Category: General

January 2024 Luncheon

Cheri Simonet
Luncheon

New Ministry Opportunity

Interested in being part of a new ministry opportunity in our congregation?

Come to a soup and sandwich lunch on Monday, January 29th at 11:30a in the Fellowship Room. 

We’ll talk about the gifts that older adults bring to our church and community as well as how our church can enhance our lives as we grow older.

Anyone is welcome–you decide if you are an “older adult” or simply want to support older adults in our midst!   

A sign up sheet will be on the bulletin board or you can call Nancy Siewert at 920-609-2051 if you would like to attend.

2024 Per Capita Sunday

Cheri Simonet
Per Capita

January 21, 2024

What is per capita? Did you check that box on your pledge card, committing to pay $37.95 for each adult member of your household this year? Why do we ask for that above and beyond your regular pledge? Are we contributing to things we don’t want to?! How can we know?

On January 21, 2024, we will answer all these questions and more!

The PC(USA) (our denomination) has invited all Presbyterians to center their worship services around the ways in which we are called into mutual support and ministry through per capita giving. Our worship on this day will focus our attention on the larger issues of our denomination and the connectional nature of being Presbyterian.

The Generosity Team will host the coffee fellowship time and engage further discussion as well.

2024 Continuing Education Event

Cheri Simonet
APCE 2024 Conference Come all who are Thirsty

In late January, Pastor Katie Estes and CE Director Joel Morien will be in St. Louis, Missouri attending the annual conference of the Association of Partners in Christian Education (APCE).

“Let everyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift” from Revelation 22 is the theme of this year’s event for pastors and educators in in the PC(USA) and partner churches.

Keynote speakers and worship leaders include Mark Yaconelli, Jerry Cannon, Melanie Marsh and others. Katie and Joel will also choose from among 70 different workshops and experience Sabbath with colleagues from around the country.

Thank you for making continuing education possible for our staff!

January 2024 Rundown

Cheri Simonet
Monthly Rundown

Church Chix Socials

The Chix had an amazing social in December when we dined at Old Mexico Cantina & Grill and we had 6 Chix that attended. The service was great and the food was even better! Our January social is planned for Thursday, January 11th at 6pm at Greystone located at 3711 Monroe Road in East De Pere. To RSVP there’s a sign up sheet on the bulletin board or email office@firstpresgreenbay.org.

Advent Workshop

Our Sanctuary was beautifully decorated for the first Sunday of Advent. Following worship we all moved to Banner Hall for our traditional Advent Workshop. THANK YOU to all who attended! We packed 75 socks of love for St. John’s Shelter guests and Kevin’s chili was delicious as always. Check out our photo Gallery!

2023 Advent Workshop
2023 Advent Workshop
2023 Advent Workshop
2023 Advent Workshop
2023 Advent Workshop
2023 Advent Workshop
2023 Advent Workshop
Advent 2023
Advent 2023
Advent 2023
Advent 2023

Christmas Toy Shop

This year’s Toy Shop on December 12th for our Pantry guests was a great success! We served 79 families and gave away toys for 345 kids! Thank you to everyone for your generous support with monetary gifts and toys, and special THANKS to our elves that were personal shoppers. Thanks to everyone’s support there’s 345 kids who found presents under the tree on Christmas morning! Check out our photo gallery!

2023 Christmas Toy Shop
2023 Christmas Toy Shop
2023 Christmas Toy Shop
2023 Christmas Toy Shop
2023 Christmas Toy Shop
2023 Christmas Toy Shop
2023 Christmas Toy Shop
2023 Christmas Toy Shop
2023 Christmas Toy Shop
2023 Christmas Toy Shop

Thank you Red Lobster!

A BIG thank you to Red Lobster Manager, James, for his team’s generous donation to our Toy Shop of more than 50 toys! Each year we’re blessed with their generosity and this year there was another overflowing dolly with toys. Red Lobster also donates frozen potatoes, salmon and Red Lobster biscuits on a weekly basis to our Pantry.

Red Lobster 2023 Christmas Toy Shop Donation
Red Lobster 2023 Christmas Toy Shop Donation
Red Lobster 2023 Christmas Toy Shop Donation

Christmas Prayer Baskets

Our three adopted families had a beautiful Christmas thanks to so many wonderful people! All the tags were taken from our baskets to fill each family’s wish lists. Many people within the church and several outside of our church helped make this possible. The Outreach Committee thanks everyone so much for the wonderful presents and for spreading joy! Special thanks to our family coordinators: Patti & Kevin Kabacinski for the Angel Family, Olivia Crooks for the Jesus Family and Lisa Olson for the Star Family.

Youth Lock-In

The Youth Group had their annual lock-in on the weekend of December 15th and wrapped all the Christmas Prayer Basket gifts. It was a great night of fellowship filled with games and fun plus reflection on how fortunate we are for all the gifts in our life. Special thanks to Mike Melton for providing the group with an amazing breakfast!

Rundowns will publish with our Connections issue on a monthly or bimonthly basis. To submit rundowns for consideration contact us at communications@firstpresgreenbay.org by the 15th of the month to be included in the following month’s publication. And, as always, we look forward to receiving your Rundown of what’s been Happening Now!

Worship Service December 17, 2023

Cheri Simonet

On this Third Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of Joy and reflect on Luke 1: 46-55 https://bit.ly/3NsHxKZ, a portion of Mary’s Magnificat. Georjeanna Wilson-Doenges will sing “Breath of Heaven” by Amy Grant and Pastor Katie will focus on “Magnified Joy.”

Worship Service December 10, 2023

Cheri Simonet

On this Second Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of Peace and focus our attention on what peace means in our world today. The children will sing an introit in our worship service: “What Do You Hear?” Pastor Katie will share Mark 1: 1-8 https://bit.ly/3Rvr0bG and reflect on “Only the Beginning”. We welcome our dear friend Micah Zuelke as substitute organist.

December 5, 2023 – Did you know?

Cheri Simonet
Did you know? Tuesday Trivia!

Our Name that Member! feature gave us the opportunity to learn just how well we really know each other. But how well do we know our church?

Here’s this week’s Did you know? Tuesday Trivia!

From the 37th Annual Report dated 1913 – what was this year’s membership?

A) 125

B) 257

C) 200

Answer:

B) From the 37th Annual Report, dated 1913. Rev. H.W. Knox, Pastor. “Last year we reported 242 members, and this year 257 members — a net gain of 15. The membership six years ago was 150, so that the net gain during the present pastorate has been 107. The organization of our women into eight neighborhood groups has contributed largely to the efficiency of our work. The idea is that the women in a certain district of the parish from a church extension center so that all our families in that part of the town get to know each other well and help one another in sickness or in sorrow.”

Thanks for playing!

We want you to do more than just play Did you know?, we’d also like you to contribute! If you have some church fun facts to share, please send those to Cheri at communications@firstpresgreenbay.org and we’ll have your contribution added to an upcoming Did you know? Tuesday Trivia!

Worship Service December 3, 2023

Cheri Simonet

On this first Sunday of Advent, we begin the new church year looking at Mark 13: 24-37 https://bit.ly/3T1YD5Y as Pastor Katie reflects on “Ready and Waiting.” The children will light the first candle on the Advent wreath and we will celebrate the sacrament of Communion as well.

The Season of Advent

Cheri Simonet
Advent

Join us as we prepare our hearts during this Advent season for the coming of Christ—Emmanuel, God With Us. Our Sundays will follow the ancient rhythm of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love as we light candles on our Advent wreath and focus our attention on God’s promises for us.

The Psalm readings for this season invite us to see the brokenness of the world as it is, with a growing hunger crisis made worse by climate crisis and violent conflicts around the world that disrupt food systems, force migration, and disproportionately impact marginalized communities. The Psalms also remind us that we can trust in God’s promises of restoration of the world. We stand together in hope, peace, joy, and love to keep us grounded in these promises.

The four Sundays of Advent welcome us into prayer and reflection as we wait in anticipation for the One who brings hope, peace, joy, and love to this broken world.

May Christ’s light bring us on the path toward justice and righteousness for all.

Youth Group 2023 Lock-in

Cheri Simonet
Youth Group

It’s time once again for our Annual Youth Group Lock-in! This annual tradition started many, many years ago with the task of wrapping Christmas gifts for Tank Elementary School families that our church adopts for Christmas each year.

Christmas Baskets

The Christmas Prayer Basket campaign, supported by the Outreach Committee, selects three families to adopt each year from nearby Tank Elementary School. We obtain wish lists for the children and adults in each family and those wishes are placed in three separate baskets on the table in the back of the Narthex. Congregation members select from the tags and return gifts unwrapped to the church by Thursday, December 14th. And the following night of the 15th is when our Youth Group gathers in the Memorial Room to wrap the dozens on dozens of presents generously donated by our members.

Although the primary purpose for the youth getting together is to wrap all those presents, the larger picture is having our youth connect with the local community and with those who’re less fortunate than us. Our youth focus on seeing those who are sometimes forgotten and unseen during the busy hustle and bustle of the Holiday season. The lock-in is the fun part of it but moreover youth draw a connection to how fortunate we are to be blessed in so many ways. It’s easy to take for granted our blessings and there’s no better time of year than Christmas to reflect, remember and give thanks for all those blessings.

We gather at 6:30 on Friday, December 15th to wrap, retire to the youth group room for our sleepover and return home the following morning after breakfast. It’s a memorable and rewarding experience for all who participate. If you’d like to know more or get involved in this year’s lock-in, please contact Joel Morien at ce@firstpresgreenbay.org. And thank you to all our members who will generously donate those gifts for the youth to wrap!