NEWS @ FIRST
July 15, 2022
All are welcome at First Presbyterian Church!
We hope that you experience the love of God
and of this congregation as we worship, celebrate,
and serve with one another.

SUNDAY, JULY 17
TWO WORSHIP SERVICES

9:00 a.m. NewSong contemporary service
in the Fellowship Hall

11:00 a.m. traditional service
in the sanctuary
Online access beginning at 11:00 AM
Rev. Craig Miller's Sermon Manuscripts
Sermon manuscript copies from the previous Sundays are available on the church website or by clicking on the links below. There are also printed copies available on Sunday mornings.

Let's look together to the future by completing the following sentence:

My dream for our church is . . .

Click below to either reply through church email, or you may print card, complete, and place in the offering basket, mail it, or drop it by the church office

2050 Oak St, Sarasota, FL 34237

Your input is important!
The PC(USA) has published a very helpful summary of discussion items and decisions made at the 2022 General Assembly. You may click below to read or print this summary:
One Book One Community
- Join the Conversation!
The One Book concept began in 1996 in Seattle, Washington to help foster the expression of ideas within the community through the shared love of reading. Sarasota County introduced the program in 2003. The Sarasota selection for 2022 was The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.

The Education and Formation Committee encourages our congregation to read this book (picture book version available for young children) and to talk about it during the fellowship hour between Sunday services.
 
Discussion activities are available in print and online throughout the month. You can check out a copy of the book from our church or local library, find a digital copy, or purchase a copy online. At the end of July, we will view the Netflix film by the same name. Please join us and “continue the conversation!” Contact Carrie Mills, Emily Weitekamp, or Molly Horner with any questions.
Pavilion Construction Progress
Soon the paint will be applied on the finished exterior sides of the beams. Then soffits will be installed, followed by gutters and downspouts.
 
Next, the trim will be installed for the rest of the beams, all the columns and braces. Painting and trim out electrical will follow. The end of July is the projected date for completion!
Inter-Generational Activity
Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church’s
Membership and Fellowship Committee at
 
Mothers Helping Mothers 
5933 North Washington Blvd. Sarasota
(2/10 of a mile south of University Blvd)

MONDAY, AUGUST 1
9:00 am - 12:00 noon

Mothers Helping Mothers is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit organization providing basic necessities, such as clothing and baby items (cribs, car seats, strollers, formula), free of charge to families in Sarasota, Manatee, and surrounding counties. They are a valued partner with Family Promise.
 
Mothers Helping Mothers needs our help! We are going to help on Monday, August 1. Join our FPC inter-generational group of volunteers from 9:00 a.m. to noon as we sort donations, stock the shelves, and work to improve their store. All ages of volunteers are welcome.

There will be tasks appropriate for youth and adults. For more information contact Joanne Simons SimonsJC1@gmail.com or (703) 798-7330.

Use the link below to sign up to help Mothers Helping Mothers
FPC's Weekly All Faiths Food Distribution News
We are thrilled to announce that we have been awarded a $3,000 Capacity Expansion Grant from All Faiths Food Bank to help us purchase shelving units for storage and carts that will help us run our weekly food pantry.

When we opened our drive-through pantry in 2021, we served an average of 40 families per week. Since that time, we have expanded our food offering to include bakery, dry goods, produce, and frozen meat (when available), and we are now averaging over 100 families per week!
 
Thanks to the funds from the Imagine the Future capital campaign, and the generous donation of time from our FPC volunteers we will continue to run our drive-through pantry. If you are interested in volunteering, please come on Thursday mornings. We start packing food at 8:30 a.m. and serve from 10:00-11:30 a.m.
College/Continuing Education/  
   Technical School Scholarships
Scholarship money is available for the upcoming school year. Interested students and families should go to the website www.firstpressarasota.org, go to “Grow” tab and select “Young Adult” and print application. The application and transcripts must be received by Wednesday, August 31.

Transcripts, including those from the spring 2022 semester, should be included or forwarded as soon as available. Returning applicants need only to have their transcript sent and update their contact information. All college and technical school students are encouraged to apply. Please send applications to the church, attention: SCHOLARSHIPS.
Volunteer Day Trips
to Beth-El Farmworker Ministry
Sponsored by Mission
and Justice Committee

Work at Beth-El
Last Wednesday of Month 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon
Resuming August 31
 
Be a part of the group from FPC that gathers at Beth-El Farmworker Ministry in Wimauma to sort food and related activities. This mission partner distributes food to help 600-900 folks each week.

To sign up or for more information, contact Dave Householder at phouse47@gmail.com; call or text (724) 462-4235
Cowden-Smith Library Hours
Library open Monday – Friday
10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sundays, 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 noon

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.
FPC Blood Drive
Anyone who donates twice from June through September will receive a $20 Amazon gift card! 
Mark your calendar for our next blood drive Sunday, September 18.
COVID Update

On July 15, 2022, the CDC assessed Sarasota County’s COVID risk level as “high.” In keeping with our current session policy, masks are required of all worshipers. (Worship leaders may choose to lead without masks, since being maskless makes it easier for those persons to be understood.)

Thank you for doing what we can to slow the spread of the virus. When we return to a “medium” or “low” risk assessment in the county, masks again will be optional for those who are fully immunized.

Below is an easy-to-use CDC link to show current risk assessment by county:
Remembering Our Church Family in Prayer
Please pray for those who are experiencing particular health needs and consider sending a note of encouragement. Click on the link below for the prayer list:
We Care Poster-Card Recipients
We appreciate 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!

First Presbyterian Preschool Website firstprespreschoolsarasota.org
Staying Connected with the Pastor and Church Staff,
Session Members, and Deacons
By clicking on the link below you can easily access a printable document with the names and positions of your church leaders. Use this list when you want to contact them, send a word of encouragement, or pray for them!
Pastoral Care
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.

We’re Here for You!
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.
If you have an adult family member or loved one living with mental illness, you are not alone. Join NAMI’s peer-led Family Support Group.
 
In-person, NAMI meets at First Presbyterian Church every third Thursday, 6:30-8:00 p.m., in the forum, August 18 being the next group. In-person groups also meet in Venice and Lakewood Ranch. See NAMI calendar for more details. Namisarasotamanatee.org
 
An online group meets the second Thursday, August 11 being the next group, Zoom meeting ID: 854-2511-6349 and the fourth Monday, July 25 being the next group, Zoom meeting ID: 411-700-5178.

Click the link below to read the many exciting activities sponsored this summer and fall by NAMI:
A note from the
Safe Mobility for Life Coalition
Florida Department of Transportation
Safe Mobility for Life Coalition will be hosting a FREE one-hour Statewide CarFit Virtual Workshop on Wednesday, July 27 at 11:00 a.m.
 
This is an opportunity for you and the older drivers in your community to learn about the key aspects involved in getting a proper "fit" in your vehicle and how this can keep you and others safer on the road. Plus, information will be provided on the free resources available to you in Florida. Help spread the word!
Get Easy Access to Church Member Information
 Church Life is an app that is available to church members with iPhones or Androids. You can search for members, view phone and address information, photos, and family members. You can send a text or call with a simple tap on the phone number. You can even send an email. Here are two simple steps:
 
1) Download ACS Church Life from your App Store using either iPhone or Android (Blackberry and other mobile devices can enter www.churchlife.mobi from any mobile browser).
 
2) Log in. Use the same username/email and password you use for your member login on our website.
 
You can bring your phone into the church office and Lisa Garcia, Finance Manager, would be happy to help you navigate getting Church Life on your phone. Please call (941) 955-8119 to set up a time.