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Greetings First Church Family and Friends,
As we consider God's call on our lives and on the life of our church, listening is an important skill to cultivate. Some scholars say that if we were to boil down the helpful teachings of St. Benedict into one word, that word would be listen. We have to get quiet in order to listen, but how many of us have a practice of undistracted, uninterrupted, stimulation free silence?
In silence, our mind surfaces wisdom, insight, fears, and feelings. In silence we learn the inner calm that supports us in truly hearing another person. In silence we hear God. If you can't practice silence you cannot hear another. If you can't practice silence, you cannot hear God.
This Sunday we will continue our exploration of call with David, a young boy called to be king. We will listen for God, as St. Benedict said centuries ago, with the ear of our heart. Join us at 11:00 AM and bring a friend. If you are traveling, find the listen tab on our website and tune in via the live stream. As always, it will be a marvelous Sunday, not because we make it so, but because the God who loves us will be present in the community gathered to celebrate the goodness of God this week. I am excited to see you and to worship God with you.
You are loved,
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Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Nursery is open, 2nd Floor at Top of Stairs
9:45 AM - 10:45 AM
New Member Gathering, see details below
10:00 AM - 10:55 AM
Sunday Morning Bible Study in the Elliott Room
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Youth Band in the Rose Room (2nd Floor)
10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Children's Choir in the Rose Room (2nd Floor)
11:00 AM
Worship in the Sanctuary
Sermon to be preached by Rev. Adriene Thorne, "You're Not Listening"
Sunday School
Following Worship
Fellowship Hour in the Elliott Room (2nd Floor)
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Park Plaza Diner, Cadman Plaza West
Thursday, October 26th
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Choir Rehearsal in the Sanctuary
Friday, October 27th
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Congregation and Community News
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Save the Date!
All-Church Auction and Fundraiser Saturday, December 2, 6:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Buy your tickets now for the Annual Church Auction!! $20.00 per adult includes 1 free drink and tasty food! Children free! – Childcare provided. Think about things that you can donate to make this the most successful fundraiser ever! Address any questions, great ideas, and offers to Diane Greene.
Forms for donations are available online and hard copy. See Gloria Sellers, Debbie Koehn, or Diana Lee.
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NEW MEMBERS
Ever wonder about the history of First Church or what it really means to be a member of this church? This is your chance to find out! On October 15th and 22nd, come to listen and learn about becoming a member of this community. The informational classes will be held at 9:45 AM - 10:45 AM in the Gym. Attending the classes does not commit you to becoming a member; it allows you to explore the option. If you have an interest please RSVP to membership@firstchurchbrooklyn.org by October 12th. If you have questions, please feel free to contact Elder Patrick Tirino, Elder Diana Lee or Rev. Adriene. Hope to see you there!
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First Church - Let's pitch in and help hurricane survivors in the Caribbean.
By purchasing tickets to Cuba's Malpaso Dance Company performance scheduled for January 2018, all proceeds will be donated to aid and assist those in the Caribbean impacted by recent hurricanes. The White Rose Ministry has secured a block of tickets that will be offered to First Church members and supporters beginning on Sunday, October 22nd. Please note the following…
- Date of performance: Saturday, January 20th, 2018
- Time of performance: 8:00PM
- Seats available: 50
- Ticket cost: $65
Your check should be payable to First Church and the actual tickets will be distributed in November - a great holiday gift! Please direct any inquiries to Rich Greene at rtgreene2@gmail.com or (917)488-2391. White Rose looks forward to your support!
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Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is in touch with presbyteries in the affected areas from Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, and the Earthquakes in Mexico. PDA is standing by with resources and National Response Team members ready to deploy upon invitation and when it is safe to do so.
For those who wish to support PDA's emergency response and recovery efforts, gifts can be designated to specific disaster response, or where needed the most, via the form here. We need your help. Please give generously.
If you prefer to mail a check, you may send it to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
PO Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA, 15264-3700
You may also call Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (EST), at 1-800-872-3283 to donate by phone. For updates, please go to pda.pcusa.org.
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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 Church is involved in alleviating the suffering associated with a lack of food.
Volunteers are needed Wednesday evenings from 7:15 PM - 8:00 PM to receive fresh fruits and vegetables for our food pantry. If you are available to come to First Church and receive donations from our partners at Brooklyn Bridge CSA and Sweet Pea CSA, please call the church office to be connected to pantry coordinator, Jane Woland.
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The overall poverty rate according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure is 14.3 percent, significantly higher than the comparable official poverty rate of 13.7%.
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On Thursday, October 19th, our Food Pantry served 123 guests
with the help of 17 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.
Missed a week, or want to hear a Sermon again? We have a podcast of Sermon audio. Click the "Sermon Podcast" icon below to subscribe.
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Like us. Follow us. See us. Hear us.
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Saturday, October 14th
Brooklyn Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon
Members of the Choir were on a stage near the finish line
Linda Norton, accompanied by her 3 kids
A few more of our First Church participants. All together, these "Brooklyn Samaritans" raised more than $7,500 for four important charities.
Sunday, October 15th
During Worship
Blessing Elder Tanya Hill on her way to a 3-year move to Africa.
Rev Dianne Lacey's Service of Installation
Thank you to all of the First Church members who donated and served the food for Rev. Diane Lacey's installation service reception Sunday afternoon. It was like a loaves and fishes story - the food was delicious and bottomless, until it came to desserts! A special thanks to Diane Grimes for organizing this effort.
Bottom Left: Rev. Adriene delivers the Prayer of Installation, and invited the Laying on of Hands.
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Reminders and Looking Ahead
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Worship Leaders
Interested in taking part as a reader during Sunday worship? 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 Chair, Barbara Cummings.
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Clark Street Subway Station Closure
The Clark Street (2 and 3 trains) subway station will be closed on weekends until Spring 2018. People who normally take the subway to First Church need to walk from Borough Hall or take the B25, B26, B38, B41, B52 or B103 bus.
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CHILDREN, YOUTH, and FAMILIES (CYF)
Sunday School is in full swing, with addtional programs available for younger members of our community. Those with school-aged children are encouraged to register for the separate CYF Weekly Updates newsletter at http://tinyletter.com/cyfdirector
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Youth Band and Children's Choir in the Rose Room
Band at 10:00 AM
Choir at 10:30 AM
Andrew can't wait to see you!
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Men's Fellowship Breakfast
Join us as we discuss the book, "A Cloud of Witnesses," edited by Joyce Hollyday and Jim Wallis. A collection of 35 short stories of exceptional people grouped by the 8 Beatitudes.
Come join us even if you are not reading the book.
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First Presbyterian Church Social Action Committee
Criminal Justice Activities in Concert
With the Church of Gethsemane
On Wednesday Sept. 27th, two First Church men participated in a men's prison visit. If you are interested in this ministry, please contact Dave Ehlke.
First Church continues to be active in concert with the Church of Gethsemane.
- Sunday Lunch after Worship. We are looking for volunteers
- Administrative Support: Ongoing administrative support has been provided by Jane and Dave Ehlke. The Project Connect database has been expanded to 225 members in 30 different prisons.
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This week's eNewsletter was edited by Mark Elsenheimer. Photos provided by Amy Neuner, the Norton family, Jill Huguet, Mark Elsenheimer, and Jane Ehlke.
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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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