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 (whitney@firstpresathens.org) so we can keep a headcount and feel free to reach out with questions.

Saturday June 21 at 9:00 a.m. Kayaking on the Broad River 

$35 per person. Please e-mail Whitney to sign up by June 16. 

Saturday, June 28 at 8:30 a.m. Biking on the Greenway

Bikers (all ages and abilities welcome!) can meet at the Sandy Creek Nature Center parking lot (205 Old Commerce Road). Bring your own bike, helmet, and water bottle. Please contact Karen Phillips if you plan to join at shutterstitch@gmail.com.

Saturday, July 19 at 6:05 p.m. Gwinnett Stripers v. Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (Triple-A baseball), Coolray Field (Lawrenceville, GA)

 $15 per person. Please e-mail Whitney by July 1 to claim your spot!

Thursday, July 24 at 5:30 p.m. Downtown Dinner, Creature Comforts Brewing Company (271 W. Hancock Ave)

Food truck, beverages, and fun for everyone!

Tuesday, August 5 at 7:00 p.m. Trivia at Mellow Mushroom (320 E. Clayton St.)

Bring your knowledge and competitive spirit for team trivia!

"Everybody Hurts (Sometimes)"

For three Sundays in June, the Congregational Care Commission will be offering a 3-week series called “Everybody Hurts (Sometimes)”. This series is back-by-popular-demand and will focus on three unique areas of human experience that are painful and challenging – we will hear personal stories, professional perspectives, and offer resources for continued healing.

The topics this year are: Suicide Prevention (June 15), Caregiving (June 22), and Aging (June 29). We will meet in the Moses Waddel Room from 11:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. each of those weeks, and light breakfast items will be available. Please reach out to Whitney with any questions (whitney@firstpresathens.org) -- we hope you will plan to join us for these important conversations.

Nursery and Children’s + Youth Sunday school will be offered during that time.

Summer Choir

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. Through August 17, we will meet in the choir room at 9:15 a.m. on Sundays to rehearse music for that morning’s service. 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.

Come to the Well: Exploring God’s Love Through Stories of Water

Save the date for our intergenerational VBS! All ages are welcome - there will be activities for kids, youth, and adults! Dates are July 13-16, 5:00-7:30 p.m. Dinner is provided. The cost is $25 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 “VBS Fund” under “select a fund”) or mailed to the church office. You are invited to come to the well - all are welcome!

Please register at tinyurl.com/2025cometothewell. Questions? Contact Hannah Knight, Director of Children and Youth Ministries, at hannah@firstpresathens.org.

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We need volunteers! If you can help us with art, recreation, worship, dinner, check-in/out, leading our littlest ones, or other tasks as needed, we’d be so grateful! Please visit tinyurl.com/FPCVBS25 to sign up.

“Creation wasn’t complete until there was community.”

When Dr. Baer said this on Sunday, and knowing that the Generosity Team was meeting after worship, I was struck by the idea that our acts of stewardship create that community here. We are, as he said, created to be in community – and in worship -- with each other. When we practice stewardship as an act of joyful worship, we first acknowledge the truth of Psalm 24: “The earth is the Lord’s, and all that is in it.” In response to that truth and to God’s love for us in community, we offer gifts that make our faith community both possible and vibrant. Praise the Lord!

Chuck Toney

Chair, Generosity Team

Click here to read the Summer Newsletter, Summer@First.