THE WINDOW. A publication of First Presbyterian Church Hendersonville, TN. July 2016

Transcription

1 THE WINDOW A publication of First Presbyterian Church Hendersonville, TN July 2016 Dear Friends, What is the longest prayer meeting you have attended? I was a young high school student when I got involved in Campus Life, a Christian high school ministry like Young Life. I got involved in a guy s Bible study and was invited to a prayer meeting which included some college age guys. I did not know what I was getting into! How bad can a prayer meeting be? Plus, there was food. After some fellowship and a short Bible reading we prayed as a group. Then they separated into small groups of two or three and continued praying. I just followed the lead of others. There would be sharing and then prayer. When the prayers ended, people ate some food and looked for another person to join in prayer. We prayed for several hours. My parents had a difficult time believing I missed my curfew because I was in a prayer meeting. Intercessory prayer is an important part of our Christian faith. It might have been E.M. Bounds who said, It is a good thing to talk with people about God but it is a greater thing to talk with God about people. Intercessory prayer is praying for others talking to the Lord about the hurts, struggles, tragedies, and failures of others. On Sunday morning we call these prayers the Prayers of the People. Scripture calls us to pray with consistency, humility, and adoration for our families, friends, leaders, and even our enemies. A little Presbyterian girl was punished by eating her meal at a small table by herself in the corner. She was overheard praying, Thank you God for preparing this table in the presence of my enemies. I read recently that the bottlenose dolphins care for their young and sick. Studies have shown several dolphin swimming alongside of sick companions and even lifting them to the surface to breathe. When we pray for others, we are lifting them up to life-giving resources found in God. Our prayers bring them to the Lord, as we ask for healing, help, direction, protection, and guidance. In her article on prayer, Kristine Haig describes why intercessory prayer is important. People need prayer when, Words fail. Even thoughts fail. The soul feels heavy and burdened, the spirit nearly dead. God may feel far away or absent or simply unreachable. It may feel like those terrible dreams we sometimes have, in which we are in some kind of danger but are unable to move, or even cry out. Intercessory prayer brings people into the throne room of our loving God. An important part of intercessory prayer is telling people we are praying for them. Send them a note to say, I prayed for you today, thinking of your challenges and God s presence and power. In our prayers focus on the struggle but also the person s faith. Pray that she or he will sense God s closeness in comfort, courage, strength, and guidance. Pray for faith to grow and joy to surface in the person s life. Each day I have a prayer list for my family, friends, and church people, ministries, and missions. The content of my prayers is different each day. I started this prayer list sometime after that long prayer meeting at Earl s house. I never thought that prayer meeting would impact me in such a way. May our commitment and passion to pray for others deepen and grow. Love and Prayers,

2 The Day School is excited and grateful to be the mission of the month for July. Receiving donations of the following items helps not only to keep our pantry stocked, but helps keep our supply costs down. We appreciate the generosity and support the congregation has always given to the program. Enjoy the rest of the summer! Pantry List Paper Goods/Snack Supplies Paper towels Napkins Baby Wipes Plastic forks and spoons Cleaning Supplies Disinfectant spray - i.e. Lysol Classroom Masking tape Scotch tape Black permanent markers Colored permanent markers Washable Markers Blunt children s scissors Snacks Goldfish crackers Animal crackers Graham crackers Wheat crackers Pretzels (mini sticks) Raisins Peanut Butter

3 Save the Date! October 27th-29th A.S.P. Trip to Chavies, KY **************************************************************************************** Adult Sunday School Resumes August 14 A man second only to Jesus in his influence on Christian faith, is the way Pastor Adam Hamilton describes the Apostle Paul in his video Bible study, The Call: The Life & Message of the Apostle Paul. Beginning on Sunday, August 14, an adult study will begin at 9:00 am in Room 205. This 12 week study will focus on answering the question, What would lead a firstcentury rabbi to travel for thousands of miles by sea and by lane, to be beaten, imprisoned and ultimately beheaded for his faith? As we travel to ancient sites in Greece and Turkey, we will hear the message and share the insights that profoundly shaped every branch of Christianity. Mark your calendars now and join us on August 14. This class will be facilitated by Gloria Deaner. **************************************************************************************** The men s Bible study is beginning a new topic this month: Paul: His Life and Teaching. s are at 6:30 a.m. in the Session Room. Men of all ages are invited. Whether you can come weekly or just once in a while, we hope you will join us for good Bible study and spirited discussions. **************************************************************************************** Disciple Classes Disciple Class is a series of intensive Bible studies that emphasizes disciplined reading of and listening to the Scriptures. The intention is to spiritually nourish Christians to grow in their discipleship. Students use both the Bible and study manual to complete daily reading and class assignments. There is usually 30- minutes of daily reading and a two-hour weekly meeting with your classmates. Classes include video presentations by some of today s leading Biblical scholars, class discussions, and prayer. Disciple I Class Becoming Disciples through Bible Study is the foundational overview for all the other classes. Over the 34-weeks, the class will cover the entire Bible following the biblical story from Genesis to Revelation. Disciple II Class Into the Word into the World is a 32-week study concentrating on Genesis, Exodus, Luke, and Acts. There is an informational meeting after worship on July 10 and July 24 to answer questions and see the interest level.

4 NaCoMe All Church Family Retreat September 9-11 Does spending some time relaxing, playing, reflecting, and rejuvenating in a beautiful, quiet outdoor setting with your family sound nice? Can you envision taking time to sit on a porch rocking and reading, walking a peaceful trail, eating terrific food that you don t have to cook or do anything other than show up to eat, enjoying activities with your children, watching your children play in a stream, resting while your children enjoy activities led by others, fellowshipping with good friends, singing by a campfire, eating s mores, worshiping in an outdoor sanctuary, and making lifetime memories for and traditions with your family? The weekend of September 9-11, is the date of this year s NaCoMe Family Retreat! And we hope as many as possible can join! For those who may not be familiar with it, NaCoMe is a 600+ acre wooded site near Centerville, TN, approximately 90 miles from the church. NaCoMe Camp & Conference Center was once the home of Beaver Dam Springs Resort. The resort was purchased in 1939 by the Synod of the Presbyterian Church and is jointlyowned today by the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee and the Mid-South Presbytery. It is used as a conference center, campground, and meeting place by many churches and other groups. Located on the Western Highland Rim, NaCoMe is home to deep hard wood forests, natural streams and lakes, a host of wildflowers, and of course many wildlife critters. Learn more at The modern cabins are the result of the love and stewardship of Presbyterians in our churches. Each cabin has four bedrooms, each with a private bathroom. Each bedroom consists of 3-4 bunk style beds--one double sized bottom bunk bed and the remaining beds are twins. There is a gathering room in the center of each cabin and a porch with rocking chairs! You must make reservations to attend. More details about the retreat, costs and reservation details will be in the Sunday bulletin each week and someone will be available after church to assist you with questions and making your reservations. You can plan to arrive Friday night and stay one or two nights, or Saturday morning and stay one night, or even come just for the day on Saturday or for worship on Sunday. It is your choice! We ll depart for home after worship and lunch on Sunday. We do need volunteers! So if you would like to help coordinate some of the activities, please contact Kathy Ebbert at or Kathy Campbell at Plan to attend! Make memories for your family, get to know your church family better and relax in a beautiful setting and worship with us on Sunday. Every year, we have as many as 70 of our congregation join in for either two nights, one night or just for a day. This year, we hope for even more! Pastor Michael will attend this year to lead worship. Join us!

5 Ariana, Isaiah, and Sasha had a great time at NaCoMe Summer Camp. The kids said their favorite part of camp was playing all the games Nine Square in the Air, Gaga Ball, and Volleyball Gotcha. They enjoyed walking in the creek, meeting new friends, and learning new songs. They loved all the counselors at camp. They learned not to be afraid to be GREAT! They came home with great memories of camp!

6 YOUTH MINISTRY REPORT: THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY Well... the good news is that half the kids who attended the Young at Heart Fishing Day on June 11 caught a fish. The discouraging news is that only two kids attended (and just five adults). We were well prepared for the hot afternoon with an abundance of water, popsicles, homemade cookies, poles, bait, and other activities. But while we had hoped to reel in a bunch of kids, we hardly had a nibble. It seems that the big numbers got away... this time. The handful who attended had a terrific time, and we certainly didn t expect record attendance on a 95-degree Saturday. Yet clearly we still have work to do in generating ongoing excitement and participation for youth ministry. Or should we just cut our losses now and send our kids elsewhere? After all, two kids and five adults are pretty meager numbers. Do you ever wonder what Jesus thought when His disciples came to Him, skeptical as to how two fish and five loaves could make a dent in the enormous challenge they were facing (Matt. 14:13-21)? The lesson is the same, whether it s five loaves and two fish, or our five loafers and two fishermen: that s more than enough to entrust to Jesus, expecting big results. So please continue to pray for our young people, our youth team, and our consultant. Get involved whenever and wherever you can, because when Jesus goes to work, everyone goes home filled. And if you don t get involved, you just might miss out on something pretty spectacular. Your Youth Team (Billy, Casey, Amy, and Stan) SERMON SCHEDULE July 3 Telling your story of God s faithfulness, Psalm 30 July 10 Biblical praying, Colossians 1:1-14 July 17 How great is Christ, Colossians 1:15-20 July 24 Your sins are erased, Colossians 2:6-15 July 31 How much is enough? Luke 12:13-21 SESSION HIGHLIGHTS Approved minutes from last meetings Transferred Mike and Christy Smith to Covenant Presbyterian, Nashville Approved Ministry Unit reports Discussed Budget and Finance report and statistics on congregational giving patterns Summarized congregational listening group Financial Update Y.T.D. Through May 2016 Revenue $ 106, Expenses $ 149, Shortfall $ -42, In Memory of: Gen Williams From: Charles & Marian Pasinger In Memory of: J.D. Harris From: Terry & Catherine Harris In Memory of: Richard Busey From: Terry & Catherine Harris When: Thursday, July 7th Where: FPC Martin Hall Time: 1:00 6:00 p.m. To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org enter HendersonvilleCM

7 July 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 10:00 am Worship- Commuion Young at Heart Club- Picnic/Fireworks Viewing 1 2 Montreat Conference :00 am Sunday School 10:00 am Women s 6:30 am Men s 1:00 pm 9:30 am Sew Book Group Bible Study Blood Drive Many Blessings Independence Day-Office Closed VBS Church Decorating :00 am Room in the Inn 9:00 V.B.S. 9:00 V.B.S. 6:30 am Men s 9:00 V.B.S. 9:00 V.B.S. Bible Study 9:00 am Sunday School 10:00 am Worship 11:00 am Cong. Care 11:00 am Education 9:00 V.B.S. 6:15 pm Worship Committee 7:00 pm Budget & Finance 5:30 pm Women s Bible Study :00 am Sunday School 10:00 am Worship 11:00 am Bldg./Grounds 5:30 pm Membership 7:00 pm Session 10:30 am Sunshine Ministry 6:30 am Men s Bible Study Window Deadline :00 am Sunday School 10:00 am Worship 11:00 am Nominating Committee 31 9:00 am Sunday School 10:00 am Worship 6:30 am Men s Bible Study

8 CHURCH STAFF Michael Davis, Pastor Dr. Anthony Williams, Organist/Choir Director Linda Agee, Church Administrator Chuck Adamson, Building Maintenance Amy Bleich, Nursery Attendant Gloria, Braswell, P.D.S. Director Vacation Bible School July Catch the Wave! First Presbyterian Church 172 W. Main St. Hendersonville, TN (615) ; Fax (615) Website: linda@hendersonvillefpc.org Sunday School 9:00 a.m. Worship Service 10:00 a.m. 1 - Lucas Bish Terry Harris 3 - Karen Carrier Spencer Huddleston Margaret Ewald 7 - Rebecca Young Pendergrast 9 - Virginia Duffett Gary Head 11 - Richard Roche 12 - Ellen Getter Brooklyn Young 15 - Elizabeth Ball 16 - Jaxon Settle 18 - Drew Getter 23 - Susan Ferguson 25 - Jim Lind 27 - Helen Hunter 29 - Sandi Martin 30 - Kenny Gugenheim Jerry Gugenheim 31 - John Allen