Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
Worship is broadcast at 11:00 a.m. on WCHS-580AM
304-343-8961
The cross on the chancel is made from three Christmas trees. It symbolizes the connection between cradle and cross as we celebrate the gift of God’s Son and His sacrifice for our salvation.
Next Week’s Sermon is “Instruct One Another” by Bill McCoy. Bible Lesson: Romans 15:14-22.
Many Ways to Support our Ministries: In addition to traditional cash and checks in the offering plate, you can give on our website firstpresby.com via your computer or smart phone, through our mobile app “Church Life” (you must first set up a user profile on our website to use the Church Life app.) or by texting 73256 and typing “firstpresby” in the message line. Use the QR code card in your pew rack to go directly to our giving page. God loves a Cheerful Giver.
Lenten 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 Easter worship bulletins. The deadline for submission is April 9. These Lenten Memorials are given to enrich worship at the church.
The Cents-Ability Offering is Received Today: Perhaps one of your New Year’s resolutions was not to forget to be thankful for each meal the Lord provides you – at least a few cents’ worth of thankfulness. This is a New Year’s resolution well worth keeping throughout the year. Your habit of showing gratitude to THE one who gives us our daily bread, goes a long way to help feed those who struggle to have enough to eat.
The Lay Academy continues to study “The Addictive Brain” today from 4:00-5:30 p.m. in the dining room. Dr. Thad Polk will lecture (DVD) on what Science teaches us about “Your Brain on Drugs.” When drugs reach your brain, strong drugs like Morphine, and weaker drugs like Codeine and Aspirin, they actually attach themselves to your neuron receptors and become an integral part of your brain’s normal function. A physician can prescribe a drug to reduce pain, like Oxycontin or Hydrocodone, for you to use. But if you overextend your use, your brain becomes tolerant, and you require more and more and may soon become addicted. Then a drug such as Naloxone may actually reverse this process and save you from overdosing. For more information, please contact the Church Office, 304-343-8961.
Youth will meet tonight from 6:00-8:30 p.m. in the Dining Room.
This Week’s Food Pantry Needs: Meal Starters & Cereal
Easter Egg Celebration on Sunday, April 2, from 2:00-4:00 p.m.in the Recreation Room. All ages are invited to join us for Easter crafts, egg dyeing, Easter egg hunt, fun games, and more! For more information, contact Janet Chambers.
Easter Egg Hunt: We need small wrapped candy to fill plastic Easter eggs (NO PEANUTS) for the Easter Egg Hunt Celebration. We will be filling a lot of eggs for the children’s big Egg Hunt. You can bring your candy to the Christian Education office or the main church office, by March 26. Thank you so much for helping.
More About the Music: Below is an excerpt from “Glory to God: A Companion” about this morning’s final hymn, “Arise, Your Light is Come!”: “This text was written in 1973 for the collection of hymns ‘Because We Are One People: Songs for Worship’ (Chicago, 1974), adapted for inclusive language and published by the Ecumenical Women’s Center of Chicago. The author had begun with the intention of revising the William Pierson Merrill text, ‘Rise Up, O Men of God.’ Then this new text came to her, ‘as if the new wine of the faith [she] wanted to express would not fit into the old wineskin of the earlier text’ (Duck, 1992, no. 39). Nevertheless, she uses the abcb rhyme pattern of the text she set out to revise, and she follows its device of repeatedly opening with the same line. As the author indicates, the imagery of this hymn is drawn primarily from Isaiah 60 and 61.” 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.
St. John’s Bible Workshops: The St John’s Bible (SJB) is the first handwritten, illuminated Bible of its scale in more than 500 years. Using the NRSV translation, the SJB took an international team of six artists and six calligraphers fifteen years to complete (1995-2011). With 1,150 pages of handwritten calligraphy and 160 major illustrations, the SJB is the only full-scale, illuminated, fine-art edition of the Bible, and the Heritage Edition of the Gospel/Acts volume is coming to First Presby this Friday, March 31! From 6:30-8:30 pm, Ann Laird Jones, Director of Arts Ministry at the Montreat Conference Center, will present a workshop for ages 6 and older to see, touch and engage with this amazing work of scripture and art. It will include introductory information, text study and a hands-on illuminated manuscript art activity (no previous art experience necessary). This Saturday, April 1, as part of Festival of Faith, there will be a one-hour workshop in the morning without an art activity. In the afternoon, there will be a workshop similar to the one offered Friday evening but using a different text. There is no cost for the Friday evening workshop, but we are asked to call the Presbytery office at (304)744-7634 as soon as possible so that they can prepare enough art supplies for our use.
Geneva Choir for youth and adults’ 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!
Sojourners’ Class has begun a new study series on Sunday mornings at 9:15 a.m., in Room 411 in the Education Building. This new study series is called “Painting the Stars” and explores the promise of evolutionary Christian spirituality, investigating how our faith can grow when we are open and willing to listen for new wisdom and guidance from the Spirit who invites us to step out into new surprising and exciting dimensions of love for God and each other. These lessons will help us to support the work of our Session’s Strategic Planning Group. Everyone is invited and welcome to share these learning experiences.
Children for Chicks Challenge! WOW–When we ask, you give! What a wonderful job the Elementary Children did last week during their minute for mission regarding the Children for Chicks Challenge and what a tremendous response from our congregation! Over $1,500.00 has been received, which equates currently to 300 chicks, or 60 families of chicks! The children will continue the Children for Chicks Challenge thru Easter Sunday, so continue to give and continue to watch the bulletin board fill up with chicks. The offerings received for this challenge will be sent to PC(USA) to enable world mission to purchase a family of chicks (5 chicks) for people in need of a sustainable source of good nutrition. To give, simply stop by the Children for Chicks Challenge bulletin board located in the main hallway. Select a chick (s) to purchase and using the provided envelope take your chick (s) and donation to the front office. Your chick (s) will then be added to the bulletin board. Let us all do our part to help our children help their brothers and sisters throughout the world!
Manna Meal Sandwich Making Next Sunday: The Elementary Sunday School Children will be making 200 sandwiches next Sunday, April 2, during the Sunday School Hour. Adults are always welcome to assist with this project and to help deliver the sandwiches and fruit to Manna Meal. Meet in the chapel at 9:15 a.m.
New Walking Community! Join us for a weekly walk on Mondays at 5:30 pm. We’ll meet in the parking lot by the activities building for a one hour walk and time of fellowship. If the weather is good we will walk outside, and if it is poor we will walk in the Activities Building. This is a great way to jump start your week with some exercise and time for reflection. But we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever. Micah 4:5.
Church Fellowship Dinner, March 29 6:00 p.m.
Please make reservations by 4:00 p.m. Monday.
Please complete the form below or contact the church office (304-343-8961) for reservations.
Those registered for LOGOS, do not need to call for reservations.
Theme: Under the Sea
Hosts: Fellowship & Recreation & Christian Education Committees
First-time visitor, be our guest—no charge!
PRICE FOR DINNER
Adult/$7; Child 12-under/$3; Child under 3 is free
LOGOS Menu: Fish Sticks, Mac & Cheese, Corn, Sand Cup
Adult Menu: Baked Fish, Mac & Cheese, Corn, Salad, Rolls, Dessert
This Week at First Presbyterian
Sunday, 3/26
Cents-Ability
9:15 Sunday School
9:15 Confirmation Class
10:00 Music Warm-up
10:30 Worship
11:45 Service of Healing
4:00 Lay Academy
6:00 Youth Group
Monday, 3/27
8:30 Aerobics
5:30 First Presby Walkers
Tuesday, 3/28
9:30 Bible Study Group
5:30 FPC Lyres Club
7:00 Boy Scouts
Wednesday, 3/29
8:00 Wednesday Work Crew
8:30 Aerobics
11:45 Wednesday Men’s Group
5:00 LOGOS
5:15 Property Division
6:00 Church Family Style Dinner
6:45 Board of Deacons
6:45 Personnel Division
7:15 Worship Division
Thursday, 3/30
7:30 Shoney’s Group, Downtown
5:15 Coordinating Council
5:30 Capella Bells Rehearsal
7:30 Geneva Choir
Friday, 3/31
7:00 Men’s Group
8:30 Aerobics
10:00 Women’s Outreach Bible Study
Saturday, 4/1
DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR APRIL, 2017
Saturday, April 1
John 6:60-71
Sunday, April 2
Mark 8:31-9:1
Monday, April 3
John 9:1-17
Tuesday, April 4
John 9:18-41
Wednesday, April 5
John 10:1-18
Thursday, April 6
John 10:19-42
Friday, April 7
John 12:1-10
Saturday, April 8
John 12:37-50
Sunday, April 9
Matthew 21:12-16
Monday, April 10
John 12:9-19
Tuesday, April 11
John 12:20-26
Wednesday, April 12
John 12:27-36
Thursday, April 13
John 17:1-11
Friday, April 14
John 13:36-38
Saturday, April 15
Romans 8:1-11
Sunday, April 16
John 20:19-23
Monday, April 17
John 14:1-14
Tuesday, April 18
John 14:15-31
Wednesday, April 19
John 15:1-11
Thursday, April 20
John 15:12-27
Friday, April 21
John 16:1-15
Saturday, April 22
John 16:16-33
Sunday, April 23
John 14:1-7
Monday, April 24
John 17:1-11
Tuesday, April 25
John 17:12-19
Wednesday, April 26
John 17:20-26
Thursday, April 27
Luke 3:1-14
Friday, April 28
Luke 3:15-22
Saturday, April 29
Luke 4:1-13
Sunday, April 30
John 21: 15-25