MESSENGER. The. July / August 2018 Zechariah. Meet the Staff. Inside this issue. Lord, remember me

Transcription

1 The Who had a staff sprout, bud, blossom, and produce almonds, indicating that God had chosen him for a special reason? A. B. C. D. July / August 2018 Moses Zechariah Aaron Nathan Answer: C (See Numbers 17:1-11, specifically verse 8. First Presbyterian Church, Glendale 155 East Fountain Avenue, Glendale, OH Phone Fax glenpres@fuse.net firstpresbyterianglendale.org worship begins at 10:00am MESSENGER Mailed in Christian love on June 26, 2018 Inside this issue August calendar Birthdays & Anniversaries.. 11 Buildings & Grounds... 6 Christian Education... 7 Finance Committee... 6 From the Pastor PNC update... 6 July calendar... 9 Memories of Fred Brown Spotlight on Missions Meet the Staff The Rev. Steven R. Garstad Interim Pastor heygarstad@earthlink.net Amy Duke Director of Music and Organist jbduke@cinci.rr.com Kate Gardin Choir Director gardinki@mail.uc.edu Lord, remember me The funeral of renowned evangelist Billy graham was a celebration - not of the preacher s long life and many accomplishments but of his arrival in heaven. Graham, who died at age 99 in February 2018, was confident he d spend eternity with Jesus but knew the reason wasn t his own status or actions. Graham knew he was a sinner in need of forgiveness. I still need the cross, he said. Graham added, I am not going to heaven because I have preached to great crowds or read the Bible many times. I m going to heaven just like the thief on the cross who said in that last moment: Lord, remember me. 12 Deborah Senile Administrative Assistant glenpres@fuse.net Articles and information for the September edition of this newsletter should be received in the church office by 9:00am Monday, August 27. Early submissions are always accepted with joy! "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1). It is time for us as a congregation to say farewell to our intrepid Pastor Steve Garstad after 3 1/2 years of faithful service as our Interim Pastor. Steve has served us longer than some of our called pastors and I know our church members will be sorry to see him leave. He has been called to a church in Lancaster, Ohio that has great need of his abilities. Steve leaves us with a stronger sense of who we are as a church and what we want from our permanent pastor. Our PNC is working very hard to fulfill those needs with the best candidate possible. In the interim, we will be served by visiting pastors. The summer services and most of September have been scheduled and services will be conducted as usual. The Presbytery will arrange for pastoral care as needed after Steve's departure. If there are any concerns or suggestions, please contact me (Carol Faulkner) or a member of Session to voice your concerns. July 8 is Steve's last day in the pulpit. Let's fill the church house with smiling faces that day as we say goodbye and thank you for his service to our church.

2 Church sign - Adam and Eve - the first people to not read the apple terms and conditions Dear Friends in Christ, Well, it s really going to happen, I thought. I really am going to move. Nothing brings clarity to an impending move more than house hunting in a strange city. The plans to search for a new residence have banished any idea of turning back. By now most of you are aware I submitted my resignation as your interim pastor at the May 16 Session meeting and the Session graciously accepted. I have embraced the invitation to serve as the transitional pastor to the First Presbyterian Church in Lancaster, Ohio. My last day in the pulpit at First Presbyterian Church Glendale will be July 8. If you detect any tone of regret or reluctance in my words, you are reading me correctly. I feel like a young man heading off to college, at the same sad to leave but also excited to take up new challenges. How swiftly my three-and-a-half-year sojourn has sped past and how much I will miss our beloved Village of Glendale. I think it unlikely I will find a home quite so lovely as the manse you graciously provided me. I doubt my next backyard will be the showplace for the antics of squirrels and chipmunks, of Cardinals and Blackcapped Chickadees. There will be no Bluebird. Most of all I will miss you who welcomed me and became my friends. We have raised our voices in song and prayer at worship. We have heard and lived the Word of God. I visited you in the hospital. I married your children and baptized your grandchildren. I buried your family members and friends. We faced challenges together and had some successes. We broke bread together and shared some good times. We grew comfortable together in a pleasant and familiar ways. There are many rich rewards to interim or transitional ministry. Coming to bring a non-anxious presence to a congregation roiled with change and sometimes conflict. Meeting new people, each with their fascinating histories and lively hopes. Helping a congregation envision its way to the future to which God beckons. Occasionally a colleague in ministry will ask, Don t you want a real pastorate instead of being an interim? I keep my silence but think to myself, Look, bub, we are all interims. We are merely quibbling about the duration. The words of scripture come to mind, So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord Ephesians 2:19 We are all sojourners traveling through lives of uncertainty, but we know our eternal home with Christ as the cornerstone. Our time in this life is transitory and fleeting so we d best make the most of it. The Psalmist spoke for all of us when he prayed: So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Psalm 90:12 When Andrew Jackson entered the White House, he arrived as a widower as his beloved wife Rachel had just died. Jackson took on his niece Emily Donelson as his official White House hostess. 2 continues on next page

3 Church sign - Too hot to keep changing sign - sin bad, Jesus good, details inside From the Pastor continues here In the eighth and final year of his presidency in 1836, Emily was slowly perishing of tuberculosis back in Nashville. Jackson from his own sickbed in Washington wrote a letter of assurance to Emily, telling her that all would be well. He went on to add, we are mere tenants at will here. We are all tenants at will - God s will. Thanks be to God who allows us as tenants to live and labor in his vineyard where love grows. I am blessed, glad, and grateful to have been a tenant in your hearts and minds. As I sojourn on to Lancaster, I will think of you kindly as friends and hold you in my prayers. Your fellow traveler in Christ, Pastor Steve Deacons The Deacons offer prayer, companionship, rides, or meals, but don t always know where care is needed. If you know of a need (your own or another s), call the church or any of our Deacons: Nancy Gulick, Betty Robertson, Sarah Hinkle, Sonya Kirkland, Susan Galbraith, Susy Spence 3 In our thoughts and prayers Mike Blackburn William Breidenstein Bill Clegern Jane Kendrick Greg Kiefer Tincsi Kovacs (Shannon Keegan s aunt), Dottie Mack (Anita Hilbun s friend), Donna Loudon Eloise Manhart Jackie Ohlinger

4 Memories of Fred Brown (excerpts from tributes given at the Memorial Service for Fred Brown on May 19, 2018) Fred spent his childhood playing in the creek in his family s backyard, turning flips on the trampoline, swinging higher than his brother Carl, and riding his bike. He started Sunday School at Glendale Presbyterian in Mrs. Head s class, and attended church here each Sunday. In Fred s later teen years, as his muscles started to weaken, he depended on a wheelchair for mobility. He would be confined to that chair for nearly 50 years. But his restricted mobility never affected his eagerness to try new things. When something like this happens, one may choose to focus on what is no longer possible, instead of what is possible. His family chose to see Fred for what he was, instead of what he wasn t. Fred accepted himself for who and what he was. He was Fred. Fred was an artist. He developed a love of drawing and for 45 years he enjoyed exploring different art mediums at the United Cerebral Palsy Adult Workshop, which later would become Stepping Stones, and a loving second family for him. Fred was a fierce competitor. He competed in the Special Olympics in several events, and he won lots of medals. Gold was his favorite. Fred loved to travel and was able to take many trips. He made several extended visits to the shores of Lake Michigan where he enjoyed the water, the sand, the sun, and his family. He and Carl visited Disney World and Epcot Center. We can only imagine how exhausting it must have been for Mom and Dad, who were in their seventies, to push two wheel chairs all over the park, but what a time they had! Fred also acquired a passport when the family took a cruise to Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Antigua and other island destinations. Fred was an adrenaline junkie. He liked to go to David and Margie s lake house and ride in David s fast boat. He got to stay at Beverley s and Mark s lake house on Grand Lake. There, Rob, Tom and Mark managed to get Fred on a jet ski, and he and Rob tore around the lake. The water carried the sound of Fred s infectious laughter so that even those on shore could enjoy the thrill of his ride. In 2005 Fred moved from his home to Meadowbrook Care Center, his new home. Here he created his third family, made up of caregivers, residents and the families of residents. Everyone there knew him, and greeted him as they passed on their rounds. He was appointed Sheriff (complete with a badge and squirt gun) and was stationed as such at a major intersection to maintain order. His most important titles, however, were son, brother, uncle, great uncle. Family was everything to Fred. Holidays, birthdays, vacations and parties were his favorite outings because they were spent with family. Above all, Fred loved his Lord, his family, his friends and his life. Fred was baptized as an infant in this church, and although he never became a member, he attended his whole life. He loved to sing with the Men s Choir at church, and also possibly lost several roommates at Meadowbrook who did not appreciate his 4

5 singing in the middle of the night. We re sure he is now singing with God s angels in the Heavenly choir. Fred was a work of art signed by God, and truly a blessing to all who knew him. Some may think Fred was lucky to have a family who loved him and cared for him as they did. His family, however, knows the real story: we are the lucky ones. 5

6 Church sign - Whoever stole our AC units - keep one, it is hot where you re going May Year to Date Income $5,666 $140,799 Expense $14,364 $150,625 Net ($8,698) ($9,826) Complete Your Pledges It s true that the fiscal year upon which we base our church pledge year ends on June 30. But it s important to know that we will still be accepting pledge offerings this summer. If you haven t received your personal giving statement in the mail please look for it soon. It s very easy to lose track of your total giving record. Supplied with this information it will also be easy to complete your pledge! Thank you. The Finance Committee We have now reviewed more than 120 PIFs (Pastor Information Form) and have interviewed more than 15 candidates. We have a few that we are eager to get to know better and suspect we will be missing church to hear them at a neutral pulpit soon. The members of the committee are Beverley Brueggeman Charlotte Knowlton Karen Reynolds Mary Schwaderer Thank you to the hard-working volunteers who made the May 19 Spring Clean-Up Day a success. There were two brief rain storms, but that couldn t hold back the team s great effort with the weeding, seeding, cutting, planting, trimming, and even brick-laying. Thanks to Pat, Stu, Sarah, Matt, Peter, Marybeth, Dave, Mary, and Steve. Buildings and Grounds Committee Editors note - a hearty thank you to Will Kreidler for organizing this event. 6

7 Church sign - honk if you love Jesus - text while driving if you want to meet Him We will continue to have Parents Night Out over the summer on Saturdays, July 14 and August 11, from 6:00pm-10:00pm. The cost is a mere $10.00 per child or $30.00 maximum per family! For this low, low cost, your child will have a snack, play games, and complete a craft project. Mark your calendars now! Children s Church (aka Sunday School) resumes September 9, with a Kick-off- Sunday. The Children will be learning New Testament Bible Stories, and will start a new binder to keep all their stories in. We can t wait to see them in the fall! Charlotte will be contacting many of you over the summer to see what can be done to get more participation in Adult Classes. The Mission Committee has developed a Medical Library of items available to our church members and friends. We have a nice supply of items such as crutches, wheelchairs, walker, bathtub bench, portable potty, and a bed table, just to name a few. All we ask is that these items be checked out through the church office (so we know where they are) and that they are returned in good, usable condition. The items are stored in the basement and can be seen at any time. If you have a need, please contact a Mission Committee member or the church office. 7

8 Church sign - Just love everyone. I ll sort em out later. God Dinner at Grand Finale Seventeen members of our church enjoyed a delicious dinner at Grand Finale on Wednesday evening, June 6. We enjoyed a private dining area and delicious dinners of either steak, chicken, or sea food with all the sides - and dessert! Service was good and it was nice to reciprocate with The Grand Finale, which has always supported our Golf Outing and the Glendale Directory. Our next Dinner is the seafood buffet at Manor House on Friday, July 20. We hope to see you there! Glendale Directory Income $3, Expenses $2, Profit to date $1, Each business advertiser receives a free directory. There are over 200 directories yet to sell, all of which will add to the profit line. Pancake Breakfast... Last month, we reported a profit of $ from the Pancake Breakfast. Despite serving fewer people than previous years and changing our date from March to May, we are pleased with the profit. We will hold the 2019 Pancake Breakfast and Bake Sale in late-february or mid-march....and Bake Sale Thank you to everyone who baked for and purchased goodies at the Bake Sale during the Pancake Breakfast. We raised $272 for the Princeton Closet. Back-to-School Thank you to everyone who donated to the Back-to-School fund. Donations are still being received, so we don t have a total. If you would like to donate, a check can be left in the office marked Back-to-School in the notation line. We support Valley Interfaith Community Resource Center, Princeton Closet, Glendale School Drive, and GLAD House. In the Princeton school district, 66% of the children are on the free lunch program. The need to support our children is tremendous. Fill the Glendale Village Square with Food Our sincere thanks to the members and friends of this church and the residents and merchants of Glendale for your generous donations to our 8 th annual Fill the Glendale Village Square with Food event on Saturday, June 9. Thanks to your thoughtfulness, we filled an SUV full of food, personal care items, and cleaning products for The Princeton Closet, and we just about filled the Valley Interfaith Community Resource Center van. Both agencies assist families in the valley and surrounding areas. We also received cash and check donation totaling more $600.00! Thank you for giving a "Hand Up" to families in need! 8

9 :00pm- Mission mtg. 6:00pm- Session mtg :00am- Deacon mtg The calendar is a living, breathing document subject to frequent changes. Please check the weekly calendar posted on the Church House bulletin board or contact the church office 4 Church Office Closed 11 12:30pm- Men s Lunch at Gold Star :00am- Gentle Yoga 10:00am- Gentle Yoga 6:00pm- Dinner (The Manor House) 10:00am- Gentle Yoga :00pm- Parents Night Out for confirmation of meetings, events, or activities. Please call the church office if you do not see your meeting, event, or activity on this calendar. Likewise, please call the church office to update information on this calendar. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 9

10 office for confirmation of meetings, events, or activities. Please call the church office if you do not see your meeting, event, or activity on this calendar. Likewise, please call the church office to update information on this calendar. Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday August 6 3:00pm- Mission mtg. 13 9:00am- Annual Reports due 20 11:00am- Deacon mtg. 27 9:00am- September Messenger items due The calendar is a living, breathing document subject to frequent changes. Please check the weekly calendar posted on the Church House bulletin board or contact the church :00am- Session reports due 12:30pm- Men s Lunch at Skyline 15 6:00pm- Session mtg :00am- Gentle Yoga 10:00am- Gentle Yoga 10:00am- Gentle Yoga :00pm- Parents Night Out 18 10

11 Church sign - Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads Norman Obando... 1 Westi Brazell... 2 Barbara and Craig Wolf... 3 Charlotte and James Knowlton... 4 Addyson Mayborg... 6 Catherine Mayborg... 9 Bridget Fasoldt...10 Connor Christman...10 Barbara Wolf...16 Anita Hilbun...18 Megan Hinkle...25 Sarah Hinkle...29 Kate Gardin...29 Amy and John Duke... 3 Kaitlynn Dunbar... 8 Carol Faulkner Diane Limbocker Bob Simpson Linda and Tom Shevlin Jennifer Dunbar Emma Hinkle Mary and Craig Simonson Bob Johnson Mike Fasoldt Karen Reynolds Carol Muntz Carol and Bill Faulkner Carol Hatfield Jennifer and Ken Dunbar Sonya and Jerry Kirkland Jacqueline and Richard Ohlinger Sonya Kirkland August 11

12 The Who had a staff sprout, bud, blossom, and produce almonds, indicating that God had chosen him for a special reason? A. B. C. D. July / August 2018 Moses Zechariah Aaron Nathan Answer: C (See Numbers 17:1-11, specifically verse 8. First Presbyterian Church, Glendale 155 East Fountain Avenue, Glendale, OH Phone Fax glenpres@fuse.net firstpresbyterianglendale.org worship begins at 10:00am MESSENGER Mailed in Christian love on June 26, 2018 Inside this issue August calendar Birthdays & Anniversaries.. 11 Buildings & Grounds... 6 Christian Education... 7 Finance Committee... 6 From the Pastor PNC update... 6 July calendar... 9 Memories of Fred Brown Spotlight on Missions Meet the Staff The Rev. Steven R. Garstad Interim Pastor heygarstad@earthlink.net Amy Duke Director of Music and Organist jbduke@cinci.rr.com Kate Gardin Choir Director gardinki@mail.uc.edu Lord, remember me The funeral of renowned evangelist Billy graham was a celebration - not of the preacher s long life and many accomplishments but of his arrival in heaven. Graham, who died at age 99 in February 2018, was confident he d spend eternity with Jesus but knew the reason wasn t his own status or actions. Graham knew he was a sinner in need of forgiveness. I still need the cross, he said. Graham added, I am not going to heaven because I have preached to great crowds or read the Bible many times. I m going to heaven just like the thief on the cross who said in that last moment: Lord, remember me. 12 Deborah Senile Administrative Assistant glenpres@fuse.net Articles and information for the September edition of this newsletter should be received in the church office by 9:00am Monday, August 27. Early submissions are always accepted with joy! "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." (Ecclesiastes 3:1). It is time for us as a congregation to say farewell to our intrepid Pastor Steve Garstad after 3 1/2 years of faithful service as our Interim Pastor. Steve has served us longer than some of our called pastors and I know our church members will be sorry to see him leave. He has been called to a church in Lancaster, Ohio that has great need of his abilities. Steve leaves us with a stronger sense of who we are as a church and what we want from our permanent pastor. Our PNC is working very hard to fulfill those needs with the best candidate possible. In the interim, we will be served by visiting pastors. The summer services and most of September have been scheduled and services will be conducted as usual. The Presbytery will arrange for pastoral care as needed after Steve's departure. If there are any concerns or suggestions, please contact me (Carol Faulkner) or a member of Session to voice your concerns. July 8 is Steve's last day in the pulpit. Let's fill the church house with smiling faces that day as we say goodbye and thank you for his service to our church.