Join us each Wednesday during Lent,
March 29,
for Taizé worship at 6:30 p.m.
in the Sanctuary or livestreaming on Facebook.
Here is the link and here is the bulletin.

Our traditional Taizé services include simple, meditative songs, 
scripture, prayer and silence.  The liturgy for these services originated
with the Taizé community founded in France in 1940.
This community is an ecumenical, intentional community
with a twofold purpose: to seek communion with God through personal
prayer and the beauty of community prayer; 
and also be a leaven of peace and trust in the midst of humanity.  
Come spend time listening to God and be renewed for your journey.

 

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Join Outlook Editor/Publisher Teri McDowell Ott in a conversation with Kendall Vanderslice, a professional baker and practical theologian. In this webinar, participants will learn how to bake bread alongside Kendall. The resulting bread can be used at home or as communion for one of their Holy Week worship services (this workshop takes place on Tuesday of Holy Week). Participants will learn how to mix up a batch of dough together, then Kendall will walk everyone through the process of shaping and baking dough — they’ll be able to complete this process with their own dough by the next morning. During this demonstration, Teri and Kendall will speak about the spirituality of baking — specifically baking bread — and Kendall will be available for questions. Register

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Potted Easter Lilies will decorate the chancel for Easter Sunday.  They may be purchased in honor or in memory of a person or event at a cost of $16 per plant.  Deadline Sunday, April 2. To sponsor a lily, please fill out the cards available in the pew racks or email or call Jamie in the church office at (518) 449-7332. 

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Easter Breakfast- April 9
9:15-10:15 am in the Fellowship Hall
This popular First Pres tradition and Youth Fundraiser is back!
Celebrate with family and friends before worship. Enjoy a delicious spread of warm breakfast casseroles, fresh fruit, and a chocolate fountain!

If you’d like to help, please sign up to contribute to the menu (casserole, fruit, juice, hot cross buns, croissants) items to be dropped off 8:30-9:00 am Sunday, April 9, or during office hours April 2-7.

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Fresh Flowers for the sanctuary on Sundays may be donated in honor or in memory of a person or event. The cost is $80.  A sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board outside the main office. You may contact Jamie directly at 518-449-7332 or info@firstpresalbany.org.
 

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The Tuesday morning Bible Guys, who meet weekly on Zoom at 9 a.m., are looking for new members. If you are interested, please get in touch with Roger Green at rogerogreen@gmail.com.
 

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FOCUS Available Assistance & Volunteer Opportunities

 FOCUS Breakfast Soup Kitchen: Hot egg sandwiches, coffee and more! Join us 7 AM - 8:30 AM every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 262 State Street. All are welcome! Local community organizations are here to serve our guests with information about housing, healthcare and job training.

The FOCUS Interfaith Food Pantry: open five days a week (Mondays through Fridays) from 10 AM - 12:45 PM. It is located at Emmanuel Baptist Church, 275 State Street. To place an order, please call: 518-443-0460, ext. 1.

Want to volunteer? FOCUS Churches is seeking volunteers to help at our Breakfast Soup Kitchen (Tu, Wed, Th; 6:45am to 8:45am) and our Interfaith Food Pantry (Five days a week, M to F, 10am to 1pm). Can you help us one day a week? Join us as we offer lavish hospitality for our Food Pantry and Breakfast guests.

If you are interested in volunteering, please contact FOCUS Volunteer Coordinator Belinda Quaye: belindaq@focuschurches.net or call: 518-443-0460, ext. 2.
 

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The Outreach and Mission Committee is collecting needed articles for the Giffen Elementary School’s “Clothes Closet” which goes beyond just clothes. Articles may be left in the box in the Assembly Hall designated for this purpose.  Items Needed: hoodies for little kids, 6-8, 10-12; small sneakers 8c, 9c, 10c, 11c and 12c; sweatpants for little kids, 4t, 5t, 5, 6, 8,. 10; hand sanitizers. Recently given out: 8 pairs of boys underwear and sweat pants; approx. same number of girl’s leggings; 6 pair of socks and 4 pair of boots.

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Got a Favorite Recipe?

A small group of members of First Pres Church and Walls Temple AME Zion Church have been meeting to form a friendship between our two congregations that we hope will produce a partnership to stand against racism together.

As part of this effort, our congregations will be gathering on Saturday,
May 20 to share food at a getting-to-know-you picnic potluck outside in the afternoon. We thought that a great way to do this would be to invite everyone to share a favorite recipe in two ways. One is bringing that dish to the picnic potluck and the second to send in the recipe to be included in a joint cookbook that we will hand out at the picnic.

We hope that you will find this as exciting as we do. Please send your recipe to Jamie by April 15, so it can be included in the book. More information will follow as we get closer to the date.