FPC is dedicated to the education of people of all ages.

Children

First Presbyterian Church offers a variety of Christian Education opportunities for the children of our church. Sunday school begins at 9:45 a.m., and the following classes are offered during the school year:

• Nursery Service - up to age 3 - Room 111.

• Lambs: (3-4 years) Lambs will be using a special "Veggie Tales" program.

• Cherubs: (4-5 years, pre-kindergarten) Children continue to learn familiar Bible stories and basic concepts of our faith through story and song.

• Kindergarten:  "Young Children and Worship" - A worshipful curriculum designed to ease young children into the church service atmosphere in a non-threatening environment.

• Rotation workshop style format for children currently enrolled in grades 1^st – 5^th.
  Bring your families on Celebrations Sundays

Important Dates:

• September 16 - Bible Sunday

• October 21 - Celebration Sunday - Elijah

• November 4 - Family Fall Festival

• December 2 - Celebration Sunday - Elisha

• December 9 - 10 a.m. Worship - Chancel Choir Cantata

• December 16 - 5 p.m. - Christmas Supper and Program

• December 23 - Christmas Parties for all ages

• December 30 - 10 a.m. Worship - no Sunday School

• February 10 - Celebration Sunday - Daniel

• March 23 - Easter Breakfast

• May 11 - Celebration Sunday - Paul

• May 18 - Living Waters Year-end party

Nursery Services: We also offer nursery services during the church services. We currently employ a caregiver certified in CPR and First Aid. We also offer pagers to parents, so you are only a buzz away from your child!

ü 8:30am (Room 109): For children up to age 5.
ü 11:00am (Room 109): Infants Nursery, up to age 3
                 3-5 Nursery, for children up to and including age 5.

Please do NOT drop off children older than 5 years at the nursery!

Youth Sunday School

 Sunday School hour is each Sunday from 9:45-10:45 a.m.

• Junior High/Middle School meet in Room 12 (above Memorial Room) and is open to all youth in 6th, 7^th and 8^th grades. This class will work through the curriculum I Know My Bible, which strives to give biblical confidence that will see our young people through confirmation and into adulthood. The hope is that the class will be able to say "I know the Bible! There's more to learn, more to understand, but I know this, and I love this, and it is an important part of my life."
  Shepherds: Deb Jensen, Kim Kern, Mary Kay LaMaster, Joni McCoy, Julie Thomsen

• Confirmation Class (Room 6, above Memorial Room) is for 9^th graders.
  Start date: September 9, Rally Sunday
  The class prepares young men and women for membership in the church. Using a new curriculum designed by the national office (PCUSA) specifically for confirmands, students will continue to learn about their reformed faith and heritage by exploring what Presbyterians believe. Confirmands will be assisted in the process by an adult mentor and a youth mentor.
  Adult Mentors 2007-2009: Brent Gollner, Trace Haythorn, Jessica Meeske, Bob Nedderman, Todd Pankratz, Elaine Specht, Steve Wolford, Mike Meyer
  Teachers: Rev. John Curtiss and John Froehlich.
  Important Confirmation dates:
  September 9 - 9:45 - Acolyte Training; 11:00 Confirmation Commissioning
  April 13 - Session Examination
  May 4 - 10:00 Confirmation Sunday

• Senior Highs meet in the youth room in the basement (grades 10-12).
  Start date: September 9, Rally Sunday
  For the third year the class will continue to explore the questions of our faith in creative, authentic and innovative ways. This is a discussion based class with topics chosen by the students.
  Teachers: Bryce Wiebe and Sarah Nottage-Tacey.

Youth Fellowship – Grades 7-12

There are many opportunities for youth fellowship that happen each week.

• Junior High Fellowship - Room 12 (above Memorial Room)
  5:40 - 6:00 - Dinner in Fellowship Hall
  6:00 - 7:00 - Fellowship
  Sponsors: James Goodenberger, Scott & Julie Thomsen

• Senior High Fellowship - Youth Room (basement)
  6:00 - 6:20 - Dinner in Fellowship Hall
  7:00 - 8:00 - Fellowship
  Sponsors: Deb & Tim Johnson, Becky Meyer, Jeff Richards

Youth Program Leadership

Adult Education

First Presbyterian Church offers a wide variety of Sunday school classes and educational opportunities for the adult members. Our Sunday morning classes include:

• Heirs Apparent: A multi-generational Bible Study. Meets Sunday mornings, 9:45 a.m. in Anderson Conference Room.
  Conveners: Patty and Brent Gollner (teaching leadership is often shared among the group)
• Young Adult Sunday School: For those in or near the "30-something" decade of life
  9:45 a.m. each Sunday in the Kessler Room - begins September 9
  Looking for a place to meet and form friendships with other church members your age? Our casual Sunday morning sessions include interesting discussions and good coffee in an open-minded atmosphere. Though each week's session will be self-contained, monthly themes will guide topic selection. We will kick off the year with a series of discussions about current event topics. In October our theme will be "Faith and. . ." We will look at ways faith informs our personal experiences, family life, work life and friendships. November's theme is "Christian Economics." This theme will be explored through the lenses of simple living, stewardship, American poverty and how our economic choices affect others. Child care is provided.
  Contact: Kili Wenburg - 461-6374 or wenburg@charter.net
• Adult Forum: A current events and topical class each Sunday at 9:45 a.m. in the Parlor

  September 9	Vocations & Values program and Hastings College Presenter: Rev. Dr. Trace Haythorn
  September 16	Bible Transmission - where texts come from Presenter: Rev. Dr. David McCarthy
  September 23	Macular Degeneration - new treatments Presenter: Erica Brooks, RN, BSN
  September 30	C.S. Lewis and Post-Modern Times Presenter: Rev. Dr. William Nottage-Tacey
  October 7	Sudan Presenter: Rev. Goanar Chol
  October 14	Ecology Issues in Food and Fuels Presenters: Sharon Brooks & Dr. John Kuehn
  October 21	Women's Mini Health Fair Presenters: Dr. Todd Pankratz, Erica Brooks
  October 28	Prison Ministry Presenter: Wayne Ganow
  November 4	A Greener Hastings and Beyond Presenter: Kathy Peterson
  November 11	Mission Work in Southern Africa Presenter: Rev. Dr. Douglas Tifton
  November 18	Men's Mini Health Fair Presenters: Dr. Jerry Seiler, Erica Brooks
  November 25	Atheism's Renewed Critique of Faith Presenter: Dr. David Lovekin
  December 2	A Christmas Card Presenter: Dr. Darrel Lloyd

First Presbyterian church also provides several opportunities to gather for study and fellowship throughout the week. Some of these opportunities include:

• Monday Night Bible Study - study to be announced
  Anderson Conference Room, first and third Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
  Conveners: Margaret and Bruce Sheffield

• Dead Theologians Society - reading and discussion of the works of great Christian thinkers of the past who continue to have major impact on Christianity and the world we live in.
  Church Parlor, 2nd & 4th Monday, 7:00 p.m.

• Bible@Breakfast - the oldest continuous Bible Study at First Pres
  Fellowship Hall, each Wednesday at 7:00 a.m.
  Teacher: Dan Deffenbaugh

• Men's Breakfast Club
  Fellowship Hall, 4th Saturday of each month, Sept - May, 7:30 a.m.
  First breakfast: Saturday, September 22

• Clipper Club - Fellowship Group
  Meets 1st Sunday of each month. Check Home Page and Yearbook for schedule of events.
  Contact persons: Cheryl and Roger Schukei, 462-9282

• New Members/Inquirer Class - A series of five classes are scheduled throughout the year by the Evangelism and Membership Committee.
  1st class - Sunday, September 16, 9:45 a.m., Room 116
  Contact the church office if you would like to attend.

• Parish Nurse Ministry - specialized practice of professional nursing that focuses on the promotion of health within the context of the values, beliefs, and practice of a faith community. Inclusion of Parish Nursing assists the church in its mission to promote spiritual, physical, emotional, intellectual and relational health and wellness.
  Parish Nurse: Erica Brooks, RN, BSN

• Prayer Chain - several members of our church serve the needs of others through the ministry of prayer. If you have a prayer concern it will be kept confidential among those ont he prayer chain. To make a request known please call Harriett Johnson, 463-4746.