From The Pastor s Office

Transcription

1 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Office Phone Harvard Hills Rd. P.O. Box 846 Harvard, IL From The Pastor s Office 2017 remaining Communion Dates August 5 & 6 September 9, 10, & 30 October 1, 28 & 29 November 18 & 19 December 2, 3, & 24 You need only to receive communion once a year to remain on our active membership roll. Recently I read a book titled before Amen by Max Lucado, I about the power of a simple prayer. He explained how the power of prayer had worked in his church and how the strength and unity of the church had been increased. As we know, prayer is extremely powerful and the prayers of the faithful can move mountains. This past weekend at the end of the Worship Services, I announced that I was looking for twenty people or more to commit to pray with me for our church. This group of people will agree to pray daily for six months for our church. Each person will choose the time that is convenient for them. If you are interested in joining this prayer group please contact me or see me at church. I will have a short list of ideas available that we can use for our prayers this coming week after services. I am very excited about this as I have seen amazing things happen when believers join together in asking for God s help. In our prayers, we come to God with empty hands but high hopes because God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3: 20). Let s agree to pray together and watch what God can do! In His Service, Claire

2 2 HARVARD FOOD PANTRY Food Pantry Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of each month but you can bring in donations anytime and place in our grocery cart in the hallway. Perishable items are purchased from cash donations to the Pantry. Go to the church website And see the church s calendar and also upcoming events. Presbyterian Work Day for the month of August is the FIRST Contact Florence if you are able to help. OFFICE VOLUNTEERS CIRCLE IV WILL MEET ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 10TH while Janet was on vacation Meg Kruckenberg, Helen Anderson, Andrea Williams, and Midge Roach covered the office phones. Much appreciated!!!!!! AT 1 PM POP TOP COLLECTION PROGRAM: Little things can make a big difference. You can help the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago by saving the little tabs you pull to open soda, soup or other aluminum can. The funds generated from recycling these aluminum gems help offset the House s expenses. You can help by bringing your tabs to the church and placing them in the box by the door of the work room. Thank you, Florence Spesard

3 3 THANKS TO OUR FOUNDATION for the purchase of a new Risograph machine. Our old one died after 13 years of excellent service. THIS IS NOT A COPY MACHINE, it is used for making 10 or more ink copies! Ask Janet for instructions on use. CHURCH FUNDRAISERS Sentry Funds for Friends: Shop at Sentry in Walworth, and save your cash register receipts, A DATE MUST APPEAR ON EACH GROCERY RECEIPT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO GIVE US CREDIT, please do not cut off the date on the receipts. GROCERY RECEIPTS CAN NOT BE SUBMITTED IF THEY ARE MORE THAN 4 MONTHS OLD. Return your receipts as soon as possible to the church with a Funds for Friends Sticker on the back and place them in the container in the Narthex under our bulletin board. Shop on line at to sign up. Enter your cause as First Presbyterian Church of Harvard to earn us a % of your purchase for any of over 900 popular online sites. Many of the sites are linked to igive.com, so once signed up, when you make a normal purchase we will receive the donation automatically. You also can browse the participating sites at igive.com and see the related % of giving through each retailer. Direct your questions to Mike Engle. We are NO longer accepting used computer ink cartridges.

4 4 KITCHEN INSPECTOR FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST IS MARY JANE HALDEMAN A kitchen inspector s job is to check the kitchen and the parlor once a week during your month. Inspect the refrigerator for spills, old food and beverages which should be thrown out because of being expired. Please also take home any dish towels that need washing and return them the following week. If you are unable to inspect for your month please find someone to fill in for you. Thank you for your help!!!! CHIMES, SCREEN AND BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENT DEADLINES Bulletin and screen announcements MUST be in by 9 am the Wednesday morning before that Sunday. For the CHIMES you must have your signed article in by 9 am the morning of the 21st [Disclaimer: All articles will be printed as is as content/spelling is responsibility of submitted author] Important notice for CHIMES articles: We follow guidelines for non profit organizations bulk mailing restrictions. These restrictions relate to the type of advertisements allowed: the advertisement of a product, service or announcement of an activity must substantially contribute to one or more of the purposes on which our organization is authorized. Restrictions also apply to cooperative mailings, credit, debit, charge or similar financial instruments, or advertisements. These restrictions became effective on October 1, CHIMES usually available on-line on church s website after the 26th of each month. There will be paper copies of the CHIMES available in the Narthex after its completion each month

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6 6 AUGUST BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES Anniversaries Aug 03 Patrick and Nancy Clinnin Aug 05 Elvis and Michelle Patnaude Aug 05 Terry and Phyllis Perkins Aug 06 Gary and Carol Hildreth Aug 07 Michael and Aletha Engle Aug 09 Christopher and Alexandra Nor Aug 09 Adam and Jennifer Bannwolf Aug 15 Ronald and Penny Ashcraft Aug 20 Robert and Julie Beetstra Aug 23 Mark and Kate Olbrich Aug 27 Scott and Glenna Schilthelm Aug 29 Larry and Emalee Colver Birthdays Aug 01 Aubrey Vermett Aug 02 Beverly Mikus, Russell Leipnitz, Wayne Mikus Aug 03 Olivia Peterson Aug 04 Lori Hermonson Aug 05 Rafael Ortiz Aug 08 Phillip Towne, Alice Ashcraft Aug 10 Jacob Olbrich, Donna Ingram Aug 12 James Yates Aug 13 Barbara Urquhart Aug 14 Alexandra Nor, Donald John Davidson Aug 16 Terry Perkins, Gregory Munks, Kim Hegge Aug 17 James Blazier, Michelle Noe Aug 18 Kara Hegge Aug 20 Alice Hayden Aug 22 Mary Lou Tyne, Kaitlynn Jesski Aug 23 Jacqueline Walters Aug 24 Shawn Bough, Robert Jr. Claussen, Mary Olbrich Aug 25 Sondra Gesselle, Benjamin Patnaude Aug 26 Cody Messick Aug 27 Robert Mitchell, Kendall Camp Aug 28 Kaelyn Anderson, Robert Nixon

7 7 Our Deacons cordially invites you to PAINTING FOR ALL! Absolutely NO art skill required! Artist Jennifer Stoll of JenniferSomething.com will guide us step-by-step through this painting. All supplies will be provided. Add to the personalization of your masterpiece by painting leaves, snow, blossoms, bees, butterflies, whatever you feel inspired to All Proceeds to benefit the Deacons Fund to help the needy in our community. $25 per 11x14 canvas Suggested one or two people per canvas (Parent or Grandparent and child, Grandma & Grandpa, Mom and Dad, Sisters, Brothers, two children or just go solo!) Saturday, August 19 th 10:00 a.m Harvard Hills Rd. Allow 2 hours. Recommended for ages 8 and up when accompanied by an adult. Due to the limited number of spaces, we are requesting everyone pre-register and pre-pay. Checks can be made payable to : First Presbyterian Church Deacons. Please reserve your supplies by August 1 th. Your Name Number of Canvases: Your phone number Your address Check # Cash By filling out this form, I understand that this is a fundraiser for the First Presbyterian Church Deacons Fund and that my payment is not refundable. QUESTIONS? ampm60033@gmail.com or call

8 8 Dear Congregation Members, News from The Interim Pastoral Search Committee July 12, 2017 As the Interim Pastoral Search Committee began its work in March we had no idea of the magnitude of the financial shortage in the Pastoral Ministry Budget which would need to be addressed before an offer to hire an interim pastor (and later a permanent pastor) could be made. It is never easy to approach a congregation with the need for additional giving, and we understand the sacrifice this could mean for our families. The Pastoral Ministry Budget by itself needs to be increased by $20,000 - $25,000 per year and then sustained at that level. To recap, there was a Special Session Meeting on June 14 th to which Trustees and Foundation Members were invited. At that time the specifics of the financial need were presented, and we agreed to meet again in a Special Session Meeting on June 26 th to bring back ideas to address the financial short-fall. Here is the result of the June 26 th meeting: (1) We will establish a Designated Pastoral Ministry Supplemental Account to accumulate as soon as possible $40,000 - $50,000. This fund will allow us to fund the interim/permanent pastors for two years while our Stewardship Committee works to increase our yearly giving by $20,000 -$25,000 per year in order to continue to sustain the total Pastoral Ministry Budget. How can we achieve this goal? (A) The Interim Search Committee will not offer an Interim Contract before January 1, (Claire Brennecka has agreed to continue serving our congregation until an Interim is hired and Session will request that she be commissioned to administer sacraments through December, 2017.) From June through December, the difference in the salary paid to Jeff Borgerson and the salary being paid to Clair Brennecka will be deposited into the Designated Pastoral Ministry Account each month. That is $ per month or $22, by the end of December, Please note that once an Interim is hired, these monthly deposits will stop because that money will go towards the Pastor s monthly salary. CONTINUED...

9 9 B) Foundation has committed to contribute $ to the Designated Pastoral Ministry Supplemental Account. That brings the total in this designated account to $26, by December, (C) The balance needed to reach the $40,000 - $50,000 goal by the end of 2018 is $13, $23, If each family unit contributing to our church would increase giving by designating $4 -$5 per week for the Designated Pastoral Ministry Fund ON AN ONGOING BASIS, we would not only meet our immediate goal by the end of 2018, but we would be able to sustain the increased Pastoral Budget in the future. (2) A Ministerial Team is being formed for the purpose of nurturing and encouraging our fundraising efforts toward the Designated Pastoral Ministry Fund and for our journey forward. All contributions to this fund should be labeled for the Pastoral Ministry Fund and will be directly deposited into that account. Praying for guidance, The Interim Pastoral Search Committee Donna Ingram, Chair; Amy Beetstra, Assistant Chair, Mike Jesski, Eileen Sieck, Marie Woodcock Presbyterian Church