March Greetings!

The First Presbyterian Church of Glen Cove's building

A Note from Emmie Arnold, Our New Communications Manager

To the members & friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glen Cove:

Hi everybody! My name is Emmie Arnold and I am so honored to be joining the staff here. Pastor Lance and I went to seminary together and met at our campus’ LGBTQIA+ group. Besides God, who knew that I would end up working alongside them? Here, I’ll share a few words about me as a minister and as a person outside of my jobs.

In terms of my work life, when I’m not creating bulletins and social media posts for the church, I work part-time as a pediatric hospital chaplain at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Like I am here, I am just transitioning there now – immediately upon moving back to the East Coast this past summer once I was done with my year-long residency at Mayo Clinic, I was blessed with an unexpected interim chaplain role at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills. I worked with countless COVID-positive patients and did many phone and video calls with family members who could not be at their loved ones’ sides. I also spent a significant portion of my days making sure the staff members were holding up emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The challenges they – and everyone – are facing are indescribable, and it was an absolute honor to earn their trust and work there until the staff chaplain returned. The lessons I learned by serving as a palliative care chaplain for adults during an Earth-shaking pandemic are ones that I will carry with me forever, both as a minister and as a person. They are already coming into play in huge ways as I transition to serving as a palliative care and pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) chaplain.

In terms of my personal life, I was born and raised in New Jersey. I’ve spent four years of my life in Tennessee and one in Minnesota, but otherwise have been a New Jerseyan through and through. My home church is Bound Brook Presbyterian Church, which is in Central Jersey near my family. My family is very close-knit, and I’m impatiently waiting for the day that all of them get their second vaccine doses. My partner, Lucas (a different Lucas from Lance’s partner!) and I live in Jersey City, which is a good triangle among our families and my workplace, as well as a great place to live. I look forward to getting to know it more once it’s safe to do so. Lucas and I spend time hosting virtual game nights with friends, cooking and baking, going for walks, watching too much television, reading, dreaming about future travels, and resting. I live a pretty good life, all things considered these days, and I never, ever take that blessing for granted.

I so look forward to getting to know you. I will be working for the church remotely on Mondays and Wednesdays; don’t hesitate to email [email protected] to set up a time for us to get to know each other over phone or video chat!

With gratitude and God’s grace,

Emmie (she/her/hers)

Upcoming Events & News

Bible Study

9 AM on Sundays

We are having some amazing conversations in our 9 AM Bible Study. We're asking big questions and really wrestling with the beliefs that we hold. Join Betty Ann Roel as she continues leading conversations about The Universal Christ.

This week, we're reading chapter 11. Click here to join via Zoom.

In this photo are both palm leaves and a bowl of ashes made from palm leaves. In the middle of a bowl is a handmade cross.

Holy Week Services

We will offer all of these worship services both over Zoom and in-person. Each of them will have a live musician!

March 28 - Palm Sunday at 10 AM

April 2 - Good Friday Tenebrae Service at 7 PM, featuring cellist Josh Epstein

We are grateful for Josh returning to share more music with us and create a meditative space for a service that will end in darkness.

April 4 - Easter Sunday Service at 10 AM

The Glenwood Table

The Glenwood Table has started a podcast and a Youtube channel to create spiritual resources for those seeking a faith for the 21st century.

Click here to listen to our podcast, here to follow us on Facebook, and here to follow us on Instagram!

Image description: A tan image that has a message in black serif font saying: "Join Glenwood Table in Our New Series 'Faith for the Twenty-First Century' (2nd & 4th Thursday at 7 PM on Zoom).

Recipe Share

We'd love to learn and share recipes for foods you used to bring to church potlucks (ones that you can't wait to bring again when the time is right!) so that we can still feel connected through food as we wait. Share the details in this Google form.

While we wait for responses from you, here are a few of Emmie's favorite recipes:

Middle Eastern lamb stew
Shrimp scampi (the simplified recipe)
Basically anything made in an Instantpot
(Gluten-free!) Crepes with melted chocolate, blueberry compote, and almond butter
Hot chocolate made on the stovetop: 2 cups of almond milk, 3 tbsp sugar, 3 tbsp good unsweetened cocoa powder, and a splash of vanilla extract or mint extract

A photo of Dr. Kirk A. Johnson (he/him/his), an African-American male professor wearing glasses, a black suitjacket, and a purple button-up shirt. He is smiling and sitting, angled toward the camera, against a brown and white background.

Opportunity to Learn More About Race, Racism, and Anti-Racism

One of Pastor Lance's colleagues and trusted friends, Dr. Kirk A. Johnson, will be leading a virtual study about race. It will run weekly for six weeks on Tuesday nights from 7-9 PM, starting this coming Tuesday, March 9th. The cost is $350, but scholarships are available. Check out this page for more details about signing up and the content that will be covered.

On a blue and white background, there is white sans serif font that says "Give" and there are two hands, one of which is passing coins to the other.

Online Giving

We are connected to an online giving center for churches called tithe.ly. You can give a one-time gift or set up a recurring gift by clicking here.

Please also consider giving memorial flowers so that we can add more beauty to our services. You can sign up by clicking here.

Looking to Pledge?

Why does pledging matter? Pledging helps us develop a realistic financial picture and plan our ministries for the year ahead. When you pledge, you're letting us know what you're planning to give for the whole year (not each week or month). Whatever amount you can commit to will help!

Click here to fill out your pledge form.

Looking for Info on the Covid-19 Vaccine?

Check out the Nassau County website here to find out if you're eligible to get the vaccine yet. If you feel nervous or unsure about getting it, we encourage you to ask friends and family members the reasons why they have taken it.

Communication Manager Emmie's reason: to protect family members, friends, strangers, and herself as she continually comes into contact with Covid-positive patients in her role as a hospital chaplain.

We are incredibly grateful to all of the frontline workers and researchers who are making vaccination distribution possible. Here's to a new future!

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