The UKirk Kickoff last Sunday was a success! Forty students enjoyed an evening of fun, food, and fellowship to kick off the new academic and programming year. Thank you to Carolyn Williams for the delicious lemon poundcake, Adele Whatley for the ice cream, and Sarah Hill for the lemon bars and brownies. No one went home hungry!

Sign Up to Provide Sunday Dinners for UKirk - If you are interested, please select a Sunday and let me know if you would like to provide a meal or donation to the meal fund. Our students appreciate it!

Sunday Dinner sign-up

Presbyterian Women 

Our first circle meeting will be a combined gathering of Circles 1, 2, and 3 on Tuesday, September 10 at 10 am, Conway Hall. The Reverend Dr. Kathy Reed will be leading the lesson. Light refreshments will be served.

Study books will be available for purchase for $10 and $15 for large print. Also Circle Directories will distributed. The 2024 Thank Offering will be collected from those who wish to contribute.  

Not a member of PW? It’s not too late to join . Please come and join us as we kick off our 2024-2025 Bible study and we will be glad to assist you in signing up.  

The Alabama Arise Annual meeting will be held Saturday, September 28, 10:00am to 1:00pm to choose the legislative priorities for 2025. The meeting will be convened both online via Zoom and in person at the Legacy Annex (former sight of EJI’s Legacy Museum),  115 Coosa St, Montgomery, AL 36104. 

As a member organization First Presbyterian Church is entitled to six representatives in addition to individual members of Arise. If you would like to be one of those representatives please contact Harriette Huggins (harriette.huggins@gmail.com or 334-332-0427 with your name, email address, phone number and preference for hybrid or in-person attendance. She will register the six representatives by September 20. Individual members of Arise are encouraged to register at https://www.alarise.org/event/2024-arise-annual-meeting/ noting selection for hybrid or in-person.

Flu Clinic September 29

With the start of the school year also comes contact with many other people. This also means a possible exposure to this year's flu variant. I wanted to give you a message ahead of time that we will again offer a Flu Clinic on Sept. 29 from 9:30 to 1 pm in the church parking lot by the covered overhang. The location means you can drive up or walk over to the site. We do this in conjunction with The Drug Store who provides the vaccine and pharmacist. One new item is that they cannot accept Tricare health insurance but do accept Medicare and other health insurance. They will have the flu vaccine and usually a few of the Pneumovax for pneumonia prevention. I am not aware that any Covid vaccine is included.

Hope to see you at the clinic!!

Jan Widell, Parish Nurse (334-663-6668) 

Punch Volunteers Needed!

If you and yours have enjoyed the punch-on-the-lawn gatherings this spring and summer, but have not yet had a chance to host, there are still five opportunities remaining. Dates not yet claimed: September 15 & 29. If you are willing to help out either of these Sundays so that we can continue our time of fellowship into the fall, please call or text Elizabeth White at 334-524-8610. Thank you!

Click here to register for Frank Brown Recreation Center REFIT class.

Fall Lay Readers

God's children of all ages are invited to sign up to serve as a lay reader for our 11am worship service this fall. You will be provided with the readings and prayers for the Sunday on which you serve. We love having a diversity of voices in worship leadership - families are welcome to sign up to serve together!

Sowers & Knitters

This is just a little reminder that we WILL NOT meet on the first Monday in September because of Labor Day, but we WILL meet on the second Monday in September which is September 9 at 10:00 in our regular meeting room on the third floor of the church. Sure hope you have this date on your calendar because we would love to have you join us.

Hope all of you have a fun and safe Labor Day.

This Week at FPC

Sep. 1-7, 2024

Sunday

9:00 AM - Worship Service with Weekly Communion (Chapel)

9:30 AM - Coffee and Fellowship (Baird)

9:45 AM - Sunday School for all ages

11:00 AM - Worship Service (Sanctuary)

Bulletin for September 1 worship

Sunday Parking Map

Monday

Office Closed

Wednesday

8:00 AM - Men's Bible Study (Library)

9:30 AM - PW Coordinating Team (Library)

7:00 PM - Youth First Wednesday

Saturday

10:00 AM - Parking Lot Opens for AU vs. Cal

-Children and Youth News

Children Pre-K through 5th grade

• Worship bags are available for all children during worship.
• Children's Church: After the Word to Grow By (at 11 a.m. worship), children ages 4 to 2nd grade will go to the Godly Play room for the remainder of the worship service.
• Worship Readiness: Attention 3rd graders!!! Worship Readiness begins September 8 and class will continue for six weeks. The children will be recognized in worship October 20.

Jr. and Sr. High Youth

• Parents, click here to download the Children and Youth Fall Calendar.
• Jr. and Sr. High Youth will not meet this Sunday (Labor Day weekend).
• Gameday Parking: Parking lot opens at noon. Cost is $40 per spot.
• Jr./Sr. High First Wednesday Fellowship is this Wednesday, Sept. 4 from 7-8 pm. Meet in the church parking lot and we will walk downtown and get ice cream.
• AU Gameday Parking Sign-up: Jr. and Sr. High Parents, please click this link to sign up for your day to help with gameday parking. If your child will be participating in summer retreats/conferences, please plan to volunteer as this money will help offset the cost of these trips.

Birthdays 

Sep. 2 - Mary Elliott Martin, Elizabeth White

Sep. 3 - Susan Fillippeli

Sep. 6 - Catherine Wernette

Anniversaries



Sep. 5 - Don and Gayle Andress

Prayer Concerns & Celebrations

• Please continue to pray for many members of our church who are recovering from successful surgery, dealing with significant health issues, surrounded by 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.

• Continued prayers of healing for Henry Helmke as he navigates health issues at home. 

• Prayers of healing for Joyce Bravaldo as she navigates health issues at home. 

• Continued prayers of healing for Nathan Hall as he recovers at home after receiving care at EAMC. 

• Prayers of healing for Amanda Covington Anderson as she continues to heal. Prayers for Frank and Carole and all of Amanda’s family as they care for her. 

• Prayers of comfort for the Banks family, who live next door to Margaret Brinkley, as they grieve the death of their High School age son Drummond Banks who died in a car accident early this week. Prayers of comfort for all of Drummond’s family and friends as they grieve his death.

• Prayers of healing for Debbie Duin’s brother Warren and sister-in-law Janet as they both recover from significant falls. They are both home after a brief stay in the hospital. Prayers for Debbie as she cares for her brother and sister-in-law from a far. Continued prayers of healing for Debbie as she recovers from successful knee surgery. 

• Continued prayers of healing, rest, and comfort for Donna Yeager’s mother, Patsy Yeager, as she navigates health issues at home. Prayers for Donna and her siblings as they care for her mother in Texas.

• Prayers of healing for Dorothy Bock as she gets stronger each day as she recovers from health issues.

• Prayers of healing for Olyne Fischer’s daughter-in-law Chell Fischer. Chell has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and will have surgery in a few weeks. Prayers for Olyne as she cares for Chell and her son Gary from afar. 

• Prayers of healing for Denise Salo’s brother Tom Garrick as he begins treatment for cancer diagnosis. Prayers for Denise as she cares for her brother from afar.

• Prayers healing and comfort for Sarah Wolak’s brother Chris French. Chris has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome and is receiving treatment for his symptoms. Continued prayers of healing and comfort for Sarah’s mother, Susan French, as she also navigates health issues.  

• Prayers of healing for Joan Foil’s granddaughter Kate Mouchet as she continues to heal.

• Prayers of healing for Karen and Bob Cochran’s friend Randy Tucker as he undergoes a stem cell study for his cancer treatment.

• Prayers of healing for Don Ball’s son, Kelly, 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..

• 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 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 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.

• 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.