Our Fall Sunday Schedule:
8:15 a.m. Chapel Worship Service in the Tree of Life Chapel
9:05 a.m. Arise! Contemporary Service in Fellowship Hall
11:00 a.m. Traditional worship in the Sanctuary
(live-streamed on website & Facebook)
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All Saints Sunday on November 6, 2022
Join us for worship this weekend as we observe All Saints Sunday.
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Daylight Saving Time
Don't Forget! It's Time To "Fall Back!" Daylight Saving Time Ends On November 6th.
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Matthew 25 Education Series Continues
October 30-November 20, 2022
WHAT IS A MATTHEW 25 CHURCH?
Matthew 25:31–46 calls all of us to actively engage in the world around us, so our faith comes alive and we wake up to new possibilities. As a Matthew 25 Church we are called to act boldly and compassionately to see our neighbors through Jesus’ eyes and serve those who are marginalized or in need — people who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, imprisoned, strangers, poor or oppressed in other ways and in need of welcoming.
WHERE TO BEGIN?
The themes of the Matthew 25 invitation are grounded in the gospel. Jesus calls us to serve with and for “the least of these” — not as a group to be pitied, but as people who are deeply loved by Jesus.
Matthew 25 churches embrace one or more of these three focuses:
- Building congregational vitality by challenging congregations and their members to deepen and energize their faith and grow as joyful leaders and disciples actively engaged with their community, seeing new disciples engaged in ministry and longstanding believers develop in faith as the gospel of Jesus Christ is shared in word and deed.
- Dismantling structural racism by fearlessly applying our faith to advocate and break down the systems, practices and thinking that underlie discrimination, bias, prejudice and oppression of people of color.
- Eradicating systemic poverty by acting on our beliefs and working to change laws, policies, plans and structures in our society that perpetuate economic exploitation of people who are poor.
Want to Learn More?
Join us on Sunday, November 6, in the Chapel at 10:00 a.m. and Linda Maconochie will talk to us about Eradicating Poverty, one of the foci of Matthew 25. We will learn about the ways that people in different socio-economic classes function. Come and learn more about poverty this week. We will be meeting on Sundays at 10 a.m. through November 30th.
If you can't join us in person, please join us on Zoom!
Topic: Matthew 25 Education
Time: November 6, 2022 10:00 AM
Join Zoom Meeting (CLICK THE LINK BELOW!)
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88549270349?pwd=VFNsR3dWMlNxZE95dEhUQ1FVNzFoQT09
Meeting ID: 885 4927 0349
Passcode: 223984
To join by phone/audio only, dial 1 (312) 626-6799.
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From Bill Stein, Director of Music Ministries
As I was driving to church yesterday, I was flipped through my usual Sirius XM radio channels and was accosted by Sammy Davis, Jr. singing “Jingle Bells." Like it or not, the holiday season is here.
What does that mean for us at church? We are approaching the end of the liturgical year and Thanksgiving and will then enter the season of Advent – four weeks of waiting, watching, and preparation for Christmas. We will not sing carols and Christmas songs in Advent, as we observe Christmas starting December 24th. Take time during the coming weeks to watch, pray and prepare!
There is a lot of music and worship on the horizon, and I hope many of you participate in person this year! We are learning how to be a Matthew 25 congregation, will celebrate Advent, have the Christmas Concert and Dinner, and so many other activities that accompany this season. Take part and immerse yourselves in God’s goodness and love.
Faithfully yours,
Bill
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Pastor Nominating Committee Update
The Pastor Nominating Committee has crossed our initial hurdle, completing and getting the Mission Information Form (MIF) approved and posted. We are now receiving and reviewing applications (also known as the Pastoral Information Forms or PIFs). We would appreciate your help in our search! Please share names of great pastors with our committee! If you know a candidate who would be a good fit please send their name to us: pastorsearch@kirkwoodpres.org. OR you can refer candidates to apply through the PCUSA website.
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11 a.m. Ushers Needed
Larry Erwin, Art McDonnell, and Bob Schneider have faithfully and without a break led and scheduled our ushers ever since we reopened last year. With worship numbers on the rise and holiday services happening soon, these fine gentlemen need more ushers at the 11:00 a.m. worship service. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage in hospitality with your fellow church members and provide an essential ministry on Sunday mornings. Please see one of them and offer your services. Even if it is only one Sunday a month, it’s very helpful!
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Upcoming Family Activity:
BIG GAMES DAY!
November 13, 3-4:00 p.m.
Join us for 9 Square in the Air, Gaga Ball and more giant games
in a format that all will enjoy. We will have kids-only and adult-only rounds, but will be mostly mixed!
The Children, Youth and Family Committee is excited to bring some fun activities to you over the course of the school year. We call these "family" activities but assure you that being part of FPC means you are family to us! Please reach out to Rob Monroe (rmonroe@kirkwoodpres.org) if you have any questions about this event.
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Blood Drive: Thank You Donors!
The Deacons would like to thank all those who participated in the Oct. 28 Blood Drive. The generosity of your blood donation is appreciated by all, but particularly by the 72 patients who will benefit from your donations. Jesus said “When you have done it unto the least of these, you have done it unto me.” Well done good and faithful servants!
Thank You from Paula Bujewski
Thank you to First PC Kirkwood for the prayers, cards, calls, emails and the beautiful flowers that came signed "From your friends at Kirkwood." The loss of my mother has by far been one of the two most difficult times in my life, and I have learned that one can never know how much comfort these expressions bring. I would like to give a shout out to Bill Stein for being the person he is and knowing how to make me smile and laugh, and to Frank Darr, Al Hinton and Hugh McGaughy for attending the service. Not only did it fill my heart to see them, you should know that they were also great representation of the amazing faith community that is First Pres Kirkwood.
With love and thankfulness,
Paula Bujewski
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Advent Bags for the Homebound
It’s time to start collecting items for the Deacon’s Advent Bags that go to our Homebound folks. Please, look over the list and help by donating what you can. There will be a sign-up sheet by the collection box near the Welcome desk. Please wrap each item in holiday paper and leave them in the donation box. All items must be donated by 11/13.
Suggested Items: Chapstick, Hand Cream, Kleenex, Note Cards, Pens, Hand Sanitizer, Mints, Chocolate Candies, Word Search Games, Body Lotion, Life Saver Candies, Pill containers, Post-it notes, Soaps, High-Lighters, Short bread Cookies, Magnets, Nail files.
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First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood
Book Clubs
We have several active book clubs! Check out the info below!
Tuesday Book Club – Meets every Tuesday in the Fireplace Room from 10-11:00 a.m. They’re currently reading As a Driven Leaf, by Milton Steinberg. This is a novel about Jewish religious society in the first century AD. Contact kochkarenp@gmail.com for more info.
Wednesday Book Club - Due to Thanksgiving, we will be discussing The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray on November 30 at 1:30 over Zoom. The book is a fictional account of JP Morgan’s personal librarian, Bella da Costa Greene, who was a black woman that passed as white and left a legacy that enriched our nation. If you want to be added to the contact list, contact Julia Abreu at julia@abreu.net.
History Book Group –Meets on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. every other month at church. At their meeting on November 17, they will talk about Stephen R. Oates’ With Malice Toward None. For more info, contact Carlin Scanlan (ccscanlan@swbell.net) or Don Lewis (donlewis610@gmail.com).
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Christian Concerns Class:
Series on Russia Concludes on Zoom
REMEMBER TO SET YOUR CLOCKS BACK SATURDAY NIGHT
On November 6th at 9 a.m. Charlie Allen will continue and conclude the series that he and Prof Wertsch are giving on Russia!
Class will be entirely by Zoom this week! Charlie is having to quarantine and will be doing the class remotely.
The Zoom transmission will again end a few minutes early to allow Zoom to be used for another meeting.
If you have additional questions for Charlie Allen, we will certainly forward them after class. You will also get a link to the class video and to any additional videos Charlie would like to share.
The class Zoom link is :
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83836320060?pwd=dytxcWYxZ2NJNFlEaTBmWlVBRkNndz09
Meeting ID: 838 3632 0060
Passcode: 63122
If the link does not open directly, copy it and paste it into your internet Search window and find us there.
Nov 13, Nov 20 and Dec 4:
Next week we will begin a three-week series on mental health by Michelle Koerner of the Care and Counseling Center in Creve Coeur. Ms. Koerner will be in the Fireplace Room and class will be available on Zoom for those at home.
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Staff Directory:
Rev. Dr. Bill Smutz, Interim Senior Pastor
wsmutz@kirkwoodpres.org
Rev. Linda Maconochie, Interim Associate Pastor
lindam@kirkwoodpres.org
Bill Stein, Director of Music Ministries
bstein@kirkwoodpres.org
Rob Monroe, Director of Children, Youth, and Family Ministries
rmonroe@kirkwoodpres.org
Bill Larson, Business Manager
blarson@kirkwoodpres.org
Megan Ligeti, Communications Director
meganl@kirkwoodpres.org
Dee Robinson, Head Custodian
drobinson@kirkwoodpres.org
Sherry Peters, Preschool Director
speters@kirkwoodpres.org
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Give Online
Have you tried giving online? You can do a onetime gift or set up reoccurring payments and pay with ACH direct from your checking account, via credit card or using GooglePay.
Go to https://www.shelbygiving.com/app/giving/kirkwoodpres and follow the prompts, text GIVE to 314-293-4922, or scan the QR code to go directly to our giving portal. If you have any questions, please reach out to accounting@kirkwoodpres.org.
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