Parking Lot Worship This Sunday
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but Communion distribution is delightful!
Due to the cold temps that are predicted for Sunday, we want to give some added protection to our awesome volunteers who will be handing out the Communion Elements and Bulletins. As you enter the church parking lot, please follow the traffic flow to the Main Entrance (Portico) and share the number of your carload worshippers with our helpers. You will receive your Communion Elements in a zip-locked baggie. Then follow the traffic flow to the upper parking lot and park facing the Sunday School classrooms. Tune your car radio to 93.5 and experience our first ever “DCPLS”-Daytime Communion Parking Lot Service.
There is no need to register for the service, just throw your car into DRIVE and join us on February 7th!
Indoor Worship
Love is in the air! RSVP online between Feb 8-and Feb 12
Start your Valentine’s Day with In-Person Worship on February 14th at 10:00AM. While this service will look different from our regular worship experience, we are asking all in attendance on the 14th to JUST SAY YES TO…
- Signing up in advance to attend worship*
- Wearing a face mask as you enter and throughout your time at FPC
- Picking up your name tag at the Check-In Table in the Narthex
- Worshipping together in our Sanctuary
- Choosing your own “Place in the Pews” while maintaining a minimum of 6 ft social distancing from people outside of your household. Pews will marked-off to guide you.
- Using hand sanitizer in the pews
- Following an usher to exit worship as we empty the Sanctuary from the back to the front
- Chatting with fellow worshippers outside before and after the service
A link to the sign-up for the service will be on the FPC homepage on Monday. The sign up with be open from February 8 at 8:00am and end on February 12 at Noon. We are limiting attendance to 50 people, plus staff for worship on the 14th and you can “show us some love” by using the electronic sign-up. If you do not have access to a computer, please call the Church Office at (608) 949-9445 during regular business hours.
Just a reminder… we will continue to have our virtual service available on Sunday mornings
More upcoming events:
Communion Pick up for those attending the Virtual Service
On Saturday February 6 from 1-2pm, swing by the front doors of the church, pick up your Communion elements, and receive a prayer.
Hey FPC Family, are you looking for in-person opportunities?
Would you be interested in an in-person art night or craft-ernoon? What about an in-person small group Bible Study? Or maybe meeting up for fun outdoor activities?
Email Christa or Ezrah Schmeelk with your interest!
cschmeelk@myfpc.org eschmeelk@myfpc.org
Save the Date for another Virtual Game Night!
Friday, February 26 from 6:30-7:30pm.
***CANCELLED*** FPC Fire Pit – TONIGHT!
Friday, February 5, from 6-7pm | Behind FPC
Come dressed in warm clothes and a mask! We can connect and then end with a prayer. Email Christa Schmeelk so we know how many folks to plan for! cschmeelk@myfpc.org
Snowman Building Competition
Sunday, February 21 | 1-2pm
Get your snow on Sunday, February 21 from 1-2pm and show us your best snow sculpture. Of course there will be awards given and your creativity will be honored – animals, structures, sky is the limit! All ages are welcome.
Virtual Meetings for FPC Guests
New to FPC? If you began attending our services online during the pandemic, we haven’t met you! Please join us for one of these virtual connection times:
Saturday, February 13 | 10-10:30
Meeting ID: 864 4588 4103
Passcode: fpc
Sunday, February 14, 1-1:30
Meeting ID: 857 2861 5438
Passcode: fpc
40 Bags in 40 Days Lent Group on Facebook
What is the 40 Bags in 40 Days Decluttering Challenge?
This is a forty day period (coinciding with the 40 days of Lent) where you go through your home and declutter one area or one “bag” a day. This year, the 40 Bags in 40 Days™ Challenge starts on February 17 and finishes on April 3 (with Sundays off.) During Lent people often talk about giving up something. This Challenge allows us to take away the clutter from our homes and simplify our lives. Living with less stuff and excess leaves more room for Jesus in our hearts and minds.
How do I sign up for the group?
You will need a Facebook Account to be part of the online group, but you can definitely do this on your own as well! To find the group you will type “@FPCLentGroup” in the search bar and then click “Like” – then you are all signed up! Christa Schmeeelk will begin posting when Lent begins, and you can share what you are doing as well.
What counts as a bag?
Think about a bag as something that is leaving your home. This could mean a bag of giveaways dropped off at WNC/St. Vinny’s, a bag of old magazines/ paper clutter to recycle, or a bag of trash that goes directly into the garbage. What you think is a bag is up to you! You can make the rules. For example, you could think about cleaning up your email inbox – a digital recycle bin, or unfollowing/unfriending everyone on social media that you don’t know or who makes you feel bad about yourself. Maybe deleting phone apps that take too much time… it doesn’t even have to be a physical bag.
Where should I start?
It may be easiest to pick a specific area like “the kitchen junk drawer” or “the kid’s book shelf” rather than a larger area like “the basement.” Christa has tried starting in different ways. “Sometimes I take 40 “Before” photos so I know which areas I want to complete. Sometimes I will just write a list of 40 areas and check them off one by one.” She suggests that spontaneously picking an area each day, didn’t work as well for her personality because goals were more motivating. You can decide what might work for you.
Have any questions? Just email Christa Schmeelk cschmeelk@myfpc.org
Graceland Student Newsletter
Catch up on all the student ministries offerings in the now-weekly Graceland newsletter. In this week’s newsletter:
- High School and Middle School youth group sign-ups.
- Can you even read? JK! Tips for reading the Bible.
- This week’s tunes.
- Meme me.
- I want Ezrah to visit meeeeeee!
From the 2020 Annual Report: Building & Grounds
The entire Annual Report is available here. But take a peek at this excerpt:
Much of the buildings and grounds agenda for 2020 was put on hold by the Covid-19 pandemic. Team members and volunteers were able to get together in early May and do the spring clean-up of the outside grounds of the church. Their hard work on that day is much appreciated. Other aspects of the team’s plans for some long-range discussion and potential improvements to the church’s parking lot were put on hold for the year.
The Building & Grounds team had two other successes to highlight for the congregation.
First, the team, especially volunteer Sheldon Schall, worked hard to make the church as safe as possible during these trying times. Sheldon installed touch free hand sanitizers at each main church entrance. Also, under Sheldon’s guidance, the church was able to upgrade the heating and air conditioning systems with equipment that provides enhanced air filtration.
Second, throughout the current public health crisis, the church has made Fellowship Hall available for critical American Red Cross blood drives on numerous occasions during 2020. The December blood drive alone collected enough blood donations to save 153 lives. FPC should be proud of this contribution to the safety of our community.
In the Fall, all the way up through December, our middle and high school You have made a tremendous difference for us to continue to meet the need during this difficult time for our country. We hope that the protective measures we put into place meet your and your donors’ confidence.
Once again, on behalf of all the patients we serve and you have helped, THANK YOU!
Red Cross’ Central Wisconsin Regional Donor Services Executive
Stephen Ministry
We know the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone—raising the level of fear, stress, and anxiety for people all over the world and underscoring the importance of caring ministry. As a Stephen Ministry congregation, we equip and empower lay caregivers to provide high-quality, confidential, Christ-centered care. Our commitment to this ministry is extremely important during these uncertain times.
If you, or someone you know, could benefit from this ministry, contact the church office.
Want to receive an email notification when the weekly Connector is updated? Sign up here!
