In This Issue

February 8, 2024

We Are the Church

The Gondoliers



This Sunday

New Worship Series: "Help, Thanks, Wow!" Three Essential Prayers for 2024

Congregational Meeting in Worship

Souper Bowl of Caring


This Week

Fred Baker Funeral - February 12

Ashes To Go--With Love

Bible Study - February 14

Choir Practice on Thursday at 7pm and Sunday at 9:30am


Upcoming Events

"Groundings" Bible Study with Susan Wei - February 18

Worship Series for Lent and Easter - Wandering Heart

Lunch Bunch - February 25

Gathering of the Spirits - February 28


Ministry Opportunities

Caregivers Support Group

Love Girl Scout Cookies?

Coffee Fellowship


Prayer Requests and Praise Reports


Giving

Per Capita


We Are the Church

The Gondoliers, an Opera

Our choir interns, Matthew and Marcos, performed in The Gondoliers, an opera by Gilbert and Sullivan at Biola University.

This Sunday!

"Three Essential Prayers: Wow!"

Scripture: Psalm 8


This series is based on the book, Help, Thanks, Wow: Three Essential Prayers by Anne Lamott. In the book's prelude, Anne confesses, “I do not know much about God and prayer, but I have come to believe, over the past twenty-five years, that there’s something to be said about keeping prayer simple. Help. Thanks. Wow.” As we begin 2024 we will seek to grow in prayer by keeping it simple and focusing on her three essential prayers.

 

For those who would like to read the book that inspires this series here is a link to the book on Amazon:

 

Help, Thanks, Wow: The Three Essential Prayers


Join us on Facebook: HERE



Join us on Zoom: HERE

 If prompted for a password use: 888861


If you do not have access to a computer or smart phone,

 you can listen to the service from any telephone:


Step 1:

Call (669) 900-9128.

Step 2:

When prompted, please enter the 

Meeting ID: 870 8084 6315 followed by the #. 

Step 3: 

You will be asked to enter your Participant ID which you do not need.

Press # to move past this.

 Step 4:

If prompted for a password use: 888861 followed by the #

Let's join the Presbyterian-wide Souper Bowl of Caring movement!

You are invited to bring in non-perishable food items or make a cash donation to address food insecurity in our community. Donations of food items will go to the Pathways of Hope Food Pantry. Cash donations will go to the group who prepares hot meals for the unhoused out of our kitchen every Sunday morning.

Let' do our part to "Tackle Hunger" this year.

This Week

Wednesday Bible Study, February 14 @ 10:00am

Scripture: Luke 5:1-11

All are welcome to join us in this Zoom Discussion 


To join us on Zoom click on this link: HERE


To join us on by telephone call: 

(669) 900-9128


Meeting ID: 608 966 196

Passcode: 5352176




Choir

Our Chancel Choir is a non-auditioned choir that is supported by the wonderful voices of our choral interns. All are welcome to add their voice as we lead the congregation in giving praise to God. 


Choir Practice is on Thursday nights from 7-8:30pm.


Upcoming Events

"Groundings" Bible Study with Susan Wei

The next session meets February 18, and the group will discuss Lesson 1. Tentative dates for the remainder of the study are 3/3, 3/17, 4/7, 4/21, and 5/5.


The Groundings Experience is a new way of looking at your life. What seem like ordinary days are opportunities to see God at work. Using five biblical narratives, the curriculum helps you become aware of your world and challenges you to engage people for the Kingdom.

Worship Series for Lent and Easter

Wandering Heart: Figuring out our faith with Peter.

This Lent, we are focusing on the life and faith of one of Jesus’ most famous disciples. In Peter, we see a person who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Peter, we often see ourselves. By following Peter’s journey, we watch the

story of Jesus unfold through the eyes of a very normal human trying to figure it all out—just like us.

 As we were studying Peter’s faith journey, the lyrics of “Come Thou Fount” came to mind. It’s as if Peter himself wrote this song. And so, for each step in Peter’s journey, we have selected a phrase from this hymn. As we follow Peter’s story, we will sing our way through Lent, binding

our wandering hearts to God. In this series, we want to affirm that faith is a constant journey of steadfast pursuit, one that ebbs and flows, seeks and wanders. We want to affirm that wandering is exploration, not necessarily distance from God. We want to affirm the ways Peter keeps going: he drops his nets, he walks on water, he runs to the empty tomb, he swims to the shore to meet the risen Christ. He keeps searching and yearning and loving, even after missteps or mistakes. Ultimately, in Peter’s story, we are reminded that God loves imperfect people—in fact, time and again, that’s precisely who God claims and calls.

This Lent, we will look for ourselves in the stepping stones of Peter’s story. We will reflect on the stages of our own faith journeys as well as who and what has shaped us along the way. As we wander, let us tune our hearts to sing God’s grace. May we rest in streams of mercy, never ceasing.

Lunch Bunch - February 25

Anyone who wishes is invited to join in going out to lunch following worship at Baja California Mexican Grill in the Vons Shopping Center.

Gathering of Spirits - February 28

Join us at 5:45 pm at Windsor Browns for a time when our spirits encounter God’s Spirt in spirited discussion on wide ranging topics.

Ministry Opportunities

Our Faith Community Nurse, Juliana Emina-Coney, is interested in organizing a caregiver support group. If you, or someone you know, would find this helpful or would like more information, please contact Juliana at 714-235-9777. eminaconey@gmail.com

The daughters of our Nursery Coordinator, Saray Dimas, are selling Girl Scout Cookies. If you are looking to purchase them you may use these links or contact Saray directly at:

 dimas.saray@gmail.com or by phone at 951-796-4910

 

Melanie's cookie link

https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/melanie494147

 

Marissa's cookie link

https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/marissa512175

 

Maesie's cookie link

https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/maesie227089]


Fellowship and Goodies?


We are always looking for donations of cookies or other treats to give us something to munch on while enjoy a cup of Dale's coffee. If you feel like baking (or shopping) just bring them with you on a Sunday. If we have too many treats that day we will freeze some for the next week. Thank you!

Prayer Requests and Praise Reports

Please pray for Mellody Anderson who has come down with Covid.


Please pray for those in treatment for cancer: Carole Chambers, Judy Jordan, John Harb (Kendall Schubert’s father), Matthew Williams (Jack and Geri Baird's grandson), Catherine Morris, Bill Anderson (Bruce Anderson's Brother)



Please pray for those on hospice: Patricia Carl



Please continue to pray for the health of: Dave Lopez (Alan Lopez’ brother), Harvey Taylor, Norma Leichtweis, Luca ( son of Christina Cuddy's friend), Carol Talbot, Wanda Reynolds, Stevie Williams, Rob (Maren’s uncle).


If you have a prayer request that you would like to add to our prayer list, 

please contact the church office: offices@anaheimfirstpres.org or 714.535.2176.

Giving

Please consider making a special donation toward Per Capita.

As part of a connectional church we pay per capita apportionment per member to support the work of the larger Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This year the amount is $40.65 and will be divided between Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly. Every Presbyterian shares in the benefit of the PC (USA)'s system of government, so every Presbyterian is asked to share the expenses associated with coordinating and performing the functions of that system. Please consider making this special offering, You may add it to your regular offering, but please make a note that the donation includes an offering to per capita.

We are greatly deeply grateful for the financial support of the congregation.
We are in the midst of a challenging year with no school leasing the Calvin Building and following two years of disrupted giving patterns due to Covid.

For those who worship with us in person,
Offering Plates will be available at the back of the Sanctuary on Sundays

Donations may also be mailed to the church office:
    Anaheim First Presbyterian Church 
    310 W Broadway
    Anaheim, CA 92805
                                   
Or Give Online:
Click HERE to set up a profile and GIVE ONLINE
CLICK HERE
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