| November 2008 News |
 The second presentation of our 2008 Concert Series is an Organ Concert presented by our own Esther Kirkham . Join us on Sunday, November 16th at 4:00p.m. for the joy of music as presented by our talented organist. Bring your friends…no tickets are required. An offering will be accepted. You’ll be happy to know that we are getting so close to using our new Enrichment Center. The phone company is moving the boxes that create sight line issues. Carpeting is being laid, as is the stage floor. The stage lighting system is installed. The work on the drainage is complete. The highlight of the update for this week is that our parking lot has been fully restored! Parking stops and lines are in! Wait until you come on Sunday and see how great it looks. We ask you, now that the lot is back to “normal”, to do your best to park in marked spots. There are some areas where we were parking that are now not used for parking. Also, when you exit the west driveway, there are now lanes from which you can turn right OR left (we’ve added a lane for your convenience.) Throughout the 40 Days, practice this Common Prayer: “God, show us your will and we will follow it. Show us your love and we will share it. Show us your grace and we will offer it. For we want to be like Jesus in every way. Holy Spirit, transform us to be like our Savior. In his name we pray. Amen” Many thanks to all of the volunteers who helped make this a special day. Also thanks to all of those who participated by attending our Fall Family Jubilee! The deadline for the December/January issue of the Spire is Saturday, November 15th. Please note that this will be one issue to cover the months of December and January. You may submit your information to Ronda by email or drop it by the church office during business hours. The Friendship Mariners will meet in the El Rio Room on Friday, November 21st, at 6:30 p.m. for coffee and dessert. We will then hear from our new Music Director, Aaron Moore, on our musical programs for the year ahead. It should be another fun evening, so come on out! If you are not on the list of people regularly contacted by phone, please RSVP to Cecil Muggleworth at 561-482-5916 or Jeanne Fernald at 561-750-3628. Back by popular demand, the 2008 edition of the Gift Catalog will feature an even wider range of gift selections. Great gifts are available for that someone special who has everything. Last year you helped to provide a blessing to many needy families by adopting them for Thanksgiving. At the request of the Caring Kitchen in Delray, we have agreed to adopt 5O families this year. The Mission Committee is asking for families in our church to provide “Thanksgiving in a Box” for a family in need. You can sign up at Coffee Fellowship on Nov. 2nd and 9th or in the church office during the week. A list of food items and instructions will be provided If you would like to make a donation, instead of adopting a family, you can make a check payable to First Presbyterian Church and mark it for “Thanksgiving in a Box”. We hope that this act of giving will provide us with an opportunity to think about the blessings in our lives as well as providing needed food and kindness to others. The food needs to be returned to the church in a BOX WITH A LID by Tuesday, November 18th. If you have any questions or would like to help, contact Cindy O’Connell at 561-394-9836 or email her. We are still in need of food donations for our November 29th Thanksgiving Dinner. Boxes of mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce can be dropped off in the church office. There will be a pick up at the church on Wednesday November 26th at 4:15p.m. and Friday November 28th at 10:00a.m. for perishable items such as fruit, vegetables, deserts, and lettuce or salad ingredients. Please call 561-395-6517 or email Katy Ross to donate or to make other arrangements. The preschool is selling the 2008-2009 “Enjoy the City” coupon book. The books are $20.00 and provide a great value with many “buy one get one free” offers. Merchants in the book include: Boston Markets, Honey Baked Ham, Ocean Breeze Golf, Cry Clean USA, Wannado City and much more! A sample book is available in the church or preschool office. For further info, please call the preschool at 561-394-3834. How about an old-fashioned hymn sing?...sound fun?! Between worship services on Sunday, November 23rd we are having a hymn sing. Come and praise the Lord. Be ready to shout out your favorite hymn. The hymn sing will be during the usual Fellowship “Hour”, 10:30-10:55a.m., in the Sanctuary. Session has designated Sunday, December 7th as “Invite a Friend to Church” Sunday. Begin praying now about who God would lead you to invite. This is part of our outreach and growth ministry…a perfect and natural response to the 40 Days of Community Campaign. You’ll hear more about this in the coming weeks, but start praying now. The second presentation of our 2008 Concert Series is an Organ Concert presented by our own Esther Kirkham . Join us on Sunday, November 16th at 4:00p.m. for the joy of music as presented by our talented organist. Bring your friends…no tickets are required. An Offering will be accepted. Total Praise Rehearsals are on Wednesday, at 7:00p.m. Westminster Choir rehearsals are on Thursday, at 7:00p.m. NOTICE: The Faith Friends Children’s Choir rehearsals will now meet on Mondays at 5:30p.m. in the Sanctuary. If your child is age K- 6th grade, please have them join this wonderful group of children. For more information please contact Aaron Moore at 561-395-2811 ext. 205 PrayZ, our "cutting edge" Youth Choir led by Tina Lily is open to all youth in grades 7 to 12. The Youth PrayZ Choir rehearsals are on Sunday, from 5:30p.m. - 6:30p.m. in the El Rio Room. High School students can then stay on for High School Youth Group at 6:30p.m. to 8:00p.m. For more information contact Tina Lily at 561-395-2811 We are still looking for a few more people to ring with us on Monday nights at 6:30. We are beginning our Christmas Music and would love to have all the Bells covered. Come on out on Mondays or call the church office at 561-395-2811 ext. 205. Fall is a wonderful time to launch into something new or to rekindle a favorite pastime. If you, or your children, would like to take private music lessons, we invite you to sign up and enjoy developing your skill in music. We offer lessons for piano, guitar, organ, woodwinds, and brass. Forms are available in the Narthex and church office. If you know of friends or neighbors who are looking for a place to take music lessons, let them know about the lessons offered here at church. It's a great opportunity for the church to provide a safe, Church based program for the community. For more information, please call the church office at 561-395-2811. We welcome your no-longer-needed jewelry, broken or discolored pieces, strands of beads, etc. that we might be ale to spruce up in preparation for another sale. You may leave your donation in the church office with a label “Jewelry Committee.” Also, the faith bracelets are still available and may be obtained by calling Dorothy Beisel at 561-391-4787 or Doris Marshall at 561-487-6466. The Rebecca Circle is still collecting the General Mills Boxtops found on many grocery items to help purchase educational items for the Thornwell Home for Children. There is a special box labeled for this collection in the church office, so remember to cut out those Boxtops and bring them in to help support this worthy mission outreach! The Boca Raton High School Naval Junior ROTC is collecting used cell phones. They will be recycled and the proceeds will be used to buy calling cards for soldiers overseas. Please donate your used cell phones to this wonderful project. Bring your phones to the church office and Rhonda Lesniak will collect them and deliver them to Boca Raton High School. Collections will continue throughout this 2008-09 school year. Thank you. Our preschool has two job opportunities that we would like to invite members of our church to apply for. We are looking for a full-time preschool After Care Director and a part-time Quick Books Proficient Bookkeeper. If you feel you are both qualified and interested in one of these positions, please e-mail your resume to Walt Hiller. We are always in need of hosts for Coffee Fellowship and it has been made even easier to host. We just ask that you sign up for a Sunday then all you have to do is drop off your cookies (or whatever sweets you choose) and juice anytime during the week. Our ACE Committee volunteers will set up, serve and clean up for you. If you can sign up, please call Marianne Darby at 561-394-4159 or Cindy Arnst at 561-394-0652. They will let you know the details. The Motion Ministry group began meeting again on September 3rd. Meeting Wednesdays from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., this program is for kids in grades K-6. We offer fun, teen led games, lively worship, and kid led devotions and lessons. Please encourage your child to give it a try. There is a mom’s Bible study that takes place during B.L.A.S.T! if you are looking for a group to join. The time is Wednesdays at 5:30 to 7:00p.m. If you have questions, please call Jane Sackler at 561-395-2811. There are still spots available for the purchase of the altar flowers for the summer. These flowers grace our alter on Sundays for services and then are passed along to our homebound or ill church family. You may sign individually or share a Sunday with someone. Please fill out the form in the church office and turn it in. Questions can be directed to Doris Betters at 561-338-0959. The Deacons strive to maintain contact with our college-aged members while they are away at school. Our goal is to keep God and the church in their minds while they go through this important period of their lives. The deacons pray for the students on a regular basis and send care packages at various times of the year. Please contact Deacon Debbie Anderson or call her at 561-212-7012 if your son or daughter is away at college and they will be added to our list. The Deacons are available to provide a reception following a memorial service for our many members during their time of need. We would like to reach out to our church members to ask for help at these receptions. If you would be interested in helping at memorial receptions, please contact the church office to have your name/phone number put on a list. A Deacon will call you as the need arises. We appreciate your help with this important ministry. We are looking for a woman to teach the Keepers of the Faith group how to do basic knitting. We meet the first and third Wednesdays of each month, 4:00p.m. - 5:30p.m. If you are interested, please call Jaymie Weinberg at 561-350-6654. The Membership Committee is looking for new team members who are interested in serving our church membership, greeting visitors, and generally offering a friendly smile or handshake! We staff the visitor Welcome Table in the church Narthex and during Coffee Fellowship, and would greatly appreciate any friendly faces to join us in this important ministry. We also follow up with church members who haven't worshiped with us in a while, to check in and make sure all is well and put together regular mailings and other welcome packets for the community, and could use some extra hands for shopping, assembling, or labeling. If interested in these or other activities of our Membership Ministry, please contact moderator Kim Warne, 561-620-3091. If you are interested in greeting or ushering, please call the church office at 561-395-2811. What is Two Cents a Meal? The small baskets in the Narthex are barely noticeable. Just a woven basket with a sign that reads: “2 Cents a Meal”. Ever wonder what this offering is about? Two Cents a Meal is a donation quietly gathered in these baskets every Sunday that is distributed to the local food pantry to help feed families in the community. So the next time you see the baskets remember the families who need help feeding their children in our community. There are still spots available for the purchase of the altar flowers for the summer. These flowers are used on Sundays for services and then passed along to our homebound or ill church family. You may sign individually or share a Sunday with someone. Please fill out the form in the church office and turn it in. Questions can be directed to Doris Betters at 561-338-0959. Are you interested in growing closer to God and learning new skills? Do this and more while earning badges and having fun! Keepers of the Faith is a club for girls and their moms. Girls K-6 are welcome. We will be meeting bi-monthly on Fridays at 3:30 - 5:00p.m. We will be looking for volunteers to help out. For more information or questions, please contact Jaymie Weinberg 561-350-6654. We have openings for any volunteers who would like to help in the church office who can commit to either one morning or one afternoon a week. We are in need of individuals who would like to help with taking care of our church office. We currently have openings for either 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. or 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please call the church office 561-395-2811 to volunteer Every Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. is an excellent time to visit in Christian fellowship and enjoy coffee, juice, bagels, cookies, donuts, etc. in the courtyard on the East Side of the Sanctuary. There is also a table with kid friendly food for the children. One of the strengths of the church is having a group of people who know you and love you as Jesus loved his followers. We would love for you to experience the fellowship and growth that comes from meeting with a small group weekly, bi-weekly or once a month. If you are interested in participating in or expanding this ministry, please contact the church office 561-395-2811 for more information. This group meets for Bible study on Sundays at 10:45a.m. in the Library. The Tuesday Morning Men's Bible Study group meets in the Library at 7:00a.m. Please join us for Bible study, discussion and Christian fellowship. The Men’s small group meets on Friday mornings at 8:30a.m. in the Senior Pastor's Study. This small group meets for a time of study and fellowship led by Dr. McCormick and is open to men of all ages. We look forward to seeing you there. This group meets every Wednesday night at 7:00p.m. at St. Andrews. Meets every Wednesday at 12:30p.m. in the Library. Bring your lunch and join us! Meets at Mondays in the Library from 4:30p.m. to 6:00p.m. A monthly book study for women of all ages, Circle of Friends, began its fall season on Monday, September 22 at 7:00p.m. at Dawn McCormick’s home. We’ll be discussing chapters 1 – 3 (Tamar) of “A Woman’s Path to True Significance: How God Used the Women of the Bible and Will Use You Today” by Beverly LaHaye. New group members are always welcome! Please purchase books on your own. Call Dawn at 561-470-8435 for more information. Reconnections meets the fourth Wednesday evening every month at 6:30p.m. in a member’s home. Reconnections Too meets the First Tuesday evening every month at 7:00p.m. in a member’s home. They are studying "If You Want to Walk on Water, You Have to Get Out of the Boat" by John Ortberg. Please link to Membership for additional information about membership in First Presbyterian Church of Boca Raton. If you are interested in making a commitment to membership with First Presbyterian Church, we encourage you to attend a new member class. The next New Membership Class is scheduled for Sunday, November 2nd at 12:00 noon. To sign up for a class or for more information, please contact the church office 561-395-2811 or use the sign-up sheet which can be found in the Sunday bulletin. We hope to have you join our church family soon! The Spire is our monthly newsletter and it is mailed at the end of each month. If you are not receiving a copy in the mail and would like have copies mailed to you, please call the church office 395-2811 during regular business hours, 9:00a.m. - 5:00p.m., Tuesday through Friday. You may also e-mail us at the Spire. Please stop by the Welcome table between services. We have a special gift for first time visitors. Introduce yourself, ask questions and receive directions to our Coffee Fellowship time in court yard between the two worship services. You may also email Information or call 561-395-2811 for more information about First Presbyterian Church of Boca Raton. Did you know that the Member Care List kept by the church office is fueled by information called into the office by members, their families and the Deacons? Due to privacy laws, hospitals will not let the church office know if we have members admitted. We have to receive the information from other reliable sources, namely you! If you know of any church member who has been admitted to the hospital, please call the church office at 561-395-2811. If you are interested in becoming a friendly visitor to one of our homebound members, please contact the Church office or call 561-395-2811. This group meets on the last Wednesday of each month. For more information, please contact Catherine Vanden Broeck 561-395-7947 or call the church office 561-395-2811. Did you know that the Mission Committee has a goal and a vision for our church? Our goal is to become a tithing church with ten percent of our budget supporting missions. Gradually we have been moving toward that goal. Our vision states that we want to send God's message of love and redemption to every continent on earth. You are invited to help us find simple, creative ways to do that. Caring Kitchen The Caring Kitchen and Community Food Pantry are in need of help. There are volunteers needed in a variety of places (shopping, delivery and drivers, to name a few). For more information, please call Elaine 561-278-0918. Our mission committee financially and prayerfully sponsors local, nationwide and international outreach to others in need. For more information on the activities of our mission committee, please call our church office 561-395-2811. For more information about all our Mission programs at First Presbyterian Church of Boca Raton, please link to Missions. Our Shared Care Program for the Elderly started a new season on Wednesday, September 10th. Meeting Wednesdays from 9:30a.m. - 2:30p.m. at the Temple Beth El, the Shared Care Program is a volunteer mission program for the elderly and gives respite for their caregivers. It is sponsored by our church, Temple Beth El and St. Joan of Arc Church. We need more volunteers from our church and are looking for people to help with this worth while outreach. If you can help or know a neighbor or friend who would benefit from this program, please call Ginny Bond at 561-487-6171. Shared Care is a ministry partnership with St. Joan of Arc and Temple Beth El. The Shared Care program provides companionship for seniors with singing, current events, crafts, games and chair exercises. Our current volunteers are Catherine Vanden Broeck and Ginny Bond. Our church has a "prayer chain" of members who join in prayer for your requests. If you or anyone you know is in need of prayer, please link to Prayer Needs or call the church office, 561-395-2811. Each Sunday between services please come to the Allen Room, next to the left front exit of the sanctuary. A prayer partner will pray with you for needs of body, soul and spirit. Praise and thanksgiving will fortify you as we bear one another's burdens. For information about our Middle School and High School Youth Groups, their activities and their schedule, please link to Youth Special Events and Youth Calendar. Also See >This Week's Events | What's Coming Soon! |
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