Friday, May 30, 2025 Newsletter



For Sunday - NEW TIME!

10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship Service

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

A MESSAGE FROM REV. KAREN KINNEY: WELCOMING JUNE

Grace and peace to you,

This Sunday we begin the month of June and embark on summer worship in earnest!

This Sunday, June 1: We explore Galatians 5:1, 13-25. This passage is from the longer letter that Paul wrote to the Galatians after some folks tried to come in and undo all the things that Paul and his apostles had taught them. In this section, Paul speaks to the freedom we have in the love of Christ to love ourselves, our neighbor and God. 

We will also hear a Minute for Mission for Lemonade on the Lawn, a time of fellowship after church that begins this Sunday.

Sunday, June 8: Pentecost! You are invited to wear red, orange or yellow or any combination to celebrate the birth of the church! Hear the story from Acts 2:1-22. How are we called to birth the church in new ways where people can hear and understand the good news of the Gospel? Where we ourselves can hear and understand? Let’s celebrate and rejoice that God is still calling us to be the church!

Sunday, June 15: We begin a series that will go through July 20 featuring the Prophet Jeremiah. What can we learn from this prophet who addresses the people during turbulent, traumatic times? There is despair, there is hope, there is the attempt to erase memory, there is the desire to remember the goodness of God. 

And there is the promise of God who never leaves God’s people, even in exile, and the hope of planting and building anew. What does this book hold for us? During the series, one of our worship services will be a Service of Healing and Wholeness, providing an opportunity for us to bring what grieves us and through prayer, song, and anointing, hopefully to find healing and wholeness. More will be written about that service slated for June 29.

Thursday, June 19: The office and Preschool will be closed in observance of Juneteenth, a federal holiday that commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States. 

The holiday's name, first used in the 1890s, is a portmanteau of the words "June" and "nineteenth", referring to June 19, 1865, the day when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at the end of the American Civil War. Imagine waiting two years to know freedom. It is an important day to remember.

June is full of exciting things as we come together to worship in one service at 10 a.m. each Sunday, combining elements of both Holy Ground and the Traditional services.

Find someone you haven’t met before and take the time to know each other. Enjoy fellowship at Lemonade on the Lawn and then join a discussion group. It’s a great opportunity to experience something new!

Blessings,

Pastor Karen

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

Traditional Worship Service (5 pages)

IN GRATEFUL APPRECIATION

Thank you to all my sisters and brothers at First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem. I appreciated the special brunch, the very chocolate cake, the confetti shower, and all the wonderful cards. It was a joy to serve with all of you in ministry these past two years. 

I will keep you in my prayers as you discern what is next for your community of faith. I sincerely believe that God has wonderful things in store for you personally and as a congregation. You have gifted pastors and staff and leaders to guide you through the next page in your history.

Blessings,

Suzanne

(Rev. Suzanne Trump officially ends her tenure today as FPCB’s Pastoral Associate for Formation and Compassion)

BREAD FOR THE WORLD OFFERING OF LETTERS: 

June 1 – June 8

by Rev. Dr. Steve Simmons

During the next two Sundays after worship, our church will receive an Offering of Letters to be delivered to our elected representatives, urging them to support federal hunger assistance programs for our neediest citizens.

As you are probably aware, on May 22 the House of Representatives narrowly approved a budget reconciliation bill that would cut $290 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). 

Most states will likely not be able to afford cost-sharing a percentage of the SNAP benefits their residents receive if this bill passes and will be forced to substantially reduce SNAP benefits or remove qualified people from the program – including families with children. In addition, the bill imposes work requirements on single parents with children seven and above and older adults that ignore the realities of low-wage jobs, erratic work schedules, and unaffordable childcare.

The bill also fails to extend the expanded child tax credit (CTC) to the families who need it most. An estimated 17 million children, 1 in 4 children in the U.S., will not benefit from the modest $500 per child CTC increase because their families earn too little to receive it.

The bill will now move to the Senate for revision and debate, and it’s a critically important time to make our voices heard. And it’s not too late to express support for other national and international hunger issues as well.  

Sample letters, background information, and letter writing tables will be available in the Narthex following worship on June 1 and 8. Note: Please sign your letters with both your name and address, to identify yourself as a constituent. We’ll collect letters through June 15, and plan to deliver them to the appropriate offices later in the month. Thanks for making your voice heard!

NOTE: If you’d like us to send you a sample letter, please contact us at 610-867-5865 or info@fpc-bethlehem.org.

FOR SUNDAY, JUNE 1: LEMONADE ON THE LAWN BEGINS

• Provide simple treats for about 40-50, such as: grapes, clementines or cut-up fruit; cheese and crackers; easy-to-eat baked treats (homemade or purchased) like cookies, mini muffins, bars, or granola bars.
• Get the beverages, cups and napkins, ice, and coolers out of the church kitchen and set them up (we typically serve lemonade, iced tea and water – these are provided).
• Return items to the kitchen and clean up (tables will be provided and taken down).

It doesn’t have to be a “formal” group, like a K group, committee, or the choir – it can be a family or group of friends. 

Thanks for considering this request! If you have any questions, let us know and we’ll connect you with a ‘veteran.’ You can use this online form to sign up, and we'll have a paper sign-up form at the Sunday service.

CAN YOU HELP?

We’re looking for folks to serve as lectors for our 10 a.m. combined worship services for the summer. This is a great way to participate in the ministry of our church – if you’ve not done it before, we’re glad to provide coaching.

You can sign up on the paper form available at the Sunday services, or use this easy online sign-up form: 

LET'S HELP SUPPORT A LOCAL FOOD BANK

• peanut butter crackers
• instant oatmeal flavor varieties - 10 pack/box
• shelf stable milk (individual boxes)
• peanut butter cups or pouches
• tuna or chicken in pouches
• reduced sodium chicken noodle or vegetable soup in easy open cans (18.5 oz.)
• fruit in easy open cans or fruit cups (light syrup)

This drive is part of an event they're hosting on Tuesday, June 3 from 4-7 p.m. in the Meals on Wheels parking lot, 1302 N. Sherman St., Allentown. Enjoy an informational fair featuring local businesses and organizations, snacks, prizes, and tastings courtesy of Bar H, Sherman Street Brewery and Tolino Vineyards. 

INTRODUCING JAMES MOYER, SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT          

Church supported scholarships have far reaching impacts creating many positive ripple effects for years to come. Just ask James Moyer, a Rider University senior and this year's Scholarship recipient of the Greg Funfgeld Fund for Sacred Music. Our church established this scholarship years ago at Rider.

If you have questions about a gift to the First Presbyterian Endowment, contact them via info@fpc-bethlehem.org.

FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:



Child care will be available from 9:45 - 11:15 a.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 - COMMUNION SUNDAY

• 9:45 - 11:15 a.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
• NEW TIME! 10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship Service, Sanctuary (in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website, fpc-bethlehem.org)
• 11:00 a.m.: Lemonade on the Lawn, social time for all

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.