10/18/22
Dear Friends,
What a fun, albeit warm, Sunday we had this week! I absolutely loved being able to worship outside again alongside a number of furry friends who joined us for the Blessing of the Pets. I hope that you all enjoyed it as much as I did. I know Brindley and Felix loved meeting new friends, as well.
For those unable to join us in-person, Sunday morning worship is livestreamed on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/GulfShoresFirstPresbyterianChurch. The service airs each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and will be available to watch after that as well.
This week, we will be kicking off a four-week series entitled, Our Money Story. Here is a bit about the theme:
We all have a money story, whether we recognize it or not. Perhaps we are living from a story of fear or shame. Or a story that the church is dying and no longer relevant. Or a story that our actions won’t have an impact. Or a story that we don’t have enough. Where might God be speaking a new narrative into the limited ones we have told ourselves? This theme invites us to discover and tell our money stories in light of God’s money story of liberation and justice. This series encourages us to transform our stewardship practices into more full expressions of who we are and what we believe.
This theme is intentionally direct—it invites us to name exactly what we’re talking about and not skirt around it. To speak of money is to invite tension into the room. We so quickly want to avoid it. But it’s time we reframe this. Money and possessions are one of the most common topics in scripture, and Jesus talked about money more than faith and prayer. Our money story, therefore, is a spiritual story. Thinking about God’s money story should be liberating, inviting, and transformative.
This stewardship season, we invite you to remember, release, reimagine, and restore your money stories so that we can write the one God is begging us to live into.
Over these next four weeks, we will have opportunity to consider this theme in worship, in art, in bible study, in prayer, and in preparing for Pledge Sunday, which will be held on Sunday, November 13. Be watching your mail for further information about pledging.
In addition, we have the opportunity to consider our personal money stories through the use of a personal study journal that was emailed along with this week's Pastor's Pen. If you would like a printed copy, just let me know and I can have one ready for you on Sunday morning.
We now have two of our classrooms-turned-office-space filled with full-time residents, and a third beginning in November! Craft Farms POA and Red Door Marketing Agency are our first two businesses to occupy our space and a local artist will join them soon, with others contacting us to set up visits about the possibility of sharing our space. If you know of someone looking for office space, have them reach out to me and we will see how we can meet their needs.
Don’t forget:
Thank you for your continued support of the Blessing Box! With the current inflation, we are struggling to keep it filled. Your donations are desperately needed. Keep bringing those non-perishable items to church on Sunday, or dropping them at the box during the week. With rising costs of everything from gas to food, the box is being used very regularly, and your donations are key to helping us bless those who are in need of what our box can offer.
You will find this week’s Prayer Requests at the bottom of the letter. Use this list to guide you in your prayer time and lift these requests to God. If you have a request (or a praise report) to include, or if a concern you have previously listed should be removed, please let me know.
Upcoming Events:
Weekly Events:
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!
Rev. Chrisy Ennen
gsfpcpastor@outlook.com, (618) 980-9899
"Let all that you do be done in love.”
I Corinthians 16:14
Dear Friends,
What a fun, albeit warm, Sunday we had this week! I absolutely loved being able to worship outside again alongside a number of furry friends who joined us for the Blessing of the Pets. I hope that you all enjoyed it as much as I did. I know Brindley and Felix loved meeting new friends, as well.
For those unable to join us in-person, Sunday morning worship is livestreamed on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/GulfShoresFirstPresbyterianChurch. The service airs each Sunday at 11:00 a.m. and will be available to watch after that as well.
This week, we will be kicking off a four-week series entitled, Our Money Story. Here is a bit about the theme:
We all have a money story, whether we recognize it or not. Perhaps we are living from a story of fear or shame. Or a story that the church is dying and no longer relevant. Or a story that our actions won’t have an impact. Or a story that we don’t have enough. Where might God be speaking a new narrative into the limited ones we have told ourselves? This theme invites us to discover and tell our money stories in light of God’s money story of liberation and justice. This series encourages us to transform our stewardship practices into more full expressions of who we are and what we believe.
This theme is intentionally direct—it invites us to name exactly what we’re talking about and not skirt around it. To speak of money is to invite tension into the room. We so quickly want to avoid it. But it’s time we reframe this. Money and possessions are one of the most common topics in scripture, and Jesus talked about money more than faith and prayer. Our money story, therefore, is a spiritual story. Thinking about God’s money story should be liberating, inviting, and transformative.
This stewardship season, we invite you to remember, release, reimagine, and restore your money stories so that we can write the one God is begging us to live into.
Over these next four weeks, we will have opportunity to consider this theme in worship, in art, in bible study, in prayer, and in preparing for Pledge Sunday, which will be held on Sunday, November 13. Be watching your mail for further information about pledging.
In addition, we have the opportunity to consider our personal money stories through the use of a personal study journal that was emailed along with this week's Pastor's Pen. If you would like a printed copy, just let me know and I can have one ready for you on Sunday morning.
We now have two of our classrooms-turned-office-space filled with full-time residents, and a third beginning in November! Craft Farms POA and Red Door Marketing Agency are our first two businesses to occupy our space and a local artist will join them soon, with others contacting us to set up visits about the possibility of sharing our space. If you know of someone looking for office space, have them reach out to me and we will see how we can meet their needs.
Don’t forget:
- If you know of those who need a place to park during their visit to Gulf Shores and they would like to use our parking lot, here is the link to share: https://www.premiumparking.com/P2658. You can also pick up postcards at the church to pass on to those who might be interested.
- Keep collecting that loose change and bring it every week to add to the collection! All of the loose change will go toward the ongoing ministry of the church, as we continue to spread the life-changing good news of God’s love.
- Want to help the church just by doing your normal Amazon shopping? Now you can! Just go to https://smile.amazon.com/ch/63-0859397 and make all your purchases through this link! Each quarter the church will receive a donation equal to 0.5% of your total purchases. You can also set it up so the Amazon app on your phone automatically purchases through Amazon Smile. For help setting that up, see this link: https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=15576745011.
- The church can now receive donations through Facebook, either by clicking on the “Donate” button on our Facebook Page, or through Fundraisers you can host on your own Facebook page.
- If you have more ideas about how we can creatively fund the ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Gulf Shores, reach out and let me know!
- For safety reasons, at 11:00 a.m. each Sunday, all the doors of the building will be locked EXCEPT the north door that leads into the narthex. If you find yourself running behind, just remember to park up front by that door and enter there.
Thank you for your continued support of the Blessing Box! With the current inflation, we are struggling to keep it filled. Your donations are desperately needed. Keep bringing those non-perishable items to church on Sunday, or dropping them at the box during the week. With rising costs of everything from gas to food, the box is being used very regularly, and your donations are key to helping us bless those who are in need of what our box can offer.
You will find this week’s Prayer Requests at the bottom of the letter. Use this list to guide you in your prayer time and lift these requests to God. If you have a request (or a praise report) to include, or if a concern you have previously listed should be removed, please let me know.
Upcoming Events:
- A Red Cross Blood Drive will be held in the Fellowship Hall on Thursday, October 27, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. Make your appointment at redcrossblood.org.
- On Sunday, November 6, we will celebrate communion, observe All Saints Day, and gather after worship at Big Beach Brewing for Presbyterian Pints. Don’t forget to invite a friend or two to join us for worship and fellowship on that Sunday!
- Stewardship Sunday will be Sunday, November 13. Be watching for more information to come.
- After worship on Sunday, November 13, a congregational meeting will be held for the purpose of electing officers for the new year. Please plan now to attend.
Weekly Events:
- Bible Study – Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. both in-person and on Zoom.\
- Join the in-person group in the church Fellowship Hall
- Join the Zoom meeting at this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81951398375?pwd=S0FBSEFxRmhhUWt2QnN3WERUY1dOUT09, entering the meeting ID and password below, if prompted.
- Meeting ID: 819 5139 8375
- Passcode: 846358
- This week’s scriptures: Luke 22:1-23; Exodus 16:1-18
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord!
Rev. Chrisy Ennen
gsfpcpastor@outlook.com, (618) 980-9899
"Let all that you do be done in love.”
I Corinthians 16:14
Posted in Pastor\'s Pen
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