From the Pastor's Pen 12/21/22

12/21/2022

Dear Friends,

It’s the week of Christmas, so this Pastor’s Pen will be short and sweet so I can get back to all the fun preparations for the various worship opportunities this week.

Tonight at 6:00 is the Longest Night service that we are hosting alongside Orange Beach Presbyterian Church. This service, provided to acknowledge that not everyone sees this time as the most wonderful time of the year, is a service in which we take time to recognize the pain, hurt, and grief experienced by so many, as well as point to the hope that comes with the Advent of Christ. I hope to see you, and any that you believe will benefit from this time, this evening.

Our next opportunity to worship together is on Saturday, December 24, at 4:00 p.m. This will be our annual Christmas Eve Service of Lessons and Carols, which will include scripture readings, congregational singing, special music, and the candle light singing of Silent Night. Invite your friends and family to join us for this lovely service.

On Christmas Eve, we will have the oppoortunity to help shoulder a burden for some in our community this Christmas. In previous years, we have been able to help a family in need with financial and other gifts to bring help and hope to them during this season. We have identified a local family who could greatly use some financial help this year, and we would like to invite anyone who wishes to contribute so that we can give them a financial gift for Christmas. You can place your gifts in the offering noting that the gift is for the “Mercy Fund.” In addition, the entirety of the offering collected on Christmas Eve will be used for this purpose. Thank you in advance for supporting this family in need.

On Sunday, Christmas Day, December 25, we will worship together at 11:00 a.m. and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior. I hope that you will make this a part of your Christmas Day celebrations. What better way to spend the morning!

As we near the close of 2022, if you are able, would you consider giving an additional financial gift to the church so that we can end the year without having to take any more money out of the quickly diminishing Hartlein Fund that has supplemented our income over the last few years? We are grateful for your generosity and for the many ways you continue to support the work of God’s church. Scroll down for the ways you can give a gift to the church.

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.

From Sunday, December 25, after worship, through Monday, January 2, I will be on vacation. If you need non-emergency assistance during that time, please reach out to Pam Winstead or any member of the Session. If you have an emergency, please reach out and I will respond to you as soon as possible.

Some of you may have heard that I am starring in a play in January. The South Baldwin Communty Theater is presenting The Odd Couple (Female Version) January 5-8 and 12-15. I have the pleasure of playing Olive (the character that resembles Oscar in the original show). Tickets for this hilarious show can be purchased at sbct.biz and are going fast, so grab your tickets now!

While our six full-time office spaces are FULL, Hand-in-Hand Business Center is working on more ways to serve small businesses and entrepreneurs in our community. Soon we will have conference room space that will be available for use, and co-working spaces are also in the works. We are also creating a wait-list for those interested in office space. Also, we are partering with other local organizations to host a “Starting Your Business in Baldwin County” seminar in January. Spread the word to anyone you know who may be interested.

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! The Christian Service Center is closed for the holiday, so any thing you can provide is 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.

Upcoming Events:

• Longest Night – December 21st, 6:00 p.m.
• Christmas Eve – December 24th, 4:00 p.m.
• Christmas Day – Worship at 11:00 a.m.
• Presbyterian Pints – Sunday, January 1, after worship at Big Beach Brewing
• GCAA Art Markets – January 14 and February 11, 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Weekly Events:

• Chair Yoga led by Donna Holmes – Wednesdays at 11:00 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall
• (No Bible Study December 28) 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
  • Today’s scriptures: Isaiah 52:7-10; Psalm 98; Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12); John 1:1-14

As always, you are welcome to reach out to me via email, text or phone with any needs or just to chat!
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