THE WINDOW. A publication of First Presbyterian Church Hendersonville, TN. February 2015

Transcription

1 THE WINDOW A publication of First Presbyterian Church Hendersonville, TN February 2015 Dear Friends, Once upon a time the church got very protective of its life. The priests believed God had entrusted them with the Holy Bible and the sacred sacraments. They elevated themselves above the people, saying God has made us more special than those in the pews. The role of priest and clergy was the most important part of the church. People came to worship but only listened to scripture read in a different language (Latin) and were excluded from tasting the bread and juice of Communion. The ministry of the church was entrusted only to those with the honored titles and positions of priest and clergy. The community of faith became the community of spectators! Reformation leaders challenged this two-class system of the medieval church. They refused to accept the distinction between the priests/clergy and the people of God. They endorsed the doctrine, Priesthood of all believers, that proclaimed all Christians living stones in God s temple and a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). Jesus Christ is the last high priest who offered Himself as a sacrifice. Scripture also tells us that Jesus Christ is our high priest who intercedes for us (Hebrews 4:14-16). Therefore every person can approach the throne of grace with boldness. We don t need an earthly priest with Jesus Christ interceding on our behalf. We receive the mercy and grace through the Cross and Resurrection. Luther and Calvin proclaimed the calling of the priest/clergy is not superior to the calling of the farmer in the field. Wherever we work in the world, we are doing sacred work. We reflect the call of God on our lives in the quality of our work, attitude towards colleagues, and words we use in conversations. God calls our work place the mission field, wherever it is. We not only have access to God but also are called into full time Christian service. In his book, In Search of Faithfulness, William Diehl identified the marks of a faithful Christian executive in the world. He got responses from 174 top executives. There were seven marks identified personal growth through Bible study, active prayer life, commitment to a church, stewardship of one s wallet and world, commitment to justice, commitment to a simple lifestyle, and a sense of call. Those executives who felt called to their present occupation scored visibly higher on all of the other marks of discipleship. For example of all the executives, 26% said they read the Bible regularly. Among those who felt a strong sense of call, 73% read the Bible regularly. Those executives who felt a sense of call in their lives and in their professions were more committed to developing their relationship with Jesus Christ. The belief that God had a purpose for them and the Holy Spirit was actively working through them in their workplaces, ignited their commitment to discipleship. Peggy L. and Donald W. Shriver wrote an article in the magazine, Presbyterians Today. As a called people, we continue to fulfill our vocation in service and witness wherever we carry out our work. Whenever the work of the church is assumed by laity to be the job of the paid clergy, we slip back into medieval thinking. As one priest to another, may we all see our daily work as ministry for the Kingdom of God. Love and Prayers,

2 Responding to God s love and grace, our vision is to serve Christ through service to others. Mission Project Participation February Spotlight Apostles Build Let s Build A House Can you help?!?!? Habitat For Humanity has asked us to be one of 12 chur ches to help build their upcoming Apostles Build. In an Apostles Build project, 12 churches or coalitions of churches, come together to build a Habitat for Humanity house. They raise the money and provide the labor and prayer support to build a house in partnership with a local Sumner County family. With an Apostles Build, churches can share God s love by building houses in the way that Jesus apostles served. Sumner County Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1994 and will have completed 44 houses by the end of The Apostle Build house will be #45! This is not a hand out. Before receiving the title to the home, the partner family must provide 200 sweat equity hours and will receive a zero % interest mortgage with payments to fit their budget. Habitat builds homes for families that could not otherwise afford a safe, decent and affordable place to live. Joshua is the Partner Family for this Apostle Build. Joshua is a severely disabled adult and lives with his grandmother and a caregiver in a rental home. Even though he receives government assistance, his monthly income does not support his monthly rent. His grandmother, who adopted him as a child, has the beginning stages of dementia. Joshua s new Habitat home will be fully handicap accessible, allowing more freedom for him and his caregivers. So we need your help and ANYBODY and EVERYBODY can help. We don t have the exact details right now of when our week will be or what we will be doing, so right now we just want to know if you can help with this great project. We need bodies to do all types of skill level jobs and we will also need to provide lunch that day as well. Please call or Linda at the church office and let her know she can put you on the list! In Christ Vision, Scott Ball The Sudanese After School is in need of substitute tutors to fill in when a regular tutor has to miss a meeting. This would be on a Monday or a Wednesday from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm. If you are interested in this service opportunity, you are welcome to visit and see if volunteering as a substitute is something you would enjoy doing. The program can always use children s books, pre-k through 7 th grade, and educational games or puzzles. Perhaps there are some who might wish to donate books or other learning materials to help the children. These items may be left at the collection table on the second floor landing. As always, your contributions are most appreciated.

3 SEW MANY BLESSINGS If you are handy with a needle and thread, we need you. Sew Many Blessings is a group of women that like to sew and serve our church and community. Our projects vary depending on a need or request. One of our ongoing projects are making personal care kits which are distributed to organizations for the Homeless, the American Red Cross, and the Hope Lodge. Since 2008 we have been involved with Alive Hospice in their Memories of Love project. Bears and Pillows are made from clothing provided by the families. These bears and pillows help bring comfort and healing to the families that have lost a loved one. The feedback from the families are heartwarming. We continue to make prayer quilts for our church family. The quilts are kept in room 211 and are available for anyone that would like to take a quilt to someone. If you take a quilt, just let Linda know who you took it to. We keep track of who has received one. For more information you can contact Sandi Martin or Cari Lou Westendorf On Saturday, March 14 th at 6:30 pm please join John & Cari Lou Westendorf at their home at 127 Shorecrest, Hendersonville, TN for a potluck dinner. All adults are invited! We are asking everyone to bring a side dish, appetizer, or dessert. Please RSVP to Kelly and let her know what you will be bringing. We look forward to seeing you there. MISSIONS BUDGET FOR 2015 The Missions Unit voted once again to send all our mission money to the agencies during the month of January. $18,700 has been sent to 16 agencies and 4 global missionaries and agencies. They have followed a Biblical guideline of giving to God first and not waiting til the end, giving Him leftovers. Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of your labor (Proverbs 3:9). This is a good practice for all of us, when considering how much and when to give to God. Local Missions: Monroe Harding $ Martha O Bryan $ Eastminster $ HomeSafe $ 1, Salvus $ Homebound Meals $ 1, Hend. Samaritan Center $ 1, Presbyterian Day School $ 1, Community Child Care Ctr. $ 1, Sudanese Support $ 1, C.A.S.A. $ Shalom Zone $ Sumner Co. Literacy Council $ Children Are People, Inc. $ 1, Glencliff Hispanic Ministry $ Habitat for Humanity $ 1, Global Missions: Missionary-Leisa Wagstaff $ 1, Heifer International $ 1, Trinity Hope $ 2, Missionary-Beisswenger $ 1, Parking Issue: Lately our paved parking lot has been filling up on Sunday mornings. Thanks to those who have been parking on the grass or at the funeral home. Please avoid blocking the access next to Gallatin Road from the paved lot to the grass. We want to make sure that we have available parking space in the paved lot for our visitors and for those who need closer parking.

4 The past few months have been very busy ones at Presbyterian Day School. We celebrated the birth of baby Jesus, made special Christmas surprises for moms and dads, performed Christmas programs for our families and enjoyed pizza parties. Our 3 s also performed Let s Dress Up For Christmas for the Sunshine Club. We appreciate their continued support and generosity each year! In January, the children welcomed the New Year and the season of winter. They learned how important it is to help take care of all God s creatures and made bird feeders for the birds. This month we will discover the different ways we get around on land, sea, and in the air. We will also learn that not only people use different vehicles to get from one place to another. We won t forget to celebrate Valentine s Day and remember those who love us, especially God! We are looking forward to the Chili Supper and Dessert Auction on February 8 th. Many of our families plan on attending and our 3 s and 4 s will be singing Valentine s songs again this year. It will be nice to enjoy fellowship and fun together! We are blessed to have the church s support. It is already time to register for the school year. It will take place on Sunday, February 22 nd for church members and will be open to our current families on Monday, February 23 rd. On Wednesday, February 25 th registration will be open to the public. Annual Chili Supper Talent Show & Dessert Auction To Benefit the Presbyterian Day School When: Sunday, February 8, 2015 Where: FPC Martin Hall Time: Dinner will begin at 5:00 pm, Talent Show to follow. Dessert items will be auctioned in between talent acts. Please contact Leigh Masters to sign up for the event! Contact: Phone: leighmasters@bellsouth.net The Confirmation Class began on January 25. There are seven kids participating in the Sunday morning classes. They will also serve at the Samaritan Center and have a retreat at NaCoMe. Please keep Ellen, Kaitlyn, Gloria, Lucas, Ryan, Espoir, and Seligio in your prayers. Women s Bible Study and Lunch: The Women s morning Bible study continues our study and discussion of Romans. We will be discussing Romans 10 and 11 at our February meeting. Please make plans to join us Tuesday, February 10 th at 10:00 am; and, of course, please plan on joining us for lunch at a local restaurant to be determined by the group. Several of us would like to furnish rides. If anyone would like a ride, please contact Jackie Decker at Evening Book Club News: Evening Book Club meets the second Monday monthly at. In February we will be discussing The Girls of Atomic City the Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II by Denise Kiernan. The story centers around the activities in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during WWII. Join us for discussion on Monday, February 9 th at in Room 205. For March we will be reading and discussing Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, a book suggested by Sandy Keene. We are always looking for good reads. If you have a suggestion, please let us know.

5 When are they having another one of those?!? was the reaction of one of the children of First Presbyterian after our most recent Kids Club event. The church hosted a New Years Party on January 9 from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm, and 18 children attended. We played Sardines (a form of hide and seek), ate lots of pizza and popcorn, tie dyed t-shirts, played board games, and watched a movie. The session room has never been so full of laughter or popcorn! Every month, children are invited to a fellowship activity called Kids Club. Our goal is to provide fun, lasting memories and form a strong foundation of friendship among the kids. We hope that they will stick together to become a vibrant and active youth group in a few years! Our October activity was a visit to Shuckles Corn Maze in Gallatin and in November we went bowling. Our next event will be roller skating on February 3 at Sumner Skate Zone. Hope your kids can join us!

6 SERMON SCHEDULE February 1 Faith, fear, and money (Communion) February 8 Devotional life on the run February 15 Imagining heaven February 18 God s grace and mercy (Ash Wednesday Service) February 22 The importance of studying the Bible In Memory of: Susan Martin From: Jeanine Johnson In Memory of: Allan Booth From: Richard & Judy Wallis Al & Linda Ballenger SESSION ACTION Approved minutes Approved the wedding of Lee Oliver Approved financial and committee reports Approved transferring the surplus from 2014 of $1, to the Reserve Fund Agreed to have a Town Meeting in February to update the congregation on Presbytery voting Elected Bud Anderson as Treasurer and Steve Martin as Clerk of Session Elected Conn McConnell as President of the Corporation Reviewed and signed the covenant between Michael and the Session. Presbytery of Middle Tennessee LEAD EVENT 2015 Saturday, February 28th 8:00 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Westminster Presbyterian Church 3900 West End Avenue Nashville, TN Keynote Speaker: Rev. Dr. Elizabeth F. Caldwell Professor Emerita, McCormick Theological Seminary Adjunct Professor, Vanderbilt Divinity School

7 February 2015 Sunday Monday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Confirmation Class 10:00 Worship- Communion 11:00 am Handbell Choir 11:00 am Bldg./Grounds Meeting 11:00 am Staff Meeting 6:00 pm PDS Staff Meeting 6:15 pm Local Missions 5:15 pm Kids Club-Dinner/ Skating 6:30 am Men s Bible Study 7:00 pm Adult Choir 7:00 pm NA-MH Disciple 1 Disciple 2 7:30 pm NA-MH Presbytery Meeting-FPC Columbia :00 am Downtown Ministrnese 4:30 pm Suda- 6:30 am Men s 7:30 pm NA-MH Bible Study Disciple 1 9:00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Confirmation Class 10:00 am Worship Scout Recognition Sunday 11:00 am Handbell Choir 11:00 am Education Meeting 5:00 pm Chili Supper / Talent Show / Dessert Auction Book Club 10:00 am Women s Bible Study 6:15 pm Worship Committee 7:00 pm Budget & Finance Meeting 7:00 pm Adult Choir 7:00 pm NA-MH Disciple :00 am Sunday School 10:00 am 10:30 am Sunshine 6:30 am Men s Ministry Bible Study Disciple 1 9:00 am Confirmation Women s Book Class Group 10:00 am Worship 11:00 am Handbell Choir Cherry- 50 th Wedding Anniversary Celebration 7:00 pm Session Meeting 5:00 pm Caregiver Support Group 7:00 pm Ash Wednesday Service 7:00 pm NA-MH Window Deadline Disciple 2 7:30 pm NA-MH 8:00 am Session Retreat :00 am Sunday School 9:00 am Confirmation Class 10:00 am Worship 11:00 am Handbell Choir 6:30 am Men s Bible Study 7:00 pm Adult Choir 7:00 pm NA-MH Disciple 1 Disciple 2 7:30 pm NA-MH Presbytery- LEAD Event- Westminster 5:00 pm Cub Scout Banquet- MH

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 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. Were you able to figure out who our Mystery Member was in the January Newsletter? The ardent sports fan is Mary Anna Womeldorf! 6 - Laura Brooks 7 - Jane Watts 9 - Richard Wallis Mike Smith 10 - Kaitlynn Edmonson 11 - Jackie Decker 12 - Emma Wells 13 - Ethan Minor 14 - Susan Keen 15 - Jim Lacy 17 - Sprigg Ebbert 18 - Ben Dye Clint Young 20 - Debra Obrock 25 - Cathy Lind 27 - AnnaBelle Say 28 - Kelly Horton