2023 Vacation Bible School

VBS Ready-Set-Move

August 7 – 10, 2023

The Christian Education Committee is excited to begin preparations for our 2023 Vacation Bible School! Our theme this year is Ready, Set, Move! Follow Jesus Here, There and Everywhere!

Ready, Set, Move Vacation Bible School will inspire kids to: DO What He Says, BELIEVE Who He is, LOVE Who He loves, SHARE What he did, and GO where He leads.

Bible School is led by members of our CE Committee and is open to children aged 4 through those who have completed fifth grade. Older children and youth are welcome to participate as volunteers.

This year we have four fun-filled evenings planned from August 7 through 10. We ask that children are dropped off shortly before 5:30 so our light meal can begin at 5:30, and our evening ends with class concluding at 7:30.

This is an excellent opportunity for friends, neighbors, cousins, and grandchildren. Please spread the word to members and non-members alike, the more the merrier!

Registration is online only.

REGISTER NOW!

Registration deadline is Tuesday, July 19th.

To volunteer or for questions please contact our Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries, Joel Morien, at (920) 437-8121 or ce@firstpresgreenbay.org.

We look forward to seeing the children at VBS in August!

Pentecost Party: Happy Birthday to the Church!

Pentecost Sunday

Sunday – May 28, 2023

The Festival of Pentecost is probably the least-known of all the church holy days. It occurs 50 days after Easter, marking the arrival of the promised Holy Spirit.

Will there be gusts of wind, flames dancing over our heads, doves descending from on high, unknown languages emanating from our mouths? Who knows?! What we do know for sure is that Pentecost has become known as the official birthday of the Church, the time when the disciples and others understood their charge to go out and preach, teach, heal and make disciples of all nations.

So we’re going to have a birthday party! Join us on Sunday, May 28th in worship at 10 a.m. and following worship during the fellowship hour for a grand birthday party.

All are welcome—no presents, just your presence!

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

The PC(USA) Store has resources for children and adults.

For information on mental illness contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

The NAMI HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET.

Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text “HelpLine” to 62640 or email at helpline@nami.org.

In an emergency dial 911. Ask the operator for police officers trained in crisis intervention or trained to assist people experiencing a psychiatric emergency.

988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline – 24/7 free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Dial or text 988.

Crisis Text Line  – Text HOME to 741-741
Connect with a trained crisis counselor to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message.

April 2023 Rundown

Monthly Rundown

2—4—2 @ the U

Thank you to all who helped make 2-4-2 @ the U happen! We served 22 kids plus workers and all were happy. The menu was homemade chili (vegetarian too!) with all the fixings along with wonderful desserts. The kids were appreciative about everything. Thank you again for your support!

Dear Souper Bowl Makers and Tasters

The Outreach Committee would like to extend a thank you to all for the Souper Bowl Sunday! The Pantry appreciates your gift and thanks to your contributions raised we’re giving each Pantry family a ham for Easter. Blessings to all who helped us succeed in giving our folks a beautiful Easter dinner!

Easter Sunday 2023

Easter

Halleluiah, He is Risen!

Join us for a celebration of the Resurrection on Easter Sunday, April 9 at 10:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary.

Bring your family and friends and neighbors for this special festival worship service. We will have Micah Zuelke on the organ, special guest Chris Forbes on trumpet, and a full choir directed by special guest Andy Parks from First United Presbyterian Church in DePere.

An Easter egg hunt and Sunday school lesson will be provided for children up through fifth grade. A wonderful variety of 42 pots of flowers have been ordered, so the chancel will bloom with life for this morning. If you ordered a plant, it will be labelled with your name and available to take home following the service.

We hope to see you on Easter Sunday!

Register for Synod School 2023

Synod School 2023

Synod School will take place July 23-28, 2023 at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa

What is Synod School?

Synod School is a learning and personal enrichment experience for people of all ages. School seeks to create an environment of hospitality, healing, and hope. The week is designed for laity and clergy as well as individuals and families with classes and activities for adults, youth, and children. 2023 is the 69th year of Synod School in Iowa. People will come from all over the country with their friends and families to share in this week of worship, study, play, and life together. It is an opportunity to learn something new, to continue conversations begun by keynote speakers with others over meals or a board game, to share talents of creativity and music, to worship without being in charge, to be energized for service, and to enjoy not having to cook for a week.

2023 Synod School Theme: Our Family Story

…All Jesus did that day was tell stories—a long storytelling afternoon. His storytelling fulfilled the prophecy: I will open my mouth and tell stories; I will bring out into the open things hidden since the world’s first day. Matthew 13:34-35-34-35 MSG

The theme for Synod School 2023 is “Our Family Story.” As living and breathing entities of Christ, we are each natural storytellers—whether we believe so or not. Each experience we carry is sewn into the tapestry that our ancestors created, and these experiences carry us forward toward relationships and connection with others. Stories from the Bible connect us as children of God. We will share time together learning about the differences between historical, literary, and theological “chairs” and why, to fully understand stories from the Bible, we must take time in all three chairs to better know the rich characters and lessons that we have been given. In a time when biblical stories are picked apart to suit a particular message, we will gather and study familiar stories in new ways in hopes of gaining a new closeness with God, and each other.

Come…

— To participate in a unique experience of Christian community as we worship, study, play, and live together;

— To grow in faith through action, relationships, and a centering of the spirit;

— For continuing education, for a special family experience, or for individual growth;

— To take it all in, then return home to share and serve.

Registration begins on April 1st. View Synod School 2023 Catalog

For more information or to register, please contact Pastor Katie at (920) 437-8121 or email kestes@firstpresgreenbay.org or Joel Morien at ce@firstpresgreenbay.org.

Looking ahead to Holy Week 2023

Holy Week

Palm Sunday—April 2nd at 10am

We conclude our Lenten journey with a final celebration of communion as we move from the processional entry into Jerusalem all the way to Jesus’ last supper. A palm parade and a special musical piece from the children of the church will be included in this service.

Maundy Thursday– April 6th at 6pm

The last time Jesus had dinner with his disciples before his arrest, trial, and crucifixion was on Maundy Thursday.

The term “Maundy” comes from the Latin word maundatum, meaning commandment, which refers to Jesus’ statement that night,

“I give you a new commandment; that you love one another…”

A very special worship service is planned to remember this supper on April 6 at 6:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Room. Participants will share a simple soup & bread supper at round tables as we move through a worship service reenactment of foot-washing, Jesus’ teachings, and his last supper that we now know as communion.

This is an interactive service and appropriate for all ages. We ask that you sign up on the bulletin board or call the church office to indicate your attendance so we can plan for our set up and food. Please join us!

Good Friday—April 7th from noon till 3pm

Why do we call it “Good” Friday?

On this day of Holy Week, we commemorate that Jesus willingly went to the cross to die. Some theories indicate it was originally called “God” Friday, or that the Old English reference to “Good” simply meant “Holy”. We will offer an opportunity to contemplate what Jesus did for us on this day, April 7, from 12 noon to 3:00 pm in the Sanctuary.

Come anytime during those hours to experience reflective music, a guide for your personal meditation, and an opportunity to pray. This will not be a formal worship service, but a quiet time together. You are welcome.

2023 Palm Sunday Brunch

Palm Sunday Brunch

Please Join Us Following Worship on April 2, 2023

Please join us in Banner Hall for brunch on Palm Sunday with a menu that includes:

  • Egg bakes
  • Quiche
  • Cheesy Potatoes
  • Assorted Breads
  • Breakfast Sausages
  • Coffee bar
  • Assorted Juices and Fruit too!

A free will offering will be taken to offset the cost.

To attend, please sign up on the bulletin board in the hallway or send an RSVP email to office@firstpresgreenbay.org so we have an idea of how much food to prepare.

Don’t miss this great opportunity for fun, food and fellowship – we hope to see you at brunch!

Synod School 2023

Synod of Lakes & Prairies logo

July 23-28 at Buena Vista University – Storm Lake, Iowa

Save-the-Date for the Synod of Lakes & Prairies Synod School 2023 is scheduled for July 23-28, 2023. This 69th Synod School is sure to be a great event!

Synod School is a learning and personal enrichment experience for people of all ages that seeks to create an environment of hospitality, healing, and hope. The week is designed for laity and clergy, and individuals and families with classes and activities for adults, youth, and children.

Come…
— To participate in a unique experience of Christian community as we worship, study, play, and live together;
— To grow in faith through action, relationships, and a centering of the spirit;
— For continuing education, for a special family experience, or for individual growth;
— To take it all in, then return home to share and serve.

Registration will begin April 1, 2023.

For more information, please contact Pastor Katie with questions at (920) 437-8121 or email kestes@firstpresgreenbay.org or Joel Morien at ce@firstpresgreenbay.org.

We hope you can join us!

March 2023 Rundown

Monthly Rundown

Souper Bowl of Caring Tackles Hunger!

Our Souper Bowl of Caring was a great time of food and fellowship! Using muffin tins (genius!) everyone had the opportunity to sample 8 amazing soups. The judging was tough because all were delicious! We had nearly 40 votes and the grand prize winner was chef Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges with her Christmas Corn Chowder. Georjeanna was awarded the golden ladle during worship on February 26th.

We raised $285 for the Presbyterian Pantry but thanks to a generous, anonymous donor, that amount was matched and the grand total raised was $570—wow! Thanks to everyone who attended and voted, and thanks to our amazing chefs—Brooke Bruette, Russ Christensen, Al Smith, Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges, Brenda and George Hubbard, Ross and Lyn Early, Joel and Brittany Morien and Pastor Katie.

Thanks also to our CE Committee who made the event possible and to Mary Belanger who helped configure our crockpot outlets so we didn’t blow a circuit!

Cozy Kids are cozy thanks to you!

THANK YOU to everyone who made our Cozy Kids January Campaign such a success! The kids were so grateful for all the generous contributions! Our community of faith is truly blessed to have so many members who give back to our local community, especially to our friends and families in need at Tank School.