Friday, July 26, 2024 Newsletter



For Sunday



10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship Service in the Sanctuary includes brief Congregational Meeting

(in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website)

A MESSAGE FROM THE PASTOR: AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE

“Any last words?” 

That’s generally an ominous question in the movies or on TV, and there’s a certain pressure to come up with something truly eloquent and memorable. For this last Pastor’s message, I don’t have much that is eloquent, but I hope that they will still be remembered.

If you find yourself in the Baltimore-Annapolis area on a Sunday, I hope you will worship at Woods Church; I would love to see you! After August 27, my new church email, Jaustin@woodschurch.org will be active, and while it has many flaws, social media does make the world a much smaller place and enable people to be connected from far away.

That does not mean that there will not be changes, though. After July 28, I have only one pastoral responsibility that endures, and that is to make space for your next pastors. To paraphrase John the Baptist: “They must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). So, for example, I will not be initiating contact often with any of you, but please take that as a sign of love rather than a lack of it, because I take that final pastoral responsibility very seriously. 

Second, I can no longer function as your pastor in any way, formally or informally. That means, among other things, I will not be able to accept invitations to officiate weddings, funerals, or baptisms unless the next installed pastor specifically invites me to take a part when they are officiating. And since I am not retiring but going on to another pastorate with many responsibilities, my availability will be very limited even if such an invitation is extended. 

If you reach out to wish me a happy birthday or to ask how I am doing, for example, that will be welcome. But if you want to discuss church business or seek spiritual guidance or pastoral care, I will remind you that we simply can’t have those kinds of conversations anymore, and you should speak to one of the pastors at First Pres. Not functioning as pastor after a call has been dissolved is actually a requirement with these specific prohibitions of the presbytery, and I am bound to obey that by my ordination vows. 

That said, I also think that the requirement and the prohibitions are wise ones to have, because they make the appropriate boundaries clear to everyone, and enable us to love and care for each other as fellow Christians rather than falling back into a pastoral relationship. Obeying that requirement is, again, an expression of love rather than a lack of it.

And so on that note, I want my last words to be ones of love. I have deeply, deeply loved being your pastor, and I love this congregation and you as its people more than I could ever adequately express. And I will undoubtably struggle at times to adequately express things on Sunday, because my mother taught me from birth that crying is a good and healthy way to express emotion, but unfortunately I have a difficult time talking when I’m doing it!

So I want to express that love clearly here in these words, and I hope you will understand that those tears on Sunday are themselves expressions of deep and overflowing and abiding love for you all and for what we have shared together.

I hope to see you on Sunday as we join in worshipping God together one more time, and share some good barbecue and celebration afterwards!

Grace and Peace,

J.C.

FOR THIS SUNDAY

Philippians 1:3-11

• Sermon: An Unfinished Symphony by The Rev. J.C. Austin
• We post the video of each week’s services and sermon text on our website: fpc-bethlehem.org

TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper:



Summer Worship Service (5 pages)

CELEBRATING J.C.: LET’S GATHER THIS SUNDAY, JULY 28

You’re encouraged to bring notes of gratitude or cards with well-wishes for him! There will be a basket to collect these at the celebration. We’ll also have scrapbook pages for you to share your good wishes and memories with J.C., before he heads off to his new call in Maryland.

We’ll enjoy a catered BBQ lunch with all the trimmings from The Taste Smokers, a popular SouthSide eatery. Thank you to those who have volunteered to bring desserts – we have plenty!

We could, however, use a couple more folks to help set up/serve/clean up – please use this online form to sign up: , or if you’re available, please plan accordingly.

PASTORAL TRANSITION UPDATE

Update from Session: Leadership Bridge Plan

At its stated meeting on Monday, July 22, Session approved the Rev. Lindsey Altvater Clifton to serve as Acting Head of Staff from J.C.’s departure on Sunday, July 28 until the start of a Transitional Pastor. In that role and during that time, Lindsey will be covering essential Head of Staff duties, which include (but are not limited to):

• Moderating Session meetings
• Attending Trustee meetings
• Attending Finance and Personnel Committee meetings
• Leading weekly staff meeting
• Holding bi-weekly individual update meetings with staff member
• Providing ongoing staff management
• Supporting the work of the Transitional Pastor Search Committee
• Coordinating sermon and worship themes

The Personnel Committee will also support Lindsey during this bridge period, and she will receive a $2,000 per month stipend for these additional responsibilities.

The Rev. Suzanne Trump will continue to lead pastoral care and the work of the Deacons. The Parish Associates - Rev. Cynthia Simmons, Rev. Dr. Steve Simmons, Rev. Dr. Ginny Smith, and Rev. Dr. Richard Smith - will continue to support preaching/worship leadership and faith formation planning (perhaps with some additional responsibilities), along with leading their spiritual direction ministry.

Additionally, Session approved the Ministry Discernment Profile, which is the position description for the Transitional/Interim Pastor role. Once it is approved by the Presbytery Committee on Ministry, it will be posted online, and we can begin circulating it through our various networks to reach potential applicants. We still anticipate that this will happen shortly after J.C.’s departure.

We give thanks for J.C.’s ministry alongside us (and look forward to his celebration this Sunday), and we trust that the Spirit will continue to lead us through this next season of life and ministry together!  

SUMMER HARVEST FOOD DRIVE: SUPPORTING OUR NEIGHBORS

One in ten people in the Lehigh Valley. And 15% of our children.

If you heard J.C.’s sermon on Sunday, you heard these appalling statistics about food insecurity among our neighbors. 

In light of this situation – which is actually worse during the summer months, when many food pantry shelves are bare – we extend heartfelt thanks for the donations that are filling our Summer Harvest Food Drive collection boxes.

The list of suggested donations includes canned food items, pasta, granola bars, boxed cereal, diapers and wipes, rice, and personal care items; the complete list is available HERE, as well as on the donation boxes themselves and copies are on the tables in the Narthex. 

In addition, donations will be accepted at all free concerts during the month of July at the Levitt Pavilion, located at Bethlehem’s SteelStacks campus, 789 E. First St. The list of events is also at minsitrails.org/summerharvest.

CAN YOU PROVIDE A LIFT?

FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:



• Child care will be available from 9:45-11:15 a.m. this Sunday morning; please ask an usher for directions.



• Your children are a joy in our worship services, and should the need arise, “kid bags” are available for their use while they are visiting. They are in the Narthex.



• We offer nametags for folks to wear – these are for everyone! You can pick up as you enter the worship space; please clearly PRINT your first name.

THIS SUNDAY



• 9:45 – 11:15 a.m.: Child Care (ask ushers to direct you)
• 10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship service, in-person in the Sanctuary and livestreamed on Facebook and on our website, including a brief Congregational meeting
• 11:30 a.m.: Farewell celebration for J.C., Kirk Center – all are welcome!

WEDNESDAYS: 7 p.m. - Overcomer’s Outreach Christian 12 Step Recovery Group weekly meeting, via Zoom.com (meeting #: 868 2214 2960; passcode: OO-Beth)



CHURCH OFFICE AND BUILDING INFO:



Regular office hours are Monday - Thursday from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Many of the office staff are working remotely for some of the time, so please make an appointment if you need to see someone specific. The answering service (610-778-7003) can take your urgent pastoral concerns, 24 hours a day. 

IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER: Look for updates on our website (fpc-bethlehem.org), Facebook page, and WFMZ (channel 69 and wfmz.com). We will also put the info on our church phone message, 610-867-5865.