First Presbyterian Church Annual Pledge Drive 2024:

Open Wide Our Hands in Sharing

Every fall we ask that members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Auburn make a financial pledge for the upcoming year - a promise to help financially support the operating budget of our church home.

This budget covers all aspects of our church’s life—from the daily operations of our buildings (electric, water, insurance, cleaning) to the salaries of our amazing ministers to the printing of worship bulletins.

The funding of this budget comes almost exclusively through the generosity of our congregation. When you make a pledge, you allow the session and church committees to plan their programs and missions for the upcoming year. Money paid to the church is tax deductible, and you will receive a Giving Statement quarterly from the church with your giving history.

A detailed description of the proposed 2024 budget can be found here:

And you can submit your pledge in any of the following ways: 

Online - visit https://www.fpcauburn.org/pledge to submit your pledge through our secure website link.

By Mail - those we have mailing information should have received a paper copy of our Time, Talent, and Financial Pledge form early this week. You are welcome to mail this form into the church at any time.

In Person - you may turn your pledge form into the church by placing it in the offering plate or Kathy Rushing's mailbox in the church reception room.

Please join us in praying together as we look forward with hope to how our gifts of time, talent, and treasure will support God's work through the ministries of FPC Auburn in 2024:

"Open wide our hands in sharing,

as we heed Christ's ageless call,

healing, teaching, and reclaiming,

serving you by loving all."

Join us for a dinner of barbecue and sides on Wednesday night, October 18. There is no need to bring anything except your appetite! Food will be served from 5:15-6pm for those who are coming from work. We look forward to this time of fellowship with our church family!

PW Circle Meeting CORRECTION!

Wednesday, Oct. 18

6:15 p.m.  Circle #4  Church, following Wednesday Night Church dinner

FPC Community Garden Update

Our garden had a wonderful season of production, with harvests that allowed us to contribute over 200 pounds of fresh produce to the Community Market. We grew tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peas, beans, peppers, eggplant, onions, garlic, basil, and flowers. Each delivery to the market was marked with excitement and gratitude. Thank you to Addy Steele for making so many of those deliveries! 

In addition to the bountiful harvests, we as church members have reaped the benefits of the garden through our weeding and planting gatherings. Working side by side digging holes, pulling weeds, and planting seeds stirred up more than just the dirt. We made new friends and “dug deeper” into existing friendships. Thank you for joining in! 

Many thanks especially to Beth Schwartz and Sarah Wolak who helped get us organized to plan and plant. Thank you to our consistent watering crew: Mike Williams, Mary Dalrymple, Carolyn Williams, Melanie Boecklen, Bob Cochran, Sarah Wolak, and Beth Schwartz. 

Currently, our garden is entering a “season of rest.” We value the contribution and connection to the Community Market but are challenged by all the responsibilities of faithfully tending a garden. We are considering our commitment to this mission as we plan for 2024, and we welcome new ideas or visions. 

I thank you for your willingness to help and your excitement for the mission of our garden. 

Love, 

Katie Forster

Elder, Mission Committee

Saturday, October 14 is our next opportunity to volunteer at the Community Market of East Alabama. 

Sign up to volunteer for all or part of a shift at the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/8050548A8A92CA3FC1-second#/

If you have never joined us for one of these volunteer sessions, it is a joyful way to serve in our community and make an important contribution to the work of this wonderful organization.

The Congregational Life Committee is planning to create a new pictorial directory. Sunday, sign up in the church narthex for dates in October to have your picture taken for the directory. If you have any questions please contact Nick Reed.

We Need Head Usher Volunteers! 

If you are willing to serve as a head usher on Sunday morning, please add your name to our Sign-Up Genius page. We are asking that folks try to take on a whole month; however, there are 2 slots available for each month. Please specify in the comments whether you can do the whole month or only a few dates. Any remaining dates can be filled by the person signing up for the second slot. If you are willing to be head usher but have never done it before, you can also request some help from an experienced head usher during your first week (and, there are written instructions in the narthex to provide reminders in case you're worried about forgetting some details!).

Please sign up at the following link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0D4EACA622A6FA7-44673551-head

This Week at FPC

October 15-21, 2023

Sunday

9:00 AM - Worship Service with Weekly Communion (Chapel)

9:30 AM - Coffee and Fellowship (Baird Hall)

9:45 AM - Sunday School for All Ages

11:00 AM - Worship Service with Communion (Sanctuary)

Bulletin for October 15 worship

Sunday Parking Map

5:00 PM - Jr./Sr. High Youth Dinner & Fellowship (Baird Hall)

5:30 PM - Stated Session Meeting

7:00 PM - UKirk Dinner and Bible Study (Student Center)

Trunk or Treat is October 29!

Come, decorate your trunk, and give out candy as our children go trunk or treating in the church parking lot (beginning at 5 p.m.). There will be a prize for Best-Decorated Trunk! 

Follow this link to reserve your parking spot!

Children and Youth News

Game Day Parking: Our parking lot will open at 11 a.m. on Saturday, October 21, and our UKirk students will be collecting $40/per car on a first-come, first-served basis. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. versus Ole Miss.

Children Pre-K through 5th grade

• Godly Play/Worship Readiness: After the Word to Grow By (at 11 a.m. worship), children ages 4 to 2nd grade will go to the Godly Play room to worship together for the remainder of the worship service.
• Acolytes! 3rd – 5th grade parents, click the link to sign your child up!
• Worship bags are available for all children during worship.

Jr. and Sr. High Youth

• This Saturday is our day to volunteer at the Food Bank! Jr. and Sr. High Youth meet at the church at 8:45 to ride the bus or meet us at the Food Bank at 9. We will finish around 11:45. Bring a friend!
• Confirmation Class will NOT meet this Sunday.
• Jr. and Sr. High Youth will meet this Sunday for dinner in Baird Hall at 5 and Youth Group in the Youth Lounge from 5:30-6:30.
• Jr/Sr High parents, if you haven’t yet, click the link below to volunteer to help park cars for one of the AU Football home games. The money raised helps to keep the cost of our summer retreats/conferences reasonable.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d44ada82faaf85-aufootball#/

Coming Soon - Mark Your Calendars!

Winter Children’s Retreat at Living River – November 9–11

Birthdays 

Oct. 16 - Jo Cooper (95th!), Kimberly Farr, Anne Leader

Oct. 20 - Emma Pope

Oct. 21 - Liz Greenleaf

Prayer Concerns & Celebrations

• We wanted to share the sad news with you all that Ed Lee Spencer passed away Thursday evening. Ed Lee was a caring person who faithfully served God by serving and caring for his church and his community. Prayers of comfort for Ruth, Spence, Steve, Sandra and all the family and close friends of Ed Lee as they grieve his death and celebrate his remarkable life. We will keep the congregation updated with arrangements for a funeral at the church.

• Prayers of healing for Donine Cooper as she navigates health issues. Donine is in great care and grateful to be having surgery in a few weeks. Prayers for Doug as he cares for her.

• Prayers of healing for Joan Duffet as she recovers at home from a successful procedure. 

• Prayers for Catherine Wolfe Riley’s father Ned. Ned found out this week he has a recurrence of cancer and will be undergoing treatment over the next few months. Prayers for Catherine as she cares for her father.

• Prayers of comfort for the Rev. Rachel Winter and all the Winter family as they grieve the death of Rachel's mother Patti Winter. There will be a funeral for Patti on Friday, October 27, at 2pm at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Vestavia Hills, AL.

• Prayers of healing for Elizabeth White’s brother Joe, who has been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and is seeking other ways of treatment. Prayers for Elizabeth as she cares for her brother from afar.

• Prayers of healing and rest for Beth Schwartz as she recovers at home from successful surgery.

• Prayers for Jim Foil and his family as they continue to manage Jim’s health.

• Prayers of healing and rest for Graves Lovell’s mother as she recovers from successful hip surgery. Prayers for Graves as he cares for his mother.

• Prayers of healing for Phil Garrett as he navigates health issues at home.

• Prayers of healing for Donna Yeager as she navigates significant back pain.

• Please continue to pray for many members of our church who are dealing with illness, significant health issues, grief, and difficult circumstances but at this time do not wish to be mentioned by name. Prayers of healing, wholeness, and comfort for many in our congregation.

• Prayers of healing for Doug Klinkenborg as he recovers from successful surgery.

• Prayers of healing for Daniel Johnson and his mother as they recover at home after successful kidney donation. 

• Prayers of healing and rest for Donna Yeager’s mother, Patsy Yeager, as she navigates health issues.

• Prayers healing and comfort for Sarah Wolak’s mother, Susan French. Prayers of comfort and strength for Sarah and all her family as they care for her mother.

• Continued prayers of healing for Chris Greer. We especially pray for good healing and rest as Chris recovers from successful treatments. We continue to rejoice with Chris because the latest scans show no sign of cancer. We are so grateful the chemotherapy treatments have been successful. Chris will continue a plan of treatment for the upcoming months. 

• Continued prayers for Jesse Joiner’s mother, Ann Joiner, after her hip surgery. 

• Continued prayers of healing for Susan Stanley’s sister Ginger Hester. Ginger has been receiving treatments for health issues. Prayers for healing for Ginger and prayers of thanksgiving for all those who are caring for her. Prayers for Susan as she cares for her sister.

• Prayers for Brooke Myers as she cares for her father, Charlie Myers. Charlie is recovering from a fall and has moved to Morningside.

• Prayers of healing for Todd White’s sister-in-law Patty. Patty is improving and walking.

• Prayers of healing for Debbie Duin’s friend, Ann Suttles, who is undergoing chemotherapy for cancer.

• Prayers of healing for Carolyn William’s sister Beverly Huey as she navigates health issues. Prayers for Carolyn as she cares for her sister.

• Prayers for Amy Kilner and her family (daughter in law of Dorothy Moran). Amy is in need of a kidney transplant and is currently looking for a donor.