Category: Adults

Save-the-Date for Souper Bowl of Caring 2024

Cheri Simonet
Souper Bowl of Caring

Souper Bowl of Caring—February 11, 2024

As Super Bowl Sunday approaches that means it’s time for our 2nd annual Souper Bowl of Caring!

Since 1990, close to $193 million has been reported donated to local food charities across all fifty states with over 305,000 unique groups participating. Every dollar donated to Souper Bowl of Caring creates over $18 for food charities. The cause unites all communities to Tackle Hunger.

Our #FirstPresGB Souper Bowl of Caring is led by the Christian Education Committee along with Youth Group and is held annually on Super Bowl Sunday. The event is meant to bring an awareness to hunger and to curb hunger through soup. The cost will be $5/person and there will be 8 different soup stations for people to experience. Each soup sampler will have a chance to vote and judge our Souper Bowl winner. The awardee will receive the cherished Golden Ladle that’s passed on year over year to the awarded winner. The current Golden Ladle holder from our 2022 Souper Bowl of Caring is Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges for her Christmas Corn Chowder.

More details will follow in February’s newsletter but in the meantime, we’re looking for 8 soup chefs to help us pull this off! All you need to do is craft a crock pot full of your favorite soup.

If you’re able to be one of our 8 soup chefs, please contact Director of Children, Youth and Families, Joel Morien, at ce@firstpresgreenbay.org or sign up on the bulletin board.

January 2024 Fourth Sunday Forum

Cheri Simonet
4th Sunday Forum - Internet Safety

January 28th

PART 2—“Internet Safety: How To Protect Yourself Online”

Last November’s Fourth Sunday Forum featured our very own Lisa Olson who talked to us about internet safety. It was a great opportunity for learning and there was so much content to cover that we’re continuing the conversation where we left off and offering Part 2 on January 28th at 9am.

But don’t worry if you weren’t at Part 1 because Part 2 will cover different information. We’ll discuss how to look at apps to see the Privacy and User Agreements before you load something into your phone that could put your Personally Identifiable Information in jeopardy, and refresh everyone on how to make a safe password. 

Bring your questions and your concerns—coffee and treats will be available, too.

January 2024 Luncheon

Cheri Simonet
Luncheon

New Ministry Opportunity

Interested in being part of a new ministry opportunity in our congregation?

Come to a soup and sandwich lunch on Monday, January 29th at 11:30a in the Fellowship Room. 

We’ll talk about the gifts that older adults bring to our church and community as well as how our church can enhance our lives as we grow older.

Anyone is welcome–you decide if you are an “older adult” or simply want to support older adults in our midst!   

A sign up sheet will be on the bulletin board or you can call Nancy Siewert at 920-609-2051 if you would like to attend.

2024 Per Capita Sunday

Cheri Simonet
Per Capita

January 21, 2024

What is per capita? Did you check that box on your pledge card, committing to pay $37.95 for each adult member of your household this year? Why do we ask for that above and beyond your regular pledge? Are we contributing to things we don’t want to?! How can we know?

On January 21, 2024, we will answer all these questions and more!

The PC(USA) (our denomination) has invited all Presbyterians to center their worship services around the ways in which we are called into mutual support and ministry through per capita giving. Our worship on this day will focus our attention on the larger issues of our denomination and the connectional nature of being Presbyterian.

The Generosity Team will host the coffee fellowship time and engage further discussion as well.

2023 Advent Workshop

Cheri Simonet
Advent Workshop

Sunday, December 3rd

“Advent” means coming or arrival. Rather than just waiting for Christmas to get here, we use the season of Advent to prepare for Christ’s coming. Advent begins this year on Sunday, December 3rd and we will kick off the season with our annual Advent workshop following worship.

Open to all ages, this event will feature crafts, activities, and Kevin’s famous chili lunch. Brenda has designed some great crafts once again, including a beautiful coaster suitable for gift-giving and an Ugly Christmas Sweater ornament. New this year is the option to decorate an Advent Yule Log for your home. And of course, as always, we’ll have Loni’s cut-out cookies to decorate (and eat!).

Returning this year is our Socks of Love project that was initiated last year. Filling a sock for persons in our community who are experiencing homelessness is one way to show our love and share our bounty with neighbors in need. Each pair of warm wool socks is filled with travel-size toiletries and other necessities for those who struggle with basic needs. Last year we filled 48 socks—this year can we do more? Our socks will go to St John’s shelter.

Please join us for this all-church celebration.

In Our Church Library

Cheri Simonet
Hostage Bound Hostage Free Bookcover

From Mike Melton —

During a recent Christian Education meeting I offered to put in a recommendation for a good book someone might want to check out in our church library.  I was perusing the shelves when I saw it; Hostage Bound Hostage Free by Ben & Carol Weir.  I remember when I got my copy of this concise book back in the early nineties because I purchased it at a Presbytery meeting where the Weirs were speaking.  

If you’re not familiar with their story, Ben had been a Presbyterian pastor in Beirut, Lebanon for over thirty years but was kidnapped off the streets by Shiite extremists in front of his wife Carol on May 8th, 1984.  Ben was a captive for over a year and the book’s chapters alternate between Ben’s horrifying ordeal with his faith sustaining him and Carol’s increasingly more public campaign seeking government action for his release.  Just a modest couple in a whirlwind of madness. Now I see all the news of Hamas and Israel.  I hear the shock and despair in the victim’s voices.  We see people kidnapped and the tears of their families.  As Christians, we pray for all these suffering today knowing their stories are yet to be told, but we can read the Weir’s story now. I recommend you read it and pray that God gives us the heart to grow ever more compassionate.      

2023 Blue Christmas

Cheri Simonet
Blue Christmas

December 19th at 6pm

For any of us who have experienced loss or are in the midst of struggles, the holidays can be a particularly painful time, stirring up grief in acute ways. As a result, churches of every denomination and style have adopted the practice of a “Blue Christmas” service. We continue this tradition with a Blue Christmas service on Tuesday, December 19th at 6:00pm in the sanctuary.

This time of worship is designed to provide space for prayer, reflection, and remembrance in the midst of the holiday hustle and bustle. It will include special music, candle lighting, and the sacrament of holy communion. All are welcome to join us for this contemplative service of worship. A dessert reception will follow in the Fellowship Room. Invite a friend or neighbor!

Annual 2024 Ski Trip

Cheri Simonet
Annual Ski Trip

The snow has begun to fly so the time has come to have some fun on the slopes at our annual Ski Trip! This year we’ll once again be joined by our friends from First United Presbyterian Church of DePere.

And, although primarily coordinated with Youth Group, the ski trip is considered a family event so all are welcome to join!

Our ski destination is Ski Brule and we’ll be checking in on Friday, January 26th, checking out Saturday, January 27th at the Chicaugon Lake Inn. 

We will need a minimum of 20 skiers to take advantage of the Ski Brule group discount so spread the word to family, friends and neighbors. The more the merrier!

We hope to see you on the slopes!

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.