Who will show up for Blessing of the Animals, Sept. 11?

You never know who’s going to be hanging around for Ivy Chapel’s annual Blessing of the Animals. Dogs, cats, ferrets, turtles — and yes, even caterpillars have been known to show up. Will you be there this year?

The 2010 Blessing of the Animals will be held on Saturday, Sept. 11 from 1 to 3 p.m. All God’s Creatures (properly restrained, of course) are welcome. A free-will offering will benefit Ride on St. Louis, which provides equine-assisted therapies for developmentally and physically disabled youth and adults.

Need more information? E-mail Ivy Chapel for full details.

Want to help us promote the event? Click here to download and share the flyer.

UPDATED: Our Church’s Wider Mission Fundraiser

UPDATE: Ivy Chapel’s special offering for Our Church’s Wider Mission raised over $1400. Thank you to everyone who donated for your inspiring generosity.

Each year, a portion of the offering and other money donated to Ivy Chapel goes to support “Our Church’s Wider Mission.” This outreach by the United Church of Christ helps those in need across the globe. The following video, which was shown during worship at Ivy Chapel on Feb. 21, further explains the concept of OCWM. The video was shown in support of a special offering held on Feb. 28 to support OCWM.

If you’d like more information about OCWM, or if you would like to donate to the fundraising drive, please join us in worship on Feb. 28, e-mail us, or call 1-314-434-4991

Holy Week Services at Ivy Chapel

Join us as we celebrate the coming miracle of Easter. Following is Ivy’s Holy Week schedule:

Maundy Thursday: Thursday, April 1 at 7:30:  This is the evening of the Last Supper. There is a place at the table for everyone.

Good Friday: Friday, April 2 at 7:30: Worship at the foot of Christ’s Cross for one of the most powerful and meaningful services of the year.

Easter Sunday: Sunday, April 4

6:30 a.m. Sunrise Worship at Ivy: Join Rev. Dale Bartels from St. John’s UCC for a celebratory worship in Ivy’s sanctuary.

10 a.m. Resurrection Day worship at Ivy, with Holy Communion (all are welcome to participate)

Journey toward the Miracle of Easter

From the United Church of Christ…
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent—a season of self-examination, prayer, fasting and works of love. In many churches, ashes are placed on the forehead as a reminder of mortality.

The word “Lent” is from the Middle English verb meaning “to lengthen.” In the Northern Hemisphere, the season corresponds with the lengthening of days during late winter and early spring.

During Lent, Christians prepare themselves spiritually for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection on Easter Sunday. The season spans 40 days: the number 40 symbolizes spiritual journeys home, corresponding to the 40 days Jesus fasted in the desert in preparation for his ministry and the 40 years Israel journeyed through the wilderness towards the promised land. The traditional color of Lent is purple. During Holy Week, red is sometimes worn to symbolize the blood shed by Jesus for the salvation of humanity. In some traditions, following Maundy Thursday’s service, the sanctuary is stripped of color and ornament as a gesture which may suggest keeping vigil with Christ on the cross and in the tomb.

For more information about the journey toward the Miracle of Easter, and for information about how to make your own journey, visit the United Church of Christ’s Lent website.

Celebrate the Christmas season with Ivy Chapel

The Christmas season is an exciting, joyful, faithful journey at Ivy Chapel United Church of Christ for adults and children alike. We have a lot of opportunities for you to celebrate with us. Everyone is welcome! Check the calendar page for complete details on all of the upcoming events at Ivy Chapel. If you have any questions or would like more information you can contact us via e-mail or at (314) 434-4991.

Sunday, November 29: First Sunday in Advent

Sunday, December 6: Second Sunday in Advent, Hanging of the Greens and Santa’s Workshop

Sunday, December 13: Third Sunday in Advent, Worship with Cantata by the Chancel Choir. 6:30 p.m. Advent Storytelling

Sunday, December 20: Children’s Christmas Pageant

Thursday, December 24: 6:30 p.m. Family worship, 11 p.m. Candlelight service

From all of us at Ivy Chapel, may the blessings of the season be upon you. We hope you’ll join us in anticipation as we celebrate the coming birth of Jesus Christ.

Welcome to the HarvestFest 2009 Blog.

Check back to this page for the latest updates on the 2009 HarvestFest!

New Conference E-newsletter

The Missouri Mid-South Conference of the United Church of Christ is introducing a new, weekly e-mail newsletter that will replace The Courier. Like the Courier, the still-unnamed newsletter will feature announcements from member churches (including Ivy Chapel). If you are interested in receiving the weekly news e-mail, please subscribe by sending an e-mail to Sandy Roland. Be sure to mention you learned about the newsletter on Ivy Chapel’s website.