Final Anniversary Celebration with Valerie Tutson

We had a great turnout for a great service celebrating the 100th anniversary of the dedication of our current building. Valerie Tutson, storyteller, was the featured guest. She led a conversation about and exploration of the role of stories in our lives at the education event before worship in the library. During worship she told the story of Rosa Parks which was beginning to unfold just 44 years ago at this season. Following worship we gathered for a sumptuous meal and Valerie told her own story and the story of the larger civil rights movement inter spaced with stories from many cultures. For a peek at the events of the day including the Justice Sale which went on in the parlor, click on the picture.

Valerie Tutson

New By-laws

We passed a new set of by-laws earlier this month. If you would like to see the final revised version, it is available at http://groups.google.com/group/pilgrim-ucc-stl/files. It is a Word document but many word processors can open it.

Community Soup Kitchen 25th Anniversary Celebration

What a glorious celebration! We were treated to a rousing anthem, honored the Soup Kitchen workers and then were spellbound by the sermon by Rev. Dr. Steve Berry. Steve was on the pastoral staff 25 years ago when the decision was made to establish the Pilgrim Community Soup Kitchen.

In his sermon, Dr. Berry acknowledged the role that Pilgrim had in his development as a pastor. He held up a mirror for us to see who we are through what we have done and who we have become and he challenged us to be evangelists to the community through the model of our faith by a ministry of service to the community.

We shared a meal much like the meal that we serve to our guests each Wednesday noon and inaugurated the Ruth Cornelius Soup Kitchen Endowment. Enjoy the pictures by clicking on the one below.

Soup Kitchen Sunday

CROP Walk

It was a beautiful day for a walk in the park. This is either the first CROP Walk in St. Louis or the first in a very long time. Pilgrims were involved in many different aspects of bringing it to life and we were there to walk. Click the picture to see the whole slide show.

CROP Walk

Goodbye to Errol

I'm sorry, all, I have been swamped with the workshop that I was assisting on this weekend and never sent the link to the pictures from last week. Here are the pictures from Errol's goodbye celebration on September 23.

Errol's Goodbye

Link to the Pilgrim Picnic Pictures

I am just getting the system set up to automatically notify group members whenever there is a new post to the blog. This is the test.

If you missed the link to the pictures, follow this.

Picnic on September 16, 2007

We had a beautiful day for a picnic. It was even a bit chilly. For pictures, follow this link.

Picnic 2007

August 12, 2007

We welcomed four new members this morning and were treated to the offerings of the Praise Dancers and a story about the names of God in the Children's Time. See the pictures for a sense of what it feels like to worship in the parlor.

Hamiet Bluiett at Ivory Perry Park

The summer concert series opened with a terrific crowd on a cool evening in June. Rain during the day cleared the air but also threatened to drive the concert inside. Instead, the skies cleared and we had a beautiful evening.

Here are the pictures.

Ivory Perry Park June 24, 2007

Anniversary Sunday, June 24, 2007

This Sunday is the day we celebrate with General Synod the actual 5oth anniversary of the founding of the United Church of Christ. The morning worship included parts of the liturgy that was used in the worship at Synod and Cindy showed off her new stole, which is a commemoration of the 50th anniversary. For a look at Children's Time and the stole, click on the picture.

June 24, 2007

Fathers Day, June 17

Our Fathers Day celebration included an offering by the Praise Dancers and a display at Children's Time of all of the blankets that we have bought to blanket the world.

During worship we said goodbye to Vernetta Cox who has so ably and joyously served in the choir.

After a congregational meeting at which we passed the new budget, we adjourned to the dining room for hot dogs and ice cream.

Click on the picture to see all of the photos.

Fathers' Day