| | | What Are You Looking For? |
| God peace First Church Brooklyn Community, On this day of turning from one year to another, we live in hopeful anticipation of... What are you looking for? John the Baptist, in Sunday's gospel story tells his followers that everything they are looking for is found in a person named Jesus. Life? Love? Healing? Justice? Joy? It's all in this person, Jesus, and in the way he instructs us to conduct our lives. On the edge of a brand-new year, my prayer for you and the entire good creation is that we find the good we are looking for and the good that God has for us in the newborn king of Bethlehem. Happy Christmas, church, you are loved, |
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| Welcome Team Update As we enter into the winter and the holiday travel period, please be mindful of the role you play in helping keep others around you safe. If you're not fully vaccinated (and boosted if you're eligible) yet, go get that done. If you'd like to get tested before you gather with friends and family but have limited mobility, another member shared this link as a source of free in-home tests. And of course, (when we return to in-person worship) when it comes to Sunday attendance, if you aren't feeling well, please stay home and worship with us in the virtual space until you recover. |
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| | | | Saturday, January 1st Happy New Year Sunday, January 2nd NOTE: You can find the Bulletin for Sunday's worship online here. 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Gifts of the Spirit 11:00 AM Worship Men's Fellowship Book Discussion Discussion of Zealot: The Life and Times
of Jesus of Nazareth. Join us in person at Park Plaza Diner Thursday, January 6th 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Food Pantry For information on how to volunteer contact
the church office. |
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We are glad to report that 63 individuals and households have submitted an estimate of giving card bringing our total to $223,384. We thank you for your support. Help us reach our goal of $350,000 for our 2022 Budget. If you haven't submitted your 2022 Estimate of Giving. Please do so today ! Pick up your green estimate of giving card from a pew pocket or in the Narthex, drop it in the offering lockboxes or mail it to the church office. You can also submit your card by going to www.firstchurchbrooklyn.org GIVE page Email to info@firstchurchbrooklyn.org . Your gifts allow us to do the work of First Church |
| At this time, we will be worshiping together virtually until January 9th 
Due to the ongoing Covid concerns, we are encouraging all those who wish to worship in person in the sanctuary 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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Proof of vaccination is required for everyone age 5 and above. Everyone over age two, 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. |
| Children Youth and Families |
| CYF Calendar Magnets still available Contact the church office to get yours today 
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| SAVE THE DATE!! .........TULSA RACE MASSACRE Let's join together with The Brooklyn Heights Synagogue and examine this horrific event in American history. The Social Action Committees of First Church and the Synagogue are partnering to produce this special virtual experience. Saturday January 15, 3:00pm - 4:30pm .......A VIRTUAL EVENT commemorating MARTIN LUTHER KING Weekend A screening of DESCENDED FROM THE PROMISED LAND (20 min) followed by breakout rooms and discussion: 1. Similarities between January 6th and Tulsa Massacre 2. Generational impact 3. Action steps to consider Deadline: Thursday January 13 |
| White Rose Cuba Mission News - IFCO/Pastors for Peace just returned from taking 75 people, and almost 3 tons of medicine, to Cuba with their 31st Friendshipment Caravan. But, while they were there, the US government designated Cuba as a "Concern for lack of Religious Freedom," another way of tightening the Blockade. Because of the threat of economic sanctions on international banks, FPC (and the rest of the US religious community) have not been able to get mission funds to our sister churches in Cuba. Our Senior Meals program with La Fernanda is in jeopardy. Stay tuned for actions you can do to respond to these lies.
- A letter to President Biden about these punitive measures has been signed on by 101 members of the House of Representatives, including 10 from New York. Contact your own Rep to ask them to support this effort or thank them for signing. (Congressional switchboard 202-224-3121.) Contact Emily Thomas 347-262-6466 or Thomas@igc.org for more information and details, and a copy of the letter.
- Our own mission trip is being planned for May, 2022. Contact Richard and Diane Greene for more details: Rtgreene2@aol.com. And put May 7 on your calendar for the big fund raising party for our sister church projects in Cuba.
- At 11:00 on Saturday, Dec 11, there will be a zoom conversation about Liberation Theology in Cuba and in the US. Click this link to register or email for a link to the recording later.
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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 condition, 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. |
| Food Pantry  Serving Thursday, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM On Thursday, December 30th, our pantry served 86 clients with the help of 12 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 |
| Congregation and Community News |
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Greetings First Church Community,
I pray you are well and write to invite your prayers and love for the DeShong Family.
Doug DeShong's father died on December 19th and we celebrated his life with a private funeral at the church.
First Church Community, thank you for keeping the DeShong family in your prayers and for holding close those you love as the new year approaches. Praying for your peace and good health in these coming days. Pastor Adriene |
| 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: Zealot by Reza Aslan
Two thousand years ago, an itinerant Jewish preacher
walked across the Galilee, gathering followers to establish what he called the "Kingdom of God." The revolutionary movement he launched was so threatening to the established order that he was executed as a state criminal. Within decades after his death, his followers would call him God. Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth yields a fresh perspective on one of the greatest stories ever told even as it affirms the radical and transformative nature of Jesus' life and mission. |
|  Clark Street Station Elevator Work
Subway service will bypass the station in both directions until spring 2022 in order to replace all three existing elevators. Please use nearby stations, including the High Street  station located north three blocks and through a walkway to Cadman Plaza, or the Borough Hall-Court Street  subway complex, located two to three blocks south and one to two blocks east, on Montague Street between Clinton and Court Streets. From the Clark Street station, these alternative stations can be reached via the B25 bus. |
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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. We ask for prayer for our brethren who are incarcerated and their families. We ask for prayer for our partner, GETHSEMANE CHURCH ministers and congregants. Prayers for Jacob Ross who is presently incarcerated in North Carolina. Prayers for the memory and family of William Brown - the 16th in-custody death this year at Rikers Island. Prayers for a friend of ours in Rikers who said there are no masks available in his dormitory, and three people across the hall from them have tested positive. |
| 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. |
| Wednesday "Flash" Text Devotionals Sometimes the weeks are long, right? Our Wednesday morning "flash" text devotional is a piece of inspiration or scripture meant to help give you a boost in the middle of the week. Simply Text the word DEVOTIONAL to 66599 to sign up. |
| A full calendar of church events can be found on the church website. |
| This week's eNewsletter was edited by Christina Adorno. |
| 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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