REVISED FPC Updates

Disregard Thursday’s eblast-use links in this one

Join us on Sunday, November 22

Adult Education at 8:45am.
First Pres will hold its annual Bread for World Offering of Letters in support of an end to food insecurity under the guidance of the Social Justice and Peacemaking Committee.
The Adult Education Class will be a conversation about Bread for the World and food insecurity with some time to address letters to our representatives in Congress.
A special edition eblast will be published on Friday that will contain instructions for participating in the Offering of Letters as well as letters that you can print out and mail.
All are welcome! Join us via zoom (invite below) at 8:45!

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Sunday School for Children at 9:15am
Pre-K through 5^th Graders:
Join for singing, Bible story, conversation and prayer.
Join us via zoom (invite below) at 9:15!

If you would like to join any of our zoom meetings please contact
Miriam or Glenn.
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Worship Service at 10am.
We will be live streaming on Facebook
Click here to connect on Sunday.
(additional information below, if needed)
You will find the bulletin for Sunday here.
Communion is being celebrated. You are invited to bring something
to eat and something to drink when you join us for on-line worship.
Using elements familiar to them,
Jesus used bread and wine for his Last Supper with his disciples.
If you’re unable to have juice and bread,
bring something familiar to you.

Offering of Our Gifts
You can mail offering to: FPC, 362 State St, Albany, NY 12210
Or go on line to donate (www.firstpresalbany.org/donate/)
Thank you for your continued support of FPC ministries.

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Virtual Youth Group- 6th graders-12th graders - at 11am/after worship
During this time of Spiritual Formation we may:

play games
build relationship with each other
reflect on the worship service
try different spiritual practices/types of prayer
make meaning of the world around us
explore and tell our individual stories
co-create service projects
develop youth leadership

Join us via Zoom (invite below and by email) at 11:00!
Email info@firstpresalbany.org to be added to the YG list or YG parent list.

Congregational Meeting at 11:15am
Join us via zoom for a meeting of the congregation.
We will hear and vote upon the report of the Nominating Committee.

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Our recorded worship services and bulletins are also available on our website.

Please send any prayer requests to Glenn so that we can include them in worship on Sunday.

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INSTRUCTIONS Facebook Live Streaming: we’ll normally start broadcasting about 3 to 5 minutes before the service (so 9:55–9:57) with Trevor’s prelude. Any time after that go the main Facebook page for First Presbyterian Church of Albany. Very close to the top (or maybe just by scrolling down slightly) you’ll see the video with the words “Live now” or something similar. Click on the video and it will open into a larger window and play. So just stay on the First Pres home page, no need to go into Events or any other sub-page.
HELPFUL TIP: if you don’t see the livestream on the home page, refresh / reload your browser screen. Don’t hesitate to call Dwight Cheu at 518.469.1544 if you have any problems.

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Many thanks to all who filled out a financial pledge card
for 2021 and sent it to the church.
We have received 89 pledges to date totaling $276,563.
This represents 5 new pledges and 38 pledgers have been able to increase their pledge.

If you have not submitted your pledge card, we hope you will do so soon.
We are counting on you!
If you didn’t receive a pledge card OR cannot find your card,
click here for one you can fill out and send
via email or surface mail to the address listed.
Another option is to go onto our website and fill out a pledge card on line.

This Friday, November 20, is the 21st Annual Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). TDOR is a day set aside to memorialize those killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, a trans woman of color whose murder on November 28, 1998, kicked off the Remembering Our Dead web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in early 1999. Due to the interest in both the website and that original vigil, it was decided that an annual memorial to those killed due to anti-transgender violence or prejudice was necessary to help spread information about these deaths. We will be marking TDOR during worship on Sunday.

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Be a witness of support to the Black Lives Matter movement
every Tuesday from noon to 1:00pm.
Join others on State S.t in front of Westminster Presbyterian Church
with your mask (not-optional) and a sign (optional).
This effort is being spear-headed by Elizabeth McMillan at WPC.

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Thanksgiving Worship and Fellowship opportunity
Let us be thankful together!
Join Pastor Miriam via zoom on Thanksgiving at 11am
for a time of readings, prayer and conversation.
All are welcome!

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FROM OUTREACH AND MISSION:

EQUINOX COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING DINNER
To the First Presbyterian Church Community and friends;
Although it may look different this year, the Annual Equinox Thanksgiving Community Dinner (“T-Day”) will continue to provide delicious Thanksgiving meals to thousands of our neighbors in need. With the cancellation of the in-person T-Day event preparations due to COVID-19, Equinox was determined to redesign the event to connect meal recipients with other meal resources by enlisting its volunteer corps and various community partners to prepare and deliver take-out meals—to continue to meet our community’s needs.

Equinox is “outsourcing” the meal preparation to local restaurants and food service entities which have the knowledge and capability of adhering to strict meal-prep and food-handling requirements. Designated volunteer drivers will pick up meals and provide contactless delivery throughout the Capital Region.

“Rather than crowds of volunteers preparing meals, we will purchase specially made Thanksgiving dinners from local restaurants, caterers, grocery stores and others. In this way, we can safely continue our cherished community tradition while also supporting local businesses–so many of which have donated food items to our dinner in the past and are now struggling during the pandemic,” commented Christina Buff Rajotte, Equinox Director of Development & Marketing.

Last year, we provided nearly 11,000 meals to our Capital Region neighbors in need.” Equinox has been grateful to enlist new community partners, and many of its traditional partners in donating

“Our goal is to raise $100,000 to purchase 10,000 meals. to purchase 10,000 meals. In addition, St. Peter’s Health Partners and CDPHP (and its food services partner, Eurest) will be making and donating 1,000 meals each to ensure we can meet the needs of our community.

We invite you to become part of the community of neighbors to be a partner in this tradition First Pres has been has been a key sponsor for more than 30 years.
To Order a Thanksgiving Day Meal to be delivered to Your Home Or
To Volunteer to be a Delivery Driver or to sponsor a Thanksgiving Meal:
You can call the T-Day Hotline at 518.434.0131, Visit the Website at www.equinoxinc.org.

Let’s continue to keep the spirit of the holiday for OUR NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS FOR THIS HOLIDAY.

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You know those great pictures of your fellow congregants that scroll on your screen before our on line Sunday services? Don’t you love seeing their smiling faces after all this time? We really want MORE!

Please take some family pictures on your phone and send them digitally to our church office.
Pets included? Great! Christmas decorations featured? Fantastic! (we would especially love this!)

Deadline for submission is December 10 to be included in the televised Sunday services.

If you are not confident taking the picture and submitting it digitally, we will help you out! Contact Jamie at the church office or at 518-428-8261, and we will set you up with one of our esteemed photographers. Those pictures will be taken safely outdoors.

Thanks for helping us with this beloved bit of Sunday mornings.

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Finger Labyrinth Walks and Meditations continue on each Thursday in December at 12:30pm via Zoom. Pastor Miriam, Certified Advanced Labyrinth Facilitator, leads each session. and our time together is 30 minutes. This time is open to all, whether you’ve walked a labyrinth in the past or not. Register here
for Thursday, December 3, to receive the zoom link. Please have a Finger Labyrinth available - you can download a paper version if you don't have your own or Jamie in the church office. Join us!

Thursday, 11/19 7:00am Men's Bible Study
12:30pm Finger Labyrinth Walk and Meditation
4:30pm Anti-Racism Task Force

Sunday, 11/22   8:45am Adult Education
9:15am Children’s Education
10:00am Worship Service via Facebook
11:00am Virtual Youth Group
11:15am Congregational Meeting

Monday, 11/23 6:00pm Soloist Rehearsal

Tuesday, 11/24 9:00am Men's Bible Study
6:30pm FOCUS Board

Thurs., 11/26   11:00am Thanksgiving Worship and Fellowship opportunity


Sunday, 11/29   8:45am Adult Education
9:15am Children’s Education
10:00am Live Stream Worship (communion)
11:00am Virtual Youth Group

Tuesday, 12/1 9:00am Men's Bible Study
5:30pm Property Committee Meeting
7:00pm Membership Committee Meeting
7:30pm Social Justice & Peacemaking Committee Meeting

Wednes., 12/2 11:00am Staff Meeting

Thursday, 12/3 7:00am Men's Bible Study
12:30pm Finger Labyrinth Walk and Meditation
4:30pm Anti-Racism Task Force
7:30pm Chancel Choir Virtual Meeting

Sunday, 12/6   8:45am Adult Education
9:15am Children’s Education
10:00am Live Stream Worship (communion)
11:00am Virtual Youth Group

******* All meetings will be held via Zoom.*******

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