The season of Lent is upon us. This year's theme, "Grounded," offers us opportunities to nourish our faith lives using our hands, hearts, and minds in service to Jesus Christ.

Many thank you to all who joined us for the Second Saturday volunteer event at the Community Market! We have two more opportunities this spring (April 9 and May 14). Shifts are from 9 a.m.-12 p.m., but even if you can only come for part of the time you are welcome and encouraged to join us!

Here you will find a daily devotional calendar to ground your days in God's Word through scripture and prayer. Printed copies of this calendar are available at each entrance to the sanctuary.

Beginning this Sunday, March 20 in Baird Hall at 9:45am we will offer a four week Sunday School series: Grounded in God's Creation. In this time we will explore creation in Psalms and Genesis, reflect on the "wilds" of the Lenten season in Proverbs, and anticipate the hope of Easter’s new creation in Romans and Revelation.

Details on each of these opportunities can be found at www.fpcauburn.org/lent

If you would like to order a lily to be placed in our sanctuary on Easter Sunday, you may fill out a paper form (available in the narthex) or complete this Google form by Sunday, April 10. Checks may be mailed to the church office or placed in the collection plate on Sundays (please do NOT include on same check as pledge payments - thank you!). If a plant is given in your honor (or memory of a family member), please take it home after the 11:00 a.m. Easter service.

Join us Saturday, March 26, 8:00am to 12:00pm, for our FPC Spring work day. We will be sprucing up the courtyard and will have lots of other projects around the church for everyone. If you can make it, please email Nick Reed and let him know. Feel free to bring your own work gloves, and other tools you think might be useful.

9 a.m. - Worship with communion in the sanctuary

9:45 a.m. - Sunday School

11 a.m. - Worship in the sanctuary

Please email Dr. Damion Womack if you are interested! 

We are excited to once again be able to enjoy a time of refreshment and fellowship following worship! If you would like to volunteer to host a Sunday Punch-on-the-Lawn, you may sign up here. For more information about volunteering, please contact Kirstin Yost at at kmyost97@gmail.com or 910-309-1625.

On Wednesday, March 2, at a called meeting of the Session, the elders present unanimously approved the following recommendation from the COVID Task Force:

That there no longer be any Covid-related restrictions to church activities at FPC Auburn with the following two exceptions:

Masks shall be required

1. For the 9 am worship service.

2. For any person working with children under the age of 5.

Additional notes:

• Small groups within the church (e.g. Sunday School classes, PW circles, the choir) may decide among themselves whether or not to mask as they gather.

• The Covid Task Force will not meet again until convened by a pastor.

• We will continue to provide a virtual option for the 11 am worship service.

• We will keep the mask requirement at the 9 am worship service through Easter and will then reevaluate.

The task force also found this article helpful and suggests this information be shared both with the session and congregation:

"If you are vaccinated, boosted, and wearing a well-fitted N95 or similar indoors, 'your risk is extremely low,' says Joseph Allen, a COVID and ventilation expert at Harvard.”

We continue to be grateful for the wisdom of our task force members and the faithful discernment of our session elders. It is with faith and hope that we move into the Lenten season and this next phase of our communal life together.

We are returning to a physical, in-person sign-up sheet for Sanctuary flowers! The sign-up sheet is located outside of the receptionist’s office in the main church office building. If you had previously signed up for a date using the SignUp Genius webpage, your name has already been transferred to the new paper sign-up sheet on the appropriate date.

If you are unable to sign up in person, you may also contact Sarah Wolak at 334-728-7853 to sign up for a date. You are welcome to split the cost with another family-- just be sure to write both names on the line. The cost of the flowers has been increased to $50 per arrangement, not including tax and delivery fee. As before, you are welcome to bring the arrangements home after the service, or to leave them to be delivered to other members of the congregation.

Children Pre-K through 5th grade

•  This Sunday at 2pm in Baird Hall is the Lent/Easter craft workshop for children Pre-K through 5th grade. There will be card making, wooden cross painting, and a mission project to help support the church’s community garden plot. Hope to see you there!

•  Parents of 2nd through 5th graders: Don’t forget to click the link below and sign your child up to be an acolyte!

•   VBS will be June 20-23. More details to come!!!

•   The nursery is available from 9 a.m. until noon on Sunday mornings for children birth to age 3.

•   Godly Play: After the Word to Grow By (at 11 a.m. worship), children ages 4 to 1st Grade will go to the Godly Play room to worship together for the remainder of the worship service.

•   Children’s Sunday school meets Sunday from 9:45 – 10:45 upstairs in the children’s classrooms.

•   Worship bags are also available for all children during worship.

•   Masks are required indoors for children 3-5, as well as all adults working with them.

Jr. and Sr. High Youth

•   The deadline to register for the following retreat and conferences is Sunday, April 3. An email was sent earlier this week with registration forms and information. Contact Chris Sarkowski if you have any questions.

- the Montreat Youth Conference for rising 9th graders through graduated seniors will be July 10-16, 2022

- the Montreat Middle School Conference for rising 6th through rising 8th graders will be July 20-24, 2022

- the Charleston Youth Mission Trip for Jr. and Sr. High Youth will be June 5-10, 2022

•   Jr. and Sr. High Sunday school meets Sunday from 9:45-10:45 in the Sr. High room.

•   Confirmation class will meet at 3pm in the Sr. High Room

•   Meals are back on Sunday nights!!! Jr. and Sr. High Youth will share a meal together beginning this Sunday. The new schedule is as follows:

---------Jr. High Youth – 4 to 5pm

---------Dinner – 5 to 5:30 pm

---------Sr. High Youth – 5:30 to 6:30 pm

Cost is $3 per youth. See you Sunday!

Birthdays

March 22 - Margaret Craig-Schmidt, Addison Ragan

March 26 - Wheeler Garrett, Alex Kaeppler

Anniversaries

March 20 - Barry & Mary Burkhart

March 24 - Henry & Shirley Helmke