  

(Or Click here)

For questions, or more information, contact Rev. Dr. Diane Baker, at betheluccwat@sbcglobal.net 

We will touch base with you in the coming days.

To learn more about RIP Medical Debt, click here.

Thank you in advance for joining us to do justice, love mercy, and eliminate medical debt!

 In Christ’s love,

Rev. Jay Cummings, Facilitator – Prophetic Integrity Team – Michigan Conference UCC

517-392-0209

Bethel United Church of Christ and the
Prophetic Integrity Mission Area Team

GOOD THINGS are HAPPENING in and AROUND US

Let’s Discuss Someone You Already Know: Peoples Church’s own Jay Cummings, in 2021 realized a goal of running a marathon in all 50 states – yes, all 50 states. Along with running a marathon in each one of the nation’s states. So let’s put this achievement into perspective. A marathon race is 26.2 miles or 42.195 kilometers long. By Jay running a marathon in each of the 50 states (okay, do the math with me, +1-13 ÷ by ? to find X=) 1,310 miles or 2,109.75 kilometers. Of course this doesn’t include the many hours of mental and physical preparation throughout the years.

Jay has also participated in The Great Wall Marathon held in the Peoples Republic of China. Just some fun facts regarding The Great Wall Marathon. The segment of the wall used for the marathon consists of 5,164 stair-steps (doesn’t that make your joints ache just thinking about it)? The race is the standard 42.195 kilometers or a total of 26.2 miles long and reaches an elevation of 493  meters or 1617 feet at the tallest peak. Since the inception of the marathon in 1999, the race has been recognized as one of the world’s most arduous races. So needless to say (but I’m gonna mention it anyway) this is a race that’s not for the faint-at-heart.

Has it been mentioned that Jay is a joyful 76 years young?     

So anywho, Jay thank you for being living example of what determination and dedication can help one achieve.

For the full article about Jay click this link:

Transition Update, Hello Peoples People! As we are moving into the final weeks of summer, your board is already looking ahead at what tasks can we still get completed this year (external painting, etc.) and the early talks on the 2023 budget have begun.  We are doing well with Pastor Dave at our helm and with the Search Committee working tirelessly to complete the Profile for a new pastor.  

At our board meeting last week, we discussed how we could include RIP Medical Debt Relief into our fall service.  There is a letter attached to this edition of Peoples Press that details this program.  Please plan to help in whatever way you can, using the link  provided.  On September 18 we will make this the theme of our service and you can donate at that time as well 

Also, feel free to reach out to Pastor Dave either via the church office at 810-767-4911 or through his email at davidsickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org . If you would like to schedule a personal meet and greet with Pastor Dave please call Karla at the church office. His “in-office” days are Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

 And as always, the board and I are here to help you as you need.

FYI: for weekly sermon information, please refer to the calendar on our church webpage:

https://peopleschurchofflint.org/ 

Blessings,

Jamie Schmidt, Moderator

Search Committee Update, In our last update we asked you to pray for our future pastor, that their heart be drawn to the vision of Peoples Church, their spirit ignited, and their faith emboldened. Today we ask you also keep the Search Committee in your prayers, the individual members and our work as a team. We are reaching a turning point in our work--even as the profile nears completion we are already receiving applications. How exciting! But now our attention turns to capturing the essence of each applicant drawing from the details and facts that are provided, reading between the lines, and gathering a sense about each applicant. Pray for wisdom to choose the best candidate to lead us into whatever may lay ahead for Peoples Church. For patience, clarity, humility and agreement through respectful dialogue. For grace as we consider each applicant and our individual responses. And that we remain always mindful of the vision of Peoples Church and our responsibility to the trust you have given us in this work.

Thanks so much!

                                                                Carla Pierik, Chair Search Committee

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Thursday Book Group, is reading The History of the Bible is Black by Dr. Theron D. Williams. This book is described as, “An unveiling of truth captivating, thorough, and culturally liberating!” For more information please contact Jay Cummings at 517-392-0209.

 Adult Forum, 9:30 am Sundays, is presently in-between books. We will be reading various works of poetry until our next book has been chosen. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .

Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!

August 12, 2022

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

a congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

INTERIM INSIGHTS

With school buses returning to the streets and more congestion around schools at certain times of day, it’s obvious that summer is winding down. I try to remember to be patient with traffic and groups of rowdy people heading past our house (we live four blocks from the campus of CMU). Maybe this is because I enjoyed my time in formal educational settings and spent some years on the other side of the oak desk as a substitute teacher. I rankled a bit when people (students and faculty) referred to me as “JUST a  substitute!” I like to think that I gave some students who had a hard time connecting with their “regular” teachers an opportunity to enjoy a different presentation style, a different method, or a new insight.

 Oddly enough, I still have to contend with the misconception that I am “Just a substitute.” When I took the interim ministry training way back in the early 2000s, more than one of my   instructors said, “Remember, your first name is not Justin!” (as in “Just an” Interim). It is true that as an interim, there are some things that it makes no sense for me to do. I am not going to initiate programs or projects that are likely to fizzle as soon as I leave. I am not going to work hard at forging deep relationships that will necessarily end when your new minister comes. I am not going to insist that you paint the minister’s office my favorite color, or equip it with a latte steamer (well, I would not object to that last one!).

 So I thought it might be well to outline briefly what a typical interim would focus on in the relatively brief time they have to work. Usually the initial days include (besides the usual learning curve of starting a new position) addressing any residual issues that are lingering from the departure of the previous minister. There can be a lot of grief, regret, disappointment and even anger that the departure occurred. And let’s be honest, there can also be relief, conflict, and  resentment if things ended on a sour note. Interims are trained to identify and address things that may linger.

 After getting settled in, the interim typically turns their attention to what I consider “institutional development.” We mine the church’s history for points of reference and traditions that either inspire or no longer have relevance and either use them or put them to rest. We support leadership that is in place and encourage new leaders to step up to the plate. We strengthen denominational links as a way of connecting congregations to more resources and opportunities. We identify any barriers that may exist in the decision making, planning or implementation processes. In general, we hold up the mirror so that the church can be unflinchingly honest in evaluating and deciding for a  successful future, while remaining true to its  purpose and  identity.

 Finally, as the interim nears the end of their tenure, the focus shifts to preparing for and committing to new leadership and new ministry. This includes ensuring a smooth transition to the next minister and also establishing healthy boundaries that will guide church members to reliance on their new minister for pastoral care, administrative leadership and spiritual growth.

 In many educational settings, it has become common for those teaching and those learning to establish some agreement or covenant as to how things will work. I now have an agreement or covenant to do the work of an interim with and among you, but it is really your work, your future and your vision that we are trying to cultivate. If we are attentive to our roles and to the guidance of the Spirit, we will find the way God intends for us.

  Pastor Dave 

YOU’RE INVITED!

To come celebrate Karen Eaton's 80 years of spreading love and laughter! We look forward to seeing you and sharing stories, food, and cheer. In lieu of gifts, we invite you to bring a favorite picture of Karen to share.

Please RSVP here :

 https://forms.gle/nTQbU7JBZMzyMiUv9 

 FINDING GROUND for ACTIVISM in SPIRITUALITY

The widely long-accepted truism that religion and science conflict with each other has wrongly kept too many scientifically minded and spiritually oriented folk at arm’s length from each other.  Science and religion (reason and faith) have too long been regarded as mutually exclusive arenas.  While planning a funeral with a highly educated and very intelligent family, many ministers have heard the request, “Please keep religion out of it.”  This anti-religion stance sometimes appears in wedding planning with the    request to keep prayers and God-talk to a minimum. For the church, this dualistic misunderstanding is a crying-out for more  attention to faith enrichment through educational effort (study groups, classes, programs, individual reading and meditation, preaching, and newsletter articles).

 My college experience of a religion major combined with a strong minor in biology only deepened my sense of the close interconnectedness of the two fields. Doing chromosome counts for genetics class while studying Genesis and the Psalms was a perfect marriage of curriculum for me.  My prayer-life (spirituality) became grounded in a core sense of thankfulness joined with a deeper feeling of awe.  Thankfulness and awe are two spiritual stances which are good to be in at the beginning and end of each day.  They are good spirits to keep with you all the day through.  The Psalms can be read and Hubble Space pictures can be viewed with the very same spirit of thankfulness and awe, wonder and humility.

 Living out of the above personal journey, I have been pleased and excited by recent self-discoveries of healing places in the world for the reason/faith wounded-ness.  The healing is provided by a movement to unite spirituality and environmental activism.  On May 24, 2015, Pope Francis issued the Encyclical Letter, Laudato Si’: On Care for Our Common Home. 

 Op.sic.Sec.IV.93 reads:

“Whether believers or not, we are agreed today that the earth is essentially a shared inheritance, whose fruits are meant to benefit everyone. For believers, this becomes a question of fidelity to the Creator, since God created the world for everyone. Hence every ecological approach needs to incorporate a social perspective which takes into account the fundamental rights of the poor and the underprivileged. The principle of the subordination of private property to the universal destination of goods, and thus the right of everyone to their use, is a golden rule of social conduct and “the first principle of the whole ethical and social order”.[71]  The Christian tradition has never recognized the right to private property as absolute or inviolable, and has stressed the social purpose of all forms of private property.”

 And there is much more to be explored.  The Environmental Crisis calls us to much more than attention to political action, to environmental justice and to all the other injustices in the world.  An awareness is growing of our need to give attention to the  spiritual side of our lives and how important this attention is to our ability to fully respond to humanity’s greatest crisis – global warming.  The University of Minnesota seems to be on the forefront of work in partnering spirituality and environmental stewardship.  If you are interested, the below links will get you started.  The popular hymn “Let There Be Peace on Earth” prays, “Let it Begin with Me.”  We keep banging our heads against the wall wondering what to do and how to do it in the work of social justice and creation stewardship.  Perhaps it would help to reconsider our starting point. The neat twist in the spiritual work that is being explored in the sources below and in other places, is that starting from the spiritual awareness side forces us to “let it begin with me.”  Spirituality is a matter of being alongside God by going inside ourselves.

 How are Spirituality and the Environment Connected? | Frank P. Daversa (frankdaversa.com)

Change Your Thinking about Planetary Health | Taking Charge of Your Health & Wellbeing (umn.edu)

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/

https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/mindfulness-racial-justice

Kendall Brown, for the Creation/Justice Team 

GOOD THINGS are HAPPENING in and AROUND US

Transition Update, Hello Peoples People! !  I hope this week finds you in good health and good spirits. I am enjoying every single minute of summer. Summer is my favorite season, and it ends too soon (for me!) This week we come to you asking for your assistance. We work to greet each person that joins us for service in-person and online. Our current greeters continue to offer welcoming regards each week. Now we are in need of some additional help. Below are the guidelines for what is asked of our greeters. Please reach out to Karla in the church office 810-767-4911 and get your name on the list.  She will begin reaching out as well.

Also, feel free to reach out to Pastor Dave either via the church office at 810-767-4911 or through his email at davidsickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org . If you would like to schedule a personal meet and greet with Pastor Dave please call Karla at the church office. His “in-office” days are Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

 And as always, the board and I are here to help you as you need.

FYI: for weekly sermon information, please refer to the calendar on our church webpage:

https://peopleschurchofflint.org/ 

Blessings,

Jamie Schmidt, Moderator

 DOOR Greeter Guidelines

• Arrive 15 minutes before service for those that may come early [I’d suggest at least 20…so everything is in place before folks start showing up]

• Make sure there are masks and communion cups on the entry stand (stock is under this stand)

• Stay near the front door to greet those joining us—it is helpful to sit toward the back of the church throughout to greet late arrivals and minimize disruptions

• Ask each attendee to sign-in and take a communion cup

• At this time they must be wearing a mask, and we have extras if needed

• If someone is brand new, it’s nice to introduce them to a member, if possible, so they have someone to sit with during service

• During the offertory, walk around with the plate/basket to collect any offerings

• During announcements, collect communion cups (plastic basket and napkins to line it are in the stand)

After service please just leave the sign-in sheet on the Greeter’s stand and Karla will pick it up on Monday morning when she arrives.

ONLINE Greeter Guidelines

• This can be done from home or from church (however at church, volume must be off)

• Login as Peoples Church (info/access shared prior to greeting) as the service is starting

• Greet each person that joins, with a welcoming message

• If someone has a question that you cannot answer, let them know you will share with the appropriate person and confirm a way to reach out

• Most people join in the first twenty minutes, but stay logged in and  checking for new joiners throughout the service

• Once the service is over, you’re all done for the day

  
SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE

We are a church without a settled pastor. Somewhere there is a pastor who is looking for a church (whether they know it at this moment or not!). The Peoples Church nearly-completed profile is what we hope will help bring us together. As many hours as the Search Committee has spent answering detailed questions with facts and carefully worded pictures of who we are, we also recognize the hovering presence of the Spirit's leading. We are not in this alone (a most reassuring thought).

 Nearly 20 years ago a colleague of mine gently asked if she could pray for me. Why, I wondered, since my life was on a good track. 'Of course' I said, rather flippantly (why not?), and I put it out of mind. A week later I learned I had a brain tumor. I am pretty sure her prayers (before I even had an inkling of the changes that lay ahead) were the foundation for the following months and I am forever grateful. The Spirit was hovering, preparing the way.

The point? We ask that you pray for our future pastor, whoever that may be. A preparatory foundation for the years we will share together. We've adapted our pre-meeting litany to include this petition and I include it here if you care to join us in our weekly recitation.

 We pray for God’s holy presence amidst change.

We pray for comfort because loss is part of change.

We pray for Christ-like steadfastness during the challenges of transition and seasons of faith.

We pray for reassurance through all of our struggles.

We pray for the abundant creativity the Spirit provides.

We pray for our loved ones in this community of faith.

We pray for God’s children beyond this community.

We pray for our pastor-to-be. We pray that you prepare the way; that their heart be drawn to the vision of Peoples Church, their spirit ignited, and their faith emboldened. In your wisdom bring us together.  Amen

Thanks so much!

                                                                Carla Pierik, Chair Search Committee

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Thursday Book Group, is reading The History of the Bible is Black by Dr. Theron D. Williams. This book is described as, “An unveiling of truth captivating, thorough, and culturally liberating!” For more information please contact Jay Cummings at 517-392-0209.

 Adult Forum, 9:30 am Sundays, is presently in-between books. We will be reading various works of poetry until our next book has been chosen. Join us either in person at church or via Zoom .

Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!

July 29, 2022

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

a congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

Pastor David Sickelka, Interim Pastor

INTERIM INSIGHTS

If you’ve seen the movie classic, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Spencer Tracy, Katherine Hepburn, Sidney Poitier, Katherine Houghton), you know that initial meetings can be fraught with anxiety. There is a lot at stake when we start down the path of a relationship, especially when we live in the liminality of transitions and the tensions of a polarized culture. My goal in writing this little blurb is to help you to know me better and ease any anxieties about my work among you.

 While I technically became your interim minister on July 18, my wife’s positive Covid test made it prudent for me to delay my physical presence among you until July 24, so I have been  working at home and joining meetings via Zoom. Now my work enters the “face-to-face” phase as you look for a pastor who will serve you in a more settled position. The interim time is not simply a matter of making sure that a pastor is covering Sunday services and calling on the sick. It is a time in which the congregation and interim minister work together to prepare for a new phase of ministry and mission under new pastoral leadership. I will do my best to see that we are so prepared and will do more explaining of this process as we travel this road together.

 Before being trained for interim ministry as a specialty, I served churches in western Nebraska, and southern Illinois. I then did interim ministry in Indiana, serving churches in Fort Wayne, La Porte, South Bend, Elkhart and Goshen. After ten years of interim ministry, I accepted the call to be a settled pastor in Urbandale, Iowa, a suburb of Des Moines (yes, even Des Moines has suburbs!).

 We now live in Mt. Pleasant where my spouse, Susan, and I are laying the groundwork to start a house church. I will back away from that a bit while I work at Peoples Church. We have two children, Captain Anthony Sickelka, U.S. Army and Shannon Pike, married to Austin. We are also grandparents of Dean Sickelka and Jackson Pike. That last bit I will not be  backing away from, as those of you who are grandparents will understand. More of my story will unfold as we spend time  together but suffice it to say for now that my values and theology seem to be in tune with what I know of Peoples Church, so I am excited for the synergy that will spring forth as we live in the challenges and joy of being faithful to our gifts and callings.

And so it begins…. Pastor Dave 

GOOD THINGS are HAPPENING in and AROUND US

Transition Update, Hello Peoples People!  This Sunday, July 31st, will be the first week our Interim Pastor, David Sickelka, will be sharing the message with us at Peoples Church. We hope you can either join us in person or tune-in online to hear him. Please feel free to reach out to Pastor Dave either via the church office at 810-767-4911 or through his email at davidsickelka@peopleschurchofflint.org . If you would like to schedule a personal meet and greet with Pastor Dave please call Karla at the church office. His “in-office” days are Tuesday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

Also, at Pastor Dave’s request we have brought together a few members to be his support while he is amongst us. They will be present for him as he learns about us and our needs, and help him with his needs. Pastor Dave will also be communicating with the Search Committee.

And as always, the board and I are here to help you as you need.

FYI: for weekly sermon information, please refer to the calendar on our church webpage:

https://peopleschurchofflint.org/ 

Blessings,

Jamie Schmidt, Moderator  

Thursday Book Group, is starting a new book this week, The History of the Bible is Black by Dr. Theron D. Williams. This book is described as, “An unveiling of truth captivating, thorough, and culturally liberating!” For more information please contact Jay Cummings at 517-392-0209.

DID YOU KNOW?

The UCC’s Connection to the Environmental Justice Movement

Our Adult Forum group that meets on Sundays before morning worship, is reading The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee. It is a fabulous read and I highly recommend it. The chapter we recently read contained a paragraph that I found interesting about the United Church of Christ:

“The birth of the Environmental Justice movement in the public consciousness was in 1982, when the state of North  Carolina’s   decision to dump contaminated soil in the small Black town of Warren was met with civil disobedience that resulted in five hundred arrests. One of those arrested was a leader of the United Church of Christ’s Commission for  Racial Justice, Dr. Benjamin Chavis Jr., who would go on to publish the first nationwide study on environmental racism five years later. The church’s groundbreaking “Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States” report found that race was the most important predictor of proximity to hazardous waste facilities in America and that three out of five Black and Latinx Americans lived in communities with toxic sites. Forty years later, government data still show that Black people are 1.5 times more likely to breathe polluted air and drink unsafe water than the overall population.”

Because Peoples Church is part of the United Church of Christ denomination, I felt proud to read this paragraph.  Let us watch for examples of environmental injustice that we need to speak out about. It is in our genes!!

Article by Leslie Cummings, of the Creation Justice Team

 SPEAKING TRUTH to POWER 

 To avoid having rotten tomatoes tossed my way, let me start with a spoiler alert/warning: If you haven’t already heard Serial Production’s investigative podcast series “The Trojan Horse Affair,” you will get a preview here. Then again, perhaps a spoiler alert isn’t needed at all since this tale has been told time and time again, with minor variations in actors and settings. But this specific tale, as told by Brian Reed and Hamza Syed, begins in 2014 with a mysterious, partial letter landing on the desk of a Birmingham (England) city council member’s desk. The letter, it appears, outlines a secret plot by Islamic extremists to infiltrate Birmingham schools by way of “Operation Trojan Horse”, radicalizing students and outing non-Muslims from school leadership positions. The letter was picked up by the media and political actors alike. Counterterrorism and educational policy were significantly altered in response, and those named in the letter were permanently banned from working in education. Seems like a fairly exaggerated response given that the letter’s first and last page have never been found, and the author never revealed, no? Yeah, it doesn’t surprise me either. But I digress. Hamza Syed hypothesized that if only he could identify the author of the letter and understand their intent, perhaps he could shine a new light on the story. Perhaps he could alter people’s presumptions about British Pakistani Muslims, and about Islam in general. He enlists the help of Brian Reed to get to the bottom of the letter. And guess what? Syed and Reed were able to definitively right a nearly decades long wrong by revealing the author and their lies, reversing harmful policy, and reenlisting the educators who were falsely named in the Trojan Horse letter! Just kidding—that would be too easy, wouldn’t it? Syed and Reed do come up with a very plausible explanation for the letter, which I will not reveal here (listen-I promise it is worth it!), but they ultimately were not able to obtain confessions or persuade much of anyone they talked to that actions were taken prematurely, and those actions had profound impact on people’s lives. While the story ends with a sense of frustration, it at the same time reminded me of something, something that Pastor Deb also reminded me of right before I made the decision to officially join Peoples Church:

“that speaking truth to power, no matter the outcome, is our duty.”

Here below is a snippet of conversation between Syed and one of the individuals dismissed from a former post as a result of the Trojan Horse letter.

 Achmad Dacosta: In Islam we are taught that when you are oppressed, you have to speak if you can’t change it physically. The only alternative is to speak. One of the highest forms of, I don’t like to use this word because it’s not understood very well, the word is jihad. But one of the highest forms of sacrifice is to speak against the dictator or an oppressor and tell him to his face that he is an oppressor and a dictator.

 Hamza Syed: I believe in this too, the value of speaking if there’s nothing else you can do to change something. I went to journalism on that premise. This series is what that sounds like. But while the implication of that guidance, to me at least, and I’m no scholar, is that speaking truth will lead to change. I don’t know if the prophet, peace be upon him, actually said that, and actually said where it would lead. He just said speaking truth in the face of oppression was one of the greatest forms of jihad, forms of struggle. And so that’s where I’m left, wondering if all of this, what we’ve told you, is headed towards change, or if this is just another profile of the struggle.

 Achmad Dacosta: For me, the goal is not the end. My goal is just the struggle. And if you have that vision, then you’re never completely defeated…

 Dacosta is urging Syed (and unintentionally all podcast listeners) to reframe our thinking. He is urging us to fight complacency. To do when there is something to be done, and to speak in defiance when action fails. When I am feeling a sense of burnout and    disillusionment, which admittedly I do feel from time to time, I will do my best to reframe my thinking. While I can never be sure at the outset that my voice or my actions will contribute to change, I should speak up and I should do nonetheless. Why? Because God calls us to be committed to the struggle and to one another.

Article by Lindsey Evans 

PEOPLES PLAZA SURVEY

Hey Peoples Church! The Peoples Plaza team is gearing up to pursue grant opportunities to bolster this exciting work. To be well positioned to secure funding, we need your help. If you could respond to this brief survey (should take no more than 5 minutes to complete) by August 7, we would very much appreciate your input. Thank you in advance for your time and consideration.  

Survey link:  https://nau.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_24SQ5wKTXx2if0W

SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE

As you have been reading these updates you know that much (all!) of our efforts have been concentrated on putting together our church's profile, the document that lays out who we are for prospective pastors. Working on a document such as the Church Profile involves paying attention to a lot of details about our church, and we find ourselves, appropriately, focusing on the trees for a time, and paying less attention to the forest, or the big picture (although that is always hanging in the background of our conversations).

 Now and then it is good to step back and get a good look at the forest. This week I shared an article by Jim Wallis (of Sojourners) with the Search Committee team that zoomed way out to reveal the momentous role that Christian churches, that Peoples Church, has to play in the challenging times we face ahead.

"The rising heresy of  White Christian nationalism – alarmingly being promoted by more and more right wing churches – has become the chief threat to genuine democracy in America. It is grounded in the racism and White supremacy of America’s original sin, which is the bigger lie underneath Trump’s big lie. A German church that supported the rise of Nazism to power is also a historically relevant phenomenon, as is the Confessing Church of resistance to Hitler led by theologians like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Martin Niemoller, and Karl Barth. And that will be the spiritual test of faith communities in America going forward."

 May we be a "Confessing Church of resistance"...

*Jim Wallis, Darkness and Lies Need Truth (God's Politics with Jim Wallis, 22 July 2022)

 Thanks so much!

                                                                Carla Pierik, Chair Search Committee 

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Adult Forum, 9:30 am Sundays, is reading Heather McGee's, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together. Join in by zoom or in person at church. And let us know if you need a book.

Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!

July 15, 2022

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

a congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

---

DESERVING of a SECOND CHANCE, 
featured Lifer: Jamie L. Meade

 In 1993, at the age of 19, Jamie L. Meade (Prison No. 232516) was charged, tried and convicted of accessory (theory) to felony murder. Jamie was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole (LWOP), also known as “Death-By- Incarceration,” for his role in the crime. Jamie’s codefendant (i.e. the principal) was found guilty of a lesser included offense and sentenced to 12 years in prison. Jamie’s trial and sentencing judge, [the Honorable] Sharon Travis-Finch (retired) supports his release and called his mandatory life sentence an injustice.

 Jamie is presently accepted in the Chicago Theological Seminary Online Master of Divinity (MDiv) program taking online classes at the Macomb Correctional Facility. In May of 2015, Jamie was awarded a Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with concentrations in Criminal Justice and Legal Studies from Adams State University. Jamie also has completed certifications in: Victim Advocacy, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Paralegal Assistant. In addition, Jamie has completed three MDOC vocational trades and over 60 rehabilitation programs.

 Jamie is a long-standing member of the National Lifers of America and presently sits on their national board as both the National Resource Director and the Internal State Director. Jamie is a core member of the Chance for Life Organization and is the Inside Director and an advisor to The Adolescent Redemption Project, a trained facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project – Michigan. Jamie also actively participates in the TARPPodcast.com with Emma Axtell and AmplifiedSilencePodcast.com with Kyle Robinson, doing regular interviews about criminal justice reform and everyday experiences of a LWOP prisoner. In addition, Jamie is the editor of the Michigan Lifers Report Newsletter, giving those forgotten lifers a platform to be heard.

 Jamie is a Member in Discernment in the United Church of Christ Michigan Covenant Association on the path to ordained ministry. He is committed to serving God and the community. Jamie is an activist working hard to end mass incarceration, to reform the criminal justice system, and to tackle the tough social injustice issues people face on the inside and outside of prison. Jamie Meade [turns 49 in August and] is deserving of a second chance.           

You can follow Jamie on social media at:
BLOG | FB | TWITTER | IG
  (this article was shared by Laura Eufinger)

GOING FLEXITARTAN
Leslie Cummings,  for the Creation/Justice

We at Peoples Church have heard a lot about being Vegan or Vegetarian. Some have taken the plunge and love it. Others have had no interest. Some don’t want to change because they don’t want to give up their favorite meat or dairy product. Others feel it is too difficult to come up with new things to cook. I am trying to become a flexitarian! The word is a combination of flexible and vegetarian. It allows one to be a vegetarian some of the time, while also allowing one to give in and eat meat when one feels the urge.

 We all know that things aren’t looking good for planet earth. What is coming will be far worse if we don’t slash greenhouse gas emissions. Food accounts for nearly 1/3 of our global emissions, so what we eat matters.

My Nutrition Action magazine from the Center for Science in the Public Interest gives a 4 step plan for becoming flexitarian. It is a guide that I think is worth trying. The EAT-Lancet flexitarian diet allows 1 serving of dairy + one other serving of animal food per day.

 Baba Ghanoush Bowls

Baba ghanoush, the Mediterranean puree made from roasted eggplant, tahini, lemon, garlic, and herbs is available in the refrigerated section of many grocery stores. If you can’t find it, substitute hummus.

 Ingredients

Refrigerated  Baba Ghanoush (one 10-oz carton)

Romaine Lettuce (6 cups chopped)

English cucumber (1 medium chopped)

Radishes (4, thinly sliced)

Grape or Cherry Tomatoes (1 ½ cups, halved)

Lemon (1, zested and juiced)

Feta Cheese (1/4 cup crumbled)—Violife makes a great vegan feta

Kalamata Olives (1/4 cup, chopped)

Pita Chips

 Instructions

On the side or in the bottom of four bowls, add a generous swipe of baba ghanoush. Add lettuce, cucumber, radishes and tomatoes.

For dressing, in a small bowl whisk together ¼ cup olive oil, the lemon zest and juice, ½ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. ground black pepper until  emulsified. Drizzle over bowls and top with 1 Tbsp. each feta and olives. Serve with pita chips. Serves 4.

Per serving: 305 cal, 22g fat (3 g sat fat), 6 mg chol, 553 mg sodium, 21 g carb, 6 g fiber, 4 g sugars,  6 g protein.

GOOD THINGS are HAPPENING in and AROUND US

Travels: Washington DC

 Article by Karen Eaton

 The Poor Peoples’ Champaign had a rally in Washington DC on June 18th. Jay invited anyone from Peoples Church, interested in going, to ride with him and Leslie. So, I took him up on the invitation. Jay drove and he and Leslie and I had wonderful conversations on the way. If only the president and congress would listen to us! The weather was warm and sunny the day of the rally, but there was a strong breeze that kept us comfortable (not so great for carrying signs however). It was inspiring to see such a variety of  people, unions, clergy, young, not so young, racial mixtures, medical people, teachers, so many diverse groups there all pressing for the same thing. Justice. Economic, judicial, social etc. It is easy to forget that others see the same needs and that you are not alone in your thinking. Sometimes our group, who believe that Jesus wants us to include everyone in that justice, feels very overwhelmed. Seeing so many there, especially young people, was gratifying to me. It was also obvious (from signs etc.) that people were there from all over the country. We aren’t alone.

 The city is beautiful, and all our mix ups turned out funny when we knew we were all safe. This experience was inspiring and was my last hurrah, as far as these overnight protest trips go.  It takes too much out of me physically, but I’ll carry the memory of all those people who know there is enough, and we don’t need to harm one group to protect another group. In fact, we all do better when everyone is doing well. Heather McGhee is eloquent in her expression of these ideas in “The Sum of Us”.

 “The narrative that white people should see the well-being of people of color as a threat to their own is one of the most powerful subterranean stories in America. Until we destroy the idea, opponents of progress can always unearth it and use it to block any collective action that benefits us all.”

       And

 “Since this country’s founding, we have not allowed our diversity to be our superpower, and the result is that the United States is not more than the sum of its disparate parts. But it could be. And if it were, all of us would prosper. In short, we must emerge from this crisis in our republic with a new birth of freedom, rooted in the knowledge that we are so much more when the “We’ in “We the People” is not some of us, but all of us.”

Photo by Karen Eaton

Wetlands

 Another beautiful day in an entirely different place. Shiawassee wetlands full of birds and animals. A little cloudy, not too warm, great breeze. A place where rivers meet and all kinds of birds nest and feed. Tom and Mary Ellen invited me to go birding with them, and I jumped at the chance. It’s a good thing I went when they could take me because I wouldn’t have seen 90% of the birds I saw, if they hadn’t pointed them out to me. It’s what Peoples Church people do right? Point things out to one another. Being engulfed in a beautiful setting reminded me of one of our discussions in our Thursday night book group based on the book we are currently reading:

 “Only through Nature does this fundamental unity-the wholeness of divinity and humanity-emerge……. The Me and Not-Me are united. God is everywhere.” “A People’s History of Christianity” Diana Butler Bass.

      We travel a lot at Peoples Church. Sometimes to different places to join with other like-minded people or to immerse ourselves in nature. Sometimes through reading books that raise our consciousness together or poetry that touches our soul. These travels enrich us and offer opportunities to support our growth as  human beings. I love each of you. You, along with my family, give my life purpose and keep me hopeful.

Photo by Mary Ellen Fox

PEOPLES PLAZA SURVEY

Hey Peoples Church! The Peoples Plaza team is gearing up to pursue grant opportunities to bolster this exciting work. To be well positioned to secure funding, we need your help. If you could respond to this brief survey (should take no more than 5 minutes to complete) by July 22nd, we would very much appreciate your input. Thank you in advance for your time and  consideration.  

Survey link: https://nau.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_24SQ5wKTXx2if0W

 TRANSITION UPDATES

  Hello Peoples People!  I hope that this summer has been a healthy, fun season for you. At Peoples Church, we continue to move forward. Hopefully, you were able to take the survey put out by the Search Committee. If not, there will be more. Please keep your eyes open for all requests from them. 

 You are invited to join Pastor Dave Sickelka, our so-to-be interim pastor, for lunch on Sunday, July 24th. We will plan to meet at a local restaurant (TBD) and have fellowship time with him. Please RSVP to the office if you can attend.

 Pastor Dave’s first Sunday preaching will be July 31st. 

 If you were in the church these last two weeks, you may have noticed more names added to our memorial walls. The names listed are those of people of color killed by police violence. If you would like to have some names, and some sacred time to add to our walls, please let me know. We can each do our part to make sure these people not forgotten and continue to shine a light on this epidemic. 

 How can we help you? If you need anything, let us know. We are a community for each other at all times!

Remember, for weekly sermon information, please refer to the calendar on our church webpage:

calendar on our website

Jamie Schmidt, Moderator
natesmamajamie@gmail.com; 810-287-8308

SEARCH COMMITTEE UPDATE

You have been reading every two weeks about this Local Church Profile on which the Search Committee is working. You might think it's taking us a long time to complete, and that is true. Some of the questions are easy to answer, some are not so easy. Even the easy ones may take some digging to get to the correct data or numbers. The harder questions require exploration, storytelling and recollection. Maybe a difficult conversation or two, along with understanding, growth, grace and patience amongst the members of our team.

 All of this is good. I dare say each of us enjoys our weekly meetings as we tease out the words and phrases that best represent our beautiful congregation. Our UCC contact reminds us to "trust the process," and so we do. As the Spirit moves us through this process of finding the best way of articulating the heart and passion of Peoples Church of Flint. As always, please continue to pray for this work, the Search Committee members, and for our next pastor.

Thanks so much!

                                                                Carla Pierik, Chair Search Committee 

IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Adult Forum, 9:30 am Sundays, is reading Heather McGee's, The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together. Join in by zoom or in person at church. And let us know if you need a book.

Thursday Evening Study Group is reading A People’s History of Christianity by Diana Butler Bass. Books will be on the welcome table at church. Need one shipped? Call the church office at 810-767-4911!

Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn.

New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go here to sign up!

May 20, 2022

CONGREGATION + COMMUNITY NEWS

PEOPLES PRESS

Joyfully Defiant for the Sake of a Just World

a congregation of the United Church of Christ, the Alliance of Baptists & the American Baptist Churches

“TAKE A WALK”

Delegates to the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit held on October 24-27, 1991, in Washington DC, drafted and adopted seventeen principles of Environmental Justice. Since then, these Principles have served as the defining document for the growing grassroots movement for environmental justice. In this Peoples Press space, our
Creation Justice Team will be reviewing the 17 Principles, one at a time and offering some thoughts for meditation and reflection. The first principle is:

Environmental Justice affirms the sacredness of Mother Earth, ecological unity and the interdependence of all species, and the right to be free from ecological destruction.

Meditation: A promise was made in the first article for this space to not be crushed by the overwhelming immensity of the topic and to keep things focused and simple. How could this writer be more focused or less simple than simply saying, “Take a Walk!” Yes, the suggestion is offered with all seriousness. How can we act in behalf of Creation and as co-creators with our Creator unless we love with all our hearts both the Creation and our Creator. Our spirits need to be fed if we are not to burn out in the momentous work of advocacy.

Take a walk alone. Or take a walk with a friend or a company of companions. Do spend some time in silence along the way to enjoy the earth’s beauty and to notice the wounds delivered by humanity. Do not fear the ecstasy in the beauty nor the tears brought by nature’s wounds. Notice the birds’ songs and the croaks of the frogs, the clatter of bugs wings, the wrestling of
the leaves. The lap of waves and the stirring from the grasses moving.

Principle #1 points to the sacred nature of the universe, the oneness of the whole creation on earth and throughout the universe. Take a walk and be in touch with that sacred unity of which you are a part and from which you were made. That touch is all one needs to know the presence, love and mysterious wonder of the Creator. That touch is more powerful than either Heaven or Hell.

Shalom,
Kendall Brown for the Creation/Justice Team

ANNUAL MEETING

This year’s Annual Meeting is scheduled for this coming Sunday, May 22nd at 12:30 pm.

Voting members can attend this event either in person or via Zoom. Please do all of what you can to arrive on time.

Zoom link: us02web.zoom.us/j/89658805488

Also, we invite you to stay after the meeting to paint the names of those who have lost their lives due to violence on the walls.

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THE SEARCH COMMITTEE REQUESTS YOUR INPUT

To help us understand what we as a community are looking for in our next pastor we ask that you take a few moments to fill out a survey ordering various competencies or qualities that are important in a church leader.

Please go to the link below where you will find 10 core competencies. They are all important, but we'd like to know what you think is most important as we look to the future of Peoples Church of Flint.

If you prefer to receive a paper survey, please contact Karla in the church office (info@peopleschurchofflint.org or 810-767-4911). You can also request one from the greeter on Sunday at church. If you return your survey by mail, please send it to:

PO Box 1109, Flint, MI 48501

Please submit your surveys by Monday, June 6, 2022. And thank you. Your input is valuable. Any questions? Ask Dee Johnson, Linda Angus, Adam Schmidt, Carol Higgins, or me.

Link to survey: forms.office.com/r/JAuShe1T59

—Carla Pierik, Chair, Search Committee

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TRANSITION UPDATE

Hello Peoples People!

This Sunday, May 22nd, is our Annual Meeting. While we won’t have a Pastor at the helm for this meeting, we are in a bright spot. Each area of ministry is continuing to run smoothly. From book groups to The Peoples Plaza and everywhere in between, Peoples Church is in motion. If you are interested in becoming more involved in one of these activities, please check the calendar on our webpage or call the office. For weekly sermon information, please refer to the calendar on our website.

Jamie Schmidt, Moderator
natesmamajamie@gmail.com; 810-287-8308

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IN THE CONGREGATION
Links are on the church calendar. Need more info? Just ask!

Adult Forum, 9:30 am Sundays, is reading Mariame Kaba's We Do This 'Til We Free Us: Abolitionist Organizing and Transforming Justice. Join in by zoom or in person at church. And let us know if you need a book.

Thursday Evening Study Group begins again April 28, reading Diana Butler Bass’ A Peoples History of Chris tianity: the other side of the story. Books will shortly be on the welcome table at church. Need one shipped? Call the office!

Vigil for Racial Justice is still gathering 1-2 pm Thursdays on the Genesee Courthouse lawn. But only if the temp is above 20º.

New Text Alert System. We have shifted to a new text messaging service. If you're in our church directory, you're all set. If you're not, go to t.ly/LQC71 to sign up!