The lunch gathering will be at McArthur’s on Kirkwood Rd. in Kirkwood. McArthur’s serves soup, sandwiches and salads with a “walk-up” order bar. This should speed up the process for everyone coming on his/her lunch hour. Join us!
Come join members of Faith Des Peres at Food Outreach on Saturday morning, January 21. There we will pack food into individual meals that will be given to those living with HIV/AIDS and cancer that are living at or below the poverty level. We start at 8am and are done before 11 am. Food Outreach requests that volunteers be at least 11 years old and in 5th grade. Please sign up in the Gathering Space.
The 21st annual FDP Book Study is scheduled for the final two Sundays in January (the 22nd, 29th), and February (the 5th). This year’s book is St. Paul: The Apostle We Love to Hate by Karen Armstrong. Although Armstrong is best known for long, difficult religious histories (A History of God, Jerusalem), St. Paul is small (125 pages of text), readable, and offers a fascinating portrayal of Paul’s life drawn primarily from his own writings.
Armstrong’s Paul is not the misogynistic and anti-Semitic character too often portrayed in books and pulpits across America. Rather, he is a self-appointed missionary, primarily to Gentiles, who wrote passionate letters to congregations he had established in what are now Syria, Turkey and Greece, desperately trying to prevent them from being “led astray” by competing missionaries proclaiming differing views of Jesus and the “Christian” life.
The book is available from Amazon for Kindle ($5.39), or in hard cover ($13.51) or paperback ($5.33 and up). We will meet each Sunday after church (about noon) in the Adult Room upstairs. A light lunch will be provided. Ron Scott will lead the discussion. Contact Will Ridley (821-8524 ridleywp@att.net) for additional details. Reading assignments for the book study are available in the Gathering Space.
The Latin origin of the word "compassion" is “to suffer with”. In the cold, bleak winter, the suffering of the homeless is greater than we know. Join us as we express compassion by leaving our comforting heated homes behind and spend a night camping outside Faith Des Peres. Bring your flashlights and sleeping bags on January 28th to sleep in solidarity and raise awareness for our homeless brothers and sisters. We will conclude our experience of living compassion with a collection of helpful goods for the homeless one week later. In addition, you can participate by lending camping gear, food, or drink for the evening and morning. Wear your long john's and invite your friends!
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
The following thank you notes were received.
Dear Annie,
Thank you for donating holiday gifts for 15 students and 30 gift cards. This in-kind gift helps ensure that SouthSide Early Childhood Center (SouthSide) can carry out its mission to nurture, educate and inspire children and families in a diverse and inclusive environment, promoting healthy development and a strong foundation for success.
Thank you so much for ensuring that all of our children had a special holiday season…this means so much to us. I hope you know what a difference your generosity has made.
Katie Rahn
Executive Director
SouthSide Early Childhood Center
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Thank y’all so very much for your continued generous support of UKirk! Your contribution makes this ministry possible. From our upcoming trip to the College Conference at Montreat to our spring semester dinner and worship gatherings, UKirk in 2017 will continue to help college students explore and discover what it means to be a follower of Christ. Many thanks for your support and I pray that our Savior’s peace and joy finds you in 2017.
In the hope of Christ,
Pastor Miriam Foltz
What does the New Year have in store for you? What are your hopes and dreams for the year?
A new year is a new beginning, and a chance to do things differently.
This Sunday we’ll hear the story of Jesus’ baptism. His baptism marked a new beginning for him because it signaled his commitment to God and God’s intentions. Getting baptized was Jesus’ way of saying, “I’m onboard, God. I’m going to commit to your way of doing things.” His baptism is also his way of saying to us, “Wash off the old dirt and shake the dust from your feet. God has created a new day and a new way. Come, walk with me in this new way.”
At the beginning of a new year, many people make resolutions “to walk in a new way” in the hopes that a new day will dawn for them. Perhaps you made a resolution. I sometimes make them and sometimes I don’t. This year I did because, like many people, I was more than ready to say good-bye to 2016 and hello to 2017.
In our baptisms, God calls us to the resolution to live a new life that has purpose and meaning and is committed to God’s ways. What would leading a life like that look like for you?
Join us to explore this question and more in the new sermon series "Living the Life God Intends". It runs through January 15. For a promo of the series, check out the video below.
See you in church, and may your new year be filled with hope, peace, and joy.
Blessings,
Annie
Kathy Sherrick, Faith Des Peres member, joined the Advisory Board of Southampton Presbyterian Church earlier this year as its finance person. Southampton Presbyterian Church is one of our presbytery’s New Worshipping Communities. It’s pastor, Jillian Embrey, visited us in 2016, and we supported them on Go Sunday and with a nice mission donation.
Some of you have asked, "How can I support Southampton?" Well, Kathy wants us to know about something small but important that we can personally do to support them now. Southampton’s two theater tenants are sponsoring a fundraiser. KTK Productions and Take Two Productions present "Faith, Hope & Charity," to support The Southampton Presbyterian Church. You will enjoy uplifting selections from Broadway and beyond.
$25 tickets include the performance and a reception (wine, beer, coffee and refreshments) immediately following the show. Tickets are available at www.taketwoproductions.org
Performance dates:
Fri & Sat, January 13-14, 7:30 pm
Sun. Matinee, January 15, 2:00 pm
Southampton Presbyterian Church
4716 Macklind Ave at Notthingham, St. Louis MO 63109.
I hope you will consider attending one of these performances!
Kathy Sherrick
Come join members of Faith Des Peres at Food Outreach on Saturday morning, January 21. There we will pack food into individual meals that will be given to those living with HIV/AIDS and cancer that are living at or below the poverty level. We start at 8am and are done before 11 am. Food Outreach requests that volunteers be at least 11 years old and in 5th grade. Please sign up in the Gathering Space.
The 21st annual FDP Book Study is scheduled for the final two Sundays in January (the 22nd, 29th), and February (the 5th). This year’s book is St. Paul: The Apostle We Love to Hate by Karen Armstrong. Although Armstrong is best known for long, difficult religious histories (A History of God, Jerusalem), St. Paul is small (125 pages of text), readable, and offers a fascinating portrayal of Paul’s life drawn primarily from his own writings.
Armstrong’s Paul is not the misogynistic and anti-Semitic character too often portrayed in books and pulpits across America. Rather, he is a self-appointed missionary, primarily to Gentiles, who wrote passionate letters to congregations he had established in what are now Syria, Turkey and Greece, desperately trying to prevent them from being “led astray” by competing missionaries proclaiming differing views of Jesus and the “Christian” life.
The book is available from Amazon for Kindle ($5.39), or in hard cover ($13.51) or paperback ($5.33 and up). We will meet each Sunday after church (about noon) in the Adult Room upstairs. A light lunch will be provided. Ron Scott will lead the discussion. Contact Will Ridley (821-8524ridleywp@att.net) for additional details.
The Latin origin of the word "compassion" is “to suffer with”. In the cold, bleak winter, the
suffering of the homeless is greater than we know. Join us as we express compassion by
leaving our comforting heated homes behind and spend a night camping outside Faith Des Peres. Bring your flashlights and sleeping bags on January 28th to sleep in solidarity and raise awareness for our homeless brothers and sisters. We will conclude our experience of living compassion with a collection of helpful goods for the homeless one week later. In
addition, you can participate by lending camping gear, food, or drink for the evening and morning. Wear your long john's and invite your friends!
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
Just another thank you to those who donated gifts and gift cards this past Christmas to our Giving Tree. Your generosity touched many in need.
Come join members of Faith Des Peres at Food Outreach on Saturday morning, January21. There we will pack food into individual meals that will be given to those living with HIV/AIDS and cancer that are living at or below the poverty level. We start at 8am and are done before 11 am. Food Outreach requests that volunteers be at least 11 years old and in 5th grade. Please sign up in the Gathering Space
The 21st annual FDP Book Study is scheduled for the final two Sundays in January (the 22nd, 29th), and February (the 5th). This year’s book is St. Paul: The Apostle We Love to Hate by Karen Armstrong. Although Armstrong is best known for long, difficult religious histories (A History of God, Jerusalem), St. Paul is small (125 pages of text), readable, and offers a fascinating portrayal of Paul’s life drawn primarily from his own writings.
Armstrong’s Paul is not the misogynistic and anti-Semitic character too often portrayed in books and pulpits across America. Rather, he is a self-appointed missionary, primarily to Gentiles, who wrote passionate letters to congregations he had established in what are now Syria, Turkey and Greece, desperately trying to prevent them from being “led astray” by competing missionaries proclaiming differing views of Jesus and the “Christian” life.
The book is available from Amazon for Kindle ($5.39), or in hard cover ($13.51) or paperback ($5.33 and up). We will meet each Sunday after church (about noon) in the Adult Room upstairs. A light lunch will be provided. Ron Scott will lead the discussion. Contact Will Ridley (821-8524ridleywp@att.net) for additional details.
The Latin origin of the word "compassion" is “to suffer with”. In the cold, bleak winter, the suffering of the homeless is greater than we know. Join us as we express compassion by leaving our comforting heated homes behind and spend a night camping outside Faith Des Peres. Bring your flashlights and sleeping bags on January 28th to sleep in solidarity and raise awareness for our homeless brothers and sisters. We will conclude our experience of living compassion with a collection of helpful goods for the homeless one week later. In addition, you can participate by lending camping gear, food, or drink for the evening and morning. Wear your long john's and invite your friends!
"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." Matthew 25:40
Plan on joining us for a traditional candlelight service on Christmas Eve at 5:30 pm. Sing the carols, hear the stories and find hope here! Invite your friends.
There will be a very informal service at 10:30 Christmas morning. Come dressed casually. Kids, wear your pajamas if you’d like. Celebrate the birth of the Christ Child with us.
The church office will not be open for its usual hours the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Please contact Annie directly if you have an emergency or leave a message on the church phone and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Regular hours will resume in January.
It's hard to believe, but there's only one Sunday left in Advent. This week I'll conclude my sermon series "Many Names" with a title used to describe Jesus: "Prince of Peace". I've been thinking a lot about the title "Prince of Peace" given the news about Aleppo, Trump's choice of Secretary of State, and the guilty verdict of Dylan Roof. We often think peace is achieved when there is no war or conflict, but the peace Jesus urged us to keep goes much deeper than that: it's about shalom, which is another word for wholeness. Jesus believed that when everyone is whole, then there will be peace. This is much different than how we normally think of peace, which for us is achieved when one country or person wills its way onto another. But that doesn't make for peace, according to Jesus, that just means there isn't conflict. And the absence of conflict doesn't always equal peace.
Hopefully you've received a postcard in the mail inviting you to the Christmas Eve service. We have more available at church, and I hope you'll take one with you on Sunday and use it to invite a friend. The service that night is at 5:30 and includes the traditional candle lights during Silent Night. I hope you'll join us.
Blessings,
Annie
Plan on joining us for a traditional candlelight service on Christmas Eve at 5:30 pm. Sing the carols, hear the stories and find hope here! Invite your friends.
There will be a very informal service at 10:30 Christmas morning. Come dressed casually. Kids, wear your pajamas if you’d like. Celebrate the birth of the Christ Child with us.