The Warrenton Presbyterian

Transcription

1 Warrenton Presbyterian Church The Warrenton Presbyterian September 2016 Pastor s Corner Dear Saints of Warrenton Presbyterian Church, Greetings, my name is Jim Lunde and I am overcome with joy for this opportunity to serve as your new pastor. I am both honored and humbled to be called to serve a church with such a rich legacy for pastoral leadership. I look forward to serving Christ alongside you as we minister to the Warrenton community and beyond. Normally, my newsletter articles will highlight upcoming events or reflect on something at the intersection of life and faith. Though my first day in the office isn t until September 6 th, I wanted to take this opportunity to briefly introduce myself and my family to you. I am a life-long Presbyterian and a native of Lansing, Michigan. I attended Alma College (a Presbyterian College in Michigan) where I studied History and Religious Studies. During college, I spent my summers working at Massanetta Springs in Harrisonburg, Virginia, as a camp counselor, ministry intern and, finally, as the day camp director. My ministry experiences in college helped me recognize God s call to ministry and led me to attend Union Presbyterian Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. Following graduating from seminary, I was ordained as a Resident Pastor at Second Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis where I served in a two-year pastoral residency program for new pastors. After my residency, I accepted the call to serve as the Pastor of Graystone Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee which is where I served until accepting the call to become your next pastor. When I m not doing ministry, I try to maintain a few hobbies. I am an avid golfer and tennis player. I enjoy hiking and tolerate jogging. I love to travel as well as any opportunity to watch sports particularly if it s my Michigan State Spartans! Of course, my favorite thing to do is spend time with my wonderful wife, Marie and our daughter, Clara. Marie and I met in college while working at the summer camp at Massanetta Springs. Marie is also a life-long Presbyterian from Harrisonburg, VA and the granddaughter of a Presbyterian minister. She is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington and Virginia Commonwealth University for her training in school counseling. Marie has worked as a behavioral therapist and as a school research specialist. Marie now enjoys being home with our daughter, Clara. Clara is sixteen months old and enjoys finding a way to make anyone smile or laugh. The three of us are thrilled to be moving closer to family and to become part of the community here in Warrenton. We look forward to forming relationships with you and want to thank you for your support and hospitality. Blessings, Jim

2 Living Missionally September 2016 Thou Shalt Love Thy Neighbor As Thyself - Matthew 22:39 As disciples of Christ, we go out in mission locally, nationally and internationally with the good news of God s love and grace. In faith we will identify mission opportunities and provide hope and support to all God s children. On August 28 th, we prepared a worship service focusing on several mission projects of our church. Needless to say, we were able to focus on a few, but not all of our work. Below are a few, hopefully interesting facts and charts for your perusal. The question becomes, what is your mission passion where does God lead you? k Each year we pay from the Mission budget an amount to Shenandoah Presbytery Mission and Ministry based on our total WPC membership numbers from the previous year. Our obligation this year is about one-third of our entire mission budget. The money collected from all the churches in the presbytery creates the budget for Shen Pres. We spend approximately one-third of our total budget on global mission. We annually support missionaries in New Guinea, Central Asia, and Ethiopia. We support a health clinic in Haiti and provide scholarships to children in Haiti and Ethiopia. We also support an orphanage in Ethiopia. The partnership in Ethiopia is spear-headed by Shen Pres. We support Healthy Women/Healthy Families in several parts of Africa. We also support WPC mission teams to Baja, Mexico, and to Guatemala with Living Waters for the World. We use the final one-third of our total budget on local and youth mission. We pay the per diem for our teens and adult chaperones to attend Fred Camp. For the last few years we have supplied money and volunteers for Vacation Bible School snacks and have also transferred money for bags or needed supplies. We supplement and organize various other youth mission activities. Our major local mission partners are FISH, Fauquier Habitat for Humanity, Fauquier Food Bank, and WVMAW. The next page is a chart of our mission partners. Food bank requests for September: Peanut butter Whole grain pasta Grape and Strawberry jelly

3 Living Missionally (cont d) Mission Partners Supported by WPC in 2016 American Red Cross Blood Drives in Memory of Bill Bundy, held in January and June Bethlehem Ministry - supports the Health Clinic & provides school scholarships in Terrier Rouge, Haiti Church World Service Alternative Giving and CROP Walk Fauquier Free Clinic Health Clinic in Warrenton offers Medical, Dental, and Mental Health Care for Local Families Fauquier Family Shelter Services Homeless Shelter, Transitional Housing, & Counseling Fauquier Habitat for Humanity building homes and rebuilding lives For Immediate Sympathetic Help FISH Food Pantry Utility Assistance Back to School Backpacks & school supplies Weekend Power Packs (food for children) Snow Day Packs (food for children) Fred Camp Fredericksburg, VA Week-long (Christian) retreat for our H.S. youth repairing homes for low-income individuals. Heifer International - helping children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become selfreliant; To end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth Hospice of the Rapidan HumanKind (aka) Pres. Homes & Family Services Living Waters for the World- provides sustainable clean water & establishes relationships New Tribes Mission Dr. Bud & Bonnie Morton, missionaries in Papua, New Guinea People Helping People - a cooperative ministry of churches, which help people in an emergency crisis with resources and guidance. Presbyterian Church (USA) Healthy Women/Healthy Families Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship/ The Antioch Partners-missionaries (missionaries in Central Asia) Project Healing Waters - dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans Salvation Army Shenandoah Presbytery Baja Mission Team Bible Translation English in Ethiopia Gail Smith Missionary Rev. & Mrs. Stephen Stelle - Missionaries icare Discretionary (Ethiopian orphanage) icare Sponsorship (school tuition) Massanetta Camp & Conf. Ctr Montreat Conf. Ctr. Spiritual Care Support Ministriescompassionate care/emotional healing for those struggling with loss and pain St. Francis Service Dogs Sunnyside Communities Fellowship Fund for residents who have outlived their resources Magnificent Oak Ministries Residential Program for Survivors of Abuse WPC Mission Budget for 2016: $50, The total budget is nearly evenly divided between our obligation to Shenandoah Presbytery, Global mission work and local mission work.

4 Living Missionally (cont d) A Bit of Mission History: Mission has not always been a big part of WPC. Before 2003 we did not even have mission as part of the annual budget. Mission monies came out of a line item called the community service fund. No records could be found as to the amount of this fund or what, other than mission, was drawn from the fund. The largest mission activities were carried out by the youth, especially the middle school Sunday School Class. The 2003 budget was the first that had a mission or benevolence line item which was set at $40,000. This was about 9% of the total budget. In 2005 the stewardship committee recommended the annual budget for mission be set at 10% of the total budget and each budget since then has tried to maintain that amount. Our relationship with FISH began in Early 2003 when the Communion Sunday food collection began. We also are a Habitat for Humanity charter church with 2 of our members, Dick Wingo and Bill Richardson, being 2 of the 3 founders of the organization. Since 2003 mission projects, local and international, as well as congregation support at WPC has grown. WPC is showing we are a congregation that is doing God's work for all God's people in many different ways as our mission support and participation continues to grow.** The goal of Presbyterian World Mission is to inspire, equip and connect U.S. Presbyterians and global partners for faithful and effective mission. As Presbyterians we believe we are called to mission through the discipline of partnership. This allows us to address the root causes of some of the most pervasive problems in our world poverty alleviation and reconciliation in cultures of violence, and to more deeply engage in the work of international evangelism.* * **Joan Bundy Mark your calendars NOW for the Warrenton CROP Hunger Walk at Airlie Conference Center on Sunday, October 16 th! Boy Scout Troop 92 will be having a Court of Honor ceremony on September 7 th at 7pm in the Fellowship Hall. American Cancer Society Relay for Life Wrap-up 2016 $123,000+ total for the event WPC youth raised $15,337, second highest Since the event was completed in June, WPC youth has received $628 in donations Thank you for your support. God bless you.

5 Membership Committee News Interested in learning more about membership? - Call the church office or simply check Interested in Membership on the attendance pad and we will contact you. Membership Committee: Chairperson Sherry Hawkins, Laura Cline, Stacy Stevens, Donna Calhoun, Judy Pease, and Mary Hall Food & Fellowship Opportunities Mark your calendars: August 28, the coffee hour will honor Pastor Sommer s service to WPC as interim pastor; the event will be held in the Fellowship Hall and everyone is asked to bring a finger food to share, 10 AM September 11, Coffee hour for Rally Day at 10 AM (between services) September 25: Welcome event for Pastor Lunde, a meal will be served following the installation service at 4 PM, RSVP & donations of food and cash are requested. (MORE INFO BELOW) October 9: Coffee hour combined with an ACTIVITIES FAIR, noon (Committees & groups of the church should sign up NOW for display space) November 13, Coffee hour, noon December 11, possible Coffee hour or service of Comfort and Hope meal PASTOR LUNDE S COMMISSIONING On Sunday, September 25 Pastor James E. Lunde, II will be commissioned as the newly installed pastor of WPC. There will be members of churches from around the Presbytery in attendance as our guests. The commissioning will be at 4 PM with a reception to follow. The menu for the reception will include BBQ sliders, coleslaw, pimiento cheese sandwiches, salads, deviled eggs, veggie platter, fruit platter, and desserts. We are asking for the following from the congregation: #1 RSVP, please! So we will know how much food we will need #2, food donations including pimiento cheese sandwiches, potato salad, macaroni/pasta salad, deviled eggs, desserts of your choice #3, cash donations to cover the cost of the BBQ, buns, coleslaw, veggie platter, and fruit platter _ Name # attending I will donate pimiento cheese sandwiches deviled eggs potato salad macaroni salad dessert (specify type: ) cash donation

6 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION Be sure to pick up the Christian Education Brochure with more information on classes, curricula, and class location; available in the narthex. RALLY DAY, SEPTEMBER 11: During the church school hour (10-11 AM), you will have the opportunity to browse displays of each of the church school classes offered for the church school year and meet the teachers. The Christian education committee requests that you bring a breakfast food to share, such as donuts, fruit, sweet rolls, biscuits, etc. to add to the breakfast buffet for all to enjoy. Please come and enjoy the fellowship and by participating, show your support of the church school program of our church. Bibles will be presented to this year s class of 4 th graders during 11 AM worship on Sunday, September 11. To receive Bibles: Ella Black, Clark Bolton, Cailyn Caine, Avery Durden, Liam Kamp, Hudson Lasser, Ryan Toothman, and Ruth Weiss. Please let Lucy Lindsay know if you have a fourth grader not listed above. Confirmation Class The class of young people preparing to be confirmed as adult members of the church is held as a church school class from September 18 June 4. The Christian Education Committee recommends the class for ninth graders. The group will meet during the church school hour in the church library. Teachers are Don Schupp and Lucy Lindsay. Please contact either of the teachers or call the church office for more information or to register for the class. An introductory meeting for confirmands and parents will be held on Rally Day, September 11 at 10:30 in the church library. CHILDREN S WORSHIP Resuming on September 11, children in first through third grades are invited to participate in a study about how we worship, each Sunday except for Communion Sunday (usually the first Sunday of each month). We believe that coming together to worship God is essential for growing Christians. The children s worship program is designed to help children strengthen their participation in congregational worship. As children understand what we do in worship, they can participate more fully. Children will remain in the sanctuary on Communion Sundays to participate in the sacrament with their families. Nursery II Bridge During the 11:00 AM worship service, children ages 3 5 are invited to attend a story based program led by staff members Georgann Bowman and Becky Guinn, coordinated through the child care program director. Volunteers will assist each week. Children are invited to come to Room 401 after the children s talk during worship for age appropriate activities aimed at preparing them for worship participation. Volunteers are needed for both the 8:45 and 11:00 AM services for Children s Worship and for the 11:00 AM Bridge program. Contact Lucy Lindsay if you are interested and a training session will be scheduled.

7 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION (cont d) Adult classes for Sunday morning, September 18 October 23 Conversations About Heaven, meeting in the Women s Lounge, Sundays at 10:00 AM, discussion led by Mary Hall OR Mondays at 7:30 PM, discussion led by Joan Broughton The Church in Politics, using materials from the Being Reformed series published by PC(USA) Sundays at 10:00 AM, taught by Susanne Taylor in the Historic Chapel Beginning on October 30, Pastor Lunde will lead a lectionary based class, Words on the Word, in the Fellowship Hall Church school teachers, (commissioned during worship on Sunday, September 11) Nursery/toddler Staff Child Care Coordinators, Erin Call and Carol Smith Preschool - Kim Gray and Danielle Ketcham Kindergarten/First Grade Evelyn Rice, Elizabeth Smedley Second/Third Grades- Al and Laura Cline, Vicki MacKeown Fourth/Fifth Grades Sally Marks and Becca Edwards Middle School Joan Broughton, Beverly Broadfield Confirmation Don Schupp, Lucy Lindsay Senior High Quentin Jones and Renata Kamp Adult Susanne Taylor, Mary Hall, Pastor Lunde Substitutes Judy Pease, Kelly Baumgartner, France ter Weele On behalf of the congregation of WPC, especially our youngest members, we express great appreciation to and for Tracy Mazurkiewicz, who filled the position of Child Care Coordinator for several years. Tracy is a dedicated, cheerful and hard-working staff member and has been a blessing in the church nursery. She is giving up the staff position in early September, but will remain active as a volunteer in other church activities. Adult meeting opportunities Women s group study, Mondays, six weeks starting September 12, Conversations about Heaven, led by Joan Broughton, 7:30 PM, Women s Lounge Men s Group Bible Study, Saturday mornings, starting September 10, 8:30 AM, Youth Lounge 40+ Fabulous & Fun Fellowship Group, meeting as inspired, contact the office with ideas Book Group, every 4th Wednesday at 7:00 PM September 28: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman October 26: At the Water's Edge by Sara Gruen November 16 (the 3rd Wednesday): The Ultimate Gift by Jim Stovall The next Christian Education committee meeting is Monday, September 19 at 7:00 PM. Please bring any ideas, comments or concerns you may have to the attention of the Christian Education committee, (Chair, Chris Headly) or to the DCE, Lucy Lindsay. Looking ahead to World Communion Sunday, the first Sunday in October. More information will be included in the next newsletter about worship opportunities for all ages.

8 CHRISTIAN EDUCATION (cont d) Youth Group Activities The youth group program for fall includes regular meetings on most Sunday evenings where both groups will share a meal together and fellowship time for small group discussion, games and social time. Then the middle school and senior high groups will meet separately for a time of study. The senior highs will meet with Lucy Lindsay and the middle school group will be led by Steve Torpy. September 10 4:00 6:00 PM, Haven Meal preparation and delivery September 11 Rally Day 10:00 AM 5:00 7:00 PM pot luck picnic and cook out for youth and parents * RSVP to educate@wpcva.org Volley ball game and parent meeting to sign up for the year s events September 18 Special event --- Bowling in Culpeper (5:30 8:30 PM) $15.00 (2 games, shoes, pizza and drink) Sign up at educate@wpcva.org drivers/chaperones needed October 9 Dinner and evening Meeting at the church (6:00 8:00 PM ) October 15 4:00 6:00 PM, Haven Meal preparation and delivery October 16 Middle school and senior high - 2:00 PM Crop Walk at Airlie October 23 Dinner and evening Meeting at the church (6:00 8:00 PM ) *PARENTS Please plan to attend the evening meeting and potluck picnic on Sunday, September 11 with your youth group member. We will meet together to discuss the schedule of events for the upcoming year. You will have an opportunity to offer suggestions and ask questions as well as sign up to chaperone and assist at events of your choice. Meals at the regular youth group meetings are provided by parent volunteers. Please check your calendars and choose a date that would work for you to prepare and serve the meal. See Lucy Lindsay for more information or to sign up for your date. More Dates for your calendars: Rally Day September 11 Kids Club September 23 World Communion Sunday October 4 CROP walk October 16 Packing Care Packages (college and military) November 6 (send addresses to educate@wpcva.org) Mitten Sunday December 4 Christmas Pageant - December 4 Kid s Club, once a month fellowship event for kids in grades 2 5 Kids and Parents ---Plan to attend a fun kick-off event for our Kids Clubbers on Friday, September 23, from 6:00 8:00 PM. Kids will enjoy games and dinner with Jeanette Walker and Lucy Lindsay. Parents are invited to drop off the kids at 6:00 and come back to the church at 7:30 to meet with Lucy Lindsay for a time of planning and scheduling for the Kids Club program. The parent meeting is in the fellowship hall from 7:40 8:00 PM. Acolytes All middle school and 4 th and 5 th grade students are encouraged to sign up for an opportunity to serve as acolyte for the 11:00 AM worship service, September through May. A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board in Memorial Hall (between the sanctuary and chapel). Please call the church office for more information and to schedule a training session.

9 Welcome to our new Music Director Let s all make welcome our new Music Director, Sarah Solomon. Sarah is a teacher at Wakefield Country Day School. She has degrees in B.S. in Music Education and a B.A. in Music. She has worked with vocal and instrumental ensembles, choirs, and handbells. She has also served as a praise team leader and has assisted with drama productions. We are truly blessed by God to have so many special people in our lives. Thank you for helping us celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary with the fun and fellowship we enjoyed together. All of the cards and kind thoughts are sincerely appreciated. God bless and keep each of you in his tender care. CRAFTY LADIES NEWS On August 10 th, Ella, Erin and Maya Black, Andrea Brooks and Clara Compton met at my home and we filled 50 tote bags with school supplies for Shenandoah Presbytery/Church World Service. On August 11 th, we once again served brunch to the Christian Women s Club. Thanks to Mieko Brandenburg, Andrea Brooks, Sandra Brown, Lois Hollar, Joyce Mills, Judy Pease and Joyce Teague all went well and we will serve them again on September 15 th. We can always use extra hands so if you would like to help, we start cooking and set-up at 8:30 A.M. On August 20 th we (Andrea Brooks, Mary Hall, Sondra McTarnaghan, Joyce Teague and Starr Thomas) hosted a reception following the funeral of Festus James. Thanks to everyone who helped with set -up, food and clean-up. Thanks seem so inadequate for Anne Cantrell and her beautiful crocheted afghans. One was sold immediately almost sight unseen. We now have the cream one being offered for $100. If you are interested, please call me. It will be first come, first gets. Crafty Ladies sincerely appreciates all you do for us. Catherine Cox Women of the Church Fall class topic: Conversations about Heaven taught by Joan Broughton on Monday night at 7:30 PM starting September 12 and by Mary Hall on Sunday morning at 10 AM in the Women s Lounge starting September 18. The women of the church provide a meal to the free clinic volunteers once a month. More volunteers are needed to keep this outreach ministry going.

10 DECENTLY AND IN ORDER A Thousand Days A thousand days. Or more accurately, closer to one thousand one hundred days. That s how long WPC has been without a regular, installed pastor. Dividing that figure by three hundred sixty five days in a year, and the figure of three years is the result. When Carl Schmahl retired three years ago, the notion of the process taking this long was almost unthinkable, and yet, we were told that it is about average. Some churches take longer. As soon as he announced his retirement, the Session sprang into action, appointing a group to serve as an Interim Pastor Search Committee. That process alone met with bumps in the road here and there, but John Snyder arrived in January of 2014 to start us in the process of studying our identity and our mission in our Mission Study. I was honored to serve on that body. It took the Task Force about nine months to deliver that baby, but it was well researched, well written and well received by all. More importantly, it is a document to which we may still refer for a while yet, as we continue to learn what it is God is calling us to be and do. Hence, the title, To Be and Do. When we were dealt the double whammy of losing Carrie Evans AND John Snyder so closely in succession, we were once again wounded, but by then, we had the Pastor Nominating Committee elected to take our documents and start the process of seeking an individual to lead us forward. As our second interim, God (through presbytery) sent us Phil Sommer. Phil has done a tremendous job of bringing us forward through the processes of healing and getting used to changes happening, all in preparation for our new pastor. When Jim Lunde arrives in our midst officially as of September 11 th, we will be ready to receive him - - not as a clone of any of our previous pastors, regular or interim - - but as himself. One who has read about who we are and what we are being called by God to do, and mutually feels with all of us that he is ready to help to lead us in that direction. A thousand days. Think of things that have gone from beginning to end in that time period. John Kennedy s presidency. Anne Boleyn s time as wife of Henry VIII. And, on a happier note, Jesus public ministry. A president who, despite his many human failings, famously stood up to Castro and Kruschev, set goals for the United States to win the space race and established the Peace Corps. We Americans remember, and are still fascinated by this young and dashing president with his beautiful wife and adorable children. Anne Boleyn bore the only children to succeed Henry VIII on the throne, despite being cast off after being wife number 3. The movie about her was entitled, Anne of a Thousand Days. We can only look back to the reign of her daughter, Elizabeth I, to see how the known world was changed in that time period. Our own Presbyterian denomination got its initial beginnings during her reign in England, and she was a sometime, if begrudging, ally of our own John Knox of Scotland. Of course, it is the figure of the world s only truly divine and truly human being, Jesus of Nazareth, that truly had the most significance in this short period of time. How do we begin to measure the impact of this three-year period in this man s life? It was a ministry served on earth in merely one thousand days or so, but whose impact is felt in the minds and hearts of millions currently incarnate and many more who have passed on in the two millennia since he walked the dusty lands of Palestine. I wonder how the world might have been different if Anne Boleyn had survived as Henry s wife and borne him another son besides the sickly Edward, whose death put young Elizabeth on the throne? How would America, and indeed the world, be different if John Kennedy had not been murdered, but finished out his term? Would he have served another one? Would Lyndon Johnson have ever been president? Would we have escalated the police action (aka, war) in Vietnam? Would we have the same sorts of social programs? And, if Jesus had not been martyred, but lived into old age and died of natural human causes, would the world have paid any attention to what he said and did? Wasn t it precisely his death and resurrection that had to happen in order to call the world s attention to him and his message? These were processes, or events, that either served a purpose or fulfilled a prophecy. A thousand days. A lot can happen in a thousand days. Our decent and orderly process began amid grumblings and questions about why it takes as long as it does, and why we need to perform each step. History is full of such thousand day events that have had worldwide significance. Warrenton Presbyterian Church has needed every bit of time that we have taken to reassess our identity and purpose. The process has necessarily been deliberate and careful. Now, let s see what we can do together in the next thousand days to change the part of the world in which our words and actions have influence. May the Peace of Christ be with you! Susanne Hooker Taylor

11 Warrenton Presbyterian School Serving Christ and God s Children in the Heart of Warrenton, Virginia Stacy Stevens, Director Incorporated /2016 will be the preschool s 8 th year of operation. The first day of school is Monday, August 29th. CLASSES AND STAFF: 2-day class for 2 year olds 2-day class for 3 year olds 3-day class for 3 year olds 3-day class for 4 year olds 4-day class for 4 year olds Erin Call & Marya Johnson Tracy Mazurkiewicz & Georgann Bowman Megan Clawson & Dresden Farmer Gail Jarvis & Melissa Shanahan Debi Blase & Stephanie Aldrich Catherine Cox Scholarship Fund WPS is in need of donations for our scholarship fund to help families in need with tuition payments. Our Open House for students and parents was held Thursday, August 25 th, from 10:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Thank you for your continued support, Stacy Stevens, Director ( ) stacy.stevens@wpcva.org

12 Non-Profit Org. U. S. Postage Paid Warrenton, VA Permit Main Street Warrenton, Virginia RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Help us keep our mailing list up-to-date. Please contact the church office with corrections, additions, or subtractions at or Important Dates for your Calendar: September 4, Communion, FISH food collection; final Tea on the Terrace September 5, Labor Day, Church office closed September 11, Rally Day, Pastor Lunde s first day in the pulpit, services at 8:45 & 11 AM; Coffee hour & meet the teachers at 10 AM; bring a breakfast food to share; Youth/parent meeting & picnic 5 PM September 18, First day of Church School classes, 10 AM September 24, joint meeting of session and deacons, 9 AM September 25, Pastor Lunde s installation at 4 PM followed by a reception