A Publication of First Presbyterian Church, Maryville, MO

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1 Presby Post 2016 A Publication of First Presbyterian Church, Maryville, MO Celebrations May is a month of many celebrations. For some reason, we have crammed all of the spring holidays into a single month: May Day, Cinqo De Mayo, Mother s Day, graduation, Pentecost and Memorial Day. Keep your party hat close at hand! As a child, my favorite May holiday was May Day. On May first, my mother and I would pot a number of nice flowers in small containers. I would deliver them to the neighbors with a note attached. The most fun was the act of delivery. Tradition dictated that you set the flowers on a neighbor s porch, ring the bell and run. The floral gift and note were meant to be anonymous. They were a symbol to the recipient that someone in the neighborhood cared about them. Not many people celebrate this holiday anymore. Maybe the practice should be revived. On Memorial Day, we celebrate the lives of those who have gone before us. We remember their lives and the gifts of love they gave to us. There is a somber tone to the holiday. But it is a celebration. Memorial Day is a celebration of life and love that has been passed to us by others. It is a celebration of lessons of faith and God s grace passed to us by others. I think that is why it falls in the spring. The greatest religious holiday in May is Pentecost. This is the day the church celebrates its birthday. Acts 2 recounts the story when the disciples were waiting for what s next. The Holy Spirit fell upon them; they prophesied and told of God s mighty deeds in all the languages of the world. From that day, the church grew and spread. From that day forward, more and more people were able to hear about God s powerful love. While each of the holidays in May celebrate something different and specific, all of them are a celebration of God s gifts. On May Day, we celebrate God s gift of community. On Cinqo De Mayo, we celebrate Mexico s victory over the French. They were freed from oppression. On Mother s Day we celebrate the gift of God s love we receive from the mother figures in our lives. Graduation is the celebration of the gift of an education. Yes, students work hard to earn their degree. But they walk down the aisle to receive their diplomas because they received support from parents, teachers, professors and tutors. Those who encourage students during the education process reflect God s love and grace. Students faith sustains them in their arduous studies. Pentecost celebrates the gift of the Holy Spirit to the church. Memorial Day celebrates the gifts we have received from those who went before us. All of May s holidays are reminders of God s gracious, ever flowing gift of love. It is a fantastic month of celebrating God s love and grace. With that in mind, celebrate in May with abandon. However, the party does not end on May 31 st because God loves us year round. Psalm 136:1-3 says: Thank God! He deserves your thanks. His love never quits. Thank the God of all gods. His love never quits. Thank the Lord of all lords. His love never quits (The Message). I think one really great way to thank God is to celebrate. Let s get the party going. Pastor Jonathan

2 Lectionary Readings 2 May 1 Acts 16:9-15; Ps. 67; Rev. 21:10; 21:22-25:5 John 14:23-29 or John 5:1-9 First Presbyterian Church 211 South Main Maryville, MO :00 AM Sunday School for All Ages 10:30 AM Sunday Worship pbymaryv@embarqmail.com churchstaff2@gmail.com Church Web Page: Youth Web Page: Youth Facebook: First Presbyterian Facebook: firstpresbyterianchurchmaryvil lemo Church Staff Hours Rev. Jonathan Mitchell, Pastor 8:00 AM-Noon Monday Thursday Vicki Wainscott, Administrative Assistant 8:00 AM noon Monday Thursday Larry Mannasmith, Music Dir. Cayla Maynes, Youth Leader Merlin Atkins, Custodial Care Stephanie Crabtree, Nursery Coordinator May 8 Acts 16:16-34; Ps. 97; Rev. 22:12-14, 16-17, 20-21; John 17:20-26 May 15 Day of Pentecost Acts 2:1-21 or Gen. 11:1-9 Ps. 104:24-34, 35b; Rom. 8:14-17 or Acts 2:1-21; John 14:8-17 (25-27) May 22 Trinity Sunday Prov. 8:1-4, 22-31; Ps. 8; Rom. 5:1-5 John 16:12-15 May 29 1Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39; Ps. 96 Gal. 1:1-12; Luke 7:1-10 Inside This Issue Pastor Jonathan s Message.1 Lectionary...2 May Schedules....3 Nina Schneider.4 Pentecost and Trinity Sunday Rummage Sale, Quilters.. 6 Upcoming events. 7 Financial Report... 8 Trustees Meeting... 9.Mission Trip and Youth News Traveling Day Camp Kid s Page. 12

3 3 Birthdays Merlin Atkins Linda Hanson Pam Petersen Anniversaries Jane Cronin Richard Fulton Margaret Wells Merlin and Kay Atkins Vicki Wainscott and Ray Garton Coffee Hour May 1 Kay and Merlin Atkins May 8 Jana and Jonathan Mitchell May 15 Potluck honoring new members May 22 Pam and Ron Petersen for Pam s birthday May 29 Memorial Day No Coffee Hour Shepherd's Kitchen Crew May 5 May 12 May 19 May 26 Karla Rusco, Karen Pfost, David and Lois Wooten Diane and Ron Brown, Richard Fulton, Ron and Pam Petersen Emergency Preparedness Club Carole and Jeff Funston, Frances and Floyd Hook, Sharon and Marlin Slagle Ushers Al and Pat Turner Bill and Pat Mozingo April Attendance

4 4 Nina Schneider September 08, 1936 April 23, 2016 Obituary Nina Schneider passed away at Mosaic Life Care in St. Joseph, MO Saturday April 23. Her dedication to the church, music education and community service is unmatched. For decades, Nina taught students voice and instrumental music in many schools in Maryville. Much of this career was spent with her husband, Lee directing the Maryville High School band. In the church, Nina served as a deacon, led numerous musical groups and was cotreasurer. Nina also shared compassion with the community by assisting the elderly file their taxes. She had a sharp mind for finances and music. It is impossible to summarize the impact Nina s dedication and commitment had on students and the church through the years in a few short paragraphs. She was steadfast in her love for God and shared that love with others. Nina had an independent, determined spirit and no task was too large for her to accomplish. Nina s hard work, love and presence will be deeply missed. Yet, we claim in faith and hope that her life continues in God s presence. Memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, April 30, 2016, at First Presbyterian Church. The burial will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery, St. Joseph, MO, at a later date. The family will receive friends from 6-8:00 PM, Friday, April 29, 2016, at the Bram- Danfelt Funeral Home, Maryville, MO.

5 Always with us Forty days after Easter, we celebrate Jesus ascension into heaven. This occurred 10 days before Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus followers, as he had promised. Jesus ascension reminds Christians that although his body couldn t remain present everywhere, we can universally experience his spiritual presence. In fact, Jesus final words to his disciples and to us contain this key promise: I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20, ESV). 5 Ruth a Pentecost story? The disciples were celebrating Pentecost, originally a Jewish festival, when the Holy Spirit descended on them and birthed the church. Pentecost, which began as a harvest festival, had come to commemorate the giving of the law. The book of Ruth became integral to festival worship. Why Ruth? This short story doesn t mention the law, let alone God giving it to Moses. Yet in Ruth s devotion to her mother-in-law ( Where you go I will go. Your people will be my people [Ruth 1:16, NIV]), she fulfills not just the letter but the spirit of the law: loving-kindness all the more remarkable because she s a foreigner. Boaz, too, demonstrates exorbitant kindness to Ruth. As Christians celebrate the Spirit bridging differences in Jerusalem, uniting all nationalities by making the gospel message intelligible to all people, we too can remember Ruth s story. For in it, God unites two enemy peoples for God s grand purpose: Boaz and Ruth s marriage leads to King David and, ultimately, to King Jesus. Today, the Holy Spirit continues to unite all categories of people under Christ s reign for the good of the world. Shield of the Trinity This symbol consists of a triangle with a circle at each point, labeled in Latin with the three Persons of the Trinity; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. A circle in the center is labeled God. Six lines show the relationships formed, with inner lines marked "is" and outer lines marked "is not." The resulting sign declares that God is Father, God is Son and God is Spirit, yet the three Persons are not the same.

6 6 Rummage Sale Report Thanks to everyone for their assistance with the rummage sale. We appreciate all of the donations and had many volunteers this year who helped us unpack, sort, label, sell on Friday and Saturday, and then repack leftovers for disposal. The sale was a "HUGE" success - we earned $ for the general operating fund - and we could not have done it without you. Karla and Diane Work Day Success! A huge thank you goes to all who came to the work day. Many rooms were cleaned and organized. A group cleaned the kitchen. Recycling was taken to appropriate places. Other things long lingering in closets were removed. Folks spiffed the beds outdoors. The windows were attached with soap and squeegee. Many other things were accomplished as well. The place looks great. Thank you again! Sunday School Teacher Appreciation During worship on May 1

7 7 Upcoming Events New Member Potluck On May 15, we will have a Potluck in honor of new members Jack and Linda Frisbie; David Wooten and Lois Dawson We always have good food and fellowship. Coffee Hour Change Up We will be trying a new thing with coffee hour beginning Sunday, June 12. Since many people go to lunch following worship, we will have coffee hour from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. This will give everyone an opportunity to grab a cup of coffee before worship. The choir will also be able to participate as they finish rehearsing around 10:10. The coffee will be served upstairs in the hall by the narthex so people will not have to go downstairs. In addition, we will serve only coffee and tea. This is an experiment. We will see how it goes. Worship in the Park June 5, 10:30 AM, we will have worship at Judah Park. The annual church picnic will be after worship. The Church will provide hamburgers, hot dogs, buns and condiments. Bring a dish to share.

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9 9 Trustee Highlights April 2016 Trustees: The process which will allow parishioners to give electronically is progressing. Final details will be given to the congregation soon. The elevator passed inspection. A list of jobs was compiled for the Work Day April 23. The trustees are in the process of reviewing the building use policy. Trustees made a quick review of the long range project priorities. Trustees agreed that it would be best to elect a moderator other than Pastor Jonathan. Action will be taken at the next meeting. Session: Session meets April 27. We will send April Session Highlights separately. Our apologies.

10 10 Summer Senior High Mission Trip with FUMC June 18th-24th, for students entering 9th-12th grade in Fall 2016 What to expect: June 18th: Drive to St. Louis that morning, then play at the St. Louis City Museum. (afternoon/evening). We'll eat Supper at the Spaghetti Factory, maybe visit the Arch, and then head to Scott s House in Patton Mo. June 19th: continue on to Cairo IL June 20-23: Do mission work in Cairo (pronounced Cay-row, unlike the city in Egypt) is a small town that sits at the southernmost tip of Illinois. Since this is the spot where the Ohio River meets the mighty Mississippi, Cairo was once a significant stopping point for traffic on the river. Unfortunately, the decline of the river industry led to a loss of jobs and an in crease in poverty. How do I register? Step One: pre-register online ( by clicking the register link you are signaling intent to attend the Sr. High Mission trip, but you won't be fully registered until the youth group has received a $50 deposit and returned the completed medical form.

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13 13 May 22 Last Day of Sunday School until Fall