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Greetings First Church Family and Friends,
Irenaeus of Lyons wrote that, "The glory of God is the human person fully alive…" As our city is "spring"-ing back to life, it is worth reflecting on what it means for us to be fully alive. As people of faith, who believe in the dignity and worth of all people, it is worth reflecting on what it means for others to be fully alive and the role we play in supporting or hampering life. In all the many ways that I know you work for the liberation and flourishing of life for God's people, please consider these others:
- Sunday is Communion Sunday, which means it is also Protein Sunday at First Church. 104 folks visited our pantry on Thursday – most of them seniors, most of them with children in the household. Food is life, and we know that hungry children struggle to grow and to learn. Please bring beans, tuna, nut butters, and other proteins to church this Sunday. Help free someone from hunger.
- Next Saturday, April 8th at 7 pm, First Church is helping to sponsor the Justice for All Concert and Sing-Along at the Brooklyn Friends Meeting located at 110 Schermerhorn Street. Proceeds will benefit sanctuary communities. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets. No one will be turned away for lack of funds! Help free someone from the fear of deportation.
- First Church is joining forces with our interfaith partners at the First Unitarian Congregational Society of Brooklyn. On Saturday, April 29th, we will journey to Washington, DC to help surround the White House on the 100th day of Trump's administration. This is the People's Climate Movement – marching for climate, jobs and justice. The cost is $60 with a $30 deposit due by next Sunday, April 9th. Interested people should connect with Elder Uda Bradford. Please call the office to inquire about financial support, if needed. Help free our planet from human destruction and disregard.
There is something of the miraculous in the earth coming back to life every spring, and I see miraculous new life springing up in our community every day. Elder Nate Dudley will preach this Sunday – a sermon entitled, Do You Believe in Miracles? There will be special music, communion, and each one of you. Who could ask for anything more?!
You are loved,
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Friday, March 31st
6:30 PM Women's Ministry Potluck in the Elliott Room
Sunday, April 2nd
Protein Sunday
Leave protein items in the Narthex
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Nursery is open on the second floor
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary
10:00 AM - 10:45 AM
Adult Education in the Thurman Room
11:00 AM
Worship in the Sanctuary
11:15 AM
Sunday School in the Gymnasium
12:30 PM
Fellowship Hour
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Park Plaza Diner, Cadman Plaza West
Thursday, April 6th
10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Choir rehearsal in the Sanctuary
Saturday, April 8th
5:00 PM Holy Mackerels youth group at Barclays Center for Nets vs Bulls Basketball
7:00 PM Justice for All Concert and Sing-Along at the Brooklyn Friends Meeting
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Congregation and Community News
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Church Survey
First Church members, please look for an e-survey coming out this Sunday. Respond as soon as you are able as we make plans for the future of our church. If you'd prefer to fill out a paper version, they will be available in the church entrance.
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Are you interested in humanity's relationship to the natural world?
Find out more by joining FPC, our Unitarian Universalist neighbors and representatives of other faiths at the Climate March. A Brooklyn Heights bus will leave the Unitarian church at 5:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 29, 2017 and will return from Washington DC to Brooklyn Heights at 10:00 p.m. Sign up at coffee hour or in the church office with Annie Solages. The cost is $60 and deposits of $20 are due by April 9, 2017. If you are unable to attend and would like to subsidize someone else who can, please let us know. Contact Uda at munroebradford@gmail.com if you have questions. Updates will be announced as they become available.
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Update on the 2017 Pledge Drive
As of March 1st, 2017, we have received 117 pledge cards for a total of $334,141.
Our goal this year is a commitment of $343,000.
We're now less than $10,000 away from that target. Please help us reach or exceed our goal. Pledge today!
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Online Lenten Devotional
Out of the friendship and trust in the Women's Ministry comes this offering to one another and to the First Church congregation.
We hope all who read it will experience that "Joyful Is The Dark."
The Lenten Devotional can be found online at lentatfirst.tumblr.com. A new reading will appear each day online, or you can choose to have the text of the reading sent to your email by clicking the 'Subscribe via Email' link at the top of that page. (If you choose to receive by email, be sure to reply to the message confirming that you want to subscribe.)
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"The Spirit of Sanctuary in the Time of Lent"
Every Sunday in Lent, 10:00 AM
How do we find sanctuary? How do we become a sanctuary? The word derives from the Latin "sanctus" meaning "holy," but has political ramifications that echo in our daily headlines during this time of emergency. (And we can't live in the comfort of metaphor when sanctuary is real and urgent.) Join Elder Erik Brogger for a discussion about how Lent may speak to the fugitive in each of us, using Psalm 51 and other poetry. Join us at 10:00 AM in the gym, this Sunday, March 5th, and every Sunday in Lent, for what may be the only journey where the suggested preparation is that we UN-pack!
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Postive Discipline for Teens
Class continues after worship service. Take a few minutes for coffee time and then proceed to the gym. Remaining classes will be held April 2, 23 and 30. Please get in touch with Mary Lynn Fiske for more information.
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A Brighter Dawn is Breaking:
Holy Week and Easter at First Church Brooklyn
Palm Sunday | April 9 | Worship in the Sanctuary | 11:00 AM
Maundy Thursday | April 13 | Seder Meal at Brooklyn Heights Synagogue | 6:30 PM
Tickets $30 (Scholarship available), call or email the Church office to reserve
Good Friday | April 14 | Worship in sound and silence | 7:00 PM
Easter Sunrise | April 16 | Worship on The Promenade at Clark Street | 6:30 AM
Easter Sunday | April 16 | Worship in the Sanctuary | 11:00 AM
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CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!
We are actively seeking volunteers to teach Sunday School for May. If you haven't had a chance to work with our young people and experience the new curriculum we're using this year, or if you've worked with our youth and want to dig deeper this is a perfect opportunity! If you are interested and available please reach out to us at cyfdirector@firstchurchbrooklyn.org.
NEW "SUBMERGE" CURRICULUM FOR 7th-12th GRADE
After the huge success of the Parables Project, we're incorporating a regular program for the 7th-12th Graders of FPC! "Submerge" is the curriculum for 7th-12th graders produced by Deep Blue Kids. This new offering is picking up from where the Parables Project left off. Led by Ashley Thaxton and Robert Stevenson, they will be meeting every Sunday following the passing of the peace during the regular Sunday School hour. Read more about the scope and sequence of the program here.
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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)
The Future of Adult Education at First Church Brooklyn
The Sunday morning 10 o' clock hour will continue through the end of June while other adult education programming will enter into a time of prayer and discernment. Pastor Adriene and a small team of First Church elders and educators will meet for three consecutive weeks to pray and imagine a new way forward for education at First Church that offers a plan for faith formation and education from the beginning of life to the end. Please keep us in your prayers as we trust God for guidance.
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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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Approximately 28 percent of all children in developing countries are considered to be underweight or have had their growth stunted as a result of malnutrition.
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On Thursday, March 30th, our Food Pantry served 104 guests with the
help of 13 volunteers.
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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 a podcast of our Sermons. Click the "Sermon Podcast" icon below to subscribe.
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Like us. Follow us. See us. Hear us.
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 On Saturday March 25th, members of The Church of Gethsemane's Project Connect women's prison visitor program made a trip to Bedford Hills maximum security correctional facility. First Church women in the day's group, pictured below, are Diane Grimes, Sandra Turner, Harriette Mandeville, Dianne Hutchinson, and Jane Ehlke. Members not able to go that day are Mary Lynn Fiske, Amelia Schonbek and Glória Sellers.
On Sunday 3/26, members of First Church women's group attended worship service at Gethsemane, and prepared, served and participated in a full lunch with members of Gethsemane and Project Connect's peer group.
During Worship on March 26th
Healing and Strength
Women's History Month, poetry from
Dr. Mercy Amba Oduyoye
Sunday after worship we celebrated Eric Thomas, wishing him Godspeed and blessings in the next chapters of his life and ministry.
The Third Annual "First Prez Cabaret" was held Sunday evening
Approaching a capacity crowd in the Elliott Room!
Video of the performances from the night are available on the Church's Vimeo site
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Reminders and Looking Ahead
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Rikers Island Jail Issue is coming to a key decision within the next month.
Rikers Island has been a cauldron of despair for decades. The brutality is endemic and today violence is up even as detainee population is down. Every day thousands of people are held in pre-trial detention simply because they are too poor to afford bail, leading to a litany of tragedies, such as the terrible death of Kalief Browder. The recent documentary film "Rikers" by Bill Moyers highlighted the inhumane conditions. There is no dispute that the Rikers Island Jails are dangerous, isolated, and woefully inappropriate for human beings. A growing number of New Yorkers have come to the conclusion that Rikers cannot be reformed; it must be closed.
In the spring of 2016 City Council Speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito formed an independent commission of 27 civic leaders headed up by former NY state Chief Justice Jonathan Lippmann to study the existing Rikers Island Jail and make recommendations about alternatives that would result in a more safe, humane and less discriminatory situation for inmates, guards and New York City and at a lower cost.
The Lippmann Commission Report is scheduled to be released in April 2017. Currently there are less than 10,000 inmates in NYC jails with 75% awaiting trial. The Report is anticipated to recommend a number of improvements to the process of how people are handled before going to trial, including: Speedy Trial Reform, Bail Bond Reform, Pre-trial Supervised Release and Mental Health treatment. These reforms should enable the NYC criminal justice system to be modernized by reducing the jail population, closing Rikers and expanding capacity of existing detention facilities in the 5 boroughs, closer to the courts and family support.
Without waiting for the results of the Lippmann Commission Report, Mayor DeBlasio is recommending spending over $1Billion in the next two years to build new jails at Rikers Island. This is an unconscionable waste of money which won't solve the problem of injustice. The Christian Action Committee of the NYC Presbytery urges us to call our local city council members to block this action by the Mayor and follow the recommendations of the Lippmann Commission Report when it is published in April. First Church has actively supported the CloseRikers campaign. Stay tuned for opportunism to support this important movement.
Dave Ehlke
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Elder Jim Johnson Running for Governor of New Jersey
Our beloved Elder Jim Johnson has been called into public service and is running for Governor of New Jersey. The campaign is in full swing. If you are interested in joining Elder Jim Johnson and others to improve our schools, give all families a leg up and rebuild an economy that has crumbled along with its roads, bridges, water system and mass transit, please contact Amanda Clarke at amanda@jimjohnson4governor.com to find out about helping with the campaign.
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SAVE THE DATE
First Church's White Rose Ministry will hold its annual fundraiser on Saturday, April 22nd, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Dick & Dottie Turmail's home. (Before his passing, Dick expressed that he wanted us to have it there.)
ALL ARE WELCOME!
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SAVE THE DATE
Please join First Church on a great adventure to the African American Museum, in Washington DC on Saturday July 15, 2017. The trip will be facilitated by Amazing Destinations Deluxe motor coach transportation:
Enjoy an all you can eat lunch buffet a the Golden Coral $89/Per person. Seats are limited. If you want to RSVP, please call or email the Church office.
Please RSVP and return the form (insert in Sunday bulletin) with payment by May 1, 2017.
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SAVE THE DATE - CYF FAMILY RETREAT
We have Holmes camp reserved for our 2017 Children Youth and Families (CYF) Family Retreat Friday June 9th-Sunday June 11th. Further details will be coming soon. We hope to see you there!
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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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Men's Fellowship Breakfast
Meets Wednesday morning at the Park Plaza Diner, 220 Cadman Plaza West, 7:30-8:30AM. Join the men as they discuss The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World. This is a week-long interview with the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
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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 in concert with the Church of Gethsemane this month.
- Monthly group letter to over 200 Project Connect members incarcerated in NYS Prisons. Six pages of notes were collected last Sunday
- Prison Visits to Project Connect members in Women's prisons in Bedford Hills 7 women from FPC will be making visits on Sart, mar 25.
- Prison Visit Orientation for Men was held last week for 4 men, including Erik Brogger from FPC.
- Lunch Preparation : Marta Nelson prepared lunch earlier in March and a group of women from the FPC Women's group will be providing lunch on Sunday, Mar 24 as well as participating in worship. .
- Administrative Support: Ongoing administrative support has been provided by Jane and Dave Ehlke
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This week's eNewsletter was edited by Mark Elsenheimer. Pictures from Mark Elsenheimer, Jane Ehlke, and Bernice Adorno.
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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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