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| 1God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Be still, and know that I am God. In a few days we vote. No one knows what will happen. Anxiety is climbing, no matter which candidates you support. I have a neighbor who works for a former NYC mayor who says he will sit alone at home in the dark that night. He doesn't want to be with anyone else. He's just too nervous. I sense a certain unease among us as a congregation as well. Our ancestors in the faith also worried about the powers of this world, fearing they would dominate and destroy rather than save and build up. There were good reasons for those concerns, as there may also be today. Their reaction to the trouble, the shaking of the mountains, the roaring and foaming of the seas was to step back and consider whose world it really is. They believed that in all kinds of upheaval, in the cosmos (v2), the natural world (v4), and history (v6), God is our refuge. During the Reformation in the 16th century, a time of destabilization for our ancestors in the faith, one result was this hymn: A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing; our helper he, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe does seek to work us woe; his craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate, on earth is not his equal. This election is one moment among many when we may feel out of control or that a catastrophe is looming. At these times our tradition encourages us to lean on our mighty fortress, to hear God's voice amidst the turmoil: Be still, and know that I am God. All human power is limited and flawed and no matter what comes next, no matter what party is in power, may we trust God's kingdom to ultimately prevail. Interim Pastor, |
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United in Thanks
Thank you for this important Act of Faith
The ministries of our church are made possible because of you. Your financial commitment for 2025 supports First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn. No amount is too small, and every dollar will make a difference. If you have been blessed by the offerings of this community, we ask you to please commit to our sustainability and future. Please use the link here to make your commitment to First Church Brooklyn for 2025. If you have questions, please contact the church office. |
| Take the Survey Sunday, November 10 
Sunday, November 10, is a very important day, because we will be answering a survey that will eventually be used by a pastor nominating committee to search for a pastor. This survey is a very important source of information for a mission review report that the Session and presbytery will eventually approve. We want your feedback! Please plan to attend worship that day or complete the survey online. There will be more information to come. - Danila Noble, interim pastor |
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| | | Remember to Turn Clocks Back
on Saturday Night! 
MARATHON SUNDAY Sunday, November 3rd NOTE: You can find the Bulletin for Sunday's worship online here. 9:00 AM Choir Warm-Up and Rehearsal In the Sanctuary 9:45 AM Power Hour - ZOOM only this week Adult Christian Education and Discussion
via Zoom. 11:00 AM Sunday Worship Minister Conor Foley, preaching Wednesday, November 6th 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Men's Fellowship for more information contact Dave Ehlke
6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Homeless Street Ministry Peace Garden 7:00 PM Election Processing Space on Zoom 8:00 PM Bible Study on Zoom Thursday, November 7th 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM Food Pantry For information on how to volunteer contact
the church office. |
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Election Processing Space / Wednesday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m. Join us to process the results of the election in community, through prayer, toward love and liberation. Come join us via Zoom! |
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Power Hour meets each Sunday at 9:45 am. Come join us at 9:45 am in person in the Thurman Room, or on Zoom (link above in The Coming Week section). This Sunday's meeting on November 3rd will be via Zoom only. |
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The Church and the Anti-Apartheid Movement / Tuesday, Nov. 12, 8 p.m. Dr. Bob Ross of Point Park University will join us to share lessons from his research on church involvement in the movement against South African apartheid, offering strategic and theological insight for liberation work today. Come join us via Zoom! |
| Hearing Help We have a wireless headphone listening system available for anyone who is hearing impaired. For more information please see any tech operator for assistance. |
| Photos from First Church Brooklyn |
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Postcards to Preserve Democracy A group of ladies from First Church have gathered every Wednesday morning for the past 12 months to write post cards by hand that encourage people in contested areas throughout the country to register and vote in the upcoming election. We are proud to report that over 3 thousand postcards were sent!!! |
| Composting at FCP 
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| Session Digests 2024 Dear Friends, We invite you to check out a summary of the most recent Session meetings for your reference and information. Please let us know if you have any questions, we are grateful for your interest and support. Thank you for being a part of the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn community. Current Ruling Elders: Jon Abernethy Diana Lee Patrick Tirino Dimitri Moise Joyce Waller Emily Thomas Nate Dudley Zayn Silva Sarah Wyss Jenny Gage Terrance Stroud Gladys McNish Lynn Schnarr Richard Greene Kevin Bentley Interim Pastor Danila Noble - Moderator Elder Barbara Cummings - Clerk |
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Drop off site: First Unitarian Congregational Society
Pierrepont Street between Monroe Place &
Clinton Street | Brooklyn Heights We Accept: Working & non-working
computers, monitors, printers/scanners, keyboards, mice,
cables, TVs, VCRs & DVD players, phones, audio/visual
equipment, cell phones & PDA's For more information:
lesecologycenter.org or 212.477.4022 |
| WHITE ROSE Cuban Ministry SPECIAL EVENT SAVE THE DATE! 
Come join members of the White Rose Ministry and attend a concert featuring one of the most sought-after Cuban dance ensembles, The Malpaso Dance Company. They are scheduled to perform at the Joyce Theatre on January 24th, 2025 and we have reserved 50 tickets (tax deductible) for First Church Brooklyn members and supporters. Think about what a great holiday gift this will make! To reserve your tickets, please contact Rich Greene at rtgreene2@gmail.com. More information to follow. |
| Looking for Food and Fellowship Volunteers First Church Brooklyn serves a Sunday fellowship lunch once each month at the Church of the Gethsemane, our sister Presbyterian church in Park Slope, Brooklyn, whose members are mostly formerly incarcerated. First Church volunteers prepare a meal, either at home or at the church's kitchen, attend worship at 11:00AM, and serve lunch after service to approximately 15-20 congregants. It's a wonderful opportunity to make good food and even better friends. We are looking for volunteers for November and December, on whatever Sunday works for you. Please contact Marta Nelson if you have questions or would like to volunteer. |
| Food Pantry Serving Thursday, 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM 
On Thursday, October 31st, our pantry served
136 clients and 21 volunteers with the help of Packer students and YAI. According to the 2023 edition of the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, between 691 and 783 million people faced hunger in 2022, representing an increase of 122 million people compared to 2019. Volunteers are welcome to arrive on Thursdays between 8:00 and 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. 
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| Congregation and Community News |
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20s and 30s are invited to gather for food and fellowship, engaging in discussion, playing games, watching films, going on outings, building community around kindness and care. Come on over! |
| Men's Fellowship
The Men's fellowship group meets weekly for breakfast and discussion at the Park Plaza diner (220 Cadman Plaza West, Brooklyn Heights) - Wednesday at 8:00AM. The Men's group is now watching "The Underground Railroad" series available on Amazon Prime. From Amazon: "From Academy Award® winner Barry Jenkins and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, "The Underground Railroad" is a new series that chronicles Cora Randall's desperate bid for freedom in the Antebellum South. After escaping a Georgia plantation for the rumored Underground Railroad, Cora discovers no mere metaphor, but an actual railroad beneath the Southern soil." All men in the church are welcome, even if you do not watch the episode we discuss each week. Contact Dave Ehlke at dave.ehlke@gmail.com if you have any questions. |
| Whether you identify on the queer spectrum or as an ally…all are welcome to build a community of radical inclusion and love every 3rd Sunday of the month. Please gather at the front of the sanctuary right after service. |
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Bring your favorite dish to share with the community every 2nd Sunday of the month. Not only can we share delicious and loving crafted delights but create heart-warming memories with each other. Please bring the recipe so we can create a First Church Brooklyn Cookbook in the near future. |
| STAY CONNECTED TO THE PRESBYTERY OF NEW YORK CITY First Church Brooklyn Community: Stay connected with the latest news and opportunities in and around the presbytery by subscribing to Happenings In & Around the Presbytery, the Presbytery's electronic newsletter. Stay updated and apprised of Presbyterian events, resources, grants, and opportunities. Church members can fill out the contact information form so that their email addresses can be added to the subscribers list. Click here for the Contact Information Form. Once completed return the form to the presbytery office or email it to Yzette Swavy-Lipton. |
| 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. |
| 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, 10:00 AM from July 4th through Labor Day weekend. If you have access to a connected screen of any size, try our Video LIVE Stream on our website and our Facebook page. |
| We're Social Like us. Follow us. See us. Hear us. Watch us.    
  
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| Wednesday "Minute Message" video! 
Signup for our Wednesday morning devotional and receive a link to a short video message from our staff to give you a boost in the middle of the week. To sign up, simply scan the QR code at the right or text the word DEVOTIONAL to 718-689-6171. This number is private to First Church for this ministry and your information will not be sold or distributed in any way. |
| A full calendar of church events can be found on the church website. |
| This week's eNewsletter was edited by Chi Ling Moy. Photos by Chester Lee and Jane Woland. |
| 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. Flower Donations: We welcome flower donations of $75 or more in memory or in honor of friends and loved ones. Please contact Annie Solages in the Church office via email. Appointments with Ministry: Staff may be arranged by calling the Church at 718-624-3770, or via email. |
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