Friday, June 2, 2023 Newsletter
SUNDAY WORSHIP – NEW TIME!
10:00 a.m.
Summer Worship in Fellowship Hall – NEW LOCATION!
(in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website)
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A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN:
HIGHLIGHTS FOR THIS SUNDAY
This week I want to talk about two important things happening in the life of the church this Sunday. First, we are entering a new season on the Christian calendar, which is not actually a season at all! You’ll see on the summer worship bulletins that we simply count each Sunday as “The ______ Sunday After Pentecost,” which is mostly due to a lack of anything else significant about it. An alternative way of talking about this “season” is simply as Ordinary Time, meaning there is nothing special being commemorated such as Lent, Advent, Easter, etc.
So as we begin this season of “Ordinary Time,” which will last until Advent begins next December, I thought we’d start with something a little different and a little playful that more than a few of you have suggested over the last couple of years, and that is a sermon series on “The Gospel According to Ted Lasso.”
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If you’ve missed it, Ted Lasso has been both a television show and a cultural phenomenon since 2020, when it burst on the scene during the worst part of the pandemic and offered a desperately needed salve to our culture’s soul with its focus on believing in a better future of community, kindness, friendship, and personal growth, improbably wrapped in the comic story of an American football coach who is hired to lead a British Premier League soccer club despite knowing nothing about either soccer or Britain. |
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You can watch it on Apple TV, and you can even get a 3-month free trial subscription through Best Buy without purchasing anything; just Google “free Apple TV Best Buy” and follow the links. You will NOT have to have seen the show to appreciate the sermons, however.
For the month of June, we’ll be looking at several of the popular show’s key themes. One could argue that Coach Lasso himself is a Christ figure, but we’re going to go deeper than that, because what makes the show truly great is how adroitly it avoids sentimentality and is willing to take on issues like mental health, grief, and generational trauma in ways that are realistic and insightful.
So this first week, we’re going to start with perhaps the central theme of the show, what it means to “Believe.” Believing is obviously a central theme of Christianity, as well, but there are many layers to what it can and should mean in both the show and in the Christian faith that may not always be appreciated. So that is where we are going to begin!
The second important thing happening this Sunday right after worship – which will be Fellowship Hall - is the first of three “Lunch and Learn” gatherings hosted by the Mission Strategy Steering Committee over the summer. This event will also be in Fellowship Hall.
Each “Lunch and Learn” will focus on one of the major opportunities the Committee has found in its work for how we might further our mission as a congregation through serving our neighbors in need and helping them thrive more fully in life.
This Sunday will focus on the issue of housing, and we will have two distinguished guests speaking with us: Abby Goldfarb, Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Council of Churches, and Gwen Didden, Executive Director of Berks and Northampton Counties Housing Authorities. Both of our guests have significant professional insight and experience on the issues of housing in our community, but both have also had personal experience facing housing insecurity themselves, and so they can speak to the issues on multiple levels.
This is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about what’s going on all around us in Bethlehem. You are encouraged but not required to bring some kind of dish for lunch that can be shared; I hope to see you there!
Grace and Peace,
J.C.
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This week’s sermon: The Gospel According to Ted Lasso: Beyond Believe by The Rev. J.C. Austin
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We post the video of each week’s services and sermon text on our website: fpc-bethlehem.org
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TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper for Sunday
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FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
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NEW TIME! Child care will be available from 9:45 - 11:15 a.m. this Sunday morning; please ask an usher for directions.
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Your children are a joy in our worship services, and should the need arise, “kid bags” are available for their use. They are in the Narthex and in the blanket-sitting area (to the left of the communion table in Fellowship Hall).
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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.
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THIS SUNDAY: COMMUNION
If you would like to participate at home you can prepare your own elements: bread or a bread-like item (cracker, pita, bagel), and grape juice, wine or water.
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FOR SUNDAY: STRATEGIC MISSION LUNCH & LEARN
Please join us for a potluck following summer worship this Sunday to learn more about our community’s needs and our ongoing Strategic Mission work! Bring a dish to share, and hear more from two local partners working to address the affordable housing crisis in the Lehigh Valley:
- Abby Goldfarb, Executive Director of the Lehigh Conference of Churches
- Gwen Didden, Executive Director of the Berks and Northampton Co. Housing Authorities
They’ll have a conversation moderated by Pastor Lindsey, and the floor will be open for questions from the congregation about the work they do and the possibilities for our church’s engagement in the issue of housing insecurity. It will be a meaningful and informative time together, so please make plans to attend!
NOTE: Because of this event we will not offer Lemonade on the Lawn this Sunday – it will return next Sunday, June 11.
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We are looking for other groups or families to take on the hosting duties.
Basically, you will need to provide a few treats to eat and to get the beverages, cups and napkins, ice, and coolers out of the church kitchen. Clean-up is as simple as returning those items to the kitchen.
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It doesn’t have to be a “formal” group, like a K group or the choir – it can be a family or group of friends. It’s easy to sign up on this online form or call the church office at 610-867-5865. We’ll also have a paper sign-up form at each event.
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INQUIRERS CLASS
About once a quarter, we hold Inquirers Seminars for folks who might like to learn more about our congregation and our denomination and/or those who may be considering the possibility of becoming members at First Presbyterian.
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We’re planning to hold the in-person portion of that on Sunday, June 11 from 2-5 p.m. The afternoon will be casual and conversational, and it will offer space to connect with other newcomers along with J.C., Suzanne, and Lindsey.
There is also typically have a 90 minute follow-up session by Zoom, but that will be scheduled after this first session.
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ASSISTING AT OUR SERVICES
If you are interested in reading at one of our summer services, please sign up through the link provided, below.
You will be sent the scripture several days before the service, so you can prepare. If you have any trouble signing up on this form, please drop us an email. |
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‘BREAD FOR THE WORLD’ OFFERING OF LETTERS
As we have written in previous newsletters, every five years, the US Congress reauthorizes an omnibus Farm Bill, determining policy and funding levels for agriculture, food assistance programs, natural resources, and other aspects of food and agriculture under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
The Bill is up for renewal this Fall (it expires on September 30), and Bread for the World, the Christian advocacy organization, is asking churches around the country to write letters in support of provisions in the bill that will help to increase food availability and security for our most vulnerable citizens, including:
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- NUTRITION: increasing access to healthy food in the U.S., as well as enhancing global maternal and child nutrition.
- EQUITY: expanding access to SNAP among marginalized populations, and supporting self-governance and food sovereignty for Tribal Nations.
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- SUSTAINABILITY: keeping food out of landfills by increasing support for post-harvest food recovery efforts, and tackling the threat to food security posed by extreme weather.
We’re asking members and friends of FPCB to participate in this year’s BFW Offering of Letters, which will focus on the Farm Bill, by writing letters to our Senators and Congressional Representatives.
If you’d like to simply write letters after worship on Sunday mornings, or drop them off, a table will be set up for that purpose this Sunday, and we’ll make sure that they are sent to the appropriate offices. (A sample letter suitable for “tailoring” will be available.) You can also put your letter in an individual envelope and mail it yourself, or drop off at our table so we can mail it.
If you would prefer to send letters electronically (or are looking for some guidance on what to write), you may do so by clicking on this link and following the instructions (be sure to indicate that you are writing as part of the Offering of Letters).
For general information on Bread’s initiative on the Farm Bill, and on its work in general, please visit bread.org. Together we can make a difference!
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AN UPDATE ABOUT RUTH SANTANA-GRACE |
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We thought you might enjoy this article about Ruth Santana-Grace.
Ruth is a former associate pastor here and is currently the co-moderator of the General Assembly, the highest elected office in the denomination.
Ruth (right), with Shavon Starling-Louis
Click here to read the article. |
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OUR FIRST 'LEMONADE ON THE LAWN' OF THE SUMMER
It was great to see so many folks come out – and all that red!
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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, leave a message or call our answering service at 610-778-7003.
PRAYER REQUESTS...
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**Deadline for the next week's newsletter:
WEDNESDAY at noon**
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Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
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TO JOIN OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP SERVICE
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Visit our Facebook page and look for the post with our live feed
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If you don’t have a Facebook account, go to our website to view the service - click on the "Watch the Service" button
- Please check in with a comment so we know you’ve joined us!
- Captions will now be available on our livestream, for those who would like to use that feature
To watch a video – available after the services have aired: Visit our website archives
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THIS SUNDAY - COMMUNION SUNDAY
- 9:45-11:15 a.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
- 10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship, in-person in the Sanctuary and livestream on Facebook Live and our website
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11:15 a.m.: Lunch & Learn potluck in Fellowship Hall – all are welcome; please bring a dish to share (but please come anyway even if you don’t bring a dish)
WEDNESDAYS: 7 p.m. - Overcomer’s Outreach Christian 12 Step Recovery Group weekly meeting, via Zoom (Meeting # 380 435 9056 / Password: overcomer)
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 members of the FPCB congregation are hospitalized and would welcome pastoral and hospital ministrant visitors and/or prayers, please contact: Phil Fair, Prayer Ministrant (prayer@fpc-bethlehem.org).
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM |
First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 | info@fpc-bethlehem.org
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