News

Some of the women from the church gathered earlier this week to spend the morning building layettes. They include quilts, blankets, children’s clothing, hats, gloves – and other items for use by the elderly or for unwed pregnant mothers. This has been a long-standing ministry of the church. It was begun by a much loved member who died last year, Karen Finn. Her legacy continues as we seek to always embody God’s love in faithful service to others.

After a year of discernment, education, and dialogue First Congregational UCC voted to become a Just Peace Church.

Since their founding in 1854 with a covenant signed by the first members of the church that included a promise to be open to all who believe in Jesus irregardless of the color of their skin, this church has found ways to be a church of peace and justice.

Also an Open and Affirming church, the members here consistently look for ways to create a just world for all. For them, living out Christian faith and discipleship is about openly up the invitation to embody love to all lived out through faithful action in service to others.

The Just Peace designation commits our church and its members to seeking pathways to reconciliation, to accountability, to speaking truth to power in love, to advocating for the rights of the most vulnerable among us, to welcoming the stranger in our midst, to setting free the oppressed, to making sure that no person is treated differently because of life choices they have made, to caring for our environment and reducing our carbon footprint, and so much more.

We are proud to add to our identity and our mission a clear commitment and calling to be a Just Peace Church.

About twenty women from the church have been meeting for breakfast at the Lincoln Inn here in DeKalb every third  Saturday since Jan. 18th. There is always vibrant discussion and friendly banter shared throughout. If you are ever in town on a Saturday morning and you identify as female, they would love to have you join them.

In anticipation of an announced ICE raid on the city of Chicago, the DeKalb Migrant Aid organization held a legal clinic at First Congregational UCC. About 80 showed up to hear a live presentation on their rights. The presentation was given in Spanish, and translated into English and Arabic.

Those in attendance learned about their rights, whether they were documented or undocumented. Strategies for keeping families intact, for securing legal aid, for partnering with their employers to remain fully protected were all discussed.

All in attendance also received a gift card to a local department store to use as best fit their needs. Temperatures will drop to single digits here in DeKalb this week, and so the church is also participating in a clothing drive to help our migrant workers and families.