Presbyterian Courier The Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green, Kentucky

Transcription

1 Presbyterian Courier The Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green, Kentucky Volume 16 January 2012 Issue 1 Do You Have An Elevator Speech Ready? Pastor s Corner 1 Associate Pastor 2 Education & The Arts 3 Youth & College News 4 Kids Page 5 Congregational Care & Fellowship 6 Church & Community 8 January Birthdays 10 January Calendar 11 We live in an odd time, when nobody has enough time to listen to anybody else. Many business schools and leadership training groups are encouraging successful people to come up with an Elevator Pitch, in which you put your message into 30-seconds-- suitable for delivery during the typical elevator ride. The Benefit Of Being Concise Coming up with an elevator speech forces you to be clear, and to cut out unnecessary information. In other words, it may be a useful way to distill your own interests down to their most-important and basic level. Start With: I Attend The Presbyterian Church What would you say next, if you were composing an elevator speech? Try this exercise. Presbyterians take the Bible so seriously that our whole structure is based on the New Testament pattern. We elect officers, and call them elders, just as the early Christians did. In biblical Greek, those elders were called Presbyters, and that s where we get our name. OK, not pithy enough? Let s try to do better Forgiveness is the act of a supremely loving and supremely powerful God. Presbyterians rest themselves in that love. The entire Bible witnesses to the length God will go to comfort, protect, and rescue God s people. Jesus Christ is the full expression of God s purpose. The things Jesus said and did, and especially his death and resurrection, confirm the whole biblical witness. Presbyterians take that witness seriously. (See Elevator Speech on page 6) Page

2 CONFIRMATION Confirmation Class (for students in the 6th-8th grade) will begin Sunday January 22 during the Sunday School hour. There will be a parent s/youth meeting on Sunday January 8 at 9:55 am in the Junior High Room. The class will run through May ending with Confirmation Sunday on May 20. Kara Hildebrandt will be leading the class. Please Kara at Kara.Hildebrandt@bgpres.org if you have any questions. CHILDREN S CHOIR We welcome all kindergarten-5th graders to join us Sunday mornings at 9:30 in Room 203. We plan on using our voices and simple instruments to worship God. So come even if you don t think you can sing! (Sarah Capito--Director; Marilyn Anderson Accompanist) SPRING SUNDAY SCHOOL ADULT CLASSES PERMANENT : Christian Parenting in the 21st Century Studying and discussing 99 Ways to Raise Spiritually Healthy Children Room 202 Christian Thought Contact is Arvin Vos Conference Room Floyd Hays Ellis Class Studies and discusses Feasting on the Word Contact is Charles Reid Room 201 SHORT STUDIES : Leading a Life of Prayer January 8 - February 19th Led by Donna Hill Room 207 Connecting our Beliefs and Relationships April 15 - May 27 Led by Matthew Covington Room 207 Page 2

3 Education and The Arts THE MONDAY MORNING EDUCATION PROGRAM Art Gallery News announces the Spring 2012 program The Reformation Rev. Kara Hildebrandt This spring, Rev. Kara Hildebrandt presents an analysis of the movement, 500 years ago, that changed the world. She will also profile major figures of the period including: Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Hus, and Huldreich Zwingli. Rev. Hildebrandt received her Master of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt University and has served as Associate Pastor at The Presbyterian Church for the past two years. The class meets over a period of eight weeks from January 23 through March 12. Classes will meet in the Conference Room on Monday mornings at 10:00 beginning January 23, All are welcomed. Bob Gregory and Steve Clay will exhibit in the church gallery from January 27th through March 22nd. Bob Gregory's realism combined with the Clay's abstract point of view will intrigue viewers. The mission committee is pleased to support the church's art gallery in its outreach program to the Bowling Green Community. Downtown Bowling Green attracts fans of the arts, and our church's unique location, one block from the downtown square, is one of ten venues in the Bowling Green Gallery Hop. Make plans to attend the Hop on March 16 th. Page 3

4 Youth News Wednesday Night Youth Fellowship is from 5:00 6:30pm. We typically go to Spencer s or somewhere nearby for a meal. This is for youth grades Sunday Youth Group (grades 6-12) 6:00 8:00pm at the church. Attendance has averaged around 25 for the past month. We have several new Junior High Youth who have joined us this semester. An in-church scavenger hunt was held last Sunday. Everyone had a good time and they learned about some different areas of the church building. We ll resume Sunday Youth Group again on January 8. Confirmation Class will begin Sunday January 22 during the Sunday School hour. There will be a parent s/youth meeting on Sunday January 8 at 9:55am in the Junior High Room. The class will run through May ending with Confirmation Sunday on May 20. Kara Hildebrandt will be leading the class. Angel Tree Thanks goes out to everyone who participated in this year s Angel Adoption. Our church helped 52 children/23 families from McNeill Elementary School. The gifts were delivered by our Youth Group on December High School Mission Trip June Next summer s High School Mission Trip will be to Booneville, Arkansas in the Ozark Mountains. We ll join our fellow Western Kentucky Presbytery High School Youth in a week of service. The cost will be $400 per person. We hope to reduce the cost to $200 by fundraising. Registration deadline with a $60 deposit is January 9. This trip will be for rising 9th graders graduated seniors. An Additional High School Mission trip is also planned through the Presbytery, June This trip will be in Birmingham, AL. The trip will be at a Presbyterian Disaster Assistance sight and will assist with cleanup/ construction from Tornado damage. Cost is $145 with a deposit of $70 due by April 15. This trip is for older youth and adults age 16 and up. Montreat College Conference: We reserved spots for 4 college students to attend the Montreat College Conference January 2-5. Terry Shoemaker led this group, and we travelled with the Murray State University college group led by Rev. David Montgomery. David will be attending the Princeton Institute for Youth Ministry Forum-January in Santa Barbara, CA. This winter forum is in addition to the April Forum at Princeton which he will also be attending. A Youth Ministry Team Meeting will be held on Sunday January 29 at 5:30pm. We ll have a short meeting to discuss upcoming events, then have dinner with the Youth Group at 6:00pm. Regular Youth Ministry Team Meetings will occur every last Sunday of each month at 5:30pm. If you d like to serve on the Youth Ministry Team please contact David Muffett. February Events: Souper Bowl of Caring will be Sunday February 5 th and the Valentine Fundraising Dinner will be Saturday February 11 th. For more information on our Youth Ministry, please contact David Muffett, Director of Youth Ministries at or david.muffett@bgpres.org. Page 4

5 Kids Page All children ages kindergarten 5th grade are invited to participate in Children s on Sunday mornings at 9:30 in room 203. (Sarah Capito Director; Marilyn Anderson Accompanist) Page 5

6 Congregational Care & Fellowship Gordoneers to meet January 20th Gordoneers will meet on Jan 20 for a HARD TIMES SUPPER (after paying the Christmas bills). Note, this is not the usual Friday! There will be no meat dish, but a big pot of vegetable soup will be provided- bring whatever you can that goes with vegetable soup (crackers, salad, dessert, etc.) We will not be calling everyone just mark your calendars and come to the church at 6:30 PM on January 20 for a Hard Times Supper! Gordoneers is a monthly church social group consisting mostly of people beyond child rearing age, but also anyone else interested in having good food and fellowship with other church members, and occasionally a really interesting program. The cost is $2.50 per person where else can you eat for $2.50, tax and tip included? Hope to see everyone there on January 20 dressed in rags! Following the supper, there will be a reorganization meeting to elect a slate of officers for We need a president, treasurer, program chair and also hosts for monthly meetings, Please bring nominations to the meeting and be prepared to elect officers for next year. Elevator Speech (continued from page 1) Getting any ideas yet? It s a grand love affair with Almighty God. By God s love, we are drawn closer. By trying to express our love back, we become better people. Why don t you join me for church on Sunday? Have you ever wondered what happened to integrity, and honesty, and the thoughtful approach to living as human beings under God? Well, come to the Presbyterian Church. We re doing the best we can. Try it yourself. Your Pastors would love to have your help in polishing up a good elevator speech! And Know You Are Loved. Matthew Page 6

7 Best Friends Information for Caregivers This comes from page 12 of The Best Friend s Book of Alzheimer s Activities, Volume one. It reminds us that we all like to reminisce about our past and tell stories that relive special moments. Because Alzheimer s disease attacks short-term memory first, long-term memory may still be pleasurable. One way to stimulate conversation is to bring out the old photos, recipes or picture books. Or create a box of gardening, knitting, fishing tools or just jewelry or a special item and try to recall events or activities you know the person has enjoyed. Another idea is to have your friend or loved one make a collage of favorite foods, favorite trips, family members, or even hometown photos. Aromas also trigger long held memories. I love this quote from Nadine Grosso, director of communications for the Maine Health Care Association. Each individual s life story is important and worthy of recognition. Our appearance changes, our memories may fail us, our bodies may be tired or ravaged by illness, but inside, we remain the same, especially in our own view and to our families. I have some interesting web sites to offer this month. This one was a video from the Today show that talks about using pictures to soothe, stimulate connections between people by imagining what is going on in a certain picture. Although most activities probably shouldn t last more that 15 minutes or so depending on the person a stroll through an art gallery might be beneficial if you want to go out and that could lead to wondering questions about certain pictures. One thing about art, there are no wrong impressions. Check this out--- Roche has launched a website dedicated to early-stage Alzheimer s disease, at EarlySymptomsAlzheimer.com. It is advertised as offering a bevy of information and social tools such as videos and a blog, and provides a downloadable Tracker s Diary which acts as a checklist to recognize symptoms of the disease. I have not checked it out yet. And just in case you are feeling really overwhelmed and tired of providing care, here are comments from a caregiver at one of my favorite sites. Page 7

8 A Bellewood Christmas Church and Community The children and families of Bellewood enjoyed a wonderful Christmas this year! At Bellewood's December 20 Christmas luncheon in the fellowship hall, 24 foster families benefitted from more than 325 gifts donated to Bellewood. We are grateful for the generous donations from the Bowling Green Presbyterian Church and community. The tree was snowed in with presents and Santa was there to deliver them. All children and families enjoyed a delicious lunch that included chili donated from Wendy's. Thanks to all supporters who helped make the season bright for Bellewood's children and families! For more information, visit bellewood.org. Sally Pendleton Vice President of Development & Community Engagement Bellewood Presbyterian Homes for Children Changing Lives, Building Futures office: , ext. 508 cell: fax: Financial Summary Year to Date November , , , ,599 Receipts Budget Actual Expenses Page 8

9 Mission Committee News The Mission Committee has approved a payment to Habitat for Humanity fof $3000 toward a $5000 project in the spring or summer. We are grateful we can share in this important housing ministry. In conjunction with the food pantry ministry, our church is collecting winter clothing accessories (hats, gloves, and scarves) for food panty recipients. A bin for these accessories is located under the stairway next to the food pantry collection bin. Donated items may be for children or adults, and must be clean. For further information contact Diane Simmons <dsimmonsbg1@me.com> or Nancy Moore at Preschool Learning Center We have been very active in the preschool the last two months! We have been talking about gingerbread and tasting cookies. We have been making Christmas ornaments for our family trees. Most importantly, we have learned about the birth of Jesus. A big thank you to Dr. Covington for sharing a book with us about the birth of Christ. It is always a blessing to have Dr. Covington spend time with us. As a service to others the PLC has participated in a food drive for the local food bank and we adopted two angels in order to share the joy of giving this holiday season. We are looking forward to the new year with enthusiasm. We will explore snow and penguins. We always have a lot of fun at the PLC and we welcome your prayers and support. Page 9

10 January Birthdays January 1 Nathan Moore Nolan Moore Tyler Siddens Allison Willian January 4 Robert Dickey, Jr. Harvey Johnston Mark Schafer January 5 Christine Burkeen Emily Perkins January 6 Brittany Maslowski January 7 Rand Paul Debbie Trickey January 8 Dudley Bryant Les Pfahl Margaret Stein John Whitaker Jane Wilkinson January 11 D. A. Faxon Jennie Lou Hagans Tom Moody Ann Rudolph Corrie Vos January 12 James Stites Page 10 January 13 Tricia Just Julia Roberts Miles Small January 14 Benjamin Crocker Mary Lee Kelley January 15 Page Beard Paul Clark Judy Gerhardt January 16 Duffy Hayes Sarah Maurer January 17 Madalene Chandler Chris Davenport Ralph Maxson January 18 Mame Stone Verna Williams January 19 David Rabold Calvin Small January 20 Margaret Bruner Earlene Newman William Moore January 22 Jim Stickles January 25 Jan Allis Blake Moran Kay Schell January 26 Keith Coverdale January 27 Charlotte Garvin January 28 Benjamin Davenport Will Paul January 30 Ryan Adams Evan Goad Joe McFarland Katie Thomison January 31 Stone Begley Nicholas Johnson John Van Ness

11 January Calendar of Events Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2 7 Office closed 1 New Year s Day 10:00am Worship 3 11:00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff Mtg. 7:00pm Deacons 4 4:00pm Rainbow Ringers 5:00pm Youth Fellowship 7:00pm Chancel :30am Morning Prayer 8 8:30am Worship 9:30am Children s 9:45am Sunday School 9:45am Sunday Morn. Circle 11:00am Worship. 6:00pm Jr./Sr. High Youth 9 11:00am Circle 3 (date change) 11:30am Circle :00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff Mtg. 4:30pm Peacemaking 5:00pm Worship Min 6:30pm Missions 7:00pm Camera Club 7:00pm Eve. Circle 7:00 pm Christian Ed. Min. (date change) 11 9:15am Wed. Morn. Circle 9:30 a.m. Circle 6 4:00pm Rainbow Ringers 5:00pm Youth Fellowship 7:00pm Chancel :30am Morning Prayer 7:00pm Am Shalom 14 4:30pm Boy Scout dinner 15 8:30am Worship 9:30am Children s 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship. 6:00pm Jr./Sr. High Youth 16 MLK day Office closed 17 11:00am Special Care 11:00am Finance Min. 2:00pm Staff Mtg. 7:00pm Session 7:00pm Evening Circle 18 11:00am Circle 4 4:00pm Rainbow Ringers 5:00pm Youth Fellowship 7:00pm Chancel :30am Morning Prayer 6:30pm Gordoneers (date change) 21 7:30am- 4:00pm Capitol Arts event in F.Hall 22 8:30am Worship 9:30am Children s 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship. 6:00pm Jr./Sr. High Youth 23 10:00am Mon. Morning Edu :00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff mtg. 25 4:00pm Rainbow Ringers 5:00pm Youth Fellowship 7:00pm Chancel 7:00pm College Min :30am Morning Prayer 28 1:00pm Prep. for Ministry committee meeting :00am Mon. Morning Edu 31 11:00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff mtg. Page 11

12 The Presbyterian Church 1003 State Street Bowling Green, KY (270) Non-Profit Organization Permit No. 202 U. S. Postage Paid Bowling Green, KY RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Monday, January 16th is the deadline for the February 2012 newsletter. Send your information to January 2012 Newsletters are available on-line at The Presbyterian Church Bowling Green, Kentucky The Presbyterian Church Staff Our reason for being is to manifest the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed so that disciples are made by means of inspiring and engaging worship, relevant and reliable education, compassionate and caring fellowship, meaningful and magnanimous outreach, to the glory of God. Page 12 Dr. Matthew W. Covington Pastor Rev. Kara Hildebrandt Associate Pastor Thomas N. Moody Organist, Pastoral Assistant Wayne Pope Director David Muffett Director of Youth Ministries Terry Shoemaker Dir. of Youth & College in Missions Richard Barefoot Administrator Steve Moore Treasurer Cheryl Gregory Secretary Dana Patterson Director, Preschool Learning Center Cedric Whitney Custodian Deborah Flynn Sunday Sexton Sheila Reeves Newsletter Editor