For the past two years, we have chosen DuPage County ACT-SO as the recipient of our royalties collections. DuPage County ACT-SO is seeking your assistance in recruiting professional judges and volunteers for the upcoming DuPage County ACT-SO local competition, on Saturday, March 21, 2026. We have over 50 students competing in 26 different categories this year! We really need the support of our community to execute this event. By clicking below, you will find all information including judge and volunteer recruitment flyers for our local competition. We also invite you to attend our Awards Banquet which will take place the following day on Sunday, March 22, 2026 at the Bolingbrook Golf Club. Over 400 families and community leaders typically attend the banquet to cheer our students on. Michele Hecht will be one of the judges and invites you to join her. We invite you to participate in this rewarding experience; it is a wonderful way to support a vital cause while enjoying yourself.
Fifth in our series, Sacred Ground is now open for our February 25th registration. We invite you to a year-long film-based dialogue series on race called Sacred Ground. This series is designed for our times and is an attempt to respond to the profound challenges of our current times surrounding race and racism, and hopes to foster the difficult but respectful and transformative dialogue we need to have with each other about them. On the fourth Wednesday of the Month we will gather in Pilgrim Hall for a light supper, film, and discussion. See schedule here.
A Different Subject Every Month
Register each month
The historical term, “Negro Spiritual,” refers to the enormous collection of songs created by enslaved black people. We regularly sing these songs as hymns and anthems in worship. As part of our new social justice initiative, we are taking up special offerings to pay royalties for the use of Negro Spirituals twice a year for the next two years. Our next offering for 2025 is on Sunday, October 26 and will support DuPage County ACT-SO (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics), a nation-wide program sponsored by the NAACP, that encourages high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students. Consider getting involved as a mentor or judge for the ACT-SO program, or join our new Racial Justice Ministry. To make a contribution through Tithely, please select “Royalties for Spirituals” in the drop-down menu. For more information, click here go to or contact Rev. Kyle Roggenbuck .
Praise His Holy Name-coming March 18th!
In addition to a focus on spirituals in worship, we have a robust plan for adult education through book and film discussions and presentations by guest speakers and musicians. Books on related topics will also be on display and available in the church library.
Stay tuned for future events and speakers.
In Their Own Words:– Slave Life and the Power of Spirituals by Eileen Guenther, 2016
May We Forever Stand: A History of the Black National Anthem by Imani Perry, 2018
The Book of Negro Spirituals, ed. James Weldon Johnson, 1925
The Music of Black Americans, A History, Third Edition by Eileen Southern, 1997
The Creation of Negro Spirituals: An Ennobling Power of Survival, Laurie Treat, 2019
Way Over in Beulah Lan’: Understanding and Performing the Negro Spiritual by Dr. André Thomas, 2007
Thanks to your generosity, our campaign to raise funds for Royalties for Spirituals brought in nearly $3000 last Spring.
The ACT-SO program meets once a month at the Naperville branch of the College of DuPage on Rickert Drive. These are high school students who practice to compete against other ACT-SO groups from Kendall, Will, Cook and Kane counties. Currently, they have 40 students, but it was a larger group before the pandemic. They compete in performing arts, visual arts, and STEM. They need volunteers to assist the students and workshop leaders on Saturdays.
They also need help on the day of their competitions. They need people to help with judging, monitoring rooms, timekeeping, and helping with the flow between rooms. Volunteers can observe the competition and talk to the students afterwards. The competition starts at 9am, and the performing arts portion is open for anyone to observe as it is happening. Contact Pastor Kyle .
FCCGE is an open and affirming community who rejoices in God’s work
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