Friends at FBCP,
Here are the updates and announcements you need for the week.
This Sunday
Join us for worship in the sanctuary at 10:30 am as we begin Advent. The nursery will be open as usual for our toddlers and babies. Our kids four years old and up can join us in the park, and youth are invited to join us for worship and then stay for our regular youth gathering and lunch. As a reminder, here are our community guidelines for being together in the sanctuary.
We’ll begin our service with an open time of sharing gratitudes, so we invite you to consider this prompt as we head into Sunday: Knowing that the holidays can sometimes be a time of heightened tension, is there a family or friendship practice which you are especially excited and grateful for this year?
You can also prepare for worship by listening to this week’s scripture recording. You’ll hear a full song in this meditation on Matthew 1:1-17.
Advent begins this Sunday and this year’s Advent devotional uses Mary Oliver’s poetry from her book Devotions. Feel free to pick up a printed copy at the lobby desk or click here for a digital copy.
Join Rene and John Jay this Sunday, November 28th, from 9-10 am as they kick off a special Advent Sunday School class that explores the season and all of its power and promise. The class will meet in the parlor for 4 weeks until December 19th, and childcare will be available so parents can attend. The curriculum will utilize the exquisite poetry of Mary Oliver as a lens to focus our hearts uniquely on Advent themes and practices. Copies of the poems will be provided, and no experience or expertise is required! Click here to sign up.
Interested in finding out more about FBCP, our history as an American Baptist church, and what we’re all about? New to FBCP? Join this upcoming Basics class in the Southside Room after worship service this Sunday when Pastor John Jay and Pastor Chip will go over what it means to be part of the FBCP community. Email Pastor Chip for more details.
This week we are asking you to bring peanut butter for the Friends In Deed Food Pantry if you are able. Right now this will help meet a major need in their supply. Thanks for contributing!
As an American Baptist Church, we share in the long history of global servants who have been called to work cross-culturally to show people the love of Christ and proclaim God’s reign of justice, peace and abundant life for all creation. This month, you can give to the World Mission Offering (WMO) in support of International Ministries (IM), the organization that sends and supports the American Baptist global servants. We hope you will step into the flow of generosity as you consider how you might give above and beyond your regular offering to support God’s work around the world through the WMO. Click here to give online or make your offering during worship on Sunday.
Future Happenings & Other News
You’re invited to our Thursday noon Bible study! Join us each week on campus for a lively discussion about the upcoming Sunday teaching text. Email Pastor Chip for more details.
Come and bring your friends on Sunday, December 12th, to join in our 78th Annual Candlelight Carol Service at 6 pm in the sanctuary! Help us celebrate the Christmas season as we sing together and are reminded of hope made real in the birth of Jesus. Childcare for toddlers and infants (4 years and under) will be provided, and there will be a cookie reception after the service. Feel free to grab some of our invitation cards in the lobby area to share with friends.
Calling all bakers and/or cookie lovers…we need cookies for our Candlelight Carol Service cookie reception! Whether you do the baking yourself or someone else does it for you, we’re asking, if possible, for you to bring 2-3 dozen cookies to share with family and friends. Cookies can be dropped off Sunday morning, December 12th, at the lobby desk before our regular morning worship service so they can be prepared and put out later in the evening for the carol service.
Partner with us in generosity through Friends in Deed’s annual Christmas for the Kids gift drive. Every year we get the honor of helping to provide gifts for Friends in Deed’s families with kids as we are reminded of God’s generous gift of Jesus to our world. Unwrapped gifts should be dropped off at the church no later than Sunday, December 12th. Click the button below to sign up to bring a gift!
Grace and peace to you as we head into the weekend. We can’t wait to worship with you in our sanctuary on Sunday!
Less without you,
The FBCP Community
