Congregational United Church of Christ, Punta Gorda

Opportunities to ask questions and discern together are important to our church. We are very excited about our 2022 Living the Question discussion group, focusing on  the topic of white supremacy.  The book, A Time for Change:  How White Supremacy Harms All Americans, by Martha R. Bireda, Ph.D., will provide the overall structure for the discussion questions and exercises.  Dr. Bireda, who currently serves as the executive director of the Blanchard House Museum, will help facilitate the study.  For more information, click here to read "From the Pastor's Desk" in the June 2021 Beacon.

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Great Decisions (seasonal) is another discussion group that usually begins in January/February and runs for ten to twelve weeks.  At this time, the topics for 2022 have not been announced.

 

Weekly Bible Study - Led by the pastor, this group focuses on one of the lectionary passages for the upcoming Sunday service.

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Book Talk Tea (seasonal) - Each month, members get together to discuss books that have been selected for Reading for Renewal by the Florida United Church of Christ Women.  The list of books for 2021/2022 is: https://www.uccfla.org/files/docs/r4r21.pdf.  Contact Sandy James-Nogaj at s_james_nogaj@hotmail.com for further information.  Our next scheduled meeting is Friday, December 17, 2021, in the church library at noon.   Share your recent reads with other readers.

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Our Social Justice Ministry recently highlighted several books that focus on different social justice themes and are available through the church library:

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Racial Justice:

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Black Klansman.  A Memoir by Ron Stallworth

Devil in the Grove.  Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King

Just Mercy.  A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

The Sun Does Shine.  How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton with Lara Love Hardin

The Womb Rebellion by P. W. Long

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Domestic Violence:

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Surviving Domestic Violence.  Voices of Women Who Broke Free by Elaine Weiss,  Ph.D.

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Environment:

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We Fed an Island.  The True Story of Rebuilding Puerto Rico, One Meal at a Time  by Jose Andres with Richard Wolffe

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Human Trafficking:

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The Slave Next Door.  Human Trafficking and Slavery in America Today by Kevin Bales and Ron Soodalter

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Stay tuned for updates in the coming months.  

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