The Spire. April Every Sunday Discipleship Hour All ages 9:00 AM Worship 10:30 AM. The Spire Content

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1 First Presbyterian Church 169 W. College Street P.O. Box 446 Waynesburg, PA Phone: Fax: firstpreswbg.com Facebook: First Presbyterian Church of Waynesburg Every Sunday Discipleship Hour All ages 9:00 AM Worship 10:30 AM The Spire Content Page 1: From the Pastor Page 2: Discipleship & Fellowship Page 3: Stewardship Page 4: Music & Children s Ministry Page 5: Calendar Page 6: Crossroads Youth Ministry Page 7: Helpers & Birthdays The Spire April 2018 As part of the worship bulletin for March 6, the sabbatical team 1 shared a list of Frequently Asked Questions regarding my coming summer sabbatical. They also asked that it be placed in April s Spire. Here it is I am grateful for the team s work and thoughtfulness as the sabbatical time draws near! What is a sabbatical? A planned time of focus to strategically disengage from regular and normal tasks so that ministry and mission may be viewed from a new perspective. 2 Do other clergy go on sabbatical? Yes. It would fulfill the encouragement of ECO that pastors serving in a congregation be granted a 3 to 6 month Sabbatical every 7 years. Bill has served here since 2005, and this is his first sabbatical. How long will Bill be gone? It will last for 12 weeks (3 months) during the summer of It will begin after morning worship on Sunday, June 3, and conclude on Sunday, August 26. What will Bill be doing on his sabbatical? It will entail study, prayer, renewal, and travel. Who will cover Bill s responsibilities during his absence? We have a team of Session members and staff that will take care of Bill s responsibilities while he is on Sabbatical. When Bill is in Waynesburg, per Personnel and Session direction, Bill will be limited to pastoral ministry for death and bereavement. Becky Juliano will be the staff person who take care of the day to day operations of the Church. Jeff McCracken and Tim Fox are the Session representatives that will moderate Session meetings and assist Becky with certain tasks. Maribeth Coote will assist Becky in day to day operations. Who will I call to plan a special service? The church office will still be the contact to schedule a special service. The office will then contact the appropriate person to coordinate a special service. Who will conduct Sunday worship? We will be having staff, congregation members and special guests to conduct worship. All of this will be planned prior to Bill leaving for his sabbatical. Who should I contact for special prayer requests? The church office is the contact for prayer requests and Maribeth will make sure that the prayer chain and staff is notified. Who do I call if I have a family or personal crisis? Please call the church office, if during office hours, and Becky Juliano after hours. Who will pay for the sabbatical? It will incorporate a number of the recommendations of our presbytery s policy regarding time and compensation. (Bill will be using 2 of his 4 weeks of annual vacation; 4 weeks of accumulated study leave time; 6 weeks of paid sabbatical time.) Will the church budget be increased to cover Bill s sabbatical expenses? No Will the church just be in a holding pattern while Bill is away? All planning that typically occurs throughout the summer and all Session business will still occur while Bill is on Sabbatical. It is our hope that the Church continues to move forward with lay leaders. Will Bill be in contact with First Pres during his sabbatical? Bill will be in contact with Katy Shultz or another member of the sabbatical team periodically throughout his time away. Will his family go with him? Karen will be going with Bill. See you Sunday - Bill 1 Beth Calvario, Jeff McCracken, Katy Shultz, and Bill Wentzel. 2

2 Discipleship & Fellowship Wednesday Night First Pres Everyone is invited! Take advantage of a cheap dinner out with all your First Pres friends and family! Enjoy a delicious meal for just $3/ person and $2/child ($10 family max and university students are $1). The meal will be served starting at 5:30 PM. If you have children in Pathways, our after school program, your whole family is welcome to stay for dinner. The menu for the month (which is subject to change) is as follows: April 4 Teriyaki Chicken and rice April 11 Taco bar April 18 Burgers with a French fry bar April 25 Hawaiian Chicken Luau SERVE: Introduction by Becky Juliano The SERVE class is part of our Grow for Life discipleship process at First Pres. It focuses on helping you identify the ways in which God has gifted you to serve Christ and his Church. Topics for the class include spiritual gifts, passions, abilities, personalities, and experiences and how those shape how you minister. The class will be held on Sunday, April 22 nd from 9 AM to 10:15 AM. Childcare will be provided. Please contact Becky Juliano (beckyannjuliano@gmail.com, ) to sign up for this class. A reservation is helpful because there is a pre-class assignment that is helpful for getting the most out of the class. VBS Main Stage Decorating Sunday Discipleship Hour: Table Talk Discussions Join a Table Talk discussion group! You can join whenever and there s no required time commitment. Table Talk discussions are groups of 4-5 people that meet on Sunday mornings during the GROW hour. The group gathers to share highlights from the scripture each person has been reading throughout the week. Table Talk discussions begin at 9 AM and conclude by 10 AM. Contact Becky Juliano for more information. beckyannjuliano@gmail.com, ) All-Church Lunch On April 15 th there will be an all-church soup lunch immediately following worship. Plan on coming downstairs for some good soup and conversations around the table! Mark it on your calendar now! All donations received will benefit Crossroads youth ministries. Shipwrecked is coming to First Pres and we will be creating decorations to set the stage for kids. We want to welcome them in a big way and we need your help! Starting in May we will begin to put some decorations together to transform the church into an island paradise. No artistic skill is needed, but if you have some that would be a great bonus! Please contact Becky Juliano if you are willing to give some time (an hour or two a week or a Saturday morning) to making some decorations. Duties may include painting, cutting foam board, tracing, building a waterfall or a tiki hut. Men with building and problem solving skills are needed. Also contact Becky (via text or with pictures) if you have anything that we might be able to use as part of our decorations, (think boats, nautical decor, inflatable palm trees, hammocks, etc. )

3 Stewardship Managing God s money. Jesus summed up the spiritual connection between money and God this way: Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Luke 12:34). Financial stewardship is treasure management that helps us to escape the trap of selfishness by keeping ourselves focused on God. Financial update The resulting year-to-date surplus reflects the significance of each persons giving. Your prayers and support in meeting the financial needs of our church do make a difference in allowing our church to fulfill its mission. Ben McCracken Stewardship Actual Budget 2/28/ Staff $35,029 $245,441 Property 6,820 47,000 Christian Ed 1,556 18,900 Evangelism 2,000 Fellowship 86 2,600 W & S 657 2,500 Office 3,974 12,500 Deacons 2,000 total expense $48,122 $332,941 Giving 50, ,200 Investments 8,923 59,875 Other 273 1,210 total income $59,794 $333,285 Surplus $11,672 $344 Dr. Gordon Jones Scholarship Any Member of the First Presbyterian Church who will be attending college or tech school for the school year may apply for a $500 scholarship from the Dr. Gordon Jones Scholarship fund. This is not a needs-based scholarship. Please send an application form, a recent grade report and a letter to Mrs. D. A. Neubauer, Mrs. Barbara Gernert or Mrs. Diana Dukate in care of First Presbyterian Church, P. O. Box 446 stating that you are a member of the church, the school you will be attending and field of study you will be pursuing. These must be received by June 15, Application forms are available in the church office. by Ben McCracken Actual Missions 2018 Christian Missions - Crow $400 Interserve - Nicky Stock 400 Interserve - Paul & Pat Stock 400 Caribbean Youth Network 400 Equip International 400 Christian Bible Ministeries CBM 500 Habitat for Humanity - Greene 500 Pine Springs Camp 500 CBM - Judy Virgili 400 CCO 400 Waynesburg Christian Outreach 400 Crisis Pregnancy Center 400 Jubilee - WU 1,229 Bethany Inter'l - Maddy Cerra 200 Houses for Haiti 7,059 Dominican Republic Items 356 Resurrection Power - Washington Presby Samaritan's Purse Wycliffe Bible Translators Washington City Mission JAARS Fellowship of Christian Athletes Corner Cupboard Food Bank total expense $13,944 Transfer to Dominican Republic Mission $250 Pledged Giving 5,469 CCO - designated 404 Balance ,325 total $14,198 R. Wallace and Margaret Maxwell Need Based Scholarship Fund CRITERIA Balance $4 1. Applicant must reside in Greene County 2. Applicant must have applied and been accepted to: 2 or 4 year college (bachelor of science, bachelor of arts, or associates degree) certificate of completion, trade or technical school Applications available in the church office April 30, Deadline: Must be received in the First Presbyterian Office no later than 2:00p.m. May 15, 2018,300 N. Richhill Street Waynesburg, PA 15370

4 Music & Children s Ministry by Tomē Custer Have you ever felt like life is just a big mess? Or like no matter how hard you try to do the right thing, you end up making a mess of yourself? Chatham Knight What a mess! :) Nora Christner What a mess!:) For the past few weeks at Pathways, we've been learning how sin can make a real mess of things. Sins like pride and lies and impatience can leave us feeling, well, dirty, just like the faces in these pictures (even though chocolate syrup is way more fun to clean up than sin is). But the good news is that no mess is too big for Jesus. Peter lied and was prideful, and he was impatient and Christ still made it right. If you see our kids at church or dinner, ask them how stories like that one, along with the lives of Samson and Moses, have taught them that no matter how messy sin makes us. Jesus can wash us clean again! Meet Braydon and his sister Cadence... And Brayden and his sister Cadence. (Yes, Braydon and Brayden are spelled differently.) Save the Date June Join the fun!. Your help is needed! Please reach out to Tomē Custer

5 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Every Sunday For all ages 9:00 am Praise Team 10:00 am Youth 10:30 am Worship 11:45 am Youth Handbell 1. 9:00 am Breakfast EASTER- He is Risen 15 Communion W in W return 11:45 pm Deacon s Meeting 6:00-8:00 pm Crossroads 22 9:00 Serve Class 11:45 Soup Lunch 5:300 7:30 pm Night of a Million Stars Fund Raising Event for Crossroads 29 MS/HS retreat return 6:00-8:00 pm Crossroads :00 am Fellowship Meeting 9:00 10:00 pm University Student Bible Study 16 9:00 10:00 pm University Student Bible Study 23 9:00 10:00 pm University Student Bible Study 30 9:00 10:00 pm University Student Bible Study 3 6:30 pm Stewardship 6:30 pm Property 7:00 pm Session MAY 7 8 6:30 pm Stewardship 6:30 pm Property 7:00 pm Session 4 3:15 to 5:30 pm Pathways 5:30 pm Wed. Night Dinner 18 3:15 to 5:30 pm Pathways 5:30 pm Wed. Night Dinner 25 Pathways PROGRESSIVE DINNER 3:15 5:30 pm 5:30 pm Wed. Night Dinner 2 FINAL 5:30 pm Wed. Night Dinner Women in the Woods Retreats 6,7,8 5:00 pm Good Neighbor Dinner MS/HS Retreat Pines Springs 27,28 & April 2018

6 Crossroads Youth Ministry In March at Crossroads we had the pleasure of getting to listen to four special guests who sat down for an interview about life, faith, and a plethora of related topics. Our first guest was First Pres very own, Sara Christner, who graciously shared her wise and encouraging words about faith, love, work, social media, teen culture, creativity, sports, and more. One of my takeaways from that conversation was hearing how even though Sara grew up in a Christian household, one of the things that profoundly impacted her faith as a teenager was the time she spent at youth camp. This immediately brought 3 things to my attention: our spring retreat, our high school mission trip to the Dominican Republic, and our middle school trip to Pine Springs for Mission EX. There is no question that Jesus calls us to go, and when we go incredible things happen. Outside of our comfort zones, outside of routine, and outside of familiarity, our senses and our spirit awaken to the possibility of a new horizon. There, in the wilderness of an unrecognized landscape, God shows up to meet us. It happened this way for Abraham, Moses, David, and so many others of us. These are more than just activities. Truly, these are unique opportunities for students to encounter God and the potential could be life-changing. I urge you to consider registering your child for one of these trips: April Summit (Middle and High school retreat) June Mission Ex (Middle school) by Juan Gallo July 5-12 Dominican Republic Mission Trip (High School) Juan S. Gallo Director of Youth Ministry Night of a Million Stars Come & See Students Shine! When: Sunday April 22, 5:30-7:30pm Cost: $7 suggested donation $40 for a table of 8 3 course meal & entertainment We encourage you to participate and donate through a live auction of gifts, talents, and services, offered by our youth and staff. We also invite you to join in the fun and dress-up as formal as you d like!

7 happy birthday to you! Nursery Helpers 1 Ben Maxwell 8 Ethan Maxwell 15 Rachel Calvario 22 Grace Kalsey 29 Brianna Pettit. Pray for the following service personnel: Casey Parsons Jason Cowart Edward Wagner Jake Wilson Connie Teagarden Ruth Mitchell Marie Simmons Brandon Brown Daniel Calvario Andrew Cowell David Calcek, Pray for these friends and loved ones April Helpers Ushers Dick Bortz Matt Blair Craig Cerra Charlie Huffman Ben T. McCracken Drew McConville Ryan McGrath Peter Coote Mary Louise & John Rice Bill Thomas Children in Worship 1 Ethan & Joel 8 Leo & Anatasia 15 Eliza & Travis 22 Brianna & Braydon 29Travis & Josh Ecumenical Greene County Prison Ministry-By Connie Hart 1st UM Church. Shirley Baily and Pastor Bill are on the team. A few weeks ago, a lovely lady showed up at First United Methodist church looking for the choir. She wanted to deliver a note to the choir on behalf of she and her husband, an inmate at SCI Greene. She delivered the message verbally to the Class where most choir members attend. They were thankful to receive these words of gratitude! Her husband, is one of the nearly 100 faces in the audience when we attend Sunday evening worship services when Pastor Bill Sukolsky preaches or when the United Methodist choir presents their seasonal cantata. Here are their words: My husband, who is incarcerated at SCI Greene, has asked me to please deliver a message to you. My absolute favorite times of the year are when you come to minister in the Word of God and song!! Pastor Bill, you handle the text so well, and apply the Bible so practically to life. You are always such a blessing!! members, you sing not only beautifully, but the music chosen is music that speaks to the heart. I always receive such a blessing and go back to my cell so enriched and encouraged in my spirit!! Christmas becomes Christmas when you come and sing the beautiful cantata. Thank you each one for your labor of love and unselfish giving! I always pray that God will bless your serving Him by giving of yourselves and time to us. Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered.and do minister. We were exceedingly blessed by their words of gratitude and give God all the glory for allowing us to be part of His awesome work at SCI Greene. Please pray that God will minister to even more hearts of these precious brothers in Christ. (Hebrews 13:3). Connie Hart, Shirley Baily, Rex Gardner, Teresa Roberts, & Pastor Bill Sukolsky April Birthdays 01 Gary L. Gernert Laila King Marissa Krall Kat Lynerd Fred F. Waine 02 Marion M. Berryhill Tamara Christine Cerra Carolyn J. McGrath William Winters 04 Thomas Camps Vincent James Camps Myles Cramer 05 Barbara H. Andrews Chuck R. Baily Jr 06 Daisy Mae Robinson 08 Gianna Nicole Stephenson 09 Margo Lee Allison Jeffrey Klinefelter 10 Cathie Giachetti Glenn R. Toothman 11 Butch Brunell Russell R. Williams 13 Ashley Ann Baily Meghan Phillips 14 Avery McConville Justin Ben Stephenson 16 Brynn Lee Bortz 17 Jackson Fox 18 Madison Sarah Blair Bill Deweese 19 Josh D. Sumpter 20 Sophina Maute 21 Harold P. Barrett Tara Bortz Hannah Katherine Kalsey 22 Aiden John McGrath 23 Zachary David Pollock Katy R. Shultz 24 Grant Michael St. John William C. Wentzel 25 Kathleen Brown Joshua T McCracken Dianne Toothman 26 Leo Jacob Christner Janette Kline Katie Kline 28 Robert Fox Elle June Owen

8 First Presbyterian Church 169 West College St., P.O. Box 446 Waynesburg, PA RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED The mission of ECO is to BUILD flourishing CHURCHES that make disciples of JESUS CHRIST Bill Sukolsky Pastor Becky Juliano Director of Discipleship & Ministry Sara Christner, Harrison Scott Pianists Nelson Fox Organist Ben R. McCracken Treasurer Shelley McCracken Financial Clerk Juan Gallo Director of Student Ministries Tome Custer Director of Music & Children s Ministries tomelodies@gmail.com Maribeth Coote Administrative Assistant wbgprsby@windstream.net Patrecia Baily Financial Secretary Vicki Cline Custodian