Qi Gong is a traditional Chinese practice that focuses on cultivating and circulating life force energy (Qi) through the body, aiming to improve physical and mental health. Dorothy Lovett Buckley is working with Dr. Ming Wu at the Wu Healing Center of West Hartford, CT to become a Qi Gong instructor. Dorothy notes, “since I began working with him, I have experienced greater energy and am enjoying life more than I ever have.”

Dorothy is providing anyone with the desire for more energy to come to Immanuel on Wednesdays at 10:00am on June 18th and 25th to find out more about Qi Gong and to participate in some movement exercises, if you wish. This is being offered at no charge.

For almost 5 years, Isaac has served faithfully and joyfully as the Area Conference Minister for the South Central Region. From COM meetings to walking a church through search and call to coordinating a revival, Isaac has been a blessing to so many.

Join us for a service of blessing and ritual of release followed by light refreshments at Rocky Hill Congregational Church.

Please RSVP by June 18th here:

https://sneucc-reg.brtapp.com/GatheringforCelebrationandFarewellofRevIsaacLawson

Robin McHaelen who is the founder of True Colors, that remarkable event held for two decades at UCONN and which gave such emotional and spiritual support to so many queer young people.

She will be presenting at our Second Hour.

Our church is celebrating Pride Month in a variety of ways, because this is the 25th Anniversary of the decision by our church to be Open & Affirming!

We continue our focus on Pride Month with Worship Leadership by Robin McHaelen who is the founder of True Colors, that remarkable event held for two decades at UCONN and which gave such emotional and spiritual support to so many queer young people.

Come See Us at West Hartford Pride

Thanks to Beth Martin, Sally Taylor, Faye Bond, Nancy Rion, Lisa Lettieri, Brian Donahue, David Osella and John Scully, for volunteering to be at our Immanuel Booth at West Hartford Pride!

The event is Saturday, June 21st from 12noon – 5pm in West Hartford Center.. Instead of needing volunteers, we’re looking for you to stop by and visit us! Hang out at the booth and chat with people who stop for goodies, information and to sign up for the raffle. This event is a real celebration! We’d love to see you!

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

From HIU’s website:

June 18, 2025
from 12:15 PM to 1:30 PM

Five years after the pandemic, how are churchgoers perceiving and understanding church life and what has changed in their engagement? How have their experiences of corporate worship evolved compared to pre-pandemic? What are the routines and rituals of those who worship virtually? Join us as we explore these questions and other key findings from a national survey of 24,000 church attenders conducted in fall 2024.

This online session will dive into who is attending church today, what draws them in, and how patterns of attendance and commitment differ between in-person, hybrid, and online-only worshipers. Special attention will be given to those who have joined congregations in the past five years, the growing phenomenon of multiple church loyalties, and what virtual routines and rituals look like.

Click here for more information and registration.

Qi Gong is a traditional Chinese practice that focuses on cultivating and circulating life force energy (Qi) through the body, aiming to improve physical and mental health. Dorothy Lovett Buckley is working with Dr. Ming Wu at the Wu Healing Center of West Hartford, CT to become a Qi Gong instructor. Dorothy notes, “since I began working with him, I have experienced greater energy and am enjoying life more than I ever have.”

Dorothy is providing anyone with the desire for more energy to come to Immanuel on Wednesdays at 10:00am on June 18th and 25th to find out more about Qi Gong and to participate in some movement exercises, if you wish. This is being offered at no charge.

Our church is celebrating Pride Month in a variety of ways, because this is the 25th Anniversary of the decision by our church to be Open & Affirming!

Our friends from Riverfront Family Church will be joining us as we hear their Pastor Rev. Ben Dubow lead us in worship.

Since the sale of 350 Farmington (and then the sale of 360) we have been saying we should have a discussion about the use of the proceeds from the sale of the two properties and or other unrestricted funds in our investments.   Some have put forward the idea that some of the proceeds should be available for use to fund our church's concerns for social justice programs and activities. 

Both gatherings will be to openly talk with each other about these ideas and to share perspectives about the possible use of some of these monies. No binding decisions will be made but opportunities for various perspectives to be share, disagreements to be voiced, and reasons for different priorities and values will be shared. Please make these discussions a priority! 

Since the sale of 350 Farmington (and then the sale of 360) we have been saying we should have a discussion about the use of the proceeds from the sale of the two properties and or other unrestricted funds in our investments.   Some have put forward the idea that some of the proceeds should be available for use to fund our church's concerns for social justice programs and activities.    Following the information session on the 3rd, we will hold at least two sessions for open discussion of these ideas.

Both gatherings will be to openly talk with each other about these ideas and to share perspectives about the possible use of some of these monies. No binding decisions will be made but opportunities for various perspectives to be share, disagreements to be voiced, and reasons for different priorities and values will be shared. Please make these discussions a priority!

And, on Monday evening June 9th at 7pm we will hold a zoom session.

Choir Recognition Sunday is when we celebrate the musical gifts that have inspired us to worship God.

There will be a baptism and Rev Jack Zappulla preaching on the 50th year of his ordination!

We are pleased to announce that Connecticut Senator Derek Slap will be joining our meeting on June 7th. This is an excellent opportunity for our community to engage with him and discuss important topics that affect us all. We encourage everyone to attend, ask questions, and participate in this meaningful conversation. Your voice matters, and we look forward to seeing you there!

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

The 6th Annual Meeting of the Southern New England Conference - Into the Deep: Living and Leading at the Intersections - will take place Saturday, June 7, 2025 from 9:00am - 1:00pm online via Zoom.

United Church of Christ Congregations sit at the intersections of service and justice in their local communities, and we will honor that at the Southern New England Conference’s 6th Annual Meeting. Join us for worship, church business, celebration of our work together, and a gathering of hope. Please welcome Keynote Speaker Jamar Doyle as we lift up the on-the-ground-work of our local churches and the United Church of Christ related Health and Human Services agencies. You’ll leave with inspired, Pentecostal hope for your church, and our faith. 

Business to be Conducted: 

• Vote to receive and approve the Nomination of Directors and Officers 

• Vote to receive and approve the Board’s recommendations on bylaw changes.  We will distribute these red-lined bylaws after the Board votes upon them on May 10th.  

Registration deadline is May 19th to receive a care package, and June 1st for general registration, so we can ensure time to communicate information to all attendees. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.
​
Delegate Materials will be distributed electronically. There will be no automatic paper mailing of materials to any church or registrant.  

Rod Martin will present information about the endowments and investments of the church, their history, some of the restrictions on their use, and some of them being unrestricted and what that means.   Very important information to educate the congregation about these investments that total 5 million dollars.

This zoom session will be recorded and anyone can request the link to watch it.

Celebrating our 25th Anniversary of being an Open & Affirming Church!

We are so pleased to be joining with our special guests Hartford Gay Men’s Chorus in this special collaborative service!

Also. we celebrate the sacrament of holy communion with an Open Table welcoming everyone.  Our whole service is written to be inclusive of everyone, especially our LGBTQ+ friends. We are joined by our siblings from Faith Congregational Church.  Our speakers will be two people giving testimony about how important the support of others has been for their journey.

In this Second Hour, our HIU Intern Hina Khan will explore how justice lies at the heart of the Abrahamic traditions. Drawing from scripture and classical Islamic thought, she will examine the role of prophets—Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad (Peace be upon them)— as divine adjudicators and models of moral and social balance.

The session will also highlight the concept of Aql (intellect) as a sacred tool for discernment, drawing on Imam Al-Ghazali’s insights. Participants will be invited to reflect on whether we are truly repaying our religious debt with justice— to God, society, and to our own Godgiven intellect.

The Environmental Action Ministries Team (EAMT) is holding a Climate Action Film Festival in conjunction with Asylum Hill Congregational Church (AHCC). The films will be shown, without charge, on Wednesday, April 30th at AHCC, and May 7th and May 21st at Immanuel Congregational Church.

Light refreshments will be served at 6:00pm and the film showing will be from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, including a post-film discussion.

The films are:

The Revolution Generation, a 2021 film exploring how the millennial generation came to be and the impact they are having on the world. April 30th, at AHCC

On Sacred Ground, a 2022 film depicting the confrontation between the indigenous Stand Rock Reservation and oil company executives during the construction of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline. May 7th, at ICC

Buy Now, a 2024 film depicting the hidden tactics and strategies that the top brands use to keep us locked in an endless cycle of buying, no matter the cost. May 21st, at ICC

Join us! It will be fun and illuminating.

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!

At this meeting we will determine when our Support & Action Group will meet again. Future rallies are in the works, so we'll decide as a group and as plans emerge, how we'll gather in the future.

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

NOT JUST US will be hosting a Greater Hartford Community Unity Event on May 13, 2025 at 6 PM at Immanuel Congregational Church (iccucc.org). The goal of the event is to bring community together, learn about available resources, and build relationships with each other. NJU is a statewide collaborative where we support others’ work.

We also are a volunteer group which advocates and brings together communities of color, LGBQTIA+, diverse faiths, disabilities, foster and adoptive, indigenous, and lower socioeconomic incomes. We believe all people should be at the table of decision making and actively participating, listened to, and be a factor in all decisions made. Please contact Brian Donahue at 860-305-4238 for more information. 360

The plant sale is coming! The ICC annual plant sale will take place on Saturday, May 10 from 9 - 1. It's a great way to welcome warm weather, and bring color to your yard, porch or patio! And don't forget that it's a great way to bring some floral Mothers Day joy to a special person! Hanging baskets, annuals for planting, and miscellaneous garden accessories will be available.  

This year, we will not be accepting donations of perennials from your gardens due to concern about the possibility of spreading Asian jumping worms. Please do feel free to share your indoor plants - it's always nice to have something that can work for those of our neighbors who do not have access to outside spaces. Of course, we welcome volunteer help for setting up, breaking down, and selling. If you can spare an hour or two, please let Jennifer Gaudet know by email at jennifergaudet@sbcglobal.net or by text at 860 798-7454.

It's always fun to work together on a project like this. 

Save the Date! Join us on May 8th at Dunkin' Park in Hartford for the Trinity Academy Grand Slam Gala! Celebrate and support the future of Hartford’s youth with live and silent auctions, performances by Trinity students, and more. We’ll be honoring the incredible Courtney Bourns for his dedication to the school. Let’s make a difference together!

Donate and buy your tickets here:
https://givebutter.com/c/9rlxO1

The Environmental Action Ministries Team (EAMT) is holding a Climate Action Film Festival in conjunction with Asylum Hill Congregational Church (AHCC). The films will be shown, without charge, on Wednesday, April 30th at AHCC, and May 7th and May 21st at Immanuel Congregational Church.

Light refreshments will be served at 6:00pm and the film showing will be from 6:30pm to 8:30pm, including a post-film discussion.

The films are:

The Revolution Generation, a 2021 film exploring how the millennial generation came to be and the impact they are having on the world. April 30th, at AHCC

Breaking Boundaries, a 2021 film with David Attenborough and Swedish scientist Johan Rockstrom, examining the effect of climate change on the balance of forces in nature, leading us up to and beyond critical tipping points or boundaries, and what steps need to be taken to turn things around. May 7th at ICC

Buy Now, a 2024 film depicting the hidden tactics and strategies that the top brands use to keep us locked in an endless cycle of buying, no matter the cost. May 21st, at ICC

Join us! It will be fun and illuminating.

Join us for a very special Second Hour with our Director of Music Amanda Hanzlik, where we’ll talk about the role of music at Immanuel, how it supports our worship, strengthens community, and can serve as a powerful tool for outreach.

Amanda will share thoughts on broadening our musical life beyond just choir, and how music can draw more people into meaningful connection with God and each other.

This is a great opportunity to get to know more about Amanda, hear how she approaches music ministry, and imagine together what’s possible for the future of music here at Immanuel.