Sunday school kick-off

We are looking forward to a great year in Sunday school. The children began this week with a lesson on creation and shared things that we did this summer. Time passed so quickly and everyone headed outside for the Deacon’s barbecue and ice cream truck. It was a beautiful day and everyone left with ice-cream covered faces.

Next month is our return to “Kids’ Night Out.” We are planning activities that will include, Bible Time, recreation, art, music, dinner and a movie. It will be easy to sign up, just call the office or speak to Terry or Sarah. We can hardly wait! Hope to see you there!

Pure of heart

The sermon this week focused on David and the life he led as a king of the Israelites.  Chosen as a young boy to become the next king, he spent his youth playing his harp and singing to King Saul.  David was an innocent child, when he began his journey as the next leader of Israel.

     Our children, just like David, are growing and learning from the elders in their lives.  How they grow and what they believe, depends on what we teach them and how we live.  

     Pastor Sarah’s story today reminds us of the mistakes made by King David when he followed his own greed and selfish needs.  David lost his innocence along the way and allowed his position as king to control the lives of others.  

     King David’s story began with hope and the possibility for a future built on love and kindness.  He was chosen by God, not to use his power as a weapon, but to lead with strength and humility.  Somewhere along the way, King David began to love power more than he loved his people. 

     How we lead is a choice we make.  Are we teaching our innocent children in ways that would please God?  Our smallest children are watching and learning how to become the next leaders of our church.  Let us help them grow to understand that they have been chosen to follow as disciples of Jesus, loving others, giving help wherever needed, and becoming part of a church family that works together in decision making.  

    Let walk humbly through this life, following in the footsteps of Jesus.

We are members of the oldest Presbyterian church in America and we are planning to prepare our children for the future as strong and loving leaders.

We will not fail if we work together and listen to the messages sent by God.

Coming Together

Thursday, July 8th, marked our second “Night Out” with the kids. We were pleased that 14 children came to join us in our fun filled activities while parents were treated to an evening to relax.

Psalm 118, “This is the day the Lord has made. Let’s rejoice and be glad,” was the lesson for this week. To teach this message to little children, our theme was “Birthday Party.” We played games, ate a great dinner of Mac & cheese with pigs in a blanket, followed by cake and cupcake decorating. It was an especially fun night, though very messy. Everyone couldn’t wait to take home their creations at the end of the evening.

Our activities were designed to teach the children that their birthday is a day that we look forward to and celebrate as a special day once a year. Our Bible message was planned to teach children that God created us with great love and that every day should be a day to rejoice and celebrate.

Fourth of July

What does 4th of July mean to you? Is it the fireworks or a day at the beach? Do you look forward to waving at friends and family as they pass by in the parade? Maybe you have a barbecue in your back yard that you look forward to every year. Seeing our veterans and first responders marching in the parade is always something we look forward to. And everyone always loves watching the children dressed in team colors or cub scout uniforms. No matter what we do, it is always a special day. 

Preparing for the parade, here at FPC, takes a lot of work and many hands. We come together to host a hot dog stand at the front of the church where viewers set down chairs to watch the passing parade. It is the best spot in town and we are lucky that our founders chose this place for our beautiful church. We are a welcoming group of people and many summer visitors compliment us on our mission work and friendly congregation. “General Needs - Serving the needs of homeless veterans” is the organization that was chosen to receive all profits from the sale this year. From Brooklyn/Queens to Riverhead, their volunteers help veterans with basic necessities, hot meals and emergency housing.

Fourth of July is an opportunity for us to come together and celebrate the independence of our country, but it also is a time for us to take time to show our love for family, friends and our community. God bless America & God bless you!

First Night Out

Thursday night, our first night out, was more fun than we imagined it would be. With the help of Mollie, Kristin, and Pastor Sarah, we put our ideas together and came up with a new plan for vacation Bible school. What if we invited kids to come for an evening of fun that included Bible Time and dinner? Our plan included games, crafts, singing, Bible messages, dinner and a movie. We set the dates for June and July, ending with a barbeque for all of our church family. As we made our plan, we hoped that if this becomes a success, we would like to continue once a month through the fall and winter.

Our Bible Time included a message from Psalm 4. We took part of the message and simplified it for the kids to learn. Repeating after the teacher, the kids responded: “Psalm 4, I’m not afraid, when I go to sleep, because God is with me.” This became a game of who could remember the verse and by the end of the night, everyone remembered the entire message.

Other things we did were, sing the song “Joy, Joy, Joy Down in My Heart,” play games, eat dinner together, went on a bear hunt outside, and ended with a movie.

We are thrilled that everyone had fun and parents were happy to hear that the kids had an amazing time. Next time we get together will be July 8th at 5:30 p.m. We are looking forward to another adventure and evening of fun.

Father's Day

We are a generous and loving congregation, looking for ways to bring a smile to the face of someone who is struggling to provide for their family in ways that we can not imagine.

This Father’s Day, we packed 35 bags of shaving cream, razors, shampoo, Hershey’s Kisses, socks and T-shirts to be given to men in our community whose families could not afford to purchase even a small gift for this special day.

Through the efforts of Marit Molin and her organization, Hamptons Community Outreach, we learned of families in devastating living conditions right here in our town. Mrs. Molin is working to help provide food and other necessities to families who are struggling to survive. We can not imagine the poverty that exists in our beautiful town because these dwellings are hidden from view of traffic and passerby’s.

With the help of Aaron Halsey, we located the homes, dropped off gifts and felt the warm smiles and waves of neighbors that we might have never met if we had not collected the precious gifts donated by our congregation.

We may never know whose life we have touched with a small gesture of kindness, but we can feel it in our heart. Happy Father’s Day!

Children are a blessing

Sunday school was attended by seven children who talked about places where they feel God's love. Ideas overflowed as they listed God sightings on a large chart. Children began with church as a place where they feel closest to God. Added to the list were, "with my family", "at grandma's", "on the boat"," in the garden", "at the beach", "when I'm fishing", "in Florida"," at the animal hospital", and "at Lego World." All of their answers were honest and inspirational.

Did you ever notice how much the congregation smiles and laughs when we have a baby or children in church?

It might be because they are spontaneous and inquisitive or maybe we love hearing their voices and watching them grow. We look forward each Sunday to having our children join us in worship. They will, one day, be the leaders of our church, and we are blessed to have them.

With summer vacation coming soon, Mollie, Kristin and I have a new and exciting plan for the children in grades 4 and below. Our new theme, “Kids’ Night Out,” will be held on Thursday evenings from 5:30-8:30 (June 24th July 8th, July 22nd & July 23rd).

“Kids’ Night Out” will replace our usual title of Vacation Bible School. It is our hope that parents will enjoy an evening out while the children are supervised at church. We will provide a Bible message, songs, games, crafts, a movie and dinner. Parents can drop off their child/children at church without having to make dinner because we will be serving a meal.

There is no cost for church members and a small fee for friends of FPC.

On July 23rd, the entire congregation and friends are invited to a barbecue on the lawn.

If we are successful with “Kids’ Night Out,” we would like to continue throughout the fall and possibly winter. We will need your feedback and ideas.

Let’s make this a great summer for our families!

Time Flies

Today we celebrated our graduates of 2021, Jordan Hadix and Mackenzie Pepitone.

From the time they were babies, both of these young women, attended church with their families. They came to Sunday school, took their First Communion, and joined the church on Confirmation Day.

This year’s graduates are entering a world that has changed dramatically. Mackenzie was able to join us in church, all the way from California because of the new technology that we are fortunate to have installed in the Sanctuary. Jordan’s presence in church was a blessing and brought smiles from the entire congregation. We had a beautiful day to meet with her outside on the lawn and share memories, well wishes and lots of cupcakes.

It was especially nice to have Jayden Pepitone join us today. Jayden has been a faithful member of FPC since he was a little boy. Whenever he returns home, we find Jayden sitting in the congregation. Today, he came to honor his sister on her special day and share some of his own memories of Sunday school.

Jordan, Mackenzie and Jayden teach us that our children have grown to love us here at FPC and we should be grateful to have young women and men who are ready to lead us into the future. They are prepared to take on this ever changing world because they are grounded in their faith and have Jesus at their side.

Kids' Night Out

What could be more fun in the summer than a night out?  This year we are planning three events for kids through 4th grade.  Our theme, “Kids’ Night Out,” will include, Bible messages, singing, music, games, crafts, dinner and a movie.  For 3 hours on each of the scheduled Thursday evenings, kids will have time to enjoy the company of their friends while parents have a safe place to leave their children and go out to dinner or just relax under the stars.

     Our first night’s theme, “Pajama Party,” will include teddy bear hunts, storytelling, flashlight tag, with dinner and a movie.  Children are welcome to come dressed in their pj’s and bring a blanket, teddy bear or sleeping bag. 

     In celebration of our children, church members and friends are welcome to join us on Friday, July 24th for a barbeque.

So don’t forget to mark your calendar…

Look for the upcoming registration forms on our website. 

If you have any questions about “Kids’ Night Out,” 

Contact:  Terry Stubelek (631.871.4034)  or the church office (631.283.1296)

A New Beginning

The Holy Spirit descended on the apostles fifty days after Easter. A strong wind rushed into the room where they were gathering and tongues of fire came upon their heads. People began speaking in foreign languages as the Holy Spirit filled them and empowered them to go into the world and spread the word of Jesus.

This day is marked on our calendar as the birthday of the church. We wear red to symbolize the flames that came down and we place pinwheels in our gardens. It is a day of celebration for us here at FPC. This year our congregation thinks about Pentecost as a new beginning.

Many things have changed over the past year and we are looking forward to starting the summer with a Sanctuary filled with a joyful congregation. Our gatherings on the lawn linger far beyond worship service as we catch up on things we have missed during the long months of seclusion.

This Sunday, we celebrated Kathie Mades and her service to our church. We are blessed to have had her among us for almost 4 decades and wish her well as she begins her new journey in life. We are looking forward to seeing what Kathie will share with the world and pray that she loves everything God has in store for her in the future.

A Happy Place

What could be better than a beautiful spring day for opening the church to our faithful family of friends and members? The Ecumenical Bell Choir filled the Sanctuary with music, the pulpit was decorated with red geraniums from Halsey Farm, Sunday school began with six children, a picnic on the lawn was enjoyed by everyone, thanks to Golden Pear. A special highlight was the tour of the newly renovated dining room, renovated by Brad Kline’s team, Domingo and Adan.

And let’s not forget the cupcakes, served by Katy and Robbie. A delicious way to end our picnic and time together on this very special Sunday in May.

Join us next week for Pentacost Sunday and Kathie’s party. There is so much to look forward to at First Church, and you really don’t want to miss anything. You are the heart of the church and we are grateful to each and every one of you for sharing a cupcake and prayers for our future together.

The Lord's Supper

May 2, 2021

In addition to welcoming our fourth and fifth graders to the Table of Communion, we also were blessed with the baptism.

We began with the baptism of Trevor Tristan Glanz.  Pastor Sarah asked Trevor if he remembered where the water from baptism comes from and he responded, “From the place where you live.”  She also asked him,”What do I do with the water?”  Trevor said, “Pour it from up high.” Pastor Sarah said that we pour the water in order for everyone to see it.  This is an important part of baptism in the Presbyterian Church. 

Communion was held during the second part of our worship service.

Over the past couple weeks, students learned the meaning of communion and how to prepare the meal. They learned that communion is a time when we celebrate our oneness with God in Christ as we gather around the table and prepare for our journey in faith as Christians.  Pastor Sarah taught them that Jesus wants us to go out into the world and share God’s love with others. 

All ten of the students came to church in their Sunday finest clothing, ready to take the next step in their faith as Christians.  Everyone was smiling and cameras were everywhere.  They began by carefully bringing the elements to table, and passing the offering, followed by a few questions from Pastor Sarah before taking the bread and grape juice with the congregation. Following service, everyone joined together on the lawn for more photos, some cookies and lemonade and a happy gathering of families in the sunshine.

At our last meeting, students remembered how Pastor Sarah taught them pray:

Help, help

Thank, thank

Wow, wow

This is the prayer that students prayed just before going into the sanctuary:

Dear God,  Help us to remember the blessings you have bestowed on us with food, water and our family.  Thank you for giving us this time together to learn more about the sacraments that Jesus taught us.  Wow God!  You are amazing and we thank your for all you have done to give us this beautiful earth.  Amen

Lesson 1: First Communion

Praise the Lord!

Our first meeting with students enrolled in their First Communion class was held this Sunday. Ten of our children will be taking Communion together on May 2nd. It was an amazing day for us all!

Praying is sometimes a little difficult for us as we try to learn how to talk to God. Pastor Sarah shared an idea that is easy to remember and is a big help when we pray. Our thought in prayer will guide us if we remember the words: "Help, Help, Thanks, Thanks, Wow, Wow."

This is what students came up with after a discussion on what we could say to God today:

"Dear God, We thank you for helping us learn how to pray. Thank you for giving us food and shelter. Please help the homeless to find a home. Thank you for bringing us together today. You are an awesome God and we praise you for sending your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen"

Coming together for the first time in many months was inspirational and energizing. We are heading toward a bright future with our children who are ready to embrace the meaning of “communion” as followers of Jesus Christ.

We talked about the original night of “Passover,” and as a Jewish man, Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate the history of his ancestors with his disciples. The Seder meal represented the pain and suffering of the Jews while held in bondage and it was during that meal that Jesus broke the bread and shared the wine, giving us the meaning for our own Communion Table.

Pastor Sarah taught the children that, as Christians, we come together for Communion sharing bread and wine (or grape juice) as a way of remembering Jesus and his sacrifice for our sins. She told the students that we then go out into the world and share the love of Jesus with others.

We are looking forward to our second lesson next week when the children will be introduced to the meaning of Baptism and learn more about Communion. The two sacraments given to us by Jesus will come together for the children to see when they observe both during their time together in the Sanctuary.

Go out and spread the Love of Jesus this week and try out the prayer idea given to us by Pastor Sarah!

Youth Sunday

What better way to spend a Sunday morning than to worship together under the leadership of our youth?

The music, sermons, poem and prayers were an inspiration and insight to the hearts and minds of future leaders of our church.

Reading from Colossians 3:12-15, Anthony Glanz told us that "It is OK to be us. God chose us to be us. God loves us all."

Katie Bigwood read from Galatians 5:13. Her message was, "Jesus frees us from being weighed down by mistakes. He frees us to live again and to love again."

Our future leaders of F.P.C. have strength, courage and faith in taking on the challenges of today’s world. Looking into the future, we can see that our children will walk beside Jesus in every aspect of their lives.

We can be grateful to Kristin, Tom, Sarah and Carl for their tireless energy in building a community of youth who are excited to share their faith with us and to

This week, let us pray for health and happiness as our youth go into the world as young Christians.

We are blessed to have them.

Palm Sunday

It looked like rain. The weather channel predicted that we would have a dreary day with showers and possible thunderstorms. Clouds loomed overhead and we prepared for unfriendly weather.

Pastor Sarah remained positive that the rain would hold off and the parade would be a huge success. She was right.

Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week and Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It is a joyful day in the life of the church at the beginning of Spring and a day that we come together to celebrate our faith and love for Jesus Christ.

This year was a new beginning for us all. We drove to the ocean and lined up for a “Palm Sunday Parade.” There were more than 50 cars all ready to proceed up South Main Street to church, waving palms from their open windows. Everyone who came enjoyed seeing our church come to life on a day that might have poured rain and dampened our spirits. God gave us the perfect day to say “hello,” and “goodbye.”

Our friend and office manager, Shelley Bennet, stood in the parking lot waving to cars filled with people who wanted to say “goodbye,” as she prepares for her move to Florida.

Palm Sunday was the perfect day to come together in honor of her work at FPC and to celebrate her dedication to our church as a member and friend to us all.

We will miss Shelley as she leaves on her new journey, but we know that God will be watching over her in everything she does. Her days will be sunny and filled with many wonderful experiences and we will always keep her in our hearts.

Jeremiah 31:31-34

Today is the first Sunday of Spring. The sun is shining. Daffodils and crocuses are beginning to show color in our gardens and we have marked our calendars with upcoming events, beginning with our Palm Sunday Parade. How exciting it will be to watch palms waving from windows as cars wind their way to the church. Easter Sunrise Service held at Cooper’s Beach will be led by Pastor Sarah and joined by neighboring churches. Church will be opening, fourth graders will take their First Communion, Youth are planning a special Sunday Service, an egg hunt is planned for the children, and renovation of the dining room has brightened our gathering space.

It might have seemed like the pandemic would stop our church from moving forward, but God has been with us every day guiding our flock in many directions. We have learned how to reach out to one another and continue to spread the love we have for loved ones near and far. Maureen’s Haven, Meals on Wings, Mission Council, virtual choirs, Bible Studies, youth group, Care Circles, are just a few of the things that FPC has continued during the darkest of days.

Pastor John Klopfer shared the message from God to the Hebrews in the Book of Jeremiah, “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.“

God wanted us to know that he need not lead us by the hand and write his law on a tablet if we keep the love of Jesus Christ in our heart.

It seems that FPC is an example of how God works through the hearts and hands of the many loving people committed to spreading the love of Jesus. We are truly blessed to have each of you in our family of believers.

Peace be with you…

Facing Our Fears

Numbers 21: 4-9

After many years of wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites were weary and less confident that God would deliver them to the Promise Land. They had complained many times prior to this passage, but this time, their complaining has become toxic.

God provided water and food when they asked and he had been patient with them during all of their difficult times. Nearing the end of their journey, nothing seemed to satisfy them and the constant complaining caused God to respond in a way they never expected.

God’s wrath fell upon them in the form of fiery venomous Snakes, biting and killing people as they slept.

Their world had become ever more dangerous and unpredictable causing them to realize their sins and confess to Moses that they had spoken against God and begged for forgiveness.

God instructed Moses to place a Bronze Serpent on a pole and have the people who were bitten gaze upon the serpent’s face and become healed from their wounds.

The Israelites lost sight of the gift God had prepared for them during their many years in the wilderness and had become complainers about everything. In our daily life, we too, complain about things that we can not control. Our community is filled with things to complain about. Traffic, too many people, cost of living, COVID, the weather, our workplace, and all sorts of things cause us to talk among our family and friends and one complaint leads to another. Many of our complaints stem from fear of change and can not be solved unless we face God and meet the truth head on. Do we want to face our realities and free our lives of fear and unhappiness? Worshiping on Sunday morning is a time when we can face our fears and find healing, knowing that God’s love is steadfast and “indeed for us.”

Jesus is Our Temple

John 2:13-22

Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it in three days.”

Our story today took place during the preparation for Passover in the city of Jerusalem. Thousands of people would return to the Temple to offer a gift to God as a way to celebrate the Exodus of the Israelites from bondage.

Unblemished cattle, oxen, sheep and pigeons were offered for sale outside the Temple gates by greedy merchants.

It had taken 46 years to rebuild the Temple and the Jews were proud of their place of worship. They believed that their rituals were important to God and were to be followed without question until the day Jesus entered the Temple.

Jesus had returned to the Temple, as was the tradition of his people. When he looked around he saw a sacred place, considered to be God’s dwelling, filled with money changers, and vendors carrying on business that cheated the poor. Jesus was angered by the greed and disrespect he witnessed. He was so angry that he drove out the oxen and sheep, flipped the table and poured out the money to the floor and he sent the men selling pigeons out of the Temple.

It must have been astounding to see this man taking on the entire courtyard of the Temple. He showed no fear in challenging the leaders in the corruption of a holy place.

What did he mean when he said, “Destroy this Temple, and I will raise it in three days.”

How could anyone understand that Jesus would soon die on the cross and raise from the dead three days later? No one realized that he would become the Lamb to be sacrificed and his body was the Temple he was speaking about.

Jesus actions at the Temple taught us that we can become accustomed to things in our lives that are unjust. We accept what is before us and fail to see that sometimes we are “sitting at a table that Jesus flipped.”

Pastor Sarah asks, “Let us not worship in the wrong Temple.

Let's turn to the true Temple....the one who put us in a relationship with God.

Serve the poor, care for the outcast, defend the vulnerable and love one another as Christ loved us."

Youth & Jesus

Mark 8: 31-38

Youth ministry is filled with fun, laughter, memories and experiences that often change the lives of the group who have come together in the name of Jesus.

Pastor Sarah shared a story today about a time when she was working in Minnesota with a group of 7th and 8th grade students.

She told us of a plan to take the group to a church across town for a retreat. The group was asked to work together to map out a route to the church using the city’s bus system. Once the plan was solidified, the teenagers gathered together to set out on their journey.

There is never a time when leading a group of youth that the leaders can expect things to go as planned, and this trip was no exception. Typically, there are always one or more teens in the group who offer a challenge for the adults.

Two of the boys arrived, ready to leave with the group, dressed in flamboyant country western dresses. They were determined to wear their outfits on their trip through the city on the way to the destination, 4 hours away.

The adults in the group worried that the boys would experience negative attitudes among the city folk they encountered along the way. Quite the opposite happened, people smiled, they asked questions of the group and seemed supportive of their activity. People who they never might have spoken to, learned that this group of kids were participating in a memory making activity.

Teenagers always seem to surprise us with their ideas and actions. They don’t fit into our well designed plans and it can be difficult for us to understand how they will fit into society and the normal vision for the future of our youth.

Our Scripture today, tells us of a day when Jesus shocked his disciples and followers with the message that he will suffer, be rejected, and that their lives will also be in jeopardy. The king they had been expecting to come and save them from persecution, was telling them that he was on a journey to the cross. Suddenly, the Messiah, their long awaited king, was not going to sit on a throne and rule over the world in a way that they prayed would come.

Like the youth in Pastor Sarah’s story, Jesus led his followers in an unexpected journey of faith that everything would be O.K. Sometimes we have to risk our own safety to change people’s minds if we want to change the world.

Jesus taught us that things will never go exactly as planned. Pastor Sarah’s teenagers taught us that sometimes we will be faced with a challenge that doesn’t fit in with our view of the world. It takes a brave soul and a heart filled with love to overcome our fears and share the Good News of the Gospel.

Our Superhero

Mark 1: 9-15

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Jesus Announces the Good News

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

A couple of Sundays ago, Pastor Sarah told us that the book of Mark is an exciting and fast paced story of Jesus journey to the cross and resurrection. We learned that Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and possibly the first one written. It is believed that Mark’s source of information came from Peter while they were working together. Mark captures our attention like a modern day writer, adding drama, mystery and shocking twists and turns.

The very first words in Mark 1: “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,” give the reader a sense that many things are about to happen.

Today’s story is a glimpse into what happened on the day of Jesus baptism. “Heaven was torn open and the Spirit descended upon him like a dove.” God spoke, saying, “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” This was the very beginning of Jesus ministry. This was the day that God chose to introduce his Son.

The dove, described as the Spirit, immediately drove him into the wilderness. We are surprised to learn that the dove, a bird associated with a quiet, peaceful nature, has driven Jesus out to the wilderness to live with wild animals, to be confronted by Satan and to be attended to by angels.

We might wonder why the Holy Spirit sent Jesus out to battle with Satan immediately following the baptism. The answer lies in the fact that Jesus is our superhero, just like those that we read about in comic books or see on the movie screen. A superhero arrives just in time to save the world. They meet many challenges, and fight many battles with the “bad guys.” Superheroes always win in the end and humbly disappear, telling those they saved, “I am always there if you need me.”

Pastor Sarah compared the love that her children had for “Angry Birds,” to our story today. “Angry Birds,” are tiny creatures trying to save their babies from evil. Like the birds, Jesus was sent to fight against evil and save the world from the wolves. He is our superhero, fighting against all of the injustices of the world. He gave us his life and his love. His story was as exciting and mysterious as any we will ever know. The Book of Mark is short, but it teaches us so much about God’s Beloved Son. Our superhero, Jesus.