Youth in 7th and 8th grade (or older who have not been through confirmation) are invited to join the Rev. Barbara E. Senecal-Davis on Sunday, January 22 for the first session of this spring’s confirmation journey! Please feel free to contact the Rev. Senecal-Davis at bdavis@fpcnyc.org if you have any questions or are interested in signing up for confirmation but cannot attend the January 22 meeting.

Parents, please register your youth for Confirmation in advance at www.fpcnyc.org/parents-and-kids/confirmation.

Parents of 7th-8th graders and parents who have had youth go through the confirmation in the previous two confirmation sessions are invited to join the Rev. Barbara E. Senecal-Davis for this special new program.  If you have ever wondered what our youth study in confirmation or been curious about the topics and faith formation they encounter, this is your chance to be in their shoes!  Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience confirmation from the inside out.

Parents, please register your youth for Confirmation in advance at www.fpcnyc.org/parents-and-kids/confirmation.

This is a very special tradition at First Church and a lovely way for you to share in the spirit of the season.

Please join the merriment, festive caroling, special treats, AND help us welcome our surprise guest!
Ages 6 and under (older siblings welcome).

Please RSVP by Wednesday, December 7, to families@fpcnyc.org or sign up in the church lobby.

Advent is a season when we tend to turn our focus to the home: setting out greens and ornaments and filling the house with good smells and warm food.  We prepare our own homes for the presence of Christ who is coming, remembering even as we do so that Jesus, from birth to death, was a traveler.  Born in a borrowed stable, exiled to Egypt as a child, and preaching and teaching from the road, Jesus never quite had a permanent address.

Our church offers shelter to those who, like Christ, have no where to lay their heads.  The guests in our Shelter Program stay in our Parlor each night for several months out of the year, with volunteers working to offer a meal and a warm bed.

On Friday, December 9, families and children of all ages are invited to participate in an Advent Shelter Night, “Room At the Inn.”  This intergenerational evening will engage children, youth, and parents in preparing a place for those who stay at our church’s homeless shelter each night.  Together we’ll serve those who, like Christ, are seeking shelter, by cooking a meal and setting out beds, as well as making cards and gifts for our guests to open on Christmas Eve.  After sharing the story of Jesus’ own search for shelter, we will celebrate his coming with carols and hot chocolate around the fire.

Join us for this evening of service, as we welcome Christ in our midst, preparing a place for him in our hearts through the practice of love and generosity.

Emily Scott, Director of Family Music Ministries

To begin our Church School year, I encourage parents to consider these 99 suggestions and will highlight one topic in a special web exclusive article each month. Copies of the book will be available in the Church library for parents to borrow and are available for purchase at thethoughtfulchristian.com or amazon.com. Look for this month’s article, “Send Your Child into the World with Joy,” online now!

—The Rev. Barbara E. Davis

Read the Web Exclusives Here:

November Focus: #16 Lear and Experience Other Faith Traditions

October Focus: #95 Live a Life of Stewardship

September’ Focus: #99 Send Your Child Into the World with Joy

But what of our own voices?  Singing is, at its root, a deeply human activity, one that has helped us connect with one another in the context of our communities.  We have kept our histories alive through oral tradition, passed down folksongs through the years.  As little as a few generations ago, music making was one of the ways families found entertainment together, gathering in living rooms around pianos or banjos or a drum to sing together.  We want to sing, and in church and at home, singing is one important way we discover who we are as a collective: as a body.

This year, Family Music Ministries is seeking to play a small part in reconnecting us to our voices, offering families an opportunity to gather and sing with one another the first Sunday of every month at 10:00 a.m.  Family Hymn Sings allow parents and children to familiarize themselves with the hymns we’ll be singing in worship that morning, gaining confidence reading music, and familiarizing yourselves with the rich canon of hymns in our hymnal. Singing at Home Workshops are geared for families with younger children, and feature songs for mealtime, bedtime, and liturgical seasons such as Advent, Christmas and Easter that can be sung in the home as an integrated part of family life.

Singing is for everyone!  Psalm 104 reads, “I will sing to God my whole life!”  God does not ask that our songs be perfect.  God does not need us to be professionals.  God only asks that we make a joyful noise, celebrating the lives and voices that we have been given.

Emily Scott, Director of Family Music Ministries

With one candle for each Sunday in the season of Advent, Advent Wreaths are a tradition that helps us prepare our homes and our hearts for Christ’s coming with warmth and light.  Children and families are invited to the Assembly Hall after worship and Church School on Sunday, November 20 for a time of celebration and fellowship.  We’ll hear stories and songs for the season as well as share some treats.  Please RSVP to families@fpcnyc.org.  A freewill donation will be collected.

Baby and Toddler Worship is an opportunity for families with young children (2 years old and under) to worship God through singing, storytelling, and activities.  Snacks are provided and opportunities are available to learn more about child care on Sundays and Church School.  Siblings of any age are always welcome.  Please RSVP to families@fpcnyc.org.

Have you ever wondered why the hangings on the pulpit change colors? When you are asked during baptism to remember your own baptism do you have questions about the meaning of the sacrament? Two of the most important aspects of our worship life are the seasons of the church year and our sacraments. This on-going series is designed especially for church school teachers, parents, new members, and to any interested in the meaning of these vital parts of our community life.  This session will examine the Lectionary scriptures for the season of Advent.  Don’t know what the Lectionary is?  Come and find out!

Join us as the Mission Fair returns Sunday, October 30th! During coffee hour the Great Hall will bustle with local and church mission organizations. Come by to learn about service opportunities and enjoy fellowship. The children will be organizing hygiene kits for the homeless shelter. Please consider donating small hygiene items like combs, washcloths, soap, toothbrush/paste, nail clippers, and packs of tissues. For more information please call the church office at (212) 675-6150 or contact Lauren McGill at mlmcgil@aol.com.

Nothing says Fall like pumpkin carving, bulb planting, and cider drinking!  Our October Ecclesia event will include all three (plus some Halloween candy!) as we gather to celebrate the beauty and abundance of the season.  after a pizza lunch and carving pumpkins to decorate the Youth Balconies, we’ll study a scripture passage, write a new hymn, and then head outside to the church ground to plant tulip bulbs that will come up in the Spring.  Our Fall celebration will conclude with hot apple cider outside on the lawn.  Youth in 7-12 grades are invited to participate.  The event will take place on Sunday, October 23 after worship, and run till about 2:00 p.m.  Don’t forget to bring or wear your work clothes.