FPC News This Week

"Grounded"

The Season of Lent 2022 at FPC

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.

Ground our HANDS

GARDENING

Whether you are a seasoned pro or a brand new beginner, we would love to have members of all ages help with watering and weeding our FPC Community Garden as we head into spring. The Mission Committee is working hard on coordinating a schedule for the next several months. If you have not already signed up and would like to, please contact Elder Katie Forster at forster306@charter.net or (334)329-9672.

COMMUNITY MARKET

We have two more opportunities this spring (April 9 and May 14) to volunteer at the Community Market. 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! All ages are encouraged to participate - if you have a child under the age of 12, please be sure they have a grown up accompanying them!

Ground our HEARTS

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.

Ground our MINDS

Continuing this Sunday, in Baird Hall at 9:45 a.m., is our Lenten 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

Maundy Thursday Soup and Chili Dinner Sign Up

The Congregational Life Committee invites you to gather for a meal prior to this year's Maundy Thursday worship service. Dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the service will start at 6:15 p.m.

We will need volunteers to help with our pot-luck style dinner! Please sign up here and let us know what type of soup or chili you plan to bring. If it would be helpful to bring your soup in a crockpot earlier in the day, you are welcome to do so!

No time to prep a soup or chili? You can also sign up to bring bread, rolls, or cookies to be enjoyed with the soup. Thank you so much for helping provide this opportunity for our church family!

If you have any questions, please contact Karen Cochran (rhc1716@gmail.com) or Kirstin Yost (kmyost97@gmail.com).

Early Worship Service Returns to the Chapel

At its stated March meeting earlier this week, the FPC Session voted to have the 9 a.m. worship service return to gathering in the chapel. We look forward to seeing our early service-goers there!

Everyone's favorite time of the year is here! Join us in the courtyard following the 11 a.m. worship service for a time of fellowship and refreshment. Greet your neighbors, introduce yourself to visitors, and enjoy God's creation as we spend time together in community.

Volunteers are needed to serve punch throughout the spring and summer months. Please see this sign up link to reserve your date - you will be contacted ahead of time with details about setup and clean up. For more information about volunteering, please contact Kirstin Yost at at kmyost97@gmail.com or 910-309-1625.

Our friends at Becoming the Beloved Community at Auburn University have invited FPC members and friends to attend the above events. A more detailed outline of opportunities to participate can be found at the following link: www.becomingthebelovedcommunity.com

Easter Lilies

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 in memory of a family member), please take it home after the 11:00 a.m. Easter service.

Sowers & Knitters

Meets Monday, April 4 at 9:00 a.m. in Conway Hall

Hope you all can come!

PW Circles meet Tuesday, April 12

- Circle 1 will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Holly Mitchell’s home at 1505 Montrose Rd, Auburn.

- Circle 2 will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Carol Griffin’s home at 1726 Solamere Ct, Auburn.

- Circle 3 will meet at 2:30 p.m. in the church library.

If you are not already in a PW Circle and would like to join, you are most welcome. Circle leaders are Barbara Dunham #1 (229.881.2957), Susan Stanley #2 (334.203.1951), and Barbara Fletcher #3 (334.203.1484).

This Week at FPC

Sunday, April 3

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

9:45 a.m. - Sunday School

11 a.m. - Worship in the sanctuary

Bulletin for April 3 worship

Sunday Parking Map

Our new, super-secure mailbox has provided safe mail storage for well over a year now! If you are still using the PO Box address for the church, please return to using the church's physical address for mail:

143 E Thach Ave, Auburn, AL 36830

We will have mail forwarded from the PO Box for the next 3 months, at which point the box will be discontinued. If you have any questions, please reach out to the church office (info@fpcauburn.org).

If you or someone you know loves to sing, we would love to have them in our FPC Choir!

The choir is no longer rehearsing on Thursday nights but instead will begin meeting following the 11am worship service on Sundays for 45-60min.

Please email Dr. Damion Womack if you are interested!

Update on FPC COVID Protocols

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.

Children and Youth News

Children Pre-K through 5th grade

• Children Pre-K through 5th grade will meet this Sunday at 3 p.m. in Baird Hall for First Sunday Fellowship.

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

Check out the Sign Up Genius for the Sundays that fit your schedule.

• 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

• Jr. and Sr. High Youth will meet this Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. for First Wednesday Fellowship.

• Mark your calendars! Youth Sunday will be May 1. Our youth have begun preparing for leading the congregation in worship and will continue planning and practicing for this worship service during the upcoming youth group meetings. We hope you will plan to join us for worship on May 1!

• 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.

• 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

April 4 - Bill Blakney

April 5 - Donna Yeager

April 6 - Ruth Brock, Kirstin Yost

April 7 - Bill Sherling

April 8 - Jeffrey Stewart

Anniversaries

April 4 - Nick & Kathy Reed

Prayer Concerns & Celebrations

For the time period in which our church family is worshiping virtually, our pastors have decided that prayer concerns will be shared via weekly email. These individuals will most certainly be prayed for during our Sunday worship service, but their names and specific concerns will not be shared via broadcast.

Continued prayers of comfort for Phil and Marilyn Garrett as they grieve the death of their son Mike. There will be a Memorial Service for Mike Garrett on Sunday, April 3 at 3 p.m. at Auburn Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
Prayers of healing for Carol Griffin’s brother, Jerry Johnson as he recovers from another heart attack.
Please continue to pray for many members of our church who are dealing with illness or significant health issues, but at this time do not wish to be mentioned by name.
Continued prayers of healing for Bill Combs as receives treatment for cancer.
We pray for the nation of Ukraine and we pray for peace as they face senseless violence and war from another nation. We pray that all will come to a peaceful solution and no more people will be injured or killed.
Continued prayers of healing for a family member of Myrna Walker. Myrna’s relative is now home and continuing to recover from hip replacement surgery.
Prayers of healing for Kay Recknor’s friends the Rev. Mitzi Lesher-Thomas and her husband the Rev. Troy Thomas. Mitzi has glioblastoma brain cancer and has been undergoing chemotherapy.
Prayers for Tripp Hinkle’s mother as she receives treatment for cancer.
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.
Prayers of healing and wholeness for the friends of the Barnes Family, Wes and Melanie Jackson. Both Wes and Melanie are seeking treatment for significant health issues.
Prayers of healing for Belinda (friend of Karen Herring), she has finished her treatment and is waiting on the results of the latest scans. Prayers for her spouse Pooie as she cares for Belinda.
Prayers of healing for Jason Banks (Margaret Brinkley’s neighbor). Jason is now back at work. However is recovering from successful shoulder surgery.

First Presbyterian Church |info@fpcauburn.org | (334)887-5571 | www.fpcauburn.org

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