Volume 19 August 2015 Issue 8

Transcription

1 The Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green, Kentucky Volume 19 August 2015 Issue 8 Pastor s Column 1 Presbyt. Women 2 Church/Community 3-5 Financial Report 6 Session Report 7 Youth Ministry 8-9 College/Youth Min. 9 Aug. Birthdays 10 Aug. Calendar 11 August used to be part of the summertime. But now the month of August is about beginning school, starting programs at the church, and gearing up for the Fall. On August 16 th, our congregation will enjoy the annual picnic we call the Pig Pickin. On August 30, we will observe the holiday haberdashery we call Seersucker Sunday. Each of these events is a good opportunity to welcome visitors to our church. People do not automatically know what the Pig Pickin is, for instance, nor do they naturally know where we gather for the picnic (the Beard pavilion on Garvin Lane). Your encouragement might be the difference between someone coming or someone feeling that they don t know enough to attend. The change of worship times is always confusing. You can do yourself and others a big favor by talking about the change before it happens on August 24. Communication is key, and we can t say enough about our plans. Seersucker Sunday is an oddity of our church. People who are unfamiliar with the practice of wearing some item of the distinctive cloth on the last Sunday before Labor Day (August 30 this year) might need you to explain what we re up to, so that they can feel comfortable joining us on the special day. It can be fun, and it will help our church grow if you will help us communicate what we re doing to our guests. The Fall of 2015 is going to be great at the Presbyterian Church, and quite a few of our Fall programs will begin in August. See you around! And, as always, know you are loved. Matthew Page

2 Presbyterian Women PW Profile: Cheryl Gregory While Cheryl Gregory does not belong to The Presbyterian Church, she is truly a Presbyterian Woman. As secretary of TPC, Cheryl is known to most of us as the go-to person when we need anything clerical done. Cheryl grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the daughter of Gary and Donna Shaffer. She attended Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, VA, studying both art and biology. At that time she thought she might channel these two disparate interests into a career as a medical textbook illustrator. However, after college she was just ready to get away from home and find work in whatever area was both interesting and available. That s when she decided to move to Bowling Green, Ky. At that time, Cheryl s aunt, Dr. Rita Hicks, was a member of the Western Kentucky University Education Department and she encouraged Cheryl to come to Bowling Green. Cheryl s first job upon arriving in Bowling Green was as a theater technician at the Capitol Arts Center. From there she went to work for a few years in the call center at Camping World. That turned out to be a fortuitous move as she met and then later married Chuck Gregory. The two were married at Cheryl s aunt s house during Christmas, After meeting Chuck, Cheryl left Camping World and changed jobs to work as a graphic designer at Clip-It, a local Buy-Sell-Trade paper. She worked there for 9 years in total, as an ad designer and then as office manager. In summer of 2006 she accepted the position as secretary at The Presbyterian Church. Ask her what she likes most about her job, and she will tell you it s the people and the atmosphere. The people who come into this office, Cheryl says, are always friendly and courteous. Whether they need something done for a meeting, for a luncheon, for the COURIER, or for the Sunday Bulletin -- whatever they need -- they treat all of us with respect. Cheryl notes that the atmosphere in the office is comfortable, and the people she works with closely each day are like family. Cheryl s primary responsibilities are anything to do with printing, file-keeping, maintaining the database on all the members, and actually, anything from being the receptionist, secretary, and general support person to handing out food from the Food Pantry." Tom Moody, organist and fellow office staff member, shares the front office space with Cheryl and speaks highly of her. Cheryl is efficient, hard-working, responsive to the needs of others and highly skilled in the use of computers, Tom says. And, he concludes, she is very loyal to the Presbyterian Church." Cheryl has a number of hobbies, including reading, board games, crafts -- especially mixed media art -- and hiking. Both she and Chuck are enthusiastic hikers and have spent a great deal of together time enjoying the Kentucky outdoors. They are also attentive to Cheryl s mother, Donna Shaffer, who moved to Bowling Green several years ago and lives at the Bowling Green Retirement Village. If you haven t said Thanks to Cheryl lately, do so. She doesn t just like her job. She likes you! SHOUTOUT Cheryl has taken on the responsibility for putting out the COURIER until someone can be found who is willing to take over as the new editor. The office is seeking a volunteer! Interested?... Call the church office at Page 2

3 CHURCHWIDE PW GATHERING Thank you for the opportunity to attend the Churchwide Gathering. I will say that Minneapolis was not on my bucket list, but I am so glad to have had the chance to visit this charming city. The Westminster Church is a regal fixture in this town. It covers a block of the city and has beautiful gardens, colorful stain glass, and a classic sanctuary. I ate lunch with the Living Waters Synod in the glorious courtyard with water flowing through the area. It was picturesque. Although all the sessions were informative, Innovative Leadership for the 21 st Century s Changing Landscapes and State of PC(USA) were especially good sessions. While at the exhibit hall, I met Donna Houston from LWW (and Franklin, KY) and she shared a preview of the new LWW VBS curriculum The water necklaces pattern was shared as well. The necklace making will be a great addition to our fundraising for our next water installation in Belize. Thank you for your support in attending the Churchwide Gathering. Peace, Susan Thomison A NOTE FOR PW The Presbyterian Church will host a meeting of the Presbytery of Western Kentucky on Saturday, August 8. Lunch in Fellowship Hall will be catered by Blakey and Duffy Hayes and served by members of the Presbyterian Women Coordinating Team. Volunteers to help should call Nancy Moore at Church and Community Annual Pig Pickin set for August 16th The entire church will be convening for worship and a picnic on Sunday, August 16th at the Beards' Pavilion, 1061 Garvin Lane. (See map or call church office for directions.) This will also be Montreat Sunday! Worship will begin at 10a.m. and the picnic will follow. Please dress comfortably, bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on, and a dish to share. The roast pork, soft drinks and water will be provided, so please bring a vegetable, salad or dessert. The day will be filled with Montreat memories and our youth will be assisting with the service. Let's make some memories of our own -...see you on August 24th! Page 3

4 Church and Community -VBS Volunteers YOU ROCK!! Seriously, our mountain climbing adventure was a success due to your willingness to pitch in and serve our children. Truly it was a time of fun, fellowship and faith. - Ernie Small, Sara Beth Capito, and Peggy Carthrae rocked us out in the VBS Band. - Provisions for our journey up the mountain were provided by Sandy Franklin, Elinor Kline, Carol Wedge, Barbara Grider, Helen Hatchett, Cindy Tanner, Sally Calkins, Larry Warden, and Clark Carthrae. - Our Sherpas for the daily hikes were Mary Evans, Ann Covington, Megan Algie, Karen Kreuzer, Melissa Johnson, Lynda Johnson, Liza Ahrendt, Gary Ahrendt, Emily Forshee, Sheryl Goad, Judy Whitson, Catherine Reber, Cathey Green, and Margaret Stein. - Our Camp Site trainings were provided by Matthew Covington, Kelly Goad, Jim Johnson, and Barbara Solberg-Hale with set design by Clark Carthrae, Ann Covington, and Resse Polen. - Our Camp Site Imagination Station was provided by Nancy Hulan, Susan Howard and Sandy Franklin. Henry was a big help too. - Our Physical strength was put to the test by Nathan Algie and Michael Spencer. - Our Clean Up Crew finished in record time. Thank you Teri Polen, Eleanor Short, Peggy Carthrae, Ernie Small, Rob McAllister, Tanner Polen and Brad Thomison. THE EQUAL EXCHANGE COFFEE PROJECT sales will take place between services in the Fellowship Hall on August 23rd. Registration is still open for the PLC. We still have a couple of spaces in the 3 s and 4 s program. Contact the church office or Dana Patterson by if you (or a friend) are interested in enrolling a child, at plcdirector@bgpres.org The PLC Open House for new students will be on August 11th and 12th at 9:30am. Adult Sunday School 9AM August 2 nd : Wayne Pope will lead a class on the History of Anthems. August 9 th : Tom Moody and Mike Kanan will continue the Hymnal Study class, discussing folk tunes matched to sacred texts. August 16 th : Pig Pickin - No Sunday School Page 4

5 ART EXHIBIT The Late Bloomers Gallery TPC Art Exhibit August 6 to October 16 Lois Layne and Diane Simmons, friends linked by affection and art will be exhibiting in the Fellowship Hall in August and September. Although the community may recall Lois as Dr. Lois Layne of WKU's psychology department who retired with husband Clint to Nashville in 2006, and know Diane as a church member or as Mrs. Simmons of Bowling Green HS, these two friends have always shared an affinity for painting the shapes and colors of life, Lois with watercolors and Diane with any handy medium. "Lois is a quiet person. It took a while to convince her she was ready to exhibit," says Diane, who also says the exhibit dates pushed her to paint every week. "Both of us have enjoyed art all of our lives; to be free to indulge our passion is just pure delight," says Diane. As August arrives the church is thinking about the Fall program and the change over from summer. Look for an announcement about the Fall in early August. Also note that August 30th will be our annual Seersucker Sunday! Our deepest sympathy is extended to the following members and friends of this church who have recently lost loved ones: Claudia Downey in the death of her mother Alice W. Gordon Rebecca Simpson in the death of her grandmother Ruth Brame Ann Huskey in the death of her daughter-in-law Gail Peacock Cedric Whitney in the death of his uncle Charlie Whitney The family of Dr. William Russell Page 5

6 Financial Report The church website has recently been set up to accept online donations. Just go to this link and fill out the simple form: - Donations can also be made from your smart phone. You can also scan a QR code, found on our bulletins, to make a donation. Call the church office for more information. Our church elders: Gary Ahrendt, Franklin Berry, Charlie Capito, Sam Evans, Jim Harris, Julia Roberts, Nancy English, Steve Todd, John Grise, John Fitts, Bobby Rabold, Michael Spencer, Margaret Stein, Susan Thomison and Larry Warden. Our church deacons: Karol Ahmed, Megan Algie, Barbara Brindle, Peggy Carthrae, Shannon Dyche, Kim Ferguson, Kelly Goad, Sheryl Goad, Anna Sue Heller, Todd Hudson, Frederica Kernohan, Donna Meredith, Charlotte Prow, Nick Rabold, Kevin Reber, Ken Royse, Diane Simmons, Debbie Trickey, Ginger Van Ness, Kyda West and Judy Whitson. Page 6

7 Session Report The officers of our church (the Session) want to maintain strong communication with the congregation. The Session will begin to provide a brief digest of their meetings each month in the newsletter. Digest of Called Session Meeting July 14, 2015 This was a called meeting of the Session, for the purpose of hearing the report of the Leadership Team which had been working with the Center for Healthy Churches consultants. The report has five recommendations. Recommendation #1 Hiring, Evaluation, Supervision, and Best Practices. It was agreed that proceeding to hire a Christian Educator is an immediate need, though the Center for Healthy Churches had recommended against an mmediate hire. Job descriptions and annual review processes to be discussed by the Personnel Ministry. Recommendation #2 Visioning Developing a common understanding of our church s uniqueness and direction is very important. Visioning will be an overarching umbrella throughout the entire process, of action on recommendations, but it may formally be done last. Recommendation #3 Communication and Culture A digest of Session and Diaconate meetings will routinely be made available to the congregation through the newsletter. Deacons and Elders will designate someone to attend each others meeting each month, as an aid to communication. Recommendation #4 Personal Relationships and Healing There is a need to identify persons in the congregation who are not yet fully involved. A process with dates/times for new member orientations will encourage new members. Recommendation #5 Discernment Team Session acknowledges the importance, and will continue to discuss a process. Page 7

8 Youth Ministry Sunday Night Youth Group will not meet during the summer. We ll resume on Sundays after Labor Day. Wednesday Night Youth Fellowship will continue during the summer 5-6:30pm at Spencer s Coffeehouse. Upcoming Events: Canoe/Camping trip on the Elkhorn Creek in Frankfort will be rescheduled after Montreat. We ll let you know as soon as we have a date! We ll be working with Canoe Kentucky. Christian Croxton, one of our former youth leaders, will be our guide. Cost will be $50 per person. Holiday World/Splashin Safari August 22. This year we ll wait until school s back in session so more people are around to go. This will also be their Rock the World-Christian Music Fest. Cost is $60 per person. Check it out here: Fall Youth Group Kickoff September 13, 5 8pm: Julie Wedge will host our Fall Sunday Youth Group at her house, 1430 Euclid Ave. We ll have some great food, lots of games, and bouncy houses! Bring your friends! All youth in grades 6-12 are invited. Parents are invited too! Fall Youth Retreat at Camp Loucon November 6-8: This annual tradition, sponsored by the Presbytery of Western Kentucky, is filled with lots our indoor and outdoor fun, fellowship, music, and engaging worship. This event is for all youth in grades Cost is $55 per person. We ll leave from the church on Friday, November 6 at 5pm and return around 3pm on Sunday. Taking a break after rock hoppin The Montreat Gate We had a great experience at Montreat this year! 12 youth and 5 adults from our church attended Week 4, July This year s theme was This Is Our Story. We shared many stories of our lives and how God is always part of our story. We ll share our stories with the congregation at Montreat Sunday/Pig Pickin on August 16 at 10am! You won t want to miss it! Here are some photos from our trip. For more info on our Youth/College Ministries, contact David Muffett at david.muffett@bgpres.org Page 8 David will be serving on the 2015 Theta (weeks 3 & 4) Montreat Planning Team

9 Our Crew at Roger s Place The Dam Picture! David served as a Small Group Leader during Week 3 Sheryl & Kelly Goad enjoying morning coffee on the porch! David s wild and crazy Small Group 14 during Week 3! Rob McAllister also served in Jeremiah Project as a worship leader. Samuel Kernohan served in the Jeremiah Project as a worship leader. Ann loves to cook but she gives a friendly reminder to pick up after ourselves. Rock Hoppin through the tunnel! The Awesome 2015 Planning Team and on-stage Leadership College and Youth Ministry COLLEGE MINISTRY: Theology Pub will continue to meet during the summer7:00pm at Mellow Mushroom. Come join us for free pizza and good conversation! Page 9

10 August Birthdays August 1 Lauren Glasser McClaine Hudson Ella May August 3 Dan Brown Fred Higgins August 4 Denise Carter Chuck Coates King Spencer Matthew Spencer August 5 Mike Alexieff Tucker Carmichael Susan Murphy Dan Stelling Linda Yeoman August 6 Claire Boggess Robert Cash Neil Howell Wanda Hunt Bill Krepps Steve Todd August 7 Beth Durbin Terry Flynn Kalu Njoku August 10 Charlie Reber Rebecca Simpson Betsy Tyrie August 12 Maya Lebedinsky August 13 Reese Polen August 14 Susan Begley August 15 Ashley Long Kevin Reber August 16 Chase Embry Heather Kessler Nan Moore August 17 Annette Ballard Heather Webb August 19 Laura Isenberg Brenna Murphy Dick Roberts August 20 Andee Rudloff Ian White August 21 Janet Strode August 22 Madeline Davenport Brad Howard Sally Wysong August 23 Ann Covington Deborah Raymer August 24 Will Bowen Matthew Crocker Hannah Schafer August 25 Mac Reynolds August 26 Erin Elliott August 27 Nathan Love Lee Truman, Jr. August 28 Ron Ramsing August 29 John Stone August 30 Wayne Hendrix Heather Higgins Heather Zeller Michael Zeller August 31 Della Bruch Judy Clark Emily Purpus Landen White Page 10

11 August Calendar Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 9:00am Sunday School 10:00am Worship :00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff Meeting 7:00pm Deacons 5 City schools start 5:00pm Youth Fellowship 7:00pm Chancel Choir 6 7:00pm Theology Pub 7 5:00pm Gallery Hop 8 Presbytery Meeting here 9 9:00am Sunday School 10:00am Worship :30am PLC open house 11:00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff Mtg. 4:30pm Peacemaking 7:00pm Camera Club 12 9:30am PLC open house 5:00pm Youth Fellowship 7:00pm Chancel Choir 13 7:00pm Theology Pub Habitat Build 16 Pig Pickin 10:00am Worship 17 PLC resumes classes 18 11:00am Special Care 11:00am Finance Min 2:00pm Staff Mtg. 7:00pm Session 19 5:00pm Youth Fellowship 7:00pm Chancel Choir 20 7:00pm Theology Pub Youth Group to Holiday World 23 not yet confirmed 8:30am Worship 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship :00am Special Care 2:00pm Staff Meeting 5:30pm Bridge Ministry 26 5:00pm Youth Fellowship 7:00pm Chancel Choir 27 7:00pm Theology Pub not yet confirmed 8:30am Worship 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship 31 Seersucker Sunday 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 The full-color newsletter is online at August 15 is the deadline for the August 2015 newsletter. Please send your information to the church office at August 2015 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 Thomas N. Moody Organist, Pastoral Assistant Rev. Jim Johnson Parish Associate Wayne Pope Choir Director David Muffett Director of Youth Ministries Property Administration Richard Barefoot Financial Administrator Steve Moore Treasurer Cheryl Gregory Secretary John Grise Clerk of Session Dana Patterson Director, Preschool Learning Center Cedric Whitney Custodian Michael Spencer Sunday Sexton