Blog

Gestures of Generosity, April 2023

Cheri Simonet
Gestures of Generosity

Thank you for your Gesture!

Sometimes the needs are not as focused on monetary donations but on caring people power. A member of our congregation was recently informed that she had to leave her apartment after 29 years of living there, and we all know that moving is a very stressful situation.

Through our Deacons, the word went out that this person needed our help. We were able to set up teams of two and three people at a time to go in and help with sorting, packing and the actual move.

Our deep gratitude goes to Judy Knutzen-Nerad, Judy Exl, Jacki Jensen, Lisa & Dave Solper, Nancy & Dennis Siewert, Becky Christianson, Lyn Early, Linda Christensen, and Pat McCormick for answering this call. Your gestures of generosity are much appreciated!

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

Augusta Jeffrey 2023 Awardee

Cheri Simonet
Augusta W. Jeffrey Rcognition Award

The Augusta Jeffrey Award was established in 2004 by the family of Augusta Jeffrey to recognize a member of First Presbyterian Church for outstanding volunteer efforts and service in our church. Areas of service may include: Mission, Worship, Member Care, Christian Education, Administration, and Evangelism. Nominations are gathered in the month of February every year and the recipient is chosen in March. The recipient receives a gift of $600 from the fund established by the Jeffrey family that is allocated to an area in the church chosen by the awardee.

Augusta Jeffrey 2023 Awardee Donna Jansen

On Sunday March 19, the 2022 Augusta Jeffrey Award was presented to Donna Jansen. She has been an exemplary volunteer over the years of her church membership, including serving as Elder, Deacon, Sunday School teacher, Reader, Chair of the Spring Craft Bazaar and Christmas Bazaar, President of the Women’s Circle, Crib Room Coordinator, and more.

Donna was an active member of Martha Circle and Esther Circle, represented our church on the CoCare Neighborhood Association Board of Directors for the Fort Howard Apartment Complex, and helped out with their rummage sales, participated in neighborhood walks in the community to invite and inform neighbors about First Presbyterian Church.

In more recent years Donna has remained active volunteering our Presbyterian Pantry, 2 for 2 at the U (UWGB Outreach meal), as chair of the Funeral Committee, and collecting travel-size hygiene and toiletry items for shelter residents.

Congratulations, Donna!

Fifth Sunday Emergency Assistance Offering

Cheri Simonet
Special Offering Emergency Assistance

We have a long tradition of helping our neighbors in need from a special fund on our accounts known as the Pastor’s Discretionary or Emergency Assistance Fund. This fund supports requests for an occasional gas card, partial rental payments, electric bills, or other emergency situations. It has been our practice that a person can receive assistance from this fund just one time each calendar year. We sometimes get referrals from nearby helping agencies, and other times simply have people walk in without any referral. The names and situations are kept confidential, and have been offered to both members and non-members alike. What we have not had, in recent years, is a regular way to replenish the fund as it gets used. To this end, we have decided that we will receive a special offering in each month where there are five Sundays, on that fifth week, to keep this assistance available.

Sunday April 30th will be our first opportunity to invite members and friends to contribute toward this important part of our ministry. Please mark your calendar and plan to participate that day, or you may contribute at any time by marking your check or online gift for “emergency assistance.”

Thank you!

March 20, 2023 – Name that Member BIG REVEAL!

Cheri Simonet
Name that Member

Earlier this week we featured our Monday Member Spotlight Name that Member! through email and on our social media and now it’s time for the BIG REVEAL! In case you missed it, here’s our Member’s story:

  • I was born and raised in Green Bay.
  • Some of my favorite childhood memories come from time spent up north with my cousins.
  • I am the youngest of two siblings.
  • I am currently married with three kids and two grandkids.
  • My favorite thing to do is spend time with my family watching my kids participate in their activities, relaxing up north, and traveling.
  • I love the sense of community in our church. It is such a welcoming environment. Coming to church feels like being at home.
  • I have been a member of our church my entire life. I was baptized, confirmed, and married in our church.
  • Some of my best vacation memories revolve around a cruise taken with extended family in 2018. Lots of laughs were had!
  • I am very passionate about anything that is important to me. When I am doing something, I love to give it my all.
  • I had a role in the movie Ed Gein: The Musical. I played a patient in the crazy house (some days, that seems appropriate!). It was a locally filmed, independent movie, and I had the greatest time during shooting!
  • In my spare time, I love baking, but oddly enough, I don’t eat much of what I bake. My family and coworkers are usually the benefactors!
  • I love dance, and I have been a dance teacher for the past 26 years.
  • I am currently working towards my black belt in karate after years of being badgered by one of my kids to start. I loved doing karate so much, I also became an instructor.

Who am I?

Do you give up?

I’m Jill Stenson!

Were you stumped? Or, did you learn something new about Jill?

Tell us your story! Complete our Name that Member Form or email csimonet@firstpresgreenbay.org so you can be featured in an upcoming Monday Member Spotlight of Name that Member!

We’re officially COOL! We text now!

Cheri Simonet
Text Messaging

Surprise, we can text now! We’re officially COOL!

If you’re a church member and we have your mobile number in our Online Directory,

You’re signed up to receive text messages!

Here’s how it works:

  • When our first message is sent to Members, you’ll also receive a welcome message to let you know that you’ve been opted-in to receive text messages from us.
  • If you’d rather not receive future messages, simply reply STOP and you’ll be opted-out.
  • You can opt-out of our text messages at any time.

And,

  • You have our commitment that we WILL respect your text message box.
  • Members will ONLY receive relevant, church related, time-sensitive communication from us.

You’ll only receive text messages if your mobile number is in our Online Church Directory. If we don’t have your mobile number but you’d like to receive text message reminders and alerts, please forward your mobile number to office@firstpresgreenbay.org and we’ll have it added to our text list. Not sure if it’s in there? Check the Online Church Directory. If it’s not there you can add it in yourself or simply email us and we’ll take care of it for you!

If you’d like to receive text messages but would rather not have your mobile number in the Directory, no problem! You can still receive our text messages even if you’d rather not publish your mobile number for other members to see. Just let us know that you’d like your mobile number private but that you’d still like to receive text messages and we’ll set you up.

More details about our text program:

What you need to know:

  • The maximum text messages you’ll receive from us each month is 3-4 (if any)
  • All messages will be church related, relevant and time sensitive in nature
  • If there’s nothing to communicate during any given month, then you won’t hear from us
  • Once we opt you in, you can opt out at anytime

What we WON’T DO:

  • We WON’T send reminders about when worship is (we assume you know that!)
  • We WON’T remind you of communion days (we assume you know that, too!)
  • We WON’T send reminders about when Pantry days occur
  • We WON’T text you outside of 8am to 9pm
  • We WON’T clutter your message inbox with irrelevant messages
  • We WON’T disrespect your message inbox

What we WILL DO:

  • Above all we give you our promise that we WILL respect your message inbox!
  • We WILL only send relevant, church related, time sensitive messages such as weather alerts that might cause cancellations or reminders of important events about to happen

Coming Soon – Did you know? Tuesday Trivia!

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?

Well, we’re delighted to tell you that you’ll soon have the chance to learn just how well you know the church. Coming soon in April is our newest feature Did You Know? Tuesday Trivia!

Each month we’ll share with you our church fun facts that we’ve learned from various sources like past minutes, annual reports, the Board of Trustees, and more! Much like Name that Member! you’ll receive your Tuesday Trivia in your inbox with a multiple choice or true/false answers for you to choose from. The correct answer will be revealed through a link to our website Tuesday Trivia portal, which can be found in our Happening Now section.

But wait – there’s more! We want you to do more than 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 March 19, 2023

Cheri Simonet

On this Fourth Sunday in the season of Lent, our scripture focus will be on Exodus 16: 2-15 http://bit.ly/42dtTBl, the story of manna in the wilderness. Pastor Katie will reflect on “Grumbling, Grace, and Glory” and we will share communion by intinction once again. Our communion bread will be similar to what we believe manna was like—come try it for yourself! Jean Maes will serve as our reader and Micah Zuelke will be at the organ bench again.

Worship Service March 12, 2023

Cheri Simonet

On this Third Sunday in Lent, we will reflect on the story of the woman anointing Jesus’ feet at the dinner table from Luke 7: 36-50 http://bit.ly/3Zx2fxp with the message “Embodied Hospitality.” We celebrate communion once again by intinction, using homemade butterhorn rolls this time, thanks to baker Nancy Siewert. We welcome Micah Zuelke back to the organ bench (finally!) and Pat McCormick will serve as reader.

Worship Service March 5, 2023

Cheri Simonet

This Sunday is the second Sunday in the season of Lent. We will share the sacrament of Communion together and reflect on our reading from Matthew 9: 9-13 http://bit.ly/3ZO7YyI. Pastor Katie will preach on “Companions of Christ.” We’re thrilled to welcome Shirley Schoffelman as pianist and Jill Stenson will serve as our reader for the day.

Worship Service February 26, 2023

Cheri Simonet

This Sunday is the first Sunday in the season of Lent. We will share the sacrament of Communion together and reflect on the story of Jesus’ feeding of the five thousand from Mark 6: 30-44 http://bit.ly/3m17xCd. Pastor Katie will preach on “Plans for a Picnic.” We’re thrilled to welcome Jeff Verkuilen to the organ bench and Elliot Stenson will serve as our reader for the day.