PALS this Sunday
This Sunday PALS meets at 9:30 in the Gathering Space. In honor of Martin Luther King Day on Monday, Bernie Davis will be our special guest. You may not know this, but Bernie was a part of the walk in Selma and will talk to us about that experience, and how and why he got involved. After Bernie talks, there will be a time for Q and A, and then we’ll talk about how we can continue building the beloved community in 2016. Even if you are not a part of PALS, you can come and be a part of this program. Everyone is invited to attend.
Believe It or Not….
The month of January is the time to call Trout Lodge (1-888-FUN-YMCA) to reserve your room for our annual Trout Lodge Weekend, April 22 – 24. Please pick up a price list and brochure on the table in the Gathering Space and let Yolanda in the office know you are coming. If you have not been to Trout Lodge and have questions, ask one of the 45 people that go each year or Terry Baker or Charlotte Ridley. Don’t miss this wonderful weekend with your church family!
FDP’s next GAME NIGHT is Friday evening, January 29th
Grab your favorite board games, and snacks/drinks to share and meet in the Gathering Space. Doors open at 6:30. Invite your friends and neighbors to join us. Guaranteed FUN for all ages.
Interested in being part of a Book Club?
Annie would like to start a book club – something informal that would meet once a quarter or so. Possible authors may include Anne Lamott, Barbara Brown Taylor, or Nadia Bolz Weber, so nothing too heavy. If this is something that interests you, please let Annie know.
Walking to Jerusalem (a special Lent activity) –
Did you know that it is 6437 miles from St. Louis to Jerusalem? That’s 12,874,000 steps (2000 steps in a mile)!! Did you know that Pastor Annie has challenged us as a congregation to walk collectively that distance during Lent? Sound crazy? Read on . . .
The Walk to Jerusalem is a walking program developed by St. John Providence Health System parish nursing and designed to increase the physical, spiritual and emotional health of participants. This “imaginary” trip to Jerusalem is accomplished by individuals within the church and their friends (anyone can participate) logging their own walking miles and/or exercise each week. The idea behind the Walking to Jerusalem program is that physical health impacts our spiritual health and vice-versa, so as a church we should be concerned about our physical health. After all, walking is good for the mind, spirit and the body.
You are asked to keep track of your steps during Lent. You can also keep track of any exercise – 20 minutes of activity equals 2000 steps. We will give you the tools you need to track, and we’ll keep track of them and watch our progress with a visual in the Gathering Space. If you can’t walk long distances, don’t worry. Do what you are able to do and let’s see how we do as a congregation.
And if 12,874,000 steps sounds like a lot, if 40 people participate in this each person would need to log roughly 7000 steps a day. That’s a lot, but keep in mind some will do more and some will do less, and doctors recommend people get in at least 10,000 steps/day.
Join the walk!