FPC MINISTRY UPDATES

Worship

Sunday Services: We will have two worship services: 9:00 AM in the Sanctuary and 11:00 AM in King Hall. Our Sunday School hour is from 10:05 AM to 10:50 AM.

The Sacrament of Communion will be celebrated at both services today. Please remain in your seats while the Elders distribute the elements.

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.

Pips Resumes on August 27

Our August 27 program and lunch will be in King Hall at 11 am. Our program will feature Jim and Ali Dent, who will be sharing with us their experiences over the last two years on the Mercy Ship. The program will be followed by a delicious lunch catered by Duffy’s Deli. We do ask for a $10 donation for lunch. Please invite a friend. You may contact the church office to sign up, or sign up online at www.fpcrome.org/pips.

Building and Grounds Announcement

Buildings and Grounds Ministry team is in communication with the city regarding the deteriorating condition of the aged oak tree in front of the sanctuary. It is on a public right-of-way (not FPC property), and city inspectors are actively monitoring its health.

Pray for Me Campaign-Relaunching this Fall

We're bringing back the Pray for Me Campaign, connecting generations through prayer! Adults commit to a year of praying for one student, and we need Prayer Champions and students to sign up. Launch event: Sunday, September 13. Interested? Sign-up sheets in the lobby or www.fpcrome.org/students.

Women’s Ministry Kick-Off Lunch ~ Sunday, August 23rd following 11 am worship service

Ladies, it is time to kick off a new year in Women’s Ministry! Join us in the Hardy Fellowship Hall. We will hear FPC ladies tell their stories surrounding the church theme, "Ambassadors for Christ”. Come for food, fellowship, and to hear about the exciting opportunities to grow closer to Jesus and one another in the year ahead! Please register by visiting fpcrome.org/women.

Women’s Bible Study on Hebrews begins on Tuesday, August 25

Who is Jesus, really? Hebrews answers that question with relentless clarity: He is superior to the angels, superior to Moses, superior to every priest and every sacrifice that came before Him. In light of this truth, we have a sure and steadfast anchor for our souls. Join us as we dig into the book of Hebrews beginning Tuesday, August 25. Tuesday mornings: Digging Deeper 9:30-10:00; Teaching 10:00-11:00; Table Discussion 11:00-11:30. Tuesday evenings: Teaching 6:00-7:00; Table Discussion 7:00-7:30.

Led by: Brittni Hall, Jennifer Scott, Amy Fulton, and Jordan Orr. Register at www.fpcrome.org/women or call the church office.

Please contact Nell Milner for nursery needs.

Advancing God’s Kingdom: An Evening with the FPC Argentina Team ~ Sunday, August 30th at 6 pm

Advancing God’s Kingdom: An Evening with the FPC Argentina Team ~ Sunday, August 30th at 6 pm. Join us in King Hall to hear incredible stories and witness remarkable glimpses of the Kingdom of God’s progress in Buenos Aires, Argentina. These firsthand accounts, shared by members of the FPC team, will inspire you to actively contribute to advancing God’s Kingdom in the region where He has placed you. A nursery will be provided for children aged 8 weeks through 5 years; please contact Mrs. Nell.

August Community Ministry Spotlight: ESP (Extra Special People)

For nearly 40 years, Extra Special People (ESP) has built spaces where people of all abilities are seen, supported, and celebrated. What began as a single week of summer camp has grown into a multi-community organization offering year-round programs, family support, and meaningful opportunities for connection, growth, and independence. At ESP, experiences are intentionally designed. They meet individuals where they are, honor their abilities, and surround families with a community rooted in joyful hospitality. Families don’t just participate in programs here—they find a place to belong.

Starting this Sunday: Fall Sunday Studies

Coming August 23-December 13

Sola Scriptura: The Prison Epistles (Fellowship Hall). Teaching team: Dave Abernathy, Blakely Hall, Emmett Long, Tony Pemerton. This year we study Paul's prison epistles — Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon — written while he was under house arrest in Rome. Though confined, Paul's ministry didn't stop; his imprisonment became a platform for the gospel. Each letter offers a unique angle: Ephesians grounds us theologically, Philippians overflows with joy in Christ, Colossians proclaims Jesus' supremacy, and Philemon models gospel-shaped reconciliation. Using the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series, we'll discover that the same gospel that sustained Paul in chains can sustain us in every trial. Best for: All adults who want to study Scripture by digging deeply through expositional teaching of whole books of the Bible.
The Gospel of John (CLC 101) Teaching team: Matt Claytor, Rob Davis, Charles Looney, Ryan Okubo, Jonathan Schwartz. John gives us seven signs, seven “I Am” sayings, and one plain reason for writing all of it down: that you may believe and have life. This fall we take the whole Gospel, chapter by chapter, looking closely at the text and pressing it into everyday life. Discussion is the point, not a bonus. Best for: Anyone
College: A Study of the Covenants (CLC 201) Teacher: Camden Garrett The Bible isn’t sixty-six disconnected books. It’s one story held together by a series of covenants, and once you see them, the whole thing reads differently. We’ll trace those covenants from Adam to Christ and ask what they mean for how we read Scripture, understand the church, and hope for what’s coming. Best For: College Students who want to know how the whole Bible fits together.
The Kingdom of God (CLC 203) Teaching team: Ken Chivers, Jeff Lewis, Dathan Sorrow. “Kingdom of God” gets used two ways: God’s rule over the individual heart, or making the world a better place. Neither is wrong, and neither is enough. This study traces the kingdom through the whole story of Scripture — God reestablishing his reign on earth through Christ, among all nations, ending in a new heaven and new earth. Best for: Adults ready to think carefully about the gospel, the church, and mission. Weekly study is recommended to make the most of this class.
Young Adults and Young Families Class: Acts 242: Fear and Faith: Living at the Intersection of Life and the Gospel (Hardy Chapel) Teaching Team: Brant Evans, John Goodrich, Greg Garrett, Tommy Manning, Bill Pardue, and Charlie Williams. Every day we stand at countless intersections where fear competes with faith — uncertainty about the future, decisions about relationships, the pressures of work, the challenges of marriage and family, the temptation to trust ourselves instead of Christ. Mark’s Gospel reminds us that these are not new struggles. Again and again, Jesus meets people at the crossroads of life and calls them to trust Him. In this sixteen-week journey through the Gospel of Mark, we will discover the beauty of God’s redemptive story, the supremacy of Christ, and the hope of the gospel for everyday life. Grounded in Reformed theology and shaped by biblical theology, this study will equip us not only to know Christ more deeply but to follow Him more faithfully.

CHILDREN:

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

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

Children’s Classes meet on the Second Floor of the Education Building

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

YOUTH

Jr. & Sr. High Students – Crossing

Fall Wednesday Nights

Wednesday Night Gathering, August 26-November 11

Fellowship Hall Class: Theology, Imagination, and the Arts. Teacher: Cooper Pinson

On a frigid night, deep in a dark wood, a tended fire burns. Flames flicker, sink, and spring. Tiny embers rise. Numerous figures huddle close. George MacDonald. Madeleine L’Engle. J.R.R. Tolkien. Wendell Berry. C.S. Lewis. A word is held in a hand, like a small, golden star. Imagination. The word is passed around, and voices speak. “What do fairies have to do with sustainable agriculture?” says one. “Smart phones and oil paintings with the Incarnation, rootlessness with the creation of art, imagination with the vocation of us all to love our God and neighbor?”

Theology, Imagination, and the Arts explores the urgent importance of cultivating the imaginative power in this present place and moment, grown up from the soil beneath our feet, amidst a company of neighbors and the God who is with us.

Cooper holds MPhil and PhD degrees in Christian Theology from the University of Cambridge, where, under poet and theologian Malcolm Guite, his research focused on a theology of imagination. He and his wife, Katie, have four children.

Wednesday Community Groups

Couples

David & Jessica Baker; Hardy Classroom

Jonathan & Bethany Johnson; VanDyke Room

Jonathan & Larra Schwartz; CLC 205

Men’s

Keith Thompson & Chris Congdon; CLC 209

Women’s

Erin Evans; CLC 203

Emily Katherine Johnson; CLC 201

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

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

Children’s Classes meet on the Second Floor of the Education Building

WNG Children’s Groups:
*BIBLE ZONE
2-3 year olds- 209
4-year-olds - 208
5-year-olds-210

*SUMMIT

1st-5th grade - God's Garden
*COMMUNICANTS CLASS - Upper Room

Wednesday Night Meal

Wednesday Nights Resume ~ 5:15 pm Meal; 6:15 pm The meal will be catered by Pirkles; it will include your choice of Parmesan Crusted Baked Chicken, Baked Mac and Cheese, Seasoned Green Beans, Dinner Roll, and Banana Pudding or a Large Dinner Salad from Duffy’s Deli. Children’s Fast Food: pizza. Reservations are due no later than 3 p.m. on Monday.

FPC Giving

GIVING:

Operating Budget Through June

Tithes and Gifts Expenses Over/(Short)

$1,471,061.97 $1,450,488.04 $20,573.93

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

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 .