A NOTE FROM OUR PASTOR

Greetings,

The call of God is an awesome experience. In the sixth chapter of Isaiah, we read that the Lord spoke to Isaiah, “Whom shall I send and who will go for us?” In humility Isaiah answered, “Here am I, send me!” Relying on the Holy Spirit to guide them, the Nominating Committee has prayerfully and thoughtfully come to the conclusion that the following persons were called by God to serve the church at this time. Each of these persons has prayerfully and humbly responded by agreeing to serve, if elected.

For the office of Elder/Trustee: Phillip Clauser, Elizabeth Conard, Fred Henderson, Richard Hjorth, Joanne Kelhart, Donald Masters, Leslie Pohl, Donald Robertson, Cathy Scharf, Melinda Stitt, Phyllis Walker and Gail Watts.

For the office of Deacon:  Amanda Gerrity, Richard Gorton, Laura Huffard, Wayne Kelly, Deborah Philpotts and Virginia Shunk.

We are grateful for these fellow members of the church for agreeing to serve. Please plan to attend the Annual Meeting of the Congregation/Corporation on Sunday, January 22, to begin shortly following the fellowship time after the morning worship service – around 10 a.m.

To prepare for worship this week you may wish to read I Corinthians 1:1-9. The message is titled “Strengthened to the End.” We will reflect upon those who have had the stamina to continue to serve the call of God through difficult circumstances – such as we witnessed in the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

PLEASE TAKE OUR K GROUP SURVEY 

The spirit of Koinonia through K groups has been a bedrock for sustaining the life and faith of members of FPBC PCUSA and beyond. We are interested in encouraging those in current K groups as well as starting new K groups during the Lenten season. Due to the denominational split, FPBC PCUSA lost track of the groups that are meeting and who is participating.  We invite all of you, whether in a K group now or not, to complete our short survey to help us know where things stand.

Complete the paper survey after worship on Sunday, Jan 15, in Fellowship Hall.  It's one page and will only take 3 minutes.  We'd appreciate your input!

USHERS NEEDED FOR 8:30 SERVICE 

The only thing better than being warmly welcomed into the house of our Lord each Sunday, is to be the one giving the warm welcomes!

We are in need of 4-6 smiling people to join our team of ushers and greeters for Sunday services. Ushers show up 20 minutes prior to the service, help stuff and hand out the programs, put out and collect the Welcome Books, and collect the weekly offering.

This is a wonderful service for couples and families to share.  With the addition of a few more people, our team of ushers and greeters will be large enough that members will need only serve about once per month. 

If you have any questions or are interested in joining our ushering team, please email John Toner at JohnPToner@yahoo.com or call him at 610-529-8958. 

CALENDAR AT-A-GLANCE 

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15:

• Worship Service, 8:30 a.m., in the Sanctuary
• Hospitality in Fellowship Hall immediately following the service
• Hearts and Minds Adult Education Class, 10 to 11 a.m., Room 400 

• Choir Practice, 7 to 8:30 p.m., in the Choir Room

SUNDAY, JANUARY 22:

• Congregational Meeting, 10 a.m. in Fellowship Hall

BETHLEHEM EMERGENCY SHELTERING

Can you help at a Bethlehem Emergency Shelter this season? Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering is a faith-based partnership that provides a network of care and hospitality for the homeless in Bethlehem. Overnight sheltering is provided during the coldest months of the year – December through March.

CHRIST UCC CHURCH MONDAY NIGHT WOMAN’S SHELTER

Christ UCC Church at 75 East Market Street is the sheltering site responsible for housing homeless women on Monday nights.  They are seeking volunteers to help.  You many sign up online at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0445a9aa29a2ff2-bethlehem to help cook dinner or stay overnight with the woman or by calling the church secretary, Deb at 610-865-6565.  The shelter will open at 4:30 p.m. each Monday night.

They are also in need of donations of warm socks, women's underwear size 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9. Warm clothing, pajamas, sweaters, winter boots, tooth brushes, tooth paste, deodorant, and other hygiene products. These items can be dropped off at Christ UCC Church, 75 East Market Street. Please mark them for the women's shelter.

ADVENT MORAVIAN CHURCH SATURDAY MEN’S SHELTER

Advent Moravian Church on Jacksonville Road is the sheltering site responsible for housing 20 to 50 homeless male guests, every Saturday night. They are seeking volunteers from other churches to lend a hand.

Volunteers help with registration, bedding distribution, and preparation of the evening meal and breakfast. If you are interested in helping to serve those in need this winter, please contact Linda Robbins at:  610-264-4416 or  LROB164832@aol.com.

CONNECT WITH US

For questions, or to listen to or download one of our past sermons, please visit: www.fpcb-pcusa.org

Pastor Bill Hess can be reached at: Bill.Hess@FPCB-PCUSA.org

David Macbeth can be reached at:  David.Macbeth@FPCB-PCUSA.org

You can also connect with us on Facebook.