First Presbyterian Church of Fulton, Missouri

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1 Share Tweet Pin Forward First Presbyterian Church of Fulton, Missouri Congregational Newsletter for January, 2019 Pastor Aaron White greets children in attendance at the Christmas Eve Service. Photograph by Mary Van Orden. Newsletter Contents To jump to a particular section of the newsletter, please click the link below: A Message from Our Pastor Sunday Schedule Things To Be Shared Committee Information A Message from Our Pastor

2 Dear Friends in Christ, In the First Epistle of Peter, we re advised to Be hospitable to one another without complaining. (4:9) I must admit that I ve sometimes found that this is easier said than done! In particular, I ve come to realize that my hospitality is often put to the test when it causes me an inconvenience. Like it or not, I m exactly the person who needs to hear this word from the Epistle writer! I ve done more than my fair share of grumbling and groaning for my own self when I m supposed to be welcoming, loving, and caring for others. But when that cynical inner voice starts to speak up in my mind, I ve found that one of the quickest ways to silence it is to ask myself, Would I be moaning about the work of hospitality if it were Jesus whom I was receiving? I also think about the hospitality of Sarah and Abraham, when the Lord God met them at the oaks of Mamre (Genesis 18:1-8). Looking up to see three men standing near him, Abraham doesn t offer them a half-hearted greeting or a simple nod to acknowledge their presence. Rather, Scripture tells us he ran to meet, bowed to greet, washed their feet, and gave them food to eat! Abraham and Sarah teach us that the practice of hospitality is not a burden to suffer; it is an honor to be celebrated.

3 The Basilica of San Vitale, which was built between 526 and 547 in Ravenna, Italy, contains numerous exquisite mosaics that depict Biblical events and prominent figures of the early Christian Church. The detail in this photograph portrays "The Hospitality of Abraham. As disciples of Jesus, we also remember Christ s lesson taught in the act of foot-washing (John 13:1-20). By our Teacher s example, we learn that hospitality is a practice of humility, for the sake of reconciliation. We undertake practices of welcoming and care, so that we might build up the community of the faithful that was instituted by Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit in the upper room. Recently, we have introduced our own practice of hospitality at church as we wear nametags on Sunday mornings. And though it would be easy for us to focus on the inconveniences that these nametags create for us, I would instead encourage us all to consider the ways in which we are demonstrating grace to others when we don our nametags. Many of you have actually been the ones to tell me why you know that this is a good practice of hospitality. Among the things you ve told me:

4 Nametags help me to learn the names of new folks, and it helps them to learn my name too! The nametags are great because there are people that I ve worshipped with for years, but I never learned their names. Now, I don t have to be embarrassed; I can just look and find out who they are! Some of us just need help remembering. Whether someone has just gotten a little forgetful or even if they are fighting a serious disease that is robbing them of their memories, nametags are a loving way of helping someone else when they can t recall the names of people they ve known for most of their lives! I ve been so grateful to hear all of your responses to our newly-introduced nametags. Your overwhelmingly positive response demonstrates the importance that we as a church family place on demonstrating hospitality to others! As we head into this new year, I hope that God will continue to present us with a whole host of opportunities to live out the work of extravagant hospitality that is modeled for us by the figures of our faith throughout the Scriptures. In those moments when we might be tempted to question why we endure the inconveniences that hospitality sometimes requires, I pray that we will quiet that inner critic by affirming just how important it is to receive others with a humble spirit. And as we gather together as the church, may we be committed to the work of joyfully welcoming, generously serving, and lovingly caring for each other and for all of those whom we meet! Grace & Peace, Aaron J. White Pastor Please feel free to visit me during my regularly scheduled office hours: Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays from 9:00 to noon. To schedule an appointment for another time, or to arrange for home visitation,

5 please call me at the church office, (573) , or at my cell phone, (573) You may also me at Sunday Schedule Sunday School 9:30-10:20 a.m. Choir Practice 9:30-10:20 a.m. Worship Service 10:30-11:30 a.m. View the Church's Calendar of Events Online Please click the calendar icon to view the full church calendar. Once the calendar page opens, you may navigate to other months by clicking on the arrow buttons in the upper left corner of the calendar. For information about reserving the use of the church facilities and/or adding an event to the church calendar, please contact Ramona Dobson ( phone: (573) ). Things to be Shared All-CHURCH FPC GARAGE SALE 2019 Due to the overwhelming success of our 2017 All-Church Garage Sale, we will AGAIN hold an all-church garage sale March 28-30, We are giving church family plenty of notice time to start stockpiling your donations at home! We will accept donations at the Church beginning Sunday, February 17 and ending Friday, March 22. Our plan, as last time, is to accept only donations from our Church family. Donations can be placed in Fellowship Hall. Please let one of the coordinators below know that you are leaving items. We ask that all donated items, such as infant & children clothing (up to size 12-14) be in a good, clean condition. Any children s toys and electronics (include any adaptors and manuals) be in good working order. All furniture be in good

6 stable condition. Items that are NOT accepted include: teenage and adult clothing, tube televisions, old computers, mattresses, and magazines. For questions, contact one of the following: Karen Luther or ); Mary Osburn or ); or Ramona Dobson or ). To view a large, printable flyer for the Garage Sale, please click here. Do You Have Box Tops for Fulton Schools? If so, please save them and bring them to the church. Cut the Box Top symbols from participating product boxes (there are hundreds of participating products including cereal, tissue, etc). A bucket has been placed in the lobby for collection. Connie Epperson has volunteered to redeem the tops and lids. Each redeemed Box Top is worth 10 cents, paid to our local schools twice a year in December and April. Thank you for contributing to the needs of our children. Committee Information Fellowship Committee Family Game Night! When? Saturday January 26th, 6-8 p.m. Where? Fellowship Hall What to Do? Bring a game to share and finger food. Drinks will be provided. Mark your calendars and come join the fun!

7 Mission Committee Let's Tackle Hunger in Fulton & Callaway County! With Super Bowl LIII fast approaching, it can only mean that it's time for our annual drive in support of the Souper Bowl of Caring! In the Sundays leading up to the big game (February 3 rd for you non-sports folks), you'll hear more about the Souper Bowl during our Minutes for Mission. If you'd like to participate, you can contribute non-perishable food items to the weekly Loaves & Fish Offering that's being collected during worship by the children of the church (see below for further details). Additionally, you may make make a monetary donation by placing a check or cash in the offering plate. In order to be sure that your gift is properly credited, please be sure to note Souper Bowl in your check's memo line or on the outside of the envelope containing your cash contribution. All of the food and funds that we receive stay in our community! They'll be contributed to the SERVE Food Pantry! "Jesus said to his disciples, 'They need not go away; you give them something to eat.' " Matthew 14:16 Thank You for Your Contributions! In December, our congregation contributed 220 pounds of non-perishable food to the SERVE Food Pantry! Each Sunday morning, our children collect the contributions that you bring during the worship service. At other times, contributions may be placed in the marked bin in the church kitchen.

8 If you need a food item to share with the children, extras are stocked in the lobby and the narthex. There's also a jar there where you can drop in a cash donation, which is used to restock the food that we keep available for worshipers to offer. Thanks to the many volunteers that worked hard to support the Fair Trade Christmas Market. We were able to sell $3,580 in merchandise! More importantly, many people walked through the doors and now know more about us and some of our missions. Total numbers on profits are still out, as the First Presbyterian of Jefferson City took all of our unsold merchandise to sell at their market. We also sold some of their things! Some notes regarding how the money will be used: Baskets from Rwanda: These handmade baskets were sold for a price that ensures that weavers receive a just wage for their work! 100% of the profits ($180) is already back in the hands of the artisans, thanks to Bob Hansen! Hymnal Angels: The sale of these angels crafted from our recently retired hymnals generated $200 in sales! The proceeds were contributed to the Good Samaritan Program at the Fulton Presbyterian Manor. For more information on this project, see the article below! Other Profits: We are currently planning to buy a couple of non-electric sewing machines for women in Tanzania, who are beginning a new selfsupporting business cooperative! Money will also be used for a similar initiative in Rwanda! "Hymnals Angels" Sold in Support of Fulton PMMA's Good Samaritan Fund! Thanks to all the makers of angels, especially Barb Huddleston for making so many of the angels.

9 Thanks to Barb s efforts an additional 3 angels have been made and sold. We'll be making more to sell at the annual Good Sam fundraiser in April! Please let the Mission Committee know if you are able to help create more angels! "Presbyterian Manor s time honored legacy of compassion combined with its commitment to those we serve offers the stability needed to provide both residents and their loved ones lasting peace of mind. Our Good Samaritan Program provides funding to assist residents who outlive their resources through no fault of their own. Thanks to this critical program, we are proud to say that not one resident has ever been asked to leave one of our communities based on their inability to pay through no fault of their own." To learn more about this program, click on the logo above. Please click on this button for an enlarged image of this flyer.

10 SAVE THE DATE ECUMENICAL EVENT 8 th Annual Ryan s Case for Smiles Pillowcase Workshop Saturday, April 13, 2018 in the FPC Fellowship Hall Please join us for our 8 th year! You ll leave this pillowcase-making workshop fulfilled as well as having a great time! Every pillowcase we make will go to a child in a Mid-MO hospital suffering with cancer or a life-altering illness. For those of you that want to get a head start on purchasing fabrics--for each PILLOWCASE you will need: 7/8 yard juvenile (or teen) printed fabric; 1/3 yard coordinating border fabric. Fabrics should be pre-washed (non-scented; without dryer sheets) and lightly pressed. Sparkly fabrics are not recommended. In this photo, you can see our display following the 2018 workshop. If you click on the picture to enlarge it, you'll notice that the number of pillow cases increased each year! What an accomplishment for these volunteers! If you should have any questions, please contact Karen Luther ( or kluther54@gmail.com) or Ginger Beasley ( or glbeasley@charter.net). Thank you. Fellowship Committee

11 Souper Bowl Tailgate Party Sunday, February 3rd Join us after worship for fun, Food, and fellowship! We will have football themed games for all ages, soups, and sandwiches. Plan to attend and bring your favorite tailgate foods to share. The fellowship committee will provide the sandwiches and drinks. If you are willing to bring a big pot of soup, please contact Linda Baysinger ( ). Property Committee History Lesson: Stained Glass Windows Did you know the stained glass windows over each east door leaving the sanctuary of the church were once dull looking because there was no light to accent their beauty. In late 1986 Monroe Glenn hired Kenneth Sheets to install an electrical system to illuminate these windows. Thank you Nola for this history lesson. Save Those Moser's Grocery Receipts! Every little bit put with another bit adds up. We have received another check from Moser's for $ Yeah! Continue to save your Moser's grocery receipts and Best Choice labels. The money goes into our church building maintenance fund. Worship Committee

12 Worshippers light the Advent wreath during December worship services. Clockwise from top-left: Joe, Megan, Elliot & Luke Davis; Shaun & Paige Speers; Carl & Arlys Kremer; Barbara Huddleston (r) and Nola Garner (l); Brad & Debbie Calder. Photographs by Kara White. THANK YOU FROM THE WORSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR, KAREN LUTHER The Advent season is a very important and busy time in the life of the church. Many people work diligently behind the scenes with the Worship Committee from holiday decorating to programming preparation and presentation. The Worship Committee extends a sincere thank you to each and every church member who helped in any way. Although I hesitate to list names for fear of leaving out someone, I feel it is important to list those people of our

13 congregation sharing their talents with us. So, if your name has inadvertently left off, please accept my sincere apologies. Kelley Head for directing our Chancel Choir Cantata presentation, A Christmas Celebration by Henry Mellicone, and leading us in music each week. The Chancel Choir members and guest instrumentalists for the beautiful Cantata presentation as well as their weekly anthems. Piper Jeffries, Rachael Jeffries, William Jeffries, and Tanner Russell for their special instrumental music presentations during our worship services. Bob & Gail Hoell, Barbara Huddleston, Mary Van Orden, Tim & Mary Osburn, Grace Craghead, high school youth group, Owen White, Kara White, and Fred Luther for decorating the sanctuary, lobby, and/or the Christmas trees. Usher team members and Head Ushers, Tim Baysinger, Jeff Mayne, Mark Covey, Robert Craghead and Tanner Russell. Debbie & Brad Calder who lead up the Communion preparation and communion teams. Our communion teams for their commitment. Mary Van Orden (coordinator) and Barbara Huddleston (caretaker) of our beautiful poinsettias. For those of you that purchased a poinsettia in memory or honor of a loved one. Our Advent wreath lighters and scripture readers: Brad & Debbie Calder, Carl & Arlys Kremer, Shaun & Paige Speers, Nola Garner & Barbara Huddleston, and Joe, Megan, Elliott & Luke Davis. Rev. Aaron for all his preparations and presentations as well as his involvement with every aspect of our worship services. Our Worship Committee members, Mary Van Orden, Becky Beilschmidt, Debbie Calder and Angela Russell, who faithfully attend our committee planning meetings. Mary Van Orden for the Advent brochure detailing all of our Adventrelated activities throughout the four weeks as well as serving as Karen's coach & cheerleader while she learns all the Worship Committee Chair responsibilities.

14 Remember Jesus is the Reason for the Season! The First Presbyterian Church of Fulton, Missouri is a congregation of Missouri Union Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Contact FPC, Fulton Our mailing address is: P.O. Box 6037, Fulton, MO Our phone number is: (573) Newsletter feedback can be sent to: newsletter@fultonpresbyterian.org Street Address: 718 Court St, Fulton, MO To obtain driving directions from Google Maps, please click here. Find Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter Follow Us on Instagram Subscribe on YouTube Visit Our Website Our Newsletter Editor Copyright 2019 First Presbyterian Church of Fulton, Missouri, All rights reserved. You are receiving this because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is: First Presbyterian Church of Fulton, Missouri PO Box 6037 Fulton, Missouri Add us to your address book Want to change how you receive these s? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

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16 Blessing of the Blankets Under the leadership of Brenda Rose and many women of the 1 st Presbyterian Church of Fulton, 350+ warming blankets were created to be placed into safe-birthing-kits that will save lives among the Maasai of Tanzania. Safe-Birthing-Kits reduce infection in moms and newborns by creating more hygienic deliveries in their mud huts. Clean razor blade to cut the umbilical cord Plastic sheet to lay over dirt floor Soap, washcloths, and plastic tub to wash mom and baby Erythromycin an antibiotic wipe for newborn s eyes Alcohol prep pads and chlorhexidine wipes to clean cord Latex gloves and plastic gown to protect midwives from HIV and to make sure midwives hands are clean Warming blanket for newborn Malaria net Enhancing the quality of life for children in East Africa by empowering individuals, families, and villages through community-based, sustainable initiatives (Columbia, Missouri, USA)