FPC MINISTRY UPDATES

Worship

Sunday Services: We will have one combined worship service at 11 am in the Sanctuary. Overflow seating will be available in King Hall. There will be no Sunday School for the remainder of the year.

The Sacrament of Baptism. We welcome this Sunday, Mr. and Mrs. Houston and Whitney Hollis, as they present their son, Master Hampton Hollis, to be marked with this sign of the covenant.

The Rose in the Worship Service is given to the glory of God and in honor of Judah Wilder Ellison, born December 10, 2025, son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark (Shelbi) Ellison, brother to big brother Josiah, and big sister McKenzie.

Church Office Hours During the Holidays

The Church office will close on Tuesday, December 23rd, at 2:00 pm and remain closed through Friday, December 26th, for the Christmas holiday. We will reopen at 9 am on Monday, December 29th.

“The Way of Beauty” 2 Peter Advent Sermon Series

In a world crowded with counterfeit freedoms, fading promises, and fractured loves, the apostle Peter calls us back to the way of beauty—the life that reflects the majesty and moral splendor of Christ Himself. Through the certainty of Jesus’ divine power and the sufficiency of His promises, we are invited to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, walking a path where truth and goodness meet. 2 Peter shows that beauty is not cosmetic but covenantal—it is the radiance of a life shaped by Christ’s lordship and kept for His coming glory. As we journey through this letter, we will see that the way of beauty is not ease but endurance, not novelty but holiness, not self-expression but Christ-conformity. It is the way of those who, trusting His Word and awaiting His return, display the splendor of the Savior in a decaying world.”

2025 Combined Worship Advent Schedule:

December 21st– 11 am in the Sanctuary; there is no Sunday School
December 24th Christmas Eve Candlelight Services: 4 pm in King Hall, 6 pm in the Sanctuary
December 28th – 11 am in King Hall; there is no Sunday School

Christmas Eve Candlelight Services

Make your plans now to include one of our two candlelight worship services on the evening of December 24th in your family's Christmas Eve celebration. Our 4 pm service will be held in King Hall, and our 6 pm service will be held in the Sanctuary; both services will offer overflow seating. An offering will be taken during our Christmas Eve Services, and a nursery will be provided.

2026 Offering Envelopes

Beginning this Sunday, you may pick up your 2026 envelopes in the hallway outside of the Van Dyke Room.

Free Book Resource for Families

The Family Equipping Ministry Team is giving away the book entitled Family Worship by Donald Whitney. If you have children or grandchildren at your house, then please pick up a book. We ask that you take one per family. Our prayer is that this book will encourage you to try to have regular times with your family in which you read and discuss the Bible together, pray together, and even sing together. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Ken ( ) or our FEMT chairman, Nate King.

Women's Conference is coming January 23-24

SAVE THE DATE: Our Women’s Conference is back. The Conference will be on Friday, January 23, and Saturday, January 24. It will feature Dr. Mary Wilson Hannah, director of women in ministry at Second Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee, as our speaker, teaching from the book of Ruth. You won’t want to miss it!

Women's Spring Bible Studies (Begin on January 26 after the Women's Conference)

Mondays at 9:30 am - Philippians: Susanna and Julie Blankenship - 6 weeks (childcare available)

Tuesdays at 8 am and 1:30 pm - 1 and 2 Peter: Amanda Davidson - semester (still unsure of start date)

Tuesdays at 9:30 am - Gospel of Mark: Brittni - 10 weeks-ish (childcare available)

Tuesday Night study: book facilitator based on a book of the Bible (6:00)

Joan Brock will teach 1&2 Timothy…at 1:30 on Thursdays

Prayerfully Reflecting Our Call to Give

Thanks be to God for all who have submitted their 2025 General Fund Commitment Cards. If you have not submitted your Commitment Card or have misplaced it, there are extras in both the Sanctuary and King Hall, or you may use the QR code to access our online Commitment Card.

Christ and Culture 2026

Serving Our Community in a Self-Serving Culture

Join us for a four-part series exploring how today’s cultural messages often clash with biblical love and service. Each week, a speaker challenges us to resist inward-focused cultural currents and live gospel-centered service. Whether you’re struggling with busyness, burnout, or identity, this series is for you.

January 7: Aimee Joseph. Self-Fulfillment vs. Self-Denial: Who Is Life Really About?

January 14: Jeremy Marshall. Performance & Productivity: When Doing Becomes an Idol.

January 22: Joel Beeke. The Gospel of Comfort: Moving from Consumer to Contributor.

January 28: Isolation vs. Incarnation — Showing Up in a Self-Focused World.

Christmas Food Box Weekend

Christmas Food Box Weekend ~ December 20th - 22nd. This wonderful ministry to our community could not happen without the hands and feet of our congregation. We have several opportunities to serve. All activities will be at the Coosa Valley Fairgrounds again this year. If you would like to donate towards the food boxes, the cost is $35 per box.

12/20; 9 am-1 pm - unload and sort the food
12/21; 5:30 pm ‘til finished – pizza and packing the food boxes
12/22; 6 am-10 am – passing out the food boxes

FPC Community Groups

This is a great time to join a Community Group! Community Groups will resume meeting in August. If you would like more information about Community Groups or if you are interested in joining a group, please visit fpcrome.org/communitygroups or contact the Director of Adult Discipleship and Missions, Mr. Rob Davis, at .

Spring Sunday Morning Studies

ADULTS:

Spring Adult Sunday School begins January 4th
- Connecting the Dots (Fellowship Hall) Teaching team: Dave Abernathy, Tommy Atha, Blakely Hall, Emmett Long, Tony Pemerton
- Jesus on Every Page (Reformations: CLC 101) Teaching team: Rusty Chadwick, Matt Claytor, Brant Evans, Eddie Johnston, Pastor Jonathan
- Unlocking the Parables (College: CLC 201) Teaching team: Camden Garrett, Amy Neal, Ben Rooke
- Parables: Mysteries of God’s Kingdom (The Upper Room: CLC 203) Teaching team: John Goodrich, Trey Newton, Chris Congdon, Pastor Ken
- Calling: A Scriptural Journey (Galilee: CLC 205) Teaching team: Jeff Lewis, Dathan Sorrow

INFANTS AND TODDLERS:

Infants (8 weeks – 16 months) – Downstairs Nursery of Education Building
Toddlers (16 months – 2 years) – Downstairs Nursery of Education Building

CHILDREN:(upstairs in the Education Building)

2’s and 3’s -209
4’s -210
5’s- 208
1st-2nd grade -205
3rd grade-204
4th grade -203
5th & 6th Grade Girls-202
5th & 6th Grade Boys -201

YOUTH:

Jr. & Sr. High Students – Crossing

Wednesday Night Gathering will resume on January 7, 2026, with our annual Christ and Culture Discipleship Forum

FPC Giving

GIVING:

Operating Budget Through October

Tithes and Gifts Expenses Over/(Short)

$2,638,750.77 $2,556,750.37 $82,000.40

Student Ministry Scholarship Program

Our Student Ministry Work Scholarship Program continues to accept jobs year-round. If you have any work that needs to be done, please contact Caleb Sanders at or visit fpcrome.org/scholarship to fill out the online form. We are particularly in need of opportunities for our female students.

For Congregants: If a congregant has a job that they would like to do, please contact the church office. Please give your name, phone number and description of the job along with how many students may be needed. Caleb Sanders will contact you for more specifics and to schedule a date and time. Payment should be submitted to the church office, notating that it is for the work scholarship program. Please note these payments are not tax-deductible.

For Students: Students have the opportunity to work jobs for our congregants to help fund future trips. If interested please contact the church office and leave the student's name, parent's name and contact information. Caleb Sanders will reach out to both the family of the student and the congregant to coordinate logistics and specifics.

A sign-up link can be found at www.fpcrome.org/scholarship or on the student ministry page. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Caleb Sanders and

CONNECT WITH US

If you are visiting with us today, we would love to have the opportunity to answer any questions you may have about our church. Please visit our Connections table after worship to talk with a volunteer and to receive a gift cross. Or you may visit our church website, click on the link at the top for the Connect Form, and a member of our Connections team will contact you. We look forward to connecting with you.

MINISTRY OPPORTUNITIES ~ SERVE PROFILE

The Bible teaches us that all Christians were “created in Christ Jesus for good works” (Ephesians 2:10). Our church has created a Serve Profile that helps you discover how God has gifted you for His service and shows you potential areas of service in the church and community. This Serve Profile does not automatically sign you up to serve anywhere! It opens the door for a ministry leader to contact you and discuss ways you may feel called to serve FPC and our surrounding community when opportunities are presented. You may visit fpcrome.org/serve and click on the SERVE PROFILE button. It is accessible from all mobile devices and takes about 7 minutes to complete. If you prefer a paper copy, contact the church office at 706-291-6033.

SERVING AND CARING FOR OTHERS

PRAYER REQUESTS
If you would like to be kept informed of the church’s prayer needs, email the church office at .org to receive updated prayer requests. If you would like to submit a Prayer Request for yourself or someone you know who is in need, you may do so on our website at http://www.fpcrome.org/prayer
Do you know someone who is a non-believer? The Evangelism Ministry Team would love to pray for them. You may email your specific requests to Pastor Jonathan Schwartz at .