Friday, July 5, 2019
SUNDAY SERVICES: 9:00 a.m. Contemporary ∙ 10:30 a.m. Traditional
This Sunday is Communion Sunday
Join us for “Lemonade on the Lawn”, our hospitality time from 10-10:30 a.m.
on the back lawn
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A MESSAGE FROM PASTOR J.C. AUSTIN:
More on the Log College Project
As I mentioned in this message last week, the Log College Project that we have been involved in for the last year through the Institute for Youth Ministry at Princeton Theological Seminary, reached an important milestone this past week.
The “Design Teams” from eleven other churches joined ours in Princeton for an intense five days of imagination and collaboration on our various project ideas.
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I want to give a special thanks right up front to the representatives of our own Design Team who gave so generously of their time, energy, and wisdom these past few days.
Pictured
(right, receiving our $15,000 ‘check’)
are Abigail Visco Rusert (Director of the Institute for Youth Ministry), me, Deb Philpotts, Shawna Gordon (Youth Chaplain), Tracy Samuelson, Elizabeth Conard, and our youth members Julia Pedroso and Sophia Pedroso.
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In fact, Julia and Sophia have volunteered to speak to the congregation about their experiences at the Design Lab, so I don’t want to steal their thunder in this message. So let me just explain a little more about the project as a whole. The Log College Project has relied on the methods of “design thinking” to help us create our project. Design thinking comes out of architectural theory and practice, but has become popular in recent years for creating responses to complex social problems for which there are no clear existing answers.
In this case, that is youth ministry in the 21st century, in which the old post-World War II model of a youth group that meets weekly for games, songs, and a Bible lesson is rapidly failing. Thus, we have to “design” new models that seem promising, and then put them into action, understanding that as you do so, you will have to revise your design in light of what you learn along the way. You can probably see how that aligns with our commitment to being an “experimental church” in this new era of our life together.
I am thrilled both by the work we have done and by the team we have to do it. I look forward to talking more about our idea and seeing it unfold in the months to come!
Grace and Peace,
J.C.
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FOR THIS SUNDAY
FIRST LESSON:
Isaiah 1:1, 10-20
SECOND LESSON
: Galatians 6:1-10
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·
This week’s sermon:
God Goes to Family Court
by Rev. J.C. Austin
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BACK BY POPULAR REQUEST:
LEMONADE ON THE LAWN!
The Hospitality Committee is pleased to bring back last summer’s “Lemonade on the Lawn” – our fellowship time from 10-10:30 a.m. held on the back lawn
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If you come to the Contemporary service at 9:00 a.m. – stay after! If you attend the Traditional service at 10:30 a.m. – come early! Enjoy fellowship with each other and a tasty snack – and lemonade, of course.
In case of inclement weather, we will move to Fellowship Hall. Lemonade on the Lawn will be held every Sunday through the summer months.
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PENTECOST SPECIAL OFFERING
“Educate a Child, Transform the World.” That is the purpose of the Pentecost Special Offering which takes place through this Sunday, July 7. This offering has raised over $14 million since 1998 for young people here and around the world.
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Our congregation keeps 40% of the offering, which is targeted for children/youth programming and resources. Last year, it paid for the Sunday School curriculum and the Sunday nursery personnel during the worship services.
Globally, it has also helped children-at-risk, young adults who helped survivors of human trafficking, and other youth ministries.
To learn more about this, there are pamphlets in the racks throughout the church and special red envelopes for your contribution in the pews and racks. Thank you for considering this special offering
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SPECIAL SPEAKER ON SUNDAY, JULY 21
Longtime missionary - and a former member of our Church - Beverley Harrar will be speaking at both worship services on Sunday, July 21 about her travel to Yaounde, Cameroon, as part of a Refuge 139 project which focused on developing a vacation Bible school and curriculum.
Beverley's trip was partially funded by the McKnight Mission Scholarship Fund, which has made 77 grants for more than $65,000 over its history. The McKnight Fund was established to honor the work of Jim and Minnie McKnight, Presbyterian missionaries who worked in Sudan and were longtime members of First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem.
Please plan to hear about Beverley's fascinating work.
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BEREAVEMENT GROUP: NEW DATE AND LOCATION
The Bereavement Support Group will meet on the second Sunday of the month, in the Eagle Room of Kirkland Village’s Marketplace. Anyone interested in attending is welcome to meet in the Narthex immediately following the Traditional service.
This move was prompted to make it easier for residents of Kirkland Village to be involved in the group.
The next meeting is Sunday, July 14.
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AUGUST READING GROUP DATES ANNOUNCED
The August reading group will meet on two Wednesdays – August 14 and 21 – from 1-2:30 p.m. in the Parlor. All are welcome! They will be discussing:
Stony the Road: Reconstruction, White Supremacy, and the Rise of Jim Crow
by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 2019, Penguin Press
In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. asked why America has a schizophrenic personality on the question of race (
Where Do We Go From Here?
). More than 50 years later, we are still asking the same question.
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In daytime meetings in August, we will discuss Gates’ newest book. Be forewarned, the book contains disturbing photos and cruel caricatures of African-Americans.
We will discuss how the country might have embraced black voter registration if Reconstruction had been permitted to honestly go forward post-Civil War and consider the legacy of these long-ago cultural wars in the face of “anti-black racism and white supremacy today”.
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NATIONAL CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT
POAMN is the Presbyterian Older Adult Ministries Network, a network of persons who are engaged in ministry with older adults.
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These people work in presbyteries and synods, they are leaders in congregations, and some serve in specialized ministries such as chaplains in care facilities and presbytery staff who are involved with older adult ministry committees.
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POAMN is related to the Presbyterian Mission Agency of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
It is time to register for the POAMN National Conference. All the details:
www.poamn.org
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LOOKING FOR OUR CALENDAR?
Each week’s newsletter contains a weekly “Calendar at a Glance”
(below).
If you are looking for information ‘further out’, you can go to our website,
fpc-bethlehem.org,
and click on “Calendar” in the upper right corner.
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Send us your news and photos to share:
Deadline for newsletter:
Wednesday at noon
* * *
Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
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CALENDAR AT A GLANCE
THIS SUNDAY - COMMUNION SUNDAY
- 9:00 a.m. - Contemporary Service, Kirk Center
- “Lemonade on the Lawn” between each service; join us for light refreshments and fellowship on the back lawn (inclement weather: Fellowship Hall)
- 10:30 a.m. - Traditional Service, Sanctuary
- Childcare for Infants and Toddlers, 8:30 a.m. to noon, Room A3
TUESDAY:
Crafters,
10 a.m.-2 p.m., Room 408;
WEDNESDAY:
Overcomers Outreach, 7 p.m., Room 408
THURSDAY:
Al-Anon Family Group
, 7 p.m., Room 212
FIRST SUNDAYS (next: July 7):
Blood Pressure Screenings, between services, North Link
SECOND SUNDAYS
(
next: July 14
):
Bereavement Group
gathering; this is a new date going forward, and there will be a new location.
See the article above.
FIRST AND THIRD TUESDAYS (next: July 16):
Successful Aging, 10:30 a.m., Room 412
THIRD WEDNESDAY (next: July 17):
Dementia Caregiver Support Group, 1 p.m.,
Room 206 (PW Room)
THIRD THURSDAY (next: July 18):
Prayers & Squares, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Room 408
(bring your lunch and join us to create quilts and prayer shawls)
CHURCH OFFICE HOURS:
We are open Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
As always, you can leave a voicemail message with the church any time at 610-867-5865 or contact us at
[email protected]
. I
f you have an urgent pastoral need, please call our answering service at
610-778-7003.
CARE CONCERNS AND HOSPITAL VISITS:
If members of the FPCB congregation are hospitalized and would welcome pastoral and hospital ministrant visitors and/or prayers, please contact:
Melody Engel, Hospital Ministrants, phone: 484-695-4905 or
email
Phil Fair, Prayer Ministrants, phone: 610-867-8361 or
email
BAPTISMS, WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS
:
If members of the FPCB congregation would like to schedule weddings, baptisms or funerals, please contact
The Rev. Sue Bennetch
at 610-867-5865, ext. 209.
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM
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First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 |
[email protected]
The Rev. Sue Bennetch
, Pastoral Care Associate: ext. 209;
Cristy Mette,
Administrative Operations Manager: ext. 228;
Andrea Barbehenn
, Preschool Director; phone: 610-867-2956;
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