Living Waters Volume 23 Issue 5 May 2014

Transcription

1 Swift Creek Presbyterian Church Jesus proclaimed, If anyone thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, Out of Living Waters Volume 23 Issue 5 From the pastor Dear Swift Creek Family, As I write this article, it is my first day back in the office after Easter Sunday. What a wonderful Easter season we had here at Swift Creek. The Lenten Supper/Discussions, the Tenebrae Service, Children s Easter Celebration, Sunrise service, between services brunch and two very full Easter Sunday services were all quite memorable. Easter is worth celebrating because the resurrection is the very heart of the faith. As I said in my Easter sermon, If there is no resurrection then there is no hope but because of the resurrection we have every reason to hope. That said, where do we go from here? Now that all of the activity and excitement of Easter is over how should we think about our purpose going forward? In I Corinthians 15:3 Paul wrote, For I delivered unto you as of first importance, that which I also had received, that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures. According to Paul, the most important thing is the propagation of the gospel message and that message is centered on the resurrection, so every Sunday is Resurrection Sunday for those who believe. Sometimes we lose our focus on this. Churches get involved with many good events and activities over time, some churches are called to particular emphases, but all should remember that the church is the only institution in God s economy that is charged with the task of taking the gospel to the world. If we don t fulfill that mandate, no one else will! Let s keep our eye on the ball and never cease to be focused with laser-like intensity on the one call we all share and know that God has given to the church, to preach the gospel in word and deed to our neighbors near and far. Grace, Tuck

2 Page 2 Living Waters March 2014 YTD Financial Report Year-to-Date: 2014 Budget 2014 Actual Revenue: $138,877 $131,203 Expenses: $135,977 $128,803 YTD Net: $2,990 $2,400 1 Kelly Lastrapes 3 Jenna Hall 4 Frank Jenkins 5 Amy Lacks Mikah Wakefield 6 John Chidley Tyler Dunlap Betty Larmore 7 Ruth Noble Grace Frost 11 Yolanda Chin Atkinson Hilton 12 Ashley Davis Robert Lindholm Elaine Sampson 13 Brian Ferrar Elise Sydow 14 Greg Herceg Tammy Rama Dave Schans 15 Cindy Rosser 21 Stewart Burns 22 Jean Leonard Jackson Doll Jake Larson 23 Lauren Strickland 24 Kurt Haglund Kirsten Reese 25 Jay Crane Jennifer Sweat 28 Deanna Edwards 8 Marlene Ebert 10 Stacey Davis 18 Katie Aloma Scott Osborne 20 Emma Beam 29 Wendy Hicks 31 Gregg Stratton

3 Living Waters Page 3 Mark your calendars! SCPC Bike Day Saturday, May 3, 9 a.m. Congregational to Elect Nominating Committee Sunday, May 4, Noon Call the church office, or visit for additional information. The Young-at-Heart fellowship will sponsor Fill the Food Pantry Box on Sunday, May 11. For those who prefer to contribute money, there will be a receptacle for cash, attached to the food box. Thinking about joining the church? Our next Inquirer s Class will be held Saturday, May 31 from 4-8 p.m. continuing Sunday afternoon, June 1 from 2-5. Dinner on Saturday is included and child care is available. To register or for more information, contact Liza Seibert in the church office ( or lseibert@scpcva.org). Adult Sunday School Classes 10 a.m. Bible-In-Life The class will explore the connection of Jesus and Hebrew Scriptures. In May the class examines how Jesus used Scriptures in temptation, explanation, and confrontation. The class is led by Greg Moody. Minor Prophets Join us as we study the minor prophets. This study will provide a synopsis of each book and look at important teachings in each. Just because they are labeled minor doesn't mean they are less important. This class is led by Zack Martin, Bill Dennis and Craig Amis. (4/27-5/18) The Reason for God Coming in June is the DVD series covering conversations on faith, life and common objections to Christianity. (6/1-7/13)

4 Page 4 Living Waters Easter Celebration 2014 POWERSOURCE Swift Creek Presbyterian Church Wendy Hicks - Children s Director whicks@scpcva.org Wholeness and Holiness Most people ignore the safety spiel before takeoff, but those flight attendants have something important to say. When they mention the oxygen masks dropping down if the cabin loses pressure, they always tell you to put on your own mask before helping others. Why? You re no good to anyone if you succumb to the pressure. Sometimes we get so busy being everything for everyone else that we forget to take care of ourselves. This is especially hard for parents. Your kids need you and the younger they are the more they need your constant attention. POWERSOURCE ASK GOD: 1. To help you find time for a Sabbath. 2. To help you in areas where you re not whole. 3. For opportunities to teach your kids about being spiritually healthy. But what does health look like? It s not just physical though it is that. It s not just spiritual though it is that. And it s not just mental though it is that, too. It s all of it. And all of it ties back to our relationship with God. Just think about how you react to others when you re tired, hungry, or not connecting with God. You re not you or at least not the you you want to be. Take care of yourself, and you ll be able to take better care of your loved ones. If you re connecting with God in mind, body, and soul, it will permeate everything you do.

5 Living Waters Page 5 Date & Time Event Information - For more information on any of these activities, please contact Wendy Hicks or whicks@scpcva.org May 31 st June 21 st 10 am noon July 4 th 9 am July 14 th - 18 th 9 am - noon July 26 th Aug. 4 th 8 th 9 am 3 pm August 13 th 10 am noon August TBD August 31 st 9 & 11 am Preschoolers (and family) Visit The Robinson Farm Our preschoolers will take a visit to see one of our church family s farm with chickens, goats, pigs, horses and more. This is a weather dependent event please check back for further details. 1 st Day of Summer Party Bring your favorite water gun, towel and wear your swim suit as we play water games, snack on watermelon, and make a craft to take home. Cost $5 July 4 th Parade In Brandermill Vacation Bible School Weird Animals Preschoolers (and family) Blueberry Picking Join us as we ride a float or walk in the parade. We meet at Swift Creek Middle School and end at Sunday Park. For rising Kindergarteners 5 th graders. Cost is $25 per student ($5 discount for volunteers). Register online. Join us as we go to The Swift Creek Berry Farm to pick some blueberries. This event is weather dependent. Please check back for further details. Day Camp (directed by Camp Hanover for rising 1 st 6 th graders. Cost is $100. Limited spots. Register Online or see Wendy Hicks for registration forms to be mailed to Camp Hanover. Game Day Join us as the Game Truck comes back for a visit and Preschoolers (and family) Day at the Pool A Blessing of the Backpacks & the School Year play your favorite games. $10 per student Join us as we visit The FoxCroft pool for some fun in the water. This event is weather dependent. Please check back for further details. A backpack blessing is a wonderful way to bless part of our everyday lives, to connect Sunday and the rest of the week, and to lift up gifts and vocation. We are having a "blessing of the backpacks" on the Sunday before school starts. This will be a blessing to many students, teachers, school administrators, and other school workers in our congregation. Children s Sunday School For May For May 4th - You Decide, Salvation 11th - You Decide, Lord s Supper 18th - You Decide, Service 25th - No Children s Worship Join us and bring a friend! Wednesday Morning Movies Join us this summer at Commonwealth 20 for $1 movies. Movies start at 10 am and we will always meet in the highest numbered theater showing our chosen feature June 18th The Smurfs 2 June 25th Cloudy... Chance of Meatballs 2 July 2nd Despicable Me 2 July 9th The Lego Movie July 23rd Madagascar 3 July 30th Epic

6 Page 6 Living Waters Stewardship Update Prior to our annual Fall Stewardship season, the Session focusing on what God wants to do through us at SCPC. After much prayer, reflection, and consultation, it became clear that God was telling us that he wants to be Transforming Lives through us in four distinct areas; Children and Youth, Missions, Building and Grounds, and Strategic Planning. A budget of $600k was then formulated, increasing resources in these four areas. The Children s Ministry is thriving with many activities designed to help our youngest form a lifelong relationship with Jesus. The Youth Program has grown to about 50 in attendance each week, 150 at ROCK- FISH, and just recently 13 youth were confirmed and have committed to a life of serving God. We have increased our Missions presence in Church Hill through organizations such as C.H.A.T. and Blue Sky Fund. In fact, this Saturday, May 3 rd join us for our Annual Bike Day for a day of serving the children in Church Hill. The Missions Committee has completed a review, allocating funds to organizations where our contributions can best be used to Transform Lives. I m even hearing plans for an overseas missions trip. And don t forget our signature events: Stop Hunger Now- over 20k meals prepared, Easter Celebration, and Living Nativity. I think that you will agree that GOD is actively working through us to Transform Lives. We have allocated funds for several significant building and grounds projects: completion of the large Sunday School classroom remodeling, planning for the day that will come where we will need to replace the roof and HVAC system. Near term we will resurface the upper portion of the parking lot and clean up the pond. While these projects may not seem as glamorous as our other projects, God has gifted us with a wonderful facility and we must maintain it in order to serve Him by making the best of our community presence. A strategic planning committee has been formed. The members are actively engaged in discerning what God has planned for SCPC and how we will go about fulfilling His plan. The committee is on track to present their results to the Session this month. And now for the numbers: 104 pledges have been received for 2014 totaling $466,586. We have determined that approximately 80% of our giving is derived from pledges. This converts to expected budget funding of $583,232. Remember, our 2014 budget is $600k. As of March 31, our revenues are $131,203 versus a budget of $138,877. As you can see, we have some ground to make up. The Session regularly reviews our finances and makes adjustments as needed to keep us financially sound. Here s where I need your help. We have many members who submitted pledges for 2013 that have not pledged for As I mentioned, we have several upcoming projects that will require significant financial resources, and it is both important and helpful for the Session to have an idea of the revenue we can expect to receive. If you have not pledged, just send me an at -trosenb940@yahoo.com with your commitment or leave an envelope in the church office addressed to me. Your commitments are very helpful. God is actively working through each of us at SCPC to transform lives. Remember this, through our efforts to transform the lives of others, God will work in us and transform our lives as well. Thank You For your Commitment!! Ed Rosenbaum Stewardship Elder

7 Living Waters Page 7 SWIFT CREEK YOUTH YOUTH FELLOWSHIP Join us on Sunday evenings for a time filled with fun, food and fellowship! Middle School: 5:00-6:00 p.m. Combined Dinner: 6:00-6:30 p.m. High School: 6:30-7:30 p.m. We are meeting on these Sundays in May: May 4 & 18. May 4 is a worship night. No meeting on May 11 due to Mother s Day. No on May 25 due to Memorial Day. SUNDAY NIGHT WORSHIP This month s youth worship service (SCYHAMSS, or Swift Creek Youth High and Middle School Service) is on May 4! We will have a combined dinner from 6:00-6:30 p.m. with the worship service following from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Please join us for this awesome night of worship and invite your friends! GRADUATION CELEBRATION Are you graduating from high school or college this Spring? Please contact Kevin at the church to get information for our Graduation Celebration on Sunday, June 1. We will recognize you at the worship services and will have a breakfast for you between services. Please contact Kevin by Friday, May 23. MISSION TRIPS The summer mission trips are approaching! The high school mission trip to Kentucky is June and the middle school mission trip to Ohio is July 27-Aug. 1. These are great opportunities for students to serve others and grow in their faith. The cost for each trip is $250. For more details or to sign up, please go online or contact Kevin. I hope everyone can experience one of these trips! SMALL GROUPS High School Girls: Monday s from 7:00-8:30 at the Burns house. Middle School Girls: Wednesday s from 7:00-8:30 at the DeSimone house. Middle School Boys: Wednesday s from 7:30-8:30 at the Chin house OR Tuesday s from 6:30-8:00 at the Perriello house. Contact Kevin for more details. CONNECT Website: SwiftCreekPresbyterian.org Twitter: twitter.com/scpcyouthgroup Facebook: facebook.com/groups/ SCPCYouthGroup

8 Page 8 Living Waters On a Mission We have two great opportunities for adults, youth, and children to experience missions work in May and for middle and high schoolers to get service hours. First, one of our annual signature events, Bike Day, will be held in Church Hill on May 3 rd. Even if you aren t skilled at fixing bikes, there are plenty of opportunities to help out with serving food, with lending a helping hand to other bike mechanics, distributing bikes to children, etc. We will meet at the church at 9:00 a.m. to carpool/convoy down to Church Hill or you can drive down on your own as your schedule allows. Secondly, Church Hill Games sponsored by our missions partner, Blue Sky Fund - is on May 10 th from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in Bill Robinson Park in Church Hill at 701 North 37 th Street. Church Hill Games is a sports clinic that provides sports instruction, lunch, and a faith-filled message to over 200 youth ages K thru 8 th grade. Over 100 volunteers are needed (must be in at least 9 th grade) and you can serve for part or all of the day. If interested in volunteering for Church Hill Games, contact Mike or look for the signup sheet in the lobby. On April 6 th, the Missions Committee held its Second Quarter meeting. We discussed the success of this year s Stop Hunger Now event and agreed to tackle 25,000 meals for next Spring s Stop Hunger Now event! Additionally, we reviewed the growth in the Good News Club at Clover Hill Elementary School and the need for adult volunteers for this summer s Vacation Bible School from July 14 th July 18 th (please see Wendy Hicks if interested). We also discussed mission trips. The youth will be taking regional mission trips to Kentucky and Ohio this summer. We are looking for adult leaders to help on these trips (please see Kevin Connors if interested). Finally, we began early stage planning for our 2015 international mission trip and are strongly considering Haiti as our destination. Finally, other good opportunities to get involved in missions at SCPC are Capernaum Club, Friends Feeding Friends, and Meals on Wheels. The next Capernaum Club where youth eat with, sing with, and play games with Chesterfield County teens with varying degrees of disabilities - is on May 29 th. Club is held at 7 pm at Mt. Pisgah United Methodist Church in Midlothian. Our Meals on Wheels program delivers meals throughout the month, and our Friends Feeding Friends program meets on the third Sunday of every month at 12:30 in the church kitchen to prepare lunches. For information or interest in participating in any of our missions programs, please contact Greg Herceg at

9 MAY 2014 Living Waters Page 9 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 27 Children's Message 9:00 AM Contemporary Service 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Traditional Service 12:00 PM Counters (Room 203) 5:00 PM Middle School Youth 6:00 PM Ladies 6:00 PM Youth Dinner 6:30 PM High School Youth 28 11:00 AM Women's 7:00 PM High Study/Burns house 29 9:00 AM Staff 30 10:00 AM Moving On 7:00 PM Middle Study/DeSimone House 7:30 PM Adult Praise Team 7:30 PM Boys Middle School Bible Study/Chin House 1 10:00 AM Ladies 6:30 PM Handbells 7:30 PM Choir 2 3 Bike Day (TBD) 8:00 AM Richmond Christian School Picnic 4 5 Communion Sunday 9:00 AM Contemporary Service 9:00 AM Youth Car Wash 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Traditional Service 12:00 PM Congregational for Nominating Committee 12:00 PM Counters (Room 203) 6:00 PM Youth Dinner 6:30 PM Youth Worship Food Drive MOTHERS DAY 9:00 AM Contemporary Service 10:00 AM Sunday School 10:00 AM Trustees 11:00 AM Traditional Service 12:00 PM Counters (Room 203) 11:00 AM Women's 5:30 PM VBS Station Leader 7:00 PM High Study/Burns house 11:00 AM Women's 7:00 PM High Study/Burns house Minute for Ministry/Stewardship 7:00 PM High 9:00 AM Contemporary Service 10:00 AM Blood Pressure Study/Burns house Screening 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Traditional Service 12:00 PM Counters (Room 203) 12:00 PM Spring Picnic 12:30 PM Friends Feeding Friends 5:00 PM Middle School Youth 6:00 PM Ladies / Dinner Offsite 6:00 PM Youth Dinner 6:30 PM High School Youth 6 9:00 AM Staff 13 9:00 AM Calendar Planning Staff 7:00 PM Deacon's 20 9:00 AM Staff 7:00 PM Session 25 Children's Message 9:00 AM Contemporary Service 10:00 AM Sunday School 11:00 AM Traditional Service 12:00 PM Counters (Room 203) :00 AM Staff 7 7:00 PM Middle Study/DeSimone House 7:30 PM Adult Praise Team 7:30 PM Boys Middle School Bible Study/Chin House 14 7:00 PM Middle Study/DeSimone House 7:30 PM Adult Praise Team 7:30 PM Boys Middle School Bible Study/Chin House 21 Newsletter deadline 10:00 AM Moving On Reunion 7:00 PM Middle Study/DeSimone House 7:30 PM Adult Praise Team 7:30 PM Boys Middle School Bible Study/Chin House 28 7:00 PM Middle Study/DeSimone House 7:30 PM Adult Praise Team 7:30 PM Boys Middle School Bible Study/Chin House 8 10:00 AM Ladies 6:30 PM Handbells 7:30 PM Choir 15 10:00 AM Ladies 6:30 PM Handbells 7:30 PM Choir 22 10:00 AM Ladies 7:30 PM Choir 29 10:00 AM Ladies 7:30 PM Choir :00 AM Church Hill Games :30 AM Quilters Group :00 PM K-3rd Fun Night (6-8 pm) 31 Preschoolers visit Robinson Farm 2:00 PM Piano Recital/Kelsey Harrell 4:00 PM Inquirers Class See the most current CHURCH CALENDAR, along with other content, on the church website: If you see something that needs to be updated, please send the correct information to: lburns@swiftcreekpresbyterian.org.

10 Page 10 Living Waters Join us for a round of golf! The Doug Hill Memorial golf tournament will be held Saturday, June 7, at 1 p.m.. Come join us for a round of golf at the Mill Quarter golf course. Format will be 4-man Captain's Choice, all skill levels wanted; hackers are encouraged and guests are welcome. Teams will be assigned to level out the playing field but partner requests will be accommodated, so please bring a friend. The $65 fee will cover 18 holes of golf, cart fee, range balls, a bag lunch, and prizes. Look for a sign-up sheet in the commons. If questions, please call Chris Lacks, Next Newsletter Deadline Wednesday, May21 Please submit articles to Crissie Nicklow, crissie.nicklow@verizon.net, Articles for the newsletter may be placed in the newsletter box located in the church office or ed to the above address. NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID MIDLOTHIAN, VA PERMIT NUMBER 4061 Change Service Requested Swift Creek Presbyterian Church 5900 Woolridge Road Moseley, Virginia Phone: Fax: Worship Services Contemporary - 9:00 a.m. Traditional 11:00 a.m. Church School 10:00 a.m. Open to All Ages