THE WEATHERVANE April 2017

Transcription

1 Old First Presbyterian Church 125 Main St, Huntington, NY Return service requested Non Profit Org. U.S POST- AGE THE WEATHERVANE April 2017 Worship Services: Sundays at 10:00 a.m. 24

2 In Our Prayers Ruth Corwin and family, Kadi Cuneo (Worledge family friend), Bob Esser (member), William Gray (Dorothy Mandrakos father), Dave and Else Haddock (members), Kristin Keydel (Pam Fosella s sister), Joan Lobasso (member), Cynde and Robert Raynor (Brett's parents), Rebecca Raynor (Brett's sister), Gerry Schult (member), Greg Schult (Gerry & Leslie s son), Marian Vozza (Holly Baptista s sister), Peg Weigers and family, Ed Williams (member), and Grace Youngquist (member). Keep Rev. Matthew Means and his family in your prayers during this time of transition with his move to Huntington. Names on our prayer list will remain for a month. If you wish to have a name remain on the list, kindly contact the Church Office. Prayer List Requests If you would like to place someone on the Prayer List, please fill out forms located in the Narthex, and return to the Church Office. Additional forms are located in the hallway between Parish Hall and the Sanctuary and in the office. Dear Members and Friends of Old First Church; On Sunday, March 31st at the Congregational meeting, the congregation of Old First voted unanimously to extend a call to the Rev. Matthew Means to be our next installed Pastor. He has accepted our call and is planning to begin his ministry with us mid-may. The Pastor Nominating Committee, consisting of Jim Colbert, (Chair), Curt Abbott, Gloria Burgess, Kerry Degnan, Laure McKenna, Bob Miller, Susan Oehrig, Gillian Plastaras and Bob Ponzetti deserve our heartfelt thanks for their outstanding work in listening for God's voice as they were led in finding Rev. Means. The excitement generated today could be felt during Rev. Means sermon, the congregational meeting and at the coffee hour held afterwards. Our hope and prayer is that this excitement will continue throughout the Lenten Season and you will continue to support Old First by your attendance at church as we await Rev. Means arrival in May. God Bless you all! Tom Bosch Clerk of Session Special Days to Celebrate April 2017 Birthdays Sing a song of Birthdays Full of fun and cheer And may you keep on having them For many a happy year. (Anonymous) 1 Maryann Backstrom 7 Virginia Perry Carl Saenger 11 Jennifer Tibbetts 12 Jim Colbert 17 Chris Youngquist 26 Tim Youngquist 29 Carolyn Savage To see your special days listed in the Weathervane, please submit them to the Church office and they will be listed in the appropriate months. Since we do not have a Weathervane for the months of January, July, and August, these special days will be listed in the previous months issues 2 23

3 WEATHERVANE DEADLINE You are invited to contribute to the news and newsworthiness of our congregation! The Weathervane is published by Old First Church and distributed to members and friends of Old First Church. The deadline for our next issue of the Weathervane in May is: April noon. Please mail, hand deliver, or submissions to the Church office at: cheriecornell@oldfirstchurchhuntington.org or office@oldfirstchurchhuntington.org Weathervane assembly will be the last Wednesday of each month. Any one who is available and would like to help out, please let the church office know. Thank you. If you do not want to receive a paper copy of the Weathervane so we can reduce postage cost, please let the church office know. Thanks. Lent & Holy Week at Old First Sunday April 2, Worship at 10am Footprints in the Sand by the Senior Choir Sunday April 9, Palm Sunday at 10am Children s Processional, Choirs, Palms -One Great Hour of Sharing Offering Received- Thursday, April 13 at 7:30pm Maundy Thursday Service Cantata, Lamentations of the Lamb will be performed by the Sanctuary Choir Friday, April 14 at 12 Noon Good Friday Service of Darkness Keep in Touch...When going to Huntington Hospital, be sure you list Old First Presbyterian Church as your church. Hospital workers provide lists of Protestants and Presbyterians, but often do not know what Old First s affiliation may be....if you are aware of a member in the hospital, please let us know. Many people are admitted through emergency and will not appear on any church lists. Your minister is there often and wants to call on you. Please help by informing the church. We care. Saturday, April 15 at 6:30 pm Easter Vigil Presbyterian Church of Sweet Hollow 95 Old Country Road, Melville Sunday, April 16 Easter Family Service at 10:00 am (New) Special Worship Bags for Children in Worship He has risen! He has risen, indeed! 22 3

4 Sunday Worship Schedule Thank You April 2017 Sunday, April 2-5th Sunday in Lent 10:00 am: Communion Worship with Rev. Kate Jones Calone and Footprints in the Sand Cantata by the Sr. Choir Sunday, April 9 - Palm Sunday 10:00 am: Worship with Rev. Kate Jones Calone and Children s Processional, Choirs, Palms -One Great Hour of Sharing Offering Received- Sunday, April 16 - Easter Sunday 10:00 am: Family Worship Service with Rev. Mark Tammen For two glorious years of ministry with and among you! We also thank you for all your kindness and generous, thoughtful ways you said goodbye and God speed as I prepared to retire and move home to Oregon! Thank you, too, for delicious meals, gifts, a love offering and a painting of Old First as well as for our children s loving gifts a tree painting, book and cards!! We shall continue to hold all of you in our heart and prayers as you begin your next era of ministry! Rev. Anne & Ken Stewart Miller Sunday, April 23-2nd Sunday of Easter 10:00 am: Worship with Mr. Colby Rohde Sunday, April 30-3rd Sunday of Easter 10:00 am: Worship with Rev. Kennetha Pettus and Kids & Youth Choirs Thank you Thank you!! To PW ( that's all the women of Old First) you really stepped up and made the reception for Rev. Anne exceptional. As my husband says, if there are PW women the food will be fabulous. You proved him right. We will all miss Rev Anne. Her reception will be a pleasant memory of her leaving. Thank you again- Gloria & Sandy. 4 21

5 Spring Transition Plan Until our new Pastor, Rev. Matthew Means, arrives mid May, Worship Chair, Elder Tom Bosch, has arranged for interesting preachers and lay persons (including a Women s Sunday) to be here on Sunday mornings to preach and lead worship. Additionally, at their February meeting, Session elected Tom Bosch to serve as Church Administrator. For pastoral emergencies or other concerns, please call the church office or Tom Bosch. Thank you! Hello OFC Family! Youth Ministry Update I am so proud of our OFC children for their support and preparation for Reverend Anne s departure through song and artwork. Your children are full of kindness and generosity and I am so honored to be a part of their lives! This month in Youth Club, we baked Valentine s Day cookies, learned all about Ash Wednesday with Reverend Anne, and learned the meaning of Prayer, Fasting, and Giving during the season of Lent. We are excited to make our very own looms and learn how to weave with the generous donation of yarn and craft supplies! Sending lots of hugs to all of those who donated to our Craft Supply! We are accepting donations anytime. As for TUXIS, we had a blast making towers out of uncooked pasta & marshmallows, and turning ALL of our food green at Food 4 Soul! Gretchen and I are officially taking over Confirmation classes and are thrilled about our upcoming retreat to Camp Holmes. Be sure to read the next Weathervane to hear all about our retreat adventures! YOUTH CLUB: April 5: 5-7pm April 19: 5-7pm April 26: 5-7pm DATES TUXIS: *Food 4 the Soul DATE CHANGE: April 9: 6-8pm April 23: TUXIS 6:30-8pm Thank you I want to thank everyone who ed, texted, called, sent a card or said a prayer for our family after the loss of my Dad, Bob Mitchell, at age 94. Your kindness was vey much appreciated. We will miss him forever and he will always be in our hearts. Confirmation learning Food 4 the Soul Having fun 20 5

6 the campaign. So far this has resulted in a number of checks being sent in to Old First. you haven t sent out a packet, please do so now. More are available in the church office. If Church School News If you ever have any questions, would like more information or have ideas on how we can work together to reach our goals, please contact the church office and someone from the Trustees or Capital Campaign Committee will get back to you. And of course, thank you for your continuing support. Blessings, The Trustees The Capital Campaign Committee Easter is coming! Join us for our annual Easter egg hunt immediately following worship on Palm Sunday, April 9th. Bring your baskets and meet in room 102 to get instructions. All children, pre-k thru grade 4 are welcome. And don't forget - Easter Sunday is a family service! Vacation Bible School, for children age 4 thru grade 6, will be held from August Please join us for a fun-filled week of stories, crafts, experiments, snacks and more! Registration forms will soon be available. Keep watching the bulletins for more information. As you know, each Sunday we collect an offering from the children during our gathering time. All monies are donated to a worthwhile charity/group. Our final mission project for this year will be The Wounded Warriors. We will be discussing this with the children so they understand how they will be helping to make a difference. Bob, Katie, Kerry and Pat News from the Board of Deacons Our Board of Deacons has established a scholarship for a church member, graduating from High School and going to college. Application forms are available in the church office. Deadline for 2017 submission is April 20. Consideration will be focused on the applicant's involvement with Old First Church. The award will be for a minimum of $1,000. Funds covering this will come from Deacons undesignated funds. Should anyone wish to contribute to this fund, any donations would be welcome. Any questions or for further information please Martha Tibbetts divatibbs@aol.com 6 19

7 Steeple RESTORATION AND PRESERVATION The scaffolding is down and our steeple on the hill shines brightly once again as a beacon to all in our community. We are so blessed to have had this project come to completion with no major issues. The three windows facing Main Street on the steeple are currently being replaced. These were not original windows and had deteriorated to the point where they could not be restored. The new windows will be installed the first week of April. Other Projects This year we would like to improve our walkways, parking lot and other areas outside of our building. We are also looking at the feasibility of air conditioning our Parrish Hall and the basement AA room. We are currently looking at options and getting quotes on all of these projects. Fundraising As reported at the Annual Meeting in February the Capital Campaign has raised $600,000 in pledges from our congregation, outside grants and friends of Old First. Much of this money has already come in, the remainder will be coming in over this year and next as some of our parishioners opted to pay their pledge over three years as outlined in our Capital Campaign materials. The $600,000 pledged and given amount covers all of the projects we have completed as part of our Restoration and Preservation campaign, including the steeple restoration, and the renovation of the kitchen, Parrish Hall, Fiske Room, classrooms 101 and 102, the choir practice room, the AA Room, upgrading our heating controls and replacing our two flat roofs. Now, in order to move on to the remaining items on the project list we need to raise the final funds to get to our $1,000,000 goal. To that end we would ask the following - 1. If you haven t already given/pledged to the campaign please do so now. Although many of our members have pledged to the campaign others have not yet done so. We really need 100% participation from our congregation. Also, if you have given to the campaign please consider giving more. Know your contributions are being spent wisely with goal of restoring and updating our facility for future generations. 2. At the Congregational Meeting in February, Restoration and Preservation pledge packets were given out. We requested that these be sent to family, friends and acquaintances that may have an interest in Old First with a personal note encouraging them to give to Food 4 the Soul for TEENS Youth Ministry invites teens in 7th -12th grades to join the fun on the first Sunday evening of the month from 6-8 pm in the Youth Room upstairs. Enjoy food preparation, conversation, games, scripture, and more. How will you identify and respond to God s call on your life? Find out what God has cooked up for you!! Sign up each month in the Youth Room or - Gretchen Hargis - gfree16@yahoo.com that you will be attending. All teens are welcome! Friends are welcome! The Dates for the remainder of the year are 4/9, and 5/7. ***Due to various conflicts, there will not be a meeting in June *** Mark these Sundays on the calendar so you don t miss out on the good cookin and MORE. Community Food Council The Community Food Council is in need of donations of non-perishable food items, canned goods and items such as toilet paper (always needed) which are not covered by food stamps. Items needed for the month of April are: Cereal, Mac N Cheese, and Rice Thank you for your generous donations. 18 7

8 Spring Flowers and Their Symbolic Meaning Coordinating Team Meeting Moderator: Susan Oehrig ( ) PW Board meeting Tuesday, April 4th. Refreshments at 9:30am, Meeting begins at 10:00am Circle 1 (Evening Circle) Leaders: Heather Adams ( ) & Nancy Gittleman ( ) Meets the 3rd Tuesday each month at 7:30 p.m. in the Fiske Room. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, April 18th. Program to be advised. Circle 3 Bible Study Co-leaders: Gloria Burgess ( ) & Priscilla Jahier ( ) Lucy Fetterolf (co-leader emeritus) Our next Bible Study will meet on Wednesday, April 19th at 12:30 pm in room 101. We continue our study, Who is Jesus? with chapter 7 According to the Non- Canonical Gospels. We ask you to read lesson 7 in preparation. Circle 4 Quilting Leader: Asenath Fuchs ( ) Thursday Mornings at 9:30am in Room 101 All are welcome. No experience necessary. Will be working on the Quilt for this year and shoulder covers for oncology patients at the Huntington Hospital. Circle 6 Crafts Holiday Shoppe Leader: Kris Colbert ( ) Fridays, 9:45am in the Craft Room. All are welcome Presbyterian Women Giving: If you would like to contribute to the missions that Presbyterian Women support, you may use the envelopes in the pews. Please mark PW on the envelope and on your check make check payable to the Presbyterian Women. With our blessings and thanks, PW of Old First Church. Hyacinth: Symbolizing sport or play in the language of flowers, hyacinth represent constancy, while blue hyacinth expresses sincerity. Crocus: The crocus is one of the first flowers to emerge in the spring. It is often referred to as the light bulb flower because it looks like a bright light bulb until the petals unfurl into the cup shaped flower. It is no wonder it has a reputation as a symbol of cheerfulness, gladness, youthfulness, mirthfulness, and glee as it brings the landscape alive with color after a long winter. Daffodil: Symbolizing rebirth and new beginnings, the daffodil is virtually synonymous with spring. Though their botanic name is narcissus, daffodils are sometimes called jonquils. Symbolic meaning include: regard, uncertainty, chivalry, respect, and unrequited love. Tulip: Tulips means the flower has become a symbol for meanings like: perfect, enduring love, royalty and a regal nature, forgotten or neglected love, the 11th wedding anniversary, abundance, prosperity, and indulgence, charity and supporting the less fortunate. Lily: While white lilies symbolize chastity and virtue and were the symbol of the Virgin Mary s purity and her role of Queen of the Angels as other varieties became popular, they brought with them additional meanings and symbolism as well. Peruvian lilies, or alstroemeria, represent friendship and devotion, white stargazer lilies express sympathy and pink stargazer lilies represent wealth and prosperity. Symbolizing humility and devotion, lilies are the 30th anniversary flower - while lilies of the valley are the 2nd wedding anniversary flower. Sources:

9 The beautiful Easter Flowers which decorate our sanctuary on Easter Sunday have a dual purpose. Not only do they symbolize Gods promise of rebirth, but they enable us to share this joyous spirit with the sick and homebound among our church family. If you would like to provide flowers for these purposes, please fill out the form below and send it to: Presbyterian Women Old First Church 125 Main Street Huntington, NY The cost of purchasing an Easter flower is $15 per plant. Please indicate how many plants you want to donate, and indicate whether you would care to bring your lily home with you or would like to donate it to the church for distribution to our infirm church members. All Requests must be in by Palm Sunday, April 9, We would like to thank all those who contribute to making our sanctuary a place of beauty and spiritual joy for Easter Sunday. Heather Tucker ( ) Number of Plants: Total Cost: Would like to take home. Would like to donate. Presented in loving memory of: By: Phone: (Please make checks payable to Presbyterian Women, Old First Church. To ensure correctness, please double check forms and be sure they are received by April 9) The Clothes Line Old First Church Mission Thrift Store The Clothes Line Thrift Store would like to invite all members and friends to help out at our Annual Sort & Sale Friday, April 21st and Saturday, April 22nd From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. This is a fun way to get involved in our Church and the Thrift Shop s missions and to have fun chatting and shopping while you sort. Please come help any time during Friday and Saturday (11-4 both days.) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thrift Store Hours: We are open Tues., Thurs., & Fri. from 11am to 4pm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thank you. Thrift Shop Committee We accept clothing donations during hours of operation. 16 9

10 2 tions to pooled income funds qualify for charitable income, gift, and estate tax deduction purposes, and distributions from the fund are taxable as ordinary income.. Upon the donor s death, the donor s share of the fund s assets pass outright to Old First Presbyterian Church. GIFTS THAT YOU MAY MAKE LATER Bequest. The bequest is a gift through your will (or revocable trust) that enables you to retain the asset during your life, provide support upon your passing and obtain an estate tax charitable deduction for the amount of the bequest. You may choose a specific amount, a specific asset (such as a specific stock, or real estate), or a residuary bequest. You may also choose to make Old First Presbyterian Church a contingent beneficiary in case your named heirs do not survive you. Retirement Plan Assets. Retirement plan assets can be the assets taxed most heavily in an estate, subject to both income and estate taxes. Naming Old First Presbyterian Church as beneficiary can bypass or minimize those taxes, enabling Old First Presbyterian Church to optimize the benefit of those assets. Bank or Investment Account. Financial accounts can be a simple and inexpensive way to leave a legacy gift for Old First Presbyterian Church. Contact your financial advisor to see how easy the process is to make Old First Presbyterian Church beneficiary of a particular investment or bank account. Thank you for considering a Legacy Gift to Old First Presbyterian Church. Please consult with your professional advisers on how this gift would fit into your overall plans. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You are cordially invited to join Old First Church s 1658 Legacy Society. The 1658 Legacy Society is composed of faithful members who have made a provision for a gift to the Endowment Fund of Old First Presbyterian Church in their will or estate plan. Founded in 2015 to increase awareness of the vital role of the Endowment Fund in extending the outreach and ministry of Old First Presbyterian Church, the 1658 Legacy Society is named to commemorate the founding year of Old First Church. NEXT STEPS: IF YOU ARE STILL EXPLORING: Speak with your financial and legal advisors. Or, contact Jerry Kessler at or gkessler1@aol.com IF YOU HAVE ALREADY MADE A PLANNED GIFT FOR THE CHURCH: Please contact Jerry Kessler and share the information with us so that we may THANK YOU and add your name to the 1658 Legacy Society

11 PLANNED GIVING Planned giving to support Old First Presbyterian Church may be accomplished in a variety of ways. In deciding upon a plan that is right for you, we recommend that you consult with your financial advisor. Some of the planning options that you may consider are summarized below. GIFTS YOU MAY MAKE NOW Cash, Stocks and Bonds or other liquid assets. A gift of liquid assets is a valuable way to benefit Old First Presbyterian Church and for you to receive tax benefits based on the fair market value of the assets. The gift of appreciated assets, most often in the form of securities such as stock or mutual funds, provides an added benefit to you as donor: since the securities are donated rather than sold, capital gains taxes from selling the securities will not apply. Real Estate. Real estate may be deeded outright to Old First Presbyterian Church. Also, a gift of a remainder interest certain types of real estate, with a retained term or life interest, may be considered. The irrevocable gift of property may provide an immediate tax deduction and bypass capital gains taxes. Due to the complexities involved with real estate, be prepared to work with Old First Presbyterian Church and qualified advisors to ensure that this is a suitable gift for both you and for Old First Presbyterian Church. Life Insurance. An existing or new life insurance policy may be gifted, by making Old First Presbyterian Church the owner and beneficiary. GIFTS THAT PAY YOU INCOME Charitable Gift Annuity. The gift annuity is an irrevocable gift of cash or securities in which you as donor receive a predictable fixed amount for life. At termination, Old First Presbyterian Church receives the residual value of the annuity. There are also potential tax benefits depending upon your particular situation. You may request your own customized sample through the Presbyterian Foundation at (800) Charitable Remainder Trust. The remainder trust is an irrevocable gift of assets into a charitable trust that provides you a fixed dollar amount (Annuity Trust) or a fixed percentage (Unitrust) for life or for a specific term. Upon the trust s termination, the trust assets become a generous gift to Old First Presbyterian Church. There are also potential tax benefits which are dependent upon your situation. Charitable Lead Trust. The lead trust may also be structured as an Annuity Trust or as a Unitrust. The lead trust s income payments are distributed to Old First Presbyterian Church for a period of years determined by the donor, after which the assets are transferred back to the donor or whomever he or she has named as beneficiary. This provides generous annual support for Old First Presbyterian Church now, removes the asset from the estate and passes the assets to your designated beneficiary with little or no tax. Pooled Income Fund. Pooled Income Funds, which closely resemble mutual funds, may be the most common type of deferred giving plan, and are available through the Presbyterian Foundation. When you make a gift to a pooled income fund, it is merged with gifts of other donors, and you receive your allocable share of the income earned by the fund. Contribu- 14 DEACONS PANCAKE BREAKFAST Sunday, April 9, 2017 This event raises money to support the Thanksgiving baskets. Help us help local families in need by coming to the delicious Breakfast with your fellow parishioners. Tickets will be on Sale in Parish Hall after Church on Sunday, April 2, and on the day of the Breakfast, April 9. $8 adult, $6 youth ($25 max per family) 11

12 April 2017 SUN MOM TUES WED THURS FRI SAT March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 March 30 March a Communion Worship w/rev. Calone Footprints in the Sand by Sr. Choir 10:20-11a Church School/102 6:15-8:45p AA/ :30-11:30a PW Board/FR 1-2p AA/10 7:30-9p NA/10 7:30-9p Trustees/ p Deacons/ p Youth Club/YR,Gym,PH 5-5:30p Kids Choir Reh/211 5:30-6p Youth Choir Reh/ :15p AA/10 7:00-9:30p B.S. Troop 32 COH/PH Palm Sunday 10-11a Worship w/rev. Kate Jones Calone And Kids & Youth Choirs 10:20-11a Church School/102 11a Deacons Pancake Breakfast/PH 11a Easter Egg Hunt/102 6:00-8p Food 4 the Soul/YR 6:15-8:45p AA/10 1-2p AA/10 7-9p Session/101 7:30-9p NA/10 12:30-2p PW-C3/Bible Study/ p Youth Club/YR,Gym,PH 5-5:30p Kids Choir Reh/211 5:30-6p Youth Choir Reh/ :15p AA/10 7:30-9p B.S. Troop 32/Gym Good Friday 9:30-11:30a Al Anon/101 9:45a-12p PW-Crafts/212 12:00 p Worship 6:30p Easter Presbyterian Church of Sweet Hollow Easter Sunday 10-11a Family Worship w/rev. Mark Tammen 6:30-8p TUXIS/YR 6:15-8:45p AA/ a Worship w/mr. Colby Rohde 10:20-11a Church School/102 6:30-8p TUXIS/YR 6:15-8:45p AA/ a Worship w/rev. Kennetha Pettus and Kids & Youth Choirs 10:20-11a Church School/102 6:15-8:45p AA/10 Easter Monday Staff Holiday CHURCH OFFICE CLOSED 1-2p AA/10 7:30-9p PW-C1/Evening/FR 5-7p Youth Club/YR, Gym, PH 5-5:30p Kids Choir Rehearsal/211 5:30-6p Youth Choir Rehearsal/ :15p AA/10 7:30-9p B.S. Troop 32/Gym 9:30-11a PW-4/Quilting/ :30p Giant Steps/ p Sr. Choir Rehearsal/211 9:30-11:30a Al Anon/101 9:45a-12p PW-Crafts/ :30-9p NA/10 1-2p AA/10 5-7p Youth Club/YR, Gym, PH 5-5:30p Kids Choir Rehearsal/211 5:30-6p Youth Choir Rehearsal/ :15p AA/10 7:30-9p B.S. Troop 32/Gym 9:30-11a PW-4/Quilting/ :30p Giant Steps/ p Sr. Choir Rehearsal/211 Maundy Thursday 9:30-11a PW-4/Quilting/ :30p Giant Steps/ p Confirmation Class/FR 7:30p Worshipw/Rev. Calone Lamentations of the Lamb 9:30-11a PW-4/Quilting/ :30p Giant Steps/ p Confirmation Class/FR 8-9p Sr. Choir Rehearsal/211 9:30-11:30a Al Anon/101 9:45a-12p PW-Crafts/212 8:30a-5p Life Line Screening/PH 9:30-11:30a Al Anon/101 9:45a-12p PW-Crafts/ May 1 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 5 May 6 13