SERVE NOW


Opportunities to share your gifts of time, talent, and treasure


QUILTING AND CRAFT GROUP MINISTRY Join this vibrant group of quilters and crafters who produce many beautiful crafts for a variety of ministries (see this page and page 5). The group meets Wednesday mornings into early afternoon. For more information contact Sandy Meenen, 610-366-1315, smeenen@ ptd.net


First Presbyterian Church members are living God’s love in all kinds of ways. One of them is Emma Rath, 97, who has been active in choir, crafts, and other church groups during her 53 years as a church member. Here’s her story, in her own words.


I moved to Allentown in August of 1963 because my husband started working for Mack Trucks. Our family joined the church in January of 1964.


A neighbor, who was a member and also a choir member, invited me to come to a choir rehearsal, and I have been a member ever since. I’m also the seamstress for the choir. I replace broken zippers and do other repairs.


My daughter, Kathy Spencer, has taught First Grade Sunday School for more than 30 years. My son, Hank, and his wife, Joanne, taught Fifth Grade Sunday School several years. Gail Preuninger also taught with them, and they used Gail’s mother’s recipe to make the pretzel dough, and that’s when the pretzel sale started, which is about 25 years ago. Te money is used to support young children in other countries.


I was active in Presbyteers, a group of adults who met the third Friday of every month for a covered dish supper and program. George and


Viola Allerton were very active in the group, and they started us sponsoring a dinner theater Tursday, Friday, and Saturday nights in the spring and fall. I cooked the ham dinner on Friday nights for several years.


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PRAYER SHAWL MINISTRY Share your knitting gifts as a way of extending love, joy, or concern for friends, neighbors, or strangers (see page 5). This group of crafts people meets monthly on first Tuesdays in Room 115 and certain Saturdays at a member’s home. For more information, contact Claudia Norris, cnpa2pa@gmail.com.


PLANNED GIVING Explore ways to give a lasting gift to support FPCA’s ministries, such as supporting our Endowment Fund and becoming a founding member of the newly formed Barker Society. Look for more information soon in Tidings. Meantime, contact the Planned Giving Team at plannedgiving@ fpcallentown.org.


For more information on how you can get involved, please contact the church at office@fpcallentown.org.


George would call you and say, “Tis is your friend George Allerton,” and you didn’t very often refuse him any request.


George and Viola also started the coffee service in the church. It was held in the kitchen and in the Commons. After several years of handling it all themselves, George asked for help to secure hosts and hostesses in both places. I volunteered and took care of securing them for several years. Ten the new coffee pots were available and a new system put in place.


I haven’t mentioned the Quilting, Craft, and Sewing Group, which I also joined soon after joining church. I have been attending it on Wednesdays, too. We made the children’s choir robes, the red and light blue ones. We used to mend the clothing that was donated to the clothing drive and made clothing for mission projects. We never seemed to run out of sewing projects. We have an active group now and just had a sale for Westminster Village Nursing Homemaking that made more than $1,000.


I also enjoy playing bridge and pinochle with friends from church.


Even at 97½ years of age, my life is full because of the friends I’ve made and the activities at church.


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