April at a glance. April 16, Youth activity Capuchin Food Pantry April 24 Quilt Group: Thursday,, 10 a.m.

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1 THE DRAYTON NEWS DRAYTON AVENUE PRESBYERIAN CHURCH Helping build Faith, Family and Community 2441 Pinecrest Drive Ferndale, MI (248) Fax (248) web site April The Pascal Season Volume 50 April 2016, Number 4 NOW IS THE TIME TO INVITE A FRIEND TO CHURCH TO BE GATHERED IN THE SPIRIT! Sunday Adult & Senior Hi, Mid High church school 9:00 a.m. Worship, 10:00 a.m. in the sanctuary. Invite a friend Be an ambassador for Christ. Although you have not seen * him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1Peter 8-9 April at a glance April 1, RENEW YOUR KROGER CARD April 3, Committees Meeting following service April 8, Prayer Shawls 7 p.m. Rymal home April 10, Congregational Meeting for Elections April 16, SHUFFLEBOARD EVENT! Watch the Parish notes and FaceBook for more information. April 16, Youth activity Capuchin Food Pantry April 24 Quilt Group: Thursday,, 10 a.m. MAY EVENTS: MARK YOU CALENDARS May 15, Book Club May 21, Parish Dinners

2 - - 2 Congregational Life Events Death: March 15 Mauvis Meyers celebrates and rehearses this new way of life in the Season of Easter as we await its completion in the fullness of Christ's reign PRAYER CONCERNS Marcie and Tom Skiba The Fern Care Clinic Please pray for all those in need of our prayers who cannot come to worship or are in need in our congregation but are not named above. Baptismal Anniversaries: April 7 Linus X. Schneider April 18, Jada Evonne Davis Cameron Rafig Khan Christopher Shafig Khan Jack W. Galloway Please be sure to call the Church office when significant events take place in your life such as the birth of a baby, moves, deaths, or hospital visits so we may support you in your joys and sorrows. THE DRAYTON NEWS Grace to you and Peace, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ Easter People Easter isn t just a Sunday it s a season. One day out of 365 is hardly sufficient to celebrate the great mystery of our faith that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Accordingly, the season of Easter lasts seven weeks (a week of weeks ), spanning the 50 days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday and encompassing the festival of the Ascension of the Lord. The season of Easter is intended to be a joyful time for celebrating the presence of the risen Christ in the church. Of course, Easter really isn't just a season either. In the fullest sense, Easter is a new way of life in which we are "dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 6:11), called to "walk in newness of life" (Rom. 6:4). Every year, for fifty days, the church Please keep the following members and friends in your daily prayers. If you know of someone in need of pastoral support, please notify the church office or leave a note in the offertory plate. Also, continue to pray for our troops overseas, all those who work for peace in the world as well as those caught in the tumult of war, terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Especially pray for the people of Belgium and Pakistan and the Syrian refugees as they seek some semblance of a normal life and peace. MEMBERS: Alex Grant Bob Kretch Family of Mauvis Meyers Al Touma Todd Galloway Anaclare Evans Evelyn Hart Janet Wood Bill Halls Barbara Mitchell Carol Schmidt All our home bound members FRIENDS: Molly Macaulay Tina Co Michelle Simmons Kasey Harrington Linda Brenizer Kathy Rymal Rev. Paul Gateman Kathy Shaeffer Joyce Hett Don t forget to bring food for the food pantry every Eucharist Sunday. There are many of our neighbors that are in need of food assistance. Please continue being one of Christ s disciples and feeding the hungry. Drayton Avenue Presbyterian Church 2441 Pinecrest Drive Ferndale, MI The Rev. Dr. J. Scott Miller, Pastor Dr. David Carle, Minister of Music Mark Schneider, Clerk of Session Nicole Caso, Church Admin Ken Seawell, Community Liaison Drayton News published monthly- September through June with a summer combined July-August issue FAX: info@draytonavenue.org Editorial Statement: Submissions are invited to the Drayton News for consideration by the editor. All submissions are subject to editing for clarity, content, and conciseness. All items must reach the Church office by the deadline: noon on the 20 th of each month. Items not arriving by this date will be considered for inclusion in subsequent issues,

3 - - 3 From the Pastor I believe in the resurrection of the body. That s what we say we believe when we confess our faith in the words of the Apostles Creed. But do we really believe what we say? I wonder. Whether we realize it or not, most of us Christians have been influenced more by Greek philosophy when it comes to death than we have by biblical theology. The ancient Greeks advocated a belief in the immortality of the soul. The body was a prison, they thought, from which the soul was freed at death to live for all eternity. It s the soul that mattered ultimately. The body counted for nothing. But Christianity from its inception staked its claim as an embodied religion. Along with Judaism, it insisted that our bodies frail and finite though they be are nonetheless part of the goodness of God s creation. Furthermore, Christianity maintained that our bodies are likewise the object of God s redemption. God redeems all of us, and not just a part of us, from the deadly effects of sin. That s why the Creed affirms the resurrection of the body (rather than the immortality of the soul) as one of our bedrock Christian convictions. Our hope is that these broken and decayed bodies of ours will one day be raised to new life in Christ. While much remains a mystery, the bodily resurrection of Jesus at least gives us some inkling of what our resurrected bodies will be like: tangible, recognizable, viable, and yet not bound by time and space. Sadly, however, Greek thinking has weaseled its way into our thinking as Christians. And one place where this has become increasingly apparent to me is in how we treat the dead, especially when it comes to the rapid way with which we dismiss and dispose of their bodies. They are, after all, just a shell, we say. In his book The Undertaking, poet and undertaker Thomas Lynch reflects on this just a shell theory of how we ought to relate to dead bodies. He writes: You hear a lot of it from young clergy, old family friends, well-intentioned in-laws folks who are unsettled by the fresh grief of others.... It is proffered as comfort in the teeth of what is a comfortless situation, consolation to the inconsolable. Right between the inhale and exhale of the bone wracking sob such hurts produce, some frightened and well-meaning ignoramus is bound to give out with It s OK, that s not her, it s just a shell. I once saw an Episcopalian deacon nearly decked by the swift slap of the mother of a teenager, dead of leukemia, to whom he d tendered this counsel. I ll tell you when it s just a shell, the woman said. For now and until I tell you otherwise, she s my daughter. She was asserting the longstanding right of the living to declare the dead, dead.... So to suggest that in the early going of grief that the dead body is just anything rings as tinny in its attempt to minimalize as it would if we were to say it was just a bad hair day when the girl went bald from her chemotherapy. Or that our hope for heaven on her behalf was based on a belief that Christ raised just a body from the dead. What if, rather than crucifixion, he d opted for suffering low self-esteem for the remission of sins? What if, rather than just a shell, he d raised his personality, say, or The Idea of Himself? Do you think they d have changed the calendar for that?.... Easter was a body and blood thing, no symbols, no euphemisms, no half measures. If he d raised anything less, of course, as Paul points out [in I Corinthians 15], the deacon and several others of us would be out of business or back to Saturday Sabbaths, a sensible diet, and no more Christmases. (pp ) I think it s high time that we Christians re-assert our belief in the resurrection of the body and treat the bodies of our dead loved ones with the dignity and respect they deserve. For our bodies are not just a shell. They are a temple of the Holy Spirit (see I Corinthians 6:19) that have been redeemed by nothing less than the bodily death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! Yours in Resurrection Hope and Love, Scott

4 - - 4 Mission and Outreach Committee THANK YOU FOR YOUR FERNCARE DONATIONS 2016 THANK YOU FOR YOUR OGHS DONATIONS 2016 Food Pantry Donations We will continue to deliver food donations to the Renaissance Vineyard Church and Zion Lutheran Church food pantries. There is an urgent need for peanut butter, canned meat and tuna. Also needed are cereals, pasta and sauces. All donations are very much appreciated. Bill and Marge Halls Bill and Marie Malvitz Education Committee The kids love the activity bags they use during the service to occupy themselves until it's time to leave for church school. We encourage anyone who recognizes this as an important mission and would like to show their support, to consider either a cash donation, or by buying supplies for refills. Small child -related Bible themed items are appropriate, such as coloring books, and crayons. BOOK OF THE EVERY OTHER MONTH CLUB YOUR LAST CHANCE TO PARTICIPATE THIS SEASON Book of the Every Other Month Club Please join us! The final meeting of the year is Sunday, May 15. We gather in the lounge at 7pm. INTO THE MAGIC SHOP: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart by James Doty Neurosurgeon Doty combines gut-wrenching memoir with meditative how-to in this well-told, grueling tale of his personal journey from frightened pre-teen with an alcoholic father and depressed mother to a respected doctor and philanthropist. He attributes his success to the ancient mindfulness and visualization techniques that rewired his brain and were taught to him in the back of a magic shop in 1968, when he was 12 years old. When our brain changes, we change, Doty writes. That is a truth proven by science. But an even greater truth is that when our heart changes, everything changes. This well-told personal story illuminates for us all the power of insight and empathy to transform our lives and enhance our world. It is a testament to how faith and compassion extend beyond religion, race and nationality and can help an individual overcome adversity and personal limitations. It is an inspiration." The group is casual, the discussion is fun, and the desserts are wonderful! Call Fran Faile or Donna Zabowski with questions

5 - - 5 Parish Life Committee UP COMING EVENT: SHUFFLE BOARD HAS RETURNED! April 16th Look for the announcement and information in the Parish notes! THANK YOU FOR YOUR EASTER BREAD AND EGGS! Your generous contribution of breads and eggs enhanced fellowship following the Easter service on March 27. Please enjoy pictures from the gathering in Fellowship hall. Prayer Shawl Group - Knit or Crochet Ongoing Mission This ongoing service mission will be meeting on the Wednesday April 13. Meetings are at the home of Christine Rymal from 7 to 9 p.m. All are welcome, if you don t know how to knit; instructions are available as well as supplies. Women s Sewing Group Join the sewing group in fellowship hall on April 28, to work on the projects for ingathering am to 2pm, in Fellowship Hall (bring your lunch), or work on projects at home--whichever is more convenient for you. Contact Paula Mamo or Jean Spang for further details. Contributions of cotton fabrics, quilt batting, monetary contributions and other supplies are gratefully accepted. KROGER COMMUNTY REWARDS PROGRAM Call or Donna Zabowski (donna.zabowski@yahoo.com) with any questions on the Kroger rewards or to get the link. And thank you, again, for the wonderful support you give to the group. We couldn't do it without you! AN EFFORTLESS WAY HELP SUPPORT THE SENIOR HIGHS! EVERYONE has to buy groceries you save money, the Senior Highs get money everyone benefits! Thanks to your help, the group is averaging about $400 a year! PLUS Every time you shop, you earn fuel points 10 cents/gallon at Shell stations, and up to $1/gallon at Kroger stations. Again everyone benefits! If you are already a Kroger customer, please consider designating that your Kroger Rewards go to the Senior Highs. If you don t shop at Kroger, give them a try. You can get some great deals using your Kroger card! IMPORTANT INFORMATION: EACH YEAR, EVERYONE MUST RENEW AFTER APRIL 1ST IN ORDER FOR THE GROUP TO EARN FUNDS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. IF YOU ARE ALREADY A MEMBER, PLEASE RENEW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. IF YOU HAVEN T YET SIGNED UP, PLEASE CONSIDER DOING SO. Registration MUST be done on line. Go to

6 - - 6 Scroll down to Michigan and click the Enroll Now button next to the state name IF YOU ARE ALREADY ENROLLED click Sign In IF YOU ARE JUST JOINING click Create an account 1. Follow the prompts to enroll your card 2. Find your organization by typing in our NPO number (90438) - or 3. Click Select Your Organization (the easiest way to find it is to type in Drayton) 4. Click Save Changes THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! PICTURES FROM THE 12 TH Annual Easter Egg Hunt 2016

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8 - - 8 APRIL YOUTH GROUP OPPORTUNITIES APRIL YOUTH GROUP EVENT MID AND SENIOR HIGHS Sunday, April 16 Capuchen Food Pantry Community Service project, followed by lunch FRIENDS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME! Questions? Contact Donna Zabowski donna.zabowski@yahoo.com Community Garden 2016 Building and Grounds We are happy to report that our community garden is now in its third year and we will continue to share 1/3 rd of our crops to a local food pantry. We heartily welcome you to participate in this mission project by germinating seeds, planting, weeding and /or watering here at DAPC. Some of you prefer to donate your vegetables after raising them at home. Don't forget, soon the Presbytery of Detroit will again be donating TOMATO plants. HOORAY! GOOD STEWARDSHIP - AN INTERESTING FACT Do you want to know how to save $ a year for the church? Our committee, after some research, discovered that it costs $6.00 per hour to light the sanctuary! If you would like to be a good detective, and notice that the sanctuary is lit, but not in use, please do not try to turn off the sanctuary lights yourself. Just call TED ZACHARY (cell: ) He will respond and see that the lights are turned off. Thank you. The answer to the the question is : Sanctuary lights when shut off for one hour less for 52 weeks would total a savings of $ per year! Thank You!! Blue Jeans Sunday was a great success! Thank you to everyone who participated on March 13 to clean the church and the grounds. We had intrepid workers that even braved the rain and cold to work on the outside as well as the inside of the church. This year we housed guests for a week-long college spring break who pitched in to assist with the work. After church, a foreshortened coffee hour was held in the west narthex. Brown bags lunches

9 were provided. Afterwards we were broken up into teams performing duties both inside and outside the church in preparation for Holy Week and Easter Celebration.. PICTURES FROM WORKDAY

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13 MANY HANDS MAKE LIGHT WORK - EVEN IN THE RAIN: SOME MORE WILLING THAN OTHERS!

14 Presbytery of Detroit News Join the Great Tomato Give Away -- This time in May. Please have a space to grow tomatoes for donations. [44 Presbytery of Detroit Churches participated last year and donated tons of fresh produce to various local food pantries.] Pick up 48 plants for your church Saturday May 21 Hand out after Church Service Sunday May 22 For more information contact: Phil Cavaretta pcavarett@yahoo.com Worship and Music Committee Draw us in the Spirit's tether; For when humbly, in thy name, Two or three are met together, Thou art in the midst of them: Alleluya! Alleluya! Touch we now thy garment's hem. INVITE A FRIEND TO CHURCH TO BE GATHERED IN THE SPIRIT! DRAYTON MEMBERS: have you missed seeing your friends in worship and at fellowship? DRAYTON MEMBERS: Your sisters and brothers in Christ have missed you in worship and fellowship! Check your directory and make a call to a member and invited them to worship with you..

15 . Please remember to bring food for the pantry offering each on Eucharist Sundays The Session has called a special Congregational Meeting for Sunday April 10 immediately after worship for the purpose of electing a deacon and a member at large to the Nominating Committee April 3 2 nd Sunday of Easter Eucharist Guest Preacher: Nancy Carle (Pastor Miller away on vacation) Worship Schedule April Revelation 7:9-17 John 10:22-30 Sermon: Life in the Midst of Death April 10 3 rd Sunday of Easter Eucharist Acts 9:1-20* Psalm 30 Revelation 5:11-14 John 21:1-19 Sermon: All the Light We Cannot See April 17 4 th Sunday of Easter Eucharist Acts 9:36-43* Psalm 23 April 24 5 th Sunday of Easter Eucharist Acts 11:1-18* Psalm 148 Revelation 21:1-6 John 13:31-35 Sermon: Get with God s Program! (*) indicates the text of Pastor Miller s sermon FLINT WATER CRISIS Funds from the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering are being directed through Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to the people of Flint to help them deal with the long-term effects of the water crisis there. If you wish to learn more about what PDA is doing and how you can offer additional support, go to the following site: Those who are interested in volunteering may find more information at DRAYTON AVENUE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOUNDED IN 1924 April 20 is the Deadline for the May Issue 2016 Please your articles to DAPCEditor@wowway.com