On Tuesday, December 7, at 11:30 a.m., all women of the church are invited to lunch at MADE Restaurant for a time of fellowship. The restaurant is located at 1990 Main Street #112, Sarasota, in Courthouse Centre. Please contact Flossie Paul at (941) 779-6055 by Sunday, December 5 to let her know you are coming so we can guarantee the minimum number required by the restaurant to keep our reservation.

Beginning Sunday, December 5, through Sunday, December 19 there will be a table set up for you to pick up your 2022 offering envelopes. Please pick up your envelopes so we can avoid the cost of mailing.

If you have received envelopes in the past and you decide you will not need them for 2022 or if you have opted out in the past and would like to have a box for 2022, please contact Lisa Garcia, Finance Manager, by calling the church office (941) 955-8119 or by email at Lgarcia@FirstPresSarasota.org.

You are invited to be a part of the group from FPC, Sarasota, that gathers at Beth-El Farmworker Ministry in Wimauma to volunteer sorting food or related activities. This mission partner distributes food to help 600-900 folks each week. Due to the holiday schedule, this will be our one day trip for November / December. We meet at Beth-El at 9:00 a.m. and work until 12:00 noon.

Continues Sunday, Dec. 5

This class taught by Dr. John Parks continues December 5, 12, and 19. As serious literature, good stories offer what Mathew Arnold called a “criticism of life.” Stories invite readers to a reflection upon our condition in the world. Our exploration is prompted by reading stories by Edgar Allen Poe, Stephen Crane, Ernest Hemingway, Willa Cather, Katherine Anne Porter, and Raymond Carver. Stories to be discussed are posted in News@First and on the church website under the “Grow” tab. They are also provided as printed hand-outs in the class and the church office one week prior to discussion.

New Adult Education Zoom Class “Advent: The Season of Hope

and Expectation”

– Continues Tuesday, Nov. 23  

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the Church celebrates Advent. This season gets its name from the Latin term adventus, meaning “coming.” It is a season when the Church prepares for Christmas Day—the great celebration of God, the Savior, coming to us in Jesus Christ. In this time of waiting and anticipation, we are focusing on what Advent brings as Christ comes. The class is discussing together the rich biblical and theological terms centering on the message we proclaim as we tell the world of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Join with others to engage in the wonder of preparing for Christ’s coming. All are welcome! The class will be led by Elaine Barnett, a member of FPC, an elder and a Certified Christian Educator. You can sign up for the class by emailing Elaine at ewbarnet@me.com.

For more information, contact our member, Jean Martin, who will be serving at the event (phone 941-544-4474 or email jean.martin4474@gmail.com). She will be most happy to welcome anyone from First Presbyterian!

Join our fun team of volunteers and help distribute food to our community neighbors Thursday mornings, 9:15-11:30 a.m.

We are grateful to our team of We Care poster artists who creatively design poster-cards for our church members when they are hospitalized. Special notes, prayers, and well wishes are written on the cards by our congregation on Sunday mornings, and the cards are mailed out.

On the link below is a list of those who have recently received a We Care poster-card. Consider how you might support them through a prayer, a card, or a phone call. Thank you for being family for one another!

The library book cart in the narthex offers a varied selection of our newer books from which you can choose, including some children's books. No due dates; simply return when you finish with them. A sign-out sheet is on the cart.

Online: If you are interested in giving electronically through our secure e-giving process, please visit FirstPresSarasota.org and select the online giving button.

Texting: Are you interested in the convenience of contributing by text message? Text FPC2050 to 73256 to donate via text. Standard rates may apply.

Mail In: All mail, including contribution checks, securely arrives to our church office.

· Masks will be optional for those who are vaccinated.

· Masks will continue to be required for those who are unvaccinated. 

· With the exception that the preschool board will have the autonomy to make masking decisions affecting the preschool. 

If daily new cases rise above 10 cases per 100,000, masks will again be required when inside (for both the preschool and other church groups).  

Call Cheryl Track, our Faith Community Nurse, to sign up: (941) 320-3828; 4tracks@comcast.net

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.

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.