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Wednesday, January 29, 2025

GSPC News


What a fun Paint Party! The GSPC Youth met for lunch and a Paint Party after church on January 26. Looks like it was a fantastic event!


Reminder: "Two Pastors and a Rabbi" is Thursday at GSPC: GSPC will host the first Interfaith Bible Study of the new year on Thursday, January 30, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room. Join the Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar, Rabbi Ed Boraz of Spring Hill Avenue Temple, and the Rev. Trey Doyle of First Baptist Church as we begin a new year of fellowship and Bible study. All are welcome.


20s/30s Young Women's Bible Study is Wednesday night: The young women of GSPC will have a Bible Study on Wednesday, January 29, at 6 p.m. in the Guesnard House.


Tuesday Lunch and Learn Series: The Tuesday Lunch and Learn series will continue weekly through March 25. The lunch is served at noon and the presentation begins at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $12.

Here is the schedule of upcoming speakers:

February 4: Fred Rendfrey, Interim CEO of the Downtown Mobile Alliance.

February 11: Dr. John Dindo, retired marine scientist at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.

February 18: Captain Matthew Garrett of the downtown Mobile Police precinct.

February 25: Jon Sexton, new director of the History Museum of Mobile.

March 18: John Sledge, author and historian.

March 25: Johnny Morris, Mobile Fire Chief.


Children at the Lord's Table: Children in first and second grades are invited to participate in Children at the Lord's Table to learn about the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Please join us for the Communion Workshop on February 2 during the Sunday School hour. Please contact Bradley Daugherty, Director of Christian Education, if you have questions.


Eastern Shore Chamber Music Concert: GSPC is hosting the Eastern Shore String Trio’s free concert on Saturday, February 1, at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. This concert is part of the 2025 Winter Series of the Eastern Shore Chamber Music Festival. Music will include the beloved cello solo "The Swan" by Camille Saint-Saens, with Chris Nemec accompanying on the piano. Contact Chris for additional information at chris@gspcmobile.org. There is no charge for admission, but donations are welcome.


Second Sunday Luncheon: The congregation is invited to enjoy lunch and fellowship together at a luncheon after worship on February 9.


GSPC Book Club Dates: The GSPC Book Club will meet on Tuesday, February 18, at 5:30 p.m. in the GSPC Library and via Zoom. Our reading selection will be "Fight Against Fear: Southern Jews and Black Civil Rights" by Dr. Clive Webb. If you plan to request this book from the library, request it as soon as possible, as it may take a few weeks for the book to arrive. Please RSVP to Meredith Johnston at meredith@gspcmobile.org or at 251-323-5954.


Other News and Notes


Cold-Weather Clothing Donations: GSPC is collecting gently worn cold-weather clothing items for men, women and children, such as coats, sweaters, hats, gloves and scarves. Socks are a much-needed item for those in shelters. These items will be given to various agencies that distribute clothing to those in need. There is a box for these donations in the Jackson Street Foyer. (Scroll down to read additional news about GSPC's clothing drive to help students at Howard Elementary and Calloway-Smith Middle Schools.)


Baytreat Memories: The congregation is invited to share their favorite Baytreat memories. Please submit them using this link.


Sanctuary Flowers: If you would like to place flowers in the Sanctuary in memory of or in honor of a loved one, please contact Ann Adams at Adams-marion@att.net or 251-591-8586.


Office Volunteers: The church office volunteers assist with monitoring the Jackson Street entrance and answering the phone. They may also assist with special projects. Meredith Johnston has created a newsletter about the volunteers and their work. Click here to read about what they've been up to! If you are able to volunteer, please contact Meredith Johnston at the church office.


Thriving Congregations: If you missed the presentation from the Thriving Congregations Team, click here to view the slides presented and contact the church office if you are interested in volunteering or want to know more.

Sunday, February 2


Join us this Sunday when the Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar continues the sermon series “Know Who I AM,” which will come from Jesus’s “I AM” statements in the gospel of John. The sermon will be from John 9 and titled “I AM the Bread of Life.” Music includes Franz Schubert's beloved "Holy Is the Lord" (Sanctus) and Victor Johnson's setting of the Latin text "Ubi Caritas et Amor (Where There Is Charity and Love).”



Bulletin for February 2:

Sunday, February 9


Join us next Sunday, February 9, when the Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar continues the sermon series “Know Who I AM,” with a sermon titled “I AM the Resurrection and the Life.” Music includes The Handbell Choir playing two hymn settings by Bill Ingram: "Holy, Holy, Holy" and "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" and the Sanctuary Choir will sing Nancy Roberts' "Clap Your Hands" with Jacob Mohr as tenor soloist.

Outerwear Drive for Local Schools

On Sunday, January 12, 2025, GSPC heard from our friends at the Fuse Project about ways to support two local schools: Florence Howard Elementary, 957 Dr. MLK, Jr. Ave., and Calloway-Smith Middle School, 350 N. Lawrence St.


GSPC is doing an outerwear drive for students at these schools who often need new school-appropriate sweatshirts or jackets by this point in the year. Any number we can supply is appreciated by the schools!


How can you help?

1. Purchase outerwear using the guidelines, sizes, and colors below. These can be found online at Wal-Mart, Amazon, Target, or Old Navy and dropped off at the church.

OR

2. Send a check to GSPC noting "Outerwear Drive" in the memo.

Check your email for a special notice with more details about the outerwear drive.


This endeavor is part of the Fuse Project's work to support children and families in the historic Avenue community in downtown Mobile. GSPC is excited to be a part of supporting these new initiatives to help children in our downtown community.

New Directory Print and Online Directories Available


GSPC members are encouraged to download the Realm app and use it to connect with the congregation. Those who did not already have a Realm account should have received an email invitation to create one. If you did not receive an invitation, and feel you should have, please contact the church office at 251-432-1749 for assistance. We will be happy to assist you with that, as well as with any aspect of Realm and accessing the online church directory. We hope you will participate in this endeavor to help keep our congregation connected!

Talking Heads

This Sunday School class meets on the second floor of the church each Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m.


Sunday Book Study

9:30 a.m. in the Church Library. The group is studying the Book of Luke in the Interpretation Bible Series.


Spring Hill Women Bible Study

This Bible study meets on Tuesdays at 9 a.m. at the home of Ann Adams. The group is studying the Gospel of Matthew with the Rev. George Sinclair as discussion leader. Everyone is welcome. 


Tuesdays at Ten Bible Study

The Tuesdays at Ten Bible Study meets at 10 a.m. at the church. The contact is Mary Elizabeth Perry.


Men's Bible Study

The Wednesday Night Men’s Bible Study meets at 6 p.m. at the church. Zoom participation is also available. The contact is Bo Perry.

Opportunities for Service


Please remember the people our church is serving and those who work with them daily in your prayers. 


Hurricane Helene Victims

How Can You Help? Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is collecting funds and is assisting in affected areas. The Montreat Conference Center would also appreciate donations, as their staff repairs extensive damage to the property while providing housing for volunteers who are working throughout the region. Mail checks to: Montreat Conference Center

Office of Development

P.O. Box 969

Montreat, NC 28757


Making Giving Easier

Did you know that you may make online donations through the GSPC website? The site has an “Online Giving” square button on the top right corner. To access it, click here. You will see a button that links to PayPal. Put in the name of the organization, the amount being donated, the card or account to be used, and note what it is for (uniforms, buckets, pledge, general or specific donation). An email receipt will be sent to you and the donation will appear on your Paypal statement if you need it before the GSPC statement arrives at the end of the year.


Blanket Sunday

The Presbyterian Women are collecting baby blankets, and the first Sunday of the month is designated as "Blanket Sunday" to remind the congregation to donate to the Blanket Ministry. The baby blankets are delivered to the Mostellar Clinic. Inexpensive items of any baby-appropriate washable fabric or yarn are appreciated. The babies we serve usually average 8 lbs. Store-bought or handmade items are welcomed. Donations may be left in the “Baby Box” at the Jackson Street Foyer, or you may order from Amazon and request delivery to the church, marked “Blanket Ministry."


Needs for Meals on Wheels

Our 45 Meals on Wheels recipients receive a sack lunch each day, along with a hot meal. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are often on the menu, and donations of creamy peanut butter and grape jelly are needed to help fill the pantry. Our clients also receive an individually wrapped snack, and snack donations are needed: peanut butter/cheese crackers, chips, cookies, cereal bars, Cheez-its, etc. Please leave your Meals on Wheels donations in the donation box at the Jackson Street entrance. 


McKemie Place

McKemie Place, a 501c3 non-profit, is the only emergency shelter for unaccompanied women in Southwest Alabama. McKemie Place was created in 2007 as a service of the United Methodist Inner City Mission, thanks to the efforts of the Homeless Coalition task force, and became its own nonprofit in 2010. The shelter serves 450 women each year.


On the second Friday of each month, two or three GSPC members volunteer to bring lunch to the residents of McKemie Place, a safe, nurturing shelter for homeless women. The ladies at McKemie are grateful for the nourishing meals as well as the love and care that goes into the meals and the interaction in serving. This is a rewarding ministry for these recipients as well as those who prepare and share the meals.

If you would like to be part of the team to prepare food and deliver it to McKemie Place, or just want more information, please contact Mary DeWitt Dukes (504-920-1918) or Lisa deShazo (251-591-1077). You may also contact Lisa deShazo by email if you are interested in volunteering for this mission.

In addition, the residents of McKemie Place are in need of luggage to carry their belongings when they are able to leave the shelter. Please bring donations of gently used luggage (with wheels, please) to the church office.

If you would like to learn more about McKemie Place, or to receive their monthly newsletters, visit McKemiePlace.org.


Barton Academy for Advanced World Studies

How Can You Support Barton Academy?

  • Hygiene Closet items: Clorox wipes, Tissue, Deodorant, Black socks, Paper Towels, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste.
  • Uniform Assistance: Several families at Barton Academy need help with uniforms. In addition, we are learning of uniform needs for other nearby schools. If you are willing to give to help provide uniforms, please mark your donation and place it in the offering plate or send to Dawn Hearn, bookkeeper.


Family Promise of Coastal Alabama

The mission of Family Promise of Coastal Alabama is to provide temporary shelter, related services and nurturing support to families as they work to achieve and sustain independence.

Toiletries and other essentials: Because Family Promise houses multiple families, toiletries, laundry supplies, paper products and cleaning products are always needed. We are doing everything we can to work with our clients to get them housed and stable, but we need your help to make their day-to-day life easier. Click here to view the Family Promise wish lists. You may purchase the items via Amazon or locally. The Family Promise website has much more information on their work, contact info, how you can help, and a link to sign up for their emailed newsletter.


The Mobile Area Interfaith Conference (MAIC) is a non-profit agency that provides services for inmates in Metro Jail and released inmates returning to the community. This agency was formerly known as the Council of Downtown Churches, of which GSPC was a major participant. MAIC currently has an urgent need for personal hygiene products (see details in the listing below) and used glasses. Below is a list of needed items:

  • Personal hygiene products for men and women, including full size shampoo and conditioner (must be able to see through the containers), full size deodorant (no roller balls), full size soap, full size toothpaste, white cotton socks (no anklet style); 
  • Clothing, including men's white cotton briefs or boxers (no snaps), white cotton T-shirts with sleeves (men and women use these, so all sizes welcome), women's white cotton underpants (all sizes), women's white cotton bras (all sizes); 
  • Reading material, including Bibles (softbound only, large print editions especially needed), magazines with neutral content such as food, decorating, self-improvement, health, shopping, geography, history, etc., and books (soft bound only, with mild non-violent content, non-fiction also appreciated). 
  • Small containers of shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, and soap are also welcome.

If you have any questions about any of these missions, please contact Lisa deShazo, Chair of the Urban Ministries Committee.


Habitat for Humanity SW Alabama here in Mobile is looking for volunteers to help out just yourself, or a group. Our volunteers come out on Wednesday through Saturday. Hours are 7:45 a.m. to noon. What a great way to focus on team-building with your co-workers and friends!

Please email and let me know when you would like to be added to the Habitat calendar for 2023-24.

In Partnership,

 

Sue C. King

Habitat for Humanity SW Alabama

Development Coordinator

3712 Airport Blvd.

251-476-7171, Ext. 229

Parking lot



We suggest that all of our members park in the GSPC lot, double parking if necessary. If you wish to park in the lot next to GSPC's lot, you will need to pay $5 for three hours of parking.


Premium Parking is handling our parking lot revenue. The company has added a service kiosk next to the Guesnard House patio entrance.


Church members whose vehicles are booted in the GSPC Parking Lot after the church office is closed should call or text Meredith Johnston at 251-323-5954.


Please remember to update us if you have a new tag and or vehicle.


Please remember:

  1. GSPC members park for free in the lot at all times.
  2. If you have a new vehicle tag to register, you may do so by emailing your license plate number to Meredith Johnston in the church office.
  3. If you receive a ticket, do not pay it. Please bring the ticket or send a picture of it to Barbara or Meredith in the church office and she will take care of it. 
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