“…Love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:39

Did you know that in the U.S., 17% of households with children lack sufficient food to last 7 days? Did you know Alabama has the second highest rate of food insecurity in the nation? Did you know that approximately 57,000 people in the 7-county service area of East Alabama Food Bank face hunger because of food insecurity? 

For many years, First Presbyterian has helped alleviate food insecurity through our financial support of East Alabama Food Bank and The Community Market, with the most substantial portion of our "Church and Community Fund" going to help the efforts of these outstanding local organizations.

As needs increase in our community and around the nation, we are now seeking to do even more. In addition to our current efforts, in 2022 we are committing to a more active role in growing food security for our neighbors:

Come join us as we express love of God and neighbor by creating greater food security in our community through the giving of our time, talents, energy, and financial donations.

Earlier this month, per the recommendation of the COVID Task Force, the session approved a motion to begin resuming some of the worship practices that had been suspended throughout the course of the pandemic. One such practice is the regular rotation of volunteer ushers. Below we have provided sign up genius links for both head ushers and ushering teams. If you have never served as head usher before, there is a newly edited guide and plenty of volunteers and staff that will be happy to walk you through the process. This commitment is for the 11am service only.

HEAD USHER SIGN UP:

(This person coordinates the ushering team, manages the offering, and closes up the sanctuary at the end of the service. These volunteers typically sign up for a month at a time, but you can split your month with another individual if that works better for your schedule.)

USHERING TEAM SIGN UP:

(Beginning in March we will resume the passing of the offering plate. In addition to other duties, these are the ushers who pass the plate during the service. These volunteers typically sign up for a week at a time. This is a great opportunity for youth to be involved in worship!)

If you have any questions you'd like to ask before signing up, please do not hesitate to contact our current Head Usher Coordinator, Tripp Hinkle at jah0095@auburn.edu

Start collecting those canned goods and non-perishable food items! The Souper Bowl of Caring will happen Sunday, Feb. 13. Our youth will be collecting donations after the 9am worship service and before and after the 11am worship service. All canned goods and non-perishable food items will be accepted. Monetary donations will be accepted as well. Please make your checks out to First Presbyterian Church, or you may give online at https://www.fpcauburn.org/give under the Special Offerings section.

All donations will go to the Food Bank of East Alabama.

9 a.m. - Worship with communion in the sanctuary

9:45 a.m. - Sunday School

11 a.m. - Worship in the sanctuary

The Presbyterian Community Ministry (PCM) provided financial and home repair assistance to 65 Lee County families during the fourth quarter of 2021. “These were people with emergency needs that required immediate help,” said Mary Turnbull, PCM Office Administrator. “Some were being evicted. Some had power that was about to be disconnected. Some needed advice on which agency to contact for help. The needs were varied, but all were brothers and sisters in need, deserving to be treated with compassion and respect. Many of them express to me their thanks to those who make this assistance possible.”

Total income for the quarter was $24,177; expenses were $40,337. Income included $5,730 from membership dues, $8,090 from donations, $2,525 from memorial gifts, $376 from loan paybacks, and $6,665 from our church’s Outreach Committee. Expenses included about $12,000 for utilities and more than $9,000 for home renovations.

Donations of any amount from our church members are always welcome. Those who wish to make a gift to PCM should send checks to PCM, 143 East Thach Avenue, Auburn, AL 36830. Those wishing to become individual annual members ($250) or family members ($300) should send their checks to the same address.

Kathy Rushing will be out of the office on jury duty February 7-18. Please email staff to make an appointment if you plan on coming up to the church during the week.

Masks are still required, and for contact tracing purposes a sign-in sheet will be placed on the small table outside the kitchenette where you will be asked to provide your name and the date/time/purpose of your visit. Small group gatherings must still be arranged with your designated staff person. Thank you for your patience and understanding as the staff continues to operate without designated volunteers to answer the door and phones.

As we start the new semester, I hope you will join me in praying for and supporting the students to call us a church home away from home. One way to support UKirk is to sign up to provide a meal for our Sunday evening dinners and Bible studies. Every Sunday at 7pm, about 15 students gather to share a meal and then to dig into scripture together. Providing a meal is a tangible way to show our love and care of the college students, and it’s also a great way to get to know them. And, if cooking isn’t your speciality, you are welcome to cater a meal from a restaurant or donate to the UKirk Meal Fund (please make a check out to FPC with “UKirk Meal Fund” in the memo line).

You can find more details and the sign up to provide a meal here.

Caroline Barnett

We have a new Sign-up Genius page for those wishing to provide flowers for the Sanctuary! If you would like to cover the cost of flowers for Sunday morning worship, please sign up for a date here: https://tinyurl.com/Sanctuaryfloral.

If you are unable to sign up online, you may contact Sarah Wolak at 334-728-7853 to sign up for a date. While the Sign-Up Genius page only has one slot available for each week, you are welcome to split the cost with another family-- just be sure to write both names in the comments section. The cost of the flowers has been increased to $50 per arrangement, not including tax and delivery fee. As before, you are welcome to bring the arrangements home after the service, or to leave them to be delivered to other members of the congregation.

On January 3, the FPC Session approved the following recommendation from our COVID Task Force:

As a result of this new policy, here is what you can expect over the next several weeks in worship:

Many thanks to our COVID Task Force and Session members for continuing to discern measures for our congregation that will do our best to ensure the health and safety of our members, friends, and visitors.

All updates on our current COVID policies can be found at www.fpcauburn.org/covid

Children Pre-K through 5th grade

•   Parents, mark your calendars! VBS will be June 20-23. More details to come!!!

•   The nursery is now available from 9 a.m. until noon on Sunday mornings for children birth to age 3.

•   Godly Play: After the Word to Grow By (at 11 a.m. worship), children ages 4 to 1st Grade will go to the Godly Play room to worship together for the remainder of the worship service.

•   Children’s Sunday school will meet this Sunday from 9:45 – 10:45 upstairs in the children’s classrooms.

•   Worship bags are also available for all children during worship.

•   Masks are required indoors for children 3 & over and youth, as well as all adults working with them.

Jr. and Sr. High Youth

•   Food Project Saturday Mission Event: Saturday, Feb. 12, our Jr. and Sr. High youth will volunteer at the Food Bank and assist with collecting, weighing, and sorting food items. We will meet in the church parking lot at 8:30am and ride together over to the Food Bank. We will return to the church by noon. Closed-toed shoes are required. Don’t miss this awesome opportunity to lend a hand to those in our community who struggle with food insecurity!

•   The Jr./Sr. High Youth Retreat to Living River will be Feb. 25 – 27. Here is the link to register: http://pslpcusa.org/retreats/ Your cost is only $50 per youth made payable to FPC Auburn. When you register, be sure to click “Bill the church” and we will take care of the full payment.

•   Parents, I hope you will join me this Sunday in Baird Hall after 11am worship for an informational meeting about all things Youth Ministry. We will talk about our purpose and focus for the spring. We will also talk about the summer conferences and mission trip. 

•   Jr. and Sr. Highs will meet at 5pm in Baird Hall for a Super Bowl party! There will be prepackaged snacks and drinks and great fellowship as we watch the Rams and Bengals duke it out. Bring a friend!!!

Birthdays

Feb. 13 - Jeff Yost

Feb. 16 - Kate Garrett

Feb. 17 - Denise Salo, Ellen Sherling

Anniversaries

Feb. 14 - Steve and Denise Salo

Feb. 17 - Charles and Peggy Johnson

Feb. 18 - Kyle and Katie Lindsey (10th!)

Jo and Raymond Cooper

Oak Park

Room 123

1365 Gatewood Drive

Auburn, AL 36830