Pumpkin Carving Fellowship Event

Transcription

1 December 2018 Volume 12 Pumpkin Carving Fellowship Event The Fall Fun Day scheduled for October 27th at Shady Brook Farm was rained out. Instead, LPC church family gathered in Fellowship Hall to carve pumpkins. Lots of messy fun and creativity was the result. Inside this Issue... From the Pastor...2 Milestones...3 Financial Corner...3 Youth Ministry...4 Deacon s Corner...5 Mission Corner...6 Women s Ministry...7 Trustees Corner...7 Children s Ministry...5

2 From the Pastor K e e p t h e U s i n C h r i s t m u s I have been reading Senator Ben Sasse s important new book Them: Why We Hate Each Other and How to Heal. Senator Sasse writes as a politician, an academic, and as a Christian. Although his faith can be found in the book, it is not a Christian book. The titles of the first two chapters offer a hint of that about which the book speaks: Our Loneliness Epidemic and Strangers at Work. Among epidemiologists, psychiatrists, public health officials, and social scientists, there is a growing consensus that the number one health crisis in American right now is not cancer, not obesity, and not heart disease it s loneliness, Sasse writes, and then offers evidence to make his case. Of course, there is no u in the correct spelling of Christmas. But there is an us in the way many of us say the word. And, yes, we must be careful to keep Christ in our Christmas. But this year, let s also keep the us in Christmas. In a world growing increasingly lonely, the church is called to be beacon of belonging hope. The call to be a Christian is so much more than Jesus in my heart. It is a call to join an amazing band of brothers and sisters, a family of faith, a community of compassion, a commonwealth of care, the bound together Body of Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body Jews or Greeks, slaves or free, the Apostle Paul writes (1 Corinthians 12:13). Our baptism is a sign of our belonging to Christ, and in him, to one another. As you page through this edition of the Cross Purposes, as you check the Sunday bulletin (or click on News at our new and improved langhornepres.org), as you scan the weekly E-pistle, you will find not just events and programs to fill an already full calendar, but wonderful opportunities to keep the us in Christmus. Year after year we decry the commercialization, consumerization, and programization that drains Christmas of the meaning we know has been lost somewhere in all the clutter. Adding a quick devotional reading or a rushing to a Christmas Eve service just doesn t seem to be enough to make a way for joy. Redeeming Christmas from its material malaise is likely more than a one-year project for most of us. But this year, this 2018, it s not too late to keep the us in Christmus. See you at church, 2

3 Milestones among Our Church Family U p d a t e d o n N o v e m b e r 2 1, MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES: Let love and faithfulness never leave you. Proverbs 3:3 Dick & Audrey Ambruster celebrated their 64 th wedding anniversary on November 6, Lew & Marge Stetz celebrated their 58 th wedding anniversary on November 6, BIRTHS: Every good and perfect gift comes from above. -James 1:17 Charles Robert Castellucci was born on October 26 th to Brad and Lily. Charles is welcomed by big sister Lila. Everett Luke and Asher Reid Lehman born on November 7 th to Colin and Sarah and welcomed by grandparents Chris & Carol Casten. DEATH: I am the resurrection and the life. John 11:25 The Rev. Dr. Blair Monie Blair died on October 30, A memorial service was held on November 17 th at Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, Dallas, TX. If you know of other milestones that should be noted, please contact Sally Schulze in the church office at or sally.lpc@verizon.net. Financial Corner Financial Information October 2018 Following a good month in September, October General Fund Income is only 82% of Budget. Year-to-date General Fund income is at 92% of Budget. That is a shortfall of $38,000. Work has begun on the 2019 Budget. While it is difficult to make up the full amount we are behind, please continue with the historically strong December giving that we have seen in the past. It would be great to be able to start our first full year with the EPC on a strong note. 3

4 Youth Ministry What s Up? The youth ministry at Langhorne Presbyterian Church is brimming with excitement! Each week more teenagers from LPC are bringing friends who are in turn bringing their friends to events and Thursday nights. Each week the gospel of Jesus Christ is preached clearly and every student has an opportunity to interact with the impact of the gospel on their own life through weekly small groups. During this season of Thanksgiving, let us all take time to thank God for the work of the Spirit among the young people here at LPC. Over the past month, the youth staff at LPC has worked hard to put on two main events, an Outdoor Movie Night in October and a Murder Mystery Night in November. Both events were huge hits with the kids! Our Murder Mystery Night saw the highest attendance for an event in years. With 15 middle school and 11 high school students, including a significant number of non-regular attenders who came with friends. We ended up having to split into two groups. Relationships were formed, community was built, and the right to share the Gospel was earned. Continue to pray for our students to be bold in living out their faith and inviting their friends to youth group and Sunday school as we continue to build up disciples among our young people. 4

5 Children s Ministries A d v e n t M e a n s t o W a i t. As the days get shorter and time also seems to get shorter, sleep seems to be a precious commodity. Your children are learning about the Old Testament leader Jacob who actually took the time on his long journey to sleep. In his sleeping he had a dream and he saw a ladder that led to heaven. Your children will be glad to tell you more about the ladder and Jacob. Please ask them about his pillow? December will be with us quickly. That means the rush and bustle of Advent. Please start Advent with your church family. Have your children in the December rotation learning about two woman who learned to wait (the meaning of advent is to wait ). Elizabeth and Mary are good examples of people who learned to wait. Start Advent on December 2 nd with your church family and a potluck supper making an advent wreath that you will be able to use to help focus your family on the true meaning of worshiping the Christ who came to be God with us. Join the parent meeting on December 6 th during Faith Acts to get more resources to use during Advent. Advent is a time to come to be with your church family and to wait together for the joy that is ours in Christ. Norma Brown for Children s Ministries The Deacons Corner F e e d i n g a n d G r e e t i n g This is my third and final year serving on the board of Deacons at Langhorne Presbyterian Church. The first two years I was the pantry deacon making sure the pantry had a good supply of food on Wednesday and Thursday for the people visiting our pantry. It is a wonderful feeling knowing we are helping so many in need with all the donations we receive. In my third year I was assigned as the greeter deacon, getting greeters for the 8:30 and 9:45 service. This also has been very rewarding as it has given me an opportunity to meet and speak to so many wonderful people in our congregation. As I attend the 8:30 service I have met and talked to many in the 9:45 service. Thank you to everyone for volunteering to be door greeters. It is so nice to be greeted on Sunday morning with a smile and a hello how are you today. I thank God for this wonderful experience and opportunity to serve as deacon over the last three years. Blessings, Ginny Aikens 5

6 Mission Corner E P C M i s s i o n P r a y e r N e t w o r k And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and request Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. -Ephesians 6:18-19 Do you love to Pray? Do you enjoy asking people for their prayer needs? Do you feel called to pray for the EPC s World Outreach and our global workers? If so, we would love to have you join the intercessors who pray for our global workers using the EPC World Outreach Missionary Prayer Network, or MPN. WHAT IS THE MISSIONARY PRAYER NET- WORK? World Outreach began the Missionary Prayer Network specifically to bring together the many prayer intercessors from our EPC churches with the many needs of our missionary field workers. Our workers are in hard places. They face difficult challenges of language and culture, gaining regional and government approval of their work, and finding people of peace with whom to share the story of Jesus. All of this and a focus of developing a church planting movement, under indigenous leaders, opens the door for spiritual warfare. SO, HOW DOES THE MISSIONARY PRAYER NETWORK WORK? World Outreach has responded with a Missionary Prayer Network that enables missionaries to share immediate needs directly with EPC prayer intercessors. The MPN is a secure website where our EPC World Outreach global workers post prayer requests. Access is available 24/7. Whenever a need arrises, our missionaries post them online and Intercessors then log on to the website and pray a few minutes per day (one hour per week) for the work of World Outreach and our global workers. If you are interested, contact Phil Thrash at phil.t@epcwo.org, or logon to and complete the form at the bottom of the page. And please let Pastor Teague know that you joined the Mission Prayer Network. MISSIONARY MEMBER CARE Nurturing and caring for our missionaries has been a top priority of World Outreach from the start. We want our members to thrive, not just survive. We really do believe the Lord of the Harvest has called them to a tremendous task and we are here to walk with them and their families through all the season of their missionary call. WHAT DOES MEMBER CARE DO? PRAYS: Prays for the needs, as expressed in s, prayer letter, and the Missionary Prayer Network. TRAINS: Trains church missions committees to care for those they send out and support. VISITS: Visits every missionary sent out; we seek to visit them on the field or, as need may dictate. SUPPORTS: Supports missionaries and their families through the best possible pastoral and mental health services, counseling and crisis response, along with debriefings and soul care. Our goal is to keep our missionaries healthy, effective and in the field. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth. -3 John 1: 7-8 Your LPC Mission Committee will continue to bring you information on how the EPC does mission as we continue to assimilate into our new denomination. 6

7 Women s Ministry My Soul Will Magnify the Lord! Come and celebrate the Advent of Christmas! Feed your spirit as well as your body at the annual Women s Christmas Brunch on Saturday, December 1 st, beginning at 10:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. Relax and enjoy the fellowship as a full hot morning meal is prepared and served by some of the men of LPC. If you are able, share your blessings and bring a pair of new gloves or mittens or a hat to be donated to the Bucks County Housing Group as part of the Community Toy Day. Then prepare your hearts for Christmas. Guest speaker Kim Maddox, a unique and gifted Bible teacher from Reading, PA, will leads us through the Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55), also known as the song of Mary. Come explore and celebrate the joy Mary shared with Elizabeth as they awaited the birth of their sons and their Messiah and ours. A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board in Heritage Hall. Please feel free to bring a friend. If child care is needed, please indicate their ages. Circle Saturday, December 8 th, on your calendar. Craft & Chat will meet from 1:00 3:00 p.m. in Room D for its December get-together. Bring your favorite hobby or that Christmas project you are trying to finish. We welcome the ladies of Ties That Bind as we share our time and space, creativity and fellowship. If you are a crafter, knitter or crocheter, and you enjoy the company of others as you create, come spend your Saturday afternoon with this crafty group of women. Trustees Corner A S e c o n d W o r k D a y October was another quiet month for Trustees. Planning for tree removal and drainage swale cleaning are ongoing, but hindered by rain. We have requested bids for new signs on Gillam Ave. and the corner of Bellevue and Gillam Avenues. These signs will show LPC s membership in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Despite the cold and residual dampness from rain, significant work was accomplished during the November 10 th work day. This included trimming bushes, thank you Bill Patterson, pulling weeds, and starting to clean up leaves. Thanks to those that helped. However, given various conflicts, turnout was low and a second workday has been scheduled for Saturday, December 15 th at 8 a.m. Please come join us and help with final winterizing of the property. We have some tools, but having people bring their own helps. All are welcomed and encouraged to come and lend a hand to finish up the work. 7

8 Lang ho r ne P re sby ter i an C hu rc h 125 East Gillam Avenue Langhorne, PA Sh a ri ng th e Li f e o f J es u s A C o n g re g a t i o n o f t h e E v a n g e l i c a l P re s b y t e ri a n Ch urc h December 2018 Volume 12 The Reverend William A. Teague, Pastor SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES (September to Mid-June) 8:30 a.m. Chapel 9:45 and 11:30 a.m. Sanctuary Children of all ages dismissed from 9:45 service for Sunday School Church Office hours: M-F, 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Phone: Fax: Website: Affix label here