Christmas Eve and Christmas Day . . . 

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. 

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

- a special intergenerational service!

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

· NewSong Band

· Chancel Choir

· Connor Landers - French Horn

· Rev. Floyd Churn - sermon   

· Carrie Mills - Children’s Moment

· Children’s play stations in front

Launch the new year with your spiritual family!

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.

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:

Gratitude from the Invest in Children Steering Committee

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 the gifts through the Blessing Tree project certainly brought 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! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Read the Latest Family Newsletter!

Supplies Needed for

February Cuba Trip Partnership

FPC has been planning a trip to Cuba for Partnership Relationships with the Presbyterian Church in Cuba. This country struggles with a lack of normal supplies, electricity, and day-to-day means for earning money. Each one planning to go on this trip will be traveling with a second suitcase to leave in Cuba. (Do you have one you would like to donate?)

Items that support the Matanzas Presbytery churches and programs:

Fever reducers and pain relievers: aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen

Anti-diarrhea medications; Anti-nausea pills

Antihistamines, allergy medications: Benadryl, Claritin

Antibiotic creams and ointments

Cough syrup, drops, lozenges

Cetaphil (sensitive skin care), oral antiseptics

Antacids, e.g., Tums, Pepto Bismol tablets

Vitamins, iron supplements; Band-aids, bandages

Power outage supplies:

Rechargeable lights—such as solar-charging Luci lights or hand-crank power lights (available on Amazon or other online sites)

Campus Clean-up Day - Saturday, January 21, 2023

Save the date on your calendar to join in on sprucing up our church campus. There will be a variety of projects--something for everyone! More details are coming soon!

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.

New Adult Class

John Parks’ adult class starts on January 8 at 10:00 a.m. in room 203. The class will read six short stories and discuss them to discover what they reveal about the human condition. The first story is Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery,” and is available at the church.

Please pick up the story in advance and read it prior to the first class. We hope you’ll join us for good discussion!

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.

Stop the Bleed Training

Stop the Bleed is a grassroots national awareness campaign and call-to-action. Stop the Bleed encourages bystanders to become trained, equipped and empowered to help in a bleeding emergency before professional help arrives. You never know when YOU will be the one needing to help a loved one or someone else.

Our Health and Wholeness Ministry will be hosting Stop the Bleed trainers from Blake Hospital Tuesday, January 17, 6:00-7:30 p.m. and Friday, January 20, 12:00-1:30 p.m. (Choose either time.)

Take Action. Sign up for a Bleeding Control Class by contacting Cheryl Track, Faith Community Nurse, 4tracks@comcast.net, (941) 320-3828 by Monday, January 9, 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 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.