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Philipsburg First Presbyterian Church |
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Easter Our History Activities
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JUNE 2006
A
SLOW WALK IN A FAST BOOK
The Gospel of
Mark was likely the first Gospel written.
In some ways, it looks like the product of a race to get the word
written down. It’s the
shortest of the Gospels and nearly skips the birth of Jesus to get right
into the rest of his life and ministry.
And it ends almost as if the writer were interrupted by an
unwelcome knock on his door. It’s
such a sudden ending that the corporate faith in later years added what
they deemed a more suitable conclusion.
The internal pace
of the book keeps you moving, too. Mark’s
favorite word might just be “immediately” as Jesus moves through his
ministry with this word setting the pace.
Mark is unpolished and blunt, breathlessly telling his story.
This will be our
summer text from June 11 through August 27, starting at Mark 2:23 and
taking a good, long look at verses through Mark 7:27.
I fully expect it to be a glorious walk alongside Jesus, through
the eyes of Mark. May we,
together, embrace a summer of hearing our Lord in Mark’s text.
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. OFFICER MEETINGS for JUNE (in the
parlor) Deacons:
Tuesday, June 6th @ 7:00 p.m.
Session:
Monday, June 12th @ 7:00 p.m.
Trustees:
Tuesday, June 21st @ 7:00 p.m. Presbyterian Women:
Monday, June 27th @ 7:00 p.m. DEACON
MEETING HIGHLIGHTS -
Planned to rent spaces in the parking lot
and sell lunch -
Voted to donate $50.00 to the Gideons for
their bible ministry. HIGHLIGHTS TRUSTEE MEETING HIGHLIGHTS: -
Finances: After the masonry work was
completed, the Reserve and Investment Fund stands at $76,000. The
Bragonier Trust is generating interest that will be moved to the General
Fund on June 30 each year. The General Fund Operating Budget is stable
with income meeting expenses, but will be closely watched during the
summer months. -
Interior Signs will be put in the church to
help guests find their way around. -
Roofing repair was completed by Von
Kensinger Roofing on both the church and
the manse. -
Chimney masonry work will be done in-house
with the assistance of Tom Holden.
-
New Blue/White paraments for Advent and
Easter season will be purchased from
the Memorial Fund, which currently stands at roughly $4,900. -
A third remote microphone option was
purchased for the Sound System to aid in
music choices with multiple solos. -
Prison Team work options were discussed. -
Changing the use of the back lot into a
parking lot has eliminated property taxes on the land. SESSION HIGHLIGHTS
I used to dread May, especially when the girls were in school.
Why? Because instead of May being the “merry month of
May” as Lerner and Loewe would have us believe, it was usually the
“busy month of May,” or
more correctly, the OVERLY busy month of May.
I used to look at the calendar and long for a day when not much was
happenin’. Well, May’s
Session meeting was a meeting made for May, because not much was happenin’.
We talked; we discussed. We
talked about some worship items: who
will serve as liturgist, June and July communions, summer Minutes for
Mission. We talked about some
administrative items: staff
vacations, copier usage. We
talked about some financial items: Presbyterian
Homes capital campaign, Mother’s Day offerings.
We talked about some old business:
sandwich sale, suggestion box.
And we talked about some new business:
Heritage Days participation, summer after-worship-service socials.
All in all it was pretty routine.
Is that just a nice way of saying “boring”?
Maybe. But it was just what the doctor ordered.
Because sometimes that’s just what you need.
Jeff JUNE BIRTHDAYS
1st – Madelen Bullis
24th
– Edward K. Good
5th – Robert Viehdorfer
24th
– Pat Milsom
10th – Lisa Coble
24th
– C. Todd Reed
13th – Nathan Lesko
25th
– Colleen Viehdorfer 18th – Susan Millward
26th
– Todd Jeffries
18th – Dylan Viehdorfer
26th
– David Moore
21st – Ed Jones
27th
– Bonnie Rodgers
23rd – John Freeman
28th
– Matthew Bordas
23rd – Mary Shirey
30th
– Ilo Warg
JUNE ANNIVERSARIES 9th
– David and Sally Laux – 22 years 11th
– Dave and Jackie Houser – 29 years 11th
– Walt and Lisa Chorle – 18 years 17th
– Lynn and Mary Whitehead Gilham – 28 years 23rd
– Dennis and Rose Calvin – 11 years 24th
– Tom and Gigi Sayers 29th
– Richard and Karen Wood – 32 years CONGRATULATIONS
·
June 13, 2006, marks the Reverend Carl
Gray will celebrate 63
years as an ordained
minister! ·
We congratulate Carly Sayers, who graduated
with honors from
Penn State on May 12 in bio-engineering
and will attend The University of Pennsylvania
in the fall to pursue her doctorate in Pharmaceutical
Sciences. Fabulous work, Carly! THANKS We want to
express our special thanks to Pastor Tracie as well as members and friends
of First Presbyterian for your prayers, visits, get well cards, etc.,
during Elwood’s recent hospitalization and surgery.
He is improving daily thanks to all your prayers and concerns.
We greatly appreciate your support and caring. God
Bless, Elwood
and Gladys Turner THANKS ABOUND May
felt as full of activity as December, and there are many people in our
congregation who have generously contributed to ministry.
Spring flower sales
continue under the able leadership of Ethel Cipollini, so thank you to all
who bought, sold and worked on flower arrival day.
The Mother-Child banquet
was another delight, with thanks to the Presbyterian Women who planned
it, to the men who served at it, to the Sonshine Singers who performed
at it, and to David Houser who brought magic to it! To
the youth of our church who lead worship May 20, especially the faith
story tellers of Scott Laux, Andrea Starner, and Dylan Viehdorfer …
Thanks! To
Jen Starner and the Sunday School, who made sure every woman in church had
a flower on Mother’s Day … Thanks!
To Darrell Hollis, who organized the Session Benevolent Fund Ham
and Cheese sandwich sale, and to the Elders who helped sell and make the
sandwiches … Thanks! To the
helpers with the Blood Drive, including those who baked cookies or
volunteered or hung up flyers or gave blood … Thanks!
To the Young at Heart crew, who have pulled off another year of
fabulous monthly lunches and programs in this growing ministry … Thanks! SENIOR
RECOGNITION Sunday, May 28, was our special recognition
time for our High School Seniors, as they
graduate this year.
Extend your congratulations to these Seniors: Raquel Branthoover, Daughter of Chip
and Tracy Branthoover, attending Lock
Haven University, majoring in Elementary Education Scott Laux, Son of Dave and Sally Laux,
attending Allegheny College in
Meadville, PA Grady Luzier, Son of Tim and
Amy Luzier, attending Penn State Behrend - Erie, PA, majoring in
Environmental Science Andrea Starner, Daughter of Steve
and Jennifer Starner attending West
Virgina University, majoring in Occupational Therapy Dylan Viehdorfer, Son of Robert L.
and Colleen Sullivan Viehdorfer
attending Elizabethtown College in Elizabethtown, PA, majoring in Business
Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurship, and playing
baseball Rachelle Yarger, Daughter of Rod
and Robin Yarger attending Clarion University, majoring in Elementary Ed
and minoring in Athletic Coaching PENTECOST
CELEBRATES THE BIRTH OF THE CHURCH Sunday, June 4, is Pentecost Sunday where
we will celebrate communion together as we remember the gift
of the Holy Spirit to the church.
Plan to wear red on this Sunday, and to bring a jar of spaghetti sauce for our local food bank.
In addition, Communion Sundays are the days where the loose
offering is given to the Deacon Fund, so please prayerfully consider your
gift to this ministry. Checks
for this donation can be designated for the
Deacons in the memo field. PRISON WORK TEAM Our
church has the great fortune of having a Prisoner Work
Team from Houtzdale come to the church to work June
5-9. The prisoners will be on site from 8:45 AM to 2 PM. Our
recommendation is that you do not attempt to work at the church during
those hours so that they are free to do their many important tasks. We
are also required to keep all minors off site while they are working. Trustees
will be setting up and prioritizing a variety of tasks.
Your work will be to pray for these workers, as many of them are
near their release date and hoping to turn over a new leaf.
We are not allowed to provide food for them, but we can certainly
shower them with our prayers! KRISLUND
CAMPERS ALERT! If you haven’t signed up for Camp yet, you need to contact Pastor Tracie and get your forms in!
The FINAL sign-up for our church-sponsored camp trips is
Sunday, June 11! Grab a Krislund Camp brochure from the narthex and
pick your camp dates today! PHILIPSBURG’S WORK CAMP The
national organization of Group Workcamps has been working with our
local Community Action to provide a week of work for area residents.
The
town has raised over $15,000 to see about 50 homes have teams of high
school students do basic maintenance and repair projects during the week
of June 11-17. What a boost
to the long list of needs in our area! In
support of the work camp, our church has had oversight of hospitality for the
students – providing an afternoon snack from area churches for each day and
making arrangements for activities on their afternoon off.
Our church is providing
welcome bags, which include small gifts, cookies and a water bottle
for each participant. Our
greatest need right now is in the donation of
cookies. If you can donate
100 cookies or help to assemble the bags on
Sunday, June 11 at 2 PM, please call the church
office. RELAY FOR LIFE While our church
is not sponsoring a Relay team this year since we are heavily involved in
the work camp, please consider aiding the fight against cancer by
supporting other Relay for Life teams and visiting the Relay on Saturday,
June 17. THE
YARD SALE IS COMING The Annual Church Yard Sale will be held June 22 (for church member purchases) and June 23-24 (for public sale).
The church sale starts at 9 AM on Friday and Saturday,
although individual sellers (see below) may open earlier.
Sale items can be brought to the church basement. If you need items picked up, Paul Springer can make arrangements to do so.
This year, the Deacons are adding a new twist by offering church parking lot
spaces for set-up to our church neighbors.
Each space cost $10 per day, with tables and canopies supplied by the buyer.
In addition, each person selling keeps their own cash box.
If you are interested in buying a space, please
call the church office or talk with Dave Dixon.
The Deacons will also be offering a lunch.
Please contact Ethel Cipollini to lend a hand in the sorting, pricing, and
selling. It’s not just
about good bargains – it is a lot of fun with friends! GENERAL
ASSEMBLY HIGHLIGHTS “If
I have indeed won your favor, then teach me to know your ways, so that I
can know you and find favor with you, for this nation is your own
people.”
Exodus 33:13
Our denomination’s General Assembly, the largest governing body
in the PC(USA), meets in Birmingham, AL June 15 – 22. We pride ourselves
on our democratic, decentralized way of being the church, and the General
Assembly is an expression of this type of governance. Our commissioners,
Elder Jake Wagner of the Vira Little Valley Church and The Rev. Mr. Sam
Strohm, pastor of the Belleville Church, and our Youth Advisory Delegate,
Jordan Feagley of the Petersburg Bethel Church, all covet your prayers as
they seek God’s will in order to vote their consciences.
General Assembly meetings can accomplish a lot for good or ill.
Every day includes uplifting, challenging worship and meals shared with
representatives from all around the United States and Puerto Rico. GA
committees cover a host of topics and prepare recommendations for the
commissioners in plenary session. Sometimes the commissioners accept
committee recommendations, and sometimes, as they discern God’s will,
they don’t.
“Hot topics” this year include the report of the Theological
Task Force on the Peace, Unity and Purity of the Church and a revisiting
of the vote to divest, selectively and after thorough research and
consultation, from companies that do business with the nation of Israel and
whose businesses lead to violence. Ideas about divesture run in three
directions: keep it as is, dump the whole concept, or work on investing in
businesses that make for peace rather than divesting.
As the week unfolds, I will send nightly reports to our presbytery
webmaster for posting on the presbytery webpage. If you want to read these
reports, starting June 15, please go to www.huntingdonpresbytery.com Blessed Eastertide to you. Joy Kaufmann FINANCIAL
UPDATE Income and Expenses for the General Fund
for April, 2006: Total Offering and Income to the General
Fund
$14,307.48 Total Expenses from the General Fund
$15,486.32 Deficit
-$ 1,178.84 Note:
Expenses were higher than usual because we paid our first quarter
of per capita and payroll taxes
are due in April. Both income
and expenses were more than last year because we had money come in and go
immediately out for the Slinky’s youth event, a hunger grant, and the
new choir stoles. SUMMER SUNDAY
SCHOOL BREAK For July and
August, Sunday School will take a break, while our worship service time
will move to 9:30 AM on Sundays. The
Children’s Church ministry during worship WILL continue to be offered
for worship ministry to our families with children entering Kindergarten
and younger. THE
PASTOR’S RENEWAL Pastor Tracie and family will be going West July 6-20 to visit her mother,
friends, and take part in study leave at the
Whitworth College Pastors Institute, as well as
pastoral conversations with Eugene Peterson and Fall
planning time in Montana. Please welcome Bill Moore and Barbara Mosch to our pulpit in
Tracie’s absence. MARK
YOUR CALENDAR NOW!
Just
a reminder to all helpers and kids – Vacation Bible School dates will
be the week of August 7-10 for kids from 3 years old to those who have
completed 2nd grade. Please
note the date in your home schedules! JUNE
2006 CHURCH CALENDAR
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