Fast Facts

an e-update on life at

First Presbyterian Church

November 11, 2021

Worship - Sunday, November 14, 2021

Seasonal greenery and berries dates are available December 5, 12, 19, and 26 and January 2. To provide flowers or seasonal greenery and berries in honor or in memory of a loved one, contact Margaret Fancher at [email protected] or call 234-1359. Contributions to the Flower Fund are greatly appreciated.

If you have small or medium size flower vases that you no longer need, please drop them off at the church office. If you are unable to do so, let the office know and arrangements will be made to pick them up. No large vases are needed at this time. The Flower Committee thanks you!

The Stewardship Campaign for 2022 is currently underway! As this year's campaign theme declares, we are "Rooted in Faith. Flourishing in Gratitude. Poised for Rebirth." By now, we certainly hope that you have all received your stewardship materials and that you have joyfully embraced God's call to prayerfully discern how you will participate in this year's campaign. 

To those who've already returned pledges and your "Time and Talent" surveys, we offer our heartfelt thanks! Indeed, it is your generous giving that ensures our church family may continue to celebrate the abundant blessings of our past, to answer God's call in the here-and-now, and to look to our future with hopeful anticipation, shared vision, and renewed excitement.  

In this season, may we continue to reflect upon and give thanks to God for the many blessings we enjoy. May we also give thanks for the promise of God's ever-present Spirit—forever loving, nurturing, inspiring, and calling our church family forward. And may we all embrace God's invitation to be good stewards of the many blessings we have received by God's grace and to recommit ourselves to sharing those gifts with God's world with glad and joyful hearts!   

All are invited to pledge your commitment to by:

• returning the pledge card and Time and Talent survey that you received in the mail
• going to FPC, Oxford's website HERE and confidentially and securely submitting your commitment there, or
• contacting Frances Saralvarez, Financial Secretary, at the church office with your pledge information.  

We thank you for your abundant generosity!

The 2021-2022 Officer Nominating Committee (ONC) is authorized to accept suggestions from church members to serve as Elders and Deacons for the class of 2024.

From the names you suggest, and dependent upon the work of the Holy Spirit, the ONC will move a slate of five people for your approval as Elders as well as five people as Deacons. The ONC will also be tasked with finding a candidate to serve a 1 year term as Deacon. In accordance with the Book of Order, a congregational meeting to elect officers has been called by the Session for Sunday, December 5 at the close of 11:00 am worship.

The deadline for returning your suggestions is Wednesday, November 17, 2021. Please click here to print the submission sheet (one copy for each active member of your household who wishes to submit suggestions). Return all suggestions to the church office or you may enter your suggestions at the link provided below. You may submit more than ten suggestions for each office, if desired. A printable list of active members eligible for election is also included in this email for your reference.

Important Information About the Offices:

First Presbyterian Church has 15 Elders who ordinarily serve three-year terms, but who may be re-elected to consecutive terms totaling no more than six years service. An elder is ordained to assume responsibility for the spiritual life of the congregation and to manage the governance of the church. The Book of Order suggests Elders be “persons of faith, dedication and good judgment. Their manner of life should be a demonstration of the Christian gospel, both within the church and in the world.” Elders currently serve on one of eight ministry teams currently in place at FPC. All active members on the accompanying list are eligible to be elected.

FPC also has 15 Deacons who serve three-year terms. Deacons are called to serve as the hands and feet of Christ in areas of congregational care and Mission. At FPC, they have also been most visible as ushers during Sunday worship. The office of Deacon is not a steppingstone to the office of Elder; the two offices are entirely different from one another in call and scope. The Book of Order suggests Deacons be “persons of spiritual character, honest repute, exemplary lives, brotherly and sisterly love, warm sympathies and sound judgment.” It is their duty first of all to visit and minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless and to any who may be in distress both within and beyond the community of faith. All active members on the accompanying list are eligible to be elected.

Anyone interested in an FPC member directory can call the church office at 234-1757. One will be printed for you.

Conversation on Gratitude - Week 2!

Your pastors would love for you to join us! We’ll gather in the Fellowship Hall at 9:45 a.m. the next 2 Sundays. We have all been through the wringer in these past two years. Losses, changes, juggling of childcare and work or balancing your own health and your need to be with those you love. For a time we were even unable to gather as a church family. Let’s admit where we are, and also seek out where we have seen God at work. In this season of gratitude, what are we grateful for? How does seeing through the lens of gratitude change our experience of grieving? We’d love for you to come along with us, as we turn our eyes to the ways our God has walked with us along the way. 

—Yours with thanksgiving for all you bring to this journey,

                                               Deb de Boer

UKirk Ole Miss is grateful to those of you who have served as Tuesday night meal providers! And they still need a few more to round out their Fall schedule. For more information and to see a list of available dates, visit ukirkolemiss.org/tuesday-meals or email Allison at [email protected]. 

Attention VIP's:

If you are attending "The Light in the Piazza" Sunday, November 21 and would like to ride the bus, be at the church by 2:00 pm.

Mission Opportunities!

Oxford First United Methodist Church holds its next food distribution Friday, November 19 from 9:00 am-1:00 pm at their church, 102 Dylan Avenue next to the Mary Cathey Head Start off Old Sardis Road. 250-300 needy Lafayette County families are served through this monthly outreach program. FPC volunteers are needed to assist in unloading the supply truck from the Memphis Food Bank and distributing it to clients in the drive through at OFUMC. Even an hour of your time would be greatly appreciated. This could be your mission!

In the mood to swing a hammer? If so, Habitat For Humanity needs 6 volunteers to assist constructing a new ramp for a family's home in Oxford. The construction project will last 4-5 hours and will take place on Saturday morning, November 20th. No construction experience required. Tools are provided. To volunteer contact Adam Quick, 662-832-5051. This could be your mission as we seek to serve the least of these.

One goal of the FPC Mission Ministry is to identify opportunities that would allow members of our church family to engage in local missions within the Oxford community. Supporting the Leap Frog Program, a non-profit after-school literacy and tutoring program for at-risk students in Oxford and Lafayette County, is one such opportunity. In service to our community, the FPC Mission Team is committed to providing snacks each Tuesday for the sixty students enrolled in the program. The 'healthy' snack will consist of juice and a finger food such as fruit, peanut butter crackers, etc. The time commitment is limited to the provision, preparation, and serving of the snacks from 2:50-3:20 pm at the former Oxford Elementary School located at 1637 Hwy 30 East. The mission team is seeking two volunteers to provide snacks each Tuesday from September 14 through November 30. For more information or to sign up for a Tuesday of your choice please email Patty Abbott, [email protected]. This could be your mission!

The Doors of Hope Transition Ministry, based in the education building here at FPC, is an outreach agency that assists single parents in their efforts to become self-sufficient. Through finance and budget counseling, a limited period of housing assistance, educational opportunities, and employment searches, clients learn to break crippling patterns of dependence and start new lives. Each month graduates of the program meet with current clients during the Step 2 Dinner. While sharing a meal together, clients are encouraged by the success stories of their predecessors. The Step 2 Dinner is held the second Tuesday of the month in our fellowship hall. Two FPC volunteers are needed to order prepared meals from Larson's Cash Savers and deliver them to the church. The FPC volunteers then sit at table with the clients to become better acquainted with their stories.  If you would like to volunteer, please call the church office, 234-1757. This could be your mission.

The Family Crisis Services of Northwest Mississippi is a comprehensive victim services organization. It is the only nonprofit in Oxford that specifically addresses and provides services to victims of interpersonal violence--sexual assault, domestic violence, homicide, etc. Staff and volunteers are available 24/7 to provide crisis intervention services. Recently, Family Crisis Services experienced a $200,000 cut in federal funding. Six staff members, including their intervention child psychologist, were laid off. Interested in helping? Current needs include monetary donations, cleaning supplies, basic office supplies, paper toiletries, and new stuffed animals for each child that the facility receives. If you would like to donate any of these supplies, please drop them by the church office. More information is available at oxfordadvocacy.org or call 234-9929. 

Curious about the various FPC mission activities? A new email account has been created specifically for keeping FPC members abreast of mission plans, outreach programs, committee minutes, etc. If you would like to be kept in the mission loop, contact the Mission Team at [email protected]. Your name will be placed on Mission Ministry's contact list. We look forward to keeping everyone informed of FPC's outreach opportunities.

Haven House, our resident recovery facility for people with substance abuse, appreciates the donations of Bibles, study materials, and daily devotional booklets. If you have some religious books to share, please bring them to the church office.

Lovepacks provides supplemental food for school age children in need, on weekends and holidays. We can stop hunger!

We are always in need of non-perishable, kid-friendly food donations to fill Lovepacks! These can be dropped off 8:30 am-4:30 pm Monday-Friday at the church office or in the narthex on Sundays!

Here is a list of needed items:

• Pop Top cans of Chicken Noodle or Vegetable Soup
• Pop-Top cans of Ravioli
• Peanut Butter Crackers
• Ramen Noodles
• Cheese Crackers
• 16 oz. Jar of Peanut Butter
• Non refrigerated Pudding
• Apple sauce pouches
• Granola, Breakfast, or Protein bars

A huge THANK YOU to those who have donated. FPC and Oxford Lovepacks appreciates you!

Remember in Prayer

FPC Members: Lydia Moak; Susan & Tom Meredith; Michele Howie; Margaret Fancher; Family of Betty Mullen White; Family of Mary Helen "Babe" Field Carr; Joe Murphey

Family and Friends: Family of Elise & William Winter; Parchman Prison inmates; Haven House residents; Our Haiti partners; Oxford & Lafayette County First Responders; Community leaders

U. S. Military: SSgt Jason Freeland, USAF 4th Air Support Operation

Please pray, too, for those with unspecified needs.

If you wish to have a name removed or added to this list, please contact the church office.

The FPC prayer chain is ready if you or someone you know is in need. This is a confidential list that is independent from the names listed above. Please contact Carlisle Wood at [email protected] or 662-832-8606. All requests are held in strict confidence.  

Upcoming Birthdays and Anniversaries

November Birthdays

11 Garrett Chow, Scott Drury, Haley Eifling

12 Becki Felts, Guy Gillespie, Missy Morrison

13 Caroline Gillespie

14 Carmille Hovious, Samuel Lewis, Max Robinson

16 Nashua Bolen, Ramey Hardin, Lynn Sloan

17 William Bouldin, Jay Carmean, Betty Lou Flautt, Melissa Hall, Mit Hobbs

November Anniversaries

10 Anne Grace & Justin Kennon

15 Jordan & Hunter Haney

16 Margaret Case & Phillip Embry

If we've overlooked your birthday or anniversary and you wish to have it included in Fast Facts, please contact Jessica McPhail in the church office.



These announcements are sent weekly from the church. If you don't want to receive them, or if your email address has changed, please send a message to Jessica McPhail in the church office at [email protected].