On Saturday, January 10, join the crew to remove and pack away the holiday decorations from our sanctuary and annex. There's plenty of work to do and good volunteers so you enjoy the time together. The effort starts at 9:00am, so come when you can and help as long as you can.

Music is an important part of our worship time together. In that vein, we welcome Steven Elkins Kennedy to the role of Music Director and Organist.  Steve is the rehearsal keyboardist for the Garvin County Choral Society.  He  most recently held the position of Music Director and Accompanist at the First Unitarian Church of Oklahoma City.  He also has kept a busy schedule accompanying students at the University of Oklahoma as well as accompanying many musical theater producti

In January, we train and install and ordain the officers we elected at the congregational meeting in December. What does "to ordain" mean? It comes from the same root as the word "order." Presbyterians get teased somewhat justifiably for trying to do everything "decently and in order." The image is an organization full of too much bureaucracy, taking too much time in deliberation, keeping around too many documents and minutes of meetings. This is in contrast to a lighter

While it may be hard to care about cold weather when we have unseasonably warm temperatures these days, we know frigid weather will come soon enough. In that vein, we want to continue our collection of warm hats, socks and gloves for kids at the Pauls Valley elementary schools and Whitebead School. Bring your donations and place them in the collection box in the Narthex. Thank you for helping us to keep our little ones warm.

Last New Year's Day I challenged you to take up the New Year's resolution to read four chapters of the Bible per day. I did this with you and finished back in October sometime. I will be starting this again on New Year's Day and invite you join me again. But this year, I am not so much inviting you make a resolution to read four chapters of the Bible per day as I am inviting you to make a resolution to read the Bible on an ongoing basis. If you read with me last year, then y

Our Children's Worship time during the worship service is canceled for Sunday, December 28. Children are welcome to attend and participate in the regular worship time with their parents on that day.

We've made it to Christmas and we celebrate the birth of Jesus. God became incarnate; the unlimited became limited in the form of a baby boy. Matthew says this fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that "the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel." Let's dig a little so that this does not become a cliché. In Isaiah, God tells Ahaz to demand a sign. Ahaz, by the way, is NOT a good king. One way to tell that in this Isaiah passage is that Ahaz do

The church office will be closed from Thursday, December 25, through Monday, January 5. In case of pastoral emergencies, please contact the church On Saturday,

Our Adult Sunday School class continues through the two weeks of the season following Christmas. We WILL be meeting on both December 28th and January 4th. The topics are currently "to be determined," but we are sure they will be meaningful. Starting January 11th, we will return to The Present Word with a series called "Enduring Beliefs of the Christian Faith" highlighting the essential teachings of the Bible in relation to defining elements of our Christian faith. Come a

Hello, friends, The Family Night Dinner was lovely last night. The catered food was tasty, the homemade food was even better, and best of all was the fellowship. We expressed appreciation for people who worked to bring it together, Christmas carols were sung, and photos were taken with the guy in the red suit. Also at the Family Night Dinner, the congregation honored the staff. Speaking on behalf of the staff, we ARE honored to serve this great congregation. We also great

Pastor Chas Gowing and his wife Mary invite you to an Open House at the manse right next to the church on Sunday, December 21, from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Come enjoy finger food and fellowship.

A special treat awaits our youth this month. The December youth event heads to the Royal Theatre to view the animated musical David . It's the story from the Bible about a young and committed boy named David who exhibits faith and hope against the odds. The movie time is 2:00pm Saturday, December 20. We will gather at the theater a little before that to purchase tickets and popcorn. Anyone who wants to see the movie is welcome.

The Garvin County Choral Society will present music sure to warm your spirit this holiday season. The concert title is “Carols, Candlelight, Cookies and Cocoa.” The date is Sunday, December 14, at 7:00pm and it occurs here at First Presbyterian Church as our gift to our community. Admission is free; donations gratefully accepted. Come and enjoy vocal and instrumental music in the presentation of Benjamin Britten's Ceremony of Carols and Daniel Pinkham's Christmas Cantata , a

Our beautiful, meaningful, and heartwarming Christmas Eve Service will be Wednesday, December 24, at 11:00pm. Celebrate the birth of our Lord with scripture, carols and candlelight. There are opportunities for volunteer readers and singers; contact the office if you're interested. O come, let us adore Him!

For December, we are collecting warm hats, socks, and gloves to be given to kids at the Pauls Valley Elementary School and Whitebead School. Oklahoma winters can be painfully cold, especially when waiting for the school bus or playing at recess. Thank you for helping us to keep our little ones warm.

Along with Lent, the liturgical color for Advent is purple. The purple seasons are seasons of preparation. In both seasons, there is a theme of introspection. In my experience, Lent tends to be a time of very personal introspection; we think out our sin and how to live a more righteous life and we prepare for remembering Jesus' death in Holy Week and his resurrection on Easter so that we can be personally more grateful disciples, better disciples, so that we can celebrate

The adult Sunday School class will begin a new Advent series, “Finding Our Place at the Manger,” this Sunday, November 30, the first Sunday in Advent. The class will also follow a new schedule; the time to start the lesson will be 9:50am, with coffee and pastries at 9:40am.  Here's a description of the curriculum from the publisher: We see the nativity scene throughout the Advent season, on greeting cards, under Christmas trees, or brightly illuminated on the lawns of public

Hello, friends, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you're with family or friends--people you love and who love you. I hope you're being filled with that love and, yes, with good food, too. I'm thinking today about one of the most important gifts that God has given humanity. Of course, when we think of what God has given us, we tend to think first of things we need: food, shelter, clothing, protection from our enemies. If we went just a little farther in that kind of thinking, I

The Ministerial Alliance Youth Fund works through the counselor’s office to provide Christmas gifts for high school students who are either homeless or displaced by not living in their parental homes. We collected for the M.A.Y. fund this past Sunday, but if you wish to participate, you can still get a check to us. There won't be envelopes labeled "M.A.Y. fund" this Sunday, but you can bring it by the office or drop it in the offering plate. Be sure to put "MAY fund" in the

Our annual Christmas Family Night is scheduled for Wednesday, December 17, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. The event is a very special and joyful time for our church and its legacy of family connections. The evening also includes the Congregational Meeting. Be sure to remind your extended family and invite them to also "Save the Date."