First Congregational Church

First Congregational United Church of Christ and the Islamic Society of Southwest Washington are less than 300 yards apart. Together, the two communities want to embody a tenet of both their faiths: love of neighbor. On Sunday, April 28^th, three members of the Islamic Society of Southwest Washington visited their Christian neighbors on NE 68^th Street in Hazel Dell as they spoke on a panel and painted a picture of Islam in Vancouver. Over previous Sundays, the church’s adult education program had presented other classes on Islam in preparation for the visit.

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Move over, Pastor Brooks! The women of the church are taking over the worship service this Sunday. The service will be a celebration of sisterhood. In honor of Marnie Wright and Daryl DeSilva, we will be dedicating a new sisterhood banner. Additionally, we will have Janessa Ortwine, Joy Gerlitz, and Doraine Kohler speak to us on the theme of sisterhood.

This Sunday we will be celebrating God’s creation by focusing upon the story of John Muir, one of the greatest spiritual writers our country has produced. John Muir is often known for his role as one of the co-founders of the Sierra Club. In everyday life, he was an essentric character, but one who offered us a wonderfully different view of the world.

The music for the day will additionally celebrate God’s creation. All are invited to join us for worship beginning at 10 am.

This Sunday Cager Clabaugh, a leading advocate for fairness and justice in Southwest Washington, will be joining Pastor Brooks for a dialogue sermon during worship. In a society in which the truth about worker conditions is not often publicly exposed, Clabaugh will be sharing with us about the struggles currently faced by local longshore workers. Clabaugh is the President for Local 4 of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. His activities, however, are not restricted to his own union. He can frequently be found at local events joining others in solidarity. His largehearted commitment to workers is widely recognized. In 2003, he became the youngest person to ever be elected president of the Clark, Skamania, and West Klickitat Counties Central Labor Council. He additionally served as a Vice President for the Washington State Labor Council from 2006 to 2009. Our worship service begins at 10 am.