Fourth Sunday

of Advent

This Sunday . . . 

Save the Date

Family Christmas Eve Service

Saturday, December 24, 4:00 p.m.

There will be all the elements of the Nativity service that our church family has cherished for years, coupled with bright stars, traditional Christmas music, and participation by the children and youth of our congregation and preschool. If your family is taking part, please meet in the Fellowship Hall at 10:00 a.m. this Sunday!

Communion and Candlelight Christmas Eve Service

Saturday, December 24, 7:00 p.m.

Come and experience the sights and sounds of anticipation for Christ’s arrival. Worship together by singing familiar Christmas hymns and carols, sharing communion, and lighting candles together.

Christmas Day Worship Service

Sunday, December 25, one service at 11:00 a.m.

in the Fellowship Hall

This service, in-person and live-streamed, will be a relaxed time together. We will be singing Christmas carols and telling of the Christmas story in a fun way with audience participation. Wear your “ugly” sweater and bring your left-over cookies to share!

First Sunday of Christmas Worship Service

Sunday, January 1, one service at 11:00 a.m. in the sanctuary

Let’s bring in the New Year together with music of the season and a message to guide us. The service will be in-person and live-streamed.

Epiphany Sunday with Communion

Sunday, January 8, 9:00 a.m. NewSong and 11:00 a.m. traditional worship services

Come and receive your special “star” with a word on it to inspire you throughout the year ahead. Be like the wise ones long ago who followed that special star that led them to Jesus.

Christmas Joy Offering THIS Sunday

PC(USA) offers you the chance to bring Good News of Great Joy to the poor in circumstance or spirit. Your gifts to this special offering will be distributed to retired ministers and missionaries in need, and to our Presbyterian racial-ethnic colleges. We will be receiving the Joy Offering TODAY!

2023 Offering Envelopes Available THIS Sunday

This Sunday, December 18, is the final Sunday to pick up your 2023 offering envelopes. To save on mailing costs, please pick up your envelopes.

Contributions for 2022

The end of 2022 is quickly approaching, and the last day to receive contributions to be credited towards this year is Saturday, December 31. Please bring your donations to the church office (by Friday, December 30) or put them in the mail; they must be postmarked no later than December 31.

Thoughtful Giving Booklets

Each year we look forward to giving financial gifts in honor of our family members and friends to one or more of our mission partners. The booklet is available as you exit the services. You may also print it using the link below:

Stewardship

Thank you to those who have stepped forward in faith with your 2023 pledge. If you have not made your pledge, it’s not too late! All pledges are needed—you can return your pledge card to the church office or pledge online through the church website:

www.FirstPresSarasota.org and select member login.

View this year’s stewardship video by clicking on the link below:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

for sharing such an abundance of love for the Brentwood Elementary School children and their families! Because of your generosity, we were able to increase the grocery store gift cards to $200 for each family. What a helpful, amazing gift! All of the gifts through the Blessing Tree project will bring joy and support to these families in such difficult times. The Invest in Children Steering Committee sends heartfelt thanks and wishes for a blessed Christmas to all!

Read this week's Family Newsletter!

Family Christmas Eve Service

Saturday, December 24, 4:00 p.m.

This Sunday, we will meet in the Fellowship Hall at 10:00 a.m. and head upstairs together. Here’s what to expect:

-We will practice signing “Go Tell it on a Mountain." 

-We will rehearse each scene. 

-We will finalize costumes (thank you, volunteer parents!).

-During wait time, we will have Christmas crafts available. 

If you have been assigned a part in the nativity pageant and cannot make it this Sunday, please let Emily or Leah know. 

See you this Sunday!

Cuba Trip Update

In a few weeks (February 8–14), thirteen First Presbyterian Church members will head to Cuba to visit our partner church, Juan G. Hall in Cárdenas, and visit the seminary in Matanzas. Cuba is in the grip of dire shortages of food and medicine, and power outages occur daily. COVID has greatly worsened the situation.



The travel team asks for your abundant prayers for their trip and the situation in Cuba. More details will be coming. Thank you for supporting the partnership! 

Salt Shakers

One wonderful way for members and friends of First Presbyterian Church to get to know each other better is to break bread together. Groups of 6-8 people,

(couples or singles) meet once a month from February through April or May.

Each Salt Shaker group decides whether they want to have a potluck at a member’s home, dine at a restaurant, have a picnic, or brunch or something

else, groups are encouraged to be creative! Sign up through the end of January.

Questions?

Diane Bittner: (941) 755-2268 or

Marcia Schaper: (941) 922-5245

Pick up a registration form this in the narthex or in the Fellowship Hall foyer.

FPC's Weekly All Faiths Food Distribution 

We have expanded our food offering and are now averaging over 100 families per week!

Join us on Thursday mornings to volunteer. We start packing food at 8:30 a.m. and serve from 10:00-11:30 a.m.

Thank You, Blood Donors!              

Thank you to all who came out to donate blood to SunCoast Blood Centers last Sunday. 15 donors were screened, 17 units of blood and 1 pack of platelets collected, potentially helping 54 people! Yes, you can now donate platelets on the bus, but please pre-register. 

SunCoast serves Sarasota Memorial, Manatee Memorial, Lakewood Ranch, Doctor's, Englewood and Fawcett Hospitals, as well as Encompass Health, the U.S. Military, Blood Emergency Readiness Corps, Post Acute Medical and Moffitt Cancer Center. See you at the next drive Sunday, March 19, 2023! 

Ushers Needed

Please contact Denise Landers by calling (941) 587-7992 or emailing: davidanddenise@tampabay.rr.com if you are interested in being a part of the new rotating team of ushers. Training will be provided. It’s a great way to serve!

Prayer List

Click on the link below for the prayer list. Thank you for praying for healing and encouragement for these dear ones.

First Presbyterian Preschool

firstprespreschoolsarasota.org

Preschool Happenings

For many families, the Christmas season is a time when longstanding traditions are enjoyed together. Some of our preschool families, children and staff offered their children’s favorite holiday traditions; chocolate advent calendars and spending time together; making toffee from a family recipe handed down from generation to generation, baking a special bread, presents and cookies, and driving around to enjoy neighborhood Christmas light displays.

First Presbyterian Church’s Christmas Pageant is a 33-year tradition brought to our church by the Kerr family. Originally in 1950, it was a sermon written by Rev. Donald C. Kerr to tell the story of Jesus’ birth and the children of his Baltimore church acted the parts in pantomime. Later in 1989, Rev. Kerr’s son and daughter-in-law were inspired to write a script that would tell the nativity story through the acting of our congregation’s children and youth. Come experience, be a part, of First Presbyterian Church’s longstanding Christmas tradition this Christmas Eve. If your family is looking to start a Christmas tradition, maybe enjoying the performance together could be a good start.

First Presbyterian Preschool also performed their Christmas songs for family, friends, and church family members—a Christmas preschool tradition which always brings smiles to the faces of those who experience it. The sweet voices and precious nature of each child brought joy to those in  attendance. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed the age-old tradition of Christmas cookies together. Thank you to everyone who was a part of the preschool’s tradition this year.

Excitement is growing to celebrate our preschool’s 75th anniversary in February 2023.

Consider a Year-End Gift

to Support First Presbyterian Church

This Advent season as you prepare for and anticipate the Christ child, we invite you to consider making a year-end gift to First Presbyterian Church. You may make:

• A cash donation
• A gift of appreciated securities
• A direct to charity transfer from your IRA (if you are over 70 ½ and have not given more than $100,000 from your IRA to charities this year)
• A gift from your donor-advised fund or private foundation
• The gift can be directed in two ways:
• To First Presbyterian Church to be added to the current operating budget
• To The Foundation for the First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota to be added to the endowment to ensure/support our missions into the future

Your gift may be specifically directed to scholarships, youth programs, building funds, or to mission and ministries of the church. Or you may leave the best use of the gift to be decided by the session with the assurance that church leadership is devoted to careful stewardship of your funds.

Discuss these opportunities with your tax advisor to see which may be best for you, as these can be used by many as deductions office for income tax purposes.

If this is not the right time for an over-and-above donation, please consider joining the Covenant Society by making a pledge to include the Foundation in your will or estate plan as a legacy of your faith that will impact generations to come.

Contact Lisa Garcia at the church office for more information on making a year-end donation. A Covenant Society pledge form can be accessed by clicking on the link below:

The Rev. Dr. Timothy Boggess to Preach on ‘Day 1’® Radio Program

(Article published by ‘Day 1’)

The Rev. Dr. Timothy T. Boggess is the featured preacher December 25, Christmas Day, on Day 1, the nationally broadcast ecumenical radio program also accessible online at Day1.org.

His sermon “In the Dark” is drawn from the beloved nativity story found in Luke 2:1-20. “It’s been 34 months and we’re still in the dark about when this pandemic will finally be over. Over these past few years, we have lost many whom we loved,” says Boggess. “Which is why we need to hear the message of Christmas now more than ever.”

The program includes interviews with Boggess conducted by Wallace, who is also executive producer. “Day 1” has been broadcast every week for 77 years, formerly as “The Protestant Hour.” Featuring outstanding preachers from the mainline denominations, “Day 1” is currently distributed to 200 radio stations across America and overseas. The program is produced by the Alliance for Christian Media, based in Atlanta, Ga. "Day 1"® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office by the Alliance for Christian Media, Inc. For more information, check the program’s website, http://day1.org. 

Care Notes are short, 5–6-page inspirational booklets aimed at helping people in a wide variety of difficult life situations. In addition to the narthex, parlor, and office hallway, there are booklets for youth and teens in the fellowship hall. The entire collection of over a hundred different booklets are also available in the library. These are for you to keep, but can be returned to the library if no longer needed. During the holiday season please see the selection of Care Notes that are unique for the season.

Pastoral Care

When you or a loved one is hospitalized, it is important that you contact the church or one of the pastors to inform us directly and inform the hospital that you are a member of our congregation and would welcome a visit by one of our pastors. Hospitals will not contact the church. We have also discovered that some will no longer even list a patient as our church member on their internal records unless the patient is careful to note their relationship with our congregation. Thank you for your assistance.

We’re Here for You!

The FPC care team, Stephen Ministers, deacons, elders and church staff continue to be available for you. Please feel free to reach out to Cheryl Track, Faith Community Nurse (941) 320-3828 or call the church office (941) 955-8119 if we can be of support to you.