1 st NEWS FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Washington Avenue Savannah, Georgia September 27, 2017

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1 1 st NEWS FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Washington Avenue Savannah, Georgia September 27, 2017 SERVICES FOR THE WORSHIP OF GOD WORLD COMMUNION SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1 at 11:00 A.M. SERMON: Christ s Body, One Family x Jeff Boyd, Regional Liaison to Central Africa, preaching Sacrament of Holy Communion Luncheon will follow worship SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8 at 11:00 A.M. SERMON: Tenants of the Faith TEXTS: Matthew 21:33-46 William Shelburne, Sr., preaching Sacrament of Baptism GO INTO ALL THE WORLD Where in the world is the church? It is a question sometimes asked with sarcasm these days, for there are those who remember the time when missionaries abounded as did mission hospitals, schools and congregations. There were vibrant links between churches like ours and people in mission. Congregations viewed themselves as the home office and their prayers and sewing projects and hard earned money were sent to support missionaries in distant places. What has changed? For one thing, all of that worked! There are Christians throughout the world in every country who, after years of nurture and support by missionaries are now running hospitals, schools and churches built by our parents mission giving. Also, the world has turned around and inside out. In a sense, we are seen as a mission field to people in other countries whose lives are vastly different from our own and whose understanding of faithfulness to the gospel is shaped by political repression, economic collapse or social revolution. They have much to teach us about what it means to follow Christ. What hasn t changed? We are still the church with the clear majority of resources and therefore with a global obligation to give not just from our abundance, but sacrificially. The critical and responsible question to ask is: Where do our resources go? General Assembly will spend an expected $63,530,297 in mission in 2017 which includes support of 115 long-term missionaries in 51 countries who are in hospitals, schools and churches in mission. It also includes money for evangelism, for social justice, for higher education, for mission partnership with Synods and Presbyteries. The best place to learn about the specifics of the church in the world is at the website and the on-line Mission Yearbook of Prayer and Study. Be prepared to be overwhelmed! While the number of Presbyterians who spend their lives on the mission field continues to shrink, those who remain often labor in difficult circumstances and achieve extraordinary results. First s Mission Committee will be hosting Christi and Jeff Boyd next week. They will stay in Imlay House as part of their home furlough from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have served in the DRC, Cameroon and Rwanda for 27-years. Jeff Boyd is a graduate of Whitworth College, a Presbyterian-related college, and holds a M.A. degree from California State University. Christi, who is a native of the Netherlands, is a graduate of the Academie voor Fysiotherapie in Groningen.

2 They will lead the all-church forum on Sunday, October 1 at 9:30 a.m., preach at 11:00 a.m., speak at the luncheon program following worship, meet with our young people on Sunday evening, and present a final talk on Wednesday, October 4 at 6:45 p.m. Our members are encouraged to join them for the several occasions they are scheduled to speak or to invite them for a couple of hours of sightseeing as their schedule permits. Spending time with the Boyds you will discover anew the power of the gospel to transform lives all over the world - SCW A REQUEST FOR HYDRANGEA BLOSSOMS The committee for A Gracious Christmas is asking for hydrangeas. If you or your neighbors have bushes with blossoms, please consider giving some to the church. They will be used in floral arrangements to sell at the Marketplace on December 7. For more information, call Pam Patterson, DON T MISS WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY S DINNER AND PROGRAM! September 27 One Way I Serve and Why I Do It - Vignettes by First Members About Their Mission Service. Five members will give a short description of their outreach ministry and what motivates them to serve. The program starts at 6:45 p.m. The dinner line opens at 6:00 p.m., featuring baked chicken, yellow rice, green peas and mushrooms, salad, rolls and cake squares. $6/adult/$2/child under 12. FAMILY PROMISE The week of October 15 First will host families who are temporarily homeless. The church provides shelter, meals, and support services to them. For one week, several times each year, First becomes their home. A sign-up board will be on the plaza following the worship service. DON T MISS FALL CLEAN-UP DAY We need painters, pruners, cleaners, organizers, scrubbers, dusters, and repairers for our fall clean-up day, Saturday, October 28, 9:00 a.m. 12:00 p.m., sponsored by the Property Committee. All ages and all skill levels are invited. NOMINATING COMMITTEE SEEKS OUR SUGGESTIONS The Church Officer Nominating Committee will begin its work in the next few weeks and in the meantime the entire congregation is being asked to recommend members to serve on the Session. The Committee will be discussing the qualities of faith and leadership that are required of those who are ordained to serve as elders. While sometimes it seems worldly measures of success are used as the standard for calling elders, we know that qualities of Christian character are most important: care, understanding, commitment, a sincere love of Jesus Christ, forgiveness and humility. You can be assured that the Church Officer Nominating Committee takes its responsibility very seriously. Relying on the grace of God, they will be seeking to discern the needs of the Session and congregation at the present time and the manifold gifts of our members. Please keep the committee in your prayers and complete the nomination forms that will be in Sunday s bulletin. The forms are also available in the church office. EXCERPT FROM THE INSTITUTES OF THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION John Calvin on the presence of Christ at the Lord s Supper: I freely accept whatever can be made to express the true and substantial partaking of the body and blood of the Lord, which is shown to believers under the sacred symbols of the Supper and so to express it that they may be understood not to receive solely by imagination or understanding of the mind, but to enjoy the thing itself as nourishment of eternal life IV, XVII, 19

3 SCHEDULE FOR MID-WEEK PROGRAMS FALL 2017 Wed. Sept. 20 Wed. Sept. 27 Wed. Oct 4 Wed. Oct 11 Wed. Oct 18 Wed. Oct. 25 Wed. Nov. 1 Wed. Nov. 8 Wed. Nov. 15 Wed. Nov. 22 Wed. Nov. 29 Wed. Dec. 7 Wed. Dec. 13 Vacation Recap: Where I Went and What I Did This Summer On Being Sent: Vignettes by First Members about their mission service Mission Emphasis with Christi and Jeff Boyd Preparing for Another Hurricane led by Dennis Jones, Director of CEMA Addressing Hunger and Offering of Letters led by Jamie Kendall, Second Harvest Hurray for Martin Luther on the 500 th Anniversary of the 95 Theses by Stephen Williams Annual Congregational Meeting Transforming Lives, Building Community led by Kenan Hall, Savannah Impact Savannah: The Busiest Port on the East Coast by Edward Fulford, GPA No WW due to Thanksgiving Advent Event No WW due to Gracious Christmas Christmas Program by the Children and Youth Choirs

4 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Sunday, October 1 9:00 a.m Personnel Committee Mtg, Room 110 9:30 a.m Sunday School 10:30 a.m Coffee Fellowship 11:00 a.m Worship Service 12:15 p.m Church wide Luncheon 5:00 p.m Youth Handbells 5:30 p.m Youth Supper 6:00 p.m Youth Choir 6:30 p.m Junior Choir Monday, October 2 9:00 a.m Knitting Prayer Shawls 6:30 p.m Dinner Group, Bella s Italian Restaurant Tuesday, October 3 7:30 a.m Morning Missions at Emmaus House 10:30 a.m Presbyterian Women First/Butler Progam&Lunch Wednesday, October 4 1:30 p.m Jail Ministry 5:30 p.m Kinder Choir 6:00 p.m Wonderful Wednesday Dinner 6:30 p.m Children s Choir 6:30 p.m First Ringers 7:30 p.m Chancel Choir Thursday, October 5 6:30 p.m... Grace & Joy Circle, Sally Sunday, October 8 9:30 a.m Sunday School 10:30 a.m Chancel Choir 10:30 a.m. Coffee Fellowship 11:00 a.m Worship Service 5:00 p.m. Youth Handbells 5:30 p.m. Youth Supper 6:00 p.m Youth choir 6:30 p.m Junior Choir Monday, October 9 9:00 a.m Knitting Prayer Tuesday, October 10 7:30 a.m Morning Missions at Emmaus House 10:00 a.m Jubilee Circle, John Knox Room Wednesday, October 11 1:30 p.m Jail Ministry 5:30 p.m Children s and Kinder Choir 6:00 p.m.. Wonderful Wednesday Dinner 6:30 p.m First Ringers 7:30 p.m Chancel Choir PRAYER CONCERNS, RECORD OF OUR FAITHFULNESS, ETC. September 17 attendance at worship: 126; Sunday School attendance: 63; visitors: 8. September 24 offering: attendance at worship: 135; Sunday School attendance: 46; visitors: 13..

5 MISSION EMPHASIS September 30 October 4 Communal Life in the Household of God Christi and Jeff Boyd, PCUSA mission co-workers Democratic Republic of Congo Saturday, September 30 6:30 p.m. Dinner at Imlay House with the Mission Committee World Communion Sunday, October 1 9:30 a.m. All Church Forum in Stewart Hall 11:00 a.m. Service for the Worship of God, Jeff Boyd, preaching 12:00 p.m. Lunch followed by program in Stewart Hall 6:00 p.m. Boyds to meet with youth ScholAfrica Game Monday, October 2 6:30 p.m. Dinner group at Bella s with the Boyds Tuesday, October 3 10:30 a.m. Program and lunch, At the Margins of God s Household Presbyterian Women from First and Butler in Stewart Hall Wednesday, October 4 12:00 p.m. Clergy lunch, Lessons from the Global Church 6:00 p.m. Wednesday dinner and program, Education in Africa