Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
Worship is broadcast at 11:00 a.m. on WCHS-580AM
304-343-8961
Next Week’s Sermon is “ANCIENT WORDS: Logos”, by Bill McCoy. Scripture: John 1:1-14.
Congratulations to:
- Phillip and Maria Conley on the birth of Bjorn Asher Conley on November 18 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Great-grandparents are Jason and JoAnn Conley.
- Jamie and Maura Conley Copeland on the birth of Tyler James Copeland on December 4 in Statesboro, Georgia. Grandfather is Marvin Conley. Great-grandparents are Jason and JoAnn Conley.
Sympathy of the Congregation is extended to the family of Joe Fazio who died on December 4.
Christmas Memorials: Envelopes are in the pew racks for contributions to our Worship Memorial Fund in honor or memory of loved ones. Names will be printed in a special insert for the Christmas worship bulletins. Deadline is today, December 11. These Christmas Memorials are given to enrich worship at the church.
Children’s Bible Study: Following Time with Young Disciples and the Passing of the Peace, all children in grades one-five are invited to join us for Bible Study in room 113 in the Education Building. Janet Chambers will walk the children to their classroom. If this is your child’s first time visiting Children’s Bible Study, please accompany them to the room so that you can sign them in and get acquainted with our teachers.
Wee People Report: Mary and Joseph continue their journey, moving closer to Bethlehem. The sheep seem to enjoy climbing. You may find one on your pew! Look for red-headed Gloria, the angel who just may join the choir…
Our Parish Nurses will be providing blood pressure checks in the Cablish Room following worship service today. This ministry is available to everyone.
Hope Village is open for all of your Christmas shopping needs. Stop by our newly expanded store in the Susie Early room to see all of the stunning products. Clothing, household goods, jewelry, baskets, nativity sets, olive oil, purses, scarves, the list goes on and on! You really must see all of the merchandise to believe how beautiful it is. Every single item has a story behind it–a story of how lives are being transformed and hope is provided by your purchase. Hope Village is a mission outreach of First Presby-100% of the proceeds go back to the artisans. Share the good news of what First Presby is doing to provide help and hope throughout this world. Store hours are Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday, from 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. and after worship on Sunday. Come on in, we have a story to tell!
The Preschool Weekday School children cordially invite you to their Christmas Worship service in the Sanctuary on Wednesday, December 14, at 12:00 p.m. Come and enjoy wonderful sounds of the season from the children of the preschool.
This Week’s Food Pantry Needs: Canned Vegetables
Sojourners’ Class continues to study “Jesus and His Jewish Influences”, Sunday Mornings at 9:15 a.m. in room 411 in the Education Building. Dr. Jodi Magness delivers her twenty-first lecture on “Flavius Josephus—Witness to the 1st Century AD.” This first-century figure, Flavius Josephus (37-100 A.D.), was a prolific writer and source of much of our knowledge of Judaism and early Christianity. He was first a patriotic Jew and then joined the Romans during the Jewish rebellion against Rome. Dr. Magness will share her knowledge of his work and how he helps us better to understand the life and teachings of Jesus. Everyone is welcome to learn and join these discussions. Sojourners’ Class will not meet December 25 and January 1, 2017.
The Presbyterian Women’s Christmas Luncheon will be at 12 noon on Thursday, December 15, in the dining room. Mary Odin will narrate a unique holiday program. A Silent Auction of Christmas items will take place also. Deadline for reservations is December 12. Call your Circle leader, or the church office, 304-343-8961. ALL Presbyterian women are invited to join us.
Presbyterian Coffee Project: Coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolates, raisins, and nuts continue to be available for purchase after worship and during the week during church business hours. Baskets Are Needed to be used to create gift baskets for holiday gifts, using items from the Presbyterian Coffee Project. Also needed is tissue paper, all colors, new and used. Items can be left in church office.
Tableau Rehearsal is Sunday, December 18, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. in the sanctuary for all participants. The Christmas Tableau is December 24, Christmas Eve, at 5 p.m. All participants need to arrive at 4 p.m. and meet in the chapel on Christmas Eve.
More About the Music: Below is an excerpt from Glory to God: A Companion about this morning’s opening hymn, “Once in Royal David’s City”: “Like ‘All Things Bright and Beautiful,’ this hymn was written to illustrate phrases in the Apostles’ Creed. Cecil Frances Alexander wrote it to help children understand and appreciate two adjacent lines about Jesus Christ that served as the text’s original title, “Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary.” Like many stories for children, this hymn begins on a ‘once upon a time’ note and evokes a regal past with the reference to ‘royal David.’ But these customary trappings of fairy tales give way to the surprising realities of the Savior’s birth. This human reversal of the first stanza is paralleled by the divine reversal of the second stanza. This pattern continues in the present third stanza emphasizing the human model of Christ’s childhood, and the current final stanza balances the decent-and-humility motif of the second stanza with the theme of ascent and glorification. “For more tidbits about our music and hymn texts, visit a church copy of Glory to God: A Companion by Reverend Carl P. Daw, Jr. M.A., M.Div., Ph.D in our church library, or look through the copy on the piano at the front of the sanctuary after worship.
Geneva Choir for youth and adult’s welcomes sopranos, altos, tenors, basses, and everyone in between. No prior musical experience is required; just a servant heart and a sense of humor. We rehearse on Thursday evenings from 7:30-9:00 p.m. in the Choir Room at the top of the stairs above the Susie Early Room. Come sing with us!
Thanks to Our Child Care Volunteers in our nursery, toddler and preschool rooms. All child care rooms are equipped with live video feeds of the worship service. Do you love children and babies? Call the church office, 304-343-8961, to volunteer in this special ministry.
Logos Begins the Winter/Spring semester on Wednesday, January 11, at 5 p.m. Registration forms are in the main hallway for pre kindergarten through high school. Please call Janet Chambers or email janet@firstpresby.com.
Reminder: If you have placed flowers in the sanctuary in honor or memory of loved ones during 2016, please be sure to make your payment payable to First Presbyterian church and deliver or mail to the church office by December 31, 2016.
Please pray for the Session and for the members of the Strategic Planning Task Force as they seek God’s will and direction for the future of our church. Members of the Strategic Planning Task Force are Mike Graney, Kristen Harrison, Charlie Lorenson, Nikki Moses, Dave Nolan, Sandy Zando, and Bill McCoy (ex-officio).
Please pray for the members of the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee as they seek to identify the person God is preparing to serve as our new associate pastor. Members of the Associate Pastor Nominating Committee are Mike Graney, Charlie Lorensen, Tom Marchio, Dave Nolan, Sarah Smith, Carol Susman, Sandy Zando, and Bill McCoy (ex-officio).
Third Annual Light Up The Levee, Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church: Thursday, December 15, 6:00-7:30 p.m. at Haddad Riverfront Park. Join us for a community-wide Christmas Caroling extravaganza! Our own Praise Team along with the Appalachian Children’s Choir will be there to help guide us along. Hot chocolate will be served and non-flammable candles will be provided. Ho-Ho-Hope to see you there! Please bring a food donation of spaghetti, canned (not glass) spaghetti sauce, canned tuna/chicken or cereal to benefit the Covenant House Food Pantry.
About the Advent Wreath – During the four weeks leading up to Christmas, we use our Advent wreath to help us celebrate a special season called “Advent. “We light a new candle on the wreath each week as we move from darkness into light. The four candles on the outside of the wreath remind us of the four thousand years from Adam to Jesus, when humanity was waiting for a Savior. Some Lutheran Christians call their candles the Prophecy Candle (Hope), the Bethlehem Candle (Preparation), the Shepherd Candle (Joy), the Angel Candle (Love). Some Reformed Christians use them to represent Faithfulness, Hope, Joy, and Love, or sometimes Prophets, Angels, Shepherds, and Magi. Some Catholic Christians use the candles to represent Hope, Faith, Joy, and Peace. If a fifth candle is placed in the center of the wreath, it represents the Light of Christ. At First Presby, our first four Advent wreath candles represent Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. Last week, our First Presby Youth lit the Candle of Peace as we prayed for Christ’s peace to enter our hearts, our family of faith, our city, and every corner of our troubled world. Today is the third Sunday of Advent, “Gaudete Sunday.” “Gaudete” is the Latin word for “rejoice,” so this morning, Dick and Kay Lamb and Lyle and Beth Sattes light our Candle of Joy.
Church Fellowship Dinner, December 14
Please make reservations by 4:00 p.m. Monday.
Please contact the church office (304-343-8961) for reservations.
Hosts: Property & the class Sunday School Class
First-time visitor, be our guest—no charge!
PRICE FOR DINNER
Adult/$7; Child 12-under/$3; Child under 3 is free
Menu: Baked Steak, Mashed Potatoes/Gravy, Green Beans Salad, Rolls & Dessert
Youth Group will meet today, 6:00-8:30 p.m. at Rock Lake Presbyterian Church, 905 Village Drive, South Charleston, WV 25309. We will be wrapping gifts to be delivered to families in need. There will be limited transportation available from our parking lot to Rock Lake and back. For those needing a ride to Rock Lake, we will be leaving our parking lot at 5:45 p.m. Next Sunday, December 18, we will be having a Christmas Service and a Christmas Party at our normal time in the Dining Room.
Passing the Peace: As cold and flu season approaches, please be aware that friends with depressed immune systems may welcome a greeting of a warm smile, a pat on the shoulder, etc., rather than a hand-shake. Please be attentive as you share the loving hospitality of Christ’s peace with each other.
Care of Creation: Wrapping Stuff? Recycle your used tape dispensers and dispenser cores. Place them in the box across from the church office. They will be re-cycled into new items!
This Week at First Presbyterian
Sunday, 12/11
9:15 Sunday School
10:00 Music Warm-up
10:30 Worship
11:30 Blood Pressure Checks
11:30 Hope Village Open
6:00 Youth Group
Monday, 12/12
8:30 Aerobics
6:00 Stephen’s Ministry
Tuesday, 12/13
9:30 Bible Study
7:00 Boy Scouts
Wednesday, 12/14
8:00 Wednesday Work Crew
8:30 Aerobics
10-2 Hope Village Open
12:00 Preschool Christmas Worship
12:30 Wednesday Men’s Group, Bistro
5:15 Finance Division
6:00 Church Fellowship Dinner
6:00 Rebecca Dinner Circle
6:45 Session
Thursday, 12/15
7:30 Shoney’s Group, Downtown
10-2 Hope Village Open
10:30 PW Hannah Circle
10:30 PW Ruth Circle
11:30 PW Prayer Group
12:00 PW Luncheon
5:30 Capella Bells Rehearsal
6:00 Light Up the Levee
Friday, 12/16
7:00 Men’s Group
8:30 Aerobics
Saturday, 12/17
10-2 Hope Village Open