WORSHIP AT STONE IN JUNE

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1 June 2013 The Corner Stone S tone Church ~ The Church on the Green The purpose of Stone Church is to be an inviting, spiritual community of Christ, engaging in worship that inspires and challenges us to learn and grow as we reach out in caring and service, trusting in the love of God. WORSHIP AT STONE IN JUNE June 2, nd Sunday after Pentecost Lord s Supper I Kings 18:20-39 Elijah s contest with the priests of Baal Psalm 96 Sing a new song to the righteous judge of the world. Galatians 1:1-12 Paul cites his credentials. Luke 7:1-10 Jesus heals a centurion s slave. SERMON The CV of Faith June 9, rd Sunday after Pentecost 1 Kings 17:8-16 Elijah is sent to save a foreigner and her son. Psalm 146 Praise the Lord who watches over those in need. Galatians 1:11-24 Paul s call is not from humans but from God. Luke 7:11-17 Jesus restores life to the only son of a widow in Nain. SERMON God s Zenophilia Thursday, June 13, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. Taizé Worship Candlelight and gentle silence frame prayers and chanted responses. June 16, th Sunday after Pentecost 1 Kings 21:1-21a Elijah condemns the king s abuse of power. Psalm 5:1-8 Trust in God for deliverance from enemies. Galatians 2:15-21 Our justification before God comes through faith. Luke 7:36 8:3 A forgiven woman shows Jesus her love. SERMON The Ministry of Confrontation June 23, th Sunday after Pentecost 1 Kings 19:1-15a Elijah flees for his life. Psalm 42 The soul longs for God. Galatians 3:23-29 We are heirs through Christ. Luke 8:26-39 A possessed man s demons are exorcised. Rob Kolb presents a meditation called, A Still Small Voice. June 30, th Sunday after Pentecost 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14 Elijah transfers leadership to Elisha. Psalm 77:1-2, God s mighty deeds are recalled. Galatians 5:1, We are free to produce fruits of the Spirit. Luke 9:51-62 Would-be followers of Jesus are turned away. STONE STORYTELLERS PANEL

2 The Corner Stone Page 2 Survey Questions for You to Ponder The Rev. Dr. Timothy Coombs is doing coaching with our Session about plans for the future and would like to have answers to some questions from Stone members and friends. P A S T O R S We ll take about five minutes during worship on the first three Sundays in June to answer those questions, but the best answers will be collected from those who have given some time, thought and prayer to the process in advance. So let me ask you to do just that with the questions below. If you want to answer them now, that s possible as well. Simply write out your answers and leave them at the church office or them to stonepres@verizon.net. Otherwise, please do join us in worship on June 2, 9 and 16. In addition, we ll have a conversation after worship at coffee hour on June 9 about some of these issues. Tim describes our process as: 1) assessing where we are now, 2) discerning where we feel called by God to be in the future, 3) describing the gap between here and there, 4) learning what we need to get there and 5) determining changes that are needed. Let me invite you to make a few notes now on this page to help refresh your memory when you sit down to write your answers: 1) What is most important to you about this congregation? C O R N E R 2) What do you worry most about when you think about this congregation? 3) If you could change one thing about this congregation at the drop of a hat, what would it be? 4) What are a few of the important stories you were told to you when you were new to Stone? 5) What three hymns do we sing regularly in our worship that have particular meaning for you? 6) What is your impression of the most prevalent themes in our worship s Prayers of Confession? 7) What have been the three most important events in Stone s life over the last five years? As we move together into God s future, partners in the journey, let s ponder the ways in which we are called to be God s people in this time and place.

3 Page 3 The Corner Stone Storyteller Elizabeth Smith telling Romans Celebrating Pentecost Sunday - May 19, 2013 Tapestry Concert - May 18, 2013 Ken Coe s new sign board Summer Worship Schedule 2013 all services at 9:30 a.m. JULY 7 STONE Dennis Dewey preaching AUGUST 4 CUMC Jeff Hale preaching JULY 14 STONE Dennis Dewey preaching AUGUST 11 CUMC Jeff Hale preaching JULY 21 STONE Dennis Dewey preaching AUGUST 18 CUMC Jeff Hale preaching JULY 28 STONE Dennis Dewey preaching AUGUST 25 CUMC Jeff Hale preaching SEPTEMBER 1 LABOR DAY WEEKEND SERVICE ON THE GREEN

4 The Corner Stone Page 4 Pie Sale a huge success! We would like to thank everyone who baked, worked, bought and donated to our annual Pie Sale. A special thanks to those who made extra pies this year. We realized a profit of $655. The Women's Association On the right: Ceil Gilbert, Hal Rance, and Mary Chamberlain helping customers at the Pie Sale. Hope House s Wish List Here s the wish list for June: coffee, hot chocolate, sugar, deodorant, shampoo, conditioner, and prayers. Please leave items in the Norton Room. Questions? Call Ceil Gilbert, No Cooking Necessary! Many thanks to all of the Stone Church members and friends who faithfully serve dinner each month at Hope House. (See the list on this page.) Your efforts are greatly appreciated! As always, volunteers are needed on the fourth Monday of each month at 3:00 p.m. Questions? Call Ceil Gilbert, Country Pantry s needs continue. Once again the Country Pantry will be distributing kids paks for June-August. Bags with the requested items listed will be available in the Pantry's basket. If it is too much for one person, perhaps several can together fill a pak. Last year 450 paks were distributed to children ages This is in addition to the family's monthly distribution in order to help with the loss of the school meal program during the summer. As always, contributions of all kinds are welcomed. Birthday paks are going well. Each child receives a cake mix, frosting, candles and decorations to help celebrate their special day. These items may also be dropped off during the summer months as well. Judy LaGasse Newsletter Bloopers (but not ours, of course!) Potluck supper Sunday at 5:00 p.m. --- prayer and medication to follow. The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind. They may be seen in the basement on Friday afternoon. This evening at 7:00 p.m. there will be a hymn sing in the park across from the church. Bring a blanket and come prepared to sin. Ladies Bible Study will be held Thursday morning at 10:00 a.m. All ladies are invited to lunch in the fellowship hall after the B.S. is done. For those of you who have children and don t know it, we have a nursery downstairs.

5 Page 5 The Labyrinth is available every day in the Stone Church sanctuary for those who would like to use it for prayer and meditation. The church is open Monday through Friday 8:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. In addition, the church is open Thursdays while the Fair Trade Shoppe is open until 6:30 p.m. Storytellers The Stone Storytellers have been meeting monthly to share stories and improve their skills. Dennis continues to challenge them and guide them in their storytelling journey. They feel fortunate to have the opportunity to tell passages in church almost every Sunday. In November the group led worship when Dennis was away and they will have that chance again in late June. During that worship service, Dave Forbes, David Blanks, Elizabeth Smith, and Donna Goodfriend will enlighten all with lectionary passages and then comment on these scriptures. If you are interested in joining the group, please let Dennis know. New tellers are always welcome! Do you know someone who could use a Helping Hand? LutheranCare Helping Hands Companions can come to your home to help with housekeeping, laundry and cooking, while offering companionship. We provide transportation and run errands. For those caring for a loved one, we offer the respite you need. Serving individuals in Oneida and Herkimer counties, 24 hours and 7 days/week, with insured, bonded, and compassionate staff. For more information call Kathy Leslie at Thank you notes The Corner Stone There are many kinds of ministry that taken together constitute the mission of Stone Presbyterian Church. We are grateful for all who minister in ways great and small. This month we extend our thanks to Ken Coe and David Joseph for installing the new shelving in the Fair Trade Shoppe.... Clinton Historical Society for donating the Shoppe s new shelving.... Ken Coe for the new sign board.... Midge Bakos for purchasing and planting the lovely flowers that grace the church property.... Scott Leonard and Dennis Dewey (aka St. Luke) for their wonderful storytelling Pentecost Sunday.... The WEP Teacm for the movie The Way, followed by supper, both of which were enjoyed by all.... Linda and Hal Rance who helped out with the supper on Pentecost Sunday.... Midge Bakos for taking care of the church s mail when the Office Manager was on vacation.... The Stone Storytellers and Stone Church Choir as they complete another season of offering their gifts in worship.... New Ministry Team Leaders Sherry Robinson and Mary Ann Steifvater for their work on membership care/communications and mission Interpretation. Note: If you d like to express thanks for a service ministry someone has done, please let us know and we ll include it in a future newsletter. Reminder: Friday Is the Pastor s Day Off The creation story in the opening chapter of Genesis tells us that God took a day off after finishing the work of creation, the day that was called Sabbath. The day of rest is an important part of the Judeo-Christian tradition s teaching. Because the clergy s work is never done, pastors try to observe the discipline of Sabbath rest by taking a day off each week. For Stone Church s pastor that day is Friday. Thank you for letting your pastor take his Fridays for Sabbatical.

6 Page 6 The Corner Stone Stone Church s High School Graduates! High School graduation is a big stepping stone to new horizons that lie ahead for three of our young people. Congratulations to all of you for a job well done! Zachary Blanks has received a congressional nomination to attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs where he will major in physics and chemistry - his Dad s alma mater. He will graduate from Clinton High School June 22 with honors and while in high school he played tennis. As a Boy Scout of Troop 9, he earned his Eagle Scout Award in August of 2012 by performing landscaping and beautification work for the Veterans of the Outreach Center in Utica. Owen Reynolds will graduate from Westmoreland Central School June 14. He played in the Westmoreland High School Marching Band for five years including the year that the band won the state title. He has received a merit scholarship and will attend LeMoyne College in Syracuse where he will possibly major in electrical engineering. Do you remember him as one of our church s storytellers? David Ross is graduating from Holy Cross Academy in Oneida, NY. He also is receiving a merit scholarship to further his education possibly in engineering. He is headed to Carroll College in Helena, Montana in the fall. David was also an active Troop 9 Boy Scout who earned his Eagle Scout Award preparing landscaping and beautifications for the Central Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired. ***Note: Last month we omitted David s sister Mary Ross who graduated from SUNY Geneseo and will be entering SUNY Upstate Medical School aspiring to become a doctor. History of the Newsletter Who won the contest in renaming the newsletter in 1995? Answer: Grace Whittemore What was the prize? Answer: A $5 gift card to Hemstrought s Bakery Midge Bakos A Brief History of the ABC (A Better Chance) Program It is a national non-government-financed program organized in 1963 to offer minority group students a better chance to prepare for college. Here in Clinton the ABC program is a partnership of people: young men in grades 9 through 12 seeking a better education; resident directors plus resident tutors (Hamilton College students); and many dedicated area educators, volunteers, churches, organizations, and businesses. The Clinton program began in 1972 and has been operating for just over 40 years. Trivia questions: Who were the first resident directors? How long did they serve? Answers will appear in next month s issue. Midge Bakos

7 The Corner Stone Page 7 Mission, Stewardship and Support Team News Blanket Sunday Please help the Stone Church Mission team help Your Neighbors. Your Neighbors, Inc. is dedicated to providing quality service and support in their homes to people who are frail, elderly or disabled. The Your Neighbors volunteers offer friendly visits, medical transportation, supplemental frozen meals and other services. In early July, Stone Church Mission committee will be preparing, assembling, and freezing frozen meals for Your Neighbors clients. While containers are provided, we will be buying and fixing the food. The committee is asking for donations to purchase ham and accompanying side dishes for these meals. Donations should be clearly marked Your Neighbors Mission Project and may be placed in the offering plate or sent to the Church office. If you have any questions, please contact Mary Ann Stiefvater. Thank you. Mary Ann Stiefvater Father s Day - June 16 - has been designated Blanket and Tool Sunday. Our special offering will be designated to support Church World Service in both aiding those victims of disaster and civil strife and in empowering survivors to become more self-sufficient. Please plan to support these efforts through your giving. Mary Ann Stiefvater BBQ Chicken Drive Thru Mark your calendars now! Fair Trade Shoppe You won t want to miss our picnic/progressive dinner, so mark your calendars. The Rances and the Menards will be our hosts for this fun event scheduled for Sunday, July 28. More information will follow soon. The Shoppe is well-stocked for the summer, and looking forward to the beginning of the Farmers Market. This year we are in need of more workers, since we will not take everything over to the Green, and will keep our regular Thursday hours of 10-6:30 in the church. Saturday, June 29 ***noon until sold out*** Zion Lutheran Church (corner of French & Burrstone Roads, New Hartford) Tasty BBQ chickens sold by the half chicken at $6 each. (chicken only - side dishes not included) Call to pre-order. This is a fundraiser to benefit Your Neighbors, Inc., an affiliate of the Lutheran Home of CNY. Please contact Lauralyn if you are willing to help.

8 The Corner Stone Page 8 Deacons Corner Jesus talked a lot about Faith during His time on earth. Faith put in action is what a Christian is called to do. How is your Faith today? As your Deacons we try to put our Faith in action. We try to follow the path that God would want us to take. We feel our main mission is to be there for our Church family. We are available to take members to Church, prepare a meal when needed, take someone to a doctor s appointment, buy groceries or just visit and have a nice conversation or just listen. Please let any of us know if we can help..we want to be there for you!!! We also keep busy getting greeters, ushers and hosts for coffee hour every Sunday. Fellowship and hospitality are vital to us! On Pentecost Sunday Dennis showed a wonderful movie called The Way. It was a thought-provoking movie about a man who walks the Camino de Santiago in Spain with his grown son s ashes who died while undertaking the pilgrimage. It was a very emotional and spiritual journey. The Deacons, with the help of Brooke and Dennis, put on a light lunch after the movie. We know this is early, but save the date September 15 th. The Deacons are planning a Welcome Back luncheon and program. It will be good for all of us to gather after the Summer.yes, it is a ways off.but, you all know how fast the Summer goes!!! Gil Adams, Sue Forbes, Jim Gavett, Emily Hughes, Gary LaGasse, Judy LaGasse, Bev Miller, Hal Rance and Linda Rance Benefit Concert The Junior B Sharp Musical Club will present its twelfth annual benefit concert on Sunday, June 2, at 3:00 p.m., at the Stone Presbyterian Church on the Green, in Clinton, NY. The concert will raise funds for the music therapy department of the Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital in Syracuse. Funds will go toward the purchase of small instruments such as kazoos, harmonicas, or slide whistles, which are used to encourage and motivate deep, slow breathing. This is especially important for patients who have had major chest or abdominal surgery or who have been bed-bound. In addition, the department loans larger instruments such as guitars and ukuleles to patients to use while they are in the hospital. The Junior B Sharp Musical Club was established in 1916 by the Senior B Sharp Musical Club, Inc. The membership consists of local students in grades 7 through 12. The concert will feature student solos and ensembles, including works by Telemann, Haydn, Vivaldi, Humperdinck, Saint-Saëns, and Moszkowski. In the past, this annual concert has raised funds for a variety of local and international organizations. Local organizations have included the Utica Zoo, The House of the Good Shepherd, the Utica Symphony, and the Parkinson s Project of the Presbyterian Home. Other charities have included the Music Therapy Project (homeless shelters in NYC), Heifer International, Doctors Without Borders, and the Mr. Holland s Opus Foundation. The Junior B Sharp membership made the choice of this year s charity following a presentation on music therapy by former member Erica Porter, formerly of Whitesboro, who is currently a music therapist in Rochester. Suggested donations for tickets at the door are $10 adults, $5 students, and $25 families. For more information, call Lauralyn Kolb,

9 The Corner Stone Page 9 Lives Worth Knowing We welcome Elizabeth Smith to our fellowship by letter of transfer from Utica s First Presbyterian Church. She initially came to Stone Church to enroll in the commissioned lay pastor course from Rev. Dennis Dewey and she plans to complete that goal in Then Elizabeth performed as a storyteller fitting into that group quite well I might add - a natural. Not long after, Rob Kolb recruited her for the choir - in that order she says. Elizabeth was born into a military family, Nan and Air Force pilot Bill Smith on July 28, 1964 in Salina, Kansas. She has a brother Bill seven years younger who works as a software engineer in Boca Raton, FL. Elizabeth recalls being called Billie as a child but that name soon was dropped. Her father served two tours in Vietnam. Elizabeth remembers moving thirteen times including a stay in Germany and being on both coasts. Following 21 years of service, her Dad retired as a Major from the Air Force while in Plattsburgh, NY before entering civilian work. Elizabeth attended three high schools and ended up graduating from Wichita High School in Kansas in She kept busy with choir and the Girls Ensemble Choir plus participating in the swimming, volleyball and softball programs. She even played semi-pro softball for a short while. Since college education was more important, she entered Kansas State University. While in college her parents moved to her Dad s new position at GE in Utica hoping Elizabeth would join them. But Elizabeth preferred to finish college at Kansas State and stayed with a wonderful adoptive family, a program sponsored by the Presbyterian Church. After receiving her B.S. degree in education in 1986, she rejoined her family in Utica starting a career teaching third grade at Sauquoit in the fall of Meanwhile her parents had become involved with the First Presbyterian Church in Utica. Her mom volunteered in the church s Compeer Program to match up volunteers to adults with emotional problems. Elizabeth first met Rev. Dennis Dewey at this time. Elizabeth s faith journey experienced twists and turns with the family constantly on the move. Her mother was an Episcopalian and her father a Presbyterian and her parents weren t consistent church goers. At age eight, while living in California, a good friend invited her to attend a bible school where she accepted Christ as her Savior. At seventeen as a high school student she was confirmed in a Presbyterian Church in Kansas and continued church through her college years. While teaching at Sauquoit, she took courses toward her master s degree in Special Education at the College of St. Rose in Albany, receiving her degree in By the following year, Elizabeth felt burned out from teaching and she asked the Lord, Do you want me to continue teaching? Or do you want me to try something else? I ll do whatever you plan for me. Answered prayers led her to the Peace Corps program and in turn to Tunisia, North Africa to teach special education to special needs kids. First she had to learn Arabic. She found that the culture in Africa considers special needs children as curses from God and beats them. At the University of Malta, she taught Maltese special education teachers how to teach math. Elizabeth also started a school for Down Syndrome children and raised money for the foundation of a new school for special needs kids. After two years she returned to Utica to renew her teaching career in grades 3, 4, and 5. And for the last nine years she has taught 5th grade math and science. She loves her job! She states that her journey has been a wild but blessed ride. Midge Bakos

10 The Corner Stone Remember in Prayer If you would like to add someone to our prayer list or would like to receive the prayer list for daily prayer, please contact the church office at or go to our website stonepres.org and click Prayer Request. -Gidget Royce-Pavlot -Eleanor Palmer -Jack Price -Kogut family -Pavlot family -Jim Royce -Joseph Pavlot -Gidget Royce-Pavlot -Sarah Ziegler -Lauralyn Kolb s mother and family -Paul Dunn s sister, Suzy -Family of Pat Coe (Ken s mother) -Whittemore family -Isabelle (Donna Goodfriend s niece) -Helen & John Monohan (Chris Menard s parents) -Frank Milana and family -Larry & Gail Losch -Barb Rance, Hal s sister -Roger Locke, Doris son -Victims of the Boston bombing -The homeless -Victims of the West, Texas tragedy - Syria - Paul Macri (Lora Schilder s brother) - Cyndi Syracuse (Hal Rance s daughter) -Victims of the Oklahoma tornadoes - Brett Radosevic (Tracy's brother) June Birthdays 3 - Taylor Mushtare 4 - Krystal Pavlot 5 - Nola Monohan 6 - Bonnie Hyde 11 - Katie McDonough 13 - Marilyn Butler Mary Alice Morris 14 - Amanda Lalonde Simon Bishop 15 - Bill Henry 16 - Christine Menard 17 - Adam Blanks 19 - David Kolb June 6 June 25 Happy Anniversary! Don t forget the Deacons! Page Larry Poppelbaum 23 - Kevin Bering 26 - Paul Wrege 28 - Sue Bishop 29 - Paul Joseph 30 - Caleb Fletcher Pete & Donna Goodfriend Frank & Grace Whittemore Please keep the Deacons in mind on the first Sunday of each month. All of the loose money collected on those Sundays goes to support the ministry of the Deacons. What do Presbyterians believe...? Ever wondered? You can find out by going to Scout Happenings Troop 9 News Spring has sprung and that means outdoor activities! We went on a hike to Black Bear Mountain. It was a great day out. Graham Callaghan is starting his Eagle Project building a new bridge by the Clinton school fields crossing over the creek safely. Several of us are making great progress on our Physical Fitness Merit badge. With the end of the school year, we'll be sad to see two of our Eagle Scouts moving on Zach Blanks and David Ross are heading to college out of state. We wish them well and thank them for their leadership. Finally, we're still working on the details for our summer trek. Somehow, I don't think we'll do as much "portaging" as last year, but we know it will be a blast. Have a great summer! Submitted by Assistant Senior Patrol Leader Adam Blanks

11 The Corner Stone Page 11 June 2013 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat KAC Run 1 9:27a Choir 10:30a Worship w/ communion 3p Jr. B Sharp concert & dinner 9:27a Choir 10:30a Worship p Boy Scouts 10a-4:30p Fair Trade Shoppe at Farmers Market 10-6:30 Fair Trade Shoppe in Stone Church 5:45p Brownies 10a Ewa Lawrence s rehearsal 10a-4p Fair Trade Shoppe p Ewa Lawrence s concert 7p Session 7p Boy Scouts 9:27a Choir 10:30a Worship 10a-4:30p Fair Trade Shoppe at Farmers Market 10-6:30 Fair Trade Shoppe in Stone Church 12p CAM-Nola s 7p Taizé :30a Storytellers 7p Storytellers 7p Boy Scouts 9:27a Choir 10:30a Worship 10a-4:30p Fair Trade Shoppe at Farmers Market 10-6:30 Fair Trade Shoppe in Stone Church 5:45p Brownies newsletter deadline 3p Hope House 7p Boy Scouts 10a-4:30p Fair Trade Shoppe at Farmers Market 10-6:30 Fair Trade Shoppe in Stone Church Your Neighbors BBQ 30 9:27a Choir 10:30a Worship Visit stonepres.org for all the latest!!!

12 The Corner Stone Stone Presbyterian Church P.O. Box 33 (8 S. Park Row) Clinton, NY CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Clinton, NY Permit No. 37 Rev. Dennis Dewey, Pastor Home Phone: ; Cell (emergencies): Rev. Gerald R. Platz, Pastor Emeritus Director of Music: G. Roberts Kolb Sexton: Cros Harvey Office Manager: Peggy Weldon Clerk of Session: Scott Leonard Treasurer: Christine Menard Newsletter Editor: Midge Bakos Office: Sunday Worship:10:30 a.m.; Church Office hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday Newsletter team Many thanks to Midge Bakos, Trudi Christeler, Bev Miller, and Doris Pryce who have collated, folded, taped and labeled this issue of The Corner Stone just for you! Please note The deadline for the summer issue of the newsletter is Monday, June 24. Contact Midge Bakos, editor, at with questions or comments.

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