Summer Vacations

• The Stephen Ministers will hold their next meeting in Annex 3 at 10:00 am on Tuesday, September 6. For more information, contact David Glenn Walker at 623.977.0930. 
• The bridge players will begin playing in the Fireside Room again on September 7. To learn more about the group, call Hazel Bacon at 623.974.3438. 
• The Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet once in June, and then take Mondays off until September 19. 
• There will be no formal meeting of Prayer Partners to be held at the church during the month of June, but, members of the team will continue to receive the updated list weekly, allowing them to continue to pray for each request received. Prayer requests should be sent to Helen Petersen, who coordinates the list, at booknook4hrp@gmail.com. 
• “Just Coffee” sales are finished for now. Presbyterian Women sell the coffee as a Mission Project and all the money is sent to support the Mexican farmers and their families who grow the beans and grind them at the Border in Douglas. Thanks to everyone who purchased coffee for themselves, the church, the Justa Center, or gifts. PW appreciates your support, and will resume sales this fall. 
• Our voice and handbell choirs are officially on vacation until October. Members of both groups and occasional guests will provide special music for our worship services during the summer. If you would like to offer your musical services, please contact Bill Gleason at 623.535.4496 or billg@firstpressuncity.org, or Beth Mabee in the church office. 
• We have been renting space to the West Valley Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America in the Annex from 1:30-3:30 pm on the second Tuesday of every month. They are now on hiatus until October, when their meetings will begin again. The Hearing Loss Association of America is the nation’s foremost membership and advocacy organization for people with hearing loss. The West Valley Chapter is a local chapter to provide education, information, support, and advocacy for people with hearing loss, and they welcome visitors. For more information, contact Melanie O’Rourke at melanie.orourke@gmail.com or 623.882.5554. 

Linch with Your Deacon

Presbyterian Women in June

We miss our winter visitors! We hope you’ll keep in touch; here are some good reasons:

“Who Is Jesus?”

To receive copies of the Horizons Bible Study book for 2016-2017, PW members are asked to contact Sherry Gearhart (602) 509-2684, and send a check payable to First Presbyterian Church of Sun City AZ to the church office, Attention: Norma. This year’s Bible study, Who is Jesus?, will be the focus for the PW Synod of the Southwest Fall Gathering, to be held at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, October 28-30. If you’ve never experienced being at the Renewal Center, you should consider attending for one or two days, or all three (overnight accommodations available). Deadline to register is July 25th. (See your circle leader or one of the moderators for a registration form, which has complete details of the planned activities.)

Back-to-School Supplies

We will want to be thinking about donating supplies again this year, starting in July. Billie Lewis contacted the Dysart School District last week, inquiring about their needs. The high school and elementary school are both Title 1 schools. Officials say they would be “thrilled to receive anything.” We can do all grades—everything from tissues to pencils, pens, erasers, notebooks, scissors, backpacks, etc. Monetary donations are also welcome. So watch for specific instructions in the July issue of The SPIRE regarding this worthwhile effort.

Circle Membership

PW members: How many of us know a congregation member or frequent church attender who has never visited one of our circles? Why not invite her to attend one of our Bible study groups when we start up in September:

• Rachel Circle meets in Annex 3 on the second Tuesday of each month. The new meeting time will be 1:30 pm. 
• Lydia Circle meets in Annex 2 on the second Wednesdays at 9:00 am.

Blessings,

~Marge Hagerman, Co-Moderator

Welcome to June!

Sometimes year-round residents of Arizona feel as if everything here grinds to a halt as soon as our winter visitors leave. It’s true that many of the church’s regular activities are on summer break, but that doesn’t mean June will be boring! Get ready for Father’s Day, Flag Day, Lunch with Your Deacon, Summer in the Library, and the first of this year’s One in Spirit/One in Song ecumenical hymn sings.

Starting June 4, we’ll also be experimenting with Sunday worship services in Swain Hall. This will let us save money on air conditioning, finish the changes to the Sanctuary sound system, and have some fun at the same time. Join us for special experiences such as communion by intinction and David preaching from a stool!

If that’s not enough excitement for you, consider celebrating one of these upbeat June holidays:

• June 1—National Say Something Nice Day 
• June 4—Hug Your Cat Day 
• June 8—National Best Friends Day 
• June 11—National Making Life Beautiful Day 
• June 12—National Peanut Butter Cookie Day 
• June 15—National Smile Power Day 
• June 26—National Take Your Dog to Work Day

You can even be part of (or go listen to) a flash choir singing Vivaldi’s Gloria to celebrate the summer solstice on Monday, June 20, 2016, in the Great Reading Room on the fifth floor of the Burton Barr Central Library. The performance will feature the Civic Chorus and an instrumental ensemble of gongs, drums, harps and keyboard. The space opens at 11:30 am with music, followed by a noon talk with architect and designer of the library Will Bruder, and finishes with the Gloria.

Welcome to June!

Summer Office Hours

Summer hours started June 1!  From June through the end of September, the church office is open the following days and times:

Monday-Wednesday, 8:00 am - 3:00 pm
Thursday, 8:00 am - noon

 

June 12 Ecumenical Hymn Sing

Sunday Worship is in Swain Hall

For the summer, First Presbyterian will be holding worship services at 9:00 am every Sunday in Swain Hall rather than in the Sanctuary. This will save on our air conditioning bill and give us time to finish the sound system updates in the Sanctuary, while having a little fun as well. This Sunday, June 5, we will be celebrating Communion by intinction, and collecting nonperishable food for the Valley View Food Bank. Please join us!