Category: Worship

Pentecost – Youth Sunday

Cheri Simonet
Pentecost Sunday

Sunday, May 19th

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. It’s 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.

This Pentecost, Sunday May 19th, our youth will lead our 10am worship service, preaching and teaching just as the disciples did after Jesus’ resurrection. It’s an opportunity for our youth to let their talents and abilities shine. During the service, they showcase their gifts in a number of ways from performing the readings to giving the sermon. In collaboration with the worship committee, the youth are hard at work preparing the details of which youth will do the various responsibilities within worship. As a group they will choose the prayers and music that fits Pentecost Sunday and also the accompaniment of the music that’s selected. The steps in preparation of, and the actual worship service is a spiritual experience that draws each youth closer to their faith.

Following worship, we hope you’ll join us in fellowship hour where you’ll have the opportunity to thank the youth for all their efforts in taking the lead during worship on this Day of Pentecost.

Christian Educator Appreciation Sunday 2024

Cheri Simonet
Christian Educator Appreciation

Mark your calendars for Sunday, May 19th when we’ll show appreciation for our amazing Christian Educators during our 10am worship service.

On that morning, we’ll be recognizing those who have organized, led or taught various educational programs and activities for children, youth and adults through the 2023/2024 program year including Sunday School, Bible studies, devotionals and Vacation Bible School. Faith development was only possible by the following members volunteering and giving of their time, talent, and treasures, so we extend a heartfelt thank you to:

  • Brenda Hubbard
  • Lisa Olson
  • Sara Bostedt
  • Loni McCormick
  • Deb Gauthier
  • Stacy Bostedt
  • Olivia Crooks
  • Jessica Gauthier
  • Mike Melton
  • Grace Estes Collins
  • Bobbi Holl
  • Joel Morien
  • Katie Estes

These outstanding members were instrumental in cultivating and building faith which supports our efforts to achieve our mission of Inspiring All to Love and Serve with Christ.

Please join us as we celebrate and thank these leading Christian Educators who’ve made such a positive impact with the children, youth and adults in our community of faith.

Worship Service April 21, 2024

Cheri Simonet

On this Fourth Sunday of Easter, we are thrilled to baptize Henry David Holl and to recognize Becky Christianson with the Augusta Jeffery award for this year. We also welcome the Rev. Dr. Deb DeMeester to our pulpit, who will focus on John 10: 11-18 https://bit.ly/3Qb6Oe3 with her sermon “Imagining Our Faith”. Deb is the Director of Leadership Development for the Synod of Lakes and Prairies.

Worship Service April 14, 2024

Cheri Simonet

On this Third Sunday of Easter, we look forward to special music provided by the Griffon String Quartet and our own Kris Melton on piano. Our Easter journey continues in Luke 24: 36-48 https://bit.ly/3vMNgpm, with Pastor Katie’s message “Feeling All the Feels”.

Worship Service April 7, 2024

Cheri Simonet

Please join us for the Second Sunday of Easter 10am worship service when we celebrate communion. Our readings are Acts 10: 34-43 https://bit.ly/3vJI2L2 and John 20: 19-31 https://bit.ly/415gDOg and Pastor Katie will preach on “Locked In or Locked Out”.

Easter Sunday Worship Service March 31, 2024

Cheri Simonet

Join us to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ! Our worship service will feature a brass quartet, our adult choir, and a “flowering of the cross”. Pastor Katie will focus on the story of Easter from Mark 16: 1-8 https://bit.ly/3xgklKP with a first-person narrative called “Fearful Glorious”.

Augusta Jeffrey 2024 Awarded

Cheri Simonet
Augusta W. Jeffrey Rcognition Award

Awarded April 21, 2024

The Augusta Jeffrey Award was established in 2004 by the family of long-time member Augusta Jeffrey to recognize a member of First Presbyterian 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.

On Sunday, April 21st during worship, the 2024 Augusta Jeffrey Award will be presented to Becky Christianson. She was nominated by several Session members who noted her exemplary service as Clerk of Session for the last two years. She takes the minutes of each meeting and keeps the meetings on track with her knowledge of the Book of Order and Robert’s Rules of Order. She has also taken on the clean-up and rewriting of many church policies and procedure manuals, in light of recent mandates from the denomination. Becky does it all with attention to detail and dedication, but also a light heart. While much of her volunteer work is behind the scenes and not visible to the whole congregation, we all benefit from her commitment and diligence.

Thank you, Becky!

New Bible Study Begins April 10th and 11th

Cheri Simonet
Esther's Feast bible study book cover

Esther’s Feast, a study of the book of Esther in the Old Testament, will be our final weekly Bible study for the program year.

Written by Patricia Tull, a professor of Old Testament at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, the book of Esther is filled with contemporary themes of vengeance, violence, power, and racial and gender conflicts. Set in the ancient empire of Persia, it almost reads like a fairy tale, drawing us into its extravagantly dangerous, darkly funny, sharply satirical, and yet breathtakingly poignant world of intrigue. It is most unusual among books of the Bible in that God never appears nor is even mentioned in our modern text.

Join us for this six-week study of an ancient story that is surprisingly current. The study book is available as a download for your tablet or may be printed by the church office.

We will meet on Wednesday evenings via Zoom from 6:30 to 7:30pm or on Thursday mornings in person at the church from 11:00am to noon, beginning on April 10th and 11th. Participants may switch back and forth between meetings as needed. See Pastor Katie for more information.

Griffin String Quartet Plays In Worship

Cheri Simonet
Griffin String Quartet

Sunday – April 14, 2024

The Griffon String Quartet, who offer monthly free concerts in our sanctuary for the community and regularly use our space for rehearsal, are scheduled to play for our 10am worship service on Sunday, April 14th.

The Griffon is a full-time professional quartet who work and perform in Door County and Green Bay. They offer programs and lessons in schools throughout our area, and also play regularly for aging and disabilities institutions. Their stated goals are to educate, enrich and excite their audiences with the gift of old and new music. They will be playing multiple pieces throughout the service as well as accompanying some of our congregational hymns. This is their thank-you to us for providing the space for concerts and practices, and they are delighted to be with us for this special worship service.

Don’t miss it!

Who is that face in the pulpit?

Cheri Simonet
Welcome

Two Sundays this month will bring us a different face and voice in the pulpit!

On Sunday, April 21st we welcome the Synod of Lakes and Prairies’ Director of Leadership Development the Rev. Dr. Deb DeMeester to preach for us after she leads the Session retreat on Saturday, April 20th.

Deb is a dear friend of Pastor Katie, a seasoned pastor in Presbyterian churches, and the director of Synod School.

The following week, April 28th, our own Ellen Smith will provide the sermon in worship after speaking for the Fourth Sunday Forum at 9:00am in the Fellowship Room.

We will be blessed by these wise and wonderful different voices. Don’t miss them!