The Radiant Mar- Apr

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1 Rhonda Ricci Editor The Radiant Mar- Apr Geneva Presbyterian Church Seven Locks Road, Potomac, MD (301) Office Rev. Mary Pullen, Interim Pastor 2018 ISSUE 17 Dear Friends at Geneva, I cannot believe we find ourselves at the beginning of March. The older I get, the more the time seems to fly. We had a very good turnout for the first of our Lenten Bible Studies on Wednesday Feb. 21. The topic was Reflection, but reflection in terms of social justice. The clergy did a panel discussion on how each denomination considered the topic, and it was well received. I urge all of you to plan to attend these Bible Studies if you are able. The schedule for the rest of Lent is posted here, as well as in the bulletin and the weekly s. Since Lent is a time of reflection as we approach Easter, it is time for us to do some serious reflection and even better take action on the epidemic of gun violence that runs rampant in our society. Shame on us as a culture that another shooting took place at a school, 17 people were killed and families devastated once again! Shame on us that the teens who survived the Parkland shootings are at the forefront of protests! Out of the mouths of babes, says the scripture, and a little child shall lead them. If I had school age children, I would be worried sick every day when they went off to school. There is no safety in our schools, churches, shopping malls or anywhere it seems. How does a parent reassure a child in such circumstances? With the Psalmist, we cry out How long O Lord and yet until we have the political will to do something about it, nothing will change. 1

2 On Easter Sunday, we celebrate the Risen Lord! We worship a Lord who gives us the gift of eternal life. We follow a Lord who calls us to lives of justice, peace and equality while we are on this earth. When we celebrate Easter this year, let s truly make it a life- giving celebration! Randy and I wish for all of you at Geneva a happy and blessed Easter. Peace, Mary Pastor Mary Geneva Presbyterian Church 2018 Lenten and Easter Services Passion/Palm Sunday, March 25, 10:30 am Maundy Thursday, March 29, 7:00 pm Easter Sunday, April 1, 10:30 am Please take a church candle home! Geneva uses candles on the altar weekly and these are changed from time to time as the candles burn down. The leftover burned candles that are too short for use in our services have been accumulating over the past several years. Waste not, want not. But what to do with the leftover candles? The suggestion was made to offer these to the congregation to take home as emergency candles in case of a power failure. So we re going to place a box in the sanctuary with leftover candles for our congregation to take a few home for emergencies. Please help yourself and put these leftover candles to good use. Elder Ken Sprinkle Worship and Music Chair 2

3 Dates to Note Mark your calendars for the following events: Sunday, March 4 th Pizza Lunch *Geneva will provide the food for this event. Sunday, April 8 th After Worship Volunteers Needed! Fellowship is looking for volunteers to organize the Christmas decorations and return them to the attic. If you are able to help, please see Rhonda Ricci. We Welcome the Impact Youth Choir On Sunday, March 4 th, We welcome the IMPACT Youth Choir from the Burke Presbyterian Church, in Burke, Virginia to lead us in worship! There will be a lunch afterwards in the Founders Room. Everyone is invited to stay and fellowship with them. We will take up a freewill offering for the IMPACT Choir in addition to our regular Sunday offering. IMPACT (Inspiring Music and Praise, Acclaiming Christ Together), the Youth Choir of Burke Presbyterian Church, involves youth in grades Youth in the choir attend eleven different middle and high schools in the area surrounding Burke, Virginia. This year the choir has 45 members who rehearse weekly and lead in worship twice each month. Periodically they sing for community events or at local nursing and retirement homes. In June, IMPACT will travel by bus to Tennessee on their Thirteenth Annual Mission Tour. While on tour they will sing concerts in churches and nursing homes and serve others through mission projects. IMPACT is conducted by Julianne Erbrecht and accompanied by Peter Braxton. Narthex Coat Closet Please check the coat area between the Narthex and the kitchen. There are some coats and other things that have been there for quite some time. If they belong to you, please take them. If the items are not collected in a few weeks, all items will be donated. 3

4 Geneva Day School By Suzanne Funk, Director This time of the year brings many events which the students of your school enjoy celebrating! Though February is a short month, it is a very busy one. So, on behalf of the children, Happy Ground Hog s Day, Valentine s Day, Abraham Lincoln s and George Washington s Birthdays, Presidents Day, Lunar New Year of the Dog, St. Patrick s, and the Spring Equinox on March 20 at 12:15 p.m. EST! Several classes also celebrated their 100th Day of School with many fun activities of 100 activities. Kindergartners dressed up as what they thought they would look like when they were 100 years old! As you can tell, the calendar and seasons impact the curriculum of the school, which makes learning fun. Children enjoy learning about their world, and especially about events in their lives that may be special. As families celebrate events themselves, their little ones understand and can contribute to the festivities, too. The Day School is very busy processing Registration of returning students and Applications of new students. Assistant Director Amanda White confers with each family to be sure they have the program they want and need, while Administrative Assistant Amantha Linkie is responding to numerous telephone call questions and conducting many personal tours. Early numbers look good for this time of the year, though the process continues into the summer and fall. The school is continuing to register new students, as Geneva has Open Admissions throughout the year as space allows. Thank you for referring your friends and neighbors to wonderful preschool and kindergarten programs. With hints of spring, classes are taking walks around the grounds to see signs of the upcoming season. So far, children have noticed increased bird activity and sounds, 4

5 shoots from bulbs and trees, candles on evergreens, and warmer days. I have also noticed small flocks of Robins and Bluebirds making a nest in one of the Bluebird boxes! Spring and new life are surely coming! Come visit our school to see some of the exciting events that occur here every day. I would love to show you around the two building, playgrounds, and Children s Garden! The school community wishes each of you a Happy Lent and Easter, with renewed spirits and good health! Warm regards, Suzanne Funk Director The Lord s Table Soup Kitchen Needs Your Help! We meet for a quick lunch at the Subway in Old Town Gaithersburg at 11:30 and then cook lunch at St. Martin's Catholic Church in Gaithersburg from If you are available to help, please sign up at the Narthex Here are the upcoming dates: Saturday, March 10 Saturday, April 14 Saturday, May 12 Easter Lilies If you want to order an Easter Lily to decorate the sanctuary on Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018, please sign up on the on the sign up sheet on the kiosk. If you dedicate your lily in honor of or in memory of someone, please make sure to write the information legibly and spell all names correctly. The lilies are $15.00 each. Orders must be in to the church office by 12NN Monday, March 19, Make check out to Geneva Presbyterian Church with Easter Lilly on the Memo Line. 5

6 Executive Committee Allow me to share some personal observations as a prelude to the Executive Committee report. At the Annual Congregational Meeting Feb. 25, we heard from officers, staff, and other leaders about the work of Geneva Presbyterian Church during It was a transition year under our interim Pastor Mary Pullen, full of self-analysis, fellowship, and good works. Anyone who looks back on 2017 will remember the CAT Scan and our feelings at learning how the congregation perceived spiritual energy at our church; follow-up discussions addressed those feelings. Our journey of self-analysis saw Presbytery walk the officers and other leaders through the process of considering our future, and saw Pastor Mary walk the congregation through a similar conversation. The year ended with a decisive vote to call a new permanent pastor. The feelings captured by the CAT Scan were honest and thoughtful; the exercise laid out our worries to ponder with God and each other. But the proof of vibrant energy and spiritual strength at Geneva was evident throughout 2017, and that energy inspired the work of the congregation and our committees throughout the year, including that of Executive. And it promises spiritual growth and revelation in Pastor Mary and the Worship Committee welcomed us each Sunday with a service that was meaningful, inspiring, comforting, and beautiful. Our music program has been resilient and resounding under Director Ben Shaver, whose talents and enthusiasm have endeared him to us all. Our Christian Education teachers commit their time before and during services to teach our small but questioning crop of young and adult students, helping them seek the truth and the Word that will lead them both in and outside the church. Pastor Mary introduced us to Dr. Carolyn Fink who served us as C.E. Interim Director. Her kind manner, teaching skills, and powers of observation guided many of us through the transition, and informed our thinking on the future C.E. program. She has become a part of our family, and her adult classes on Witnesses is not to miss. With Rhonda Ricci s management, the Fellowship Committee delighted us with Second Sunday Potlucks, Chili Cook-offs, and special celebrations, feeding (literally) the friendships that have turned us into a family. Geneva s missions bloomed with a new energy at the Lord s Table soup kitchen, with projects on rainwater run-off and native plant landscaping led by Mission Chair Rosie Perthel, and with Geneva Day School s continued excellence (chosen again recently as the best pre-school by readers of Bethesda Magazine) under Director Suzanne Funk and a dedicated board of Geneva members. From my perspective, the output of the committees and missions has far exceeded the budgets they have so carefully adhered to. Add to that the unfailing care given to the congregation from Pastor Mary and the Deacons, and the proof of our energy and spiritual connection is incontrovertible. The Executive Committee saw the fundamental energy of the congregation reflected in the strong giving that brought us a surplus in 2017, and the robust response to Stewardship season that underpins our 2018 budget. Our focus is on making sure the funds are there for the goals our congregation and leaders set for themselves in Those goals include the search for a permanent pastor, the costs of a thriving C.E. program, continued strength in 6

7 worship, fellowship, and pastoral care, and stewardship of the buildings and grounds of our church home. Under the guidance of Ken Sprinkle, the committee has developed an approach to long-term planning and budgeting for suggested capital improvements in the church, manse, and surrounding grounds. Members of the congregation have identified many capital improvements that could improve the functioning of our buildings and grounds, and a capital plan is now in place to allow us to fund them in a planned way. Our Building and Reserve Fund, a dedicated fund that is built with contributions from members and friends, will continue to be built up to absorb all potential improvements that are contemplated over the coming five years. Executive Committee with the congregation s input will prioritize the items in the plan, debate their cost and need, and include them in successive budgets over 5 years. We ask members to continue to provide feedback on capital needs, and to supplement their giving each year, both to the Building and Reserve Fund and to their offering, with capital needs in mind. Executive Committee members are Ken Denaburg, Jack Kough, Tom Maxwell, Ken Sprinkle, co-treasurers Rolf Winch and Robin Kough, Janelle Thibau, and our pastor as a member ex officio. Elaine Winch provides liaison to the Day School Board. We benefit from the great partnership of Rosie Perthel on grounds and Amanda White from the Day School, and we had the support in 2017 of Irene Trypupenko, our church office manager, and Kim Dietrich, who succeeded her. Both have moved from the area, and we are delighted that Veronica Deriquito has joined the church as Church Administrator (and is a new US citizen!). We are fortunate in our church staff. Respectfully Submitted, Janelle Thibau, Chair Executive Committee Ecumenical Lenten Bible Study Change Please note the corrected Ecumenical Lenten Bible Study schedule is below: Wednesday, March 7th St. James Episcopal Church Seven Locks Rd, Potomac, MD Wednesday, March 14th Scotland AME Zion Seven Locks Rd, Potomac, MD Wednesday, March 21st Emmanuel Lutheran Church* 7730 Bradley Blvd, Bethesda, MD *This is the service where Bishop W. Darin Moore will be preaching and church choirs singing. Refreshments will be served at 6:30 and bible study will begin at 7:30 7

8 A New Home By Veronica Deriquito With this comes great responsibility. That s what the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Speaker said as she tells us about our newly earned rights and privileges after going through the whole process of Naturalization and becoming an American Citizen. As a child, I never would ve imagined moving to America. I grew up in a small town in the Philippines surrounded by the simple life my parents have built for my siblings and me. We had dogs to play with; my grandparents raised chickens and grew fruits that we got to enjoy on a hot day. I went to school with my sisters, everyone knew everyone and it was comfortable but 2001 came and the economy changed. My parents decided it would be best to test the waters overseas. My father moved to Baltimore in 2001, then my siblings and I followed. I immigrated to the US in At that point, it had been half a decade since I had seen my sisters. We ve missed a lot with all the time apart but it still felt like home, like nothing had changed. My family went out of their way to make me comfortable with all the new things I needed to learn and explore. My parents have provided us with all our needs and wants. It felt like it should be my turn to help so by 2010 I started working and going to school full-time. Several years later I decided it was time to file for my naturalization. With the direction the country was headed, it was the lack of representation and the need for reassurance that all the years I ve spent here would not go to waste that pushed me to do it. At first it didn t seem like a big step. It was a piece of paper, but then it became more. I qualified and filed my application March of I was told it would be a long process, so I prepared myself. I took an Immigration Class, which taught me a lot about the America s history and how it all works. I spent 3 months learning all this along with fellow immigrants who in return taught me things about their cultures as well. It has been a long journey with interviews and meetings then the approval letter came from the USCIS. Congratulations, your oath-taking ceremony is scheduled for January 31 st A sigh of relief, knowing that all the hard work I ve put in finally paid off. On the day of my Oath-taking ceremony, Rev. Mary Pullen joined my family and I to celebrate. It was definitely a great experience. There were 59 people from 24 different countries who became American Citizens that day. We walked out of the USCIS office in Baltimore with our certificates, a voice and a new home. 8

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11 Geneva Presbyterian Church Seven Locks Road Potomac, MD