A JOYFUL COMMUNITY

DIVERSE IN SPIRITUAL BACKGROUNDS & BELIEFS

AUGUST 1 - AUGUST 8, 2025

IN THIS WEEK'S EDITION

Senior Pastor's Message
Choose Your Own Adventure Sundays
Beach Services
Women's Fellowship Summer Socials
Faith Formation for Children
Summer Office Hours
Upcoming Events
Community Corner
Regular Weekly Happenings

THIS WEEKEND

8 A.M. BEACH SERVICE ONLY AT GREENWICH POINT -

NO MEETINGHOUSE SERVICE

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR SUNDAY'S BULLETIN

SENIOR PASTOR'S MESSAGE

Greetings Friends,

Join us this Sunday at 8 a.m. for worship by the water as we continue our summer sermon series on Revelation.

This week we turn to Revelation 4, a powerful vision of heavenly worship where all of creation sings praise to the One who is truly worthy.

In a world that often lifts up wealth, status, and power, Revelation reminds us that it is not empire or ego but God alone who deserves our worship. Surrounded by waves, sky, and sand, we will let creation itself help us remember who and whose we are.

Come as you are. Bring a chair and an open heart. All are welcome!

Grace and peace,

Patrick

Kettle Quilters Progress

Work is coming along on the 2026 Women's Fellowship quilt! Next up in tasks to accomplish is quilting the backing, batting, and top.

Choose Your Own Adventure Sundays

Choose Your Own Adventure Sundays: August 24 and 31

What do you want to hear a sermon about? On these two special Sundays, Patrick and Cydney are inviting you to help shape the message. Submit a topic, theme, or scripture you would love to hear explored in worship.

Whether it’s a burning question, a favorite passage, or something you’ve always wondered about, send in your idea. It just might be selected for one of these interactive Sundays. Please email your suggestions to patrickc@fccog.org or cydneyv@fccog.org by August 17.

Remaining Beach Services

Women's Fellowship Summer Socials

The final Summer Social is scheduled for Monday, August 25th with a rain date the following evening. from 5:30 pm on at the Sue Baker Pavilion at Greenwich Point. The rain date is the following evening. We bring our own food/drinks and meet for an informal gathering. Feel free to bring a friend/neighbor.

If you don't have a current Greenwich beach pass, we can arrange a ride from the church parking lot if you let

Car Westbrook know.

Questions? Contact Car Westbrook at carwestbrook@optimum.net

Faith Formation for Children

Church School

The 5 W’s of Church School at FCCOG

Who: Pre-K to 6th Grade.
What: Sunday morning classes that aim to use developmentally appropriate curriculum and teaching approaches to faith formation – through acts of service, relationship building and fun experiences.
When: During the Sunday morning worship hour, after the Children’s Message. Students will be guided to the back of the Meetinghouse, then walked to their appropriate classroom.
Where: Most often in the lower Undercroft of the church, occasionally depending on the lesson, we may meet in the Lounge or Auditorium!
Why: Because we believe it is our role as the church to show and teach the love of Jesus to all, including the youngest amongst us. We prioritize our children’s and youth ministries because we know that faith can impact and add so much to our lives, regardless of age. It is in time together, growing in faith and age, that we continue to understand what God and spirituality means to us personally

All Ages Worship

AAW is a Sunday morning experience for the whole family of faith to sing, pray, hear stories and partake in communion together.

Summer Office Hours

- COMMUNITY CORNER -

HAPPENINGS IN OUR FIRST CHURCH BUILDING

STICK YOGA: Saturday mornings, from 10.30 - 11.30 am

FREE TRIAL CLASS for members of First Church and after that $20 per class.

Bamboo stick yoga is a captivating fun way to explore stretching, balancing, conscious breathing and coordination, using a long light (bamboo) stick. It improves spatial awareness, posture, mobility and a mind-body connection, releasing stress. Supporting flexibility, stability and ease in our bodies, appropriate for any age. Some movements come from a Qigong method.

Please bring a yoga mat, and a yoga stick. You can purchase one online (e.g. the Karma Heart Yoga Stick), or make one, or use a broomstick. The stick should be approximately as tall as you. It could also be helpful to have a blanket if you like support for your head or knees. Email teacher Herma Hale for more information: hermahale@hotmail.com

TAI CHI: Monday or Thursday (with advance sign up). All monies go directly to First Church. Please sign-in before class.

Contact Will Morrison for more information: wdmorrison@gmail.com

Classes

Monday, 9:30 - Drop-in / Fundamentals Form

Thursday, 8:30 - Drop-in / Fundamentals Form

Please confirm your attendance in advance

New joiners:

Where: 108 Sound Beach Ave, Old Greenwich. Enter the church’s parking lot from Forest Avenue and park anywhere. Please give the parents dropping off their children lots of room.
Which entrance: Enter through the door labelled Church Offices noted by the arrow. Once inside, go up the stairs immediately to your left which lead directly to the Auditorium, where we will be playing.

REGULAR WEEKLY HAPPENINGS

Bring your little ones to church -

we completely EMBRACE them.

At First Church, we believe the way we welcome children in worship directly affects the way they respond to God, to the church, and to one another.

To welcome children as they are in worship, we have our PrayGround, located in the Chapel (front right side of the Meetinghouse), where children and others of all ages can engage in worship through movement, sensory materials, and prayerful play.

The presence of all God’s children is a gift to the church, which offers hope for all. Scan the QR code to access PrayGround FAQs and Helpful Tips.

GET YOUR FAMILY WEEKLY CHURCH SCHOOL &

RYM (REGIONAL YOUTH MINISTRY) NEWSLETTER

Using your smartphone camera, scan the QR code here to sign up for our weekly Family Ministry newsletter. You can read about Church School, Regional Youth Ministry, and more!

FCCOG VOLUNTEER SIGNUP CENTER -

One location for all volunteer sign ups!

We have consolidated all volunteer signups for all Committees and events at FCCOG. This will help Committees fill volunteer needs and will help volunteers easily signup for projects and events of interest.

There is a link on the FCCOG website homepage titled

FCCOG VOLUNTEER SIGN UP CENTER

This link will also be publicized in every Friday e-blast and the Sunday Bulletin. You can also access the Volunteer Signup Center by scanning this QR Code. Thank you so much for the time you give volunteering for First Church!

THE RUMMAGE ROOM

The Rummage Room is open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 am to 3 p.m., for shopping and to receive donations. Come and see us!

NEIGHBOR TO NEIGHBOR DONATIONS

Every donation directly helps those in need.

This basket is in the Meetinghouse near the front door, and donations can be dropped to the Church Office. Most needed items include canned meat, cereal, canned fruit, canned vegetables, and shelf-stable milk.

We have a sign-up-page to read scripture, usher, or read a call to offering. All of the previous individual pages are now combined in one, with tabs at the top of the page to flip between each signup.

Simply click on each to navigate to the appropriate signup. To access that signup, click here