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Friday, May 17, 2024 Newsletter
For Sunday - NEW TIME!
10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship Service in the Sanctuary
(in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website)
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A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN: BE A PART OF THIS SUNDAY
A lot is happening this Sunday! I want to take a moment to break down everything that is shifting for us, starting on Sunday, and to invite you to make a point of being part of it.
First, we are beginning our shift to a Summer Worship Service starting this Sunday; instead of our normal schedule of two services at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., there will be one service at 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary (in person and livestreamed on Facebook and on our website).
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This service will be a bit more informal than Traditional Service (e.g., no robes for the pastors, you’re encouraged to dress comfortably for the season, etc.), contain elements of both the Holy Ground Contemporary Service and the Traditional Worship Service, with music typical of both services, an embodied Prayer of Confession from the Holy Ground Service, and an Affirmation of Faith from the 11 a.m. service.
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The Sermon Response time that is a hallmark of the 9 a.m. service will be offered in the Narthex immediately following worship starting next week, May 26, when we also begin Lemonade on the Lawn, our summer fellowship time after worship.
This first week, though, we will not have those after worship activities for the same reason that we are making the shift this Sunday rather than next (we typically start this change on Memorial Day Weekend). We have been looking for an opportunity to catch up with the Afghan refugee family that we have been sponsoring for the past few years, and this Sunday works out best for that in terms of both scheduling and the opportunity to do some special celebrating with them. More on that when you come!
But we will gather for a pizza party after worship to spend some time together celebrating them. If you can bring a side dish like a salad, that would be most welcome; we are set on pizza and desserts! Please just make sure your side dish does not contain meat or gelatin for dietary restriction reasons.
And finally, this Sunday is a special day of celebration in itself, because it is the holiday of Pentecost on the Christian calendar, when we remember and celebrate the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the disciples, sending them out into the world as the apostles to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ. It is the only Sunday of the year in which the official liturgical color is red, symbolizing the presence of the Spirit on the apostles which Scripture tells us appeared like tongues of fire. So we encourage you to wear red in some form or fashion as you come to worship, and don’t be afraid to have some fun with it!
Lastly, we will be beginning a new sermon series this Sunday on “The Great Ends of the Church.” The Presbyterian Church has historically affirmed six main “ends” for the church, six overarching purposes or reasons for being that any faithful congregation should be pursuing in its mission and ministry together. The language reflects that they were written in a different time, so over the next six Sundays, we will be unpacking what those ends are, why they are important, and how we might be inspired by them in our current life together.
This Sunday, fittingly for Pentecost, we will be exploring the first Great End: “The Proclamation of the Gospel for the Salvation of Humankind.” This is one that I think we all think we know what it means, but we will be digging a bit deeper to uncover both the complexity and possibility of it!
Grace and Peace,
J.C.
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- This week’s sermon: The Great Ends of the Church: Proclaiming the Gospel for the Salvation of Humankind by the Rev. J.C. Austin
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We post the video of each week’s services and sermon text on our website: fpc-bethlehem.org
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TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper:
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FOR THIS SUNDAY:
SCHEDULE CHANGE AND A SPECIAL CELEBRATION
Beginning this Sunday, we will begin offering one worship service at 10 a.m. in the Sanctuary, and livestreamed on Facebook and on our website. This schedule will continue through the summer, at least through Labor Day weekend.
Fellowship Lunch: Green Card Pizza Party!
After worship, you’re invited to come enjoy a belated celebration alongside our Afghan family, who successfully completed the Green Card process to become permanent U.S. residents in the fall!
Baz, Mursal, Taib, Bahar, and Ayaz (the tiny American) will be with us for a pizza party. If you’d like to bring a side dish to contribute, that would be great! We have plenty of frozen desserts, so no sweets this go-round, please.
To help make sure all the sides are halal for our Afghan friends’ religious dietary needs, please avoid bringing anything with meats or gelatin. Anything else is fair game! We look forward to hearing a bit from them about their experience of the Green Card process and how they’re settling into American life.
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NEXT COMMUNITY MEETING SET FOR THIS THURSDAY, MAY 23 |
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The next Community Meeting to share updates on the “Building Community” initiative will be Thursday, May 23 from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. This will be an open house-style event, held outdoors – so wear comfortable walking shoes (in case of inclement weather, we’ll meet indoors).
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See your design feedback reflected in a revised campus concept and learn more about the next steps of the planning and design process. For additional information, we encourage you to check out the updates at fpc-bethlehem.org/campus-vision.
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OUR SPRING CLEANING SALE IS COMING: SATURDAY!
Our big sale is coming tomorrow (Saturday, May 18) from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. in the Kirk Center (gym). This sale will be held, rain or shine!
Many thanks to the countless volunteers who are making this big effort a reality! We can still use help on the day of the sale to assist shoppers and keep the items appropriately displayed, as well as to staff the check-out. The online sign-up has specific shifts but you can say when you’d like to work – all hands are welcome!
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For today (Friday) we’ll offer a “Preview Sale” for church members, Preschool families, and volunteers – this will be offered from noon-2 p.m., and again from 6-8 p.m.
And of course you are welcome to shop on Saturday as well – tell your friends!
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There’s a great assortment of kids’ toys, kitchen and office gear, home and office furniture, decorative items (including items made by our own Crafters), and building and craft materials – among much else! The photos below reflect just a portion of all the many items we have for sale.
Doing some spring cleaning of your own?
We’re offering you an opportunity to bring your own items for sale – you can reserve a space for $10 (table provided) or $5 (bring your own table). These will be located in the rotunda; you must staff your own table, and remove all unsold items.
ALERT! We have lots of old hymnals! We’ll put them out in the North Link and Narthex on Sunday – if you’d like to take one/many, you are welcome. If you won’t be coming to the building on Sunday, contact the church office and we’ll get one to you.
To volunteer and/or reserve your own space for the sale day:
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HEARTS N MINDS FOR THIS SUNDAY
Due to the worship schedule change for this Sunday, the class will meet at 9 a.m. in room 212. This will be the last meeting before resuming in the fall.
For Sunday you are encouraged to watch this video by Fr. Richard Rohr (you can skip the intro and start it at 5:31).
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LOOKING FOR LECTORS
If you are interested in participating in worship as a lector (reader), there is an easy online sign-up form that you can complete.
If you have not served as a lector before and have questions, please contact us at info@fpc-bethlehem.org or call the church office at 610-867-5865. Thanks for considering!
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HI NEIGHBORS: PLEASE JOIN US FOR OUR LAST PROGRAM!
The spring series of Hi Neighbors programs will conclude this Monday, May 20 when we welcome Dr. John Kincaid, who was part of the defense team for Daniel Ellsberg at “The Pentagon Papers Trial.”
Dr. Kincaid is a professor at Lafayette University – you might recognize him from the occasional political commentary he gives on WFMZ news programs. Get the inside details of what it was like to rub shoulders with Ellsberg, Tom Hayden, Jane Fonda and other peace activists in the early 1970’s.
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A social time begins at 9:30 a.m. and the free program starts at 10 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.
We hope you will join us as we conclude another successful, interesting series of programs.
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Last Monday the Hi Neighbors group enjoyed a tour of Bethlehem’s SteelStacks (which we heard should properly be called “Iron Stacks” as they processed iron, not steel).
Thanks to Joe Mayer (far right) from Steelworkers Archives for the interesting story of our community and this fascinating look at our history!
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CARE CONCERNS AND HOSPITAL VISITS
If you are hospitalized, please tell the hospital our church code is 724. Also, please call the church office at 610-867-5865 to let us know as the hospitals do not always collect this information. After hours, leave a message or call our answering service at 610-778-7003.
PRAYER REQUESTS...
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Send us your news and photos to share:
**Deadline for the next newsletter:
WEDNESDAY at noon**
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Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
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TO JOIN OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP SERVICE
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Visit our Facebook page and look for the post with our live feed
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If you don’t have a Facebook account, go to our website to view the service - click on the "Watch the Service" button
- Please check in with a comment so we know you’ve joined us!
- Captions will now be available on our livestream, for those who would like to use that feature
To watch a video – available after the services have aired: Visit our website archives
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FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
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Child care will be available from 9:45-11:15 a.m. this Sunday morning; please ask an usher for directions.
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Your children are a joy in our worship services, and should the need arise, “kid bags” are available for their use while they are visiting. They are in the Narthex.
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We offer nametags for folks to wear – these are for everyone! You can pick up as you enter the worship space; please clearly PRINT your first name.
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THIS SUNDAY
- NEW TIME! 9:00-9:45 a.m.: Hearts N Minds adult ed class, Room 212 – all are welcome
- NEW TIME! 9:45 – 11:15 a.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
- NEW TIME! 10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship service, in-person in the Sanctuary and livestreamed on Facebook and on our website
- 11:00 a.m.: Fellowship ‘Green Card’ Pizza Lunch, Fellowship Hall – all are welcome!
WEDNESDAYS: 7 p.m. - Overcomer’s Outreach Christian 12 Step Recovery Group weekly meeting, via Zoom.com (meeting #: 868 2214 2960; passcode: OO-Beth)
CHURCH OFFICE AND BUILDING INFO:
FOR MONDAY, MAY 27: The church office, building and Preschool will be closed for the Memorial Day holiday. The Preschool will be closed for the remainder of the week (May 28-31) and re-open on Monday, June 3 for their Summer Splash program. The church office and building will reopen on Tuesday, May 28.
Regular office hours are Monday - Thursday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Many of the office staff are working remotely for some of the time, so please make an appointment if you need to see someone specific. The answering service (610-778-7003) can take your urgent pastoral concerns, 24 hours a day.
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Look for updates on our website (fpc-bethlehem.org), Facebook page, and WFMZ (channel 69 and wfmz.com). We will also put the info on our church phone message, 610-867-5865.
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM |
First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 | info@fpc-bethlehem.org
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