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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
"Downtown by history and by choice"
Bi-Weekly Newsletter
September 7, 2021 - Issue 18
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Contact Valerie in the church office if you encounter missing or non-working links in this newsletter. | |
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From the Pastor
Dear friends,
Grace and peace to you all on this Lord’s Day. I hope that you all had a wonderful and restful Labor Day weekend.
In today’s letter, I address two subjects pertinent to our life together:
1) COVID-19 Delta variant;
2) Renovation and Expansion plans moving forward.
1) The Delta variant continues to wreak havoc in NC among the unvaccinated. Breakthrough cases among the vaccinated are showing up as well, though they are still rare. For a number of reasons, our COVID team continues to support a hybrid worship for FPC that provides for in-person worship as well as live stream worship for those who are unvaccinated, immunocompromised, or at higher risk. The extremely high rate of vaccination in our FPC community, the high level of compliance with mask-wearing, and the large, well-ventilated space for worship makes our gathering in-person still a safe and viable option for us. Our team will let us know if this situation changes and we need to return to on-line only worship. At this point, though, we will continue with our hybrid worship, connecting in spirit, if not in body, those at home with those in-person.
2) The feedback you gave us on the proposed renovation and expansion plans has been incredibly helpful. We heard from so many of you. Thank you for your wise and insightful reflections and suggestions! The Vision Team has started to sort through your responses. We are going to spend the next couple of months fleshing out the plans so that we might be able to incorporate many of your suggestions and come back with more detailed plans. For this reason, we do not expect a capital campaign to occur before the winter. Again, thank you! We want to move forward with the best plans possible for our future doing ministry in downtown Durham together. You input continues to be extremely valuable and we are grateful for your collective wisdom.
We are also expanding our team. We are especially looking for younger members to serve on the Vision Team. If you are interested, please let me know!
Friends, as you move through the day and through the week, I pray you will know God’s abiding grace and comforting presence. What a gift it is to be this community called by God to care for one another, to welcome our neighbors, and to serve those in deepest need in downtown Durham and beyond.
Grace and peace be with you all.
With love,
Mindy
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CONCERNS (recently added):
Kate Strauman, daughter of Jancy Strauman, displaced by the recent hurricane
Will McDow's parents
Chris Irwin, cousin of Linda Barenchi, hospitalized in St. Louis MO with COVID
Will French, 5-year-old son of Berry & Katie French, in the PICU at UNC-Hospitals. Berry is the Presbyterian Campus Minister at UNC.
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Dear Mindy,
On behalf of the staff of Crayons2Calculators (C2C) I should like to thank the members of First Presbyterian Church for their continued support of the C2C program in Durham County. Year after year the (our) members of FPC show their generosity in support of this program. Please thank the members on behalf of the C2C staff and Durham school students and teachers.
Sincerely,
Mal King
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Custodian Position Available
We are looking for a custodian! The position is 35 hours a week and includes cleaning, maintenance, and event set-up and clean-up. A full job description is available at Custodian Position. If you know of anyone who might be interested, please have them send an application letter and résumé (including two references) to sexton-search@firstpres-durham.org. Application deadline is September 25, 2021. First Presbyterian Church is a certified Durham Living Wage employer. NOTE: Church members and active friends of the congregation are not eligible to apply.
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WORSHIP SCHEDULE - Sundays at 11:00 a.m.
In-person in the sanctuary
(masks required and social distancing recommended)
and online (live) via FPC's YouTube channel
Sunday, September 12
24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mitzi Lesher-Thomas, preaching
Sunday, September 19
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Mindy Douglas, preaching
Sunday, September 26
26th Sunday in Ordinary Time
John Weicher, preaching
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CHILDREN'S FAITH FORMATION
This fall, classes for PreK-5th grade will be held via zoom from 10:00-10:30 a.m. through at least October to ensure our children stay safe! Signup to receive Children's Weekly news
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FAITH FORMATION FOR ADULTS | |
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A new FELLOWSHIP/STUDY group . . . because we're all striving to become more faithful in our journeys, more connected to the community and to God. We'll share times for study, fellowship, and prayer. Wherever you are on life's journey (Gen X,Y, Z, millennial or the label of your choice) you are welcome here.
Join us on Sunday mornings, beginning Sept. 12, 9:30 - 10:30 a.m. for a hybrid gathering (masked, in person, in the fellowship hall) or on Zoom. We'll gather for prayer and begin Dr. Lisa Wolfe's series Uppity Women of the Bible as we consider Ruth, Song of Songs, Judith and Esther. We will also meet on the 4th Wednesdays in September and October at Hi-Wire Brewing from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
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FAITH & COMMUNITY CLASS
Sundays via Zoom at 9:45 a.m.
CLASS ZOOM LINK
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LECTIONARY CLASS
Sundays in the Robert Daye Meeting Room (East Parlor) and via Zoom at 9:45 a.m.
Join us each Sunday for discussion at 9:40, preceded at 9:30 by sharing of news and concerns, and class will end by about 10:30.
September 12:
Where does wisdom come from? From a great teacher, or from years of experience, or from ancient authority, or maybe from unexpected insight?
September 19:
Is there a difference between wisdom and knowledge, or between wisdom and scholarship? How does a wise person act?
CLASS ZOOM LINK
For phone access (audio only),
call 253-215-8782. If you need a copy
of the handout of scripture readings, contact David Smith.
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MnMs CLASS
(formerly the Scratch group)
Sundays at 8:00 p.m. via Zoom
ZOOM LINK
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JOURNEY'S CLASS
The Book of Acts
Sundays at 9:45 a.m. in the Wilson Parlor
and via Zoom
On September 12, Journeys will read and discuss Chapters 24 through 25 in the Book of Acts. Please notify Eric Wiebe, Andy Henry, or Paul Baldasare if you plan to participate via Zoom so the hybrid meeting equipment will be ready. We look forward to seeing you.
ZOOM LINK
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LINK TO CLASS
What does God think about war? What if my friends aren’t Christian? Who’s going to Hell? We’re asking real, tough questions together. We have some gifted leaders to help us do that – returners Walt Barron, Lucie House and Bob Pleasants, along with new teacher Annie Gentithes. We’re hybrid, so join in person (Youth Room on the left) or via Zoom, Sundays, 10-10:30 a.m.
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LINK TO CLASS
As we move through the world, it is vital that we recognize and confront our biases. (It’s faithful, too.) Using the podcast Learning How to See by Brian McLaren, we’ll do that, a week at a time, a bias at a time. Leaders Laurie Ray, Brent Curtis and Christyn Klinck will be there to help. We’ll listen to 10 minutes of podcast in class, so no need for preparation. We’re hybrid, so join in person (Youth Room on the right) or via Zoom, Sundays, 10-10:30 a.m.
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Confirmation (for 8th graders, 9th graders and any other high schoolers who haven’t done it yet) will begin November 7. John Weicher will be in touch about an information meeting.
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Presbyterian Women Circle and Bible Study
Monday, September 13
10:30 a.m. in Watts-Hill Hall
Susan Dunlap will lead the Bible study
Please wear a mask and plan to be socially distant.
No refreshments provided.
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Weekly Book Study!
Tuesdays at 6:15 p.m.
Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m.
Beginning September 14
Led by Mindy Douglas
via Zoom - Link to class
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The Things That Matter Book Group
Deborah Momsen-Hudson will host an in-person discussion of the book, Stamped from the Beginning, at her home (1339 Holden Roberts Farm Road, Hillsborough) on Tuesday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. Jane Williams will lead the discussion. Let Deborah know your intentions by responding to this EVITE.
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News from Growing thru Grief
On September 14 we are returning to in-person meetings at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1200 W. Cornwallis, in Durham. Due to the holiday, there will be no meeting on September 7.
September 14 also marks the beginning of our fall Introduction to Grief series. This year, the series will feature six consecutive presentations by Jane Williams. Jane is a PhD clinical psychologist who has done post-graduate fellowships at UCLA and Harvard Medical School and a member of First Presbyterian, Durham. She has focused her long career on helping those dealing with trauma, life threatening illness and grief. Recently retired from Wake Forest Medical School, she is the author of Mysterious Moments: Thoughts That Transform Grief, Liberty Partners Press, 2017.
Here is the list of the topics that Jane will address:
Sept. 14 Changes in Our Understanding of Grief
Sept. 21 The Process of Grief
Sept. 28 The Uniqueness of Grief
Oct. 5 Narratives and Grief
Oct. 12 Meaning Making and Grief
Oct. 19 Healing
Safety protocols will be in effect: everyone attending must provide documentation of completed vaccines for COVID-19 or a negative test within three days. Masking will follow governmental rules. Attendees will be required to sign a Pledge indicating their vaccination status and agreeing to safety procedures. For more information, contact admin@growingthrugrief.org.
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SERVICE & MISSION EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES | |
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First Presbyterian Church is proud to sponsor a second blood drive with the American Red Cross. If you are healthy and eligible and it has been over 50 days since your last blood donation, please come out to donate. Most donations take about an hour, so book your appointment, roll up your sleeve and become a part of the lifesaving mission of the Red Cross.
Drive Date: Thursday, October 7, 2021
Drive Times: 1:00-6:00 p.m.
Primary contact/organizer: Julie Whiddon
Julie's email: foxylady2642@yahoo.com
Julie's phone number: 919-399-0299.
Sign up online to donate blood at RedCrossBlood.org using code: firstpres. Informational brochures and appointment card reminders are available from the table in the church's foyer.
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Pick-up Truck needed
Brothers & sisters, thank you for your prayers and support. Our food pantry continues to help between 400 to 450 families every week, thank God. Two bad things happened this week: we lost our youth volunteers because school started, and we lost our pick-up truck, when it unfortunately caught on fire while I was driving after shopping at the food bank this Tuesday. The fire had to be put out by the fire department, and the truck was destroyed. Thank God, I was not hurt. Now we urgently need to replace the truck, so if you know of anyone who has a truck which they’re looking to sell or donate, please encourage them to consider us for the food bank. Thanks again for your support! - Julio Ramirez-Eve
Did you know?
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Volunteers have been the “essential workers” for the Iglesia Emanuel Food Pantry from the beginning of the pandemic, making it possible for us to provide large amounts of nutritious food to over 500 families every single week.
- Volunteers work 2-hour shifts every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday
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We need more volunteers! The tasks vary by day. Most require only a little stamina and a caring heart, others need more muscle.
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Can you give 2 hours of your time? Sign up here to be part of this wonderful ministry.
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Contact Margaret Rubiera with any questions.
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One fun way that you could help support our hard-working and dedicated volunteers would be to take some yummy treats or drinks on Wednesday mornings. Everyone needs and appreciates a boost now and then! To sign up, click here, and scroll down to the Wednesday opportunities. Thank you, thank you!! | |
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is mobilized and already delivering immediate aid to those impacted by Hurricane Ida. After initial needs are addressed, PDA will remain — providing emotional and spiritual care and Long-Term Recovery to address unmet needs. We invite you to join in this effort. The needs for the response will be great. Gifts can be made online, by phone at (800) 872-3283 or by check, which can be made payable and mailed to Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), P.O. Box 643700, Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700. | |
If you are fully vaccinated, contact Jen McGonigle to sign up for one of FPC's regular time slots each month, or call Jen at 202-421-5870. If you have interest in serving at Urban Ministries at other times and in other ways, click VOLUNTEER. | | | | |
