Friday, May 5, 2023 Newsletter
SUNDAY SERVICES
9:00 a.m. ‘Holy Ground’ Contemporary Worship in Fellowship Hall
(in person)
11:00 a.m. Traditional Worship in the Sanctuary – Communion Sunday
(in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website)
|
|
A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN:
A DELIGHTFUL AND MOVING SURPRISE
Last Sunday, I was completely surprised by the celebration of the church’s worship staff that had been planned for weeks, as I understand it. One of my good friends is pastor of a church that is in a community immediately adjacent to Langley, VA, where the CIA is headquartered, and when I told him what happened, he said that you gave his members who work there a run for their money when it comes to secrecy!
In all seriousness, it was a delightful and very moving surprise to receive that celebration and all the lovely and thoughtful notes that you all wrote to us. I was tempted to plough through them all on Sunday afternoon, which was also coincidentally my birthday, but I made the decision to read a selection of them each day, which has made this whole week so much brighter in so many ways. I know I speak for Lindsey and Dave in saying how much it meant to us for you all to do that, and how grateful we are to serve a church that practices gratitude and generosity so faithfully and well.
|
|
To that end, I thought perhaps it would be fitting to do a gratitude letter of my own this week. First, I want to express my thanks to Lindsey and Dave, as well, for the privilege of serving with both of them. It is not uncommon to find myself in conversation with other pastors who are struggling with their directors of music, complaining that they don’t care about the larger ministry of the church, or are unwilling to explore anything beyond the status quo, or refuse to be a real partner on staff. |
|
|
And I simply smile, because not only am I confident that Dave’s musical abilities are without peer among these musicians, but he is deeply committed to the full mission of our church, always willing to step up and lead new initiatives, has a work ethic that is so strong that I literally have to order him to take time off at times, and is a constant and wonderful friend and partner to his colleagues on staff. His ministry and leadership is a true gift to us and our church, not simply our music ministries.
And Lindsey has been, quite literally, an answer to fervent prayer, not simply in coming here as Associate Pastor, but in the relationships she has uniquely built and the ways she has grown and developed the Associate Pastor role from its already ambitious beginnings to a much larger impact inside our church and beyond, from helping us design more innovative and meaningful special worship services to the relationships she is building for us in the larger community, and everything in between.
Lindsey is a compassionate pastoral presence, an energetic and insightful strategic thinker, a constant and compelling voice for our congregational mission, and a delightful and constant friend on staff, serving with dedication, humor, thoughtfulness, and creativity. I am deeply blessed to count them both as partners and friends in ministry, and our congregation is blessed to have them.
I also want to express my profound gratitude for our other staff members who play such crucial roles beyond the worship life of the church, and for our congregational leaders that give so much of their time and energy and skills and vision to leading this church into the dynamic future to which God is calling us. Unfortunately, space does not begin to allow for all that in just this newsletter. So, not unlike how I have spaced out reading your letters in order to give full attention to each one of them, I am going to continue on this theme of gratitude in future newsletter articles, as well.
That said, I want to be sure to express my profound gratitude for our Facilities Manager, Kevin Konczyk, this week. Kevin will be having heart surgery on Monday, and will be on leave for a couple of months as he recovers, so I want to highlight him this week, and ask you to keep him in your prayers as he recovers.
It is no secret that our buildings are simultaneously one of our great assets for ministry and mission and a massive challenge to maintain, especially given the decades of deferred maintenance that we have inherited. It is a daunting responsibility to be charged with managing and maintaining them, yet Kevin does so every day with extraordinary skill, patience, wisdom, and dedication, all while maintaining an air of affability and unflappability that I can’t imagine maintaining myself if I was in his shoes!
I am deeply grateful for Kevin’s leadership and collegiality, and we look forward to welcoming him back when he has healed up. I am also grateful to Rebecca Angione for temporarily coming out of retirement and filling in for Kevin on a part-time basis while he recovers, so we are in very good and experienced hands while he is away on leave.
And I want to conclude by expressing my deepest, heartfelt thanks for you as a congregation, to whom I feel deeply privileged to be called as your pastor. When I accepted the call to come here over five years ago, more than a few of you took me aside at some point and asked with genuine curiosity, “so, why did you say yes to actually coming here?”
The question was predicated on the challenges we were facing at the time, of course, with the schism still ongoing and the resolution unclear. But while I was not naïve about those challenges and felt like I had something to offer the church in addressing them, those were not the most important reasons I came.
The reason I came were the people of this congregation that I was encountering in the interview process: your indefatigable spirit, your deep sense of commitment to inclusivity and unity, your vision for being a thriving church whether that would be based at 2344 Center Street or somewhere else, your willingness to experiment with how to realize that vision, and most of all your joy and love for being a community together of Christ’s followers and for supporting each other in doing that.
Those are the things that have seen us through the end of the schism, through the rebuilding of the church after that, through the challenges of the pandemic, and now into this new season of discernment and envisioning and experimentation.
I turned down two other calls that were extended to me at the same time in order to come to Bethlehem, and I have never regretted or reconsidered it for even a minute of an hour of a day since, because of you: all of you.
Your generosity of spirit on Sunday was a wonderful microcosm of that, and I am deeply, deeply grateful for it, and for the opportunity to be together as we move into the future!
Grace and Peace,
J.C.
|
|
|
|
-
This week’s sermon: The Gospel of Deep Breathing by the Rev. J.C. Austin
-
We post the video of each week’s services and sermon text on our website: fpc-bethlehem.org
|
|
TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper for Sunday
|
|
FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
-
Child care will be available from 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. this Sunday morning; please ask an usher for directions.
-
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).
-
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.
|
|
Sunday is Communion Sunday in the Traditional service.
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.
|
|
Yay! We did it - kept a secret from our three worship leaders in order to surprise them!
Under the leadership of Deacon Doreen Sheppard, folks were asked to create notes of gratitude to thank The Rev. Lindsey Altvater Clifton, The Rev. J.C. Austin, and David Macbeth, Director of Music Ministries, for their 'above and beyond' dedication.
|
|
|
Each received a big bag of notes at the end of Sunday's Traditional service, and then we adjourned for cake (of course!).
Per Doreen: “In total we received 179 letters. This was a team effort, so we have to thank Madison Zahorsky for the wonderful music choice, as well as the secret rehearsals that the choir had. In addition, Deb and Al Philpotts, Steve and Cindy Simmons, and Phil Fair helped organize the whole affair since there were so many moving parts, so please thank them as well. Finally, Carol Burns (Communications Manager) helped coordinate all of this by serving as the center for communication.”
|
|
AFTER EACH SUNDAY SERVICE: Coffee & Conversation
We typically invite folks to stay for Coffee & Conversation following each of our two worship services. This is an opportunity for connection in Fellowship Hall where you’ll find coffee for adults along with juice boxes and a simple snack for children.
For this Sunday we will offer it after the Traditional service only, due to the special gathering at 10 a.m. (see below).
|
|
FOR THIS SUNDAY: THE NEXT MISSION STRATEGY CONVERSATION
This Sunday, May 7, we will offer another Mission Strategy Conversation from 10-10:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. This will be another opportunity to be in discussion about the future of our church building and campus. All are welcome!
After reviewing a significant amount data from local agencies regarding community needs, the Steering Committee will be presenting a summary of their findings along with their recommendations for next steps.
Here are the sources which have informed the Steering Committee’s work, if you are interested in reviewing them (not required to attend the meeting):
-
You can see the various Community Needs Assessments that the Steering Committee reviewed – this is a folder with eight documents: bit.ly/3HzXVq0
-
And you can read these six related stories in The Morning Call’s “Room for More” series: bit.ly/4257ZzQ
We’re looking forward to our time together!
|
|
HEARTS N MINDS ADULT ED CLASS: NO CLASS THIS WEEK
The Hearts N Minds adult ed class will not meet this Sunday due to the Mission Strategy Committee Conversation from 10-10:45 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.
The group is studying the book, Elusive Grace: Loving Your Enemies While Striving for God’s Justice by Pastor Scott Black Johnson, senior pastor at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian in Manhattan. When the group reconvenes on Sunday, May 14, the reading will be “Peace, Unity and Purity” and “The Word Proclaimed” (pages 111-121).
NOTE: There will be two more classes, on May 14 and May 21. It will not meet during the summer months.
|
|
SAVE THE DATE! We are planning a Spring Tea Party for Sunday,
May 21 from 2-4 p.m. in Fellowship Hall.
More details to come for this fun, intergenerational event!
|
|
HI NEIGHBORS: HOT TOPICS FOR YOU!
For our next Hi Neighbors program on Monday:
|
|
You know the name, but do you know the full range of services provided by Meals on Wheels? Chef packs, soups, weekenders, pet food, grocery shopping, Senior Food Boxes and food pantry pickups are some of the services available to neighbors in our community (not just the lunch delivery to older adults that you might know of).
|
|
|
Join Monica McCandless, Director of the Community Care Team, as she describes the current options offered and provides information on who can qualify and how to apply.
The program will begin at 9:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall with a hospitality time. The presentation will begin at 10 a.m. All are welcome - there is no fee and no pre-registration.
The last program will be offered on Monday, May 15: Neil Henann is a retired pharmacist and avid music lover – he’ll share “The History of Jazz: From Ragtime to Smooth Jazz” with our audience.
|
|
CHURCH WORK DAY – FOR THIS SATURDAY, MAY 6
Can you join us?
Volunteers will be prepping for painting, painting, doing general clean-up of the grounds, and fixing regular and storm windows. Folks should bring work gloves, their lunch, and drinks to stay hydrated. Kids age 12 and older are welcome to join in the fun, if accompanied by an adult (we can give Community Service Hours credit).
|
|
COMING NEXT FRIDAY: PRESCHOOL SPRING FLING
Next Friday, May 12, we will be co-hosting an end of the year Spring Fling with the Preschool. This event is for all ages and will feature moon bounces, a train ride, snow cone machine, face painting, a hot dog/veggie burger lunch and a basket raffle. It will be held outside on the East Lawn and in Fellowship Hall. Everyone is welcome!
|
|
The baskets will also be available on Sunday, May 14 between services for your chance to win a basket. Tickets will be sold Sunday morning (cash only), and a winner for each basket will be chosen on Monday, May 15.
Basket themes are: road trip, summer fun, Disney, crafts for kids, camping, game night, book basket, movie night, knitting, Granola Factory, pet basket, Morgan Salon, Barre3, and Martin Guitar. (right: what the movie night basket might look like!)
|
|
|
ALSO: We are looking for 6-8 volunteers to help us set up, host, and clean up the lunch for this event. Please sign up by using this online form. Pastor Lindsey will be in touch with more information for volunteers!
|
|
CONCORD CHAMBER SINGERS CONCERT – VIDEO FOR YOU TO ENJOY |
|
If you were unable to join us – or would like to listen to it again – here is the link to last Sunday’s beautiful concert by the Concord Chamber Singers: bit.ly/425v7hE
The program, directed by our own David Macbeth, featured works created exclusively by Pennsylvania natives and residents.
|
|
|
LOOKING AHEAD…
Beginning Sunday, May 28 (Memorial Day weekend), we will offer a
10 a.m. Summer Worship Service in the Sanctuary. This schedule will run through Sunday, Sept. 3 (Labor Day weekend).
|
|
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...
|
|
Send us your news and photos to share:
**Deadline for the next week's newsletter:
WEDNESDAY at noon**
* * *
Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
|
|
TO JOIN OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP SERVICE
-
Visit our Facebook page and look for the post with our live feed
-
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
|
|
THIS SUNDAY
- 8:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
- 9:00 a.m.: “Holy Ground” Contemporary service, Fellowship Hall
- 10:00-10:45 a.m.: Mission Strategy Committee Conversation, Fellowship Hall - all are welcome
-
11:00 a.m.: Traditional Worship Service, in-person in the Sanctuary AND livestream on Facebook Live and our website followed by Coffee & Conversation in Fellowship Hall
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).
|
|
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM |
First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 | info@fpc-bethlehem.org
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
