In Contact. A Publication of the First Presbyterian Church of Boone Equipping Ordinary People to Lead Extraordinary Lives in Christ

Transcription

1 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Friends, In Contact A Publication of the First Presbyterian Church of Boone Equipping Ordinary People to Lead Extraordinary Lives in Christ It s hard to believe that it s already November! And in just a few short weeks we will begin the Advent Season as we wait and prepare for the celebration of the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But before we get to Advent, I want to highlight some ministry opportunities that are coming up that you may be able to participate in: November 9, 2014 Sermon: Calm My Anxious Heart Scripture: Philippians 4:4-7 Matthew 6:24-34 Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Dedication Service Wednesday, November 12th 5:30pm Pizza Dinner and 6:15pm Service Bradford Park Thanksgiving Meal Packing and Distribution Friday, November 21 st Noon Packing Saturday, November 22 nd Distribution For more information contact: Harless Wright or Dean Gropper Thanksgiving Feast for our Hospitality House Guests Saturday, November 22 nd 10:30am setup Sunday, November 23 rd 5:00pm -7:30pm welcoming and feeding For more information contact: Diane Huffman CELEBRATING 75 YEARS IN MINISTRY Even as you read this, our Nike and Focus Sunday School Classes will be serving the homeless by packing necessary supplies and serving a meal at the Hospitality House this weekend. Our youth will be serving breakfast this Saturday at the Hospitality House as well. God has blessed us to be a blessing, and I hope that you can make time to be a blessing to others with all that we are already doing in the weeks to come! Grateful to be your Pastor, November 7, 2014 First Light Service - 8:45AM Sunday School 10:00AM Traditional Service - 11:00AM Please remember in prayer Rev. Jeff Smith, the Session, the Diaconate, our staff, and our congregation in preparation for worship. Children s Bulletins by age are available in the Gathering Space.

2 Page 2 I Am Chosen calling all women!!! Come out for a fun filled afternoon of fellowship with our youngest daughters of Christ. What: Little Dresses for Africa sewing party Who: Sponsored by the Gigi s and Princesses When: Sunday, November 16th from 3-5 pm Where: Multi-Purpose room Bring your sewing machine, thread, pillowcases and ribbon. (Sewing skill not required!) Little Dresses for Africa is a non-profit 501c3, Christian organization, which provides relief to the children of Africa. Simple dresses are made out of pillow cases, and distributed through the orphanages, churches and schools in Africa to plant in the hearts of little girls that they are worthy! Save the Date Our Annual Thanksgiving Meal Sunday, November 23 rd - 5:00 pm Wednesday Night Live! Menu November 12 OCC Event Pizza, Veggies, ice cream sundaes First Light Greeter / Ushers November 9 Jonathan, Anna, Thomas & Emma Lehman Kevin & Elizabeth Hutelmyer November 16 Jeff, Candice, Sullivan & Madelyn Trexler Trent & Caroline Edwards November 23 Mike & Kristal Austin Kim Cooper THIS WEEK AT FIRST PRESBYTERIAN Sunday, November 9 8:45 AM First Light 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Traditional Service 4:30 PM Session 5:30 PM Youth Monday, November 10 6:30 PM ESL Tuesday, November 11 7:00 PM Hispanic Bible Study Wednesday, November 12 6:30 AM Men s Bible Study 2:00 PM Women s Prayer Group 5:30 PM Wednesday Night Live! Finale 6:15 PM Handbell Practice 7:30 PM Choir Practice Thursday, November 13 6:00 PM First Light Practice Deadline for articles - noon on Wednesday. Please article to jennifer@firstpresboone.net.

3 Page 3 Volume XXII, Issue 39 FPC KIDS CONNECTION Start preparing your children s hearts for Thanksgiving through these fun fellowship opportunities: WNL! Finale November 12 th - Pizza and OCC Shoeboxes! * Packing Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes as an individual, family or groups is an excellent way to recount our blessings and share Christ s love with others. * Pack your shoeboxes and bring them to the church for our WNL! fall semester OCC Shoebox Dedication Service and Pizza Party next Wednesday. * OCC Shoeboxes and instructions are still available in the Gathering Space. GiGi s and Princesses meet for a special Mission November 16 th *Our pink princesses are on a mission to help less fortunate girls in Africa by making and sending pillowcase dresses. *Women of the church are invited to join our K-5 th grade girls in their special project from 3-5:00 pm and share the fun. *Bring your portable sewing machines, if you have one, and your enthusiasm. * Call Christy Welch or Jennifer Woods for more information. Sunday School Preview * Gratitude, defined as letting others know you see how they have helped you, is the focus of November K-5 th Kids Rock classes. * Little Rockers and Rocking Tots continue a month of thankfulness for all God has created when they thank God for creating land. Thankful Trees for Pre-schoolers *This Sunday our Little Rockers and Rocking Tots will bring home smaller versions of the Thankful Trees we are decorating in Sunday School this month. *Families are invited to write or draw things for which they are thankful on the leaves, then tape the leaves on their Thankful Trees. November Parent Cues * If you missed getting a copy of November monthly Parent Cues on Sunday, copies are available at the bulletin board between the K-2 nd and 3 rd -5 th Sunday School classes and at our FPC Website. * The November Family will have more in-depth weekly Parent Cues to help you talk with your children as you walk along, when you lie down and when you rise up. Rock-Kid Launchers ROCK! * Serving as a Rock-Kid launcher requires only a willingness to share your time and energy and love for Christ with our fabulous kids. * We invite you to sign up by visiting the Sign up Genius Website: * To all our Rock-Kid Launchers we give a BIG YOU ROCK thanks! *** Ideas? Send them to Sharon at , or sharon@firstpresboone.net ***

4 Page 4 Operation Christmas Child The OCC committee is asking our congregation to pack their own shoeboxes this year. You can get involved by packing a box individually or with your families, small groups, and/or Sunday School Class. Our hope is to truly involve the entire congregation with this ministry. Please use the signup sheet at the OCC table so we can keep track of how many boxes to expect. The empty boxes will be left in the Gathering Space until they are all given out. Please feel free to use some of the items which have already been donated in the collection box located downstairs across from the stairwell. For those folks who do not wish to pack a box, we will welcome donations to help cover the cost of shipping. Please make your check payable to Samaritan s Purse and write OCC in the for line on the check. See schedule below: Sunday, November 9 - Return completed boxes Wednesday, November 12 Pizza Party for our Fall WNL & Dedication Service for shoeboxes You can also make a difference by volunteering at the Operation Christmas Child Warehouse on one of the following dates given to FPC. Sign up at the OCC table in Gathering Space: Wednesday, December PM Wednesday, December PM Monday, December PM OCC Committee Melba Gropper, Anna Lehman, Mary Hall, Kay Stacy & Pat Weaver

5 Page 5 You have been invited by Elaine Berry to sign up for "First Presbyterians Coffee Ministry." Please click on the link below to view the online sign up sheet. To sign up, go to: Stewardship Update: I am pleased to say that we have received 79 pledges to date, which includes 14 new pledging units from last year. Thank you! According to last year s giving, we only had 81 total pledges for It s possible that you missed our Dedication Sunday and have not yet offered your pledge and turned in your time and talent form. The good news is, it s not too late! For us to be the people our Lord is calling us to be and for us to be the church God is calling us to be, we need to move beyond ourselves and join in Christ s work together. Every member s support is needed. If you have not yet pledged to be part of God s work here in 2015, please pledge online by clicking on the Responding to God s Faithfulness 2015 link on our homepage: Together as the Body of Christ we can make a difference for the Kingdom in the ways in which we support the mission of the church! Jeff Smith Missions Committee and Circle 2 are again sponsoring our Fair Trade Christmas Market. The sale is hosted in partnership with SERRV International, the Fair Trade Federation, Unique World Gifts, and 10,000 Villages. Heifer International gift cards, Hospitality House of Boone Honor Cards and Samaritan's Purse gifts will also be available. The common mission of these organizations is to promote social and economic progress in developing regions of the world by marketing handcrafts and food products in a just and direct manner. Do your Christmas gift shopping with us. Shop for musical instruments, ornaments, jewelry, home goods, scarves, bags, crosses, crèches and stocking stuffers. Supplies of Fair Trade coffee, tea, chocolate, soup and cookie mixes will also be available. The sale will be held in our multi-purpose room on Saturday, December 6 from 9:30-3:30 and Sunday, December 7 from 9:30-1:00pm as well as 6:00-9:00pm. Set up will be Friday, December 7 from 2:00-4:00pm. If you are able to help on any of these days please contact Arlene Steeves at or arlene@thesteeves.org. Staff s Jeff Smith jeff@firstpresboone.net Jennifer Jones jennifer@firstpresboone.net Sharon Carlton sharon@firstpresboone.net Marc White fpcbooneyouth@gmail.com Elizabeth Abel elizabeth@firstpresboone.net Tammi Zaidel tammi@firstpresboone.net

6 Page 6 Welcome to Our Newest Members! Meghan & Michael Engdahl Michael & Meghan are joining by transfer of letter from First Presbyterian Colorado Springs, CO. They have an 11 month old son, Gabriel. Meghan s job at Samaritan s Purse brought the Engdahl s to Boone. They have enjoyed the warmth and openness they have received at First Presbyterian Boone and are looking forward to becoming a part of a family, since their families are in Texas and California. Angela Hampton Angela comes today by reaffirmation of faith. Angela lives in Deep Gap and works in the Watauga County Schools. She and her daughter, Ally, are looking forward to being involved at FPC, studying God s word, and becoming involved in FPC community service opportunities. Rebecca & Todd Liljestrand Todd & Rebecca are joining today by transfer of letter from First Baptist Church of North Wilkesboro. They have been attending FPC for over a year and we are excited about them joining our church family. Todd and Rebecca are passionate about serving and are very gifted in missions. They have two small children, Porter and Lila, that are involved in our children s program. Todd is looking forward to getting to check the member box on the friendship registry.

7 Page 7 Welcome to Our Newest Members! Angela Smith Angela is joining by transfer of letter from Eastminster Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC. She is wife to our Pastor, Jeff Smith, and mom to Brennan and Lawson. She is looking forward to raising their children at FPC, seeing them grow in the faith through Sunday school teachers, youth advisors, and other mentors. Angela is looking forward to being a part of a family of faith and serving together. Joan Smith Joan is coming today by transfer of letter from Highland Park Baptist Church, Austin, TX. She is the mother to our very own Jana Wilkins. Joan (pronounced JoAnn) has been visiting for quite some time and enjoys worshiping with her daughter. She is a retired teacher and has been volunteering with Hospice, spending time with friends and family, teaching adult Sunday school, and involved in a writing group since her retirement. She is looking forward to meeting new friends and a new place of service. Charlie Sykes Charlie is a returning member to FPC, moving his membership by transfer of letter from Mt. Vernon Baptist Church. His wife Dottie, and friends from this church, have been such a show of God s love throughout the years. Charlie is thankful for Pastor Jeff becoming our permanent minister, saying his messages are inspiring and help us grow closer to the Lord. He is also looking forward to the guidance and instruction of different members of the church, which is helpful for daily living.