Save the Date: VBS 2026

July 12-15 5:00-7:30 p.m.

Come to the Party: God's Love For Us is a Reason to Celebrate!

Save the date for our intergenerational VBS! All ages are welcome - there will be activities for kids, youth, and adults! Dates are July 12-15, 5:00-7:30 p.m. Dinner is provided. The cost is $30 per person to help provide materials and resources for our mission projects throughout the week. Payment can be made via our website (firstpresathens.org/giving, please select “General Fund” under “select a fund”, and write "VBS 2026" in the memo line) or mailed to the church office. You are invited to come join the party - all are welcome!

There's still time to sign up! Please contact Hannah Knight, Director of Children and Youth Ministries, at hannah@firstpresathens.org.

Food Sunday

July 12

You may bring donations of plain white rice (in 1-2 lb bags), pork 'n beans, and ramen noodles to church on Sunday, July 12. You may also bring items to the church office until Friday, July 10. Our neighbors in need are very grateful for your donations! Many thanks for your thoughtfulness and generosity!

Summer Fellowship Outings

Summer is here! We hope you’ll plan to join us for some (or all!) of these fun fellowship outings. Each of these is open to anyone who would like to attend – all ages and stages of our church family! Please RSVP to Whitney Booth Lockard (whitney@firstpresathens.org) so we can keep a headcount and feel free to reach out with questions.

Saturday, July 25 at 6:05 p.m. Gwinnett Stripers v. Iowa Cubs (Triple-A baseball), Coolray Field (Lawrenceville, GA)

$15 per person. Please e-mail Whitney by July 20 to claim your spot!

Wednesday, July 29 at 5:00 p.m. Happy Hour at Creature Comforts Brewing Company (271 W. Hancock Ave)

Peruse local vendors at the Athens Farmers’ Market and enjoy a beverage and a bite with friends!

Thursday, July 30 at 2:00 p.m. All Ages Mellows Outing at PVA Memory Care (1400 Live Oak Lane)

Members of all ages can join together to brighten the day of the PVA Memory Care residents with a fun singing session.

Thursday, August 6 at 6:00 p.m. Downtown Dinner, Ted’s Most Best (254 W. Washington St.)

Bring the whole family and head downtown for food, drink, and fun!

The Affordable Housing Challenge in Athens:

Stats, Systemic Issues, and Strategies

Sunday August 2 at 11:15 a.m.

The Matthew 25 commission invites you to join us in the Moses Waddell Room on Sunday, August 2 at 11:15 a.m. for a panel discussion moderated by Becky Hartman on the status of affordable housing in Athens, the impact on our citizens, and strategies that are being implemented in our community to address this important issue. Light refreshments will be served. Stay tuned for information about the members of the panel.

Summer Choir

Sundays at 9:15 a.m.

Summer Choir – through August 16, we invite anyone interested to join us for Summer Choir. We will meet in the choir room at 9:15 a.m. on Sundays to rehearse music for that morning’s service. Our Chancel Choir will be the foundation of this group.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to the sing in the choir, but have never done so, this may be a chance to give choir a “test drive.” If you would like to sing but can’t make the commitment to Wednesday night rehearsals during the regular season, this is the time to join the choir. Singers may join for any single Sunday or for as many as they wish, even for the whole summer. There is no obligation, but we do hope some will decide they enjoy singing in the choir enough to continue in the fall. Although this choir is made up mostly of adults, youth and children are also welcome. For more information, contact John Coble at jcoble@firstpresathens.org  

Excursions in Ukraine Photo Exhibit

by Stephen Humphreys, June 18-August 29

Excursions in Ukraine by Stephen Humphreys

Lyndon House Arts Center - West Gallery

On view June 18, 2026- August 29, 2026

Opening Reception June 18, 2026, from 5:30-7:30 PM

Artist Talk Thursday, August 13, 2026 at 5:30 PM

The Lyndon House Arts Center is honored to present Excursions in Ukraine, a series of photographs taken by FPC member Stephen Humphreys during multiple trips to the war-torn country over the past four years. Humphreys reveals a nation that is tired, damaged, and resolute. His images depict wreckage—collapsed bridges, mangled cars, building rubble, and homes ripped in half. Yet they also capture a country where the drumbeat of daily life continues: school graduations are celebrated, love is found, people commute to work, and religious holidays are observed.

Humphreys felt compelled to travel to Ukraine after the Battle of Irpin in 2022 to learn how he could be of assistance. An attorney now working on war crimes investigations there, he was awarded the Navalny Medal by the Ukrainian armed forces, volunteered at the territorial defense training center, taught law and history, and contributed to a study on Russian disinformation at Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. He also helped establish a joint program between Ukrainian and U.S. universities as well as advising the Law Enforcement Committee of the Ukrainian Parliament and the President's Commission on Legal Reform. Thankfully for us, he brought his camera with him.

Originally from Birmingham, Alabama, Humphreys earned a law degree from the University of Georgia and a B.A. in literature from Princeton University. He has practiced law for twenty-five years in Georgia and Alabama and is also known for his photo documentation of his extensive travels in Cuba, Vietnam, China, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.