The weeks ahead will be filled with many opportunities to celebrate the Advent season! At anytime you can go to www.fpcauburn.org/advent to find out more details about where and when each event will happen and how you can participate. Click on any event in the calendar for more details and/or to add it to your own Google calendar!

This week:
Sunday, November 28
9:45am - Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent,
Adult Sunday School Class in Baird Hall

Next week:
Sunday, December 5
9:45am - Light of the World: A Beginner’s Guide to Advent,
Adult Sunday School Class in Baird Hall

11am - Children Leading Worship

2pm - Auburn Christmas Parade: Come join us in the courtyard for fellowship and hot chocolate! Bring a chair and cheer on our children as they participate in the parade!

6pm - UKirk Christmas Party
Order Advent Poinsettias for Our Sanctuary!

If you would like to donate as part of our sanctuary Advent decorations a poinsettia plant in honor or memory of a loved one, please fill out this form and mail (or drop into the collection) a check payable to First Presbyterian to the church office by Monday, November 29. Paper forms are available in the narthex as well.
"Rooted and Grounded in Love"
2021 Stewardship Season
"that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith,
as you are being rooted and grounded in love.” - Ephesians 3:17

We have made great progress on our goal for the 2021 stewardship campaign. To date, we have received pledges for $579,908 toward our goal of $767,641. Of the 135 individuals/families who pledged in 2021, 101 have already submitted their pledge for 2022!

Time is running short, so please submit both your financial and time and talent pledge
for 2022 TODAY at: https://www.fpcauburn.org/pledge

To learn more about the session's vision for ministry at FPC in 2022, click here to access a PDF version of the campaign brochure.
Current COVID Policies

ALL current COVID-related policies including worship procedures, building use policies, small group gatherings, masking, and requests for exceptions can now be found on www.fpcauburn.org/covid. This page will be updated as changes are approved by the church's session.
WORSHIP SERVICES
9 AM In-person including weekly communion
11 AM In-person and virtual via YouTube/broadcast on 99.9FM

SUNDAY SCHOOL
ALL Ages meet at 9:45 AM
(contact Chris Sarkowski for information on classes ages preK-12th grade
and Rev. Kathy Reed for information on adult classes)


✵ 9:00 & 11:00 a.m.: In-Person, Indoor Worship -  If you attend one of the indoor services you will notice many differences from our "normal" sanctuary worship. At this time, based on recommendations from our COVID Task Force and Session, we will have a very simple service without passing of the peace and several other elements you might be looking forward to sharing with your church family. However, as local conditions and guidelines continue to improve it is our greatest hope that we will begin adding back in all these elements of worship we know and love. Thank you so much for your patience and grace as we try to maintain the greatest level of safety for our congregation, musicians, worship leaders, and our greater community.

At the sign-up link below (and the email containing the sign-up sent on Thursday), you will find detailed information on our current protocols for worship attendance.






✵ 11:00 a.m.: Virtual Worship - We are pleased to announce that we are live-streaming our worship service at 11 a.m. What this means is that those worshiping from home will be able to watch the service live as it is happening in the sanctuary. To view the service you can go directly to our church’s YouTube Channel via your computer, smartphone, or Smart TV app (https://tinyurl.com/t7dl8vh) or you can access the worship service through our website or Facebook page.

If you are unable to watch live at 11 a.m., a recorded version of the service will be available at these same links later in the day.
Children and Youth News

Children Pre-K through 5th grade
•   Our Pre-K through 5th graders will be leading worship on December 5. The Pre-K through 1st graders will be singing two songs and 2nd through 5th graders will have speaking parts. Click this link to sign up your child!
Then after worship we will have a pizza lunch and participate in the Christmas Parade. It’s going to be a great day!
•   The nursery is available from 9:30 until noon on Sunday mornings for children birth to age 3.
•   Godly Play: After the Word to Grow By (at 11 a.m. worship), children ages 4 to 1st grade will go to the Godly Play room to worship together for the remainder of the worship service.
•   Worship bags are also available for all children during worship.
•   Children’s Sunday school will meet this Sunday from 9:45 – 10:45 upstairs in the children’s classrooms. There will be two classes, Pre-K through 1st grade and 2nd through 5th grade.
•   Masks are required indoors for children 3 & over and youth, as well as all adults working with them.

Jr. and Sr. High Youth
•   Jr. and Sr. High Sunday school meets weekly from 9:45 – 10:45am upstairs in the Sr. High room.
•   No Youth Fellowship this Sunday.
•   Mark your calendars, the Charleston Youth Mission Trip for Jr. and Sr. High Youth will be June 5-10, 2022 (this is a new retreat, more info to come)
•   Mark your calendars, the Montreat Youth Conference for rising 9th graders through graduated seniors will be July 10-16, 2022
•   Mark your calendars, the Montreat Middle School Conference for rising 6th through rising 8th graders will be July 20-24, 2022 (this is a new conference, more info to come)

Game Day Parking
The parking lot will open at 7:30 a.m. for the Iron Bowl, Saturday, Nov. 27.
Session Notes

During its Zoom on-line meeting on November 15, the Session…

• approved removal of James and Sue Bradley from the rolls, in response to their request;

• learned that the church’s income for October 2021 was $43,910; expenses, $50,683; and net loss, $6,772; and, for January through October 2021, income was $590,224; expenses, $590,557; and net loss, $333.13;

• heard a summary of modified Advent services approved by the Session at a called e-mail meeting on November 3: (a) a Longest Night Service, Sunday, December 19, 5:00 p.m.; (b) two Christmas Eve Services, December 24, 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; and only one worship service on Sunday, December 26, at 11:00 a.m.;

• learned that an increase in the Presbyterian per capita fee will affect our 2022 annual budget;

• approved using Capital Replacement funds to replace a portion of the student center roof;

• approved the Hickoks’ request to use the sanctuary for piano recitals on February 27, April 4, and May 22;

• approved Sandra Spencer to sign on behalf of the church, as beneficiary, for documents related to the dissolution of the McDowell-Martin Trust;

• approved dates for serving communion during 2022: (a) during 11:00 a.m. services on March 6, April 14, April 17, June 5, August 7, October 2, November 27, and December 24; (b) during early services, every Sunday; and (c) during UKirk services, the second Thursday of months the university is in session;

• learned that church members packaged 15,000 meals during the recent Rise Against Hunger congregational mission project; and

• learned that Ashley Lovell, who maintains the church’s website, has created information pages related to COVID and Advent.

Church members may read the complete, approved minutes for this meeting in the church office.
Church Office Hours

The church is now open from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., M-F, for any members needing to drop in on church business. If the door is locked when you arrive, please ring the bell.

Masks are still required, and for contact tracing purposes a sign-in sheet will be placed on the small table outside the kitchenette where you will be asked to provide your name and the date/time/purpose of your visit. Small group gatherings must still be arranged with your designated staff person. Thank you for your patience and understanding as the staff continues to operate without designated volunteers to answer the door and phones.
Birthdays
Nov. 28 - Allen Patterson
Dec. 1 - Bobbie Thurlow
Dec. 3 - Isobel Prater
Dec. 4 - Curt Bailey, Anna Carter

Anniversaries
Nov. 29 - Phil and Laura Shevlin
Prayer Concerns & Celebrations

For the time period in which our church family is worshiping virtually, our pastors have decided that prayer concerns will be shared via weekly email. These individuals will most certainly be prayed for during our Sunday worship service, but their names and specific concerns will not be shared via broadcast.

Concerns:
• Prayers of comfort for Donna Yeager and her family as they grieve the death of her uncle Jimmie Durham.
• Prayers of healing for Donna Yeager’s son-in-law as he recovers in Brooklyn after being very sick from a breakthrough covid infection.
• Prayers of healing for Bill Combs as he receives treatment for cancer.
• Prayers for Amy Kilner and her family (daughter in law of Dorothy Moran). Amy is in need of a kidney transplant and is currently looking for a donor.
• Prayers of healing for Belinda (friend of Karen Herring), as she continues treatment and learns the progress of her treatment for cancer. Prayers for her spouse Pooie as she cares for Belinda.
• Prayers of healing for Jason Banks (Margaret Brinkley’s neighbor). Jason is recovering at home after a car accident.
• Please continue to pray for many members of our church who are dealing with illness or significant health issues, but at this time do not wish to be mentioned by name.
• We continue to pray for healing and wholeness for those dealing with issues related to Covid-19. We also continue to pray for all the health care workers as they tend to everyone’s well being.
First Presbyterian Church |info@fpcauburn.org | (334)887-5571 | www.fpcauburn.org