Swift Presbyterian Church - Announcements for March 3, 2024

Sunday announcements

March 3 • 2024
Third Sunday in Lent

Worship

SUNDAY

— 9 a.m. —
►Worship service
inside the sanctuary

Sermon:
‘Even Jesus Gets Angry Sometimes’
— The Rev. Alexandra Hutson
guest minister

Scripture: Exodus 20:1–17 • John 2:13–22

■ The Lord’s Supper will be served. All are invited to the table.

■ To join “live stream” worship, go to Facebook — Swift Presbyterian Church.

■ Worship services are available for viewing in the afternoon on the church website and YouTube.

■ Bulletins for today and recent weeks. Click here.

►Preaching today . . .

Welcome back the Rev. Alexandra Hutson as our guest minister. She will become our pastor on April 1.

►Fellowship time

Everyone is invited to the fellowship hall for refreshments and conversation immediately after the worship service.

If you would like to help the deacons provide fellowship treats (either a sweet or a protein or a fruit), please sign the list on the table in the fellowship hall, or contact Kathy Menk, 251-518-7966.

NEW PASTOR CALLED

The Rev. Alexandra Stewart Hutson

Meet the Rev. Alexandra Hutson
Her official start date at Swift will be April 1

Swift Church is pleased to announce that the Rev. Alexandra Hutson will be joining us as pastor, effective April 1, after the pastor nominating committee recommendation and terms of call were approved at the Feb. 18 congregational meeting.

Rev. Hutson’s background in the faith is extensive but here are some highlights:

■ Alexandra grew up in Tuscaloosa, where she was very active in the youth group at First Presbyterian Church. She served on youth committees in her local presbytery and attended youth conferences at Montreat.

■ She graduated from Maryville College (Tennessee) in 2016 with a B.A. in religion. While there she served on various campus committees and was a member of the Maryville Concert Choir, serving as choir chaplain her senior year. She also worked as a student intern in youth ministry at New Providence Presbyterian Church in Maryville while in college.

■ She graduated from Columbia Theological Seminary (Decatur, Georgia) in 2020 with a master of divinity and a master of arts in practical theology.

■ She was a student intern for three years at Decatur Presbyterian Church where she worked with children and youth programs, taught adult classes, and participated in Sunday worship services.

■ Her first call in July 2020 was as associate pastor at Government Street Presbyterian Church, where she focused on youth program development. She left Government Street in August 2023 to focus on being a full-time mom after she and husband Jacob welcomed Elsie Grace into their family on Feb. 17, 2023.

Rev. Hutson’s other leadership roles include:

■ Previously served as a member of the junior board for the Presbyterian Home for Children

■ Currently serving as chair of our presbytery’s education and spiritual development committee.

She’s a people person and is looking forward to working with our church community. We are excited to welcome Rev. Hutson, Jacob, and Elsie to the Swift family, and we look forward to spreading the Good News of the Gospel together.

God is good all the time.

►Dates to remember ...

■ Intercessory prayer group meets each Wednesday at 9 a.m. in the chapel.

■ Our food pantry is open to serve the community each Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m.

■ Spring forward — Daylight-saving time starts Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m. Remember to set your timepieces ahead one hour before going to bed Saturday night.

Holy Week services at Swift

■ Palm Sunday — The Rev. Jerry Blacklaw will lead the worship service March 24 at 9 a.m. in the sanctuary.

■ Good Friday — The Rev. Alexandra Hutson will conduct the worship service March 29 at 6 p.m. in the chapel.

■ Easter Sunday — The Rev. Alexandra Hutson will lead our worship service in the sanctuary at 9 a.m.

►Easter lilies

If you would like to order Easter lilies, please complete the form provided in the sanctuary and place it in the offering plate along with your check payable to “Swift Presbyterian Church” by March 24. Please note on the check “For Easter Lily.” The suggested cost is $10 per plant. The lilies will be in the sanctuary for Easter Sunday and then may be taken home with you. You also can use this form on our website.

CAN YOU HELP?


Garden Cleanup March 21 at 9 a.m. VOLUNTEERS WANTED Please come and volunteer to help clean up our garden beds here at the church. Bring your garden tools, too.

Mission and service

►Food pantry

The food pantry is open every Wednesday from 10 to 11 a.m. to serve the community.

This week, we served 66 families and 229 people.

If you are interested in helping or know of someone who might be interested, please consider getting involved or at least share the opportunity to volunteer with others.

If you have questions or want to volunteer, please contact Al Sprouse (251‑744‑1944) or Jan Taylor (251‑978‑6418).

Faith development

►‘Snacks with Susan and Daryl’ Sunday school class

Join us in the class for “The Difficult Words of Jesus” by Amy-Jill Levine and examine what these words meant to his original audience and what it means for us in the 21st century.

We meet at 8 a.m. in annex room 4.

►Adult Sunday school class led by Bill and Catherine

Join us as we continue our study in the book of Exodus.

We meet at 8 a.m. in annex room 2.

►Youth Sunday school class, led by Sheree Waters

Join us as we study the Bible together. The youth Sunday school class meets at 8 a.m. in annex room 3.

Generosity

►Tithes and offerings

Thank you for your generous pledges and ongoing offerings. Your support and commitment to Swift Church is greatly appreciated.

Prayers and joys

►Please let us know . . .

Please call the church or email to notify us of any joys or concerns; birthdays, anniversaries, health issues or family deaths so that we may put it in the weekly emailed announcements for your church family to pray with you or to praise God for your joy. (We don’t publish personal prayer concerns on the website.)

email the Swift Church office

Use our online prayer request form

Call the Swift Church office

Update on Hayden Farmer

Hayden Farmer

Please keep prayers, pull tabs coming

Hayden Farmer, granddaughter of John and Linda Gilmore, has been on our prayer list for a long time due to going to Cincinnati in October 2023 to undergo a bone marrow transplant for the very rare condition of Fanconi anemia. While there, she and her parents stayed at Ronald McDonald House. Many of you have been very generous in collecting pull tabs from your drink and soup cans to donate for the metal to be sold by RMH.

We’re pleased to report that Hayden went home to Dothan about three weeks ago, but she’s not out of the woods yet. According to John, arrangements have been made with doctors at UAB Medical Center for her to receive periodic injections to help her prevent infection, as she is still needing to stay mostly isolated for a long time. There will also be the need to occasionally return to Cincinnati for follow-up treatments and tests for her T-cell levels. As a result, they are still collecting tabs, so please keep them coming along with your ongoing prayers. You can continue to add them to or lay them next to the jar in the fellowship hall.

►Please remember our military friends
and families in your prayers.

Names are listed in the monthly newsletter.

►Chancel flowers

If you would like to place flowers on the chancel to honor or celebrate a loved one or a special occasion or “just because,” please contact Susie Alexander at 251-943-4145 or 217-246-4051.

►Volunteers for worship

Are you willing to serve as a liturgist, acolyte or greeter/usher? Contact Marvin King or Eunice Ray, worship elders.

►Church staff and contact information

Sena Cooper, office assistant
Stephanie Craft, office assistant
251-943-8367
swiftpc@gulftel.com

SWIFT CHURCH PRESCHOOL
Jessica Hammontree, director
251-943-8367
swiftchurchpreschool@gmail.com
Preschool website

Related pages and links: