Ask a Pastor!
Not getting enough of your pastors? This new Connector feature is for you! A fun question was asked of Kirk for him to reply to in video. Enjoy his reply!
Pastor Kirk, your household recently adopted a new dog! Can you introduce her to us?
Indoor Worship This Weekend
Love is in the air! Start your Valentine’s Day with In-Person Worship on February 14th at 10:00AM. While this service will look different from our regular worship experience, we are asking all in attendance on the 14th to JUST SAY YES TO…
- Signing up in advance to attend worship
- Wearing a face mask as you enter and throughout your time at FPC (If you have a medical condition that prevents you from wearing a mask, we invite you to enjoy our online service from home.)
- Picking up your name tag at the check-in table in the narthex
- Worshipping together in our Sanctuary
- Choosing your own “Place in the Pews” while maintaining a minimum of 6 ft social distancing from people outside of your household. Pews will marked off to guide you.
- Using hand sanitizer in the pews
- Refraining from singing.
- Following an usher to exit worship as we empty the sanctuary from the back to the front
- Chatting with fellow worshippers outside before and after the service
A link to the sign-up for the service will be on the FPC homepage on Monday. The sign up with be open from February 8 at 8:00am and end on February 12 at Noon. We are limiting attendance to 50 people, plus staff for worship on the 14th and you can “show us some love” by using the electronic sign-up. If you do not have access to a computer, please call the Church Office at (608) 949-9445 during regular business hours.
While it was originally planned for the indoor service to be transmitted over FM radio to the parking lot, due to technical difficulties we won’t be able to offer this option on Sunday.
Just a reminder… we will continue to have our virtual service available on Sunday mornings
FPC Children’s Ministry Valentine Memory Verse Challenge
February 14 | 11am-12pm
Hey Kids! We have a challenge for you! Choose one (or more) of the Bible verses below to look up and memorize it. Come to FPC on February 14 from 11-12 and tell us your verse and pick out a prize!
- Deuteronomy 6:5
- John 3:16
- 1 John 4:7
- 1 Chronicles 16:34
- I John 4:19
If that time does not work: no worries, come to the Family Snowman Building Contest on February 21st and tell us your verse then.
We look forward to seeing you!
Ash Wednesday Service
Wednesday, February 17 | 7:00 PM
FPC Sanctuary
Like most events, the FPC Ash Wednesday service will look different this year. While we will be gathering inside the sanctuary, we will not be administering ashes. Instead, each worshipper will be offered a coin marked with a cross and words from scripture. At the place in the service where ashes would normally be given, we will bless the coins and pray that they may serve as a reminder of our mortality, our need for God, and God’s loving salvation.
This service will follow the same covid conscious guidelines as our Sunday morning in-person worship and be limited to 50 attenders. The link to the Ash Wednesday sign-up will be available on the FPC homepage by 8am on February 15.
Our Daily Bread is Available
The new issues of Our Daily Bread have been delivered. They are in a plastic tote at the front of the church under the portico on the right side as you face the church. The large print version will be arriving soon. Stop to pick up one for your house anytime!
Video Devotional: The Birds of the Air
Rev. Jeff Quinto, member of FPC and Executive Director of the Bethel Series, presents his video devotional, “The Birds of the Air,” based on Matthew 6:25-27.
More upcoming events:
Snowman Building Competition
Sunday, February 21
1-2pm
Get your snow on Sunday, February 21 from 1-2pm and show us your best snow sculpture. Of course there will be awards given and your creativity will be honored – animals, structures, sky is the limit! All ages are welcome.
FPC’s Amazing Race Game Night–At Home Edition!
Join us on Friday, February 26 from 6:30-7:30pm on Zoom for an all ages Virtual Game Night based on the Amazing Race which will include at home scavenger hunts, some trivia, and some surprises!
Join The Amazing Race on Zoom
Meeting ID: 876 1109 4730
Passcode: fpc
Hey FPC Family, are you looking for in-person opportunities?
Would you be interested in an in-person art night or craft-ernoon? What about an in-person small group Bible Study? Or maybe meeting up for fun outdoor activities?
Email Christa or Ezrah Schmeelk with your interest!
cschmeelk@myfpc.org eschmeelk@myfpc.org
Virtual Meetings for FPC Guests
New to FPC? If you began attending our services online during the pandemic, we haven’t met you! Please join us for one of these virtual connection times:
Saturday, February 13 | 10-10:30
Meeting ID: 864 4588 4103
Passcode: fpc
Sunday, February 14, 1-1:30
Meeting ID: 857 2861 5438
Passcode: fpc
40 Bags in 40 Days Lent Group on Facebook
What is the 40 Bags in 40 Days Decluttering Challenge?
This is a forty-day period (coinciding with the 40 days of Lent) where you go through your home and declutter one area or one “bag” a day. This year, the 40 Bags in 40 Days™ Challenge starts on February 17 and finishes on April 3 (with Sundays off). During Lent people often talk about giving up something. This Challenge allows us to take away the clutter from our homes and simplify our lives. Living with less stuff and excess leaves more room for Jesus in our hearts and minds.
How do I sign up for the group?
You will need a Facebook Account to be part of the online group, but you can definitely do this on your own as well! To find the group you will type “@FPCLentGroup” in the search bar and then click “Like” – then you are all signed up! Christa Schmeeelk will begin posting when Lent begins, and you can share what you are doing as well.
What counts as a bag?
Think about a bag as something that is leaving your home. This could mean a bag of giveaways dropped off at WNC/St. Vinny’s, a bag of old magazines/ paper clutter to recycle, or a bag of trash that goes directly into the garbage. What you think is a bag is up to you! You can make the rules. For example, you could think about cleaning up your email inbox – a digital recycle bin, or unfollowing/unfriending everyone on social media that you don’t know or who makes you feel bad about yourself. Maybe deleting phone apps that take too much time… it doesn’t even have to be a physical bag.
Where should I start?
It may be easiest to pick a specific area like “the kitchen junk drawer” or “the kid’s book shelf” rather than a larger area like “the basement.” Christa has tried starting in different ways. “Sometimes I take 40 “Before” photos so I know which areas I want to complete. Sometimes I will just write a list of 40 areas and check them off one by one.” She suggests that spontaneously picking an area each day didn’t work as well for her personality because goals were more motivating. You can decide what might work for you.
Have any questions? Just email Christa Schmeelk cschmeelk@myfpc.org
Graceland Student Newsletter
Catch up on all the student ministries offerings in the now-weekly Graceland newsletter. In this week’s newsletter:
- Sign up for in-person High School and Middle School youth group
- It’s Valentine’s Day! Let’s talk about love…
- Song recommend: Travis Greene’s Love Will Always Win
- Extra love memes!!!
- If I ask for chocolate and roses, will Ezrah bring those to visit me?
From the 2020 Annual Report: Children’s Ministry
The entire Annual Report is available here. But check out this excerpt:
2020 started off with our annual family Bingo Bash in the Basement, followed by hosting “Lotsa Pasta” Lenten dinner and the formation of two children’s choirs.
In March, we switched gears to online Sunday School. In the spring, we thanked Lori Phelps for her service and welcomed Patricia Coley as our Children’s Ministry Director. We hosted BOLT, Staycation Bible School.
In the fall of 2020, we offered a Back-to-School Blessing and backpack tag for all students and educators and mailed 175 “Jesus Loves You S’more” crafts to our children. We also held Wake Up & Worship during the outdoor in-person worship services and continued with weekly virtual Sunday School. Children’s Ministry organized our first ever Trunk or Treat, an outdoor Halloween event for our families that was very well attended.
To help families build Christmas joy and anticipation, we offered a Christmas Storybook Countdown where families could watch a church member read a Christmas book every night leading up to Christmas. Network 56 met virtually and had an opportunity to get to know each other and make a Christmas craft. A Christmas greeting and Nativity ornament/craft were mailed to all of our children. Many children and families participated in our virtual Children’s Nativity Service, “What God Wants for Christmas,” which was shared online with our entire congregation.
When we first came here in 2013, we were specifically looking for a church that would play an active role in our 2-and-a-half-year-old’s spiritual journey. Since the day he was baptized with his dad by Pastor Kirk, the congregation took the pledge to be a part of his spiritual life in different, meaningful ways, and FPC has consistently delivered on that promise.
Debby Ochoa
Stephen Ministry
We know the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone—raising the level of fear, stress, and anxiety for people all over the world and underscoring the importance of caring ministry. As a Stephen Ministry congregation, we equip and empower lay caregivers to provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care. Our commitment to this ministry is extremely important during these uncertain times.
If you, or someone you know, could benefit from this ministry, contact the church office.
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