Month: October 2023

All Saints Sunday 2023

Cheri Simonet
All Saints Sunday

For all the saints, who from their labors rest…

November brings us to a season of thanksgiving, and we are surely thankful for all the “saints” of this congregation and throughout our extended families who have gone on to their heavenly homes in the past year.

On Sunday, November 5 we will celebrate All Saints’ Day in 10 am worship, remembering especially Ginney Amen, Allen Collins, Karen Walker and Joanne Herman. We have reached out to surviving family members, inviting them to participate in this special celebration. We are looking for a picture or two of each deceased member to project during the worship service. As those photos are projected, we will join in prayer for all the saints and remember each name. As the names are read, a family member or friend will come forward to light a candle for each one. Following the recognition of all our members, others will be invited to come forward and light a candle for a friend or family member they have lost in the last year as well.

We remember and give thanks for all those who have gone before us to show us the way—don’t miss this special worship experience.

Christmas Prayer Baskets 2023

Cheri Simonet
Christmas Prayer Baskets

We are excited to once again be ‘adopting’ three families from nearby Tank Elementary School to bless with our love, prayers and Christmas gifts and a meal. This will be our final Christmas adopting families from Tank School as the District has voted to close the school following this academic year.

We have obtained wish lists for the children and adults in each family and those wishes are in three separate baskets on the table in the back of the Sanctuary. Members should take a tag or tags from the baskets and return gifts to the church unwrapped by Thursday, December 14th. Monetary contributions are also welcome.

Thank you to our family coordinators: Patti & Kevin Kabacinski for the Angel Family, Olivia Crooks for the Jesus Family and Lisa Olsen for the Star Family. The coordinator’s role is to make sure the wishes are distributed and returned, then to deliver the gifts and meal. Our youth will wrap and tag all the gifts.

Thank you for your support!

Thank you for your support!

November 2023 Fourth Sunday Forum

Cheri Simonet
4th Sunday Forum - Internet Safety

“Internet Safety: How To Protect Yourself Online”

Our new opportunity for adult enrichment and connection on the fourth Sunday of each month has been well-received! We continue this month on November 26th from 9:00 to 9:45 am in Fellowship Room with a special presentation from our own Lisa Olson on Internet Safety.

Lisa has recently retired from the Green Bay Public schools after a long career in internet technology, and she brings us a wealth of knowledge in how to stay safe and still make use of all the rich resources technology has to offer. Learn about the importance of knowing what apps to access on your phone or tablet, and how to be careful about where you give your personal information. She will also address what AI is, and why we should care. Bring your questions and your concerns—coffee and treats will be available, too.

2023 Advent Bible Study

Cheri Simonet
Holy Disruption Discovering Advent in the Gospel of Mark

Begins November 29th & 30th

Where’s the baby?! The Gospel of Mark doesn’t have a nativity story—so where’s the Advent message? It’s in every aspect of Jesus’ life, to his death and beyond. The incarnation—God’s coming to earth in human form to be baptized, teach, heal, eat, and die—is what we celebrate at Christmas, and Mark shows us just how radical and celebration worthy it is.

Holy Disruption presents a fresh understanding of the holiness of Christmas grounded not in a conventional, cozy Christmas message but through Mark’s disquieting Gospel, which invites its readers to experience God’s disruptive but transformative love for us and our world.

Join us on Wednesday evenings from 6:30 to 7:30pm via Zoom or on Thursday mornings from 11:00am to noon in the Fellowship Room. The lesson is the same for each group, so you may move back and forth as your schedule necessitates. Books will be available by mid-November in the church office or from Pastor Katie.

I’m In! Update

Cheri Simonet
I'm In! Generosity 2024 Campaign

The Generosity Team is grateful to all those who have said “I’m In!” this season in response to our invitation to commit to our financial needs for 2024.

As of this publication we have received more than 50 pledge cards and sincerely hope to see that many more before the close of the year. If you have not yet made your commitment to giving, please return your card to the church or call Lori Middlemas in the church Finance office.

Grazie to all 70+ participants who attended our delicious Italian dinner on Sunday October 22nd. Homemade Bolognese and Marinara sauces poured over spaghetti noodles, crisp salad refreshed our palates, and garlic bread sopped it all up! The decadent gelato was truly the piece de resistance!

FUPC 2023 Thanksgiving Dinner

Cheri Simonet
FUPC 2023 Thanksgiving

November 18, 2023

Our sisters and brothers in Christ at First United Presbyterian Church in DePere have invited us to join them once again for a special worship service celebrating Thanksgiving followed by a Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday, November 18.

Worship will be at 4:00pm and Pastor Katie will preach the sermon this year. Pastors Meggan and Luke Farwell will also participate. Choir Director Andy Parks is assembling singers from both churches to comprise a choir, so all are welcome to join in. A delicious Thanksgiving dinner will follow the service, and is open to the community.

Let’s have a big showing from our congregation in response to this gracious invitation—we ALL have so much to be thankful for.

Welcome Michael Raught!

Cheri Simonet
Welcome
Michael Raught

Personnel Committee is delighted to welcome a new staff member to our congregation: we finally have a permanent organist! Michael Raught has been sitting on organ benches for many years, and continues to play regularly at Nativity Catholic Parish. But he’s ready to balance his Catholic background with some Protestant hymnody and worship, so we’re thrilled to have him as our regular organist for 10:00 am worship services.

Michael is retired from a long teaching and administration career in local Catholic schools. He has two grown children, five grandchildren, and two dogs. Please welcome him warmly!

November 2023 Rundown

Cheri Simonet
Monthly Rundown

Church Chix Socials

The Chix had an amazing social in October when we dined at Nakashima’s Restaurant. We had 5 Chix that attended. The food preparation was quite entertaining and very delicious! Our November social is planned for Thursday, November 2nd at 6pm at Luigi’s Italian Bistro located at 2733 Manitowoc Road in Green Bay. To RSVP there’s a sign up sheet on the bulletin board or email office@firstpresgreenbay.org.

Confirmation Class Apple Crisp Bakers

On October 15th our confirmation class and the Deacons hosted our 2nd annual apple crisp bakeoff. There were 60 pounds of apples that were peeled and cored to make the ten apple crisps that were provided to ten members of the congregation. Thank you to everyone who participated and who made this event so fun and successful!

October 4th—Fourth Sunday Forum recap

Jim Schmitt from the New Community Shelter provided an overview of the programs offered and the needs at this local agency. The Shelter offers lfe-changing programs to help people help themselves. Programs include transitional living and emergency shelter to their 100 residents and community meals are provided to residents and members of the community. The life circumstance that lead to homelessness are different for every individual. But every individual’s goal at New Community Shelter remains the same—achieving self-sufficiency through self-empowerment.

Global Food Potluck Lunch

From Swedish meatballs to Indian Curry to Danish apple cake, we had the delicious opportunity on October 1st to share foods from all over the world as we continued the celebration of World Communion Sunday with a Global Foods potluck. Thanks to all who provided such varied dishes and all who joined us to try them!

Fall Clean-up Thanks!

A big THANK YOU to all the volunteers who supported our fall cleanup day on Saturday, October 21st. The day was dreary and wet, starting with rain but the rain let up and we were able to get to work. Cleaning windows is always the best on cloudy days so the weather was perfect for that chore. Mary had helping hands from Judy Knutzen-Nerad, David Anderson, Pat and Loni McCormick, Bobbi and Peter Holl, Kirke Ryder, Dave and Lisa Solper and Katie Estes. Check out our photo gallery!

2023 Fall Cleanup
2023 Fall Cleanup
2023 Fall Cleanup
2023 Fall Cleanup
2023 Fall Cleanup
2023 Fall Cleanup
2023 Fall Cleanup
2023 Fall Cleanup
2023 Fall Cleanup
2023 Fall Cleanup

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!

October 24, 2023 – Did you know?

Cheri Simonet
Did you know? Tuesday Trivia!

Our Name that Member! feature gave us the opportunity to learn just how well we really know each other. But how well do we know our church?

Here’s this week’s Did you know? Tuesday Trivia!

The Treasurer’s Report on November 12, 1918 showed receipts of what amount for the month of September and October?

A) $157.08

B) $400.09

C) $267.04

Answer:

C) According to the Trustee’s minutes on November 12, 1918 the treasurer’s report showed receipts for the month of September and October of $267.04, the church closed for the month of October owing to the epidemic of the Spanish Flu, only one service being held and that an evening concert.

Thanks for playing!

We want you to do more than just play Did you know?, we’d also like you to contribute! If you have some church fun facts to share, please send those to Cheri at communications@firstpresgreenbay.org and we’ll have your contribution added to an upcoming Did you know? Tuesday Trivia!

Worship Service October 22, 2023

Cheri Simonet

On this fourth Sunday of October, we wrap up our “I’m in!” Generosity theme and encourage everyone to bring 2024 pledge cards to worship. Pastor Katie will focus on Matthew 22: 15-22 https://bit.ly/3rMFudm with a message of “In Over Our Heads.” Following worship, everyone is invited down to Banner Hall for a celebratory spaghetti lunch.