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No matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey, you are welcome at
Embrace United Church of Christ
Our Mission: To embrace and encourage all people on their own spiritual journey and to follow Jesus' example of extravagant grace and relentless compassion.
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Our Vision: To be a vibrant community of faith that celebrates the uniqueness of God's creation and provides opportunities for all people to grow in wholeness through God's grace.
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Sunday Worship: We invite you to join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 am. We share space with St. Paul Presbyterian Church at 4517 Rufe Snow Dr., North Richland Hills, TX 76180.
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Our services are live-streamed on Facebook. The live stream is also recorded and can be watched later in the week. www.facebook.com/EmbraceUCC.
News
December 21: Embrace Family Christmas Party (6:00 pm)
Join us for a festive holiday party on Saturday, December 21 at 6 pm in the Fellowship Hall. We'll be sharing a potluck meal so please bring something to share. We'll also hold a white elephant gift exchange and other fun festive activities.
December 15: Annual Congregational Meeting (6:00 pm)
The Annual Congregational Meeting of Embrace UCC will be held on Sunday, December 15 at 6 pm in the Fellowship Hall (a zoom link for virtual attendance is forthcoming). Following a Potluck meal, we will approve the annual budget, elect new Leadership Team members, and hold an open and frank discussion about issues surrounding the future of our congregation. Please come and share your thoughts and concerns. Your input is critical to our future!
October 20, 2024: Rev. Barbara Dickason joins Embrace as Bridge Pastor
Rev. Barbara Dickason has joined Embrace UCC as a full-time Bridge Pastor. In this temporary "bridge" position, Rev. Dickason will assume pastoral duties over the next few months to assist the congregation as it carries out a search for a long-term designated pastor.
Rev. Dickason completed bachelor's degrees in Peace Studies and Philosophy from Manchester University in Indiana and her Master's of Divinity (MDiv) from Bethany Theological Seminary in Indiana. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry (DMin) degree through Eden Theological Seminary in St, Louis, Missouri.
An ordained UCC Minister, Rev. Dickason comes to Embrace with more than 15 years of experience in ministry, having previously served in pastoral positions at churches in Nebraska and Louisiana - most recently as the Associate Pastor of Youth and Families at Central Saint Matthew UCC in New Orleans.
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August 3, 10, 17, & 31: Pastoral Search - Church Profile Meetings (6:00 pm)
To call a new minister to lead the congregation, Embrace UCC needs to complete a Local Church Profile. This profile will serve as both an advertisement that can be reviewed by potential candidates and as a guide for the future search committee in their screening and interviewing of candidates.
To complete a new Embrace UCC Church Profile, the Embrace Transition Team will host a series of interactive listening sessions at 6 pm on Saturday evenings throughout August 2024. The church profile centers around three critical questions: Who are we today? Who is our neighbor? Who is God calling us to become? These listening sessions will allow church members to share their perspectives regarding these questions so that they can be incorporated into the church profile.
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To facilitate participation, these Listening Sessions will be held both in person and simultaneously via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81036255500). Dinner will be provided for those attending in person. Each listening session will include a discussion guide that will help live participants prepare for the meeting, and allow those unable to attend to send responses for inclusion in the discussions (please send to Therese Adamiec at thereseadamiec@gmail.com or Eric Gachelin at ejg00@outlook.com). An outline of these listening sessions is provided below.
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Saturday, August 3 - "Who are we today?" Session 1 Discussion Guide
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Saturday, August 10 - "Who is our neighbor?" Session 2 Discussion Guide
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Saturday, August 17 - "Who is God calling us to become?" Session 3 Discussion Guide
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Saturday, August 31 - Church Profile review and discussion
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Location: Fellowship Hall, 4517 Rufe Snow Drive, N. Richland Hills, TX 76180
Zoom link for all meetings: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81036255500
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August 18, 2024: Worship Service at 11 am
The Embrace UCC worship service on Sunday, August 18 will start at 11 am. This will be the third joint service with St. Paul Presbyterian Church. Rev. Krista Rasco (Presbyterian Church USA) will preach.
Please join us and share your thoughts on another exploratory worship service bringing together our UCC and Presbyterian congregations!
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July 21, 2024: Worship Service at 11 am
The Embrace UCC worship service on Sunday, July 21 will start at 11 am. This will be the second joint service with St. Paul Presbyterian Church. Rev. Lisetta Thomas (Embrace UCC) will preach.
Please join us and share your thoughts on our "worship lab" exploring new ways to bring our UCC and Presbyterian congregations together!
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June 23, 2024: Worship Service at 11 am
The Embrace UCC worship service on Sunday, June 23 will start at 11 am. This will be the first of two joint services currently planned with St. Paul Presbyterian Church (another will be held on July 21, 2024). Rev. Lisetta Thomas (Embrace UCC) will preach.
The Embrace and St. Paul worship teams have been working together to develop a new joint worship style that combines the strengths of the two congregations into a welcoming and inclusive service.
We hope you will join us and share your feedback regarding this "experimental" service bringing together our UCC and Presbyterian congregations!
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June 1, 2024: Arlington Pride 2024
June 8, 6-11 pm​​​​​​​
Join us for a night of fun ​​​​at Arlington Pride 2024!
Look for Embrace UCC at Booth #43!
You must register (it's free) to enter the event
Doors open at 5 pm, Programming begins at 6 pm
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Levitt Pavilion ​​​​​​​(100 W. Abram St., Arlington, TX)
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May 1, 2024: Summer Sermon Series
Rev. Ken Ehrke retired after 10 years as pastor of Embrace UCC on April 28, 2024. While the congregation seeks a new pastor, Embrace is excited to host a diverse array of clergy in the pulpit this summer.
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May 2024
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May 5: Rev. Lisetta Thomas (Embrace UCC)
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May 12: Rev. Pepa Paniagua (Grace Presbytery, Presbyterian Church USA)
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Coordinator of Innovation & New Ministry Development, Grace Presbytery
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May 19: Rev. Krista Rasco (Presbyterian Church USA)
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May 26: Rev. Dennis Ureche (Embrace UCC)
June 2024
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June 2: Rev. Dr. Kyle Walker (Grace Presbytery, Presbyterian Church USA)
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Stated Clerk, Grace Presbytery
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June 9: Rev. Lisetta Thomas (Embrace UCC)
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June 16: Rev. Shelby Nowland (Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministries)
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June 23: Rev. Lisetta Thomas (Embrace UCC)
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June 30: Rev. Dennis Ureche (Embrace UCC)
July 2024
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July 7: Rev. Krista Rasco (Presbyterian Church USA)
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July 14: Rev. Shelby Nowland (Labyrinth Progressive Student Ministries)
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July 21: Rev. Lisetta Thomas (Embrace UCC) - Joint Service with St. Paul (11 am)
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July 28: Rev. Dennis Ureche (Embrace UCC)
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April 8, 2024: Rev. Ken Ehrke is retiring!
Pastor Ken is retiring after 37 years in ministry! He has served as the pastor of Embrace UCC since 2014, leading the congregation from a church plant (Cathedral of Hope Midcities) to an independent UCC congregation.
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Please join us for a retirement celebration on Sunday, April 28, 2024. We will have a special joint service with St. Paul Presbyterian Church at 11 am followed by a retirement party starting at 12:15 pm.