24 October, 2023
Parents' Corner Blog
Parents Night Out
This two events will serve as a fundraiser for our students attending MIX and MOVE Summer Conferences 2024.
This is a great time for a date night or to get some Christmas shopping done. FPC Youth Group will offer babysitting services for parents and guardians wishing to find some alone time in the midst the holiday season. (Supervised, of course, by background checked and Child Safety trained adults.) Parents can drop off their kids and hit the town.
Children ages 12 months–Grade 5 are welcome to attend.
(6mo-5th grade for FPC church members)
Cost is $15 per child with a family maximum of $45.
(Families of more than three age-appropriate children will be charged a maximum of $45.)
RSVPing is required, no walk-ins.
Register by Dec 6 for Dec 8
Feel free to bring your kiddos favorite blanket and pillow for movie time.
Drop Off: 5-6 PM
Pick Up: 8:00 PM (late pickup fee may apply)
Dinner: Kids should come having eaten dinner.
Snacks: A snack will be provided.
Location:
302 N Maxwell
Corner of Ashley & Broadway
Contact:
Dri Bayer
dri@fpcsiloam.com
02 May, 2023
Reverend Reflections
May 2023 Reverend Reflections
Hello First Presbyterian Church,
This is my last Reverend Reflection before my family and I depart for Ohio, and I want to use this space to simply say, “Thank you.”
I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve you and to know you these past five years. It has been a great privilege of mine to have served as your pastor, and I am thankful that you gave me this opportunity. You took a risk in hiring me as your pastor. I had never served as a pastor on staff at a church before First Presbyterian Church. My only experience had been as a chaplain in a hospital or as a pastoral intern, but by God’s grace you took a flier on me. For that I am profoundly grateful. This experience has changed my life.
It is my most sincere prayer that I have served you and our God well. I know my faults all too well, and I know that you also witnessed them in me. It is my comfort that God deals with me according to his grace and love, and I thank you for dealing with me in the same spirit. You bore with me and showed me love during my time at First Pres. I can only hope that I have honored your love through my labor on your behalf.
May you continue to grow in the likeness of Christ long after I am gone and may the next pastor benefit from having served here as much as I have. I am confident of this hope, because I am confident of Christ’s work in you.
You will always hold a special place in my heart and story, and you will always be in my prayers. I hold much love in my heart for you, First Presbyterian Church. Thank you.
The Lord bless and keep you, now and forever, world without end.
In Chirst,
Jonathan +
22 March, 2023
News & Updates
This Week at FPC
Spring Break Meet Up
For those around during spring break, we are going to have a bring your own picnic at the Bob Henry Park on March 22 at 5:00 p.m. We will meet at the pavilion by the main playground. All are welcome!
Church Information Survey
If you haven’t already, please fill out our brief survey, which includes questions from the CIF. This is the last day to complete the survey.
Adult CE Survey
The Christian Education (CE) Committee has sent out personalized emails to the congregation to participate in the Adult CE survey. If you did not receive an email, you can still participate at fpcsiloam.com/adultcesurvey and be sure to check with the church office to update your info. All surveys are anonymous.
Holy Week
Sunday, April 2 – Palm Sunday
Wednesday, April 5 – Stations of the Cross (6-7:30 p.m.)
Friday, April 7 – Good Friday Service (6 p.m.)
Saturday, April 8 – Easter Eggstravaganza (10:30 a.m.)
Sunday, April 9 – Community Sunrise Service at Chautauqua Amphitheater (6:30 a.m.); FPC Easter Sunday Service (10:30 a.m.)
Spring Break
No Sunday School, Youth Group, Family Gathering, or Evening Office from March 19-26.
Hidden Word Class
A 6-week scripture memory class for children 3rd grade and above, including middle schoolers on Wednesdays from 6-7 p.m. April 29 – May 3. Students will be challenged, as Psalm 119:11 says, to hide God’s word in their hearts. There will be prizes and an opportunity for students to share their word with the congregation. Please pre-register your students at fpcsiloam.com/hiddenword so we know how many to expect. High School students who want to be helper-teachers can sign up there as well.
Easter Eggstravaganza
Mark your calendars for our annual Easter Eggstravaganza on Saturday, April 8 at 10 a.m. We’ll have fellowship, refreshments and an egg hunt for the kiddos. In the case of inclement weather, the egg hunt will be inside. We have many empty eggs from last year, but you can bring candy donations and place them in the gray baskets at each entrance now through April 2.
Stations of the Cross
Wednesday, April 5, we will have an Experiential Stations of the Cross downstairs in the classrooms for all ages. Walk through at your own pace anytime between 6-7:30 p.m. This will be the Family Gathering activity for the evening. The Hidden Word Class and those attending Evening Office are encouraged to go with their families after their class/office.
Youth Rummage Sale
As you do your spring cleaning, set aside and box up your donatable items for our youth’s final fundraiser! The youth will collect donated items to sell the week of April 23 and have a rummage sale during the Dogwood Festival.
01 June, 2021
Parents' Corner Blog
Looking for children and youth activities?
For more information about our regularly scheduled children and youth classes and events, check out our Christian Education page.
01 April, 2025
Parents' Corner Blog
April note from Dri: New Little Library
Our new church library is up and running! Small, but mighty, we hope that this library will be a resource to our congregation. Our curated selection of books are specifically chosen because we believe their content meets all of our theological and biblical standards and will edify the body. From Sunday School class curriculum to parenting books, to Bible study resources, check out some of our titles below.
The Knowledge of the Holy – AW Tozer
Making Room: Recovering Hospitality as a Christian Tradition – Christine D. Pohl
New City Catechism for Kids – Crossway
The New City Catechism – Crossway
Mere Christianity – CS Lewis
The Bible Basics – Danielle Hitchen
Psalm 23 – Danielle Hitchen
Let there Be Light – Danielle Hitchen
Holy Week – Danielle Hitchen
God Behaving Badly – David T. Lamb
Raising Teens in an Almost Christian World: A Parent’s Guide – Dietrich Kirk
The Global Church: The First Eight Centuries – Donald Fairbairn
The Global Church: The First Eight Centuries DVD – Donald Fairbairn
Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy – Eric Metaxas
The Emotionally Healthy Woman – Geri Scazzero
The Life Book – Gideons International
Amy Carmichael – Janet & Geoff Benge
George Muller – Janet & Geoff Benge
Gladys Aylward – Janet & Geoff Benge
Reading for the Love of God – Jessica Hooten Wilson
Scandal of Holiness – Jessica Hooten Wilson
Knowing the Bible: Daniel – JI Packer
The Pilgrim’s Progress – John Bunyan
A Little Book on the Christian Life – John Calvin
Know the Creeds and Councils – Justin Holcomb
Know Why You Believe – K. Scott Oliphint
Old Testament Essentials – Longman
Family Based Youth Ministry – Mark DeVries
Just Like Jesus – Max Lucado
Divided by Faith – Michael O. Emerson & Christian Smith
Story Shaped Worship – Robbie F. Castleman
Parenting in the Pew – Robbie F. Castleman
Jesus Storybook Bible – Sally Lloyd-Jones
The Meaning of Marriage – Timothy Keller
Liturgy of the Ordinary – Tish Harrison Warren
Who Will Be King
Two Ways to Live
If you’d like to peruse our selection, check it out this Sunday. To check out a book, you simply fill out a short form on the clipboard directly to the right of the bookshelves with your name, a contact phone or email, the name of the book and the date. Then take a bookmark and write your due date on it. Use the book mark to mark your place as you read, and as a reminder to return your book so others may enjoy it.
We also hope to grow our little library. If you’d like to donate books, please know that we are selecting our books very carefully. Below is a wishlist of books and authors that we are hoping to collect. If you have a spare of these books or are no longer using them at home, please consider donating them to our library. Or if one of these books has been transformative for you, consider purchasing a second copy to donate so you can keep your own for another read through. If you have other books that you believe should be included in the library, please contact Dri about the process for the Christian Education Committee to approve books. All books donated are subject to the Christian Education Committee’s review. Any unused books will be donated to Dogwood Literacy Council, one of our ministry partners.
Reference Materials:
IVP Old Testament Bible Background Commentary (Walton, Matthews & Chavalas)
IVP New Testament Bible Background Commentary (Keener)
IVP Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
How to Read the Bible Book by Book – Fee & Stuart
Christopher Wright – Knowing God through the OT
Knowing Jesus through the OT
Knowing The Holy Spirit through the OT
Justo Gonzalez – The Story of Christianity
Christian Living & Christian Fiction:
Timothy Keller – Books of the Bible Commentaries
The Reason for God
Prodigal God
Robbie Castleman – Story Shaped Worship
Parenting in the Pew
Justin Whitmore Earley – Made for People
Habits of the Household
NT Wright – Surprised by Hope
Paul
CS Lewis – Mere Christianity
The Space Trilogy
Chronicles of Narnia
Screwtape Letters
Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Life Together
Cost of Discipleship
Christopher Wright – The God I Don’t Understand
Kenda Creasy Dean – Almost Christian
Paul David Tripp – Parenting
Jesus Freaks: Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus, the Ultimate Jesus Freaks
Christopher Wright – The Mission of God’s People
Fiction:
Andrew Peterson – The Wingfeather Saga
Ted Dekker – Black, Green, Red, White (Circle Series)
JRR Tolkien – Lord of the Rings
Madeleine L’Engle – A Wrinkle in Time Quintet
Children’s Books:
Sally Lloyd-Jones – Jesus Storybook Bible
Danielle Hitchen
Sacred Seasons
Baby Believer:
Holy Week
Let There Be Light
Psalm 23
First Bible Basics
CS Lewis
RC Sprouls
NT Wright
AW Tozer
Timothy Keller
We hope you’ll enjoy our library and that it will be a great help to our congregation.