First Presbyterian Church of Athens Nominates Rev. Whitney Booth Lockard as Associate Pastor

On Sunday, November 12, the congregation unanimously approved the recommendation of the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee to name Reverend Whitney Booth Lockard as our next Associate Pastor.

Whitney’s first day in the office will be Monday, January 8, and her first Sunday in worship will be January 14. Stay tuned for upcoming opportunities to welcome Whitney, her husband Mark, and their daughter Josie to First Presbyterian Church!

Click here for more information and to view a brochure about Whitney.

Thornwell Offering

November 19

Your gift will help prevent child abuse and neglect, build up and reunite families, and support healthy communities in the name of Jesus Christ. Begun as an orphanage in Clinton, SC, Thornwell now has multi-faceted programs to help children including foster care, residential care, family services, and child development services. Please make your check to FPC with “Thornwell” noted on the bottom, or go to firstpresathens.org/giving (please select “Thornwell” under “Select a Fund”). Thanks to the generosity of a friend of Thornwell, this year, whatever is given to Thornwell will be matched dollar for dollar! Please give generously!

Matthew 25 Movie and Conversation

The final installment of the Matthew 25 faith and film discussion will be this Sunday, November 19, from 5:00-6:30 p.m, in Moses Waddel Room. You are still welcome to join us, regardless of how many previous discussions you may have missed. The documentary and discussion guide are offered by the PC(USA), and various members of the Matthew 25 Commission will facilitate our conversations on racial and environmental justice.

Please RSVP at tinyurl.com/FPCM25Movie. Light snacks will be provided.

For more information, please contact Dan Nadenicek at dnadeni@uga.edu.

“Caring vs. Helping”

Tuesday, November 28, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

Whether it’s providing direct care or serving as that “supportive shoulder” for a friend or loved one who is experiencing extenuating life circumstances, the caregiver can become exhausted emotionally and spiritually. As an extension of this spring’s series “Everybody Hurts,” Stephen Ministry and the Congregational Care Commission are offering an opportunity for the church family to address “Caring vs. Helping.” 

We are honored to have Dr. Edward Bolen, retired senior pastor of Milledge Avenue Baptist Church, to lead us in an exploration of this issue. Dr. Bolen is a well-known Athens community leader and a dynamic, engaging speaker and teacher.  If you have questions regarding this session, please contact Becky Hartman at 706-254-4504. We look forward to participating in this important conversation with you.

Live Nativity

Thursday, November 30, 6:00-8:00 p.m.

Join Weekday School families and friends for our 12th Annual Live Nativity from 6:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 30. We will be in the Dougherty Street parking deck. Guitarist Bob Burton and others will provide live music, and WDS teachers will be in the rooms to help children and parents make a Christmas ornament to take home! Hot cocoa will be available for all to enjoy! Come celebrate the birth of our savior and experience the hands on story of the Christ Child! Anyone interested in participating as a character (no lines) or in set-up or clean-up, please contact Elaine Johnson at (706) 206-8180.

Advent: Season of Wonder Intergenerational Celebration

Sunday, December 3, 9:45-10:45 a.m., Fellowship Hall

Join us for this intergenerational Sunday school opportunity that will start our congregational celebration of Advent 2023. We will seat the generations of the church in concentric circles in Fellowship Hall, gathering everyone to hear the Godly Play Advent story. After that, we will do “wonder work” together, making Advent wreaths to adorn our homes and making prayer ornaments for our Atrium Christmas tree.

Please RSVP by November 19 at tinyurl.com/FPCAdv2023 to let us know that you will be joining us for this special celebration with our church family. For more information and questions, please reach out to Natalie Bishop at natalie@firstpresathens.org or Leigh Bonner at lbonner@firstpresathens.org.

Holidays@First

Outreach and Volunteering Opportunities

Thornwell Offering - your gift will help prevent child abuse and neglect, build up and reunite families, and support healthy communities in the name of Jesus Christ. Thanks to the generosity of a friend of Thornwell, this year, whatever is given to Thornwell will be matched dollar for dollar! Please give generously!*

Project Safe Thrift Store - help tidy the Project Safe Thrift Store on Sunday, November 19, 2:00-5:00 p.m. (Bells Shopping Center, 995 Hawthorne Ave. #7). The store will be closed to shoppers during our work time. Project Safe works to end domestic violence. Please contact Kitty Donnan at kittydavedonnan@gmail.com to volunteer.

Salvation Army Angel Tree – will you be someone’s angel this year? Please consider purchasing Christmas gifts for one or more of the 75 Salvation Army “angels” (infants –12-year-old children) posted in Fellowship Hall. Detailed instructions are available when you select your “angel.” Please bring your gifts to church by Sunday, December 3, or to the church office by Friday, December 1.

Holiday Benevolence Market – hosted this year 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 3, noon-3:00 p.m.

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 Kitty Donnan at kittydavedonnan@gmail.com.

Ringing for the Salvation Army – We are in need of volunteers to fill 9 one hour slots (9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.) on Saturday, December 9, outside of the Walmart on Epps Bridge Pkwy. This is an easy way to give a small portion of your time to a worthy organization. Please contact Mark Hopkins to sign-up at 205-790-6499 or e-mail jshceh@aol.com.

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

Christmas Tea at FPC

Thursday, December 14, 2:00 p.m.

All are welcome to attend the annual Christmas Tea hosted by the Senior Adult Ministry on Thursday, December 14, 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 11.

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).

Click here to read Fall@First.