We may have had Commitment Sunday, but it’s not too late to make your commitment by offering your Time, Talent, and Treasures! Submit your Pledge Card today to be included in our 2025 Operating Budget!

Click the button to pledge your treasures for 2025!

Completed Pledge Cards can be...

• Emailed to peni@fpccov.org
• Brought/mailed to the Church office
• 1169 Clark Street SW, Covington, GA 30014
• Placed in the offering plate during worship

Words for the Beginning—Our 2024 Advent series, “Words for the Beginning: Advent Reminders for New Seasons” was created by the creative team at Sanctified Art. The following is their message on the theme and series:

Advent is a season of endings and beginnings. As the calendar year comes to a close, a new church year rushes in. Christ’s birth ushers us into new ways of living and loving; and yet, the world as we know it spins madly on.

This Advent series is filled with blessings, with the words we need to hear again and again as we begin a new season. We imagined the words Mary would speak to her newborn son. What scriptures and stories would she impart to him? What lessons would she teach him as he grew? And so, our weekly themes may feel like the lessons we teach to children, but in reality, these are lessons we continue to learn and relearn as adults. We invite you to enter this Advent season as if you are entering a sacred new chapter, holding fast to the reminders that will bolster you for the journey ahead.

In many ways, pregnant Mary was surrounded by endings—large and small, personal and political. And yet, Mary proclaimed hope in a God who was and is making all things new. As we also move through new chapters, may these words for the beginning renew us and remind us of the ways we are called to live out our faith. No matter what you are facing, no matter what this new day brings, let love be your beginning.

This year we will partner with Alcovy CASA Holiday Help program to support local foster families.

CASA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of children in foster care in Newton and Walton Counties.

In lieu of a traditional children’s angle tree, you are invited to support the children in our community by purchasing $25 gift card(s) to WalMart, Ingles, Kroger, or Publix so that foster families can buy necessities for their children during the holiday season.

We will still have an Angel Tree for the Senior Citizens in partnership with local health care facilities.

All Alcovy CASA donations are due by Dec. 5

What is Hanging of the Greens? A Hanging of the Greens service is meant to enhance the celebration of Advent, not just simply get ready for Christmas. On this Sunday we highlight various symbols of our faith that help illuminate the Living Word through the season of Advent. Each symbol proclaims the holy story that we will tell together. On the first Sunday of Advent we will all participate in preparing for Advent. We will adorn our sanctuary with greenery, new purple paraments, the Advent wreath and our Christmon tree.

If you'd like to help decorate the rest of the church in preparation for the Hanging of the Greens in the Sanctuary, you are invited to come THIS Sunday, November 24 from 1:45-3:45pm! Contact Neeley with questions! 

Staff Love Gift

Dear Members and Friends of First Presbyterian Church, Covington:

Each year during the Christmas Season, we at FPC, Covington, like to show our appreciation and gratitude to our church staff members who give so much of themselves on our behalf throughout the course of each year.

We ask for your participation in this effort by making a contribution to a special fund that we establish annually for this purpose. You may contribute in several ways: leaving your contribution in the FPC offering plate, bringing it by the Church Office, or mailing it to the Church. Please ensure that you label your check and/or your envelope, “Staff Love Gift” so that it will end up in the right place. It would be helpful if your contribution were made in a separate check, rather than making it a part of your regular contributions to FPC. You may also give on-line through REALM or by texting to 73256, enter FPCCOV as your message, click to send. You can also give through REALM by clicking HERE. Follow the prompts and use “Love Gift” as the fund. If you aren’t able to enter a fund, please email admin@fpccov.org to notify us of your gift to the fund. 

Please make sure that your “Staff Love Gift” reaches the Church by Sunday, December 15, 2024. Your generosity is much appreciated, in helping us to show our love to our devoted Church Staff Members.

Sincerely, 

John McCarthy, Clerk of Session 

We will be passing out doughnuts and hot chocolate for the Lions Club Christmas Parade on December 7th!

We will have a table in front of the church and will meet at 9:15am to set up before the parade starts at 10:00am. Please contact Curtis Watson if you are interested in helping out!

Signup to be an usher on Sunday mornings! Would you like to help open up the church, greet people and hold the door as they enter, pass out worship guides, and generally help congregants be ready for worship on Sundays? You might love being an usher! Click below or talk to Neeley to signup for a slot in December!

All are invited to join the newly named

"Good Enough Book Club"

as we read and discuss

No Cure for Being Human

(And Other Truths I Need to Hear)

by Kate Bowler on Tuesdays at 5:30pm in the Parlor!

Discussion will be led by Erin and Neeley!

Childcare is provided.

Click HERE to email Erin with any questions.

Visit pda.pcusa.org to learn about providing Hurricane Relief through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance.

First Presbyterian Church Covington is seeking a dedicated, dynamic Preschool Director to help develop and lead a creative, child-centered program that celebrates growth in all aspects of childhood development. The Preschool Director will oversee the daily operations of the preschool ensuring a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment for children aged three months through Pre-K 4. This role involves program development, staff management, and fostering strong relationships with families, church family and community, at large.

Click HERE or visit fpccov.org/jobs to read the full job description and to learn how to apply.

Space Update:

Dear Church family, 

This past week, we went live with our updated security system. Please note that access to the building is under new protocols. 

We are excited to announce we have completed 99% of our building updates in regards to fire, sprinkler, and security! It is a joy to be good stewards of safety in our church. Our goal is to ensure the safety of our staff, congregation, guests, and all others on our campus and to empower our FPC Family to move with confidence in case of an emergency. We are live with our updated security system! Please note that access to the building will be under new protocols. We have been working diligently to make sure this will be a smooth transition. Change brings about growing pains so we encourage you to extend grace and contact Neeley or Catherine with any questions. We are truly grateful for the faithful work of our congregation in our proactive efforts to care for our space and people! 

With gratitude, Neeley

August Finance Report:

In October we spent $8,407 more than we took in. This has been a common occurrence this year. However, we are about where we expected with a budget that was approved with a deficit of $61,786 for the year. Our pledged income is under budget by $12,665; our total income is under by $6,825. The good news is our ministries are moving forward because of your commitment to Covington First Presbyterian Church. Your Session has been diligent is being good stewards of the gifts you have given. Please continue your generous giving for the remainder of the year. Any gifts you make will help with our financial health.

We thank all of you for the gifts of your Time, Talent and Treasure!

Have you made a commitment for the 2025 budget? If not, please consider making a financial commitment to keep our ministries on track.

Blessings for this holiday season from your Finance Team!

--The Finance Team

Remember you can make your offering by sending a check or by logging on to your Realm account or by using “Text to Give” your offering! Text* FPCCOV followed by your donation amount to: 73256 and follow the link to give online. Select “2024 Pledge” if you made a stewardship pledge. Select “Non-Pledge” for a general offering.

Finance Reports are updated following approval in monthly Finance Team meetings.

What a wonderful time we had last night at our Community Thanksgiving Worship at Grace United Methodist Church with the Church of the Good Shepherd Episcopal and Covington First United Methodist Church! Thank you to everyone who came to join us for this beautiful night of community and worship!

Please keep the following people and their families in your prayers this week:

Most recent prayer requests

Requests will be moved to “ongoing” after three weeks unless the office is notified

• Mike Crews, family of Miriam Wheeler
• Joel Kitchens - recovering from surgery
• Lucy Milner, sister of Day Kennon
• Jane Parker
• Trevor Sookdeo, friend of Donna Weesner - critical health concerns

Ongoing prayer requests

Requests will be removed from “ongoing” after six weeks unless the office is notified.

• Mary Lee Aldridge, friend of Alice Walker - cancer
• Dianna Doss, niece of Miriam Wheeler
• Kim Fratesi, friend of Mark & Jennifer Fogarty - pancreatic cancer
• Vicky Chicola, sister-in-law of Susan Landwehr
• Charlotte Riley, mother of Susan Landwehr - ill in the hospital
• Wesley Berg, friend of Tom Crews - pancreatic cancer
• Arthur Raines, nephew of Danny Vining - complications from neck spine surgery
• Janice Campbell, friend of John Leavitt
• Charlie Kennon, brother of Larry Kennon
• Nancy, friend of Mark & Jennifer Fogarty - stage IV pancreatic cancer
• Ava Moss, friend of Donna Weesner - cancer
• Jill Chandler, sister of Brad Hawley - cancer
• Peggy Stallings - recovering from surgery

Military Service

• Koen Ardis - Navy
• Billy Scarborough - Marines
• Clint Williams - Army
• Daryl Williams - Army

Independent and Assisted Living

• Penny Blakeney - Prema at Ashton Hills
• Homer Borders - Presbyterian Village
• Jean Elder - Florida with her daughter
• Dot Fincher - Madison, GA
• Louly Hay - Presbyterian Village Athens
• Carol McGiboney - Prema at Ashton Hills
• Jon Paschal - Annandale Village, Suwanee
• Louise White - Prema at Ashton Hills

Prayer requests and updates may be given to either of our pastors, put in the offering plate, or emailed to catherine@fpccov.org