From the Pastor s Desk

Transcription

1 Ellensburg Pres Press M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R F R O M E L L E N S B U R G P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U R C H Volume 9 Issue 10 November, 2018 From the Pastor s Desk Welcome to fall everyone. We ve had a great September so far. Let me run through a small laundry list of stuff for this next month. First technically a September event on Sunday, September 30, we ll be hosting a missionary couple we ve been working with for about a decade: Markus and Helen Wolf. They will join us for Sunday worship (both services) and again on Sunday evening, at 6:30pm, for anyone who would like to hear more about their ministry. About ten years ago Markus was working for Youth With A Mission in Kiev and started helping us with the Christmas presents we were sending to orphanages many of which were not actually getting to the kids, until Markus graciously stepped in to help. Since then Markus has continued is several different evangelistic ministries in Ukraine, mostly centered on children and youth and we have continued to partner with him. Since these early years Markus married a wonderful ministry partner Helen and they now have a young child of their own. It will be great to see them and get updated on what they are doing for the Kingdom of God. Next, remember our Alpha class that is meeting on Tuesday nights. It is not too late to join and get a great overview of the Christian faith from a fresh perspective and prepare yourself remember our Alpha class that is meeting on Tuesday nights. to bring someone as your guest next time we run the series. We meet Tuesday nights at 6:30pm and start with a simple meal. We re done by 8:30pm. Contact the church office if you need more information. Third, this month I will be gone with members of our congregation on a tour of Biblical sites in Greece and Rome, from October 15 through the 29 th. On Sunday the 28 th, Kyle Williams, one of our missionaries who has recently come back from the Congo, will be sharing about the past two years there. You will not want to miss that. Speaking about travel, I ve actually had several men tell me they would love to go on a tour of D-Day sites in Normandy, France. The tour company I normally work with is running just such a tour this coming May. I have brochures if anyone is interested. If we had a small group that wanted to go, I d be happy to go with you. Finally, October is when we start talking about our stewardship campaign and when we take a close look at this year s finances. Because of my being gone, we ll start just a little later this year. But we have scheduled our Harvest Supper for Sunday evening, November 4. This is always a great meal and a great gathering. We ll even have some special music this year, so get it on your calendar now and start thinking and praying about how you can continue to support the work of the Body of Christ here, both Inside this issue: Faith / Session Members and Deacons 2 Youth News 3 News / Flourishing Church 4 Lectionary/ Prayers for our Service people 5 Kids Page / Back Pack program 6 Calendar 7 Sunday Worship Schedule 9:00am Contemporary Service 11:00am Traditional Service Pastor: Rev. Al Sandalow Children s Ministries Director: Cheryl Smith Youth Director: Chris Hagan

2 Faith is the Key In April of 1521, a monk named Martin Luther was put on trial by the Roman Catholic Church. He had been severely critical of the pope, questioning the validity of some of the sacraments and denouncing church corruption. At this trial, Luther was convicted of heresy. Anyone caught following him was to be condemned. But Luther and his followers were not crushed they went on to lead the Protestant Reformation, the movement we commemorate today. We can be grateful that Luther took a stand for what he believed in and worked tirelessly to bring the word of God to common people, so that they could develop deeper faith in Jesus Christ. Faith was the key to Luther. In his own study and trans- lation of the Bible, he discovered that faith is essential to an everlasting relationship with God. We are saved by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, he proclaimed. Faith is the attitude that enables us to hang on to Christ, according to Luther; it is the way we gain access to the saving grace of God. Faith is best defined as trust, he said; it is a willingness to rely on Jesus Music to a Pastor s ears 1. We were just getting ready to leave for church when company came so we brought them with us. 2. I know it looks impossible, but with God s help we can do it 3. Of course I ll accept that responsibility. It will be a privilege I m willing to help in any way I can. Current Session Members & Ministry Responsibilities/Deacons ELDERS Judi Anderson Children s Ed* Roger Glaser Nominating* Gregg Hall Properties* John Harbaugh Worship and Music Dan Hiersche Worship and Music Rick Holmstrom Properties Camille Hutchison -Cong Life/Sm Grps Mary Kraft Missions* John MacRae Stewardship/Personnel Chuck Norelius Shepherding Lyle Smith Youth Wayne Smith Small Grps Ginny Sorenson Worship and Music* Judy Wright Congregational Life* Marilyn Charlton Clara Davis Julile Hiersche Clay McMechan Gordon Pross Janett Walker DEACONS Julie Cutts Susan Hanson Shirley Hood Steve Noyes Mary Seth Fritz Wichterman The office of deacon as set forth in Scripture is one of sympathy, witness, and service after the example of Jesus Christ. It is the duty of deacons, first of all, to minister to those who are in need, to the sick, to the friendless, and to any who may be in distress both within and beyond the community of faith. Page 2 E LLENSBURG PRES PRESS

3 Keeping Up With Our Chris Hagan Rock: We are continuing our series tackling four topics that can be struggles for junior high students. In this lesson, we examine the dangers of gossip by discussing Proverbs 16:28 and other biblical passages that reveal the consequences of this unhealthy habit. God calls us to live lives built on love, and he has instructed us to use our words toward that purpose. Our words have great potential to bring good-to encourage and heal others' hearts. We can provide this gift of encouragement to people around us. We encourage our students to focus on knowing God's truth about gossip, so they can be prepared to handle situations where gossip is spoken or heard. They can decide what they will say or not say in those situations. They can be agents of change for good in their schools, communities, and homes through the power of their words. Here are some questions you might want to use as you talk with your teenager about this lesson: What are some of the negative effects of gossip? What do they do to relationships? How have you been affected by gossip? How easy or difficult is it for a person to avoid gossip? If gossip separates the best of friends, like the Bible says, what kinds of words bring friends even closer together? Have a blessed October! BASIC: We asked the high schoolers to suggest topics they would like to study at youth group and our first topic of study will be learning about other world religions. This series is focused on helping our students understand the central beliefs of five major religions and atheism. This study covers the basic aspects of atheism, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Mormonism. It is meant to serve as an overview of these beliefs and to help your students discover how God's Word lines up with these faiths. This series isn't designed to be an exhaustive explanation of all these various religions, but it will teach your teenagers enough about the individual religions to see the comparison to Christianity. It's important to encourage our teenagers to have a loving attitude toward people who follow one of these faiths. This doesn't mean endorsing or supporting other faiths or a "whatever you believe is fine" attitude. But Jesus set the standard for us by interacting with people in love. He asked questions and responded to questions in love. It's our prayer that this attitude of love will guide our youth group through this series. Have a great October! Slamquest: Our mid-high retreat at Camp Ghormley is October This is a great weekend for our youth to get to know each other better, worship Jesus, hear a great message, and have a lot of fun! Until the end of September regis- VOLUME 9 ISSUE 10 Page 3

4 Quilting by Dawn Helland I had the pleasure of attending the Women s Retreat held at the beginning of September at Lazy F Ranch. We had a wonderful guest speaker who spoke about Joy (Jesus, others, you) and Friends (for the others part of Joy). For friends, we talked about making them, how to keep them, that they can be different from us (ie: age, ethnicity). I know that I have mentioned this before, but as a result of the retreat, I thought it was worth mentioning again of how much quilting made a difference in my life. In terms of the theme of Is Our Church Flourishing? On September 23, three of our Elders shared the vision Session has for our church. Following six months of study and several retreats, we are hoping to move closer toward a church that continues to flourish for God s kingdom. As we begin on this journey, it is important to remember the mission for the ECO denomination: To build flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ. Also, as a member of the ECO denomination, to remain true to our core values. Our Core Values Jesus-shaped Identity: We believe Jesus Christ must be at the center of our lives and making disciples of Jesus at the core of our ministry. Biblical Integrity: We believe the Bible is the unique the retreat, quilting has surrounded me with friends, a lot of amazing, beautiful, caring, loving women. It was a huge blessing when I found a place in this world that I can go to and be myself. For me, my special place came about as a result of being invited to be part of the weekly quilting group. But, maybe for you, it is that weekly small group that you belong to. Or maybe it is the breakfast out with friends after church on Sunday mornings. I hope that you have found that special place that lets you feel comfort- and authoritative Word of God, which teaches all that is necessary for faith and life. The prominence of God s Word over our lives shapes our priorities, and the unrivaled authority of the Bible directs our actions to be in concert with Christ s very best for our lives. Thoughtful Theology: We believe in theological education, constant learning, and the life of the mind, and celebrate this as one of the treasures of our Reformed heritage. Accountable Community: We believe guidance is a corporate spiritual experience. We want to connect leaders to one another in healthy relationships of accountability, synergy, and care. Egalitarian Ministry: We believe in unleashing the ministry gifts of women, men, and every ethnic group. able enough to share your life. If you have not, then I invite you to come and check out our Wednesday quilting group. We meet every Wednesday in Tjossem Fellowship Hall, from 3pm to 7pm. Age does not matter, if you want to try quilting, we are happy to teach. We have supplies to get you started. If quilting just does not really appeal to you, but you really feel like you are missing a circle of friends, then I encourage you to call the church to find out about small Missional Centrality: We believe in living out the whole of the Great Commission including evangelism, spiritual formation, compassion, and redemptive justice in our communities and around the world. Center-focused Spirituality: We believe in calling people to the core of what it means to be followers of Jesus what mere Christianity is and does and not fixate on the boundaries. Leadership Velocity: We believe identifying and developing gospel-centered leaders is critical for the church, and a great leadership culture is risk-taking, innovative, and organic. Kingdom Vitality: We believe congregations should vigorously reproduce new missional communities to expand the Kingdom of God. Page 4 ELLENSBURG PRES PRESS

5 From the Lectionary October 7 Job 1:1, 2:1-10; Psalm 26 Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12; Mark 10:2-16 October 14 Job 23:1-9,16-17; Psalm 22:1-15 Hebrews 4:12-16; Mark 10:17-31 October 21 Job 38:1-7 (34-41); Psalm 104:1-9,24,35c Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45 October 28 Job 42:1-6,10-17; Psalm 34:1-8 (19-22) Hebrews 7:23-28; Mark 10:46-52 Volunteer Opportunities HELPING HANDS Please volunteer for a Sunday. It s easy, and there are detailed instructions for you. There is a sign-up sheet on the office window. It requires a little extra of your time on Sunday. It does not obligate you for any more Sundays than what you decide to serve, on whatever dates you choose. Prayer Concerns and Requests Prayers for our Military Remember our young men and women in the Military service and ROTC: Troy Smith, Bob Mykleby, Andy Stedman, Andrew McKenzie, Will McKenzie, Joe Thomas, Erik Holmstrom, Jen Holmstrom, Dave Moser, Jason Lorraine, Brandon Taylor, Patrick Hampton, Andrew J. Potter, Mark Thacker, Brad Miller, Colton Carson, Shane Bowers, Conner Wellwood, any others TO START A PRAYER REQUEST If you have a prayer request during the week, you may call the office from 8:00am to 3:00pm, For evening and weekend requests, call Stephanie Mills at VOLUME 9 ISSUE 10 Page 5

6 Children s Ministry by Cheryl Smith September has brought us the start of a new year in the Sunday School room! We are a small group, so we all meet together in room 3 with a rotation of teachers volunteering their time to teach and love our kids. We have a full curriculum of the Life of Jesus starting at his birthday and following his life. With stories, songs, videos, crafts and games the kids will learn some amazing things about Jesus s life! I am sure most of you have heard that the session is in the process of finding a replacement for the Children s Ministries Director. I have very much enjoyed being that person for the last year. Reaching out to kids and families in the Ellensburg community has always been my goal for this position. We are blessed with a big beautiful church building to hold events. We have a seemingly endless amount of supplies for crafts, games, snacks and parties to easily reach out to kids and families. We just need the right person to step forward with a vision to accomplish Weekend Back Packs by Mary Kraft What does love look like? Sometimes it is a hug or a smile. Sometimes it is a word of encouragement. Sometimes it is just being present. And sometimes, it is a bag of food from our church sent home on Friday to bridge the nutrition gap until Monday. Page 6 On Thursday, September 20 we began our delivery of our weekend nutrition bags to Mt. Stuart Elementary School. We will soon be starting delivery of bags to Morgan Middle School, with St. Andrews Catholic Church serving Valley View Elementary School, and the Lutheran Church serving Lincoln Elementary School. A big thank you to all who have donated money and food this fall as we gear up for our year of service. Also, thank you to all who donate your time to shop, pack, transport and organize the food. This is an important mission for our church and takes the support of us all. Our prayer is that we not only bless each child with food, but also with the knowledge that they are loved and valued. May God s love fill their hearts E LLENSBURG PRES PRESS

7 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 8:30am Prayers for EPC 5:30pm Deacons 2 6:30pm Alpha Communion 8 8:30am Prayers for EPC :30pm B.A.S.I.C. 6:30pm Session Prayer 7:00pm Session 6pm Alpha :30am Prayer for EPC Noon Press Articles Due 6:30pm B.A.S.I.C. 6pm Alpha 21 6:30pm B.A.S.I.C. 22 8:30am Prayer for EPC 7pm Ministries Night 23 6pm Alpha SlamQuest for Mid Highers at Camp Ghormley. Leaving at 5:30pm, Friday :30pm Return from SlamQuest NO B.A.S.I.C. 8:30am Prayer for EPC 6pm Alpha Each Sunday 9:00am Worship (Nursery, Infants 4yrs) Sunday School after Children s Sermon (K- 5th) 11:00am Worship (Nursery, Infants 4yrs) VOLUME 9 ISSUE 10 Page 7

8 MON THLY NEW SLET TER F RO M ELLEN SBURG P RESBYTERIAN CHURCH 1307 East Third Ellensburg, WA Non Profit Organization US Postage PAID Ellensburg, WA Permit #123 Phone: firstpresbyterian@elltel.net RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED We re on the web Upcoming Events Continues Tuesday evenings, 6:00pm, with light dinner, video, discussion Ellensburg Pres Press Is published for our members and friends. To receive a free subscription, or for more information about our church, please call or stop by the office. Articles and suggestions are welcomed. Office Hours: Monday Thursday, 8 am 3 pm Friday, 8 am Noon Phone: Next newsletter deadline is noon, October 18, 2018 Check out our website at