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 partake in communion together. Come early to hang out with folks in the lobby and prepare for worship. 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 youth lunch and Christmas party. 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: What are you grateful for?
You can also prepare for worship by listening to this week’s scripture recording. You’ll hear a combination of sounds and scripture in this meditation on Matthew 1:18-25.
Advent began last 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 Connections desk in the lobby or click here for a digital copy.
Click here to listen to FBCP’s The Advent Album. You can also pick up a CD copy on Sunday at the Connections desk in the lobby. Any and all proceeds will go directly to support our local partners, Friends in Deed.
Join Rene and John Jay from 9-10 am for our Advent Sunday School class that explores the season and all of its power and promise. The class meets in the parlor Sunday mornings during Advent until December 19th, and childcare will be available so parents can attend. The curriculum uses 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 if you still want to sign up.
This week we are asking you to bring hearty soup and/or chili 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!
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. This will be the last Sunday to sign up and we still have 36 unclaimed gift requests left to fill! Click the button below to sign up to bring a gift. Unwrapped gifts should be dropped off at the church no later than Sunday, December 12th.
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 next 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.
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
