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Friday, Aug. 21, 2026 Newsletter
For Sunday
10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship Service
(in person in the Sanctuary, and livestreamed on Facebook and website)
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A MESSAGE FROM REV. KAREN KINNEY: MORE THAN HAPPINESS
Grace and peace to you,
This Sunday, we end our four-week series that journeyed through Paul’s letter to the Christ-followers in Philippi. Though they weren’t facing the stressors we face today, Paul and the Philippians knew all about stress, worry and the struggle to live faithfully as followers of Jesus.
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In fact, Paul writes this letter from prison where he is uncertain about his fate. Paul writes with compassion for this community of faith, but also his understanding that a life of faith is always Christ-centered, joyfully confident even in the midst of suffering and that living as Jesus followers is a communal effort. Community is an essential part of living a life of Christ-centered faith.
What have we learned so far about pressing on (not burning out or over-extending ourselves with no regard for our own well-being) from this letter?
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To end the series we explore Philippians 4:1-9 and I encourage you to go to BibleGateway.com and read it from several versions – the NSRV, the Common English Bible and/or The Message. See how the different versions describe gladness, joy, rejoicing or being on the side of the most vulnerable always. Always – that is what Philippians 4:4 says about rejoicing: Rejoice in the Lord always! Again, I say rejoice! How are we supposed to sustain an attitude of rejoicing always in a world that seems far away from joy.
Perhaps we need to think again about the Biblical definition of joy and rejoicing: The term "rejoice" in the Bible is often used to express a deep, heartfelt joy and gladness. It is more than mere happiness; it is a profound sense of joy that is rooted in spiritual realities and divine truths. The Hebrew word often translated as "rejoice" is "שָׂמַח" (samach), and the Greek equivalent is "χαίρω" (chairo). Both convey a sense of exultation and delight.” (https://biblehub.com/topical/r/rejoice.htm)
So maybe waking up with our mind staying on Jesus roots us deeply to relationship with God and out of that relationship comes that deep, heartfelt joy and gladness and assurance of God’s promises of love, grace, mercy and forgiveness.
A rootedness that convicts us each and every day that we are beloved children of God meant to share those promises and joy always! With everyone we encounter. Maybe the joy people see in us always even when we are at wits end with the state of the world, or the church or relationships, can make a difference to someone. It is up to us to rejoice in the Lord always!
Our breath prayer for this Sunday is: (Breathe in) I rejoice in God, (breathe out) because God’s love will never let me go.
Blessings,
Pastor Karen
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FOR THIS SUNDAY: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW | |
After our worship service, you have two opportunities to connect. We’ll have tables set up in the Narthex for anyone who would like to discuss the morning’s sermon.
You’re also invited to our Lemonade on the Lawn social time: weather permitting, we’ll meet on the West Lawn (otherwise in the North Link). Thank you to the Rossetti family for hosting Lemonade on the Lawn this Sunday. Please consider taking the Sunday, Sept. 6 slot, or bringing a treat to share on a future Sunday! See more details below.
For this Sunday (and until further notice), child care during worship service will be offered in room 216 (ask the ushers to direct you).
| | If you’re a gardener with extra bounty to share, we invite you to bring it to Sunday worship – we’ll have a table set up at Lemonade on the Lawn where you can put it. Available for others to take, no charge! | | | Anything left over will be donated to New Bethany, along with other produce harvested from the CommUNITY Garden located on our campus. | | |
ALL ARE WELCOME: SITTING WITH THE PSALMS
Sundays: Aug. 23 and 30
9:00 – 9:45 a.m.
Church Library
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Gail Watts, Janet Bickford, Jo-Ellen Darling, Mike Jendzeizyk, Ginny Smith and Richard Smith invite you to join with them in the Church Library on Sundays in August, as we open ourselves to the inspiration and wisdom that the Psalms have for our lives.
Sometimes it’s easy to simply say the words of the Psalms we have known. What if we discovered that, as prayers, the Psalms relate directly to our concerns and cares, guiding us in finding consolation as God’s Word speaking into our lives?
| | | We hope you will join us in sitting with a different Psalm each Sunday in August. An open heart and a willing spirit are all that are needed. | | |
GROWING OUR COMMUNITY
Here’s a reminder for those who are interested in updates and next steps following the last Metro-IAF leaders initiative. This is an effort focused on relational community organizing and opportunities to build a broad-based power coalition in the Lehigh Valley. There is one more opportunity to connect and be part of the early stages of this important work:
Metro-IAF Training for Listening/Voter Campaign - Tuesday, Aug. 25, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. at the Lehigh Conference of Churches, 457 W. Allen St., Allentown
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This is the team training to help us facilitate the community listening and voter engagement campaign.
The hope is that local faith communities and other organizations will bring their core group of volunteers to this for skill-building before launching the relational organizing efforts.
You don’t have to have attended the Leaders Lunch to attend the Training with our group.
| | | This is a great opportunities for connection and learning that will help us lean more fully into all three of our Mission Study commitments! If you’re interested in attending this session, please let Lindsey know via email. | | VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR LEHIGH VALLEY PRIDE FESTIVAL | | |
The Lehigh Valley Pride Festival is coming up on Sunday, Aug. 30 at SteelStacks from 1:00-7:00 p.m. Like in previous years, we are sharing booth spaces with other Mountain Laurel Presbytery churches, so we need FPCB volunteers to come help with temporary tattoos, an information table, and cornhole game.
You can sign up using this link and indicate which part of the booth you’d like to help with: https://volunteersignup.org/JFLL9
| | | This is always a wonderful opportunity to share God’s love and affirmation with the LGBTQ+ community, so we hope to see you there! (Wear your FPCB T-shirts if you plan to volunteer!) | | SUNDAY CONNECTION: LEMONADE ON THE LAWN | | |
Our popular social time will be offered after our 11 a.m. Congregational meeting, on the front (west) lawn as weather permits – otherwise we’ll meet in the North Link.
NOTE: We have an open spot for Sunday, Sept. 6.
Please consider taking this last spot!
| | | You can use this online form to sign up (bit.ly/42TDejr), and we'll have a paper sign-up form at the Sunday service. | | FOOD DONATIONS: SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORS | | |
For August we will be supporting the Animal Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley.
They have specifically asked for dry dog and cat food only. You can drop those donations at the south entrance and in the North Link.
Many thanks for considering how you can help feed our (furry) neighbors!
| | | PRESCHOOL MUM ORDER TIME! | | |
It’s that time again – to order these colorful, vibrant mums for the Preschool fundraiser!
Your choice of red, orange, yellow, purple, and white – each 9” mum is $9.
The orders are due by Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m., and you can pick them up starting on Tuesday, Sept. 15.
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LOOKING AHEAD: HI NEIGHBORS KICKS OFF ON SEPT. 14
Our popular speakers series, Hi Neighbors, will be back with a new nine-week series on Monday, Sept. 14.
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The presentations are free and open to the public, and feature an interesting array of topics such as history, local culture, music, and current events.
We appreciate the efforts of Susan Wolf, our volunteer program coordinator, for her diligence in securing such interesting speakers!
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The programs begin at 9:30 a.m. with a social time in Fellowship Hall, followed by the hour-long presentation at 10 a.m. A lively question-and-answer period is included.
Click here for a printable copy of the schedule - and please consider sharing it!
| | DO YOU KNOW A GOOD CANDIDATE?
Our Preschool program is hiring! If you know of someone who would be interested in a teaching position with our well-regarded program, please have them contact Lisa Todd, the Preschool Director. | | |
Send us your news and photos to share:
info@fpc-bethlehem.org
**Deadline for the next newsletter:
WEDNESDAY at noon**
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And follow us on Facebook: @FirstPresBethlehem
Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
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TO JOIN OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP SERVICE
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Visit our Facebook page and look for the post with our live feed
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If you don’t have a Facebook account, go to our website to view the service - click on "Watch" at the top and then the "Watch the Service" button
- Please check in with a comment so we know you’ve joined us!
- Captions are available on our livestream, for those who would like to use that feature
To watch a video – available after the services have aired: Visit our website archives
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FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
Child care will be available from 9:45 - 11:15 a.m. this Sunday; they will meet in room 216.
Your children are a joy in our worship services, and should the need arise, “kid bags” are available for their use while they are visiting. They are in the Narthex.
We offer nametags for folks to wear – these are for everyone! You can pick up as you enter the worship space; please clearly PRINT your first name.
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THIS SUNDAY
- 9:00 - 9:45 a.m. - "Sitting with the Psalms" discussion group, Library - all are welcome
- 9:45– 11:15 a.m. – Child care available in room 216
- 10:00 a.m. – Summer worship service, Sanctuary (in person and livestreamed on website and Facebook page)
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11:00 a.m. – Lemonade on the Lawn (west lawn) and post-service discussion opportunity (Narthex)
WEDNESDAYS: 7 p.m. - Overcomer’s Outreach Christian 12 Step Recovery Group weekly meeting, via Zoom.com (meeting #: 868 2214 2960; passcode: OO-Beth)
CHURCH OFFICE AND BUILDING INFO:
Regular office hours are Monday - Thursday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Many of the office staff are working remotely for some of the time, so please make an appointment if you need to see someone specific. The answering service (610-778-7003) can take your urgent pastoral concerns, 24 hours a day.
IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Look for updates on our website (fpc-bethlehem.org), Facebook page, and WFMZ (channel 69 and wfmz.com). We will also put the info on our church phone message, 610-867-5865.
CARE CONCERNS AND HOSPITAL VISITS: If you are hospitalized, please tell the hospital our church code is 724. Also, please call the church office at 610-867-5865 to let us know as the hospitals do not always collect this information. After hours, for emergency pastoral concerns, call 610-674-0005.
PRAYER REQUESTS: Send to prayer@fpc-bethlehem.org or call 610-867-5865 and leave a message.
| | FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM | |
First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 | info@fpc-bethlehem.org
Rev. Karen Kinney, Transitional Pastor/Head of Staff; KKinney@fpc-bethlehem.org
Rev. Lindsey Altvater Clifton, Associate Pastor for Justice and Community Impact; LClifton@fpc-bethlehem.org
David Macbeth, Director of Music Ministries; ext. 202; DMacbeth@fpc-bethlehem.org
David Crook, Director of Church Administration; ext. 210; DCrook@fpc-bethlehem.org
Kevin Konczyk, Facilities Manager; KKonczyk@fpc-bethlehem.org
Carol Burns, Communications Manager; ext. 238; CBurns@fpc-bethlehem.org
Lisa Todd, Preschool Director; phone: 610-867-2956; LTodd@fpc-bethlehem.org
Brenda Robinson, Office Manager: ext. 211; BusinessOffice@fpc-bethlehem.org
Website: www.fpc-bethlehem.org
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