on the Hill FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI DECEMBER 2015

Transcription

1 HAPPENINGS on the Hill FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH STARKVILLE, MISSISSIPPI DECEMBER 2015 Dear Church Family and Friends of FPC, READY OR NOT! The title of my Advent & Christmas sermon series certainly applies to this month s fast-moving, fastchanging sequence of seasons. At FPC, we will celebrate the Reason for the Seasons (Advent, Christmas, New Year, and His Eternal Reign) with some of the most special worship, mission and giving opportunities of the year. Rearrange your schedule accordingly, invite family & friends, and rejoice in the Reason for the Seasons. I also hope that you and your family will join in our church-wide daily devotions and prayers using our inspiring and colorful FPC Starkville Daily Advent & Christmastide Devotional booklet. Printed copies are available at church, and you can also access the booklet and daily devotions and prayers on our website. Speaking of our Devotional and our newly updated website, I give thanks to God for FPC members Liz Stringer and Ray Iglay. Liz does marvelous work on this monthly newsletter, Happenings on the Hill, as well as on our beautiful, annual Devotional. Ray, in turn, has completed and launched a new website for us providing significant updates in content and in user options. I pray that we all will indeed be READY for THE REASON. Come to His House and worship Him, and then follow Him each day in spiritual joy. Your pastor and friend in the One Who Will Come Again, Martin Lifer Nancy and I were delighted to have Grace and Faith home from school to fellowship and worship with our church, as we ushered in the Seasons on the 1 st Sunday of Advent. Jimbo, Caroline, Mary Neel & Anne Elise Hearnsberger open this year s Advent Season at our 11:00 a.m. Service on November 29, lighting the 1 st Candle of the Advent Wreath. Briar, Michelle & Giles Jones open this year s Advent Season at our 8:30 a.m. Service on November 29, lighting the 1 st Candle of the Advent Wreath. Nurturing Joyful Faith & Compassionate Service Happenings on the Hill Page 1

2 Worship highlights this month include the following: Wednesday Night, December 2 -- Final 2015 Friends & Family Dinner and the Children s Christmas Musical; Second Sunday of Advent on December 6 with a single, unified service at 11:00 a.m., featuring the Joy Gift Cantata What Sweeter Music -- sung by our Chancel and Children s Choirs; Third Sunday of Advent on December 13 we return to both morning services with special Advent & Christmas music by our Handbell Choir; Tuesday evening, December 15 (5:45 p,m. --FPC Childcare Center s Christmas Program); Final Sunday of Advent on December 20 with both morning services looking ahead to the imminent celebration of Christmas; Christmas Eve Services on December 24 a shorter, simpler Family Service (no candles necessary) at 4:00 p.m. and our Classic Candlelight Communion Service at 6:00 p.m,; First Sunday of Christmastide on December 27 with morning services highlighting the 1st Sunday in actual Christian Christmas Season. FPC Children s Choirs in the 2014 Christmas Musical; this year s Musical is December 2. Dinah Clark and her volunteer team decorate FPC for the 2015 Advent & Christmas Seasons. Happy Grandfather Robert Green with Ella and Kathryn & William Ashmore at FPC's 1st Advent Sunday Fellowship Time, November These were just a few of the Angel Tree Gift-Promise Ornaments still available after the 1st Sunday of Advent and needing to be taken soon in order that gifts can be provided before Christmas to the children of families with financial hardships. FPC members mingling during the Thankful Celebration Brunch. Happenings on the Hill Owen Hardin enjoying the Thankful Celebration Brunch. Kline Kemp, Ann Garvin & Kate Rush, & William Henry enjoy Thankful Celebration Brunch. Page 2

3 MEMBER NEWS We welcome into the world Barrett James Douglas, son of Bradley and Elizabeth Douglas, born October 27, Anne Elise Hearnsberger, born June 25, 2015, daughter of Jimbo and Caroline Hearnsberger, was baptized November 29, Please join us for the Karen and Drew Dieckmann Diapers & Wipes Shower Sunday, December 6, at 10:40 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will celebrate with Drew and Karen, who are expecting their baby girl on December 30, Diapers and/or wipes may be dropped off in the Fellowship Hall diaper tub or in the church office. Children's Musicals are Wednesday, Dec. 2nd at 6:15 p.m. in the sanctuary immediately following Friends and Family. Family Advent Night is Sunday, Dec. 6th at 6:00 p.m. Caroling to our shut-ins is Wednesday, Dec. 9th at 5:30 p.m. meet in the fellowship hall. FPC children & families participated in the Starkville Christmas Parade Monday, Nov. 30th. Happenings on the Hill Page 3

4 In early October, members of SOS came to their adult leaders with an idea for a mission project for the Christmas season. They had seen catalogs from Heifer International, an organization that works to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity. However, Heifer International doesn't provide food or drink for one meal for one day. The organization grants agricultural products like cows, chickens, bees, and seeds so that people can become self-reliant. Furthermore, the program gives families training, and they pass on the first female offspring of their livestock to their neighbor in need. This extends the impact of the original gift. SOS will kick off this mission with a Minute for Mission at the November 29 worship services. They have high aspirations for what First Presbyterian Church can do as a congregation and intend to buy an ARK full of animals: $5,000. Throughout the Advent season SOS Animals will be roaming the church with their arks. Consider the season and give as you can to buy animals to help end poverty in our world. Checks with Heifer in the memo line will be applied to this mission. For more information, visit their website at or contact Michelle Jones at gmwj@aol.com During December, meals for the children have been sponsored by the following donors: December 2: Harold and Dinah Clark December 3: A member of our congregation December 4: A member of our congregation December 9: Estel and Sara Wilson December 11: Melanie Mullenax in gratitude for the generous support of this global mission program by our congregation December 16: Thomas and Elcy Philip December 18: George and Rebecca Banzhaf in honor of Floyd Wade's birthday December 23: Bob and Diane Daniels in honor of Mr. and Mrs. W.K. Hescox December 25: Briar and Michelle Jones December 30: Larry and Wanda Anthony Happenings on the Hill Page 4

5 Merry Christmas from the PW Coordinating Team! As we have in years past, this year PW is donating items for patients of East Mississippi State Hospital in Meridian, MS. This is the mental health facility that services our area of the state. The hospital staff prepares Christmas gift packages for residents, and our donations are always a great help. The donation box is in the church office during the week and will be in the Fellowship Hall this Sunday, December 6, for final donations. Suggestions for donations include: gloves, knit hats, caps, socks, sweat pants, sweat shirts, bed throws, hand or body lotions, nail polish, hair accessories, playing cards, puzzles, crossword puzzle books, purses, coin purses, and stuffed animals. If you d rather give a monetary donation so that gifts can be purchased, please place your donation in an envelope in the PW box in the church office, marking it East MS State Hospital Gift. Your gifts are greatly appreciated! A date for the FPC staff Christmas party will be set at our next coordinating team meeting. If you d like to help with this annual event, please volunteer at your circle meeting or contact Michele Rackley (rack2479@bellsouth.net). Circles Meetings: December Friends & Family Monday Daytime Circle to assist with cleanup December Mission Joy Gift/Salvation Army Bell Ringing/Adopt-a-Family/Least Coin December Lesson Hannah: Surrendering in Waiting Lesson Leader Michele Rackley 12/02 Children s Christmas Music Program 12/06 Joy Gift Service during 11AM worship service 12/06 8AM Sunday AM Circle Parlor 12/07 1:30PM Monday Daytime Circle Parlor 12/08 6PM Tuesday Evening Circle Vivian Cade 104 Walden Way 12/xx 7PM Monday Evening Circle TBA FPC Staff Christmas Party - TBA May this Christmas be a time of peace and love for you and your family! Michele Rackley Dear First Presbyterian family, I am now one year away from completing the requirements for my Biological Science degree at Mississippi State University. The Lord has blessed me in numerous ways during my time in college, and continues to do incredible things on campus here in Starkville. I have had the opportunity presented to me to serve Christ in the Central American country of Guatemala alongside with my Sigma Chi Fraternity brothers and other Mississippi State students this upcoming December. On December 14th, I will be leaving Mississippi and flying to Guatemala. Currently, thousands of men, women and children live in poorly constructed homes made of little more than cardboard boxes. The purpose of this trip is to share the gospel and meet the spiritual needs of the people of Guatemala while also meeting some of their physical needs. The organization in charge of this ministry is Loving Arms. My trip is being funded entirely through donations and fundraising. Every penny collected will be used for this ministry to/for the Guatemalan people. All collected funds will go directly to the Loving Arms ministry to be used for this project. Additional information can be found on their website, lovingarms.ca. I am excited about the opportunity that I have to go serve alongside these people, and I want to ask you to pray for God s guidance in my life during the upcoming months. Also, pray that the people of Guatemala will be receptive to the ministry we will bring this December. If the Lord leads you and you are able to assist me financially with this mission, I thank you. Your check or money order payable to Loving Arms Charitable Corporation can be mailed to me directly at 107 Tuxford Rd. Starkville, Ms If you have additional questions, I can be contacted via at mcj160@msstate.edu or by phone at (662) In whatever capacity you are able to help me, I thank you in advance for your financial and spiritual support. May God bless you! Sincerely, Matt Jones Happenings on the Hill Page 5

6 HAPPENINGS on the Hill First Presbyterian Church PCUSA 307 University Drive Starkville, MS Phone: Fax: First Presbyterian Church 307 University Drive Starkville, MS Church Staff Dr. Martin Lifer.Senior Pastor Vicki Schramm Church Administrator Kim Beatty......Church Secretary Amy Aarhus.Children s Ministry Coordinator Dr. Craig Aarhus...Music Director Kathy McGill...Children s Choirs Jennifer Blackbourn...Organist Ellen Mauldin......Church Librarian Amanda Corley. FPC Child Care Director The children's Christmas musical will be Wednesday, December 2, 6:15 p.m., in the Sanctuary. Sunday Schedule Worship (Sanctuary) - 8:30 a.m. Sunday School - 9:45 to 10:30 a.m. Fellowship - 10:30 to 11:00 a.m. Worship (Sanctuary) - 11:00 a.m. Deadline for next issue: Wednesday, December 16th by 5:00 p.m. articles/photos to: Kim Beatty: kbeatty@fpcstarkville.org Or Liz Stringer: estringer@eastms.edu The Chancel Choir will present the Joy Gift program December 6, at the 11:00 worship service. There will be no 8:30 worship service December 6. The FPC Child Care Christmas program is Tuesday, December 15, 5:45 p.m., in the Sanctuary. We will celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion at the 6:00 p.m. Christmas Eve service on December 24, The Family friendly Christmas Eve service is Thursday, December 24, 4:00p.m. The Candlelight Communion service is Thursday, December 24, 6:00 p.m. The church office will be closed December View the newsletter online at click on Bulletin & Newsletter; then click Select by Date to find the newsletter for the current & previous months. Happenings on the Hill Page 6