Presbyterian Courier

Transcription

1 Presbyterian Courier The Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green, Kentucky Volume 18 May 2014 Issue 5 May is a good month, as all months are good. But, especially lately, May has become formidable. In the same way that our lives are hectic and over-busy, May has become a time that is too full. We have final papers, final projects, and final exams. There are recitals to prepare for and attend. The Summer activities won t just plan themselves you know, so there s that to do too. People graduate in May, or get married, or what-have-you, and they expect a thoughtful gift. Maybe you turn the air conditioning on; but should it go on today, next week, when it gets just a little warmer, or what? How do you suppose it got to be like this? Pastor s Column 1 Associate Pastor 2 Youth News 3 Congregational Care & Fellowship 4 Church/Community 8 April Birthdays 10 April Calendar 11 Increasingly, with so many other urgent activities crowding our days, the practices of faith come to be neglected. Even an hour or two on Sunday mornings can seem downright counter-cultural, given everything that calls us away, calls us to the mountains or to the beach, calls us to the playing field, calls us to travel, calls us to attend all those year-end functions at school. Over the years, it has meant something to me that we call our worship space a sanctuary. It is a place of relative quiet and peace. It is a beautiful place, and timeless in its beauty. In the sanctuary, there is connection made with the One (God) who loves peace and grants peace, and gives comfort. The sanctuary is a good place to spend a few hours, especially if you don t feel you have any time to spare. When the minister asks you to come to church, it may not have much motivating force. But imagine for a moment that it isn t me suggesting you take some time in the sanctuary. Imagine that it is your tired and over-busy self saying, I need the Sabbath. I need to connect with God whose gift is blessing, including the blessing of time. I need to attend worship. In May, and throughout the Summer, the church is here. Be here too, when you can be. And Know You Are Loved. Matthew Summer Schedule Begins on June 1. Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School at 9:00 Worship at 10:00 Page

2 Associate Pastor The month of April has been a busy month with Palm Sunday, Easter, and the Paint Throwing. On Palm Sunday the children participated in worship through singing, chimes, and Orff instruments. It was an exciting day. The Easter Egg Hunt at the Franklin s house could not have been better with many children enjoying the activities and hunt. The weather was perfect for the day. On Easter we tried something a little new with the schedule of worship and breakfast, which gave a heightened since of community and more time for families. The Sunday after Easter brought a fun event of Andee Rudloff doing an activity with the children and youth that will result in a mural in the children s center and around the youth rooms. After Andee completed her work with the children and youth we were ready to go outside and throw paint at canvases. The painted canvases that were produced on April 27 th by the children and youth will be made into several pieces of artwork, which will be auctioned off at a later date. The money raised from these pieces will go to offset the cost of the murals.. Lunch is provided on Saturday and Sunday. We are excited that Andee is helping us with these murals. Everyone is invited to participate so no matter the age or skill level all are able to help on the 17 th and 18 th of May. Andee is a talented artist and does murals all over the country. This is a church wide event so please come, help, and be a part of something great. Children s Sunday is also coming up quickly and will be on May 11 th. The children will participate from the beginning of the service to the end through readings and music. This is a special time for them in worship. Other events on the horizon include Confirmation Sunday on June 1 st and Vacation Bible School June 15 th 18 th. VBS will be held at the Episcopal Church this year with the theme being Wilderness Escape: Where God Guides and Provides. A special Sunday School Class will be held on May 25 th in Fellowship Hall. All ages are invited. The class will be focused on honoring the veterans of our church. The children will have a special activity during this time. Summer Sunday School schedule will begin on June 1 st. The children will be focused on Being Disciples and what that means in the church, how we praise God, and peacemaking. They meet in room 20, the second and third grade room. The youth will be discovering scripture through using technology. All youth are encouraged to bring their phones, ipads, or any other portable electronic with internet access. The overarching theme for the adults is Life s Differing Perspectives, which will include everything from hymns, to just war, to finding balance. The adults will meet in Fellowship Hall. Page 2 Please look for the Children's Bulletin, which can be picked up with the regular bulletins. The hope is to provide guidance on what is happening in the service while leaving room for creative engagement. Website for Children's Ministry is

3 Youth News NASHVILLE PREDATORS HOCKEY GAME 15 of us attended the March 30 game against the Washington Capitals. The Predators were victorious 4-3 in an overtime and a shootout! GRADUATE SUNDAY will be May 18. The Youth Group will also be having a lock-in Saturday night and will be leading the 11:00am worship service on the 18 th. Senior bios with photo are due in the church office by Wednesday, May MONTREAT YOUTH CONFERENCE will be July 12-19, Our group will once again be staying at Linger Longer Lodge. This trip is for rising 8 th graders through graduated seniors. There are also opportunities for college students to participate in college work crew. Cost is $350. First deposits of $50 are due by February 1 st. These will be refundable up to May 1 st. Subsequent deposits of $100 are due April 1, May 1, & June 1. Scholarships are available to help with the cost. The theme is Rooted & Reaching. Sunday Youth Group meets every Sunday 5:30-8pm at the church. All youth in grades 6-12 are welcome to join us! (Dinner 6-6:30, activities/study topics 6:30-8:00.) For the next few weeks we will be discussing young people in the bible. Sunday Youth Group will not be meeting during the summer break. We will be having more recreational events/trips on weekdays during the summer. Wednesday Night Youth Fellowship (Grades 8-12, 5:30-6:30pm) meets at Spencer s Coffeehouse. Our Youth Ministry is built on the five intentions of the Presbyterian Youth Ministry: To call young people to be disciples of Jesus Christ. To respond to the needs and the interests of young people. To work together, youth and adults, in partnership. To be connected to the whole church, community, and the world. To include all young people, reaching out and inviting them to belong to the community of faith. For more information on our Youth Ministry, contact David Muffett - Director of Youth Ministries at david.muffett@bgpres.org Page 3

4 Friends Congregational Care & Fellowship What if you don t have family you can rely on as you age and need care suddenly or even for the long-term. This important question was posed in Newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/23 when-theres-nofamily/?ref=health&_r=1 and is generally quoted here, except for the KY law portion. If you don t have relatives or close friends who can serve as your health care proxy or hold your power of attorney (which in most states involve two separate documents) are you supposed to resign yourself to whatever the emergency room physician or intensive care staff member decides to do, or not do, when you can t direct your own care? Even when you ve written advance directives, someone has to bring those documents to the attention of medical personnel. That person may have to become a forceful advocate on an incapacitated patient s behalf. If not a sibling or nephew, a friend or neighbor, who can do it? A senior could recruit a cadre of friends and professionals, invite them to be a committee, make his/her values and preferences clear, and authorize the committee to handle a variety of eventual decisions. You can also turn to professionals but KY law states that an employee, owner, director, or officer of a health care facility where the grantor (in this case the senior) is a resident or patient may not be designated or act as a surrogate, unless the person is a member of the same religious order or is a blood relative within the fourth degree to the grantor (KRS (4)). You can always ask an independent professional: a lawyer, especially an elder lawyer, or a geriatric care manager (generally a social worker who specializes in helping seniors manage their care). The problem may be finding someone willing to shoulder that task. Professionals are hesitant to get involved in this, you can t make a more intimate choice for someone. It s hard enough for families. Being someone s surrogate means being willing to drop everything when a crisis strikes, and to continue monitoring when a client is hospitalized or needs long-term care. Of course, courts can appoint legal guardians or conservators for incapacitated seniors, and guardians --But most seniors don t want to relinquish their autonomy in that way. Extended life spans mean that people may have outlived their relatives, and many of them will suffer dementia. Meanwhile, people trying to plan ahead for aging without family could use more detailed advance directives and a Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment paradigm( P.O.L.S.T. form ) as they near the end of life to tell physicians what to do. Then they re also going to need luck in finding a committee or a trustworthy professional willing to take on this daunting responsibility. I ll write more about the POLST form next month. The AMA approved it this past March. There is a website for same if you want to read ahead. Donna Hill Page 4 Our deepest sympathy is extended to the following members and friends of this church who have recently lost loved ones: The family of Jim Johnson The family of Larry Boards Rich Cooper on the death of his mother Vera Cooper The family of Dr. David Coffey Loss of pregnancy Della, daughter of Karen and George Watson Loss of pregnancy Nancy, daughter of Sandy and Bob Franklin

5 Summer Schedule The summer worship schedule will begin on Sunday June 1st. Breakfast at 8:30 Sunday School at 9:00 Worship at 10:00 The Pig Pickin will be on August 24th Mark your calendar now! Fall schedule will resume on September 7th. Coming Soon Children s Sunday May 11th Mural painting with Andee Rudloff: May 17 th at 10am noon with a cookout following and on May 18 th following the 11am service until completion. All ages are encouraged to participate. Confirmation: June 1st Vacation Bible School: June 15 th 18 th at the Episcopal Church Theme: Wilderness Escape: Where God Guides and Provides Financial Summary Year to Date March 2014 Budget Actual , , , , Receipts Expenses Page 5

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7 A Simple Gifts Testimonial My father lives in Bowling Green, but my family and my sister s family live several hours away. Last year, when my mother was hospitalized before her death in November, either my sister or I was with our parents almost every day for nearly three months. During Mother s illness and after her death, the mem- bers of The Presbyterian Church helped our family in innumerable ways. Our families observed Christmas together with Dad in Bowling Green, then I re- turned to visit again in January. I liked what I saw: the members of Christ s body continuing to minister friendship and help to my dad. When I was in Bowling Green in January, I casually mentioned to Peggy and Clark Carthrae that my dad would need help weeding his perennial flower garden this spring. Dad s back is bad and that prevents him from doing some of the things my mother used to do. I knew it would be several months before I would be able to return and do that chore. Since I used up all my leave from work during my mother s hospitalization, I wasn t able to return to Bowling Green until Easter weekend. When we arrived on Friday, I discovered that Peggy and Clark had been to my father s house that week, had already weeded the flower bed, and planned to return on Satur- day with mulch. Peggy and Clark used their simple gifts to do a large chore that Dad couldn t have done on his own and I didn t have enough time in the weekend to do. The thing that was even more inspiring was that the Carthraes had already spent two full days doing the same kind of work on their own property, but went out of their way, motivated by Christian love, to share their gifts with someone who needed a hand (or four). Alan L. Reid, Senior Consultant Center for Government & Public Affairs Page 7

8 Preschool Learning Center Church and Community Registration continues for three and four year olds for the 2014 Fall school year. Dana at or call the office for more information. Also, if you are interested in working part time and you love children, contact the PLC for more information. Habitat work date set LETS BUILD TOGETHER! We have a work date with Habitat for Humanity on Saturday, May 24 from 8am- 4pm. Mark your calendar and call Fred Kernohan ( ) if you can join in part or all of that day. Lunch will be provided. No tools or training necessary! Location and more details on the work TBA. May 2014 Property Ministry Report Things have been going smoothly at the church this month. The following issues have been addressed. Per our request, the city of Bowling Green has agreed to change the parking space directly outside the 10 th street entrance to a loading/unloading zone, which will make it easier for our members to enter the church. A sign has already been installed. In addition, later this year the city has agreed to tear out the curb in the loading/unloading zone and install a ramp so that wheelchairs and push carts can be easily pushed to the sidewalk. The city has agreed to pay for the ramp project. A-1 Concrete has been contacted to fix the cracks in the sidewalk caused by the heavy equipment used during the 2013 brick restoration project. Concerning the video camera in the sanctuary: Last week a new camera was delivered, with the cost fully covered by the product warranty. We hope to have the new camera installed this week so that it can be used Easter Sunday. The Property Ministry members, Nancy English, David Faxon, Doug Humphrey, Tom Moody, Bob Hunt, Larry Warden, David Muffett, Richard Barefoot, and Bobby Rabold would like to express their appreciation to the church congregation for their support. Submitted by: Bobby Rabold, Chairman, Property Ministry Committee. Page 8

9 Mission Report for the Month Record Amounts of Snow Hit Northern States How many times have we heard or read these headlines this past winter? Record snowfall and a wet spring can mean only one thing: Flooding. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and Church World Services as well as other relief agencies are ready for immediate response as soon as there is a need. Without our help they would not be in a position for rapid response. Both agencies depend on contributions, both monetary and supplies, from people like those found at The Presbyterian Church. Beginning April 27 th through May 18, we will be collecting cleaning supplies for Clean- Up Kits which are part of the Gift of the Heart program. You are asked to consider purchasing items that are needed for the Kits. Since everything must fit into a 5 gallon lidded-bucket, you will need to purchase the specified size or number of items. The items are: 5-gallon bucket with re-sealable lid 5 scouring pads 7 sponges, assorted sizes 1 scrub brush 5 dust masks 50 clothespins Clothesline, two 50 ft. or one 100 ft. 1 box dry laundry detergent, oz. 1 pair work gloves 2 pair latex gloves (like Playtex ) 1 liquid concentrated household cleaner (like Lysol ), 12 oz.* 1 bottle liquid disinfectant dish soap (like Dawn ), 25 oz.* 1 pkg. cleaning towels (18 reusable, like Easy Wipes ) 24-count roll heavy-duty trash bags (33-45 gallon) 1 bottle insect repellant (drops or lotion, not aerosol), 6-14 oz.* **liquids in plastic bottles only Send only new, unopened materials. Pack items securely in the plastic bucket; seal lid with packing tape, and box for shipping. Value $56 We will have designated container(s) located in Fellowship Hall and a smaller container in the Narthex so that you may drop off the items you donate. If you do not want to shop, please consider making a monetary donation. With the funds collected, we will be able to purchase any necessary items to complete a bucket and we will have funds for the handling of the buckets after they are delivered. We will be taking the filled buckets to the CWS drop site in Fishers, Indiana on June 10 th. If you have any questions, contact Jan Albert Keep your eyes and ears open, as you will be hearing and seeing more about disaster preparedness in the future. The Mission Committee thanks you in advance for showing the love of Christ to those in a time of great need. How wonderful that we have the opportunity to be the hands of Christ in this endeavor. Page 9

10 May 1 John Tower May 2 Sarah Beth Capito Matthew Gentry Mark Patton May 3 Ted Gray Jamie Whitaker May 5 Emma Elliott Vera Gramling Barbara Howell May 6 June Rose Garrott Fred Trickey May 7 David Sears May 8 Lynne Atkerson Gilbert Calhoun May 9 Ryan Gott Lester Reeves May 12 Addisyn Jackson May Birthdays May 13 Dot Deloteus Randy Elliott Caroline Hudson B.J. Jordan May 14 Steve Moore May 16 John Perkins, Jr. May 18 John Kernohan Alicia McFarland Cathy Reynolds May 19 Mandane Ennis May 20 Robert Byrd Alicia Carmichael Gemma Webb May 22 Caleb Johnson Emma Simpson May 23 Jackson Moore May 24 Eric Bigler Peggy Pack May 25 Caroline Atkerson Hart Carwell May 26 Pamela Napier May 27 Mary Clemons Peyton White May 28 Matthew Byrd Willie Byrd May 29 Sheena Burkeen May 30 Jean Lush Karen Watson May 31 Kelley Purpus Page 10

11 May Calendar of Events Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 7:00pm Theology Pub 2 10:30am Morning Prayer 3 4 8:30am Worship 9:10am Children s Chimes 9:30am Children s Choir 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship 5:00pm Sun. College F ship 6:00pm Youth Group 11 Mother s Day & Children s Sunday 8:30am Worship 9:10am Children s Chimes 9:30am Children s Choir 9:45am Sunday School 9:45am Sunday Circle 11:00am Worship 5:00pm Sun. College F ship 6:00pm Youth Group 5 11:00am Circle :30am Circle :00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff Mtg. 7:00pm Deacons 13 11:00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff Mtg. 7:00pm Evening Circle 7:00pm Camera Club 7 7:00pm Chancel Choir 14 9:30am Circle 6 12:00pm PW luncheon 7:00pm Chancel Choir 8 7:00pm Theology Pub 15 7:00pm Theology Pub 9 10:30am Morning Prayer 16 10:30am Morning Prayer Meals Inc. 18 Graduate Sunday 8:30am Worship 9:10am Children s Chimes 9:30am Children s Choir 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship 12:00pm End of Year Celeb. 3:00pm PLC party 5:00pm Sun. College F ship 6:00pm Youth Group :00am Special Care 11:00am Finance Min. 2:00pm Staff Mtg. 7:00pm Session 21 11:00am Circle 4 7:00pm Chancel Choir 22 7:00pm Theology Pub 23 10:30am Morning Prayer :30am Worship 9:10am Children s Chimes 9:30am Children s Choir 9:45am Sunday School Veteran s SS class 11:00am Worship 5:00pm Sun. College F ship 6:00pm Youth Group 26 Memorial Day closed 27 11:00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff Mtg 7:00pm Book Club 28 7:00pm Chancel Choir 29 7:00pm Theology Pub 30 10:30am Morning Prayer 31 Page 11

12 The Presbyterian Church 1003 State Street Bowling Green, KY (270) Non-Profit Organization Permit No. 202 U. S. Postage Paid Bowling Green, KY RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Thursday, May 15th, is the deadline for the June 2014 newsletter. Send your information to Full Color Newsletters are available online at May 2014 The Presbyterian Church Bowling Green, Kentucky (270) The Presbyterian Church Staff Our reason for being is to manifest the good news of Jesus Christ in word and deed so that disciples are made by means of inspiring and engaging worship, relevant and reliable education, compassionate and caring fellowship, meaningful and magnanimous outreach, to the glory of God. Page 12 Dr. Matthew W. Covington Pastor Rev. Kara Hildebrandt Associate Pastor Thomas N. Moody Organist, Pastoral Assistant Wayne Pope Choir Director David Muffett Director of Youth Ministries / Property Administration Richard Barefoot Financial Administrator Steve Moore Treasurer Cheryl Gregory Secretary Dana Patterson Director, Preschool Learning Center Cedric Whitney Custodian Michael Spencer Sunday Sexton Sheila Reeves Newsletter Editor