Meeting House News. First Presbyterian Church On the Square 2A North Hanover Street Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013

Transcription

1 April 2016 Meeting House News First Presbyterian Church On the Square 2A North Hanover Street Carlisle, Pennsylvania The Reverend Anthony D. Lorenz, Pastor Debby Madden, Director of Educational Ministry Arthur Thompson, Organist Susan Shuey, Choir Director Avis Allen, Administrative Secretary Michael Stamey, Sexton Church Administrative Office Hours M, W, F; 9AM 2PM Phone (717) Rev. Lorenz s phone number (C) (717) Church fpcarl@pa.net Pastor s alorenz.fpcarl@pa.net Educator s dmadden.fpcarl@pa.net Website

2 April 2016 Page 2 CONTENTS Pastor s Corner 2 Mission Sunday 3 Thank You s 3 Cemetery Update 3 Meetings 4 Book Club (April & May) 4 Finance News 4 Per Capita 4 PW Birthday Offering 4 Youth Triennium 4 Farmers on the Square 5 Paint a Masterpiece 5 April Sunday School 5 Fellowship Hosts 5 VBS 5 Birthdays / Worship Helpers 6 April Calendar 7 In March, You Supported: One Great Hour of Sharing $2, Lenten Concerts & Soup Lunches $1,634 to Project SHARE. THINK SOUP.. The Prayer Community will not meet formally in April due to the numerous after-worship events. However, they will continue to pray for your concerns and joys. If you have a prayer request, please do not hesitate to inform the church office or Debby Madden. Listen to sermons and keep abreast of the news of the church at our website: Our Lord has written the promise of the resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in Springtime. Martin Luther Pastor s Corner For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day. I Corinthians 15:3-4 Dear Members and Friends of First Presbyterian Church, Some of my most treasured possessions are what might be called hand-medowns. I m not talking about old, worn-out clothes, but rather furniture, antiques, and books I have received from my grandparents and older friends. They are important to me because they remind me of the givers. And because many of them are solid, quality pieces I hope that one day to be able to hand on again for a new generation to love and use. Paul s words to the Corinthians remind us that faith is also sort of like a hand-me-down. It passes from one generation to the next. We are merely the guardians of the faith for a time and then we pass it on to the next generation. If I asked who passed the Christian faith on to you, you might remember parents who knelt to pray with you at bedtime or grandparents who read Bible stories to you or Sunday School teachers who opened your eyes to new ways of learning about God. You might mention friends who supported you or an inspirational speaker you once heard. Whoever they are, they are people who did not keep their faith hidden. They are believers who invested in you. They passed on to you what they themselves had received. For Paul, the glorious truth of the Gospel is summed up in Christ s death and resurrection. These two events are of first importance Paul says. If we can get this part right then everything else will fall into place. Christ s death and resurrection, according to Paul, are not mere accidents of history, tragedy followed by surprise. Paul wants us to understand that this has been part of God s plan of redemption all along. That s why he says all this happened in accordance with the scriptures. The scriptures teach us about God s love and plan for His people. We study the scriptures in order to better understand God and learn about how to live as Christians. But we do not study the Bible alone, we read and pray and study in community. We receive instruction in the faith and then we have a chance to hand on what we know, to share our faith with others. I often wonder where I would be without certain people who deeply impacted my faith. Have you ever asked yourself that question? Where would you be without that one key person? Let me pose another question: for whom can you be that person? Who in your life needs to hear that which is of first importance, the glorious hope we have in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? As we celebrate the Season of Easter and remember Christ s victory over the grave, I hope you will consider who needs to hear a word of hope and then share a word of your own belief with them. Faith is not for keeping under wraps hand it on! Yours very truly in Christ, Pastor Tony Lorenz

3 A p r i l P a g e 3 In the Life of the Church SAVE THE DATE! MISSION SUNDAY IS BACK! APRIL 17, 2016 Plan to come out and join us for fellowship, food, fun, and service to our neighbors -- both at home and abroad. This year s spring Mission Sunday events will include new projects as well as returning favorites, with something for all ages, interests, and talents. There will be no Sunday school and worship (with Communion) will be held at the usual time 10:45, followed by lunch in Fellowship Hall. There will be sub sandwiches available to order in the weeks prior, to be delivered that day. Proceeds benefit the July Youth Triennium trip. After lunch, join us in the afternoon for a variety of mission projects as we work together to love our neighbors as ourselves. As it is, after any very busy season in the church, much gratitude is in the air! Of course, to name each person who helped in any way, without error, is nearly impossible. Instead, listed below are some of the ways you contributed! We are blessed to have such a faithful league of supporters! Lenten Concerts: organizer & performers Lent Soup Luncheons: soup & dessert makers, servers, hosts, dish washers, clean-up crew, table decorators, greeters Easter Egg Hunt: craft preparers & leaders; donators; egg stuffers; egg hiders; snack preparers & servers; transporters of children Youth Seder Meal: teachers and servers Easter Breakfast: preparers and servers Deep-Cleaning: sanctuary cleaners and pew-polishers Meeting House Springs Cemetery Update It has now been close to three years that the Cemetery Board has been trying to negotiate with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PTC). We have hired a lawyer, Mr. Marcus McKnight, who is doing all our legal work. He has been working diligently to complete all that the Cumberland County Court needs to prepare to rule on our case. The judge hearing the case is Mr. Tom Placey. Finally we know that our case will have a decision in August. Many, many pages of information have been presented to the judge from our side, the PTC, and the owner of the farmland near the cemetery. The case is now completely dependent on whether the PTC will provide us with a proper and good entrance and exit to the cemetery since they alone destroyed our 282-year old right of way to the cemetery. All other overpasses in the Carlisle area were preserved and enlarged ours was the only one closed. We are legally trying to keep a safe way into and out of our historic and beloved burial ground. Recently we received the final dates for the presentments in the Cumberland County Court. There will be three short presentments in June, July, and August with the judge and the lawyers for the three parties. However, mark your calendars for August 17 and 18, a Wednesday and Thursday, beginning each day at 9:00 AM. Presentments will be given by the three sides and testimony will be heard. It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that our church members are present in court those two days to show your support! Thank you. Nancy Tritt, Cemetery Board

4 A p r i l P a g e 4 APRIL MEETINGS Deacons: Mon, 4th (7 PM) Worship Committee: Wed, 6th (6 PM) Session: Mon, 18th (7 PM); NOTE changed date! : Tue, 12th (6:30 PM) & Wed, 13th (10:30 AM) Tue, 26th (6:30 PM) & Wed, 27th (10:30 AM) Space for God: Mon, 11th (7 PM) & Mon, 25th (7 PM) Book Club: 14th (7 PM) Men s Breakfast: 21st (7:30 AM)(Farmers Mkt Diner) Faith Circle: Mon, 25th (2 PM) In the Life of the Church Finance Committee Notes January & February Gen l Fund Support (Congr. Giving) $52, Investment Income $ Expenses $48, Question Asked & Answered Q: What is the purpose of the blue per capita envelope in my box of offering envelopes? A: This envelope is to be used to pay your per capita assessment. In 2016, each member of your family who is a member of First Presbyterian Church is asked to make a payment of $ The funds are divided as follows: 60% to the Presbytery of Carlisle; 30% to the General Assembly; and 10% to the Synod. Each church is assessed an amount to be paid, so if you do not make this payment, the church does. If you are able to make the payment, we will greatly appreciate your attention to this matter. Thank you very much, Session YOUTH TRIENNIUM, SUMMER 2016 APRIL BOOK CLUB Welcome Spring by coming to the April meeting of the Book Club on Thursday, Apr. 14, 7 PM, at the church. The selection is The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, by Jan-Philipp Sendker & Kevin Wiliarty (translator). The story is set in Burma, 1950 s & present. MAY BOOK CLUB There will be a special Mary Poppins -themed meeting of the Book Club on May 12th. We will begin at 5:30 with dinner and discussion. Following that we will watch the movie Saving Mr. Banks (starring Tom Hanks & Emma Thompson). All are welcome. A sign-up sheet will be available in Fellowship Hall and online soon. PW Birthday Offering April 10th Presbyterian Women (PW) have a long tradition of caring for others and helping those in need. On April 10, the PW Birthday Offering will be received. Once again, this offering will answer the call to show Jesus love to the world by offering prayers & financial support to four worthy projects (watch bulletin inserts for details). Please prayerfully consider your support of this special offering. FUNDRAISER FOR YOUTH TRIENNIUM On Mission Sunday, April 17, our youth will hold a sub sandwich sale to benefit their summer trip (read below). Enjoy your sub for lunch or take it home. Ham, turkey, and Italian are available, each costing $5.50. Chips/drinks will be provided. You must order and pay for your subs by April 7. (Another sub sale will be held on April 24th). Thanks for your support! The Presbyterian Youth Triennium is a five-day event for high school age youth (entering freshmen through graduated seniors) and accompanying adult youth leaders. It focuses on equipping young people to be transformational Christian leaders and seeks to join the home churches of the attendees to help call young people into deeper discipleship in Jesus Christ. It is a high energy, biblically infused and focused, youth-friendly conference. Held every three years at Purdue U, Indiana, the theme is GO! and is designed to help youth go into the world and make disciples. This year s event is July Many of you have received a letter asking for your financial support of those attending this summer s conference. The cost of each registration (both youth & chaperone) is $505, which includes all meals, housing and events while on the campus. It does NOT include transportation, lodging and meals to and from the site. We are blessed that Pastor Tony s home church in Ohio is willing to host our group to and from Indiana, however, meals and transportation will still be costly. We ask that you consider this need, and give what you are able. $10 will help buy a meal or fill a gas tank; $50 is 1/10 of one registration, etc. As a gesture of appreciation to each donor, a youth will send you a thank-you note, a letter from the Triennium, and one when they return home, to let you know how this experience has changed and enhanced their faith. To contribute, you may make a check payable to First Presbyterian Church, adding Youth Triennium on the memo line. (This is considered a charitable donation.) You can give it to Debby, place it in the offering plate, or mail it or drop it by the church office. I pray that you are able to help our youth GO to Triennium. Thank you, Debby Madden

5 A p r i l P a g e 5 In the Life of the Church FARMERS ON THE SQUARE Let s Get Involved! As most of your know, Farmers on the Square (FOTS) has held their outdoor market on the First Church campus for many years. It s been warmly welcomed by Carlisle and the surrounding communities. In all those years, First Church has merely served as a backdrop to the Market. In 2016, we want to change that, and we need your help! We would like to set up a display/table that reflects who we are and what we offer. We would also like to offer short sanctuary tours to those interested in seeing our beautiful, historical church on the square. In order to do this, we need volunteers. The times and exact dates will be determined by how many volunteers we have and their availability. Ideally, we would like to have a presence at least once a month, beginning the first Market Day May 4th (market hours are Wed., 3-7 PM). If you are interested in helping out (how long and how often is up to you), please Ann Gottlieb at abjkg@verizon.net; or call Thanks! WANT TO PAINT A MASTERPIECE? On Sunday, Apr. 24th, after worship, the Youth Triennium group will host a fundraiser event called Paint a Masterpiece. For $35 you will get all the tools & training needed to paint the blooming magnolia tree with our church as background. The organization Bring Your Own Apron will supply everything needed. You ll take home a 16X20 masterpiece of your own! Join us! Support our youth! Sign up soon! PLANNING FOR YOUTH SUNDAY Children in grades 4-12 are invited to participate in our youth-led worship service on Youth Sunday, May 8 (Mother s Day). To prepare, we will meet during the 9:30 AM Sunday school hours in April (except for Apr. 17), and we also will share dinner and practice on Wednesdays, April 27 & May 4. This time together enables our youth to learn about worship practices and the Presbyterian Church s Order of Worship. They will choose the scripture, prayers and hymns for the May 8th service, and all are offered the opportunity to preach. We hope the youth in your family will join in this opportunity to lead God s people in worship. Sunday School in April In April, the adult class will spend the 9:30 AM Sunday school hour as follows! Come, join in!! DATE SUBJECT SCRIPTURE THEME LEADER April 3 Doubting Thomas John 20: Empowering to Witness Joe Shane April 10 Breakfast on a Beach John 21: 1-19 Feeding Faith Jen Patterson April 17 NO EDUCATION HOUR DUE TO SPRING MISSION SUNDAY EVENTS! April 24 Peter s Report to the Acts 11: 1-18 Transforming Changes Pastor Tony Church in Jerusalem Children s Education Classes Beginning April 3rd, Bob Davis will lead our 1st 3rd graders and Lynne Hofferica & Barb Crum will teach our pre-k and kindergartners. Information on how our older Youth will spend their Sunday school hours in April is provided above. FELLOWSHIP HOSTS Many of us are hard-pressed to know exactly what we will be doing on a particular date months from now making it hard to sign up as a Fellowship Host! If that sounds familiar, perhaps you would be willing to be added to a STAND-BY list meaning that if on a Monday we see no one has signed up as Fellowship Host, the Parish Life Committee could contact you to ask if you are available on short notice. If interested, Ray Thomas at WIOO@pa.net; or call him at VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL NEARS! Plan for your children/youth to attend VBS this summer, June It is held in conjunction with Second Presbyterian Church, Garland Drive. Need more info? Talk with Debby.

6 April Birthdays 1 Warren Lloyd Carson Shull 9 Rachel Graver Michael Cameron 12 Joe Grabey Matthew Sternbergh 13 Kip Gottlieb Elizabeth Valle 14 Carl Heineman 15 Laura Crim Andy Fullerton 18 Gay McGeary 19 Nancy Tritt 20 Alyson Henry 22 Michael Stamey 25 John Cline Sarah Sheperd 26 Michael Dennison 28 Kay Crum 29 Harry Cameron April Worship Helpers April 3: Jennifer Blyth April 10: Fred Seltzer April 17: Michael Gogoj April 24: Jenna Fetter READERS USHERS April 3: Jerry & Jenneane Light; Peggy McKeehen; Mary Reneker April 10: Bruce & Anita Ashbaugh; Dick & Ellen Darr April 17: The Brad Martin family April 24: Mike & Lou Anne Stamey; Ray & Katie Thomas FELLOWSHIP HOSTS April 3: Parish Life April 10: PW April 17: Lynne Hofferica & Clare Hamm April 24: Roberta Graff & Trudy Bailey COUNTERS April 3: Laura Crim; Charlie Thompson; Bruce Mulvey April 10: Dick & Tracy Sommers; Lynne Hofferica April 17: Richard & Nancy Tritt; Harold Kretzing April 24: JJ Patterson; Ron Richcreek; Peg Owen FLOWERS Marita Neslund (ch); Gay McGeary; Judie Read WORSHIP SERVICE RECORDER Ray Thomas COMMUNION SERVERS/PREPARERS (April 17 by Intinction) Servers: Deb Ryerson; Mike Gogoj; Joe Shane Preparers: Peggy McKeehen & Mike Gogoj If you cannot serve as scheduled, please find a substitute and notify the office so that proper credit can be given in the worship bulletin. A special thank-you goes to those who provided music for us on the Wednesday Lenten Concert Series. Thanks are extended to: Gina Muscato, Greg Henry, Brian Rotz, Michael Cameron & Jack Larson. We hoped it added to your Lenten spiritual journey. (Art Thompson) Ponder.... No farmer ever plowed a field by turning it over it in his mind. (George E. Woodbury) So live that you wouldn t be ashamed to sell the family parrot to the town gossip. (Will Rogers)

7 April 2016 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat :15: Prayer 9:30: Education 10:45: Worship Fellowship Time (Guest Preacher) 4 7 PM: Deacons 5 6 1:30 PM: Property Comte 6 PM: Worship Commte :15: Prayer 9:30: Education 10:45: Worship Fellowship Time (PW B-Day Off.) 7 PM: Space for God 6:30 PM: 10:30 AM: AM: Finance Committee 7 PM: Book Club NO Sunday Sch. 10:45: Worship, w/communion 7 PM: Session 7:30 AM: Men s B-Fast Mission Sunday May Newsletter Items Due to Office :15: Prayer 9:30: Education 10:45: Worship, w/baptism Fellowship Time Youth Painting Event & Sub Sale 2 PM: Faith Circle 7 PM: Space for God 6:30 PM: 10:30 AM: May 8: Youth-led Worship May 15: Pentecost (Communion) May 29: Begin summer schedule June 5: My Brothers Table June 13-17: VBS