Friday, August 11, 2023 Newsletter
SUMMER WORSHIP
10:00 a.m.
In the Sanctuary
(in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website)
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A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. LINDSEY ALTVATER-CLIFTON: LEARNING THE LANDSCAPE
Greetings, friends!
This Sunday, we have our last Linger & Learn of the summer. Following worship, we’ll be welcoming Pamela Cho, Vice President of Early Learning Resource Centers for Community Services for Children, to learn more about the challenges and opportunities around affordable, accessible childcare.
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This will be offered live in the Sanctuary, and also livestreamed on Facebook and our website (the livestreamed service will be ended, and then we’ll start another livestream for the Linger & Learn).
While Pam and I will share more on Sunday, I thought I might offer a few notable pieces of data here as a starting point:
- In 2022, workers in Pennsylvania’s childcare industry earned $556/week on average. That’s a wage of $13.90/hour. In Northampton County, the median wage was even lower: $11.84/hour.
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In 100% of the 67 Pennsylvania counties, earnings for childcare workers failed to meet the cost of living. In other words, earnings are not sufficient to cover basic necessities like housing, transportation, food, and childcare.
- Approximately 21% of early childhood educators in our state relied on SNAP benefits and 21% were insured by Medicaid. (This is the case even though most have a college education.)
- As a result of these economic challenges, Pennsylvania's childcare system has a staffing shortage resulting in more than 35,500 children sitting on wait lists, which can make it difficult for families to find reliable, quality care, and to work.
- Another challenge for parents is the cost of childcare: in 2022, the median cost of childcare in PA was $339/week per child. At that rate, the annual cost for one child is $17,628. Those costs are often higher for infants and toddlers than for preschoolers and higher at top quality programs as well, with a maximum cost of $894/week.
As you can imagine, these economic realities are incredibly challenging for working families with children, especially those with single parents or aging grandparents as the heads of household. The impact is even more acute when combined with our area’s high housing costs, as well.
We have a great deal to learn about the landscape around this particular community need, and I’m eager for us to continue exploring how we might have a positive impact!
Forward together, y’all.
Lindsey
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This week’s sermon: An Invitation to Transformation by the Rev. Dr. Ginny Smith
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We post the video of each week’s services and sermon text on our website: fpc-bethlehem.org
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TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper for Sunday
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FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
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Child care will be available from 9:45 - 11:15 a.m. this Sunday morning; please ask an usher for directions.
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Your children are a joy in our worship services, and should the need arise, “kid bags” are available for their use. They are in the Narthex.
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We offer nametags for folks to wear – these are for everyone! You can pick up as you enter the worship space; please clearly PRINT your first name.
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WELCOME TO OUR PULPIT: THE REV. DR. GINNY SMITH |
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Last week she assisted with our Sunday worship service, and this week she will be in the pulpit as our guest preacher – let’s welcome the Rev. Dr. Virginia Smith.
Ginny is retired Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) clergy and a member of Lehigh Presbytery. She and her husband, the Rev. Dr. Richard W. Smith, moved to Kirkland Village last September from the Syracuse, NY area and began attending FPCB. She and Dick recently joined our ministry team as Parish Associates.
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LEMONADE ON THE LAWN
Our hospitality time, “Lemonade on the Lawn” is on pause for this week due to “Linger & Learn” after worship.
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We are looking for other groups or families to take on the hosting duties. Basically, you will need to provide a few treats to eat and to get the beverages, cups and napkins, ice, and coolers out of the church kitchen. Clean-up is as simple as returning those items to the kitchen.
We have openings for August 27 and September 3.
It doesn’t have to be a “formal” group, like a
K group or the choir – it can be a family or group of friends.
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It’s easy to sign up on this online form or call the church office at 610-867-5865. We’ll also have a paper sign-up form at each event. |
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ANOTHER GREAT 'LUNCH BUNCH' GATHERING!
Since everyone had such a great time at the last event, another has been scheduled for Thursday, August 17 at Water St. Park, 90 W. Water St. in Hellertown. The parking is much better and the walkways are flat.
Bring your bagged lunch and drinks to stay hydrated, and enjoy the fellowship! All are welcome!
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LEHIGH VALLEY PRIDE IS COMING: SUNDAY, AUGUST 20
The Rev. Suzanne Trump
We are excited to be once again be joining some of our local Presbyterian colleagues to have an “expansively welcoming” presence at the 30th anniversary of the Lehigh Valley Pride Festival. For 30 years people in the Lehigh Valley have gathered to celebrate our sisters and brothers who are part of our LGBTQ+ community.
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Two things are new this year. First, the Pride Festival will be held on Sunday, August 20 from 2 - 8:30 p.m. at The SteelStacks on the south side of Bethlehem, and will feature free admission.
Second, in addition to partnering with our siblings in faith from First Presbyterian Church of Allentown, we will have a second booth and be joined by members of Faith Presbyterian Church in Emmaus and College Hill Presbyterian Church in Easton.
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All this promises that our celebration of Pride will be bigger and better and reach more people! So to do this we need your help: we have around 10 volunteer slots for 90-minute shifts to staff the booth with an expansively welcoming presence.
We also have openings to help set up the booth and take it down after the event. If you can help, please contact Suzanne at strump@fpc-bethlehem.org or the church office at info@fpc-bethlehem.org. Also please come down and join the celebration - all are truly welcome.
Prior to the Pride Festival there will be an opportunity to gather in an interfaith time of worship and praise on Saturday, August 19, at 8 p.m. at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, 522 Maple St., Allentown. On Sunday, August 20 there will be a flag raising in Easton at 9 a.m. and a parade in Allentown at 11 a.m.
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OUR ENDOWMENT FUNDS AT WORK |
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First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem is fortunate to have many endowed funds available to support our ministries, and individuals in our church community. Michael Henriquez (right) is the recipient of funding from the Barry Brandt Memorial Scholarship Fund, to support his college expenses. He shares:
Thank you for all the financial support you gave me for my senior year at Pratt Institute of Art. Attending Pratt was a dream come true. It was one of the best risks I have ever taken. I have completed my B.F.A. in Graphic Design with a minor in Gender and Sexual Studies. I am now interning at McCann World Group, one of the largest, most successful advertising agencies worldwide.
I was awarded the Marcio Moreira McCann Fellowship and Pratt Social Justice Award of 2023. They selected one candidate to intern for McCann, and luckily, after all my hard work and support from the church, they chose me.
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I spend every morning fighting my tears on the train – don’t worry, they’re good tears. Tears of happiness, triumph and most importantly, gratitude. The support I received from the church has allowed me to save my own earnings to afford the apartment I am living in and worry less about my student loans.
Thank you for selecting me as the recipient for the Barry Brandt Scholarship and aiding me in my dreams. I feel unstoppable – and this is only the beginning.
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CHILD CARE HELP NEEDED
Our Sunday morning Child Care program is hiring! We are looking for workers to provide care during Sunday morning worship services, to kiddos infant to age 5. Knowledge about littles, and experience working with them is a plus.
The summer shifts run from 9:45-11:15 a.m.; from September-May it is from 8:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m. (in the summer the workers are paid for the full 3.5 hour shift).
Clearances are required (the church will pay for these), and they must be at least 18 years old. The starting pay is $14, and employees cannot be church members.
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CARE CONCERNS AND HOSPITAL VISITS
If you are hospitalized, please tell the hospital our church code is 724. Also, please call the church office at 610-867-5865 to let us know as the hospitals do not always collect this information. After hours, leave a message or call our answering service at 610-778-7003.
PRAYER REQUESTS...
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**Deadline for the next week's newsletter:
WEDNESDAY at noon**
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Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
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TO JOIN OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP SERVICE
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Visit our Facebook page and look for the post with our live feed
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If you don’t have a Facebook account, go to our website to view the service - click on the "Watch the Service" button
- Please check in with a comment so we know you’ve joined us!
- Captions will now be available on our livestream, for those who would like to use that feature
To watch a video – available after the services have aired: Visit our website archives
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THIS SUNDAY
- 9:45-11:15 a.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
- 10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship, in-person in the Sanctuary and livestream on Facebook Live and our website
- 11:15 a.m.: Linger & Learn opportunity; Sanctuary and livestream on Facebook Live and our website
WEDNESDAYS: 7 p.m. - Overcomer’s Outreach Christian 12 Step Recovery Group weekly meeting, via Zoom.com (NEW! meeting #: 868 2214 2960; passcode: OO-Beth)
CHURCH OFFICE AND BUILDING INFO:
Regular office hours are Monday - Thursday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Many of the office staff are working remotely for some of the time, so please make an appointment if you need to see someone specific. The answering service (610-778-7003) can take your urgent pastoral concerns, 24 hours a day.
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Look for updates on our website (fpc-bethlehem.org), Facebook page, and WFMZ (channel 69 and wfmz.com). We will also put the info on our church phone message, 610-867-5865.
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM |
First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 | info@fpc-bethlehem.org
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