Sad news! The 5 June, Pentecost celebration that had been planned to take place in Cumberland, has been cancelled. For many reasons, the two Presbyteries decided it was not the time to do this.
Therefore, we will be having a full worship service in our sanctuary. You are encouraged to wear red in recognition of the day. Pentecost was a Jewish holiday which is why so many Jews were in Jerusalem fifty days after the Resurrection. We recognize this day as the birth of the church for when Peter “explained the scriptures” to the crowd gathered below him, it is reported that that very day 3,000 new disciples were baptized and joined the new Jewish sect.
What position has the church held in your heart? In how many churches have you been an active member? What is your childhood affiliation? When you think about being a Presbyterian can you identify what it is that you like about the denomination? An important part of who we are is the way we govern ourselves (Presby - meaning elder which denotes that we are ruled by elders), has always been something I value. The pastor aka the minister of word and sacrament or the teaching elder, has no authority over the how the church is run. The five ways we have authority pertain to worship. It is the ruling elders who are ordained specifically to make the financial and policy decisions of the church that must be made. Very important, then, is the session, or the group of elders, to a successfully operating Presbyterian church. We are in need of folk who are willing to be a part of the session if we want to continue as a body. Especially, with thoughts of a new pastor’s arrival, it is important that we have at least six of you who will accept the call when it arrives. You are needed!
Please be aware, too, that this Sunday, 22 May, there will be a congregational meeting to elect new officers. The nominating committee will bring to us the slate of new elders and deacons. This meeting will take place directly after worship and should not take too long. I apologize for not making the announcement last Sunday from the pulpit so that this news wouldn’t catch you by surprise. Hopefully, you will be able to adjust your schedules, if need be, for a slightly longer time spent in church or via Zoom this week.
After a meeting with the personnel committee today, I was reminded that in three short months (!) I will be retiring. It is our hope that we can make this leaving a time of celebration of the last two years and my time spent among you. We can feel good about the way we persevered through these difficult days. They are certainly not over but it is so good to see so many of you seated in the pews on a Sunday morning.
“And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new’” (Rev. 21:5).
New things are coming. For all of us. God will live among us.
Deb
Sunday Worship @10 am- in person and Zoom
“Hybrid” service will continue to be accessible via ZOOM
At its February 17 meeting, updated May 20, Session decided it is becoming safe enough to return to in-person worship, for those who are comfortable doing so. Previous safety precautions will continue to be in effect:
Mask wearing optional at PPC.
However, in keeping with the Department of Health recommendations, PPC continues
to encourage wearing a mask in the church building, and staying up-to-date with Covid
19 vaccines and boosters.
“Social distancing” to the extent possible
Windows will be open for ventilation – dress accordingly
“Check-in” with greeter, providing your name and phone contact #
Please attend only if you are feeling well and are symptom-free
Vaccination is strongly urged for all who are able to be
Please use the front door. The ramp entrance is not yet available. Contact the church in advance to insure that the elevator is available to you if needed.
More details on the church's reopening plan can be found HERE
Dial in by phone: (646) 558-8656
Meeting ID: 817 8173 3351
Click on the image below to open/download worship bulletin and hymns.
We hope you will continue to support the mission and ministry of the church if and as you are able—online, through your bank's bill payment system, or with a check mailed to the church (500 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02906). All offerings are gratefully received. Thank you!
Transcripts and audio recordings of recent sermons can be found on our website here. Audio recordings of older sermons are available here.
Greetings from your Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC)!
This week our Ministry Information Form was APPROVED by the Committee on Ministry! This means our pastoral search will be going live. We worked on updating our current website to reflect the latest happenings in our church life for prospective pastors, but otherwise enjoyed a relatively “slow” week for the PNC. It was a much-needed respite after the last few weeks of crunching to meet our accelerated deadline!
If you haven't had an opportunity to provide feedback, it's not too late. We want to hear from everyone! We urge you to reach out to a PNC member or complete the Google Form
The Refugee Dream Centerand Beautiful Dayare the PPC mission highlights for the month of May. Both organizations provide job training for refugees in Rhode Island.
The Refugee Dream Center is a post resettlement refugee agency. It offers services targeting gaps within the refugee community by ensuring continuation of services in their efforts towards self-sufficiency and integration. The Refugee Dream Center is a strong advocacy agency for the rights of refugees. Teddi Jallow, along with her husband Omar Bah, are the co-founders of the Refugee Dream Center. Teddi came to Rhode Island as a refugee in June 2009 from The Gambia and has vast experience in the refugee community and related work including community organizing, case management and interpreting. Dr. Bah is a torture survivor, former journalist and refugee from The Gambia. He is also the author of the book, Africa’s Hell on Earth: The Ordeal of an African Journalist.
Beautiful Day is a gourmet granola company with a mission to help refugees, especially youth and the most vulnerable, to enter the job market and become welcomed, self-sufficient members of their communities. Beautiful Day helps refugees adjust to life in America by offering paid, on-the-job training. Every job is designed to be part of a hands-on classroom where trainees gain critical skills and the confidence to enter the job market. Beautiful Day was founded in 2008 by a couple of friends named Keith and Geoff (Keith is our very own PPC member, Keith Cooper!).
How can we, as individuals, help both of these organizations?
Financial donations are always needed to help fund the programs provided by The Refugee Dream Center and Beautiful Day.
Purchase granola products (bags & bars) and coffee (thoughtfully sourced, craft roasted) from Beautiful Day.
Volunteers are often needed to provide time and expertise in various areas for both organizations.
Additional opportunities are listed on the websites.
For more information on the history and mission of The Refugee Dream Center and Beautiful Day, please check the organizations’ websites.
We decided that we will meet again by zoom on Saturday, June 25 from 10:00-11:30am. We want to move on to a new book: Maya Angelou’s All God’s Children Need Traveling Shoes.
Sunday School for grades K-5: Back in-person during the church service! In-person classes for this age group will take place during the second-half of the church service, every Sunday.
As our church enters a new phase with the formation of a Pastor Nominating Committee, we are starting a new prayer meeting (on zoom) to pray for the PNC and our church community in this transitional season. All are welcome!
We now have two accessible parking spaces in front of the church on Hope St. Please reserve them on Sundays for those who need them. Many thanks to Lee Vander Baan and the Building & Grounds committee for working with the City of Providence to get these installed!
Volunteer Greeters Needed
In order to make it possible for in-person worship to work, we need extra volunteers!
Two volunteers are needed at every service to help greet attendees and help each person record their attendance via a sign-in sheet for the purposes of contact tracing if needed. If you are planning to attend in-person worship, please help us make the church service possible by serving as a Worship Service Greeter & Sign-In Table Volunteer:
One volunteer is needed every month (or every 4 weeks) to serve as an assistant to the Sunday School teacher for the Elementary School class. Volunteers are requested to serve for one month at a time (4 consecutive Sundays) in order to provide consistency for the students, and will also be required to undergo a background check. Please contact Kathy Cooper (kathycooper@aya.yale.edu) or Julia Vaca (juliapvaca@gmail.com) with any questions. And please sign up here:
