Friday, July 19, 2024 Newsletter



For Sunday



10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship Service in the Sanctuary

(in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website)

A Brief Update from the Transitional Pastor Search Team

Over the last two weeks, the newly formed Transitional Pastor Search Team has met several times to begin the work of identifying an appropriate Transitional (Interim) Pastor. As a reminder, the expectation is that the Transitional Pastor will likely be with us for 12-18 months as the congregation works through the steps to prepare for calling our next installed pastor.

The interim position is required by the Presbyterian Church and serves an important role of supporting the church during a time of transition. Transitional Pastors have specialized training in leading through change, and can guide FPCB through the season of discernment and planning to come as we seek to call a new Senior Pastor/Head of Staff. 

Specific steps that this committee have taken include:

• Meeting with our liaison from the Committee on Ministry (COM) from the Presbytery, Rev. Taylor Hall. At that meeting, the committee received guidance about the process to be followed in a search for a Transitional Pastor.

• Developed a draft position description for the Transitional Pastor position. This document provides 1) a narrative description of the congregation, church organization, and community context to be used by potential applicants to understand FPCB in this specific time, and 2) a specification of the tasks and necessary skills for the Transitional Pastor position. We hope that this document is approved by Session and the COM in the coming week, so that it is ready to post very soon after the conclusion of J.C.’s tenure. (Presbytery policy precludes us from beginning that search until after J.C.’s last day of Sunday, July 28.)

Once the position description has been approved and posted, the committee will begin reviewing applications on a rolling basis as they are received. We hope to move to the next stage of interviewing potential transitional candidates as soon as possible. The timeline of this process is, by nature uncertain, because it depends on the receipt of applications from qualified candidates.

Apart from our work, the Personnel Committee is continuing to create a leadership bridge plan to cover the span of time between July 28 and the start of the Transitional Pastor. That period will likely be somewhere between a few weeks and a few months, depending on how quickly a qualified Transitional Pastor candidate is identified and can begin. Personnel will have a leadership bridge plan for Session’s consideration and approval at the next stated Session meeting (this Monday, July 22).

The search team seeks to make the search process as open and transparent as possible. We will continue to provide regular, timely updates to the search process, as appropriate, through both the newsletter and announcements given at Sunday worship services.

Kate Arrington, Co-chair (Deacon)

Jon Conrad, Co-chair (Elder)

Linda Filipovits (Elder)

Rich Gorton (Trustee)

Ted Masthay, Clerk (Elder)

FOR THIS SUNDAY

Matthew 6:25-34

• Sermon: True North by The Rev. J.C. Austin
• We post the video of each week’s services and sermon text on our website: fpc-bethlehem.org

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



Summer Worship Service (4 pages)

CELEBRATING J.C.: LET’S GATHER ON SUNDAY, JULY 28

We’ll enjoy a catered BBQ lunch with all the trimmings from The Taste Smokers, a popular SouthSide eatery.

We’re asking folks to bring desserts to this event: we ask you to sign up using this online form, or call the church office at 610-867-5865.

J.C.’s favorite desserts include pecan pie, shoofly pie, and carrot cake; other ideas are finger desserts like cookies, brownies, bars, and “mini” items (cream puffs, cupcakes, etc.).

We are looking forward to this time of fun and fellowship, and hope you will plan to join us!

FOR THIS SUNDAY: JOIN US FOR LEMONADE ON THE LAWN

Join us after worship for our social time, “Lemonade on the Lawn” – everyone is welcome to come and connect. If weather permits, we’ll gather on the west side (front) of the church building, otherwise in Fellowship Hall.

Thank you to Cindy King and friends, who are hosting on Sunday. We are looking for other groups or families to take on the hosting duties for future dates (there are a couple of open dates in August).

SUMMER HARVEST FOOD DRIVE: SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORS

Many thanks for the donations that filling our Summer Harvest Food Drive collection boxes to overflowing. Thank you for your generosity!

Our donation boxes are located near the main office, in the Narthex, and in the Kirk Center Rotunda. The collection will run through the month of July.

CAN YOU PROVIDE A LIFT?

ANOTHER GRATEFUL SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me achieve this goal. Words cannot express my gratitude for being a recipient of this scholarship and all the people who made it possible. It truly means a lot to me, and I am humbly grateful and appreciative of it. I feel truly blessed. Thank you so much.”

QUARTERLY GIVING STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN SENT

Those who have made financial contributions to First Pres during the second quarter of this year have been sent their Quarterly Giving Statement.

If we have an email address on file, it was sent to you via email. Others were sent via U.S. mail. If you have not received yours (or you have other questions about it), please contact David Crook or call the church office at 610-867-5865.

MEMORIAL SERVICE

The family of John Bonge has extended an invitation to a memorial service tomorrow (Saturday, July 20) at 3 p.m. in the Sanctuary. A reception will follow.

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



• 9:45 – 11:15 a.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
• 10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship service, in-person in the Sanctuary and livestreamed on Facebook and on our website
• 11:00 a.m.: Lemonade on the Lawn gathering, front of the church – all are welcome!

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.