Church News

First Pres continues to deliver meals to two Arlington Heights hotels where guests from our PADS program are currently staying. We anticipate providing these meals for the foreseeable future. Through your generosity, we continue to provide three meals a day, once per week, for 90 people. Also, we will provide 24 people with a box of food that will provide breakfast and lunch for a week. We need food donations, cash donations, and volunteers to pack and deliver. To get involved, sign up here. 

If you have any questions, please contact the PADS food team at padsfood@firstpresah.org.

Tuesdays, January 12-February 16 / 11:30 am – 12:30 pm / via Zoom

We’re excited to announce a new six-week Virtual Career Planning Course from our Career Transition Resources Team!
Our six-week program covers the most important cornerstones of your job search or career journey, including self-assessment, budgeting, resume building, marketing, networking, interview preparation, and negotiations. Classes will be held via Zoom on Tuesdays, January 12-February 16, from 11:30 am-12:30 pm.

Email CTR@firstpresah.org, by January 8, to register or click here for more information.
Whether you’re on the hunt for a new job or seeking change in your career path, you don’t have to face these challenges alone. Sign up now!

Just Jesus

Wednesdays, January 6 – February 10 / 7:00-8:00 pm / via Zoom Contacts: Rev. Alex Lang, Dr. Donald Kaasch The Jesus of history and the Jesus of the Christian religion are often two very different people. In this class, Rev. Lang and Donald Kaasch will be comparing the traditional thinking behind Jesus with the information about Jesus produced by scholars of religious history. Sometimes these two sources align, often they diverge. The question we will be exploring is where is the truth? Can we ever know the real Jesus? How do we as Christians reconcile the different competing theories of who Jesus is and what does that mean for our faith? Join us as we work our way through the weeds to discover just Jesus! Register in advance for this meeting here.

Testimony: Remembering; Reclaiming; Rearticulating Our Reformed Faith

Thursdays, January 7 – February 11 / 7:00-8:00 pm / via Zoom 
Contact: Rev. Judy Hockenberry
This class is an opportunity to gather together and explore who God is and who we are so that our lives embody the liberating love and grace of Jesus Christ. Register in advance for this meeting here.

Many of us have enjoyed providing wrapped Christmas gifts for the families of Christopher House in the past. This year, we are collecting monetary donations to assist with bigger items like rent, utilities, etc. Please see this week’s Church Life for more information on how you can help or contact Fran Spencer or Liz Thompson.

The Presbyterian Women will be collecting monetary donations for winter items for the children of Firman House. You can give online or send a check to the office. Please see this week’s Church Life for more details or contact Kathy Doering.

A Letter from Session

Dear First Pres family,

At our November meeting, the Session approved a Covid-19 Task Force recommendation that going forward we follow the guidelines for Covid-19 as stipulated by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH). As you all know, we are seeing a record number of cases of Covid-19 throughout our state. 

The IDPH and the Cook County Department of Public Health have issued some advisories and ask everyone to comply for at least the next thirty days. To that end, our staff will once again work from home. All activity, outside of PDO and ongoing building maintenance, will stop in the church building. We will continue to collect supplies for and deliver meals for PADS because that is an essential service.
PDO will follow the guidance of District 25. Their director, Coleen Anzalone, is staying in close communication with the parents, children, and staff of PDO, as well as First Pres staff. 

Some church staff will be in and out of the building during the week to check mail, phone messages, and to continue recording Sunday morning worship. All other work will be done from home. We will hold all of our meetings through the Zoom platform. 

You will be able to reach the pastors through their cell phones. Those numbers are:  Alex (717) 608-1396; Judy (502) 445-9281; T.C. (734) 624-6682.
At this time, we are hoping that we can return to our current level of in-office presence on December 15^th. However, we will continue to follow the guidance and advice of the Illinois Department of Public Health.

On-line Sunday worship is available to you throughout Sunday morning. Please join us for worship and do not hesitate to call one of the pastors if you have a special need, a prayer request, or a question.

Praying for you and with you,

The Session of First Presbyterian Church

First Pres continues to deliver meals to two Arlington Heights hotels where guests from our PADS program are currently staying. We anticipate providing these meals for the foreseeable future. Through your generosity, we continue to provide three meals a day, once per week, for 90 people. Also, we will provide 24 people with a box of food that will provide breakfast and lunch for a week. We need food donations, cash donations, and volunteers to pack and deliver. To get involved, sign up here. If you have any questions, please contact the PADS food team at padsfood@firstpresah.org.