November 20 - December 13

The Outreach Committee Ministry, with your help, provides a complete Christmas for three families from Tank School, and we collect all the items needed from November 20 - December 13.

Each family receives blankets and a complete Christmas dinner. We will have 3 trees in the back of the sanctuary with tags identifying special gifts for our Baby Jesus, Star, and Angel families. Please feel free to take as many tags as you'd like - just put the tag on an UNWRAPPED gift and return it to the church no later than December 13, 5:00 p.m. 

If you aren't going to be at church, you can choose from this simple online sign-up program:

1. SignUpGenius - click the link,
2. then click on one or more of the boxes of those "wish list items" you'd like to fulfill,
3. click Submit & Sign Up,
4. add your name (I believe this can remain blank, but don't quote me - new program for me) and email address (required), and then,
5. click Sign Up Now.
6. You'll get a confirmation page, and it will be sent to your email.
7. You should check that email to make sure it has the items you signed up to provide.
8. Note that you'll need to make a tag (doesn't need to be fancy) to put on each unwrapped gift, so the coordinators know what goes to which family member.
9. Any questions about this program, email Connie or call 920-621-3382.

It is VERY IMPORTANT to put each tag (from the tree or create one if you choose your tags online) on UNWRAPPED gifts and return them to the church no later than December 13, 5 p.m. Thank you to the three family coordinators who have volunteered to lead the effort for each family. For the Angel family - Leah Mott and family will coordinate; for the Star family - Lynne Nelson and family; and for the Baby Jesus family - Ken Sann will coordinate. Any questions, please contact Stephanie - text 920-609-7510, or the coordinator for a particular family. Thank you all for helping us to continue the First Pres mission right here in our neighborhood!

December 1, 8, 15, 22 at 6:30 pm on Zoom

An Advent opportunity is our Gospel of Luke Advent Study, geared toward the adults in our congregation. Beginning December 1st, we will be reading one chapter from the gospel of Luke a day, every day, all the way through December 24. There are 24 chapters in the gospel, one for each day of Advent. Luke’s gospel leads us from Jesus’ birth through his ascension into heaven, a perfect study to remind us why Jesus was sent to earth. Pastor Katie and Bobbi Holl will host the ZOOM meetings on Tuesdays, December 1-22 to share thoughts about what we’ve read. (Zoom sign-in information has been sent to members as email. If you need that information, please contact Bobbi.)

Pantry will benefit from First Presbyterian Church's REVERSE Advent Calendar!
December 1-24

Hello all! As you know, Advent calendars that we see today normally follow the formula that has a person opening one door on their Advent calendar each day of Advent to find a small gift (maybe a piece of candy or trinket.) Instead, this year, we would like to suggest a REVERSE Advent – instead of members of our congregation GETTING a small gift for every day of Advent – we set a goal of GIVING a gift to the Pantry each day, filling a box with Pantry supplies. We’ve created a list of specific needs the Pantry has, and included it here so that you can purchase more than one when you are shopping, but perhaps it could be an Advent ceremony in your household to each day add that day’s specified item to the box.

EACH DAY, ADD AN ITEM TO A BOX. ON CHRISTMAS EVE, (or around that time) BRING THE BOX WITH YOU TO WORSHIP SERVICE.

• December 1 –  15 oz can pork and beans
• December 2 –  18-20 oz PLASTIC container grape jelly
• December 3 –  16 oz box pasta
• December 4 –  15 oz can fruit cocktail
• December 5 –  10.75 oz can tomato soup
• December 6 –  bathroom tissue, any size
• December 7 –  15 oz can sweet peas
• December 8 –  16 oz peanut butter
• December 9 –  24-26 oz can meat flavored pasta sauce NO JARS
• December 10 –15 oz can corn
• December 11 – 7.25 oz mac & cheese (powdered kind)
• December 12 – 16 oz bag rice
• December 13 – 10.75 oz can chicken noodle soup
• December 14 – 15 oz can pasta w/meat (ravioli, lasagna, etc.)
• December 15 – 5 oz or 12 oz can tuna in water
• December 16 – laundry soap, liquid or powder, small size best
• December 17 – 15 oz can green beans
• December 18 – 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• December 19 – 18-24 oz family size cereal (non-sugared)
• December 20 – 12 oz bag egg noodles
• December 21 – 5 oz or 12 oz can chicken
• December 22 – 15 oz can carrots
• December 23 – box of facial tissues
• December 24 – 16-22 oz baked beans

December 8 & 22, 10 am - noon

The pantry has moved back inside to serve our guests. We will have new instructions posted for everyone. Please use social distancing and EVERYONE needs to wear a MASK, including our volunteer pantry workers. If there is a medical issue, please state so at check-in and we will bring food out to you. Thank you for helping us honor these safety procedures. We will not be able to have a Treasure Table for safety reasons, nor will we be able to have the Toy Shop this year for the same reasons. Our main  goal is to provide food for guests...safely. If there are any questions please speak to Mary Ginnebaugh or Stephanie Fahringer. We will continue to use the door on Howard St for the pantry on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, December 8 and 22 from 10 am to noon. All are welcome, however MASKS are REQUIRED.

OUR NEW PASTOR REVEREND KATIE ESTES IS HERE!

Welcome and blessings, Pastor Katie! We are blessed that she was called to us! 

We know that you will make her and her daughter Grace and son DeShawn feel very welcome here, even though the pandemic continues to limit what we are able to do in person. As Pastor Katie says, "While COVID-19 makes so much of our church life together different or challenging, I am certain that God has abundant blessings in store for us still. Let’s discover them together!"

 

Even before she got here, she has been participating in committee and other meetings via phone or Zoom, to get somewhat acclimated as to what is currently happening at First Pres.

 

Even though she has lived and worked in Minnesota for years, no fears that she might be a Vikings fan as she has let us know that she and DeShawn are die-hard Packers fans!

December 21, 7 pm in person and on Facebook live

There is much on all our minds as we prepare for Christmas this year that is not pleasant: wildfires out west that have killed so many and left many more homeless, the tragic plight of almost 80 million refugees around the world, fears about climate change and its potentially devastating impact on our planet, and our own personal tragedies of lost loved ones, friends or relatives with terminal illnesses, and other losses mean that our hearts are grieving. The coronavirus pandemic has amplified and exacerbated every one of these, and many are struggling like never before. So why do we try to cover our pain and grief with so much Yuletide cheer?

Many churches have begun to recognize that Festivals of Carols, celebrations of Christmas, and children’s pageants do not meet everyone’s needs. To recognize and acknowledge the darker side of our Advent preparations this year, we have planned a Blue Christmas service for Monday, December 21 at 7:00 pm. You may participate in the sanctuary in person (masked and distanced) or via our livestream online. Sometimes called a “Longest Night” service because it usually falls on or close to the Winter Solstice which is the longest night of the year, this contemplative service of music, candles and prayer goes back many years, in many different Christian practices. All who would care to sit with the family of faith in a liturgy that reminds us of the love of God through times of grief and isolation even as we prepare for the coming of the Christ child are welcome and encouraged to attend.  

December 24, 5 pm

GOOD NEWS! We will be having a Christmas Pageant this year for our children and youth…however, it will be very different from past years. This year’s pageant will be completely virtual. The pageant we are doing is “Tell Me the Story of Christmas.” It has narrators reading the Christmas story with children asking them questions and acting out the parts. We will have speakers, characters (animals, shepherds, angels, etc.) and possibly musicians.

The pageant will be a combination of Zoom recordings and parents recording their children acting their parts. A bag will be put together for each family which includes the speaking parts, costumes, props (if necessary), and instructions, which will be available for pick up at church. The pageant scenes will be recorded ahead of time and incorporated into the early Christmas Eve worship service. This service will be streamed online at 5:00 p.m. Christmas Eve on Facebook. More information will be provided as this process moves forward.

At this time, we need to know who will be participating in the pageant. This is open to all children and youth. Please let us know if your family will be participating. Also, if they would like a speaking/reading part. We may also be looking for some music to put with this…singing, or instrumental (this could be any Christmas song) and could be performed by any members of your family! We are very excited to have a pageant and celebrate the birth of our Savior. Even though we cannot be together in person, we will be able to get together online! Please e-mail or call Mary Steeno to let us know if you will be participating or if you have any questions at mesteeno@new.rr.com or 469-0923 or 619-4510.

December 24, 6:30 & 7 pm

Our Christmas Eve worship service will be based on the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah, and the birth of Jesus are told in nine short Bible readings from Genesis, the prophetic books, and the Gospels, interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns, and special music. An extended prelude will begin at 6:30 p.m. with the service itself beginning at 7:00 p.m. 

Sundays, 10 am for Worship

Worship with us on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. 

• First Pres' session has reopened the sanctuary for in-person worship. For the safety of the congregation, new operational policies and procedures (described below) have been implemented.

• Our worship services are also available virtually! 
  • This week's bulletin is posted in the "Bulletins" section. 
  • A Facebook Live broadcast of the service is available on our Facebook page to allow you to watch it at the same time as those at the church. 
  • Recorded services are available on our Facebook page under Videos or on our church website under "Worship with Us" under Sermons / Services. 

Please review the documents (below & attached) carefully before you come to church for worship or any other purpose. A few key points for attending in person:

• If you are exhibiting any COVID-19 symptoms such as fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose other than from allergies, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea – PLEASE STAY HOME.
• After considerable thought and research, we decided not to take temperatures of those entering the building at this time. There doesn’t seem to be a prevailing opinion one way or the other on this.
• Wearing a mask is required under the state-wide mandate, so please comply.
• There will be a sign - up sheet instead of friendship pads. Please sign in using your own pen or one of the sanitized pens provided.
• Masks will be available at the main entrance and sanitizer will be available throughout the building.
• If for ANY reason you are uncomfortable about returning to live worship at this time, please stay home and instead participate via the Internet.

To review:

• FPC Sanctuary Worship Policy
• Building Use Policies

First Pres Zoom Gatherings on Sundays 
11:15 a.m.

We continue to have virtual gatherings through Zoom - video on your computer or smartphone, or listen/participate by phone. We have a Zoom fellowship gathering at 11:15 a.m. each Sunday.

Those who don't have the ability to go online will still be able to call in with the information provided. We hope that you will join us for the next best thing to being able to gather in person. It is great to see people's faces - and hear their voices! (Marj Krause Crowl is on the phone in the photo.)

Join Zoom Meetings by following the instructions in the email you received, most recently on 8/13.

New Format

Sunday School is happening in a different format at this time, with pages of the curriculum sent with an email to parents each week.

If there are any parents who want to submit their email addresses to be included in the Sunday School emails, please do so by emailing Brenda at bgehhubbcap@yahoo.com.

In general, Sunday School is for pre-K through 5th grade.

2020

November 20-December 13 - Prayer Baskets

December 1-24 - Reverse Advent Calendar for Pantry (see list here)

December 6, 10 am - Live worship with Pastor Katie Estes - see restrictions at left

December 6, 11:15 am - Fellowship on Zoom - following worship

December 8, 10 am-noon - Presbyterian Pantry

December 8, 6:30 pm - Zoom Advent Gospel Study

December 13, 10 am - Live worship with Pastor Katie Estes - see restrictions at left

December 13, 11:15 am - Fellowship on Zoom - following worship

December 15, 6:30 pm - Zoom Advent Gospel Study

December 20, 10 am - Live worship with Pastor Katie Estes - see restrictions at left

December 20, 11:15 am - Fellowship on Zoom - following worship

December 21, 7 pm (note time correction) - Blue Christmas Service - see restrictions at left

December 22, 10 am-noon - Presbyterian Pantry (no Toy Shop this year)

December 22, 6:30 pm - Zoom Advent Gospel Study

December 24, 5 pm - Christmas Pageant - Online Only

December 24, 6:30 pm & 7 pm - Live worship with Pastor Katie Estes - see restrictions at left (6:30 pm Prelude; 7 pm Worship)

2021

March 31 - Blood Drive

Also see our Calendar.