Black History Month Celebration, February 26, 2023
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The Rev. Dr. Mashona Walston, guest preacher;
Cameroon Singers--Heidi Iyok, Humphry Suimola,
David & Roseline Takor; Fellowship Time cake!
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 Join us each Wednesday during Lent,
March 1, 8, 15, 22, and 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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Every gift leaves a legacy. Every gift tells a story. Every gift carries the light forward. Please join the Legacy Giving Subcommittee in celebrating the legacy of Freda Gardner with a cake celebration following worship on March 5th.
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Pi/Pie Day is coming!
How far around does your caring go?
Help us prove that the equation for caring is equal to
3.14159 x First Pres Albany Pie Bakers!
What: Special Fellowship Time offering some of the best pies you have ever tasted!
When: Sunday, March 19th immediately following worship
Where: Fellowship Hall
How much? $3.14 for all the pie slices you can sample!
How can you help?
Please bake a pie & bring it to church on Sunday 3/19 before church. The more varieties the better!
Apple, pecan, chocolate, banana cream? Yum!
All proceeds will benefit the
service projects of First Pres youth!!
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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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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: Youth shoes sizes: 10,11 12 & 13. Items given: 25 pairs of pants, 30 pairs of underwear, 5 pairs of socks & 4 jackets.
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Albany Presbytery is seeking to hire a part-time (12-15 hours/week) Administrative Support Services person "to provide administrative and communications support to the Presbytery enabling effective and hospitable administrative support." Click here for more details. If you or someone you know is interested, cover letter and resume can be sent to revkyle@hamiltonunionpresbyterianchurch.org .
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Tuesday, Feb 28th - The FairPay4Homecare campaign was planning a presence at the Capitol during the healthcare budget hearings, but have decided to cancel due to weather. Save the date for a March 13th Fair Pay action at the Capitol.
Wednesday, Mar 1st - Several of our partners will be at the Capitol, including Housing Justice 4 All and Coverage 4 All. If you'd like to attend, there will be various press conferences and rallies, starting at 11am. Reply to this e-mail and we'll share more details as soon as we can.
Looking ahead:
Later this month, we'll have numerous opportunities for canvassing and tabling and additional actions at the Capitol. Please reply to this e-mail if you are able to attend any of these, and more details will be forthcoming!
Wednesday, Mar 8th 7pm - "Storming Caesar's Palace" screening at the Sanctuary for Independent Media in Troy. We've been invited to table with other organizations at this documentary screening. Watch the trailer here.
After losing her job as a hotel worker in Las Vegas, Ruby Duncan co-founded a welfare rights group of ordinary mothers who defied notions of the “welfare queen.” In a fight for a universal basic income in 1969, Ruby and other equality activists took on the Nevada mob in organizing a massive protest that shut down Caesars Palace.
Friday Mar 10th, Thursday Mar 16th, Friday Mar 17th - Fair Pay 4 Homecare tabling at Albany Housing Authority buildings on Central Ave. 9am-2pm, but if you can't stay the whole time, join when you can!
Tuesday, Mar 14th - Housing Justice 4 All day of action. Over 1000 tenants and leaders from around the state will be coming to the Capitol! There are roles for volunteers - marshaling, lunch distribution, etc, and opportunities for civil disobedience (training on March 8th 6:30pm). Register for the day here.
Thursday, Mar 16th - Our next monthly Capital Region PPC organizing meeting, in person and on zoom! RSVP here.
Week of March 27th - There's always lots of activity during the last week of the State Budget negotiations, and we're planning to join with Fair Pay 4 Homecare throughout the week, but especially on Monday the 27th. Stay tuned for more details!
We're continuing to push for more signatures on our Poor People's State of the State Petition!
You can find the petition link, our Poor People's State of the State Report, and a study guide for that report, at our website: nysppc.org Please sign and share these resources widely!
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Walking a Sacred Path: Discovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool
First Presbyterian Church is launching its Labyrinth Ministry
with our new Chartres 36ft labyrinth!
We’re offering two workshops to introduce people
to the labyrinth and the spiritual practice of walking it: March 11 & March 25.
We will have a dedication of this labyrinth
after worship on Sunday, April 16.
People around the world are rediscovering the ancient practice of walking the labyrinth. Unlike a maze which has many paths, a labyrinth has only one path which leads to the center. While a maze is meant to trick and confuse you so you will lose your way, a labyrinth helps you find your way. Labyrinths have been found around the world with the most famous one found in the floor of the nave of Chartres Cathedral in France. First Pres’ new labyrinth is this pattern. Through the years people have used the labyrinth as a spiritual tool—a path of prayer, a walking meditation.
Join us at the church on Saturday, March 11, from 9:30 to 12:00 or Saturday, March 25, 1:00-3:30pm as we explore the labyrinth. Pastor Miriam, a trained labyrinth facilitator, will facilitate. Come find out more about this ancient spiritual tool and have the opportunity to walk on the new First Pres canvas labyrinth.
We hope that you will carve out time for this workshop. Sign up with Jamie in the church office (518-449-7332 or info@firstpresalbany.org). If you have any questions, please contact Miriam at the church office (518-449-7332 or mleupold@firstpresalbany.org).
The labyrinth provides the sacred space where the inner and outer worlds can commune, where the thinking mind and the imaginative heart can flow together… It is non-threatening; all we are asked to do is walk.
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A message from FOCUS ministry:
We need volunteers!
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Due to illness, a termination, and a grant reducing weekly staff work hours, we have been stretched very thin as we try to meet the needs of our guests. One year ago, in January 2022, we served 32 breakfast guests a day. On January 5, this year we served 92 breakfasts. We are close to tripling the numbers of people we are serving at our FOCUS soup kitchen. We are struggling to do this with fewer staff. And we are struggling to do this when the food supply chain is interrupted and we need to spend a lot of time finding food and non-food supplies at an increasing number of purchasing sites. Our Food Pantry guests are also increasing. Here’s how you can help:
FOCUS Breakfast Program at Westminster (Our doors are open Tues, Wed and Thurs 7am to 8:30am)
- Wednesday & Thursdays 6:45am to 8:45am (to help serve breakfast - by handing out coffee, breakfast plates, milk & juice, or bags of to-go lunch)
- Breakfast Cook or Prep Cook (this commitment involves arriving early: around 5:45am to 6am and working until 8:30am or 8:45am.) We need folks who can be "back-up cooks" or "back-up prep cooks" when our current volunteer cooks take a much-deserved break. We need folks who are available Tuesday or Wednesday or Thursday.
- Thursday clean-up (8:30am to 9:30am) Since Thursday is our last day of the week to offer breakfast, we do a deep clean on Thursday morning. Can you help us during this hour? We sweep, mop, move items to our storage bin, and often move tables, chairs and plastic barriers to accommodate other groups who may use the fellowship hall during Thursday to Sunday.
- Tuesday & Thursday Pastoral Care 6:45am to 8:45am -- listen and talk with individual guests, many of whom have few people available/willing to listen to their hopes and needs.
FOCUS Food Pantry at Emmanuel Baptist
- Thursday Pick up Food Orders at Regional Food bank (in Latham) from mid- morning to late morning. Or Help to Unload a Truck which comes to drop off groceries for our Food Pantry.
Belinda Quaye, our awesome Volunteer Coordinator, is happy to train you and schedule you. Send her an email: belindaq@focuschurches.net
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Upcoming Events:
Sunday, March 5
12-2pm Lunch and Program on the 2nd floor
Sunday, March 19
12-2pm Lunch and Program on the 2nd floor
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Harriet Seeley Barbara Woodruff
3/2 3/19
Roger Green Kirsten Pruzek
3/7 3/23
Dawn Knutson Lydia Green
3/9 3/26
Steve King Ben April
3/10 3/27
Alan Northrup Elaine Popner
3/10 3/31
Amy Jenal Paige Fitzgerald
3/13 3/31
Katharine Myers
3/13
Sonia Muniz
3/15
If your birthday is this month and it's not listed, please let Jamie know so we can update our records.
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Tuesday, 2/28 9:00am Men's Bible Study via Zoom
6:30pm FOCUS Board Meeting
Wednes., 3/1 6:30pm Taizé Service in the sanctuary
and livestreaming on Facebook
Thurs., 3/2 7:00am Men's Bible Study
7:00pm Soloist/ Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, 3/5 9:15am Preschool Education
9:15am Children’s Education
9:15am Adult Education
9:30am Soloist/Choir Rehearsal
10:30am Worship Service in the sanctuary and livestreaming on Facebook
11:45am Celebration of Freda Gardner's Legacy
11:45am Fellowship Time
12:00pm Youth Group
Tuesday, 3/7 9:00am Men's Bible Study via Zoom
1:15pm Staff Meeting
5:45pm Outreach and Mission Committee Meeting
Wednes., 3/8 6:30pm Taizé Service in the sanctuary
and livestreaming on Facebook
7:00pm Dads' Small Group
Thurs., 3/9 7:00am Men's Bible Study
12:30pm Labyrinth Ministry Team
6:30pm WPNA Meeting
7:00pm Soloist/ Choir Rehearsal
Saturday, 3/11 9:30am Labyrinth Workshop
Sunday, 3/12 9:15am Preschool Education
9:15am Children’s Education
9:15am Adult Education
9:30am Soloist/Choir Rehearsal
10:30am Worship Service in the sanctuary and livestreaming on Facebook
11:45am Celebration of Freda Gardner's Legacy in Fellowship Time
12:00pm Youth Group
Monday, 3/13 1:00pm Covenant Group
Tuesday, 3/14 9:00am Men's Bible Study via Zoom
6:30pm Anti-Racism Task Force
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