Our F & C kids will once again lead us in participating in the SOUPERBOWL OF CARING. After the service, kids will be at the doors with soup pots to collect your donations. We ask for $1.00 and a canned good. Our donations will be given to Emmanuel Dining Room, which operates 3 feeding centers for the hungry here in Wilmington. Started by a Presbyterian youth group in 1990, last year's SOUPERBOWL OF CARING efforts resulted in $10,382,035 donated to hunger ministries by 13,868 groups! Last year, F & C gave $200 and 120 canned food items. Let's outdo ourselves this year!
Thank you to the 89 folks and families who pledged a total of $178,011 to church in 2010! We're grateful for your support of the program and mission of the congregation and for all others who generously give to First & Central Presbyterian Church.
Walle Adams-Gerdts, Michael & Barbara Arrington, David & Connie Beattie, Signe Clayton Bell, Dan Benson & JJ Jones, Burton Blanch, Skippy Lyness Blanch, Bob & Doris Bolt, Zumrut Bosna, Betsy Bove, Mark & Susan Bradford, Duke & Louise Briggs, Margaret Anne & Stuart Butterfield, Denise Chigges, John & Norma Clayton, Joe & Joyce Cloud, Gary Cooper, Bill & Joan Dodds, John Dowell & Joe Hasset, Lyle & Terry Dykstra, Martha Eldreth, Rick & Emily Ferrell, Jeffrey & Brenda Ferris, Jerry & Elizabeth Fulda, Marty Gross, Adah Hamaker, Bob & MaryLou Hamilton, Ralph & Evelyn Hansen, Michele & Rob Harra, Nancy Hayden, Josie Heyneker, Nancy Hill, Bill & Elisabeth Hohman, Patty Irwin & Jolly Bailey, Leigh Jefferies-Weinfeld, Evelyn Jefferis, Irma Jimenez, Curt & Jackie Johnson, Tom Keppler, Catherine Kersey, Hank & Annabelle Kressman, Fritz & Sylvia Lahvis, James Lan & Julie Zhu, Bob & Jeannine Laughman, Rich & Wendy Laws, Hilda Livingstone, Dan & Nancy Mahoney, Lisa McCave, Cindy McDaniel, Betty Jean McElroy, Mac McKay, Farogh & Jana Nazari, Gail O'Donnell, Colleen & Len Pritchett, Emily Ramsey, Delores Reeves, Nathaniel Reeves, Howard Reign, Ellen Roberts, Tim Rodden, Jesse Rodgers, Judie Rodgers, Paul Roughton, Betty Dewhirst Russell, John & Maribeth Samluk, David Schelat, Ralph & Sunha Seward, Florence Shelton, Jeffrey Sherman, Sara & Chip Snowden, Mary Spencer, Dick & Leanne Stell, Edward & June Stepp, Lincoln Sukhu, Margaret Jean Sutherland, Julie Swanson, Rich Swarmer, David Teager & Steve Fugate, Debby Tennant, Gene & Clarice Thompson, Virginia Thorne, Jenny Warren, Kerry & Ryan Welsh, Sarah Ryan & Rob Wieman, Stuart Wilkie, John Witzel, Grant Youngblood, Karl & Jeanette Zipf, and Peter & Julie Zorach.
Lent Begins with an Ash Wednesday Service, Communion, Soup and Bread Supper, and Ashes: Plan to begin your observance of Lent by gathering in the DuVal Room on Ash Wednesday, February 17th at 6:00 pm. We will share a simple meal of soup and bread. After supper we will worship together and share Communion in the Chapel. Those who wish to participate in the imposition of ashes will be invited to do so. The Ash Wednesday Supper and Service has become a tradition and a meaningful worship experience for us at First & Central.
Annual Meeting of the Congregation : The Session of First & Central Presbyterian Church has called the Annual Meeting of the Congregation and Corporation for Sunday, February 7, 2010, following worship. At the meeting the following items of business will be included: receiving the Annual Report of the Staff, Session and congregational organizations; receiving the budget for 2010, and other appropriate business.
Once again, on the second Sunday in Lent, we offer a Service of Healing and Wholeness as part of our worship service. Meditative words and music will lead us in a time for prayer for others, for ourselves, for our nation, for the world. There will be a time for you to voice your causes for prayer, and for you to come forward with your prayers to be prayed for by our pastors.
We will also be receiving new members into the First & Central family on the 28th. Please come to worship and personally welcome Mark Olson, Eileen Dallabrida, Jeanmarie Braddock, Kenneth Ader, Jennifer Allen and Ryan Conkey to First & Central during Coffee Fellowship!
Please join us in witnessing the baptism of our son, Maxwell Reins Ferrell on Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. Brunch to follow in Memorial Hall for everyone. No presents please, as there is none greater than that of your love and faith. Please celebrate with us! Emily and Rick Ferrell.
First & Central's Couples Group meets February 19th from 7-9 p.m. at the home of John and Norma Clayton. At this month's gathering we will share a potluck dinner, movie and conversation. All spouses and partners warmly invited and child care is provided!
February
We gather Monday, February 22nd at 7 p.m. in the Chapel. We're hoping for a visit from Carol Cunningham, just back from The Gambia where she purchased the solar dryers given by First & Central. Come see pictures and hear stories that will make that place, the people and this empowerment project all the more real and exciting! RSVP to warren@fandc.org so we can count on you!
The Men's Spirituality Group meets Monday, February 22nd at Doug's house.
Sundays, February 28th is available, as well as Sundays, March 14th and 21st. Please call (654-5371) or email the church office Church Office with your order and dedication.
Our FLY destination in February takes us to Jesus' parable of the barren fig tree (Luke 13). Our kids will plant in Creation Station, cook up something good in Martha's Kitchen and make their own music video in Theos Theater! Then, for the season of Lent, beginning February 21st, we will focus on Psalm 8 --- learning it, painting it, and even writing our own music! FLY TEACHERS ALWAYS NEEDED AND WELCOME! It's a ride you won't forget!
Once again, our Advent Giving Tree was decorated with generosity and compassion! We gave 107 pairs of shoes to Shoes2Share, a veritable mountain of paper products to Meeting Ground, and over $700 to purchase LifeStraws -- which we've been told will be sent to Haiti. Additionally, the Women's Spirituality Gathering's Solar Dryer for The Gambia project was also very blessed by your response. We were able to send a check for $1000 along with Carol Cunningham on her trip to The Gambia in early January. With that, she planned to purchase 4 solar dryers and use the remaining funds to arrange for training for women from several villages.
Thanks to all for helping our Giving Tree bear such faithful fruit!
Did you know that Thursday Noontime Concerts will offer 21 free concerts this season? And that we've been presenting this much-loved series for the past 35+ years? And that it costs over $9,000 to bring you this eclectic series? Thursday Noontime Concerts are brought to you by Market Street Music, which also produces Festival Concerts and serves as home base for the popular Center City Chorale and Mastersingers of Wilmington.
As you contemplate your giving this year, please consider supporting our work. Downtown Wilmington would certainly be different without music, so help us to keep it going for another 35+ years. Your fully tax-deductible contribution is truly appreciated - we wouldn't be here without you!
Send your donation to: Market Street Music, 1101 Market Street, Wilmington DE 19801
And thank you!
On February 21st at 3:00 p.m. the Serafin String Quartet returns to First & Central performing String Quartets by W. A. Mozart and Robert Schumann, as well as "Georgian Folk Song Miniatures" by 20th century Russian composer Sulkhan Tsintsadze. The Serafins are Kate Ransom and Timothy Schwarz, violin; Ana Tsinadze, viola; and Lawrence Stromberg, cello.
Thursday Noontime Concerts Return the First Week in March! 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. This spring boasts the usual wide array of the best of regional musical talent - there is something for everyone, as usual!
Every season brings its own challenges to us, but for the homeless in Wilmington, winter is probably the hardest season. To help in one small way, F & C, in conjunction with Friendship House, opens its doors every Saturday morning to anyone needing a place to get out of the elements. In Memorial Hall, we offer warm drinks, cookies, reading material, games, and clean bathrooms in a warm, safe, and accepting environment.
This hospitality program starts on November 14th and runs through March. The hours are 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. There is a group of regular volunteers from F & C and there is always at least one staff person from Friendship House. Volunteers greet those attending, make the coffee, play board games, and clean up at the end of the morning. If you would like to volunteer or just see what we do, stop by on a Saturday morning. Depending on the weather, some Saturdays are busier than others, but it seems we always have room for chess and checker players or someone new to talk to.
If you would like to help in other ways, we always need donations of coffee, creamer, hot chocolate, and cookies or crackers. We also need CURRENT magazines. Of interest are sports magazines, travel magazines, Time and Newsweek, Ebony, Reader's Digest and National Geographic. Books with word searches, sudoku and crossword puzzle books are also appreciated. Donations can be left in the church office and should be marked for Winter Sanctuary. If you have any questions about volunteering, donating supplies or want more information, please call Debby Tennant at 366-8761.
As always, please keep the homeless men and women in Wilmington and elsewhere in your prayers. Also remember the staff of Friendship House and all those who work with this population.
Learn more about the Presbyterian Coffee Project and Equal Exchange
Dear First & Central Friends
On behalf of the community of Meeting Ground I want to express our gratitude for the generous donation of paper products in December. This gift helps us meet the basic needs of the people we serve. The products you donated to us are being used at Clairvaux Farms and Wayfarers' House.
Wayfarers' House is the oldest Meeting Ground program. It provides emergency and transitional housing for women and women with children. Clairvaux Farm provides emergency and transitional housing for women, men, and children. All of Meeting Ground's programs, including Wayfarers' and Clairvaux Farm, provide not just a safe, warm place to sleep, but also opportunities for worship, to improve education and financial well being, and to address all the issues that led a person to experience homelessness.
We are grateful for the partnership in this ministry that we have with so many churches, including our partnership with First & Central. Your prayers and gifts help make Meeting Ground's ministry vibrant and faithful. We look forward to a continued partnership in ministry.
Peace,
Randall T. Clayton, MS, D.Min
Administrative Pastor
First & Central is a member of the Presbyterian Church (USA). PC (USA) has approximately 2.4 million members, 11,100 congregations and 14,000 ordained and active ministers. Presbyterians trace their history to the 16th century and the Protestant Reformation.
The Presbyterian Church of KinshasaMonique Misenga is the coordinator for Women's Programs for CDK, the Presbyterian Church of Kinshasa which makes her a top administrator of the church in Congo. She was one of the three coordinators for last September's African Women's Conference in Nairobi, and visited New Castle Presbytery as a Peacemaker several years ago. Monique also visited F & C's Women's Spirituality Group in September 2008.
New Castle PresbyteryFirst & Central is one of 55 churches that comprise the New Castle Presbytery. Our Presbytery is one of the first established in the United States.
Covenant Network of PresbyteriansFirst & Central is a member of the Covenant Network of Presbyterians. The Covenant Network is a broad-based, national group of clergy and lay leaders working for a church that is simultaneously faithful, just, and whole. We seek to support the mission and unity of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in a time of potentially divisive controversy. We intend to articulate and act on the church's historic, progressive vision and to work for a fully inclusive church.
Meeting GroundMeeting Ground came into existence in 1981 in Maryland and Delaware as a faith-based response to the growing epidemic of wasted human life, both in this nation and across the globe, and especially in the form that has come to be known as "homelessness."
Presbyterian Disaster AssistanceFirst & Central contributes regularly to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance through special offerings, such as One Great Hour of Sharing and through special congregational appeals, such as the Well Baby Kit and Clean Up Bucket collections.
PDA: Hurricane Ike -- TexasIn November 2009 the First & Central "Texas 13" traveled to Texas to assist in rebuilding efforts.
Presbyterian OutlookIndependent, balanced weekly newsletter reporting on items of interest to the entire Presbyterian Church (USA).
St. Charles Avenue Presbyterian Church, New Orleans R.H.I.N.O. ProjectIn the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, our congregation and partners have united to alleviate suffering in the Greater New Orleans community. Specifically, our church is coordinating and hosting outside work groups. We have now begun the rebuilding phase of our mission by partnering with Habitat for Humanity to build homes on Ferry Place in the Hollygrove neighborhood. Since November 2005, RHINO has hosted more than 1800 volunteers from 30 states, gutted over 200 homes, and is now constructing new homes! First & Central Mission Team volunteers traveled to New Orleans to help R.H.I.N.O.
Eco-PalmsOur congregation has partnered with "Enough for Everyone" of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and we will use eco-palms for our Palm Sunday celebration!
The Brandywine Pastoral Institute is a non-profit interfaith center providing pastoral counseling, psychotherapy and continuing education for ministry. First & Central Elder Gene Thompson sits on the Institute's Board of Directors.
Community for Integrative LearningThe mission of the Community for Integrative Learning (CIL) is to provide learning experiences that promote connection, health, and wholeness. First & Central and CIL have partnered on a number of educational events such as A Workshop with Dr. Marcus Borg and An Evening with Rev. Jim Wallis.
Friendship HouseFriendship House is a non-profit Christian corporation committed to making a difference in the lives of the homeless people of New Castle County through the traditional spiritual ministries of hospitality, education, empowerment and community. First & Central supports Friendship House financially and also through hosting Saturday Morning Hospitality and sponsoring Paper and Clothing collections.
Habitat for Humanity of New Castle CountyHabitat has been building affordable housing with low-income families since 1986. First & Central members build homes and host an annual fund-raising dinner, silent auction and talent show.
Interfaith Coalition: Building Blocks for WilmingtonAn alliance based on spiritual faith that has come together because of a deep concern about the level of violence in many parts of our city. Our Pastor, Doug Gerdts is Co-Director of the Founding Board.
Interfaith Tech AssociatesThe purpose of Interfaith Tech Associates is to promote dialogue and collaboration among communities of faith by providing them education and training in information and communication technology.
Meals On Wheels DelawareFirst & Central Meals On Wheels volunteers provide hot, nutritious meals to homebound senior citizens in our communities.
Rodney Street Tennis and Tutoring AssociationThe Rodney Street Tutors mission is to provide opportunities for under served children in the Greater Wilmington Region to fulfill their maximum potential academically, socially, and physically. First & Central houses the tutoring program on the third floor of the education building.
STAIRSTAIR is a volunteer-based, non-profit children's literacy organization that provides reading tutors for public school second grade students. STAIR was founded in New Orleans in 1985. Members of First & Central tutor children in reading at the East Side Charter School in Wilmington, DE using materials developed by STAIR.
Wilmington Friends SchoolThe Wilmington Friends School of today remains faithful to the vision of the Friends who founded the school in 1748. They continue to educate young people of diverse backgrounds in ways embedded in Quaker values and principles and attuned to the best contemporary educational practice. First & Central hosts two Friends Pre-School classrooms in the Education building.
Women's Opportunity Link of DelawareWomen's Opportunity Link of Delaware's mission is linking low-income and underemployed women to living wage job training programs and employment opportunities. First & Central women are partnering with WOLDE in the Next Step Mentoring Program.
Founded in 1946, Church World Service is the relief, development, and refugee assistance ministry of 35 Protestant, Orthodox, and Anglican denominations in the United States. Working in partnership with indigenous organizations in more than 80 countries, CWS works worldwide to meet human needs and foster self-reliance for all whose way is hard. First & Central participates in Church World Service mission projects.
Heifer Project InternationalHeifer envisions … A world of communities living together in peace and equitably sharing the resources of a healthy planet. Heifer’s mission is … To work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth. First & Central has participated in and supported many projects of Heifer International.
New! LifeStrawsHalf of the world's poor suffer from waterborne disease, and nearly 6,000 people - mainly children - die from diseases contracted from unsafe drinking water every day. LifeStraw® water purifiers have been developed as a practical way of preventing disease and saving lives, as well as achieving the Millennium Development Goal of reducing by one-half the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe water by the year 2015. First & Central members and friends contributed to LifeStraws through Giving Tree in 2009.
MANNAMANNA was formed in 1990 by members of The First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia, to help nourish men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS. First & Central has been a distribution point for MANNA's annual "Pie In the Sky" benefit.
Delaware Pacem in TerrisPacem in Terris is a non-profit organization that strives to facilitate the active participation of people and organizations on the Delmarva Peninsula, especially the religious community, on the issues and projects relevant to the quest for peace and justice throughout the world. Through seminars, activities, and experiences, we seek to change community attitudes and help people understand that peace is not a dream, but a necessity, now and in the future. First & Central annually hosts Pacem in Terris' Ulster Project.
The Pittsburgh ProjectThe Pittsburgh Project is a nonprofit community development organization with a 23-year track record of developing leaders and serving the city's most vulnerable residents. Our year-round staff of 60 operates a progressive series of after school and summer programs for 350 urban young people, deploys over 2500 people annually to perform free home repairs for Pittsburgh's in-need elderly homeowners, and spearheads economic development and job training efforts in our Pittsburgh. The F & C Youth Group participated in The Pittsburgh Project as their summer mission trip in 2009.
Power Up Gambia!It's all about power and light. With the installation of solar panels, the Sulayman Jungkung General Hospital will have a reliable power supply to provide clean running water, power to run incubators, use electronic microscopes, and perform surgeries, day or night, when needed. Refrigeration means vaccines can be safely stored and a blood bank can be established. The hands of the hospital's staff are tied without solar panels to provide critically-needed power. Members of First & Central serve on the board of Power Up Gambia! and our congregation has contributed financially to this vital mission.
SojournersFounded in 1971, Sojourners' mission is to articulate the biblical call to social justice, inspiring hope and building a movement to transform individuals, communities, the church, and the world. Sojourners' founder, Jim Wallis, spoke at First & Central in 2005.
Souper Bowl of CaringSouper Bowl of Caring equips and mobilizes congregations, schools and businesses to positively impact their communities by collecting money or food on or near Super Bowl weekend. 100% of the collections are donated directly to the charity of each group's choice. The First & Central youth and congregation participate in Souper Bowl Sunday.
AIDS Delaware is a nonprofit organization and is Delaware's largest and oldest AIDS service organization. AIDS Delaware provides statewide services and education. The First & Central congregation and Youth Group participate in the Delaware AIDS Walk that raises money to benefit AIDS Delaware.
Delaware Aging NetworkThe Delaware Aging Network (DAN), established in 2005, is a consortium of over 30 agencies across the state of Delaware committed to improving the quality of services older adults receive in the state. Through funding from the Delaware Community Foundation, DAN is working to create coordinated services for seniors, specifically in the areas of transportation, health care, and housing. DAN also advocates for state-wide policy changes that benefit the aging population.
First Night Wilmington -- Annual Celebration of Community and the ArtsWilmington's New Year's Eve family celebration. First & Central has hosted First Night events every year beginning with the first First Night!
Narcotics AnonymousNarcotics Anonymous is an international, community-based association of recovering drug addicts with more than 43,900 weekly meetings in over 127 countries worldwide. First & Central has provided space for weekly meetings for over 30 years.
Sunday Breakfast MissionThe Mission ministers to homeless men, but has gone way beyond “Sunday Breakfast” to reach out to children through Sunday schools and women through “Mothers Clubs.” All of this effort carries the same Christian emphasis and content of that first Christian Endeavor Society goal: To provide rest for the body and peace for the soul. First & Central supported the Sunday Breakfast Mission this year through Giving Tree gifts.
The Urban LeagueThis mission of the Metropolitan Wilmington Urban League (MWUL) is to enable people of color to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and civil rights.
The Wellness Community of DelawareA free program of support, education and hope for people with cancer and their loved ones.
The Center City Chorale is a 45-voice mixed SATB choir designed for and primarily made up of those people who work in downtown Wilmington. The Chorale rehearses each Tuesday from 12:05 - 12:55 p.m., September through mid-May, at First & Central. CCC normally performs during Thursday Noontime Concerts at the church. Minister of Music, David Schelat is the conducer.
Cathedral Choir School of DelawareThe Cathedral Choir School of Delaware has provided musical education to children and youth of Wilmington, Delaware, and the surrounding region since 1883. Choristers range in age from seven to eighteen, and spend at least seven hours per week in choral training, free piano lessons, performance and travel. This program raises up young people who are at risk; expects academic, social and performance excellence; and gives hope for the future.
The Rainbow ChoraleThe Rainbow Chorale of Delaware, Inc. is a non-profit Delaware organization community chorus providing gay men, lesbians, bisexuals, transgender persons, and their friends and supporters with opportunities to perform
m choral music in a supportive and affirming environment. The Rainbow Chorale of Delaware seeks to represent the positive face of Delaware's Gay, Lesbian, Bi-sexual, transgender and straight supporter community through high quality musical performance. First & Central hosts Rainbow Chorale concerts twice each year. Serafin String QuartetFounded in 2001, the Serafin String Quartet presents concerts in locations around the United States and has consistently received superlatives in the press and ovations in the concert hall. The Serafin String Quartet were artists-in-residence at First & Central for a number of years.
Wilmington Children's ChorusThis multi-cultural children's choir is sponsored by the City of Wilmington, James M. Baker, Mayor, as a project of Cityfest, Inc. The mission of The Wilmington Children's Chorus is to nurture and develop an exceptional Children's Choir for the Greater Wilmington area that is diverse in membership, all sharing a love and desire to excel in choral singing, performance and musical knowledge and to offer a varied repertoire of music from many cultures and traditions while enriching Wilmington's musical scene with the unique children's choir sound. The Wilmington Children's Chorus rehearses at First & Central.
Upper Room's magazine for kids and their families. Includes daily devotionals, memory verses, questions and answers, and games and activities. You can find Pockets magazine at First & Central in the children's Sunday worship bags. The Pockets magazine website is interactive with lots of fun stuff for kids to do on-line!
Grace For All advocates for the inclusion and full participation of all sexual orientations and gender identities in the life of the Christian Church, both in policy and practice.
The Labyrinth SocietyThis organization is made up of labyrinth enthusiasts from all over the world. There are members who work to place labyrinths in schools and promote labyrinths for use in mainstream health care. There are members who write music to use while walking a labyrinth and others who are fascinated by the mathematical challenges labyrinths have to offer. F & C Labyrinth Project members attend the Labyrinth Society Annual Gatherings.
Keep Shedding! SpirituallyKeep Shedding! Inc. is dedicated to helping you let go of whatever is holding you back. Keep Shedding shows you how to embrace the necessary skills and knowledge to move forward to a deeper relationship with God. Kathy Dempsey presented her Keep Shedding! Spiritually workshop at First & Central in September 2007.
Prayer Shawl MinistryIn 1998, Janet Bristow and Victoria Galo, two graduates of the 1997 Women's Leadership Institute at The Hartford Seminary in Hartford, Connecticut gave birth to a ministry as a result of their experience in this program of applied Feminist Spirituality under the direction of Professor Miriam Therese Winter, MMS. Compassion and the love of knitting/crocheting have been combined into a prayerful ministry and spiritual practice which reaches out to those in need of comfort and solace, as well as in celebration and joy. Many blessings are prayed into every shawl.
Shower of Stoles ProjectThe Shower of Stoles is a collection of over a thousand liturgical stoles and other sacred items representing the lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people of faith. These religious leaders have served in thirty-two denominations and faith traditions, in six countries, and on three continents. Each stole contains the story of a GLBT person who is active in the life and leadership of their faith community in some way: minister, elder, deacon, teacher, missionary, musician, administrator, or active layperson. The Shower of Stoles will be on display at First & Central on February 15, 2009.