First Presbyterian Church of Holland Michigan (PCUSA)

As we celebrate the last 50 years of our church and look forward to many more, a 50th Anniversary Planning Team is forming and would love celebration suggestions, stories, and photographs from all of you. We all have wonderful memories of First Presbyterian, so please share them with Vicki and she will forward them to us! First Presbyterian Church was officially constituted as a member church of the presbytery on June 28, 1958. We will have many ways to celebrate our 50th year from June 2007 to June 2008 but MARK SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 on your calendars for an evening of celebration as well as SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008 for a worship service of celebration, thanksgiving, and joy as we look ahead. Diane Bergstrom Johnson

The following is the schedule for the Women’s Group for the remainder of 2006 and January 2007…

December 6    We will join the First Presbyterian Women at Raleigh Woods on James Street and Beeline for their Christmas Luncheon (noon -2PM).
                        Linda Knieriemen will be the guest speaker.
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We all have had those feelings…overwhelmed by the “stuff of life”. Whatever the circumstances that give you these feelings may be, whether it is job loss, moving, loss of a friend or loved one, divorce, trouble with children, or simply just someone who will listen to you, the Befrienders Ministry is available for you.
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·    Over the next few months, the Adult Bible Study room will under go a little updating and sprucing up. Thank you to Mary George for her creative ideas.
·    Good Stewards. We are called by God to be good stewards of the creation. One way we thought we could as a church partake in this calling is to join as a member of the Michigan Interfaith Power & Light Coalition. Among other things, this group conducts free energy audits. Over the next several months we will participate in an energy audit to determine what we might be able to do to prevent the waste of energy and save the church money.
Chris Polich

Does heading South in the winter sound appealing?  Have we got a deal for you!  We are tentatively scheduled for another week-long mission trip to continue Katrina relief efforts the week of February 11 through 17.  Last February, eleven of us went to stay at a small church in Mobile, Alabama, and work in the vicinity of Gautier, Mississippi, under the coordinating efforts of the Gautier Presbyterian Church.  After 16 months of non-stop relief work, the 32-member church in Gautier is phasing out their relief coordination to focus on some of their own congregational needs.   Cleanup and restoration needs still abound, however,  especially as you move from Gautier, which was at the easterly fringe of Katrina’s direct impact, westerly toward Gulfport and Pass Christian, which was the epicenter of the storm’s landfall.
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With the fun and excitement of Advent and Christmas fast approaching, the youth groups of the church are keeping busy. The Mid-High group is busy learning about how they might be agents of change in the world during Sunday school and how their passion may manifest itself into something amazing and revolutionary, even at their young age. In Youth group, they have been learning about the importance of prayer and are becoming familiar with the words of the Lord’s Prayer as well as the prayer’s history. The group also has two new additions. The Sunday school class is enjoying new teacher Krista Anderson and the Youth Group is happy to welcome Fran Rosensteel to its Wednesday night meetings.
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Click the audio icon above to play the service or you can click here to download the service.
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You can download the reading from Fred B. Craddock Doxology as read by Rev. Linda Knieriemen.

Participating in Worship: Rev. Linda Knieriemen, Liturgist: Fred Birdsall, Additional Readings: Lois Rogers

This year we will again be giving individual gifts to the residents of Heartland Health Care Center, a local nursing home, and to the members of the 2 transitional housing families we are helping. Today and next Sunday, cards will be available in the narthex with gift suggestions, $15 range. Please take a card, sign for it, and return your gift securely wrapped and tagged on December 12. Please sign your name and say “First Presbyterian Church.”

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Click the audio icon above to play the service or you can click here to download the service.
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You can download the Sermon Go Out and Make A Name for Yourself as preached by Rev. Matt Webber.

Participating in Worship: Rev. Linda Knieriemen, Rev. Matt Webber, Liturgist: Gail Hering

We have a block of tickets reserved to see “A Christmas Story” at the Holland Civic Theatre, Saturday, December 9th at 8:00. Tickets are $6 per person, payable in advance to Chris Urbaniak. It’s a fun show for all ages so sign up for the whole family on the reservation sheet on the board in the narthex.