Upcoming Events at FCC

Peace Café is a way of extending our radical hospitality to the wider community of Montclair. The idea is simple: offer a cup of coffee and some friendly conversation to folks walking by our church after a long day at work or school.

It would be great to have many friendly FCC faces around to welcome anyone who stops by. Please feel free to join us any time between 4:30 and 6:30pm and please contact Deb Duhamel at debbieduhamel@hotmail.com if you'd like to volunteer.

We will also be offering our "prayer flag" table for anyone who would like to write a prayer and have it flown on the front lawn of our church. Prayers can be for anything: peace, hope, grace, forgiveness ...anything on your heart.

Join us as we bring our community a little bit closer together!

Underground Church travels back to our earliest Christian roots. We seek to recapture the excitement and community of Jesus's early followers through worship that is simple yet profound, communal yet personal, comforting yet inspiring. We live the questions much as Jesus's friends did as they sought ways to transform the world through the simple acts of a shared and loving community.

Worship is informal, but we engage through the reading of a sacred text, create space to share what is on our hearts, and share a simple and blessed communion meal of soup, salad, and bread, ending our evening with song and "Spiritual Take-Out."

Come as you are...This gathering is about the transformative power of opening our homes and our hearts to the Holy Spirit and to each other. Everyone is welcome!

The labyrinth is an ancient spiritual tool , a mode of “walking prayer” that invites us to go deeper in our walk with God. Our labyrinth, modeled on one in Chartes Cathedral in France, sits as the center of our Sanctuary, a constant metaphor for our spiritual lives. Just like the labyrinth, our lives are not linear, but filled with twists and turns. Sometimes we make great progress, and other times we feel we are going backwards. But if we trust in the path we will find our selves in the center: the heart of God. All are welcome to take their souls out for a walk... no experience necessary!

LABYRINTH KEEPERS:

We are also looking for a few folks who would be interested in being a “labyrinth keeper” to host our walks. Two people are partnered to host each Wednesday and is a great way to get to know other FCC Members. Please contact Donna Dimino for details: knowbodyawareness@yahoo.com

We are experiencing a new spiritual awakening, Dr. Diana Butler Bass argues in Christianity After Religion. Having spent her career as a professor of history, culture, and the politics of religion, Dr. Bass explores the data that shows religious affiliation plummeting and interest in spirituality on the rise. She concludes there is great possibility in the midst of this instability. A fresh, vital faith is emerging.

Whether you are trying to get the pulse of our religious moment, interested in how we got here, or wondering where we're going next, join us. This exploration will be led by Associate Pastor, Rev. John Rogers. Reading Diana Butler Bass's Christianity After Religion is recommended but not required. We will meet in the FCC Guild Room.

RSVPs are helpful for planning! Contact Rev. John at john.rogers28@gmail.com

Starting in September, Slow Motion Adult Bible Study is back! Join Rev. Jack Cuffari Monday evenings in the FCC Library at 7:30 PM beginning September 9th for study, open discussion, and a step by step deep dive into our sacred Scriptures. Bring whatever translation of the Bible you might have, or prefer. All adults are welcome!

Rev. Jack Cuffari is a member of FCC, as well as our Spiritual Director in Residence. He currently serves as Interim Pastor at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Haworth, NJ.

If you’ve been attending FCC and feel we may be your spiritual home please join us for our New Members’ classes this fall.

In three sessions we will discuss how we believe, the history of the UCC and what it means to become a member of this church. It’s a great way to learn more about us and meet the wonderful folks who are interested in joining as well.

New members will be received in worship on November 17. Child care is available upon request. Please RSVP to Rev. Ann revann@fccmtc.com

Equality Walk is Garden State Equality’s largest annual community fundraiser. Last year, there were hundreds of individuals in attendance and thousands of dollars was raised. This year, to under score the fact that they are a statewide organization with an unwavering commitment to all of NJ, they will be hosting an Equality Walk Weekend and holding a total of three separate walks, representing the three geographical regions of our great state: north, central, and south.

FCC is the location for the Northern NJ Walk!

Funds raised at Equality Walk 2019 will support the innovative work GSE is doing in the areas of policy, education, and health. Every day, their team is busy advocating for the LGBT community in our state and offering programs that can serve as models for other states, agencies, and organizations.

We have created a team: “FCC Montclair Pride” and would love for you to join! Just click here for the Garden State Equality Walk webpage to register, then once you have created your own page, click “team” and sign up for "FCC Montclair Pride!"

The Orchid Thief is Susan Orlean’s tale of an amazing obsession. Determined to clone an endangered flower—the rare ghost orchid — a deeply eccentric and oddly attractive man named John Laroche leads Orlean on an unforgettable tour of America’s strange flower-selling subculture, through Florida’s swamps and beyond, along with the Seminoles who help him and the forces of justice who fight him. In the end, Orlean—and the reader—will have more respect for underdog determination and a powerful new definition of passion.

FCC Member Mike Magdalenski is facilitating this group. We'd like to make it both a literary and social evening, so we invite pot luck contributions or light refreshments and beverages as well. We'll gather at 7:00 with some social time and begin book discussion at 7:30pm.

Please contact Mike to RSVP (and get location) by Sunday, October 13th: michael.magdalenski@gmail.com