FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, MAY 2018

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1 CHURCH MOUSE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, MAY 2018 FIRST KIDS TAKE THE CHALLENGE. MEMORIZING THE APOSTLE S CREED Many of our elementary kids recently took the challenge to memorize the Apostle s Creed. This important statement of Christian belief was used greatly by western churches during a time when oral repetition served to preserve and transmit the theological beliefs of the first century church. While not written by the apostles, the truth set forth in this creed contains a summary of the doctrine or teachings of the apostles. Having withstood the test of time as a faith statement, it is still used today by a wide number of Christian denominations. (Continued on page 2) Church Events May 1 Morning & Evening Circles May 2 Boomers Trip May 6 First Kids Musical May 7 Ministry/Division Meetings May 10 SOF Mother s Day Tea May 12 Habitat Veterans Build May 12 Session Work Day May 13 Mother s Day May 17 Seeds of Faith Year End Program May 20 Vine Combined Breakfast May 21 Session Meeting May 24 SOF Last Day CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERY CHILD WHO TOOK THE CHALLENGE!!!!! May 28 Memorial Day PAGE 1

2 First Kids... EGG HUNT GALLERY Continued from page 1...Apostle s Creed To know what one believes and be able to state it is of great value and helps to cement truth in the heart of the believer. The apostles warned of times when deceivers will challenge what is truth as set forth in the Bible. The Apostles Creed states in simple terms what the Bible teaches. Anything that takes away from these truths or adds to them may lead the believer astray. Equipped with truth that has been hidden in the heart, our children have a solid block of foundation on which to build faith in Jesus as the One and only way to the Father Almighty and in the Holy Spirit; all one in the triune God we serve. How are you helping to encourage a lasting faith for children? ************ EGG HUNT HIGHLIGHTS: A word of thanks for the many donations provided for our annual egg hunt. It was a beautiful morning of sunshine and fun for hunting eggs and enjoying activities with our young children. Treats and goodies filled the baskets while laughter and fellowship filled the hearts of those attending. Always an exciting way to celebrate our risen Lord. COMING SOON!!!! SHIPWRECKED VBS 2018 JUNE :00 a.m. 12:15 p.m. Inviting children who are entering K5 through completed Grade 5 to venture onto an uncharted island voyage for oceans of fun during VBS. Kids will dive below the surface to discover the truth that Jesus carries them through life s storms. He is bigger than our struggles, stronger than our weakness, and loves unconditionally. Jesus is an anchor for life! FPC youth and adult volunteers are needed for the week. Child care is provided for young children of volunteers only. Registration is open for all participants and volunteers at Please sign up TODAY! PAGE 2

3 Pastors Andrew... Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. (Colossians 3:23-24). As we approach the end of the school year (!) we have been serving in various ways with our Partners in Education: Eastside Elementary. We had a great time at Sparkles Roller Skating Rink where members of First Presbyterian chaperoned a 5 th grade field trip. The experience was great for everyone who attended....pastor James Consider these words And Jesus came and said to them, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18 20, ESV) As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. (John 17:18, ESV) Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. (Matthew 10:16, ESV) Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:20, ESV) As well as having some fun skating at the end of the trip, the kids also spent a couple of hours learning about friction and engineering principles involved in producing a roller skate! More recently we were able to host about 125 parents, kids and staff members involved in Eastside s Intramural Sports program. The program includes dancing, basketball, tag football and chess. It is an incentive-based program which is run voluntarily by teaching staff. (Continued on Page 4...Pastor Andrew) Do you have any doubt that the church is intended to be a people on a mission? I gave you four verses, but that s just a taste of the many explicit and implicit statements in the Bible that make clear that as people saved by God we are now sent on a mission for the sake of others salvation. Twentieth-Century theologian, Karl Barth, said, The church doesn t exist for itself. It exists for the gospel. The Church in America is declining. The statistics are widely available. The reason is in great part due to our neglect of the mission on which God has sent us. The older a church, the greater the likelihood it is an inwardly focused institution. As a church ages, it forgets what made it strong and vital, and begins to be more worried about propping up old programs and keeping red punch away from the new carpet. It takes intentional effort to fight against this inward drift and keep our focus on the outward mission of the gospel. This is a reality for congregations. Since we are an institution that does ministry and mission, our responsibility is to be an externally focused body. We can t just look inward and satisfy our own needs and concerns, we must primarily look outward to the people who are lost in the darkness of a godless world. (Continued on Page 6) Twentieth-Century theologian, Karl Barth, said, The church doesn t exist for itself. It exists for the gospel. PAGE 3

4 Pastor Andrew Seeds of Faith Preschool Registration School Year (Continued from Page 2) I can't thank First Presbyterian enough. What you do for our children is amazing. True servants of the community. Christ was the greatest servant and this family models this. You truly serve like Christ! Ms. Nicole Hall Kids get playing time if their behavior in school and dedication to school work is good. Ms. Nicole Hall, a third grade teacher who coordinates the program, says that it s had a very positive impact on the kids. The kids were dressed to impress in their suits and dresses. The Keynote speaker gave an inspirational speech about the importance of team work and several of the kids Now Accepting Applications Visit the SOF website for information and links to forms needed to register. Our preschool celebrated Easter with parties and of course Egg Hunts. prepared speeches providing an explanation about the program and also offering thanks to teachers, staff and sponsors for making it possible. One of the kids gave a blessing for the banquet. Thanks to everyone who helped with hospitality and with getting the Jeffords Center ready for Sunday morning again. Two things that are coming up... Eastside Teacher Appreciation: May 3rd. We are providing lunch for the staff (70) people at Eastside. Please sign up to provide sandwiches, pasta salad, chicken wings, Cola etc. on the sign-up in Missions Hall or on the link under Eastside on our Local Missions Page on our website. Habitat Veterans Build We have a date! Saturday, May 12th, 8am 4pm. The event is for anyone who is 16 years of age or more. Please let me know if you can participate either by or sign up in Missions Hall, outside the church office. Thanks, grace & peace! Coming Up Next for our SOF Preschools: Mother s Day Tea Thursday, May 10, 11 a.m. End of Year Program Tuesday, May 15, 7 p.m. Last Day of School Thursday, May 24, 9 to Noon PAGE 4

5 WELCOME...NEW MEMBERS! GWEN DAVIS KRISTI WILSON JUDY GILBERT We had a fantastic Flourish Women s Retreat at Unicoi Lodge in Helen, Ga! Our speaker, Emily McEntyre, walked us through parts of the Exodus story and helped us see how the lessons Moses and the Israelites learned in their desert wanderings intersected with our own faith journey. We had lots of opportunities for digging deeper through small group times, individual time to pray and through activities we did as a group. There was also plenty of free time as well! Groups had fun shopping and exploring Helen, hiking around the lake, and making the trek up to Anna Ruby Falls. In our downtime we also enjoyed lots of good conversation over meals and in the comfortable lodge setting. It was a wonderful trip and we hope even more women from First Pres will come along next year! COMMUNION PAGE 5

6 Continued from page 3) That s why we have planned these worship and mission events in Carrollton. Writing this just a few days before the first event, I m hoping the rain held off and we had a great night. Even if it wasn t, we have several planned because we are trying hard to stay focused on our mission and are praying that God will use this innovation to expand our mission to west Georgia. UPCOMING EVENTS... This is also a reality for individual Christians. How many people do you have a relationship with that aren t Christians? How many people have you invited in the last six months to worship or a church event? Did you come to the event at the Carrollton amphitheater? Is there some other way that you are actively, not just passively, working to impact people with the gospel? That s how the mission gets done. The church is its people, and the mission belongs to the people. Let s stay on mission. As we move into summer, use the longer days and the slower days to invite an unbeliever to share a meal with you and just build a relationship. God will do the rest. Blessings, Pastor James Pictures from The Point Worship Experience at the Carrollton AMP. Despite the inclement weather, The Word of our Lord was brought through worship music and the spoken Word. A Few Bubbles to share with friends. Compliments of FIRST KIDS MINISTRY! PAGE 6

7 CHURCH NEWS... Congratulations to Ben and Alison Butler on the birth of their daughter, Evelyn Rose Butler, Friday, April 20, 2018 at Carrollton Tanner Hospital. Adjust: By definition it means to adapt or conform to new conditions. Have you or someone you know recently had to adjust to new or different situations.? Be caring and helpful to those around you who are having to make adjustments in their lives. You can make a difference and really help by encouraging them to talk to someone. Remember that our Stephen Ministers are trained and available for listening to an helping people as they face changes in their lives. Contact one of these ladies for support and more information: Linnea Osborne: or Nancy Williams: COMBINED VINE BREAKFAST Sunday May 20, 9:30 a.m. Student Center All adults and students (6th-12th Grades) are invited to come for breakfast and a chance to have some fun together. This is a great opportunity to connect! We will be serving hot breakfast. Sunday, May 13...MOMS... May your day be as wonderful and perfect as you are. From Tom & Sandy Fox...Dear Friends, thank you again for your prayers, cards, letters, food, and many kindnesses during (Tom s) hospitalization and rehabilitation. Knowing God s presence and your loving care and encouragement make such a difference in recovery. You are such a blessing in our lives. *************** From Karen Standard...Dear FPC Family, words can hardly express how much Glen and I appreciate all you have done for us during this long year of sickness. We are so grateful for all the food, cards, and calls. Thank you also for the many prayers you have prayed over us...we could not have made it through this without those prayers. Many Blessings to you all! *************** From Sandi Haldane...Dear Church Family, thank you so much for the delicious meals, cards, calls, and visits and love that you bestowed on me during my recent hospitalization. I am sure thankful to be blessed with a caring and considerate church family. In Christian Love! Come see First Kids Choir present the Parable of the Good Samaritan, as it comes to life in a fun, over-the-top whodunit in this 1939 edition of Master s Peace Theater in A Not So Terrible Parable on May 6th at 5 p.m. in the Jeffords Center. Enjoy a pizza party after the show. CHURCH OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED MONDAY, MAY 28 IN OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY. Regular Office Hours: M-Th 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. PAGE 7

8 9190 Campbellton Street Douglasville, Georgia Auto Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 14 Douglasville, GA Address Service Requested Website: Place Mailing Label Here Aura Stavran 1 Hayden Schillinger 7 Rene Sanders 15 Colton Kelly 22 Rodney Cajuste 28 Rony Cajuste 2 Sydney Spiva 8 Elroy King 16 Jill Bryson 22 Tommy-Lee Sexton 28 Steve Garrett 2 Dennis Waldron 9 Jeb Bullard, Jr 16 Betty McLemore 23 Ann Lewis 29 Todd Snodgrass 2 Laura Schillinger 9 Rista Rogers 16 Brent Rice 23 Gail Bowen 29 Bernie Weidenaar 3 Buddy Aslinger 10 Mike Dapkus 17 Jackson Pike 23 Tommy Shadinger 29 Haley Welch 4 Jenny McDade 10 Jake Cordle 18 Tom Linebarger 23 Patsy Johnston 29 Jerry Johnston 4 Scott Mercer 10 Leah McLain 18 Jim Fangman 24 Steven King 29 Sabrina McAuliff 4 Anna Hook 11 Frank Schillinger 18 Jay Lee, III 25 Justice Mfortow 30 Virginia Forlaw 4 Hazel Jackson 11 Larry Albert 18 Laurie Rowell 25 Ally Carpenter 30 Grady Wood 5 Abbi Sutton 12 Whitney Rowell 18 Elizabeth Holbrook 26 Gloria Nwankwo 31 Sandy Young 5 Charlie Cook 12 Dax Derringer 19 Ronnie Morris 26 Ryan Gibbs 31 Sully Acevedo 6 Mitchell Ploeg 12 J.P. Morgan 20 Carrie Bailey 28 Will Westbrook 6 Kevin Kelley 13 Jose Acevedo 20 Harry Anderson 28 Aaron Guger 7 Mike Lauter 15 Maura Morgan 20 Marisa Showalter 28 PAGE 8