Month: August 2023

Sing Thru the Church Year

Cheri Simonet
Music notes

Special Worship Service September 3, 2023

The church year is NOT the same as a calendar year, but you may not notice it spread over the course of 12 months—when is Lent, why do we celebrate Epiphany, what comes after Pentecost?

For our worship service on Sunday, September 3th at 10am, we will attempt to sing our way through the whole church year with a few verses or a few hymns to represent each season. We’ll begin with Advent, move through Christmas and Epiphany, remind ourselves of Lent and Holy Week and Easter, then Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints’, and Christ the King.

It’s a LOT to squeeze into one service, but we think we can do it!

As it’s the first Sunday of the month, we will celebrate communion as well. Come join us for this hymn sing and perhaps learn a thing or two along the way. This service, planned by Pastor Katie and organist Matthew Thorne, will be our farewell to Matthew with deep thanks for his musical gifts and leadership over the summer.

Outdoor Worship and Ice Cream Social

Cheri Simonet
Outdoor Worship

September 10, 2023

“Back to school” sales are in full force and that means it is time for us all to come back to church after summer vacations and breaks! We celebrate the beginning of this new program year with a fun and casual outdoor worship on Sunday, September 10th at 10:00 am (weather permitting) on the front lawn. Bring your own chair or sit in one we’ve set up on the sidewalk—please don’t let navigating the grass keep you away.

Our worship service will feature a playful re-telling of the creation story and a special blessing of backpacks for all those headed back to school. If you are a student of any age, a teacher or administrator or helper in a school setting of any kind, please bring your backpack or other school bag on this day to receive a blessing including a special keychain to add to your bag. Let’s see how many backpacks and bags we can bless this year!

Following worship, we welcome everyone into the Fellowship Room for an ice cream social featuring dipped ice cream with all the toppings—plan to build your own sundae. This is a perfect day to bring a friend or neighbor or grandchild to worship, so please join us!

Fourth Sunday Forum to Begin

Cheri Simonet
El Salvador Flag

September 24, 2023

Our Christian Education Committee is excited to announce the launch of a new program for adults that we’re calling Fourth Sunday Faith Forum. This is a direct result of input received on our congregational survey last spring, which indicated a desire for more adult education opportunities. This gathering will feature a special speaker or a special topic led by a member of our congregation. On the fourth Sunday of each month, the committee intends to offer a forum from 9:00 to 9:45 am in the Fellowship Room. We hope to welcome lots of participants to this new opportunity for growth in faith and knowledge.

We kick off this new program with a speaker all the way from El Salvador, Noemi Sanchez. Noemi works for the Calvinist Reformed Church of El Salvador and is with us as part of the International Peacemakers program of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Her denomination works closely with the PC(USA) in sustainable agriculture and innovative farming practices, school and community support, and migration issues in her country, which is the most densely populated country in Central America. We are honored to host her for the first part of her visit to Winnebago Presbytery and hope to have a big turn-out on September 24 to hear her presentation about ministry in El Salvador.

Noemi Sanchez
Noemí Sánchez

More about Noemí

Abdias Noemí Iglesias Sánchez has been a member of the Calvinist Reformed Church of El Salvador (IRCES) for approximately 30 years, as part of the youth group and now as a member of the IRCES Board of Directors. Through the IRCES Board of Directors, Noemí is the primary representative, ensuring the implementation of General Assembly agreements as well as the community and pastoral work of the IRCES’s strategic plan.

In youth ministry, she attended various youth camps as well as workshops on building a culture of peace. She studied Business Administration from the University of El Salvador, and has put her faith and skills into practice by assisting IRCES colleagues in coordinating youth workshops and community activities promoting peace and teaching peaceful inter-personal skills.

Married 16 years with 2 children, family is one of the most important parts of Noemí’s life.

Watch this short introduction video and hear Noemí’s story in her own words

Welcome New Members!

Cheri Simonet
Welcome New Members

We are pleased to welcome four new members into the life and ministry of First Presbyterian this month!

Please reach out and make them feel at home in our family of faith.

Carole Biddick lives in Kewaunee and is a retired oncology nurse. She is widowed and has two adult daughters who live in Mercer and Mequon.

Besides being with family and friends, Carole loves to travel, read, and watch old movies. She is involved in the Order of the Eastern Star. She has been participating in the Bible study group since she started attending here and has already served as host of coffee fellowship several times as well. She loves the feeling of welcome and friendship here.

Kris & Mike Melton live in Pulaski and are transferring from Peace Lutheran Church of Green Bay. They have three adult children who live in Iowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin.

Kris is retired from clerical and church musician careers, and Mike from a career in nuclear engineering. They spend their time with family—especially grandkids! They like to read, travel, camp, garden, and watch football.

Kris has shared her gifts of music leadership in worship already, and Mike was one of our storytellers at Vacation Bible School this summer. They appreciate the friendly and welcoming people they’ve met here and are encouraged by our worship services and sermons.

Barbara Perret actually spent some of her growing up years here but has been away for a long time and is happy to be back. She works as a mental health nurse and has a schedule that only allows her to come to church every other weekend.

Barbara lives in Green Bay and she is looking forward to connecting with people and programs in this church again.

Fall 2023 Bible Study

Cheri Simonet
Theology for Presbyterians

New Bible Study Begins September 13th & 14th

Theology for Presbyterians is the title of the new Bible study for adults which begins Wednesday, September 13th at 6:30 pm on Zoom and Thursday September 14th at 11:00 am in person.

This study focuses on what the Reformed and Presbyterian traditions have believed in the past and ways key theological understandings matter in our Christian lives in the church today.

In this six-week study we will move through the major theological questions of what Presbyterians understand about the Bible, God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and the Future.

Books are available for purchase from Pastor Katie for $10. All are welcome!

Confirmation Class and Youth Group are Back

Cheri Simonet
Youth Group
Confirmation

Welcome back to our middle school and high school youth after a long hot summer!

In Confirmation Class, intended for students in 8th grade or higher, Pastor Katie and CE Director Joel review Bible basics, Presbyterian traditions, and lead in discussion about where and how we experience God and Christ and faith in life today. We will meet on Sundays following worship beginning September 17th.

Please contact Pastor Katie if your youth is ready to participate in Confirmation this fall.

Youth group meets each Wednesday night beginning September 13 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. and is led by Loni McCormick, Bobbi Holl, and CE Director Joel Morien. These informal gatherings 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:

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

Ski trip in January

and more!

Sunday School Begins September 17, 2023

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 17th. 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 prayer. All are welcome—bring a friend along!

This fall we are using a brand new curriculum from Illustrated Ministry that is based on the lectionary, the same scriptures we will hear in worship most weeks. The lessons feature a brief video Bible story, discussion and sharing, a coloring sheet and more. Easy to teach and easy to adjust for the ages and size of group, we are excited to try this new program. If you might be willing to teach a week or a month or more, please contact Joel Morien at ce@firstpresgreenbay.org or call (920) 437-8121.

September 2023 Rundown

Cheri Simonet
Monthly Rundown

Church Chix Socials

The Chix were unfortunately unable to meet in August because our outdoor social was cancelled due to heated weather, however it’s only been postponed till our upcoming gathering in September when our outdoor social is planned for Thursday, September 7th at 6pm. Our hostess for the evening is Sue Russell at her home. Consult your directory or contact the office at office@firstpresgreenbay.org or call (920) 437-8121 for address details. Our entrée is chicken on the grill and we ask that everyone bring a side dish or dessert to share. Please contact Leah with what you plan to bring so we can avoid duplicates. To RSVP there’s a sign up sheet on the bulletin board or email office@firstpresgreenbay.org. Hope to see you then!

Vacation Bible School reflections

Our VBS theme this year was Ready, Set, Move! Follow Jesus Here, There and Everywhere!

Ready, Set, Move Vacation Bible School was designed to inspire kids to: DO What He Says, BELIEVE Who He is, LOVE Who He loves, SHARE What he did, and GO Where He leads. We had 14 children attend this year with 12 volunteers helping out. We had 20 different obstacles in our obstacle course. Special thanks to all of our volunteers who made VBS such an amazing experience for everyone involved!

Treehouse Foods Pantry Donation

The Pantry thanks Treehouse Foods!

Treehouse Foods once again gifted our Pantry with soooo much food. This included graham crackers, salad dressing, pickles, macaroni and cheese and oatmeal. Treehouse has recently adopted our Pantry, and the workers and guests all say a big THANK YOU! Treehouse Foods has truly been a blessing to many.

August Brat Fry

Thank you to everyone who came out to support our August Brat Fry! The event was hosted by the Outreach Committee with the proceeds going to the Presbyterian Pantry. Thanks to everyone’s involvement we were able to raise $830 for the Pantry!

Rundowns will publish with our Connections issue on a monthly or bimonthly basis. To submit rundowns for consideration contact us at communications@firstpresgreenbay.org by the 15th of the month to be included in the following month’s publication. And, as always, we look forward to receiving your Rundown of what’s been Happening Now!

Gestures of Generosity, September 2023

Cheri Simonet
Gestures of Generosity

Thank you for your Gesture!

We have struggled for years over the challenge of cooling the Fellowship Room during the hottest summer months, and in an amazing gesture of generosity an anonymous donor has done the research, arranged for the electrical work, and installed a room air conditioner in the window for us! If you haven’t been in the Fellowship Room much in the last month, be sure to stop by and see for yourself just how cool and comfortable it can now be. Deep gratitude to the donor for caring for our physical as well as spiritual health.

St. John Shelter Donations

Also, in early August we were blessed to have so many members who answered the call for blankets and backpacks for donation to St. John’s Shelter.

It didn’t take long after asking before people opened their hearts and generously donated to this great cause! Stephanie Fahringer’s car was overloaded with all the donations that were received.

A special thanks to Elliot Stensen who spent that morning helping out at the Pantry and the afternoon helping load up the blankets and backpacks that were given. Susan at St. John’s helped unload the car and it was just amazing how guests lined up immediately and asked for a blanket. Within just a few minutes all the blankets were passed out.

A BIG THANK YOU to all who contributed, especially Lisa and Dave Solper’s friends who donated MANY! God has blessed us so we could in turn bless many folks truly in need.

If you have a Gestures of Generosity story to share, please contact Cheri at communications@firstpresgreenbay.org and tell us your story.

Feed My Starving Children MobilePack 2023

Cheri Simonet
Feed My Starving Children. Blue letters with white background

October 2nd through October 5th

Are you ready to have some fun, and make a difference at the same time?

Then plan to volunteer for the 2023 Feed My Starving Children MobilePack event in Green Bay!

The MobilePack will be held Monday, October 2nd through Thursday, October 5th. This year’s event will continue to be held at Green Bay Community Church, and is open to everyone – young and old alike.

There are 8 different packing shifts to volunteer and we have reservations for our congregation on the 6 shifts which are indicated below.

FMSC 2023 packing schedule

Registration opened Sunday, August 27th. The FMSC registration sign up sheet can be found in the office during the week and in the back of the sanctuary on Sunday or Register Online. Spots fill quickly! Register early to get your desired time.

If you’re unable to register online or visit church to register in person, please contact us at office@firstpresgreenbay.org or call (920) 437-8121 with the day and time you’d like to sign up for and we’ll take care of the registration for you.

If you haven’t packed or volunteered before, this is the year to see what all the excitement is about. Please consider helping in this great cause. For more information or questions, please contact Kirke Ryder at kirke.ryder@gmail.com.

And, please prayerfully consider a donation to FMSC through our church. Simply select FMSC in the drop down menu in Give Now section of our website or note FMSC on your check.

For every person packing we’re hoping to receive a $60 donation.

Please help us reach our goal of $60/packer.

Why are we looking for a $60 donation for every packer from our congregation?

To pack a half million meals (500,000) we have to raise $145,000 because every meal we pack is at the cost of 29 cents each. If everyone who came to pack had someone donate $60 on their behalf, we’d cover the cost of the food purchased that a volunteer is going to pack. Without that donation we rely 100% on fundraisers and despite the number of fundraisers we have, there’s always a shortfall to cover the cost of the food that we’re packing. Please consider sponsoring one of our First Presbyterian volunteer packers and donate $60 to cover the cost for what they’ll be packing.

Thank you for your support!