This Week at FCC

May 11th @ 10 am. In the Sanctuary. Live Streamed.
♫ ♪˚♬ We will welcome musician Bobby Jo Valentine. Bobby Jo Valentine is an explorative, hopeful, spiritual, queer artist who strives to make music and poetry that is good medicine for everyone. He  has won multiple awards for his songwriting, given a Tedx Talk, and is a believer in the soft and steady power of everyday acts of love to heal our world.
🤲 Pastors Jim and Julia will be serving as worship leaders as well.

May 11th & 18th
In coordination with the Welcome Quilt Exhibit, our Sunday school children will be learning about the immigrant experience. They will hear the Lili's Quilt story and draw pictures of "things I love" and compare them with "things I love drawings" from immigrant children. They will engage in thinking about what they would put into a backpack if they had to quickly leave their home/country. They will also talk about the difference between feeling like they "are welcome" and feeling like they "belong." Thanks to Roxanne Akstulewicz and Jill Rechtfertig for creating these lessons.

We are joyfully receiving and showcasing several quilts created to welcome and comfort migrant children fleeing their homelands and coming across our southern border. One of these quilts have squares designed by the migrant children themselves of something they love. One is a “Ballerina Quilt” with a carrying bag - the prototype of the first quilts made for immigrant children arriving at the Casa Alitas Welcome Center in Tucson, AZ. We will also be displaying 48 other pieces of artwork by children from Central America in conjunction with Casa Alitas and the Tucson Historical Museum.

The exhibit will begin on Sunday, May 18th, with an Open House from 11-12:30 pm following worship. Refreshments will be graciously provided by local Venezuelan restaurant Arepa House.

We invite FCC members and the wider Sheboygan community to enjoy the quilts and learn their story. 

Adults and children will be invited to create a square which will then be transformed into more welcome quilts! We will also have lots of creative activities (weaving, crafts) for all ages to express our inclusion and welcome to folks from other countries.

Monday, May 19th
Pastors Jim and Julia will be hosting a Membership Conversation on Monday, May 19th, from 6:30-8 pm in the church lounge. It is a chance to learn about FCC programs, ministry, mission, and people. RSVP to Pastors Jim or Julia. We look forward to receiving new members into our church fellowship on Sunday, June 1st, during 9:30 am worship.

Please let us know if your student is graduating from college or graduate school this spring! Email Roxanne with details about degree plus any future plans and send a photo that we will share in an upcoming e-post and during the June 8th, 9:30 am worship service (summer worship schedule).

SASD graduation ceremonies will be held on Sun. June 8th at Vollrath Park at 1 pm. We are selling FCC parking lot spaces for $20 for the graduation ceremony. No cost for those who have a handicap parking sticker. Email office@fccsheboygan.org or call church office to reserve a spot.

CSB supports and engages with those community organizations that are reflecting Jesus’ love by providing aid for the needy (particularly with food, shelter, health care, and education), showing hospitality to strangers, remembering those in prison, and caring for children, families and our environment. In 2025, CSB has $59,000 available to support large and small initiatives in our community. CSB grants range from $500-$3,000. The CSB Grant Application can be found on the FCC website here. Encourage new and innovative organizations to apply!

Part 2: Sat. May 17
Held from 10:00 am to noon. The church building needs a "refresh and renew."  There are numerous projects (window washing and simple repairs). Members of Building and Grounds will be present to help supervise and delegate projects. Sign-up here if you can help out: Spring "Repair & Renew" Workdays

Thurs. May 22nd
A daily meal held at St. Luke's Methodist Church. We are in need of four more people to help with the food prep, setting up, serving lunch, hospitality, and clean up-shift which runs from 10:30 am-2 pm. We are in need of 3 more people to each make a 9x13 pan of chicken tetrazzini. Sign-up here.

Twenty-nine Middle and High School youth and 8 adults will be heading to Asheville, NC, in late June to participate in a week of service helping to rebuild following the destruction caused by Hurricane Helene last fall. To raise mission funds, we have launched a "sponsor-a-youth" campaign. FCC members, family and friends are invited to sponsor a youth for either $30 (1/2 day) or $60 (a full day) for five days of service.  Checks can be made payable to FCC; re: sponsor-a-youth or folks can donate online.

In 2024, Sheboygan County Interfaith Organization (SCIO) received a grant from the Christian Service Board for $3,000 to advance their mission. In a letter to FCC, they wrote, "On behalf of everyone at SCIO, I want to express our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donation. Your support enables us to continue our mission of strengthening families through access to healthy food, restoring family connections, and providing stable housing and growth opportunities for our clients."

SCIO is hosting a spring fair called "Gathering in the Garden" on May 17. Go to their website to learn more.