Fair Trade Statement

For 25 years Equal Exchange has been working directly with small-scale farmers to help them gain access to the market.  Through Fair Trade, small-scale farmers are able to sell their products at a better price, improve their economic conditions, and build local economic and political power. 

The certifier, TransFair/Fair Trade USA, has different ideas about what Fair Trade should look like, and has been working behind the scenes to change the direction of Fair Trade.  A recent initiative, Fair Trade for All, actually threatens to destroy all that Fair Trade, and people like you, have collectively built, endangering small farmer organizations and the Fair Trade model itself.

Fair Trade needs you support!  Please join us in reaffirming your committment to the authentic values underlying Fair Trade.  Please:

1. Sign the Authentic Fair Trade Statement

2. Share with your networks, friends, and family!  Post it to your website, Facebbok, or Twitter accounts.

3. Educate your community; share this information and ask your local businesses to choose authentic, small-farmer Fair Trade products.

Lenten Study

Wednesdays, February 29 - April 4, 5:45 - 7 p.m.

Saving Jesus from the Church, by Robin Meyers, Wednesdays at 5:45 p.m. beginning February 29, led by Scott Jones, Senior Minister.  Of this book Archbishop Desmond Tutu wrote, “Every once in a while, a book comes along that changes everything.  This is the book.”  Writing as a UCC pastor in Oklahoma, Meyers incorporates the latest in historical Jesus research and contemporary theology and applies it to how we should live as Christians and what it means to be the church in the 21st century.  No boring work of scholarship, this is an engaging, provocative invitation for contemporary Christians.

The book can be ordered on-line or from local booksellers.  If you need assistance in acquiring the book, please contact the church office.

A parallel children’s program is offered.  Families, please let us know by Feb. 12 if you’ll be bringing your children on Wednesday nights.

2011 National UCC Stewardship campaign

The theme of this year’s campaign is “Count Yourself Blessed.” We at First Central are surely blessed – with engaged members, a talented leadership team, and exciting ministries. Your service to our church allows us to extend our blessings to other church members and into the community and beyond. For this, we are indeed grateful.

This year, one of our stewardship goals is to promote pledging to every member of the congregation. Pledging allows us to do a much better job of budgeting and planning for church programming. Faithful gifts make an immense difference in our ability to contribute to the blessings of others we serve. Pledge packets are still available outside the main office. You can also pledge online by clicking the button below. Please pray about this request and help us to ensure a successful campaign and a year of many blessings for us all.

Make your pledge now

SCRIP

Remember to buy your SCRIP cash-gift cards. SCRIP is a year-round fundraiser for First Central.

With First Central SCRIP, you simply do your regular weekly shopping with gift cards from America’s favorite retailers. With each purchase, First Central earns cash rebates that can add up to tens of thousands of dollars a year … money that can be applied to many church needs.

SCRIP is a powerful fundraising tool because church families and individuals generate revenue through purchases that would be made anyway. When you are thinking about purchasing groceries (available soon), clothing, gifts, gas, or eating out, check the huge list of participating retailers available through SCRIP, and purchase cards for those retailers.

To order SCRIP cards, email scrip@firstcentral.org, or call Pete Peterson, (402) 490-7120 or (402) 553-0386, or see Pete or Chris Steffen during coffee hour.

"Sanctuary" Spirituality Group

Wednesdays, 6 - 7 p.m. in Memorial Hall.  Resumes April 11th.

“Sanctuary” is a time for prayer, study, reflection, and worship.  We open with a prayerful reading and reflection on scripture using a method called lectio divina. If you are unfamiliar with this method, then come learn about it. The second component is a book discussion. We are currently reading Richard Foster’s Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth. Foster, a Quaker minister, has led the resurgence in spiritual practices in recent decades. This fine book is a helpful introduction to spiritual disciplines such as meditation, simplicity, confession, study, and celebration. The third component of the weekly gathering is an opportunity to pray for one another and the concerns of our church, community, and world. Finally, on the first Wednesday of every month, we will experiment with a “diversity in worship” night, trying different styles of worship such as Taize, Celtic, Emergent, etc. What we do in the gathering will develop organically over time.

You are invited to experience something new in order to enrich your faith and spiritual life. And invite your friends who might be interested in spirituality but maybe aren’t sure they want to visit a normal Sunday morning worship.  During Lent, this group will join with the Lenten Study group.

A Little Space Yoga