First Churches of Northampton

The church picnic scheduled for this Sunday has been rescheduled due to expected rain.  It will now take place on September 5.

This piece, written by First Churches member and trustee Bill Childs, was published in the Daily Hampshire Gazette in their Hampshire Life section.

We had a chalkboard in our dining room.

It took awhile for me to realize that this was unusual. Even after going to lots of other kids’ houses, it still seemed fairly ordinary, until someone (no doubt someone chalkboard-deprived) asked me about it. Evidently not every family had dinner conversations that regularly — frequently — required charts or drawings to explain. We did, and so there was a big green chalkboard dominating one wall of the dining room at 1504 Harris Drive in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.

I’ve been thinking about that chalkboard a lot the last couple of days. I’m writing this on Friday, May 29. On Wednesday morning, I was in my office at the law school, preparing for the move to the deans’ suite for my new job. Along with packing boxes of books and decorations and toys, I took the chalkboard off the wall.

read more » »

First Churches has a special connection with CONASPEH, the National Spiritual Council of Haitian Churches.  We’ve sent members there, along with our donations, on multiple occasions.  One great way to keep up with what’s going on there is by reading Adventures in Life, a blog of Kim and Patrick Bentrott, who are part of CONASPEH’s efforts.

We’ll have a church book sale May 30, 2009 in front of First Churches!  All proceeds will be given to First Churches Capital Campaign.  Questions?  please contact Barbara Parsons.

First Churches Deacon Chair Jon Western spoke at a Save Darfur Rally in Lafayette Square Park across from the White House in Washington, DC on April 12, 2009. The event brought survivors from the Holocaust and the genocides and mass atrocities in Rwanda, Bosnia, and Darfur together with faith leaders and leading anti-genocide advocates to reflect on these atrocities and call on President Obama to act now on Darfur.

In addition to Jon Western, speakers included John Prendergast, cofounder of the Enough Project; Rev. Gloria White-Hammond, M.D., chairperson of the Save Darfur Coalition and cofounder of My Sister’s Keeper; Fatima Haroun, vice president of the Darfur Alert Coalition and Darfuri leader; and Mohammed Yahya, president of the Damanga Coalition and Darfuri leader.

Dr. Jon Western from Genocide Prevention Month on Vimeo.

Here is the speech given by Dr. Gloria White Hammond, chairperson of the Save Darfur Coalition:

Gloria White-Hammond from Genocide Prevention Month on Vimeo.

PITI PITI ZWAZO FE NICH –
LITTLE BY LITTLE THE BIRD BUILDS ITS NEST

By Pauline Bassett
Representing First Churches, I attended the Second CONASPEH
Conference in Indianapolis from 3/29/09 to 3/31/09.  The meet-
ing was sponsored by Global Ministries, a common witness of the
Division of Overseas Ministries of Disciples of Christ and the
Wider Church Ministries of the United Church of Christ.  read more » »

Is racism still alive in America today?   UCC minister Jeremiah Wright thinks so, and for a while his controversial comments seemed to threaten Barack Obama’s Presidential Campaign.

In response, last year UCC called for local churches to examine racism.  First Congregational Church of Amherst celebrated a “Sacred Conversation on Race.”  Following the sermon, people gathered in small groups and shared stories — experiences, feelings, refelctions.  The book Moving Beyond Racism is a collection of these stories, edited by Carol Ann Camp, a retired UCC pastor, and her daughter Heather Powers Albanesi, Assistant Professor at the University of Colorado.

A few of these story tellers will visit First Churches on Sunday, May 17, 2009 in the Church Parlor following Sunday Worship Service, to read from their book and invited discussion.

ITALIAN NIGHT
&
SILENT AUCTION

5:00pm-7:pm

Lyman Hall, First Churches, Northampton

This is a great time for family and friends to gather and support First Churches and to win some great prizes!

Questions:  please contact: Holly Martineau 584.5628 (email at brallie@comcast.net)  or Wendy Williams 529.0558 (email at murwill1@charter.net)

Ruth Hudgins, 101, teacher, music lover passed away Sunday April 26th.  Her Memorial Service will be held at First Churches on Friday, May 15, 2009 at 11:00am.  Burial to follow at the Spring Grove Cemetery.  Reception will be held in Lyman Hall.  Please share your memories for all to enjoy.

Calling all First Churches members and friends!  Please march with us to show First Churches Pride and Support as an Open and Affirming Church during the May 2 Pride Parade in downtown Northampton. We’ll gather at 11:30am on Saturday, May 2, in front of the Bridge Street School.  Look for our beautiful multi0colored First Churches banner.  Bring Kazoos and other music makers.

And there’s more!  For the first time, we’ll be hosting a booth at the Pride Festival, to inform others of our lively, welcoming congregation.  Questions?  Contact Deacons Don Moran or Helene Powers.  We’ll see you there!