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Greetings First Church Family and Friends,
One of my favorite Muhammad Ali quotes says, "Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth." Through our baptism, Christians believe that we exist to serve. That we each play a critical role in God's good plan for the creation. It is the work of our lives and the call of our faith to figure out our role and to act on it.
This Sunday, we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord. In the waters of baptism, we are reminded of who God claims us to be but also reminded of who God needs us to be -- servants. The pronouncement that I make at the end of every baptism sums up beautifully the servanthood our faith calls us to:
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only King and Head of his Church,
I declare that this child of God is now received into the visible membership
of the Holy Catholic Church, and is engaged to confess the faith of Christ,
and to be his faithful servant until his life's end.
We exist to serve. Your service won't look like mine and mine won't look like yours. God needs your service, not your imitation of someone else's service but the "you version" of service. That may look like registering for Inseparable, our all-church retreat, and getting better connected to your First Church Brooklyn community this Saturday from 10 am -2 pm. Service may look like attending the foster/adoption conversation after church this Sunday with New Alternatives for Children. Service for you could mean making sure that you've made a generous financial pledge/promise for the 2017 year. Service could be teaching Sunday School, writing a note to a member of the First Church community thanking them for their service, inviting a member you'd like to get to know better on a tea/coffee date, signing up to greet or usher or host a fellowship hour, checking on your elderly neighbor, praying for our ministry partners in Cuba and at The Church of Gethsemane.
Service is stewardship -- it is the mindful management of our entire lives. It is time, talent, treasure. It is gifts and graces. It is discovering your passion. It is making a plan. We exist to serve.
Looking forward to seeing you sometime this weekend. Our Saturday retreat begins at 10. Our Sunday worship is at 11. Next week the Brooklyn Heights Synagogue choir and community joins us for our annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Interfaith Worship Celebration. It will be a holy good time, and I look forward to sharing it with you.
You are loved,
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Sunday, January 8th
Nursery is open on the second floor.
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary.
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Youth Band
11:00 AM
Worship in the Sanctuary
Sermon Title: "No Private Affair"
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Sunday School in the Gymnasium
12:15 PM
Coffee Hour follows worship in the Elliott Room.
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Park Plaza Diner, Cadman Plaza West
Thursday, January 12th
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Choir rehearsal
Friday January 13th
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Youthful Fellowship
Thurman Room
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Congregation and Community News
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Update on the 2017 Pledge Drive
Thus far we have received 87 pledge cards for a
total of $274,301.
Our goal this year is 110 pledges and a total commitment of $343,000.
Please help us meet our goal. Pledge today!
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Criminal Justice Reform Action Alert
Monday, January 9th, 6:00 PM
On Jan. 9th at 6:00 PM we will be participating in a local Criminal Justice Reform Action.
For specific details about the location of the event and to RSVP,
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Sunday School Volunteers Needed!
It takes a Brooklyn Village to raise our children in the faith. Contact James and Elizabeth to express your interest.
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Adult Education
Sunday Adult Education
10:00 AM - 10:50 AM, Thurman Room
(Traditional bible study in relation to issues and questions of our times)
Wednesday Adult Education
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM, Elliott Room
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Focus on Hunger
The Mission and Social Action Committee has a goal to educate the entire congregation on the issues around food and hunger in our country and around the world, and why First Presbyterian is involved in alleviating the suffering associated with a lack of food.
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Roughly half of the 44 million Americans on food stamps are children.
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On Thursday, January 5th, our Food Pantry served 91 guests with the help of
21 wonderful volunteers.
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Men's Fellowship Breakfast
Meets Wednesday morning at the Park Plaza Diner, 220 Cadman Plaza West, 7:00-8:30AM. Join the men as they discuss Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J.D. Vance.
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Worship services are streamed live over the Internet. We provide the worship bulletin on the website so that you can follow along. Tune in to worship at 11:00 AM Eastern time.
We have an audio podcast of our Sermons. Click the "Sermon Podcast" icon below to subscribe to audio versions of all the sermons since July, 2016.
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Like us. Follow us. See us. Hear us.
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Reminders and Looking Ahead
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Cuba Travel Information Session at First Church
Thursday, January 12th
We have scheduled an information session for First Church members, supporters and friends who are considering travel to Cuba within the next year or so. Our goal is to provide background information based upon our experiences and relationships there, and to provide a forum for you to ask any questions or pose any concerns. The session will be coordinated by Emily Thomas, Rich & Diane Greene, and Keiko Delille, all of whom have visited Cuba a number of times.
Thursday, January 12th
6:30 PM
First Church, Rose Room
If interested, please RSVP Rich Greene at rtgreene2@gmail.com or leave a message with Annie, our First Church administrator at (718) 624-3770.
Note: a church-sponsored spring trip to Cuba is in the early planning stages, so let us know ASAP if you are interested.
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INSEPARABLE: An All-Church Half Day Retreat
Join us for Inseparable: An All-Church Half Day Retreat, Saturday, January 7th, from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Romans 8:38-39 reminds us that nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. You are invited to bring your anxieties, laments, hopes, and confidence into prayerful reflection and creative expression to gather strength for whatever 2017 may bring. We will engage in large and smaller group activities to share both our concerns and our resolve to represent God's peace, love and justice in the New Year.
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Call For Artists
Many people experience the Holy in the beauty of our Sanctuary, the sound of our musicians and choirs, and the poetry of our prayers. If you are interested in helping the First Church Brooklyn community to experience God with movement, puppetry, dramatic presentation, fabric, flowers, writing, set design, and more, please share your interest with Pastor Adriene or call the church office. Thank you for your prayerful consideration.
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Worship Leaders
Interested in taking part as a reader during Sunday service? We welcome volunteers from the congregation to sign up as Worship Leaders. Please contact Annie Solages in the church office at 718-624-3770 or speak to Worship Committee Co-Chairs Edna Asknes or Barbara Cummings.
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First Presbyterian Church Social Action Committee
Criminal Justice Activities in Concert With the Church of Gethsemane
First Church continues to be active with the Church of Gethsemane.with the following activities:
- Monthly group letter to over 200 Project Connect members incarcerated in NYS Prisons
- Monthly Prison Visits to Project Connect members in Women's prisons in Bedford Hills
- Monthly lunch preparation and serving after worship
- Support for family members having incarcerated members pilot project.
- Administrative support
- Project connect Peer Group participation with formerly incarcerated Project Connect members
- Donation of clothes for formerly incarcerated members
- Re-entry support
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Children, Youth and Families
Donations sought
Children, Youth, and Families (CYF) have compiled a wish list of items that could help maximize our programming capabilities. If you have any of the below items lying around in storage, or would like to gift the CYF program by making a purchase, your donations would be greatly appreciated!
COMPUTER:
A new mac like this (we don't need a monitor), or any type of mac computer (all in one, pro tower, mini etc) made any year 2012 or later. We're looking for a fast, modern computer to do video editing, music production etc...)
PROJECTOR:
A new projector like this, or any type of projector with at least one HDMI input made 2012 or later.
PROJECTOR MOUNT:
WII CONSOLE:
Preferably an ORIGINAL (not WII U) WII console. WII remotes, accessories etc.
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This week's eNewsletter was edited by Ben Cosgrove; photographs provided by Jim Johnson.
There is an opening for eNewsletter editor! If interested in this one-week-a-month ministry, please contact Mark Elsenheimer.
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Online Donations: Set up a recurring gift to the church through a secure online account. To set up an account or to edit an existing gift, go to First Presbyterian Church's website.
Flower Donations. We welcome flower donations of $30 or more in memory or in honor of friends and loved ones. Call Annie Solages in the Church office at 718-624-3770 or see Barbara Cummings during fellowship hour on Sundays.
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