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Philipsburg First Presbyterian Church |
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Easter Our History Activities
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November
2006
This year, part
of our worship consists of moving beyond the recitation of the
Apostles’ Creed to learn and say what we believe through other
Presbyterian, reformed creeds. Many
of these creeds will feel “new” to us, even though they have been
around for centuries. But taking time to enter into a broader scope of creeds gives
us experience in a larger need for the church:
looking beyond Philipsburg for the church.
While we are a
revitalized church, leaning forward into our call to ministry, we also
must deal with the reality that the American church, including our
denomination, is declining. Part
of exploring our history in creeds is teaching us to explore our life
together beyond our particular church.
Just as creeds are part of the voice of the whole body of Christ,
the state of the church beyond our borders is crying for attention.
National trends
in the church – like the layoffs of our denomination’s General
Assembly staff, the definition of “essential tenets of our faith” or
“authoritative interpretation” – may not seem to impact our small
town, but eventually they will. Part
of taking time in worship to look beyond the familiarity of the
traditional Apostles’ Creed is training ourselves to take time, once
in a while, to weigh in on trends in the larger church.
Eventually, they all catch up to us.
So, creeds are
not just expansions of our education.
They are invitations to look back, to look ahead, and to look
around at what’s going on in our connectional church.
Once we’ve had a good look, may we be eager to minister to the
whole body of Christ as we minister locally, nationally, and throughout
the world.
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. THANKS
TO … At
the beginning of this month of thanksgiving, there
are many for whom we give thanks – like: Marty Bullis, Gigi
Sayers, Jim Gearhart, Shirley Turner and Gary Barnett for coordinating the
Prison Work Team – thanks! Ilo
Warg, for giving her Saturday morning to learn at the Beyond Magnetism
event – thanks! Cory and
Dick Wood for finding the manse roof leak, and FIXING it – thanks!
All those who gave their Saturday morning to lend a cleaning or fixing
hand at the church on the Work Day – thanks!
Joyce Kitko for being the
October liturgist and contact person for our guest preacher, Candy
Dannaker – thanks! Paul
Springer for driving the bus on the Deacon
Fall Foliage tour – thanks! The
Deacons for their ministry
to the Presbyterian Homes residents on the Fall
Foliage tour – thanks! Jerilin
Pritchard for undertaking
the record-keeping for the Sexual
Misconduct Training – thanks! To
the Young at Heart Lunch
planners and makers
– thanks! NOVEMBER
BIRTHDAYS
3
– Barbara Springer
15 – Jill Reed 5
– Seth Storck
15 – Cory Wood 6
– Tom Little
16 – George Pleskonko 8
– Kelly Freeman
17 – Lydia Dixon 9
– Gary Barnett
19 – Ethan Reed 9
– Edward A. Good
20 – Nikki Rohrback 9
– Candy Rummel
21 – Janey Johnson 10
– Carly Sayers
23 – Austin Eggers 12
– Edie Good
27 – Todd Dixon 13
– Matt Jones
28 – Larry Ammerman, Sr. 13
– Morgan Coble
28 – Matt Johnson 14
– Marti Eggers
29 – Suzi Peck NOVEMBER ANNIVERSARIES 1st
– Ralph and Sally Nelson – 31 years 11th
– Ray and Dot Davidsen – 56 years 18th
– Stuart and Robbie Hollis – 17 years 19th
– Elwood and Gladys Turner – 17 years 28th
– Harold and Mary Shirey – 47 years 28th
- Edwin and Lora Storck – 25 years INCOME AND EXPENSES FOR THE GENERAL FUND FOR
SEPTEMBER, 2006: Total
Offering and Income to the General Fund
$9,089.90
Total Expenses from the General Fund
11,596.02
Shortfall for September
-$2,506.12 NOTE:
Our shortfall is due to paying some Fall bills this month with
some surplus cash in the checking account.
As we enter
the colder winter months, please stay faithful at your
regular giving! OFFICER MEETINGS for NOVEMBER
(in the parlor)
Deacons:
Tuesday, November 7th @ 7:00 p.m.
Session:
Tuesday, November 14th @ 7:00 p.m.
Trustees:
Tuesday, November 21st @ 7:00 p.m.
Presbyterian Women: To
Be Announced NOTES
FROM THE DEACONS ·
Marianna hoagie sale continues with
delivery set for November 17th ·
The Angel Tree/Giving Tree will be in the
sanctuary on December 3rd ·
The Deacons approved participating in
Angel Food ministry for a family in need from SESSION HIGHLIGHTS October
seemed to be a month for attending to details. We heard reports from committees and
individuals: about the
September Presbytery meeting and the annual
Presbytery review of Session minutes; about
Deacon and Trustee activities; preliminary proposals for a 2007 budget
and adjustments to the church roll; and reports from the Nominating
Committee about the proposed slate of new officers and the Mission
Committee about the Alternative Christmas Gift program, among other
items. We also approved some standard items:
dates for the next leadership retreat and the
annual congregational meeting in January; a few building use events;
Advent and Lenten devotional materials; and, joyously, some baptisms. We
also approved our church’s participation in Krislund’s Funding the
Future campaign. All
in all, it was just another indication that summer’s over, fall is
here, and it was time
to get back to business as usual. OCTOBER
TRUSTEES NOTES
order to eliminate shadows from the current suspension system.
PRAYER
TIME FOR CHURCH ON WEDNESDAYS You
are invited to spend some time in prayer in the church sanctuary on
Wednesdays from 7:30 AM to Noon. Starting
November 1, the 5th Street entrance will be open, and the
sanctuary lights will be on if you’d like to come and pray. HOAGIE SALE
Our Deacons are selling Marianna Hoagies
to complete raising funds for the commitments to
Windy Hill’s Capital Campaign.
Orders are due by Nov. 12, and sandwiches will be delivered Nov. 17.
Pick up can be before 8 AM if you are taking sandwiches
to work, or between 10 AM and Noon, or 4-6 PM.
Please place your order by contacting a deacon or signing up at
the 5th Street bulletin board. WOMEN’S
MINISTRIES
Study: Women will be gathering for a
Bible Study on Monday, November
12, 7-8:30 PM. At this
time, we will select a study
for 2007.
Service:
Women of the church are planning a Special Holiday Meal for
individuals and families who may not have a good meal this
season. The date is
tentatively set for Sunday, December 10.
If
you would like to contribute, either by helping or baking a pie, please
speak with Barbara Little (342-3567).
Fun: October 23 held a wonderful
gathering at Windy Hill Presbyterian Home
of almost 40 women of the church who enjoyed portrayals of women
in the Bible, dinner, and some fellowship time. The annual Christmas
Dinner for Women will also be held at Windy Hill on Monday, December 11,
at 6 PM. Women are asked to
bring a “white elephant” wrapped gift to exchange, and a readiness
to laugh and enjoy! ADVENT
DEVOTIONALS
The Session is
again seeking to enhance and focus your devotional season by offering a
free devotional book for each church family or individual.
Redeeming Light, by
Robert Hereth, will be available each Sunday beginning November 12 to
pick up and begin using on the first Sunday of Advent, December 3. ALTERNATIVE
CHRISTMAS GIFT OPPORTUNITIES
Scratching
your head? Wandering
through stores? Paging
through catalogs? Looking
for that
gift for the hard-to-buy for person?
Or do you want to honor someone special with
a special Christ-centered gift for Christmas?
Our alternative Christmas gift
opportunities may be just for you.
This year we are offering four different opportunities
to give a gift with a double blessing.
One blessing is for the gift card recipient.
The other is for the organization that will receive your monetary
gift. Beginning
November 12th, and continuing through December 17th,
there will be an Alternative Christmas Gift table in the narthex
following worship where you can purchase gifts and receive a gift cared
colored by one of our church school children.
Inside the card will be a notice telling which organization
benefits from your loving gift. You
will also receive an envelope so you can give or send the gift card to
the now you are honoring. Gift opportunities this year include:
The Shoe Bank at Trinity United Methodist Church -
A share of $10.00 will purchase a pair of
shoes for a child. First
Presbyterian Church Camp Scholarships -
A share of $25.00 will help pay for a
scholarship to Camp Krislund
for one our church school children. Faith
Presbyterian Church, Harvey , LA -
A share of $25.00 will help cover the
costs of housing and feeding
Katrina work crews by Faith Presbyterian Church Church
World Service -
A share of $25.00 will help pay for a
sewing machine for a woman
in a war-torn part of our world. You
may purchase as many shares for as many people as you wish.
You will receive
a gift card and insert for each person you are honoring. In
the event you cannot cover the full cost of a share, you may pay any
amount you wish.
The share cost is a suggested one only.
Whether you give a lot or a little, the blessing
is received by you, the card recipient, and the organization.
Please
plan on participating in this wonderful opportunity this Christmas
Season. Checks
may be made payable to: First
Presbyterian Church First
Presbyterian Church Mission Committee YOUNG
AT HEART
On
Wednesday, November 15, 2006, those who are 50 and older are invited
to attend the monthly Young at Heart Luncheon.
Please note this month’s
luncheon is being held earlier in the month due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
In addition, lunch will be served at WINDY HILL VILLAGE, rather
than Westminster Hall. Please
plan to attend and enjoy some afternoon
fellowship. Reservations
need to be made by Sunday, November 12th by
calling 342-4371. The cost
is $3.00. COMMUNITY
THANKSGIVING SERVICE
The Ecumenical Ministerium group is again
planning a Community Thanksgiving Service
for Sunday, November 19, 7 PM, at Osceola
United Methodist Church in Osceola Mills.
Valley Voices will be singing, and the
pastor at Gearhartville Free Methodist Church,
Larry Aldrich, will be preaching. Come and give thanks together with brothers and sisters from the community.
HURRICANE KATRINA –
HELPING
OUR PARTNER CHURCH
The
Presbytery is sponsoring a trip to our Partner Church, Faith
Presbyterian Church in Harvey, LA, as a tangible way to
lend an ongoing hand to our brothers and sisters there.
The
dates are tentatively set for the second full week in January, either going Jan. 5 or 6 and
returning either Jan. 13 or 14, depending on pastoral participation and
missed Sundays. Travel
arrangements will be either bus, van, or airline, depending on
participant needs and willingness to pay for a variety of modes.
Are you interested in attending?
Please speak with Pastor Tracie immediately, as plans are
contingent on participants. RESPONSES TO THE
SUGGESTION BOX One
lesson in life we’ve learned over the years is that whoever first
said, “Life is a balancing act” was an extremely wise person. So often we feel that we’re on a tightrope, balancing
options, hoping and praying that we will make the right decision.
And from experience we’ve all learned that the resulting fall
from an unwise decision can hurt. Yet in life we have to climb back up, hope that we are a bit
wiser, and continue to make those same kinds of decisions on an almost
daily basis. We
face those kinds of decisions as a Session also.
We consider, we discuss, we pray, we decide.
And we hope for the best. We
recently agreed to delve into our rich Christian history and theology,
and explore some of the other creeds that are important to our church
life, even though, and especially since, some may be unfamiliar to us.
So rather than recite two or more creeds per worship service, we
agreed to highlight a different one each month. As
in any decision, were there pros and cons?
Sure. On the one
hand, temporarily “abandoning” an old friend like the Apostle’s
Creed would likely move some people out of their comfort zone.
We can appreciate the opinion of those who feel that way.
We feel that in church and worship one should be encompassed by a
sense of trust and familiarity, up to a point. Often in life we like to
enter situations knowing what to expect.
But on the other hand, we need to make sure that our “comfort
zone” doesn’t slowly slip into a “complacent zone”.
And that a “complacent zone” doesn’t continue to slip into
a “boredom zone”, or further yet into a “stagnation zone”.
Because that can lead to a dying church. So
the options were balanced, and a decision on creeds was made.
We hope it was a good one. We’re
trying our best. Rest
assured that we haven’t abandoned our old friend the Apostle’s Creed
forever. In the meantime,
we hope that you will meet a new friend in one or more of our other
Christian creeds. Session
faced another “tightrope” decision recently.
Nar-Anon requested use of our building so that they could begin a
local chapter. We granted
that permission. This was
not a decision we entered into lightly.
It was discussed for two months.
We felt strongly about the issue – addictions of any kind can
paralyze the family as well as the individual afflicted. And they can strike perilously close to home.
We wanted to become involved in this community outreach.
But it meant some possible scheduling difficulties.
Nar-Anon wanted to hold a weekly meeting on Monday evening.
PW has been meeting monthly on Mondays.
Session is going to have to change its monthly meetings to Monday
in 2007. We considered
the pros and cons. Pastor
Tracie contacted the PW leadership and talked with them about the
situation, because we appreciate the invaluable contributions PW has
made to our church for many years.
Session ultimately decided that our church was big enough that we
could open our doors and arms and host two meetings on the same evening
for groups doing God’s work in the world of His people. We’d just
have to adapt our activities a bit. (PW later decided to move their monthly meetings to
Thursdays.) One
of Session’s goals this year has been to target better communications.
That’s the reason behind these monthly highlights from the
boards in Westminster Visions
and also the suggestion box in the narthex.
And when it seems appropriate, we’ll respond to suggestions
from that box in this column. With
God’s help, we will continue to try to serve you as faithfully and
openly as possible.
For Session,
Jeff
Eyet
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