Worship on the Lord's Day
Second Sunday of Advent, December 10, 2017

9:00 a.m. | 

Morning Prayers

Come and pray and share  prayer concerns.

9:30 a.m. | Worship on the Lord's Day

Come to the waters of life and be quenched.

9:30 am: Sunday morning worship 
Our worship will include music be the Sanctuary Choir, Bells, and String Quartet

Sunday, Dec. 24th - Advent 4 

Our final advent service on the morning of Christmas Eve.
9:30 am: Sunday morning worship
Ninth grader   Hannah  Quayle will offer a special monologue from the perspective of Mary. Cindy Thompson will be our soloist, and the Sanctuary Choir will lead our music.

4:00 pm: "Carols, Cookies & Candles"

 A Christmas Eve Family Event featuring the Little Drummer Boy, Christmas crafts, a children's parade, and carol singing.

Communion Service featuring  our Sanctuary Choir and guest instrumentalists. 

Sunday, Dec. 31st - New Year's Eve

9:30 am: Worship on the Lord's Day

Office Closed:  Monday & Tuesday, December 25th & 26th, Monday, Jan. 1, 2018

In this week's email:    ArtSpoke: How it Works! 

We received word that Alice Olson, member of First Presbyterian and sister-in-law of Malcolm Brown, died on Dec. 5th, at the age of 95. 

A memorial service for Alice will be next Tuesday, Dec. 12th at 2 p.m. at Bradshaw Celebration of Life Center, Stillwater. Obituary posted online.

On Sunday, Dec. 17th, the Sanctuary Choir, the Bells of the Valley, and a guest string quartet will be leading the worship service with choral music by Twin Cities' composer Libby Larsen ("Carol Bell Dances") and music for strings by a famous 18th-century composer, Arcangelo Corelli (the "Christmas" Concerto).  Invite your friends!

From Carolyn Clark (FPC historian) -- "I find it humbling that on Dec. 8, 1849, First Presbyterian became the first organized church in Stillwater in the the newly created territory of Minnesota. Even before Minnesota became the 32nd state in the union in  1858, we were a "church." We are now in our 168th year as a congregation! We are thankful for all those who came before us and we ask God's continuing guidance as we seek to serve and make this world a better place."

Come be a part of our holiday worship services at First Presbyterian! Greeters, Ushers, and Liturgists needed for the several services on Sunday, Dec. 24th (Christmas Eve) and our morning worship on Sunday, Dec. 31st (New Year's Eve). 

Advent Candle Lighters are needed for Dec. 10th, 17th, and 24th. 

Sign up sheets are on the Events Table. THANK YOU for your service!

Many of the food items sold at this year's Alternative Gift Market are still available for purchase in the office: 

Soup and Cookie mixes, Coffee, Tea, Syrup, Wild Rice mixes, Granola, Olive Oil and Vinegar, Chocolate Bars. 

Fair trade, organic, and unique!  Your purchases support the artisans and communities they serve. Great food + great gifts!

Thank you for your generous giving throughout the year to support our church's ministries and mission! Because of you, we are able make a difference in people's lives in this community and around the world.  

Please take some time this month to make sure your annual pledge is up to date. As a reminder, donations you wish to be listed on your 2017 end-of-year giving statement must be received (or postmarked) by Dec. 31, 2017. 

Our annual stewardship campaign will take place over four weeks in January, culminating with commitment Sunday on January 28.  We will gladly accept pre-paid pledges now for 2018. 

Some givers choose to make year-end donations, stock transfers, or IRA distributions for tax purposes.  We encourage you to consult a tax professional for advice about planning.  We are glad to provide instructions and the FPC account number for transfers. 

Legacy Gifts: The next time you update your will, please consider including First Presbyterian Church in your estate plans.  No matter how small or how large, you can leave a legacy of faith to continue supporting FPC as we reach out to a hurting world.  

   ADVENT CRAFT NIGHT 2017

  Christmas Cookie Sale! Support our Youth!

$10 for a baker's dozen. Proceeds from Cookie Sale go to help with funding upcoming youth trips to Montreat and Mission Trips. Cookies will be available for pick-up on Sunday, Dec. 17th. You may pre-order cookies at the Welcome Desk or by contacting Cindy Monteith at [email protected].

Christmas Cookie Bake-Off! 

 

Saturday, Dec. 16th, 2:30-5:30 pm 

We have TONS of cookies for kids, youth, and adults to decorate! There will be cider, snacks, and Christmas music. 
 

Carols, Cookies & Candles

Sunday, December 24th: 4 p.m.

Come to this year's Children's Family service on Christmas Eve! There will be crafts, a children's parade, carol singing, cider and cookies! 

Come meet the Little Drummer Boy and play along on your very own drum! 

We invite the community to join us on this special day for this special service. 

Invite your family and friends!

 

Upcoming Children & Youth Events at First Presbyterian

• THIS Sunday, Dec. 10th:  Children's choir sings in 9:30  service (Children please arrive at 9 a.m.)
• Wednesday, Dec. 13: K4C Night with Carol Singing in the Ark
• Saturday, Dec. 16th: The Great Cookie Bake Off! 
• Sunday, Dec. 17th: Cookie Sale / Pick-up orders
• Sunday, Dec. 24th: Christmas Eve

• Sunday, Jan. 14th: Youth starts back! "The Great Escape"

Many thanks to all who came and all who participated in this year's PW Christmas!

Check out the collection of HOLIDAY cards available on the card kiosk, many of them hand-crafted by the card ministry group at FPC. Suggested donation of $2 card. All funds go to support PW Missions. 

Charity Circle:  Next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 21st, at 9:30 a.m. at Boutwell's Landing. Contact Carolyn Clark 651-342-1553 or Carol Gorke 715-549-6089 for details.

Hope Circle:  Next meeting on Tuesday, December 19 at 9:30 a.m. in the church library to discuss lesson 4. Please bring a treat to share. Contact:  Karen Smith. 

Joy Circle:   Next meeting is on December 21st at  9:30 a.m. at the home of Gert and Janet Ziebell. It will be our Christmas meeting to study Chapter 4 in our Horizon Study Book.  Each year we look forward to this fun event with Gert and Janet the perfect hostesses. Call Margaret Carasik for information.

Patience Circle:  Meets this month on Thursday, Dec 21, at the home of Onallee Serier at 1 pm.   We will be discussing Lesson #4. Hope to see you there

Serendipity Circle:  Next meeting on Sat., Dec. 16th at 9 am at the home of Bev Spark. Carol Trombley will lead lesson 4. Guest are always welcome. Contact Linda Orsted for more information.

Join us for the next breakfast with guest speaker, Robert Klink. 

A fabled Alaskan river, the Kenai draws thousands of visitors to it's turquoise waters each year in search of wildlife and BIG fish. Rob will be sharing the regions natural history, fishing techniques, and his admiration for the expansive amount of public lands surrounding it. Most importantly, there will be lots of pictures. 

Sign up sheet on the office board. Breakfast volunteers needed too. Contact Bill White for more information.  For more information  mail Bill White at  [email protected]. 

Online Giving: Support the Ministry and Mission of First Presbyterian

You can honor God with your offering and give directly from your  computer, tablet or smart-phone for a one-time gift or set up a schedule of automated/recurring gifts. Pay directly from a  checking account or credit/debit card.  Click Here to give your gift today.

Can't be with us on Sunday?  Find us on Facebook!

Did you know our services are broadcast live on Sunday mornings?

If you're not able to join us on a Sunday, go to our Facebook page and click on the post with the video stream from our sanctuary.
Miss a Sunday?  Want to hear a sermon again? Past worship services can also be found online. Scroll down on the Facebook page and click on posts from past services.   

Submissions for the Weekly Connection due by 9 a.m. Wednesday morning.

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