Update and Resources

October 24, 2025

“I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other,

for all who exalt themselves will be humbled,

but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”

~ Luke 18:14

Reformation 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.

Second Annual Chilifest

Our Outreach ministry’s second annual Chilifest will be THIS Sunday, October 26, right after church in Fellowship Hall. Come down to gather in fellowship and enjoy some great chili prepared by members of the Outreach ministry. There will also be chips, cornbread, and dessert. Please join us for a perfect October meal and share in our welcome of our newest members.

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

Thank You!

Our amazingly generous congregation contributed $1228.45 to our Neighbors in Need, Five for Five offering. These funds go to support ministries of social justice and compassion throughout the US. One third of the funds go to the Council for American Indian Ministries which touches the lives of many of our Native Americans. Thank you for continuing to make a difference in the lives of those living on the margins.

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. 

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.

Fall Cleanup

Our next all-church clean up date is, 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!

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, October 26 – Reformation Sunday; Chili Luncheon after worship

• Sunday, November 2 – All Saints Sunday

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

• Sunday, November 9 - Dedication Sunday with all-church potluck meal 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 18:9-14

He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast and saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other, for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”