In-Person Worship Update
Based on recent CDC recommendations and the increasing percentage of vaccination rates, Worship Committee has decided to increase the capacity of our Sunday morning services to 75 openings for attendance at each service; services will continue to be live streamed. Services will be 45 minutes in length to allow transition time between groups entering and exiting.
 
It is important that you sign up EACH week if you plan to attend the in-person worship service. With the influx of seasonal residents and guests, we need to be sure that we are mindful of the number of people that are coming into the building. If your plans change before 3:00 p.m. on Friday, please call and let us know to remove your name from the list. Thank you for your help. We want a healthy worship environment for everyone to be safe and enjoy the service.
Evicted in Chester County Webinar
Our ministry partners, Friends Association, is hosting a free webinar with Matthew Desmond, professor of sociology at Princeton University and the author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City. This book is a deep dive into issues of housing insecurity and homelessness. The webinar will be Thursday, May 13 at 7:00 p.m.

Friends Association says this, "We are inviting you to join us for a rare opportunity to connect with Dr. Desmond and discuss both the causes as well as the detrimental and long lasting impacts that evictions have on individuals, families and communities. Our hope is that, through these community conversations, we can all become better informed and thus better equipped to create solutions to this crisis."
Sunday's Anti-Racism Conversation
Now that the group has spent nearly a year reading, listening to speakers, watching videos, and discussing, we’re going to use our last session (Sunday at 12:00 p.m.) to think about WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE. We’ll consider how we use what we’ve learned and put it into action. We’ll be joined by Dr. Brenda Brown Wright who will help facilitate our discussion. She is recently retired as a Professor from Wilmington University’s MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, and currently has her own private counseling practice in Newark, DE. She developed a course called “Diverse Populations” which helped students not only understand and interact best with different cultures, but also lead them to understand their own beliefs and difficulties when interacting with other cultures. 
Youth Flower Sale
The annual Youth Flower Sale was a great success! A quick story: There was a young man who passed by First Pres on his way to see is family for Mother's Day. He hadn't yet secured a gift for her and was in a bit of a panic. Luckily for him, he saw the flower sale outside the church and got his gift just in time! Thank you to everyone who helped facilitate and participated in the sale.
Prayer Walk
During the week of May 23, we're asking church members and friends to take a prayer walk around town. You can pair up with a friend or go on your own, you choose the time and day, and you can walk it, run it, drive it or bike it! We're asking that you say a brief prayer for each of the organizations and its people (a prayer sample will be provided) as you do the walk. The church will reach out to each of those groups to let them know that we are praying for them. No need to sign up; although photos of your walk or a quick note to say that you did it are welcome! (Send to Elizabeth at ehess@firstpreswc.com.) Feel free to tag us with a social media post or photos with #fpcprayerwalk. Not a walker? A "virtual" walk at home with prayers would be great, too!
Internationally Acclaimed Brass Ensemble
Tim Zimmerman and The King’s Brass will be appearing in concert at the United Methodist Church of West Chester on Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. Social distancing and masks are required as well as online registration since the number of seats is limited to 50 per congregation (100 seats altogether). 

Tim Zimmerman and The King's Brass present hymn classics with a contemporary flair. The King's Brass features three trumpets, three trombones, a tuba, percussion and keyboards.  These instruments blend together to create a time of innovative worship that will be enjoyed by all generations.

Secular and sacred music critics alike applaud their concerts as "superb in every way" and "innovative and well played."  "Truly, an unforgettable experience!"

The King’s Brass, formed four decades ago in Detroit, is comprised of professional musicians from across the country, who desire to use the instruments they love to lead others in praise and worship. Based out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the group plays over 150 concerts per year from coast to coast as well as international destinations. Check out a teaser video below.
Per Capita Giving
What is Per Capita Giving and What Does it do? “Per Capita” is a Latin term that translates to “by head.” Our Per Capita is $35.38 per “head” or member. All Presbyterian churches contribute to Per Capita because it supports our denomination regionally, nationally, and internationally. Locally, Donegal Presbytery uses Per Capita funds to support mission projects in our area, around the country, and world-wide. The Presbytery also provides programs of national interest by respected authorities on various topics. In addition, Per Capita allows our Presbytery to provide legal and advisory support to Donegal Presbytery churches with challenges they face, pandemic issues, and difficult situations that require additional support. Please contribute this amount, $35.38 per “head” in your house, to show our support as Presbyterians for this shared ministry together. First Pres pays the full per capita amount of about $40k to Donegal Presbytery regardless of amounts contributed by our members. Any shortfall then reduces amounts available for mission and ministry. While $35.38 may seem like a small amount, it can be cost-prohibitive for some of our members. If you are able to provide a per capita payment for a member unable to do so, it will help the church allocate more of our general operating funds for local mission. Thank you for your support.
Each week we pray for our congregation at 12:00 p.m on Thursdays. Set an alarm or schedule it in your calendar to join us!

Topic for this Week: Pray for Session and Transition team as they meet with the company who developed the Congregational Survey to consider the results and what they mean about what our members see as the current state of our church and their hopes for the future.

You don’t need to only pray for the topic of the week, but you can continue to pray for previous topics as well or anything that God lays on your heart.


First Presbyterian Church | 130 W. Miner Street | 610-696-0554


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