Here’s a link to the service livestreamed on Facebook.
ECWS – Volunteers Needed
LEND A HAND to the Emergency Cold Weather Shelter (ECWS)!
Want to make a difference for families in our community who are without permanent housing? FPC will be one of the churches providing Emergency Cold Weather Shelter to families beginning Monday, October 3 (pending fire inspection approval.) Sign up to help in one of the following ways:
1. Volunteer to be for one of the overnight volunteers or an evening volunteer
Sign up for one Monday night a month, one night every other month or 2-4 times during the season. You work with a team of 2-3 other adults to provide hospitality to the families. Volunteers come at 6:30 pm and leave around 8:30 am on Tuesday morning.
2. Donate needed food items for evening or breakfast meals
Check the list on the ECWS board (in narthex) for immediate needs. One can always donate granola bars, snack sized containers of fruit, mac and cheese individual servings, hot chocolate, cup of noodles, muffins, orange or apple juice, fresh fruit, peanut butter or cheese filled crackers, or string cheese.
3. Sign up to prepare a hot entrée (casserole, soup, pasta dish, etc.)
In addition to the evening snacks FPC will be offering a simple hot meal for our guests this year. The meal can be brought on either Sunday or Monday and left at the church.
4. Help with the laundry
Each week a volunteer takes the dirty linens (sheets, pillow cases and towels) and launder them. Questions: Talk to Ralph Duerre, Marcus Geist or Danna Larson
Fall Faith Formation Classes
- Adult Sunday School-9:30 am
Join others in the library for study and refection that will support and challenge you as you strive to be faithful to God’s calling. This fall the study will be led by Scott Gruhn.
- Family Faith Formation Fellowship-9:30 am
An intergenerational gathering for youth, children and adults. Join others for breakfast, fellowship, bible discussions and service projects.
- Godly Play
Children come to Godly Play following the “Time with Children” in worship. Godly Play teaches children how to listen for God and to make authentic and creative responses to God’s call in their lives. Parents pick up children in the Godly Play room following worship.
- Anchorage Presbyterian Youth Group
All 7th-12th graders are welcome to join other groups for fellowship, service, recreation and biblical reflections each week. We usually meet on Sundays from 12:30-2:00 at one of the churches. Check the calendar for the latest information.
Untangling Colonialism Study Group to begin in October
As part of our Matthew 25 focus the Mission Committee will be offering a monthly study group to understand how the history of colonization in Alaska (and the lower 48) has impacted our Alaska Native peoples. The study will include watching a video series created by Native Movement
(www.nativemovement.org) followed by meaningful discussion each evening. Our first meeting will be on Tuesday, Oct. 11 from 6:30-8:00 in fellowship hall.
GuestHouse – Standing with our Brothers and Sisters
We are pleased to report that the GuestHouse Hotel project is nearing completion. The VERY brief summary is that FPC will serve as a passthrough of funds and will help to coordinate the purchase & operations of the GuestHouse hotel (321 E 5th Ave). The hotel will be used to provide homes for people experiencing homelessness. The residents will mostly be workforce-ready, and they will pay rent. This project will provide them with the safety and stability needed to stay out of homelessness, and continue building a life of dignity and joy.
No church funds are used for this, and operations will be carried out by a hired company. In a few months, we expect to pass ownership on to another entity. FPC will have no debt or profit from this endeavor.
Pastor Matt will speak more about this from the pulpit, and as always you are encouraged to call or visit for more discussion!
Help Support Our Community
This continues to be a difficult time for our community with the many who are in need of food, shelter, emotional support, and clothing. Check out the ways you can help. Please bring your donations to FPC and we can deliver them for you.
BEAN’S CAFÉ
Help support those who are currently being housed at Centennial Park Campgrounds. The following are the current greatest needs:
Fresh fruit (Apples and oranges)
Men’s Hygiene Items: socks, underwear
Bread, tortillas, muffins, bagels
Lunch Meats
Peanut butter and jelly
Eggs
Bring your donations to the church on Sunday and we will deliver Monday morning. If this doesn’t work we can refrigerate your items until we deliver.
FISH
FPC tries to provide 100 pounds of pasta each month to FISH who delivers food to those who cannot get out to get food. Help us reach our goal by bringing 4-8 pounds of pasta on the 4th Sunday of each month.
CATHOLIC SOCIAL SERVICES
The Complex Care Facility (303 W. Fireweed Lane) provides support for medically fragile individuals experiencing homelessness by providing a private, stable place for up to 83 guests to stay while completing assessments and are connected to benefits and resources to support their path to permanent housing.
Sweatshirts Toothpaste/toothbrushes
Sweatpants Soap
New adult underwear and socks Shampoo/Conditioner
RAIS (Refugee Assistance and Immigration Services)
Bike Locks
Yarn and Needles
ALASKA FOOD BANK
Needs volunteers to help with the following:
Senior box build, put labels on salmon fish tins, food reclamation
Contact the food bank if you would like to volunteer or let Danna Larson know and we can go as a group.
Donations of Food:
tomato sauce rice garden produce tomatoes
cereal (low or no sugar) oatmeal
canned meats: tuna, salmon, chicken, or pork dried beans
kid friendly snacks
peanut butter almond butter
AWAIC SHELTER
winter coats (must be machine washable) Towels/washcloths
Sheet sets (twin and full size) Comfortable kids shoes
Casual T-shirts (long or short sleeved) Winter Boots
Elastic-waisted pants (sweatpants, leggings, yoga pants, etc.)
Toiletries (individual sized containers preferred): lotion, shampoo, conditioner, body wash
DOWNTOWN HOPE CENTER
Check out their website for ways to volunteer: https://www.downtownhopecenter.org/
Pam Minton
Pam’s Service is available here – Pam Minton Service.
Here is a full copy of the Order of Worship from the service.
Pamela loved Gary Larson’s The Far Side. She had numerous books of the comic strip and kept printed out panels throughout her environs: in a little frame on a side table, pinned to a board in her office, tucked in the passenger seat visor of her car. This was one of her favorites as she saw herself in it. “We could be storming the castle,” she would say, “and I’d be pointing out the goldfish;” which was true – she could always find something humorous, interesting, or unique about every situation.
Born February 20th, 1955 to Helen Marlene and William Edward Bridges in Wichita, Kansas, Pamela would encapsulate this spirit throughout her life and experiences. Pamela joined the United States Air Force in 1980, entering Active Duty in 1981. Her 13 ½ year service with the Air Force took her around the country and across the world with assignments in Oklahoma, England, Virginia, and Alaska and saw the birth of her two sons Jonathan William and Ian Andrew.
Having concluded her military service with an honorable discharge in 1994 Pamela remained in Anchorage, AK where she raised her sons while working for the State of Alaska. She retired in the summer of 2019 whereupon she and her Boston Terrier Sophie (with the help of her brothers Paul and Philip) drove to Cookeville, TN. Following a medical crisis Pamela departed this world in Seattle, WA due to complications from glioblastoma on February 22nd, 2022 at the age of 67.
Throughout this story of her life Pamela maintained a bright spark that colored her outlook with such joy – a spark that manifested in her collections of memories, of experiences, and of treasures. She had deep love for science-fiction (most notably Star Trek and Star Wars), nature and wildlife, and Beatrix Potter; she explored her creativity through cross-stitch and photography; she found great comfort in tending her gardens and bird feeders. An avid reader and forever pursuant of knowledge Pamela’s library ranged from works of literature to an extensive catalog of non-fiction across subjects. She remained resilient in the face of many obstacles and challenges and she deeply loved her children, her friends, her family, and her pets.
This spark will continue to be felt in every place she made her home, in the hearts and minds of those she loved so deeply, and whenever we stop to point out the goldfish.
