Friday, September 24, 2010

Omaha Serves


Want to know more about our community? Are you looking for ways to plug in, either by volunteering or just stay on top of what is going on in our wonderful city?

Well, join Omaha Serves- the city's community service initiative, in helping craft Omaha's service plan and identify community needs.

Omaha Serves is hosting an open community meeting on Wednesday, September 29, 2010 at 2:00pm at the Benson Park Pavilion (7002 Military Avenue). Please join us in helping our community today!

For more details contact Kirsten Case-Penrod, Chief Service Officer at (402) 444-5034 or email kcase-penrod@ci.omaha.ne.

Posted by the blog administrator.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

First Central is in the News!

Omaha World-Herald
Proposal Would Expand Rights Law by staff writer, Ross Boettcher

City Councilman Ben Gray has proposed changing Omaha’s ordinances against discrimination to include sexual orientation, gender expression and gender identity.

The proposed changes will be the subject of a public hearing Tuesday before the City Council. Gray said he asked for the changes because they are “currently not part of the ordinance, and there have been instances of people being discriminated against.” They would be the first changes to the city’s human rights ordinances in more than 10 years, said Assistant City Attorney Bernard in den Bosch.

The changes would affect employers, employment agencies and labor organizations and apply to every contract the city agrees to, in den Bosch said.

According to draft language, the ordinance would not require employers to provide employment benefits to same-sex partners. If passed by the council, these categories would be included in the city’s anti-discrimination ordinances:
  • Gender expression, “the non-physical, outward projection of masculinity or femininity to others.’’
  • Gender identity, “the inward manifestation or self-perception a person has of his or her gender.”
  • Sexual orientation, “an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attraction to men, women, or both sexes.”

These would join race, color, creed, religion, sex, marital status, national origin, age and disability in the city’s anti-discrimination prohibitions, Gray said.

Omaha’s First Central Congregational Church sent a letter of support for the changes to council members.

In den Bosch said he expects the proposal to draw criticism. “It wouldn’t surprise me if there were people concerned about it,” he said. “I suspect there will be questions about the definitions as much as about what it means.” There have been “four or five” complaints filed with the city over the past couple of years that would fall under the categories in Gray’s proposal, he said.

The council will meet at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the legislative chambers of the City-County Building, 1819 Farnam Street.

Source: Omaha World-Herald
Contact the writer:
444-1414, ross.boettcher@owh.com

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Stewardship Message: Catch Fire

"Rekindle the gift of God that is within you…" ~ 2 Timothy 1:6

The second week of September in our church is “Rally Sunday.” It’s meant to be the day we get all revved up for the new program year of the church. The energy level in the congregation rises that day, as people who have been away for the summer return and greet friends and visitors. As September begins again in the church, everything seems possible!

The start of a new program year is a good time to take Paul’s advice and “rekindle” all the gifts of God within not just individual Christians, but the church as a whole. Stoke the fire, is what the word means, take the small flames and find ways to add a little tinder here or a little air there and bring warmth and light. To make a fire strong usually requires adding small things regularly, and sometimes large pieces of wood as other large pieces burn away.

What does your church need to really catch fire this September? What gifts, small or large, do you have to contribute to that fire? Are there people around you who have gifts to give that need your encouragement to step up to the fire? Sometimes, as the old church camp song says, it really does “only take a spark.” Is that spark you?


Source: UCC Stewardship Message by Rochelle A. Stackhouse. Rev. Stackhouse is the Senior Minister of The Church of the Redeemer, United Church of Christ, New Haven Connecticut.
http://www.ucc.org/stewardship/stewardship-messages/