Off the Pres at FPC | E- ! nfo Letter | September 18, 2019
Events and Announcements in the Church and in the Community
For the Week Coming Up

The Women’s Retreat and Better Together. Two HUGE ministry projects currently in the works with tentacles reaching far beyond FPC. Yet we do all the regular stuff, too. Session. Deacons. All their teams and projects. And of course we keep skilled eyes on our finances, the buildings, and share our energy and beautiful space with dozens of community groups. How do we keep it all going?
 
The core of any church which continues to want to grow like First Presbyterian of Durango is combining dedicated leadership with an active membership in serious (and many times FUN!) worship and praying together as we get to Know Jesus, Live in the Spirit, and Join in the Father’s Work.
This week there are pastoral needs galore, some arising from the course of daily life and others from greeting new staff members and saying goodbye to others, holding a funeral for a beloved anchor of our congregation and adding at least one baptism and several weddings to our schedules.    What more can we say but thank you ALL for the gift of your heart and loving involvement at FPC. 

This week think about the energy of our leaders. And please pray for stamina!

And now, this is the week ahead. (Remember to sit down with your calendar and this email and plug these things in!)
 
Many Blessings!

Remember the Women on their Retreat
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Will be on break this week because of the Women's Retreat (sorry guys!). Join us for a stimulating trio of classes and discussions September 29, October 13 and 20 at 8:45am in Room 215 as we explore Creation Stories: Myths, Facts, Truths. We'll begin next week with Jon Powell speaking about creation from the perspective of both modern and historical science. Later next month we'll explore the biblical text and a sampling of narrative encouters from Native sources. Please come!
Confirmation Class!
Our MIDDLE SCHOOLERS (PLUS A FEW) are focusing on "Life's Big Questions" with the goal of joining into church membership (or not! The point of the class is more about discernment than decision) near the end of the year. The class meets from 9:00-9:50am in Rm 213 every Sunday morning and is being coordinated and led by the Rev. Bill Postler. Keep them in your prayers on this exciting journey!
Upcoming Memorial Service
for Louise White
The service is scheduled for tomorrow, September 19 at noon. It will take place at the First Presbyterian Church. Parking is allowed along the median on E 3rd Ave in front of the church.

Louise was a beloved member of our community. To read her obituary click here
  Thinking about getting Baptized?

Sept. 29, 2019, there will be a river baptism in the Florida River. 11:30am.
Others are welcome. Contact Beau if you are interested in being baptized.

E veryone is invited to come celebrate the event!

4618 CR 234 (road connecting fire station on Florida Rd and Elmore’s corner) at the home of Zachariah and Kristin Beach. (Barb Conn’s granddaughter Della Rue Beach will be getting baptized.)
Join the Choir! Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings at 7:00pm
The adult choir has begun our new season and we need you to join us especially altos and sopranos. We practice on Thursday nights at 7 in the Sanctuary and again Sunday morning before the service. If you like to sing you’ll fit right in because we do too! It’s not necessary to read music. Believe it or not, most of us aren’t really good at that either. We have great fellowship and fun each week and we need new voices. The more the merrier. We look forward to seeing some new faces this week and beyond so come and see what we’re up to! The choir leads us in worship on Sundays (although not on Praise Choir Sundays like this one coming up).

Keys Please
If you have keys to the church and no longer need or use them, we are down to the last 2-3 copies (we had fifty made 5 years ago).  Users are waiting for their temporary keys for upcoming events in our building. Please return any you aren't using to the office as soon as possible.

Thanks so much to all of you!



We've Updated our Pictorial Directory to Include our New Staff
With new staff on board and some membership changes, we have printed A FEW new pictorial directories. Black and White copies are available at no cost and colored copies for a small fee. See the table in Westminster Hall to pick up your copy.
In the Community

 ACROSS THE CHANNEL. This musical excursion features Jeffrey Noonan, theorbo and Baroque guitar; Sarah Biber, gamba; and Brandon Christensen, violin, performing Baroque music on period instruments. The concert focuses on works written for the courts of Louis XIV of France and Charles II in England and offers the sounds of an intimate chamber concert from the 17 th century. 
The Community Using our Building
Did you know we will have an Infant Massage Class in our building?



Registration (required) is now open for a FREE to the community, 5-week Infant Massage course, Tuesdays, October 1 – 29, from 1 – 2:30pm at First Presbyterian Church, 1159 East Third Avenue, Durango, CO, 81301. Mercy TLC Staff, International Association of Infant Massage Educators: Julie Ninis, RN, HN-BC, CMT and Lynda Berger, RN, HWNC-BC will facilitate the class.
 
The Infant Massage course provides massage instruction and handouts that build on each other over the duration of the course. Class size is limited and is open to parents and their babies from birth to 9 months.

Why learn to massage your baby?
                                                     
Bonding–enhances communication and encourages fun interactions! 
Relief – from teething, congestion, colic and gas           
Relaxation – massaging your baby is enjoyable and relaxing for you and it may improve the quality of your baby's sleep
Concerns in the Spotlight

Stay tuned to this section about the new Caring and Compassion Ministry starting through the Board of Deacons. It's called DEACONS CARE and we hope EVERYONE can be included in this outreach to our congregation. In the meantime, keep the prayers coming for our church and the wider community.

Prayer is POWERFUL and WORKS!



Also

We have a friend of our congregation in need of a Respite Care Worker for her daughter. She’s looking for occasional breaks as she is the primary care giver and her daughter has some needs that require supervision. No physically demanding work necessary, just supervision. 

Please contact Pastor Beau at pastorbeau@fpcdurango.org if you are interested in more information. 
BETTER TOGETHER - SUNDAY OCTOBER 6 IN ROTARY PARK

We will join the St. Francis Day Blessing of the Animals offered through St. Mark's Episcopal Church on this October Sunday in Rotary Park. We're in charge of the ANIMAL SERVICES EXPO to help promote better and more visible services aimed at the animals and pets living with us and surrounding us here in Durango. Also we have important tasks helping to host the picnic lunch. Sign up sheets will be in Westminster Hall. A dedicated group of FPC members are WORKING THEIR TAILS OFF to get ready! Let the office know if you are able to SIGN UP TO HELP! WE NEED YOUR IDEAS AND ENERGY! Our next BT working session is on Wednesday, September 25 at 1:30pm.