Letter from the pastor

Transcription

1 Letter from the pastor Over the years of my ministry I have preached and taught on several themes. It is on purpose that I come back to such themes because I consider them important. Repetition is a good teacher. My favorite 10 themes are: The Great Commandment, the power of prayer, God brings good out of bad, the importance of Bible study to learn from the Word of God, the importance of family, to honor our nation, the importance of the Sacraments of Baptism and Communion, to believe in God with faith, hope and love, the importance of Salvation, and belief in eternal life. A brief look at each theme is a good reminder. The Great Commandment is Love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength; and love your neighbor as yourself. This teaching comes from the Old Testament and Jesus stressed it often. The Power of Prayer is a teaching of Jesus including the Lord s Prayer. We should pray not my will, but Thy will be done. Prayer is not so much asking God to do things for us as it is seeking a spiritual relationship with God. God makes good come out of bad. A classic example is how God took the death of Jesus on the cross and made it a means for our salvation and the gift of eternal life you cannot get to the joy of Easter without first going through the pain of Good Friday. There are many times in life when something bad happens to us but God brings some good out of it. Bible Study is the way we learn the will of God. The more you study the Bible the more you understand it and benefit from its wisdom. You should read your Bible every day and say your prayers every day. Family is the foundation of our society and families need the support of the church. We honor marriage and the baptism of children and family events like graduation and anniversaries. Families come in many shapes - grandparents, parents, children, siblings, cousins, and extended family. We are in need of family to help us cope with life. Family values are taught at Christmas plus Father s Day and Mother s Day and by family devotions. Our Nation grants us the freedom of worship. We should pray for our nation s leaders and those who serve in the armed forces. Christians are to pay their taxes and lives as good citizens who obey the laws and participate in our society on juries, community organizations etc. The Sacraments are a special focus of the church. They are a means of grace that Christ participated in during his life. They tell us of the importance of forgiveness of sins and the presence of God in our lives. Faith in God is a major influence in my life. Paul summed up the 3 great Christian virtues as faith, hope and love. We have faith in God to help us, faith gives us hope for the future and the ability to love others. Salvation is a key Christian value. We know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Nobody is perfect, all of us need to be forgiven. We need God our higher power to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from an evil conscience. We need a savior to save us from our sinful nature. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins upon the cross. Jesus was not a martyr but a savior. God raised Jesus from the dead on Easter morning to prove that God considered Jesus as his only begotten Son. God gave Jesus the power to give us eternal life. When we die we will all appear before the Lord for a review of our life. The Bible calls this the final judgement. We seek the mercy and grace of God to forgive our sins and take us to heaven to live together in peace, love and joy with God forever. We are thankful that Jesus is a loving Lord who will forgive us and save us when we ask for his gift of salvation. These 10 themes I mention as a reminder of what I have believed, taught and preached over the past 15 years of my ministry. May these Christian teachings be a blessing for you in the years to come. Your Pastor, Rev. Clint Patterson

2 Pray for those who are serving our Nation s defense: Todd Livingston with the U.S. Air Force at Ellsworth A.F.B., South Dakota. Pray for new church development known as Chain of Lakes Presbyterian Church & Pastor Paul Moore. Pray for those in the care centers Vivian Royce, Russell Patterson, George Whiting, and Jean Weinknecht. Pray for Eva Brennand, Lucille Thomas, Bonnie Varekois and Bob Chesnutt in assisted living. Pray for Ruth Swezey, Jeane Whiting, Betty Derby, Jack and Dusty Heiserman, Elaine Gransee and Danny Stucky for better health. Pray for Marie Kaufeld, Donald Heser and Ed Dutton in Hospice care. Communion Dates Sunday, August 14, 2016 Sunday, October 2, 2016 Sunday, November 27, 2016 Sunday, January 1, 2017 I believe the Bible is the best gift God has given to man. - Abraham Lincoln Youth Mission Trip Any youth interested in a mission project? We will again be going to Eagan for Feed My Starving Children. Let s meet at church at 9:00 am, Wednesday, August 17 th. Rev. Patterson and Bill Kase will drive, but we will need more adult drivers. We will eat in Eagan before we start work and work noon to 2:00 pm. We plan to be back to Kasson before 5:00 pm. Bring a friend! PW Greeting Cards The PW have re-organized the free greeting cards that are available in the Fellowship Hall. A box has been provided to receive new donated greeting cards. Please look through the cards there are some very nice choices. Thank you for your donated cards. Enjoy! Rhonda Rocap Rev. Patterson will be on vacation Aug. 1-8 to attend a family reunion in IA. Rev. Steve Robertson will be on call in case of emergencies Kevin Hackney ( a seminary student and relative of Helen Leqve and Bob & Karen Tracy will lead worship, Sunday August 7 th.

3 Church Information Website: s: Phone: NOTE: Rev. Patterson is available for counseling and home visitation when requested, as well as hospital visits when informed. We will again hold National Night Out at our church, on August 2 nd at 5:15 This is a potluck dinner for our neighborhood and all church members. Rev. Patterson will be the host (with the most) and Bob Tracy will be in charge of the kitchen (pitchin in). Bring your own plates, cups and silverware. Coffee and water will be provided; No alcoholic beverages please. Bring a dish to share with your neighbors! To the family and friends of Michael Root whose funeral was held at First Presbyterian Church in Claremont on July 1 st. Rev. Patterson presided over his funeral. Rev. Patterson leads Bible Study every Thursday morning at 9:30 am at Prairie Meadows. You are invited to join us. Birthday Party! You are invited to the 90 th birthday celebration for Betty Derby, Saturday, August 6 th from 2:00-5:00 pm at: The Waters 827 Mayowood Rd SW Rochester Treasurer s Report January-June Budget $129, Needed monthly 10, Needed Weekly 2, Receipts 53, Expenses 61, Balance - $ 7,795.38

4 August 3 August 4 August 5 August 6 August 7 August 13 August 14 August 18 August 20 August 22 August 23 August 25 August 26 August 29 Alexis Gransee Betty Derby Bev Livingston Sharon Law Randy Carlsen, Adrian Weis, Jackson Wilke Ally Holtz Hayden Prenzlow Quinton Kase Mitchell Morgan Wendy Flynn MacKenzie Alberts Kristin Overson, Buster Meyer Jane Carlsen Julie Lipps, Rachel Talbert Congratulations to Zach Peterson on being elected a voting delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia. We will be watching for him on TV in the Minnesota delegation. Zach has worked hard to earn this prestigious responsibility. Many thanks to our church members who helped with the Habitat for Humanity build. They include: Amy Borgstrom, Dick Hewitt, Bill Kase, Clint & Judy Patterson, Mike Prenzlow and Steve & Michelle Willert. Rev. Patterson serves on the Habitat Steering Committee that meets monthly to organize the builds. Habitat for Humanity is a Christian organization with eight churches in the KM area participating. Our next build dates are September 13, 15 and 17. Aug. 1 Aug. 2 Aug. 3 Aug. 26 Aug. 27 Aug. 31 Carl & Jennifer Mittelstadt Dan & Gayle Kaufeld Rick & Sharon Bexell Joe & Judy Jones Tom & Jerri Fogal Clint & Judy Patterson

5 As a YWAM worker, no one receives a salary. We all have individuals supporting us and are dependent upon God for our finances. One of the ways this works is each month all staff pay a staff fee. This goes to pay for things such as: electricity, water, food, and ministry needs. In Bluefields, our staff fee is $150 a month. The biggest needs that I have at the moment are my monthly staff fee payments ($150), residency costs ($500), and outreach costs ($3,000). I am in the process of getting my residency at the moment and this requires many different documents, possibilities of a lawyer, and visits to the immigration office. This can be a long process and while I wait for my residency every month I need to pay $20 more to remain another month in the country. As this process is ongoing the estimated cost is $500. Right away upon arrival I will be one of the leaders for a Discipleship Training School outreach. Outreaches vary in cost depending on where we go but this can be as much as $3,000. This is including traveling expenses, food, and other general necessities. Along with these different financial needs are other miscellaneous items. One of those needs would be to purchase a bicycle. I will benefit greatly from a bicycle so I don t need to spend on taxis very often and it s faster than walking. Other ongoing needs are: clothing, hygiene items, transportation costs (airplane, taxi, bus, boat), and food. Your support would be going to these different ministry and personal needs that I have. Caleb Bartel Which Account?? Help us know which account PW or church should pay the bill by putting PW slips in the kitchen on the refrigerator and church slips in the Treasurers box. The clock is on the wall above Janet s desk. Please put your name on the slip in case Larry, the Treasurer has a question. How well do you know where things are at your church? Where is this picture located? The answer is listed elsewhere in the newsletter. Happy finding!

6 FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 101 Sixth Avenue NW Kasson, Minnesota Telephone: Rev. Clint Patterson, Minister July 13, 2016 Dear Session and members of First Presbyterian Church, I have decided that it is time for me to retire. I am 67 years old and have been slowing down due to my age. I began as your pastor on August 1, 2001, so I served as your pastor for 15 years. They have been good years and I have appreciated your support of my ministry. My plan is to complete my work as your pastor the end of September and retire beginning October 1, Judy and I will continue to live at our current residence of th Avenue NW in Kasson. While we will not be with you in church we will be with you in spirit as your neighbor and friend. I am calling a Congregational meeting for Sunday August 14 after worship to confirm my resignation as pastor the end of September. During the next 2 months the Session will meet with the Presbytery Committee on Ministry to start the process of finding an interim Pastor. I cannot find my replacement, but I can put you in touch with the Presbytery committee members who can help. It has been a good 15 years together. Thank you for your support and God bless you in the future work of serving the Lord in Kasson. Love and peace, Rev. Clint Patterson

7 Tues., August 2 5:15 pm National Night Out held at our church Thurs. August 4 9:30 am Bible Study at Prairie Meadows Sun., August 7 9:00 am Worship/Kevin Hackney worship leader 10:00 am Fellowship Wed., August 10 7:00 pm Session meeting Thurs., August 11 9:30 am Bible Study at Prairie Meadows Sun., August 14 9:00 am Worship/Communion 10:00 am Congregational meeting August Wed, August 17 9:00 am Youth to Feed My Starving Children Thurs., August 18 9:30 am Bible Study at Prairie Meadows Sun., August 21 9:00 am Worship 10:00 am Congregational meeting/fellowship Tues., August 23 6:00 pm Christian Education meeting Thurs., August 25 9:30 am Bible Study at Prairie Meadows 7:00 pm Deacons meets Sun, August 28 9:00 am Worship 10:00 am Fellowship