Recommendations for Elders

The Nominations and Elections Committee encourages your participation in the process for nominating Elders. Elders should be persons of faith, dedication, and good judgment. Their manner of life should be a demonstration of the Christian Gospel, both within the church and in the world at large.

Please e-mail your suggestions to Keith Oelke, Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee. You can also fill out the form here.

“Everybody Hurts (Sometimes)”

Sundays in June: Worship at 10:00 a.m., Sunday School at 11:30 a.m.

In June, you are invited to join us for “Everybody Hurts (Sometimes),” a series of sermons and Sunday school classes around four topics: divorce (June 4), suicide (June 11), addiction (June 18), and domestic abuse (June 25). People may be wondering what the church has to say about these difficult topics. To that end, worship in June will focus on the theological and spiritual aspects of the pastoral care topics covered in the Sunday school sessions.

The Sunday school class will be a safe and confidential space. A Stephen Minister or Elder will facilitate conversation with selected congregation members and guest speakers who have been affected by these topics. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions and engage with the speakers. Brunch and childcare will be provided while you are at Sunday school; RSVP for both will be needed by Wednesdays prior.

June 4: Divorce

This Sunday, June 4, Steven Brooks and Julie Knowlton will share their experience with divorce in a conversation facilitated by Dawn Frisch. Sarah Bryan, LMSW, will provide an overview of divorce and will share local resources for people experiencing divorce.

June 11: Suicide

Romans 8 reminds us that nothing – nothing – in all of creation can separate us from God’s love in Christ. In the spirit of fostering healing and hope in our congregation, we hope you will join us next Sunday to learn more about the difficult subject of suicide. FPC’s Suicide Prevention Task Force will lead a conversation with several congregation members whose lives have been affected by suicide, either personally or through family and friends. We hope that you will join us to learn more about how you can care for yourself and others. Brunch and childcare will be provided while you are at Sunday school; RSVP for both will be needed by Wednesday, June 7.

Food Sunday

You may bring donations of dry beans, 1 lb white rice, “odd shelf items” (ketchup, mayo, mustard, BBQ sauce, salad dressings, cooking oil, salt, pepper, coffee, tea) to church Sunday, June 4. You may also bring items to the church office until Friday, June 2. Our neighbors in need are very grateful for your donations!

Request for Prayers for Kim

On June 27, Kim Ness, Director of Youth Ministries, will be having surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. After she returns from a soul-filling week at Montreat with our youth, Kim will be out on medical leave starting June 15. Updates will be posted on her CaringBridge site: caringbridge.org/visit/kimness. We welcome your prayers, love and support as she recovers.

Godly Play Training Opportunity

We are excited to announce that First Pres Children’s Ministry will be hosting our third Godly Play Core Training Friday-Sunday, June 23-25. Our Children’s Ministry continues to grow, which means we need to expand our team. If you are interested in learning more about Godly Play and this wonderful training opportunity, please contact Natalie Bishop, Director of Children’s Ministry, at natalie@firstpresathens.org or call 706-543-4338. We would love to have you join our team and our sweet Children’s Ministry Circle of Wonder!

ACCA Delivery Driver Needs

Our friends from ACCA (Athens Community Council on Aging) need drivers for their summer programs. For details and to volunteer, please contact Ezra Schley at eschley@accaging.org or call (706) 549-4850.

News from Family Promise of Athens

We are running low on supplies at our static site and day center! Please go to our Amazon wishlist here, or drop items off at our Day Center (First Baptist: 355 Pulaski Street) or our Static Site (Milledge Avenue Baptist Church: 1690 S Milledge Ave).