Winter Fun

Get out and enjoy the winter with other Pilgrims!

Saturday, February 5 1:00-4:00 p.m.

Hartley Nature Center

Get out for a snowshoe hike, check out the cross country skiing, or sit inside and enjoy board games and hot chocolate! This winter outing is for all ages! No cost other than equipment rental from Hartley.

Cracking the Shell of Whiteness

Pilgrim Congregational Church and Peace United Church of Christ are offering the course, Cracking the Shell of Whiteness on Monday evenings, beginning January 24. The class will meet at 6:00 p.m. at Pilgrim. Facilitators are Doug Bowen Bailey and Ellen O'Neill. This is a curriculum designed to help "white" folk better understand the ways in which American society is structured to encourage their participation and success. Pre-registration through either church office is requested: 724-8503 or 724-3637. Or email us to express your interest. A donation of $50 is suggested, but no one will be turned away.

Community Martin Luther King, Jr. Weekend Events

Pilgrim Congregational Church has a long tradition of supporting the civil rights movement and now the work of dismantling racism that still divides our society. Members and friends of Pilgrim will participate in community events this coming weekend:

Friday January 15
Rejoice, Reclaim, Renew Community
Featuring Readings from Dr. King by Central/Denfeld students, Reflections from Dr. Mahmoud El Kati
Music from Voices of Vision with Minister Gabe Green
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Duluth, 835 College St.
Soup, Bread, and Birthday Cake Served at 6 PM
Program starts at 6:30 PM

Sunday January 16
Ecumenical Worship Service
St. Mark AME Church 530 N. 5th Ave East
4:00 PM

Monday January 17
Free Community Breakfast
First United Methodist Church 230 E. Skyline Parkway 7 AM
Featured Speaker: Cory Booker, Mayor of Newark, NJ

March (11am) and Rally (11:45am)
March starts from Washington Center at 11 AM
Featured Speaker: Robin Washington, editor of the Duluth News Tribute and
president of the African American Men's Group
For more details go to http://www.mlk-duluth.org/

Service Learning in Guatemala

Pilgrims are learning about life in Guatemala through Common Hope. Common Hope (see http://www.commonhope.org/) is a community development agency with headquarters in Antigua, Guatemala and St. Paul, Minnesota. Common Hope's primary goal is to help Guatemalan children obtain education. Some Pilgrim sponsor a child and correspond with a specific child. Some Pilgrims have traveled to Guatemala for a week of service learning--they have built homes, assisted in afterschool programs, accompanied social workers on home visits, and taken the opportunity to enjoy the sights and culture of this southern neighbor.

Spanish language is helpful, but NOT required for this mission trip. Trips are “hands –on” volunteer opportunities. Persons with specialized skills or interests can often be assigned to areas of their expertise. Dentists and dental hygenists are particularly needed in this part of the world.

If you are interested in being part of such a trip, contact the church office by phone or email. Trips are open to non-members as well as members of the congregation. Cost for food, lodging and cultural activities is $1000/week plus airfare. Traditionally, trip participants do some group fund raising to defray expenses.