August 21, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
We need you to be a part of our Community Grant funding.
The Ministry for Justice and Mission, in our continuing efforts to deepen the involvement of the congregation in our work, are asking that nominations for community grant funding come from you.
Think about what organizations you volunteer with or know about that are doing good work in our community and need some funding to do what they do better or to do more.
Read the parameters of the grants and then complete the form and get it back to us by September 8.
The form is online at https://bit.ly/FHCCGNomForm and available in hard copy in the lobby of the church. If you have any questions or need support to complete the form, please email jm@fhcpresb.org.
April 19, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
April 11, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
A Few Interesting Facts About Ancient African Kingdoms
Join us Saturday morning, April 29 ( via Zoom) from 10:30 to noon (when we will discuss the book African People in World History, by John Henrik Clarke. To request the Zoom link you can email racialequitybuddies@fhcpresb.org, sign up on BREEZE or call the church office.
Are you aware of the numerous African kingdoms south of the Sahara? Africa and her people have been deliberately mischaracterized as having no culture, history, or civilization prior to the intervention of Europeans beginning in the 15th century. However, civilizations and kingdoms like Benin, Zimbabwe, Mali, and the Kongo will disabuse you of that notion and enlighten you about Africa’s glorious past.
Following are some images and a brief synopsis (with links to supporting articles) of a few of the African civilizations we will discuss on April 29. We hope you will join us.
Benin 1200s-1800s
According to the 1974 edition of the Guinness Book of Records, the Walls of Benin were the “world’s largest earthworks carried out prior to the mechanical era.” Elsewhere, it is claimed that they were “four times longer than the Great Wall of China and consumed a hundred times more material than the Great Pyramid of Cheops.” Furthermore, it is asserted that the walls “extended for some 16,000 km [9,942 miles] in all, in a mosaic of more than 500 interconnected settlement boundaries,” and that it covered an area of 6,500 square kilometers (2,510 square miles). This grand project is thought to have been carried out completely by the Edo people, and it took an estimated total of 150 million hours to complete (Ancient Walls of Benin were four times longer than Walls of China. Destroyed by British in 1897 | The African History).
(Representational image, not the actual walls of Benin) Before the earthwork and stone walls of Benin, the ancient city was still walled off using wood and brush.)
The Kongo Kingdom, 1301-1665
This kingdom and civilization reveal the sophistication, political, military, technological, and economic advancement and structure of these African people. (The Kongo kingdom | Royal Museum for Central Africa – Tervuren – Belgium (africamuseum.be).
Dom Miguel de Castro was an ambassador of the Kongo kingdom in the Netherlands in the 1640’s.
Painting by Jasper Beckx (active ca. 1627-47). Oil on canvas, 75 x 62 cm. Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen
Below marble portrait bust of Antonio Manuel, ambassador of the Kongo in Rome. Bust made by Francesco Capatore (1606-1630) and kept at the Battistero di Santa Maria Maggiore, Rome
Kingdom of Zimbabwe, 1200-1450 AD
Kingdom of Zimbabwe (1220-1450 AD) – Think AfricaThis civilization was built on trade, mainly of ivory and gold, which fuelled the economy of the kingdom. They were also expert stonemasons, and examples of their centuries-old construction and stone artifacts are still standing tall to this date
ABOVE: Aerial photograph from Wikimedia Commons of a portion of the ruins of the sprawling medieval city of Great Zimbabwe in southeastern Zimbabwe
Tags: Adult Ed, community, Immigration Task ForceApril 5, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
Justice & Mission invites you to lunch – on April 16, after worship!
The ministry of Justice & Mission (“J&M”) invites all FHC members and friends involved in justice work to join us for lunch on Sunday, April 16, after worship. So many folks in our community work, organize and volunteer to “respond to injustice and human need” through “acts of mercy and justice” through personal volunteering, church volunteering, community work, and our professional jobs, as well. On April 16, we’ll gather to share a simple meal, pray together, connect across our projects, and share updates with each other. We hope you can join us, and we welcome you sharing this invitation and information with others – we know there are SO MANY folks who might be interested.
Let us know if you’re interested and can join us – more info and RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfx8yPBVcvWJT2Gy6FZTmHfd0n-3jb7e0F2oQrCmkDGG6TbOA/viewform
March 29, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
Forest Hill Church Food Pantry is open to accepting volunteers each Tuesday. If you are interested, please sign up here: https://fhc.breezechms.com/form/180187.
March 29, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
If so, please click here: https://fhc.breezechms.com/form/641db77011277763.
March 29, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
Please contact Ying (music@fhcpresb.org) if you are interested in joining!
March 29, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
Rev. Dr. Kimberly Wagner will be our guest preacher
on Sunday, April 30.
The Rev. Dr. Kimberly Wagner serves as the Assistant Professor of Preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary. She received a B.S. in Secondary Life Science Education from Miami University (OH), an M.Div. from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and her Ph.D. from the Graduate Division of Religion at Emory University. Though she has served among the Lutherans and was educated among United Methodists, Dr. Wagner is ordained as a Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Previous experience on the pastoral staff of a PCUSA congregation in Virginia helps fuel and inform her present scholarship and teaching. She is passionate about supporting students’ formation and helping clergy and communities navigate the realities of an ever-changing world and church. Her current writing and work focus on preaching and ministry in the midst and wake of trauma, particularly thinking about collective trauma, the role of the preacher, and the resources of our Scriptures and faith to respond to these moments. Dr. Wagner’s book, Fractured Ground: Preaching in the Wake of Mass Trauma (Westminster John Knox Press, 2023), offers guidance for preaching in the aftermath of communal trauma, including mass violence, natural disasters, and public health crises.
March 29, 2023 Antoinette Richardson
Fiber and FellowshipWe will continue to meet and grow on the Second Saturday of each month. We will be meeting from 10 AM -1 PM (note the time change).
Upcoming Date:
August 12
September 9
As a group, we are working on quilts for donation and a special project to provide quilts for children who have been admitted to the hospital. Knitters are going strong with car seat blankets and Prayer Shawls.
Personal projects are welcome, as advice and tips are freely given. All are welcome- beginner to experienced. We are happy to teach.
Contact Carol Gifford for additional information.
March 22, 2023 Amy Wheatley
JOIN US ON EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 9
FAMILY EASTER EGG HUNT 10:30am – 10:45am
Meet us on the front lawn of the church for an Easter egg hunt before worship!
Children ages birth to 10 years, accompanied by a parent/caregiver, are welcome to join in the fun.
CHILDCARE DURING WORSHIP 10:45am-12:15pm
Childcare will be available in Rooms 201-203 for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, ages birth to 5 years.
WORSHIP FOR ALL 11:00am
Children ages 6+ years and youth join their families in worship – no Sunday School/Youth Group on 4/9.
There will be special Easter activity bags for children attending worship.
Pick up a bag as you enter the sanctuary!
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