SEEK: SERVE: SUPPORT: SUSTAIN: Saturday, November 9, 2013 Sunday, November 10, 2013 Centennial Celebration Dinner Centennial Worship Service

Transcription

1 Escalon Pres November 2013! SEEK: to bring others to Faith in Jesus Christ! v SERVE: in Mission locally and globally! SUPPORT: personal Growth through God s Word! v SUSTAIN: a Christ-Centered Fellowship The Centennial Celebration is Here! November 9, Saturday, November 9, :30 pm Centennial Celebration Dinner Escalon Community Center ~ 1055 Escalon Ave - Escalon, CA Featuring dinner, historical displays, video presentation - Suggested donation $15.00 per adult Sunday, November 10, :30 am Centennial Worship Service Escalon Presbyterian Sanctuary ~ 1612 First Street - Escalon, CA 11:45 am Centennial Fellowship Escalon Presbyterian Faith Center Featuring chicken pot pies and assorted fruit pies November 2013 Newsletter 1

2 S E Q U O I A C L U B Denomination Process Complete By Joel Adams congregation as well - for your questions, for your input and for your guidance of Session as they acted on your behalf. We are all grateful that our congregation is still together in faith and in unity. We are ready to move on to a new chapter and refocus ourselves on the ministry needs of our congregation as we begin a new century of life together. I m ready to finally get back to consistent pastoral life myself. May Escalon Presbyterian Church continue to shine the light of Jesus Christ. October 23, marked our first day as an official member of the Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians (ECO). Much of who we are will change very little. We are still a Presbyterian church in a Presbyterian denomination. We hold to the Reformed Confessions that have marked Presbyterians for centuries. We are bound together in a Presbytery that includes local Presbyterian churches as well as more to come from the surrounding region. Our local organizational structure continues as it has been with an active Session (Elders), a Deacon Board and an ordained minister. Yet much of who we are will become clearer and, we hope, healthier. We are now bound by clearly articulated Essential Tenets of belief that uphold both biblical truth and the grace of Jesus Christ. Our leadership will be connected to other churches in smaller mission affinity groups from which we can learn and challenge each other. Ministers will be connected in pastoral rule groups to focus on ministry health and biblical growth. Our denominational gatherings will be focused more on leadership development, theological integrity, and missional focus (church planting, global concerns) than political posturing. On behalf of the Session, Troy Onsager FINANCIALS Actual Income Budget Income Under Budget Actual Expense Budget Expense Over Budget FINANCIALS MONTH - SEPTEMBER Income $ 18,205 $ 20,007 $ (1,802) Expense $ 22,259 $ 20,007 $ 2,252 YEAR-TO-DATE Income To read more about ECO you can visit their website at: eco-pres.org. It is a vibrant site with all of the information you d expect from a denomination - its mission, its beliefs, its structure as well as helpful video sessions of the National gatherings on a host of topics. I d like to thank the members of Session who have served over the past three years, spending countless hours in research, listening, discernment and finally, the arriving at the moment of decision. I d like to thank the Actual Income Budget Income Under Budget Actual Expense Budget Expense Under Budget $169,426 $180,063 $ (10,637) Expense $172,639 $180,063 $ (7,424) 2 November 2013 Newsletter

3 Let All Things Now Living By Joel Adams Harvest seems to last forever. I keep thinking the dust will subside, but then I notice another almond field being swept, walnut orchard being shaken, or vineyards being stripped. Toward the end of harvest people start to complain about the dust and the heat, which never seems to relent. To think we complain! What bounty and how fertile the land we are blessed to live on in this San Joaquin Valley. This land and surrounding areas provides food for the world. Our inconvenience during harvest is far outweighed by the many benefits of our various crops. These benefits are realized by most of us personally, but also are showered across the globe. Church hymnody has done well in giving us words to express gratitude for God s creation and the abundance we all know well. When our own words don t seem to express adequately our hearts gratitude, poets can offer us help. Hymnals are full of glorious words that have been paired with music. Hymnody, taken from the Greek Hymnodos, means hymn song. It is generally agreed that hymns or hymnody are unique to a church or period in time. Hymns have changed over time, but can still be identified with the most significant change of choral four part hymn songs introduced most broadly by the Western Church. These hymns have been organ and choir led in their classic form. Contemporary songs have stepped back in time to the ancient church practice of one line melody singing. The lack of musical education in society overall has led to most classic hymns and contemporary hymns (praise songs) being sung unison by the congregation. One of my favorite hymns is generally included in hymnals as a unison song. The festive Ash Grove tune is fantastic and inspiring with the text Let All Things Now Living. The tune is a traditional Welch Song originally written with the harp in mind by Llwyn Onn in The text was perfectly paired by Katherine Davis in the 1920 s. Katherine is also known for The Little Drummer Boy, which she composed in Given Davis skills as organist, pianist, composer, and music instructor, she could not fail in joining this tune and text. The tune is festive and majestic, while being joyous and memorable. The text is among the finest in it s pairing with this unique tune. It is a song of thanksgiving, which is appropriate for this harvest season. We join with all of creation proclaiming God s praise! Let All Things Now Living A song of thanksgiving to God our Creator triumphantly raise; Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us, by guiding us on to the end of our days. God s banners are o er us, pure light goes before us, a pillar of fire shining forth in the night; Till shadows have vanished, all fearfulness banished, as forward we travel from light into Light. By law God enforces. The stars in their courses, the sun in its orbit obediently shine; The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains, the depths of the ocean proclaim God divine. We, too, should be voicing our love and rejoicing with glad adoration, a song let us raise; Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving, to God in the highest, hosanna and praise. AMEN! November 2013 Newsletter 3

4 Session Notes Deacon Notes By Jeff Hood By Cheryl Hall The Session of Escalon Presbyterian Church met on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013 in the Fireside Room. Business Finance - Current status, and looking thru end of the year projections, income looks good. Expenses will be over, if projections stand. Increases in expenses are related to ECO Trip, Presbytery Dismissal Payout, Centennial Planning, and Property Appraisal. Church Life Centennial Dinner is donation driven and a good will offering will be available at the celebration. Adult Education classes continue successfully. Margy is excited at the opportunities to have a new Ministry Team partner and a new Adult Ed Team. Christian Education is meeting 10/23 regarding Christmas program. Mission & Outreach Dick and Ellen provided a Missions report, included with the Session packet, regarding their trip to Swaziland. David is putting together his list of ideas following a recent meeting with a Missions Group in support of local mission opportunities. Trustees met with a Contractor regarding Master Plan and making progress. A request was made for renderings to present to Session in the next few weeks. Effective tomorrow, we are part of ECO. Troy and Jeff met with Presbytery on Monday and concluded the dismissal process. We are part of ECO Presbytery of the West (everything west of Mississippi). With the changes here in California, there will likely be several Presbyteries established. ECO holds 10 to 20 Churches per Presbytery. Troy handed out options to fill future Session openings, fulfilling the revised bylaws, requires completing the remaining 3 years terms and begin the new 4 year terms filling 6 vacancies. Also, Clerk of Session position will be advertised with Nominating Committee. Session is to review for next meeting. Community Events: CARE donation Sunday is November 3 for canned meats and Dec 1st for cereal.and we can accept other nonperishable items too. Stuff the Bus 2013 is happening on Nov at Big Boy Market drop by with some non-perishable items to help our local food bank. We will have Operation Christmas Child boxes available for those who are interested in participating in that ministry. Supplies will be in the Faith Center. Our Gift-Tree will be available on December 8th for those wanting to participate in getting gift items for local families and children. Sign-up sheets for the gift tag you take will be available in the Faith Center. This congregation has always gone above and beyond when it comes to caring for our community thank you for that! Deacon Events: The Deacons are winding down their 2013 events but looking forward to Salvation Army food preparation and serving will happen three times this year, dates available soon. Deacon Sunday is always a good day to get to meet with those on our Deacon list. And we will have four new Deacons joining the team this year. We are so grateful for those who have served on the Deacons and done so with all their heart. As always we want to remind you to contact your Deacon or the church office for prayer concerns or if we can be of any assistance to you. Wishing you a blessed Thanksgiving holiday Meeting adjourned with prayer at 7:55 p.m. 4 November 2013 Newsletter

5 BIRTHDAYS NOVEMBER 2 Ruth Paz Virginia Estrada 3 Cheryl Hayes Jerry Hougland 4 Marsha Love Michele Hood 6 Alexis Tidball 9 Virgina Giddens 11 Elaine Holt Michael Voorhees Victor Paz 12 Jack Woodward 13 Nic Abraham 22 Sarah Abraham 23 Jim Stanley 24 Nicolas Franzia 26 Joe Bottoms 27 Erma Jeanne Barton 29 Ellen Nelson 30 Caleb Sandoval ANNIVERSARIES NOVEMBER 8 Tony & Alicia Johnson 13 Jerry & Diane Hougland NOVEMBER 3 THOSE WHO SERVE Trustees Tom Love Greeters Richard & Corinne Thompson Lay Leader Sandi Price Sound Bob McCune Nursery Shelby, Lisa, April, Cheryl Fellowship Diane Goodrich, Patty Mayfield Flowers Dave & Cheryl Hall NOVEMBER 10 THOSE WHO SERVE Trustees Randy Schmidt Greeters Dave & Margy Sawyer Lay Leader Special Guests Sound Rodney Alcantor Nursery Mary, Ellen, Alicia, Tony Fellowship Centennial Pot Pie Flowers Celebration Of EPC s Centennial NOVEMBER 17 THOSE WHO SERVE Trustees Jeff Hood Greeters Martha Crosby Lay Leader Linda Gentry Sound Rick Guevara Nursery Mike, Dawn, Sherry, Zach Fellowship Julie Bottoms, Ellen Nelson Flowers Patti Farhat NOVEMBER 24 THOSE WHO SERVE ASSIGNMENTS NOVEMBER Welcome Counter Deacon Prayer Team Communion Jeff Hood Margy Sawyer Tom & Marsha Love Margy Sawyer, Jeff Hood Laura, Sherry, Bob, Margy Trustees Greeters Lay Leader Sound Nursery Fellowship Flowers Tom Love Linda & Breanne Fourmont Jerry Hougland Rick Jones Dee, Charlie, Carol, Richard, Hailey Cheryl Hall Taylor & Samantha Bruns November 2013 Newsletter 5

6 November 2013 October 2013 S M T W T F S November 2013 S M T W T F S December 2013 S M T W T F S Escalon Presbyterian Church US Holidays Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Halloween C.A.R.E. Sun anned Meats Daylight Saving Time End Daylight Saving Time 3 4 7:00 PM Trustees Meet 5 Election Day 4:00 PM 'An Out Of The Box Christmas' Practice 6 2:00 PM Girl Scouts Meet 4:00 PM 'An Out Of The Box Christmas' Practice Centennial D r Celebration Centennial C on - Worship 11:30 AM Centennial Celebration - Fellowship 10 Veterans Day Veterans Day :30 AM Mom's Time Out :30 PM Women's Circle 7:00 PM S.I.S. Bible Study 18 7:00 PM Session Meeting 19 Newsletter Deadline 20 2:00 PM Girl Scouts Meet 6:30 PM Deacons Meet Thanksgiving Page 1/1 6 November 2013 Newsletter