ACP This Week - 8 January 2026

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ACP This Week

Hello ACP Family,

Please view this video message from Pastor Paul wishing us a Happy New Year and discussing our sermon series -- Old Testament Prophets for Today. He references Father Richard Rohr's book The Tears of Things: Prophetic Wisdom for an Age of Outrage. He speaks of transforming our outrage and anger into tears and sadness so that we can then grow in empathy and be a part of the process of healing and bringing justice to the world.

He also highlights:

This Sunday's Women's Fellowship gathering: 12h15-14h in the Thurber Room,
An exciting new offer encouraging us to make our 2026 Generosity Commitments,
The new BYOB: Bring Your Own Bible (Study): Thursday evenings, 15 January - 12 February, 19h15-20h30,
Atelier Nouveau concert: Sunday, 18 January 17h30 in the Sanctuary, with Jennifer Lindshield, soprano, Frédéric Goncalves, baritone, and Khalid McGhee, piano,
Membership Inquiry Class: Wednesday, 28 January 19h15-20h45, and
Our continued need for support for 100NOW (100 Nights of Welcome) Winter Shelter by volunteering, donating food, and contributing financially.

Details below.

Building the Beloved Community
2026 Generosity Campaign. As we continue our “Journey of Faith,” we want to encourage everyone to use our Generosity Campaign as an opportunity to do your part to help build up ACP as Christ’s Beloved Community. Please make your 2026 financial commitment to ACP at acparis.org/generosity2026.

Continuing through 14 March
100NOW Winter Shelter: 100 Nights of Welcome (100NOW) is the American Church's winter shelter for refugees in Paris. Each winter, in the gymnasium of ACP, we host 10-15 guests nightly. The guests can shower, wash clothes and sleep in the basketball court. Two nightly volunteers ensure that everyone is safe and well provided for. We're now in our 8th winter of 100NOW (2026). You can support this vital ministry by donating money for new items here: acparis.org/100NOWdonate. We will start to collect food donations of tea bags, sugar cubes, and protein bars.You can also help by volunteering overnight here: acparis.org/100NOWvolunteer.

This Sunday

Scripture readings:
- Matthew 2:13-21
- Jeremiah 6:13-19
Docent tour of the Sanctuary: 12h15 at the chancel. Join our guided tour of the history and secrets of ACP. The sanctuary is also open for tours and visits Thursdays 9h15-10h30. Contact docents@acparis.org to join the team of docents.
Women’s Fellowship: 12h15-14h in the Thurber Room. Join a discussion on the theme “The best and worst things about living in France”. All women are welcome, especially newcomers to Paris and/or to ACP. Please bring snacks to share if you can. For information and to sign up, visit acparis.org/groups.
Sunday Adult Bible Study: 15h30-17h in the 2nd Floor Library or on Zoom. All are welcome. This Sunday, we'll discuss the Book of Acts. Drop by or sign up at acparis.org/groups.

Save the Dates

Full list of weekly announcements here.

BYOB: Bring Your Own Bible (Study): Thursday evenings, 15 January - 12 February, 19h15-20h30 in the Senior Pastor’s Office and on Zoom. Pastor Paul will lead this class on Christian basics and Biblical literacy, by reading through the Gospel of John. This class is open to all, but particularly for those new to the Christian faith. Register at acparis.org.byob.

Artists Collective: Sunday, 18 January 12h15-13h45 in the 2nd floor Library. Join us for conversation about creativity inspired by the book "The Artist's Way." First-timers welcome, we'll have material from the book on hand! Join this fellowship here to receive all the news: acparis.org/artists-collective.

LayCare Training: Sunday, 18 January 12h15 in the Senior Pastor’s office. The session will focus on Hospital Visitation and Confidentiality, and is led by Pastor Rebecca. This is a valuable opportunity to learn how to provide practical and spiritual support to your loved ones and fellow members of the ACP church family who may be hospitalized or feeling isolated. Everyone is welcome to attend. We look forward to seeing you there!

Atelier Nouveau: Sunday, 18 January 17h30 in the Sanctuary. Jennifer Lindshield, soprano, Frédéric Goncalves, baritone, and Khalid McGhee, piano will present a concert of duets and arias by Giuseppe Verdi. Free entry with freewill offering.

Membership Inquiry Class: Wednesday, 28 January 19h15-20h45 in the Senior Pastor’s office and on zoom. Interested in learning more about ACP: who we are and what we believe? We would love for you to join our membership inquiry class! Sign up at acparis.org/signups.

Lord, Teach Me to Forgive: Thursdays, 26 February-19 March, 19h-20h30 in the Senior Pastor’s office and on Zoom. Join Pastor Rebecca for a four-week course centered on The Book of Forgiving by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu. In this course, we’ll explore the practice of forgiving, common misconceptions about forgiveness, the process of granting forgiveness and the significance of seeking it, and the practice of forgiving oneself. Register at acparis.org/forgive.

Please Support the ACP

Your ACP Council is here for you! For any questions or concerns about ACP, please feel free to reach out to councilmoderators@acparis.org, the Council would love to hear from you.

Previous Weeks' Sermons

In case you missed it, Sermon - 4 January 2026. Sermons are available at acparis.org/sermons. Other previous worship livestreams are available on YouTube.

ACP's services are available with subtitles in English and other languages, beginning on Tuesdays, on ACP’s YouTube channel youtube.com/c/TheAmericanChurchinParis. Click the CC button on the video to enable closed-captioning and translations.

Announcements & Opportunities to Serve

Full list of weekly announcements here.

In need of prayer? If you are in need of prayer, a lay caregiver is available in the chapel on Sundays to pray with you. If you would like members of the lay care ministry team, members of the prayer chain, and the pastoral team to uphold you in prayer, you may contact us at acparis.org/prayers.

Sandwich Ministry: Thursdays promptly at 17h. Our ACP sandwich ministry meets weekly to make sandwiches to help feed over 100 unhoused persons a week. All materials are provided. Join our listserv at acparis.org/sandwich.

Food Box: To serve our neighbors who seek help from our church, you are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for the box (located in reception). The food box is open to anyone in need of food and additional supplies go to Serve the City-Paris.

Christian Education volunteers: Do you enjoy coming to the various learning opportunities such as Bible studies and Thurber Conversations? Interested in helping with set-up, attendance, technical assistance, etc.? Please contact christianeducation@acparis.org.

Nursery volunteers: We need many new volunteers to welcome children (ages 0-2) in our nursery at both the 11h and 14h services! Without volunteers, we don’t have a nursery. If you would like to serve, contact Grace Archer at nursery@acparis.org.

Ushers and Greeters needed: It takes a team of volunteers to welcome our Sunday attendees with love, and help them feel connected and ready to worship together. Contact: welcoming@acparis.org.

Docent Team volunteers: Would you like to learn about the rich heritage of ACP and share it with our members, neighbors, and the wider Paris community? Docents give tours after the 11h service on the second Sunday of every month and make open-door visits of the sanctuary possible on most Thursday mornings. If you are interested, please contact docents@acparis.org.

Audio Visual Ministry volunteers: If you’d like to be a part of our worship tech and A/V team for both Sunday services, we welcome your help. Contact: avm@acparis.org.