This week's worship guide cover will feature art from one of our FPC Kids! Thank you Audrey F. (age 9) for sharing your talents with us by providing this sheep to include in our FPC Kids' Art Nativity!

Last year's cover, composed of drawings by Kora H. and Paisley L., will be included in the background of Sunday's cover as part of our growing Nativity!

Join us on the FPC front lawn after worship for a petting zoo provided by Wildlife Critters!

We may have had Commitment Sunday, but it’s not too late to make your commitment by offering your Time, Talent, and Treasures! Submit your Pledge Card today to be included in our 2024 Operating Budget!

Advent Theme for 2023

When our world is hard, when days are long and cumbersome, when our bodies and spirits are weary, it proves challenging to see JOY, be JOY, experience JOY. Thus, we need one another to remember the joy! So this Advent season we will join in the rituals of our faith – telling the story of God with us – and in doing so explore the question – How does a weary world rejoice?

Click below to read Neeley's Notions on fining joy in a weary world!

Graphic Design by Rev. Lauren Wright Pittman | Background painting and photography by Rev. Lisle Gwynn Garrity | A Sanctified Art LLC | sanctifiedart.org

Christmas Poinsettias

If you would like to help decorate the Sanctuary during Advent and Christmas, make a donation to honor or memorialize a loved one. To do so, fill out the form and attach a check made out to FPC and place it in the offering plate or drop it off at the church office. Please put “poinsettias” in the memo space on your check or envelope.  

Donations made online should be given under the dropdown fund option “Flowers-all.” Please email catherine@fpccov.org with your “in memory” and “in honor” details if you use give online.

A minimum donation of $12 is suggested.

This year we will accept new submissions throughout the season, so submit your form and donation by the end of the day on Wednesday to be included in the following Sunday's dedications. Names will remain in the list through Christmas Eve.

Whatever donations we collect over the cost of the flowers will be donated to Thornwell Homes.

Thank you!

RSVP Deadline is TODAY!

Staff Love Gift

Dear Members and Friends of First Presbyterian Church, Covington:

Each year during the Christmas Season, we at FPC, Covington, like to show our appreciation and gratitude to our church staff members who give so much of themselves on our behalf throughout the course of each year.

We ask for your participation in this effort by making a contribution to a special fund that we establish annually for this purpose. You may contribute in several ways: leaving your contribution in the FPC offering plate, bringing it by the Church Office, or mailing it to the Church. Please ensure that you label your check and/or your envelope, “Staff Love Gift” so that it will end up in the right place. It would be helpful if your contribution were made in a separate check, rather than making it a part of your regular contributions to FPC. You may also give on-line through REALM or by texting to 73256, enter FPCCOV as your message, click to send. You can also give through REALM by clicking HERE. Follow the prompts and use “Love Gift” as the fund. If you aren’t able to enter a fund, please email admin@fpccov.org to notify us of your gift to the fund. 

Please make sure that your “Staff Love Gift” reaches the Church by Sunday, December 17, 2022. Your generosity is much appreciated, in helping us to show our love to our devoted Church Staff Members.

Sincerely, 

John McCarthy, Clerk of Session

Each year during the Christmas Season, we at FPC, Covington, like to show our appreciation and gratitude to our church staff members who give so much of themselves on our behalf throughout the course of each year.

We ask for your participation in this effort by making a contribution to a special fund that we establish annually for this purpose. You may contribute in several ways: leaving your contribution in the FPC offering plate, bringing it by the Church Office, or mailing it to the Church. Please ensure that you label your check and/or your envelope, “Staff Love Gift” so that it will end up in the right place. It would be helpful if your contribution were made in a separate check, rather than making it a part of your regular contributions to FPC. You may also give on-line through REALM or by texting to 73256, enter FPCCOV as your message, click to send. You can also give through REALM by clicking HERE. Follow the prompts and use “Love Gift” as the fund. If you aren’t able to enter a fund, please email peni@fpccov.org to notify us of your gift to the fund. 

Please make sure that your “Staff Love Gift” reaches the Church by THIS Sunday, December 17, 2023. Your generosity is much appreciated, in helping us to show our love to our devoted Church Staff Members.

Sincerely, 

John McCarthy, Clerk of Session

Return deadline is THIS Sunday!

Christmas Charity and Angel Trees are in the Narthex!

Pick out an angel to get gifts for this year! Be sure to write down your name with the angel’s number on the clipboard next to the tree so we can keep track of the angels!

Bring gifts to the Narthex no later than noon on Sunday, December 17 so it can reach your angel in time for Christmas.

We will not have Sunday School on Sunday, December 31st.

Childcare is provided weekly for FPC's Music Ministry.

Music Ministry will continue without interruption while we search for our new Director of Music and Worship Arts. We will have interim leaders for both the children's choirs and the adult choirs. Contact Neeley with questions about Children's Choir, or contact Krista Firkus with questions about Carillon Handbell Choir and Chancel Choir.

End-of-Year Giving for 2023

As we approach the end of the fiscal year, some of you may be planning to make donations to the church for the 2023 tax year or to fulfill your pledge and giving for the year. If you wish your donations to be credited for this year they must reach the church or be postmarked no later than December 31st. Contact our finance administrator, Peni Kehoe, with your questions of to learn about fulfilling your minimum IRA distribution.

Peni Kehoe: (770)786-7321, ext. 1011 | peni@fpccov.org

Our WiredWORD class meets in the Gathering Room which is on the upper floor, through the Fireplace Room and near the restrooms. This room is sometimes referred to as "the old choir room" or "the old sanctuary" by long-time members. This class explores current events and discusses how our faith intersects and informs our response. 

Our Foundations Sunday School meets in the Adult Classroom which is on lower floor classroom wing at the end of the hall way on the left. This class explores the lectionary scriptures each week, taught by a rotation of teachers. 

Youth Sunday School meets in the Youth Classroom which is on the lower floor classroom wing. It is the first classroom on the left, past the restrooms. The class explores the lectionary scriptures each week, often as they relate to the weekly sermon.

Children's Sunday School meets in the Children's Classroom which is the second door on the right of the lower floor classroom wing. Children learn about God's love through the bible, play, and song.

Office Holiday Hours

Friday, Dec 22 - OPEN 9:00am-12:00pm

Monday, Dec 25 - CLOSED

Tues, Dec 26-Thurs, Dec 28 - OPEN with limited staff

Friday, Dec 29 - CLOSED

Monday, Jan 1 - CLOSED

We had a wonderful time reaching out to our community on Saturday by giving away doughnuts and hot chocolate at the Lion's Club Christmas Parade!

Please keep the following people and their families in your prayers this week:

Illness and Strife

• Bob Wheeler, brother of Jack Wheeler
• Roudy Hughes, friend of congregant
• Angelic Bellinger - health concerns
• Ken Fullerton, father of Scott Fullerton - settling into life at Westbury McDonough
• Patsy Freeman, sister of Judy Davis
• Grant Moss & Chris Mattice, family of Louly Fowler Hay - cancer and care
• Joyce, sister of Faye Kitchens
• Shelvie Belser, grandmother of Neeley Rentz Lane
• Carolyn Watson
• Bernice Bailey - cancer treatment
• Bob and Beverly Beasley, friends of Jean Elder - health concerns and care
• Brenda Buckelew, mother of Jennifer Buckelew
• Patrick Carmichael
• Larry Cox, brother-in-law of Randy Layton - cancer
• Bob Darby, friend of Jeff Mackenzie - leg amputated, kidney problems
• Karla Ensminger, sister of Perri Walden
• Randy Jones, nephew of Faye Kitchens - lung cancer
• Karen Lein Kaasa, sister-in-law of Julie MacKenzie - home health care
• Marcia McGowan-Thurman, mother of Alicia Taylor - inoperable brain tumor
• Rosalia Meadors, friend of Tom Crews - three year old with bone marrow failure
• Meredith Nash, friend of Barbara Martin - four year old with stage IV kidney cancer
• Donald Vining, brother of Danny Vining - vision loss
• Joyce Williams, sister of Danny Vining - Alzheimer’s

Independent and Assisted Living

• Penny Blakeney - The Oaks Assisted Living
• Homer Borders - Presbyterian Village Athens
• Jean Elder - Florida with her daughter
• Dot Fincher - Merryvale
• Louly Hay - Presbyterian Village Athens
• Travis Moss - Westbury, Conyers
• Louise White - Merryvale

Military Service

• Billy Scarborough - Marines
• Koen Ardis - Navy
• Clint Williams - Army
• Daryl Williams - Army

Please click HERE to update your prayer requests or send new prayer requests.

You will be sent a check-in after three weeks.

In your email please indicate if you would like your request to be confidential or added to our prayer list.