Guest Preacher this Sunday

This Sunday, January 11, we will have a guest preacher, the Rev. Dr. Karen Schuder.  Karen is ordained in the Presbyterian Church U.S.A., and she has been an active member of the Presbytery of Northern Waters for almost 20 years.  She served as pastor of Hillside United Methodist Church in Duluth for 12 years until 2010. She has completed her doctorate in leadership at the University of St. Thomas.  Her sermon will be “Being Kingdom People in a Changing World.”  Karen will also be our guest preacher on January 18.  We expect to have our interim minister in place by early February.

Please come and experience our extravagant welcome from Pilgrim Congregational Church.

Farewell

Dear Friends and Web Surfers,
In the last five years, I've enjoyed writing for Pilgrim's blog.  I hope this page has served as an "introduction" to Pilgrim Congregational Church here in Duluth.  I've tried to interpret our life as a congregation--not just announce upcoming events, but explain their meaning as well.  If you visited our website and then visited us in person, thanks.  We were glad to meet you!

On January 4, I am retiring from the position of minister at Pilgrim.  I will no longer make entries in this blog.  In early February, an interim minister will come to serve the congregation and later this year, the congregation will form a Search Committee to look for a new, long-term pastor.

In our denomination, congregations choose their own leadership.  Transitions are both unsettling and exciting because they provide an opportunity for a congregation to clarify their own sense of purpose and set new goals.

Pilgrim Church is committed to excellence in worship, nurturing the interests of families with younger children, social justice in the community and using the building for community groups.  Those commitments will continue.

If you're looking for a church community or are just curious about Pilgrim, visit us on a Sunday morning at 10:00.  Like us on FB.  Contact the church office with questions:  724-8503 or email pilgrimdlh@msn.com.  This interim time is a great time to explore Pilgrim!

I leave with gratitude for the people of this congregation and for the good work I have seen them do,

  Charlotte Frantz, Minister, May 15, 2002-January 4, 2015

I Remember Christmas

Christmas tends to flood our hearts with memories--the smell of cookies in the oven, the taste of whatever was the traditional meal at grandma's, the comfort (or discomfort) of family gatherings.  The seasonal spotlight tends to exaggerate our experiences--tragic events are more poignant,  joy more palpable and dreams, more achievable.  At Pilgrim Congregational Church, we make room for sharing some of these more personal stories of Christmases past.

On the Sunday following Christmas, members of the congregation share some of their own memories and traditions.  This year's speakers are Don Bjoralt, Anne Whitworth, Tucker Hanlon and Hav Gilbert.

We sing a lot of carols--including a northern Minnesota version of The Twelve Days of Christmas enumerating gifts from the North Woods. Enjoy this light-hearted but still reverent Christmas worship service at 10:00 a.m., December 28th.

For regular posts of Pilgrim's various activities, like our page on Facebook.

Advent Expectations

The Christian church sets aside the four weeks prior to Christmas as a time for anticipation and preparation, not only for the upcoming Christmas holiday, but for new realizations about one's own life.  The Biblical texts at the beginning of Advent are about human yearning for the end time when God promises justice and peace.  As the church moves closer to Christmas, the texts begin to focus on what we can do, here and now, to move toward a more just life.  Then on Christmas Eve, we celebrate the birth of one who gave the world new visions of a just society.

At Pilgrim, every Sunday during Advent has its own character and joy.

November 30 we will hang the greens during worship--literally decorating the sanctuary during the service of poetry and song, story and drama.  It's a wonderful introduction to the season.

December 7 we will celebrate with Holy Communion and Advent hymns.  After worship, we will gather in Fellowship Hall for lunch and our Annual Advent Workshop.  There will be opportunities to make decorations and ornaments for home as well as a small craft market by Pilgrim members.

December 14 the Pilgrim Choir will present Conrad Susa's Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest, accompanied by harp and marimba.  The Carols and Lullabies are from various Spanish and Hispanic traditions.  Handicrafts from Guatemala will be on sale during the coffee hour to help fund a service learning trip next summer.

December 21 will be an intergenerational re-telling of the nativity story by the animals who were in the stable that first Christmas.  Pilgrim's Handbell Choir, Bellissimo, will play.  This is a light-hearted look at Christmas.

Christmas Eve worship will be held at 5:00 and 10:00 on Christmas Eve.  Both services will feature carol singing and candlelight.

December 28 we will listen to personal Christmas stories around the theme, "I Remember Christmas." Our own stories are poignant and powerful.

Enjoy any or all of our holiday services at 10:00 on Sunday morning or watch our broadcast Wednesday or Thursday on PACT-TV (cable channel 180.)  Check our Facebook page for pictures and video clips.

Interfaith Thanksgiving Worship

Tuesday evening, November 25, at 7:00 p.m. congregations and faith communities will gather at Pilgrim Congregational Church UCC for an evening of giving thanks.  The service includes choral music, prayers and readings from a variety of faith traditions.  Participating congregations are Peace UCC, Pilgrim Congregational UCC, Hope United Methodist, First United Methodist, Temple Israel, Duluth-Superior Friends Meeting, Twin Ports Islamic Center, St. Paul's Episcopal, Glen Avon Presbyterian, and the Universalist Unitarian Congregation of Duluth.  The public is invited.

A free will offering will be taken as part of the service with donations going to support CHUM, an interfaith agency supported by these and other congregations in Duluth.

Confirmation at Pilgrim

In the United Church of Christ, we believe that it is incumbent upon each generation to examine and claim our faith heritage for themselves.

When Pilgrim youth reach adolescence, the congregation provides them an opportunity to examine the faith they have been taught.  After a period of study, youth decide for themselves whether to affirm the commitments made years earlier on their behalf in the sacrament of baptism.  This affirmation is made public in the "rite of confirmation."  Confirmation preparation includes at least a year or year and a half of classroom conversation and faith exploration with an adult mentor.

On Confirmation Sunday, students express their faith publicly in worship setting and are blessed by their mentors and parents.  The congregation promises to continue to support and encourage these students as they assume more adult roles and responsibilities in the congregational community.

Students usually prepare for confirmation when they are in 9th and 10th grade, though occasionally the class may include an older or younger student.

On Sunday, November 9th, Alex Hadlock, Alex Frantz, and Jenna Olsen will be confirmed.  The class instructor and guide has been Jackie Falk, a member of Pilgrim, graduate of United Theological Seminary with specialized training in faith formation.  Mentors are Kane Tewes, Clyde Johnson and Julie Johnson.  The worship service begins at 10:00 a.m.

Spooktacular Organ Recital--Friday, October 31, 7:00 p.m.

Enjoy an hour of horrifying, bone-chilling music at Pilgrim Congregational Church.  Rachael Kresha, Director of Music will play a variety of music on the Jaekel organ.  An AGO Scholarship Student will help terrify you with every note.  The only charge is a  free will donation to the Arrowhead Chapter of Organists Scholarship Fund.