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.
 

************
 

The Session has called the congregation to meet in-person in the sanctuary today, Sunday, January 15, at 11:45 following the 10:30 am worship service for the purpose of acting on the final recommendations of the 2022 Nominating Committee. Members will be able to watch online via Facebook.
-Glenn and Miriam Lawrence Leupold, Moderators of Session
-Marian Eaton, Clerk of Session

************

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!
 

************

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Interfaith Celebration
January 15, 2023 at 7 PM



Macedonia Baptist Church
26 Wilson Avenue, Albany NY
Featuring Rev. Jamel K. Robinson of Mt. Zion Baptist Church

************

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.

************

New Educational Opportunity

NOTE: First mtg has been moved back a week to January 18.
We'll be doing this via zoom.
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: FPC’s Rose Room
          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.