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News from First Presbyterian Church!
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Opportunities

Winter Carnival

Saturday, December 10 | 10:00am - 4:00pm

Join us at the Washington Park Lake House for a free, family friendly Winter Carnival!

MORE INFORMATION


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Would you like to sponsor a poinsettia plant to decorate the sanctuary in Advent and Christmas this year? You may do so in honor or memory of a loved one, and that dedication will be noted in the worship bulletin beginning December 18. There are three ways to make your dedication. 1) By emailing the church office a note that spells out the dedication as well as name of the dedicator. Then visit the website and make your payment online ($16 per poinsettia) OR 2) Fill out one of the forms that is located in the pews in the sanctuary and put that and your check in the offering plate or offering box OR 3) Mail a check to the church for $16 per poinsettia, along with a note that spells out the dedication as well as name of the dedicator. Deadline is December 11.

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Giving Tree for Northern Rivers Holiday Giving Campaign

Please visit the Giving Tree in the fellowship hall. It is laden with gift tags from Northern Rivers’ Teen Wish List for youth ages 13-19 served by Northern Rivers agencies. Simply take a gift tag from the Giving Tree, purchase the gift, and return both the tag and gift to the church by Sunday, Dec 11. Please return all gifts unwrapped. For virtual ways to give, click here.  
 

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The Potluck and Christmas Carol Singalong is BACK and will be held
Saturday, December 17, from 5:00-7:00pm. We'll eat dinner at 5:15 followed by carol singing.  ALL ages are welcome!! Be sure to let the church office know how many will attend at info@firstpresalbany.org or 518-449-7332.

 

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Interested in finding out more about First Pres? Have you been worshiping with us and are interested in learning about becoming a member? If so, please contact Pastor Miriam (mleupold@firstpresalbany.org or 518-449-7332). She will be zooming/meeting with interested people, exploring their hopes and dreams for where they can serve God.


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If you have a prayer concern or a prayer need that you would like to have lifted in prayer on a continuing basis, please remember the prayer chain. You can email a request to firstpresprayer@yahoo.com or call the church office (518-449-7332). These will be forwarded to the First Pres prayer chain, a group of people that have committed to pray for the needs of others as they arise. These requests for prayer are separate and/or different from the “prayers of the people” that are wonderfully available each Sunday.

Please send any prayer requests to Jamie to be included in worship on Sunday.

 

Advocacy Work

First Pres, through the Social Justice and Peacemaking Committee, has been
working with the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.


 

“Christian nationalism has influenced the course of American politics and policy since the founding of this country, while, in every era, moral movements have had to fight for the Bible and the terrain that goes with it. The January 6 assault on the Capitol … demonstrated the threat of a modern form of Christian nationalism that has carefully built political power in government, the media, the academy, and the military over the past half-century. Today, the social forces committed to it are growing bolder and increasingly able to win mainstream support.”

Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis said this back in January and as we head into 2023, the need to confront and challenge Christian nationalism is only growing stronger. With that in mind, the NYS PPC Faith Organizing Team is launching a series of monthly meetings / programs on “Understanding and Confronting Christian Nationalism.”

Join us on Thursday, December 8 at 7 PM, for the launch of this series. In session 1, we will come to collective understanding on what Christian nationalism is and is not, and why it is so important we do not remain silent. In subsequent months, we will learn more about the history of Christian nationalism - how we got here and what we can learn from that. We will hear from diverse voices from different faith traditions and the religiously unaffiliated on how Christian nationalism is impacting various communities and discuss strategies to move us from complacency into action in confronting and countering this false moral narrative. To register for this program, click here.

We hope to see you on Thursday, December 8!

Youth News

Youth Group December 2022




 

Advent, Christmas & Epiphany



Join us at First Presbyterian Church
as we journey toward Bethlehem during Advent,
as we celebrate the birth of our Savior at Christmas,
and as we move into the new year.
 
 
Sunday, December 11
Third Sunday of Advent
9:15 Education for children & adults
10:30 Worship Service
The Giving Tree gifts returned unwrapped
 
Wednesday, December 14
Blue Christmas Service
Combined service of FOCUS churches
6:30 at The First Church, 110 N. Pearl St.
 
Saturday, December 17
Potluck and Carol Sing
5:00 –7:00pm
Dinner and carol singing in Assembly Hall
ALL AGES welcome!

Sunday, December 18
Fourth Sunday of Advent
9:15 Education for children & adults
10:30 Worship Service
12:00 Youth Group
 
Saturday, December 24
Christmas Eve
7:00 pm Musical Prelude
7:30 pm A Service of Lessons and Carols
 
Sunday, December 25
Christmas Day
11:00 am Worship Service
 
Sunday, January 1
Eighth Day of Christmas
10:30 am Worship Service
 
Sunday, January 8, 2023
Epiphany Celebration
9:15 Education for children & adults
10:30 Worship Service

December Birthdays

Ellen Kemp                                    Sebastian Howard
12/6                                                 12/16
Rachel Smith                                 Jon Rice
12/7                                                 12/19  
David Nichols                                Jamie Mamone
12/7                                                 12/22 
Jerry Nathan                                 Andrew Sennoga-Kimuli
12/9                                                 12/22
Samantha Fuscus                          Pastor Glenn
12/9                                                 12/23
Matthew Fuscus                            Roseline Takor
12/9                                                 12/26
Gladys Crowder                            Akap Takor
12/12                                               12/29 
Carla Fisk                                      Michael Davis     
12/12                                               12/29      
Maxine Terpening                         Christy D’Ambrosio
12/13                                               12/29   
James MacNaughton                   
12/16               
                                  
                                            
                                                  
If your birthday is this month and it's not listed, please let Jamie know so we can update our records. 

Calendar

Tuesday, 12/6     9:00am   Men's Bible Study via Zoom
                          12:00pm   Staff Meeting
                            5:30pm   Outreach & Mission Committee Meeting

Thurs., 12/8       7:00am   Men's Bible Study
                            7:00pm   Soloist/Choir Rehearsal

Sunday, 12/11    9:15am   Preschool Education 
                            9:15am   Children’s Education 
                            9:15am   Adult Education
                            9:30am   Soloist/Choir Rehearsal
                          10:30am   Worship Service
                                           In-Person/Livestream on Facebook
                          11:30am   Fellowship Time

Monday, 12/12   1:00pm   Covenant Group

Tuesday, 12/13   9:00am   Men's Bible Study via Zoom
                            6:30pm   FOCUS Board Meeting
                            7:00pm   Combined Session and Deacon meeting

Wednes., 12/14   6:00pm   Finance Committee Meeting
                            6:30pm   Blue Christmas Service
                            7:00pm   Dads' Small Group

Thurs., 12/15      7:00am   Men's Bible Study
                            6:30pm   General Meeting of Capital Region
                                            Poor People’s Campaign
                            7:00pm   Soloist/Choir Rehearsal


Saturday, 12/17  5:00pm   Potluck and Carol Sing

Sunday, 12/18    9:15am   Preschool Education 
                            9:15am   Children’s Education 
                            9:15am   Adult Education
                            9:30am   Soloist/Choir Rehearsal
                          10:30am   Worship Service
                                           In-Person/Livestream on Facebook
                          11:30am   Fellowship Time
                          12:00pm   Youth Group

Tuesday, 12/20   9:00am   Men's Bible Study via Zoom
                            7:00pm   B3 Small Group
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Contact info: church office: 518-449-7332  info@firstpresalbany.org
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Our mailing address is:
362 State Street
Albany, NY 12210

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