FPC Bi-Weekly Newsletter 11-14-23

First Presbyterian Church

Bi-Weekly Newsletter

November 14, 2023

Issue 23

IN THIS ISSUE . . .

Pastoral Letter

Joys / Concerns

Worship

Faith Formation

Fellowship Events

Service and Mission Opportunities

LINKS and SIGN-UPS

Flowers for Worship 2023

Office volunteers - open dates

Pastoral Letter - John Weicher

Gratitude doesn’t have a liturgical season. We’ve just come through the back-to-back Sundays of remembering our Reformed tradition and celebrating the saints who have come before us. And we’re peeking around the corner to the expectant waiting of Advent and the joyous, late-night incarnation of Christ at Christmas. We even have Christ the King Sunday popping up after Thanksgiving, because kingship is a theological category with which we need to spend more time. Apparently.

But the church calendar doesn’t contain the five Sundays of Thank-Vent. There are no orange paraments and stoles to remind us of the fruit of the land and the ubiquity of pumpkin. The worship committee never puts out Granny Smith Apple-green candles. (But if they did, how lovely would the sanctuary smell?)

This time of year, I often sense this glaring gap in the liturgical rhythm of church life. But maybe that’s because I have it backwards. All of the things I associate with gratitude this time of year come the way our culture – my culture – celebrates Thanksgiving and harvest. As I puzzled over the best jokes to write into that second paragraph (I know you’re still chuckling about “Thank-Vent”), I could only draw images from this November time of life in America. There’s a secular-ness to all of this, isn’t there?

Now, to be clear, gratitude is a deeply theological concept. Thanksgiving, even when we strip away its sometimes-difficult history associated, has clear religious dimensions. So do harvest, fruitfulness and the changing of the seasons.

But gratitude doesn’t just live in November. Its color isn’t uniquely orange. It doesn’t only taste like cranberry sauce. Indeed, it tastes like bread and grape juice. Its color is the marble of our baptismal font and the clear sparkle of its water in the light. Gratitude is a year-round dimension of our faith. We live into every time we hear the Assurance of Pardon and take it into our hearts. We practice it every time we put money in the plate or click on the Donate page of the website. We are reminded of it not just in the changing of the leaves but the changing of the sky, from dark to light and light to dark, tinged with purples and yellows and whatever color is between pink and orange.

Perhaps it is in November when the rest of our culture catches up with our faith just a bit and remembers that gratitude is a thing. So if we are particularly grateful these days – if we are thankfulness-forward – let be something that guides us when the seasons do change, when the leaves fall away and there are rumors of snow. As the old hymn says, “In the Lord, I’ll be ever thankful. In the Lord, I will rejoice…”

The church office will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday and Friday, November 23-24. The church staff wishes everyone a happy and safe Thanksgiving holiday observance.

This event is the first product of the antisemitism training that Esther Hethcox attended with other Durham faith communities back in September. All are encouraged to attend this evening's event.

Sunday, November 19

33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time

11:00 a.m. - Worship

Esther Hethcox, preaching

Sunday, November 26

11:00 a.m.

Worship & Holy Communion

Mindy Douglas, preaching

FAITH FORMATION

FOR CHILDREN

THEME:

Flourishing In Faith.

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

CHILDREN'S MUSIC . . .

is held on Sunday mornings in the Godly Play room (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!

Attention parents: We have an exciting event coming up on December 17th at 5:00 p.m. --the annual Christmas Pageant. We are trying something new this year: a giant Shadow Box drama. Sign-up to help with this event. We will meet for two Saturday mornings to get everything ready for the Pageant.

Faith & Community Class

9:45-10:45 a.m.

in Watts-Hill Hall

The Faith & Community class is taking an extensive look at the issues of affordable housing and gentrification. To help us, we’re bringing in folks from local government officials to Durham CAN, from developers to organizations that rebuild homes, and definitely a good delegation of FPCers.

Nov. 19 – Responses
Nov. 26 – Hope & Faith Moving Forward.

Lectionary Class

(meets year-round)

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

November 19: The prophet Zephaniah warns that the day of the Lord will be “a day of wrath, ruin, and devastation,” and Paul warns that it will come “like a thief in the night.” What can we do to ensure that we are not “thrown into the outer darkness”?

November 26 (Reign of Christ): We pray “Thy kingdom come,” but what does it mean for God to act as a ruler? Do we have any earthly sovereigns to look to as examples, or is the reign of God something completely different?

Journeys Class

Journeys (through January)…

In life and in death, we belong to God.

Over the next few months, the Journeys class will take an earnest look at death and dying, particularly from a Christian perspective. This week (November 19) Mindy will join us at the beginning of our class to give us the framework for the Reformed Christian theological perspective on death and dying.

Contact Andy Henry or Eric Wiebe for more info.

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 listserve. To learn more about this group, contact Mary Berry or Emily Diy.

No faith formation classes for Middle and High School youth this weekend (November 17-19). Youth are on retreats and will return on Sunday afternoon.

The Season of Advent begins December 3

ADVENT FESTIVAL & ALTERNATIVE GIFTS FAIR

9:45 a.m.

in Watts-Hill Hall

for children and youth

and following worship

for everyone else

Advent devotional materials can be picked up
Advent activities provided for children and youth
Purchase alternative gifts from mission partners
Enjoy light refreshments

ADVENT ACTIVITIES

December 8 Vocal Arts Ensemble in Concert (sanctuary, 7:30 p.m.)
December 9 Durham Holiday Parade (Watch from sanctuary steps, 10:00 a.m.)
December 17 Advent Lessons & Carols (sanctuary, 11:00 a.m.)
Children’s Christmas Pageant (sanctuary, 5:00 p.m.)
All-Church Potluck (Watts-Hill Hall, following the pageant) followed by a Carols Sing-Along

BIRTH ANNOUNCEMENT

Congratulations to Barbara Buckley and Scott Randell on the birth of another grandchild. Silas Damweber was born October 25th in Durham. His parents are Rachel Randell and Zach Damweber. His older brother is Ezra Damweber.

CONCERNS:

Lee House and his family are at Philadelphia Children's Hospital for Lee's surgery this week.
Franzi Rokoske is preparing for abdominal surgeries.

Click HERE to see additional concerns.

LOST AND FOUND

Are you missing a neck chain? One was found in the sanctuary recently and no one has asked about it. To claim it, simply contact Valerie in the church office (919-682-5511 x 215) and describe it. Other found items are placed in a basket on the upper level of the foyer by the elevator.

2024 Stewardship Campaign

We wish to thank all of those who have submitted their pledges. For those who haven’t yet done so, please submit your pledge as soon possible so we can finalize our Needs Budget for 2024. You can pledge online, by mail, or drop form off at the church.

2024 Pledge Update

As of 11/14/23

# Pledges ---------------------141

Amount --------- $833,795.00

Percentage of Goal------ 77.8

Pledge Goal ----$1,071,766.00

Needed------------$237,971.00

Thank you to those of you who donated blood at our community blood drive earlier this month. We had 14 donors. Our next blood drive will be February 1, 2024.

FPC's

Thriving Congregations Committee presents . . .

Shop at Bull City Fair Trade Market and support FPC's

Walk-in Ministry

Here is an opportunity to get some holiday shopping started, to help provide a living wage to people living in over 40 different countries and support the work of our Walk-in Ministry. This Sunday, November 19, from 12 noon – 5:00 p.m., Bull City Fair Trade will be open to members and friends of First Presbyterian Church (FPC) to shop and enjoy light refreshments. Ten percent of the intake during that time will be donated to our church to be used for the Walk-in Ministry.

Please mention our church when you check out. The store’s address is 811 9^thStreet, about 10 minutes from FPC. There is a parking lot next to the store as well as on-street parking.

Bull City Fair Trade (originally named One World Market) has been in Durham for 31 years as the only store that adheres to fair trade principles. Learn more about Bull City Fair Trade at: Bullcityfairtrade.com.

Sunday, November 19

3:00 p.m. in the FPC sanctuary

The Piano Performance Team is a unique group of 3-6 piano students from North Carolina selected by audition each year. It was created to give talented young pianists various opportunities to perform as well as to provide a community outreach program in the arts.

The program will last about an hour. It is free and open to the public.

Pauli Murray

Video Showing

Last showing

November 17 at 2:00 p.m.

at the home of Anna Blair.

Durham Habitat dedicates home in honor of

Sam Miglarese

The Duke-Congregation at Duke Chapel and First Presbyterian sponsored a habitat home-build that is now ready for occupancy. The home dedication will take place on Saturday, November 18 at 3:30 p.m. at 106 N. Plum Street. Join us there as we celebrate with Sam and the Abdus-Salaam family.

The Racial Equity Task Force will meet again on Sunday, December 10 following worship.

The Urban Ministries Clothes closet needs clothing to restock and continually stock their garments. A box has been set up in the narthex for any donations you can make. Jancy Johnstone will pick these up on Thursdays mornings and take them to Urban Ministries. Please think about us when you are cleaning your closets.

We need:

Men’s: pants, shirts, t-shirts, jackets or coats, and shoes. (We are always short of men’s pants, waists: 30, 32, 34, and 36 pants)
Women’s: pants, shirts, jackets or coats, shoes, and bras.
Children’s: pants, shirts, jackets or coats, and shoes.
General use: backpacks, blankets, hats, mittens, or gloves.

Clothes should be clean, and free of stains and visible defects.

We cannot take dry clean only clothing or used underwear or socks. We provide new under garments to everyone.

Opportunities for Serving our Community!

The Emanuel Learning Center offers one-on-one tutoring two evenings a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:45 - 7:00 p.m. Contact Mimi Dunn for more information.

The Emanuel Food Pantry always has room for more volunteers and supporters. Sign up at this link to find a spot for yourself on one of our shifts.

English as a Second Language classes for adults! Classes are scheduled to begin November 2nd. Classes for women will be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m., and for men on Tuesdays from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. Lead teachers and assistant teachers are needed. To learn more, contact Alicia Baucom at baudomalicia@yahoo.com, or 910 545-2640.