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Friday, June 5, 2026 Newsletter

For Sunday - Communion Sunday


10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship Service

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

A MESSAGE FROM REV. KAREN KINNEY: THE JOY OF KNOWING GOD


Grace and peace to you,


Our celebration of Pentecost has stayed with me these last two weeks, particularly the last verses of Acts 2.

Every day, they met together in the temple and ate in their homes. They shared food with gladness and simplicity. They praised God and demonstrated God’s goodness to everyone. The Lord added daily to the community those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47, Common English Bible).

Aren’t we these believers in our time and place? How are we like these believers? What might we need to devote ourselves to and how will we do that? Are there practices, models, etc. we can learn and use so that we can be better witnesses to the love and ministry of Jesus Christ?

As I have reflected and meditated on these verses and how our Mission Study rankings reflect these verses (see the rankings results elsewhere in this newsletter), I wondered how we might explore these things in worship. So, through the end of July, we are going to explore Jesus’ and the disciples’ stories to see what they hold for us today.

First up are two call stories – one from Matthew, one from Luke. In each, Jesus approaches fishermen Simon (Peter), Andrew, James and John, calls them to follow and he will show them how to be fishers of people. What can we learn from these stories about trust, about relationship-building, about devotion to our spiritual life? 

As the series continues, we will look at how prayer, life-long learning, spiritual healing, being sent out, radical hospitality and fellowship shapes us as followers and believers, and reminds us that we are indeed salt of the earth and the light of the world grounded in the hope and joy of knowing God. 


Come and see. Come and explore this Sunday.


Blessings,
Pastor Karen

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

Summer Worship Bulletin (5 pages)

FOR THIS SUNDAY: ONE OR BOTH!

For this Sunday (and until further notice), child care during worship service will be offered in room 216 (ask the ushers to direct you).

We are in need of a host for Lemonade on the Lawn for this week! – see more details below. 

MANY THANKS!

We extend our gratitude to Rev. Cynthia Simmons, who has retired as Parish Associate for pastoral care as of June 1. She has worked closely with our Deacons and provided compassionate care to those in our congregation.



Going forward, please contact the two pastors with your pastoral care concerns.

SUMMER WORSHIP HELP: CHILDREN'S SERMON SIGN-UP 


Do you consider yourself to be young-at-heart? Do you enjoy connecting with our younger members? Do you like playful, intergenerational moments in worship? 


We'd love to have some other voices lead our children's sermons during summer worship. You'll get the scripture readings and theme info in advance, and we can also provide suggestions or ideas, if you'd like! Please see the sign-up list and volunteer for an upcoming Sunday: volunteersignup.org/hj4yy.

THE VOTES ARE IN!

We want to thank you again for an amazing Mission Study Retreat on May 17! Your participation was energetic and enthusiastic. We have also appreciated you taking the time to rank your top three choices in each of the three thematic categories over these last two Sundays. We are happy to share with you the top three in each theme:

Mission-Active

• Mentorship, Youth & School Partnerships
• Hands-on Service Days and Direct Relief
• ESL, Advocacy & Immigrant Support

Community-Integrated

• Shared Spaces & Community Center Model
• Dedicated Institutional Alliances
• Arts, Culture and Local History Integration

Over the next few weeks, we will be writing the actual Mission Study which will include a section on where God is calling us. The results of the rankings will be part of that section.

Your prayers as we write will be much appreciated. We will be in a quiet phase the next few weeks; when the final Mission Study is approved by Session and by the Presbytery, we are planning a celebration to share it with you. 

SUNDAY CONNECTION: LEMONADE ON THE LAWN

Please consider how you might support this important ministry!

Basically, you will need to:

• 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.

• There is a bin near the ice maker in the kitchen area marked “Lemonade on the Lawn” that has what you need. There are also coolers in this area. Get the provided beverages (lemonade and iced tea) from the refrigerator (with the Lemonade on the Lawn sign), and ice from the ice machine.

• 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. We thank "the Kitchen Crew" for hosting this week.

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 (bit.ly/42TDejr), and we'll have a paper sign-up form at the Sunday service.

THIS SUNDAY: Inquirers Seminar

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.  

We'll get together this Sunday, June 7 around 11 a.m. (after our 10 a.m. Summer Worship service), and we’ll finish by 1:30-1:45 p.m. We’ll meet in room 212; refreshments will be provided. 

Please let Lindsey know via email (lclifton@fpc-bethlehem.org) that you’re interested in participating.

GETTING READY…

In anticipation of our move to Christ UCC Church at the beginning of 2027, we are doing some cleaning out! Even with all the items we sold at our two sales last summer, there are “still” many to be deleted from our inventory.

We’re gearing up for a big Indoor Yard Sale on Friday, June 19, and Saturday, June 20 from 7 a.m. – 2 p.m. The sale will be held in the Kirk Center (gym).

Then on Thursday, June 18 we’ll offer a Preview Sale – open to FPCB members from noon – 6 p.m.; Preschool families are welcome to come by beginning at 4 p.m. More details to come!

FOOD DONATIONS: SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORS


Many thanks to those of you who have been able to contribute to our monthly collection of non-perishable food and personal care items! We made a big delivery to the food pantry that serves Marvine Elementary School and its surrounding neighborhood all year round (pictured).

PRESCHOOL ANNOUNCES OPENINGS FOR FALL

Contact Lisa Todd at ltodd@fpc-bethlehem.org or 610-867-2956 to schedule a tour.

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.

THIS SUNDAY – COMMUNION SUNDAY


• 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)
• 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.