| | "The next day he got up and went with them." (Acts 10.23) Peter can't believe he's doing it, but he allows himself to be vulnerable and he gets up and goes where God seems to be leading. Being vulnerable may not be our natural posture in life. We may like things to be set and steady. I know I often hear in churches that we should follow best practices, those tried-and-true ways of doing things. And best practices are often borrowed from secular organizations and situations, places that may not understand the Biblical view of being vulnerable. If Peter had stayed home and not traveled to a gentile's home to meet with them and preach the good news they wanted him to share, Peter wouldn't have seen the Holy Spirit descend on them and he wouldn't have baptized these gentiles on the spot. This was a first shocking step toward bringing the gospel to all people, to sending it around the world. How do we become vulnerable to God, to the Holy Spirit, to the mercy of Christ, and be willing to follow where they lead, even if it seems different and maybe strange? How about this- what if we asked when decisions were being made, "What would love do?" How would love perceive this situation that confronts me, this decision I'm going to have to make? What is confronting you today? And what would love do? |
Please consider praying for the people who left these concerns on our church's front fence in August: - I worry I won't lead a life I'm proud of and am letting down my younger self.
- I worry I will never be able to have a family with my husband.
- I worry that I'm broken and can never be fixed.
- I have severe OCD and I feel like it sabotages my ability to be happy.
- I am worried that I will never be truly at peace with myself.
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Support for LGBT+ There are good reasons to be angry and afraid now as executive orders have been directed at you, and especially at transgender and gender non-conforming friends. I support you-- and I am available to talk by phone or in person. Don't agonize alone. We will do better together. Interim Pastor Danila Noble danila.noble@firstchurchbrooklyn.org |
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| | | Friday, November 21st 6:30 PM Women's Potluck In the Ellliott Room Sunday, November 23rd NOTE: You can find the Bulletin for Sunday's worship online here. 10:00 AM Power Hour In the first floor classroom behind the gym and on Zoom, join here
11:00 AM Sunday Worship Rev. Danila Noble, preaching Sermon Title: "This Is Our King" Scripture: Luke 23:33-43 Worship with us in person, our website, or on our Facebook Page. Canned Food Drive
Bring Canned Goods Toy Drive
Donate toys or money Men's Fellowship Grand Canyon restaurant located on Montague between Henry and Clinton For more information contact Dave Ehlke 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Homeless Street Ministry Peace Garden Thursday, November 27th Happy Thanksgiving! The church office will be closed 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM |
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This Sunday Please bring canned goods for the Sanctuary Cornucopia.
The food will then be donated to our food pantry.
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The Power Hour (Sunday morning adult book & bible study) Sundays at 10:00 AM 
Over the span of several weeks, our Bible Study will explore Dr. Elaine Pagels's new book "Miracles and Wonder: The Historical Mystery of Jesus." We will investigate how the mystery of Jesus' life is represented through the varying lenses of the Gospels and how a nascent movement managed to survive the confounding events of two thousand years ago. What resonances do we see in our own time? How were the miraculous events of the New Testament explained or rationalized by the ancient authors? How do we respond to certain uncomfortable assertions that hover over the miracles of the Virgin Birth of Jesus and His eventual death and resurrection? The stories of a time when the natural world spun into the supernatural (and then back again) were mediated by flawed men who became the original Gospel authors and were ascribed the names Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Their narratives are filled with visions and revisions and have been told and retold from the early church to the present. How do we, the "Gospel tellers" of First Church, see these stories, and how are we challenged to retell them today? We will be meeting in the little classroom behind the gym. Zoom: Meeting ID: 881 8197 2079 Passcode: 658878 |
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. |
November 16th, 2025 Sandwich Making for CHIPS 
November 20th Food Pantry 
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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: Jonathan Abernethy, Kevin Bentley, Erik Brogger, Jenny Gage, Richard Greene, Diana Lee, Gladys McNish, Dimitri Moise, Lynn Schnarr, Zayn Silva, Terrance Stroud, Emily Thomas, Patrick Tirino, Joyce Waller, Sarah Wyss Interim Pastor Danila Noble - Moderator Elder Barbara Cummings - Clerk |
EASTERN FARM WORKERS ASSOCIATION HOLIDAY TOY DRIVE Once again, this year, FPC will hold a Holiday Toy Drive for the children of members of the Eastern Farm Workers Association (EFWA) on Long Island. EWFA provides support services to farm workers that include approximately 150 families that have over 400 children. Your donations of new toys are matched up with requests from these families that enable these parents to provide gifts to each of their children. Without our support, most of these families would need to forgo paying their utilities bill to provide gifts to their children. Can you help? We need new toys (boxed but not wrapped), for kids from newborn to 14 years old, which may be left in the Toy Collection Boxes located either in the vestibule of the church or just inside the peace garden door of the church. We will be collecting toys all November until Sunday, Dec 7. Please consider supporting local toy stores in Brooklyn when buying your toys. If you would rather donate money to purchase toys, you can support this effort by one of the following methods: - contributing a check made out to FPCB, with "EFWA toy drive" on the memo line or cash in an envelope marked EFWA toy drive" and depositing it in the offering basket during worship service or:
- contributing online with credit/debit card via firstchurchbrooklyn.org/give
- Contributing via Zelle to info@firstchurchbrooklyn.org
- If you are donating online, please indicate "EFWA Toy Drive" with your contribution
Please donate money by Nov 30 to give us time to purchase toys before the drive ends. Toy Drive Schedule - November 2 Kick-off Announcement & start of Toy Drive
- November 9 Donate toys or money
- November 16 Donate toys or money
- November 23 Donate toys or money
- November 30 Last day to donate money to Toy Drive
- December 7 Last day to donate toys
If you have any questions, please call: - Dave Ehlke 617-512-5780
- Erik Brogger 917-474-6811
- Mary Robinson 917-686-5485
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Cuba's Malpaso Dance Company Returns to New York! 
First Church's White Rose Ministry is reserving a block of tickets for this world-famous dance ensemble. They will appear at the Joyce Theatre in Manhattan and our tickets are for the Friday, February 13th performance. Proceeds will be utilized to support programs in Cuba that provide food and farming expertise to our brothers and sisters on the island. SAVE THE DATE…More Information to follow - what a wonderful Christmas gift! 
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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, November 20th, our pantry served 107 clients with the help of 24 volunteers, including AHRC, YAI and Packer. 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 is required. Please contact the church office to inquire about volunteering. We look forward to serving with you. |
NYC Presbytery Social Action News Gothamist Article here: NYC Presbytery says let us raze UWS church, we'll invest about $30M in social justice |
Congregation and Community News |
First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn is a Matthew 25 Church The Communication and Marketing committee is proud to share our new "Ask me about Matthew 25" video. |
Men's Fellowship 
The men's Group meets for Breakfast and discusses the book they are reading every Wednesday morning at 8AM at Grand Canyon Restaurant located on Montague St between Henry and Clinton Streets. The group is just starting a new book entitled "Coming up Short: A Memoir of My America" by Robert Reich. #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From political economist, cabinet member, beloved professor, media presence, and bestselling author of Saving Capitalism and The Common Good, a deeply felt, compelling memoir of growing up in a baby-boom America that made progress in certain areas, fell short in so many important ways, and still has lots of work to do. A thought-provoking, principled, clear-eyed chronicle of the culture, politics, and economic choices that have landed us where we are today—with irresponsible economic bullies and corporations with immense wealth and lobbying power on top, demagogues on the rise, and increasing inequality fueling anger and hatred across the country. 
Nine months after World War II, Robert Reich was born into a united America with a bright future—that went unrealized for so many as big money took over our democracy. His encounter with school bullies on account of his height—4'11" as an adult—set him on a determined path to spend his life fighting American bullies of every sort. He recounts the death of a friend in the civil rights movement; his political coming of age witnessing the Berkeley free speech movement; working for Bobby Kennedy and Senator Eugene McCarthy; experiencing a country torn apart by the Vietnam War; meeting Hillary Rodham in college, Bill Clinton at Oxford, and Clarence Thomas at Yale Law. He details his friendship with John Kenneth Galbraith during his time teaching at Harvard, and subsequent friendships with Bernie Sanders and Ted Kennedy; his efforts as labor secretary for Clinton and economic advisor to Barack Obama. Ultimately, Reich asks: What did his generation accomplish? Did they make America better, more inclusive, more tolerant? Did they strengthen democracy? Or, did they come up short? In the end, though, Reich hardly abandons us to despair over a doomed democracy. With his characteristic spirit, humor, and inherent decency, he lays out how we can reclaim a sense of community and a democratic capitalism based on the American ideals we still have the power to salvage. |
New YOGA every second Saturday starting November 22nd 11:00 AM By donation -- All proceeds benefit First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn Open to all -- No experience needed 
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Come don your gay apparel with Queerly Beloved as we ring in the holiday season with the movie Single All the Way. Bring some food, beverage and your holiday spirit as we cuddle up in the Thurman Room to watch the movie on 12/5 @ 7pm. All are always welcome. 
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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. |
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 connected screen of any size, try our Video LIVE Stream on our website or our Facebook page. |
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Wednesday Morning Devotional message 
Signup for our Wednesday morning devotional and receive a verse of scripture, a song from worship, a short video message from our staff or an inspirational quote to meditate on. Give yourself 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 provided by Dennis Barton 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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