Welcome to the First Presbyterian Church of Monroe, NY

Sign Up For The New Church Family Directory

We will be producing a new pictorial directory and need you in it to make it the best ever.

The directory will be a valuable tool, helping you to place names with faces, and is an excellent reference an information source for our Church Community. You only visit the church once. Allow approximately 30-45 minutes for the photography and for instant viewing and selection of the portraits you may wish to purchase. Every participating family receives a FREE album…and a complimentary 8x10 color wall portrait.

Photography will take place, January 19-21, 2012 in the New Fellowship Hall. Singles, couples, and families with children are all encouraged to participate. You can also bring in the family pet and extended family members. Our goal is 100% participation.

Please be sure to sign-up for an appointment clicking here  which will guide you through the scheduling process.

Per Capita

What is Per Capita? Per Capita is the administrative cost of our higher governing bodies. It is based on the number of active members in each congregation.

Every congregation is expected to pay the Per Capita for the entire year. Our church will pay $9,009.00 for 2012. That comes out to $29.25/Member.

Many of you use the Per Capita envelope in your boxes. If you do not have the Per Capita envelope but would like to contribute your portion, you can send a check to the church office with Per Capita written in the memo line. The amount is figured as follows:

  1. 2 adult members: 2 x $29.25 = $58.50
  2. 2 adult members + one confirmed youth member: 3 x $29.25 = $87.75
  3. 1 adult member + 1 confirmed youth member: 2 x $29.25 = $58.50

Thank you everyone!

Annual Congregational Meeting

Our Annual Congregational Meeting will be on Sunday, January 29, 2012 after the 10:00am service. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend this informative meeting.

If you will be submitting a report for the meeting, please email your information to the office by Friday, January 20, 2011.

ByLaws

As many of you are aware, effective July 10, 2011, the Presbyterian Church (USA) enacted a new constitution, designing it to be less cumbersome that of the previous constitution. As a result, our old church bylaws, which were last updated in the '80's, must be rewritten.

The Council (formerly known as Session - one of the changes in the new constitution) recently met and reviewed the old bylaws, rewriting them so they are in accordance with the new constitution.

The congregation will be asked to vote on these new bylaws at the annual meeting, which will be directly after the 10:00am worship service on Sunday, January 29. Click here to view the bylaws  which are being recommended by Council. There will also be copies available at church if you should wish.

Not much had to change with the old bylaws. However, please pay particular attention to Article Number XII, Ruling Elders (which is the new term for members of Council): this bylaw will, through attrition over 3 years, reduce our number of Council members from 18 to 12, which is more in line for the amount of our church membership.

If you have any questions regarding these new bylaws, please feel free to contact Leslie McInerney through the church office. We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting. Many thanks to all of you for your support of our church.

Calendar Request

The Presbytery Prison Partnership project has requested calendars again this year. If you have any extra 2012 calendars, please donate them!

There is a Presbytery meeting on Dec. 6, when we can deliver whatever is brought in either this Sunday or next. There will also be plenty of opportunities to send calendars that become available after the 6th.

Support Our Church When You Shop Online

If you plan on doing any Christmas shopping online, please start at FPCMonroe.org

On the bottom right corner of the page you should see boxes for Amazon, Plow & Hearth, and Goodshop. Clicking on any of these first will result in a donation to the church of a percentage of what you spend!

Amazon and Plow & Hearth are straightforward; Goodshop brings up a huge list of stores to visit, along with a lot of coupons.

Happy Shopping, and thanks for supporting our church!

Stewardship

The Bible teaches us that it is better to give than to receive. But receiving is also a blessing. When we understand that all we have received is a gift from God, then we are truly ready to share our blessings.

Stewardship is about the sacredness of what we do with our “gifts” and our “talents,” with the time that we have been given in God's creation. Jesus in his parables gives us examples of what not to do with these gifts – not to hoard them, like the servant with one talent, nor to squander them like the prodigal son. So our church has tried to use the gifts we have received wisely. We have refurbished our facilities. We support a dedicated and talented staff. Our church is a vital resource to its surrounding community.

All this would not be possible without the enormous amount of time, talent and treasure that you have provided. In the midst of a very difficult economy we are holding our own financially. However, we are not a wealthy church. We do not have a large endowment to tide us over. Your continued support is vital.

Please consider what you have received and what you can give to support your church in the coming year.

Food Pantry News

I used to organize drives for food pantries; now I have to go to one. I don’t know how I would feed my family without you. I’m so embarrassed…I never thought this would be me. These comments, or ones similar, are often heard by our food pantry volunteers.

Unfortunately, given the recent economic woes, our little food bank has seen a big increase in people who need our support. Fortunately, through generous donations, we have been able to meet this demand, and we are now feeding between 75 and 100 families each month.

We still need your help. We would like to start up our “Drop a can or drop a dollar” campaign again on the first Sunday of each month; donation bins can be found in the back of the sanctuary. We will also be reaching out to you in November and December for donations for our annual Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets.

Finally, we can always use help manning our pantry, which is open on the first and third Saturdays of each month, as well as the second and fourth Wednesdays. If you can donate a few hours each month, or even just every once in a while as a substitute, it would be a huge help.

Here are some items that are always in demand:

Food items

  • Pasta
  • Spaghetti sauce (canned or jars)
  • Soup/stew
  • Canned fish
  • Rice
  • Canned fruit
  • Pancake mix/syrup
  • Cereal
  • Vegetable oil
  • Cake mixes/frostings
  • Coffee/tea/juice

Health and Beauty Items

  • Shampoo/conditioner
  • Deodorant
  • Dish soap
  • Laundry detergent
  • Toilet paper
  • Tissues
  • Feminine hygiene
  • Shaving cream/razors
  • Toothbrushes

Thank you all so very much for your faithful support of this important ministry!

Cottage Workers

We are about to have a critical labor shortage, selling at the Cottage on Saturday mornings, 10:00am - Noon

Without more volunteers we will be unable to open at least twice a month.

The job itself is not hard, but there is no question about the difficulty of maintaining one's patience while selling on a Saturday. However, it is a service to the poor of our community, and it does help the budget.

If we had a dozen or so teams of two or three people signed up, each team would need to work only 2 or 3 times a year. Please give it serious consideration, call the office, and volunteer. Thank you.

Hudson Energy Update

Here are some updates to the Affinity Program from Hudson Energy / Just Energy.

The Hudson Energy Services Affinity Program can save you hundreds of dollars a year between your gas and electric. It can help you lower your gas bills for the next one to three years and at the same time make a donation to our church. There are still no penalties or fees for residential enrollments. Additional benefits include a new variable rate offering.

Members of FPC can call or Miriam at Hudson Energy to verify that they are receiving the lowest available rates or to sign up. You can also check the latest rates document (Excel) .

We at Hudson & Just Energy thank you for your continued participation in the Affinity program and look forward to a great 2012. Wishing all of you a happy, healthy New Year and looking forward to speaking with and visiting you in the new year.

Miriam R. Stiefel - Director, Affinity Program
4 Executive Boulevard, Suite 301, Suffern, NY, 10901
Phone: 845-228-3401 | Fax: 845-228-3422
E-mail: miriam.stiefel@hudsonenergy.net 
Website: hudsonenergy.net