207 348-6602 | Worship every Sunday @ 10 a.m. Zoom available.
207 348-6602 | Worship every Sunday @ 10 a.m. Zoom available.
Learn more about our weekly ongoing events, events coming up in the next couple of months and special events that took place over the past few months.
Every week
Monthly
WEEKLY STAND OUT FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE
Every Thursday at 3 pm a small but dedicated group gathers outside the church to witness for peace and share a message of love. Under our banner “Do Justice and Love Kindness” we enact Jesus’ command to love our neighbors. Any one is welcome to come and bring an appropriate sign. Some of the signs speak to the need for justice, some ask our government to put aside authoritarian ways and embrace democracy, and some have a simple message of peace, not war. We are present in our community to spread Jesus’ message of love and kindness.
SPIRITUAL STUDIES Mondays at 1:00 pm
A Beautiful Year: 52 Meditations on Faith, Wisdom, and Perseverance Diana Butler Bass (St. Martin’s Essentials)
Thinking about time in a truly Biblically way, cultivating a deeply theologically and spiritually-imbued sense of our calendar, is a key to living full of resurrection vigor. But for an immediate way into thinking about time in a renewed way, to have your vision of your year shaped by the liturgical seasons, Bass’s A Beautiful Year is an oh-so-relevant set of reflections about just this. It starts in Advent but you can dip in anywhere, starting now in her excellent session about Holy Week and then Eastertide.
In a blurb on the back cover, ecologist and activist Bill McKibben notes that in our cultural moment “many can’t summon the energy or hope required.” That’s why this book is important and how it can help. As Mariann Edgar Budde says, Bass is, “at once a teacher and fellow pilgrim” and “a wondrous guide.”
JUNE
June 14 at 5:00 pm Community Supper
Come join us to celebrate the beginning of summer with family and friends. Supper will feature Ham with delicious side dishes and cupcakes! All contributions will benefit the Church’s Community Fund.
June 28 at 7:00 pm Annual Gotwals Organ Concert
The Gotwals Organ concert on June 28 will feature the very talented Jillian Gardner. You may remember her virtuosic Gotwals performances from 2019 and 2021 (along with her pink sparkly organ shoes). She is currently Music Director and organist at First United Methodist Church in Huntsville, Alabama. Reception to follow.
Program:
https://www.jilliangardner.com/event-details/deer-isle-sunset-congregational-church-deer-isle-maine
JULY
July 4 – Oasis Café
The café will open for coffee and muffins starting at 9:00 before the parade and afterwards, the annual favorite crab rolls, cold drinks, and cookies will be available until noon. Parade parking is available at the church.
FREE BIRTHDAY CAKE AT THE OASIS CAFÉ TO CELEBRATE OUR NATION’S 250TH BIRTHDAY!
July 4 – 18 – Annual Online Auction
This major fundraiser to support the Church’s community activities has something for everyone – from boat rides to art work to furniture and much more. You can preview last year’s offerings at this link: https://app.betterunite.com/discongregationalchurch-deerislesunsetcongregationalchurch2025auction/Offers?silentauction=1
This year’s Auction Preview will be available on July 1. Bidding will start on July 4 and will close on July 18. Some items will be on display at the Church.
July 22 at 7:00 Conversation about the “ICEy Winter in Minneapolis” with Barbara Lundblad and Nicole (Nikki) Johnson from their perspectives as Minneapolis/St Paul residents.
AUGUST
August 12 at 7:00 Book talk with Tom Ricks His new book Big Money, Small Town comes out in June. Tom will talk about what he learned about our state in the process of writing this mystery.
August 26 at 7:00 Book talk with Alice Hildebrand. As a United Church of Christ minister and hospice and hospital chaplain, Reverend Hildebrand became familiar with the stresses, challenges and rewards of caregiving. The talk is based on her published memoir in 2025. “A Matter of Death and Life,” which is the story of how she cared for her father in his last years.
FYI – Under Construction – being updated 🙂
This section is provided as a glimpse of our past events. A lot of different activities are covered here: Community Suppers, Forums, Concerts, Blessing of the Animals. They represent opportunities for fellowship, learning, contemplation, good food – and fun.
When we understand each other’s challenges, communication becomes easier.
Pat Dobbs led by on learning how to make your communications easier. Hearing loss affects more than just the person experiencing it—it also affects how their loved ones connect and communicate. This workshop explores the daily challenges faced by people with hearing loss, along with the often-overlooked frustrations of their partners, family, and friends. By understanding both sides, participants gain a clearer picture of how hearing loss impacts relationships. Learn simple, practical strategies to improve communication and foster stronger connections.
Pat is a Maine Department of Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Committee Member, President of HLAA, Downeast Chapter and Staff Writer for Hearing Health Foundation.
On July 12 we hosted a conversation on economic development with Robin Alden and Ned Hill, talking about their approaches to economic and community development, specifically for Deer Isle. They entertained many questions from the audience in an extended Q and A session.
This was an important look at issues vital to the health and economic viability of life on our island. We cannot ever take for granted that what has sustained us in the past will continue to sustain us in the future. The topic is so important and the interest so great, we will be holding follow-up sessions. Hosting this program is part of our focus on being a community church responsive to the needs of our neighbors.
RECORDING OF THE MEETING
https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/3JgCCxK_bAp7eCIzFi-ahLDqC6joHJPqhzO-keGAZDZ6dU7LlOUSCScbcDgWfo4I.xwZ1HrXeNPBMoaEH
The Meet the Candidates event was well attended – over 100 people in person and on Zoom. It gave candidates an opportunity to introduce themselves to Island residents, gave the audience an opportunity to ask questions, and provided time for one-on-one conversations with the candidates. There were lots of great questions for the candidates and thoughtful responses.
We have monthly Community Suppers, except in the summer.
We gathered on a Fall afternoon to celebrate and bless our beloved companions.
Blessing of the Animals
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