Month: August 2022

September 11 is Kick-off Sunday

Cheri Simonet
Christian Education
Sunday Kick-Off

Kicking off in more than one way!

Welcome back to worship, to Sunday school, to youth programs, to adult studies, and much more! Sunday September 11 kicks-off the Packer Season but it’s also the kick-off for our church program year, and we will begin with a “Blessing of the Backpacks” for children, youth and educators in worship that day. Please gather your families and bring your school backpacks to church for a blessing.

After worship we will celebrate with a potluck lunch featuring broasted chicken and whatever side dishes you want to bring. Carnival games on the front lawn are also being planned.

We want to save a seat for YOU! R.S.V.P. by signing up on the bulletin board in the hallway or calling the church office at 920-437-8121. Hope to see you there!

Acts Bible Study

Cheri Simonet
September2022 Bible Study

Begins September 7 & 8

We Are the Church…Let’s Act Like It is the title of a new weekly Bible study that begins this month.

The Study is an overview study of the book of Acts, which comes right after the four gospels and tells the story of the beginnings of the Christian church following Jesus’ death and resurrection.

This is a 7-week study and will be available online via a Zoom group on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30pm or an in-person group on Thursday mornings from 11:00 to noon in the Fellowship Room at church. You may switch back and forth from one group to the other as needed—each session will cover the same chapter each week. Books are available from Pastor Katie or in the church office for $10. To reserve a copy email office@firstpresgreenbay.org or call (920) 437-8121.

Gestures of Generosity

Cheri Simonet
Gestures of Generosity

Following an excellent workshop presented to the Session, Finance and Stewardship committees last spring, the Stewardship committee changed their name to Generosity Team and they have been focusing on recognizing and lifting up all the generosity experienced in this community of faith.

This fall the pledge campaign has taken on the theme “Gestures of Generosity” and will help us all look at how we are called to be generous in our lives of faith.

Special Sundays are planned in late October with the culmination of the campaign on Sunday October 30th as we all make our pledges of generosity to the church for 2023. Watch your mail and other church communications for more details and begin thinking about your own opportunities to demonstrate generosity in gratitude to God for all God’s generosity toward us.

A New Face in Finance

Cheri Simonet
Accounting Position Opening

We bid a fond farewell and Godspeed to Lynne Nelson last month and now we welcome a new face in our Finance office.

Sharie Jurecki

Beginning in August, Sharie Jurecki began doing our accounting/bookkeeping on Tuesdays and Thursdays. She is not actually an employee of the church, as she works for Advantage Bookkeeping with whom we have contracted. Sharie and Advantage bring us a wealth of experience and plenty of benefits as they take on our financial tasks—they service several other churches and ministries in Green Bay and are familiar with our lingo as well as our needs in this area of church life.

Sharie will meet monthly with our Finance Committee and be available to assist with budget planning of course. She will service our payroll and accounts payable as well. While the hours are less than Lynne was working, we sincerely hope we won’t see much change in availability. Please stop by and welcome Sharie and do not hesitate to contact her with your church financial questions. Her email is finance@firstpresgreenbay.org, as it has been, and voicemail is also available at ext. 114.

Welcome aboard, Sharie!

September 2022 Rundown

Cheri Simonet
Monthly Rundown

FirstPresGB Softball Team takes home the Championship!!

CONGRATULATIONS to our #FirstPresGB softball team who knocked the Championship game out of the park with a victory of 10 to 6 over Mannifest. We are the #1 CHAMPIONS of the Division 2 – 2022 Christian Softball League! Great job, team!

THANK YOU to all the players for a great season. And a BIG thank you to all the fans who showed up for our games and showed their support. We couldn’t have done it without YOU!

Synod School 2022

We were pleased to have so many members in attendance at the 2022 Synod School that was themed “Experiencing Belonging“…so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually, we are members one of another.” Romans 12:5

Our youth group was part of 540 people in attendance. We learned what it meant to be a part of the body of Christ and to belong to one another. In the spirit of Christ’s community, we walked through biblical experiences of belonging. Exploring the communities, we found member­ship within, and we discovered how we can belong to one another and to Christ more fully. Everyone came home with an eagerness to attend again in 2023.

Change of addresses

Don and Nina Lundin have had a change of address and Harland Merrill has also had a change of address. If you’d like to make note of their new address, please call the office at (920) 437-8121 or email office@firstpresgreenbay.org and we’ll be happy to provide you with the updates.

Brat Fry Thanks!

THANK YOU to everyone who came out and supported our two Brat Fries on August 14th and 28th. Thanks to your support we raised $1056 for the Youth Group and Presbyterian Pantry.

Sunday School begins September 18

Cheri Simonet
Sunday School

It’s back-to-school and back to Sunday School, too! Sunday School class for preschool through fifth grade children begins on Sunday, September 18th. We leave the worship service at the conclusion of the children’s message and head upstairs to rooms 204/206 for a Bible story, lesson, craft or project and prayers. All are welcome—bring a friend along!

This fall our curriculum begins in the book of Psalms with lessons on God as our Shepherd, our Refuge, and our Helper. Then we go on to consider the Old Testament stories of Solomon building the temple, the fall of Jerusalem, and Daniel in the lion’s den, among others. Hope your children can come and join us!

Youth Group starts September 14

Cheri Simonet
Youth Ministry

Youth in 6th through 12th grades have a lot to look forward to this year in our youth ministry programs!

Youth group meets each Wednesday night beginning September 14th from 6:30 to 8:00pm in the Youth Room on the third floor. These meetings are a chance to connect with others and discuss a wide range of topics relating to our daily lives and our faith. We also have a number of service and fellowship events planned including: packing meals for Feed My Starving Children in early October, a possible weekend retreat at Daycholah camp in November, an overnight at church in December to wrap gifts for our Prayer Basket families, a ski trip in January, and more!

Confirmation

An additional opportunity for youth in 7th grade and older is our Confirmation class, meeting after worship each Sunday from 11:30 to 12:15. In this class students meet with Pastor Katie and CE Director, Joel, to review Bible basics, learn about Presbyterian traditions, and talk about where and how they experience God and Christ and faith in their lives today. Confirmation culminates with each student writing a statement of faith and a special worship service they lead for the congregation. Please contact Pastor Katie at kestes@firstpresgreenbay.org or call (920) 437-8121 if your youth is ready to participate in Confirmation this fall. We expect to begin this class on September 18th.

Esther’s Circle begins September 19

Cheri Simonet
Presbyterian Women logo

Our Presbyterian Women’s Bible study, Esther Circle, begins a new monthly study on Monday September 19th, and you are invited!

The group meets in Fellowship Room on the third Monday of each month at 1:00 pm. This year’s study is a wonderful exploration of the spiritual practice of “Celebrating Sabbath: Accepting God’s Gift of Rest and Delight.”

Our monthly meeting includes prayer, scripture study, a brief DVD visit with the study’s author, and sharing. Together we will consider the elements of sabbath including celebration, creation, Sunday, surrender, servitude, hospitality, self-care, justice, and community. Books are available for purchase from Nancy Siewert for $10.00. To reserve a copy email dennis1829@att.net.

Fellowship Summer Thanks

Cheri Simonet
Fellowship and Faith

Thanks to our host volunteers, fellowship hour is happening and we’re back to socializing without social distancing.

THANK YOU to all our summer hosts who volunteered during June, July and August! The fall hosting schedule is on the bulletin board so please consider host volunteering on a fall Sunday that works best for you.

Ask anyone who’s hosted – there’s nothing to it. You don’t need to make anything, don’t need to buy anything. Just set out prepackaged snacks, turn the coffee pot on and mix up some lemonade. When fellowship ends, put everything back in its place and lock up. Easy-peasy.

So, sign up soon before the best Sundays are taken and let’s keep on socializing over the fall without that darn social distancing.

N.E.W. Pride Alive 2022 Festival

Cheri Simonet
NEW Pride Alive2022

We’re pleased to announce that our congregation will be represented at the N.E.W. Pride Alive Festival on Saturday, September 24th at the Brown County Fairgrounds. Several welcoming churches in the greater Green Bay area have come together to host a table in the exhibit hall, letting participants know that there are faith communities ready to welcome and embrace them. The table will be staffed from noon to 5:00 pm on Saturday by church volunteers, with plans to distribute a flier with details on welcoming churches as well as offering hand-held fans, glitter blessings, opportunities for prayer, and more. If you’d like to volunteer for a two-hour shift at the table, contact Pastor Katie at kestes@firstpresgreenbay.org or call (920) 437-8121.

The purpose of N.E.W. Pride is to enhance the lives of LGBTQ+ people in the Greater Fox Valley & Green Bay regions by empowering people and organizations that share this purpose. Through partnerships, education, funding, creating more opportunities for community connection, and raising visibility/awareness of LGBTQ+ issues, we strive to create a Northeastern Wisconsin where all LGBTQ+ folk thrive. Each year, N.E.W. Pride puts on a number of events including Northeastern Wisconsin Pride. This family-friendly pride event features fireworks, live music, a local history exhibit, drag performances, and more!

Please join us!