Poinsettia Dedication

If you wish to give a contribution in honor or memory of a loved one, please place your order by Monday, December 16. Each dedication is $10. You may fill out the form here and pay online (please select “General Fund” under "Select a fund" and write "Poinsettia Dedication" in the memo box), mail it with a check to the church office, contact the church at 706-543-4338 or send an e-mail with your dedications. Each dedication will be listed in the December 22 worship service bulletin.

Joy to the World! Christmas Tea at FPC

Thursday, December 12, 2:00 p.m.

All are welcome to attend the annual Christmas Tea hosted by the Congregational Care Commission on Thursday, December 12, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. It will feature The Mellows leading Christmas songs and a message by Dr. Ryan Baer. Please RSVP to the church office at (706) 543-4338 by Monday, December 9.

Need a ride? Please contact Madeline Van Dyck at madelinevandyck@gmail.com.

Festival of Lessons & Carols

Sunday, December 15, 11:00 a.m.

Join us for A Festival of Lessons and Carols on Sunday, December 15, at 11:00 a.m., led by the choirs of First Presbyterian Church with guest instrumentalists. The service will include music by Dale Adelmann, Michael Bedford, Dan Forrest, and Donald Pearson.

Intergenerational Sunday School Christmas Social

Sunday, December 15, 9:45 a.m.

Join us next Sunday as children, youth, and adult Sunday school classes gather in Fellowship Hall for a churchwide Christmas social. All are welcome!

Service of the Longest Night

Thursday, December 19, 7:00 p.m.

Join us for the Service of the Longest Night. The service takes its name from the fact that in the Northern Hemisphere in December, there are more hours of darkness than light, and this service acknowledges that many in our community do not find this to be “the most wonderful time of the year.” We will pray with and for those in our community who may be hurting and grieving, while remembering that the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

Christmas Eve Services and Offering Information

A very special invitation to join us on Christmas Eve:

Tuesday, December 24

• Family Service, 4:00 p.m.
• Candlelight Services, 6:00 & 8:00 p.m. (prelude will begin 30 minutes before)

Please bring a box of diapers (infant or adult) to benefit the Athens Area Diaper Bank. We will receive an offering to support Jubilee Partners.

Jubilee Partners is a Christian service community founded in 1979. Jubilee offers refugees, asylum seekers and immigrants coming out of domestic violence or human trafficking a place for recovery and healing as well as practical supports such as language classes, legal resources and medical care. The funds raised through our Christmas Eve offering will go toward supporting individuals in their transition from Jubilee, including rental assistance, household goods, utilities or emergency food for those who are not eligible for food stamps.

The Athens Area Diaper Bank began in 2015 with the goal of ensuring that no baby goes without clean diapers. The Diaper Bank serves a six-county area and projects to provide more than 850,000 diapers to 19,000 children in 2025.

Outreach and Volunteering Opportunities

Athens Area Emergency Food Bank will host their annual Can-a-thon event on Friday, December 6. They are in need of many volunteers. Work will begin at 9:00 a.m. and go until finished, usually sometime around 4:00 p.m. If you would like to volunteer for one or more hours, please e-mail Kim Ramos at aaefb@bellsouth.net.

Holiday Benevolence Market – hosted by Covenant Presbyterian Church (1065 Gaines School Road, Athens, GA. 30605), choose meaningful and symbolic gifts on the shopping lists of 30+ non-profit mission partners. Date: Sunday, December 8, noon-3:00 p.m.

Ringing for the Salvation Army – We are in need of volunteers to ring the bell at Walmart on Epps Bridge on Saturday, December 14. If you would like to volunteer, please sign up at the table in the Atrium.

Holiday Meals on Wheels – help cover the cost of one or more meals on Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Year’s Day by making a financial contribution* by December 31. If you are interested in delivering meals, please contact John Turner at johnlovickturner@yahoo.com.

* For financial contributions make your check to First Presbyterian Church and note cause in memo line, or give online at FirstPresAthens.org/giving and select appropriate fund in drop-down menu.

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