Update and Resources

October 31, 2025

“For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”

~ Luke 19:10

All Saints Sunday Worship at 10:00 AM

Join us for worship this Sunday in our Sanctuary! You can always worship online via our live stream or anytime on our Kent UCC Video page. Click here to print the bulletin for an order of worship for those worshiping online.

How Are You Called to Serve?

You are invited to explore the ministries that guide our congregation in living out Christ’s mission. Please click HERE to do so. As you read through the descriptions, pay attention to the ministries that interest you. Where is the Holy Spirit nudging you? How could you use your unique lived experience, skills, and gifts to glorify God? 

On Dedication Sunday, November 9, we will dedicate our financial commitments during worship and then gather for a ministry fair and potluck luncheon after the service. In VanMeter Hall, you will find posters describing our ministries on which you can indicate how you are called to serve. This document provides more information to help you discern where you might dedicate your time and talent.  

Along with your pledge card, please bring a dish to share for next Sundays' potluck luncheon! Thanks be to God from whom all blessings flow!  

Bob Clark Turkey Drive

Every year around Thanksgiving our church collects money for the Bob Clark Turkey Fund. We have done this for many years to help Kent Social Services donate turkey dinners to the food insecure in our area. This year, with the cuts to federal funding and the government shutdown, the need will be greater than ever. The collection will run from this Sunday until Sunday, November 16. You can put money in an envelope marked “Bob Clark Turkey Fund,” write a check with Bob Clark Turkey Fund on the memo line, or use our Engage system here. We will deliver the check to Kent Social Services the week of November 17. Thank you for your commitment to our area families.

Project Noelle

Outreach has a new partner this year, Project Noelle, a non-profit that helps children who have lost parents to addiction. Staring in early November, we will have a board over by the elevator on the upper floor that will have personalized Christmas lists from these children. We are asking members to consider taking a list (or sharing a list with another member or family) and shopping for the child. The list is only a guideline; no need to buy everything on the list, and you can also get the child items that are not on the list. There is no monetary amount required. Items can be put in a large bag (not wrapped) with the child’s list inside. In addition our Giving Tree will be dedicated to these children. Members can bring in extra toys, games, clothing, and put them under the tree. Project Noelle will use these items to fill in the gaps. Outreach is very excited about helping these children have a very Merry Christmas. We will be collecting for the lists until the first part of December and for the Giving Tree until mid-December. If you have any questions, please see a member of our Outreach ministry.

Fall Cleanup

Our next all-church clean up date is Saturday, Nov 8, 9am-noon. Rain date will be November 15. Please bring your rakes, electric blowers, etc. to help! This is always a fun, fellowship event. Thank you!

KUCC Hiking Group

The next KUCC hike will be on Sunday, November 9 at 1:30pm at Hudson Springs Park. All are welcome.

Hanging of the Greens

On Sunday, November 23, we will come together to prepare our church for the joy-filled season of Advent! There are wreaths and garland and tree decorations that all need to be placed – workers are definitely needed, but supervisors are too, so those decorations are placed just so!

Fellowship will provide pizza and veggies to snack on and the Education Ministry will provide craft stations in Van Meter Hall. Mark your calendars for the Advent Workshop on Sunday, November 23. 

Poinsettia Orders

It's that time of year again to order your poinsettias that will adorn our sanctuary for our beautiful Christmas Eve service. As always, you can take them home with you after the service or give them as a gift. Please have your payment with your order form when turning it in. You can either drop it in the offering plate on Sunday, bring it in to the church office, or send it in the mail to the church office. Please have all orders in by Sunday, November 9. Late orders cannot be taken due to deadlines with our supplier. If you have any questions, please contact Leah in the church office.

Social Justice Update

Keeping Our Eyes on Palestine

From the UCC Movement for Palestine Solidarity’s October newsletter

Scripture calls us to mourn with those who mourn and rejoice with those who rejoice. Therefore, we celebrate the current ceasefire alongside Palestinians in Gaza. We celebrate the relief this brings to the people of Gaza-- relief from constant bombing and shelling, relief from the constant sound of drones and fighter jets overhead, relief to hostages, political prisoners, and their families. . . . At the same time, we recognize that this is a fragile ceasefire that could fall apart at any moment. . . . As much as we are relieved at the current halt to the mass slaughter in Gaza, we must not take our eyes off of Palestine. We must keep the pressure on our own government and let them know that a ceasefire alone is not enough. Check out the e-newsletter and its suggested actions we can take: UCC MPS October 2025 E-News

Kent Social Services

Volunteers Needed!

Over the summer, members of our congregation volunteered to help Kent Social Services. And the need for our help was quite obvious! During the summer, they lost their cook, and they have not yet replaced her. Marquice has been doing much of the work herself, counting on volunteers to fill in the gaps. So your Outreach ministry is hoping to extend our volunteering for the next several months. There is always something we can do there to help. We will continue with the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month working from 10-1 so that we can help to serve lunch. Sign up here to indicate when you can help. Thank you so much for your willingness to work in our community, share God’s love, and help those in need. Kent UCC shares its abundance.

Roundabout Information

Please click here for a current update on the roundabout being built near our church starting in August.

ACME Cash Back Program

It's that time of year again to submit your receipts for the ACME Community Cash Back program. Every year, participate in this special program that gives money to local non-profits. At the end of the program, we tally up the receipts we have collected, and we receive a portion of it back. Please submit your ACME receipts from August 1, 2025 through February 15, 2026. You can drop them in the baskets that are labeled around the church and in the church office. Thank you for participating!

2025-26 Confirmation Class

KUCC is offering Confirmation this year for all students 7th grade and older! Confirmation is one of the most important faith formation experiences in a young person's life. Students will deepen their faith, their knowledge and understanding of our faith tradition, and their relationship with God, themselves, and the world. The conclusion of this one-year journey is a ceremony in which students become full adult members of the Christian church and Kent UCC. There is no requirement to be confirmed at the end of the year; confirmation is a journey and process, not an end in itself.  

Given how busy our young people are, this year's Confirmation class will be more project-based and require less in-person class time. Each student will be assigned a mentor to accompany them on the journey, and there will be several field trips (including visiting other faith communities) to supplement our learning.  

Pastor Emily is excited to guide this year's confirmation class. If there are any questions about confirmation, please reach out to her here. Please use the google form here to indicate if you child is interested.

UYF 

Is your high schooler interested in being a part of UYF (United Youth Force) this year? KUCC's high school youth group is a relationship-oriented group of young people growing together through service, faith, fellowship, and fun! 

Sign Up to Greet

Please sign up to be a Kent UCC Greeter. This is an easy but IMPORTANT job! Just come to church before the service at 9:35am, stand by the lower doors and welcome and greet people as they come in! It is so imperative to have a friendly face to welcome everyone as they come in to church. You are coming to church anyway so just come a little early and spread our Kent UCC extravagant hospitality to all who enter our doors. Click HERE to access the greeter sign up sheet! If you have any questions please contact Gayle Wall. 

Looking Ahead

• THIS Sunday, November 2 – All Saints Sunday

• Saturday, November 8 – Fall Cleanup, 9am-noon

• Sunday, November 9 -  Dedication Sunday with all-church potluck luncheon and ministry fair to follow

• Thursday, November 13 – Dwelling in the Word Bible Study, 2pm in the Chapel

• Wednesday, November 19 – Evening Prayer Service, 7pm in the Chapel

• Sunday, November 23 – Music Sunday; Hanging of the Greens and Advent Workshop

• Tuesday, November 25 – Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, 7pm at Trinity Lutheran Church

This Week’s Sacred Text

 Luke 19:1-10

He entered Jericho and was passing through it. A man was there named Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, “He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.” Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, “Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.” Then Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.”