During the months of January and February, our Music Director Michael Lister will be taking a hiatus involving additional responsibilities with the Department of Music and Theater at The University at Albany. He will return for the FOCUS service on February 5 and will resume his responsibilities on March 6. During the time he is away, guest conductor Xavier Ortiz-Reyes will assume the leadership of the choir, and Trevor Kahlbaugh and our soloists will continue to minister through music alongside the choir. More details about Xavier will be shared in upcoming Eblasts.
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The Outreach and Mission Committee is beginning to collect needed articles for the Giffen Elementary School’s “Clothes Closet.” Articles may be left in the box designated for this purpose in Assembly Hall. Our O&M Committee is also making $1,500 available for Ms. Terry, who supervises the Clothes Closet, to spend for immediate winter needs. Debbie and Eric Fagans will be assisting Ms. Terry.
*Needed for our box: healthy snacks, soap, wash cloths, towels, deodorant, tooth brushes, tooth paste, several bath mats (for the school showers), small hand gloves, small feet socks.
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Join us online for Finger Labyrinth Walks and Meditations each 
Thursday through February 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 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!
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Capital Area Council of Churches Emergency Overflow Shelter
First Pres has made a commitment for several years to provide dinner for the men at the overflow shelter https://www.capareacc.org/projects/emergency-overflow-homeless-shelter/. This shelter serves people who have no other shelter options in Albany County during the cold weather, November until April.
Our slot is the third Monday of the month. We received wonderful response last week!! Now we only have to fill April 17.
Cooking a hearty dinner for 19 hungry men may sound daunting. Here are some ideas to make it more doable:
- Sign up to share a week with another church member.
- Your church small group could take one week & challenge other small groups to do the same
- You love to bake….but do not cook – volunteer to make dessert.
- You don’t cook!! How about purchasing a ready-made dessert or contribute money to a member who is cooking to help defray the overall cost.
See the signup sheet and info page on the bulletin board by the Main Office. Please contact Karen Brown karenlbrown1@gmail.com or 518-817-2295 for more info.
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New Educational Opportunity
Members of First Presbyterian’s Antiracism Task Force Will Lead
“Dismantling Racism, Building Racial Justice in Institutions”
When: Four Wednesdays, 7—8:30 pm
Where: via zoom
Format: Pre-recorded webinars and group discussions; webinars
produced by Crossroads for the Association of Partners
in Christian Education and the Presbyterian Youth Workers
Association
January 18: “How does Christian Education uphold white dominant values
and stifle racial justice work?”
January 25: “What is antiracism, and what does it require of Christians?”
February 1: “Why must Christians denounce white supremacy and embrace
a gospel vision for antiracism?”
February 8: “How can Christian educators cultivate values that challenge
white supremacy?”
Contact the church office (518-449-7332 or info@firstpresalbany.org) in advance to sign up, obtain the video link and obtain the zoom link. Participants will be asked to view a 1-hour webinar at home before each gathering. On the Wednesday evenings, we will watch a related 30 minute Q & A segment together and then discuss.
