First United Church of Tampa is installing its new pastor, the Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson, on Sunday, February 28.  In conjunction with the installation service there will be workshops and a musical program to be held on February 27 (Saturday).  All of the events are open to the community as well as other churches.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27

MORNING WORKSHOP

10:00AM-12:00PM (Sanctuary) · "Reading the Bible with New Eyes"
This workshop will be led by the Rev. Dr. Randall Bailey, the Andrew Mellon professor of Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, Georgia.  He has focused much of his work on reading the Bible through the lens of the voiceless and through the task of uncovering the real stories, particularly relating to issues of sexuality and race.  He will help us see what may be underneath the text or the unspoken story.

12:00PM-1:30PM · Lunch on your own at a variety of local restaurants.
A list of restaurants will be available.

AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS

1:30PM-3:30PM (running concurrently) · "Quilting Up a Storm" (Fellowship Hall) or "Together at Last: Advocacy and Mission" (Sanctuary)

"Quilting Up a Storm" (Fellowship Hall)
Stories of churches after Hurricane Katrina through the eyes of two master quilters.  This workshop will combine telling the stories of the people of New Orleans who have struggled to rebuild their city with a deeper understanding of how we can still volunteer in the mission of rebuilding this unique American city.  This workshop is about quilting and the arts as a way of storytelling and about how exciting mission can be in the 21st century.  This workshop will be led by Cecelia Pedescleaux and Jean Phillips.

"Together at Last: Advocacy and Mission" (Sanctuary)
So often churches only do the charity work they are called to do, not going the next step to advocacy.  This workshop will look at ways a congregation can do both—how to integrate this core work of any congregation.  We will look at Bread for the World's 2010 Offering of Letters which urges Congress to strengthen key tax credits targeted to help low-income families make ends meet and at how to get more money into the pockets of low-income working people.  This workshop will be led by the Rev. Diane Ford Jones, a UCC clergyperson who currently works for Bread for the World, and who has also worked for a national church-based peace organization and on the national staff of the United Church of Christ.

3:30PM-4:00PM · Refreshments (Fellowship Hall)

4:00PM-5:30PM (Sanctuary) · Concert: "The Sacred, Silly, and Secular" with Jared Porter, Alan Armstrong, and Friends!
The performance will encompass a wide range of styles and periods including songs from the hit Broadway musical "Wicked," with gifted actors, singers, and songwriters Fontaine Schroyer and Janelle Sango.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 28

WORSHIP SERVICES

9:00AM · WORSHIP SERVICE (Sanctuary)
The preacher will be the Rev. Lois Powell of Justice and Witness Ministries, United Church of Christ.  Rev. Powell is a longtime advocate for a variety of issues, including justice for women, human rights, reproductive rights, and rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

11:00AM · WORSHIP SERVICE (Sanctuary)
The preacher will be the Rev. Robina Winbush, ecumenical officer of the Presbyterian Church USA in Louisville, Kentucky.  Rev. Winbush serves in a number of capacities in the ecumenical world, including as a member of the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches.

4:00PM · INSTALLATION SERVICE
The installation service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa (11400 Morris Bridge Rd.).
The preacher will be the Rev. Yvonne Delk, the first African-American woman ordained in the United Church of Christ.  Dr. Delk has served in a number of capacities, most recently as founding Executive Director of the Center for African-American Theological Studies in Chicago, Illinois.  She has also served as Executive Director of the Community Renewal Society of Chicago and as Executive Director of the United Church of Christ Office for Church in Society.

A reception will follow at First United.

First United Church of Tampa, UCC · 7308 E. Fowler Ave. · Tampa, FL 33617 · 813-988-4321