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Philipsburg First Presbyterian Church |
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Easter Our History Activities
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OCTOBER
2006 THE FORK REMINDER
During
leadership meetings in August, I reported back from Study Leave by
giving each of the leaders a plastic fork.
I’m not given to gimmicks often, but I was trying to take an
everyday object and make it a reminder for our leadership of what God
seemed to be teaching me on Study Leave. My point was
that each of the four prongs of the fork represented an arena in which
God was calling me, and subsequently the church, to focus on this year.
For your reflection, prayer, and suggestions, here they are: First, through a wonderful preaching
seminar and good long look at past and future preaching texts, I am
committed to working on biblical, applicable, authentic and relevant
sermons. Worship is an enormous center in our community, and I want to
keep growing as a preacher through study, prayer, reflection and
communications study. Part
of this goal resulted in an invitation to start a “sermon reflection
group” in which a group of us might gather to look at the sermon texts
to give insights and feedback. So
far, I only have one volunteer. Anyone
interested? Second, as I look for the work of God in
our lives, I am growing in my awareness that our lives are, primarily,
God’s work. As much as I
want to take credit for the good in my life (and, usually, blame
something else for the not-so-good), my life – and our lives – are
God’s, as his people. Our
primary way of knowing God’s work and living into it is through
prayer. In the next month,
the Session will be looking at prayer opportunities for the
congregation, and I invite you to contribute to those suggestions as
well as participate when they are offered. Third, I am keenly aware of the
constant invitation of God to move more deeply into relationship with
him. The theological term
is often called discipleship, and I am interested in seeing our church
community flesh that out as we reflect on how we grow in our
relationship to God. This
is not just about education options; this is about interactions of our
heart with the heart of God. To
continue to learn about avenues of discipleship among us, I’m inviting
you to tell me what has encouraged your growth in Christ – be it
something in church or in another setting. Fourth, one of the central parts of my
model of ministry is that the church exists as a witness to the world.
Service and mission are large parts of our non-verbal witness,
and I hope to see our faith community grow in our impact and influence
in our town community. It’s
delightful to see our building used by the first Philipsburg Nar-Anon
Family Support Group. It’s
encouraging to see our Deacons look for ways to reach out in community
ways. It’s exciting to
envision what churches might do together – like the Angel Tree Food
Ministry. Let us keep
looking for ways to be active and in witness through our service to
others. So here they
are – the four prongs of focus that emerged out of Study Leave. As you eat with your fork at meals, may that utensil remind
you of these so you can join me in prayerful attentiveness to what God
is doing among us.
Grace
and Peace, CONGRATULATIONS,
GRADUATE! Lindsay Genesi
graduated from Penn State’s College of Human Development with a B.S.
in Health Policy Administration in August, 2006.
Well done, Lindsay! THANKS FOR YOUR
MINISTRY IN SEPTEMBER
As school beginning marks the end of
summer, many folks shared their gifts in a helpful way
to the church. To the Deacons for the monthly lunches
… thanks! To Jerilin Pritchard, who is overseeing
the paperwork related to the Sexual Misconduct
Policies, for her organization and confidentiality …
thanks! To Sally Laux, the
Instrumental Group, Westminster Bells and the Senior Choir, who offered
wonderful worship music for Presbytery … thanks!
To Shannon Johnson who planned, organized and cooked the
Presbytery meal … thanks! To
the parking attendants, greeters, dinner servers and clean-up team for
Presbytery … thanks! To Marty Bullis, Gigi Sayers and Jay Herrington, who planned
and put up new signs in the church … thanks!
To Jen Starner, who had everything ready for Sunday School to
begin again … thanks!
OCTOBER BIRTHDAYS
2
– Adam Gearhart
22 – Benjamin Kanour 4
– Susan Broberg
23 – Erik Johnson 5
– Agnes Whitehead
24 – Helen Hollis 6
– Doug Goss
25 – Robert Scott Shoff 7
– Elwood Turner
26 – Judy Pleskonko 7
– Dan Corman
27 – Damon Jones 9
– Chrissy Hudzy
30 – Darrell Hollis 10
– Paul Springer
30 – Lynn Herman 16
– Emily Kizina
31 – Andrea Starner 20
– Nick Calvin OCTOBER
ANNIVERSARIES 8th
– Steve and Jennifer Starner – 12 years 10th
– John and Kelly Freeman – 12 years 12th
– Marty and Tracie Bullis – 15 years 15th
– Fred and Babs Herman – 51 years 26th
– Rob and Jill Reed – 10 years OFFICER MEETINGS for OCTOBER
(in the parlor)
Deacons:
Tuesday, October 3rd @ 7:00 p.m.
Session:
Tuesday, October 10th @ 7:00 p.m.
Trustees:
Tuesday, October 17th @ 7:00 p.m.
Presbyterian Women: To
Be Announced
DEACONS’ MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
v
Jill Blake, along with Pastor Tracie and
representatives from
Session and Trustees, will attend Meeter/Greeter Training
in Huntingdon on October 7th. v
The annual Fall Foliage Tour for
residents of Windy Hill Village
will take place on Sunday,
October 8th, at 1:30 p.m. v
Karen Wood will represent the Deacons on
the budget subcommittee. v
Soup/Salad and Sandwich Luncheons are
planned for October
22nd and November 12th. v
Financial commitments for Presbyterian
Homes and Krislund
Camp were discussed. v
A Marianna hoagie fundraiser will be held
in November. v
Deacons
are investigating ways of securing a defibrillator for
the church. TRUSTEE
MEETING HIGHLIGHTS
Ž
Monday, October 2 will see the beginning
of a weekly support meeting for families who have members with
drug-related problems. Presbyterian
Women will adjust their meeting dates to accommodate this very important
outreach. Ž
October 9-13 the prisoners who worked so
diligently this summer will be back to do some of the things they didn't
have time to get to this summer. The
work to be done will be dependent on the weather conditions. Ž
October 22 will be the date eight new
members will be received into our church family.
There will also be several baptisms from among these new family
members. The celebration
will continue after the service with the monthly soup and sandwich
luncheon provided by our Deacons. Ž
October 28th has been set aside as the
Fall Work Day. This has
become a tradition, occurring in the Spring and Fall.
There are plenty of projects of all kinds for all talents. There is sure to be one for you.
Please consider helping keep our church building beautiful. INCOME
AND EXPENSES FOR THE GENERAL FUND FOR AUGUST, 2006: Total Offering and Income to the General
Fund
$8,280.01 Total Expenses from the General Fund
6,572.31 Surplus for August
$1,707.70 WOMEN MINISTRIES Women
of the church were invited to meet on Monday, September 18, to share
what kinds
of events and ministries they would like to be involved in with other
women. It
was decided that a focused study with especially relevant material to
everyday life would
be appreciated. The study
for October will take place on Monday, October 9, 7-8:30
PM. The study for November
will take place Monday, November 20, 7-8:30 PM. In
addition, fellowship times have been appreciated, and we want to
continue those times. The
Presbyterian Homes has invited our women to a portrayal of Biblical
women and dinner on Monday, October 23, at 6 PM.
This is an event specifically for women from our church, plus
guests. The cost is $6 per person.
A sign-up at the church will be available. Finally,
the women were conscious of our ability to do project-oriented service
and mission opportunities, and wanted to be aware of those needs.
Women who are interested in contributing to a short-term or
one-time mission event (like serving a nice dinner to the poor or
lonely, putting together Christmas shoe boxes, making college care
packages, etc) should let
Pastor Tracie know of that interest.
As opportunities come up, it can be circulated for
a loose organizational group to take the lead on meeting the need. So,
this is an expansion of the wonderful work of Presbyterian Women and the
monthly 3W Bible Study. As
this is still in the development phase other ideas, suggestions, and
comments are welcomed. And
then, what would the men of the church like to see in men’s
ministries? NAR-ANON
MEETINGS BEGIN
A Nar-Anon Family Support Group will begin meeting in our church on Monday, October 2 at 8 PM to give a place of support, education, and
healing to families of those affected by a drug addiction. Please be in prayer for this ministry. For more information, call 1-800-477-6291. DEACONS
– FALL FOLIAGE TOUR
The Board of
Deacons will be doing ministry again on Sunday, October 8, with the
Presbyterian Homes in Philipsburg.
They will be taking the bus around the area to view the beautiful
Fall leaves, then spending some time in conversation with the residents
over cookies and punch. This
afternoon is a great time of contact with our neighboring Presbyterian
Homes! SUNDAY SCHOOL
NOTES
Sunday School is well underway!
Please give the gift of Christian
education to your child! A few reminders for parents:
students in the elementary class and younger are being checked in at
the 5th Street Entrance to help direct them to their
classes. If your child arrives early and their teacher is not at
church yet, they will need to wait with an adult at the entrance.
In addition, with our new “two adult” rule with children, it
would greatly help if you would encourage your child to use the bathroom
before Sunday School starts. KRISLUND
CAMP SCHOLARSHIP PLAN
The
Sunday School has changed the Krislund Camp Scholarship program, because
we’ve had
such a positive response that we need to be attentive of stewardship of
our funds. Please
note the following schedule of attendance for gaining a percentage
scholarship to camp: Attendance
38-43 Sundays yields 50% payment to camp Attendance
33 to 37 Sundays yields 40% payment to camp Attendance
25 to 32 Sundays yields 30% payment to camp Any
family with financial constraints can speak with Pastor Tracie about special
scholarships. The
congregation is invited to sponsor children to camp
who have needs beyond the scholarship program. PAYING
ATTENTION FOR OUR CHILDREN
Our
church maintains our commitment to children by adhering to Sexual
Misconduct Policies
and Procedures. Anyone who
works with children is asked to view our training video
and do appropriate paperwork with Jerilin Pritchard, who is the
confidential record keeper for our church in this matter.
In a nutshell, here are the major guidelines: 1.
All
employees will have a background check. 2.
All
teen and adult volunteers must sign an application and code
of ethics form, as well as receive volunteer training. 3.
Two
adults will be with every group of minors – which presents
some new ways of attending to bathroom needs, transportation
of minors, and small classes! 4.
Doors
of classrooms with minors will remain open or have windows. 5.
A
check-in system for student in elementary classes and younger is in place
before Sunday School, with the teachers then connecting children with
their parents at the end of class. 6.
Copies
of the policy are available in student Sunday School rooms or
from Jerilin Pritchard. YOUNG
AT HEART
On Wednesday,
October 25, 2006, those who are 50 and older are invited to attend the
monthly Young at Heart Luncheon in Westminster Hall.
The committee has been working hard planning the menu and program
to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable time.
Come and join in at 12:00 noon.
Reservations need to be made by Sunday, October 22nd
by calling 342-4371. The
cost is $3.00. CONGREGATIONAL
MEETING CALLED
The Session has called a Congregational
Meeting for Sunday, October 29, immediately
following worship, for the purpose of electing new officers
and voting on the Pastor’s Salary.
FOR THE RETIRED, AN EASIER WAY TO GIVE Congress
has passed, and the President has signed, a new law that provides
a new way for individuals to make a gift.
Here are the details. charities
from IRA accounts without reporting the gift as income! Up
to $100,000 can be given in 2006 and 2007! For
some non-itemizers this allows the equivalent of deductible
contributions. For other
taxpayers who have carry over contributions, it allows "over the
top" gifts. For itemizing
taxpayers who have already made gifts in 2006, but haven't yet taken the
RMD, such
direct gifts will enhance the tax savings of the gifts already made. direct
gift to a private (grantmaking) foundation, a donor advised fund, a Sec.
509(a)(3) supporting organization, or to the Foundation or any charity
for a life income gift such as the
charitable gift annuity. The
entire direct gift amount must be charitable; there
can be no goods or services extended to the donor. Foundation,
Associate Vice President for Gift Planning at (800)858-6127 ext. 5957.
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Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
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1 World
Communion Sunday |
2 Nar-Anon
begins meeting @ our church |
3 Deacon’s
@ 7:30 p.m. |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 Beyond
Magnetism, 9–2
in Huntingdon |
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8 Fall
Foliage Tour after worship |
9 |
10 Session
@ 7:00 p.m. |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
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15 |
16 |
17 Trustees
@ 7:00 p.m. |
18 |
19 |
20 |
21 |
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22 Introduction
of New Members at Worship Soup
& Sandwich after worship |
23 Women’s
Dinner @ the Homes - 6:00
p.m. |
24 |
25 Young
at Heart Luncheon @ 12:00 p.m. |
26 |
27 |
28 Fall
Work Day, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Krislund
Camp Fall Festival, 1:00
– 4:30 p.m. |
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29 Congregational
Meeting immediately following worship |
30 |
31 |
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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.