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Friday, May 8, 2026 Newsletter

For Sunday


9:00 a.m.: Holy Ground Contemporary Worship Service

       (in person in Fellowship Hall)


11:15 a.m.: Traditional Worship Service

       (in person in the Sanctuary, and livestreamed on Facebook and website)

A MESSAGE FROM REV. KAREN KINNEY: 
WHAT IS THERE TO BE JOYFUL ABOUT?

Grace and peace to you,



Pastor and author Rick Warren defines joy as: “the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.” In other words, having joy, being joyful is a choice we make. It isn’t a state of fleeting happiness. It is quiet, it is determined, it is making a choice to praise God in all situations – from the good to the challenging. Joy is about our relationship with God, I think.

Certainly the people to whom Isaiah writes in Chapter 35 are feeling that way (read Chapter 34). They have been exiled to Babylonia, Jerusalem and the Temple have been destroyed, they hang up their instruments on the willows rather than play them for their captors. What is there to be joyful about? 

But Chapter 35 is a reminder that renewal is not just possible but promised. The dry lands will burst into bloom – water will flow once more. Those who are fearful will receive strength. Those who have been intentionally harmed will be made whole. And the Holy Way – the road we travel with God – will appear. God has not and will not abandon us – God is still working in the world.

If this is so, can we see it? Can we see it in the work our fellow travelers are doing to reject the cruelty of our government? Can we join in? Can we be the hope to those who are still standing amidst dire circumstances? What desert oases are bursting forth in our current time? Can we find joy in knowing that? Can we be the joyful, hopeful people God has created us to be?

How do we still stand and still be hopeful and joyful in the midst of chaos and cruelty? What is God asking of us? This Sunday, come and see, come and explore these questions. Let’s do this together. 

Blessings,

Pastor Karen

TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper:

Traditional Worship Service (4 pages)

COMING UP: This Sunday


HOSPITALITY HOUR: Join us for good connection between our two Sunday services – 10:15-11 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. 


DIRECTORY UPDATE: We are working on an update of our church directory, and on the next two Sundays (May 10 and May 17) we will have volunteers available to verify your household’s information. They will be stationed in the North Link beginning at 10 a.m. for this Sunday, and staying after the 11:15 service for about 15-20 minutes. 

On May 17, they’ll be available from 9:30-10 a.m. and during the potluck. If you are not able to attend either service, contact us at info@fpc-bethlehem.org so we can get your information.

SHARING YOUR HOPES AND VISION: MISSION STUDY RETREAT


Please mark your calendars for our retreat on Sunday, May 17 as we bring what we have learned from the visioning sessions and studying community needs to you. We are excited and energized by your participation and thoughtful conversations. We know that our time together that day will bring some specificity to where God is working in our corner of the world.

🕐 11 a.m.: Potluck luncheon in Fellowship Hall (online sign-up, below)

🕐 approximately noon - 3:30 p.m.: Visioning Retreat

NOTE: We will have childcare available for the duration of the retreat. You can also attend the afternoon retreat via Zoom; to receive the link, please contact us at info@fpc-bethlehem.org.

We also heard in transcribing and summarizing the visioning sessions, a clear affirmation of our mission statement and core values which we share here:


Mission Statement

To welcome an inclusive and joyful community of Christ’s followers into actively exploring how God’s gracious love gives meaning to our lives and faith and inspires us to address the needs of our changing world. Through our learning, service, and grateful worship, God fills us with purpose, compassion, courage, and love.


Congregational Core Values

·      Expansively Welcoming

·      An Inquiring Faith

·      An Active Faith

·      Christ-Centered

We look forward to seeing you on Sunday, May 17 at 10 a.m. to continue this journey together.

NEXT CHAPTER UPDATES

We have two Next Chapter teams: one for the Preschool relocation, and another for the church relocation.


The Preschool's most recent update from Preschool Director Lisa Todd:


On Monday, April 27, the Session of First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem met and approved a motion to support Preschool operations in our current space/location for the 2026-27 school year, if our relocation search efforts continue to come up empty.

While final details with Prebyterian Senior Living are still being worked out, they have included the Preschool staying through May 2027 in its terms.


The church team's update from Pastor Lindsey:


After reaching out to our denominational partners, three possible sites for congregational space-sharing were identified: Christ Church United Church of Christ, Advent Moravian Church, and St. George’s Episcopal Church in Hellertown. Despite a promising initial visit, Advent Moravian decided to go in a different building-use partnership direction.

The entire Next Chapter team visited both Christ UCC and St. George’s Episcopal, and the unanimous recommendation to Session supported Christ UCC (75 E. Market St. - at the corner of Center Street) as the best fit for several reasons:

A few of us from the Next Chapter team are scheduling a meeting with Pastor Bob Rapp and CUCC leaders/staff to have a more detailed conversation about program calendars, space use, and logistical configurations that would best support both ministries.

With that clarity, we can start working toward a formal lease agreement, including expected rental costs. The lease agreement will be brought to Session for subsequent discussion and approval.

In the coming weeks, we will keep you posted on our progress, but we are excited to share this news about where we’ll land for the next season of church life and ministry starting in January 2027!

If you have questions or comments about any of the Next Chapter plans, please direct them to nextchapter@fpc-bethlehem.org.

UPCOMING INQUIRERS SESSION

Newcomers to FPCB are invited to attend an upcoming Inquirers Seminar. It’s a casual, relational afternoon session to learn more about one another and more about FPCB. This is also the first step for folks considering joining us as new members.  

If we have enough folks interested, we’re planning to get together on Sunday, June 7 around 11 a.m. (after our 10 a.m. Summer Worship service), and we’d be finished by 1:30-1:45 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.

Please let Lindsey know via email (lclifton@fpc-bethlehem.org) that you’re interested in participating and whether that date works for you! She will reach out to confirm whether we have critical mass for a group gathering that day or need to consider alternative options.

NOTES FROM MARCH SESSION MEETING

HEARTS N MINDS: CONTINUING THE DISCUSSION

Our adult ed class, Hearts N Minds, will meet on Sunday at 10 a.m. in the Parlor for its final session. All are welcome to participate.

For him, the bottom line is what we as individuals and as a church can do, in the words of ethicist Paul Lehmann, "to make and keep human life human." But these days we need to think deeply about what that actually involves. 

BODY N SOUL: ALL ARE WELCOME!

The Body N Soul Intergenerational Faith Formation class will meet on Sunday at 10:10 a.m. in Room 216 for its final session before resuming in the fall. Everyone is welcome - no reservations or advanced preparation required. 

SHE NAILED IT! FUNDRAISER: A BIG SUCCESS

We can still accept donations, so if you are interested in making a gift online, you can use this link: bit.ly/3PVSb13. You can also write a check to the church with She Nailed It! on the memo line. (Thanks to Richard Smith for these photos!)

HI NEIGHBORS: ANOTHER INTERESTING PROGRAM ON MONDAY

This past Monday we enjoyed a special presentation from David Macbeth, our Director of Music Ministries, who shared his experience performing in residency at England’s Canterbury Cathedral, as part of the Royal School of Church Music National Choir.

FOOD DONATIONS: SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORS

Imagine opening your kitchen cupboards and the pickings are slim. We can help our neighbors – many more of whom are facing this reality – by helping to support our call for donations of food and personal care items.

A WORKSHOP OF INTEREST


Susan Nelson has shared this information about a free workshop for those who have been – or know someone who has been – a victim of abuse.


It will be offered by Transformed by Grace, a Bible-based ministry, on Saturday, May 16 from 9 a.m.-noon at Bethel Memorial Baptist Church in Easton. For more information and to register: bmbceaston.com/register.

FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:

Child care will be available from 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. this Sunday morning; please ask an usher for directions.

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.

THIS SUNDAY

• 9 a.m. – Holy Ground worship service, Fellowship Hall
• 10 a.m. – Hearts N Minds adult ed class, Parlor
• 10 a.m. - Directory update project, North Link
• 10:10 a.m. – Body N Soul intergenerational class, Room 216
• 10:15 a.m. – Hospitality Time, Fellowship Hall
• 11:15 a.m. – Traditional worship service, Sanctuary (in person and livestreamed)

 
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.