United Church of Christ Parker Hilltop

On Sunday, December 24, 2023, UCCPH will hold two services. Both services will be filled with beautiful music, readings and a Christmas message from Pastor Russ. All are welcome to join us for one or both of these services.

The first, our Christmas Eve morning service, will be at our regular time, 10 a.m.

The second, our Christmas Eve Candlelight service, will be held at 6 p.m.

Don’t forget to set your clocks back before you go to bed tonight. See you at church or on Zoom at 10am on Sunday.

🙏🏾 Sunday Prayers: Love Each Other.

As the heaviness of the world casts its weight upon us, it's getting harder to see the love. We hope you are able to find some comfort today, knowing you are loved.

❤️ Please feel free to share some love in the comments.

Did you miss the Installation Service of our new GMP, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson?

We are excited to share the event with all of you!

Read a synopsis of this meaningful service and view the full recording by clicking the link 👉🏾 https://ow.ly/MXFK50Q0JVw

Psalm for this coming Sunday, Psalm 23
God is the shepherd of Israel and Palestine,
a people who want peace and fear war.

God is a child desperate for water,
and a family terrified for precious hostages.

God is in all souls. God waits on every path.

This week the valley of the shadow of death
is crowded with God’s children,
and they have no comfort
but our prayers,
the prayers of the world,

for a table where enemies may sit down
to speak healing words,
receive an anointing of truce,
and shatter the cup of death
before more is poured out
on those who are innocent.

Goodness and mercy will follow us,
even in these days of fear and grieving,
until we build a house of reconciliation
and dwell in it together.

Rev. Erin Gilmore
Associate Conference Minister
Rocky Mountain Conference, UCC

Being in relationship with God means doing the work of knowing and being like God.

Scripture: John 6:47-58
Sermon Title: “Relationships 101: God”
October Sermon Series: “Relationships: 101.” Pastor Russ will continue with week four of the 5-week journey about relationships and will be preaching on Love of Self, Others, God and Neighbors.
Please join us for worship this Sunday at 10am in person and via Zoom. All are welcome!

🎉 Join us for a historic moment in the UCC! 🎉

We're celebrating the installation of Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, the 10th General Minister and President of the UCC, and the FIRST woman to hold this position. 🙌🏾

We're thrilled to welcome The Rev. Merlyn Hyde-Riley, first woman General Secretary of the Jamaica Baptist Union (JBU). Rev. Hyde-Riley will offer the sermon during the installation service.

Rev. Thompson, the UCC Board, and the entire denomination invite you to be part of this historic event. Your presence is invaluable! ✨

October 20, 2023 @ 5:00 PM Eastern. Registration Required.

📍 Join us in person (reg. by 10/13): https://ow.ly/lt0550PVKIY
🌐 Join us virtually: bit.ly/UCC10202023

Let's celebrate this milestone together and usher in a new era with Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson. Don't miss this incredible moment in the UCC's history! 🙏

OPEN DESCRIPTION: Dark wood background with the words: Making All Things New. Installation Service for the 10th General Minister and President, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson. Friday, October 20, 2023 at 5:00 PM Eastern.

with: Karen Georgia A. Thompson, Lakewood Congregational Church

How Do YOU Practice Self Care?

Author and theologian Rev. Dr. Chanequa Walker-Barnes joined Rev. Traci Blackmon, Associate General Minister of Justice & Local Church Ministries of the UCC, for a conversation on trauma, self-care and, at times quite vulnerably, their own experiences in relation to their bodies.

This discussion centered around Walker-Barnes' most recent book, Sacred Self-Care: Daily Practices for Nurturing Our Whole Selves.

Full UCC News Article:
https://ow.ly/kKa550PUIiy

This special offering was part of the Nurture The Soul web series. A recording of the event can be viewed here: https://ow.ly/r8Fk50PUII9

Purchase a copy of Dr. Walker-Barnes' Book:
https://ow.ly/K9tx50PUIMZ

Thanks, Rev. Russ Kirby, for all that you do for our church.❤️

Access Sunday is October 8th (and any other Sunday!)

How is your church honoring Access Sunday? What steps has your church made for greater access for all?

Access Sunday is an annual celebration of the gifts persons with disabilities bring to church community, and the joys of being in accessible community. It is also a time to remember and repent of the harm done to disabled people in religious spaces, and to call upon the whole church to recommit itself to access as a justice issue.

In the UCC calendar, the second Sunday in October is designated as Access Sunday, but any Sunday of the year is a good time to consider disability and accessibility.

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the United States live with some form of disability, and almost everyone else will develop one at some point in their life. As such, disability and accessibility are vitally important topics for us all, and for the church.

Resources to support an Access Sunday Worship Service from the UCC DISABILITIES MINISTRIES linked below:
https://ow.ly/OABK50PSpiO

Did you miss the service on Sunday? 10am on Sundays doesn’t work for your schedule? You can always catch up on our worship services on our YouTube Channel.📺
United Church of Christ Parker Hilltop

Please join us this morning as Pastor Russ continues his sermon series School of Memes: Words for the Wise. All are welcome in person and via Zoom at 10am.

Please join us tomorrow at 10am for worship in person and via Zoom. Coffee, tea and lights snacks will be served during fellowship time after worship.☕️🍩

Join us to celebrate the installation of Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson, the UCC's 10th General Minister & President! You are cordially invited to celebrate the historic installation of our 10th General Minister and President, Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson! The Installation ceremony and worship service will take place at Lakewood Congregational Church in Lakewood, Ohio, where the Rev. Joanna D’Agostino serve...

We are pleased to welcome Rev. Russ Kirby as our new Bridge Pastor! Come and hear him preach this Sunday in person or via Zoom at 10am. Please message us for the Zoom link.

Registration is now available for Friday night only. These tickets are $50-75 dollars and include a debut poem by , a keynote speech by , a book signing, and a langar (community meal) hosted by . All registration for with Valarie Kaur closes in one week! Register now at www.laforet.org/nostranger

It’s my first day back to work after vacation - not accounting for the triaging of the mailbox yesterday and my preps for the work week. The days away were good for the soul, an opportunity to disconnect and be present with myself. I went for a long walk most days, sat by the pool, went to the beach and slept when I felt like it.

The tree in the picture below was hard to miss. I walked by it a few times some days. I wondered what happened to that tree. And I admired its beauty. There was something regal and commanding about its presence. Each time I passed by it held my attention. No leaves. Dry. But still standing. Each time I passed I thought about taking its picture and one morning I did.

I saw the leaves in the tree. Was the tree actually sprouting new leaves? Or was it hosting new life, perhaps seeds dropped by the birds growing in the places where this tree could no longer grow? There were multiple places where leaves were present in the tree. It didn’t really matter how they got there. The tree was boasting new life.

It struck me that there are occasions in life that mirror my experience of this tree. There are moments in our lives when things that were vibrant appear to be useless. Or things that were vibrant appear to have lost their purpose or their productivity.

Hope springs eternal! There are times when we have to let go and do something new. Sometimes we need a new vision for the purpose and mission before us. A vision that allows us to live into who we are and what we are meant to be.

That tree is living its purpose. A beautiful being with its branches open to the sky receiving new life.

Where do you see new life emerging around you? What are places or things you thought no longer viable or purposeful where you have been able to repurpose with new perspectives and new vision?

“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Join us this Sunday as we welcome Pastor Russ Kirby, our bridge pastor for the coming months.
Also our BIG fall kickoff of Faith Formation for our youth happens
this Sunday! Miss Eileen has some wonderful things planned for this year. Please join us (kids) for faith, lessons, fellowship and fun!
Worship is at 10am in person and via Zoom. We will be celebrating our new Bridge Pastor and Faith Formation with a potluck after worship. As always, everyone is welcome at our table!

Every generation of Christians has those who believe Jesus’ return is imminent. They’re consistently left waiting.

Here’s a more helpful, faithful way of thinking about Jesus’ return. Instead of eyes fixed on the heavens, if we look around us we can see that Jesus is everywhere and all at once.

Join us this Sunday as we come to the end of our four-week sermon series presented by Denis Dunlap. The Church on a Hilltop series has looked at how the church is to encompass Light, Love, Compassion, and Forgiveness. Please join us again to support Denis on his journey as our lay preacher for his final week as the on ramp to our bridge!
Worship service is at 10am in person and via Zoom.