Scott’s Column: A Way of Seeing by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Sep 21, 2023 | Education, NewsForming our Faith: A Way of Seeing Back in the spring I taught a three-part First Forum series on what principles shape Christian Education, after that question had...
Scott’s Column: Engaging Your Questions by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Sep 12, 2023 | News"The need to be digitally coherent, and at the same time acceptable to everyone, is exhausting,” writes Chris Stedman in his engaging book IRL: Finding Our Real Selves...
Scott’s Column: Happy (Belated) Labor Day by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Sep 5, 2023 | NewsHappy (Belated) Labor Day! Last week a Washington Post article declared the eight-hour work day to be dying. It stated “only about half of office visits now last for...
Exciting Revision to Wednesday Night Family Nights by Lizz Brennfoerder | Aug 30, 2023 | Education, Events, Mental HealthIn May we held a town hall meeting to discuss the current crisis in adolescent mental health. The event was very well attended and filled with lots of good ideas that...
Scott’s Column: Hip-Hop’s 50th Anniversary by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Aug 17, 2023 | NewsLast week was the fiftieth anniversary of Hip-Hop. In his book Blue Note Preaching the Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, III, Senior Minister of Trinity UCC in Chicago, wrote: Now...
Scott’s Column: Passport to Exploration by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Aug 14, 2023 | NewsOn the final day of our recent family summer vacation, Sebastian and I visited Pipestone National Monument in southwest Minnesota. There's a short, easy trail that...
Scott’s Column: Resources for Living–Grief by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Jul 27, 2023 | News“For as one reweaves the fabric of one’s life after a loss, and as the thoughts around which one has defined one’s aims and aspirations change tense, one becomes to...
Scott’s Column: Resources for Living–Forgiveness by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Jul 20, 2023 | NewsI was listening to Leonard Cohen’s final album You Want It Darker and the moving second track “Treaty.” The lyrics of the refrain are: I wish there was a treaty we...
Scott’s Column: Gratitude by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Nov 18, 2020 | NewsMy sister ordered Sebastian an Advent calendar. He knows it has arrived but hasn't seen it yet. The other day he asked what day he could open it up and begin opening...
Scott’s Column: Mayflower Compact by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Nov 11, 2020 | NewsOn November 11, 1620 the Mayflower floated in Provincetown Harbor (the landing at Plymouth was a month away). The crew was grumbling. The voyage had been delayed,...
An Interview With… Barb & Bonnie by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Oct 28, 2020 | Interview With . . .Long time finance guru, Lou Lamberty recently stepped down from keeping the books at First Central. He left it all in the very capable hands of Barb Switzer and Bonnie...
Katie’s Musings – But/And by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Oct 14, 2020 | katie's musingsI’ve been thinking a lot about language and the way we use it to talk about life and each other and about God, particularly in the present covid/election/world-on-fire...
Tug, My “AA” Buddy by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Oct 7, 2020 | Events, NewsThank you Kathy Hoyt sharing this story of her faithful Tug at this year's Pet Blessing! Unlike the rest of us, Tug is getting older. He’s not the same one or...
Gospel Encounters: Fall Worship Theme by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Sep 1, 2020 | News"The encounter with people who are different from others, in whose lives you can see a new intelligence about reality, a fully awakened desire, a tireless initiative, a...
Pandemic Stress Relief – The Labyrinth by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Aug 19, 2020 | NewsIn the midst of a pandemic, any activity that relieves a little stress is a welcome distraction. First Central Congregational United Church of Christ offers the...
Katie’s Musings – COVID Consent by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Aug 12, 2020 | COVIDTo mask or not to mask… that is the question. …. no actually, it really isn’t a question. #WearAMask and #ListenToTheScientists Realistically, unless there are...
Pandemic Spirituality by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Jun 24, 2020 | NewsThis spring Senior Minister Scott Jones wrote a series of five essays connecting our pandemic and quarantine experiences with the spiritual wisdom of the church. Here...
Katie’s Musings: COVID Time by Katie Miller | Jun 24, 2020 | NewsI think the weirdest thing about COVID life is the passage of time. June is almost gone. But May was only yesterday. Remember the Australian wildfires? No? Don’t...
Living Well During the Pandemic: Zoom Forums by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | May 26, 2020 | EducationWe are living through a public health crisis with profound implications for all other aspects of human living—morality, psychology, culture, politics, economics, etc. ...
From the Health Team by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | May 13, 2020 | Education, EventsSubmitted by Bonnie Harmon, First Central Health Team In preparation for this week’s Adult Forum on Mental and Spiritual Well Being, I’ve tried to do more...
From The Refugee Team by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | May 5, 2020 | EventsWe received word last month that our (current) refugee family was struggling during this time of pandemic. The bread-winner of the Khamis family had been having...
From The Health Team – Mask Mastery by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Apr 24, 2020 | EventsYour mask protects me, and my mask protects you. I hope you have heard this many times by now. It is the crux of why everyone who goes out of their home should be...
An Interview With… Sally Lewis by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Mar 18, 2020 | Interview With . . .Late last year, the Council - with guidance from the Health Team - asked First Central member Sally Lewis to step into the roll of Professional Heath Advocate to our...
State of the Church 2020 by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Jan 27, 2020 | NewsAt yesterday's Annual Meeting, Senior Minister Scott Jones delivered his annual "State of the Church" address. This being my tenth Annual Meeting as your Senior...
TAGG – One Easy Way to Give to First Central! by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Nov 20, 2019 | News, StewardshipTAGG, which is an acronym for “Together A Greater Good” is a non-profit organization unique to Omaha. The phone app was launched a few years ago my two busy moms who...
From the Health Team: Cold & Flu Season by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Nov 19, 2019 | NewsHere we are again, right at the onset of cold and flu season. We are all interested in things we can do to keep ourselves and others healthy. Of course, we always start...
Education Spotlight: What’s Happening Downstairs? by Kerrie Kleppin-Winn | Nov 6, 2019 | Education, NewsOn Sunday mornings, the kids all head out of the sanctuary after the Children's Sermon. But then what happens? Most Sundays, the FIRSTKids time actually starts with...
First Central’s All Church Retreat by Cassie Williams | Sep 20, 2019 | Events Registration Form Super Station Signup Form
Parables: Wednesday Night Bible Study by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Sep 11, 2019 | Education, Events"The parables give us access to the way Jesus re-imagined the possibility of living, of being in the world."--Brandon Scott Our Wednesday Night Bible Study this autumn...
Scott’s Column: Resolution 8 by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Aug 27, 2019 | News“The covenant communion of the congregations with each other gives each the responsibility of engaging in a common conversation,” writes historian Randi Jones Walker in...
Peace Works: Summer Camp at First Central by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Jul 24, 2019 | Education, NewsOur campers this summer explored the topic of peacemaking from a variety of cultural and theological perspectives. Now Katie and Scott are bringing the camp experience...
First Central Library by Cassie Williams | Jun 21, 2019 | Education, NewsEver wondered what books are available in the church library? The First Central Library catalog is now online. You can access it from home or office or wherever you...
Katie’s Musings: Church/Theater by Katie Miller | May 21, 2019 | NewsOne of the first theatrical productions I was a part of took place in a decommissioned Episcopalian church. In retrospect, it was a bit of an odd setting for a musical...
Scott’s TED Talk by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Apr 2, 2019 | NewsIn February Scott was an invited speaker to this year's TEDxUNO where the theme was Resilience. His talk, "Living Open" has now been published. Watch it here.
Scott’s Column: Resources for Living-Sex by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Jun 27, 2023 | NewsThe best book I've read on sex from a (liberal) Christian perspective is Good Christian Sex by UCC pastor Bromleigh McCleneghan. I met and befriended Bromleigh earlier...
Scott’s Column: Happy Pride! The Struggle Continues by Rev. Dr. E. Scott Jones | Jun 13, 2023 | NewsFor most of my pastorate I've been a regular contributor to the From the Pulpit feature in the Omaha World-Herald. When I was first invited to submit, we were asked to...
