FOCUS Churches of Albany 275 State St. Albany NY 12210

518.443.0460

www.focuschurches.net

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1. Welcome Rev. Jim Ketcham

2. Empty Bowls on Valentine’s Day

3. End-of-Year Appeal

4. Winter Worship on February 7

5. Advocacy Opportunities

1. Welcome Jim Ketcham

We are pleased to welcome Rev. James Ketcham as the new Executive

Director of FOCUS Churches, beginning January 4. Originally from Roches-

ter, New York, Jim is an American Baptist pastor who has served churches

in Minnesota and New York, most recently at the First Baptist Church of

Painted Post. He brings a passion for ecumenical relationships, advocacy

and organization from his experiences with Common Cause, Church World

Service and the Minnesota Campaign to Ban Landmines. He says that he

lives in “the space between charity and justice” and believes that the work

of FOCUS will allow him to inhabit that space more fully.

3. End-of-Year Appeal

2. Empty Bowls on Valentine’s Day

Join the FOCUS Advocates! Next

meeting January 19th at 5:30pm

(Location TBD) - Learn advocacy and

organizing strategies, and help mo-

bilize our congregations to make

systemic change for justice. Food

will be provided. Can’t make the

meeting? E-mail Joe to be added to

the list - joep@focuschurches.net

Click here to link to the End-of-Year Appeal

letter

Mark your calendars for the afternoon of 2/14/16—Valentine’s Day, 1-3

pm at the Albany Elks Club. Empty Bowls is a joint fundraiser for FOCUS

and Hunger Action Network of NYS.

Select and take home with you a hand crafted artisan pottery bowl.

Come enjoy gourmet soups prepared by the Chef’s Consortium and other

local restaurants. Paperless tickets go on sale in January. Paperless tick-

ets are now on sale. Call FOCUS or HANNYS to register or you can vis-

it hungeractionnys.org to register.

Watch for details on our websites: focuschurches.net and HungerAc-

tionNYS.org

4. Winter Combined Worship. February 7

FOCUS Winter Worship

February 7 @ 10:00 am

Join us at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 85 Chestnut Street. Parking

is available in the lot before the church. The Rev. Jim Ketcham will be

preaching. There will be nursery and child care for children through 5

years old. A special program for children (ages 5-10) called "Worship

Plus" will be available during the worship service. Stay for the annual

meeting downstairs in the assembly room after the service.

5. Advocacy Opportunities

Fight for $15 Rally at the Governor’s State of the State - Join workers and

advocates from across the state to rally at the Capitol and tell elected

officials that poverty wages are unacceptable. The rally will start at

10:30am in the Concourse. For more information, or to meet up with oth-

er FOCUS advocates, contact Joe Paparone - joep@focuschurches.net

Fight for $15 Organizer Training - January 23rd at 10am (Location TBD) -

Building a movement for worker justice goes far beyond an increase in

the minimum wage, and if we’re really hoping to change the poverty

economy, everyone who is concerned about justice needs to see them-

selves as an organizer. This workshop will provide tools and strategies to

take the next steps in building this movement for the long-haul. For more

information contact Joe - joep@focuschurches.net

25th Annual People’s State of the State Rally on Wednesday, January

6th at the War Room of the State Capitol. The groups gathered called for

a budget that meets the needs of ALL New Yorkers, and address on-

going needs and crises of homelessness, hunger, healthcare, education,

and wages.