Worship Service Details

Memorial Day Weekend through early-September, the community worships together at one Sunday worship service at 10:00 AM. Activity Room and Nursery are offered for children ages 2-third grade.

Mid-September through May, two Sunday services mostly identical in format, at 9:00 and 10:30 AM, are offered.

The 9:00 AM service tends to be a bit quieter, and more intimate.
The 10:30 AM service runs concurrently with Church School. Children begin in the Fireside Room (right after entering main doors, up the stairs) with their own Worship Service, followed by Church School using a workshop rotation model.

Inter-generational Worship

Once a month to every six weeks, children and adults worship together in Inter-generational Worship. With simpler songs, more movement and a shorter message, these services are designed to be child-friendly yet speak to the child in all of us. On these Sundays, there will be no Children's Church or Workshop Rotations.

Intergenerational Worship March 14, 2010 is based non-violence and the theme is “The Laughing River”. This theme is from the book titled The Laughing River: a folktale for peace” by Elizabeth Haze Vega. Music will include drumming by Jean Woessner and Rich Brinkman while Amy Carter reads the book to the congregation as the sermon. The hymn “Peace like a River” is included in the service as well as the welcome song from the book. The children will portray a laughing river.

In Jesus’ day, most laws allowed people to retaliate for wrongs done to them. Our world today is filled with acts of retaliation that lead to violence. Jesus turns that idea on its head. These verses are the foundation for what people call “nonviolent action” or “passive resistance.” But Jesus doesn’t advocate being passive. He is asking people to answer a wrong with a right – to actively respond to hatred, anger, and violence with love.

This way of living is called “Jesus’ Third Way.” In a confrontational situation, the first way is to fight, and the second way is to flee. Jesus third way is active engagement with our enemies with an attitude of love.

Our Liturgy

An example of the worship liturgy can be seen in this printed bulletin sample.

Both services include

-----congregational responsive readings, unison prayers and singing,
-----reading of scripture,
-----spoken and silent prayer,
-----a sermon,
-----a collection and dedication of our gifts of money and service, followed by
-----a sung Doxology
-----and music from a variety of sources, supported by organ and piano, which may include Chancel and Bell Choirs as well as various vocal and instrumental ensembles and soloists.

The Chancel Choir sings twice a month. (H. Busey photo)

We use the New Century Hymnal for most of our congregational hymns.

Sunday services usually are about an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes in length.

Children

Your children are welcome to attend worship with you. We offer these options, as well:

Nursery care, for infants and toddlers, is year round and currently offered only at the the 10:30 AM service Sept-May, or the 10:00 AM service in the summer.

Church School Classes for children age 3 - Jr. High School are offered mid-September - May. Church School takes place during the 10:30 AM service.

During the summer months, and occasionally during the school year, there is a staffed Activity Room available for children age 3 to about 3rd Grade.

Communion

One of the two sacraments of the church, Holy Communion is celebrated, by intinction (dipping the bread into the cup), the first Sunday of every month, and during special celebrations in the Church Year (Maundy Thursday, Christmas Eve, Easter, etc).

The table is open to all who desire or possess a relationship with Christ, regardless of church affiliation (or absence thereof). Children are welcome to receive, as well.

Baptism

The sacrament of Baptism is a shared rite of the church and is usually celebrated in the context of worship and in the midst of the congregation. We baptise people of all ages, from infants to elders.
The Baptismal Font (left)

Accessibility

Regular and large print worship bulletins are available, as well as hearing assistance devices (just ask an usher as you enter).

Our building is wheel-chair accessible, and is equipped with lifts to all floors.

Other Information

So we may get to know you better, please fill out a name tag if you are attending on the first Sunday of the month.

We share a Passing of the Peace/Greeting near the beginning of each worship service, following announcements and, during most of the year, join hands for a sung benediction at the close of the service (the exception being the weeks preceding Easter).

We gather together after each service for a period of refreshments and fellowship and we would be pleased to celebrate your presence with us, both in worship and in the fellowship time following!

Worship Space

Our sanctuary is both a reflection of traditional "Congregational" architecture, with warm woods, and a dynamic environment embodying the liturgical season and echoing the rhythms of the earth.

An entire side of the church looks out onto a courtyard (photo of courtyard fountain, below), which is frequently used for small worship gatherings, receptions, and fellowship after the service.

New members are usually received three times a year: in the Fall, on the first or second Sunday of Advent, and at Easter. You can learn more about UCC membership by attending an Inquirers' Class, which are held periodically throughout the year. We ask those who are considering membership to attend this afternoon class to hear the story of the church and to share their own stories.

The next Inquirer's Class is scheduled for March 21, 2010 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. If you wish to know more about United Church of Christ and University Congregational Church, in order to determine if you would like to seek church membership, please attend this meeting. We ask those who are considering membership to attend this afternoon class to hear the story of the church and to share their own stories. We also have available books and brochures about the United Church of Christ and why an individual chooses to join a congregation. You may want to read some of this material prior to attending the class.

At the Inquirer's class, refreshments will be served. Child-care will be provided if you contact Joyce at 543-6952 prior to the class meeting.

New members will be received into church membership on Easter Sunday, April 4th, two weeks following the Inquirers' Class. If you have attended an Inquirers’ Class previously but did not join because you could not be present on the appointed Sunday, the next reception date would be an excellent time to join. Please call the office at 543-6952 and let Peter, Amy or Joyce know of your plans to attend or to ask any further questions you may have.

We welcome the new members who joined this congregation in December 2009! We look forward to sharing our particular stories and the larger story of faith.

"Letting Go" by Linda McCray, artist Artist's Statement	O God, make us children of quietness and heirs of peace. ~Clement of Rome We meet for Contemplative Prayer every Thursday, (year round) at 7 AM in the chancel area of the church sanctuary. All are welcome to participate in this simple hour of mostly silence. The first 30 minutes of our time together begins with a simple reading, followed by prayerful sitting in silence; the last half-hour begins with a brief meditative walk or stretching, followed by a period of engaging scripture, lectio divina. We end with intercessory prayer and the Lord's prayer. If you are new to contemplative prayer or meditation and would like some individual guidance, please call Jean Woessner, 721-3540, or email jwoessner at bigsky.net. Some words from modern writers about Contemplative Prayer "All of us are potentially contemplative. What may be called 'a contemplative experience' is natural and common to most of us, at least once in awhile. In one way or another, we find our way into stillness, quiet, a full emptiness; we open to a place within that is truthful, grounded, humble, and utterly real...Some, perhaps most, are satisfied with this occasional gift of peace and openness, knowing they cannot control or manufacture it. Others feel called to seek out this deeper, simpler, truer reality through prayer and meditation, so that our occasional glimpses might come more often and be more sustained. And so we are drawn into some form of prayer that promises to ground us in stillness, vitality and peace. For many of us, this form of prayer is silence." Brian Taylor in Becoming Christ: Transformation Through Contemplation. "Prayer is not about concepts; it is about entering the mystery of God who is beyond all concepts." Mark Plaiss in The Inner Room For a Christian, the nature of God is both intensely personal and intimate, and oceanic and all encompassing. Both are true. In Christ, our mistaken illusion of a barrier disappears and we enter into the Christ life, consciously and intentionally in this human life. Our praxis of the Prayer of the Heart, therefore, is uniting our life utterly with the life of Christ so that our humanity is wholly infused and alive in Christ, a state of complete receptivity and self-gift in love. It’s not just sitting down in silence for 25 minutes once or twice a day. It’s every moment and every breath of every day."--William Ryan Breathing Yeshua - Christian Meditation in the Way of the Heart
Prayer of the Heart, 'Centering Prayer', 'Christian Mediation' are all forms of this silent prayer, prayer beyond concepts, a way of opening to communion with God, and more, an ongoing practice of surrender/consent to and awareness of God's transforming presence in all of life. While activities such as reading, study, lectures or intellectual activity may help us learn about contemplation, contemplation is the fruit of personal practice and experience. The experience is primarily the personal realization of the inseparable Wholeness of the Divine and the human. It is the fruition of Christ’s dictum: He who saves his life will lose it, while he who loses his life for my sake discovers who he really is. (Mt. 10:39) It is a practice that reaches beyond 'private prayer' to a realization of our oneness in God and our connection with and in loving service for all the world, not just at specific times of prayer but also in every moment, in all circumstances and conditions of ordinary daily life: while working, exercising, attending meetings, washing dishes, visiting with friends, engaging in acts of service. It is the means for our lives becoming "ceaseless prayer" and abiding always in the heart of Christ.
Lectio Divina (Latin words for "divine reading") is a prayerful reading of the scriptures in order to allow them to become part of one's life. In lectio, we let go of our "agenda" to hear what God might be saying to us. Neither an intellectual analysis of the text nor a theological debate, lectio divina is a movement toward a deep listening to the living Word of God within one's heart. At University Congregational Church, this contemplative group has met continuously since February of 2000, but is always open to newcomers! Retreats are held periodically and will be posted on the calendar. For more information about the group or about Contemplative Prayer Practice, please call Jean Woessner, 721-3540, or the church office, 543-6952. More about Prayer of the Heart and lectio divina, or praying with scripture.	Prayer Niche, photo by J. Woessner

Join Janice Springer on a retreat to explore what worship can look like if it comes from a place of depth. You will learn how to design and participate in worship that honors our heads (thinking self) but moves us beyond that to our hearts (feeling and relational self) and even deeper to our souls (where we encounter God and our truest self.). This retreat is for both clergy and laity.

The retreat will begin on Friday September 10 at 4:00 p.m. and will go until lunch on Saturday September 11. It will take place at Camp Utmost 42 miles East of Missoula on Highway 200. The cost of the retreat is $35 for overnight stay or $27 for just the day. Registration deadline is August 30; pick up a registration form at the front information table.

This retreat is sponsored by The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Montana and the Western Association of the Montana Northern-Wyoming Conference of the United Church of Christ.

If you are interested in attending or would like more information, please speak to Amy Carter at 543-6952.

Our Ministers of Spiritual Formation, Janice Springer and Tom King, are offering spiritual direction to members of the church and larger community.

Spiritual direction is the ministry
Of one who listens with you to the
Stories of your life and helps to
Discern the presence and direction
Of God’s Spirit within you.

You may seek spiritual direction for a variety of reasons, such as:

• reflecting on the ways you experience God
• integrating spirituality into your daily life
• working on difficult situations or relationships
• discerning your call to service or community
• sharing your struggles, losses, hopes, dreams

Spiritual Direction sessions are usually scheduled once a month with the sessions lasting about an hour. Payments per session are on a sliding scale of $40 to $80, though lesser payments can be agreed upon as needed.

Group spiritual direction is being planned for this summer when Janice returns. Janice is able to do spiritual direction during other times of the year by letter, e-mail, or phone. You may contact her by calling (406) 396-6996. You can arrange to meet with Tom by calling (406) 544-5218.

"A wonderful intersection occurs between spirituality and wilderness. Spirituality is the connecting force of the unseen and mysterious. Wilderness is the natural, seen in all its original beauty. When the two paths cross, something sacred occurs...The church, ever since Jesus took off for the Holy 40 days in the wilderness, has understood that a time of stark emptying is powerful medicine . . . When away from all the noise and fury of the 'real' world, we . . . discover anew that our spiritual lives are better guided by subtraction than addition..." --Peter Shober

All Church Backpack, August 6 -9. Chaffin Lakes Trail outside of Darby in the Bitterroots.

This year’s backpacking trip will be into the Bitterroot Mountains outside of Darby. Our destination will be Chaffin Creek Lakes. This is a moderate undertaking with the final lake being less than seven miles from the trailhead with an elevation gain of 2720 feet.

The trip will begin on Friday, August 6 and end on Monday, August 9. If you are interested, please let us know by Sunday, August 1. We are keeping each other posted via email as to our gear needs and food supplies. The entire trip is less than 14 miles roundtrip and offers a choice of campsites, excellent fishing, and spectacular mountain scenery.

If you and your family or friends are interested in taking this trip, please call Joyce Watson or Peter Shober at 543-6952. We encourage anyone who is considering this backpacking opportunity to begin preparing themselves and their equipment.

3) Mens’ Backpack, August 16-22. This should be a longer and more physically demanding trip to some modest degree. Destination not yet set, but we imagine we will either go to the Bob Marshall or pack into the Pintlers with this one. Steve McArthur hopes to be able to help facilitate this trip with Peter.

Each year our trips are contingent on the availability of the forests due to fire. Our snowpack thus far is light which contributes to the possibilities of fire in the summer. With our location we realize there are many places for us to go to, so if one place is closed we can sometimes go to a different one. Accordingly, we try to keep a loose grip on the locations and go where it is best and safest. We try not to share trips that are overly taxing physically and not to go more than about six miles a day without too much elevation gain.

If you have questions and/or would like to sign up for any of the trips please call the church office at 543-6952.