We re Looking for Ideas...

Transcription

1 S p r e a d i n g B r a n c h e s I am the Vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me bears much fruit... John 15:5 March 2016 The Newsletter of Lansdale Presbyterian Church info@lansdalepres.org We re Looking for Ideas... After almost ten years we are looking to resume our plans to expand the front of our building. As we consider this, we are interested in what you think. We are especially interested in what you think about how we might best modify our building to help advance our new vision with its emphasis on going. How might an expansion of our building best serve our desire to reach out to new people, and at the same time be a facility that will enhance our equipping work among ourselves? In the lobby at church are comment sheets containing a copy of the proposed floor plan. Please take one, jot down your ideas and draw any suggested changes on the floor plan. Or feel free to your thoughts to the office or talk with someone on the Building Steering Committee (John Prall, Rich Frattarelli, Aji George, Brian Hand, and Pastor Keane). Thank you for your help! Artist s rendering of the proposed

2 2 Report on the Congregational Meeting On February 7 we met for our Annual Corporation and Congregational meetings. Many thanks to Anita Schwartz, her kitchen crew, and all who shared their cooking and baking talents for another delicious covered dish meal that gave us the energy to do the business that followed. Thanks also to Kellie Miller, Brian Hand, and all who helped with childcare during the meeting. Here are some highlights from the meetings: Corporation Officers Elected: Matt Halvorsen (president), Charlie Miller (secretary), and Bob Wunderlich (treasurer). Vision Update: o We were reminded of goals to minister more effectively to our changing culture, to young adults, and to young families o We were reminded of our vision to gather a community to live for Christ with a special emphasis on going that is, being a church that is welcoming to outsiders, addressing the concerns of our day with a humble and clear presentation of the gospel, and taking the message of Christ to our community in word and deed. o We reviewed the progress of five initiatives begun in 2015 to begin aligning our people and our ministries around the new vision: (1)Vision Casting, (2) Preaching, (3) Worship, (4) Visitors o We looked at plans for 2016 and beyond We ll continue working on the first five initiatives. We ll begin two new initiatives designed to align our Christian Education and Discipleship ministries around the new vision. The Session is working on a staffing initiative that will involve revised job descriptions and compensation schedules for the pastoral staff, and issuing a call to Brian Hand as Assistant Pastor at the completion of his ordination requirements. We are looking to resume our building expansion plans that were put on hold after the downturn of our economy in We believe this expansion of our facilities will be an asset as we look to move ahead with our vision. We have formed a Building Steering Committee that is gathering information about: o The possibility of revising the 2007 plans o Any changes in the cost o New township and state requirements o Identifying a prospective builder o A tentative goal has been set for breaking ground in the spring of Before this happens, sufficient funds would need to be pledged or given, and the congregation will need to formally vote to proceed.

3 o An informational question and answer meeting will take place in the spring of 2016 when enough information has been gathered. Finance Report and 2016 Budget o 2015 was an abundant year financially We received more than we budgeted, and we spent less than we budgeted, leaving a surplus at the end of the year. We also met our Sacrificial Offering goal o Making use of the surplus We created a 2016 budget that anticipates expenses higher than our projected income, including increases in compensation to the pastoral staff We were able to use all of the Sacrificial Offering for special projects (local ministries and LPC vision activities) We were able to increase the capital fund in anticipation of large maintenance or replacement projects for our building God has been faithful to us as a church for almost 60 years. Continue to look to him for his guidance and provision as we endeavor to serve him together in To God be the glory! Marriage Conference First session on Friday night, March 18th from 7 9:30 pm (includes dessert - please arrange your own childcare for Friday night). Second session Saturday morning, March 19th 9am- 1pm (includes childcare and lunch). Cost of the conference is $20 per couple (family). LPC Church Work Day Help our Deacons by taking part in our upcoming LPC work day, Sat., March 12th from 8am to noon. Coffee and donuts will be on hand. We will work on cleaning up the outside in preparation for the spring and tackle some smaller inside jobs. The more people that come out to help, the quicker we get done! 3

4 A Tribute to a Man of God On December 1 of last year Rev. James Ransom went to be with the Lord. He was 87 years old and loved the Lord since his early 20 s. Jim was the founding pastor of Lansdale Presbyterian Church. He moved to the area with his family on a shoestring budget, and by God s help started a church out of nothing. His daughter, Joy, who now serves on the mission field, writes of her father, He was passionate for the gospel and dedicated his life to ministering the Word to others as an RPCES, then a PCA teaching elder, organizing and pastoring churches. She goes on to say, Psalm 78 portrays well the kind of heritage my father left his four children (nine grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren): I will open my mouth... I will utter things what we have heard and known, what our fathers have told us. We will not hide from their children; we will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord, his power, and the wonders he has done (Psalm 78:2-4). As we get ready to celebrate our 60 th anniversary as a church this fall we give thanks to God for the willing heart of Jim Ransom to follow the Lord to Lansdale and to faithfully proclaim his Word there. May God give us the faithfulness to continue on in the example of this man of God! Senior Living in Christ (SLIC) ALL Seniors are invited to come to a celebration of Everybody s Birthday on Wed., March 16, 11:00am in the church Library. Look for the sign-up sheet in the lobby for more details and to see what you can contribute to the lunch. Everyone 60+ is invited to join us. New Adult Sunday School The Book of Judges: Living and Surviving in a Pagan Society Many barrels of ink have been spilled decrying the state of our nation. It has been said that our country has moved from a Christian nation to a Post-Christian nation. Some are now saying that we are no longer living in a Post Christian nation but in a Pagan nation! Are you aware that the later Millennial Generation, those born after 1990, have never lived in a Christian influenced culture like their parents and grandparents did? That brings up the question, what does a pagan society look like and how do we live our lives in a society in which Everyone did what was right in his own eyes, (Judges 17:6 and 21:25)? This course is a continuation of the book of Judges which gives us a picture of what happens when a person or a society removes God from his or her personal life and from the public square. Special attention will be given to the god Baal and the continuing influence he has on our modern society. On a more positive note, Judges shows how God delivers His people enabling them to overcome the evil influences of their day through obedience and His power. The course will look at the lives of Abimelech; Jephthah; Samson; Micah, the Danites and their idols; the Levite, his concubine, civil war and the near annihilation of the tribe of Benjamin; and finally, a reverse Sadie Hawkins day (actually a leap-year tradition) to re-populate the tribe of Benjamin. Judges shows in a very graphic way that it is important for an individual and a society to have a Biblical worldview because a wrong worldview produces wrong thinking which in turn produces wrong behavior. This new class will begin on March 13 th. Recordings of our sermons are available on our web site: You can listen each Sunday at 8:30am to a previously recorded LPC sermon, Engaging the Gospel on 1440 AM March 2016 Spreading Branches 4

5 March Events at LPC 1 6:30 pm Cantabile Choir (wkly) 2 6:00 am Men s Ministry (wkly) 6:30 pm Choir Rehearsal (wkly) 7:30 pm Band Rehearsal (wkly) 3 9:00 am Ladies Bible Study (wkly) 6:30 pm Session Meeting 7:00 pm Ladies Bible Study (wkly) 4 10:30 am Fri. Small Grp. (wkly) Men s Retreat Departure ret. Sunday 6 9:15 am Sunday School (wkly) 10:30 am Worship service (wkly) 5:30 pm Kid s Connection 5:30 pm Youth Group (wkly) 5:30 pm Small Groups (wkly) 12 8:00 am LPC Work Day 13 Daylight Saving Time begins! 2:00 pm Meadowood Ministry 14 7:00 pm MOPS 16 11:00 am S.L.I.C. Everybody s B day 18 7:00 pm Marriage Conference 19 9:00 am Marriage Conference 20 1:00 pm Food from the Heart Dinner 21 7:00 pm Deacons Meeting 7:15 pm Mission Committee Meeting 25 2:00 pm MOPS Leadership Meeting 7:00 pm Good Friday Covenant Pres. - Harleysville 26 11am Memorial service E. Snyder (in the LPC Library) 27 9:00 am Easter Breakfast (No Sunday School) 10:30 am Worship Service No evening groups 28 7:00 pm Men s Ministry Good Friday Worship Service Friday, March 25 th at 7:00 pm at Covenant Presbyterian in Harleysville Easter Sunday March 27 9:00 am Breakfast (No Sunday School) 10:30 am Worship Service March Birthdays 1 Melany Ramsey (MTW) 3 Charlie Miller Micah Mooney 4 Sherrie Bard Daniel Negley 5 Dennis Nice 6 Reuben Brumbaugh 7 Bronwyn Gray David Lee 9 Joy H 11 Peter K Laura Posada John Prall 12 Matthew McBride 17 Patricia Whitehouse 20 Kim Eom Tim K 23 Bob Wunderlich 24 Daniel Eom Amanda Frattarelli 27 Gabriela Schwartz 28 Al Zeller 29 Vern Poythress 30 Jenna Hand J.J. Zeller March Anniversaries 3/21 Daniel & Katie Negley If your birthday or anniversary is not included, or we have made a mistake, please contact the church office so that we can correct our records. Thank you. Spring Forward!! Daylight Saving Time takes effect at 2am on Sunday, March 13 th. Remember to change your clocks! March 2016 Spreading Branches 5

6 Food from the Heart Dinner Date: February 28 Number of Guests 48 Menu: Tossed salad, rolls and butter, chicken vegetable soup, meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, and assorted cakes with whipped cream for dessert Speaker: Ken Berg: Topic: God is always with us. MOPS Fundraiser MOPS of LPC will hold a fund-raiser on Monday, March 21 st, from 5-8pm at the Montgomery Mall Chick-fil-A (inside the mall food court). This fund-raiser will help provide our group with scholarship money for those young families who need it. MOPS of Lansdale Presbyterian Church will receive 10% of the sales! March 2016 Schedules Thanks to our many volunteers who help things to run smoothly every Sunday! Greeters: 6 John & Sue Hathaway 13 Rick & Lori Davis 20 Lowell & Deb Negley 27 Tom & Chris Greene Ushers: Jeremiah Etherton, Rich Frattarelli, Bob Wunderlich, Al Swartz Counters: 6 th Henry Whitney, Craig Schwartz 13 th Henry Whitney, Craig Schwartz 20 th Henry Whitney, Dave & Wendy Fox 27 th Henry Whitney, Dave & Wendy Fox March 2016 Spreading Branches 6