The White Spire November 201 3

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1 The White Spire November Helping In a Time of Need The road to economic recovery since 2008 has been a bumpy one, made bumpier by Washington politics, and it is our poorest citizens who suffer the most in hard times. Presbyterians who work in various local helping agencies know that hunger and poor nutrition are problems in Lewis County, ones that especially affect the children of low income families. The need is especially great in winter. In November, our congregation will have two opportunities to help those who are struggling in hard times. As in past years, the Mission Committee will assemble Thanksgiving Baskets to be given to Lewis County Head Start families for their Thanksgiving dinners. There is an article with further details in this issue of the White Spire. This year we have increased the number of baskets from 1 2 to 1 5 because we have learned that there is more need than ever among these families for our assistance. At the same time, any number of Head Start families and especially their children need assistance throughout the month, and we will continue to collect canned goods and dry foods for those families on a regular basis. This drive began in October and will be ongoing for some time. Donations are to be left on the riser steps at the front of the church, and the Head Start staff will collect and distribute our donations every two weeks. In our first round of donations last month, we supplied food for five families with 20 children. They all were deeply appreciative. Not everyone can respond to both of these needs, and for November our priority is the Thanksgiving Baskets. We all do what we feel we can, and all of our efforts are important and appreciated. Please bring items that children are likely to eat. Unfortunately, that generally does not mean green beans and peas. It does mean noodles, meat sauces, and the like. Presbyterians care, and this is one of the ways that we can express our care. 1 First Presbyterian Church 7707 N. State Street Lowville, NY Rev. Dr. Herb Swanson, Pastor Jennie Kelly, Ad. Assistant Trina Stahl, Music Director Rodney Rubar, Custodian Contents Front Page 1 2 From Herb's Desk Service One Year in Faith Opportunities Congregational Meeting Session Notes Thanks Page UTG Misc. Info Delaware 2013 Mission Holiday Bazaar Women's News Memory Joggers Poinsettias If you currently receive the White Spire and calendar through the mail and would like to receive as or at the church's website, please contact the church office. We would be happy to get you started!

2 which is an important course of study for us in this day and age. Participants will not only learn about another religion, but they will also have an opportunity to reflect on our own Christian faith. The group will also dispel some of the ugly myths concerning the relationship of Islam to terrorism and violence. The Wednesday afternoon group is working on the Book of Hebrews, a book addressed to a church in decline. Participants will gain a deeper appreciation for the Bible and find ways in which it is immediately relevant to our own situation today. These are good opportunities. I want to encourage us all to consider joining in one of these groups that involve good folks, good fellowship, and good growth in faith. From Herb s Desk Recently, I had occasion to mention to a member of the session that in the last three years since Runee and I have been in Lowville I have had more opportunities for doing adult Christian education than I had previously in all of the churches I worked with for all of the time I worked with them. This church, I said, is good at learning. The quality of many of our discussions has been outstanding, and over the last three years we have dug into some important and deep subjects ranging from the historical Jesus to Buddhism to science and faith. Starting in February, our adult theological study group will tackle Islam and the Bible study group is going to be looking at the Book of Hebrews. In the 21 st century, it is important that churches become more articulate about their faith. More and more, we re hearing that religion is a waste of time and mostly superstitious nonsense. We need to equip ourselves for living our faith in a contrarian world, and study is one important way we do that. Equally to the point, it is interesting and fun to dig into deeper subjects with a group of folks who are as committed to Christian learning as we are. Such studies don't interest everybody, of course, but at the same time the more individuals we can involve in them the better it is all the way around. Our study groups are a place for fellowship and sharing as much as they are for reflection and discussion. They are a place where we talk with each other about things that matter to us and listen to the thoughts of others. The more we study together and share with each other, the stronger we are as a congregation. In the New Year, the Monday evening group will be studying Islam, Herb A Worship Service You Don t Want to Miss Plans are afoot for a unique worship experience on the first Sunday of Advent, December 1st. The service will experiment with making full use of our visual technology along with contemporary music to play worshipfully with ways we can better worship in a 21 st century way. The service will tie all of this into communion and the theme of Coming Home in Christ. The idea behind it is that during Advent we celebrate the coming of Christ who calls us to strive for the coming of God s Kingdom of peace, love, and justice in our world and in ourselves. The Kingdom is our true home, and Jesus calls us to come home to it. This service will be different. It is intended to get at what Christmas is really all about. Don t miss it! O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever. -Psalm 136:1 2

3 Are You Interested in Islam? One Year in Faith The Monday evening Theological Study Group is winding down its Our budget for is $1 38,700. To meet our budget, we need $2,670.00/week in income. For the last Sunday and during the previous week, we received $3, To date, we have received $1 03, which is $2,531.64/week. reflections on the relationship of science and faith. Its discussions have been, as usual, lively and timely. In the New Year, the group will take up Reza Aslan s book on Islam, No god but God (Random House, 2011 ), which is a survey of modern Islam in its historical setting. The question of Islam has become a pressing one for our world and nation, and the goal of this study is to deepen our understanding for the Islamic faith and its role in the world. The group will begin As we can see from these figures, we are not too far off the goal we set for ourselves last fall: to balance our budget in The session did not tie our budget for this year to anticipated income and invited us together to walk one year in faith concerning our financial life. Give, trust, and get on with it! And that is what we ve been doing this year giving, living in faith, and moving forward. It is a faithbased approach that seems to be working. Careful readers will notice that there is no article on giving and stewardship in this issue of the White Spire even though November 10th is Stewardship Sunday. If is any measure, members and friends of the church are committed to supporting the church and there is no need for a lot of high-octane pressure about it. We do need to be reminded, gently, that we aren t quite there yet in terms of balancing our budget. Those who feel they can give a little more are encouraged to do so. It is important that we do keep moving forward. We all also need to keep in mind how important it is at this period in the church s history that we continue to match our needs with our financial means. It will not be that long until we will form a pastoral nominating committee and begin the search for a new pastor. The future of the church depends on our being able to support our next pastor financially. Our giving today has a measurable impact on what kind of a church we will be in the future as we continue to give, trust, and get on with it! again Monday, February 3rd, at 7:00 pm, Andover House. For further information, please contact Herb. Are You Interested in the Bible? The Wednesday afternoon Bible Study Group is finishing its two-year study of the Book of Genesis, and it will now turn its attention to the Book of Hebrews. It will use Thomas G. Long s commentary, Hebrews (John Knox Press, 1 997), as its guide. The goal of this group is always to dig more deeply into the meaning of the Bible. The group will begin meeting again on Wednesday, February 5th, at 4:00, Andover House. If you are interested in joining this Bible study but cannot attend on Wednesday afternoons, please let Herb know. We would love to be able to form a second group! 3

4 The following notes were taken from the minutes of the regular session meeting on October 8. * Decided to increase the number of Thanksgiving Baskets for Head Start families from 1 2 to 1 5. * It was further decided to begin a food drive to assist Lewis County Head Start children/families. * UTG 5 was welcomed to the meeting. They shared some insights learned during their 6 weeks with the Unbinding the Gospel series. They are: where do new people park?, sign-age needed, church entrance not clearly marked, nursery care where?, coffee hour, could be more welcoming, plan evening meetings and events, and general UTG meeting to share experiences. * A written report from the September 24 Presbytery meeting was shared. * Stewardship Sunday will be November 10. Mailings are going out. * Congregational Meeting on November 3 for the purpose of electing elders and deacons and approving the pastor's terms of call. * Approved to have Kelly Clark write a grant seeking $500 to benefit the LACS backpack program that provides children with extra food over the weekends and vacations. This will be sent to the Micah Committee of the Utica Presbytery. NOVEMBER 3 SUNDAY, MEETING CONGREGATIONAL Session Notes Decorating for Christmas UTG 1 will be decorating the sanctuary for the Advent/Christmas season on Monday, December 2 at 6:30p.m. We would like to invite anyone who is interested to join us. We will provide drinks and snacks. -Heidi VanZandt 4

5 Dear Friends, Thank you so much for all the assistance at Presbytery. Special thanks to Linda Grimes and everyone who made my job easier. Well done. Sunshine, Joanne Bolton, Utica Presbytery Office Assistant * Our nursery care providers who watch over our young people on Sunday mornings. They are Heather Adsit, Natalie Sweeney and Lindsey Golas. * All who supported the October 1 7 Stone Soup dinner by donating food, setting tables, cooking, serving and helping clean up. A delicious dinner of meatloaf, potatoes and vegetables was enjoyed. * Phyllis Rohr for heading up a luncheon following the memorial service for Al Lawrence on October 26, and all others who donated and helped. And for all her time and hard work to organize our women's groups, luncheons and the Holiday Bazaar! * John Schlieder who prepared several doors at the Andover House to be hung which he also did! * Everyone who organized and implemented our second Halloween Towne dinner held on October 26. * John Rohr for some touch up painting at the Andover House this fall making it look much better! * Rolly Meeks for great help with screens and slides! * Steve Vance, Tracey Koss and Kelly Clark for prayers of the people. * Everyone who shared snack for wonderful coffee hours! * John Rohr, Runee Swanson and Carole Dunbar for their enlightening children's sermons. * All who give generously to feed hungry children in our county! ***** On behalf of the Lowville Food Pantry we would like to thank you for your donations and your continued support of the Food Pantry and the services we provide. Sincerely, Lowville Food Pantry Staff ***** To the Lowville Presbyterian Church: We gratefully thank you for all the fresh vegetables you people have delivered to our places of residence. It was very much appreciated and enjoyed by all - especially the time and effort you people put into the project. May the Lord bless you. Many thanks, Residents of Karcher Estates, Castorland ***** Are You Interested in UTG? In January-February our five UTG groups ( Unbinding the Gospel ) will be engaged in a common weekly study based on the Book of Hebrews. Each group will meet separately but use the same study guide. The goal of this program is to encourage the groups in their journeys as groups and to inspire a deeper appreciation for the scriptures. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A PART OF THE UTG EXPERIENCE, PLEASE LET HERB KNOW. It would be exciting if we could form a sixth UTG group in our congregation. And whether you are a part of a UTG group or not, please keep this spiritual movement in our congregation in your prayers. Thank you. ********** 5

6 December White Spire Deadline Daylight Savings Time November 18 Ends November 3 Financial Notes: Income to date Expenses to date Capital Improvement as of 10/24/13 $1 03,1 09 $1 07,334 $52,1 51 Office Holiday Schedule Veterans Day will be observed on Monday, November 11. The church office will be open. The church office will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, November 28 and the day after, November 29. Prayer Corner - Tricia Kennison East Road Adult Home Don Virkler, Esther Windover, Ray Kennison Sunset Nursing Home - Howard Rich Serving in the Armed Forces Petty Officer 2rd. Class Lance Gormley USN, (Grandson of Jean & Dave Puddington), Sgt. Isaac Torres (father of Hiliana & Marco) in Kuwait Welcome to Natalie, Our Newest Child Care Provider Hi, I'm Natalie Anne Sweeney. I have an older brother named Adam and a younger sister named Rachel. My mom is Jacqueline and my father is Scotty. I love animals and kids. I babysit for my cousins and family friends. I have been on the high honor role since 8th grade. I play three sports: soccer, volleyball and softball. I'm 1 5 years old. I love to hang out with my friends, listen to music and being active. I want to become a pharmacist after I graduate. -Natalie Sweeney Church Contact Information 7707 N. State Street, Lowville, NY Visit us on Facebook Office Phone: Fax: preslow@frontiernet.net Website: Treasurer: Carole Dunbar, call (home) leave a message Church Secretary: Jennie Kelly Prayer Team: Mary Lou DeMinck (mldeminck@gmail.com), Facebook Editor: Mary Lou DeMinck Herb s Contact Information Office Hours: Tues. & Thurs., 9a.m.-1 2:00p.m. Study Day: Monday Day off: Friday Home Phone: herbswanson@frontier.com Pastor s Blog: Session members: Joe Aucter, Carole Dunbar, Pat Homer, Mary Anne Kingsley, Kelly Rohr, Roger Quay, Jim Schlieder and Heidi VanZandt Board of Deacons: Daryl Lehman, Jean Puddington, Phyllis Rohr, John Schlieder, Bonnie Tarasek and Michelle Weiler 6 The sympathy of the congregation is extended to the family and friends of Richard Zehr, Seminole, FL, who died October 15 at age 78. Richard was the son of Elmer and Lorice Zehr, long-time dedicated members of our church. The flowers for worship on October 27 were given by Don and Sylvia Virkler who became re-acquainted with Dick and his wife Beverly many years ago when they all attended a UCC Church while wintering in Florida. Richard grew up in this church from the time of his birth until he left the area after graduation in He always considered this his home church. There was nothing Dick and Bev loved more than gathering the family and friends together for a big meal on every special occasion.

7 First Hand Reporting on the 2013 Delaware Workcamp Trip First, I would like to thank all sponsors of the Delaware work camp trip! With out you the trip couldn't go on and people who need assistance wouldn't receive it. So thank you very much for fostering this help. This year in Delaware I worked on the same house all 4 days. On the first two days I helped my crew as we repaired and replaced an old mans roof. The roof was in such bad shape that there were holes in it! It definitely needed replacing. While I was doing this another crew was building a set of stairs and an outhouse for the exterior appliances for the house. The last two days we moved into the house and replaced the floors which were in dire need of repair. They were rotting and needed reframing and then new floors and subfloors. It was a wonderful experience to help someone in dire need of assistance. Thanks to your help we were able to assist MHDC(Milford Housing Development Corporation) in repairing the homes of the unfortunate. In July this year, Scott Bingle, Roger and Jeff Quay, as well as myself attended the Annual Delaware Workcamp Mission Trip. This year our crews worked on various projects. This included a lot of roofs, but we also did floors, doors, and windows and some outside projects. After the work day was done, we would go back to church to get our bathing suits, and clean clothes. We then drove to Cape Henlopen State Park, and went swimming for a few minutes in the ocean. Next, we would shower in the public showers at the beach. Then we went back to church for dinner. After dinner, every night we would have worship. At worship, we sang songs, and there was usually a short sermon. Then we went into the rooms, which were like classrooms, and had discussion. We talked about the highs and lows of the day, and read some bible verses. After worship, the leaders meeting would take place, so everyone had free time. During free time, most of us played basketball, Frisbee, and talked in the fellowship hall. Then, at 1 0:00, we would walk to Dairy Queen. This year however, Dairy Queen had new management so they were mad at us for coming so late. Then we walked next door to a local business that sells ice cream, 2 Dips. The management there was happy to serve us. They have a garage section full of antiques which we enjoy looking at every year. We then would go back to church, and have free time for one more hour, then went to bed at midnight. We would like to thank the congregation for your continued support, and can't wait to go next year! Also, a HUGE thanks for everything to Roger, who claims it s his last year! (we'll see) Thank you, Scott Bingle Dylan Terry 7

8 Grant Applied For Thanksgiving Basket Collection At the Presbytery meeting on were given information about grants that are available from the Micah Committee of the Presbytery of Utica. There were three types of grants and the second one on the list grabbed my attention. It is a grant for a Caring Project that doesn't need to have direct church support. I thought of the Backpack program at Lowville Academy and brought this information to the attention of the Session. They were very supportive and suggested that if I could get it done by the October 15th deadline that I should try it. We may not receive any funding at all but we all thought it was worth a try. The Backpack program is a project being run by an advisor and many students and they collect food donations and then send home backpacks of food with the children on the weekend. Most of the children served receive free or reduced breakfast and lunch at school but often have little or no food for the weekend. The club operates with very little, mostly food donations from students, staff and faculty at the school with some monetary donations from a couple of school clubs and a few community organizations. If we are fortunate enough to get one of these grants then representatives of the Backpack Club will come and tell us about their work. In the meantime, please keep this worthwhile project in your prayers. The Mission Committee oversees the collection for 1 5 (an increase this year) baskets that are given to Lewis County Head Start families for their Thanksgiving dinner. Your participation is appreciated. We are also looking for people interested in donating frozen turkeys, so contact Pat Homer about this (we have received 4 so far). Please place the following items on the steps in the sanctuary: September 24th we November 3: apple or pumpkin pie filling and pie crusts November 10: canned vegetables and cranberry sauce November 17: stuffing mixes and 5# potatoes November 24: fresh fruits and fresh vegetables (carrots, squash, celery) Stone Soup Dinner Our next Stone Soup dinner will be Thursday, November 21 beginning at 5:30p.m. The meal is a ham dinner. Don't forget to sign up on the clipboard to get involved by donating food, cooking, setting the tables, serving and/or clean up. Sermons in November Kelly Clark 8 Every few years a preacher or sect group will proclaim that the end of the world is about to happen, and they will provide a date and even a time for the event. Almost always they base their calculations on the Book of Revelation, one of the strangest and most difficult to understand parts of the Bible. During the month of November, Herb will share four sermons taken from Revelations. He will "unpack" some of the actual meaning of the book and reflect on how we can actually put it to use in the 21 st century in less silly ways.

9 LOWVILLE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Holiday Bazaar CRAFTS HOLIDAY DECORATIONS COLLECTIBLES BAKE SALE SERRV UNUSUAL ITEMS FROM ARTISANS AROUND THE WORLD COFFEE & PASTRIES IN THE MORNING CORNER CAFÉ: 11:00A.M. TO 1:00P.M. SOUP AND SANDWICHES LUNCH Come and do all your holiday shopping you will find something for everyone including yourself! 9

10 PW Fall Gathering November Circle The Fall Gathering of PW of Lowville is Saturday, November 2 at 1 2 noon. Our speaker will be Caroline Hood, a missionary to China. The women who attended the September Vanderkamp Retreat met her and were very impressed with what this energetic and enthusiastic young woman had to say about her call to mission and her experiences. She is now back home receiving more training in Rochester, but will return to China in late winter/early spring. We are pleased that she can come to Lowville and speak to our women on November 2nd. The plan is to meet at our church with a catered lunch in the church basement and Caroline's program in the sanctuary. All women of the church are invited to join the next PW Circle on Tuesday, November 12 at 11 :00a.m. at the Andover House. Bring a sandwich to share as we conclude our meeting time with a fellowship lunch. Holiday Bazaar You are asked to bring your articles for the Holiday Bazaar by Friday, November 8. At this time all women of the church are invited to come and help with set up and pricing for the bazaar. Please bring your baked goods on Saturday morning, November 9 BEFORE 9:00a.m. Housing Update Nearly every month an informal group of individuals involved in the issue of affordable housing have been meeting at the Andover House. They include the heads of Lewis County helping agencies, non-governmental agencies, concerned citizens and two pastors. Presbyterians are well represented in this group by Eric Virkler, Carole Dunbar, and Herb, who chairs the group. It has two goals: (1 ) better inform the public, including county government representatives about the almost desperate need for more low and affordable housing in the county; and (2) promote actual projects that will increase the amount of low and affordable housing in our county. In October, the group met with the Chair of the Lewis County Board of Legislators, Mike Tabolt, to plan a possible reception in mid-november at Andover House for the newly elected Board. The goal is to inform the Board about the housing needs of the county, which have a major impact on the quality of life of our citizens and on local economy, so that low and affordable housing receives the attention it deserves. Housing has been called, "the most pressing crisis facing Lewis County today." Please keep this group and this meeting in your prayers. 10

11 We wish to fill our sanctuary with beautiful poinsettias for the Christmas Season We encourage you to purchase a six-inch plant either to donate or to take home. If you desire to take your plant home, you may pick it up after worship on Christmas Eve, December 24th. If you donate the plant, it will continue to beautify our sanctuary all through the 1 2 days of Christmas and then will be shared with one of our shut-in parishioners. Red, Pink, and White Poinsettias will be available, each one will cost $9.00. Please fill out the order form below and return to the church office by November 18th. or put it in the offering plate in worship. Checks can be made out to the First Presbyterian Church and need to be received by December 10th. Your Name How many Your choice of color(s)!!! Donation for Shut-ins Purchase for self (May take home after Christmas Eve) Am willing to help distribute poinsettias 11