The. January, 2019 OUR MISSION: KNOW GROW GO

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1 The January, 2019 OUR MISSION: IS TO KNOW THE LOVE OF GOD, TO PROVIDE TANGIBLE CHRISTIAN GROWTH AND TO GO LIVE OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST. KNOW GROW GO

While the new year for the church actually began the first week of December (with Advent), it s with the end of the Christmas season (Epiphany, on January 6) that we find ourselves in a new calendar

Epiphany is a fantastic reminder for Christ-followers to start anew.

2 While the new year for the church actually began the first week of December (with Advent), it s with the end of the Christmas season (Epiphany, on January 6) that we find ourselves in a new calendar year. And it s a great way to start a new calendar, too: celebrating the arrival of the magi (or wise men) and marking the revelation of the Christ to world. Epiphany is a fantastic reminder for Christ-followers to start anew. Like the magi, most of us come from non-jewish backgrounds, but have had some kind of encounter with the living God in Jesus of Nazareth. And, like the magi, once we ve had that encounter with the living God we cannot return to life by the same way we came (a lose interpretation of Matthew 2:12). One way we start fresh each Epiphany here at FPC is with the giving and receiving of star gifts : a simple piece of paper with a star drawn upon it and a word inside the star. We re asked to place that star, and the word it reveals, in a prominent place in our home or office, or even our car wherever we ll see it most often and take the opportunity to reflect on the word and how God might be revealing something new to us, or calling us to reflect such a thing. It s amazing how God uses such a simple thing as a piece of paper to work in, on, and through us! Over the years I ve received quite a few words that have given me pause, challenged me, and forced me to focus, discern, see with new eyes, hear with new ears and so on. My word for 2018 was forgiveness and it served as a constant reminder to me to seek forgiveness, and grant it. Boy, oh boy! Such a core command as forgiveness served as a deeply humbling reminder to a bloke like me (who can hold some serious grudges) that to pray forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors is actually pretty hard, yet transforming work! Thanks be to God for that star gift and the focus God called me to have in Of course, I ve heard lots of stories from others about how they ve wrestled with their star gift and have enjoyed it! And I want to encourage each of you to come on Sunday, January 6, and receive your star gift and give it a try: place it in a prominent space in your life and see where God leads you. Surely it will be down a different road than the one you first came down. But that s not a bad thing. In fact, the places you travel, and the experiences you have on the journey, may enrich your life all the more and leave you a transformed child of God! MISSION OF YOUTH FELLOWSHIPS The Youth Ministry Program at First Presbyterian Church seeks, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to nurture youth in their faith development (through worship and study; retreats and spiritual enrichment; mission and evangelism; fellowship and recreation) and to equip them to live our their call to be Christ s disciples in the world. SPARK (Middle & High School Youth) Spark meets Wednesdays during Oasis (6-7:15pm). All 6 th -12 th graders are welcome as we gather for fellowship, prayer, lessons, mission, and fun! We hope you ll join us every Wednesday as we pray for the Holy Spirit to spark the fire of our faith. REMINDER: Spark, Kids Crew and Oasis Will resume on Wednesday, January 9 th. See you then! -1- Pastor Jason -12-

Join your friends from Port Presby as we enjoy a fabulous brunch at The Whitney in Detroit, followed by a self-guided tour of the Detroit Historical Museum! We always enjoy both of these activities.

The voices of Bethlehem were joyfully heard on Sunday, December 16th, as the children and youth of First Presbyterian Church led our congregation in praise and worship.

Cost depends on what your order; it can be pricey or not so much. Then we will visit the Detroit Historical Museum, which is donation only. When: Saturday, January 5 th.

3 Join your friends from Port Presby as we enjoy a fabulous brunch at The Whitney in Detroit, followed by a self-guided tour of the Detroit Historical Museum! We always enjoy both of these activities. Your friends are welcome too, whether singles/couples/members, you are all welcome. Do RSVP. The voices of Bethlehem were joyfully heard on Sunday, December 16th, as the children and youth of First Presbyterian Church led our congregation in praise and worship. A BIG thank you is extended to all of the young people who so faithfully offered their gifts of leadership as they proclaimed the Good News of Jesus birth: What: Delicious brunch at The Whitney. Cost depends on what your order; it can be pricey or not so much. Then we will visit the Detroit Historical Museum, which is donation only. When: Saturday, January 5 th. Meet at our church s parking lot at 10:00 a.m. to carpool to Detroit, returning by 6:00 p.m. Rebecca Brown Sarah Brown Mila Peyerk Benjamin Pittman Kathryn Pittman Cameron Cronce Paige Cronce Ty Fletcher Luke Fletcher Tia Fletcher Dane Peyerk Benjamin Nurnberg Jonathan Nurnberg JJ Fletcher Shuko Sakuma Cost: Brunch price varies, chip in for gas money for drivers. RSVP: Call Annette at by December 30 th to reserve your spot. Thank you also to all of the parents and grandparents who made sure the children made it to rehearsals. Finally, a special thank you to Laura Nurnberg for organizing costumes and props, and Tami Cronce for behind the scenes help! Because of each of you, we witnessed angelic faces and lovely speaking voices! THANK YOU! With gratitude and joy, Kelly Pittman & Cyndi Beerbower

PARISH PERSONALS What a joy and blessing it is to minister to and with the First Presbyterian Church of Port Huron!

of love and grace. THANK YOU! And may the Lord bless and keep you all in this new year, ripe with new possibilities for faithful ministry in Christ s name.

Darla Hayes We are very grateful for every ones prayers, cards and visits during Don s illness and death. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Please help us to continue this important ministry by bringing in nonperishable food and personal care items the first and second Sunday of the month. Thanks again!

4 PARISH PERSONALS What a joy and blessing it is to minister to and with the First Presbyterian Church of Port Huron! All of us on the staff: Pastor Jason, Carrie, Ann, Mike, Amanda, Wes, Cyndi, Elizabeth and Taylor, wish to thank you for the graciousness you ve extended with your year-end gifts to us; gifts full of love and grace. THANK YOU! And may the Lord bless and keep you all in this new year, ripe with new possibilities for faithful ministry in Christ s name. Church Family, Thank you for your healing thoughts, prayers, cards, and Jason s visits after my recent surgeries. Darla Hayes We are very grateful for every ones prayers, cards and visits during Don s illness and death. You are in our thoughts and prayers. Deacons Bench Thank you all so much for supporting the Blue Water Community Food Depot throughout The Board of Deacons collected $ in donations over the last year! Please help us to continue this important ministry by bringing in nonperishable food and personal care items the first and second Sunday of the month. Thanks again! Starrla Opferman A huge thank you goes out to our congregation in the continued support of our Angel Tree families. We were able to provide gifts to 7 families. Thank you to the members who took multiple angels, helped sort the gifts, and assisted in the delivery to the families. The Board of Deacons Community Ministry Committee Love, Vivian West & Family CIRCLES Sarah Circle will meet Wednesday, January 9, 1:00 p.m., at the church. Martha Circle will meet Thursday, January 10, 1:00 p.m. at the church

5 ADULT EDUCATION Sundays 9:00-9:45am in parlor Come reflect on the scripture passages that will be used in upcoming Sunday worship services. This will be a great way to enrich our worship of God by diving deeper in God s Word for us. Teacher: Pastor Jason OASIS Resumes January 9 Sometimes the middle of the week can feel like a dry, deserted place. Join us every Wednesday for our mid-week Oasis a time of refreshment, reflection, and fellowship. 5:00-5:30 Chime Choir (elementary-aged children) 5:30-6:00 Light supper 6:00-7:15 Adult Christian Education class 6:00-7:15 SPARK and Kids Crew (youth groups) There is no cost for supper; however, donations will be taken to offset the cost. In the midst of a week left wandering in the desert, come and find your body, soul, and faith refreshed at the Oasis. ***PLEASE NOTE IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME, BUT NEED A RIDE, NO PROBLEM! JUST CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE BY MONDAY BEFORE*** FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2019 CALENDAR SAVE THE DATE! DATE EVENT HOURS Sun. Jan. 6 Star-Gifts and Communion 10:00a.m. Wed. Jan. 9 Oasis Restarts! 5:30p.m. Sun. Jan. 20 Annual Meeting of Congregation 11:00a.m. Sun. Jan.20 Martin Luther King Comm. Service, First United 3:00 p.m. Methodist Church Fri. Feb. 8 Faith and Film Series: Life Is Beautiful 6:30p.m. Wed. Feb. 20 Church-Wide Game Night (Bring a Friend!) 5:30p.m. Tues. Mar. 5 Fermenting Vintage Tavern (Bring a Friend!) 7:00 p.m. Wed. Mar. 6 Ash Wednesday (Fellowship 7:00p.m. Hall) Sun. Apr. 14 Palm Sunday 10:00 a.m. Sun. Apr. 18 Maundy Thursday 7:00 p.m. Communion Thurs. Apr. 19 Ecumenical Good Friday TBA Service Sun. Apr. 21 Easter Services 8:00 & 10:00a.m. Sun. Apr. 21 Easter Breakfast 8:45 a.m. Thurs. May 2 National Day of Prayer MOC Fri. May 3 Faith and Film Series: Hidden 6:30p.m. Figures Sun. Jun. 3 Worship at the Beach begins! 8:00a.m. Sun. June 9 Pentecost 10:00 a.m

6 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION AND CORPORATION Sunday, January 20, 2019 The annual meeting of the congregation and corporation of First Presbyterian Church will take place on a We are required to SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2019, following have a quorum...of at least 55 people. worship. We are required to have a quorum at this meeting of at least 55 people. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend. The purpose of the meeting of the congregation is to approve changes in the terms of call for the pastor, and to hear ministry reports from the standing committees and boards of our church. The purpose of the meeting of the corporation is to review the financial statements for 2018, and receive the budget for Please attend and celebrate what God has done and will do among us! What is Epiphany? The word epiphany means appearance or manifestation of God, and has roots in the word for sunrise or dawn. In ancient times, an epiphany meant either a visible manifestation of a god or a solemn visit of a ruler venerated as a god. For Christians, Christmas marks the coming of God to us; Epiphany celebrates the appearance of the Lord in the midst of humanity. The Christmas stories of the birth of Immanuel declare the divine entry into the world; Epiphany extols the revelation of God to the world in the person of Jesus. In our celebrations of Christmas and Epiphany we rejoice in the dawning and arising of Light in darkness, stability amid chaos, assurance amid anxiety for the whole creation. Epiphany not only discloses the Savior to the world but also calls the world to show forth Christ, to be witnesses to God s true Light to show and tell of Christ as God s gift of grace and salvation for all people. Some call this ongoing epiphany the work of Christmas. Please join us as we give thanks for the sun of righteousness breaking into the world on Sunday, January 6! Thank you to everyone who fulfilled their 2018 pledge! REMINDER: It has become a bit of an Epiphany tradition to receive what we call Star-Gifts simple paper stars with a word, a thought, a notion to ponder throughout the coming year as to what gift, what talent, what blessing God has bestowed upon you or may be calling you to share with others in the new year. While we may wonder what the word could possibly mean when we first receive it, several folk over the years have come to reaffirm the notion that God, indeed, knows more (and better) than we! So come eager to find out what word you receive this year; what ways God will use you in the year as it unfolds. Join us on Sunday, January 6, to receive your word, and to begin your journey of discovery for 2019!

7 Do you imagine God looks at you with loving compassion like Jesus did in this story? Sometimes, we don't feel able to do something big right away, but we can take baby steps and make small choices in that direction. Is there something in your life that feels too big to do right now? What is a step you could take in that direction, even if it's small? How can the rest of our family help you in this? FAMILY ACTIVITY ASK Who do you know who has made their life about serving others? Who do you know who is unfailingly compassionate? Who do you know who has given up a great deal because of their commitment to Jesus, to justice, to mercy, to creation? As a family, think of someone whose story you d like to know better. Draft some questions you d like to ask them. Invite them to your home for an interview take turns asking the questions and see what you can learn from that life well-lived. Say a prayer of thanks for the rich young ruler s hard questions, and for the people who give you examples of true discipleship. PRAYER Dear God, thank you for the story of the rich ruler and what it teaches us about your compassion and understanding. Inspire us and give us courage to take both small steps and big steps to follow you. Amen. THE RICH RULER STORY TIME MARK 10:17-27 Jesus was beginning a journey when a man ran up and knelt in front of him and asked, Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life? Jesus asked him, You re calling me good? Only God is good. You know the commandments: Don t kill, don t betray, don t steal, don t lie, don t cheat, honor your father and mother. The man said, Teacher, I ve always obeyed all of these, ever since I was a kid. Jesus looked at the man and loved him. Then he said to the man, There s one more thing: Go sell all your stuff. Whatever money you make, give it to the poor. Then you ll be rich in the things of heaven. And then, come follow me. The man was really surprised by what Jesus said, and really sad. He had a lot of stuff, and he really loved some of it. He walked away, still upset by what he d heard. Looking at his disciples, Jesus said, It is so hard can you even imagine how hard? for someone who has so much to come to God s kingdom. It d be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. The disciples didn t know what to think. They asked, Then who can? Is it possible for anyone? Jesus said, Not for anyone who thinks they can do it alone. But it is for everyone who thinks they can do it together with God. IMAGINING TOGETHER What do you think of Jesus' response to the rich ruler? Do you think you would have felt compassion like Jesus did? (Or frustration? Or understanding? Or anger? Something else?) Imagine for a moment you are the rich ruler. You want so badly to follow Jesus, but you have a lot of stuff and Jesus is asking you to give it all away. How do you think you would feel and what do you think you would do? When you don't do what God has asked you to do, how do you picture God responding to you?

First Presbyterian Church JANUARY 2019 811 Wall Street Port Huron, MI 48060 810.985.6191 Email: portpresby@fpcporthuron.org Web: fpcporthuron.

8 First Presbyterian Church JANUARY Wall Street Port Huron, MI Web: fpcporthuron.org SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY DEACONS BENCH The Board of Deacons Communion Offering schedule is as follows: church members may donate any non-perishable items each month. The Food Depot is always in need of baby wipes, diapers, boxed dinners ie. Hamburger or Tuna Helper, Rice-a-Roni, etc. crackers & cookies, Jelly, cake mixes, chunky soups,& personal items such as toothpaste, soap, combs, Band-Aids, etc. Items are collected at the church weekly. Donations should be placed in boxes located in the foyers or in the church office. 01 NEW YEAR S DAY OFFICE CLOSED Office Closed 05 10:00 Port Presby Social Group 06 Epiphany Communion Hunger Offering 9:00 Adult Ed Classes 10:00 Worship/Communion 11:00 Coffee Hour/Fellowship 11:00 Children CE Classes 07 7:00 Deacons 08 10:00 Prayer Group 12:30 Lunch Group 09 10:00 Staff 1:00 Sarah Circle 3:00 Memorial Bells 5:30 Oasis 6:00 SPARK/Kids Crew 10 12:00 Management 1:00 Martha Circle 11 Office Closed :00 Adult Ed Classes 10:00 Worship 11:00 Coffee Hour/Fellowship 11:00 Children CE Classes 14 6:00 Coordinating Co. 7:00 Session 15 CHALLENGE DEADLINE 10:00 Prayer Group 12:30 Lunch Group 5:15 C.E. 7:00 Membership 16 3:00 Memorial Bells 5:30 Oasis 6:00 SPARK/Kids Crew Office Closed :00 Adult Ed Classes 10:00 Worship 11:00 Annual Meeting 11:00 Coffee Hour/Fellowship 11:00 Children CE Classes 12:00 W & M 3:00 Ecumenical Martin Luther King Jr. 1 st United Methodist Church :00 Prayer Group 12:30 Lunch Group 4:00 Presbytery Westminster, Detroit 23 Challenge in Mail 10:00 Staff 3:00 Memorial Bells 5:30 Oasis 6:00 SPARK/Kids Crew Office Closed :00 Adult Ed Classes 10:00 Worship 11:00 Coffee Hour/Fellowship 11:00 Children CE Classes :00 Prayer Group 12:30 Lunch Group 30 3:00 Memorial Bells 31 4:30 Mission 5:30 Oasis 6:00 SPARK/Kids Crew

Year B: Questions of the Week

Year B: Questions of the Week Submitted by jspurgin on Thu, 06/29/2017-14:43 JUMP TO MONTH: Dec 2017 Jan 2018 Feb 2018 Mar 2018 Apr 2018 May 2018 Jun 2018 Jul 2018 Aug 2018 Sep 2018 Oct 2018 Nov 2018 December