FPC Tuesday E-news December 14, 2021

No Wednesday Night Dinner/Program this week

Sunday Schedule

8:30 AM: Worship/Livestream (watch from our website)

9:45 AM: Birthday Party for Jesus for ALL Ages in Wilson Hall (Join us during Sunday School for our annual reading of Luke’s Christmas story led by Pastor Chris.)

11 AM: Worship

5:30 PM: Service of Light (read more below)

December 19, 2021: Fourth Sunday of Advent

Scripture: Micah 5:2-5a

Sermon: Humble Beginnings, Mary Sellers Shaw

Hymns:

Angels We Have Heard on High

O Little Town of Bethlehem

Joy to the World

Worship

Service of Light - December 19, 5:30 PM

Advent and Christmas aren’t always filled with the happiness of the holiday season. For many, the magnitude of our weary world weights on our hearts and minds. Join us for our Service of Light (Sunday evening at 5:30 PM) where we will remind each other that we are people of the light. Christ is our Light in the darkness, and God’s face shines upon us. Come light candles and offer prayers for those who need to experience God’s healing and wholeness. Please note the nursery will not be available for this service. Join us for worship in person or online through the Sunday Hub page of our website. Also, feel free to invite a friend who might appreciate this quiet, candlelit service.

Worship Flowers

Worship flowers will return after Epiphany. Who would you like to donate flowers in honor or memory of this year? The cost of the flowers remains $85. Click here to reserve a date today.

Fellowship

We continue to give thanks for Nancy Moody, Margaret Roberts, and Lucy Battle and their many years of love and dedication to Wednesday Night Live. The congregation is invited to show their appreciation for these special women by making a donation to support the ongoing life of Wednesday Night Live. You may give in the usual ways by selecting “WNL Honorariums” through our online giving portal or indicating this on your check.

We now have a Mobile App you can download on your smartphone to pay for Wednesday Night Live and Flower Dedications. Search for Vanco Mobile Faith Engagement in either the App Store or Google Play Store. Then type "First Presbyterian Church at Franklin" to find our page. You'll then need to create an account and you're all set!

Thank you to all who choose to share your appreciation in this way, and one more thank you to Nancy, Margaret, and Lucy, for responding to God’s grace through Wednesday Night Live all these years.

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for the wonderful WNL recognition during the church services on Dec. 5. We all appreciated the kind words, the tree that is to be planted and the fund that has been set up to keep WNL alive and well in the future. Believe me when I say, we received a lot more than we ever gave. WNL has been a blessing for each of us, but we did not do it alone. I have to give credit to our families, the wonderful kitchen crews who tirelessly cleaned up the mess, the teenage helpers who many had their first jobs in the kitchen, everyone who brought desserts, those who emptied garbage cans and cleared tables, those who came early and entertained us, and last but not least, Mary Lou Wilson. She was there at the beginning, taught me not to be afraid of large quantities and much more, and helped us so many times when someone wanted to go out of town. Another person who must be mentioned is J R Russell who never failed to be indispensable in so many ways—unloading the car, moving heavy pots, always seeing the bright side of every situation, and giving us good advice from his Sunday School lessons. I’m sure there are others I should mention—please forgive if I have not.

When Tom Walker encouraged me to take WNL on, neither he not I could have imagined what would follow. Julia McGirt was our new music director, and she asked if we could have dinner every Wednesday to help with her choir rehearsals. What seemed insurmountable at first became very doable and a lot of fun most of the time. Margaret and Lucy, without you two it would not have been possible. Thanks to all from the bottom of my heart.

Love,

Nancy

Dear Friends,

Thank you so much for all the meaningful tributes you have given to Nancy, Margaret and me over the past few days. We have many wonderful memories of our time in the Wednesday Night Live kitchen over the years and enjoyed every minute of it. We could not have done it without our husbands who washed many a dish over the years or our fabulous cleanup crew who faithfully showed up each week to help. We are so appreciative of the funds that are now being given to the WNL fund to ensure that the ministry keeps going. It was certainly a privilege to provide dinner on Wednesdays for so many families and to gather together each week.

Hope you have a wonderful Christmas and a healthy and safe 2022.

Blessings,

Lucy

Dear Friends,

Your recognition of Nancy, Lucy, and me during the services was both heartwarming and emotional for me. I always felt the kitchen, the dinners, and all the helpers each Wednesday night was a mission in itself! I thank you for all the kind words and gifts.

With all my heart, I hope the dinners continue to serve all of us. I will remember the good times and more blessings than one can count.

With love and gratitude,

Margaret

Wednesday Night Live

We had a fantastic final WNL last week as we enjoyed free Pancakes made by our Mission Committee and heard about our mission partners this past year and our upcoming Mission Trip to Birmingham in January for MLK weekend. Sign up HERE to register for this trip - the deadline is December 20.

Mark your calendar for January 12 when Wednesday Night Live will return in the new year:

January 12 – Feb 23 Adults and Youth WNL – Exploring the Religions of the World – (childcare for children and small group discussion for youth)

Dr. Jim Goodnow recently moved to Franklin from Denton, Texas where he facilitated several adult Christian education courses (Including two on world religions) at Saint Andrew Presbyterian Church. Jim has joined our church and is now sharing his teaching gifts with us. He is a Fellow of the Academy of International Business as well as Professor Emeritus of International Business at Bradley University. He taught at ten other higher educational institutions in Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Georgia, Arizona and Texas as well as the Czech Republic. His professional and personal travels have taken him to 60 countries. He earned his BA from Albion College and his MBA and DBA from Indiana University.

The seven presentations on World Religions give an introductory overview of the origins, tenets and practices of the globe's major non-Christian faith traditions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, Judaism, Islam and selected others. The presentations will also contrast major similarities and differences of these world faith traditions with Christianity.

Primetimers Christmas Potluck Dinner

Join us for our Primetimers Christmas dinner at the church Friday, December 17th at 6 PM. We would love to see you there. If you are interested in attending and bringing a dish, sign up HERE.

Beer and Carols

You're invited to join FPC friends at Beer and Carols! You can choose from 2 dates: This Sunday at Sutler on 8th Avenue or Next Thursday at Black Abbey Brewery on Sidco. Our Communications Director, Sara Chang, leads the fun and frivolity with singing and more!

Read about these Beer and Hymns shows HERE.

Congregational Care

In life and in death we belong to God.

We learned this week of the death of Dr. James A. Cogswell who was the pastor at FPC Franklin from 1967-1971. His Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be at the Black Mountain Presbyterian Church in North Caroline this Saturday, 12/18, at 2 PM with livestreaming at https://bmpcnc.org/.

You can read his obituary HERE.

Please join us in praying for the Cogswell family as they continue to grieve a life well lived.

Mission

Join us January 14-17, 2022 for an Intergenerational MLK Weekend mission experience. We will be traveling to Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama to explore the Civil Rights Movement, including stops at several museums and historic landmarks. We will also be serving together in several mission events throughout the weekend. Together, we will learn about the history of race relations in our country and have conversations about how this impacts our faith today. We hope you and your family will join for this all-ages service-learning mission weekend. Contact Mary Sellers Shaw with questions.

Cost: $60 per person, $240 family maximum (Visit our Giving page and find Mission Trip Funds and write MLK weekend)

Dates: Leave Friday evening, January 14 and return Monday afternoon, January 17

All ages are welcome. Children and youth must be accompanied by a parent or authorized adult.

Deadline to register HERE: December 20, 2021

Youth Ministries

Live Nativity

Thanks to everyone who made Live Nativity such a success: our student leaders who have planned and prepared for the event, all our students who helped to tell the Christmas story in such an engaging way, our adult participants who helped coordinate the chili cookoff, everyone who brought a chili along, and special thanks to everyone who donated. Together we raised over $400 for our youth’s summer trips.