This Week at First Pres!
June 20 thru June 26, 2021
|
|
|
ALL God’s Children –
Young and Old
This week’s eNewsletter feature story
Is written by Rev. Amanda Golbek,
First Pres minister of Children & Youth.
Greetings!
This past Sunday, I had the opportunity to chat with some of First Pres’s young families about their experiences during the COVID pandemic, their hopes and dreams for Christian education for their children at our church, and their deep desire to be a part of an intergenerational community of faith.
It was a wonderful, honest conversation where I heard beautiful stories of families who were welcomed here at FPCE, and have encountered the love of Christ poured out on them and their children. But I also heard comments that revealed wounds and hurts families have experienced while trying to raise and connect their children into our family of faith.
At the heart of this conversation was the topic of intergenerational ministry and what it means to be an intergenerational church community. I have been reflecting on their words all week. Our talk illuminated for me a distinction about how we use the term intergenerational that I had never before considered.
|
|
Our Sunday service will be in the First Pres Parking Lot this week, weather permitting! See below for more info and to register!
|
Do a book review for the First Pres Library! See the item below for information.
|
The Nourish women's group will host an outdoor potluck dinner TONIGHT at 6 pm. Learn more by scrolling to the end of this email!
|
Men's Breakfast meets IN PERSON and on Zoom this Saturday. See below for details.
|
Family Camp will be held next weekend at Camp Stronghold, June 25-27. There is still time to register! Scroll down to get the details.
|
|
|
Outdoor Worship
on Sunday Mornings!
Our Sunday morning worship service returns to the First Pres Parking lot this week.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information
about attending.
BRING A CHAIR - BRING A FRIEND - COME READY TO WORSHIP
What if it rains?
First Pres staff will decide 24 hours in advance whether or not outdoor attendance is feasible. If not, we will notify the congregation by email and on the website that the service will be held online only.
Want to volunteer to help on Sundays?
Interested in being part of our technical crew (audio, video and projection)?
|
|
Online class on Galatians continues Sunday
Join First Pres Associate Pastor Henry Coates and guest speakers from across the country as we explore Paul’s seminal and radical Epistle to the Galatians. We will explore the text, what drove Paul to write it, the conflict it seeks to address, and the theological concerns it brings to the forefront. We will also examine how the text has been interpreted and used by Christians (and heretics!) throughout the centuries.
The class will meet on Zoom at 11:30 a.m. and continues each Sunday through June 20 unless otherwise noted.
Register here:
The link is also available on the home page via the calendar and will be made available through the live chat, too.
|
|
Prayer Companions on Zoom & in-person after the Service
Prayer changes things!
If you would like prayer and are joining us in-person or online each Sunday, we have trained prayer companions available to come before the Lord with you and lift up prayers on your behalf.
If you are with us in the parking lot, we have a companion available immediately after the service over near the audio-video tent who will then step aside privately with you to pray.
Each Sunday on Zoom, we have companions who will meet with you in a private "Zoom room" and pray with you. Join the Zoom meeting with the following link immediately after the service:
|
|
Officer Nominations for 2022 invited
The Nominating Committee asks you to suggest elder, trustee, or deacon candidates to serve First Pres in 2022. A candidate must be a church member, gifted by the Holy Spirit, and willing to serve. Confidential suggestions may be given to Rosemary Mauck.
|
|
Mission Prayer
Please pray this week for upcoming elections in Ethiopia (Monday, June 21). Pray for God’s divine hand to be clearly seen in this election. The increasing political tensions and ethnic violence throughout the country are causing fear within many Ethiopian citizens. The election was originally scheduled for August 2020, but was delayed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Pray that those working the election will uphold the integrity of the people’s voices during this tense time. Please pray specifically for our Mission Partner, Zelalem Abebe and the rest of the staff working with the IFES-EPSA region. Pray that God will grant peace and safety to them and the people that they are serving.
|
|
First Pres Family Camp June 25-27
Families are invited to join together June 25-27 as we reconnect with each other and center ourselves in our magnificent Creator!
Camp begins Friday between 3-6 pm (dinner is provided) and will wrap up Sunday after lunch.
It will be just our FPCE families who will take over Camp Stronghold for the weekend. There are lots of activities including swimming (pool), archery, high ropes course, crafts and games. Families get to choose what activities they would like to do together. There is also plenty of downtime. We enjoy meals and worship together and have evening campfires. No one is too young or too old to join us!
Learn more and register at:
|
|
The Library Needs You!
Are you a reader? Would you like to help the library team create more engagement with the library in First Pres? If so, we invite you to become a "Reader Reviewer" which simply involves picking a book from the library, reading it, and writing a brief review. Reviews would be short, focused on letting us know what the book is about, if and why you connected with it and who you would recommend it for. We will add your review to the online catalog and can print it out on a card to live near the physical copy of the book (like in a bookstore!). Interested? Email Courtney Ivaska at courtney.b.ivaska@gmail.com and start looking through the First Pres TinyCat Library Catalog to pick a book you would like to read and review! We are happy to help you find your next great read.
|
|
Vacation Bible School registration is now open
Kids (ages 4* through completed 5th grade) are invited to join us as we explore how Jesus’ power will pull us through. Come along and join us on the Rocky Railway!
Parents or guardians, please register each of your own children by name and birth date.
*4 by September 1, 2021
Register here:
Monday, Aug 2 – Friday, Aug 6
- Monday, Aug 2 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm)
- Tuesday, Aug 3 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm)
- Wednesday, Aug 4 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm)
- Thursday, Aug 5 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm)
- Friday, Aug 6 (9:00 am – 12:00 pm)
|
|
Book Club will meet on June 22 from 1:30-3 pm
We are reading Meet Me at the Museum. According to Amazon, the book "from 70-year-old debut author Anne Youngson, is a novel about a farmer's wife and a museum curator seeking second chances," and is hailed by NPR as "the charmer of the summer."
|
|
Emergency housing need for Chinese family
A student from China who goes by the name of "Simon" is seeking temporary housing (a few months) for his family of four. Simon will complete his degree work at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School this fall, but they must move out of their campus apartment by the end of June. Simon has a car. Any leads or assistance you could provide in letting others know of this need would be much appreciated. Phone # is 224-619-7939. Email: zjye@tiu.edu.
|
|
Nourish Women's Group Potluck TONIGHT!
Join the Nourish women's group for an outdoor potluck dinner tonight, June 17, 6 p.m. at the home of Courtney Ivaska (8909 Forestview in Skokie). Bring a friend! Rain date: Saturday, June 19th. For questions or to RSVP, contact sallyivaska1@gmail.com.
|
|
Men's Breakfast meets in person and on Zoom this week!
First Pres Saturday Morning Men’s Breakfast will meet at 8 am this Saturday in person in Room 213 as well as on Zoom. Donuts and coffee will be provided. To receive the weekly Zoom link, email Bob Bastian at bob.bastian55@gmail.com.
|
|
No clothes donations being accepted
We are not accepting donations for the Deacons Clothes Closet at this time. Donations left at FPCE (other than new face masks), will be discarded. CLICK HERE for alternative giving locations!
|
|
Summary notes from the May Session Meeting are available here.
The most recent summary of the Chicago Presbytery Meeting is available here.
Paper copies are also available in our literature racks.
|
|
1427 Chicago Avenue
Evanston, IL 60201
847-864-1472
|
|
|
|
|
|
|