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First Press
an online newsletter
February 2022 edition
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It finally happened. Cole broke his first bone…well, his first "real bone…" we don't count the time he broke off his two front teeth and chipped three others while rounding second base in a stellar game of backyard baseball, but I digress. No, it wasn't a broken ankle from a goal-stopping slide tackle on the soccer pitch. It wasn't a broken clavicle from careening down a root-riddled slope on his mountain bike. Instead, he broke his foot while shooting hoops. By himself. On our driveway. In 20-degree weather when any other self-respecting Oxonian would be curled up under a thick blanket in front of the fire with a good book in hand. Injuries tend to come from relatively benign activities in our house: sprained ankles from walking down church stairs, broken arms from jumping over pillows in the grass (true story). Hopefully, my youngest doesn't get tangled up in a hula-hooping incident in the next few years.
"They" (whoever "they" are) say that a broken bone, as it heals, can come back stronger at the site of the injury—strength after loss. Over the past couple of years, we at FPC Oxford have experienced several losses: loss of norms we often took for granted; loss of beloved ministers and staff; loss of friends through death and moves. Loss has been shockingly pervasive. And yet, here we are—thriving, looking forward, and answering God's call. Anyone who saw the children coming to church in droves during the recent Advent and Christmas seasons sees strength. Anyone experiencing the thoughtful transformation and expansion of our worship and music ministry sees strength. Anyone who's participated in our renewed mission efforts and community-focused outreach sees strength. Anyone coming to Adult Faith Formation offerings, whether Bibles and Brews or Sunday school or book discussions sees strength. And today, as I introduce you to Dave Garvey and Kate Hill, the newest members of our ministry leadership team and church family, I see strength. Strength after loss. Strength for the Body of Christ here at FPC, Oxford. Strength for our future.
Friends, this is a time for celebration and growth. This is a time to hear and to heed the apostle's call to "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I say Rejoice." This is a time to look forward with excitement, anticipation, and with a renewed sense of hope. For what a joy it will be to witness how we continue to grow, thrive, and gather strength as the Spirit moves among us and as we embrace and give thanks for the many new and blessed things that God is doing in our midst!
With hope,
Barrett
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Director of Faith Formation for Children and Youth
Dave Garvey
Beginning March 1, 2022
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My wife, Christian, kids, Bowen and Red, and I are so excited to join the FPC Oxford community. We have spent the past several years in Nashville, TN where I have served at First Presbyterian Church of Nashville. My passion is helping young people to see the ways God is working in their lives and helping to shape that realization into a life long pursuit of a relationship with God. I am so looking forward to working with the young people and their families at FPC Oxford!
Dave
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Director of Communications and Administrative Assistant
Kate Hill
Beginning March 14, 2022
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I am so excited to start my journey at FPC Oxford! I currently reside in a small town called Snow Lake Shores, but I consider Oxford my second home. I have been working in Oxford for the past two years, and I am over the moon about continuing my path in this town. I can not wait to get to know each of you and build long-lasting relationships. I am looking forward to the opportunities that arise from FPC Oxford!! My door will always be open, so please come say hi!
Kate
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Oxford First United Methodist Church and FPC are planning a five week seminar for a dialog in racial healing this spring. Approximately ten members from each congregation will meet weekly to faithfully explore together what it means to be a more whole and united community in Christ. The seminar will be led by Dr. Cade Smith, the University's Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Community Engagement. For more information, click HERE. If you would like to volunteer to participate in the seminar or have questions, please email missionteam@fpcoxford.net or call the church office. Thank you for your prayerful consideration. | |
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH - OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI
MINUTES OF THE STATED SESSION MEETING
January 10, 2021
First Presbyterian Church
Oxford, Mississippi
Minutes of Stated Session Meeting –January 10, 2022
Consent Agenda. The following items were presented to the Session as part of the consent agenda:
Welcoming of the new ruling elders (Class of 2024);
Election of Elder Drew Mauldin as Clerk of Session for 2022;
Requests for new membership class were submitted by:
Request for Sacrament of Baptism
Approval of Sacrament of Communion to be shared on the first Sunday of
each month
Ministry Team Reports.
1. Finance: Elder Abbott presented the report for the Finance Team. The Finance Team is close to completing the final pledge number for 2022, which will be reflected in the budget. The Finance Team expects to present the budget to the Session next month. Discussions are ongoing about the use of Nabors funds for the maintenance/improvement of various church facilities. Finance/Property will discuss possibility of using a portion of agency funds held by the Church to assist with those efforts.
2. Property: Elder Abernathy reported that the Property Team has a contract for the tree replacement, and would like to begin fundraising. Property Team is still working to finalize the Nabors estimate referenced by Finance.
3. Adult Faith Formation: Elder Ashmore reported that bible studies have begun for the year, and the AFF team has several other projects in the works for the upcoming year.
4. Children and Youth Faith Formation: Elder Elliott reported that the full CYFF team would not meet in January, but that she and Elder Hester will do some strategic planning and then reconvene with the full ministry team in February.
5. Membership and Hospitality: Elder Christian reported that the Membership and Hospitality team is planning a chili cookoff for February and will also be taking a leadership role in the scheduling of ushers for Sunday services.
6. Personnel: Elder Lewis reported that the Personnel Team is continuing its search for communications personnel.
7. Worship: Reverend Milner reported that Elder Freeland will be joining the Worship Team for the upcoming year, which will hold its next meeting in February.
8. Deacons: Reverend de Boer reported that the deacons held their first meeting of the year on January 4. The deacons are continuing to focus on 2:4 Groups and member outreach and support.
Continued Business.
Covid 19 Policies - current policy of a mask recommendation will remain in place.
Communications. Reverend Milner reported correspondence received from a church member regarding masking.
General Announcements. Ordination and Installation of newly elected Deacons and Elders will be held Sunday, January 16. Next stated session meeting will be February 14, 2022.
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February 6, 2022
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship w/ communion*
February 13, 2022
Sixth Sunday after Epiphany
9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
February 20, 2022
Seventh Sunday after Epiphany
9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
February 27, 2022
Transfiguration of the Lord
9:45 am Sunday School
11:00 am Worship
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The Sacrament of Communion will be celebrated Sunday, February 6 at the 11:00 am service. For those celebrating on-line, please remember to set up your worship space with the appropriate elements. | |
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If you can't join us in person, join us for worship on Sunday mornings 10:55 am on Facebook Live. The video will go live on the church's public Facebook group. If you do not have a Facebook account, a message will pop up asking if you wish to join. Simply click, "not now" at the bottom of that message and it will go away. You may then enjoy the video as it plays live.
Online worshipers may now find the weekly bulletin on the church's website under the Worship page. Click here for the Worship page, then click the link titled "Weekly Bulletin."
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Sanctuary floral arrangement dates are available all Sundays in February. To provide flowers in honor or in memory of a loved one, contact Susan Joiner at joiner2908@gmail.com or call 662-808-3240. Contributions to the Flower Fund are greatly appreciated. | |
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Lectionary texts for February
February 6: Isaiah 6:1-8, 9-13; Psalms 138; 1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Luke 5:1-11
February 13: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalms 1; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20; Luke 6:17-26
February 20: Genesis 45:3-11; Psalms 37:1-11, 39-40; 1 Corinthians 15:35-38, 42-50; Luke 6:27-38
February 27: Exodus 34:29-35; Psalms 99; 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2; Luke 9:28-36, 37-43
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Remember in Prayer
FPC Members: Sigrid Morrison Long; J.T. & Barbara Davis; Tommy Patrick; Marianna Ochs; Family of Lynton Dilley; Max Williams; Louise & Nolan Waller; Porter Callery; Teresa Flautt; Lydia Moak; Susan & Tom Meredith; Michele Howie; Margaret Fancher; Family of Betty Mullen White; Joe Murphey
Family and Friends: The family of John “ Nat” Sumner, Connie Whelan; Lafayette County Detention Center Inmates; Lenoir Stanley; Family of Lauren "Lo" Chastain; Peter C. Wood; Doors of Hope Families; Bob Flautt; 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.
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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 carlislewood@gmail.com or 662-832-8606. All requests are held in strict confidence. | |
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Anyone interested in an FPC member directory can call the church office at 234-1757. One will be printed for you. | |
Book Study
Looking for a mid-week Book Study?? You’ve come to the right place! From Wednesday, January 5th through February 23rd, we’ll study Convictions: How I Learned What Matters Most, by Marcus Borg. You can either meet Rev. de Boer in the Fellowship Hall at 12 noon, or join Carey Hansen on Zoom at 7:00 p.m. Copies of Convictions will be available in the church office during regular business hours. Donations towards the cost of books are always appreciated! Click here to follow the link.
Link to the Book
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Curious about Jesus’ life connects to our lives today? Pick up a copy of Ron Allen’s The Life of Jesus for Today in the Church Office. It provides an exciting introduction to the life of Jesus and an engaging discussion of what Jesus' life means for modern-day believers. Setting Jesus in his ancient context, Allen examines many stories about Jesus' life and shows how these different stories relate to one another to express the core of Jesus' message--a message that, as Allen helpfully shows, is of central importance for believers today.
We’ll meet at 12 noon in the Fellowship Hall on Wednesdays, beginning March 2, and Thursdays on Zoom at 7 p.m. beginning March 3.
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Congregational Adult Sunday School, 9:45 a.m.
Join us in the Fellowship Hall for an informal discussion on the lectionary passages each Sunday at 9:45 am. All you need to bring is your curious mind, open heart, and a willingness to delve into what the scriptures might have for us. No preparation required, and you can drop in any given Sunday without losing the thread. If you’ve got a favorite translation of the Bible, bring it. If not, don’t worry. We’ll have fun and learn from each other as listen for the Spirit in each other’s voices.
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Ongoing Sunday School Offerings
Women of Faith: Led by Ann DeVoe (meets in Fellowship Hall)
Men’s Class 1: Led by Hale Freeland (meets in the 2nd floor Conference Room)
Men’s Class 2: Led by Trey Byers (meets in the Annex Building)
| Adult Faith Formation is offering Bibles and Brews again beginning in January! Bibles and Brews is open to any adult. We plan to meet on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month through the spring semester. We will gather at The Growler beginning at 4:30 pm for a time of fellowship, Bible study and engaging conversation. Please join us February 2, and 16 at 4:30! For more information, please contact Allyson Ashmore at allyson@camphopewell.com or 662-816-8544. | |
Camp Hopewell's 2022 Women's Retreat
Camp Hopewell is excited to invite all women to its 2022 Women’s Retreat — Here I Am, which will be held from April 8-9. Guided by the story of Moses at the burning bush along with the Enneagram personality type indicator, we’ll spend keynotes, worship, and personal reflection time digging into who we are in the world and what God has to do with it. Programming will take place Friday evening, starting with registration and sabbath time at 4PM and going through Saturday evening at 6PM! Those interested can sign up here.
Please email Lindsay Fournier at info@camphopewell.com with any questions!
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Are you the Best Chili Cook at FPC? Bring your crockpot full of your best chili for all to enjoy! Please join us in the Fellowship Hall on Sunday, February 6 following the worship service. You can register on Realm by clicking here, or contact the church office at 662.234.1757 or via email at fpcstaff924@gmail.com.
We still need more cooks! If you're wanting to bring a pot of chili, please email or call the church office to register and show off your best recipe!
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Attention VIP's:
On Thursday, February 3rd we will gather at 6:00 at the Sipp for food, drink and fellowship. The restaurant wants a head count before we arrive, so please call the church office and put your name on the list.
For March we have an evening of dinner and bingo at the church. More later...a fun evening!
Thanks,
Sally Hines
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The Mission Ministry Team's monthly meeting is Tuesday, February 8 at 5:00 in Room 101 in the Sanctuary building. We will be exploring new FPC outreach opportunities in 2022. Please join us to discuss any ideas that you might have as we discern God's call for our family of faith in this time and in this place. | Arc Benders is a FPC fellowship group that seeks to actively practice Christ's call to serve "the least of these" and to seek authentic reconciliation in the Oxford community. All are invited to participate. The February meeting to coordinate plans for 2022 will be held this Sunday, February 6 at 5pm, via Zoom. Please contact Ruth O'Dell for the link at delloruth@gmail.com. |  | 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. | |
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Western Kentucky Tornadoes
Following the devastating tornadoes in western Kentucky last month, St. Andrew Presbytery immediately established a relief fund. FPC donated $5,000 to the effort, with a $1,000 contribution coming from the VIP group. By receiving money at the Presbytery level, we hope to remain nimble as possible as needs evolve and the long-term recovery picture becomes clearer. Thank you to those who have already contributed to the fund. If you are interested in giving, mail your contribution to Presbytery of St. Andrew, 24 County Road 231, Oxford, MS, 38655 with "tornado relief" in the memo line.
The FPC Mission Team is currently investigating opportunities for a group of volunteers from our congregation to go to Kentucky in the coming months to directly assist in the recovery effort.
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We would like to thank Kathleen Mayo and Cade Smith for hosting the December Doors of Hope Step 2 Dinner in the fellowship hall. Approximately 24 parents and their children were served. To celebrate the season, Billy and Julie Chadwick led the group singing Christmas carols. Large fun! Doors of Hope is an outreach program officed in the FPC education building. DOH makes available to single parents with young children temporary housing support, budget management, and other life skills training. This Step 2 Dinner is a monthly gathering for current clients to sit at table with successful alumni of the program. If you would like to volunteer to host a DOH dinner, email missionteam@fpcoxford.net or contact the church office.
We also thank the FPC members who sponsored a DOH family for Christmas. The gifts you provided to these 12 families were likely the only ones they received. Thank you for your generosity and support. The parents and their children are deeply grateful.
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Leap Frog Program is a non-profit after-school literacy and tutoring program serving at-risk students in Oxford and Lafayette County. FPC is committed to providing snacks for the sixty students enrolled in the program. We thank the Carol Barr Circle for their active participation in this ministry. The 'healthy' snack consists of juice and a finger food such as fruit, peanut butter crackers, etc. For more information or to sign up please email Patty Abbott, peaccc-slp@sbcglobal.net. This could be your mission!
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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 missionteam@fpcoxford.net. Your name will be placed on Mission Ministry's contact list. We look forward to keeping everyone informed of FPC's outreach opportunities. | |
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Presbyterian Women Officers for 2021-2022
Kathryn Elliott - Co-Moderator
Caroline McIntosh - Co-Moderator
Lisa Tollison - Vice-Moderator
Whitney Bolen - Secretary
Margaret Fancher - Treasurer
Marianna Ochs - Historian
Thank you for your willingness to serve FPC in this way!
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Memorials & Honorariums
~ With gratitude for contributions to First Presbyterian Church ~
In memory of:
Susan Burkett
Homer Burkett
Susan Dehmer
Thomas & Susan Meredith
Don & Emily Newcomb
In honor of:
Carmille Hovious - Missions
Dr. Mike Robbins
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Upcoming Birthdays & Anniversaries | |
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February Birthdays:
1 Lila Luster, Marianna Ochs
2 Charlie Quick
3 Gail Hercules, Ann Hobart
4 William Elliott, Tommy Smith, Kate Embry, Hollis Hardin
6 Joan Westmoreland, Michael Abraham, West Flautt
7 Ann Dickins, Cynthia Freeland, John Callery, Jeb Bishop
8 Trey Byars, Roy Selvidge, Jim Jetton, Jennifer Day Mills
9 Carolyn Hopkins, Keith Mansel, Madison Lorenzo
10 Hayden Williams
11 Spencer Huggins, Donna Ruth Roberts, Margaret Embry
12 Darren Ashmore
13 Kylea Boutwell, Vicki Stevens, Lucy Chiniche, Daniel Payne
16 Mary Carter Hitt, Olivia Briscoe
17 Tad Wilkes, Mamie Embry
18 Catherine Field, Leslie Orrell, Aubrey Wigginton, Linda Scarbrough
19 Angela Manley
20 Will Lewis
21 Sarah Smith
22 Max Hill
24 Sallie Abernathy
25 Katherine Estes, Mary Williams, Edward Duke
February Anniversaries:
4 Kathy Neff
5 Tom and Susan Meredith
15 Richard and Gale Gurner
17 Jay and Patsy Eads
22 Chris and Beth P
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The Session
CLASS of 2022
Susan Abbott, John Abernathy,
Trey Byars, Kevin Christian,
Greg Patton
CLASS of 2023
Allyson Ashmore, Kathryn Elliott, Goodloe Lewis, Drew Mauldin,
Lee Miers
CLASS of 2024
Richard DeVoe, Hale Freeland, Bradley Goodwiller, Melissa Hall, Catie Hester
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The Diaconate
CLASS of 2022
Gabrielle Chiniche, James Day,
Sarah McClellan, Cliff Smith,
Pattye Wilson
CLASS of 2023
Laura Jackson, Chloe Lloyd,
Allison McCord, Shae Orrell,
Adam Quick
CLASS of 2024
Patrick Bolen, Tommy Cribbs, Lindsey Estes, Kathy Orr Griffith, Jennifer Williams
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