PASTORS CORNER. Neelsville Presbyterian Church has been engaged

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May 2015 YOU RE INVITED! Sunday... Adult Sunday School... p3 May 3... New Member Luncheon... p2 May 9... Knitters & Crocheters... p3 May 10... Baby Bottle Campaign... p3 May 10... Mother s Day Reception.

.. Father s Day Reception Parish Associate Derek Longbrake PASTORS CORNER Neelsville Presbyterian Church has been engaged in ministry in various ways in our community for many years.

1 May 2015 YOU RE INVITED! Sunday... Adult Sunday School... p3 May 3... New Member Luncheon... p2 May 9... Knitters & Crocheters... p3 May Baby Bottle Campaign... p3 May Mother s Day Reception... p6 May HS Senior Reception... p3 May Young at Hearts... p5 May Pentecost Sunday... p3 June Father s Day Reception Parish Associate Derek Longbrake PASTORS CORNER Neelsville Presbyterian Church has been engaged in ministry in various ways in our community for many years. Still there can be a sense of frustration and confusion about where we are going and what we are to do even as we believe that God is leading us forward in ministry. These are feelings that we face as individuals and as a church. Let me tell you a story from my trip to Sudan in 2010 On Sunday I knew that I was to preach at the Mayo Evangelical Church. My journey to get there started by meeting a Sudanese pastor. We walked a few blocks to the presbytery office and waited a few minutes. There we were joined by an elder. They took a few minutes and negotiated the rental of a mini-bus and driver. Then we began the nearly hour ride to the former displacement camp now the town of Mayo. The town was to our left off the main road roughly one mile wide by four miles long. Instead of turning in we stopped and waited. You see, the pastor and elder did not know where the church was. We knew that somewhere in there was the church, but there were no street names or addresses. The buildings all looked relatively similar. The streets were laid out like a maze. We waited for someone from the church to meet us. After twenty minutes and long past the scheduled start time of the church service we had met no one and we drove to the other end of the town. There we waited a while longer. Still no one met us. We turned off the main road and drove in the dirt along one side of the town. Finally we asked someone for directions and they pointed us back the way we had come. We turned around, but then decided that person was wrong and turn around again. We had literally gone in a circle. We asked someone else and following their directions took the risk to enter the warren that was Mayo. All along the way we asked for directions first to a neighborhood in the community and then to the church itself. We were guided to our destination, the Christian church, by those who were not a part of the church. We arrived an hour late, but everyone was still there and ready to worship God. I believe this story from my time in Sudan illustrates the journey that we are on to share in God s mission in the world. We know that we are to proclaim the name of Jesus. We have a general idea of where we are going. God brings others alongside us to share in His mission. Yet we can t get where we want to go by ourselves. We have to rely on others, even a Muslim driver, to get there. Along the way there will be waiting, u-turns, good roads, bad roads, no roads. We have to rely on those outside the church for where we should go. We will get good and bad directions. We may still not be sure exactly where to go but we have to take the risk to go into the maze. Once we have taken the risk, our journey to what God is asking us and the church to do is not a straight line. We will not necessarily get there on our time table. We will CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

Pastors Corner CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 have to keep listening to God and others so that we will discern the way to what God is calling us to do as individuals and the church.

2 Pastors Corner CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 have to keep listening to God and others so that we will discern the way to what God is calling us to do as individuals and the church. Let us pray: Show me your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Psalm 25:4 In Christ, Derek NEW MEMBER INQUIRER'S LUNCHEON May 3 rd noon-1:30pm Welcome Center What does it mean to be a church member? Does it make a spiritual difference? At NPC, we love membership because it s a way of affirming our commitment to be Jesus disciples in this specific place and time and community where God has called us to live. If you d like to be a part of the next Inquirer s Class, join us May 3 rd. The five week class will run from May 10 th to June 7 th, 9:30-10:30am in the large Sabbath Building classroom. Register online at call the church office, mark the Fellowship Pad, or speak with Pastor Pete. LOCAL MISSIONS WOMEN WHO CARE MINISTRIES Neelsville concluded its food drive to feed Germantown children on the weekends by collecting seven bins of donated food and monetary help. NPC partners with Women Who Care Ministries (WWCM) who provides 1,800 children food for their weekends this school year. In 2012 they provided food for 750 children sadly, what an increase! Neelsville volunteers obtain food from the WWHC facility and divide them into packs for each child. They are then delivered to two local middle schools. Each week, we bring smiles to 60+ children. We will be adding an additional Germantown school in the near future. Below is a poem of thanks from WWHC: Thanks for Feeding Me! I m dizzy, no food all weekend; now it s Monday, So I stay inside at recess, while the others go out to play, You see, I get hungrier running around with no food inside, So I sit in the corner, I cry in a closet I hide. I peep out, and the food I see! A whole bunch of food, in a bin, right in front of me! Is it being brought inside the classroom right now? God, have you, all the way from heaven, heard my tummy growl? Wait! It s for kids who have a low income? My mom lost her job sure hope they give me some! They re talking about a program that is helping kids to eat, I m so excited now; I m standing in the closet on my feet, I m so happy that they were able to find my school and me. Now I m no longer hungry. I got an A on my last test, instead of a D! Thanks for feeding me! FINANCIAL SNAPSHOT Frederick Road Germantown, MD TEL: (301) FAX: (301) Senior Pastor Parish Associate Rev. Dr. Peter Della Santina Rev. Derek Longbrake pete@neelsville.org dereklongbrake@gmail.com Organist Michele Kelly mmkelly440@hotmail.com Choir Director Greg Graf gggraf@gmail.com FINANCIAL UPDATE March Operating Budget: Year-to-date through March, our General Operating Income is $174,731, while our year-to-date expenses are at $147,069. Our March expenses were higher than usual as March is when we release half of our support for each of our Global missionaries, as well as expenses related to the Bahamas Mission Trip. On the Building Fund side, we are not doing as well with expenses of $9,000 and income of only $6,575. Thanks as always for your generous giving. Office Administrator Tricia Bradford office@neelsville.org Treasurer Wendy Coulliard treasurermpc@gmail.com Neelsville News is published by Neelsville Presbyterian Church. Submit Word files and photos by the 15 th of each month to neelsvillenewsletter@gmail.com Sherrie Cardea, Melissa Blount, Jenn Park Year To Date Operating Income Received $174,731 Total Operating Expenses $147,069 Building Funds Received $6,575 Total Building Fund Expenses $9,000 Page 2 NEELSVILLE NEWS MAY 2015

LOCAL MISSIONS IT S ALMOST TIME FOR THE BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN! This is an easy and fun way for the whole family to partner with NPC and The Rockville Pregnancy Clinic to help women and children.

) and bring the bottles back to church on Father s Day, Sunday June 21 st. A filled baby bottle averages around $20!

If you have any questions or would like more information please contact Jen Smith at jenniferelizabethsmith@ yahoo.com.

Bill is an experienced and thorough teacher, and you are sure to receive new insights into this gospel. The second class is taking a look at Psalms and how they can be used as our own prayers.

3 LOCAL MISSIONS IT S ALMOST TIME FOR THE BABY BOTTLE CAMPAIGN! This is an easy and fun way for the whole family to partner with NPC and The Rockville Pregnancy Clinic to help women and children. Bottles will be available for you to pick up on Mother s Day, Sunday May 10 th. Just take the bottle home with you, fill it up with spare change, (paper money and checks work, too!) and bring the bottles back to church on Father s Day, Sunday June 21 st. A filled baby bottle averages around $20! Your spare change will be used to fund items such as pregnancy tests, pregnancy classes, sonograms, STD screenings, information on abstinence, and helping to spread God s word. If you have any questions or would like more information please contact Jen Smith at jenniferelizabethsmith@ yahoo.com. BIBLE EDUCATION ADULT DISCIPLESHIP The spring session of adult Sunday School continues through May with two classes. Bill Kroah is leading a class studying the Gospel of Mark. Bill is an experienced and thorough teacher, and you are sure to receive new insights into this gospel. The second class is taking a look at Psalms and how they can be used as our own prayers. According to Eugene Peterson, We use the Psalms to present ourselves before God as honestly and thoroughly as we are able. Using Peterson s book, Answering God and his LifeGuide Bible study, Psalms: Prayers of the Heart, we will learn how the Psalms can become our own conversation with God and how they can enrich our prayer life. Merilee Worsey WORSHIP PENTECOST SUNDAY MAY 24TH Rev. Sean Walker and wife Bethany will be at NPC on May 24 th. Sean will preach that day and Bethany will lead a class discussing their experiences in Tajikistan in Asia. SEEKING WEDDING COORDINATORS! Find out about volunteering to assist brides and grooms on their special day. Contact Lynn Kroah [experienced wedding coordinator] or Michele Kelly [Worship Committee] for details. No special talents needed, just a desire to help families get organized and enjoy this special occasion. Small time commitment. WORSHIP MUSIC NOTEBOOKS There are new Songs and Hymns for Worship notebooks in the sanctuary. If you are a person who likes to have a copy of the music when we are learning new hymns and songs in worship, you will find them in a black 3-ring notebook on the back pew where the ushers have the bulletin boxes. You can take a quick look in your bulletin as you come in to see if the service includes worship songs not in the hymnal. If so, pick up a notebook. PLEASE RETURN THE NOTEBOOK TO THE BACK PEW AT THE END OF THE SERVICE FOR OTHERS TO USE. Please DO NOT take the books out of the sanctuary or to your home. These notebooks replace the loose sheets of music that we have been using occasionally for several years. GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS Our graduating high school seniors will be recognized at a special reception on Sunday, May 17 th. Please congratulate these students on their awesome accomplishments! Congratulations Graduates! Joanne Cardea ~ University of Maryland/College Park Scholars-Public Leadership Program at College Park Andy Clark ~ Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) at Baltimore Gabriella Henson ~ currently undecided, possibly University of Tennessee at Knoxville Sydney Lufsey ~ University of Maryland at College Park Kamani Odina ~ Arizona State University at Temple to study nursing NEELSVILLE NEWS MAY 2015 Page 3

2015 MISSION TRIP MISSION POSSIBLE: NEELSVILLE S TRIP TO GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND Thank you Neelsville Church for sending our crew of seven youth and nine adults to work with Karazim Ministries on Grand

We arrived on Monday, the day after Easter, and worked Tuesday through Friday to fix up a home in the community of 8 Mile Rock. This is an area that tourists don t visit.

Overwhelmed was a common expression that first day, wondering how are we going to get this 20 x 30 home painted inside and out. The family had been living with unpainted drywall for many years.

well. The outside was scraped, primed, and painted. The weather hovered around a humid 83 degrees which is HOT when you are in the tropical sun, or inside with no air conditioning.

4 2015 MISSION TRIP MISSION POSSIBLE: NEELSVILLE S TRIP TO GRAND BAHAMA ISLAND Thank you Neelsville Church for sending our crew of seven youth and nine adults to work with Karazim Ministries on Grand Bahama Island. We worked hard and through God s grace, accomplished much. We arrived on Monday, the day after Easter, and worked Tuesday through Friday to fix up a home in the community of 8 Mile Rock. This is an area that tourists don t visit. It is home to many poor, many empty storefronts, and broken down buildings. Overwhelmed was a common expression that first day, wondering how are we going to get this 20 x 30 home painted inside and out. The family had been living with unpainted drywall for many years. So the laborious process included patching, taping, mudding, sanding, priming and painting walls and ceilings, and even the refrigerator; and framing doors, windows, floors with molding inside as well. The outside was scraped, primed, and painted. The weather hovered around a humid 83 degrees which is HOT when you are in the tropical sun, or inside with no air conditioning. To give us space to work our strong young men carried the furniture out of the home every morning and replaced it every evening. When we finished, the home looked much better with its new green exterior with white trim, and inside colors of bright yellow and light green. Our residents, Arthur and Ann, were very hospitable to the crew and very happy with the results. More work by other teams is being planned to assemble the kitchen and to fix the roof. Raoul and Karen Armbrister, the leaders of Karazim, were our main contacts. They picked us up from the airport, provided all of our meals, and made runs to the hardware store for supplies and paint. Mervin, our bus driver and on-site assistant, helped many of us learn the skills needed to accomplish our tasks as did Rodney! We had an hour or so at the end of the day to hit the beach or check at the resort across the street before our evening devotions and planning sessions. We have plenty of photos and some video, too. The team will share our experiences at the May 17 th Youth Sunday worship service. In the end, we were Overwhelmed by all that was accomplished and given by our team, the residents and others in Jesus s name. Maybe YOU want to join in the next trip? Youth Group member Michael Lyles working on the trim of an inside wall window. Residents Arthur and Ann outside their home at the beginning of the week. Arthur and Ann s home at the end of the week! 2015 Grand Bahama Mission Team Members: Bill, Pam and Will Armstrong; Adam and Diane Condrick; Brian, Brice and Sue Farrell; Rebekah Kline; Rodney Lapp; Michael Lyles; Raquel Mejia; Bryan Midlam; Andrew Park; Damaris Richardson; Brandon Taylor Page 4 NEELSVILLE NEWS MAY 2015

5 SESSION NOTES NOTES FROM APRIL MEETING The Neelsville Session met on April 16 th, with nine of the ten elders present. Parish Associate, Derek Longbrake, moderated the meeting since Pastor Pete was on leave in the Holy Land. We began the meeting with an exercise on Dwelling in the Word with Derek reading from Matthew 10 and the elders sharing what they heard in the passage and how it spoke to them. We also prayed for safety and encouragement for Pete in his travels. Our routine business included reviewing the budget and routine requests for use of the church buildings. We further discussed Camp Sonshine s proposal to begin an after-school program at NPC and the Board of Trustee s diligence in negotiating a contract. It was also noted that we have had very few responses to our efforts to hire new part-time staff to work with children and youth and that it might be necessary to investigate additional means of advertising. Finally, we considered two items at the request of the Worship Committee. We concurred with their recommendation to change the worship schedule from August 2 nd through Labor Day to only have one Sunday worship service at 10am. We also discussed the NPC wedding policy and agreed that it needed to be reviewed and updated for discussion at the next meeting. YOUTH NEWS IMPACT; OCEAN CITY, MD Impact is a high school youth Christian concert that helps young Christians get to know or to learn more about Christ. It is held during the Spring every year. I have been blessed with the opportunity to go to Impact every year since the ninth grade. Every year I have learned something completely new about Christ and myself. And I can proudly say that there has always been one sermon that makes me cry. Each year there was always a sermon that matched exactly what I was going through at that current moment in time. Now I know that it was God speaking to me through those people. I absolutely loved at Impact. Not just because of the message, but because I get closer to my fellow youth group. Through Impact we get to know each other on a personal level. Chad and Tamyra Porter are great youth leaders that have made Impact even more special for me. They are very lively even when you don t need them to be, and it makes the experience special. I thank them every year for hosting this trip and allowing for my youth group to go. As a senior this is my last Impact. I will take away the biggest lesson in my four years of attending. Don t let flesh limit you from everlasting life. Kamani Odina, Youth Group member SUMMER WORSHIP SCHEDULE Worship remains the same during the summer months Worship at 9:30 and 11:00am Sunday School at 9:30am Beginning August 2 nd to September 6 th Worship at 10am, Sunday School TBD FELLOWSHIP YOUNG AT HEARTS LUNCHEON Come Tuesday, May 19 th at 11:30am to the White Church s large Sunday School room for punch, cheese and crackers. The Moms and kids (Moppets) from the MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group will entertain us with a musical program. The MOPS moms and kids meet at our church every other Tuesday for a morning program organized by Kimberly Nugent-King and Barbara Miller and is staffed entirely by volunteers from our church. Please be on time (see above) as the program will be first, followed by our luncheon, so the kids don t miss out on their afternoon naps! Questions? Contact Marilyn Splete at amsplete@ yahoo.com or NEELSVILLE NEWS MAY 2015 KNITTERS and CROCHETERS If you want to pick up some yarn for summer knitting, please come to the Saturday, May 9 th meeting of the Knitting and Crocheting Group and bring along any finished items. This will be the last meeting until the fall. We will be in the library from Contact Marilyn Splete at amsplete@yahoo.com or with questions. Page 5

6 We want to thank all of you who helped make the Easter Brunch the huge success that it was! People showed up on Saturday afternoon to help us set up the tables, cover them and do the initial decorating. At that time we also set up coffee pots and did general kitchen prep. Easter Sunday morning we started early and again had great help. People came and went throughout the morning which allowed all to attend one of the services. We are so grateful for all of that help! We were also blown away by all the great food that appeared. There were a huge variety of the most delicious goodies! It seemed like a lot of food, but I am told that after the 11:00 service people again appeared and managed to pretty well finish all the food. While we advertised the event from 9:30 to 10:30, it actually went on until after 1:00pm. Do you remember the Fellowship article in the newsletter a couple of months ago that talked about the elves? Well, the elves want to tell you that you fulfilled their wildest dreams! We, the four elves of the Fellowship Commit- FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE AN EASTER BRUNCH THANK YOU! tee, want you to know we think this congregation ROCKS! We are very grateful for your help and good food! THANK YOU! We are already planning our next event! Join us Sunday, May 10 for a Mother s Day Reception. Come help us celebrate our Neelsville moms! Marilyn Splete, Chris Fletcher, Gerry Davis and Barbara Miller Thanks! Page 6 NEELSVILLE NEWS MAY 2015

LOCAL MISSIONS FIRST 2015 TRUSTEE WORK PARTY; A HUGE SUCCESS!

outcome of the First Work Party of 2015!

On behalf of a grateful congregation, we sincerely thank each of you for your time,

front. Rich Gagnon and Dean Hurkett repair the men s bathroom in the office wing.

Doris and Dorsey Unglesbee planted pansies along the sidewalk (a few warmer days later!).

Nicole Njeutcha, Darcy Quinn and Chip Wilson wash the Welcome Center windows inside and

Dean and Sarah Hurkett repair the water fountain in the CE wing.

7 LOCAL MISSIONS FIRST 2015 TRUSTEE WORK PARTY; A HUGE SUCCESS! Saturday, March 28th was cold and windy, but the weather didn t deter the successful outcome of the First Work Party of 2015!! Trustees and volunteers came together and checked off many items on the NPC To-Do List. On behalf of a grateful congregation, we sincerely thank each of you for your time, willingness, and dedication to our local mission outpost known as Neelsville Presbyterian Church. Boy Scout Troop 489 removed masking tape on the fellowship hall floor and mulched in front. Rich Gagnon and Dean Hurkett repair the men s bathroom in the office wing. Al Henins did the lion s share of the yellow curb project! Doris and Dorsey Unglesbee planted pansies along the sidewalk (a few warmer days later!). Pat Harrigan repaired the ladder bracket in the narthex closet. Nicole Njeutcha, Darcy Quinn and Chip Wilson wash the Welcome Center windows inside and out. Kevin Hutto repairs the outdoor nativity scene pieces. Dean and Sarah Hurkett repair the water fountain in the CE wing. Thanks also to Sally and Kim Long for replacing light bulbs throughout the church and to Sam Dantas, NPC building service worker, for helping everywhere! And to Gerry Davis for the seasonal décor in the sanctuary and Welcome Center. Watch the bulletins and newsletters for the next Work Party planned you, too, can help! N E E L S V I L L E N E W S M AY Page 7

20701 Frederick Road Germantown, MD 20876 Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Suburban, MD 20898 Permit No. 1012 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED Grow and Serve with our Family!

8 20701 Frederick Road Germantown, MD Non-Profit Organization US Postage PAID Suburban, MD Permit No ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED Grow and Serve with our Family! Pentecost Sunday May 24 On the Day of Pentecost, we celebrate God s gift of Holy Spirit which draws us together as one people, helps us to comprehend what God is doing in the world, and empowers us to proclaim, in word and in deed, God s plan of reconciling all people in the name of Christ. Read Acts 2 to find out more!

PASTOR S CORNER Teaching the Bible to Our Youth Featuring Andy Herman, Director of Youth Ministry Our church is blessed

PASTOR S CORNER Teaching the Bible to Our Youth Featuring Andy Herman, Director of Youth Ministry Our church is blessed March 2017 Friday, March 17 Look What s Inside! March 1... Ash Wednesday... p3 March 11.. Knitters and Crocheters... p3 April... Secret Sister Signup... p2 April 1... Church Work Day... p3 April 16...