A few days from now, a number of us will make our way to the polls to cast our ballot in an election that, for many, seems harrowing and existential.  We will vote at a time when divisiveness and partisanship are amplified in ways that shock and disturb us, and we will do so with myriad convictions, hopes, and dreams.  We will vote our conscience, many in a manner we’ve discerned best reflects the ideals and calling of our faith.  Nevertheless, contrary to what we’ve heard peddled by some on both the left and the right in this turbulent political season, we will not be casting our vote for the one who will be our savior or who will bring about the kingdom of God.  

As a people of faith and as disciples of Christ, I believe that it is both our joy and our collective calling to profess our ultimate trust and to pledge our allegiance, not to any singular ideology, partisan movement, or political figure or party, but instead to the One “who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead…”  As Will Willimon reminds us: “Christ is God’s answer to what’s wrong with the world.  The church is called to be a showcase of what God can do when God commandeers a group of sinners to tell the truth that the world can never tell itself.  This truth arises not within us but graciously comes to us.  Truth is a person with a name, it’s an external address, an invitation to come forward and be part of God’s grand, but not always apparent, inevitable retake of history—Jesus Christ.” (from “On Not Giving Politics the Last Word,” Journal for Preachers, 2-3)

As we approach another election day in the United States, we can acknowledge that these are assuredly anxious, troubled, and turbulent times.  However, in a society that seems increasingly uncivil and mean-spirited, may we, as the Church of Jesus Christ, find ways to love more profoundly and affirm our commitment to fostering community and togetherness.  Where we hear the calls for retribution and to inflict violence against our neighbor, may we show each other and our world what it looks like to practice peace and proffer grace.  Most importantly, may we reclaim the joy and hope born in remembering who we are and to whom we belong: to God and to God alone, who is the maker of heaven and earth, whose rule is love, and in whom lies the source of our true hope and lasting peace.  

As we await what the week ahead brings, may we do so with renewed confidence that our ultimate hope and help comes from our God, made known to us in Jesus Christ, not from the outcome of a presidential election.  And may we profess with the Psalmist once more the conviction and promise of our faith:

¹ God is our refuge and strength,

    a very present help in trouble.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,

    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea,

³ though its waters roar and foam,

    though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

    the holy habitation of the Most High.

⁵ God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;

    God will help it when the morning dawns.

⁶ The nations are in an uproar; the kingdoms totter;

    he utters his voice; the earth melts.

⁷ The Lord of hosts is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah

(Psalm 46:1-7)

With hope, 

Barrett  

Worship: 9:00 & 11:00 am

Remember in Prayer 

FPC Members: Steve Mauldin; Sandra Webb; Syd Shaw; Warner Biedenharn; Marjorie Selvidge; Becky Murphey; Ann Dickins; Margaret Fancher; Mrs. Pat Atkinson; Sarah, Cliff, and Sterlin Smith; Scottye Boone; Leon McCullouch 

Family and Friends: Randy Bolen; Joni & Julie Cole; Sarah & Brian LaPrade; Sor Carla Rodriguez and Family; Hannah Borden Miller; The Family of Grady Tollison; Abdel Rigau León: Bob Flautt; Mike Flautt; Steve Mistilis; The Family of Jeanette Wilkinson; The Family and Friends of Terry Moon; Alex Saralvarez and Family; Sigrid Long; Family of Lynda Torbert Mathers; Eileen Cheney and Family; Family of Susan Treas-Ewing; Thomas Hines; Olivia Flautt; Dr. Gladys Memnon and Friends in Bongnotte, Haiti; Margaret Burnett; Doors of Hope Families; Lafayette County Detention Center inmates; Parchman Prison inmates; Haven House residents

U. S. Military: SSgt Jason Freeland, USAF 17th Special Tactics Sqaudron

Please pray, too, for those with unspecified needs.

If you wish to have a name removed or added to this list, please contact the church office.



The FPC prayer chain is ready if you or someone you know is in need. This is a confidential list that is independent from the names listed above. Please contact Carlisle Wood at carlislewood@gmail.com

or 662-832-8606. All requests are held in strict confidence.

The flower calendar is now full! Thank you to everyone for your donations to help decorate our beautiful sanctuary.

Seasonal berries and greenery dates are available December 1, 8, 22, 29, and January 5 . To provide seasonal greenery and berries in honor or in memory of a loved one, contact Margaret Fancher at mfancher42@gmail.com or call 234-1359.

Contributions to the flower fund are greatly appreciated. If you want a particular date to provide flowers on a Sunday morning, please reserve that date in advance.

Anyone interested in an FPC member directory can call the church office at 234-1757; one will be printed for you.

Sunday School

Youth Sunday

On October 20th, we held a special worship service that was led by our Youth. Youth Sunday will be a yearly occurrence to celebrate the many ways the Youth at FPC deeply enriches our lives as a church family. Thank you to the below participates for leading worship. Each of you did such a great job!

William Bouldin

Elsie James Bridgers

Tucker Bridgers

Thomas Cribbs

Howard Hyneman

Elizabeth McLellan

Logan McPhail

Cole Milner

Tucker Milner

Paxton Scott

Vivian Scott

Sterlin Smith

Owen Wilkinson

Weldon Wilkinson

Madeline Williams

Hallowed Hopewell

Another Hallowed Hopewell in the books. Thank you to all those that attended and those who volunteered!

LAST CHANCE to get your picture taken!

Maria will be available to take photos after the 11:00 service for one hour on Sunday, November 3 from 12:00-1:00. No appointment necessary. This will be the last opportunity for members to have their photo taken for the pictorial directory.

What's Happening on Wednesdays?

Join us on first-Wednesdays this Fall from 4:30-6pm at Circle & Square Brewing. All are welcome for this casual time of fellowship and Bible study. If you'd like to join the GroupMe or email list for reminders and updates, contact Allison Wehrung. 

What a fun month of fellowship it has been! A big thank you to our incredible kitchen help and guest speaker volunteers for their contributions to our recent events. Your hard work and dedication in preparing delicious meals and ensuring everything ran smoothly did not go unnoticed. Additionally, our guest speakers brought stories of their life experiences that truly elevated the experience for everyone involved. Also a huge thank you to all of those that joined us for dinner each week! Our final gathering will be November 6. Rev. Milner and Rev. Spaulding will be our guest speakers to close out the semester. We hope to have a good turn out, one last time!

VIPs

Mark your calendars for our next gathering! We will meet for a soup lunch on Tuesday, November 12, at 11:30 am in the Fellowship Hall. Make sure to call the church office to sign up so we can plan accordingly.

Youngish Adults

Children and Youth Faith Formation

The CYFF Team will be selling parking lot spaces for the Ole Miss vs Georgia game on November 9. The parking lot will open at 7:00 am, and be first come, first serve. All proceeds will go to Presbyterian Youth summer trips. If you have any questions, please contact Catie Hester (662-701-7010).

PYF and Doors of Hope Host Thanksgiving 

On Tuesday, November 12th, PYF at First Pres Oxford is partnering with Doors of Hope for our annual Thanksgiving meal, providing and serving a Thanksgiving meal to Doors of Hope participants. If you feel so led to contribute to the meal, please sign up HERE.  Once you sign up, we will reach out with more information. Please call or text Dave at

(317)627-2675 with any questions.

Music at First

November is the month of Music at First events! Make sure to mark your calendars for the events below.

This service of gratitude is open to the entire Oxford/Lafayette community. Anyone interested is invited to sing in the choir. There will be two rehearsals November 7 and November 14 at 6:00 at FPC. All are invited to participate (no singing expertise required) and make a joyful noise!

UKirk

UKirk Ole Miss is back for another semester together, and sharing dinner each week continues to be a central part of this student faith community. If you're interested in providing one, you can see the schedule of available dates at ukirkolemiss.org/tuesday-meals. If you're a college student who wants to connect, or know one we should meet, visit bit.ly/3SCKpI0. 

The Mission Team meets the first Monday of each month at 5:00 in the Session Room of the Sanctuary building. Please join us as we seek creative and effective means to serve “the least of these.” If you would like more information, call the church office or contact David Shaw at dcshaw82@gmail.com.

The Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is our denomination's agency that coordinates relief efforts following natural disasters such as the two hurricanes that recently struck the Southeast. One of PDA's programs is delivering to those in need cleanup buckets which include detergents, sponges, garbage bags, work gloves, insect repellent, etc. Last week FPC members contributed to that effort by purchasing the supplies for and assembling twenty-six buckets. Many thanks to David Shaw and Laura Montgomery who coordinated the effort. Plans are underway to make this project an annual event.  Thank you to all that donated items to make this happen. Please take a moment to watch the video below from our friend David LaMotte.

The second annual Witches Ride was an overwhelming success. Over 100 witches rode in on their brooms (aka bicycles) raising $20,000 for the Pantry. Warlocks and little goblins lined the route to cheer their favorite witch on. A large time was had by all! We are deeply grateful to Ashley Callery and her team for coordinating the event.  

The local chapter of Kairos, an international prison ministry, is planning its next onsite meeting at the Marshall County Correctional Facility in Holly Springs November 7-10. Members of FPC donated 18 dozen cookies that will be delivered to the inmates during the meeting. We thank all those who baked all those cookies! If you would like more information on this ministry, contact Roun McNeal at 601-394-3920.

Our next Cents-Ability Sunday is November 17. Funds raised through the Cents-Ability collection help to fund hunger relief programs throughout Saint Andrew Presbytery, including the Oxford Pantry. So keep saving those coins! Need a container? Swing by the church office anytime.

LovePacks (lovepacksoxford.com) is an in-school pantry that provides food for 250 children in the Oxford and Lafayette county schools who experience hunger in their homes. For the month of November, packs of Ramen Noodles are requested. Your contribution may be left at the church office anytime. Questions? Contact Carmille Hovious at  662-380-1471.

Leap Frog is an after school literacy and enrichment program for first through third grade students enrolled in the Oxford Elementary and Lafayette County public schools. Students meet with individual tutors at St. Peter's Episcopal Church after school Monday through Thursday throughout the semester. Twice a week volunteers from FPC partner with St. Peter's by providing snacks for the sixty students enrolled.

Frequently, individuals knock on the church door asking for aid—a meal, payment of a utility bill, a safe place to spend the night.  There is a small pastor’s discretionary fund, and those in need are referred to Interfaith Compassion Ministry.  Yet the Mission Team wanted to do more.  FPC now offers Blessing Bags to anyone who would like one.  The bags contain a nonperishable meal, toiletries, a few clothing items, and a list of community pantries, free meals and other public services.  If you or your family would like to assemble a Blessing Bag, click here for suggested items. There are empty bags in the church office that can be picked up and filled. Questions?  Contact Marty Mauldin at 662-832-3925.

Need a helping hand? 

In Good Order is a group of FPC volunteers available to assist members who may need a little extra help with a yard project or light home repairs. FPC volunteers are available to change light bulbs, replace air filters, haul off a large limb in the yard, etc.  

If you would like assistance or know of someone who does,

 please contact the church office at 662-234-1757.

FPC continues to partner with Doors of Hope Transition Ministries by providing office space and hosting the Step 2 Dinner the second Tuesday of each month. New volunteers to host the meals are encouraged. It's easy! Pick up the prepared meal from Larson's, serve the meal in the fellowship hall, and sit at table with new friends. The following have hosted the dinner previously and would be happy to cohost with you. Contact anyone of them with questions you may have.

For more information about the dinner and to sign up, click here.

Memory Makers of Oxford (memorymakers@maxxsouth.net) is a respite day service for those with memory loss. Structured activities provide enrichment for participants while allowing a much need respite for caregivers to take a break from the daily responsibility of caring for their loved one.  Volunteers to assist with programing and provide snacks are always appreciated.       Call 234-3332 for more information. For a list of needed items, click here.

News from the Pews

Memorials & Honorariums

~ With gratitude for contributions to First Presbyterian Church ~

In Memory of:

Jean Blackston

Dean & Yung Chow

Maggie Danneman

Barbara Liddon

The Gerry Duvall Circle

The Diaconate

Doris Gorman Kessler

Larry & Kay Tyler

Financial Summary 

September Session Summary

 First Presbyterian Church

Oxford, Mississippi

Congregational Summary of October 21, 2024

Stated Session Meeting

The Session of First Presbyterian Church held its monthly stated meeting on Monday, October 21, 2024, at First Presbyterian Church.

1.    New Business. A congregational meeting is scheduled for November 10, 2024, to elect the new Nominating Committee for Deacon and Elder selections.                                                       

2.     Ministry Team Reports.

a.     Finance (Richard DeVoe, 2024 & Brent Hardin, 2025). Elder DeVoe reported that FPC’s 2024 budget spending is on track with the current levels of giving for 2024. Elder Hardin shared an update from the Stewardship Committee regarding 2024 annual giving and projected 2025 pledges. The Committee will continue its outreach efforts to increase the number of pledges received for 2025.

b.     Property (Bradley Goodwiller, 2024 & Bo Elliot, 2025). Elder Goodwiller reported that beginning January 1, 2025, FPC parking pass memberships will run annually and cost $75. Memberships purchased throughout the year will be prorated accordingly. The City of Oxford continues to lease the demolished Annex space, and Elder Goodwiller is in conversation with the discernment committee regarding future use/landscaping thereof.

c.     Adult Faith Formation (Carole Haney, 2025 & Irma Buchanan, 2026). Elder Haney expressed her gratitude for all the speakers for the Wednesdays Together fall series and thanked Reverend Milner and Reverend Spaulding for a wonderful fall Bible study program.

d.     Children & Youth Faith Formation (Catie Hester, 2024 & Brynnen Quick, 2026). Reverend Milner praised PYF for a fantastic Youth Worship Service, and the Session echoed his sentiments.

e.     Membership & Hospitality (Angela Manley, 2025, and Matt Nielson, 2026). Elder Manley reminded the Session that Hallowed Hopewell is October 27 and shared that photos for the pictorial directory are ongoing. An additional opportunity for directory photos will be provided after the worship service on November 3^rd from 12-1 p.m. Members who are not photographed will have the opportunity to submit a photo – more information to come. 

f.       Mission (David Shaw, 2025 & Laura Montgomery, 2026). Elders Shaw and Montgomery reported they intend to attend ICM’s annual meeting to learn more about ICM’s offerings and FPC’s role within the organization.

g.     Personnel (Melissa Hall, 2024).  Elder Hall shared a positive report from the Personnel Team’s meetings with FPC’s staff and personnel. As a result, thereof, the Personnel Team is prioritizing updating the church office’s operating equipment to migrate FPC’s operating system to a cloud-based email and data storage system.

h.     Worship (Hale Freeland, 2024).  Elder Freeland reminded the Session of the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartins service on October 27, 2024. Reverend Milner shared that the 11 a.m. service on November 10 will have a special musical offering to be announced soon.

i.       Deacon’s Report: Reverend Milner reported on the Diaconate’s continued dedicated efforts to reach all members of our congregation. Elder Hardin requested a report from member(s) of the Diaconate on these efforts.

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