The Chimes First Presbyterian Church of Puyallup

Transcription

1 The Chimes First Presbyterian Church of Puyallup NOVEMBER 2017 VOLUME 65, ISSUE West Pioneer Puyallup, WA Rev. Sue Watkins, Pastor Thanksgiving Baskets Join us on Saturday morning, November 11, at 10:00 am to shop for Thanksgiving meals for local families. Through Bridges of Love NW (formerly Love, INC) we are receiving the names of families who would appreciate a Thanksgiving Basket filled with food for their holiday. Then, on Saturday morning, November 18, at 10:00 am we will meet to make deliveries of these meals. Please come for one or both of these days and help a family in our community! Thanksgiving Eve Service The Thanksgiving Eve service will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Puyallup on Wednesday, November 22nd at 7:00 pm. This special combined service will include our friends at Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church, First Cambodian Presbyterian Church, and the Church of the Indian Fellowship. Please join us for this evening of thanks and worship. Operation Christmas Child A great way to begin Christmas shopping is by filling an Operation Christmas Child shoebox with treasures for a child in need. These boxes are distributed to children all around the world, some of whom have never before received a gift. In addition to new toys, games, paper and crayons, clothes, toothbrushes, and soap different wonders in each box there is a first step story of Jesus Christ. You will be able to choose whether your box is for a boy or girl and select their age group. By donating the $9 packing fee online, your box can be tracked and you will be notified of the country to which your box was delivered. Accompanying the notification are wonderful video stories of how boxes have affected lives. National Collection Week is scheduled for November For more information please contact Jan Morgan or visit:

2 Page 2 November 2017 From Our Pastor Some of you have been asking me questions about my upcoming Sabbatical. You may not be familiar with Pastors Sabbaticals if you have been here at First Presbyterian Church for a long time. As far as we can tell, the previous pastors who served this church have not taken Sabbaticals during their time here. We do know that Rev. Jack Terry completed his doctorate while here, and was granted the opportunity to devote extra time to that pursuit. But that time away was not as an extended block of time as with a Sabbatical. Many of my colleagues have had one or more Sabbaticals built into their various ministries. This will be my first. Here is some of the information I shared with the Session when requesting a Sabbatical. The source is my-pastor.com What's The Purpose of a Pastor Sabbatical? In general terms, a sabbatical strengthens and further develops a pastor's ability to serve the church. This happens when your pastor experiences the results of a well-planned sabbath. These results include the following: New Perspective. Perhaps most significant, your pastor will gain a new understanding of the world in which your church ministers. This will deepen her own insight and positively affect her preaching and her service. Spiritual Renewal. One of the easiest places to dry out spiritually is in the pulpit. A pastor is constantly talking and teaching about the spiritual life. But because it is so much a part of her conversation and work, maintaining and developing her own spiritual life seems less important. So it is easy to neglect. A pastor sabbatical can be a time to renew spiritual disciplines that got lost in the busy-ness of life. Rest. Pastor sabbaticals are not vacations. However, intense stress needs more than a week or two to break away from. It will take your pastor a month just to unwind from the stresses of every day ministry. Education. Whether or not she actually earns a degree or certificate, a pastor sabbatical is educational. She will learn from her travels, from her research, from new relationships, and from quiet times alone with God. Renewed Passion and Vision. All of the above results lead to this. Your pastor will return from her sabbatical with a clearer sense of mission and the renewed energy to work toward accomplishing it. I will be on Sabbatical July-August I will share more of my plans for my time away as we get closer. I WILL NOT be using my time away to search for another church to serve. God willing, I will remain with you until I retire about 7 years from now. May God bless us all as we serve him together! Remembrance Breakfast We all know that the Christmas season can be difficult for those who grieve the loss of someone near to them. Our board of Deacons and Health Ministry Team is sponsoring a brunch for those who might appreciate the support of our church family during this time of year. The breakfast will be on November 12th at 8:30 am in the church library. Please respond to the church office by Wednesday, November 8th in order to reserve your place at the table. There is no cost to attend. Please bring a photo of the one you will be missing this holiday season. New Member Class You are invited to join us from 12:15-3:00 on Sunday, November 12, for a New Members Class. Child care will be available on request and lunch will be provided. Please reply to the church office by Friday, November 10, to let us know if you will be joining us, and also if you will need care for your children.

3 Presbyterian Women November Page 3 The Presbyterian Women of First Presbyterian Church will host their annual Christmas Tea, Joy To The World, on Monday, December 4th. Tickets are available from any of the Presbyterian Women and cost $10. You are invited to arrive at 12:45 and check out the beautiful silent auction baskets. The PHS Norselanders will perform in the Sanctuary at 1:00 pm. After the concert we will convene in the fellowship hall for tea and treats. There will be a free-will offering. All proceeds from the event will go toward the FPC Scholarship Program. Bring a friend (or two) and support a great cause. Waking Up White Discussion This book is an important tool for understanding racism. Everyone can learn from reading and discussing the material. Read one chapter a week then join us on November 8th at 7:00 pm to discuss the Introduction and Chapters 1-7. Supper Club Happy Veteran s Day! November 11th It's November! This is the month we focus on thankfulness and our veterans. Supper Club will do just that. On November 18, 6:00 pm, we will have our potluck dinner followed by our patriotic program at 7:00 pm in the sanctuary. Alleluia Ringers will share a few traditional patriotic songs, and there will be a remembrance of veterans. Hope to see you there! Preschool Bagging We are looking for volunteers to help with a missional project that is near to our hearts! Please join the Mission Commission on Thursday and Friday, November 16 and 17th. They will meet in the library at 9:30 am to pack bags of food for our Bates preschool students. Thanks! We ll see you there! Welcome Baby Cox! Please join us with prayers of thanksgiving in celebration of the birth of Ethan Russell to Mindy and James Cox, on Sunday, October 15th! Big brother is James V, Grandparents are Deb and Russ Hale, and Great Grandpa is Evert DeYoung. Hanging of the Greens We will decorate for Advent on Saturday, December 2nd, at 1:00 PM, following the Christmas Pageant rehearsal. Everyone is welcome and refreshments will be provided. This is an event that helps us all prepare for the birth of Our Savior! Please join us for this lovely tradition.

4 November Page 4 Sunday School Sunday School is offered for children newborn-12 th grade. It is in full swing! Starting November 5 th, we will be turning our attention to our Christmas Pageant. Rehearsals and Preparation will be during Sunday School. We d love to have all the children of FPC participate in this year s pageant! Scripture Lessons for the Coming Weeks You are welcome to read the lessons in preparation for Sunday Worship and you are also invited to a Bible Study with Pastor Sue each Wednesday at 9:30 am in the Parlor. Congregational Life It s a Wonderful Life! Join us as we celebrate the Christmas season with our very own Kelsey Harrison as the lead in this holiday classic. Kelsey will be performing at the Mane Stage Theatre in Sumner on Saturday, December 9 at 2:00 pm. We plan to attend the matinee as a group and return to FPC for an evening of caroling with Supper Club in the fellowship hall. If you are interested in attending this performance, please sign up on the congregational life bulletin board or contact Peggy Burrough. Cora Voce Concert Join us in welcoming Cora Voce in concert on November 19th at First Presbyterian Church. The concert begins at 3:00 pm and tickets will be available at the door. The cost is $ Cora Voce (Chorus of Voices) is a Tacoma-based ensemble of about 40 singers dedicated to sharing and performing high-quality choral music. Their mission is: to inspire, enrich and educate. Through our generous supporters, the Cora Voce supports young aspiring choral artists through college scholarships, and supports school music programs through program-building grants. November 5, nd Sunday after Pentecost Joshua 3:7-17 Psalm 107:1-7, Thessalonians 2:9-13 Matthew 23:1-12 November 19, rd Sunday after Pentecost Joshua 24:1-3a, Psalm 78:1-7 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 Matthew 25:1-13 November 19, th Sunday after Pentecost Judges 4:1-7 Psalm Thessalonians 5:1-11 Matthew 25:14-30 November 26, 2017 Christ the King Sunday Ezekiel 34:11-16, Psalm 100 Ephesians 1:15-23 Matthew 25:31-46 Core Ministry Youth, ages newborn through 5 th grade, are invited to join us for CORE on Wednesday nights! This mid-week ministry is an opportunity for the kiddos to get together for fellowship and fun. A kid-friendly dinner will be served. We d love to see you there! CORE meets on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th Wednesday of the month. Join us on November 1st, 15th, and 29 th.

5 November Page 5 November Birthdays 2nd- Robbin Warren 3rd- Cathy Cockle 6th- John Washburn Jill Starks 7th- Alicia Warren 9th- Marjorie Harrison 14th- Marina Elliott 15th- Margery Baker 17th- Susan Hogge 18th- Vanessa Crowe 20th- Sarah Webber 21st- Jack York 23rd- Scott Hermann Gert Williams 24th- Lynn Elam 25th- Maddy Wheless 26th- Chloe Williams 27th- Eric Foster Nikki Poppen 28th- Nicole McKnight 29th- Joe Atwood Heather Toomey 30th- Darci Frieben Joe Morris Alayna Moyer November Anniversaries November 15 Evan and Katie Hale November 26 John and Betty Alley November 26 Russ and Deb Hale November 30 Bob & Robbin Warren Office News The church office hours are from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Please note, the office is closed most Tuesdays from 10:00 am -11:00 pm for a weekly staff meeting. Office Closures The office will be closed on November 23rd and 24th in celebration of the Thanksgiving holiday. With deepest sympathy we pray for Ray Coleman and his family, as they mourn the loss of their beloved Anne Coleman on October 13, Lighthouse Gospel Quartet Retires Following an October 22 performance at Mountain Church in Tumwater, the Lighthouse Gospel Quartet will retire from concertizing. Susanne Waters, then Supper Club coordinator, agreed with Doris Pederson s suggestion to book the quartet for an inaugural concert that took place April 25, 2009 in the church sanctuary. This inauspicious event culminated in an eight-year concert run! Thank you, Lighthouse Gospel Quartet On behalf of many in First Presbyterian Church, attendees from the community, and the loyal contingent from Puyallup United Methodist Church, know that your toe-tapping gospel quartet concerts will be missed. Freezing Nights Benefit Concert Louie G s Pizza of Fife is hosting a fundraising concert on November 9th, with all proceeds going to benefit the Freezing Nights Ministry. Doors open at 5:00 pm, with music scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm. The featured band is Limberlost with special guests Grieve the Astronaut and Enloe. Tickets to this all-ages show are available for a suggested donation of $10. The Freezing Nights season begins in November. FPC will be hosting guests on the 2nd, 4th, and 5th Tuesdays through March. Volunteers are always welcome.

6 First Presbyterian Church of Puyallup 412 West Pioneer Puyallup, WA RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Join us for worship!