FREE WILL DONATIONS

Based in Hartford, CT, the Yevshan Ukrainian Vocal Ensemble performed its first full-length concert in 1999. Since then, the choir has performed in concerts and liturgical services in Hartford, Boston, New Haven, New York, Rochester, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., and in joint benefit concerts with Connecticut’s Polish, Jewish, and Baltic communities.

The choir is comprised of singers from different faith backgrounds, but most of its members are active in Ukrainian Catholic and Orthodox parishes across Connecticut.  Yevshan has worked in collaboration with Chorale Connecticut, the Yale Slavic Chorus, the Wesleyan and Fordham Concert choirs, the Zoloty Promin’ Ukrainian Dance Ensemble, and other regional performing arts ensembles. 

Since the full scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces in 2022, the Ensemble has been heavily involved in providing financial aid for worthy causes serving Ukraine’s  embattled communities. 

Please stay after the performance for refreshments and to meet the members of this ensemble!

Have you heard the buzz? – Revitalization and Growing our Church? Our vulnerable neighbors? 350/360 sale proceeds? Vitality? 

What’s it all about?

Church Council encourages all of us to join the conversation about an exciting initiative to increase our own vitality, provide more ministerial support for our church, and address the needs of our neighbors. Council discussions have been supportive of the creation of a new staff position, Director of Outreach and Justice, which would focus on our commitment to social justice and the increasing challenges of so many of our vulnerable neighbors. The Director would engage our members in Jesus' call to love and work for justice and enable us to make a larger impact in the city. The Director would also provide ongoing support to congregation members, the senior minister, and the staff. 

We think this ministry will attract new people to Immanuel, while helping us better care for and serve current members.

We have had several discussions about how we might leverage the proceeds the church made from the sale of the two Farmington Avenue properties.  Many people have advocated that a significant percentage of that money be used to support our justice advocacy.  So – lots of things to discuss!

Eager to learn more about this initiative?  

• Read the proposal for Immanuel Revitalization Justice Initiative, funded in part by the proceeds from the sale of 350/360.

• Read the proposed job description for the Director of Outreach and Justice.

Please read and reflect on this initiative and come to one of the in-person second hours or the zoom meeting to share your thoughts. 

Sunday, September 7 - Second Hour after worship

Monday, September 8 - Zoom Session at noon

Sunday, September 21 - Second Hour after worship

Join us to learn more, discuss the initiative, and share your ideas in true congregational fashion!

There will be a memorial service for a beloved, long-time member of Immanuel, Brooks Joslin, on September 20, 2025 at 11am.

https://www.courant.com/obituaries/brooks-r-joslin/

[Registration for this event is now closed]

With great excitement, the Stowe Center announces Percival Everett as our 2025 Stowe Prize for Literary Activism winner, author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book James: A Novel (Doubleday, 2024), which offers a more truthful representation of an enslaved person, one free of many of the stereotypes cast upon Black people throughout the American literary canon.

Event Schedule

5:00-6:00pm | Sponsor Reception with Professor Percival Everett | The Mark Twain House & Museum

5:30-6:30pm | Free Social Justice Fair | Fellowship Hall, Immanuel Congregational Church

6:30-8:00pm | Public Program | The Sanctuary, Immanuel Congregational Church

Before the 2025 Stowe Prize for Literary Activism Public Program at Immanuel Congregational Church, stop by the Social Justice Fair from 5:30–6:30 PM in the church’s Fellowship Hall.

At the Social Justice Fair, you will find representatives from a variety of local organizations, learn about the important work they are doing, and find out how you can get involved.

We can’t wait for you to connect with:

@iccucc_hartford

@our_piece_of_the_pie

@intervalhousect

Asylum Hill Neighborhood Association

@ctfairhousing

@faithactsedu

@kamoras.cultural.corner

@acluct

@maketheroadct

…among others!

#LiteraryActivism #StowePrize2025 #StoweCenterforLiteraryActivism #PercivalEverett #JamesANovel #DoubledayBooks #BlackLiterature #HistoricalFiction #PercivalEverettBooks #BookEvent #AuthorEvent

Immediately prior to our Saturday Support & Action Group  at 10am there will be a small group of people joining in community to proclaim that we are Standing up for Human Rights and Needs! We are stronger together!

Please consider joining us Saturday, 9/13 from 8:30 am-9:30 am at the corner of Farmington and Woodland. 

Then, come in for coffee/tea and and conversation during out Saturday Gathering.

We look forward to seeing you!

Have you heard the buzz? – Revitalization and Growing our Church? Our vulnerable neighbors? 350/360 sale proceeds? Vitality? 

What’s it all about?

Church Council encourages all of us to join the conversation about an exciting initiative to increase our own vitality, provide more ministerial support for our church, and address the needs of our neighbors. Council discussions have been supportive of the creation of a new staff position, Director of Outreach and Justice, which would focus on our commitment to social justice and the increasing challenges of so many of our vulnerable neighbors. The Director would engage our members in Jesus' call to love and work for justice and enable us to make a larger impact in the city. The Director would also provide ongoing support to congregation members, the senior minister, and the staff. 

We think this ministry will attract new people to Immanuel, while helping us better care for and serve current members.

We have had several discussions about how we might leverage the proceeds the church made from the sale of the two Farmington Avenue properties.  Many people have advocated that a significant percentage of that money be used to support our justice advocacy.  So – lots of things to discuss!

Eager to learn more about this initiative?  

• Read the proposal for Immanuel Revitalization Justice Initiative, funded in part by the proceeds from the sale of 350/360.

• Read the proposed job description for the Director of Outreach and Justice.

Please read and reflect on this initiative and come to one of the in-person second hours or the zoom meeting to share your thoughts. 

Sunday, September 7 - Second Hour after worship

Monday, September 8 - Zoom Session at noon

Sunday, September 21 - Second Hour after worship

Join us to learn more, discuss the initiative, and share your ideas in true congregational fashion!

Have you heard the buzz? – Revitalization and Growing our Church? Our vulnerable neighbors? 350/360 sale proceeds? Vitality? 

What’s it all about?

Church Council encourages all of us to join the conversation about an exciting initiative to increase our own vitality, provide more ministerial support for our church, and address the needs of our neighbors. Council discussions have been supportive of the creation of a new staff position, Director of Outreach and Justice, which would focus on our commitment to social justice and the increasing challenges of so many of our vulnerable neighbors. The Director would engage our members in Jesus' call to love and work for justice and enable us to make a larger impact in the city. The Director would also provide ongoing support to congregation members, the senior minister, and the staff. 

We think this ministry will attract new people to Immanuel, while helping us better care for and serve current members.

We have had several discussions about how we might leverage the proceeds the church made from the sale of the two Farmington Avenue properties.  Many people have advocated that a significant percentage of that money be used to support our justice advocacy.  So – lots of things to discuss!

Eager to learn more about this initiative?  

• Read the proposal for Immanuel Revitalization Justice Initiative, funded in part by the proceeds from the sale of 350/360.

• Read the proposed job description for the Director of Outreach and Justice.

Please read and reflect on this initiative and come to one of the in-person second hours or the zoom meeting to share your thoughts. 

Sunday, September 7 - Second Hour after worship

Monday, September 8 - Zoom Session at noon

Sunday, September 21 - Second Hour after worship

Join us to learn more, discuss the initiative, and share your ideas in true congregational fashion!

We need 10 volunteers to help with setting up, serving, and clean up. Sign up on Social Action & Mission bulletin board in Fellowship Hall.

Rev. Kendrix will lead the Second Hour this Sunday, where the congregation gets the chance to ask questions, and/or make comments about the sermon, “Invite the Poor”.

Poverty has been an enduring problem that has been out-of-sight or actively ignored for too many years despite the fact that we know that we can solve this problem. And now, help for the poor among us is under real attack. What would Jesus do?

Rev. Kendrix has shared a reading list with us for learning more about poverty in America.

Rev. Marilyn B. Kendrix,
Retired Bridge Conference Minister of the Southern New England Conference UCC

“Over the last 13 years, I have been guest preaching first in Connecticut and since the creation of the Southern New England Conference, in Massachusetts and Rhode Island as well, raising awareness about mass incarceration and systemic racism.  My new 2025 sermon series will focus on the thread that flows from the history of racism in America to the situation making the USA the nation with the highest rates of poverty among developed nations. Poverty has been an enduring problem that has been out-of-sight or actively ignored for too many years despite the fact that we know that we can solve this problem. And now, help for the poor among us is under real attack. What would Jesus do? “

Prior to ordination, Marilyn worked for over 15 years as an Organizational Development Consultant principally at AT&T and in other profit and not-for-profit settings. She served on the Board of Directors of the Connecticut Conference and participated with the Southern New England Conference Planning Team.  She also served as the last Conference Minister of the Rhode Island Conference UCC and one of the first Bridge Conference Ministers of the new Southern New England Conference of UCC.

Marilyn earned her Bachelor’s degree from Spelman College, an HBCU school in Atlanta, Georgia, her Executive MBA and an MA in Industrial and Organizational Psychology, both from the University of New Haven. She received her Master of Divinity degree from Yale Divinity School and a certificate from the Yale Institute of Sacred Music.  Since 2012, her personal ministry has included preaching at over 200 churches to raise awareness about mass incarceration and systemic racism in America.  In her ministry to seek criminal justice reform, Marilyn co-wrote The Justice Imperative: How Hyper-Incarceration Has Hijacked the American Dream (Significance Press, 2014). Her 2025 sermon series addresses poverty in America and its link to anti-Black racism.

 Marilyn retired from the Southern New England Conference in January, 2021 and is married to her best friend, Alan.  Together they have 3 children, 6 grandchildren, one great grandchild and one new puppy, Dash.

Rev. Kendrix has shared a reading list with us for learning more about poverty in America.

Volunteers are needed to help at the Immanuel table and other tasks. Sign up on the Social Action and Mission bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall.

If you are interested in attending, there are tickets available for purchase in the Immanuel Church office. Call (860)527-8121 or email the office at immanuel06105@gmail.com. Let's enjoy each other's company at this sure to be fun event with delicious food.

• Do you know about Loaves & Fishes?

• Did you know Loaves & Fishes is housed in our basement?

• Did you know that Loaves & Fishes prepares meals and serves up to 95 people daily, Monday through Friday?

• Did you know Loaves & Fishes offeres pantry bags with groceries for clients to take home once a week?

• Did you know this space of care for so many has sustained flooding and damage over many years?

• When did you last visit Loaves & Fishes?

• Would you like to see this space and help us consider how to ensure we are providing a health, welcoming space for our neighbors in need of a warm meal, community, and place of refuge?

Join with Dr. Jay and members of the Council for a brief tour of the Loaves & Fishes space after worship today. Graba a snack and beverage during fellowship hour and meet us in the hallway just outside of Fellowship Hall.

Join us this Saturday at our Support & Action Group. We'll be in Immanuel's Fellowship Hall from 10am to 11:30am to support each other and to support the people and the laws at risk under the new federal executive orders and actions. Come at 9:45am for refreshments and conversation. Please consider inviting a friend. ALL ARE WELCOME!

And please note: we have a Resource page on our website to watch for upcoming news of meetings and rallies, and many ways to keep in touch with your legislators, and important national and local groups such as Indivisible. https://www.iccucc.org/support-new-admin.

Questions: Contact Anne Stanback at annestanback@gmail.com or Dr. Jay Terbush at jayterbush@outlook.com

This coming Sunday, July 20, the focus of both worship and message is “Holy Envy”. It is a title attributed to Barbara Brown Taylor — a book she wrote a few years ago. Holy envy refers to what we can appreciate about and learn from other religions about God and a life of faith.

Dr. Jay’s message will be to affirm there is much truth in many different faith traditions and there are various pathways to God, an important moral teaching that is similar as one studies religions other than one’s own. Dr. Jay’s message will include times when Jesus crossed barriers that his society had put up, so that he could interact with people of other traditions. The stories of the woman at the well and the other is Paul preaching to a crowd of Roman citizens.

We hope you’ll join us!

“Speak up, speak out, get in the way. Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.” - John Lewis

This coming Sunday’s worship and message focus is called “Holy Envy”, a title attributed to Barbara Brown Taylor of a book she wrote a few years ago. Holy envy refers to what we can appreciate about and learn from other religions about God and a life of faith. Dr. Jay’s message will be to affirm that there is much truth in many different faith traditions and there are various pathways to God, an important moral teaching as one studies religions other than one’s own.

Dr. Jay’s message will include examples of times when Jesus crossed barriers that his society had put up, so that he could interact with people of other traditions.

Please join us this Sunday for and inspiring message and worship!

Eat a sub and transform a kids’ lives! A portion of every purchase helps support the mission of Trinity Academy and its students. Trinity Academy

Earlier this year a task force was formed to review and revise our current bylaws. The task force was led by Jesse Jones and also included John Scully, Dr. Jay and Anne Stanback. It was quickly determined that we wanted to revise our bylaws in a two-step process. The first step is what we are referring to as “provisional” bylaws, and it is these provisional bylaws we will be discussing at the Second Hour after worship on July 13th. These proposed provisional bylaws eliminate requirements that the church has never been able to comply with (e.g. numerical requirements for committees), and also clean up a variety of things including references to groups that no longer exist or whose names have changed. If approved, we will work with our new settled senior minister to look more deeply at our bylaws and decide whether there are substantive areas we would like to see changed.

The bylaws are available to read in the weekly Eblast. If you would like a paper copy, please call the church office at (860)527-8121 or email immanuel06105@gmail.com .

What if you don’t understand something or have questions or comments? Those are all welcome at this Second Hour discussion. In addition, Jesse has offered to field any questions you have. You can email him at jessecj@outlook.com.

Let Amanda know if you can sing with us!