Old First Presbyterian Church

Saturday, March 20, is Mr. Rogers Day in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Join us in celebrating the life and ministry of the Reverend Fred Rogers and how his wisdom and compassion can still speak to the child of God in all of us. So put on your cardigan and comfy shoes and then join us remembering Fred Rogers on Sunday March 21!

🌴Paper Palm coloring deadline had extended to Wednesday 3.17.21! 🌴

Palm Sunday is March 28 and many of you have shared how you miss waving palms to remember Jesus' ride into Jerusalem. The worship committee has found a way to do that in 2021. Download the picture here for a pattern of a palm frond to be colored (on paper or digitally ) then send in the photo before tomorrow. Let your creative side go wild.

See the church email from 3.14.21 for how to send in your art.

The church neighborhood on Saturday

Online Worship at Old First - March 14th, 2021

Join us for online worship at Old First! This week's service will premiere live at 11:00am on March 14th, 2021, at the following URL:
https://youtu.be/bgKFCGFAb1U
The service will also be available afterwards.

Welcome to online worship at Old First!Your generosity supports us during this uncertain time. Give online at http://donations.oldfirst.orgVisit our website ...

From the Worship Committee: Paper Palm Project
Palm Sunday is March 28 and many of you have shared how you miss waving palms to remember Jesus' ride into Jerusalem. The worship committee has found a way to do that in 2021. Draw a palm frond to be printed, then painted, colored or somehow “greened,” and finally cut out like the one pictured. Let your creative side go wild.
Next make a video of you waving the green palm frond, or take a photo of you waving the frond or of just the palm. Why not ask your friends, grandkids, neighbors to make a palm and send you their video or picture?
Then send the palm pics to Austin Coffee. E-mail the photo or video to him at [email protected] - but please get your artwork to him no later than Monday, March 15 - earlier would be even better. Austin will then miraculously incorporate them into the Palm Sunday service.
Thanks in advance for your contribution to our celebration of Jesus' ride into Jerusalem!

I received my first vaccination shot yesterday, because of work with our weekly food food pantry. So impressed by the workers and the general kindness of all there.

Online Worship at Old First - March 7th, 2021

Join us for online worship at Old First! This week's service will premiere live at 11:00am on March 7th, 2021, at the following URL:
https://youtu.be/mrvJj1-78WY
The service will also be available afterwards.

Welcome to online worship at Old First!Your generosity supports us during this uncertain time. Give online at http://donations.oldfirst.orgVisit our website ...

Queerness & Christianity Panel

This looks interesting. Hope some of you can join. Pastor Maggi

Responding to a Need:
LGBTQ Seniors & Isolation



Q***R SPIRITUALITY & CHRISTIANITY
Panel & Conversation
MARCH 7th
—
Last fall & early this year the SF Night Ministry conducted a number of one-on-one interviews with community stakeholders regarding our outreach to & programs that benefit LGBTQ+ communities. One outgrowth of those conversations was identification of the need of LGBTQ+ seniors have to connect socially to address their isolation, especially during COVID.

As an initial offering to address this identified need, please consider joining us for an online event on March 7th, 2-4pm. Perhaps you know an LGBTQ+ senior or another person who might benefit? Do share this invitation. _____

On March 7th, attendees first will view an online panel through Stanford from 2-3:30pm. Then we will collect as a smaller group over Zoom, 3:30-4pm, to discuss our impressions of the panel and how it may or may not have resonated with our own spiritual journeys, regardless of our faith backgrounds.

Free registration is required to listen to the Stanford panel, 2-3:30pm, and the link to register is provided here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queerness-christianity-panel-tickets-133006226203?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Afterward, at 3:30pm, please connect to SF Night Ministry's post-panel conversation over Zoom.
Zoom Meeting ID: 625 859 7013 | Passcode: 059805

Contact John Brett, LGBTQ+ Outreach Coordinator, with event questions

Contact John

eventbrite.com This Queerness & Christianity Panel features The Rev. Dr. Pamela Lightsey, The Rev. Dr. Jay Williams, and The Rev. Dr. Patrick Cheng.

Responding to a Need:
LGBTQ Seniors & Isolation



Q***R SPIRITUALITY & CHRISTIANITY
Panel & Conversation
MARCH 7th
—
Last fall & early this year the SF Night Ministry conducted a number of one-on-one interviews with community stakeholders regarding our outreach to & programs that benefit LGBTQ+ communities. One outgrowth of those conversations was identification of the need of LGBTQ+ seniors have to connect socially to address their isolation, especially during COVID.

As an initial offering to address this identified need, please consider joining us for an online event on March 7th, 2-4pm. Perhaps you know an LGBTQ+ senior or another person who might benefit? Do share this invitation. _____

On March 7th, attendees first will view an online panel through Stanford from 2-3:30pm. Then we will collect as a smaller group over Zoom, 3:30-4pm, to discuss our impressions of the panel and how it may or may not have resonated with our own spiritual journeys, regardless of our faith backgrounds.

Free registration is required to listen to the Stanford panel, 2-3:30pm, and the link to register is provided here:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queerness-christianity-panel-tickets-133006226203?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Afterward, at 3:30pm, please connect to SF Night Ministry's post-panel conversation over Zoom.
Zoom Meeting ID: 625 859 7013 | Passcode: 059805

Contact John Brett, LGBTQ+ Outreach Coordinator, with event questions

Contact John

Online Worship at Old First - February 28th, 2021

Join us for online worship at Old First! This week's service will premiere live at 11:00am on February 28th, 2021, at the following URL:

https://youtu.be/EuB64DSINho

The service will also be available afterwards.

Welcome to online worship at Old First!Your generosity supports us during this uncertain time. Give online at http://donations.oldfirst.orgVisit our website ...

STOP AAPI HATE

Dear Beloved in Christ,

Attacks against Asians are on the rise in the United States. Just this year in the Bay Area:
• a 64-year-old woman was assaulted and robbed after she went to the ATM to get money to celebrate Lunar New Year
• A 91-year-old man was shoved and hospitalized in Oakland’s Chinatown
• a 52-year-old woman was shot in the head with a flare gun in Chinatown
• in San Francisco, an 84-year-old man was smashed to the ground by a young man and died two days later in the hospital.

Stop Hate AAPI center and website (https://stopaapihate.org/) which was created by three agencies, one of which is the Asian American Studies Department of the San Francisco State University, states on their website that the center tracks and responds to incidents of hate, violence, harassment, discrimination, shunning and child bullying against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in California and where possible throughout the United States. From March to December 2020, there were over 2800 self-reported incidents. Almost half were from California and of those, over 700 were from the Bay Area.

Here are some of their stories:
I was waiting to enter a pharmacy to get my prescription when a group of construction workers (not social distancing) made fun of me by mocking me, fake coughing, spitting at me and making slant eyes gestures until I asked them to stop. No one else called these people out. (Oakland, CA)
I was standing in an aisle at a hardware store when suddenly I was struck from behind. Video surveillance verified the incident in which a white male used his bent elbow to strike my upper back. Subsequent verbal attacks occurred with "Shut up, you Monkey!, "Screw you Chinaman," "Go back to China" and "Stop bringing that Chinese virus over here.” (San Francisco, CA)
On my daily walk in my hometown Sausalito, I was wearing a face mask when a white woman yelled at me, "I hate Chinese people! Why do they come to this country?!" when she passed me. I was stunned by her words which caused me to fear and be more alert of my surroundings.

We were outraged when Hispanic children were separated from their families at the border. We were horrified by the events that lead to the Black Lives Matter movement. And now we are terrified and angry of all the attacks against the Asian community.

We continue to fall short of God intentions for all of us. Our hearts our broken and we feel much grief at what our local communities and this country has become. We stand with all our Asian brothers and sisters during this tumultuous time.

May God continue to hold us in God’s care and guide us as individual, as the church and as the presbytery to be agents of peace and justice in our communities.

With Love and Care,

~Your Presbytery Leadership Team:
Rev. InHo Kim, Partner for Congregational Vitality and Clergy Support
Jennifer Sacramento-Streett, Partner for Operations and Communications
Rochelle R. Shaw, Stated Clerk
Rev. Leonard Nielson, Partner for Finance and Property Assets

stopaapihate.org Our communities stand united against racism. Hate against Asian American Pacific Islander communities has risen during the COVID-19 pandemic. Together, we can stop it.

Online Worship at Old First - February 21st, 2021

Join us for online worship at Old First! This week's service will premiere live at 11:00am on February 21st, 2021, at the following URL:

https://youtu.be/bYBPsoUlBlQ

The service will also be available afterwards with or without the Live Chat.

youtube.com Welcome to online worship at Old First!Your generosity supports us during this uncertain time. Give online at http://donations.oldfirst.orgVisit our website ...

WINTER STORMS

— National Guard

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is in communication with Presbyterian leadership on the ground in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. We have offered assistance and assessments will be more accessible as power is restored and things begin to thaw. PDA stands ready to assist. Please join us in praying for safety and warmth.
To give by phone, call 800-872-3283. To send a check, please designate where you want your gift to go on the memo line and mail to:

Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700

To support this response, designate gifts for DR000015