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God’s peace, First Church Brooklyn,
The day we have all been waiting for is finally here! Anyone who wants to worship in-person will be able to do just that. Under the leadership of our hard working and courageous session, we are ready to open the doors of our church!
We have changed the carpet and removed trip hazards in the sanctuary; steam cleaned the pew cushions and secured our stained-glass windows; built a permanent accessibility ramp in the garden and installed new stoves in the kitchen; updated our network infrastructure and improved technical capacity; all while planning a joyous Homecoming Celebration for Sunday, October 10th. Church, our vision for multi-access worship continues – worship that leaves no member of our community behind whether joining from Switzerland, South Carolina, or State Street right here in Brooklyn Heights, NY.
Your church elders and lay leaders have done a tremendous amount of work to prepare for your safe return to worship, and we have two things to ask from you:
Session leaders have crafted a thorough Covid safety plan that will be available on our website soon. It demonstrates our commitment to loving our neighbor as ourselves regardless of age or vaccination status. Please read it carefully and prayerfully before returning to the sanctuary. We have not lost a single member to the virus and we intend to keep it that way. Our Covid plan is our blueprint for keeping one another safe.
Because we are a community of faith that welcomes all God’s people, we will not require proof of vaccination for entry into God’s house at this time. However, we will and are asking you to get vaccinated if it is in your power to do so. Children under 12 who cannot be vaccinated are safest around others who can be vaccinated. Help us to keep our children, elders, and other vulnerable people as safe as we can. Please get the Covid vaccine. Speak with your primary care doctor if you have concerns.
The day is nearly upon us, church, and we have a good plan. Thank you for supporting the care of our entire community as we look forward to gathering and giving thanks to God for bringing us to this joyful day of reunion. See you soon.
You are loved,
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READ: "Faith-based gatherings, particularly worship, are unique occasions that differ from gatherings in a general indoor setting. We are grateful to the Wisconsin Council of Churches for their work on COVID-safer practices which informs this statement. We understand church gatherings to be somewhat like public transit, where people of mixed vaccine status are together for some time with limited ventilation."
BE ADVISED: For ALL in person activities (regardless of vaccination status) masks are required.
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Friday, October 1st
6:00 PM
Junior Youth Group (recommended for ages 11-14)
meet in the Peace Garden
7:00 PM
Senior Youth Group (recommended for ages 14-18)
meeting in the Elliott Room
Sunday, October 3rd
NOTE: You can find the Bulletin for Sunday's worship online here.
9:00 AM
Senior Youth Breakfast
Meet at the church, group will walk over to the diner
10:00 AM
Power Hour
Bible Study and Discussion
Children's Choir
in the Thurman and Elliot Rooms
10:30 AM
Kid's Time
in the Peace Garden
11:00 AM
Communion Sunday
Rev Adriene Thorne preaching
Sermon: Well…I’m Me!
Scripture: Exodus 2:23-25; 3:1-15; 4:10-17 and John 8:58
12:30 PM
Community Fridge Plug-In
Join us in-person at First Church Brooklyn for Music, Food and Community
Tuesday October 5th
8:00PM
Welcome Team Meeting
Meeting ID: 783 674 1617
Passcode: Homecoming
Wednesday, October 6th
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Men's Fellowship Book Discussion
Discussion of Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth.
Join us in person at Park Plaza Diner
Thursday, October 7th
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Food Pantry
For information on how to volunteer contact the church office
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QR Codes will be available throughout the church for contactless online access to the Bulletin and website's Give page.
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Due to the ongoing Covid concerns, we are encouraging all those that wish to worship in person in the sanctuary, starting this Sunday (October 3rd), to please register here. Pre-registration will help the Welcome Team with logistics and contact tracing
If you are unable to pre-register, no worries! There will be greeters at the front door who will take your contact information for contact tracing purposes.
If you are feeling under the weather, we ask that you stay home and worship online with us on our website or Facebook page.
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Regardless of vaccination status, everyone entering the church building is required to wear a mask. Masks must completely cover the nose and mouth, and must remain in place throughout the worship service and/or while in the building.
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Children Youth and Families
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Hello Parents and Caregivers of First Church Brooklyn!
Please see below for all things Youth Group, Kid's Time, and additional resources!
First Friday Youth Groups
6:00pm - Junior Youth Group (recommended for ages 11-14)
meeting in the garden
bring masks and a sweater!
dinner provided
7:00 - Senior Youth Group (recommended for ages 14-18)
meeting in the Elliott Room
bring masks
Sunday morning:
9:00am - Senior Youth Breakfast
meet at church and walk over to the diner
10:00am - Choir
children are invited to come to the church and rehearse via Zoom in socially distant spaces - stations will be set up in the Thurman Room and the Elliott Room.
10:30am - Kid's Time
children of all ages are invited to join in singing, storytelling, and sharing in the First Church outdoor classroom.
This week, we will be singing songs and hearing stories of God's creation. We will explore our ability to grow and change with God's guidance.
11:00am - Worship
families are invited to continue playing outside while also watching worship on our new outdoor viewing station!
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CYF Calendar Magnets still available
Contact the church office to get yours today
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Congregation and Community News
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Calling all Meeters and Greeters!
The Welcome Team will meet on Tuesday October 5 at 8 PM via Zoom to go over the procedures for welcoming members and guests back to the sanctuary on Homecoming Sunday and beyond. If you have already signed up to participate on the Welcome Team or you are willing to help, please plan to join.
Meeting ID: 783 674 1617
Passcode: Homecoming
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2022 MISSION TRIP TO CUBA:
First Church’s White Rose Ministry is in the early stages of planning a mission trip to Cuba during May of 2022. Needless to say, a number of conditions…both health-related and political…must be met before such a trip can take place. However, we are adamant and excited about extending support to our our brothers and sisters in Cuba through our presence.
Members of First Church who are interested in becoming part of the mission group should contact Rich Greene for additional information.
White Rose looks forward to hearing from you.
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Food Pantry 
Serving Thursday, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
On Thursday, September 30th, our pantry served 156 clients with the help of 8 volunteers.
We are maintaining food bins and a community fridge at the church to provide round the clock support to the food insecure and unhoused. If you need food, please help yourself. If you have food to share, thank you for dropping off.
Volunteers are welcome to arrive on Thursdays between 9:00-11:00 am to serve in the pantry. No advanced notice required. Please contact the church office to inquire about volunteering. We look forward to serving with you.
Jane Woland
Pantry Coordinator
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Men's Fellowship Book Discussion
First Church's Men's Group meet in person every Wednesday morning from 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM. They gather at Park Plaza Diner, 220 Cadman Plaza West where they will discuss what they are reading and, if time allows, solve as many of the world's problems as possible. We are currently discussing:
The Power of Myth
by Joseph Campbell
In this beloved 1988 PBS series, mythologist and storyteller Joseph Campbell joins Bill Moyers to explore what enduring myths can tell us about our lives. In each of six episodes –“The Hero’s Adventure,” “The Message of the Myth,” “The First Storytellers,” “Sacrifice and Bliss,” “Love and the Goddess,” and “Masks of Eternity” — Moyers and Campbell focus on a character or theme found in cultural and religious mythologies. Campbell argues that these timeless archetypes continue to have a powerful influence on the choices we make and the ways we live.
Released shortly after Campbell’s death on October 30, 1987, The Power of Myth was one of the most popular TV series in the history of public television, and continues to inspire new audiences.
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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.
Please pray for Keiko DeLille and her family as they go through her mother Olive Lanthe DeLille's transition. Let us pray that her mother has a peaceful transition and that the family receives God's grace and support.
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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 11:00 AM Eastern time.
If you have access to a screen of any size, try our Video LIVE Stream on firstchurchbrooklyn.org/watch-listen/ 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.
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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.
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A full calendar of church events can be found on the church website.
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This week's eNewsletter was edited by Christina Adorno.
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Pre-Registration: Due to Covid concerns, the Welcome Team as asking congregants to pre-register their attendance for Sunday services. To register, click here.
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 Church Brooklyn's website.
Appointments with Ministry Staff may be arranged by calling the Church at 718-624-3770, or via email.
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