*Be sure to read to the end - if you see "View entire message" at the bottom,
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Friday, May 31, 2024 Newsletter
For Sunday - Communion Sunday
10:00 a.m.: Summer Worship Service in the Sanctuary
(in person and livestreamed on Facebook and our website)
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A MESSAGE FROM THE REV. J.C. AUSTIN:
AN UPDATE OF OUR PLANNING PROCESSES
I want to thank everyone who turned out for the Community Open House last Thursday, May 23, in which we presented the preferred concept design for the campus redevelopment project to the public. I will admit to some nervousness when
I found that Center Street was still closed off on both sides just an hour before the Open House began! However, the teams working on storm damage to trees and powerlines were able to open things up just in time, and we ended up having well over 200 people attend!
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The design itself is both an exciting and an excellent one, I think; if you were not able to attend the Open House, you can find information on what was presented here:
It was very gratifying to see so many supporters of these efforts from the community turn out and affirm what we have done. Even more so, though, were the folks who turned up with ongoing concerns about density, aesthetics, etc. and found them addressed in the design.
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Over and over again, I heard from people who were saying some version of, “I really wasn’t sure about this, but it turned out quite well.” As I said to one of the reporters covering the event who noticed that the tone of attendees was much more positive this time and asked me about it, I think people were pleasantly surprised to find that we meant what we said about incorporating their feedback into the final design.
Because of congregational and community feedback, we reduced the scope of the project down to 200 units; we created a 200-foot “green zone” between Center Street and the start of any development; we preserved 50% of the acreage for open green space; and we simultaneously increased the available parking for church needs. All but four of the buildings are only two stories tall, and only one is four stories (i.e., the same height as Kirkland Village’s buildings).
I want to commend our design consultants at Collabo for their wonderful work in not only helping us organize such a successful community engagement program, but in producing a design that is beautiful, sustainable, impactful in terms of our mission goals, and directly responsive to the needs and concerns of our neighbors.
The Steering Committee is already returning its primary attention to the adaptive reuse project for the South Wing of the church buildings. As you know, we have two parallel strategic mission projects going, and with the initial concept design for the campus redevelopment complete, we have space to focus on forging an agreement with a nonprofit partner and focusing on a design for being able to incorporate them into the South Wing.
Before we do that, however, the Steering Committee intends to do two more things. First, committee members will be informally available next Sunday, June 9, during Lemonade on the Lawn, for debriefing what you’ve seen and heard in the community meetings and in general about our design and our process. So we encourage you to write down your experiences from the last community meeting in particular and come on the 9th to share those with the committee.
In addition, this will be yet another opportunity for you to reflect on what we’ve done and where we’re going, particularly if you were not able to attend the May 23 meeting. Second, we will have a more formal wrap-up meeting for the concept design phase of the campus redevelopment project in July (exact date TBD), so please keep your ears open for news on that.
Finally, I want to express my profound thanks to the Mission Strategy Steering Committee for the extraordinarily good and faithful work they have done for well over a year at this point. To have gotten as far as we have, as fast as we have, in exploring the possibilities of these two initiatives is a testament to their leadership and commitment to this ministry.
So please express your own thanks to Don Robertson and Donna Taggart, our co-chairs, and to the members of the committee: George Bickford, Jim Halkins, Bob Hunsicker, Belle Marks, and Kim Miner, and to Pastor Lindsey who has provided amazing and invaluable leadership and support throughout this process.
Grace and Peace,
J.C.
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- This week’s sermon: The Great Ends of the Church 3: The Maintenance of Divine Worship by the Rev. J.C. Austin
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We post the video of each week’s services and sermon text on our website: fpc-bethlehem.org
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TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT on 8.5" x 11" paper:
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THIS SUNDAY IS COMMUNION SUNDAY
If you are worshipping with us from home, you can participate by preparing your own elements: bread or a bread-like item
(cracker, pita, bagel, etc.) and grape juice, wine or water.
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FOR THIS SUNDAY: JOIN US FOR LEMONADE ON THE LAWN
Join us after worship for our social time, “Lemonade on the Lawn” – everyone is welcome to come and connect. If weather permits, we’ll gather on the west side (front) of the church building, otherwise in Fellowship Hall.
The Deacons will host our gathering this Sunday. We are looking for other groups or families to take on the hosting duties for future dates.
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Basically, you will need to:
- Provide simple treats for about 40-50, such as: grapes, clementines or cut-up fruit; cheese and crackers; easy-to-eat baked treats (homemade or purchased) like cookies, mini muffins, bars, or granola bars.
- Get the beverages, cups and napkins, ice, and coolers out of the church kitchen and set them up (we typically serve lemonade, iced tea and water – these are provided).
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- Return items to the kitchen and clean up (tables will be provided and taken down).
It doesn’t have to be a “formal” group, like a K group, committee, or the choir – it can be a family or group of friends. It’s easy to sign up on this online form or call the church office at 610-867-5865. We’ll also have a paper sign-up form at each event.
Thanks for considering this request! If you have any questions about what’s involved, contact us at info@fpc-bethlehem.org or 610-867-5865 and we’ll connect you with a ‘veteran.’
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ANOTHER SALE COMING – SATURDAY, JUNE 22
We’ve set the date for our next big ‘clean out’ sale for Saturday, June 22. Watch this space for more info on the specific schedule, to sign up for volunteer shifts, and if you’re interested in having a table to sell your own items.
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LUNCH BUNCH IS BACK – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 |
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Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate for our May Lunch Bunch gathering, so we’re back with a new date!
Bring your lunch and come join us for some fellowship and fresh air on Wednesday, June 12 starting at noon at the Water Street Park in Hellertown. There is plenty of parking, a shaded pavilion, and bathrooms. We met there
a few times last year and it was wonderful.
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Join us as you are able and invite a friend to come with you. In case of inclement weather, we will postpone it (if we need to postpone, we will put a message on our website and the church phone, 610-867-5865). If you have any questions or need directions, contact us at info@fpc-bethlehem.org or 610-867-5865.
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LOOKING FOR LECTORS
If you are interested in participating in worship as a lector (reader), there is an easy online sign-up form that you can complete.
If you have not served as a lector before and have questions, please contact us at info@fpc-bethlehem.org or call the church office at 610-867-5865. Thanks for considering!
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CARE CONCERNS AND HOSPITAL VISITS
If you are hospitalized, please tell the hospital our church code is 724. Also, please call the church office at 610-867-5865 to let us know as the hospitals do not always collect this information. After hours, leave a message or call our answering service at 610-778-7003.
PRAYER REQUESTS...
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Send us your news and photos to share:
**Deadline for the next newsletter:
WEDNESDAY at noon**
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Your likes / comments / shares help us spread the word about First Pres!
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TO JOIN OUR LIVESTREAM WORSHIP SERVICE
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Visit our Facebook page and look for the post with our live feed
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If you don’t have a Facebook account, go to our website to view the service - click on the "Watch the Service" button
- Please check in with a comment so we know you’ve joined us!
- Captions will now be available on our livestream, for those who would like to use that feature
To watch a video – available after the services have aired: Visit our website archives
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FOR SUNDAY’S IN-PERSON WORSHIP:
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Child care will be available from 9:45-11:15 a.m. this Sunday morning; please ask an usher for directions.
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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.
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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.
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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
- 11:00 a.m.: Lemonade on the Lawn gathering, front of the church – 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.
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF BETHLEHEM |
First Presbyterian Church of Bethlehem, 2344 Center Street, Bethlehem, PA 18017 610-867-5865 | info@fpc-bethlehem.org
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