Trail Blazer Capital Campaign to be Launched with Congregation Luncheon on February 24

Transcription

1 L E W I N S V I L L E Lewinsville Presbyterian Church February 2019 FEBRUARY WORSHIP FEBRUARY 3 at 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Fourth Sunday after Epiphany Sacrament of the Lord s Supper Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10 New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Sermon: The Challenge of Being Called to Love Rev. Scott Ramsey Souper Bowl of Caring Collection 7:00 p.m. Taizé FEBRUARY 10 at 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Fifth Sunday after Epiphany Sacrament of the Lord s Supper at 8:30 a.m. Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8 Gospel Reading: Luke 5:1-11 Sermon: Holy Fishing Rev. Scott Ramsey FEBRUARY 17 at 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Sixth Sunday after Epiphany Sacrament of the Lord s Supper at 8:30 a.m. Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Psalm 1 Gospel Reading: Luke 6:17-26 Sermon: Blessings and Curses Rev. Scott Ramsey FEBRUARY 24 at 8:30 & 11:00 a.m. Seventh Sunday after Epiphany Sacrament of the Lord s Supper at 8:30 a.m. New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38; Gospel Reading: Luke 6:27-38 Sermon: The Resurrection : Loving Your Enemies Rev. Annamarie Groenenboom 12:15 p.m. Capital Campaign Luncheon at LRR We ll get to it soon; maybe next year. Trail Blazer Capital Campaign to be Launched with Congregation Luncheon on February 24 Heritage Hall has given Lewinsville generations its very best effort with few operational and structural complaints for many years. Whenever it needed repairs or updating, some sort of patchwork was deemed sufficient. Each maybe next year became fifty-eight years. Today, the building is outdated and overdue for re-design and re-purposing to meet the needs of 21st century Christians. With construction cranes dotting the sky above Tysons and a growing population spreading around us, Lewinsville Presbyterian Church has a choice to make: join the re-invigoration of the McLean/Tysons area or be left behind as others make the changes necessary to launch new ministries and serve new missions. Benign neglect will become ancient history. All members and friends are invited to join us for a luncheon launch of our Trail Blazer Campaign after the 11 o clock worship service on Sunday, February 24, We will meet in the dining room of The Lewinsville Residence adjacent to the church property. Members of the capital campaign committee and the building task force will be on hand to answer questions following a short program to outline the campaign. Continued on page Chain Bridge Road, McLean, VA C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T

2 FROM THE PASTOR Dear friends at Lewinsville, The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood (John 1:14, The Message). The Christian message of the incarnation the belief that the holy God took on flesh and blood in Jesus of Nazareth is that God moved into our neighborhood. God did not stay far away in heaven, but came to where we are and shared our life. In the same way, the church is not to stay safely apart from the messy realities, the ups and downs of daily life in the neighborhoods around us, but is to move into the neighborhood to share the life of our community. If the churches are called to love their neighbors, they have to know their neighbors, because we cannot love that which we do not know. Too many churches see themselves as an escape from the world, rather than a local embodiment of God s love for the world. One practice that you could easily do sometime is to walk around the neighborhoods around Lewinsville, and notice what you see. It would be even more fun to do this with someone else from the church ( go out two by two ). What do you see? What do you not see? What do you smell or hear? Where do people gather? What do you notice about those gathering places? What do you notice about the people who gather there? What organizations and businesses do you see? What do these things tell you about what is going on in our neighborhood? For that matter, how would you define Lewinsville s neighborhood? Is it the streets around us? Is it McLean? Tysons? Fairfax County? Northern Virginia generally? What is God up to in those neighborhoods? Where are the broken places in those neighborhoods? In what ways would you describe that brokenness? God loves our neighborhood (cf. John 3:16, For God so loved the world ) and is at work healing, transforming, guiding, and loving the people of our neighborhood. We have the high privilege of joining God in that work. If you have thoughts or ideas about how Lewinsville can get to know our neighborhood, talk with me or Pastor Annamarie or any member of the Session. We d love to talk with you about this, as this will be a critical part of discovering what God is calling us to do at this time and in this place. Blessings for our mutual ministry, Pastor Scott Continued from page 1.. A 22-page booklet describing the entire project will be at each place setting. The booklet will come with a pledge card for the three-year campaign, and an envelope to return your commitment. We will encourage every member to fill out and return the pledge card quickly. The sooner the pledge cards are gathered in the church office, the sooner final plans can be made, permits obtained, and construction begun. Nothing could be healthier for our church and its future than to have every member contribute sacrificially to this project, said Roland McElroy, chair of the Trail Blazer Campaign Committee. Indeed, at the conclusion of the campaign, we re planning a special commemorative recognition of each person who has made a contribution to our future. Great things are always happening here. We are transforming a worn out building into a modern center for welcoming, teaching, learning, counseling, mentoring, and caring for others, an environment capable of evolving quickly to meet the demands of emerging new mission opportunities as they are revealed. That says it all. Our beloved parish associate, Mark Andrews, reflected on his time at Lewinsville when he retired: Lewinsville is alive with the Spirit. Great things are always happening here. Indeed, they are. On February 3, 2019, as many Americans watch the year s best football teams battle it out on the gridiron, the youth of Lewinsville Presbyterian Church hope to remind us that many people face an even bigger battle every day. Unfortunately, hunger is a reality for many people. To help address the immediate need of hunger, the youth will help lead our congregation in giving through our annual participation in the Souper Bowl of Caring. As you leave the sanctuary, you are invited to generously give as we work to fill soup pots with our monetary donations. All of the money raised will go directly back into our community through SHARE. Thank you in advance for your generosity! 2 C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T

3 The Slate of Officers for the Class of 2022 The following people have been nominated to serve as leaders for the class of Their full biographies will be handed out at the Annual Congregational Meeting ANNUAL CONGREGATIONAL MEETING FEBRUARY 3, 9:45-10:45 A.M. in FELLOWSHIP HALL On Sunday, February 3, at 9:45 a.m., the congregation of Lewinsville Church will gather for its annual meeting. Consideration of pastoral terms of call, presentation of the church budget for 2019, presentation of the Annual Report, voting on our church officers, and any other items that belong before the congregation will be considered at this meeting. This will be a time to look back at 2018, as well as a time to look forward to the year to come. We hope that you will mark your calendars now for this important gathering in the life of our congregation. ANNUAL MEETING EVENT FOR CHILDREN, AGE 4-GRADE 6 and MIDDLE SCHOOL 9:45-10:45 A.M. in the CHAPEL Who doesn t love a good whodunit or a good mystery? The suspense the suspects the real culprit revealed at the end well, it turns out the Bible is filled with exciting whodunits and mystery stories...the Bible isn t some dusty old book full of rules and big words. While the adults attend the Annual Meeting, the kids age 4-grade 6 and middle school will play this fast-paced trivia & review game where they will test their knowledge of the plots and plot twists of some of the greatest stories ever told! ELDERS: Ruth Baxley Bruce Douglass David Gunter Cathy Saunders DEACON/STEPHEN MINISTERS: Gary Eames Emily Foster Charlie Mendenhall Rachel Russell FOUNDATION BOARD: Lori Gray James Maiwurm Roy Mitchell CONGREGATIONAL NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Mary Frase Rick Neldon Doug Smith Karen Steel CLECK OF SESSION: Tim Dokken (2nd Year) CHURCH TREASURER: Janet Gale (1st Year) C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T 3

4 MODULE 4 FEBRUARY :45-10:45 A.M. THE CONTINUING DISCUSSION: RECLAIMING JESUS In mid-2018 a group of two dozen ecumenical leaders (primarily Protestant) issued Reclaiming Jesus: A Call to Faith in a Time of Crisis. The document was organized around six We Believe statements of scriptural belief, each followed by a Therefore We Reject statement opposing particular trends in current American politics. BRINGING MARK S STORY OF BLIND BARTIMAEUS ALIVE Using a nine-lesson curriculum, Pastor Scott Ramsey and Linton Brooks led an adult education discussion of the statement in November and December, hoping to be able to condense the material to allow completion in only six sessions. The richness of the material and the high quality of the discussion made that impossible, so we will use the short February module to complete our discussion, as follows: February 10 - Truth is morally central so we must reject the lying that is invading our political life. Midrash is an ancient Jewish method of exploring scripture. It is an interpretive act, a creative way of reading the scripture, that allows us to be personal with the story, craft new stories, and make connections between stories in scripture and ourselves and our world. What happens next? What happened to the people on the edge of the story? Where can you relate? Can you find connections? February 17 - Christ s servant leadership rejects authoritarianism and demands democracy February 24 A conclusion: Changing the World Through the Life and Love of Jesus CLASS LEADERS: Linton Brooks with Pastor Scott Ramsey CLASS LOCATION: Chapel We re going to spend three weeks on Mark 10:46-52 and see what we discover. Each class will stand alone; but each class will clearly build and connect. So come however you are! Bring your curiosity and playfulness and prayerfulness. You will be surprised how deep we can go and how fun it will be. CLASS LEADER: Rachel Russell CLASS LOCATION: Library 4 This month we have some exciting opportunities in store for the Youth at Lewinsville Presbyterian Church. We welcome Session Members Harriet Neldon and Jody Ransom to our monthly pancake breakfast (9:45-10:45 a.m.) on February 10. We will also enjoy hearing about Youth Advisor Doug Smith s faith journey on February 20. We plan to join together at Youth Fellowship for food, fellowship, and discussion each Sunday night (6:15-8:15 p.m.) in February. It s going to be a great month for the Youth at Lewinsville. This month, we will start our Confirmation Journey on February 10 (9:45-10:45 a.m.). Five of our middle schoolers and high schoolers are planning to participate this year and are so excited to deepen their faith. We will be using the PC (USA) Confirmation Curriculum Big God, Big Questions and cannot wait for the Confirmation Retreat in March with our friends at Burke Presbyterian Church. The confirmands and teachers are appreciative of all of the thoughts and prayers from the LPC community during this time of learning, discernment, and excitement. C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T

5 WINTER IN THE CITY L Arche Greater Washington, D.C. P.O. Box Ontario Road, N.W. Washington, DC L Arche is an inter-denominational Christian community that welcomes people of all backgrounds to share life together in communal homes. L Arche translates as The Ark and was founded to transport and save those with intellectual disabilities from institutional living. L Arche provides community-based care for people with intellectual disabilities. Community life is centered in four communal homes in the District and in Arlington Heights and the core members living in the homes. Each member is encouraged to discover and deepen his or her spiritual life and live it according to his or her particular faith and tradition. Those who have no religious affiliation are also welcomed and respected in their freedom of conscience. Volunteers from Lewinsville Presbyterian Church (LPC) prepare and share dinners at a L Arche home, take core members on special outings to the movies, shopping malls, restaurants, the zoo, and other spots. For more information about L Arche and other LPC mission and service partners, please check out the Lewinsville Mission and Service Handbook available at the information center next to the church offices. Winter in the City - Sweaters, jackets and coats, caps, and flannel shirts in good condition are needed for Christ House patients and the homeless men who use the Unity Health Care shower room at Christ House. New men s underwear and socks are especially needed for shower program users who must have new underwear in order to visit the Christ House/UHC medical staff. Unity Health Care also distributes blankets from its van on cold nights to homeless men and women living on the streets of Washington. Used blankets, in reasonable condition (frayed or missing binding is OK) are greatly needed. Your warm blanket could make a life and death difference! If each LPC pledging unit provided one used blanket from its household, we would have approximately 350 blankets. Just one pair of socks, a package of men s underwear, or an outgrown sweater will bring comfort and warmth to one of the poorest of Christ s children. Please be generous in your giving throughout the cold winter months. Please place your winter gift of warmth in the boxes located in the Volunteer Room. Thank you for your support of this special outreach to those in need during the winter months. If you have questions or would like to help, please contact Jan Jacewicz at janetjacewicz@cox.net. ALTERNATIVE GIFTS PROJECT A BIG SUCCESS! The Mission and Service Ministry Group thanks the many LPC members and friends who contributed so generously to the Alternative Gifts project conducted during the 2018 advent season. A total of $7,385 was raised and distributed, according to donor wishes, to the following LPC mission partners: Homestretch, Friends of The Lewinsville (L.R.R.), United Orphanage & Academy (Mois Bridge, Kenya), Falls Church Homeless Shelter, Second Story (formerly Alternative House), S.H.A.R.E. of McLean, Miriam s Kitchen, Falls Church McLean Children s Center, and Habitat of Northern Virginia. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: AND POINT-OF-CONTACT: JANET JACEWICZ - JCJACEWICZ@GMAIL.COM/(703) C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T 5

6 News from Our Lewinsville Family MEMBERS IN INDEPENDENT LIVING, NURSING HOMES & CARE CENTERS ASHBY PONDS: Quinn and Celia Morrison, Evelyn Jones, Fran Kogon, Richard Rager CHESTERBROOK RESIDENCES: Ruth Bathe, Dee Custer THE GARDENS AT FAIR OAKS Mary Partridge GOODWIN HOUSE, FALLS CHURCH: Charles and Mary Hutchison GREENSPRING, SPRINGFIELD: Joanne Field THE HERMITAGE: Margot Scheffey THE JEFFERSON, ARLINGTON: Fran Pearce THE KENSINGTON: Michael Werner, Bob Heilen LEWINSVILLE RETIREMENT RESIDENCE: Minnie Fadullon, Louise Fox, Jane Gardner, Dong Lee, Lurleen Ogle, Lucille Quinn, Mina Sulaiman SUNRISE, HUNTER MILL: Chuck McGuire SUNRISE, MCLEAN: Betty Palmer VINSON HALL, MCLEAN: Elaine Baker, Jean and Charlie Mertz, Helen Martin WESTMINSTER AT LAKE RIDGE: Lora Watson THE TRIBUTE AT LOUDOUN ONE: Alice Johnston ANNIVERSARIES Congratulations to ALL Lewinsville couples celebrating February wedding anniversaries: Betty and Frank Yurkewitch 55 years on February 26 BIRTHS Congratulations to Kenneth and Allison Hall on the birth of their daughter, Hannah Renee Hall, on December 16. The great-grandmother is Ruth Riggins. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 7:00 P.M. Come to the Second Saturday Set s February gathering and meet Old McHandel! Now we know our new Director of Music, John Nothaft, is a gifted organist and inspired choir director, but he is also a published author. He ll join us on Saturday, February 9, at 7:00, to talk about his new book, Old McHandel and His Musical Farm. He promises to tell us what it s all about and how he came to write it and autograph copies should you wish to purchase one. Bob and Cathy Gaugler will host this literary event of the season so just call or gauglerr@aol.com to let them know you re coming. Bring an hors d oeuvre or dessert and your preferred adult beverage. 6 HOSPITALIZED? If you are in the hospital, please let the church know or have the hospital or your family let the church know. We want to be able to care for you when you are in a time of need. You can reach the church office at LPC Single Seniors are invited to the next fellowship lunch, Friday, February 8, in the Chapel beginning at 11:30 am. Please bring $5 to cover a simple lunch. Come and enjoy getting to know others better. Bill Black will share his life story. For further information and to RSVP, contact Lois Dokken (manpadokken@aol.com / ) or Wendy Maiwurm (wmaiwurm@cox.net / ). HOLY HAPPY HOUR RECITAL SERIES - WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27 AT 6:15 P.M. The program will feature a thirty minute musical offering followed by wine, hors d'oeuvres, and Christian fellowship. The concert is free and open to the public and a good will offering to support the music department will be taken. This month we welcome the musical talents of Nicholas Quardokus, Organ Scholar from St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Washington DC. C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T

7 Laura joined Lewinsville s choir as our soprano section leader this past summer. She played Amahl s mother in Amahl & the Night Visitors and wowed the congregation with her clear and strong voice. We sat down with her a few weeks ago to learn more. Question: What attracted you to the section leader opening at Lewinsville? Laura: I saw a posting, and this is one of the few auditions I felt comfortable doing. People were just really nice and I knew some of the people already. I felt warm and welcomed here. Question: Do you have a day job for the rest of the week? Laura: I teach voice at Levine School of Music at Strathmore, and I have one other job with Arts & Minds Academy where I teach piano. But teaching voice is my primary job. And then I pick up random music gigs. Question: Are you involved in something else musically that doesn t involve Lewinsville? Laura: So far, no. I m going to have a couple of concerts with the Union Square Chamber Arts Society. There s an Atlanta concert series I ll be singing for in May. So I ll have some fun things happening. Question: Is there a fun fact about you to share with the congregation? Laura: I used to figure skate competitively. So I like to skate in my spare time. Question: Do you live close by? Laura: I live in Bethesda right now. So it s 12 minutes with no traffic and 25 during rush hour. Read more about Laura and her many musical accomplishments on our website: chancel-quartet/ NEWS FROM THE DEACONS How our monthly collection monies are distributed From the funds collected, we made substantial donations to the following organizations over the Christmas period: Lewinsville Retirement Residence meal program PC USA Disaster Fund No-one Left Behind (Northern Virginia area) Salvation Army In the summer money is allocated to the Summer Mission Project and when needed, we support Westgate School with supplies, etc., Chesterbrook Residences, Christ House, Second Story and Falls Church Homeless Shelter. Last year a donation was made in conjunction with the Community Thanksgiving meal held at LRR. It should be noted that funds are available for taxi fares to and from the church and for individuals with special needs. Deacon/Stephen Ministers are always available to provide care, nurture and spiritual guidance to members of the congregation who are experiencing difficulty due to loss, loneliness, grief or special needs. Session met in December during the run up to Christmas and despite the excitement and anticipation of this special time, we got a lot accomplished including Passed a motion to move anticipated surplus funds from 2018 to the Maintenance Reserve, which funding of the Reserve has been a goal of the Session this year. Reviewed the proposed budget for Lewinsville for Session extended the ground lease of approximately 2/3 of an acre at $1.00 per year to LRR for another 75 years. Designated Rob Hunter, Clay McConnell, and Harriet Neldon as the Trustees of Lewinsville Presbyterian Church for appointment by the circuit court of Fairfax County pursuant to the laws of the Commonwealth. C L A I M E D C A L L E D S E N T 7

8 1724 CHAIN BRIDGE ROAD MCLEAN, VIRGINIA SHROVE CELEBRATION & PANCAKE BRUNCH MARCH 3, 11:15 A.M. FELLOWSHIP HALL Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the traditional feast day before the start of Lent on Ash Wednesday (March 6). Shrove Tuesday was the last opportunity to use up eggs and fats before embarking on the Lenten fast and pancakes are the perfect way of using up these ingredients. Lewinsville will hold our fourth Shrove Tuesday celebration on Sunday, March 3, with worship at 10 a.m., followed by a Pancake Brunch in Fellowship Hall. The Summer Mission Project team will again host this year s Pancake Brunch. Join us for this family friendly event with lots of good food and fellowship! SUNDAY, MARCH 3 AT 10:00 AM. Shades of Mardi Gras! The Choirs of Lewinsville will perform Bob Chilcott's "Little Jazz Mass" and Duke Ellington's "Come Sunday." The Dante Pope Jazz Trio will help lead us in worship. REV. DR. PAUL SMITH TO PREACH MARCH 10 On Sunday, March 10, we will have the delight of welcoming Rev. Dr. Paul Smith to our pulpit. Dr. Smith is a retired PC(USA) pastor, having served congregations in Buffalo, St. Louis, Atlanta, and Brooklyn Heights, New York. He also worked in higher education, serving as an administrator at Washington University in St. Louis and as vice president of Morehouse College in Atlanta. A veteran of the Civil Rights Movement, having participated in the 1965 marches from Selma to Montgomery. In the late 1950s, Dr. Smith introduced Andrew Young and Martin Luther King, Jr., to each other. He is the author of Facing Death: The Deep Calling to the Deep, reflections on his time with Arthur Ashe at the end of Ashe s life. His biography, Listening for the Sound of the Genuine, will be available for purchase on March 10. Dr. Smith will preach at both services on March 10 and then will host a conversation about issues related to racial reconciliation afterwards. If you have any questions, reach out to Pastor Scott.