Eastridge Presbyterian Church

Transcription

1 Eastridge Presbyterian Church De- Join us for Embracing Interfaith Cooperation in M12 on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm! The study will be led by Alice Lau. In this study, we will join interfaith commentator Eboo Patel as he explores what it means to be "literate" about other faiths, how interfaith cooperation "works" and why, the skills needed for interfaith cooperation and the significant role that our institutions, including colleges and faith communities, can play in this process. Creating, Living, Trusting...join us at the table. COVENANT is an indepth group Bible study in which people read and discuss the Bible together, learning how to love God and each other better. And we invite you to join. Starting on Wednesdays at 6 PM and Sundays at 9:30 AM, both in Huxtable Lounge. The Wednesday group will begin September 3, the Sunday group will start September 7. Joann Lorenzen and her family are battling daily with the ramifications of Alzheimer's. Please join our "Team Lorenzen" and Lincoln's "Walk to End Alzheimer's" on Sunday, Sept 21 at 1 PM at Holmes Lake as we show support for the Lorenzen family and all those who have been touched by this horrific disease. Register to be a part of "Team Lorenzen" at Can't walk? Donate to support those who are walking. Questions? See Patty Niemann. Clipper Club information: Save the date! On September 26 at 6:30 pm, the Clipper Club will get together for a tailgate at the church. More details will follow. Plan to join us to get in the football spirit! The Fellowship Committee is sponsoring a Hayrack Ride on October 5th, starting at 6pm. Look for more information coming soon!

2 Eastridge Presbyterian Church Decembe r 2013 Have you ever said, What happened to the choir today? Or - You sounded pretty good for so few voices you might say. Well, let us tell you this, and it comes from the heart, In order to accommodate our junior and senior high as they attend youth group night (a full schedule of music, food & fellowship, and youth group), we re asking for your help! We ve put together a schedule of meals that we re hoping your group may assist in providing! If you belong to a committee or small group here at church, you may be getting a letter soon outlining the program. We d love to have you serve the food also, but arrangements can be made if you can only provide the meal. In order to keep costs at a minimum for the youth, we would like to suggest that your group donate the food it provides. However, if this becomes impossible, please contact the office. There are suggested meals (and helpful hints in putting it together!), but your group is welcome to come up with a menu if you d prefer. You will receive an inviting your group to use Sign Up Genius (a website to facilitate sign ups) to better assist us in coordinating this endeavor. If each group signs up to help, most of you will only have one or two evenings during the school year to serve a meal. What a great way to get to know our youth! Meal Ideas: Sloppy joes, chicken nuggets, pizza, tator tot casserole, hot dogs, sandwich tray, soup & sandwiches, tacos, loaded baked potatoes, spaghetti, macaroni & cheese, or other pasta. We can help you with suggested amounts, supplies, etc. if necessary just contact Donna at the office. You d receive great satisfaction from serving - if you d only start. Consider this a personal invitation - from each member, you can bet. And you can be very sure no one has been turned down yet. Christmas is coming, and we ve lots of new music, too-- But we can t use these songs without YOU --and YOU -- and YOU!! So, don t sit back and say, I can t ring or sing -- Come--join us--and give it a fling We re looking for devotion writers for Eastridge s daily devotion ministry! Monthly, every other month or occasional writers are needed. Contact Cathy Schapmann at devotions@eastridge.org or call ; or you may contact the office. Register for the OWLS (Older Wiser Livelier Saints) Celebration at Calvin Crest September OWLS is for older adults (age 50 and above); the two-day event includes speakers, worship, music, food, and fellowship. Call or stop in the church office for details and to register.

3 Eastridge Presbyterian Church Teacher Dedication, Confirmation Commissioning and Presentation of Third Grade Bibles will be Sunday, September 7th during the 9:30 service. Decembe r 2013 Camp Calvin Crest Quilt Auction update: Thanks to seven people, donations from Eastridge helped raise $14,625 for another successful quilt auction. Donations from the following people raised $671: Jo Bateman, Marilyn Rembolt, Karen Paulson, Gerry Draney, Melinda Brage, Andrea Anthony, and Vickie Wolfe. Attention All Stephen Ministers Rally Day was August 17th this year, a great summer day of fun, fellowship, food, games, a Bounce House, and Petting Zoo! The 11:00 worship service was held on the East Lawn. Thank you to Jennifer Olsen for organizing the games and volunteers, Alice Lau for arranging the Bounce House, Petting Zoo, and ordering the games; and Dave Marx for organizing the meal and volunteers to prepare & serve. Thanks also to everyone who assisted in some way, whether it was carrying chairs or helping with the games...you are appreciated! See photos from Rally Day on page 6. Thirty years ago a small group of Eastridge Presbyterian Church members went to St Louis, MO for leader training as Stephen Ministers. Eastridge has had an active Stephen Ministry mission ever sense. Now we are going to celebrate and to do so we need your assistance. If you are an inactive Stephen Minister or you know any inactive Stephen Ministers please contact Carolyn Fetterley, Susan Taylor or the church office and provide them with your name(s) and contact information. Kool Kids September Outing: Adventure Golf! Kool Kids Adventure Golf: On September 13th Kool Kids will be playing miniature golf at Adventure Golf Center on 56th St., from 2:00-4:00 pm. More info to come! Kids/parents, please bring your contact sheet to this event if you haven t already turned it in!

4 MUSIC & WORSHIP History of Hymn: "Blessed Assurance" by C. Michael Hawn "Blessed Assurance" by Fanny J. Crosby Glory to God, No. 839 Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine! Heir of salvation, purchase of God, Born of his spirit, washed in his blood. This is my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long. Tune composer Phoebe Palmer Knapp ( ) played a melody to Fanny Crosby and asked, "What does the melody say to you?" Crosby replied that the tune said, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!" and proceeded to recite the entire first stanza of the nowfamous hymn. Knapp was one of several tune writers that worked with Fanny Crosby. It was not unusual for one of her texts to be inspired by a preexisting tune. Knapp was the composer of more than five hundred gospel hymns and tunes. Fanny Crosby ( ), blind at the age of six weeks, was a lifelong Methodist who began composing hymns at age six. She became a student at the New York Institute of the Blind at age 15 and joined the faculty of the Institute at 22, teaching rhetoric and history. In 1885, Crosby married Alexander Van Alstyne, also a student at the Institute and later a member of the faculty. He was a fine musician and, like Fanny, a lover of literature. An author of more than 8,000 gospel hymn texts, she drew her inspiration from her own faith. Crosby published hymns under several pen names including "Ella Dale," "Mrs. Kate Gringley," and "Miss Viola V. A." Her hymn texts were staples for the music of the most prominent gospel song writers of her day. "Blessed Assurance" was published in 1873 in the monthly magazine edited by Joseph Fairchild Knapp and Phoebe Palmer Knapp, Guide to Holiness. Editor John R. Sweney included it in Gems of Praise (Philadelphia, 1873), and Knapp also chose it for "Bible School Songs" (1873). Perhaps the biggest boost came when it appeared in Gospel Songs, No. 5 (1887) by Ira Sankey and was sung extensively in the Moody and Sankey revivals in Great Britain and the United States. It has been a part of Methodist hymnals since Crosby captured the poetic essence of the Wesleyan understanding of Christian perfection in the phrase, "O what a foretaste of glory divine!" The entire hymn is focused on heaven, a place where "perfect submission" and "perfect delight" [stanza 2] will take place. The earthly existence is one of "watching and waiting, looking above" [stanza 3]. As we submit ourselves to Christ and are "filled with his goodness" and "lost in his love" [stanza 3], we are remade in Christ's image and are moving toward Christian perfection. This hymn appeals to the senses in a rich way. Not only do we have a "foretaste of glory," we experience "visions of rapture [that] burst on my sight," and we hear "echoes of mercy, whispers of love" [stanza 2]. The refrain calls us to "prais[e]... my Savior all the day long," echoing I Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing." Because of her long life, Fanny Crosby had an extraordinary relationship with several United States presidents, even penning poems in their honor on occasion, and she was influential on the spiritual life of or a friend to Presidents Martin Van Buren (8th), John Tyler (10th), James K. Polk (11th), and Grover Cleveland (22nd and 24th). She addressed a joint session of Congress on the topic of education for the blind. Middle class women in nineteenth century United States had little voice in worship, however. One of the only ways for a woman to claim the authority to be heard was by direct personal revelation from God. Fanny Crosby readily claimed God's personal revelation as a source for her hymns; her personal revelation then became a communal inspiration as Christians throughout the world sang her hymns and confirmed her faith experience as their own. (reprinted with permission)

5 Session Highlights/Outreach Committee Highlights of the July 17, 2014 Session Minutes Consent agenda: Session Minutes for June 19, 2014 Confirm the vote regarding having Harold Briley s memorial service at Eastridge (12 Yes, 1 no reply). Confirm the vote regarding 1) ACS online registration trial/test use for credit cards and 2) letter for the well in Maker Village, Sudan (8 yes to both, 1 yes to #1 question regarding #2, 2 no reply) Affirm that communion was served at 9:00 and 10:30 services on July 6, Acknowledge the wedding of Alexander Stewart and Briana Lueckenhoff took place on May 17, 2014 at Eastridge with Rev. Melodie Jones Pointon officiating. Remove Margaret Miller from member rolls deceased 6/28/14. Remove Alfaretta Freddie Clevenger from member rolls deceased 7/3/14. It was moved, seconded and approved for the teaching elders of Eastridge Church to present information at the August Session meeting that reflects both sides of the recommendations from the recent General Assembly. It was moved and approved as brought forth by the Youth Committee to pursue interest in a trip to Northern Ireland for high school youth of Eastridge and Fourth Presbyterian Churches and sponsors to participate in a youth conference regarding building bonds between Protestants and Catholics in July of It was moved, seconded and approved for Pastor Melodie and the Personnel Committee to pursue an interim pastor for Youth & Family. Peace & Global Witness Offering: Blessed are the peacemakers: What we have known as the Peacemaking Offering has been transformed into the Peace & Global Witness Offering. This new Offering will have a greater global reach, more significant impact, and bring peace to people through Christ. A gift to the Peace & Global Witness Offering enables the church to promote the Peace of Christ by addressing systems of injustice across the world. Eastridge Presbyterian Church utilizes 25% of this Offering to sustain local peacemaking ministries, such as the annual Peacemaking Workshop at First United Methodist Church. This offering will be received on World Communion Sunday.

6 BIG EVENT Youth Kick Off/Rally Day The Big Event, the annual fall kick-off for youth, was held August 8-9. We played some games at the church... then we rock climbed and did some team building at UNL Rec Center... followed by some pizza... then a bus ride to Sempecks Bowling/Family Fun Center in Omaha for some bowling, go karting, laser tagging and arcades...back to the church for in-the-dark-sardines (reverse hide and seek)... then a four-part journey where we worshipped around the church building with scripture and song...finished with some wonderful breakfast of bacon, egg and pancakes! At right are some photos of the event. Rally Day August 17th (thanks to Jim Budka for the photos shown below!)

7 What we care about... A NOTE FROM HOMESTEAD PRESBYTERY: It is that time once again when I am seeking out writers for the Homestead Presbytery Advent Devotion. I will be assigning the topic/scripture - you can apply your creativity any way you like - prose, narrative, song, etc. - anything that can be put on paper. I will be making assignments the last week of September - or as soon as I have enough writers. We will again include an Advent Sunday option to use personally or in your congregations during worship. If you'd be interested in writing for one of these days, please let me know. If you are wondering what this is all about, here is a link to last year s devotional: documents/2013/11/2013hpadventdevotional.pdf ~ Kris Peterson, Homestead Presbytery Since 2012, EPC has been raising money and awareness for water wells in the Maker Village in South Sudan, Africa. Buey Tut, Director of Aqua Africa ( came to speak to our congregation on Mother s Day. In addition to prayers for Buey and Aqua Africa as they begin their work drilling wells in the South Sudan beginning this October, we need more resources. Each well is roughly $10,000, and we have committed to two. With our $11,000 currently raised, we need to raise roughly $10,000. Any gift of any size will go directly toward this project. A private donor has stepped forward and offered $3,000. If you would like to give, please make a check to EPC marked for the well, or put your gift in an envelope marked accordingly (by September 15). Jesus Jamm SAFE QUARTERS ON OCTOBER 12TH: Safe Quarters is coming soon. This event is a one-day, community-wide effort to collect financial contributions for the Friendship Home. Our teams will go door-to-door collecting change for this important cause. Last year's event raised $110,000! Volunteers will meet at Eastridge Church between 12:30pm and 1:00pm on October 12th to pick up their route and walk. Teams generally walk for about 2 hours. Please consider helping! We will need about 40 volunteers this year. Contact Devan Crawford if you are interested in signing up: devancrawford@gmail.com or Planning has begun for an intergenerational mission trip to Northern Ireland for the summer of Watch for info in the Lamp about a meeting in September. If you re interested sign up in the office! (sponsored by the Fellowship Committee) will be held on Sept. 7th from 4:00pm to 6:00pm on the church grounds. There will be music from the Praise Band and the Plain Label Band and free ice cream! See you then! Manna Schedule for the month of September: September 3: Chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, green beans, roll September 10: Lasagna, salad, bread sticks September 17: Pizza & salad September 24: Tacos

8 What we care about... Our music ministry is looking for Scholarship Singers. If you know a college student who enjoys singing and is dependable, preferably a bass or a tenor, please let me know and I ll get you more information. We will have a couple positions open this fall. ~ Chris Peck, Music Director Information on our various prayer options: Prayer Chain: The prayer chain is a confidential group that meets monthly to pray about concerns that have been passed along to them. Their list of concerns and praises include Eastridge members along with requests from others outside of our community of faith. Lamp: Let us know if you d like to be included in the weekly Lamp (part of the Sunday bulletin) in the Prayers section. EPC Book Club Picks Join us the last Monday of the month starting in September as we discuss that month s selection and enjoy fellowship and refreshments. Sept. 22 Oct. 27 Nov. 17 Jan. 26 Feb. 23 March 23 April 27 May 18 June 22 The Aviator s Wife by Melanie Benjamin The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom The Red Thread by Ann Hood The Mountain Echoes by Khaled Hosseini The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd Stronger by Jeff Bauman The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor Eastridge Caring Similar to being published in the Lamp, except the information is sent in an to members of our congregation. Wednesday Night Manna Schedule Sunday Night Youth Schedule Time Events Time Events 5:30 Dinner begins with prayer 6:00 Cherub and Antiphonal Choir Covenant study 5:30 MS Choir/HS Choir Joyful Noise 7:00 Kool Kids/Workshop EIC study 6:15 Quick Meal 7:45 Chancel Choir 6:30 Middle School Youth High School Youth

9 September 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :00 am Worship 9:30 am Worship/Bibles/ Dedication/ Commissioning 11:00 am Worship 11:00 Crossroads 9:30 Sunday School 4:00 Jesus Jamm 8 7:00 pm Fellowship Committee 1:30 pm Staff 4:30 pm Personnel 5:45 pm Kirk Handbells 6:30 Budget & Stewardship Mtg. Worship 9 10:00 am Prayer Chain 1:30 pm Staff 5:30 pm M & E Meeting/ Stephen Ministry 5:45 pm Kirk Handbells 5:30 pm Manna meal 6:00 pm Choirs/ Covenant Study 6:30 pm Women s Bible study 7:00 Kool Kids& Kids Workshop/EIC Study/ Spiritual Growth 7:45 Chancel Choir 10 5:30 pm Manna meal 6:00 pm Choirs/ Covenant Study 6:30 pm Women s Bible study 7:00pm Kool Kids& Kids Workshop/EIC Study 7:45 pm Chancel Choir 5:45 pm CE Meeting 11 5:30 pm Trustees Meeting :00 am Worship 9:30 am Worship 11:00 am Worship 9:30 Sunday School 5:30 pm MS/HS Music 6:30 pm Youth :30 am Prayer Shawl Meeting 1:30 pm Staff 4:15 pm Outreach 6:30 pm Nominating 17 10:30 EPW Board Meeting 12:00 EPW Gathering 5:30 pm Manna meal 6:00 pm Choirs/Covenant Study 6:30 pm Women s Bible study 7:00 pm Kool Kids& Kids Workshop/EIC Study/ Spiritual Growth 7:45pm Chancel Choir 18 6:30 pm Deacon Meeting 6:30 pm Session Meeting :00 am Worship 9:30 am Worship 11:00 am Worship 9:30 Sunday School 5:30 MS/HS Music 6:30 pm Youth :30 pm Staff 5:45 Kirk Handbells Worship Team 24 5:30 pm Manna meal 6:00 pm Choirs/ Covenant Study 6:30 pm Women s Bible study 7:00pm Kool Kids& Kids Workshop/EIC Study/Spiritual Growth 7:45 pm Chancel Choir 25 1:00 pm Newsletter Assembly Group 26 6:00 pm Clipper Club event 7:00 pm Bridge Group :00 am Worship 9:30 am Worship 11:00 am Worship 9:30 Sunday School 5:30 MS/HS Music 6:30 pm Youth 1:30 pm Staff 5:45 Kirk Handbells Worship Team

10 Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage Paid Eastridge Presbyterian Church 1135 Eastridge Drive Lincoln NE Lincoln, NE Permit No. 109