LENTEN BOOK STUDY
Lenten Group sign ups are OPEN; groups start February 21 week
For Lent 2021, we’ll be reading The Good and Beautiful Community by James Bryan Smith, a professor and Methodist pastor who has a heart for the church and spiritual formation.
The guiding questions Smith asks are: 1) how do we become more authentic Christ-followers, and 2) how do we become a beloved and vital community for others, no matter our differences? This book graciously and inspirationally speaks to our times and is rooted in scripture. With the focus unequivocally on Christ, Smith compels readers toward a renewed understanding of God, transformation and healing. There’s no political finger-wagging here. What you will find is a rich guide on how we can love courageously, surrender what doesn’t serve Christ or ourselves, and rediscover joy in community.
When It Starts
Sign ups begin the morning of Friday, Feb. 5. We invite all current small groups to consider reading The Good and Beautiful Community during our six-week church-wide study, beginning the first week of Lent (after Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17). Book groups start on Sunday, Feb. 21st and run through Easter.
Sign ups begin the morning of Friday, Feb. 5. We invite all current small groups to consider reading The Good and Beautiful Community during our six-week church-wide study, beginning the first week of Lent (after Ash Wednesday, Feb. 17). Book groups start on Sunday, Feb. 21st and run through Easter.
Sign Up here
Effective February 5, SIGN UP HERE and see dates and times available: https://fpcmoorestown.churchcenter.com/groups/lent-book-groups-2021.
Effective February 5, SIGN UP HERE and see dates and times available: https://fpcmoorestown.churchcenter.com/groups/lent-book-groups-2021.
Want to start a group?
If you’d like to form a book group, please do! You can let Alison Mackey or Kelly LePenske know ASAP!
If you’d like to form a book group, please do! You can let Alison Mackey or Kelly LePenske know ASAP!
Books
You may order books yourself through AMAZON.COM or CHRISTIANBOOK.COM A limited number of books will be available through the church office. Contact Alison at 856.235.1688, Ext. 113 or amackey@fpcmoorestown.org to reserve and purchase a copy. Books are $12 each and beautiful hardcover. Leaders, your copy is no charge.
You may order books yourself through AMAZON.COM or CHRISTIANBOOK.COM A limited number of books will be available through the church office. Contact Alison at 856.235.1688, Ext. 113 or amackey@fpcmoorestown.org to reserve and purchase a copy. Books are $12 each and beautiful hardcover. Leaders, your copy is no charge.
Sign-ups and COVID logistics
Sign up online on our Events page or call Alison Mackey in the church office to join a group at 856.235.1688, Ext. 113. Sign-ups opened the morning of Friday, February 5th. Most groups will be online via Zoom. Groups are welcome to meet in-person, but are strongly encouraged to do so outdoors or in large, well-ventilated rooms with masks. Groups can meet indoors on FPC Moorestown’s campus in Fellowship Hall or Miller Commons.
Sign up online on our Events page or call Alison Mackey in the church office to join a group at 856.235.1688, Ext. 113. Sign-ups opened the morning of Friday, February 5th. Most groups will be online via Zoom. Groups are welcome to meet in-person, but are strongly encouraged to do so outdoors or in large, well-ventilated rooms with masks. Groups can meet indoors on FPC Moorestown’s campus in Fellowship Hall or Miller Commons.
Room Requests
Room requests can be made by contacting Jan Martin in the church office (856.235.1688, Ext. 133).
Room requests can be made by contacting Jan Martin in the church office (856.235.1688, Ext. 133).
Contacts
To form a group, reserve a book copy, or sign up, contact Alison Mackey at amackey@fpcmoorestown.org or 856.235.1688, Ext. 113 or Kelly LePenske at klepenske@fpcmoorestown.org or Ext. 101.
To form a group, reserve a book copy, or sign up, contact Alison Mackey at amackey@fpcmoorestown.org or 856.235.1688, Ext. 113 or Kelly LePenske at klepenske@fpcmoorestown.org or Ext. 101.
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KELLY LEPENSKE ANNOUNCEMENT
Aloha Greetings!
Kelly LePenske, Director of Congregational Ministries, shares a life update message with members of FPC Moorestown.
“Hi FPC. We’ve done a lot together and we’ve done well!” – Kelly LePenske
Kelly will be leaving FPC Moorestown in early May, Just before her wedding. Listen to Kelly’s message and let’s join together in congratulations to Kelly and her fiancé, Joey Sponseller, as they make plans to begin their lives as a married couple.
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CAPITA
Per Capita Apportionment
With 2021 underway, we are preparing
to pay our denominational per capita apportionment and ask for your continuing help in supporting the larger church.Members pay this $38.75 per capita recognizing that the Presbyterian Church (PC-USA) is a connectional church and we are part of a larger family throughout the country. This connection includes our Synods, Presbyteries, and General Assembly.
Watch your mail this month for a letter from us, sharing specific information about this offering and how it benefits our church and the larger church.
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YOUR INVITATION TO OUR ANNUAL MEETING
Pastor Update, Coronavirus Letter 15Your Invitation to Our Annual Meeting
January 31, 2021
Dear Members and Friends of FPC Moorestown,
Sunday, February 7th is the day for our family business. The first Sunday in February is the day for our Annual Meeting. This year, we’ll do our business differently than before, but it’s crucial that you plan to join us. Our Annual Meeting is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. that day via Zoom webinar. This year, we won’t eat sandwiches, chips and cookies together as we normally do. It’s okay with me if you bring your lunch to our meeting this year!
Annual Meeting — The Annual Congregational Meeting will be held on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2021 at 11:00 am via Zoom webinar. The purpose of the meeting is to share the Annual Report with members, receive the 2021 church budget, and approve the 2021 pastor’s terms of call. Find the webinar info on our eblast, online events page and website. The Annual Report will be available Sunday, January 31.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86847661246?pwd=SVlwWXF1eTlPLzVqaEVEWEdFTXF6Zz09
Passcode: dFRap9
Webinar ID: 868 4766 1246
Passcode: 878234
Passcode: dFRap9
Webinar ID: 868 4766 1246
Passcode: 878234
When you join the Annual Meeting that day, you’ll only be able to see those who will present reports. You’ll be able to ask questions or make comments through the “Chat” feature. For any voting during the meeting, we’ll use the polling feature. If you need help, our Seminary Intern Beth Douglass will be available throughout the meeting.
Before that Sunday, I ask you to take ten minutes to watch a video our staff made recently. Jan Martin, our phenomenal office manager, authored a list of all the things we were able to accomplish in 2020, even as we faced many challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve combined Jan’s list with music by Martin and Christine Bass and many pictures from last year. You’ll praise and thank God as I did when I watched. Through us, the Lord did so much; and I’m certain that our staff and lay leaders will keep on adapting and innovating in 2021.
To view the video, go to our webpage and scroll down to the Feature Section: 2020 Year in Review. Click on the video: https://www.fpcmoorestown.org/
Please review the 2020 Annual Report before our meeting. It’s another record of God’s faithfulness and your support. I have some details to share with you about planning we’re doing for the coming months.
On Sunday, February 7th, worship with us at 9:30 a.m. either in-person or via live stream. Then get your coffee, your cookies and your sandwich by 11:00 a.m. I can’t wait to join you.
As we move into February and the start of the Lenten season, note our plans for Ash Wednesday on February 17th and our Church-wide Lenten Book Study:
- The Journey of Lent begins on Wednesday, Feb. 17 with Ash Wednesday Worship at 7:00 pm. Worship will be in the sanctuary by live stream only. Earlier that day, we will hold two special drive-through events for imposition of ashes at 12 noon and 5:00 p.m. Participants will drive safely into the main parking lot and be greeted for prayer and, if desired, the imposition of ashes or oil, on the forehead or the back of the hand. Please wear masks.
- Lenten Book Study: During Lent we’ll be reading The Good and Beautiful Community by James Bryan Smith, a professor and Methodist pastor who has a heart for the church and spiritual formation. How do we become more authentic Christ-followers? How do we become a beloved and vital community for others, no matter our differences? Visit the online events page, website and eblast for sign up information. Signs ups begin Friday, Feb. 5; groups begin Sunday, Feb. 21 via Zoom on safely in-person. Contact Kelly LePenske or Alison Mackey for questions at 856.235.1688.
Gratefully yours in Christ,
Stuart Spencer, Pastor
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REGISTRATION OPENS FOR STEP BY STEP PRESCHOOL
2021-22 Registration for Step by Step Preschool Opens in January
Now is the time to register for the 2021-2022 school year at Step by Step Christian Preschool, a ministry of FPC Moorestown.
- Early registration for church members and current enrollees begins the week of January 11, 2021.
- Open registration for all others will begin on January 27, 2021.
Applications
Applications can be found online at PRESCHOOL REGISTRATION
Our Classes
Classes begin in September 2021 and are available for 2 ½ year olds (must be 2 by April 1), 3-year olds (must be 3 by Sept 30) and Pre-K students (must be 4 by Sept. 30). Step by Step offers flexible options for morning or afternoon sessions for 2, 3, 4 or 5 days a week, and is open to members of the church and surrounding communities.
Learn more
Visit the preschool’s web site for more information at STEP BY STEP PRESCHOOL or contact Preschool Director Amy Delgado at 856.235.1688, x132.
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A NOTE OF THANKS TO THE CONGREGATION
With Heartfelt Appreciation from the Trustees
We want to sincerely express our gratitude to the entire congregation for the year-end financial support we have received.
Thanks to your response to our appeals, our December collections significantly exceeded expectations and should allow us to close the year with a small surplus rather than a projected deficit. Any surplus, together with other budget relief funds that were already expected to be used for a 2020 budget deficit, is now available to reduce the projected deficit we face in 2021.
While we are still contending with financial challenges in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, your incredible response to our year-end appeal has brightened the picture meaningfully.
We are very appreciative of the sacrifices and efforts all of you make for the good of our Church and the missions we serve.
Jeff Legath, Trustees President
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PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S WINTER GATHERING
Presbyterian Women Offer Program
‘The Changing Face of Mission in the World’
Presented by our featured speaker, Linda Jagiela, FPC Administrator of Outreach. All are invited to an evening of fellowship, information, and inspiration.
Please join us on Monday, January 25 at 7:00 PM via Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 811 1846 5581
Passcode: 3P7F0M
Dial by your location:
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 811 1846 5581
Passcode: 428910
As we have done in the past, we will be collecting cotton socks for clients of the Christian Caring Center. A box for socks will be outside the Commons Lobby throughout January.
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YOUTH MINISTRY IN A PANDEMIC
DAVE FAUVELL’S UPDATE ON OUR YOUTH GROUP
“Every week they show up and they are ready to talk about faith and they are ready to delve into what it means to follow Christ.”
In the fall, the Youth Ministry started a Small Group initiative with many leaders (some recent Youth Group grads home from college!) who have stepped up to lead the teams. Listen to Dave’s account and hear about the break down of our one large youth group into a number of small meetings through Zoom, FaceTime and, weather permitting, safely outside.
We are so proud of our FPC youth, they are tackling the hard questions and are growing in their faith.
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PASTOR SPENCER’S HOLIDAY MESSAGE
Experience the light that comes with Jesus’ birth!
Pastor Spencer shares a warm Christmas message with us this year. A year when we may all feel a little banged up.
“Our church aspires to be a beacon light of God’s love; may that love, and the truth of that love, be yours in abundance in this Christmas and Advent season.”
Join us for our Christmas Eve services this year, you are always welcome. We will be doing a lot of carol singing and you will be provided a battery operated candle so you may honor our faith that Jesus is the light that comes in the darkness!
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FPC SPIRIT OF GENEROUSITY
We give to help bring hope and light to the world.
Our Steeple Restoration project, completed through your support.
Week by week, your faith spurred you to give generously to keep our doors open and our mission moving ahead.
As we come into these last weeks of 2020, we are offering special year-end giving opportunities you may wish to take advantage of to support our ministry and achieve a personal financial benefit.
- Year End Stock Donations
Process stock gifts expediently by contacting your broker or Norman Vandergrift at 856-235-1688, Ext. 112 or nvandergrift@fpcmoorestown.org.
- Christmas Green Offering
This offering directly aids our FPC Moorestown church program areas such as children’s and adult ministries, youth ministry, membership and nurture, music, worship, prayer ministry and missions. Please use the Christmas Green envelope in boxed sets and the mailed pastor’s letter, leave in the offering box or mail your check to the church.
- Christmas Joy Offering
This denominational gift assists racial-ethnic schools and retired PCUSA workers who need financial assistance. Please use the Christmas Joy envelope in boxed sets, leave in the offering box or mail your check to the church.
- General Budget Help
A gift above your pledged giving that keeps our ministry going forward would be most appreciated. Every love gift helps us close our current gap, critical in this COVID year. We ask you to strongly consider making a special gift to help us meet our 2020 budget if you have the resources to do so. You may mail checks to the church office or donate online at www.fpcmoorestown.org.
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PASTOR UPDATE CORONAVIRUS LETTER 14
Pastor Update, Coronavirus Letter 14Christmas Eve schedule offers meaningful, safe worship opportunities
December 18, 2020
Dear Members and Friends of FPC Moorestown,
Planning for Christmas Eve in the middle of a pandemic, like nearly everything else we’ve faced this year, isn’t easy. Consider that Christmas Eve is the night when everyone goes to church. Not this year. Most churches are planning for pre-recorded or live stream services with no in-person participants.
But at FPC Moorestown, after planning and adjusting, we are able to offer both in-person and live stream Christmas celebrations. NOTE: There is a possibility our services will move to Wednesday, December 23 due to predicted weather. Watch for updates from Facebook, eblasts and our website.
Outdoor Christmas Eve Worship at 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm
I’m delighted that we have a way to gather safely on this holy and beautiful night by offering two unique outdoor services on Christmas Eve! We’re preparing the courtyard next to the sanctuary with luminarias, fire pits, and other decorations. Everyone who joins us receives a battery-operated candle. These brief services feature a lot of carol singing, Scripture, prayer and I will deliver a Christmas message.
If you attend, please wear your mask from the time you leave your car until the time you return to your car following worship. Practice physical distancing with our members and friends. Rejoice, for we get to join the shepherds who were outside at night when they heard the announcement of Jesus’ birth. We’ll be in the right place at the right time on Christmas Eve!
Live Stream Lessons and Carols at 4:00 pm (no in-person attendance)
We’ll live stream one indoor Christmas Eve service, with Communion and an abbreviated order of Lessons and Carols. Some of our choirs sing that evening. I’ll preach and celebrate the Lord’s Supper with the virtual congregation. If you join us online for this service, have a communion serving and a candle ready at the start of worship. After we gather around the Lord’s Table, Kelly LePenske will invite you to light your candle at home as we sing “Silent Night, Holy Night.” Someone asked me if the singers will lift their candles with every stanza and they will. We’re planning to offer special pre-recorded Christmas music from our choirs before the start of this service. Check our website and watch for an e-blast on Christmas Eve day for the start time for this musical offering.
Celebrating Christmas
Remember that Christmas is a season and should be celebrated longer than a day. On Christmas Eve, after the conclusion of our 4:00 pm service, videos from some of our Christmas Eve services from 2019 will be posted on our website for your viewing. On Sunday, December 27th, we gather for in-person worship as we have since the start of November. Worship remains at 9:30 am and I look forward to preaching a sermon called, “The Mouse, the Sink, and the Bowl.”
Finally, I want to thank you for your incredible financial support of our ministry and mission. Thank you for all the ways you’ve supported our staff too. Our faithful God is seeing us through this difficult year. So, good Christian friends rejoice, with heart and soul and voice!
Yours in Christ,
Stuart Spencer, Pastor
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A Message from Your Prayer Team
You Are Not Alone!
Our Church Family wants you to know that YOU are REMEMBERED at this time, particularly at this time because you are alone. At least it FEELS like you are alone.
There was once a couple who played a game. No score was kept. There was only one rule:
One named an object and the other person had to explain what aspect of God’s “being” or character was revealed in that object. It could be anything: A moss-swaddled stump of cedar, or voluminous cloud formations. This couple had read Romans 1:20, “Since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what he has made!”
So! They made up this game! A game you can play with others, OR when you are alone.
Here goes! What aspect of God’s being is shown in ICICLES and TREES? Icicles are made as water drips off trees or roofs, and freezes in space. They grow long when warm light beams strike it. The icicle starts to melt getting longer and longer. Darkness comes and it freezes solid. The sun rises and it weeps, drop after drop. The next day it weeps even more as the sun beams down on it. It becomes longer and sharper. When enough light comes into it, its form totally changes! It breaks. Frozen tears melt into a running stream. Bleak winter yields to spring!
God was “frozen” in our time for 33 years and 9 months, in a human form. But his heart melted. It wept. It became a river of Life. Our Lord told the Samaritan woman at the well that if she drank His kind of water she would never thirst again!
Eternal Life had hung on another tree that reached all the way to Heaven, frozen in earth’s space and time with bitterness and cold. Love blazed Light and all of hell could not hold it back. “Drink slowly, Drink deeply,” the River sings. He holds YOUR cup. And out of it will flow rivers of living water to someone YOU touch with your warm love!
With Love and Blessings,
The Prayer Team
First Presbyterian Church Moorestown
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WJCMS ONLINE CONCERT
AT HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The West Jersey Chamber Music Society (WJCMS) presents its annual holiday concert on Sunday, December 13 at 7:30 p.m. in a free live streamed event. The concert will stream live on the West Jersey Chamber website www.wjcms.org and the church website www.fpcmoorestown.org.
At Home for the Holidays
At Home for the Holidays features members of the West Jersey Chamber Chorale under the direction of Music Director Joel Krott. The program collects familiar carols and lesser-known seasonal works in a celebratory evening, hosted by Ivan Woods for an online audience. The live video broadcast will be available at concert time at WJCMS.org/Holiday.
At Home for the Holidays features members of the West Jersey Chamber Chorale under the direction of Music Director Joel Krott. The program collects familiar carols and lesser-known seasonal works in a celebratory evening, hosted by Ivan Woods for an online audience. The live video broadcast will be available at concert time at WJCMS.org/Holiday.
At Home for the Holidays celebrates the season with traditional carols, such as “Silent Night” and “Away in a Manger,” but also enlivens the evening with tunes that may be unfamiliar to audiences, including “Carol of the Joy of Home.” This concert is generously sponsored by Atlantic Trailer Leasing.
The talented singers of the West Jersey Chamber Chorale are working professionals associated with some of the region’s most accomplished ensembles and are led by founding music director Joel Krott. They personify the concert’s theme as they perform at home at the First Presbyterian Church of Moorestown, where many singers are longtime members. The reduced chorus of ten singers includes a mother-daughter pair, roommates attending Westminster Choir College, and a music student returning home to Moorestown following a semester in Boston, among others.
Online Concerts
During this unprecedented season, WJCMS is committed to finding inventive ways to bring music to area residents. On the heels of a successful first broadcast in October, the organization is excited to continue its online concerts, allowing audiences across Southern New Jersey to enjoy high-quality chamber music in a safe and accessible format, as they have for over 40 years. The chorus will perform under safety guidelines as established by the performers and the venue.
During this unprecedented season, WJCMS is committed to finding inventive ways to bring music to area residents. On the heels of a successful first broadcast in October, the organization is excited to continue its online concerts, allowing audiences across Southern New Jersey to enjoy high-quality chamber music in a safe and accessible format, as they have for over 40 years. The chorus will perform under safety guidelines as established by the performers and the venue.
“We saw that there is a great appetite for live music in the area with the turnout online in October. Our audiences and performers are eager to experience the power of performance together. We’re grateful we can continue our annual holiday concert for our neighbors,” says music director Joel Krott. WJCMS will announce additional programs this season as state and local health recommendations allow.
About WJCMS
Concert host Ivan Woods has appeared several times on WJCMS’s Conversation Pieces series. As a singer, he has been featured at the dedication of the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts in Princeton; and has sung with the Virginia Opera, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and the Philadelphia Singers. He appears regularly as a member of the vocal trio Follow the Drinking Gourd.
Concert host Ivan Woods has appeared several times on WJCMS’s Conversation Pieces series. As a singer, he has been featured at the dedication of the Paul Robeson Center for the Arts in Princeton; and has sung with the Virginia Opera, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus, and the Philadelphia Singers. He appears regularly as a member of the vocal trio Follow the Drinking Gourd.
A graduate of the Philadelphia Music Academy, Music Director Joel Krott has studied and traveled throughout Europe, including extensive musical research with renowned masters from the Royal Conservatory of Copenhagen and the Vienna Conservatory. He has expertly and graciously guided the West Jersey Chamber Music Society ensemble from its inception in 1980, creating over 40 seasons of music that challenge and inspire both supporters and musicians.
The West Jersey Chamber Music Society is a professional choir and orchestra committed to producing chamber music concerts of the highest quality that are easily accessible to residents and visitors to Southern New Jersey. WJCMS seeks to enhance the quality of life for music lovers, those new to music, and children in the community through the uplifting and inspiring power of music. Learn more at WJCMS.org.
This concert will be streamed live online beginning at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. Audiences are encouraged to register in advance at WJCMS.org/Holiday to receive a PDF of the concert program.
And to get you in the mood! The West Jersey Chamber Music Society’s 2020–21 season began on October 18 with a live streamed concert by members of the Arcadian Trio. We invite you to enjoy concert highlights featuring the music of Ravel, Debussy, and de Falla.
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THE (UN)SIMPLE TRUTH DECEMBER WEBINAR
“Becoming Peacemakers” featuring Amanda Mootz
Grassroots organizing manager at World Vision. Amanda collaborates with community leaders, pastors and politicians to make the Gospel a tangible reality for people from all walks of life, particularly those who experience inequality in its many forms. Themes include Advent, discipleship and social justice.
Amanda Mootz is the manager of Grassroots Organizing for World Vision, where she developed and manages a program for faith-rooted advocacy to federal lawmakers on issues related to global poverty. Prior to this role, Amanda worked for World Vision International supporting programs to improve global education and literacy rates, as well as the California State Senate, where she held an active role in crafting statewide policy on behalf of the 38th Senate District. She holds graduate degrees in theology and cross cultural studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, and lives with her husband and two sons in Tacoma, Washington.
Kelly LePenske invites viewers to join her and Amanda for the December Webinar of the (Un)simple Truth.
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PASTOR UPDATE, CORONAVIRUS LETTER 13
Our faith has been on display in a year that has tested us like none other.
December 2, 2020
Dear Members and Friends of FPC Moorestown,
As we come to the end of 2020, a year that is testing us like none other, let me remind you that following Jesus as a disciple requires making choices for Him. On a daily, even an hourly basis, a follower of Jesus must decide between fear and faith, disbelief and faith, bitterness and faith, despair and faith. Faith requires action. You could say that faith is action.
What is Faith?
What is faith? I’ll take Martin Luther’s definition. “Faith is a living, bold trust in God’s grace.” Luther beautifully expands on what such faith does to us and through us. “[Faith] makes us completely different people. It changes our hearts, our spirits, our thoughts and all our powers. It brings the Holy Spirit with it. Yes, it is a living, creative, active and powerful thing, this faith. Faith cannot help doing good works constantly. It doesn’t stop to ask if good works ought to be done, but before anyone asks, it already has done them and continues to do them without ceasing.”
In many wonderful and encouraging ways, you’ve been a faith-filled people throughout these unprecedented days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Week by week, your faith spurred you to giving generously to keep our doors open and our mission moving ahead. Your faith to this point has granted us the funding needed to keep our staff fully engaged and support our missions. Your faith prompted many of you to go and serve at our second Church Has Left the Building.
Your faith on display
Your faith has been on display in our 2021 stewardship season. At the time of this writing, we have received 180 pledges for a total of $1,441,700. As grateful as I am for the support we have received already from so many of you, these figures represent a decrease of 9% in number of pledges and 10% in total amount pledged compared to 2020. I know that some members have had to reduce their plans for giving next year because of the turmoil brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a few donors have passed away or relocated since our last stewardship season. As some donors naturally depart or have less resources to share, I urge any of you who are capable and have not yet done so to strengthen your faith and make a new or deeper commitment to share what God has given you.
Your faith has been on display in our 2021 stewardship season. At the time of this writing, we have received 180 pledges for a total of $1,441,700. As grateful as I am for the support we have received already from so many of you, these figures represent a decrease of 9% in number of pledges and 10% in total amount pledged compared to 2020. I know that some members have had to reduce their plans for giving next year because of the turmoil brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a few donors have passed away or relocated since our last stewardship season. As some donors naturally depart or have less resources to share, I urge any of you who are capable and have not yet done so to strengthen your faith and make a new or deeper commitment to share what God has given you.
We’re coming into the last weeks of 2020 and need giving to be as strong as it can be to finish the year without a shortfall and preserve resources for a very challenging 2021. Please act on your faith by continuing your strong financial support to the church. It’s been my hope and a subject of my own praying that we can end this year meeting our financial commitments and join hands to commit to a successful 2021 for FPC Moorestown.
I ask for your help by doing at least these four things as you are able:
- Join me in praying daily for God’s provision and guidance for our leaders. I’m devoting Thursdays to prayer and fasting, and I invite you to join me if your health allows.
- Keep current with your plans and promises for giving for this year.
- Strongly consider making a special gift to help us meet our 2020 budget if you have the resources to do so.
- If you haven’t yet made an Estimate of Giving for 2021 or believe you could now make a further commitment, please do so — online, through our website or by contacting our office to receive an Estimate of Giving card.
Please remember that you can begin giving electronically by going to our church website fpcmoorestown.org and clicking on the “Give” link. If you need help please contact the church office at 856.235.1688.
In addition, as plans are being developed for three Christmas Eve services, the Special Christmas Green offering envelope was included in a recent mailing to households. Monies gifted as Christmas Green are utilized to support the operating fund of FPC Moorestown. Thank you in advance for your gifts to the church at this critical time of the year. A self-addressed envelope was also included for your convenience. Offerings may also be submitted electronically or through the Church Center app on your phone.
Faith, the Bible teaches us, pleases God. I give thanks for you and your faithfulness to the work and glory of God!
Yours in Christ,
Stuart H. Spencer, Pastor
Stuart H. Spencer, Pastor
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ADVENT GUIDES
Advent Devotional and Advent Activity Guide
Advent Devotional
Advent devotional booklets are available to guide you through each day of Advent as we anticipate the good news of Christ’s birth.
Created by Kelly LePenske and our intern Beth Douglass, we’ll reflect on what it means to be people of hope, peace, joy and love.
Each day includes scripture, questions, action steps, and artwork for ages 15+.
Advent Activity Guide
Throughout the four-week Season of Advent there are special, meaningful activities for all ages, some familiar and some new.
This guide is a helpful resource for programs and events including contact information, deadlines, and links to helpful information.
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DEACONS OFFER SEASONAL HELP FOR THOSE IN NEED
Our Deacons continue to help those in need.
Our traditional Thanksgiving Gift Baskets take on a different look this year.
While assembling our traditional Thanksgiving Food Baskets is not currently possible, our team will be providing grocery gift cards to those who struggle and are working with local guidance counselors to identify at-risk families. The Deacons are again arranging with Wegmans to provide turkeys to a food pantry in Camden.
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TWO FAMILY ADVENT CELEBRATIONS THIS SEASON
You Are Invited to Get Ready With Us!
Interactive Advent Family Wreath Lighting
As we celebrate the Advent season we hope you will join us in an interactive family wreath lighting.
You and your family are invited to connect in a new way with our congregation by conducting your own personal wreath lighting with you family at home.
Wreaths can be picked up November 15th or November 22nd before or after services.
Join us during advent season on live stream services beginning November 29th through Christmas Eve, December 24th.
Virtual Ginger Bread House Challenge
Join us for a Virtual Gingerbread House Challenge!
Come to the church and pick up a gingerbread house for you and your family to decorate together!
You can pick up your house on November 15th or November 22nd before or after services.
Take your house home and decorate it with whatever you’d like and take a picture and post it our FPC Family Ministries Facebook Group on November 29th by 4:00 pm to be entered into the judging!
May the Gingerbread be in your favor!
FB Group Link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/455452324633585
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THE (UN)SIMPLE TRUTH NOVEMBER WEBINAR
The (Un)simple Truth
FPC’s Adult Spiritual Formation Series Continues
Our monthly Zoom conversation! November’s guests were Dave and Marisa Avramovich
A little about our November 2nd presenters: Dave and Marisa are an incredible ministry team who serve the Southwest Division of Young Life in the United States. Dave is regional director of Young Life-Los Angeles, a highly multicultural role overseeing thousands of students in Southern California. Marisa is a Divisional Training Coordinator for Young Life, a Certified Cultural Intelligence Trainer, and volunteers with Young Life Catholic Relations.With decades of youth ministry experience, they offer a refreshing perspective on what it means to follow Christ today.
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KIDS AND YOUTH GROUPS ARE BACK
Kingdom Kids, Crossing Zone and Youth Group Fall Plans
Youth Group Plans Spooky Campfire Stories
Small groups have started for Middle and High Schoolers! If you haven’t touched base with a leader, talk to Dave Fauvell and he’ll set you up.
Fall Fun!
Fall Fun!We have a campfire hangout scheduled for Saturday, October 24 from 7 – 9 pm, with October 25th as the rain date.
We will have a bunch of candy, warm apple cider, and hot coco as we share spooky campfire stories.
We will have a bunch of candy, warm apple cider, and hot coco as we share spooky campfire stories.
Kingdom Kids and Crossing Zone are Back!
Join us on Zoom
- Kingdom Kids (K-3rd grade) The first Wednesday of every month at 4:45 pm
- Crossing Zone (grades 4-6) Every Wednesday at 6:30 pm
Parents: watch your email for the Zoom links.
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CONSECRATION SUNDAY – NEW CHANGES!
Consecration Sunday, October 18th. New changes!
We Give to the Lord
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
2 Corinthians 9:7 (NRSV)
Please make plans to virtually attend 9:30 a.m. worship on Sunday, October 18 when we will celebrate the joy of living a generous Christ-centered life. In some ways, our stewardship campaign looks a little different this year and, in some ways, it looks just the same.
How It Will Work
In early October, Estimate of Giving cards will be MAILED to all members so that households may prayerfully (and safely) indicate their weekly, monthly or annual financial commitments to the Lord’s Work. Members may also submit them online. On Consecration Sunday (Oct. 18), we will all be together at home for ONE 9:30 a.m. live stream service, where we will welcome an engaging speaker Dr. Shane Berg from Princeton Theological Seminary. Together, as an act of worship, members will complete their 2021 giving pledge.
Stewardship Series
On September 27, we began our stewardship sermon series “Giving Lessons,”, to provide a biblical framework of God’s Word. Thank you to our Stewardship Speakers:
Sept. 27: Kelly and Lorenzo Eagles
Oct. 4: Frank Manion
Oct. 11: Ann and Tom McBride
Oct. 18: Dr. Shane Berg, Princeton Theological Seminary, Guest Preacher
Oct. 4: Frank Manion
Oct. 11: Ann and Tom McBride
Oct. 18: Dr. Shane Berg, Princeton Theological Seminary, Guest Preacher
Dedicating our Gifts
Drive-Up Dedication. As we do traditionally, we offer a meaningful way to dedicate your pledge (COVID style!). From 10:45-noon that morning, take part in a contact-free Drive-Up Dedication Parade where you can dedicate your gifts safely from your car. Members of the Stewardship team will receive your sealed Estimate of Giving envelope given through your car window, and Stuart and Kelly will offer a personal prayer of thanksgiving for each arriving household.
Other Ways to Submit Your Estimate of Giving
If you’re unable to join us for the Drive-Up Dedication, you may submit your Estimate of Giving online, or mail the card in the return envelope that will be provided in the mailing in early October. Watch your mail for additional information!
If you’re unable to join us for the Drive-Up Dedication, you may submit your Estimate of Giving online, or mail the card in the return envelope that will be provided in the mailing in early October. Watch your mail for additional information!
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THE (UN)SIMPLE TRUTH OCTOBER WEBINAR
Our October (Un)simple Truth webinar featured the Reverend Dr. Michael Bruner. Rev. Bruner was an Assoc. Professor of Practical Theology at Azusa Pacific University in California for 20 years. Born and raised in the Philippines as the son of missionary parents, he received his Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington, a Masters of Divinity from Princeton Seminary, and his Ph.D. in Theology from Fuller Seminary.
Michael is the author, most recently, of A Subversive Gospel: Flannery O’Connor and the Reimagining of Beauty, Goodness, and Truth (IVP Academic Press, 2017). He is currently writing a commentary on the four gospels with his father, Dale Bruner. Michael is ordained in the Presbyterian Church (USA), a Lily Fellow, and a resident scholar at the Huntington Library in San Marino, CA.
You may have missed our first webinar on October 5th or you may like to watch again!
We are pleased to make Rev. Bruner’s dynamic presentation available for you to view.
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OUTDOOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
FAMILY FUN OUTDOOR SUNDAY SCHOOL
Every Sunday from 11:00 – 11:45 am come and join us for a family fun outdoor Sunday School class. Classes will start September 27th and continue until October 18th.This is for families with children in K-6th grades. Children must be accompanied by a parent the entire time. Please bring your own chair or blanket to sit on and wear a mask. Please bring your own chair or blanket to sit on as well as masks for you and your family.
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STEWARDSHIP
We Give to the Lord
Each of you must give as you have made up your mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 2 Corinthians 9:7 (NRSV)
Please make plans to virtually attend 9:30 a.m. worship on Sunday, October 18 when we will celebrate the joy of living a generous Christ-centered life. In some ways, our stewardship campaign looks a little different this year and, in some ways, it looks just the same.
How It Will Work
In early October, Estimate of Giving cards will be MAILED to all members so that households may prayerfully (and safely) indicate their weekly, monthly or annual financial commitments to the Lord’s Work. Members may also submit them online. On Consecration Sunday (Oct. 18), we will all be together at home for ONE 9:30 a.m. live stream service, where we will welcome an engaging speaker Dr. Shane Berg from Princeton Theological Seminary. Together, as an act of worship, members will complete their 2021 giving pledge.
In early October, Estimate of Giving cards will be MAILED to all members so that households may prayerfully (and safely) indicate their weekly, monthly or annual financial commitments to the Lord’s Work. Members may also submit them online. On Consecration Sunday (Oct. 18), we will all be together at home for ONE 9:30 a.m. live stream service, where we will welcome an engaging speaker Dr. Shane Berg from Princeton Theological Seminary. Together, as an act of worship, members will complete their 2021 giving pledge.
Stewardship Series
On September 27, we begin our stewardship sermon series “Giving Lessons,”, to provide a biblical framework of God’s Word. Thank you to our Stewardship
On September 27, we begin our stewardship sermon series “Giving Lessons,”, to provide a biblical framework of God’s Word. Thank you to our Stewardship
Speakers:
Sept. 27: Kelly and Lorenzo Eagles
Oct. 4: Frank Manion
Oct. 11: Ann and Tom McBride
Oct. 18: Dr. Shane Berg, Princeton Theological Seminary, Guest Preacher
Oct. 4: Frank Manion
Oct. 11: Ann and Tom McBride
Oct. 18: Dr. Shane Berg, Princeton Theological Seminary, Guest Preacher
Dedicating our Gifts
As we do traditionally, we offer a meaningful way to dedicate your pledge (COVID style!). From 10:45-12:00 p.m. that morning, take part in a contact-free Drive-Up Dedication Parade where you can dedicate your gifts safely from your car. Members of the Stewardship team will receive your sealed Estimate of Giving envelope given through your car window, and Stuart and Kelly will offer a personal prayer of thanksgiving for each arriving household.
If you’re unable to join us for the Drive-Up Dedication, you may submit your Estimate of Giving online, or mail the card in the return envelope that will be provided in the mailing in early October. Watch your mail for additional information!
If you have any questions, please contact the church office at (856) 235-1688.
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MISSIONS GIVES
FPC Moorestown gives $165,000 for COVID-19 Relief
Over the past month, our missionaries, locally and from across the globe, have reached out to FPC Moorestown for assistance due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Last year, funds were made available to us under the generous legacy of Joan Van Camp. The Mission Committee will be sending funding over the next four months to our missionaries who are reporting tragic circumstances of food insecurity, lack of education, beatings, and extreme poverty.
The Mission Committee, with the approval of the trustees and session, have agreed to send $165,000 in assistance to those deemed most in need. Assistance will occur in three stages with the hardest hit receiving funds first. Prior to sending the final payments, the trustees will evaluate the situation with the church to ensure that we can sustain the additional payments.
The following ministries will receive funding:
Locally:
Locally:
- Moorestown Ministerium/Live Civilly Food Pantry
- Food Bank of South Jersey
- Urban Promise Camden Forward Schools
- St. Vincent de Paul of Moorestown
- The Philadelphia Project
- Christian Caring Center
- Feeding 5000
- Seeds of Hope
InternatIonally:
- Urban Promise International Honduras
- Antioch Partners Mexico (Weymeyers)
- Haiti Outreach Ministries
- Hope Alive Clinic Haiti
- Urban Mosaic Mexico
- Medical Benevolence Foundation St. Croix Hospital Haiti
- Medical Benevolence Foundation Good Sheppard Hospital Congo
- Medical Benevolence Foundation Embanweni Hospital Malawi
- Nadia Ayoub (Greece) PCUSA
- SNEHA India
- Glad Tiding India
- Hekima Place Kenya
- Urban Promise International Africa Ministries
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