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As anyone familiar with our congregation knows, our pulpit is currently being filled by Rev. Kerry Carson of Conrad. We as a congregation are thrilled to have him and his family with us through the end of the year. This Sunday we celebrate Pastor Appreciation Month with a potluck luncheon. Please feel free to bring your favorite dish and help us celebrate and thank Pastor Kerry for his amazing support and leadership during this time. Additionally, we support our pastor, Rev. Tom Bower, as he continues his work with two schools in Egypt with whom he as been involved with for many years. Congratulations and thank you for all of your dedication and work with people around the world Tom!
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As the seasons change, we prepare for new beginnings. On July 31, we officially said, "See you soon" to Pastor Tom Bower and his wife, Jean, as they prepare to return to Egypt to continue their work in education, and welcome to Pastor Kerry Carson and his wife, Marijke, as they join us through the end of the year until the Bowers return. After much deliberation, we have decided to alter our Sunday school and church service times to better meet the needs of our congregation. Beginning on Sunday, September 4, church services will begin at 10:30 AM. Sunday school will kick off for another year of fun on Sunday, September 11 and will meet from 9:15 - 10:15 AM. All children who are potty trained and age 3 or older are welcome to join our youth Sunday school class. Adult Sunday school classes will also resume on the 11th. Adult Bible study will start a new series with Pastor Kerry on Monday, September 19 at 6:30 PM entitled, "A Walk Through the Bible." According to Pastor Kerry, after completing this series, learners will be able to work their way through the Bible with a greater knowledge base in a matter of minutes. As we close out the month of August, we want to acknowledge the joy we were able to celebrate today as a congregation. In July of 2021, the Music and Worship Committee made the recommendation to our Session that we invest in a new piano for the sanctuary and dedicate it in honor of John Finical III, who shared his love of music and the Lord with our congregation for many years. One year later, the piano arrived. Today we had the honor of celebrating John's legacy with members of his family. We are so blessed to have been able to share so many great moments and memories with John and his family over the years and are thankful to have this beautiful reminder of some of the most important things he cherished during his time here on earth.
Galatians 5: 22 - 23 states that , "...the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control..." (Holy Bible, NIV). Recently our church was able to celebrate the first bud of spirituality and the beautiful bloom that comes with age and the teachings of Jesus. On Sunday, May 8th we were honored to baptize another of our beloved children promising to guide, support, and teach them the way of the Lord. Then, on May 15th, we were able to celebrate the graduation of a former Sunday school student and congratulate them on their many successes, those both achieved and to be attained. We are so honored and humbled to be able to play a part in the lives of these children, from birth through adulthood and thank each and every one of their parents for allowing us these amazing opportunities. At this time, we are on summer break for both Sunday school and Bible Study, but will return this fall. It would be our privilege to guide your child through the Bible along with our current students. If you would like to get more information or register your child for Sunday school, please leave us a message at 641-484-3522 or email us at [email protected]. In the meantime, feel free to join us for Sunday services which begin at 11:00 AM.
Below: Just a few of the pictures from our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. Join us every year on the day before Easter at 1:00 PM on the Tama County Courthouse Lawn!
Don't forget to come meet the Easter bunny and pick up some treats this Saturday at 1:00 PM!
Despite the fluctuating temperatures, spring is on its way again. As we wait, we begin preparations for our Annual Easter Egg Hunt. This year's hunt will take place on Saturday, April 16, 2022 at 1:00 PM. Children ages 0 - 12 are welcome to participate. Remember to arrive early as the eggs are gone by 1:05.
In the meantime, our Sunday school classes are in full swing with various lessons being taught for children of all ages. We welcome any and all who would like to check out our program and, while you may be a guest the first week, you will be considered one of the group by the second. Classes start at 9:30 for children ages 3 - Middle School and end at 10:45. We look forward to seeing all of you and cannot wait to greet each of you personally. Coffee Hour is resuming! Our first Coffee Hour for 2021 will be Sunday, October 10 immediately following service in the basement Fellowship Room. Come on in and join us for Sunday service beginning at 11, followed by a hot cup of coffee and some sweet treats. We can't wait to see you!
Tomorrow marks the beginning of another wonderful year of Sunday school. We are so excited to be able to see our youth participating in tomorrow's service through Camp Wyoming reports and third grade Bible presentations.
However, there has been a few changes since our last post. As mentioned previously, our times are different than initially anticipated in order for us to assist a sister church in transition. Additionally, coffee hour plans have been put on hold due to the rising COVID resurgence concerns. Our session committee meets on the 21st and will be discussing and deciding upon a plan best suited for our congregation. Listed below is a reminder of our upcoming times and events. In the meantime, we can't wait to see you all! Sunday, September 12, 2021 Rally Sunday Breakfast 9:30 AM - 10:00 AM Open to all who attend Sunday school and their families Sunday School Classes 9:30 AM - 10:45 AM Sunday Service 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Camp Wyoming Reports 3rd Grade Bible Presentations Tuesday, September 21, 2021 Committee Meetings 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Deacons, Christian Education, Trustees, Session Earlier this month we described upcoming changes to our service and Sunday school times to best serve our congregation. On Sunday, August 29th, we were presented with the opportunity to support a fellow church in need by sharing a pastor for the next few months. In order to make this new plan function, we adjusted our original plans from a September time change to an August carry-over. We are blessed to have the resources and ability to help others. Please see the chart below for a detailed description of our new plan going forth. In the meantime, we can't wait to see you all in September and hope you have a wonderful week!
As we prepare for the new Sunday school season, changes are being made.
(If you would like to be added to our Sunday school mailing list, please leave us a message at 641-484-3522 or send us an email at [email protected] with your name, contact information, and age(s) of your child(ren)). The past year and a half has been one of changes, challenges, difficulties, sorrow, and uncertainty. Yet through it all we have seen moments of joy, triumph, and hope. Now the time has come where medical intervention, treatment, and vaccines have gained a strong foothold and safety precautions are being eased. In response to the recent changes in society, we at the First Presbyterian Church of Toledo have altered our precautions to accommodate the newly available information while still serving our congregation in the best way we know how.
Beginning on Sunday, May 30, 2021, we will no longer be requiring face masks for attendees. Anyone who would feel more comfortable wearing a mask is more than welcome to continue doing so. Additionally, we will still be offering face masks and hand sanitizer at the main entrance for those who wish to use either product. In turn, we will no longer be limiting seating within the Sanctuary. All attendees are free to sit wherever they feel most comfortable. If you arrive and would like more distance between yourself and other attendees than is available, the Library, located off the east side of the Sanctuary, is always open for additional seating. At this time, we will continue to have the offering plate near the entrance of the church and available both before and after service rather than pass the plate. Communion will also continue to be served in individual servings on the communion table instead of being served by the Elders. Sunday services will still be available using the phone service through the month of August. If you would like to know how to listen to services using our phone system, please contact us for the necessary information. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via phone or email. While we do not have set office hours, all inquiries will be answered as soon as possible. We look forward to seeing all of you at Sunday services which begin at 11:00 AM in the Sanctuary! |
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