The Daniel Plan YOU RE INVITED!

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1 October 2015 The Daniel Plan Wednesday Nights 7:15pm 9:15pm Beginning October 7 th Come join us; what have you got to lose?! YOU RE INVITED! BiWkly... MOPS... p5 Wed... Bible Study Fellowship... p2 October... Youth for Christ... p4 Oct 3... Church Work Day... p5 Oct 7... The Daniel Plan... p7 Oct Boy Scout Car Wash... p2 Oct Trunk or Treat... p8 Oct/Nov... Music Concerts... p3 Nov 8... Rev Gary Hanson Visit... p7 Nov Knitters & Crocheters... p7 Nov African Children s Choir... p4 Pastor Pete PASTORS CORNER Christ-Centered, Bible-Based, Spirit-Filled If I ve said it once, you ve heard me say it a thousand times: please invite your neighbors to Neelsville on a Sunday as our guests. Your personal invitation is the best way for the church to grow and for our mission to be fulfilled. Did you know that 80% of visitors come to church because someone invites them? Invite someone to church today. When you invite them, if they show any interest, there is one question they are most likely going to ask you. What kind of church is Neelsville? What do you say? Several people have told me that defining Presbyterian is not easy to do in causal conversation. Believe me, I understand. Denominational identity is difficult to explain, especially for us because NPC does not line-up with our denomination on a number of vital social issues, core missional values, and matters of theology. Christ-Centered, Bible-Based and Spirit-Filled is a helpful shorthand for what kind of church we are, and seek to be through God s grace. It is not exhaustive, but it does describe three essential tenants of our faith and corporate life. Below is a theological definition of each phrase and a practical explanation I trust you will find helpful when a neighbor asks you, What kind of church is Neelsville? Christ-Centered We believe Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the eternal Son of God, who entered human history 2,000 years ago. He is the incarnate Word, that is, the perfect expression of God s mind, heart, and character. He is God s only Mediator between God and humankind. His death on the cross was the atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world. In this act of obedience to his Father s will, and for the love for the elect, Jesus acted as the human-divine agent for our salvation. To be Christ-centered means we believe in the urgency and privilege of sharing the Good News that on the sole basis of the finished work of Christ on the cross, sinners may now be reconciled, the Judge becomes our Father, we are set free from our bondage to sin and death, and we are born again to live for God in holiness. It also means Jesus Spirit lives in and through Christians in our church as agents of God s love, mercy and hope to a world in need. Bible-Based The Bible is inspired by the Holy Spirit to lead people to a saving knowledge of God and to help them understand their world rightly. All the books of the Old and New Testaments are the written Word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. They are to be interpreted according to their context in reverent obedience to the Lord who speaks through them in living power. To be Bible-based means we believe the Bible is the Church s first and final authority in all areas of faith and Dec Young at Hearts Lunch... p3 CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

2 PASTORS CORNER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 BIBLE STUDY FELLOWSHIP Neelsville ladies, you are welcome to join in this year s Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) class on the book of Revelation. BSF is an in-depth, interdenominational Bible class for ladies of all ages and backgrounds. The weekly evening study at Neelsville began September 17 th and runs through the end of April. Whether you are new to Bible study or an advanced Bible student you will deepen your relationship with Jesus through this study. The class meets on Wednesdays from 7pm-8:30pm in classroom 1 by the kitchen. Please contact Maria McPhail at mdcm7@msn.com if you have questions. For more information on BSF, please go to life including doctrine, mission, church order, worship, social justice, personal character, ethical behavior, and lifestyle choices. It also means we seek to understand, study, cherish, obey, and surrender to God s Word both Christ, the living Word, and the Holy Scriptures, the written Word of God, which bear true and faithful witness to the Gospel. Spirit-Filled The Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost in power, baptizing believers into the Body of Christ, and releasing the gifts of the Spirit to them. The Holy Spirit brings the permanent indwelling presence of God to us in worship, building up the Church, gifting us for ministry, and driving back the kingdom of darkness, and sending us out to proclaim the Gospel in word and in good works. To be Spirit-filled means we believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer and that the Spirit is our Helper, Teacher and Guide. Our Mission is to be and make disciples of Jesus Christ. We believe in the filling or empowering of the Holy Spirit enables us to fulfill this mission and all our manifold ministries. Back to your neighbor s question, What kind of church is Neelsville? If you do not have time to go in-depth on the meaning of Christ-Centered, Bible-Based and Spirit-Filled simply say, We love Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we love all our neighbors. Our pastors teach the Bible is the Word of God. God s Spirit is alive and on the move at our church... and I would love for you to join us on Sunday! FINANCIAL UPDATE August Operating Budget: As of the end of August, our General Operating Income is $438,276 with offerings being up about $13,000 or 3.6% from last year. Our year-to-date expenses are $377,192. The reduction in expenses year-to-date is largely the result of the elimination of the Associate Pastor position and the continuing search for a Director of Children s Ministries. On the Building Fund side our income is $21,209, which falls short of our budgeted mortgage expense of $24,000. As always thanks for your generous and faithful giving. Year To Date FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT Operating Income Received $438,276 Total Operating Expenses $377,192 Building Funds Received $21, Frederick Road Germantown, MD Total Building Fund Expenses $24,000 You can reach the Office at office@neelsville.org TEL: (301) FAX: (301) Senior Pastor Parish Associate Rev. Dr. Peter Della Santina Rev. Derek Longbrake pete@neelsville.org dereklongbrake@gmail.com Organist Michele Kelly mmkelly440@hotmail.com Director of Youth Ministries Vince Inatomi inatomiv@gmail.com Choir Director Greg Graf gggraf@gmail.com Treasurer Wendy Coulliard treasurermpc@gmail.com Neelsville News is published by Neelsville Presbyterian Church. Submit Word files and photos by the 15 th of each month to neelsvillenewsletter@gmail.com. Sherrie Cardea, Melissa Blount, Jenn Park Page 2 NEELSVILLE NEWS OCTOBER 2015

3 SESSION NOTES SESSION NOTES Session met on Thursday, September 17 th. As part of our efforts to encourage discipleship, we will be meeting with the various Neelsville Presbyterian Church committees over the course of the year. We met with Stewardship this month, and discussed and prayed about giving and the importance of pledging. Pastor Pete gave a report on his many activities in support of NPC, the members, and our programs. He attended or spoke at the opening of the fall Pre-school, MOPS, Shine, and Bible Study sessions, and is coordinating with the Brazilian and Ethiopian congregations. Session also heard reports on other committees, programs, and activities. Session also discussed the per capita funds that our denomination requests to support the presbytery, synod, and general assembly. Given the recent denominational decisions that are counter to biblical teaching (related to abortion, homosexuality, ordination, and marriage), session determined that NPC would not pay the requested amount this year. (Though we will of course remit those funds that individuals provided and designated for per capita.) MUSIC LOCAL MUSIC CONCERTS If you love the contemporary hymns by Keith and Kristyn Getty that we sing regularly in worship, then you might enjoy going to one of their local concerts this fall. Hymns for the Christian Life Concert Saturday October 10 th at 7pm Vienna Presbyterian Church 124 Park Street, NE Vienna, VA Tickets $27.50 JOY: An Irish Christmas with the National Christian Choir Monday November 30 th at 7:30pm Kennedy Center Concert Hall Washington, DC Tickets $40 - $135 Brian Farrell THANK YOUS LOCAL MISSIONS THANKS JIYOUNG! Jiyoung sang beautifully at a concert she gave on June 27 th, The free-will offering taken during her concert produced $468 which Jiyoung donated to our Local Missions council asking the committee to decide on its destination. The council, during a special meeting, decided to send the contribution to the Women Who Care organization. So, Jiyoung s beautiful voice will help local children and youth have healthy weekend food in their homes during the school year. Thank you very much, Jiyoung. May God continue to bless all aspects of your life with love, learning, and singing! THE DEACON BENEVOLENCE FUND KEEPS ON GIVING The Deacons contacted Local Missions about a $500 donation they wished to make for some local project. The local mission committee decided to send their generous donation on to Youth for Christ at Neelsville Middle School. We support Youth for Christ and specifically want to help Heather at the school right next to our church. A big Thank You to the deacons for their donation which will bring the Good News to youth at that YFC Club! A NOTE OF THANKS Dear Friends at NPC, We thank you for your caring and support during my surgery and recuperation this summer. We both appreciated the prayers, cards, notes of encouragement, drawings, bible verses, flowers, calls and visits so much. Being part of the Neelsville Family has been a blessing and greatly helped my recovery. Thank you, Carol and Pat Harrigan YOUNG AT HEARTS... SAVE THE DATE! Mark your calendars now for Thursday, December 17 th for the annual Christmas Young at Hearts Luncheon! Details will follow in next month s newsletter. For more information visit GettyMusic.com NEELSVILLE NEWS OCTOBER 2015 Page 3

4 LOCAL MISSIONS OCTOBER IS YOUTH FOR CHRIST MONTH AT NEELSVILLE! SNACK ATTACK DONATIONS NEEDED School has started and the Youth for Christ (YFC) Club at Neelsville Middle School is getting underway too. This is YFC s second year at Neelsville. It had a solid number of teens last year, so growth should continue. Our church makes a yearly donation to Youth for Christ and one individual went to the weekly club meetings last year to provide the snacks. A little bit about Neelsville Middle School: The student population is 940 students. At least 65% are on the Free and Reduced Meal program - so there are physical needs as well as spiritual and emotional. About 98% are bussed to the school, so there is no sense of community. They lack the pride of living in the community next to their school. Youth for Christ is presently reaching about 3% of that population, so plenty of room for growth! CAMPUS LIFE - YOUTH FOR CHRIST addresses issues students face while relating them to basic Christian principles - there are 1,012 Campus Life sites in the United States connecting with 69,931 students. YFC Club meetings are fast-paced, crazy and fun to interest the youth. Youth for Christ has a well written curriculum designed to appeal to today s teens. This year s theme will be Unfiltered. Each meeting begins with silly, whacky games, moves into small group discussions, and ends with whole group summarizing with of course snacks (kids are always hungry!). God, Jesus, and the Good News is introduced gently and steadily in small chunks. Some of these teens are totally unchurched and have little or no knowledge about Christianity. Thank goodness for people like Heather who knows how to relate, connect and spend time with youth. How can you help?? If you are a young, Christian adult, age who is available on Thursday afternoons from 3pm-4:30pm and like to spend time with youth while helping them learn about Christ, then you can take the training and become a YFC volunteer. Heather is also looking for people to pray and support the Neelsville club. Finally, we will be collecting individually wrapped snacks. Suggestions are: individually wrapped cookies, pretzels, chips, nachos, bars, peanuts, fruit packs, etc. Just about anything that comes individually wrapped so there is one pack to one student. Place your donation in the box in the narthex marked YFC DONATIONS. Please keep the Neelsville Youth for Christ Club in your daily prayers and become a volunteer if you have the time and interest. There is a mission field right next door to our church, no VISA or passport required! Gail Haag, Local Mission Chairperson AFRICAN CHILDREN S CHOIR COMES TO NEELSVILLE The African Children s Choir comes to Neelsville Sunday, November 22 nd at 7pm! The choir is composed of African children, ages 7 to 10 years old, who travel the world to raise awareness of orphaned children in Africa. Although the concert is totally free to attend, there will be a love offering to raise funds for continued development and support of the African Children s Choir Programs. Many children singing in the choir have lost one or both parents through the devastation of war, famine and disease. The children who will be performing at NPC are from Uganda. Once Choir members have completed a concert tour, they will return to their homelands with the tools necessary for bettering their future. We need your help to make this concert a success at NPC. We are looking for help with the following jobs: Assistance unloading their bus Sunday afternoon around 2:30pm A sound person at the 2:30pm arrival and the 7pm concert time Set up and clean up for a dinner for the choir and their chaperones prior to the concert Assistance preparing and serving the dinner Ushers for the concert Money counters Host families - we need a total of seven families. Each host family needs to be able to host one adult and 2-3 children. Each adult needs their own room and the children need a separate room from the adult chaperone and your family (the children may share a room or bed). Host families need to be available to receive their guests at the church after the concert and provide transportation along with a packed lunch back to the church by 9:45am Monday morning. To learn more about the choir you may visit their web site at Africanchildrenschoir.com. To volunteer to assist contact Kimberly Nugent King at kimberlynugent@hotmail.com or or Melissa Blount at fraxmom@gmail.com or Page 4 NEELSVILLE NEWS OCTOBER 2015

5 MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) is off to another great start at NPC. We have 38 registered moms all who have children under the age of 5. Many are new to our group and church. MOPS meets every other Tuesday at the church from 10am to 12pm. The moms enjoy breakfast, a speaker and a craft. They also have an opportunity to bond and connect with other moms in a loving Christian environment. There is an amazing team of volunteers who provide child care and nurture the children of these moms during the meetings. This allows the moms to connect and develop relationships while their children are being cared for just down the hall. In addition to our formal meetings, we offer the moms a calendar of events with an activity they can attend with their children in the morning and afternoon five days a week. Welcoming moms to our group is so important as many moms of preschool age children are struggling. Let me tell you a little about the struggles of the members from this summer alone We have had three children hospitalized. A two-yearold broke his nose. One mom rushed from her pediatrician to Shady Grove Hospital and then from Shady Grove to ICU at Children s National Medical Center for breathing issues. The child is now home and doing well. Another was a three week old baby boy who had emergency surgery on his intestines. This mom juggled a baby with emergency surgery and a 22-month-old child! Yet another mom had several trips to a specialist learning that her 4-month-old baby was blind in one eye and may have a brain tumor. Another mom is privately battling breast cancer and is unwilling to share her news despite the fact she spent the summer having chemo and had her breasts removed at the end of September. Yet another mom had her home infested with rabid bats, had to spend the week in a hotel, and the day she was moving home with her three-year-old was rear ended by a cement truck! Another mom took her four year old to the hospital for stitches and on the way home was hit by a drunk driver totaling their vehicle! Many others are battling depression and anxiety. One mom of two young children attempted suicide. Her MOPS friends encouraged her and she is now receiving the help she needs What a wonderful network of support this MOPS program is for all these mothers! We have several moms on our wait list all longing for the support of a loving Christian community. If YOU are willing to bless these moms by volunteering even one Tuesday morning, please contact Kimberly Nugent King at kimberlynugent@hotmail.com or Just 5 more volunteers would allow us to welcome all the moms on the wait list in to our group! Maybe you are one of them! LOCAL MISSIONS WOMEN WHO CARE Volunteers are needed for a very worthwhile outreach in our community. Less than two hours are needed every two weeks during the day. What is this wonderful ministry? Women Who Care provides food for local children that ordinarily would not have any on the weekends. Neelsville partners with the non-profit organization, Women Who Care. They provide the food; Neelsville provides the muscle, transportation, and bagging of individual-sized food for these children. What we need most are those who can lift bins of food. It takes many hands to do the Lord s work. Can you help provide food to local children? Call Bob or Betty Velthuis CLARKSBURG PRISON MINISTRY What is your God given talent and ability? Is it encouragement, teaching, mentoring, love and caring for all God s children? Consider helping in some capacity at the Montgomery County Jail in Clarksburg. Too scary? A tour of the jail can be arranged. Talk to Bob Velthuis or Bill Kroah about their experiences....i was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25:36 Betty Velthuis TRUSTEES FALL CHURCH WORK DAY The Board of Trustees have set a Church Work Day date of Saturday, October 3 rd from 9am-12pm. The Trustees will be offering a Kick-Off Continental Breakfast (coffee and bagels) at 8:45am to welcome and energize our volunteer core! Contact Sandy Hutto at shutto@verizon.net or for more information. NEELSVILLE NEWS OCTOBER 2015 Page 5

6 FELLOWSHIP CHURCH PICNIC IN THE COUNTRY The fun actually began the evening before at midnight when Chad Porter, Steven Allison, and Vince Inatomi started smoking the pork! They were joined at various times during the wee hours of the morning by several more youth who helped with the pork and chicken, set up games, moved furniture and set up tables! The next day, God blessed us all with a beautiful day for a church picnic in the country on September 13th when more than 120 people came out to enjoy the day with their church family! All who came Page 6 enjoyed lots of fellowship, going for hay rides with Nathan Couillard driving a big tractor and pulling the hay wagon full of people, playing corn hole, volleyball, baseball, throwing a football, and of course EATING delicious food brought by all. A huge thank you to the fellowship committee for planning the picnic, coming early to set up, and staying late to clean up! Also, thanks to the Blount family for hosting and to Camp Sonshine for once again providing the Moon Bounce for everyone to enjoy! NEELSVILLE NEWS OCTOBER 2015

7 THE DANIEL PLAN 40 DAYS TO A HEATHLIER LIFESTYLE What is it? What makes this plan different than other health plans I have tried? Will it work for me? These are some of questions I asked when I first heard of The Daniel Plan. I was stuck in the same mindset; feeling all the frustration and failures of all my other weight loss programs, fasts, and guilt-driven gym sessions. How could this be any different? And then, I started reading about The Daniel Plan and decided to take the plunge. Will you join me? Wednesday nights 7:15pm 9:15pm Beginning October 7 th The Daniel Plan involves achieving a healthier lifestyle together in a place where people are encouraged. We will optimize 5 key essentials faith, food, fitness, focus, and friends!! It will encourage you to deepen your relationship with God and be a part of a group of supportive friends who will encourage you in making healthier choices. We will start on Wednesday, October 7 th. Plenty of time for you to sign up and join the team! Did I mention it will be fun, too? Please contact Gerry Davis by at gerry. davis@outlook.com or by phone at What have you got to lose?! DINNER WITH THE HANSONS As previously announced, former NPC pastor Gary Hanson ( ) and his wife Beth will be visiting NPC over the November 7 th -8 th weekend. Pastor Gary retired from the ministry this past June. He has been invited to preach at Neelsville on Sunday, November 8 th at both services. So that those who knew Gary and Beth will have an opportunity to visit and catch up, there will be a potluck dinner on Saturday, November 7 th at 5pm in the Fellowship Hall. You and your family are invited to come and be a part of this celebration of the many years of Christian ministry and service of Gary and Beth. Be sure to save the date and plan to bring your favorite potluck dish. If you need a ride that evening, please contact Merilee Worsey at librarianmaster@hotmail.com or Melissa Blount at fraxmom@gmail.com and we will arrange transportation. If you still keep in touch with former NPC members who knew the Hansons, please pass on contact information to Merilee or Melissa. We would like to offer the opportunity for former members to attend the potluck or send a card. If you have photos of Gary and/or Beth that you would like to share, please send them electronically to Merilee or Melissa or get in touch with us to give us hard copies. Put them in an envelope with your name and contact information (phone or address) clearly written so we can get the photos back to you. We look forward to this being a wonderful church family reunion and celebration for Gary and Beth. We hope you will attend. FELLOWSHIP NEELSVILLE NEWS OCTOBER 2015 KNITTING AND CROCHETING There is yarn aplenty for those who would like to put it to good use making warm items for the fall. Check out the cabinet in the meeting room next to the library. We will meet again on Saturday, November 14 th from 10am-12pm in the church library. Please note that there is no meeting in October. Questions? Contact Marilyn Splete at amsplete@ yahoo.com. GLOBAL MISSIONS SHOES FOR SONS OF THUNDER Through the Missions Project of Vacation Bible School, about 100 shoes were collected to send to Sons of Thunder in Zambia, Africa. Some of these shoes will go to children who walk to school and play soccer or netball (basketball without dribbling). Some of the shoes will be worn by children to dress up for church and school. These shoes will also help prevent diseases from going through water or walking on dirt without shoes. Thank you from the Global Missions Committee and the kids at Sons of Thunder for providing shoes! May God be praised! RuthAnn Allen OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Have you purchased new shoes this fall? Save those shoeboxes because In November, Neelsville will be collecting them filled with small gifts to send to children in under-privileged countries to brighten their day and provide them with information about Christ s love. Operation Christmas Child (OCC) is a Christian shoebox program run by Samaritan s Purse. A small shoebox can teach a child about God s love, lead him or her to faith in Jesus, inspire pastors and plant churches. What goes into the box is fun, but what comes out is eternal! Your filled shoeboxes will be collected from November 1 st to 15 th. If you are interested in assisting with this wonderful global missions project, please contact Sue Green at suegreen0302@verizon.net. Keep an eye out in the narthex for additional information, labels and ideas for items to include in the shoeboxes. Sue Green Page 7

8 Non-Profit Organization Frederick Road Germantown, MD US Postage PAID Suburban, MD Permit No ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED Grow and Serve with our Family! Bring your goblins Saturday, October 24th 3:30pm 5pm There will be a moon bounce, crafts, face painting, games and TRUNK LOADS OF Prizes for Best Decorated Car! NPC s GOODIES! If you would like more information, contact Tamyra Porter at porterpo5@gmail.com October 24, 2015