This year's theme for Advent is From Generation to Generation... There is room for every story! All in the congregation are invited to bring framed photographs of loved ones - ancestors, present day family photos, and children and grandchildren, as well as family Bibles or other meaningful tokens of your tapestry of faith. 

Please bring these to the church by November 26 and deliver them to Alicia to be a part of sharing your ancestral story for the first Sunday of Advent!

This Advent, may you remember that you belong - to a story etched into the wrinkles of time, to generations that have come before and will come after, to a love that won't let you go.

We may have had Commitment Sunday, but it’s not too late to make your commitment by submitting your good and perfect gifts! 

Submit your Covenant Card by November 30th to be included in our 2023 Operating Budget!

American Red Cross Blood Drive at FPC

TOMORROW!

November 23rd | 10:00am-3:00pm | FPC Fellowship Hall

Donors can sign up at redcrossblood.org using the sponsor code firstprescov

Walk-ins are welcome!

Get ready to roll up your sleeve, lay back and take it easy for about 30 minutes and then get cookies for your effort. Can you believe it cookies for taking it easy. Yes indeed, First Presbyterian is hosting a American Red Cross Blood Drive and everyone is welcome. This is a critical time for the need of blood donations. Please go to the American Red Cross website and look up our event and sign up for a spot that best works for you. However, "walk in's" are welcome and anyone who comes to the event will be given the chance to donate. Anyone that gives a donation or tries to give a donation will be welcome at the cookie and juice table (really good cookies). Please put November 23rd on your calendar and come visit with some of your church members working the event.

Deck the Halls for Advent!

Saturday, November 26th at 10:30am!

Church invited! Let Catherine know you are coming by TOMORROW, November 23!

Children & teens are encouraged to join our Christmas Pageant!

Speaking & non-speaking parts available.

Practices: Dec. 4 at 9:45am

Dec. 11 at 9:45am

Dec. 14 at 4:00pm

See Erin for more details and to sign up

On December 3rd we will once again be passing out hot chocolate and donuts during the Covington Lion’s Club Christmas Parade!

We will have a table in front of the church and will meet at 9:15am to set up before the parade starts at 10:00am. Please contact Curtis Watson if you are interested in helping out!

Meat is provided and we invite you to bring a side dish or dessert.

Sign up to bring your favorite with Erin!

Following our Soul Feast Christmas Party, come hear a word about how we can help our neighbors living in homelessness! Jennifer Phillips from Willing Helpers Clinic will be speaking in the Adult Sunday School Room at 6:15pm on December 7th.

The Chancel Choir has begun rehearsing music for Advent and Christmas, and we would love to have you join us! Currently, a portion of the rehearsal from 7:20 to 7:50 is dedicated to rehearsing Lessons & Carols, which will be accompanied by a string quartet and percussion on Sunday, December 11th. 

"Grace Notes & Gospel Gab" is a new email offering from our Director of Music and Worship Arts, Alicia Taylor. Subscribe to learn about FPC’s music ministry and the history behind special worship services.

Children 3 years old through 1st grade are invited to Joyful Noise at 4:30pm to ring bells, sing praise, participate in a rhythm band, and puppetry arts.

Hallelujah Kids! meets at 5:00pm for 2nd through 8th graders to learn to ring tone chimes and handbells, sing praise, participate in a drumming circle, and puppetry arts.

Childcare will be available from 4:30 PM to 8:00 PM each Wednesday at the church for parents who are involved in the church music ministry.

Please contact Alicia Taylor at 770-656-6848 or at alicia@fpccov.org with any questions

The Angel Trees have been put in the narthex!

We want to give you as much time as possible to purchase the gifts. There are Salvation Army Christmas Angel tags, and Senior Care Facilities Senior Angel tags!

You'll find a clipboard by each tree with a form to record who has chosen each tag.

The gifts must be returned to the church no later than Tuesday, December 13th. Gifts should be returned and placed in the corner of the narthex over by the children's bags.

It is very important that the tag(s) must be returned with gifts and each gift should have the appropriate identifying tag/number attached in some manner. Attaching the appropriate identifying tag/number will help ensure the gifts reach the appropriate Angel. Congregants may make additional tags with the appropriate identifying number if needed.

FRIDGE CLEANOUT

We will be having the fridge in the kitchen cleaned THIS Friday, November 25th. If you have anything in the fridge please make sure it is labeled with your name and "Do NOT throw it away."

Neeley’s Notions is an email offering that gives Neeley the chance to start a conversation about the inspirations and influences she thinks about while writing her weekly sermon. The email will be sent on Friday mornings when the Spirit leads, and you can reply to the email with your thoughts and stories for Neeley to read.

Read an excerpt of Neely's Notions for the start of Advent below, and subscribe to get the full story in your inbox tomorrow!

It was a tradition, my mom remembers dating back to her childhood around 1960s, that all the work stopped on Saturdays at lunchtime. And the table – well, everyone gathered around the table to enjoy fried chicken, green beans, rice and gravy, mac and cheese, and the best buttermilk biscuits in all the land!

Great Grandmomma wanted everyone around the same table – the family, the workers on the farm, the neighbors. It was a feast of acceptance and love and the award-winning southern cooking!

My childhood was the same. My mom carried on this tradition. At our home in Dahlonega, we grew to expect neighbors, friends, and even strangers to be seated with us at the table any day of the week! The example my great grandmother passed on to my mom was passed down to my sisters and me. A table of acceptance. I pray, I too, pass a table of acceptance on to our three girls from generation to generation! All stories woven together, interconnected, around the table of grace! 

Greetings in the name of the Lord! What a joy it is to serve in ministry with you! As we walk on this journey of faith together, we will send out a monthly newsletter with ministry opportunities for Children and Families. Be on the lookout for ways to connect with one another! 

With joy,

Rev. Erin Morgan

Associate Pastor for Faith Formation

Please keep the following people and their families in your prayers this week:

Prayers:

• Sandy Morehouse - recovering from pulmonary embolism
• Joe Burns, brother of Cathy Dobbs
• Stephanie Fortson, broken hip
• Patrick Carmichael
• Donald Vining, brother of Danny Vining - vision loss
• Beverly Beasley, friend of Jean Elder - caring for husband who has leukemia
• Larry Cox, brother-in-law of Randy Layton - cancer
• Bob Darby, friend of Jeff Mackenzie - leg amputated, kidney problems
• Bruce Hamilton, brother-in-law of Theodosia Wade - cancer
• Karen Lein Kaasa, sister-in-law of Julie MacKenzie - home health care
• Lonnie Lamb - chemotherapy
• Gary Lott, brother of Tricia Hinton - recovering at home following two brain surgeries
• Linea Lott, niece of Tricia Hinton - leukemia
• Richard, friend of Miriam and Jack Wheeler - cell mutation
• Tony Taylor, brother of Alicia Taylor -gradually gaining strength with physical therapy
• Blair Weaver - health issues
• Joyce Williams, sister of Danny Vining - Alzheimer’s

Condolences

• Our prayers are with Kayla Dobbs and her family as they mourn the death of her grandmother Patricia Edwards. 

Independent and Assisted Living

• Penny Blakeney - The Oaks Assisted Living
• Julia Brubaker - Benton House
• Jean Elder - Florida with her daughter
• Dot Fincher - Merryvale
• Travis Moss - Westbury, Conyers
• Louise White - Merryvale

Military Service

• Billy Scarborough - Marines
• Koen Ardis - Navy

Please click HERE to update your prayer requests or send new prayer requests.

You will be sent a check-in after three weeks.

In your email please indicate if you would like your request to be confidential or added to our prayer list.