www.firstpresathens.org

March 21, 2016

Easter Is Coming — Sunday, March 27Lent is almost over, and Easter is this Sunday. We will have two identical worship services at 8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. with an Easter Brunch starting at 9:30 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. If your schedule permits, please come to the 8:45 a.m. service; it will help with parking and seating at the 11:00 a.m. service

Easter worship will include musical offerings from brass instruments, our Chancel Choir, Dr.

John Coble, our Music Director and Organist. The New Testament scripture will be from John 20. Here Mary Magdalene preaches the shortest Easter sermon that you would want to hear. She says to anyone who would listen, “I have seen the Lord!” She makes a declaration of faith. She says what she has experienced first hand, “I have seen the Lord!” It wasn’t something that someone else had told her. She also tells us how she experienced it. I have SEEN the Lord. With my own two eyes I saw him.

Lastly, she tells us who or what she saw, “the Lord.” It wasn’t a ghost or a spirit that she saw. She says, I have seen the one that I have been following and listening to for the last three years. I have seen my Lord and your Lord.

I hope to see you in church to celebrate our risen Lord,Glenn Doak, Senior Pastor

New Member Orientation

There will be a new member class led by Dr. Doak beginning on Sunday, April 10th from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. in the Staff Confer-ence Room. A light dinner and nursery care will be provided. This is an opportunity to learn about or review the history of the Presbyterian faith and the major Presbyterian beliefs. It is also a time to learn more about First Presbyterian Church.

This gathering will be followed with a tea on Sunday, April 17, at 5:00 p.m. in the church parlor to meet with the session and be received into membership of the church. Those who join will be publicly recognized at the 11:00 a.m. worship service on May 1.

St. Thomas — Sunday, April 3According to the Gospel of John (20:19-31), on Easter night the resurrected Jesus appeared to the disciples and showed them his hands and side. However, Thomas was not with them. When he heard his friends’ report, he said he needed to see and touch Jesus’ wounds for himself before he could believe. A week later he got the opportunity to do just that. “Do not doubt but believe,” Jesus said to him.

Who hasn’t doubted?

Tradition has it that Thomas journeyed as far as India preaching the gospel. He is often regarded as the patron saint of India, and if Presbyterians have patron saints, I think he would be mine.

Carol Strickland, Associate Pastor

Save the Date:Music for Organ and Strings

Sunday, May 1, at 4:00 p.m.

With organist John Coble and special guests from the Hugh

Hodgson School of Music

Honduran Blessing

Hard. Heartwrenching. Happy. Humbling. Hot. Those are a few words whichdescribe the recent Honduras mission trip. Our church sent fifteen people to a small village named La Paz in the Northeastern part of the country March 5-12.

We worked alongside the villagers installing eight concrete floors over previously dirt floors, four latrines, and three water reservoirs, mixing multiple batches of concrete by hand and toting it by the bucketful. Our group also installed two eco-stoves, planted two dozen fruit trees, painted a mural in a school room, and led about 80 children in a community trash pick-up and three days of Vacation Bible School. The experience was a blessing for all — both the Hondurans and our mission trip participants.

Tommy Jackson led the group which was comprised of Ron Balthazor, Wanda Barlow, Paul Duncan, Bob Glasscock, Emma Holman, Dan Horton, Denise Horton, Jane Hudson, Sydney Jackson, Paige Oelke, Xan Palmer, Harry Shuford, Carol Strick-land, and Sally Vandiver. Many thanks to all who bought stock, offered prayers, and offered letters of support. We look forward to hosting a dinner for stockholders and those who wish to hear more about our mission trip on Sunday, April 17, at 6:00 p.m.

Carol Strickland, Associate Pastor

Children’s Ministry Update

As you begin to make plans for the summer, be sure to mark your calendars for Vacation Bible School 2016 at First Presbyterian Church! VBS will be held this year from Monday, June 13 to Friday, June 17, with each day’s activities beginning at 9:00 a.m. and continu-ing until noon. This program is open to children entering Pre-Kindergarten through 5th grade in fall 2016.

Online registration for participants and volunteers will begin on Monday, April 4, at http://cokesburyvbs.com/firstpresathens. Please visit our church’s website for more information about Vacation Bible School as it becomes available. We hope to see you in June!

Our First Presbyterian children have focused on LOVE during Lent: How can we be more loving to my family, friends, and to the world around me? We learned about our special group of First Presbyterian missionaries and their journey to Honduras. During Sunday School and Children’s Church, the children colored beautiful crosses and sent them with our missionaries to help them share God’s love with the Honduran children.

Natalie Bishop, Director of Children’s Ministries

Holy Week WorshipThere will be two opportunities to worship on Maundy Thursday, March 24. We will have a noon service in the sanctuary and a congregational dinner and worship service in Fellowship Hall at 5:30 p.m. The noon service will include prayers, scripture appropriate for the day, a short homily and the sacrament of communion by intinction.

During our dinner and worship service in Fellowship Hall, we will attempt to experience the Last Supper as Jesus and his disciples experienced it. We will be-gin with meal that includes foods that Jesus and his followers might have eaten that night, such as lamb, dates, and flat bread. At the end of dinner there will be a brief worship service that will include communion around the dinner tables, serving each other by intinction with a common cup and a loaf of bread. We hope that all ages will feel at home in this service.

Good Friday, March 25, worship will be observed in a community Presbyterian service at Friendship Presbyterian Church. Dr. Carol Strickland will preach at this service which begins at 7:00 p.m.

Glenn Doak, Senior Pastor

Our Church FamilyHome from the Hospital:John Adams Virginia "Jinx" BaldwinLucy HardellLynn West

Sympathy:To Stan and Jayne Bailey and their

family on the death of his father, Marion Earl Bailey, on March 1, 2016.

To Michael and Marilyn Poole on the death of his mother and to Mark and Lee Poole on the death of their grandmother, Louise Poole, on March 8, 2016.

April 1 April McLeanApril 2 Keith Guest III, Sharon Norris,

Paige Otwell, Chase ParkerApril 3 Mary Campbell CobbApril 4 Dyann Calvo, Sloan ShermanApril 5 Allen Crowell

April 6 Greg Daniels, Nancy Dove, Harper Havick, Barbie Hillman

April 7 Scott Collins, Perry Humphreys, Kevin Johnston, Andy Osbourne

April 8 Bob Colbert, Karen MiddendorfApril 10 Mike Bascle, Collier Cobb

April 1 Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16April 2 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10April 3 John 14:1-7April 4 Exodus 14:21-31April 5 1 Peter 1:13-25April 6 John 15:1-11April 7 Exodus 16:10-22April 8 1 Peter 3:13-4:6April 9 John 16:16-33April 10 Exodus 18:1-12

Bible Readings

Music Notes by John Coble

Spring is coming and with it, Easter! In fact, Easter is early this year, and it can’t come too soon after the spiritual “winters” too many of us have been going through this year.

One of my favorite depictions of this sym-bolic change of seasons is in the movie “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.” One of my favorite anthems for Easter is “Awake, O Wintry Earth,” set to music of J.S. Bach from his Cantata 129. Bach didn’t actually set this text, but in the English speaking world it has been associated with Bach’s joyful music. “Awake, O wintry earth, fling off your frozen sadness. With sweetness, flowers bring mirth, bright springtime’s ancient gladness. Once more, we sing the tale, through darkness sunlight spread, to warm the winter’s pale, and tell that Death is dead.”

Our choir will be joined at both services on Easter by a brass quintet, organized our own Jean Martin Williams. Other music includes John Rutter’s anthem “Christ the Lord is risen again,” “A Song of Resurrection” by Roland E. Martin, the sing-ing of Handel’s “Hallelujah” chorus from Messiah, and of course the Toccata from Widor’s Symphony V. As usual, it will be joyous Easter at First Presbyterian Church!

Flower Dedications The following dates are available to dedicate flowers for Sunday worship: April 3 and 17. The cost for two arrangements is $100. Please contact Lucy Bell at lbell@firstpresathens.org to schedule a date.

In MemoriamAnna Belle Beusse

1917-2016

One Great Hour of SharingOn Easter, you’ll have the opportunity to give to One Great Hour of Sharing. Please remember that your gifts support efforts in more than 100 countries, as well as many communities within the United States, ensuring that we are able to respond to the needs of our poorest and hungriest neighbors.

A few of the most recent examples include providing support to the tiny country of Nepal that suffered two massive earthquakes in early 2015. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance quickly responded, partnering with other organizations and developing humanitarian programs to distribute aid and continues to serve the area. In El Sal-vador, a second year of severe drought conditions threatens the food security and the livelihoods of farming families across the country. The Presbyterian Hunger Program has worked to help farmers produce local, healthy, and sustainable food for their families and communities. And in Liberia, which was devastated by the Ebola virus, Presbyterian programs have been working together to help this West African country rebuild and rehabilitate. Gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing change lives all over the world. Please consider giving generously to this important fund.

Denise Horton

In MemoriamMargarett Gunn Dure

1947-2016

185 East Hancock Avenue • Athens, GA 30601706-543-4338

Non Profit Org.US Postage

PAIDAthens, GAPermit 262

Sunday, March 27Easter Sunday

If I Only Had OneSermon to Preach

Rev. Dr. Glenn Doak

Sunday, April 3St. Thomas

Rev. Dr. Carol Strickland

Worship Services:8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.

Sunday School at 9:45 a.m.

Children’s Church Children, ages 4 through Grade 2, may leave the 11:00 a.m. service for

activities in the Children’s Ministry Suite.

Sundays at First Presbyterian

Return Service RequestedThursday, March 24 - Maundy Thursday12:00 p.m. Maundy Thursday Worship Service, Sanctuary 5:30 p.m. Maundy Thursday Congregational Dinner and Worship Service, Fellowship Hall

Friday, March 25 - Good Friday 7:00 p.m. Community Presbyterian Good Friday Worship Service, Friendship Presbyterian Church

Sunday, March 27 - Easter Sunday 9:30 a.m. Easter Brunch, Fellowship Hall

Monday, March 28 Church Offices Closed for Easter Holiday

Tuesday, March 29 1:30 p.m. Knitting Purls, Bride’s Room

Wednesday, March 3010:00 a.m. Tai Chi Group, Room 310 1:30 p.m. Staff Meeting, Staff Conference Room 3:00 p.m. Bridge, Room 302 4:30 p.m. Athens Tutorial Program, Children’s Ministry Suite 5:00 p.m. Prayers for Healing, Sanctuary 6:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Room 202

Thursday, March 31 2:00 p.m. The Mellows, Highland Hills

Sunday, April 3 1:15 p.m. AYS Rehearsal, Fellowship Hall 4:00 p.m. Cherub Choir, Room 203 St. Andrews Choir, Room 202 5:00 p.m. Celebration Singers, Room 202 Mission and Outreach Commission Meeting, Moses Waddel Room 6:00 p.m. Youth Fellowship, The PIT

Monday, April 4 1:30 p.m. Staff Meeting, Staff Conference Room 5:10 p.m. Education and Discipleship Commission Meeting, Staff Conference Room 5:30 p.m. Handbell Choir Rehearsal, Room 205

Tuesday, April 5 1:30 p.m. Knitting Purls, Bride’s Room

Wednesday, April 6 9:05 a.m. Weekday School Chapel, Children’s Ministry Suite10:00 a.m. Tai Chi Group, Room 31012:00 p.m. Our Daily Bread, First Baptist Church 3:00 p.m. Bridge, Room 302 4:30 p.m. Athens Tutorial Program, Children’s Ministry Suite 5:00 p.m. Fellowship and Evangelism Commission Meeting, Staff Conference Room Prayers for Healing, Sanctuary 6:30 p.m. Chancel Choir Rehearsal, Room 202