Welcome Rev. Gregory and Mary Beth Gibson

Transcription

1 NEWS Volume 13 Number 19 October 4, 2016 Sunday, October 9 Greg Gibson preaching Text: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, 11 Sunday, October 16 Greg Gibson preaching Text: Luke 18:1-8 Coming up in Worship Coming up in Worship Welcome Rev. Gregory and Mary Beth Gibson Join us after worship on October 9th for a reception with heavy finger foods to welcome Rev. Gregory Gibson to the FPC family. The reception will be held in Anderson Common and Church Street. Worship 101 Cares and Concerns You may have noticed the weekly Cares and Concerns E-blast has a new look! Please note, that all of the information and format is still the same, we just have a new design. Our Kindergarten children will be attending a special Worship Education Class during the 10:50 am worship service Oct. 16 through Nov. 20. The children learn why we do what we do in worship. Some Sundays you will see the children come in and out of worship as they are studying the different parts of worship. Please welcome them. Their class concludes at the end of November so that they can join their families for the Advent season. 1

2 Connections Camp Photo Recap A 5K First Stewpot Kid s Club and FPC 5th and 6th graders at Camp Gilmont. On Saturday, September 24, over 100 children, youth, and adults participated in The Irish Run the World 5K in support of our cross community work in Northern Ireland. The race is sponsored by the non-profit Ireland Funds. Runners in the picture are holding signs with the name of each of the 2016 campers and staff. Lagan College, the first integrated school in Northern Ireland, will again host the camp in August. Haiti Mission Trip Pill Packing Begins If you can count to 30, you can help at the annual Haiti mission trip pill-packing parties coming up in October. Pill-packing sessions are 9 a.m. to noon, beginning Saturday, October 1, 2016, and continuing every Saturday in October (and two Saturdays in November, if necessary), in Courson 3/Blakely Hall. The pill packing events enable our team to take prepackaged and labeled medications to distribute at the Eben-Ezer Medical Clinic in Ft. Liberte, Haiti. Throughout the week, more than 800 patients come to the clinic seeking treatment for anything from hypertension, diabetes and sore throats, to burns, lacerations and emergencies that may require treatment at a hospital about 40 minutes away. Join us on Saturdays through October for this meaningful and worthwhile activity. If you have any questions, please contact Catherine Bywaters at Calling All Seamstresses (and Seamsters) The Haiti Mission team is looking for people who sew to help make cloth diapers for distribution to mothers with small children and infants. Materials and instructions will be provided. If interested, call Catherine Bywaters at

3 Youth Matters October 2 9:00 a.m. Youth Choir rehearsal, sanctuary 9:30 a.m. Church School for all youth, 4th floor 10:50 a.m. Youth Choir in worship, sanctuary 3 p.m. Youth Choir rehearsal, choir room 4 p.m. PYC Quidditch!, 4th floor October 9 9:30 a.m. Church School for all youth, 4th floor 10:50 a.m. Worship, sanctuary 12:45 p.m. Youth Committee, room 404 3:00 p.m. Youth Choir rehearsal, choir room 4:00 p.m. PYC Scavenger Shopping and Out to Dinner October 16 9:30 a.m. Church School for all youth, 4th floor 10:50 a.m. Worship, sanctuary 3:00 p.m. Youth Choir rehearsal, choir room 4:00 p.m. PYC Service Project October 23 9:30 a.m. Church School for all youth, 4th floor 10:50 a.m. Worship, sanctuary 3:00 p.m. Youth Choir rehearsal, choir room 4:00 p.m. PYC Youth Shepherds and Service project October 30 9:30 a.m. Church School for all youth, 4th floor 10:50 a.m. Worship, sanctuary 3:00 p.m. Youth Choir rehearsal, choir room 4:00 p.m. COFFEE HOUSE auditions, Byrd Hall Children s Sabbath Children of Promise: Closing Opportunity Gaps - Sunday October 23, First Presbyterian Church will celebrate Children s Sabbath. Children s Sabbath is a way for faith communities to celebrate children and provides the opportunity for houses of worship to renew and live out their moral responsibility to care, protect, and advocate for all God s children. Faith Communities of all kinds around the country are celebrating Children s Sabbath. The theme this year is Children of Promise: Closing Opportunity Gaps. Our Music Makers Children will participate as leaders in worship, there will be a Time with Children, and a Minute for Mission highlighting Presbyterian Children s Homes and Service. In preparation for Children s Sabbath, consider using the devotional guide which will be available to you on a table in Anderson Common. This guide will help you think about advocating for and praying for all of God s Children. On Oct. 23, in Anderson Common you will also find displays highlighting how FPC supports children and youth in our congregation, Stewpot Children and Youth Programs, our Developmental Day School as well as a display will be available with information about Presbyterian Children s Homes and Service. Children s Corner A complete Children s calendar is available to download from the FPC website for Questions or to RSVP please contact Carol White at children@fpcdallas.org. Upcoming Events Oct. 16 Worship 101 for Kindergarten begins during 10:50am Worship and continues through Nov. 20. Oct. 23 Children s Sabbath Celebration in 10:50 am Worship Oct. 23 Music Makers sing in Worship October 23 Mission YearLook Presentation 12:45 p.m. Blakley Hall Presenter: Carolyn Storm Kettenacker Topic: Mercy Ships In the summer of 2014, the FPC Mission & Benevolence Committee (now the Local & Global Mission Committee) approved a formal partnership between FPC and Mercy Ships. Although Mercy Ships is an international organization, this partnership has opened up the door to in-kind gifts to The Stewpot and the FPC mission budget has provided grants towards the work of Mercy Ships in hundreds of ports providing medical care to primarily developing nations. Carolyn Storm Kettenacker, a child of FPC and now a U.S. Hospital Liaison Volunteer for Mercy Ships, will be the Mission Look presenter on Sunday, October 23rd after worship. Come find out what it is like to volunteer on a floating surgical hospital ship along with hundreds of persons making up the onboard staff and crew and how lives are being transformed through medical treatments. 3

4 FPC University Offers Life-Long Learning Sundays, Oct. 2, 9 and 16 at 12:45 pm in Blakley Hall The sermon and worship texts this summer have come from the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). Three presenters in October will give Jewish perspectives on Hebrew Scriptures. Oct. 2: Renee Karp of Temple Emanu-El will present "Passover: telling our stories" Oct. 9: Mike Sims of Temple Emanu-El will present "The Making of the Golden Calf" Oct. 16: Rabbi Shawn Zell of Tiferet Israel Congregation will present "Hannah's Song" All are invited to attend these stimulating presentations following Sunday lunch in Byrd Hall. Sponsored by the Adult Education Committee. Renee Karp Mike Sims Rabbi Shawn Zell Grace Presbyterian Village Annual Bake Sale Each year Grace Presbyterian Village has a fall bake sale. The money collected from the bake sale will go to the Caring Fund. This fund makes it possible that those who reside in the retirement community whose funds have been exhausted can live there with a sense of security and peace. This year the bake sale will be from 9:00 until 4:00, Friday, October 21st. If you would like to help by donating baked goods for the sale, please be sure to indicate if they are sugar free or contain nuts. GPV will be accepting the baked donations on Thursday morning, October 20th. Grace Presbyterian Village is located at 550 East Ann Arbor, Dallas, If it is more convenient, you may bring your labeled donations to the church kitchen by Thursday, Oct. 20th. Please mark them for The GPV Fall Bake Sale. They will be delivered to GPV Thursday afternoon. For further information, contact Gay Doyle at Help welcome Greg Gibson to Grace Presbytery and FPC Please consider attending the Presbytery meeting on Thursday, October 6th at First Presbyterian Church - Kilgore (815 E. Main St., Kilgore 75662). At that meeting,our interim Pastor, Greg Gibson, will be welcomed by the Committee on Ministry. Anyone attending from FPC Dallas would be asked to stand with Greg for a prayer. Any elder (remember, once an elder, always an elder) can serve as a commissioner and we can use a few more. Our five commissioners would need to be at the meeting by 9:00 a.m. and stay until about 3:30 p.m. Others, wanting to be present only for the welcome, could arrive later and leave earlier. If you are interested in attending the Presbytery meeting, please contact Donna McKay by mckaydk@ sbcglobal.net or by phone Let her know if you are interested in serving as a commissioner. She will facilitate carpooling to and from the meeting. Or, simply attend the meeting and learn more about the work and ministry of Grace Presbytery. Closer to the meeting date, Donna will have information for you about the approximate time for the welcome. 4

5 Service to Church, School, and Community Twenty-three youth were recognized at the 20th Annual Service Corps Dinner and Celebration held in Byrd Hall the evening of September 25. Initiates receive a Service Corps Tee shirt. 2nd years are given a prayer box. For 3rd through 6th year members, the Youth Committee made a donation in their names to Camp Camilla in Northern Ireland, our Haiti Mission Project, and the Montreat Conference Center. Carson Brockette spoke about the 2016 Confirmation Class service projects. The class raised $4, to secure portable solar lamps for families and organizations in Haiti and for the Navy- Marine Corps Relief Society which helps active and retired military and their families in times of crisis, need, and counseling. Sasha Soucek presented a film she had created about her experiences in Northern Ireland. Genevieve Soucek spoke about her volunteer experience in Haiti this past January. 5

6 Save the T-Shirt, Save the Date! T- shirt Quilt Workshop with Nell Carvell and Bonnie Edwards Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. Now what? Make a memory quilt with that stack of t-shirts! Round them up from closets, drawers, and under the bed. Bring em Sat. November 5, from 9-3 and learn how to piece a quilt for you or a family member. Great for college dorms! Makes a nice Christmas gift! Some basic things you ll need: 20 T-shirts Portable sewing machine Cutting board and rotary cutter Some cutting boards and irons will be provided but they will have to be shared. A complete list of supplies will be provided when you register. When & Where: November 5, 9:00-3:00 in Byrd Hall Limited to first 10 to register. Contact Kathy Price at kathyp@fpcdallas.org or ext Cost: $15 includes lunch and some shared supplies. Must be paid before workshop. Questions? Call Nell Carvell, The loss of a loved one leaves us seeking answers to questions about grief and our culture is often unhelpful when making our way through the maze of feelings that we experience. Grief truly is a journey of emotions as well as physical and social changes. If you have experienced a loss and find yourself needing a safe place to process your grief, join us for a six week workshop where you can share your story and pose your questions, a place where you can find comfort among others who understand. The workshop begins Tuesday, October 11, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. in the Parlor, and will be led by Regina Hunt. Materials cost: $10 per participant, scholarships available. Annual Fall Campout at Gilmont Rescheduled October 28 October 30 What better way to spend time with your family than camping in the beautiful piney woods, enjoying the warmth of a campfire during a crisp fall day in October. Load up the camping gear (borrow, if you don t have any) and head to Camp Gilmont with your FPC Church family. Rejuvenate your soul and build memories. Dates: October 28 October 30, 2016 Where: Camp Gilmont, Gilmer, TX What: A weekend of camping in the piney woods of East Texas Cost: $12 a night per tent site $25 a night per r.v. Activities: Canoeing, campfires, stargazing, hiking, stories, good friends, food, fellowship and worship. For more information or to reserve a campsite: Call Bonnie Edwards at or Gary Minton at Need more encouragement to go? Read 10 Reasons to be a Camping Family on Lowry s mommymanders blog at Sizeable Foundation Gift Due to Sizeable Gratitude Recently the Church Foundation received a $75,000 gift from a person who has been a part of FPC for 60 years. The accompanying note said: I have enjoyed the camps, programs, activities and teachings of our church all these years. Our church provides guidance for our youth, family involvement and care of our elderly. My gift to the Foundation is my way of giving back. My wish is that others will benefit as much as I have. To find out how you can be a part of the Foundation please contact Kim Warner at 214/ or kim.warner99@hotmail.com. 6

7 Cynthia Johnson Retreat This retreat will give you an experience of the time-tested Circle of Trust approach, distinguished by principles and practices that create safe, evocative and trustworthy space for reflection and shared exploration. Many have said that it has created a small group experience where they were able to take off their Sunday faces and talk honestly about the joys and challenges of the journey of life and faith. This approach is fully described in Parker J. Palmer s book, A Hidden Wholeness: The Journey Toward an Undivided Life and offered by facilitators prepared by the Center for Courage & Renewal. Additional information is also available at www. couragerenewal.org/approach/. Join this opportunity for personal growth and renewal as well as for the possibilities it holds for you and others in the formation of new small groups and enrichment of ongoing gatherings within the church. Date & Time: October 14-15, First Presbyterian Church, Friday Oct 14, 6-9 pm, Sat, Oct Contact Kathy Price at kathyp@fpcdallas.org or if you would like to register. Space is limited. Cynthia Johnson, L.M.S.W.-A.P., was the founder of and nationally trained lead facilitator for Courage & Renewal North Texas for 13 years, and continues to lead Circles of Trust programs in diverse community and professional settings around the country. Ordained as a deacon in the Baptist tradition, she has also spent the last 30 years engaged as an active leader in the congregational, denominational, ecumenical and interfaith arenas of religious life. Cynthia earned a B.A. in sociology and social work from Baylor University, a Master s of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington, has participated in post-graduate studies at Brite Divinity School and and earned a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Perkins School of Theology. Surprised by Hope Meeting Thursdays Beginning October 13 What happens after we die? What does the Christian faith teach about this? In Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church, renowned biblical scholar and Anglican bishop N.T. Wright explains why most practicing Christians are misguided or unclear about the Christian message on this question. We often think in terms of going to heaven --a salvation essentially away from this world. However, we are resurrected, and heaven comes to earth. So the Christian hope is surprisingly different from what many of us have assumed, and this in turn offers hope not just for life after death but also for this broken world and for our mission in it. Come join Rev. Wendy Fenn and Ellen Pryor for a six-week study of scripture and Wright s book as we think together about what Jesus resurrection really means. To reserve your place (class size is limited) please contact Kathy Price at kathyp@fpcdallas.org or call her at The class will meet for six Thursdays from 11:30 1:00. 7

8 PW News First Thursday- It s Alive and Well and Better than Ever! First Thursday is a casual social gathering of women from FPC for food and fellowship on the first Thursday of each month. Everyone is welcome. It is an opportunity to meet other FPC members and friends and enjoy sharing time together. No lessons; no studies; Just sharing time with friends and making new friends. Many who attend have been coming since the gatherings began about 8 years ago, but many others have only recently begun coming to a gathering. Some come every month, and some come once a year. The purpose is simple: Fellowship with your First Presbyterian church family builds relationships which support each other and the mission of the church. Our gatherings have been growing in numbers, which is wonderful, but we need your help to find out if we need to do anything different to be sure that everyone who wants to host or attend can do so. Please give us answers to these four concerns about First Thursdays. Send your responses to to either Kathy Price at KathyP@fpcdallas.org OR Sue St. John at sue@rebusinesssystems.com. 1.) I attend First Thursday at times and would love to host a gathering, but feel I would need a co-hostess and have a group no larger than (?). Preparation and space has limited my hosting a gathering. 2.) I haven t attended or rarely attended a First Thursday, but am interested in getting more involved. I might attend more often if there was a gathering closer to me. Sometimes the location stops me from going. 3.) What? This is news to me! I might attend if I know about sooner, or by a different method of communication. I suggest you promote the gathering in this way: 4.) I do receive notification from FPC of the gatherings, but have not attended and really don t have an interest in being notified The next gathering is October 6, hosted by Sue St. John. A light meal with be served. We gather from 6:00pm to about 8:00. It is helpful for the hostess to have an idea of how many plan to attend, so please RSVP to Sue at sue@rebusinesssystems.com or leave a message on her home phone at If you do not RSVP but find you can attend, you are always welcome to come on! PW Projects PW Projects will meet in Blakeley Hall on October 25th, from 9:30 till 2:00. Please bring your own lunch. Water and tea will be provided. Singer Keron Jackson gave an inspiring vocal program at the recent General Meeting and Luncheon Sept. 20. His life story includes a period of homelessness which was overcome by the love and tenacity of a small faith community in Carthage, TX. You can hear his performances on YouTube. 8

9 Calendar: October 4 - October 18 Tuesday, October 4 9:00 AM Enneagram Series- Room :45 AM PW Bible Moderators Meeting- Courson 1 6:30 PM Session- Blakley Hall Wednesday, October 5 7:00 AM Men s Bible Study - Courson 1 (B3) 12:00 PM Pastor s Bible Study - Blakley Hall (B2) 6:30 PM Junior Crew and Venturing Crew- 3rd and 4th Floor 7:00 PM Chancel Choir Practice- Choir Room Wednesday Evening Bible Study- Blakley Hall Thursday, October 6 9:00 AM Grace Presbytery Meeting- FPC Kilgore 6:00 PM PW First Thursday Gathering Saturday, October 8 8:30 AM Saturday Kid s Club- 3rd Floor ESL Classes- Community Ministries Building 9:00 AM Haiti Pill Packing- Courson 1 Sunday, October 9 8:45 AM Chapel Service 9:15 AM Sunday Club- 3rd Floor 9:30 AM Sunday School for All Ages Newcomers Class- Parlor 10:50 AM Sanctuary Service 12:00 PM Reception Welcoming Rev. Greg Gibson- Anderson Common and Church Street 12:45 PM FPC University- Blakley Hll (B2) Youth Committee Meeting- Room 404 3:00 PM Youth Choir- Room 108 4:00 PM Presbyterian Youth Connection- 4th Floor First Concert Series: Tony Alonso- Sanctuary Monday, October 10 10:30 AM PW Circle 1- Outside Church Tuesday, October 11 9:00 AM Enneagram Series- Room :00 AM PW Circle 6- Outside Church 10:00 AM PW Circle 8- Outside Church 10:00 AM PW Circle 3- Parlor 10:00 AM PW Circle 7- Outside Church 10:30 AM PW Circle 9- Outside Church 10:30 AM PW Circle 11- Outside Church 6:00 PM Personnel Meeting- Room 318 6:30 PM Stephen Ministry Supervision- 4th Floor Faith and Grief Series- Parlor Wednesday, October 12 7:00 AM Men s Bible Study - Courson 1 (B3) 12:00 PM Pastor s Bible Study - Blakley Hall (B2) 6:30 PM Junior Crew- Courson 3 Venturing Crew- 4th Floor 7:00 PM Chancel Choir Practice- Choir Room Wednesday Evening Bible Study- Blakley Hall Thursday, October 13 11:30 AM Book Study- Surprised by Hope Begins- Room 318 Friday, October 14 5:45 PM Cindy Johnson Retreat Begins- 4th Floor Saturday, October 15 8:30 AM Saturday Kid s Club- 3rd Floor Cindy Johnson Retreat Continues- 4th Floor ESL Classes- Community Ministries Building 9:00 AM Haiti Pill Packing- Courson 1 Liturgical Dance rehearsal- Sanctuary Sunday, October 16 8:45 AM Chapel Service 9:15 AM Sunday Club- 3rd Floor 9:30 AM Sunday School for All Ages Newcomers Class- Parlor Taking the Anxiety out of Aging- Koinonia Rm 10:50 AM Sanctuary Service Worship 101- Room :00 PM Sunday Lunch- Byrd Hall 12:45 PM FPC University- Blakley Hll (B2) 3:00 PM Youth Choir- Room 108 4:00 PM Presbyterian Youth Connection- 4th Floor Monday, October 17 5:15 PM Day School Parent s Association Town Hall Meeting- 4th Floor 7:00 PM Benedictine Vespers- Chapel Tuesday, October 18 9:00 AM Enneagram Series- Room 404 6:00 PM Congregational Life Council- Room 404 PW Circle 5- Outside Church 6:30 PM Faith and Grief Series- Parlor 9

10 Helpful Legislation for charitable individuals with Required Minimum Distributions An individual age 70 ½ or older can make direct charitable gifts from an Individual Retirement Account, including Required Minimum Distributions, of up to $100,000 each year to charities such as First Presbyterian Church or its Foundation. This eliminates reporting such a distribution as taxable income on one s federal income tax return. A charitable deduction is not allowed for an IRA distribution to charity, but not paying tax on the amount is the equivalent of a charitable deduction. For more information contact Kim Warner at the Foundation at kim.warner99@hotmail.com or First Presbyterian Church News (USPS ) is published semi-monthly by First Presbyterian Church, 1835 Young Street, Dallas, TX Individual subscriptions $12 per year. Periodicals postage paid at Dallas, TX and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to First Presbyterian Church News, c/o Beth Hernandez, 1835 Young Street, Dallas, TX Editor: Wilson Nicholson Deadline is 9 a.m. on Monday, eight days prior to publication date. Articles may be submitted by: Phone ext. 229 Fax wilsonn@fpcdallas.org The FPC newspaper reserves the right to edit submitted materials. Please contact Beth Hernandez at or bethh@fpcdallas.org with any requests to subscribe or discontinue the paper. 10