Crop Walk 2010 Update

The 2010 Crop Walk was held on Sun. April 18 at First Congregational Church in McGregor. There were approximately 18 walkers of varied ages. Even some quite young folks participated. Also, the director of the Iowa Crop Walk showed up to walk with the others. It was a perfectly beautiful day for the walk. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect. God was certainly smiling on this years Clayton County Crop Walk. God bless all who walked or helped behind the scenes to support this years walk.

SANCTUARY PAINTING BEGINS

The painting of the sanctuary is underway. The crew of Kautman's painting are in the midst of bringing a fresh new color scheme to our walls. We welcome Spring with a new look.

Baptism of Emmett Cole

The people of First Congregational Church congratulate Maegan Luster and Ben Weiss on the baptism of their son Emmett Cole. May the joy of the Lord be your strength, now and always. God bless you all.

MFL Mar Mac Dollars for Scholars Spring Extravaganza

The Fourteenth Annual Dollars for Scholars Extravaganza fund raiser will be held this Saturday, April 10 at 6:30 at the Monona Civic Center. All proceeds from this event will be awarded to the Senior Scholars who contribute to the success of the event. The scholarships are awarded to students who continue their education after high school. The Spring Extravaganza is a special evening consisting of a catered meal served by MFL Mar Mac Seniors. An auction follows the meal and wraps up the evening. Items for the auction are displayed before the event in the lobby of the Freedom Bank in Monona. While tickets for the meal are no longer available you can still come for the auction. Come around 7:30, bring your waving hand and your checkbook for this worthy cause.

A Crop Walk Update

The Crop Walk will start at the First Congregational Church at 1 pm on April 18Th. Refreshments will be available upon completion of the walk. Marilyn Burke has the walk packets, available for pick up. Each walker is encouraged to find some sponsors for the walk. Hope for a beautiful day! And may God help you see the beauty in every day.

FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS ON EASTER SUNDAY

Brian Priebe, Crystal and Sophie Valley were received into the fellowship of First Congregational Church on April 4th -- Easter Sunday. They were warmly embraced by a full congregation of friends and members who pledged support and love to them as they join with us in service. Congratulations Brian, Crystal and Sophie, we are happy to have you as part of our congregation.

Venture Expeditions

Josias Hansen from St. Paul, MN gave a presentation to the congregation on Sunday, March 28. He talked about his upcoming bike ride across America from Seattle to New York City. His trip begins in June and will take two months. He is part of the Ride-Well Tour which is powered by Venture. The Venture community empowers people to benefit the world and discover their soul through adventure-driven humanitarian efforts. You can learn more about the ride and other events at the Venture web site. Just click on http://www.ventureexpeditions.org. Members ride, hike and climb to raise funds for various missions.
Here is a portion from their site about their mission:

Our Mission

The Venture Expeditions community empowers people to benefit the world and discover their souls through adventure-driven humanitarian efforts.

Our Mission in Action

Over the past two years we have partnered with Blood:Water Mission and organized the Ride:Well Tour, a cross-country cycling tour that raised close to $300,000 to provide clean water projects, clinics and educational opportunities for our friends in Africa. Team members walked away from the tour with a new perspective on life and a desire to do more for people in need.

Benefit the World

Exploited, displaced, impoverished, orphaned… the stories of injustice compel us to design adventure expeditions and innovative campaigns that result in needs being met, restored dignity and hope in Christ. Through our work, we tell stories of injustice, mobilize active support, partner with organizations that affect change and work to establish sustainable "injustice-prevention" projects throughout the world.

Discover your Soul

“We love because it's the only true adventure…” stories of injustice help us identify with the depth of Christ's compassion and enlist us in a life of adventurous and symbolic struggles in which we work to overcome mountains of oppression. The compelling zest of adventure inspires us to intentionally design expeditions and innovative campaigns that shape our life and faith in Christ.

Statement of Faith

We believe that God exists and desires to interact with us on a daily basis. Our program centers on discovering God at work in the world and in us. We adhere to the Nicene Creed, the Bible and teachings of Jesus Christ. We work with multiple denominations, but are not affiliated with any particular denomination.

We believe that Christ offers hope and change for all people. We desire to live out the biblical mandate to “seek justice, encourage the oppressed, and defend the cause of the fatherless" (Isaiah 1:17).