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Third Wednesday Fellowship New for Fall
This fall we will have a meal and time of fellowship on the 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5:15pm. The church will provide the food, all you need to do is bring yourself. This month we will have a church cookout (hamburgers and hotdogs) Wednesday, August 17. We cannot wait to see you all there!
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It's time to go back to school! To celebrate the beginning of the school year, God's children of all ages are invited to bring their backpacks to the 11am worship service to receive a special blessing for the school year.
Children Pre-K through 5th grade and Jr. and Sr. High Youth are then invited to an ice cream social in Baird Hall on August 7 at 5pm. There will be ice cream and a toppings bar to build your own ice cream masterpiece! Don't miss it!
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Nominations Needed for Elders, Trustee, and 2023 Nominating Committee
The 2022 FPC Nominating Committee is asking the congregation to submit nominations for the positions of elder, trustee, and the 2023 nominating committee. HERE you will find an online form where you may submit nominations.
Questions or suggestions? Please contact any member of the 2022 Nominating Committee: Wesley Anne Barnes, Paul Dimick, Carol Griffin, Susan McChesney, Amanda Smith, Jeffrey Stewart, or Kevin Wells.
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Second Saturday Volunteers Needed - August 13, 9am-12pm
If you have not yet had a chance to join us for a Second Saturday at the Community Market, now is your chance! Volunteers are needed on August 13 from 9am to 12pm. All ages are welcome - children 12 and under should bring an adult with them. You are welcome to come for just part of a shift, please just make a note in the sign up so we know when to expect you!
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Mission Update
Earlier this spring our church’s Session generously tithed $11,200 of its 2021 budget surplus to the Mission Committee with the suggestion that these funds be shared with organizations in our community reflecting First Presbyterian’s commitment to strive to be, “a nurturing community of faith that loves God and loves our fellow human beings as we love ourselves, giving special attention to those whom Jesus called the least of these – the poor, hungry, sick, lonely, imprisoned, and oppressed.”
For several weeks to come we will feature one of the organizations we were able to gift a donation of almost two thousand dollars to support their work. We give thanks to God for our local partners in ministry and the many ways they serve those in need with mercy and love.
This week’s featured organization:
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The Alabama Prison Birth Project's mission as a prison in-reach program is to improve the health of newborns born to mothers in custody while strengthening parenting bonds and self efficacy. We provide birth coaches, or doulas, to those who are pregnant inside Tutwiler Prison, and those doulas support their clients' emotional and physical needs through the childbearing year. They attend the birth with their clients and are present for the emotional separation 24 hours later. Additionally, we provide a nutritious meal to pregnant and lactating clients once per week, we host a popular support and education group which creates a micro community of strength among our clients as they support one another, and we assist them with getting their expressed milk to their infants as they serve their sentence. Despite being separated from their very young infants and kids, we encourage caregiving from behind prison walls through relationship building with children, personalized coloring sheets, recordable storybooks, and template letters they can use to communicate with teachers and their children's caregivers.
Our organization has been blessed by steady financial and spiritual support provided by FPC Auburn since 2016. Recently, support from the Mission Committee and the Pentecost Offering has provided an incredible opportunity for us to expand our reach in several ways. We have provided 5 clients with micro-grants as they leave the prison and reunite with their children. We've provided diapers and wipes, a pack and play, cell phone cards, and baby carriers to them within 2 weeks of leaving. We were able to supply one caregiving family in Tallapoosa County with baby gear after they took on the care of a newborn until the mother is released. The family had no baby items whatsoever, and now they are fully stocked.
In addition to meeting these small, emergency needs, we are looking toward expanding our reach throughout the South. In November, we will host doulas from across the region as they attend the first ever Advanced Prison Doula Training & Certification course we are offering at the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery. Our goal is to help other doulas work in carceral settings and provide the support that helps improve birth outcomes and give moms and babies a healthy start. Movement building is becoming a big part of what we are doing.
Early this year, we helped a former client and mom of twins travel to Montgomery to visit with lawmakers and share her experience of being shackled while pregnant. That testimony helped to pass HB230, essentially restricting the use of isolation, restraints, and invasive body searches of pregnant bodies within the state of Alabama. This brings Alabama in line with federal law. To watch our client use her voice to make this change was incredible.
If you would like to know more about our work spreading our ideas, we have released a free Vision Class video series that outlines what every jail and prison in this country can do to better meet the needs of the vulnerable populations we work with. You can view that Vision Class at www.ostarainitiative.org/visionclass. There you will find viewpoints from a scientist, a formerly-incarcerated mother, a doula, a lactation expert, a person who was born in prison, and a victim of crime.
Thank you so very much, Mission Committee, and all of FPC Auburn, for serving and visiting Jesus in prison, for that is what you are doing when you partner with us in this meaningful way.
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Lay Readers Needed for Fall 2022
Share your gifts through worship leadership this fall by signing up to be one of our 11am service's lay readers. The week prior to your Sunday a pastor will contact you with the scripture readings and prayers. The congregation enjoys having members of all ages and stages of life present in this ministry. Please do not hesitate to contact a member of the pastoral staff if you have questions!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050548A8A92CA3FC1-11am
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Coming this Fall! Food with Friends
We are excited to announce that Food with Friends (formally Divine Dinners) will begin again this fall. This is a wonderful opportunity for members to participate in small groups outside of Sunday worship.
Please look at the list of possible groups that may be formed to meet the needs of our members. We encourage you to mark any group that you would like to be involved in. Number your preferences in order if you mark more than one group. You will be placed in one group unless you note that you would like to participate in more. Groups will determine the frequency of the events. Sign-ups need to be completed by August 17. Groups will be formed based on interest by September 5.
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Community Garden
Throughout the spring and summer seasons, the FPC Garden has produced many successful harvests to offer the Community Market. According to Mattie Subba, coordinator of the market, our harvests have been very appreciated by the families that come to the Market.
The garden is beautiful and continues to grow and change. We have many existing plantings such as green beans, onions, and kale. Our newer plantings are the tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, butternut squash, & eggplant. They are flourishing! Sarah Wolak has been our amazing planner, planter, and constant worker. Thank you Sarah!
If you are interested in participating in our garden, please contact, Elder Katie Forster at forster306@charter.net. She will be glad to get you connected with watering, weeding, harvesting or delivering to the market.
Current Garden Needs:
- Watering: We are in need of a regular person to water each Thursday morning before 10 a.m.
- Weeding: The weeds are loving this summer weather! "One Great Hour of Weeding" will take place on Tuesday evenings at 5:30 and Friday mornings at 8:00. You do NOT need to sign up to come!
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Sanctuary Flower Sign-up
There are many available Sundays beginning in July for sponsoring flowers for our Sanctuary! The sign-up sheet is located outside of the receptionist’s office in the main church office building.
If you are unable to sign up in person, you may also contact Sarah Wolak at 334-728-7853 to sign up for a date. You are welcome to split the cost with another family-- just be sure to write both names on the line. 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.
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We Need YOU to Host Punch-on-the-Lawn!
Great Opportunity for Families to Serve!
Join us in the courtyard following the 11 a.m. worship service for a time of fellowship and refreshment. Greet your neighbors, introduce yourself to visitors, and enjoy God's creation as we spend time together in community.
Volunteers are needed to serve punch throughout the summer months. Please see this sign up link to reserve your date - you will be contacted ahead of time with details about setup and clean up. For more information about volunteering, please contact Kirstin Yost at at kmyost97@gmail.com or 910-309-1625.
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Children and Youth News
♢ Check out our Google calendar! Go to the link below and follow the instructions to add our Google calendar to your device. For the safety of our children and youth, this calendar is private and can only be accessed through this link.
♢ Parents please note, due to the renovations going on upstairs continuing throughout June, July, and August, Children’s Sunday school will meet in Baird Hall and Youth Sunday school will meet in the Round Room below the chapel
Children Pre-K through 5th grade
• Children’s Church: After the Word to Grow By (at 11 a.m. worship), children ages 4 to 1st grade will go to the Preschool Room to worship together for the remainder of the worship service.
• Worship bags are also available for all children during worship.
• Children’s Sunday school will meet this Sunday from 9:45 – 10:45 in Baird Hall.
Jr. and Sr. High Youth
• Jr. and Sr. High Youth Sunday school will meet this Sunday from 9:45-10:45 in the Round Room below the Chapel.
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Birthdays
Aug. 8 - Henry Helmke, Kathi Kishkorn
Aug. 9 - Nathan Wohleb, Emil Wright
Aug. 10 - Bob Cochran, Tom White
Aug. 11 - Elisabeth Irwin, Susanna Jolly
Aug. 12 - Mari Ley
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Prayer Concerns & Celebrations
- We celebrate with Joy Elam on her 90th birthday, Friday, August 5. If you would like to send her a birthday card, her mailing address is 350 Samford Court, #108 Auburn, AL 36830.
- Prayers of healing for Thomas Pope’s mother who had surgery this week.
- Prayers healing for Marianne Cone’s brother as he begins cancer treatment next week.
- Prayers of comfort for Dorothy Hinkle-Uhlig and her family as they grieve the death of her sister Patty Mehoksy.
- Prayers for the Walkup family as they grieve the death of Alice Walkup. The family plans to have a memorial service at a later date.
- Prayers of comfort for Liz Lindahl as she receives hospice. We pray for strength and peace for her family as they surround Liz with love and care.
- Continued prayers of comfort for Patsy Combs and all the Combs family as they grieve Bill’s death. There will be a Memorial Service for Bill Combs on Saturday August 20th at 11:00am in the church sanctuary. Patsy and the family will also be gathering for a meal after the service in Baird Hall, and would like to invite those who knew Bill to join them for the meal. If you would like to attend please RSVP to williamcombsjr@att.net (last weeks email was incorrect so please be sure to RSPV again if you did so last week)
- Prayers of healing for Jo and Raymond Cooper as they both recover from health issues.
- Please continue to pray for many members of our church who are dealing with illness, significant health issues, and grief, but at this time do not wish to be mentioned by name. Prayers of healing and comfort for many in our congregation.
- Prayers of healing for Anna Brock’s sister who lives in Mobile and is dealing health issues due to COVID-19.
- Prayers for Evert Duin’s mother, Nel Landzaad, after some recent health issues. Nel lives in the Netherlands, so we pray for the Duin family who care for and love her from afar.
- Prayers of healing and comfort for Catherine Wolfe’s father, Ned Wolfe as he begins a period of chemotherapy treatment.
- Prayers of healing for Mary Burkhart as she recovers from successful heart surgery.
- Prayers of healing for Kathy Rushing’s family friend Jeb Barnard. Jeb is recovering from surgery in Virginia after fracturing his back in an accident.
- Prayers for Tripp Hinkle’s mother as she recovers from successful surgery.
- Prayers of healing and wholeness for the friends of the Barnes Family, Wes and Melanie Jackson. The Barnes family shared that Melanie will begin hospice care. Prayers for Melanie and all the Jackson family during this difficult time, and prayers for the Barnes family as they care for them from a far.
- Prayers of healing for Kay Recknor’s friends the Rev. Mitzi Lesher-Thomas and her husband the Rev. Troy Thomas. Mitzi has glioblastoma brain cancer and has been undergoing chemotherapy.
- Prayers for Amy Kilner and her family (daughter in law of Dorothy Moran). Amy is in need of a kidney transplant and is currently looking for a donor.
- Prayers of healing for Jason Banks (Margaret Brinkley’s neighbor). Jason is now back at work. However is recovering from successful shoulder surgery.
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