Not only joy, but hope. . .
Scrolling by those political posts on Facebook, suddenly I saw sunflowers. I stopped in my tracks. Look at those bright yellow blooms, those green leaves! What a shining beacon of beauty and perseverance in such a humble location, I thought.

Turned out, it was Sara Dulaney who shared this photo on FB. Many in the FPCP community know Sara as a faithful member of our chancel choir; she also volunteers at our Philipstown Food Pantry and Midnight Run missions. Sara wrote of these sunflowers: "This amazing plant at the edge of my yard was donated by birds, is growing out of gravel on a broken stem, continues to give forth a series of blossoms, and is respected by the passersby. All that gives me not only joy, but hope."

Dozens of FB folks responded with "thumbs-up" and heart emojis, along with some admiring comments. That might have been the end of this story -- except that Sara also happens to be an ecology-minded member of FPCP's Green Team, which promotes good stewardship of God's earth and all living things. So, Sara added a little "green" postscript to her sunflower story that offers still more joy and hope: "I've plucked the faded blossoms because I want to save the seeds for more miracles next year. I put the heads in a bowl on my porch. The raccoons discovered them in the night and had great snacks. Guess they'll spread the seeds somewhere else!"

Thank you, Sara, for sharing your sunflower story of joy and hope. Thank you, rascally raccoons, for spreading Sara's miraculous seeds around town. Let's see where the sunflowers come up next year! And this week, let's look for the little everyday miracles that bring us joy and hope. Remember we are still together, even when we're apart. And the best news is that all of us are loved, all the time.
Director of Music Tom McCoy and Rev. Dr. Doris Chandler at Mayor's Park!
Join us at our outdoor service this Sunday at Mayor's Park Pavilion!
Gorgeous autumn weather and FPCP's traditional pots of chrysanthemums made our outdoor services by the Hudson River especially inspiring last week! Join us at 10:30 am this Sunday, Sept. 27, for our next safe service. Parking is plentiful; all are welcome! Our outdoor service is also available on Zoom! Many thanks to the FPCP team that makes these services possible. For more information about our outdoor-and-online services, join our e-list! Just fill out the handy form on our website at www.presbychurchcoldspring.org!

HEAR TOM McCOY PLAY THE PIANO at a recent service and see more pictures! Just click the image above to visit our Facebook page!
FPCP Green Team Reminder: Plastic Bag Ban will be enforced in October!

New York State's Department of Evironmental Conservation will begin enforcing the state's ban on single-use plastic carryout bags starting on Oct. 19, 2020. The ban actually went into effect in March, but due to a lawsuit, enforcement was delayed.

New Yorkers use an estimated 23 billion plastic bags annually. We use each bag for about 12 minutes. After that, 85% of this staggering amount of plastic ends up in our landfills, waterways, and streets. Plastic bags also clog up our recycling machines. And it takes each bag a whopping 1,000 years to decompose!

The DEC encourages all New Yorkers to use reusable bags wherever and whenever they shop. The agency launched its #BYOBagNY campaign earlier this year. Look for helpful information including FAQs, posters, flyers, and tips for keeping reusable bags clean on the DEC's website. Just click the picture above!
Rev. Dr. Doris Chandler accepts a new position
Our pastor, Rev. Dr. Doris Chandler, will leave First Presbyterian Church of Philipstown on Oct. 10 to be a full-time installed pastor at a PCUSA church in Michigan. Her resignation has been accepted by the Session, and everyone at FPCP wishes her well.

Rev. Dr. Chandler wrote a letter to the FPCP community that includes her reflections on her tenure here. You can read her letter by clicking on her photo at left.
Thanks for the mums!

Every September, we look forward to seeing dozens of pots of colorful chrysanthemums gracing our sanctuary at 10 Academy Street.

Though our sanctuary remains closed due to the pandemic, we didn't miss out on our mums! A wonderful team of FPCP volunteers criss-crossed the community this past week, making safe home deliveries of flowers to FPCP members and friends. Huge, heartfelt thanks to to everyone who made this possible!
Our Bulletin Board
Midnight Run this Saturday Thanks to everyone who is supporting our Midnight Run this Saturday, Sept. 26! These mission trips take food, clothing, and critical supplies directly to people experiencing homelessness in New York City. If you signed up to donate food or supplies: Remember to drop off donations at the church this Friday between 10:30-11:30 am. Questions? Email Ron Sopyla here.
What are YOU reading? Our Book Club is getting ready to choose a new book for October. Are you reading something fun right now? Something that lifts your spirits? Something that inspires you and brings you joy? Send us your suggestions! Then join the fun-loving, spirit-lifting, inspiring, joyful people in our Book Club! To suggest a title or learn more about the group, email Bev Taylor here.
Kids: Explore big ideas! Sunday School is a great place to explore big ideas. Carolyn, our Youth Ed leader, sends a weekly email to families with stories, activities, and more. Last week our Bible story was about what's fair. We talked about things at school, at home, or with our friends that can seem really unfair -- and how we feel, and what we can do about it. Join our e-list! Email Carolyn here.
Visit with Rev. Dr. Doris before she leaves Oct. 10!
You've got three more weeks to pull up a chair and sit with Rev. Dr. Doris on her "virtual porch!" It's a great way to say farewell, share memories, pray together, or just enjoy quality time with the pastor.

To fix your time on the Pastor's Porch, click the photo at the left and send an email to Doris!
In the midst of this worldwide health crisis, we are grateful we can serve our neighbors in need through critical mission programs, including the Food Pantry and Midnight Run

If you feel called to support FPCP's outreach, we warmly welcome your contributions. If you are a member of the FPCP family and can maintain your church giving at this difficult time, we humbly thank you. To make an online donation, click the image at the left, or right here. Bless you!
Telephone: (845)-265-3220 / Email: 1presbyterian@gmail.com www.presbychurchcoldspring.org