Godspeed. The Highlander. November A final word of thanksgiving and blessing to a beloved Family of Faith

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1 The Highlander The Newsletter of The Presbyterian Church of Punxsutawney E. Union St., Punxsutawney, PA November 2017 Mark Your Calendars! November 12th Rev. Swanson s Last Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. Congregational Meeting Following Worship Godspeed A final word of thanksgiving and blessing to a beloved Family of Faith November 26th Deadline for Christmas Poinsettia Flower Orders Rev. Swanson s Letter to PCOP 2 A Thank You from Kent Worship & Music What Happens Now? Fellowship & Reaching Out Christian Education November Calendar 8 Worship Volunteers 9 Congregational Meeting Back

2 Rev. Brett Swanson s Letter to the Congregation For those who did not receive Rev. Swanson s letter in mid-october it has been reprinted here in its entirety. God has made everything suitable for its time Ecclesiastes 3:11 On Thursday, October 12th, during a special called meeting of the Session, I submitted my letter of resignation as the Pastor of The Presbyterian Church of Punxsutawney. My last day serving as your Pastor will be Sunday, November 12th. My decision to accept the call as Co-Pastor of Wauwatosa Presbyterian Church, a large congregation located in a suburb of Milwaukee, was not an easy one. In fact, the entire process is best described as bittersweet. While I am excited about this next chapter of my ministry and life in Wauwatosa, it will be exceedingly difficult to say goodbye. I am confident that the same Spirit that called me to Punxsutawney has called me to Wauwatosa and the work to be found there. I do not doubt this at all. Nor do I doubt that The Presbyterian Church of Punxsutawney has bright, perhaps even its brightest, days ahead of it. The same Spirit that has called every Pastor to this church is speaking already to the one who will come next. This congregation is uniquely prepared for the next chapter of its ministry. Furthermore, I whole heartedly believe that you are prepared to be a community of support and faith for each other in the time until the next pastor is called and blessed by this congregation. Of this I am certain. In the time leading up to Sunday, November 12 th, I hope to accomplish one thing more than all else: spend as much time as possible telling all of you how thankful I am to have been to be your pastor and how much I love you all. It has been among the greatest honors of my life to have journeyed with you, to have learned from you, to have celebrated with you, and to have mourned with you. These past six years have brought both heartache and joy, and it has been an honor to have been with you through it all. I will always be thankful for this church and my time here. I must end with a difficult request. While being your pastor has been a joy, when the time comes on November 12th to part ways, it will be important for all to understand that our relationship will change. I will continue to love and pray for you, I will continue to count you as friends, but I will no longer be able to serve you in the previous pastoral capacity. I will not be able to officiate funerals, weddings, baptisms, offer counseling, or any of the pastoral responsibilities I ve filled over these past years. While this may feel extreme and a harsh act of separation, I believe it to be the opposite. Just as previous pastor Rev. Kent Holmes departure created space for our relationship to flourish, I must do the same for the one God will call to come after me. To do otherwise would be a disservice to you and to the one God calls. Friends, it has been a pure joy to be your pastor over these past six years. I wouldn t trade it for the world. Peace, The Reverend Brett J. Swanson Pastor, The Presbyterian Church of Punxsutawney

3 MANY THANKS! A Letter from Rev. Kent Holmes, Pastor Emeritus I d like to take this opportunity to thank the members and friends of The Presbyterian Church of Punxsutawney (PCOP) for honoring me with the status of Pastor Emeritus on Reformation Sunday. The Reformation-themed worship service was perfect as was the wonderful luncheon which followed! Special thanks go to Nancy Pearce, Nichole Williams, and Kathy Dinsmore, as well, for the amazing music which they performed. (It was a gift for me to be able to sing with the choir, too!) And, of course, my gratitude goes to the Rev. Brett Swanson for his behind-thescenes work which made it all possible. He s an amazing guy! Our trip back for the weekend was a homecoming which was both exhilarating and emotionally charged. Having Erin and Meredith along made it even more poignant. Punxsy is Meredith s birthplace and it will always hold a special place in her heart. Unfortunately, Graham was unable to come because Punxsy is where he, too, came of age. As embraces were exchanged and stories shared, tears welled-up in our eyes and tissues magically appeared from pockets and purses. The human experience is a powerful thing. And that s as it should be, because we are indeed, human beings. It was in the context of PCOP that our stories were told the church was the common denominator in all of them. We weren t strangers exchanging pleasantries at the supermarket, nor was it some chance encounter at an airport. No, the stories were of the life-and-death variety; stories which marked important milestones: births, deaths, marriages, graduations, confirmations, baptisms, hospitalizations, funerals, and a host of other rituals and lifetransformations. They were stories filled with gravitas, fear, humor, sadness, joy, and love, because that s what the church is all about. So, thanks again for a swell time! I appreciated it more than you will ever know. And, since I ve been officially named Pastor Emeritus, if you all ever need anything, just give me a holler, and I ll saddle-up the Honda and ride off into the sunset towards Punxsutawney. Punxsy, you see, will always hold a special place in my heart, too! Pastor Emeritus is a humbling title it makes one feel really, really old! As I told Brett, now I can ride off into the proverbial sunset and rest on my laurels. More than that, though, the title, Pastor Emeritus, helps keep me connected with this extraordinary congregation. Nineteen years is a long time to be in one place as a pastor. With love and affection, Kent

4 P a g e 4 WORSHIP & MUSIC Our November 2017 Worship Calendar Worship Begins at 11:00 a.m. - Nursery Available November 5th 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time & Celebration of Communion Silence 1 Kings 19:1-15 November 12th Rev. Swanson s Last Sunday Godspeed Selections from Numbers 13 Jeremiah 29: Corinthians 4:1-12 November 19th 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time Roberta Dinsmore preaching November 26th Christ the King Sunday Tam Goble preaching Matthew 6:25-33 A Word about Worship in November and Beyond During the second half of November and in the months to come preaching and worship leading will look different than it has over the past six years. Worship will be led and sermons delivered by guest preachers - some will be familiar, others will not - and by our own PCOP members. Sundays when we celebrate the Lord s Supper might also change as the availability of PCUSA ministers will dictate when the congregation can gather around the table. If you have questions, comments, or want to know more about worship during this time please contact Worship Committee Chair Roberta Dinsmore. C hristmas Poinsettia Orders If you would like to help beautify our sanctuary during the Christmas season, you can order live poinsettia plants for $10 each in Red, White, or Marble. Deadline to order is Sunday, November 26th To order, please call the PCOP Office or fill out the Bulletin Order Form T h e H i g h l a n d e r

5 WHAT HAPPENS NOW? A SPEICAL SECTION ABOUT MOVING FORWARD I know the plans I have for you Jeremiah 29:11 With Rev. Swanson s departure, PCOP enters into the next chapter of its life and ministry. This time can be filled with anxiety about the future but it does not have to be. Great things will continue to happen here at PCOP and great things lie ahead for our congregation. WHO DO I CONTACT ABOUT Hospitalizations, Emergencies, Funerals and Weddings and Member Care Funerals held at PCOP will need Contact PCOP Office to be coordinated with the office and leave a message if after and funeral director. All requests hours. You will be called back as for weddings should be made to soon as possible. the PCOP Session. Worship and Baptisms Joining the Church PCOP Worship Committee Chair and New Members Roberta Dinsmore. Requests for If you would like to join the baptism should be made to church please contact PCOP Clerk of Session PCOP Clerk of Session, Doug Chambers. Doug Chambers The Session, Deacons, and the leadership of our church are committed to providing the care, attention, and resources necessary to keep our congregation faithful in the time that lies ahead. Please take a look at the table entitled Who Do I Contact to discover who to speak with regarding our family of faith. Youth Group and Children s Sunday School Christian Education Chair Janey London oversees Sunday School. Dana Hartman coordinates our Youth Group Giving and Offerings Questions about financial giving can be directed to Finance Committee Chair Dick Fetterman. Choir and Music at PCOP As always, Music Director Nancy Pearce should be contacted about choir and all PCOP Music questions. Community Meal Community Meal questions can be directed to Donna Anderson. GIVING & GENEROSITY

6 N o v e m b e r P a g e 6 FELLOWSHIP & REACHING OUT Saturday Friends Out Saturday, November 18 at 12:oo at Gimmick s Restaurant (unless otherwise noted) See Ann Mumper More Information Happy November Birthdays November 2nd November 14th Linda Fetterman Joel Anderson November 3rd Madysen Ewing Ben Fitzgerald-Fye Richard Cessna Kassidy Graham November 15th November 6th Kathy Henry Barbara Hanley November 16th Wick Divelbiss November 8th Arlene Shields November 17th November 9th Sallye Barrett Marge Brennan Jean Hughes November 11th November 21st John Hughes Lynz Bowers November 12th November 26th Ray Dinsmore Nick Suntheimer Nellie Weiss Ray Dinsmore Jr. Jay Elder Debbie Himes First Tuesday Community Meal December 5th - 5:30 p.m. Roast Turkey & Stuffing Potatoes & Gravy Candied Carrots Frozen Cranberry Salad Easy Tiramisu Get your clothing donations in today!

7 N o v e m b e r P a g e 7 DISCIPLESHIP & EDUCATION A DVD and Discussion based exploration of an open and broad-minded faith mature faith Sunday School - Begins November 19th Tuesdays at Ten - Begins November 14th Join our Adult Education classed for Living the Questions, a DVD based exploration of a mature Christian faith that combines video and discussion. This series will continue throughout 2017 and into Children s In-Worship Sunday School November 5th November 12th November 19th God s Whisper Hate Evil, Serve Others Light vs. Darkness November 26th God has a plan for us Questions or Want to Teach? Contact Janey London Help lead our kids in faith and fun! T h e H i g h l a n d e r

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9 November 2017 Worship Leaders Our Christian Sympathies November 5th with Communion Screen & Sound George Momyer Liturgist Pam Hogan November 12th Rev. Swanson s Screen & Sound Bill Cooper Last Sunday Liturgist Donna Kengersky Those Needing Our Prayers Acolytes *Open* November 19th Screen & Sound Nick Suntheimer Liturgist Janey London Acolyte *Open* November 26th Christ the King Sunday Screen & Sound Bill Cooper with Tam Goble preaching Liturgist Flo West Acolyte *Open* A Note for Worship Leaders After November 12th all Worship Leaders will be coordinated by the PCOP Office and the Worship Cmt. If you need to change your date, please contact Office. T h e H i g h l a n d e r

10 106 E. Union St. Punxsutawney, PA Office: (814) Visit Us Online at punxsypc.net Use your smartphone to scan this code for online giving!