The church that eats together. . .

Let us break bread together. . .gathering around the table is a great way to get to know each other better and nourish the Spirit among us. On Saturday, May 1 families with children are invited to a potluck and the Tewes-Anderson home. At 5:00 that same day, there's a Progressive dinner. And after worship on Sunday, the Deacons are serving brunch--if you've been absent from our congregation for a while, take this opportunity to worship, eat, and enjoy catching up with your friends. On Tuesday, May 4, the Circle of Friends are going out for their Spring Luncheon. Call the church office, 724-8503, for more information and reservations for any of these gatherings! We'd love to see you.

Feel the Joy! Watch this New Video about the United Church of Christ

UMD Faculty Woodwind Quintet

The last Pilgrim Presents Concert of the 2009-2010 season will be THIS Sunday, 2:00 p.m. at Pilgrim Congregational Church. Come hear Jeff Campbell, bassoon; James Pospisil, horn; Ted Schoen, clarinet; Lorie Scott, flute; and Laurie Van Brunt, oboe. Tickets are available at the door, $15/adult; $8/student; youth, free. This concert series has been made possible by a gift in memory of Wally and Hazel Niss.

Opening Our Doors, Opening Our Hearts

The 10th Annual Opening Our Doors Conference will be held this Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17, in various locations. Keynote Speaker is the Rev. Mel White, author of Stranger at the Gate: To be Gay and Christian in America. Dr. White was recognized by the ACLU for his application of the principles of non-violence resistence to the struggle for justice for sexual minorities. Dr. White will speak at 7:30 at First United Methodist Church. On Saturday he will speak at 10:00 at Marshall School Auditorium. On Saturday afternoon, also at Marshall School, a panel of speakers representing various religious traditions will talk about marriage equality. The Conference will conclude Saturday evening with the musical work Joshua and the Promised Land produced at Peace UCC, 7:00 p.m. Pilgrim Congregational Church is an Open and Affirming congregation of the United Church of Christ and has been a co-sponsor and supporter of the Opening Our Doors Conference throughout its history.

Salvadoran Folk Mass Sunday, April 11

This Sunday, April 11, Pilgrim's worship service will be based on the music and life of the Salvadoran church. Thirty years ago, Oscar Romero, Archbishop of San Salvador and advocate for the rights of indigenous people in El Salvador, was assassinated as he celebrated the mass. United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities sent a delegation to El Salvador in March to participate in an ecumenical remembrance of the assassination.

Diane Light, who traveled to El Salvador with this group, will be the guest speaker at Pilgrim on Sunday. The Pilgrim choir and a group of instrumentalists under the direction of Dr. Jack Bowman, will present music from the Salvadoran Folk Mass as part of the service.

For a narrative of the United Theological Seminary trip, go to http://www.utsglobaltrip.com/.