We are a curious, inclusive, and diverse gathering of imperfect people united by our common hope in Jesus Christ. Through worship, study, and service we seek to know and show the transformative love of God found in the pages of scripture and revealed in the person of Jesus. No matter who you are or where you are on your spiritual journey, know that you are welcome here.  

Welcome Back, Pastor Tim!

We are delighted to welcome Pastor Tim back this week! 
We hope he had a restful and renewing time away, and we look forward to worshiping and serving together in the weeks ahead.

Our Regular Worship Schedule

This Sunday, August 2, we will return to our regular worship schedule:

9:00 a.m. – New Song Contemporary Worship

in the Fellowship Hall

11:00 a.m. – Traditional Worship

in the Sanctuary

We are grateful for our summer worship schedule and the opportunities it provided to worship together in different spaces. During June, we gathered for worship in the Sanctuary, and in July we enjoyed a more relaxed worship experience together in the Fellowship Hall. These summer weeks have been a wonderful reminder of the joy of being together as one church family.

As we return to our regular worship rhythm, we look forward to continuing to grow together in faith, fellowship, and community. We hope you will join us as we begin a new season of worship together!

Summer First Connect Bible Study:

Revealed – The Word and Work of Christ in the Gospels  

The 8-week summer Bible study continues this week. (2 weeks left) This discussion-based study moves beyond traditional lectures, inviting participants to engage deeply with Scripture, explore its context, and discover the nature of Christ through his words and actions. 


We will begin by examining Jesus’ personal, face-to-face encounters with individuals and what they reveal about his character, mission, and love.

All are welcome, join in the library on Sundays, August 2, 9 (10:00-10:55 a.m.)

You can also watch the Sunday sermons on our YouTube channel

Thank You for Supporting Our Brentwood School Supply Drive!

Our annual Brentwood School Supply Drive has been completed, and we are so grateful for the generous donations from our congregation.

Thank you for helping provide Brentwood students with the supplies they need for a successful school year!

The donated supplies will be delivered during our Back-to-School Welcome Breakfast for Brentwood teachers, where we will celebrate and support the educators who serve our local students.

Memorial Garden Renewed



We are pleased to announce the completion of the renovation of our Memorial Garden, a beautiful and peaceful space renewed for reflection, prayer, and remembrance.

This special area continues to provide a meaningful place to honor and celebrate the lives of loved ones while offering a quiet setting for members and visitors to pause, remember, and spend time in prayer. Great care was taken in preserving the sacred nature of this space, honoring its significance as a place of dignity, peace, and spiritual connection for generations to come.



Through thoughtful planning and the dedication of many individuals who helped bring this renewal to life, the Memorial Garden has been beautifully restored as a lasting gift to our church community. We invite you to visit this sacred space and experience the beauty, serenity, and reverence it offers.

Join Our Tech Team!


We're looking for volunteers to help support our worship services by serving on our Tech Team. Opportunities include running slides, operating cameras, and assisting with sound and live streaming. No prior experience is necessary—we'll provide training.

If you'd like to use your gifts in this important ministry, or would like to learn more, please contact Jimi Camastro jimic.thesoundlounge@gmail.com

Your help can make a meaningful difference in our worship each Sunday!

Vacation Bible School

Vacation Bible School

Last month, with the generosity of our congregation, we were able to successfully place a food order through Supermarket 23. The pastor and session of Juan G. Hall have expressed their sincere gratitude. And despite the daily difficulties in Cuba, the congregation continues to be faithful in carrying out the ministries of the church.



Recipients of the Bethlehem Light ministry enjoy meals and social activities three times a week. Those who are homebound are served their meals, with a time of fellowship, in their home. 

Prayer for Cuba from Josué Montejo Bayola, pastor of Juan G. Hall:


Shortages have become part of daily life: prolonged blackouts that plunge families into darkness—not only the darkness of the night but also the darkness of daily life—fill us with uncertainty. Questions arise hand in hand with the needs of each household: What to cook? What to cook with? (charcoal, firewood, sawdust, among others). The absence of drinking water limits the essentials and brings despair and conflict among neighbors. The lack of medicines turns common illnesses into true death sentences. Insufficient wages, faced with abysmal inflation, mean that even professionals with higher salaries live in vulnerability. Desolation hangs over our nation like a mantle that robs smiles, dreams, and hopes, because without a present there can be no future.

Let us pray together that the Lord may be the strength of these people. Let us pray that paths of provision and justice may open to relieve the weariness of so many years. Let us pray that His presence may renew hope and give us courage to transform what can no longer remain as it is. Let us pray with confidence, knowing that God can make a way where there is none and work in ways we cannot understand.

Let us pray for peace, that peace which is born when the lion and the lamb graze together. Let us pray for those who believe power is in their hands, forgetting that God is sovereign. Let us pray for the Cuban people, those inside and those outside the island. Let us cry out to God for Cuba.

Hurricane Season Preparedness

Hurricane season is here, and now is the time to prepare your family, home, and neighborhood. Create an emergency plan, know your evacuation level, and stock a disaster supply kit with enough essentials to last at least seven days, as extended power outages are possible and emergency responders cannot assist once winds reach 45 mph.

No two storms are alike, so preparation is essential. Find preparedness guides, checklists, and evacuation information at scgov.net/beprepared.

Chapel News

“Solitude is the place where our own hearts discover our deep yearning to be loved unconditionally and to love with our whole beings… it is the place of the great encounter from which all other encounters derive their meaning.”

-Henri Nouwen

 The Chapel is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

We Need Your Help!



Each week, First Presbyterian Church’s All Faiths Food Bank distribution serves more than 200 families—and volunteers are essential to making it possible. As many of our regular “snowbird” volunteers head out for the season, we especially need extra helping hands right now.

Join us on Thursday mornings in the south/back parking lot. We begin packing food at 8:00 a.m., and distribution runs from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. You don’t need to stay the entire time—any amount of help is truly a blessing.

Our drive-through food distribution continues to grow as we respond to increasing needs in our community. Each family receives a generous mix of dry goods, fresh produce, bakery items, dairy, and meat.

Ways you can help:

Volunteer:

We would love to have you join us Thursday mornings to help pack bags and serve our neighbors. No experience is needed—we’ll show you everything. Individuals, couples, families, and students needing service hours are all welcome.

Donate:

Every gift makes a difference. Donations may be made to FPC with “Food Bank” in the memo line.

Thank you for helping us be the hands and feet of Christ as we serve our neighbors with compassion and care.

🗓 When: Thursday mornings

⏰ Food packing begins: 8:00 a.m.

🌟 Distribution: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

📍 Where: First Presbyterian Church, south/back parking lot

Even an hour of your time can make a real difference.

First Presbyterian Preschool

from the desk of Clare Carter, 

FPC Preschool Director

Congratulations

First Presbyterian Preschool

Class of 2026!

Dear First Presbyterian Church Preschool Friends and Families,

What a year it’s been. As we wrap up another beautiful chapter, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts for sharing your children with us. Your trust, support, and partnership have made it a joy and an honor to be part of your child’s early childhood education.

Our Senior Send-Off and Butterfly Balls were full of love and laughter. Thank you to our amazing staff for making it all come to life. Your creativity and devotion shine brightly, and we're grateful to work beside each of you.

Thanks to Olivia Prater and Live it Up Events for the stunning balloon arch! It created the perfect photo backdrop and added a special touch to our celebration.

And to Nichole Niffenegger, who captured our graduates so beautifully—the photo link is coming soon, and we can’t wait for our senior families to see their photos! We are so grateful you have a gift for preserving these precious moments. And, we can’t wait to see the graduation highlights that Mimi Gilbert and Behind the Memories have for us soon. Look for them on Instagram and Facebook!

Thank you to Olivia Craig for creating our senior slideshow. What a gift you’ve given us. Watching it through the eyes (and tears!) of our families was truly a gift. You combed through countless photos and captured their wonder, wisdom, joy, and one-of-a-kind spirit.

To our Seniors: as your preschool journey comes to a close, we want you to know that we are so proud of you and that we love you very much. Your wings are strong, and you are ready to fly. We’ve watched you grow into curious, kind, strong, and empathetic humans. You have learned to help each other, cheer each other on, and fill each other's buckets with kindness. Whether it was a smile, a helping hand, or kind words, you've made our school a place where everyone feels loved. Your preschool family loves you more than words can say.

We’d also like to thank Scott McLeod and Rachel Martin, our audio-visual technicians extraordinaire. There wasn't a dry eye in the sanctuary when the commencement music began. And Eric Robinson, Director of Christian Education, for making our preschool families feel so welcome. We are incredibly grateful to First Presbyterian Church for being the home of our preschool and for the love and care shown to our children, families, and staff.

Finally, thank you to all our families, whether this was your first year or one of many. Thank you for being part of our community. You are what makes our school so special, and we are deeply grateful for you. You've welcomed us into your lives; we hold that gift with love and deep gratitude. We wish you a summer full of sunshine, laughter, and sweet moments of rest. We can’t wait to welcome you back again soon!

With love and gratitude,

Clare, Lydia, and your First Pres. Preschool Family

Cheryl's Monthly Health Awareness ........

Friends -

As summer winds down and a new school year approaches, now is the perfect time to help your family start the year healthy. Annual checkups, vision and hearing screenings, and staying up to date on recommended vaccinations are all important steps in keeping children healthy, in school, and ready to learn. Here are a few reminders about back-to-school health and the importance of vaccinations for people of all ages.



~ Nurse Cheryl

Back to School Health

Where did the summer go? We have a few more weeks to enjoy travels and time with family and friends. Don’t forget to schedule a medical, eye, and ear exam for your child. During these visits, it’s a good time to ask the doctor questions about your child’s health and get recommended vaccinations. Recommendations may change as we age, but the need for protection does not.

Here are ten reasons to get vaccinated:

Vaccine-preventable diseases have not gone away Viruses and bacteria that cause disease still exist and can be passed on to those who are unvaccinated and unprotected. While many preventable diseases are no longer common in the US, global travel makes it easy for diseases to spread

Vaccines help keep you healthy The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccines throughout your life to help protect against many infections. If you skip vaccines, you may be at risk for diseases including flu, measles, and HPV and hepatitis B–both leading causes of cancer.

Vaccines are as important to your overall health as diet and exercise Like eating healthy and exercising, vaccines help play a vital role in protecting your health.

Vaccination can mean the difference between life and death Vaccine-preventable diseases can be deadly. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 50,000 adults died from vaccine-preventable diseases in the US each year. Routine childhood immunizations are estimated to have prevented more than 1 million deaths in US children between 1994–2023

Vaccines are safer than the diseases they prevent The US has a robust approval process in place to ensure the safety of all licensed and approved vaccines. Potential side effects associated with vaccines are uncommon and much less severe than the diseases they prevent.

Vaccines do not cause disease Vaccines contain either killed or weakened viruses, making it impossible for vaccines to give you the diseases they are designed to prevent

Young and healthy people can get very sick, too Although infants and older adults are at increased risk for serious complications, vaccine-preventable diseases can strike anyone, at any time. If you are young and healthy, getting vaccinated can help you stay that way.

Vaccine-preventable diseases can be expensive Diseases have a direct impact on individuals and families, and also carry a high price tag for society as a whole, exceeding an estimated $10 billion per year. An average flu illness can last up to 2 weeks, typically with 5 or 6 missed work or school days. And adults who get hepatitis A lose an average of one month of work. Vaccination is a cost-effective way to save lives.

When you get sick, your children, grandchildren, and parents may also be at risk Adults are the most common source of pertussis (whooping cough), which can be deadly in infants. Staying up to date on all recommended vaccines helps protect you and your family as well as those in your community who are unable to be vaccinated.

Your family and co-workers need you In the US, millions of adults get sick from vaccine-preventable diseases each year, causing them to miss work and leaving them unable to care for those who depend on them, including children and/or aging parents.



Taken from: www.nfid.org, letsgetrealaboutvaccines.org

Pastoral Care

When you or a loved one is hospitalized, it is important that you contact the church or the pastor to inform us directly and inform the hospital that you are a member of our congregation and would welcome a visit. Hospitals will not contact the church. We have also discovered that some will no longer list a patient as our church member on their internal records unless the patient carefully notes their relationship with our congregation. Thank you for your assistance.

We’re Here for You!

The FPC care team, deacons, elders, and church staff continue to be available for you. Please feel free to reach out to Cheryl Track, Faith Community Nurse, at (941) 320-3828 or call the church office at (941) 955-8119 if we can support you.