THE CHIMES OCTOBER The Montgomery Presbyterian Church Newsletter SUNDAY SCHEDULE

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1 The Montgomery Presbyterian Church Newsletter THE CHIMES OCTOBER 2016 According to the Associated Press, American pets include an estimated 95.6 million cats and 83.3 million dogs. There are also 20.6 million birds, 8.3 million horses, 145 million freshwater fish, 13.6 million saltwater fish, 11.6 million reptiles and 18.1 million small animals, like ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, tarantulas, and hermit crabs. We spend approximately $60 billion a year on our pets. Pets are important to people. For most pet owners their pet is a member of the family. Like all of creation our pets are a gift from God, our Creator, so it is appropriate for us to gather and give thanks and celebrate these gifts that bring us so much joy. On Sunday afternoon, October 9, at 3:00 pm (well before the Bengals game) we hold our fourth Blessing of the Animals. It is a very informal service held in the front yard of the church or in the Fellowship Hall if it rains. We give thanks to God, the Creator, for the gift of our pets, present and past, and pray a prayer of blessing on each pet and their guardian. And of course we share some food and fellowship together; sipping on cider and admiring one another s furry companions. It is a relaxed and joyful time. Bring your pet or their picture, and a friend or neighbor with a pet. Everyone is welcome - even those without pets. Grace and Peace, Michelle All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all. SUNDAY SCHEDULE Coffee & Fellowship: 10am-10:25am Worship: 10:30am-11:30 am Children are dismissed for Godly Play on the 2nd, 3rd & 4th Sundays To receive the newsletter via , forward your address to officempc@mpchurch.net with the subject line: NEWSLETTER CALENDAR 2 MPC EVENTS 3-4 PRESBYTERY 5-6

2 2 Sun day 10:30 am Worship and Celebration of the Lord s Supper World Communion Sunday Worship Committee Meeting 9 Finance Committee Meeting 3:00 pm Blessing of the Animals 16 Session 30 Reformation Sunday M onday Tuesd ay OCTOBER 2016 Wedn esda y pm Lunch Bunch Thursday 20 12PM Ladies Circle 7pm Deacons Meeting Friday Saturday 22 Make a Difference Day 29

3 OCTOBER 2016 MPC EVENTS Mission Drive for October For the month of October we will collect canned fruits and vegetables for Our Daily Bread. Please leave donations in the bin in the Gathering Room. From the Deacons VETERANS: The Deacons would like to honor our veterans in November. If you are a veteran, please contact Jennifer Mathis. COLLEGE STUDENTS: If you have a child or grandchild who is attending college this year, please contact Gretchen Heltman MEALS FOR THE REESEYS: Gretchen Heltman is coordinating meals for the Reesey family. If you wish to help, please contact Gretchen, or you may sign up using the following link: If the direct link is not helpful, go to takethemameal.com and search by recipient last name (Reesey) and password (2639). Notes: Marie requests that meals be delivered by 5:30 and prepared so as to be ready to be put on the table; also, they list an allergy to fish/shellfish. Lunch Bunch r etur ns to its r egular day and time this month, Wednesday October 12 at noon in the Gathering Room. This month will feature a speaker from One Way Farm, who will talk about their organization, who they serve, our relationship with them, the future and how we can help. I would like to thank each and every one of you for prayers, positive thoughts, and cards I received due to my recent surgery. Everything is fine, thank you, Jesus! And thank you to the Deacons for the delicious muffins! I love each and every one of you. Jo Ann Kasprzak Letter from Joey Neuenschwander Hello MPC! Page 3 Hard to believe I have been in California for almost 2 months now! The new job is very stressful (of course) but also incredibly rewarding. This really is a dream come true and I am truly blessed with such an incredible opportunity to work with amazing students and a similarly amazing staff. My only complaint so far would be that is just SO HOT! I m actually starting to miss that crazy Cincinnati weather! As life continues to move ahead, I am not always able to take time to talk to all of you who I miss so dearly. I m constantly reminded of my home and my church family. Of course my immediate famiy has been difficult to be apart from, but I often find myself thinking of all of you and I am filled with joy when I have these thoughts. This new chapter has had its share of trials and fears, but I know that I have unending support from you. It is that support that pushes me through each and every trial I am faced with. I would obviously not be who I am without you in my life, but I honestly don t believe that I could have started this new journey without you either. You have taught me how to solve problems and press on in hard situations. You have showed me how to love completely and serve others. You have challenged me to be the best that I can. You have shown me how to give unconditionally and take care of everyone. You have taught countless lessons and inspired even more ideas that could never be put into words. You have raised me in love and grace so that I may know Jesus and achieve my goals. But maybe most importantly, you have shown me what it is like to spread my wings and fly to the greatest of heights. I truly can not thank you enough! Though the miles may separate us, please know that you will always have a very special place in my heart. I miss all of you greatly and I love to hear from you. Each message I receive, from Facebook posts to beautiful cards, these acts of kindness always make me smile. Thank you for supporting me in the greatest adventure of my life. You are the greatest family anyone could ever ask for! With so much love, Mr. New Joey Neuenschwander

4 Page 4 The Chimes MPC members enjoyed touring the studio of artist John Ruthven as part of the September Fellowship Outing. Save the Date: Saturday, October 22 PLEASE VOTE!!! If you can t vote at a worship service, please make your opinion known by completing the survey below and mailing to the church. Watch announcements & Little Bells for details. Reformation Sunday is October 30 Kirking of the Tartans Next Ladies Circle meeting is Thursday, October 20 at noon in the library. Adult CE Series: God, Poverty and Money September 25 October 30 "God, Poverty and Money" - Karen Simpson Leader Poverty and money are talked about in the Bible more than any other topic other than idolatry. The importance of how we relate to wealth is so important that Jesus connects the two directly in Luke 16:13: No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

5 OCTOBER 2016 Page 5 PRESBYTERY ============================================================================= Your Presbytery Link highlights of the presbytery meeting on September 13, 2016 ============================================================================= Changes in presbytery leadership occurred with the installation of Moderator Lisa Stenner (pastor, Union) and Vice Moderator Bob Young (ruling elder, Blue Ash), and the recognition of outgoing Council Chair Nicholas Yoda (pastor, Pleasant Ridge) and outgoing Moderator Mary Ann Jacobs (ruling elder, St. John s Westminster) as she became Council Chair. The presbytery elected new committee members, including chairs: Jim Brazell (HR) Church Order Patricia Brown (ruling elder, Kennedy Heights) Representation Rob Heidenreich (ruling elder, Covenant-First) Board of Trustees Frank Martin (ruling elder, Winton Hills) Nominating Bob Maxwell (ruling elder, Knox) Personnel Kevin Murphey (pastor, Northwest) Ministry John Robson (ruling elder, Dayton) Preparation for Ministry Transitions also have occurred in the lives of: Louisa Umphres (associate pastor, Lakeside) and her spouse Will upon the birth of their second son Cincinnati Sampler The Cincinnati Sampler is a brief communication issued each Thursday on the Presbytery of Cincinnati website. It contains contact information for the Presbytery office, prayer requests, a concise calendar of opportunities within the Presbytery, information regarding opportunities for enrichment, along with highlights of the mission and ministry of the Presbyterian witness in southeastern Indiana, Northern Kentucky, and Southwestern Ohio. Click the link assets/enews pdf to check it out. Ed McNulty (HR), Susan Williams (former pastor, Cranston), and Mark Mong (former pastor, Mowrystown), transferred to other presbyteries Allan Lane (former pastor, Batavia) who has relocated outside the presbytery Kathleen Daniels, who was recently ordained and serves as stated supply, Dry Ridge Jean Frable (HR) and Robert Clark (HR) have joined the Church Triumphant. The presbytery examined and approved Rebecca Bosarge (Knox) for candidacy in her preparation to become a teaching elder and Kelsey Hawisher-Faul (Presbytery of New Brunswick) for ordination as a teaching elder. Kelsey has been called to serve as associate pastor of Heritage Presbyterian Church. The Children of Ludlow After School Program (CLASP), a partnership of Northern Kentucky congregations, shared news about their work. The Congregational Development Task Force (CDTF) announced its goal of planting a new congregation by September The Board of Trustees announced the former Grace Community property has been sold to the YMCA. Treasurer Couper Gardiner (Knox) presented the first reading of the proposed 2017 Budget. The Storm Relief Network invited participation in its October 23-29, 2016 mission trip to Greenbrier County, WV, to rebuild from the Spring 2016 flood. To go, contact Elder John Deye (Lakeside) john.deye@gmail.com, The presbytery approved changes in call: Lisa Berheisel (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) to interim associate pastor, Wyoming Jan Dillaman to stated supply, Venice Tyler Pettigrew to pastor, West Chester David Zuidema, from associate pastor, Wyoming, to honorably retired, and adopted 2017 Minimum Compensation Standards. General Presbyter Nancy Kahaian presented her first report to the presbytery. It included an exercise in getting to know one another better and committing to being a willing part of the team. She also announced UPCOMING EVENTS: October Days of Cincinnati November 5 Leading from Within November 15 World Café experience included during the Presbytery meeting November 21 Healthy Congregations Seminar Late November/December Advent Bible Study Details will be forthcoming on the presbytery website: Lisa Stenner preached on Romans 12:1-8; she and Carol Ferguson (pastor, Crescent Springs) presided during the celebration of the Lord s Supper.

6 Page 6 The Chimes Turkey Dinner at Bethel Murdoch Bethel Murdoch (9602 Murdoch-Goshen Rd) will hold a Fall Turkey Dinner Saturday, Oct. 8 4:00-6:30pm. General admission $10, Seniors $9 and Children $ 5; You may also pre-order ice cream to take home in pints or quarts. Call or ice.cream.bmpc@gmail.com. Dr. Walter Brueggemann to Speak at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church Dr. Walter Brueggemann, one of the most influential and dynamic Bible interpreters of our time, will speak at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church, Montgomery Rd on Wednesday, October 26 at 7:00 p.m. in the church s Sanctuary. His topic A Thick Conversation about Fidelity will consider writings from the Book of Psalms. Dr. Brueggemann will reflect on these psalms as spiritual resources for our own dialogue with God, emphasizing God s fidelity in crisis as well as in confidence. This program is part of St. Barnabas ongoing adult Christian education series, and is free and open to the public. For more information, call To register John Dye at john.deye@gmail.com or call

7 THE CHIMES Montgomery Presbyterian Church Newsletter Looking Ahead... Upcoming Dates of Note Reverend Michelle Bacon, Pastor Office Hours: 8:30a-4:30p Mon Thurs SUBMISSIONS for THE CHIMES are due by NOON on the 15th day of each month. Send articles to November Nov. 9 Nov. 24 Lunch Bunch Thanksgiving December Dec. 11 Wassail J O I N U S O N F A C E B O O K! MontgomeryPresbyterianChurch Montgomery Presbyterian Church 9994 Zig Zag Road Cincinnati, Ohio ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED