First Church is beginning the process of revising the Ends that guide the direction of our work, both within the church and in the community beyond. This is an exciting process and one that needs the participation of all First Church members. The current eight Ends are posted and described on the First Church homepage under the heading “What we Believe.”
The current Ends were drawn up in 2017 during a time that now seems far away and long ago—a pre-pandemic time when we did not imagine this country and the world would be under such pressure from growing authoritarianism, unchecked environmental damage, a deepening sense of economic inequality, the demonization of immigrants and the many other crises we did not fully foresee and cannot ignore. Religious institutions have changed as well, and many people now identify as non-religious or non-spiritual.
We invite you to attend a two-hour small discussion group, led by a church facilitator, to consider our congregational future and how we can care for our members and the community during these challenging times. These group discussions will begin in mid-January and run through mid-February. Sessions will be held during the day and at night
and will be offered in-person and on Zoom. Using data from these discussions, the Board will present a final report to the congregation at the annual meeting in May.
Sign up HERE or look for future announcement how to involve your input for the new ends vision.