Category: Youth

Confirmation Summer Social

Cheri Simonet
Confirmation

July 14th

The confirmation class and mentors will be having a social on Sunday, July 14th following Fellowship Hour. We’ll carpool to Deb Shober’s house in Sobieski who graciously offered to host the event.

The main course will be chicken on the grill and everyone is asked to bring a dish to pass. The social is an opportunity for everyone to get together and build on the relationships that were formed between confirmands and mentors during our hours of confirmation class. We’re excited for a night filled with food, fun and fellowship.

The confirmands will be confirmed sometime this fall. Stay tuned for the date to mark your calendar.

Congratulations 2024 Graduates!

Cheri Simonet
Graduation
Nana Berko
Nana Berko

Graduation Sunday, June 9th

Join us on Sunday, June 9th at 10am worship service as we recognize this year’s high school graduates, Nana Berko and Gaby Jimenez. The fellowship hour following worship will be a chance to congratulate both graduates and continue the celebration.

Gaby Jimenez
Gaby Jimenez

Nana graduated on May 29th from Xavier High School in Appleton. She will be attending Macalester College where she’ll study Biology/Pre-med. She was awarded the Catherine Lealtad Scholarship. Dr. Catherine Lealtad was Macalester’s First African-American graduate. The scholarship exists to honor Dr. Lealtad for her life-time of service to the medical profession and her community, which reflects Macalester’s traditions of academic excellence and service to others. While in high school Nana participated in varsity tennis, soccer, varsity mock trial team, wind ensemble, National Honors Society, French Honors Society and French club. Her favorite high school memory was senior year homecoming with friends.

Gaby graduated early on January 22, 2024 from Preble High School and plans to attend the Empire Beauty School. Her goal following her secondary education is to own her own beauty salon. During high school Gaby was active in choir and her favorite high school memory is all those memories made with friends through the years.

Confirmation Class Cookout

Cheri Simonet
Confirmation Class Cookout

Current Confirmation students and their mentors are invited to a special summer gathering at the home of George Hubbard on Saturday, June 15th beginning at 5:00pm.

We don’t have regular confirmation classes through the summer months, but in order to stay connected and continue our journey together, we have planned a number of special events scattered throughout the summer for fun and fellowship.

For this event, youth and mentors are asked to bring a picnic side dish to share. George will provide our main dish as well as games and beverages. Transportation will be available from the church for anyone who needs it—contact Joel or Pastor Katie for more information.

Don’t miss it!

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.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Cheri Simonet
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, 10am – 10pm, 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.

Batter Up!

Cheri Simonet
FirstPresGB Baseball

It’s that time of year when we prepare for our return to the field with our #FirstPresGB co-ed softball team. The season gets underway in May and ends with playoffs at the season end in late summer. The schedule will be released soon so stay tuned for that, but we’ll be playing at the same field we’ve been at for the last seven years, Cornerstone in DePere. Our time of play will vary with each game on Sundays at 4:15, 5:45 or 6:30pm.

Men, women and youth age 14 and older are welcome to join the team! Practices are primarily getting together before game time and when it comes to the playing schedule matching up with your schedule, you play ball when you’re able to play ball. No commitment required.

If you’re not up for joining the team, volunteer field and plate umpires are always needed. No experience required. You just need to say – “you’re out”, “you’re safe”, “ball” or “strike”. It’s that easy!

So, mark your calendars for Sundays this summer to play, cheerlead or umpire our softball games. It’s a night of fun, fellowship and a little bit of exercise that you don’t want to miss out on!

For more information or to sign up to batter up or umpire contact George Hubbard by calling or texting (920) 680-1421 or email georgeahubbard@yahoo.com. See you at the ballpark!

Synod School 2024

Cheri Simonet
Lakes & Prairies Synod

July 21-26 at Buena Vista University – Storm Lake, Iowa

Synod School 2024 logo

The Synod of Lakes & Prairies Synod School 2024 is scheduled for July 21-26, 2024. This 70th 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 begins in April.

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!

Souper Bowl of Caring 2024

Cheri Simonet
Souper Bowl of Caring

February 11, 2024

As Super Bowl Sunday approaches that means it’s time for our annual Souper Bowl of Caring which takes place on Sunday, February 11th, following our 10am worship service in Banner Hall.

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 per 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. Proceeds from the event will go toward the Presbyterian Pantry.

We invite each person to bring a muffin tin to hold the soup samples. (One muffin tin per person.) Disposable cups will be available to place in your muffin tin to avoid the mess that we experienced last year. You will be required to try all the soups but you can only vote for one. The Souper Bowl awardee will receive the cherished Golden Ladle that’s passed on year after year to the awarded winner. The current Golden Ladle holder from our 2023 Souper Bowl of Caring is Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges for her Christmas Corn Chowder.

There’s no need to sign up—ALL are welcome—we hope to see you there!

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.

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.