Fall 2024 Women’s Retreat

Women's Retreat

A Recipe for Connection

Would you be interested in a women’s retreat this fall? This was requested (maybe by you?) on a survey done a year ago and we’re finally going to try it. We plan to hold the event at Imago Dei Village retreat center in Clintonville, less than an hour’s drive from here. We will begin with dinner on Friday night October 25th and conclude after lunch on Saturday, October 26th. Accommodations are in a lodge with bedrooms for 2 or 3 women and private bathrooms with showers. Cost would be less than $75 for each participant, and scholarships are available. There is a full kitchen, so we would share cooking duties and provide 3 meals: dinner, breakfast, and lunch.

Our proposed theme for the retreat is A Recipe For Connection. We hope to spend the time together thinking about food, family, traditions, and the connections we create as women together. We will view the 2009 movie Julie & Julia, which is a wonderful biographical comedy drama written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in the title roles. The film contrasts the life of chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career with the life of young New Yorker Julie Powell, who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Child’s cookbook in 365 days, a challenge she described on her popular blog, which made her a published author.

We certainly can’t promise to “master the art of French cooking,” (the title of Julia Childs’ cookbooks) but we might attempt a few fun recipes from it together! We need a minimum of ten participants to hold this retreat. Please let Pastor Katie know if you are interested or sign up on the bulletin board at the church. 

2024 Choir Camp

Music notes

Calling All Singers!

If you’re interested in becoming part of the music ministry of First Presbyterian, mark your calendars for Choir Camp that will take place on Saturday, September 7th beginning at 10am till 2pm. Lunch will be provided.

This will be a time to preview music for the upcoming year and to socialize a bit, welcoming back current choir members and welcoming new singers interested in joining our music ministry.

Our regular rehearsals will take place on Sundays at 9am prior to the Worship Service and we’ll be providing special music for the first time the day after camp on Sunday, September 8th.

If you’re interested in attending, there’s a sign up sheet on the bulletin board. Please RSVP so we can plan accordingly for lunch and if you have any questions please contact Michael at MRFR920@aol.com.

Hope to see you at camp!

2024 Ordination and Installation

Deacons
Elders

Sunday, July 14th

“There are varieties of gifts, but it is the same Spirit who gives them. There are different ways of serving God, but it is the same Lord who is served…Together we are the body of Christ, and individually members of it.”

These words, taken from the service of ordination and installation in the PC(USA), are a reminder of our calling to service in the church. This is the time of year when our Deacons and Elders complete terms of service and begin new ones.

With many thanks to outgoing Deacon Linda Christensen and outgoing Elders Jane Bies and Jon Tessier, we are pleased to welcome new Deacon Mike Melton, as well as new Elders Kirke Ryder and Deb Shober to service! They have each served in various ministries prior to this term and bring a wealth of experience to their roles. The Session has set the date of Sunday July 14, 2024 for their ordination and installation in worship and they begin their service officially at the scheduled July meetings of the respective boards. Please take a minute to thank them all for their willingness to serve and keep them in your prayers as they lead us.

June Senior Moments Event

New Zoo Adventure Park logo

Our senior adult fellowship group, Senior Moments, is going to the NEW Zoo on Monday, June 24th—all are welcome to join us! We will gather at 11:30am at the zoo entrance at 4378 Reforestation Road in Suamico.

Please bring a lunch for yourself and plan to pay for your own zoo admission. Senior tickets are $9.00 each. For more information, contact Nancy Siewert at 920-609-2051.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

Mental Health Awareness Month

The PC(USA) Store has resources for children and adults.

For information on mental illness contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness. NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.

The NAMI HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10am – 10pm, ET.

Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text “HelpLine” to 62640 or email at helpline@nami.org.

In an emergency dial 911. Ask the operator for police officers trained in crisis intervention or trained to assist people experiencing a psychiatric emergency.

988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline – 24/7 free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Dial or text 988.

Crisis Text Line  – Text HOME to 741-741
Connect with a trained crisis counselor to receive free, 24/7 crisis support via text message.

Letter Carriers Food Drive 2024

Letter Carriers Food Drive

The Letter Carriers food drive is on Saturday – May 11, 2024. We need to supply two individuals to help out at the Cofrin post office that day (this is very important, as if we don’t provide people, we will not be able to participate in the food drive next year).

Volunteers are needed at 9:00am and will be given a route to pick up food on. Stephanie Fahringer and Al Smith will be loading the bags into totes but we could really use donations of paper shopping bags, preferably with handles.

We are also in need of four people to help at church at 3:00pm that day by unloading, sorting, and putting away the food that our Presbyterian Pantry receives.

Please contact Gene Stenson at 920-241-4370 if you are able to help. Thank you for your support!

Batter Up!

FirstPresGB Baseball

It’s that time of year when we prepare for our return to the field with our #FirstPresGB co-ed softball team. The season gets underway in May and ends with playoffs at the season end in late summer. The schedule will be released soon so stay tuned for that, but we’ll be playing at the same field we’ve been at for the last seven years, Cornerstone in DePere. Our time of play will vary with each game on Sundays at 4:15, 5:45 or 6:30pm.

Men, women and youth age 14 and older are welcome to join the team! Practices are primarily getting together before game time and when it comes to the playing schedule matching up with your schedule, you play ball when you’re able to play ball. No commitment required.

If you’re not up for joining the team, volunteer field and plate umpires are always needed. No experience required. You just need to say – “you’re out”, “you’re safe”, “ball” or “strike”. It’s that easy!

So, mark your calendars for Sundays this summer to play, cheerlead or umpire our softball games. It’s a night of fun, fellowship and a little bit of exercise that you don’t want to miss out on!

For more information or to sign up to batter up or umpire contact George Hubbard by calling or texting (920) 680-1421 or email georgeahubbard@yahoo.com. See you at the ballpark!

Singers are Invited!

Music notes

The Lent and Easter season is full of wonderful music that enhances our worship in so many ways. Our organist, Michael Raught, is gathering a choir to sing several times this month—would you like to join in?

All are welcome!

The group will sing on Sunday March 10th, Palm Sunday – March 24th, and also on Easter Sunday – March 31st. Rehearsals will be held on Thursday evenings in the choir room from 6:30 to 7:30pm. You don’t need to attend every week, but your voice will add a lot to our musical offering if you can come and learn and practice with us.

Please direct any questions to Michael on Sunday mornings.

March 2024 Fourth Sunday Forum

Golden House Logo

Sunday, March 24th

Please join us for our Fourth Sunday Forum that takes place on March 24th at 9am prior to our worship service in the Fellowship Room. This month we’ll be joined by a representative from Golden House.

Founded in 1979, Golden House is a secure place where victims of domestic abuse find compassionate, knowledgeable advocates offering confidential, individualized help. Serving Brown County, Golden House assists individuals and families of ALL ages, genders, races, sexual orientation, and gender expression with counseling, temporary shelter, 24-Hour help, legal assistance (restraining and harassment order filing assistance), support groups, housing options, prevention education and more.

Free and confidential services for guests include:

  • Safety: Safety Planning, Crisis Counseling, Restraining Orders
  • Support: Mental Health Therapy, Support Groups, Parent Mentoring
  • Housing: Emergency Shelter, Flexible Safe Home Support
  • Prevention Education: Healthy Relationships and Childhood Domestic Violence

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse, there is help and support available at the Golden House. Call their 24 hour help line at 920-432-4244 or toll free 877-431-4321.

An Evening in the Highlands

An Evening in the Highlands

Join First United Presbyterian Church of De Pere on Saturday, February 17, at 5:30pm for a one-of-a-kind event – “An Evening in the Highlands” at the Green Bay Distillery.

It’ll be a very special evening celebrating the music, poetry, and dance of Scotland and Ireland. Special entertainment will include The Irish Heritage Dancers and The Clan Donald Pipe Band as well as trivia, games, haggis, raffles, and much more. 

Dinner will include your choice of either salmon with dill sauce or Steak Stew Puff Pastry along with a baked potato and neeps (turnips), plus Scottish Shortbread and Tablet (sugary confection) for dessert. There will be an optional Scotch Tasting session beginning at 4pm. Tickets are on sale NOW through the church office (during business hours) or you can purchase them online below. There are only 150 tickets available, so don’t delay. Cheers! 

Event Ticket Prices: Dinner is $60 per person & Scotch Tasting is $25 per person

Purchase Tickets Online