Email Melissa at [email protected] no later than noon on the Tuesday of the week you want your announcements seen and by noon on the 13th or 28th for the enews. Thanks!

In This Issue
 


Parking Lot Facelift:

During the week of November 19th, all of our parking lots will be closed so that they can be re-paved. If you need to access any part of the campus that week, you will need to park across the street at the high school or on one of the side streets. All of this is dependent on weather and last minute changes to contractors schedule but as of this minute, the plan is to close the parking lot for that week. To that end, the office will also be closed. If there is a pastoral emergency, Kyle will be reachable via cell phone. In a non emergency, you can call the office and leave a message or send an email. 



 
Adult Education:  

We continue our two programs, both starting every Sunday after Worship, at 11:15 am. In the Parlor, we will continue our study of Martin Luther King's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail." And in the Fellowship Hall, our intern Ben Masters will continue his Bible Study on the book of Exodus. Hope to see you all there!



Children's Christian Education Program:

This church season we are introducing new and exciting programs for the children at Faith. Kathy Green and Marty McDougal will be leading the children through the Bible using the Shine curriculum. Shine: Living in God's Light is a dynamic Sunday school curriculum that engages Christian communities and families in their life together by:
  • calling children to experience the transforming power of God's love
  • nurturing trust in God and invite children to follow Jesus
  • encouraging imaginative and interactive biblical storytelling
  • exploring the meaning of the Bible within the gathered community
  • cultivating the inner life of the Spirit through spiritual practices
  • expressing faith through lives of compassionate peacemaking and service
Several Champions will be working and learning with the children about organic gardening. There are many life lessons to be learned while gardening. It will be interesting to see what life lessons are in store for us.
 
In addition, the children will be active with a few community projects. With winter just around the corner, the children will be preparing Blessing Bags for the homeless. In addition, we will discuss other outreach project such as raising funds for the Eco Filter Project in Guatemala.
 
Children's Schedule:
 
Date
Topic
October 22nd
Shine w/ Kathy & Marty
October 29th
Shine w/ Kathy & Marty
November 5th
Shine w/ Kathy & Marty
November 12th
Stone Soup Junior Gardeners
November 19th
Shine w/ Kathy & Marty
November 26th
Shine w/ Kathy & Marty
December 3rd
Shine w/ Kathy & Marty
December 10th
Christmas Potluck Dinner
December 17th
Outreach Project Junior Gardeners
December 24th
Christmas Caroling
December 31st
Shine w/ Kathy & Marty


poinsettias.jpg
 
  Christmas Poinsettias:
 
As part of the Advent decorations for the church, poinsettia plants will be in the Sanctuary on Sun. Dec. 3rd. These may be given in honor or in memory of a friend or loved one. The cost for each plant is $15. Please fill out the form that will be provided in the weekly bulletins starting Sunday, November 19th and either place it in the offering plate or drop it by the church office with your payment.
We will purchase our poinsettias from the Horticulture students at Clifton Career Development School. Clifton is an Austin ISD career and technical our school for high school students with disabilities. Students attend a half-day, three-year program in a career field of interest, including Agriculture Mechanics, Child Care, Culinary Arts, Health Science, Horticulture, and Hospitality. Students obtain internships in the field and seek paid, competitive employment. Your financial support through a poinsettia purchase helps Clifton fund vocational programs, offer community experiences, and assist students needing IDs and uniforms for their first paid jobs.
 
For more information about Clifton CDS, visit  http://www.austinschools.org/campus/cliftoncareer/
 

 
Free Yoga Class:

There is no yoga on Monday, November 20th due to the paving of the parking lot. Class will be back to it's regular schedule on November 27th at 5:30 in the Fellowship Hall.

Contact Becky for more information - [email protected]
 
Women's Circle Christmas Potluck:  
 
In December the Circle will not have regular Bible study, but a potluck Christmas party at the home of Carolyn and Jack Scruggs (who will provide the meat), with husbands and others invited. Get it on your calendar now - Tuesday, December 12. 
 
 

 

Blessing Bags:

Each year our Faith family has assembled bags for our less fortunate neighbors.  The bags typically contain water, soft cereal bars, socks, sanitary wipes, fruit cups, etc...This year the Children's Sunday School class will be assembling these bags on December 17 as a community outreach project to be distributed during the December and January cold months.  Donations of socks, soft cereal bars and fruit cups will be greatly appreciated and can be dropped off in the Narthex.



Joy Offering:

Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we turn our eyes to Bethlehem and celebrate the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. By giving to the Christmas Joy Offering, you honor this gift by providing assistance to current and retired church workers in their time of need and developing our future leaders at Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges.  The Joy Offering will be gathered from December 3 through December 24.



Faith Book Group:

The book group will not be meeting in November and December. However, we will get together at Susan's house in January to develop our reading list for 2018, and we will post the meeting date later.  See you in 2018!

Interfaith Thanksgiving Service:

iACT's 33rd annual Thanksgiving Service, hosted this year by the Austin Muslim Community, will be on Sunday, November 19th, at 3 p.m. at Riverbend Church, 4214 N. Capital of Texas Highway. A reception follows at 4:30, and you are invited to bring your favorite dish, ready to serve and labeled for those with dietary restrictions (no pork or shellfish, please). For more information: 512-386-9145 ext. 311, or www:interfaithtexas.org. Want to carpool? Call Martha Loer, 512-447-8012.  
 

Drive A Senior South Austin Giving Tuesday Campaign! Get Involved! 




 



Faith Food Pantry

Food Pantry Volunteers Needed:
 
Volunteers and others interested in Faith Food Pantry are invited to attend a meeting at 10:00 am on December 2nd. We'll be discussing the issues facing the pantry as we near 2018. Snacks will be provided. Contact Kathy Renfro for more information.

Also, the pantry is in need of canned chili, soups, and canned stew. We're ok for now on peanut butter. Thank you!



Red Bench:

There will not be an iACT Red Bench dialogue in November because of the Thanksgiving service, but plan on Tuesday, December 5.  This time it will be held at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Topic: Solitude. More information will be coming.   


Heads Up About Stewardship:

We will be running our stewardship emphasis on the story of Stone Soup this year.  You will also be hearing about the upcoming restoration of the parking lot and projects to spruce up our campus.  Please stay tuned in worship, at home and over electronic communication.  Remember that stewardship, like everything, is a lifestyle not a season.  Start now to pray how you might be called to give of yourself in the same, new, or different ways to bring God's grace and love to humanity and creation itself.



Connect With Us:

You will notice a Connection Card in the pew. If you would like to receive our electronic newsletter and correspondence about the life of the church, please let us know how to find you between Sundays by filling out the information you are comfortable giving us and placing the card in the Offering Plate.

 

You Can Give Electronically, (but we still accept cash and checks as usual!):  

How does it work? Scan the QR code below with your smartphone. There are no additional fees for you as the donor. However, as with all such transactions, an administrative fee of 1% will be deducted from your gift before it is delivered to our church. This one-time fee is for the reasonable and customary costs of operation of the Presbyterian Mission Exchange which hosts our electronic giving. If you pay by EFT option, this will be the full extent of the fees deducted. Gifts made using a credit or debit card will be assessed an additional fee of 2.598%+$0.26 (deducted automatically by our card processing vendor). Your full donation, which includes all the fees, is tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.  

 
 





Anne ElaZe
Anne Wingler
Cecelia Barland
Claire Lungwitz
Gene Loer
Glenn Sampayan
Jamie Platt
John Preston
Josue ElaZe
Kristina Rutherford
Laurie Good
Marty McDougal
Michelle Augustine
Michelle Huddleston
Nell Sanchez
Tracy Pearson
Valyo Calvert







In Our Prayers:  
  
  • A Zilker Elem school child whose mother has emerged from a year long coma and is able to talk to him. Also in thanks for his aunt who has been caring for him.
  • For the victims and families of the shooting at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs as they struggle to come to grips with their loss through senseless violence
  • Kathy Green for friends Polly and husband Sam as he undergoes surgery for pancreatic cancer
  • Brooke Cabaniss for her friend Mathelle who was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
  • For Susan Sanders and sister Patricia (and families) whose mother passed away
  • Kathy Renfro for family friend Cathy Lovett living in California and dealing with pancreatic cancer
  • Thanks for all FPC saints who are no longer with us
  • Our planet and humanity's responsibility to care for it.
  • Our leaders for wisdom, patience and understanding
  • Victims of violence and their families
  • Those suffering from physical, mental, or emotional stress and illness. Those who are homeless, financially despairing and all others for whom our prayers have also been requested