Our New Blessing Box

For the past two summers youth from our church have traveled to North Charleston, SC, to work with the Charleston Youth Mission organization. The Charleston-Atlantic Presbytery works with Charleston Youth Mission to provide week-long summer mission opportunities for youth groups from all over the country. 

This past summer our youth spent the week helping sort food at the Lowcountry Food Bank, stocking shelves at the James Island food pantry, serving lunch at Neighbors Together soup kitchen, cleaning up the beaches, and making sure that the Blessing Box at the presbytery office stayed fully stocked.

A Blessing Box is a food pantry where folks in need can get food anytime they need it at no cost. They simply drive up, grab a few items, and continue on their way. Each morning during our mission trip our youth would take non-perishable food items that had been donated and restock the Blessing Box located in the presbytery office parking lot. 

All of our youth on the trip quickly agreed that a Blessing Box was something that we needed to build so that we could help those in need back in Auburn. So after returning home they got to work. With the help of Denise Salo, who was a mission trip chaperone, our youth put together their presentation to the Mission Committee. Since the meeting was during the school day, Denise presented their idea and the Mission Committee approved it! 

Our FPC Blessing Box is located in the church parking lot next to the steps at the PCM office. Children and Youth Sunday school classes check the box each Sunday morning and restock it if necessary. Our hope is that word gets out in the community and our Blessing Box can be a place where folks can drive through and grab a few food items as needed.

If you'd like to help, a basket will be in the church office where donations of non-perishable food items can be placed. Together, we can help to eliminate food insecurity! 

Our youth at the Lowcountry Food Bank in North Charleston, SC this past summer during their summer mission trip.

Wednesday, April 17, 5:15 p.m., Baird Hall

Congregational Life Committee is providing barbecue and all the fixin's - just bring yourself and your appetite! See you there!

Second Saturdays at the Community Market!

Members and friends of all ages are invited to join us Saturday, April 13 from 9am-12pm (or anytime in-between) at the Community Market of East Alabama. We will stock, clean, and assist with other tasks to support this wonderful ministry in our community.

https://tinyurl.com/FPCSecondSaturday

Presbyterian Women at work/fun! These women were caught collecting clothes at the Kids Clothes Connection on Charity Day. The Gerri Talley Memorial Layette Project items will be distributed in May to various counties in Alabama along with the sweet baby items collected at the Tea. Thank you!

Lay Readers Needed for Spring and Summer

Sign up to serve as a lay reader at our 11am worship service during the months of April - August. Members and friends of FPC of all ages are encouraged to volunteer. A pastor will provide all of the prayers and liturgy. Please reach out to Nick or Kathy Reed if you have any questions about this. Sign up here!

Session Notes

During its in-person and Zoom online meeting on February 18, the Session…

• learned that the church’s income for January was $85,569; expenses, $48,652; and net income, $36,917; 

• heard a report about the presbytery meeting on February 15 at Northern Heights Presbyterian Church, Selma, where Deborah Thomas, a member of our church, was installed as moderator;

• engaged in an activity highlighting the history of our church, 2014-2024;

• heard an update about the city’s plan to change the sidewalk along Gay Street on the east side of the church, a project to begin in May and extend through the summer; and

• learned that worship attendance on February 4 was 150; on February 11, 177; and on February 18, 156.

Church members may read the complete, approved minutes for this meeting in the church office. 

This Week at FPC

April 14-20, 2024

Sunday

9:00 a.m. - Worship Service with Weekly Communion (Chapel)

9:30 a.m. - Coffee & Fellowship (Baird Hall)

9:45 a.m. - Sunday School for all ages

11:00 a.m. - Worship Service (Sanctuary)

Bulletin for April 14 worship

Sunday Parking Map

5:00 p.m. - Called Session Meeting

5:00 p.m. - Youth Dinner & Fellowship

7:00 p.m. - UKirk Dinner & Bible Study

Wednesday

5:15 p.m. - Congregational Dinner (Baird Hall)

6:30 p.m. - PW Circle #4 (Church)

Children and Youth News

Children Pre-K through 5th grade

• This Sunday is Children's Sunday! Please join us at our children will be leading us in worship at the 11am service. Parents, the children will practice for the service in the sanctuary during the Sunday school hour beginning at 9:45.
• Acolytes! 3rd – 5th grade parents, click the link to sign your child up!
• Children's Church during 11 a.m. worship
• Worship bags are available for all children during worship.
• Godly Play: After the Word to Grow By (at 11 a.m. worship), children ages 4 to 2nd grade will go to the Godly Play room to worship together for the remainder of the worship service.

Jr. and Sr. High Youth

• Youth Fellowship: Jr. and Sr. High Youth meet at their regular time this Sunday. Dinner and Baird Hall at 5 and youth group from 5:30 - 6:30. 
• Saturday is the Jr. and Sr. High volunteer day at the Food Bank. If you'd like to ride the bus, meet in the church parking lot at 8:45am. If you'd like to meet us at the Food Bank, be there at 9am. We will finish up between 11:30 and 11:45. 

Summer Mission Trip and Conference Dates for Jr. and Sr. High Youth

Charleston Youth Mission (Registration is closed) - June 2-7, 2024

Montreat Youth Conference - July 7-13, 2024

Montreat Middle School Conference - July 17-21, 2024 

Birthdays 

Apr. 14 - Mary Burkhart

Anniversaries

Apr. 17 - Anne Leader and Richard Guether

Apr. 20 - Pyong and Katie Lee

Prayer Concerns & Celebrations

• Continued prayers of healing for Henry Helmke as he navigates health issues at home. Prayers for Shirley and all caring for Henry.

• Prayers of healing for Terry Ley as he navigates health issues at home. Prayers for Mari and all those who are caring for Terry.

• Prayers of healing for Don Ball’s son, Kelly Ball, who is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for recurrence of cancer.

• Prayers of healing for Daniel and Amanda Johnson’s nephew James Ivey as he receives critical care. Prayers for the doctors and caregivers who are caring for him, especially his parents and family.

• Please continue to pray for many members of our church who are dealing with illness, significant health issues, grief, and difficult circumstances but at this time do not wish to be mentioned by name. Prayers of healing, wholeness, and comfort for many in our congregation.

• Prayers of healing for Dibba Spear’s friend Sam Franklin as he recovers from knee replacement surgery.

• Prayers for former Ukirk student Shannon Smith as she recovers at home after having a stroke.

• Prayers of healing and wholeness for Becky Buchanan’s family friend Hughes Allen who has been diagnosed with cancer.

• Prayers of healing for Clay Price’s father as recovers from a fall. Prayers for Clay as he cares for his father.

• Prayers for Amy Kilner (daughter-in-law of Dorothy Moran) as she recovers from a kidney transplant.

• Prayers for Jim Foil and his family as they continue to manage Jim’s health.

• Prayers of healing for Todd Jolly’s brother Robby as he awaits test for a cancer diagnosis. Prayers for Todd as he cares for his brother from a far.

• Prayers for Catherine Wolfe Riley’s father, Ned. Ned has a recurrence of cancer and will be undergoing treatment over the next few months. Prayers for Catherine as she cares for her father.

• Prayers of healing and rest for Donna Yeager’s mother, Patsy Yeager, as she navigates health issues.

• Prayers healing and comfort for Sarah Wolak’s mother, Susan French. Prayers of comfort and strength for Sarah and all her family as they care for her mother.

• Continued prayers of healing for Chris Greer. We especially pray for good healing and rest as Chris recovers from successful treatments. We continue to rejoice with Chris because the latest scans show no sign of cancer. We are so grateful the chemotherapy treatments have been successful. Chris will continue a plan of treatment for the upcoming months. 

• Prayers for Brooke Myers as she cares for her father, Charlie Myers. Charlie is recovering from a fall and has moved to Morningside.

• Prayers of healing for Debbie Duin’s friend Ann Suttles who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.