Congregational Church of Excelsior UCCWith each gathering at the Congregational Church of Excelsior, United Church of Christ, we blend the traditional with the contemporary by exploring the Scriptures and discerning their relevance to our everyday lives. We celebrate the way religion nurtures our relationships with each other. At the church on the hill, "Everybody knows your name"—we're small but mighty! We hope you can come join us before long and explore how God's Grace complements your life. We normally worship together on Sunday mornings and do all sorts of other things together: garden in the summer, get together for breakfasts and lunches, quilt, sing, celebrate children, support local charities, and more.
Things are a bit different during the COVID-19 pandemic (see "Sheltering in Place" section below), but we do have recordings of zoom services on the Services and Reflections page, and we were fortunate to be able to host a very successful "drive by" Harvest Dinner in the fall that was a huge success! It was designed to be delicious and safe, to build community, and to remind us of the fun we'll have again before long! And see our latest "Rock" project just below. Note: Our temporary pastor is Rev. Lindy Purdy, who grew up attending our church and continued to be active into her adult years; she has most recently been a pastor at Wayzata Community Church. Welcome, Lindy! |
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Our 2021 Rock Ministry!
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To lift everyone’s spirits during this stressful time, church members have painted dozens of river rocks with positive messages and whimsical creatures. Church youth have hidden the rocks along area trails and in downtown Excelsior, sharing messages of encouragement and hope. Everyone is invited to join the hunt! When you find one, consider taking a selfie with your treasure and posting it on Facebook with the tag @congregationalchurchofexcelsior or the hashtag #ccofe. Photos may be posted on Facebook and on this site.
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During our Sheltering-in-Place Time
As noted by our former pastor, Rev. Tom Porter:
"In this very difficult and uncertain time caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it is especially important for everyone to remember that while our worship and gatherings are temporarily postponed, faith and hope and love are not.
During this time of self-isolation, we can still minister to our community through such actions as monetary donations to organizations that are helping others. For example, the ICA Food Shelf, which our congregation has long supported in many ways, is busy providing food and other supplies to families in need. Visit www.icafoodshelf.org to make an online donation and to get the latest information on their services during the pandemic. There are many other groups we support as a church and as individuals, and they can all use our help.
While we are apart, take care of yourself and your family. Find new ways to perform random acts of kindness, and remember that we are always together in spirit until we can be together again in person.
"In this very difficult and uncertain time caused by the coronavirus pandemic, it is especially important for everyone to remember that while our worship and gatherings are temporarily postponed, faith and hope and love are not.
During this time of self-isolation, we can still minister to our community through such actions as monetary donations to organizations that are helping others. For example, the ICA Food Shelf, which our congregation has long supported in many ways, is busy providing food and other supplies to families in need. Visit www.icafoodshelf.org to make an online donation and to get the latest information on their services during the pandemic. There are many other groups we support as a church and as individuals, and they can all use our help.
While we are apart, take care of yourself and your family. Find new ways to perform random acts of kindness, and remember that we are always together in spirit until we can be together again in person.
