Welcome to the Commonplace Blog of Faith Des Peres Presbyterian Church. Weekly updates of events and happenings will be posted here, as well as photos and reminders.
Join us April 9th for—One Church, One Book
“Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race”
The discussion is centered on the book “Waking Up White” by Debby Irving. We invite you to join the conversation after church April 9th. A light lunch will be provided.
Faith Des Peres will collect the One Great Hour of Sharing offering on Easter Sunday (April 16) this year. Presbyterian Mission Agency, the ministry and mission agency of the Presbyterian Church USA, uses gifts given through this offering to purchase and distribute animals, build wells to provide life-giving clean water to entire communities and provide ministries to youth and young adults in the U.S. and around the globe. Our goal is to raise $1,500 to support this special offering. Make sure to pick up your fish today and start collecting your extra change! By joining our gifts together, however large or small, we expand our witness to God’s gracious and abundant work in the world.
We're celebrating communion on Easter Sunday this year which means we'll collect food for Circle of Concern that day. Let's make this food collection Easter-worthy and fill those wagons to overflowing! Circle of Concern always has need for canned meat, peanut butter, pasta, cereal, canned vegetables and fruit, and soup. But they have other needs, too.
Here's a shopping list you can take with you when you go to the store. Let's Feed the Flock. (http://circleofconcern.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Shopping-List-CONDENSED.pdf)
Palm Sunday Musical, April 9, 10:30am
On Palm Sunday, April 9th, our choir and guest instrumentalists will present a cantata, “In the Final Week”. Using Christ’s love and our response to that love as its central theme, this creative and moving cantata moves listeners through each of the five days of Holy week.
Maundy Thursday, April 13, 7:00pm
The Worship Arts Committee invites you to take part in what is known as an “Agape Meal”. Loosely based on the Jewish Seder meal, this service will begin with a simple dinner around
tables in the Gathering Space. Towards the end of the meal, we’ll “move” into a worship service that focuses on Jesus’ final meal with the disciples and a reading of the Passion story. Sign ups are needed so, please sign up by emailing Kendra at adminasst@faithdesperes.org or by signing up in the Gathering Space. This event is for all ages!
Easter Morning, April 16, 10:30am
Invite your friends and families to worship with us at 10:30 Easter morning! Join us for worship to hear an inspiring message, special music by a brass quartet and beautiful flowers proclaiming Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!
Easter Flowers
Our Easter tradition is to decorate the Sanctuary witha variety of blooming flowers (6” pots). Cost per plant is $10. See the sign up sheet in the Gathering Space to place your order or email Kendra at adminasst@faithdesperes.org. Please designate if the flowers are being given in honor of or memory of loved ones. Make checks payable to Faith Des Peres and a note that the funds are for Easter Flowers.
Every year on the Sunday after Easter, members and friends of Faith Des Peres Presbyterian go into the community to share our gifts of time, service and love with those in need. This year, on Sunday, April 23, we will send teams to four service activities. See details about those activities below. Please sign up on the sheets in the Gathering Space.
We will have a brief worship service at 10 a.m. before heading out for our service projects. Child care will be available at the church during Go Sunday.
Blanket Making (Gathering Space)
We need 8 - 10 volunteers to make blankets for children at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Mary Dingus is the team lead for this project. She will bring the blanket materials, plus patterns/size information for the blankets. Team members should bring good fabric-cutting scissors.
Doorways – Gardening Project (Lafayette neighborhood)
We need 4 – 6 volunteers to plant four raised beds and pot citronella plants at this Doorways location. Three of the beds also need dirt. One bed needs repair, but no dirt. They would like us to plant herbs (no need for mint), tomatoes (preferably beefsteak), cucumbers, beans (best by seed), collard greens and zucchini, as well as citronella. The lead for this project would need to purchase and bring the seeds for planting and the pots for the citronella plants. Additionally, the lead would need to purchase and bring dirt/mulch for the beds. Team members should bring gardening tools and gloves.
Lydia’s House – Outdoor Space Beautification (Location coming soon)
We need 4 – 6 volunteers to help beautify the outdoor space at a new site for women and children. This group will provide two large potted plants for a small front patio and will trim some landscape already planted in the front of the building. Lydia’s house has requested low-maintenance perennials (plants that come back every year) purple, gold and green plants/flowers. These plants/flowers will get full sun at times. Additionally, the patio needs some good old fashioned sweeping and cleaning, and the patio furniture needs to be cleaned. The lead for this project would be responsible for purchasing and bringing the plants and pots to the site. The team should bring planting and trimming tools, a broom, and cleaning supplies for the patio furniture.
International Institute – Urban Farm Project (Lafayette neighborhood)
We need 6 – 8 volunteers to help tend an urban farm. Additional details about this project are coming soon.
Sandwich Making (Gathering Space)
We need 3 – 4 volunteers to make and bring sandwiches for our volunteer teams. We will let you know by Wednesday, April 19 how many sandwiches we will need, but this team should plan to make approximately 30 – 35 sandwiches depending on how many people sign up for projects. We request that the team lead also provide bottled water, fresh fruit (apples, bananas, Cuties oranges) and chips for our volunteers.
This Sunday we're accepting new members into the church. It's always an honor when someone chooses to make Faith Des Peres his or her church home! I hope you'll be here Sunday to welcome them into your midst and get to know them better. It's a great day when we welcome new members, so this is a cause for celebration!
If you were signed up to come to the Courageous Conversations on Race, you should have received word that this has been rescheduled to May 7 following worship. If couldn't attend this Sunday hopefully you can on May 7.
I hope to see you Sunday.
Annie
Are you passionate about mission and ministry? If so, this important center is seeking additional members to help with our many mission and ministry projects and activities throughout the year. This committee meets on the first Wednesday of each month, from 6:30 – 7:45 p.m. Our next meeting is Wednesday, April 5. Please contact Erica Abbett for more information.
Faith Des Peres will collect the One Great Hour of Sharing offering on Easter Sunday (April 16) this year. Presbyterian Mission Agency, the ministry and mission agency of the Presbyterian Church USA, uses gifts given through this offering to purchase and distribute animals, build wells to provide life-giving clean water to entire communities and provide ministries to youth and young adults in the U.S. and around the globe. Our goal is to raise $1,500 to support this special offering. Make sure to pick up your fish today and start collecting your extra change! By joining our gifts together, however large or small, we expand our witness to God’s gracious and abundant work in the world.
Mark Your Calendars for FDP Go! Sunday … April 23
Every year on the Sunday after Easter, members and friends of Faith Des Peres Presbyterian go into the community to share our gifts of time, service and love with those in need. This year, on Sunday, April 23, we will send teams to four service activities: Doorways – gardening project; Lydia’s House – house beautification project; International Institute – urban farm/garden project; and Blanket Making for St. Louis Children’s Hospital. For members and friends who aren’t able to participate in any of these activities, we’re also seeking three or four people to make sandwiches for our volunteers to take with them. We will gather at 10 a.m. for a 15-minute worship service before heading out in service together. We expect to arrive at locations by 11 a.m. and service projects should last approximately 2 – 3 hours. Please sign up for a project on the sign up sheets in the Gathering Space today! See Erica Abbett or Clarissa Schueller-Meyer for more details.
Upcoming Vacation
Please note that Pastor Annie will be on vacation from March 27th—April 3rd.
April 1st, Next Food Outreach, 8 am
Come join members of Faith Des Peres at Food Outreach on Saturday morning, April 1st. 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.
Tai Chi
Please note there will not be Tai Chi tomorrow on March 27th as Susan Marting will be on vacation.
Join us April 9th for—One Church, One Book
“Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race”
The discussion is centered on the book “Waking Up White” by Debby Irving. We invite you to join the conversation after church April 9th. A light lunch will be provided.
Courageous Conversation on Race—Originally scheduled for today, postponed until May 7th
Join us after church on May 7th to take part in a courageous conversation on race. These conversations will be facilitated by students from the Cultural Leadership Institute which includes our own Tommy Epling. For more information, please visit www.faithdesperes.org. To RSVP, please sign-up in the Gathering Space or email Kendra in the church office at adminasst@faithdesperes.org. A light lunch will be provided.
Palm Sunday Musical, April 9, 10:30am
On Palm Sunday, April 9th, our choir and guest instrumentalists will present a cantata, “In the Final Week”. Using Christ’s love and our response to that love as its central theme, this creative and moving cantata moves listeners through each of the five days of Holy week.
Maundy Thursday, April 13, 7:00pm
The Worship Arts Committee invites you to take part in what is known as an “Agape Meal”. Loosely based on the Jewish Seder meal, this service will begin with a simple dinner around tables in the Gathering Space. Towards the end of the meal, we’ll “move” into a worship service that focuses on Jesus’ final meal with the disciples and a reading of the Passion story. Sign ups are needed so, please sign up by emailing Kendra at adminasst@faithdesperes.org or by signing up in the Gathering Space. This event is for all ages!
Easter Morning, April 16, 10:30am
Invite your friends and families to worship with us at 10:30 Easter morning! Join us for worship to hear an inspiring message, special music by a brass quartet and beautiful flowers proclaiming Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!
Easter Flowers
Our Easter tradition is to decorate the Sanctuary witha variety of blooming flowers (6” pots). Cost per plant is $10. See the sign up sheet in the Gathering Space to place your order or email Kendra at adminasst@faithdesperes.org. Please designate if the flowers are being given in honor of or memory of loved ones. Make checks payable to Faith Des Peres and a note that the funds are for Easter Flowers.
Join us Sunday for—One Church, One Book
“Waking Up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race”
The discussion is centered on the book “Waking Up White” by Debby Irving. We invite you to join the conversation after church Sunday and April 9th. A light lunch will be provided.
PW Bible Study Wednesday, March 22, 9:30am
The PW Bible Study will meet this Wednesday, March 22nd to study lesson 8.
The 3rd Tuesday Lunch Gathering is taking a break until further notice.
Join us after church on March 26 to take part in a courageous conversation on race. These conversations will be facilitated by students from the Cultural Leadership Institute which includes our own Tommy Epling. To RSVP, please sign-up in the Gathering Space or email Kendra in the church office at adminasst@faithdesperes.org. A light lunch will be provided.
Please note there will not be Tai Chi on March 27th as Susan Marting will be on vacation.
