One Elder said it to me best: "I said to myself, ‘If
Brian Wagner can read each day in the Bible
while he was fighting a war, I can find time to do it,
too.’" Several of you have already made comments to me
about the gift our Bible reading this year has given you. Some
have spoken
of the need for the daily pause, some have loved the family or
couple time, some have heard
the Proverbs afresh, and some have come up with great
questions. How good it is to delve into
God’s word together!
Because it is so good to do, our Session has decided to
encourage continuing or starting the daily Bible reading through
the season of Lent, and not add a devotional book reading on top
of it. Along with our daily readings, I’d like to suggest some
meditation, maybe even memorization of the few verses I’ll be
preaching on for each Sunday in Lent. We’ll spend the season
entirely on Psalm 51, and each week take a few verses. Here they
are for February, along with a question for reflection:
For February 21: Read all of Psalm 51 one day, paying
particular attention to the
most meaningful verse to you.
For February 28: Read Psalm 51:1-2 every day, and
reflect on how mercy is the act
of not getting the punishment or consequences you
deserve. In what
ways has God loved you so much that he has spared
you consequences
you have deserved?
More reflection questions for each week will come in March’s
newsletter!
Grace and Peace,
NOTE: If this newsletter has been passed to you by one
of our members as an
introduction to our church, we welcome the opportunity
to get to know
you better through coming to worship with us. Our
Sunday worship service
begins every Sunday at 10:30 AM, with Sunday School for
all ages at 9:30 AM.
Our church is located on Presqueisle Street between 5th
and 6th Streets, with
parking behind the building or on the street.
MONTHLY THANKS
Love motivates us to do much for one another,
and we are grateful for those who have expressed their love in
January by offering their time and talents. Our gratitude goes to:
Don and Jill Blake,
who took the lead on taking down all those
lovely Christmas decorations … Thanks! Jennifer Johnston, who
took on the added work of the Annual Report and 2010 Directory …
Thanks! The
new officers, who attended their first board
meetings with energy, imagination, and love … Thanks! Edie Good,
who does all sorts of year-end and year-beginning work in the
finance department … Thanks! Darrell Hollis, who was our
Presbytery Commissioner at the January meeting… Thanks! Brian
Wagner, who inspired us all by his own story of daily Bible
reading … Thanks! Laura Bordas and Jim Warg, who set up the
Bible reading plan … Thanks!
GIVEN IN JOY AND LOVING MEMORY
Roy and Patricia (George) Atkinson gave a
2009 year-end general fund memorial gift to
the glory of God and in loving memory of the
William T. and Mary L. George family. We join
them in our joyful and thankful gratitude!
2010 DIRECTORY
Corrections and additions have been made to our
Congregational Address
and Phone Directory, and are available at church
now.
SOUPER BOWL SUNDAY
The Youth will be at the door on February 7,
Souper Bowl Sunday, to collect donations for the
Community Food Bank. Every little bit helps! Last year,
youth all over the world collected over $8,000,000 for the
hungry!
LENT
Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 17,
followed by Communion on
Sunday, February 21. During Holy Week, we will
pass out palms on Palm Sunday, March 28. Maundy Thursday services
will be held at 7:30 PM on April 1. Easter Sunday on April 4 will
hold a
7 AM Sunrise Service followed by breakfast, a
Sunday School Egg Hunt, and Worship celebrating
our Risen Lord, including the Cantata
"Journey to the Cross" at 10:30 AM.
LENT DEVOTIONAL
This season, our Lent Devotional will
come from our daily Bible reading, as
well as the weekly sermon texts and
questions for reflection, as are
indicated in the lead article. If you
haven’t made time for the daily Bible
reading, Lent is a great time to start!
LENTEN LUNCHES
Our church will continue to host Lenten
Lunches starting Wednesday, February 17
with a simple meal of soup and bread. Please
plan to join us on Wednesdays at noon throughout Lent.
AGAPE MEAL
In keeping with the tradition of beginning Lent
together on Ash Wednesday,
the Session will be hosting an Agape Meal on
Wednesday, February 17, at 6 PM
in Westminster Hall. This year, the meal is
offered as a gift from your Elders – inviting
you to start Lent peacefully by having no dinner
to cook or dish to bring. Please make time
in your schedule to begin this season with our
faith community. A short service with
communion will follow our meal together. Since
you need not bring anything, why not
begin Lent with this simple reminder of God’s
many gifts to you? This is a
wonderful way to mark Jesus’ journey to the
cross, and to invite others to
explore the fellowship of our church.
LEADER RETREAT
All current Deacons, Elders and Trustees will be
meeting
for our Church Leadership Retreat on Saturday,
February 20,
from 9 AM until noon in Westminster Hall. Lunch
may follow as
a spontaneous outing for those wishing to go.
Leaders, please mark
this date on your calendar. Other members,
please be in prayer for the
growth and guidance of our leadership.
FOOD BANK OFFERING
The Communion offering for the Food Bank
on February 21 will be a "free for all" donation
of any canned item you would like to bring.
Our gifts go to the Philipsburg Community Action
Food Bank to supplement their meal program.
Thank you in advance for sharing with others on
our own feast day!
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY
The Women’s Bible Study is a delightful
opportunity for women to gather
together to study God’s word as we journey
together. The theme this year
comes from the book of Joshua. We’d love to
have more women join us!
Monday, February 22, 7-8:30 PM
Monday, March 22, 7-8:30 PM
Monday, April 26, 7-8:30 PM
FLOWER CHART DATES
The 2010 Flower Chart for Worship Flowers
is
up in the foyer. If you would like to
sponsor one
of the open Sundays, please contact Laura
Barnett
(342-3476) to hear about open dates.
FINANCIAL UPDATES
Income and Expenses for the General Fund for the Year
2009:
Total Offering and Income to General Fund $132,459.00
Total Expenses from General Fund $130,434.00
Surplus for 2009 $ 2,025.00
WOW! The congregation stepped up in a
generous and gracious way to not only meet
our financial deficit projected for the year,
but to exceed it to give a safety net for
unforeseen expenses in our lean 2010 budget.
Thank you!
PER CAPITA
Each year, as part of our denominational responsibility,
the church is asked to pay a certain amount for each active
member. This amount is decided based on denominational needs
and is voted on by Presbytery. It is what helps to pay for
Presbytery
and national ministries and expenses. For 2010, the
denominational support
for our church is $28.72 per active member. While the church is
prepared to pay
this amount, you are welcome to contribute your family’s
portion in the enclosed per
capita envelope. The family portion is only necessary for
active members. Baptized
children are not assessed, but youth who are confirmed are
considered active members.
Thus, a family of 4 with two confirmed youth could offer
$114.88, or 4 times $28.72.
PRAYER CHAIN(S) REQUEST
Our "Session" prayer chain has
been in operation for many years. Last year we switched
many of the contacts over from telephone to
e-mail. There are still a number of people on
the list who would prefer telephone
contacts.
