| | | Greetings First Church Brooklyn Community, This new year is off to quite a start, and it seems to me the Holy Spirit is guiding our feet even when we are not aware. Can you feel Her? Long before most churches made the decision to go virtual to combat increasing Covid cases and to give their weary worship teams a breather, First Church Brooklyn was making plans. We've been able to navigate these last two years because of nimble leadership and a gifted staff but also, the Holy Spirit has been nudging us, and we have been attentive to Her voice. On Sunday, we will gather in virtual community and share star words – words to guide our steps for the coming year. We will also welcome to the pulpit for the first time, our parish associate, the Reverend Sarah McCaslin. Rev. Sarah, who is the Executive Director of the Psychotherapy & Spirituality Institute had been looking for a place to live out her ministerial call and asked if she could do it with us! God's Holy Spirit guided us to one another. Thank you for welcoming her and praying for her. I am on retreat this weekend with a group of theologians seeking to bring seminary education beyond the walls of the seminary. I am also recovering from Covid – recovering because I am vaccinated and boosted. Church, please get your vaccines if you haven't already and if you are already vaxxed, please get boosted. Vaccines are how we love our neighbors well. Proof of vaccination will be required of all eligible people when the sanctuary reopens. If you have questions or concerns about vaccinations or Covid, please contact your primary care physician. You are loved, |
| 
|
| 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. |
|
| | | | First Sunday After Epiphany Sunday, January 9th NOTE: You can find the Bulletin for Sunday's worship online here. 10:00 AM - 10:30 AM Youth Choir 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Gifts of the Spirit 11:00 AM Worship Rev. Sarah McCaslin, preaching Sermon: "The Messages of Water" Scripture: Psalm 104:14-16 and John 2:1-11 12:30 PM
Bicentennial Planning Meeting
Everyone is welcome
Zoom Meeting ID: 817 5740 7658 Wednesday, January 12th 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Men's Fellowship Book Discussion Discussion of Somebody's Daughter. We will be meeting virtually for the month of January
Please contact Dave Ehlke or Patrick Dail for
Zoom log in details.
Thursday, January 13th 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Food Pantry For information on how to volunteer contact
the church office. |
|
|
| | 
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. |
| 
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 
|
| 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.
|
| 
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, January 6th, our pantry served 97 clients with the help of 10 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 |
| 
Please join the Bicentennial Planning committee for their church-wide virtual meeting this Sun, Jan 9, 12:30-1:30. All voices are welcome and encouraged to join. Please use the provided zoom link. 817 5740 7658 |
| Men's Fellowship Book Discussion 
First Church's Men's Group continues to meet weekly, on Wednesdays, 8-9am, for fellowship. For the month of January 2022, the group will meet virtually. Please connect with either Dave Ehlke (Dave.Ehlke@g.mailcom) or Patrick Dail (LPatrickDail@gmail.com) for Zoom log on details. Somebody's Daughter a memoir by Ashley C. Ford 
The group is collectively reading Somebody's Daughter, a memoir by Ashley C. Ford, and discussing the book during the breakfast meetings. Although you do not need to have read the book to participate in the gatherings. |
|  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. |
|  |
| 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 Chi Ling Moy. |
| 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. |
|
| |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment