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we are pleased to present your September-October 2017 First Presbyterian Church of Green Bay newsletter!
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"Food for Thought" by Pastor Randy
We have now concluded our small group discussions and online survey. Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate. Your thoughts were excellent and will prove to be very valuable to us.
We collected 40 pages of comments from church members. In addition, individuals on the guiding coalition wrote 7 pages of listening notes. This data has been photocopied and placed in binders for each member of the guiding coalition (I gave you their names in the previous blog).
Note: You can access previous, current, and upcoming blogs at the link below. You can also now access the Pastor's sermons in an audio version here.
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Feed My Starving Children 2017
As you know, each year First Pres commits to raising money to help with our share of the FMSC Mobilepack. Please help us reach our goals by participating in one or more of the upcoming events, and also consider volunteering for the Mobilepack!
Timeline for September/October:
- September 9 - 5K Run/Walk at Green Bay Community Church
- September 10 - Minute for Mission; program after worship by Barth and Mary Jo Wolf; Silent Auction opens
- September 17 - Sponsorship fundraiser; Casserole Cookoff to benefit FMSC; Silent Auction continues
- September 24 - Silent Auction closes; Sloppy Joe lunch with freewill donation
- October 1 - Each partner church to provide two people to help set up at Green Bay Community Church
- October 2-5 - Mobilepack at GBCC
- October 3 - First Pres lead church for 4:30-6:30 pm shift
- October 4 - First Pres to provide rovers, registration, and greeters 5:30-7:30 pm
Thank you to all who participated in the fundraisers to date, including the ice cream socials, Panera Bread event, and the Deacons' brat, hamburger and hot dog fry. Every dollar helps!
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Lacy Schimmel heads to Montana
We pray for the safety of and offer our blessings on our Young Adult Volunteer Lacy Schimmel as she embarks on a year-long mission for the Presbyterian Church in Chinook, Montana.
As Lacy told us earlier, she is "taking a leap of faith," and we offer congratulations on answering the call.
YAVs need to raise money to help with their year-long expenses. Please consider helping Lacy with a financial gift. Click here to reach her fundraising page. (You can alternatively write a check to First Pres or use our online giving portal and designate it for Lacy. We will forward the total.)
We look forward to reading your blogs Lacy - have a wonderful and fulfilling year! May God guide your footsteps. |
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It's Church-Wide Work Day 9/9
Your help, in a very hands-on, physical way, is needed - actually, it is vital - for us to have the spruced up, great looking church we all want to see. So, please mark your calendars for Saturday,
September 9 for our church-wide work day. Held from 9 am to noon, with a light lunch to follow, we have jobs for every ability. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board.
Please see Mary Belanger with any questions. Help us clean up God's house.
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Sanctuary Carpet to be Laid 9/11
How exciting! The Carpeting Task Force reports that the carpeting will be installed starting
September 11. Installation will take approximately five days.
The carpet fund is currently at $20,150, with a final goal of $21,568. Please consider "Paying it Forward Generously" with a donation to the carpet fund.
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Youth Group starts up again 9/13
The Unga Bunga Tribe will start meeting on Wednesday,
September 13 from 6:30-8:00 pm in the Youth Group Room. Check out just a few of the activities the group will be or has been involved in on our website - on the
Unga Bunga Tribe / Youth Ministries channel!
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Esther Circle to meet on 9/14
Esther Circle will begin a new study year on Thursday,
September 14, 1 pm, Fellowship Room. We will look at the whole year and delve into lesson 1. The study is entitled "Cloud of Witnesses - the Community of Christ in Hebrews" by Melissa Bane Sevier. The author says,
"...Hebrews consists of thirteen chapters, all of which are packed with theology metaphor, comparisons, and spirituality". She presents it with 9 themes, all based on community.
"I would add that Hebrews is also packed with many familiar passages so we are looking forward to this study," noted Nancy Siewert.
Esther Circle is a study and fellowship group of Presbyterian Women which means it is open to all women of the church. We also support Presbyterian Women with second mile giving pledges. Please join us the second Thursday of the month, September through May (or June depending on weather). A copy of the study is in the library for you to peruse.
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Casserole Cookoff 9/17
Entries are needed for the Casserole Cookoff on Sunday,
September 17
following worship. This is your chance to be the next Casserole King/Queen of First Presbyterian Church and win the Silver Spatula Award, and the proceeds will be donated to Feed My Starving Children! Contact Ken Sann or the church office if you have any questions or plan on entering your prize-winning casserole.
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Taste of Stephen Ministry 9/17
Has God given you the gifts of caring, encouragement and listening?
- Are you at a place where you can give something back by serving and blessing others?
- Do you have the availability to be present to someone in our community who is going through a difficult time?
Please consider serving our congregation as a Stephen Minister by joining Fr. Mike Ingold, Nativity Parish, and Pastor Randy at a no-obligation, no-strings-attached Taste of Stephen Ministry event at 2 pm on Sun,, September 17 in the Bona Hall Lounge at Nativity Church (2270 S. Oneida Street). The program will last approximately one hour and that includes a piece of pie and a cup of coffee or tea!
Registration required (so we have enough pie); please call or email Nancy Blashka,
[email protected] or 920-351-3322 before September 13!
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Joint Golf Outing on 9/23
The men's club of First United Presbyterian invites the women and men from First United Presbyterian of De Pere and First Presbyterian of Green Bay to participate in the 2nd Annual Golf Event. Format will be "Best Ball", so all levels of golfers are welcome.
- Date: Saturday, September 23, 2017
- Place: Ledgeview Golf Course
- Time: 10:00 am
- Includes: 9 holes with cart and lunch
- Cost: $30.00 (to be paid at golf course on Sept 23rd).
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See "Finding Dory" on 9/23
Join us for Outdoor Movie Night on Saturday,
September 23 at dusk, featuring the movie, "Finding Dory".
Bring a blanket or lawn chair and invite your friends and neighbors to come for a night out at the movies. Popcorn will be provided!
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Melnik Fall Dinner on 9/30
Melnik Presbyterian Church in Whitelaw is having their annual Fall Dinner on Wednesday, September 30. They will be serving roast pork, potato dumplings, sauerkraut, all the trimmings, dessert, and coffee.
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Confirmation Class to Begin 10/1
Letters have been mailed to the parents of young people who are invited to participate in the confirmation class. The class will be taught by Pastor Randy, with assistance from Bobbi Holl and Loni McCormick. We will be using new material just produced by SPARK HOUSE on "Presbyterian History & Doctrine." Each student will be seeking a mentor from the congregation to accompany them through this experience of growth in faith and service.
Parents, young people, mentors, and teachers will gather in the Fellowship Room at 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 1, for orientation and a pizza party. Please pray for God's blessings on this exciting time in the life of these young people!
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2 for 2 at the U on 10/3
The Outreach Committee announces that 2 for 2 at the U will again be held at the Mauthe Center on Tuesday,
October 3. We will be serving the students dinner, and will need volunteers, as well as desserts. Please let Stephanie Fahringer know if you can help with either or both! The desserts should be brought to the work room by noon that Tuesday, and Stephanie will transport them.
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Wequiock Holiday Bazaar 10/14
One of our sister churches - Wequiock Presbyterian Church - is hosting its annual Holiday Bazaar on Saturday,
October 14 from 9 am to 2 pm at 4014 Wequiock Road. New customers receive a free gift, and everyone has a chance to win a $50 gift certificate For more information or to purchase raffle tickets to win Packers vs Ravens 11/19 game tickets, call or text Sue at (920) 619-9213.
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Scouting for Food on 10/21
Save the date! Volunteers will be needed in the Pantry on Saturday,
October 21 to help load/unload, sort and shelve the wonderful donations we receive through the Scouting for Food drive.
Scouting for Food is Bay-Lakes Council's effort to provide community service on a large scale basis. Bay-Lakes Council has been leading the way for 29 years to mobilize thousands of Scouts to collect food for those in need. Now in its 30th year, the Scouting for Food drive continues to provide for those in need - and through their donations to our Presbyterian Pantry, we are able to help our neighbors. We hope you can help us with this truly overwhelming effort on October 21.
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Synod School an Experience
The more than 700 people who attended Synod School this year included our own Nancy Blashka and Ken Sann. Nancy shares her thoughts on the week...
"My first Synod School experience was one I wish everyone could have. The classes I took and the people I met were wonderful. My major class was my first one every morning - it was entitled 'Walking Each Other Home' at which w
e discussed end-of-life choices. This class was led by a retired family physician and his wife, who is a nurse. I look forward to sharing what I learned with Pres Folks this Fall.
My other classes included 'Sheldon Cooper and The Ten Commandments' and 'American Sign Language: It's as Easy as ABC.'
Synod School runs for one week every year and is held at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. This year they had over 700 people attend, ranging in age from little babies to 90+, and everyone had age-appropriate classes and activities. Entire families and youth groups came. The campus was beautiful and so was the weather. Ask me about my experience and I can go on for hours. I plan to attend again and maybe bring my family next year. Please consider joining me."
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For September, the Pantry volunteers are requesting donations of
toilet paper and for October, canned fruit. You can place them in the shopping cart in the narthex at your convenience.
Don't forget, they can always use monetary donations as well!
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CE Corner with Ken
Thank you to everyone who helped with our very successful Vacation Bible School this year. A total of 19 kids, along with 7 youth helpers, attended. We focused on discovering their strength in God by learning about local heroes here in our community. It was a great time!
Thank you also to Nancy Siewert, Nancy Blashka, and Mary Steeno for coordinating the "Summer Story Hour" held on Tuesday mornings throughout the month of August. See more Story Hour photos on our Facebook page.
I am looking for entries for the Casserole Cook-Off Luncheon being held on September 17th following worship, as Mary Barlament will be handing down the Silver Spatula Award. If you have an award-winning noodle/rice/potato-based casserole, you could be the next Casserole King or Queen of First Presbyterian Church. Please contact me if you have any questions.
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Redesigned Website!
Have you had a chance to check out our new website yet? We have worked to represent all of our church stakeholders - with channels specifically for our Youth Group, newbies, and adults & small groups, as well as pages that highlight our faith in action / our ministries - including our pantry, FMSC, music and Stephen ministries, and our local and world missions.
You'll also find a Google calendar, committee charges/lists, a member login, and much more. Also on the site is a "Communications Suggestions" form that committee chairs can use to submit information for sharing through our communications channels. Hope you enjoy!
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Story Time Children Have Fun
Between the stories read to them under the tree, the activities, the treats, and being allowed to choose their own books to read, the children who attended the Summer Story Time had a great time!
Thank you Cassandra Aceitano, for the photos.
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Cup O' Joy Picnic a Great Time
More than 220 people joined First Pres, Trinity Lutheran, and Cup O' Joy at Project Friendship - a wonderful get-together of neighbors and friends! See additional photos on our
Facebook page.
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Vacation Bible School a Hit
Vacation Bible School was a huge success! With a theme of
"Hero Central" and a focus on local heroes, children learned as they had fun.
Thank you again to our special guests, Mike Barlament (pictured at left), Green Bay Fire Department firefighters and EMTs, and Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila, and to all of the wonderful youth and adults who made this event appear to be seamless, and who made sure every child had the attention he/she needed.
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Summer Travelers: Keep up with giving by giving electronically
Just as you rely on receiving income on a regular basis, our church relies on your regular contributions. We appreciate your efforts to make consistent donations throughout the year - especially during the popular summer vacation travel season. To assist you, we offer a convenient online giving option for setting up regular contributions. Please visit us at
www.firstpresgreenbay.org.
As you contemplate future contributions, please consider online giving. For more information, visit the church website or contact Carol at (920) 437-8121.
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Stained Glass Windows Facts
We continue our series of information about the very beautiful stained glass windows at our church...
Upper Window St. Philip
The loaves of bread and basket of fish symbolize that Philip was with Jesus when he fed the multitude.
The palm leaf is for his wavering in spiritual things. The Tau cross is the type upon which he was crucified, and the tall patriarchal cross represents that he was one of the seven deacons..
Upper Window St. John
The seven candles refer to the seven churches in the book of Revelation. The Alpha and Omega are from Revelation also.
The cup and serpent represent his escape from death when the serpent drank the poison meant for him. 'He ascended into Heaven' is lettered upon the open Bible, referring to his writing of the Ascension.
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Please "like" our Facebook page
and invite your friends to like it:
www.facebook.com/FirstPresGB
. Let Connie Greenawald know if you need assistance.
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Th
ank you again to those of you who have asked your youth to consider signing up for our e-newsletter! And if you haven't yet, would you please suggest that your teens might want to sign up at:
www.firstpresgreenbay.org; or
text FIRSTPRESGB to 22828 and include your email address; or go to our Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/FirstPresGB
. Questions, contact Connie at
[email protected]
or (920) 621-3382.
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2nd - Addison Kage
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15th - Melvin Collins;
Kevin Kabacinski; A.J. Walker
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3rd - Benjamin McCormick;
Linda Michael; Nancy Siewert
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16th - Bryan Ryder;
Tammy Shober
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4th - Patty Kabacinski
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17th - Hendrik Akerboom;
Wesley Michael
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7th - Connie Early; Marian Turk
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18th - Jessica Kabacinski;
Wyatt Stenson; Jon Tessier
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10th - Sarah Solper
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23rd - Lacy Schimmel;
Brandt Schoffelman
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11th - Andrew Houle; Lucas Houle
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25th - Sara Bostedt; Donna Jansen;
Kristen Rietz
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12th - Gabrielle Minor
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26th - Jody Minor
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14th - David Anderson;
Lisa Escott
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28th - Kieran Kage
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October Birthdays
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1st - Katherine McCormick
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15th - Sally De Muth; Bob Jarvie
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2nd - Nancy Blashka
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16th - Patrick McCormick;
John Van Langendon;
Linda Van Pay
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3rd - Carol Christensen
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21st - Mary Steeno; Gary Van Pay
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6th - Mary Barlament
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7th - Nina Lundin;
Ann Price; Wayne Price
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26th - Tammy Escott
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8th - Gina Phillips;
Shirley Schoffelman
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27th - Judy Knutzen-Nerad
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9th - Jenn Christianson;
Emma Smith
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29th - Keith Stange
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11th - Kyle Thomas
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