Sunday Worship begins at 10:30 a.m.  Masks are optional within the church building.  If desired, you may attend in the privacy of your car parked in our parking lot.

We are coming to the end of 2023 and are looking at our expenses and income.  We had some unexpected expenses that were not in the budget, such as the repair to the sign on 9W, the stoves needing repairs, and repair work to the parsonage.  We have had two fundraisers to raise additional money — the lasagna dinner and the bottle & can drive — which were both successful.  We will have an update on the October 18th Panera fundraiser soon!


However, the church as a whole is coming up short when we look at expenses versus income.  The Consistory is hoping you will be able to increase your donations to the General Fund.  Every little bit helps, because together we can accomplish our goals with the help of our Lord.


Thank you in advance for your generosity!

If you would like to receive a box of weekly giving envelopes, please call the office at 518-767-2243.  Using these envelopes allows our treasurer to be able to credit your donations at the end of the year for tax purposes.


Online offerings may be made on-line via Tithe.ly and the Give button below. These donations will be deposited directly into the church bank account. You have the option to give to either the General or Renovation Fund. Both Tithe.ly and the church will record your donations.


Tithe.ly deducts a small fee per credit card transaction (2.65% plus $0.30). You have the option to cover these fees, if you wish. You may also choose to have Tithe.ly automatically donate for you weekly or monthly.


As always, thank you for your generosity.

LOOK……LOOK……LOOK

The Lord has answered a prayer!!


Just a couple short weeks ago, the Finance Committee sent out a Renovation Fund drive update. In part it read, to date we’ve received generous donations totaling right around $10,000! Certainly, great news! But we still have a little work to do to reach our $20,000 annual goal.


So the prayer went out asking - Is there a Secret Santa out there looking to push us once again with a dollar for dollar matching pledge??  Well, that prayer has been answered and a Secret Santa has challenged us at FRCB to a dollar for dollar match up to $2,500. Simply put, if FRCB contributions to the renovation fund going forward total $2,500 or greater, that amount instantly becomes an additional $2,500! SWEET!


Our shy donor has not put a deadline on the offer, but let’s see if we can reach $2,500 by December 17!

 

In April 2023, Pastor Jenn and the FRCB Consistory reported in the Bethlehem Star Newsletter that an investigative committee had been formed to explore the feasibility of repairing/restoring the church’s stained-glass windows. Over the last six months, significant progress was made in the planning of the stained-glass window project:

 

            •  a plan, that included cost estimates, was developed and approved by the Consistory

            •  a grant application was submitted on June 1st to the NY Landmarks Conservancy

            •  a physical site visit was performed on July 31st by a grant fund committee member

            •  FRCB received notification on October 21st that it was awarded a $15,000 grant


The grant, from the NY Landmarks Conservancy through its Sacred Sites Program, adds validity to FRCB’s belief in the importance of maintaining and restoring our sacred site to continue its rich community history dating back to 1763. More about the project, and additional fundraising ideas to match the grant award, as well as to fund the total project, will be shared at the Annual Congregational Meeting.

Thank you all for your cans and bottles. We received a check for $120.00 this past week, which brings our grand total to $305.00. We will continue with our can and bottle collection.


Arlene Jordan