From The Pastor s Desk

Transcription

1 Gilbert Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) 235 East Guadalupe Road Gilbert, Arizona Tel: Fax: Web: WHAT IS INSIDE THIS ISSUE? From the Pastor s Desk... 1 Church Staff... 2 Clerk of Session Report... 2 Evangelism... 3 GPC by the Numbers... 4 Fund-raiser... 4 Capital Campaign... 5 Joyful Ringers... 5 Stewardship... 6 Montlure Day Camp... 7 The Big Event... 8 Announcements... 9 Christian Education...10 August Activities Calendar...11 August Celebrations...12 GPC Newsletter - August 2018 From The Pastor s Desk Dear Friends, I m not trying to take anyone s job as a movie reviewer, but as we move through the summer, there is one film I would encourage you to see. Won t You Be My Neighbor? is a documentary on the life of Fred Rogers, the host of the PBS program, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. Rogers was an ordained Presbyterian pastor who broke ground in television programing for children, viewing it as his ministry. He took children seriously in a time when the landscape of kids shows on TV was filled with violent cartoons and pie-in-the-face antics of crazy clown hosts, often with the goal of seeing children simply as consumers-intraining. Mr. Rogers Neighborhood was a place where children could feel welcome, accepted and safe. They could talk about their dreams, share their fears, and ask questions. It was a good place to be. It seems to me that the world needs a lot more places like The Neighborhood today. Rogers began his ministry as a dream that not many took seriously. But the children who watched Mr. Rogers took the program seriously. And their lives were changed. They heard a word that told them they were accepted as they were. They heard a word that told them they were loved. They heard a word that told them they were each unique and special. In other words, they heard the gospel! Mr. Rogers was doing church in a new way. But his method was not complicated or even particularly difficult. What if all of us were a little kinder to one another? What if we spoke calmly to each other instead of yelling? What if we stopped trying to fit everyone into a category or a box, but instead gave everyone the freedom to celebrate being themselves knowing that was OK? I believe we have the opportunity to live out that challenge within the neighborhood we call church. I believe, as Fred Rogers did, that our highest calling is to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and to love our neighbor as ourselves. Won t you be my neighbor? In Christ, Pastor Terry GPC Crossroads 1 August 2018

2 CHURCH STAFF Pastor... Rev. Dr. Theron J. Palmer Pastor for Youth & Family Ministries... Rev. Jen Fraser Admin. Assistant... Maggie Castellani Director - Chancel Choir...Jan Palmer Director - Joyful Ringers...Jennifer Nagy Director - Chapel Orchestra...Jan Palmer Director - Youth Choir...Susan Martinez Pianist/Organist...Susan Martinez Director - Children s Bell Choir... Web Master... Paul Ihms WORSHIP - 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. SUNDAY SCHOOL - 10:00 a.m. Office Hours...9:00 Hours...9:00 a.m. a.m. to 1:00 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday CHURCH OFFICERS SESSION Kevin Bauerle, Ann Bernal, Gaill Blackburn, Mike Gallagher, David Martinez, John Paterson, David Peterson, John Stover, Judy Sullivan, Judy Walmsley, Cheryl Williams. Rochelle Mackey, Clerk of Session BOARD OF DEACONS Dan Bernal, Bret Blackburn, Carole Blake, Stacey Bruno, Lynn Clapper, Lisa Ewoldt, Ginny Goodbar, Liz Hansen, David Nape, Cheri Peterson, Tom Russell, Angela Stover, Mary Sumner, Betty Walford, Walford. Mary Ann Wilkie. GPC Session meets monthly on the 3 rd Tuesday Board of Deacons meets monthly on the 1 st Thursday STANDING COMMITTEES: Building & Grounds, Education, Evangelism, Finance, Mission, Nominating, Personnel, Stewardship and Worship. The Crossroads is published monthly; deadline is the 20 th of the month before publication. News and information to be included may be submitted to the church office in hard copy, or as attachments to: azgpc1@aol.com Readers comments, ideas & suggestions are welcome. Editor: Tanja Bauerle Proof Readers: Gaill Blackburn, Carole Blake & Judy Sullivan; Production & Circulation: Maggie Carole Blake; Castellani; Layout Layout & Design: & Design: Tanja Tanja Bauerle Bauerle Clerk of Session Report Session members catchup; get ready for coming months V Having cancelled its June Stated Meeting because both Pastor Terry Palmer and Associate Pastor Jen Fraser would be unavailable on the third Tuesday, the GPC session came to order on July 17, 2018, with all members present. V Although they met for nearly two hours, their primary business consisted of bringing one another up-to-date on activities recent as well as future, all decently and in order. V Pastor Terry shared his impressions of the 223rd General Assembly which he attended as a Teaching Elder Commissioner from the Presbytery of Grand Canyon. It was, he said, amazing and fulfilling to see the church at work, focusing on ministry where people are. V He was especially impressed by the Youth Delegates. In addressing the Assembly they provided an assurance that the church of the future is in capable, caring, thoughtful and intelligent hands. V One overture that will have a major impact on church business provides greater latitude for the Stated Clerk to speak for the General Assembly between its biennial meetings. V This meeting was held in St. Louis, Mo., the next will be in 2020 in Baltimore, MD. V Pastor Jen served as Chaplain for one session each of the Montlure Traveling Camp and the Montlure Presbyterian Church Camp. Both programs are a source of great hope, she said for the future of our presbytery. V Mike Gallagher, Project Manager for the Facilities Upgrade, accounted for the present status of the numerous activities involved. V The session approved plans for the Capital Campaign which begins August 12 and will end on September 23, 2018, with a Commitment Sunday. V The next Stated Meeting of the GPC Session is scheduled for August 21, 2018, 7 p.m. in room 7 of the Christian Education building. Anyone who wants to address the session is invited to contact Moderator Terry Palmer prior to the Friday, August 17, for inclusion on the docket. Rochelle Mackey - Clerk of Session GPC Crossroads 2 August 2018

3 Feel free to us at with your ideas and event suggestions! Caregivers 2nd Sunday of the month 4:30-5:30 PM 08/12/18 Group Facilitator - Liz Hansen Meet in Room 7 in the CE Building Thanks to those answering the survey We listened! This event will be postponed until our winter visitors are back in town and can join us in all the fun! Baseline & Val Vista Men s Weekly Fellowship! 3495 E Baseline Rd Gilbert, AZ am Wednesdays GPC Crossroads 3 August 2018 GPC Crossroads 3 June and July 2018

4 ATTENDANCE REPORT June 2018 July 2018 June July June July June July June July July Average Average Total Total TREASURER S REPORT Treasurer s Report as of June 30, 2018: Account Balances: GPC by the Numbers Operating: Savings: Capital Campaign: June 30, 2018 $ $21, $6, Total Income received in June: $20,838 Total Expenses* for June: $2,418 *Includes loans, utilities, payroll, Presbytery pledges, etc. Breakdown of Giving in June 2018: Amount Unrestricted Giving Operating... $17,669 Facility Use...$1,510 Restricted Giving Capital Campaign...$391 VBS...$500 Deacons... $53 Fund Raiser... $6 Flowers... $55 Mission... $13 Pentecost...$500 Per Capita...$142 DINE OUT & SUPPORT GPC Floridino's Pizza & Pasta 50 E Guadalupe Rd #107 Gilbert, AZ Northeast Corner of Gilbert and Guadalupe Roads Dimi from Floridino s has agreed to donate 15% of food purchases to GPC. Please turn in your food receipts (the large receipt, not credit card receipt) to Maggie in the Office. This is an ongoing event. Please pass this on to Friends and Family. Have your meeting, bible study or happy hour at Floridino s and help support a Gilbert Business and GPC. We are current on our Per Capita payment and one month behind on our Mission Pledge to the Presbytery. Further information about church finances may be obtained through the Finance Committee, Kevin Bauerle - chair. GPC Crossroads 4 August 2018 Have you remembered your church in your will, trust or IRA?

5 A Future With Hope GPC s Capital Campaign Jeremiah 29:11 For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. This summer marks the third year that I served as chaplain for Montlure camp. That means that I spent a week with young people talking about God, church and their faith. By young people, I mean year old campers (generation Z) and year old leaders (millennials). I led them in worship and I served as their pastor both of which were enlightening. Frankly, camp is both the most exhausting and the most exciting ministry task that I take on in a year. Exhausting because camp is non-stop. Exciting because I get to connect with these young people and hear about their lives and their faith. The more time I spend with young people who care about and love the church, the less I fear for our future. Now that doesn t mean that I believe that young people will be returning to our pews in droves. Nor does it mean that I have had a glimpse of what will bring young people back. What it does mean is that I sense God s Spirit is as active and engaged with the next generation as God has been with the previous generations. And I do believe that church will continue to be a part of their lives, but what church looks like may change (or it may stay the same who knows). We (those of us who are not millennials or post-millennials) can calm down, knowing that all will be well. God has got this. However, just because God has the next generation handled doesn t mean that we can sit back in our comfy chairs and go to sleep. We (those of us who are not millennials or post-millennials) have work to do. God is not finished with us. First, we all need to continue to work on our own faithfulness. This means, we should to continue to try to follow Jesus in every aspects of our lives in our relationships, finances, vocations, family lives no matter how challenging this may seem. In addition to striving to follow Jesus example, I believe God is asking something else of us. I believe God wants us to think about how we are handling the resources that God gave us, because these are the very resources we will hand off to the next generation. Yes, Gilbert Presbyterian Church will be handed off to the next generation the property, the building, the landscaping, the traditions, the culture, the practices all of it. If you were to believe in that, how would it affect your decisions and actions today? As a member of this congregation, what kind of culture to you want to pass on? What kind of traditions do you want to pass on? What would you want the landscape to look like? The sanctuary? The Christian Education building? The bank account? The answers to these questions guide our actions today. This is why the capital campaign is not about money (although it involves money). It is about stewardship; and stewardship is about caring for what we have because it doesn t belong to us it is held in trust until we pass it on to those who will come next. God s people will keep coming. We are in no position to judge what God is doing with the church, but we are in a position to help God prepare the church for the future. The campaign is just days away. I would invite you to spend these days in prayer, asking God what is being asked of you specifically. How should you act, what should you contribute, what gifts do you have to grow and give? God is not finished with you yet! Campaign Kickoff is August 12th JOYFUL RINGERS WILL BEGIN A NEW SEASON OF RINGING SOON! Mark your calendars for Thursday Aug 16th 7:00pm for our FIRST REHEARSAL of the new year. Our regular rehearsal time is on Thursday evenings, 7:00pm-8:15pm. The choir usually plays for Sunday worship once a month Sept-May. Please consider joining in this music ministry within the church. If you are interested in learning more about playing in the bell choir, the beginning of our playing season is a GREAT time to see what it is all about. You are invited to join on Thursday Aug 16th or Thursday Aug 23rd to try it out! Just basic music reading skills are required. Contact Jennifer Nagy at janagysoprano@gmail.com or for more information. Also, Wednesday, Aug 15th, will be the first rehearsal of our Chancel Choir. GPC Crossroads 5 5 August 2018

6 Yes, It is God s World! The following essay was written by Eloise Annis for the August 2007 issue of The Crossroads. The Stewardship Committee believes that this and other essays by Eloise are worth repeating. No matter where you travel it is still God s world! (Crossroads, July 2007). I saw God s world in Alaska where the snow-capped mountain peaks reached up to the sky. The glaciers towered over our small ship. With a roar, chunks of ice broke free, then dropped and splashed into the bay. I have never seen a more brilliant blue than the color of the icebergs in Tracy Arm, Alaska. I saw God s world in the majestic bald eagles soaring in the sky. God s world was in the lumbering sea lions. I saw the playful puffins, spouting whales, seals resting on icebergs, and the big bears walking on the rocky shore. High on the steep rugged slope, I saw the white woolly mountain goats. I saw God s world in the many waterfalls created by the melting ice and snow. God s world was in the beautiful sunset at Glacier Bay. I saw God s world as the native Alaskans shared their dances with us. Yes, it is God s world! I saw God s world in Scandinavia where fields of brilliant yellow mustard grew. I saw the rivers, lakes, streams, bays, and Baltic Sea. I marveled at Stockholm, a city built on islands. God s world was in the gentle rain bringing life to trees, grass, and flowers. I saw God s world in the people of Scandinavia as they proudly showed us their heritage and culture. I saw God s world in the cathedrals with their towering spires. And inside those cathedrals were the most amazing astronomical clocks built in the 1400 s. Besides telling time, the clocks were an intricate calendar marking the church holidays for several centuries. At the very top of the clocks was a procession of small wooden figures bowing to Jesus as the clock struck noon. The craftsmanship that it took to construct clocks like these 600 years ago was truly unbelievable. That was the work of man inspired by God! One does not have to go to Alaska or Scandinavia to see God s world. God s world is here in the eyes of my family and friends as they welcomed me home. It is God s world in the flitting of the hummingbird moving from flower to flower in my back yard. It is God s world at our church as we work and pray together for a common goal, a united goal. It is God s world as we give of our time, talents, and treasures to the work of God. Yes, it is God s world at home and away! GPC Crossroads 6 August 2018

7 Y A D GPC again participated in Montlure Traveling Day Camp on June at Chandler Presbyterian Church.University Presbyterian Church and Mission Del Sol Presbyterian Church also participated. GPC had seven campers participating, and Sammi Martinez was a volunteer counselor. GPC volunteers made lunch for the campers one day, and provided breakfast for the staff. GPC members also generously provided lots of donated materials and cash donations to help ensure the staff had everything needed for camp activities. It was a great week of learning, singing, and making friends. The week was capped off with a program for parents, including s mores (can t have camp without s mores!) GPC Crossroads 7 August 2018

8 The Big Event is Just Ahead! The Presbyteries of Grand Canyon and de Cristo are proud to present our annual Big Event, Saturday, August 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Andrew s Presbyterian Church in Tucson. This day-long educational experience has 26 workshops from which to choose ranging from Empowering Servant Leadership to Clerk of session training to dealing with the Opioid Health Crisis to Effective Church Websites and many more! Choose 3 from the list and join fellow Presbyterians from both presbyteries in learning ways to enrich your Christian journey! Join us for worship and meet new friends from across the state. You can purchase a boxed lunch as a part of your $10 registration. For a complete list of workshops and to register, visit the Presbytery website at or Class size is limited, so register today to ensure you get your top choices! See you: August 25th, 2018 St. Andrew s Presbyterian Church 7650 N Paseo Del Norte Tucson. (And don t forget to invite your friends!) Link to register: Ob4_bMsw82kqyzNIsZ3ww/viewform Link to list of Workshops: GPC Crossroads 8 August 2018

9 Attention Ladies! You re invited to Afternoon Tea on: Saturday, September 8 th at 4 pm Mark your calendars today. A special program tying our past to A Future With Hope will be presented by Sue Jax in Falkenstine Hall. A free will offering will go towards the capital campaign. Keep your eyes open for more details. If you are looking for a fun excursion, come see Zoe Bauerle in her latest production. She is in the ensemble of the musical: TUCK EVERLASTING Tickets are available online: Dates: August 10 th through August 19 th Where: STUDIO 3 PERFORMING ARTS ACADEMY 511 W Guadalupe Rd Suite 12, Gilbert, AZ (just a little West of GPC) Questions? Call (480) GPC Crossroads 9 August 2018

10 TRUTHSEEKERS WORKSHOPS: Christian Education programs for kindergarten through high school age children start up again on Sunday, August 19. TruthSeekers class for those up to sixth grade will be taught by a rotating staff of teachers, and Presbyterian Youth Connection class for junior and senior high students will be taught by Pastor Jen Fraser. Both classes meet from 10:00-11:00 each Sunday. We look forward to all of our children and youth participating! Our two adult Sunday school classes will also be continuing during the time between worship services. Pastor Terry Palmer s class focusing on upcoming sermons meets in the Christian Education building. A second class that views and discusses a variety of topical videos meets in the overflow area of the sanctuary. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!!!! We are always in need of additional teachers for the children s Sunday school program. We hope to have enough volunteers so that each teacher will only need to teach one or two times per month. A background check is needed prior to teaching. Curriculum and materials provided!! If you are interested, please see Judy Sullivan or Britney Blackburn. GPC Crossroads 10 August 2018

11 August Monthly Planner 7 GPC Crossroads 11 August 2018

12 Gilbert Presbyterian Church Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) 235 East Guadalupe Road Gilbert, Arizona Tel: Fax: Web: ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED / DATED MATERIAL Remember It is never too late to send in your PLEDGE. Please help support the work of the larger church through Per Capita giving - $34 per member. Thank you! Birthdays: 2 Lynn Clapper 2 Mary Ann Wilkie 5 Beryl Elwood 5 Tim Swanson 6 Alia Eccles 6 Terry Palmer 7 Mike Russell 8 Betty Vollertsen 11 Danny D Aguanno 11 Courtney Ihms August Celebrations 11 Jan Palmer 12 Jake Barton 12 Terry Couts 13 Anne Barton 19 Joyce White 22 Kaly Nasiff 23 Matthew Burger 24 John Stover 25 Sue Jax 26 Jason Hall 27 Maggie Fraser 31 Lena Nape Anniversaries: 3 Bruce & Dale Coe 11 Rick & Marilyn Dickens 13 John & Lisa Ewoldt 14 Ken & Sue Hassen 19 Bob & Mary Beth Szabo 22 Elvin & Audrey Shaw 26 Tom & Betty Walford 29 Frank & Judy Walmsley GPC Crossroads 12 August 2018