| | | Greetings First Church Brooklyn Family and Friends, Our reformed tradition dares to believe that all labor done in faith is pleasing to God. And here is the kicker…it is as pleasing as "spiritual" work or "religious" work. Your daily labor is holy! In our places of employment, where we volunteer, in our civic participation (voting and paying taxes), in our places of education and in our families, we have a daily opportunity to follow Jesus and be pleasing to God. Everyday places are the places where we get to live out the freedom and grace we experience in Christ. So, we are not just Jesus followers on Sunday but throughout the week. As you protest the shooting of Jacob Blake and lament the murders* Kyle Rittenhouse committed, be encouraged. As you return to school, make beautiful art, and prepare delicious meals, be encouraged. As you do the work that is yours to do, be encouraged. What you do during the week matters to the God who loves you. May all your labor be done in faith and may God find it pleasing. See you Sunday at 10 am. Bring your bread and cup for communion. You are loved, |
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- Last week, my note stated that the people Kyle Rittenhouse murdered were Black. That was incorrect. As the news was breaking details were unclear, and I apologize for that misinformation. The men killed were Anthony M. Huber and Joseph Rosenbaum. Both men were white.
- Faith leaders do not typically back Presidential candidates, but in this extraordinary election year, I have taken that step. At the request of my colleague, The Reverend Fred Davie, I joined 500 faith leaders to endorse Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for the White House. This article will explain why.
- Go to VoteAmerica.com to double check that you are registered to vote. It takes less than 30 seconds.
- New Yorkers can vote early beginning Saturday, October 24th, through Sunday, November 1st. Vote in person if you can and vote early.
- Vote by mail if you cannot vote in person. You must request your ballot by October 27th but please do not wait! Request your ballot now at vote.org
- Approximately 80 percent of New Yorkers have completed the Census — but we need everyone to respond. You can respond by mail, by phone at 844-330-2020 or online at https://my2020census.gov. Spread the word and let's Get Counted, NY.
- Sign up for the PCUSA 2020 Intercultural Transformation Workshops – FREE!!! September 19 and 26 from 1-3 pm Register at https://www.pin-pcusa.com/workshops
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| | | | Reminder: Sunday worship begins at 10:00 AM through September 6th, and returns to 11:00 AM on September 13th. 
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| Sunday, September 6th NOTE: You can find the Bulletin for Sunday's worship online here. Be advised this is the last Sunday at 10 AM Worship Sermon Title: "Holy Labor" Worship online at fpc.church or Facebook There will be now Sermon Talk-Back this week Monday, September 7th Happy Labor Day!! Church office will be closed in observance of the holiday. There will be no Monday Meet-Up in observance of the holiday. Wednesday, September 9th 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM Men's Fellowship Book Discussion "Caste" by Elizabeth Wilkerson, also author of "The Warmth of Other Suns" This week we are reading Pt. 2 chapters 4-9 For invite info contact Adam Wright Thursday, September 10th 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Food Pantry For information on how to volunteer contact the church office |
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| | Congregation and Community News |
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Food Pantry 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM On Thursday, September 3rd, our pantry served 117 clients with the help of 9 volunteers. We will maintain the bins on the church steps to support the food insecure and the homeless population who have benefitted from the offering. If you need food, please help yourself. If you have food to share, thank you for dropping off. Please contact the church office to inquire about volunteering. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE UNSCHEDULED as we must manage the number of personel on site. Can't make it to the First Church Brooklyn? Text FOOD to 877-877. No questions asked, food for kids. Use your zip code to see if there is food available in your area. |
| Worship service video is streamed live over the internet. We provide the worship bulletin on the website so that you can follow along. Tune in to worship at 10:00 AM Eastern time between July 4th and Labor Day. If you have access to a screen of any size, try our Video LIVE Stream on fpc.church and our Facebook page. Want to hear a Sermon again? We have a podcast of Sermon audio! Click the "Sermon Podcast" icon, below, to subscribe. |
| Reminders and Looking Ahead |
| Project Connect Men and women in prisons can go for years, even decades without any contact from the outside. Through Project Connect they can reach out to request letters and visits This program is run by the Church of Gethsemane and we are their partners. Therefore I am asking you to write a couple of lines of hope and encouragement and email them to me (sarahjwyss@gmail.com). I will cut and paste them into a letter that will be photocopied and sent to many people. Anything is appreciated, a couple of lines of poetry, a Bible verse, or simply some words of hope and encouragement. Our letters mean a lot to people and particularly now when other contact with the outside world is limited. -- Sarah Wyss |
| Men's Fellowship Book Discussion 
FPC Men's Group enjoying a recent discussion via Zoom FPC Men's Group Meets virtually each Wednesday from 7:30 AM to 8:30 AM to discuss what we are reading and, if time allows, solve as many of the world's problems as possible. Reading Now Caste: The Origins of Our Disontents by Isabel Wilkerson 
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK • The Pulitzer Prize winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions. If interested in joining the Zoom meeting discussion, please contact Adam Wright to get the invite. |
| Prayer Requests "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us." (1 John 5:14 NIV) Our world is changing daily, and yet we still believe in the power of prayer. We still desire to pray with and for our community. If you have a prayer request – a joy or a concern, please send your prayers to us at info@firstchurchbrooklyn.org. We will add prayers to our worship bulletin each week and keep your prayers in our hearts and on our lips for the week to come. |
| Fill Out Your Census Form Today Only 50% of Brooklyn has been counted! The census impacts our number of congressional representatives. The results will show where communities need new schools, new clinics, new roads, and more services for families, older adults, and children. Visit CENSUS.GOV to find out more. Please, fill out your census form today. #MakeBrooklynCount Watch a "Faith-Based Audience Video" produced by the U.S. Census Bureau: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izJPdJlo9Y0 |
| Wednesday "Flash" Text Devotionals Sometimes the weeks are long, right? Our Wednesday morning "flash" text devotional is meant to help give you a boost in the middle of the week. Simply Text the word DEVOTIONAL to 66599 to sign up. Every Wednesday, a super-short, thought-provoking piece will be texted to you - written by a different First Church member each week! A history of the devotionals can be found here, also on Twitter and Facebook. |
| A full calendar of church events can be found on the church website. |
| This week's eNewsletter was edited by Christina Adorno. |
| 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. A simple one-time gift can be made on fpc.church. 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. Appointments with Ministry Staff may be arranged by calling the Church at 718-624-3770, or via email. |
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