Sunday, January 21, 2024

11:00 a.m. - Worship

Esther Hethcox, preaching

Sunday, January 28 2024

11:00 a.m. - Worship

Mindy, Douglas, preaching

FAITH FORMATION

FOR CHILDREN

THEME:

Flourishing In Faith.  

Age-graded classes for children are being offered. Children meet at 9:45 on the second floor of the Christian education building.

CHILDREN'S MUSIC . . .

is held on Sunday mornings during the faith formation hour in the Godly Playroom (second floor, Christian Education building) from 9:45-9:55 a.m. Come learn new songs and sing some old favorites. Don't be late!

Faith & Community Class

Sundays, 9:45-10:45 a.m.

in Watts-Hill Hall

 January 21– An exploration of how Reformed Theology understands gender, inclusion, and possible action.  All are welcome. 

Lectionary Class

(meets year-round)

Lectionary Class: Join us each Sunday at 9:45 in the Robert Daye (East) Parlor for discussion of the lectionary readings.

Journeys Class

In life and in death,

we belong to God.

Contact Andy Henry or Eric Wiebe to learn more.

MnMs (Meaning in the Middle) Fellowship

We meet via Zoom at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evenings. The Zoom link is sent each week to those on the listserv. To learn more about this group, contact Mary Berry or Emily Diy.

New 5-week Study

from Psalms

SAVE THESE DATES

February 4, 11, 18, 25

and March 3

Led by Susan Dunlap

Sundays, 9:45 - 10:45 a.m.

in the basement parlor.

A Call for Ushers

 If you are interested in serving as head usher or being on-call for ushering duties, especially on the first and second Sundays of the month, please contact Esther Hethcox (e.hethcox@firstpres-durham.org or 540-316-1548). Instructions are available.

FPC Hosting

Blood Drive

February 1, 2024

1:00-6:00 p.m. at FPC

in Watts-Hill Hall

FPC contact/organizer: 

Julie Whiddon

Email: foxylady2642@yahoo.com

Phone number: 919-730-6673

Sign up online to donate blood at RedCrossBlood.org using code: firstpres or contact Julie Whiddon. For more information on donating blood, pick up a brochure from the table in the church foyer or narthex.

FPC’s Chancel Choir has two members who sing with Vox Virorum. You are invited to the concert and to join the

Friend of Vox

program fundraiser.

Link for donations:

 http://www.voxvirorum.org/?page_id=224.

Volunteers needed for

PIT COUNT of our unsheltered neighbors

FPC’s Service & Mission Committee is seeking volunteers from the church to help count the unsheltered in our community. Each year, Durham seeks to capture the number of individuals experiencing homelessness in the area and better understand their needs. Join us on January 24, 2024, as a Point-in-Time (PIT) Count Volunteer. Every person you count brings us one step closer to understanding and addressing homelessness in our community.

We're assembling teams, each led by experienced team leaders. Training dates and event details will be emailed directly to you upon signup. Your commitment on January 24th ignites positive change for our vulnerable neighbors. Signup at this link: https://durham24.pointintime.info/.

Congratulations to First Presbyterian Day School for becoming Nationally Accredited!

What is NAEYC Accreditation?

A NAEYC Accreditation of Early Learning Programs have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study and continuous quality improvement.

The link below provides an overview of Accreditation and the benefits it has for children, families, and educators.

https://www.naeyc.org/accreditation/early-learning/interested

Concerns:

• Caroline Rourk is undergoing hip surgery this week.
• Susan Cyr, recovering from surgery at Duke Medical Center
• Mal King
• Diane Lesman
• Lausane Walter, lifelong friend of Carolyn Ragans, has a cancer diagnosis (lives in Florida).
• Emily Wilson, daughter-in-law of Chuck & Jean Wilson, is undergoing chemotherapy.



Additional concerns here.

************

CONFIRMATION

The following youth are participating in the 2023-2024 Confirmation Class:

• Izzy Allison-Pleasants
• Kirby Blackwood
• Noah Dillon
• Ellie Everett
• Leone Mbugua.

. . . to Esther Hethcox for organizing a Litty Lunch for The Somethings on January 7th at Bull City Burger, where friends chatted about Epiphany and the Baptism of our Lord.

... to David and Judy Smith who shared a slide show of birding photos taken on a trip to Taiwan on January 7th at the church.

Dear FPC members,

We are so grateful for all the love, support, and encouragement that you have given the Emanuel Food Pantry for the past almost 4 years. Most recently, we are most thankful that you allocated half of the Christmas Eve offering for the food pantry. Every single donation makes a big difference in our ability to continue to provide healthy food to families in need. Since April 2020, we have served 104,000 families, equivalent to about 470,000 individuals. Volunteers have logged 30,000 hours. That’s a lot to be proud of! Your generosity of time and finances has helped make this ministry possible. It is never too late to get involved, as the number of food-insecure families in our community is unacceptably high. Together, we can make a difference and share God’s love in this most practical of ways.

Find out more on our website — emanuelfoodpantry.org. 

Muchas gracias!

Margaret & Miguel Rubiera

2024 Pledge Update

As of January 16, 2024

Pledges: 180

Amount: $989,090.52

Percentage of Goal: 92.29

Pledge Goal: $1,071,766.00

Needed: $82,675.48

Your pledge of support for 2024 allows our Session to plan the budget for the year. If you have not yet had a chance to make your pledge, you can do so here. If you have already shared your pledge with us, please accept our gratitude for your 2024 support!

Jon Abels, chairperson

Stewardship Committee

BOOK GROUP

The Things That Matter Book Group is scheduled to meet at 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 23 at the home of Kathy Parkins. We will discuss “This Here Flesh” by Cole Arthur Riley.

Nora Tisdale, herself an author of nine books and former homiletics professor at Yale, and all-round fun person will lead the discussion.

Cole Arthur Riley

comes to Durham

Cole Arthur Riley is the author of the NYT bestseller, 

This Here Flesh: Spirituality, Liberation, and the Stories that Make Us. Her writing has been featured in The Atlantic, Guernica, and The Washington Post. Cole is also the creator and writer of Black Liturgies, a project that integrates spiritual practice with black emotion, black literature, and the black body. Events are free. Please register for each event.

Friday, February 16

2:00-3:30 p.m.

Miller Morgan Auditorium, NCCU Campus

Use this link to register for this event: https://peacehillavila.org/event/dignity-justice-and-joy-holding-on-to-our-dignity-in-challenging-times/.



7:00-8:30 p.m.

 Mt. Level Missionary

Baptist Church, Durham

A book signing will follow this presentation. Use this link to register for this event: https://peacehillavila.org/event/dignity-justice-and-joy-holding-on-to-our-dignity-in-challenging-times-2/.

Tuesday, January 23

11:30 a.m.

Join Day Timers at Bennett Pointe Grill

Saturday, January 27

10:00 a.m.

First Friends

Hike and Coffee

Meet at 381 Continental Dr

for a 2-mile hike 

followed by coffee

at Cocoa Cinnamon.

Sign up on this EVITE.

FPC’s Racial Equity Task Force invites everyone at FPC to mark Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday this year with a week of special events involving Ms. Rosita Stevens-Holsey. “Ms. Rosita” is the president of Preserving Pauli Murray, LLC, which she founded to enhance the legacy of her aunt, Reverend Dr. Pauli Murray. Durham knows Pauli Murray as our saint, who demanded justice and equal treatment in her work as writer, activist, attorney, and an Episcopal priest. Her work literally helped launch the civil rights and women's rights movements. More about Rosita Stevens-Holsey here.

You are invited to meet Ms. Rosita Stevens-Holsey at all of these events:

·       Wednesday, January 17, 7pm to 8:30 p.m. -  FPC is co-hosting a conversation about Pauli Murray with Ms. Rosita Stevens-Holsey and Angela Thorpe, Executive Director of the Pauli Murray Center. It will be at Eno River Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 4907 Garrett Road in Durham.

·       Thursday, January 18, 1:00 p.m. – There will be a conversation with Ms. Rosita at Durham Center for Senior Life’s auditorium, 406 Rigsbee Ave, Durham.

Please bring your friends and join us in these special opportunities to hear unique insights from someone who was closely connected to Pauli Murray and her importance in the history of the USA and Durham in fighting for equality for everyone!