Highland Herald A PUBLICATION OF FIRST ANY CHURCH ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

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1 JANUARY 2019 Highland Herald A PUBLICATION OF FIRST ANY CHURCH A p u b l i c a t i o n o f F i r s t P r e s b y t e r i a n C h u r c h - M u s ke g o n, M i c h i ga n Over 26 years ago one youth group had the prayer, Lord, even as we enjoy the Super Bowl football game, help us to be mindful of those without a bowl of soup to eat." This simple prayer has resulted in a movement which has raised over $125 million for local hunger missions across the country. On a day when most Americans are enjoying plentiful food, friends and fellowship others are struggling to find warmth, a hot meal and shelter. I N S I D E t h i s i s s u e ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING On February 3 rd, you are invited to worship at McGraft Memorial Church, followed by a Souper Bowl luncheon in the fellowship hall to feast on soups, bread, and beverages. Desserts will be available or you may purchase desserts/bread from the Bread for the World Bread Sale. If you are interested in bringing a crock pot of soup or dessert--please sign up on the bulletin board. Our monetary donations will be collected in soup pots at the end of the worship service. Half of what is given will be designated as FPC s Cents-Ability Offering for February. Half will be given as McGraft s contribution to Supper House. The entire amount will be joyfully reported to the Souper Bowl of Caring web site as our annual gift to local hunger ministry! This is a wonderful opportunity for our youth to develop hearts for service, and we appreciate your support. The Annual Meeting of the Congregation and the Corporation of First Presbyterian Church, Muskegon, Michigan is called for Sunday, January 27 th, immediately following worship in order to: (1) hear annual reports of the congregation, (2) to hear and act on matters related to the corporation, (3) and to act on any other matters properly coming before the congregation and corporation. 1

2 I am very grateful for the sabbatical which will begin January 21 st, a time of renewal for both pastor and congregation. According to the Alban Institute, Pastors return from their sabbaticals with a renewed sense of pastoral purpose and reenergization for the work they feel called to do. That in turn renews and reenergizes the congregation. It s a win-win situation for both parties. Robert C. Saler, director of the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Programs, has extensively studied how pastoral sabbaticals can catalyze the entire congregation toward renewal. Pastoral sabbaticals model what it means to make regular periods of renewal a part of the Christian life. Biblically speaking, productivity, creativity and fruit-bearing are good and essential things, but there is also need for rest. According to one pastor, When the Israelites were slaves in Egypt, their value was measured by the number of bricks they produced for Pharaoh. When they were free, God gave them the sabbath to tell them their value has nothing to do with what they produce. Their value has to do with the fact that they belong to God and have been created in the image of God. In the Bible, allowing a field to lie fallow for a season is a short-term sacrifice that improves long-term yields (Exo 23:10-11, Lev 25:4). The Alban Institute cites Glenn Ludwig s book, In it for the Long Haul, which celebrates and supports long-term pastorates. Many pastors and congregations would like to stay together for more than the typical few years and need to find a way to do so that is healthy and strong. A sabbatical can provide the time and space to reassess the call to a renewed life in the same place. I especially like how one pastor articulated his understanding of sabbatical to his congregation. God has entrusted us to one another. This sabbatical is my way of saying to you, I want to be the best pastor I can be for as long as possible and help this church be the best church it can be. I want my leadership to be God-focused, and to do that well my spirit needs some time to focus on God. And this sabbatical is your way of saying to me, We want you to be the best pastor you can be for as long as possible. To help you do that we want you to not worry about productivity for a few months. Rest and be restored. Focus on just being for a while, so that the doing when you get back will be empowered, authentic, and Spirit-led. In addition to the remarkable gift of a trip to Israel (Feb ), I look forward to spending a Lenten and Holy Week season as a worshiper and not as a worship leader for the first time in over 20 years. A Lenten retreat is part of my plans, and I intend to spend Holy Week at 4 th Presbyterian Church in Chicago to experience that most holy time in our faith in a very different setting than I have ever known. Rev. Scott Paul-Bonham and his wife Donna will bless the church with energy, intelligence, imagination and love in ways that will ensure this will be a time of renewal for our congregation. And you, the congregation, will bless them. When I return, it will be exciting to hear about all the ways these statements will have proven true. Thank you to God and to all of you for your prayers, love and support which are making this possible. My spirit anticipates restoration. My emotional and intellectual energies await replenishment. My body is longing to be listened to attentively and cared for with new resolve. My relationships with God, Chris, family and distant friends need time and reaffirmation from a differently-focused me. I pray that God grants replenishment and renewal in especially contagious ways for us together. Blessings, Pastor Jim 2

3 A big thank you to all who participated in the pre-recorded conversation with Second-First Church presented by Vic Prowant, Dave Caruso and Ron Rop. Key points of consensus from people who attended were wanting to continue interactions between churches and the realization that this will take time. Also, our churches working together could provide more activities for mission, people for music and interaction in our community. There was mixed consensus when it came to discussion about the buildings, some people wanting a decision quickly and others wanting to take our time. This is an area we could use continued prayers!! A number of questions about McGraft and their policies were brought to the committee and discussed at length at our last meeting. McGraft Memorial Church was associated with the UCC but never became a member because of the wording in an endowment fund they have. They joined NACC twelve years ago. Information about the NACC can be found on their website, org (National Association of Congregational Churches). We continue to believe that diversity of opinions and theology are similar in both our churches and can be considered a plus moving forward. The by-laws and annual report are available from McGraft to anyone who is interested. They do not ordain Elders or Deacons, this is part of our Reformed tradition, but McGraft does have a board and subcommittees which work in a way similar to FPC. One of the major things if we are to merge will be the writing of new by-laws. These will address how we plan to function as one church, finances, committees, etc. This will require a group of people from both churches to work on this and we expect it would take a considerable amount of time. We also discussed things of special importance that are cherished by each congregation. FPC s include the stained-glass windows, pipe organ, Memorial Garden and Carillon system. McGraft s include their location (they own their building), Memorial Garden and the Carillon system. These are things the committee continues to pray about, discuss and look for what God would have us do. Upcoming events are the Martin Luther King Sunday at our church January 20 th, Souper Bowl Sunday at McGraft on February 3 and a combined service at FPC on March 3 with extra activity to still be planned. Souper Bowl Sunday would be an excellent time to check out McGraft s fellowship hall and licensed kitchen. I would encourage everyone to attend! Once again, if you have questions, please ask! If we don t know the answer we ll try to find it! Thank you all for your prayers. Sincerely, Mary Eschman Dear Church Family, It is with a heavy heart that I bring you this announcement. Our custodian, Richard Reubens, has resigned for health reasons. I ve known him for many years and this is indeed a very sad time for Cheryl and me. Please keep Rich in your prayers. We do not know his condition at this time as we have not been able to reach him. He really liked working for the church and making friendships with many of you. If you would like to send a card or note to Rich, his address is posted on the bulletin board in the Sherman hallway. I thank you for your kindness. Property Committee is looking for a cleaning service to replace Rich. Therefore, a few changes will have to be made. Setting up tables and chairs in fellowship hall and the chapel will need to be done by volunteers. If your group will be using either of these areas, Property Council will need to know well in advance to get things set up for the occasion. Also, the chairs in the chapel will need to be put up after the hospitality hour each Sunday as yoga takes place on Monday mornings. I don t see any snags in this way of doing set ups. Our church family seems to pull together when called upon. You may notice new exit signs throughout the church. Installation of 24 signs with safety lights took place this past week to make the church much safer when the power goes out. Please note that Jeanette Reckell will be the Moderator of Property Council and I will be Co-Moderator for Yes, there a lot of changes all of a sudden, however with prayer and cooperation, these transitions will go smoothly. Robert Hartman, Co-Moderator Property Council 3

4 As part of the Stewardship focus of last year, Stewardship Council asked Outreach and Communication to sponsor a class for each of the four parts of Stewardship: Time, Talent, Treasure, and Nature. We started with a class about Stewardship of Nature in November. This month we present the Stewardship of Treasure specifically Leaving a Legacy for the future. Emma Torresen and Heidi Sytsema from the Muskegon County Community Foundation will talk with us about estate planning on Monday, January 28 at 6:30 PM. There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board so we know which room to use and how many chairs to have available. Monday January 28 th 6:30 p.m. You don t need a lot of money in your estate to make a good plan. In fact, people with only some real estate, a retirement account, and a pension should probably be the first to make a plan. If there is an organization you support during your life, you should consider leaving support for them also after you join the church eternal! Join us to find out about options and possibilities. It will be a good use of your time. Sign up to provide flowers! Wouldn t real flowers and plants be beautiful on the chancel in the sanctuary? Would you be willing to sign up and commit to provide flowers for one Sunday this year? The flowers can come from your yard, a retail store or a florist. There are vases for your use, as well. During Lent, the plants will be provided by the Board of Deacons. The flower chart is in the Sherman hallway showing available dates. If you have any questions, I ll be happy to assist. Patricia Ganson, Deacon Member Care would like to invite all ladies to the first Around-the-Town luncheon of 2019 on February 21 st 12 noon at the Paisley Pig in Grand Haven. There is a signup sheet posted on the bulletin board in the main hallway. We would love to see you there! WWW Widows had the most enjoyable gathering on December 18 th. After a time of devotions and prayer, we began a mission project of signing 100 Christmas cards! Each card included a short handwritten message. The time went quickly with help of tea, Christmas cookies and candy. The Christensen family annually deliver cards to nursing homes on Christmas Eve and this year delivered ours, beginning at Seminole Shores in honor of Bob, George and Lorraine. Saturday, January 19 7:30 p.m. 4

5 BREAD for the WORLD BREAD SALE Sunday, February 3 rd Bread for the World is a Christian Citizens grass roots organization which serves as an advocate for hungry persons in our country as well as other parts of the world. BFW is one of the five components of the Presbyterian Hunger Program. 5 Our church will be hosting Family Promise again the week of January 27 to February 2. For those of you who do not know about Family Promise, it is an organization of local churches who provide a safe place for homeless families to sleep, be served a hot dinner and a breakfast to go. We are looking forward to meeting three new families. To make Family Promise a success, we need you to volunteer for one or more of the following: - stay overnight (easiest job) - evening host (have fellowship and play games with the guests) - greet the guests as they arrive - drive the van to pick up or drop off the guests at church The sign-up sheet and more detailed job descriptions are in the narthex. There will be a short meeting in the library following church on Sunday, January 20 for the first time volunteers. FEBRUARY MISSION BOX Every Woman s Place provides emergency shelter for victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. The facility provides a safe haven, complete with support groups, counseling and advocacy services. All services are free of charge to survivors and their children. Items needed are deodorant, combs, hair brushes, shampoo, conditioner, hair spray, hand soap, body wash, shower gel, feminine hygiene products, toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels, washcloths, twin-sized sheets, pillow cases and toilet tissue. Please keep in mind that all items must be new and unopened. Used and opened items cannot be delivered. Please note EWP is requesting ONLY personal care items and bedding. No food products. We have been a Covenant Church member of BFW since 1983, paying our pledge with our bread sales and an occasional individual contribution. We thank all our generous bakers and buyers who have been so faithful to this important commitment of First Presbyterian Church. We welcome all new members and friends and invite you to participate. $72.50 was received from our January BFW Bread Sale. Please note our next Bread Sale will be held Sunday, February 3 rd at McGraft Memorial Church. Cents-Ability Offering Sunday, February 3 rd Please consider contributing generously to the Cents-Ability Offering on Sunday, February 3 rd during our worship service at McGraft Memorial Church. The Cents-Ability Offering supports Supper House totaling $2000 per year and the two Feeding America trucks shared with First Congregational Church UCC totaling $950 per year. Additional money is contributed to the MAP Healthy Foods Pantry and the Salvation Army Food Pantry with the Salvation Army receiving $350 this month. $ was received in the January Cents-Ability Offering. Rolled coins are appreciated as well as bills, and please place checks in an envelope designated Cents-Ability Offering.

6 Supper House had another successful Christmas party this year. There were 375 turkey dinners served and each dinner guest received a gift bag. 200 guests took advantage of the Feeding America food truck parked in the parking lot. Your generosity made all of this possible. There were six shopping bags filled with hats, gloves, socks and mittens which our church donated. This was truly a community effort. Thanks to all who donated. 02/01 Linnea Hodson 02/05 Brent Scofield 02/08 Jim Thies 02/l08 Bill Schaefer 02/08 Mike Olson 02/09 Bill Barnes 02/10 Clark Ganson 02/10 Steve Hussey 02/14 Mike Giblin 02/15 Tic Adams 02/16 Lowell Kinney 02/17 Taylor Dibble 02/20 Shaun Arntz 02/22 Becky Slimko 02/22 Julie Stewart 02/23 Mackenzie Ireland 02/25 Sophia Lindsay 02/26 Kay Ostrom 02/26 Ellen Prowant 02/26 Michelle Piper Tuesday, February 12, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM, is the next meeting time for people knitting prayer shawls. We will again meet in the youth room. All are welcome. The next Men's Breakfast at the Cherokee Restaurant will be held on Wednesday, January 23, Oneata Bailey, Director of Community and Neighborhood Services, for the City of Muskegon will provide information on how the city works with various nonprofit organizations. Please join us for a fun time! Spouses and guests are welcome. Darlene Began Morning Star Village 1160 North Mulford #322 Rockford, IL Betsy Colella Christian Care Center 1530 McLaughlin Muskegon, MI Dorcas Yost Seminole Shores Living Center 850 Seminole Muskegon, MI The deadline to submit articles for the next issue of the Highland Herald is Sunday, February 17 th. Please your articles to office@fpcmuskegon.org.

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9 First Presbyterian Church 2577 Wickham Drive Muskegon, Michigan Phone (231)