Welcome to Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ!

Have you been searching for a progressive, open-minded and diverse faith community on the Eastside?
~ A community who welcomes all God’s children -- especially those who feel judged by Christianity?
~ A community where we support each other to make the love of Jesus real wherever we are?
~ A community who cares for and prays for each other and the world around us?
~ A community where all of us seek a faith that asks questions?
~ A community where we act in concrete ways to build a society that is more just, peaceful and whole?

Spirit of Peace United Church of Christ, in the heart of the Sammamish Plateau, may be exactly what you have been seeking.

You are invited to join us any Sunday for worship at 9:30 in the Pine Lake Community Center. Come...and discover what you’ve been missing. No matter where you are in life’s journey, you’re welcome here.

Haiti

The events of this week in Haiti bring tears to us all. The need is enormous, and I feel helpless. What can I do? How can one person help in a meaningful way? Spirit of Peace will have a special offering this Sunday and next to assist in the effort.

The United Church of Christ is working through Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM), and One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS), a multidenominational fund. The OGHS emergency relief fund is being directed to Haiti as I write. The usual special collection comes during Lent; this year the Spirit of Peace leadership team asks that we focus our giving now to Haiti Earthquake Relief.  Follow the links below for more information on the work these groups do.

From the UCC website: www.ucc.org/oghs

One Great Hour of Sharing, as part of Our Church's Wider Mission (OCWM) , is the special mission offering of the United Church of Christ that carries God's message of love and hope to people in more than eighty countries.

Please bring your gifts for this essential work of the church. Note in the memo line of your check "OGHS – Haiti Earthquake Relief."

Tent City: January 25

We have signed up to serve a meal at Tent City in Issaquah on Monday, January 25. As always, this promises to be a chance to serve and spend time with our homeless neighbors. Dinner will be served at 6, and we will likely be out by about 7:30. We were thinking of serving a chili feast with different types of chili, corn bread, chili toppings, and simple desserts (maybe brownies and ice cream). If you're interested in participating, please let me know what you might like to bring, and I'll communicate details as the date approaches. (Doesn't have to be from the list above - that was just an idea.) We also need a couple gallons of milk and juice.

There's a running list on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sammamish/Spirit-of-Peace-United-Church-of-Christ/24951201626?ref=ts. Either add a comment there or email us and we’ll add it.

Adopt-a-family

Information on our sponsored family is here: http://missions.spiritofpeaceucc.com/. Please contact Cathy T. if you can contribute.

Advent

DSC_1783Advent (from Latin, adventus, meaning "coming towards") is a four-week season of preparation for Christmas. The First  Sunday of Advent (November 29) marks the beginning of the church's year.

Advent and Christmas focus both on the past--the coming of Jesus as an infant born into DSC_1723poverty in Bethlehem, and the future--the coming of Christ in glory to fulfill God's loving purposes for humanity. This past and future orientation is reflected in the readings appointed in the church for each Sunday of Advent.

Advent this year comes at a time of anxiety and hope. Many of us are struggling and are afraid for our future. It's not easy to hope when times are bad. Mary, as she waited for the birth of her child into an uncertain world, knew how to live with hope--to believe the promises of God. So Advent is a time when we wait, with Mary, for the birth of new life into a world living in the shadows of death. (Taken from Advent 2009 - Year C.)

We gathered on Sunday, November 22, to start the advent season with dinner, Christmas carols and making wreaths. Thanks to everyone, especially Suzi, for making this special night possible. To celebrate the season, the four candles can be lit as:

  • The first candle (to be lit on November 29) is the expression of Hope.
  • The second candle (to be lit on December 6) is the expression of Peace.
  • The third candle, the pink candle, (to be lit on December 13) is the expression of Love.
  • The fourth candle (to be lit on December 20) is the expression of Joy.

Jesus for President Book Discussion

For the next several Mondays join us for a lively and fascinating discussion on the wonderful and progressive book by Shane Claiborne and Chris Haw, "Jesus for President" For details, call 425-392-6570 and leave a message, or just stop by -- the discussion is great even if you haven't done all the reading! We meet at Starbucks on Gilman Blvd. by the QFC at 7:00pm.

Worth our Weight!

Many thanks to everyone's generosity in making our food drive a great success! We delivered 1438.92 pounds of food to the Issaquah Food Bank today and it was the biggest delivery of the week. Here is a picture of the kids with the food loaded up and ready to deliver - in the rain!

Many thanks to Paula for making this happen and to Wally for getting us into the Food Bank today.
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