Harbor Light. Reflections from Pastor Bruce. And Away We Go!

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1 Harbor Light Pcph.org Presbyterian Church of Palm Harbor June 2017 Reflections from Pastor Bruce And Away We Go! I left St. Petersburg in 1984 after graduating from college. For the past 33 years, I ve lived in Michigan, North Carolina and, for a 12 month stretch, southern Indiana. If you d have asked me what I would ve expected upon entering adult life three plus decades ago, I m pretty sure where I am and who I am now would not have been my go to response. Such are the grace and call of God. As I left Grand Rapids on May 10 th and traveled with Tim Dieffenbach one of my best friends there was ample time to think and talk as we drove the 1300 miles U-Haul trailer in tow. I thought about Abraham and God s invitation to him: leave where your ancestors lived and I ll give you a new home; come along with me and I ll make an entire community of called people from you and your beloved Sarah. (I always wonder if Abraham would ve been so responsive if he d known how long he and Sarah would be waiting!). I thought about Ruth, one of my favorite people of the Bible. Decisive. Willing. Intent. Where you go, I will go; your God will be my God, she told her Naomi, her mother-in-law. And away they went. They left Moab, Ruth s home and went back to Judah where Naomi was born and raised. They arrived, both of them, as widows and God s goodness and grace immersed them in life, community, and mercy. Oh, and Ruth an outsider, a foreigner became King David s grandmother. In 1995 I felt God s call to seminary. I was no Isaiah: Here I am Lord, send me. I had a really good job, good money and had just bought my first house. Why now? I wanted to run away. Wrong person, Lord. Not me. Can t it wait? Yet, four years later I graduated from Western Theological Seminary. Now, twenty two years after that and who knows how many actual miles, I am keenly aware of the constants of the Christian faith: God s presence, provision and power; after all, we are an A Safe Harbor where the Light of Christ Jesus directs all who are adrift to anchor themselves in Him. Creating Connections Through Christ Creating Connections Through Christ

2 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 2 Easter people. God, in Jesus Christ, is transforming the world and one day, by God s promise and provision that sustained Abraham and Sarah as well as Naomi and Ruth, all things will be made new. I am excited to be part of the community God calls the Presbyterian Church of Palm Harbor. I look forward to getting to know you in worship, over cups of coffee and the like as well as serving as your pastor in proclaiming the Word, praying (being a pray-er), teaching, laughing and weeping with you, tackling the call and work of the Church and so on. At one time during the drive down I remembered Jesus simple invitation: Follow me. And away we go! Shalom, Bruce The Growing Tree will offer summer programs in the months of June & July. Classes for children who will be 2-5 years of age by Sept. 1 are available. You do not have to be a Growing Tree student to attend. 6:00pm - 7:00pm Find out more information on our website: or call the Growing Tree office at

3 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 3 The members of our combined circles wish to thank Lois DeWitt and her daughter, Debbie so much for hosting our final meeting in May. It was great to see Lois getting better and being able to join in our lunch and study. As our program year ends we wish everyone a wonderful, safe summer. Watch for further news on when circle will meet for the new study and program year! Quilting for Comfort We will be quilting again beginning May 30 th at 10:00 am in the create and share room (104). We welcome everyone to come join us as we begin to plan for the 2018 graduating class. Experience or no experience, come join the fun. PCPH Women s Missions As a reminder of the PCPH Women's Missions, the Coordinating Team is once again asking your support for greatly needed non-food items for F.E.A.S.T. Many of the requested items are those that cannot be purchased with food stamps. As previously suggested, you can purchase many of these items at Dollar General or Dollar Tree at a nominal cost. For the month of June, we are asking for bath tissue and laundry and dish detergent.

4 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 4 For Haiti With Love (FHWL) has been serving Haiti since the winter of and has been working with PCPH since approximately FHWL is located in Cap Haitian in North Haiti, but it sometimes cares for people from all over Haiti. People come to For Haiti With Love for treatment of burns, cuts, and other kinds of injuries. FHWL is the best place in all of Haiti to be treated for burns. SSD (Silver Sulfadiazine) cream is applied to the burns, because the silver helps prevent infection and the sulfa promotes healing of existing infections. Examples of people treated for burns include a mother and toddler in a house fire and an elderly man who fell asleep with a lit candle. One girl who was treated by FHWL for severe burns on her legs was flown to Shriner s Hospital in Boston in December for treatment of restricting scar tissue and she is now able to walk. FHWL currently gets the SSD cream from India. They received a new exam table in the last year also. For Haiti With Love also provides food for those locally in need. They are currently buying rice and beans from local sources to save money and they have a garden on their property producing vegetables and healing herb seeds to those who have soil to grow these things. Some people grow the healing herbs in small pots in their houses near the windows. For Haiti With Love receives funding to build at least one home for a family per year. It takes about $14,000 to build a single family concrete home with an outside kitchen and latrine. Groups on mission trips help with the labor. The solar panels installed within the last few years are working well and helping to cut costs. The only time the back-up generator was used a lot was during Hurricane Matthew last October, which caused 4 days of raining, flooding and mudslides. Future projects for FHWL include building a prototype for a community outhouse, and building a wall around land they purchased next door. PCPH provides some financial support to FHWL.

5 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 5 1 Estee Salinas 17 Michele Koehler 1 Mary DeMersseman 17 Adam Lipscomb 1 Colton Cundiff 19 Carol Roberson 3 Bob Cliff 21 Blanche Marshall 3 Dick Yount 21 Kathy Younker 4 Bill Ashe 22 Lillian Sawyer 4 Cindy Dill 22 Jean Greenleaf 5 Kathy Ray 23 Russ Boyer 5 Noble Stewart 23 Rick Garcia 5 David Farrior 25 Glenna Burnham 6 Helen Watts 27 Harry Fischer 7 Maryan Pappas 27 Alice Maupin 8 Rick Whissel 27 Kayleigh Wingard 11 Sheena Banas 28 Carol Angier 12 Chase Fleeman 28 Romeo Villao 13 Carol Sanders 28 Malcolm Tuck 15 Lauren Manganiello 29 Aidan Ashe 17 Betsy Ledner 30 Carole Harris 17 Jessie Loy 2 Malissa & Rick Garcia 4 Beverly & Larry McKinley 7 Kris & Pete Banas 8 Margee & Bob Beem 10 Jean & Charlie Thomas 13 Gladys & Dean Milliron 23 Huiran & Rey Xaxni 24 Glenna & Robert Burnham 25 Sue & Frank Eaton 26 Sally & Bob Walker

6 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 6 Pastor Bruce Mulder was born in Muskegon, Michigan and moved to St. Petersburg, Florida when he was 7 years old. He spent his youth in the Sunshine state, the third of four children, attending Garden Crest Presbyterian church in St. Petersburg. His mother, sister and older brother still reside in the Tampa Bay area, and are thrilled to have him returning home. After graduating from Dixie Hollins High School in 1980, Pastor Bruce went on to earn his B.A. from Hope College in Holland, MI. Before following the call to ministry, he pursued a career in the radio industry, working as a disc jockey in Raleigh, NC for seven years. In 1996 he began his Masters of Divinity at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, MI, graduating in From there he spent the next 13 years serving as an Associate Pastor at the Fifth Reformed Church of Grand Rapids. Pastor Bruce recently served at the First Presbyterian Church of Ionia where he had been the Solo Pastor since Pastor Bruce and his wife, Jean, met at Seminary and have been married since Jean is also an ordained pastor and will graduate with her Master s in Social Work in June, They are the proud parents of a 14 year-old black lab, Barkley, whom they feel confident will enjoy the snowless conditions of Palm Harbor, Florida. Pastor Bruce loves baseball (a lifelong Pittsburgh Pirates fan) enjoys reading biographies and theology; needs his morning coffee and loves drinking coffee with others, too! Harbor Light Deadlines June 21 Bulletin Deadline Please submit your bulletin announcement by 1:00pm on Tuesday afternoon. If not received by then, your announcement may not appear in the Sunday bulletin. April Year to Date Income and Expenses Income: $77,746 Expenses: $90,233 Net Loss: $12,487

7 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 7 Church Library News A recent movie release was adapted from the book, The Shack, written by William Paul Young. Although the book was self-published in 2007, it became a USA Today best seller of over 1,000,000 copies by The book was not without controversy as some, especially in the Evangelical community, said it was heretical. Other Christians found it a thought provoking way at looking at the Holy Trinity and a reaffirmation of God s love for all of us. If you haven t read the book, you can borrow it from the church library. We also have a copy of The Shack Revisited, written by C. Baxter Kruger. Come on in! Your library needs a typist who can use an electric typewriter. Please contact Ginny Branchfield at if you can help. from your church library committee The Tree of Love Are you looking for a unique way to honor a loved one, or commemorate a special event (Special Anniversary or birthday, new grandchild, etc)? The Tree of Love in the Narthex is a great way of doing just that! For more information please call: Jan Harding

8 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 8 Presbyterian Church of Palm Harbor Children s Ministry Pre-School - 5 th Grade Nursery Birth- Age 3 Frolic A curriculum created for babies and toddlers that was developed by early childhood experts, Frolic resources introduce little ones to faith concepts in age appropriate ways. Our hope at PCPH is to equip all families with children of any age with the right materials to start their faith journey at a young age. Little Ones Age 4-6 SparkHouse Lectionary Curriculum Each week, kids, and their leaders gather together to explore their Bibles, enjoy fun activities, pray, and grow in faith. The curriculum follows the church lectionary in a fun and exciting way to create a faith that is grounded in truth. Older Ones Age 7-11 Connect Connect takes children on a journey through the Old Testament and into the New Testament exploring the connections between several stories each week. The curriculum includes a video, lesson, and hands on projects for our children.

9 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 9 Presbyterian Church of Palm Harbor Children s Ministry Birth - 5 th Grade Children s Message Schedule June 4 - Huiran Xaxni June 11 - Malissa Garcia June 18 - Pastor Bruce June 25 - Lori Smith Teacher Schedule June 4 - Huiran Xaxni June 11 - Leslie Fann June 18 - Lori Smith June 25 - Huiran Xaxni Summer Activities: May 30 th - June 2 nd - Kingdom Kids Camp $40/child* June 25 th - Summer Splash Park: (Free, bring a lunch)* 12:30-2:30 July 6 th - Countryside: Trolls (Free, $5 for popcorn/drink) * July 20 th - Countryside: Ice Age (Free, $5 for popcorn/drink)* August 4 th - BTS Movie PCPH (Free)* *please register with Huiran or her at Huiran.xaxni@gmail.com

10 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 10 YOUTH MINISTRY Presbyterian Church of Palm Harbor June Schedule Middle School Pool Party May 31 st 6-8pm Hardaker Home Middle School Ministry 6 th - 8 th Grades High School Ministry Trip Blue Ridge, Georgia June 4 th 8 th Middle School Pool Party June 21 st 6-8pm Cundiff Home High School Ministry 9 th - 12 th Grades Middle and High Mission Trip Epic Missions at Vero Beach June 25 th - 29 th It was you who set all the boundaries of the earth; you made both summer and winter. Psalm 74:17

11 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 11 Middle and High School Annual Fall Kick Off September 9 th - 10 th All students who are in grades 6 th - 12 th we welcome to you to join us for our annual fall kick off to Rock the Universe! We will rock, ride and rejoice at Rock the Universe only at Universal Studios. Experience one nights of soul -stirring songs from Christian music s hottest stars, alongside awesome rides and attractions. It s an unforgettable weekend of faith, fun, and fellowship. Cost: $ Payment Due September 1 st Park Ticket to Universal and Islands of Adventure Saturday-Sunday Hotel Stay (1 night) Transportation Breakfast Saturday and Sunday Morning

12 June 2017 Creating Connections Through Christ Page 12 Presbyterian Church of Palm Harbor Youth Summer 2017 High School: Rest, Relax, Worship, and Restore Retreat Blue Ridge, Georgia Grades 9 th -12 th June 4 th - 8 TH Cost- $ The High School youth group Alive will travel to Blue Ridge, Georgia, for a week away from the busyness of school, work, assignments, and the hectic schedules. We will stay at a large cabin and spend time in worship, fellowship, and with each other. During the week, we will hike, go white water rafting, float the Ocoee River, volunteer at a soup kitchen, play games, and learn life skills as well as what it means to be a Red Letter Christian. Middle and High School Mission Trip Epic Missions Incorporated June 25 th - 29 th Cost: $ Our middle and high school youth groups are going to be doing a combined mission trip to Vero Beach, Florida to work with Epic Missions Incorporated. This mission trip will specifically work with a migrant farmer working community while helping support a Vacation Bible School, soup kitchen, elderly home, and much more. This is going to be a great week of spreading God s news to His people, and coming together as disciples of Christ. Southwind Middle School Summer Camp July 30 th - August 4 th Cost- $ Our annual middle school trip to Southwind summer camp will take place this summer from July 30 th - August 2 nd. Each year our middle school group heads to the young life conference center and camp Southwind. The camp consists of worship, fellowship, mud pits, group games, and much more. This is a great time, and should not be missed if you are a middle school student. It is a great way to grow in Christ and with each other.