Our first Intergenerational Worship Service filled the sanctuary with great joy as we sang songs from childhood and rediscovered play can be an extraordinary way to worship God. 
The story of the Good Samaritan is our focus for the second Intergenerational Worship Service on October 2. While many parts of our worship service will remain as usual, there will be changes. The 2 major changes are there will be a Retelling of the Scripture to fit today’s world and the sermon will be replaced by Worship Stations. Everyone present will be invited to explore the meaning of our “Go And Do Likewise” Good Samaritan and Stewardship Campaign theme through a Worship Station.
Everyone present can choose to devote 15 minutes to playing an Improv game, creating visual art, composing lyrics, talking about our progressive understandings of the Good Samaritan story, or working on a Help-Our-Neighbor project at a Worship Station.
Parents, please note that Sunday School will only be available to preschoolers, because the whole service will be child friendly. Parents, please make certain your children are in the care of a responsible adult when they are at a Worship Station.
Since this is also World Communion Sunday, it’s a great time to invite your creative friends, neighbors, children and anyone in need of a little more joy and yummy breads!
If you are able, please bring any of the hygiene supplies listed below for the Help-Our-Neighbor Project Worship Station. When it is time to go to Worship Stations during the Intergenerational Worship Service on October 2, some of our members and friends will choose to assemble Hygiene Kits for Church World Service. The Women’s Fellowship is graciously donating the one-gallon plastic zipper closure bags, some of the supplies, the processing fee and their leadership. Only the items listed below may be included in kits. Cash donations and checks are also welcome. Long-shelf-life toothpaste will be added immediately before shipping by CWS. In 2015, CWS distributed nearly 185,000 kits for disaster and poverty relief to people within Armenia, Bahamas, Haiti, Lebanon, Nicaragua, Mexico, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Syria and the United States. Thank you for “Going and Doing Likewise,” like the Good Samaritan. 
On Sunday, September 4 and October 2, our congregation will experience a different style of worship designed to include people of all ages and abilities. We will begin and conclude together as usual, but the sanctuary will look different. There will be areas set up for experiencing worship through visual arts, music, discussion and improvisational drama. We will hear the Noah story retold in September and visit with the Good Samaritan in October. Instead of a sermon, we will reflect on the stories from scripture at worship stations. Samantha Rasler, the Liturgical Art Team, Ofer dal Lal and Judy Zlatnik will lead people at the stations.
Pastor Ron Buford helped us name our church and helped the UCC pilot the “God Is Still Speaking” campaign. He believes we are all a bit racist. To end racism, we need to create time to reflect on how racism impacts our lives in ways that we have or haven’t noticed because of privilege, lack of privilege, isolation, fear, education, housing, family, and societal norms and structures. We need to devote time for reflection on how our racism impacts others. We need God and community to help us heal the harm.
