First Presbyterian | Weekly Connection

First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater

Weekly Connection | December 13 , 2017

Connecting in Christ + Transforming Lives

Join us on Sunday! God Welcomes All People, And So Do We!

Worship on the Lord's Day
Third Sunday of Advent, December 17, 2017

9 am: Morning Prayers

Come and pray and share prayer concerns.

9:15 am: Carol Singing

Come sing favorite carols of the season before our worship service begins.

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

Come to the Waters of Life

and Be Quenched

Pastor Cader Howard, preaching.

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!

10:30 am: Coffee and Fellowship

Christmas Cookie Pick-up in the Gathering Area.

Join us for refreshments and a time to greet one another.

10:50 am: Adult Christian Education

Part 2 of: "How do we, as people of God, respond to the issue of mass incarceration?" Where can we find hope? What does the Bible tell us about justice and reconciliation? Please join Pastoral Intern Kelley Jepsen for this Sunday's Adult Education. Prior to coming here, Kelley did her chaplaincy unit at Minnesota Correctional Facility in Lino Lakes, a medium security prison. Kelley will be sharing her experiences working with incarcerated men, as well as talking about the mass incarceration landscape in Minnesota and the United States. Join us in the Dining Room after our service to explore these questions and more, after worship.

Hearing Loop, hearing assist devices, and large print bulletins and hymnals available.

Christmas Eve Services at First Presbyterian

9:30 am: Worship on the Lord's Day - 4th Sunday of Advent

Our final advent service on the morning of Christmas Eve.
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 pm: "Carols, Cookies & Candles"

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

10 pm: "Light with Us," A Candlelit Christmas Eve

Communion Service featuring our Sanctuary Choir and guest instrumentalists.

Announcements

In this week's email: ArtSpoke: The Four Projects!

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.

Have you seen our posters around town?

We're inviting the community 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!

A Few More Volunteers Needed

Come be a part of our holiday worship services at First Presbyterian! Check the sign up sheets on the Events Table for openings to help with worship services on Dec. 24th and Dec. 31st. Thanks!

Need a Last Minute Gift?

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!

Stewardship

End-of-Year Giving & Stewardship

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.

As we try to "close the gap" on this year's budget, please take some time this month to make sure your annual pledge is up to date.

Donations you wish to be listed on your 2017 end-of-year giving statement must be received (or postmarked) by Dec. 31, 2017.

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.

PREPAID PLEDGES: We will gladly accept prepaid pledges now for 2018.

Please clearly mark or communicate that your donation is your 2018 Pledge.

STEWARDSHIP CAMPAIGN: Our annual stewardship campaign will take place over four weeks in January, culminating with commitment Sunday on January 28.

ONLINE GIVING: If you have an In-Fellowship account for online giving, please check to see that your 2017 giving matches your 2017 pledged amount. CLICK HERE

LEGACY GIVING: 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.

Contact the office if you need assistance: 651-439-4380 [email protected]

Presbyterian Women

PW Card Ministry: Holiday Cards Available

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.

PW Circles

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.

Peacemaking & Missions

The BIG RED Sock

Please bring new socks and underwear in children's and adult sizes for donation to local shelters. The BIG RED SOCK has been a tradition at First Presbyterian Church for almost 20 years!

Peace and Justice:

We Are Living Gifts!

Giving lives are living gifts!

When we give without thought of receiving, our gift becomes a living gift to others. That gift can heal, bring food, provide shelter and create hope.

Advent and Christmas remind us of the sacrificial gift we received through the love of Jesus Christ. That love calls us to be sacrificial givers, to be living gifts to others.

This Christmas season gives us two opportunities to become living gifts.The first is to remember and actively participate in Human Rights Day. The second is to make a contribution to the Christmas Joy Offering.

Human Rights Day was a major achievement of the United Nations on December 10, 1948. It was established to respect and protect the rights of all people. So, on December 10th, think of a person or group you have trouble accepting and consider ways that will challenge you to respect and protect them. You can become a living gift to them.

The second opportunity is to make a significant contribution to the Christmas Joy Offering. This fund provides financial support to current and former church workers whose incomes fall short of subsistence levels. The fund is also used to allow students to attend Presbyterian related ethnic colleges and schools. With the money you give, some family or student will receive new hope and justice. Give, and it will become a living gift in the lives of others!

ArtSpoke

THE FOUR PROJECTS

The Playhouse

What do you get when you take a child, a hammer, a nail or two, and expertise?

BAM! A full-sized play house!

An Artist in Residence will offer guidance and work with each crew to build a full-sized playhouse.
Before ArtSpoke even opens its doors, the playhouses are designed and signed off by an architect and engineer in order to comply with safety standards.
The playhouses will be donated to local education centers, playgrounds, and schools on day five of the program.

Photography

Lights, Camera, Action! Strike a pose! Take a selfie! Take a moment...be mindful and show gratitude.

Artist in Residence join ArtSpoke on a walking field trip where they will take photos of how they see life in their community.
Each crew then prepares a slideshow and will share their creative expressions with friends, family, and the community on day five.

Steampunk Art

What do spark plugs, computer parts, radios, TV's, nuts and bolts, and gears and such have to do with ART? Everything!

Artist in Residence will join ArtSpoke to create a piece of art using everyday 'junk'.
Crews will be given themes such as bravery and courage in order to inspire their works.
On day five, we will have a Steampunk art parade.

Marina's Cafe

Stir, mix, blend, and... Sha bang! Move over Junior Master Chef!

Artist in Residence will work with each crew to coordinate, make, and serve snack and lunch to everyone attending ArtSpoke.
Each crew will also add their culinary creations to a recipe book of meals they can make at home.
On day five, the staff will make lunch for those in attendance of the day's celebrations.

Interested? Want to know more?

Stop by the table set up in the Gathering Area for a full description about this new, community-based summer event for youth. Watch for more information each week!

Questions can be emailed to Cindy Monteith: [email protected]

Calendar | LinC Volunteers | Mission Central

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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.

Thank You!

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.


Church Office Hours Monday & Friday 9 am to noon Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9 am to 3 pm Office Closed: Dec. 25 & 26, and Jan. 1, 2017.	Contact Us 651-439-4380 [email protected] For pastoral care, call the number above. Additional information will be provided.

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

Send to: [email protected]. Note: Content may be edited due to size limitations and for security (please refrain from including personal phone numbers).

www.fpc-stillwater.org