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Ann Arbor CROP Hunger Walk

Many thanks to each of our 30+ walkers. AACRC had the largest team at the Walk, and it was truly inter-generational! Thanks to our youth and their leaders for the eye-catching signs which stood out as we walked the streets of Ann Arbor. A special thanks to our very generous donors who contributed $3895 (preliminary total) which exceeded our goal of $3000! May God bless our efforts in fighting hunger and poverty in our community and around the world.

Fall 2022 Programming Starting Up!

We are eager for many of our programs to start back up this Fall 2022. Check out what’s happening and see where you might fit in!
Questions? Contact: office@aacrc.org

September 7
5:45PM Pizza Night
6:15-8:00PM (NEW TIME!) Cadets (2nd-5th grade boys)/GEMS (2nd-5th grade girls)/Roots (all 6-8th graders)

September 11
9:15AM Youth Faith Formation Kickoff: Kid Connection (Pre-5th)/Middle school Class (6-8th)/Reach (High school)
9:15AM Adult Faith Formation: Big House Sunday with Jim and Ruth Padilla DeBorst
10:30AM Children’s Worship (3-5 years old) – dismissed during the worship service

September 14
1:00PM Gray Matters
7:00PM Choir Rehearsal

September 15
7:00 PM Friendship

September 18
9:15AM Adult Faith Formation: House Group Session #1

September 20, 21 & 26
Women’s Ministry Program – groups meet 2nd/4th Mondays, every Tuesday, or 1st/3rd Wednesdays

Ongoing
6:30 & 8:00 AM (Wednesdays) Men’s Bible Study
The TABLE – Young professionals, students, and anyone looking for a young adult community

Summer at AACRC

Gallup Park Gathering
Saturday, June 25

Join us Saturday, June 25, 10am-12pm at Gallup Park! This invitation is for everyone! We will be in the general vicinity of the large playground area. This is the first of three events which will occur on the last Saturday each month this summer to gather together as a community for connection, and for the joy of being together!  Sit and chat for a while and enjoy all the park has to offer: play areas, paths, canoes and kayaks, or just take in the beauty of the river.

2022 Spring Workday Report

Thanks to all who volunteered for the workday this past Saturday!  We got a lot done.

By the numbers:
8 pairs of hands
3 yards of soil distributed
2 wheelbarrows/garden carts
7lbs of grass seed sown
2 bales of straw scattered
3 picnic tables painted
4 benches refreshed
60 annuals planted
4 bags of weeds and trimmings
1 dog walked and petted
30 donuts (not all consumed)
1 pile of pruned branches

Annual Cadets and GEMS Pinewood Derby

Our 2nd-5th grade girls & boys enjoyed a night of fun competition as they raced their Pinewood Derby cars down the track. A variety of awards were given for speed and design but most importantly it was a night of connection and celebration.

   

 

Holy Week Services

We will celebrate Holy Week together this year with both a Maundy Thursday and Good Friday evening service. Easter Sunday will be at 10:30AM. All services will be in person and available through livestream.

Maundy Thursday, April 14 @ 7:00 pm
Good Friday, April 15 @ 7:00 pm
Easter Sunday, April 17 @ 10:30am

 

Lent 2022

Check out this video from Pastor Noah introducing our Lent 2022 series, “Turning Toward”

 

House Groups – Lent 2022

During Lent our House Groups will be reading The Love that is God by Frederick Bauerschmidt. If you are not in a group, you can still join for this session. Please contact Ross Weener (rweener@aacrc.org). If you are currently in a group, you can pick up your book in the church office.

Thanksgiving Resources

Hello dear church family,

I wanted to pass on a few resources to help us find our center in Christ this Thanksgiving. Though we’re not gathering in worship this year, there are many ways we can be encouraged to name our gratitude!

Here’s a resource from The Network that is geared towards families and kids, but could be taken up by anyone. It was published last year, but is still a great opportunity: https://network.crcna.org/faith-nurture/how-to-help-families-grow-gratitude-thanksgiving-and-beyond

Another resource from The Network, this is a really interesting project that attempts to translate the New Testament in the style of First Nations storytelling. Given the complicated relationship of Thanksgiving and First Nations and Native American peoples, this might be worth checking out this season: https://network.crcna.org/church-renewal/thanksgiving-read-new-testament-first-nations-eyes

Here’s a prayer based on Psalm 96 that I find particularly wonderful. I can imagine this being used around the Thanksgiving table: https://re-worship.blogspot.com/2013/05/thanksgiving-litany-reflections-on.html

This Thanksgiving Prayer is a modernized version of a George Webb prayer from 1625. This would also make a wonderful Thanksgiving table prayer: https://acollectionofprayers.com/2018/11/22/thanksgiving-prayer/

Finally, this blog post from 2010 has some really helpful reflections on how to take up the practice of gratitude in a deep and consequential way: https://day1.org/articles/5d9b820ef71918cdf2002c45/captured_by_gratitude

 

Afghan Refugee Resettlement

On Friday, October 29, members of AACRC’s Deacons, Mission Action Team and Social Justice Team had a meeting with representatives from Jewish Family Services to discuss an opportunity to co-sponsor a refugee family from Afghanistan.

The crisis in Afghanistan has resulted in the arrival of 53,000 evacuees in the U.S. thus far with many thousands more expected in the next year. More than 90 individuals have arrived in Washtenaw County in the past 3 weeks. It is expected that about 300 Afghans will be resettled in this area.

Jewish Family Services has resettled hundreds of refugees since 1993. They are the only resettlement agency in Washtenaw County. JFS provides a continuum of services so that when refugees arrive, they can access all the resources they need through one organization. They are launching a new co-sponsorship program with area congregations to help them deal with this large influx of refugees. The time frame for resettlement is about 3 months.

Before committing to a partnership, we will need to assess our congregational capacity in terms of willingness to commit the financial/material support and the time necessary to support the family, while maintaining appropriate boundaries to foster independence.

Please prayerfully consider this opportunity for service. We will be providing more information and ways in which you can participate in the next few weeks.

Barb Fichtenberg

AACRC Point Person, Refugee Resettlement

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