and Branches Pastor s Pen April 2018 I am the vine; you are

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1 I am the vine; you are Vine thebracn and Branches the branches. If you remain in me and I in him you, you will bear forth for much fruit; apart NEWS OF FRONT ROYAL PRESBYTERI AN CHURCH from me you can do nothing. John 15:5 NIV In This Issue Annual Meeting page 2 Easter Egg Hunt page 3 Do You Bake? page 4 Birthdays/Anniversaries page 5 Fellowship Trip page 6 HVAC Fund-Raiser page 7 Pray for: Our Persons in the Armed Forces Paul Conner, John McComas, Nicholas McComas, Bryan Sullivan, Marc Iverson Our College Students Katie Bowers, Quinn Blankenship, Jimi DiNinno, Lucas DuMez, Jacob Evans, Courtney L Amoreaux, and Shane L Amoreaux, Kaylee Venable Session Meeting There will be a Session meeting on April 9 at 7:00 p.m. Pastoral Care Sherry Downs is the liaison for pastoral care. If you need care or a visit, please contact her at Pastor Carrie Evans pastor@frontroyalpres.org Rev. Dr. R. Mark Jordon, Clergy Colleague rmjordon@gmail.com Heather Ankerbrand, Music Director nkrbrnd@gmail.com Renee Perry, Admin. Assistant admin@frontroyalpres.org Church (540) Fax (540) Pastor s Pen I had the joy of attending the Empty Bowl dinner benefitting the House of Hope recently and it reminded me of the scene from Indiana Jones where Indiana had to choose the Holy Grail from among the beautiful and ornate goblets in the cave. The villain chose the most beautiful goblet he could find, covered in gems and shining gold and when he drank from it, he withered away into the dust. He Chose Poorly Indiana on the other hand, searched the goblets remembering all along that Jesus was indeed the son of a carpenter, a king in his lineage, but not a king adorned with silver and gold but with a crown of thorns. Indiana searched the cave and found what most would consider a rude imitation of a goblet, made of clay, rudely thrown together and of no specific color, yet when Indiana drank from it, he lived. Indiana Chose Wisely. The bowls at the Empty Bowl dinner were all amazing and my daughter Isabelle had picked out one with a butterfly for me seeing that I do love the theology of the butterfly. It sat in front of me throughout our dinner and before we left I walked one more time around the room. And like Indiana, I saw it. I swear it hadn t been there before and to anyone else, it would have been a rude creation with little use. It is slightly larger than a mug, but with no handle. Its colors are that of the earth, not the bright yellows, blues and reds of a butterfly. Too small for soup, too big for tea just right to share in the cup of Christ, the sacrifice of our Savior. It reminds me that oftentimes, we look around for the shiny, the flashy, the most popular or the most beautiful to the eye, when we as a church, as a body of Christ are called to look past that. Front Royal Presbyterian does a lot of GOOD WORK in the community, but I still think Christ is calling out to us to do more. I want to challenge each of you to visit the Community Table on any Thursday evening around 5:00, you don t need to work, serve, cook or even clean up; I would invite you simply to sit with our guests and become a guest yourself. Share in conversation, fellowship and break bread. Look past everything else around you and I guarantee you ll be the vessel God needs to show His love to others. Pastor Carrie

2 Offerings for C-CAP and 4 -a- Meal Donations are on the second Sunday of each month. The 4 -a- Meal Offering provides funds for Presbyterian hunger programs nationally and internationally. If you wish to have part of your offering go to C-CAP or some other local hunger program, please put those funds in a C-CAP envelope, or write a check, designate your offering to C-CAP or other hunger program in the memo line of the check. C-CAP needs grocery items as well as monetary donations. Stewardship of Time and Talents Average Attendance through March 25: Sunday School: 16 Worship: 75 Holy Communion Holy Communion will be celebrated Sunday, April 1 during the morning worship service. April Birthdays April birthdays will be celebrated on Sunday, April 15 at 10:30 a.m. in the Sunday School hallway. Music News April Music News Easter is fast approaching and the choirs are eagerly preparing to lead a festive service of singing and ringing familiar Easter standards, as well as music from Easter celebrations from around the world. Join us to celebrate the Resurrection! You are invited to several exciting musical events in April: A Concert of Organ & Piano Duets Monday, April :00 pm The chapel at the Village at Orchard Ridge Drs. Heather Ankerbrand & Yongsook Baber The Blue Ridge Singers Friday, April :00 pm FRPC Front Royal Oratorio Society Sunday, April :00 pm FRPC Installation On March 18, Front Royal Presbyterian Church had a welcome luncheon for Pastor Carrie Evans, followed by an Installation Service. The service was conducted by members from Shenandoah Presbytery, as well as members of FRPC and Pastor Carrie s family and friends. Community Table Thursday, April 26, Front Royal Presbyterian Church will host Community Table. We need volunteers to help in the kitchen and deliver that day. All help will be greatly appreciated. Please see Deanne McVey or call the office if you can help. Annual Meeting The Annual General Meeting of the Front Royal Presbyterian Church and the Front Royal Presbyterian Church Corporation will be held after the Fellowship Lunch on Sunday, April 15th, All Ministry Moderators are asked to send their annual reports to Renee Perry by April 12. 2

3 Oberammergau 2020 Passion Play Travel to the picturesque village of Oberammergau, Germany to witness a performance of the epic Passion Play. The original performance dates back to If anyone is interested in going, please contact Ana Larson at Cruises Travel and Tours , so she can determine how many will be going and set up a tour package. There is a sign-up sheet on the Narthex table. Flowers for the Sanctuary 2018 If you would like to provide flowers for the sanctuary during 2018, please sign the sheet on the Narthex table and put down how you would like it to read in the bulletin. Presbyterian Women There will be a Presbyterian Women meeting on Tuesday, April 10 in Room 105. Hallway Art Hallway Art in April will be titled Ten Key People from the Bible. Be sure to check out this display in the Sunday School Hallway. Elsie Upchurch Elsie Upchurch is recovering from a fall at Commonwealth Assisted Living, 600 Mt. View St., in Room 220. She would love to have visitors. Nursery Attendant Needed We are seeking someone to care for the infants of the church. Childcare experience required. Must be CPR certified or willing to take classes. Individual must be nurturing, able to communicate openly with parents, and must prioritize safety and cleanliness,. Applicants should contact the church office at admin@frontroyalpres.org. Members Needed to Volunteer with Pre-K and Nursery Join the fun! We are looking for members to assist with our growing Sunday morning children's programs. No work required, just come and play! If you would like to volunteer once a month, once a quarter or even just once a year, please contact Heidi Rutz at HeidiRutz@PremierMove.com. Thank you! Easter Sunday Please plan to join us for Easter Sunday Morning Worship at 11:00 a.m. with choir, bells, and Holy Communion. Easter Egg Hunt There will be an Easter Egg Hunt on the grounds of the church at 10:30 a.m. on Easter Sunday, sponsored by the Sunday School. Rain or shine. All ages welcome. Bring your own basket, if you can. If you are interested in helping to hide eggs, please be at the church at 9:15 a.m. New Sunday School Classes It is with great excitement that the Christian Education Committee is announcing NEW Sunday School classes beginning April 8, 2018: Nursery Pre-Kindergarten will meet in the nursery with Madeline Hullihen Kindergarten Fifth Grade will meet in room 102 with Kim Ziegler Middle and High School will meet in the youth room with Malissa Horton and Larry Funk The Men s Class, led by Ben Lacy will meet in room 100 The Pastor s Class will be held in room 200 The Pastor s Class will be reading a book titled Being Presbyterian in the Bible Belt. If you d like to purchase a copy, please see Pastor Carrie. Sunday School will BEGIN at 9:45 for adults and opening exercises for the children in the sanctuary. Children will go to their classes following opening exercises. In addition, Children s Worship will meet every Sunday in the chapel following the Children s Time during the Sunday service. This will be led by Kim Ziegler and will teach our youth how to worship through song, prayer and the Word. Presbytery Meeting Report Ruling Elders Patrick Younk and Wesley Harris were remembered in the reading of the Necrology Report. Rev. Caroline Evans was introduced and welcomed as the Pastoral Candidate for Front Royal Presbyterian Church. A presentation on safe churches was conducted by Augusta County Deputy Chris Sacara. This is an issue that needs to be reviewed by FRPC and rules and training for officers and others of the church so that they know how to react to a person who enters the church with a weapon. 3

4 SERVERS for April Date Greeters Ushers Flowers Coffee Prayers for Wholeness Communion Preparers Communion Servers Worship Leaders 1 Clayton Downs Marta Steane Sherry Downs Larry Funk (HU) Bill Hall Ben Weddle Easter Flowers Zach and Kara Logan Sallie Hall Nancy Laing Sandra Lehr Larry Funk Gloria Harris Alex DuMez Sherry Downs Ben Weddle Elaine King 8 Clayton Downs Marta Steane Sherry Downs Larry Funk (HU) Bill Hall Ben Weddle Pat Lee Gloria Harris Donna Edwards Richard Johanson 15 TBA Ron Harvey Ollie Sessions Ron Harvey (HU) Lisa Venable Bob Tennett Jennine Salzgeber Worship Ministry Team Fellowship Luncheon Zach Logan 22 TBA Ron Harvey Ollie Sessions Ron Harvey (HU) Lisa Venable Bob Tennett Jennine Salzgeber Evans Family Sandra Lehr Debbie Hunter Deanne McVey 29 Debbie Hunter Marta Steane Donna Edwards Ron Harvey (HU) Lisa Venable Bob Tennett Jennine Salzgeber Tracey Ramey Rachel and Adrian Burt Donna Jordon Easter Flowers If you would like to place flowers in the sanctuary for Easter Sunday, please purchase them from your favorite florist and have them delivered to the church or bring them to church on Easter Sunday. If you would like something put in the bulletin, please call or the office by March 29. Do you bake? April 11-15, I will be in Fluvanna County to participate in a Kairos weekend. Kairos is a prison ministry that introduces inmates to Christianity. An important aspect of each weekend is the presence of cookies, which are used to bless the inmates (these are the only homemade food permitted into the prison) and to represent forgiveness. Each team member is asked to bring 100 dozen cookies for the weekend. I am appealing for cookies from several sources; however, it would be wonderful if the bakers of FRPC could support this effort. Please see me for specific guidelines and/or for approved recipes. Look for some recipes on the Narthex table. Thank you to all of you who have indicated the intent to bake Kairos cookies! Please bring cookies to the church on Sunday, April 8 (Tuesday morning at the latest). There will be a box below the music bulletin board in the narthex for collection. Just a gentle reminder to put a dozen cookies in each Ziploc bag (the squeeze shut kind, not with the plastic zipper). Thanks again!! Heather Thank you The WMT would like to thank everyone for all their help in making the Lenten/Holy Week/Easter season so meaningful, reflective, and now joyful. Christ Has Risen, He has Risen Indeed! Praise God! Summerlee Mission Trip SAVE THE DATE!! PLAN TO ATTEND THE SUMMERLEE, WVA MISSION TRIP, JULY 8-13, 2018 LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW IN FUTURE PUBLICATIONS 4

5 APRIL 2018 SUN MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT Easter Office Closed 10:30am Easter Egg Hunt Communion 4 Cents-a-Meal Installation of Elders 10:30am April Birthday Celebration 12:00pm Fellowship Luncheon 1:00pm Annual Cong/Corp Meeting 44:00pm Front Royal Oratorio Concert Session Packet Deadline Session Meeting-Room 200 2:00pm Presbyterian Women-Rm 105 5:00pm Christian Ed Mtg. Rm 105 9:00am Building and Grounds Meeting Room :30pm Blue Ridge Singers Concert Newsletter Deadline FRPC Happy Birthday Carrie April Birthdays April birthdays will be celebrated April 15 Lauren Ewing 2 Jim L Amoreaux 2 Ron Stiefel 10 Mac McComas 15 Bob Tennett 17 J.P. Thomson 19 Paul Evans 21 Catie Noel 22 Karen Young 27 Marta Steane 27 Pastor Carrie Evans 30 Happy Anniversary Al & Ana Larson 26 Marta & Steane 29 If we missed anyone, please let the office know. 5

6 FRONT ROY AL PRESBYTERI AN CHURCH 115 LURAY AVENUE FRONT ROYAL, VA CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Fellowship Trip to Lancaster, PA On Wednesday, May 30 plan to go on a one day trip to Lancaster, PA, to see Jesus. Sight & Sound Theatres invites you to experience the greatest rescue story of all time! Jesus is the action-packed musical stage adventure that takes you on a miraculous journey alongside the most famous person ever to walk the earth and the everyday people whose lives he changed forever. While Jesus story may be familiar, his actions are unexpected. He befriends outcasts and heals the hurting. He challenges social norms and confronts hypocrisy. He sets sail with fishermen and reasons with religious scholars. And the lives he touches will never be the same. From the streets of Jerusalem to the raging Sea of Galilee, there s no place and no person that his love can t reach. To make a reservation, call Renee at the church office at Elsie Upchurch will still be your tour guide for this trip. The cost for the trip is $130.00, which includes bus fare, a stop at an Amish Market, dinner at Hershey Farm Restaurant, and the show. Payment is due by April 30. Make checks payable to Front Royal Presbyterian Church and send to the church at 115 Luray Ave., Front Royal, VA

7 The HVAC Needs Our Help! As you may know, our church has replaced the failing air conditioning system for the Sanctuary. The system that we replaced is one that dates back to the 1960 s and has been less than dependable for the last few years. Fixing the existing unit was no longer a viable option and so the decision to replace it was made. The work started on February 9 th and is now completed. Work cost the church $39, and those funds came out of the church s Manse account. In order to replace these essential funds, we are kicking off a fund-raising drive to replace that $39, and return our Manse account to its full capacity. If you would like to contribute to this fund-raising drive, make your check payable to the Front Royal Presbyterian Church and in the memo section, write Manse account or you can mark it on your offering envelope. Any amount will be greatly appreciated and may God bless you for your offerings. This fund-raising will continue for the next few months or until the funds are replaced. To keep you apprised of how the fund-raiser is going, the amount of funds collected so far for the Manse account is $3, Thank you to those who have helped with this cause. 7