201 N. Mill St. Fredericksburg, Ohio Phone Website: From the Pastor s Desk

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The Lamplighter 201 N. Mill St. Fredericksburg, Ohio 44627 Phone 330-695-2511 Website: www.fredericksburgpres.

growing people in the faith through loving relationships.

1 The Lamplighter 201 N. Mill St. Fredericksburg, Ohio Phone Website: Jack McClelland, Pastor September 2012 From the Pastor s Desk Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church Vision Statement Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church is dedicated to prayer, reaching out and growing people in the faith through loving relationships." On March 25 th of this year Session voted to recommend that our church move its denominational home from the Presbyterian Church, USA (PCUSA) to ECO: a Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. Session made this recommendation for two reasons: 1.) missional call, and 2.) theological change. First, we believe the missional call of ECO to build flourishing churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ matches our call as a local congregation to make disciples by being dedicated to prayer, reaching out and growing people in the faith through loving relationships. Second, we believe that theological changes within the PCUSA lead us to no longer be compatible in our core beliefs with our parent denomination. Since that time, Session has taken several steps to educate you about what such a change would mean. They produced several documents which outlined our theological reasons for leaving and the pros and cons of such a move. Copies of those documents are still available in the narthex. In addition, Session hosted a church-wide luncheon, Q&A, and time of prayer on April 22 nd. That was followed up with another time of open discussion and prayer on April 26 th. During the summer months, not much happened on this issue as we waited for ECO to review our application for admission and as we waited for the Muskingum Valley Presbytery (PCUSA) to take care of procedural matters necessary for our dismissal. Then, on August 19 th, together we watched a video in which John Ortberg presented the vision of ministry and identity for ECO. Now, the time is drawing near for you to vote on this matter. Session members will interview with ECO representatives in early October. Pending ECO s approval of us and the Muskingum Valley Presbytery s approval of ECO, we will be ready to vote on Session s recommendation that we leave the PCUSA and join ECO. That vote has been scheduled for Sunday, November 11 th. This vote requires that we have 2/3 of active members present AND vote in favor of dismissal. This is approximately 100 people. This threshold may not seem too high when you consider that our average worship attendance is 110 people. (Continued on page 3)

2 CONFIRMATION CLASSES TO BEGIN Pastor Jack is leading a Confirmation Class for 7th and 8th graders this fall on Sunday mornings during the Sunday School hour (9:15 am - 10:15 am). If you would like to enroll your young person, please contact the church office by Sept. 16. NEWCOMER S CLASS What exactly does our church believe? Why do we do things the way we do? Who is that new person sitting three rows in front of me? If you've ever asked yourself these questions, you might want to consider attending the "Newcomer's Class" on October 14th. As the name implies, the class is being offered to all newcomers to the church. But, it will also be a great learning opportunity for "old timers" as well. Participants will enjoy a provided lunch directly after worship on that day. Then the class will begin at 1pm and last until 3:30pm. The discussion will be very informal and allow plenty of time for you to ask about the things you d like to know about Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church. We will also talk about what membership means in our church. The class is required for anyone desiring to join the church through membership, but there will be no pressure to become a member at the end of the class. CHURCH CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER Note: you can find expanded and updated calendar events on the new church website: 9/2 Coffee Fellowship following worship 9/4 7:30 p.m. Trustees Meeting 9/6 9/6 7:00 p.m. Adult Small Group Leaders Meeting 9/9 NO ADULT or CHILDREN S SUNDAY SCHOOL 9/12 6:30 p.m. Ladies Bible Study 9/16 NO ADULT or CHILDREN S SUNDAY SCHOOL d 5:00 p.m. Hayride & Hotdog Roast at Rhamy s 9/23 Congregational Meeting following worship 9/24 7:00 p.m. Outreach Team Meeting 9/26 6:30 p.m. Ladies Bible Study 9/27 7:00 p.m. Session Meeting MOUNTAIN VISION TRIP The Outreach Team will be traveling to Lousia, Kentucky again this year and giving Christmas gifts and a program to about 200 kids. The dates for the trip will be Dec 7 and 8. Volunteers are needed to make the trip, help with the program and hand out gifts. This would be a great trip for parents to take their children on and/or to invite any friends from their Oikos to go with them. Please be thinking and praying about going on this trip. Contact Jim & Shirley Croskey if you think God is calling you to go to Kentucky. More information will be available soon. September Birthdays Anabelle Thompson 5 Paisley Rowe 6 Madison Rowe 9 Ryan Brooks 12 Gary Graham 12 Olivia Mullins 14 Annie Kolbeck 15 Bud Fisher 16 Emily Smith 17 Bill Nichols 22 Butch Speelman 26 Val Haver 26 Georgie Miller 28 Ali McClelland 29 Sandy Schlegel 29 Chad Badger 30 September Anniversaries Chad & Judy Badger 2 Joe & Myra Leeper 7 Don & Joyce Rhamy 8 Tom & Sherri Machamer 15 Jerry & Connie Herman 25 Steve & Delores Schlegel 30 Jason & Charity Thompson 30 October Birthdays Jean Bricker 1 Jim Ward 4 Bill Spencer 8 Heidi Yacapraro 8 Millie Brinkerhoff 12 Ezekiel Rhamy 12 Hailey Schlegel 14 Sadie Schlegel 14 Carrie Roberts 16 Kelly Herman 21 Kevin Walton 27 Marilyn Walton 30 LEADER MEETING There will be a meeting on Thursday, Sept. at 7 p.m for adult small group leaders. CONGREGATION TO MEET Session has called a Congregational Meeting for Sunday, September 23 following worship. The purpose of the meeting is to elect representatives from the congregation for the Nominating Committee. ANNUAL HAY RIDE & HOT DOG ROAST The Annual Church Hayride & Hot Dog Roast is Sept. 16 at 5 p.m. Bring a covered dish to share, your hotdogs and buns and lawn chairs if you have them. Beverage and condiments will be provided. SEEKING A YOUTH MINISTER The church is seeking a part-time youth minister to fill the vacancy left by Katie Esselburn when she accepted a position in New Bremen this summer. A job description is available in the church office and also on our website Resumes should be received in the church office by Wednesday, Sept. 19.

COMMITTED TO CHRIST SMALL GROUPS FORMING Have you ever wondered what small steps you can take in your life to help keep you Committed to Christ in a big way? On Sept.

Each week we will join together in small groups, devotional readings and engagement of Scripture and the Sunday sermon.

3 COMMITTED TO CHRIST SMALL GROUPS FORMING Have you ever wondered what small steps you can take in your life to help keep you Committed to Christ in a big way? On Sept. 16 th we will begin a 7-week church-wide program to help all adults and youth grow in their commitment to Christ. Each week we will join together in small groups, devotional readings and engagement of Scripture and the Sunday sermon. Everyone is encouraged to participate in a small group, but the Committed to Christ devotional books are also available to those who can t participate in a small group. Books will be available for pickup during worship on Sept. 2 nd and 9 th. Please contact the church office, or sign up in the Friendship Register, by Sept. 9 th to enroll in a small group. Also note: nursery care is now available at 9:15 am on Sunday mornings. Committed to Christ Small Group Options: Meeting Day, Time, Location, Content Sunday, 9:15 am, church office Sunday, 9:15 am, fellowship hall Sunday, noon, Church fellowship hall for lunch Sunday, noon, restaurant location TBD Sunday, 6:00 pm Youth House Wednesday, 10:00 am fellowship hall Wednesday, 7:00 pm, group member homes Format First meeting date Sept.23rd Last meeting date Nov. 4 th First meeting date Sept. 23rd Last meeting date Nov. 4 th First meeting date Sept. 16 th Last meeting date Oct. 28 th First meeting date Sept. 16 th Last meeting date Oct. 28 th YOUTH ONLY First meeting date Sept. 16 th Last meeting date Oct. 28 th LADIES ONLY First meeting date Sept. 19 th Last meeting date Oct. 31 st TWENTY SOMETHINGS First meeting date Sept. 19 th Last meeting date Oct. 31 st Group Leader Jeann Burkey Pastor Jack Claudia Ward, assistant Al Amstutz Barry Henderson, Jeff Edington Nick & Beth Miller Mary Fry AJ and Annie Kolbeck THE ASHER S IN AFRICA: UPDATE Drs. Tom and Karen Asher whom our church has supported since 2008, are beginning their fifth year of mission work in Kamakwie, Sierra Leone Africa. While there, through God s grace, they have witnessed improved health care and staffing at the hospital, the first phase of the electric project being completed, a guest house opened in Freetown that benefits the hospital and many souls brought to Christ and His kingdom through the hospital and their outreach and the Jesus film program. Through prayer and discussion, the Asher s have decided to sever their ties with Global Partners and instead, partner with the Wesleyan Church of Sierra Leone. They strongly feel God has called them to continue to minister to the people of Kamakwie. They will be returning there in January Tom and Karen are seeking support through prayers, supplies and donations. Our church will continue to support the Ashers as we have in the past. If you would personally like to support their ministry, there is how to information available for you in the church office. FROM THE PASTOR S DESK (continued from page 1) But, many of these people are non-member children and adults who are not eligible to vote. On any given Sunday, the average number of active members present is 80 people. So, it is imperative that every active member attend worship and vote to affirm Session s recommendation on Sunday, November 11 th. Once 2/3 of our active members have voted to leave the PCUSA and join ECO, the Muskingum Valley Presbytery will vote to release us. That vote could take place at their meeting on November 27 th and dismissal could be effective as early as December 1 st. Session members recognize that this is not an easy process or decision. So, they are offering another opportunity to engage in open dialogue and prayer on this topic on Thur. Oct. 27 th at 7pm. Please join us during this time. Please also continue to pray that our church would be of one mind and heart on this matter. To further help you make an informed decision on this matter, There is a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ s) on the next two pages. In Christ, Pastor Jack

4 Fredericksburg Presbyterian s Dismissal from the PCUSA and Entrance into ECO: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ s) Are we seeking to leave the PCUSA because the PCUSA now ordains people who are in active homosexual relationships? Yes and no. Some people in the church feel very strongly on this issue and believe we should not be in denominational relationship with other churches who take this stance on homosexual ordination. Other church members stress that all people, including pastors, sin and thus find the issue of homosexual ordination complex. This second group typically wants to leave the PCUSA for other reasons such as its culture and organizational structure which impede mission. I ve heard it will cost more to be in ECO than the PCUSA. Is that true? Yes. This is true. Our denominational dues will go down. But, the cost for employee benefits will go up. The difference is approximately $8,000 per year. The primary reason for this change is ECO s system is more independent than the PCUSA s. There is not a pension program with ECO like there is with the PCUSA. Each ECO church is responsible for the benefits of its own employees. This is more advantageous to strong local churches like ours, but serves as a disadvantage to struggling local churches which need the financial help of a broader system. Additionally, with the median age of PCUSA members now being 61, and the denomination faced with the difficult task of closing more churches than it starts, one must question how long contributions from PCU- SA churches can continue to support the pension program. How long will it last? For that matter, how long will the PCUSA itself last? Why don t we just become an independent or non-denominational church? PCUSA rules will not allow any presbytery to dismiss a church to an independent or nondenominational status. In order to leave the PCUSA graciously, we must go to a denomination that is Reformed. This means the denomination shares the same theological tradition as Presbyterians and the churches within it promise to be accountable to one another. ECO meets the criteria of being Reformed and should be recognized by our presbytery as such on September 29 th. What does it matter if we leave the PCUSA graciously? First, it matters very much in terms of our faithfulness to Christ and His call to be a part of the church. Even though we have reasons for wanting to leave the PCUSA, the members of it are still brothers and sisters in Christ. And, Christ clearly taught that the world will know Him by His disciples love for one another. Even though we disagree, we can do so graciously. In this world of polarizing debates, that is a tremendous witness. Secondly, only churches that are dismissed graciously can retain their property without a legal battle. PCUSA rules state that the property of all local churches are held in trust by its presbytery and presbyteries have the discretion of letting congregations leave with or without their property.

5 What if our presbytery wants to keep our property? Our presbytery is blessed with strong, Christ-like leaders who are more concerned with building the Kingdom of God than building the financial assets of the presbytery. Thus, they do not desire to use a congregation s dismissal as an opportunity to seize the local church s assets. Accordingly, the presbytery has adopted a gracious dismissal policy which allows congregations to leave and retain their assets. Not all presbyteries function this way. The attitudes and atmosphere within a presbytery can change based on leadership. How is ECO different from the PCUSA? ECO is different from the PCUSA in four primary ways: theology, polity, mission and culture. Theologically it is more conservative than the PCUSA. It reflects what our church believes about God and the Bible but still affirms the ordination of women. Many other Reformed churches do not. Polity refers to organizational structure. ECO s structure is much lighter and less restrictive than the PCUSA s. In ECO, local churches own their own property and Sessions have much more authority to empower people for ministry. Regarding mission, ECO s central focus is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. It is purposefully keeping its polity light so that it can be nimble enough to respond to varying needs within a rapidly changing world. This is in contrast to the PCUSA where supporting institutional structures have taken precedence over mission. In terms of culture, ECO is marked by a spirit of excitement, generosity, graciousness, love and passion for the Gospel. Group gatherings and worship services have the sense of God is at work! God is doing something new in His people! We will respond in faith! We will share His love with a needy world! This is in contrast to PCUSA gatherings which have been marked in recent years with fighting over theological beliefs and a sense that our best years are behind us. What happens if we choose not to join ECO or the vote fails? Several things: 1.) We stay under the PCUSA brand. This is important because some people will join, or not join, our local church based on our denominational affiliation. 2.) We stay in a system where there is much infighting and despair. 3.) We will have little national support for our outreach endeavors. 4.) Our property remains in the control of the presbytery rather than our local church. This could impact our potential building project. 5.) In the long-term, our pastor s status as non-ordained could be an issue. Pastor Jack is a Commissioned Lay Pastor. Our session and presbytery leaders recognize that while Jack is called to serve our church, he does not feel called to be ordained into the PCUSA. That decision has not posed a problem with our session or current presbytery leadership. However, there are no guarantees that future presbytery leadership will feel the same way about this arrangement. In ECO, our pastor s ordination status would not be an issue.

6 Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 259 Fredericksburg, OH September ELDER ASSIST SCHEDULE Sept. 2 Earl Rhamy Sept. 9 Mary Fry Sept. 16 Joe Leeper Sept. 23 Tom Machamer Sept. 30 Barry Henderson GREETER SCHEDULE Sept. 2 Janet Albright & Millie Brinkerhoff Sept. 9 Millie Brinkerhoff & Janet Albright Sept. 16 Betty Carr & Mary Edington Sept. 23 Mary Edington & Betty Carr Sept. 30 Angie Chapman & Anita Spencer SUNDAY SCHOOL NURSERY September 2 Barry & Mary Ann Henderson September 9 Georgie Miller September 16 Jane Ann Heilman September 23 Bill & Fritzi Nichols September 30 Myra & Joe Leeper USHER The Usher for September is Russ Brinkerhoff. The Usher for October is Don Rhamy. DEACONS Joan Lytle ( ) is the Deacon the first 2 weeks of September. Liz Walton ( ) is the Deacon for the last 2 weeks in September. Please call Joan or Liz if you are aware of need in the church family. CHURCH NURSERY Sept. 2 Claudia Ward & Andrea Chapman Sept. 9 Molly Parrot & Brenna Mullins Sept. 16 Deanna Smith & Michelle Wood Sept. 23 Judy Badger & Sadie Schlegel Sept. 30 Connie Herman & Shyler Swinehart CHILDREN S CHURCH Sept. 2 Angie Chapman & Ellen Chapman Sept. 9 Lori Mullins & Alexis Mullins Sept. 16 Pat Thomas & Logan King & Matthew Smith Sept. 23 Delores Schlegel & Hailey Schlegel Sept. 30 Shirley Swinehart & Shad Swinehart CHURCH OFFICE HOURS Church office hours are Tuesday thru Friday 9:15 a.m. til 5 p.m. You can leave a message on the church answering machine ( ), and your call will be returned as soon as possible. You can Secretary Jeann at : fredpresby@embarqmail.com and Pastor Jack at: jack.mcclelland30@gmail.com Pastor Jack s cell phone is CHURCH STAFF Jack McClelland, Pastor f Jeann Burkey, Office Administrator f Janet Albright, Custodian Zach Amstutz, Chain Reaction Shop Monitor

201 N. Mill St. Fredericksburg, Ohio Phone Website: Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church Vision Statement

The Lamplighter 201 N. Mill St. Fredericksburg, Ohio 44627 Phone 330-695-2511 Website: www.fredericksburgpres.org Jack McClelland, Pastor November 2012 Fredericksburg Presbyterian Church Vision Statement