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First United Weekly Newsletter

May 25, 2023

Our Vision Statement:

We are a welcoming community FIRST UNITED in proclaiming FAITH in Jesus Christ, sharing HOPE for the future, and inspiring LOVE of our neighbors.

Need Some Extra Support?

Spend some time with us this morning (5/25) at 10am for our monthly Woe-Be-Gone Gathering in the Koinonia Lounge. We'd love to have you join us for this supportive time as we read scripture, share, pray, and listen to one another. Everyone's invited!

Planting Begins This Evening!

We're about to begin the 14th season of our Judy Allan Memorial Garden. Hope you'll join us this evening (5/25) at 5:30pm when we'll begin this year's planting. You bring your gloves and we'll provide the plants and seeds. Hope to see you this evening!

Plans for Sunday

Join us for Pentecost Sunday (5/28) at 9am as we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. Friends, be sure to wear red as we sing, dance, and praise God in the Spirit. This week’s readings from Scripture include Acts 2:1-21 and 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 (*click for link to read). Celebrate the Church's birthday with us!

(This week our Joyful Noise group will be playing "Holy Spirit" and "Soul on Fire." Click each title for a YouTube link if you'd like to get more familiar with them.)

Do You Have a Favorite Hymn (or Two)?

You're invited to join us for our monthly Hymn Sing on Sunday (5/28) at 8:45am (before worship). Be thinking of your favorite hymns, then come and call them out that morning. We'll sing as many as we have time for before our worship service begins at its regular time (9am).

Last Chance for Great Bargains

This Sunday (5/28) will be the final day for this year's P.W. Used Book Sale in our Family Life Center! There are still lots to choose from, and they've even added some new ones. All books will now be only 25¢ each!! After Sunday, unsold books will be shared with Amanda’s House, The Presbyterian Pantry, and DePere Christian Outreach Resale Store. Help our Presbyterian Women raise funds for all of their mission activities.

Presbyterian Women Update

The P.W. Mission Sewing Group will meet next Thursday, June 1, at 9am in the Koinonia Lounge, but there'll be a few changes! They'll be returning to their original plan of sharing a potluck lunch! The gathering time will now be 9am until 2pm. Come and enjoy!

Pastors in the Parking Lot!

Yes, next Thursday, June 1, at 10am, our Pastors will be moving outside for their monthly gathering time! Pastors Luke and Meggan have set this time on the first Thursday of each month to visit with church friends, so stop by, bring a chair, and share some time.

Hey New Members

If you're ready to join our growing church family, the moment you've been waiting for has arrived. We're excited to welcome you! Please join Co-Pastors Luke and Meggan Farwell following worship on Sunday, June 4, in the Family Life Center. Don’t miss this great opportunity to learn more about membership and how you can use your gifts to serve God with us.

Check Out Our Graduates

Watch for your next Monday Spotlight email when we''ll be recognizing our church family's graduates from the information that's been shared with us. If you miss the email, you'll also be able to find a link to it on our website.

One More Special Time Together

Our Youth Group will be getting together one more time this season for an End-of-the-Year Cookout around our fire pit on Friday, June 9, from 5:30 until 7:30pm.

Flowers: the Good, the Bad, the Deadly

Flowers are one of God’s greatest creations. Lovely to look at, fragrant, edible, used to send messages and convey feelings, and occasionally to kill someone! At our next Dead Reformers Society meeting, Dawn Picard will lead our exploration of the meaning behind our favorite flowers, what a specific color can convey, and how secret messages were sent through flowers. We'll also learn about the story of "ring-around-the rosy," how a witch became a member of a Queen’s court, and the scandal and murder associated with some of today’s favorite flowers. Join us on Tuesday (6/6) at 7pm at a special location - 102 Zita St. in De Pere.

Bible School Will Be Out of This World

Vacation Bible School 2023 will be taking place Sunday, July 23 - Thursday, July 27. It'll be open to preschool age through current 5th graders.This year's theme is "Stellar," and kids will be launched on a cosmic quest where they'll have a blast shining Jesus' light to the world. We'll also need the help of many youth and adults to make this faith-building event a big success. Registration is available now on our website (or click here)!

Thanks Tori!

We'd like to thank Tori England for all her many contributions to our church family while serving as our Administrative Assistant for the past several years. Tori's moving into a new chapter of her career, and we want to wish her all the best!

Welcome Amy!

We'd also like to welcome our new Administrative Assistant - Amy Witbeck. She's a graduate of Grace Christian University, holding a degree in Human Services. Amy is married to Ken and is the proud mother of two daughters.

We Appreciate Our Volunteers!

We offer a special "thank you" to Judy England, Marilyn Heim, Melissa Rusk, Barb Ryan, and Debbie Spiegel who volunteered to help out in our church office during May. We really appreciate their time and effort to help keep things rolling!

Change Regarding Live Streaming

Dear Friends,

Beginning on Sunday, June 4, we will be discontinuing the live streaming of our 10 am worship service. This decision was made in order to provide a better worship experience for those viewing our service remotely. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the live stream service was provided in order to adapt to various concerns, challenges, and needs.

Over the years, we've experienced inconsistencies with the quality and continuity of the live stream on Sunday mornings. We're grateful to all those who have tried to offer the best experience possible. However, the Session has voted unanimously to discontinue using the live streaming option. For those who've been accustomed to watching on Sunday mornings, you'll still be able to. We will provide a more consistent, higher quality recording of our services on our website and on our Facebook page. They should be posted each Sunday by 11 am.

As always, we hope you'll be able to join us for worship in person at church. However, if you are unable to, please be assured that our services will still be available for your later viewing. Please be sure to let us know if you have any questions or concerns, or need any assistance.

Sincerely,

The Session of First United Presbyterian Church

Special Concert Coming Soon

The Chantelles will present a concert called, “Don’t Let the Music Stop” on Saturday, June 3, beginning at 1:30pm at the Brown County Central Library Auditorium. The group is directed by our own Susan Leiber. Carol Walter also sings in the group, and Scott McPherson will serve as MC. Donations will be accepted at the door. Come and enjoy the music!