The. Pastor Mike. With Peace and Grace, Vol. 20 No. 3 March 2018

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Mark McKenzie
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The Vol. 20 No. 3 March 2018 Lent is here and with it is the transition from winter to spring.

My search was not in vain as the crocus, tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils broke through the thawing ground, pointing up toward the heavens praising their Creator. Spring is certainly in the air.

as more snow is predicted for the first of the month.

1 The Vol. 20 No. 3 March 2018 Lent is here and with it is the transition from winter to spring. Just the other day I was walking around the yard, a balmy 60 degrees and sunny, wearing a t-shirt, searching the flower beds for signs of new life. My search was not in vain as the crocus, tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils broke through the thawing ground, pointing up toward the heavens praising their Creator. Spring is certainly in the air. Yes, spring is close at hand as the days grow longer, temperatures creep higher, birds show signs of return, and yet, in the distance, winter calls, Not yet! as more snow is predicted for the first of the month. As much as I long for the warmth of the spring, I have to admit, I enjoy this period of transition as two weather patterns battle each other for control. I know in the end that spring, and then summer, will win out. Spring will defeat the darkness and the gloom of winter. It will come, indeed, it will come. And so it is with other aspects of the world in which we live. Darkness comes and looms over us in many forms, such as violence, illness, addiction, exhaustion, loneliness, and more. During the season of Lent we acknowledge this darkness as we see the world for what it is, but also take time to examine who we are and whose we are. As we face the darkness we are invited to pick up our cross and follow the One who loves us and claims us, and who has led the way on behalf of us a way that included ridicule, suffering and even death. The joke was on Rome, however, as death did not have the final say. Death and darkness could not put out the Light that came into the world to save the world. The Light overcame death and the darkness will not...it can not put it out. The light of Christ gives me courage and hope, and especially in this time between winter and spring, fills me with a sense of newness and life. As I wait for spring to finally emerge in all its glory and splendor I set my eyes on Jerusalem to follow our Savior to the cross. For only when we go to the cross can we experience the fullness and joy of Easter morning. Only then can we shout out with confidence and joy, Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Join us in our journey Sunday mornings at First Presbyterian Church. With Peace and Grace, 1 Pastor Mike

STRIKE OUT HUNGER - SUPPORT ACTIVE FAITH Join us on Sunday, March 4th from 1p.m.-3p.m. for the ACTIVE FAITH bowling fundraiser which will be held at Pinz Bowling Alley in South Lyon.

If you cannot attend and would like to donate to the team donations can be made to the church (be sure to indicate Active Faith Bowl in the memo.) * Check-in starts at noon.

2 STRIKE OUT HUNGER - SUPPORT ACTIVE FAITH Join us on Sunday, March 4th from 1p.m.-3p.m. for the ACTIVE FAITH bowling fundraiser which will be held at Pinz Bowling Alley in South Lyon. You still have a week to sign up for the event if you are interested. The $100 fee (per team) includes pizza, pop and bowling. If you cannot attend and would like to donate to the team donations can be made to the church (be sure to indicate Active Faith Bowl in the memo.) * Check-in starts at noon. TRAVELING MUG CLUB Friday, March 9-6:30 p.m. - Draught Horse Brewery Let s try this again! For the last two months we have been snowed in on Traveling Mug Club day. Let s try the same place again this month and hope all of the snow is behind us. Draught Horse Brewery located in New Hudson. Great food, great ale. Bring a friend or two and have good conversation, dinner and a beverage of your choice. Hope to see you there. ~Location for March Clinic~ First Presbyterian Church Monday, March 5th - Friday, March 9th Capernaum Health Clinic offers free medical care, dental care, mobile mammograms, optometrist, and audiologist care. For appointment information call Medical doctors, nurses and hygienists will be available to assist you. There are still volunteer slots available to help during the week. Also, we are looking for food donations so that we can provide a light breakfast and snacks to our guests. For more information contact Gwyn McClintock or call the church office at CHILI COOK-OFF & GAME NIGHT March 17th - 5:00 PM - Fellowship Hall If you have a great chili recipe that you would like to enter into the FPC Chili cook-off, signup online, at the Friendship Table or contact Kim MacNish by Sunday, March 11th. Please join Congregational Life for a Chili Cook-off and game night in the Fellowship Hall. It will be a night of good food and family fun. 2 CRAFTY SATURDAYS ARE BACK!!! Saturday, March 24th is our next Crafty Saturday gathering from 9:00 a.m. 3:00 p.m. Bring your favorite craft and join other fellow crafters for an afternoon of nothing but crafting and some good conversation too. Hope to see you there!!!

families in need in the South Lyon area.

..even if you don t like Green eggs and Ham, please give generously to those who would enjoy a ham for Easter.

We will need to have all donations by Sunday, March 25th to order to give us enough time to purchase and take the hams to

So as Sam says, you could eat the ham here or there, in a house, with a mouse, in a box, with a fox.

D uring this season of Lent until Easter Sunday we will be collecting the fish banks/envelopes for One Great Hour of Sharing

) There are millions of people, around the world, who lack basic needs, clean water, food, sanitation, education and

3 Sam-I-Am, by Dr. Seuss, is teaming up with the deacons asking for your help by donating money to Active Faith to purchase Easter hams for the families in need in the South Lyon area. The collection box is located just outside of the Sanctuary on the table near the Active Faith food box. So...even if you don t like Green eggs and Ham, please give generously to those who would enjoy a ham for Easter. You can skip the green eggs part! We will need to have all donations by Sunday, March 25th to order to give us enough time to purchase and take the hams to Active Faith ahead of Easter. So as Sam says, you could eat the ham here or there, in a house, with a mouse, in a box, with a fox. So I do like Green eggs and ham. Thank you! Thank you! Sam-I- Am. D uring this season of Lent until Easter Sunday we will be collecting the fish banks/envelopes for One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS.) There are millions of people, around the world, who lack basic needs, clean water, food, sanitation, education and opportunities. One Great Hour of Sharing helps improve the lives in three programs: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: Works with communities as they recover after the devastation of natural and human-caused disasters. Example: South Carolina flooding, Superstorm Sandy, Ecuador, as well as many disasters internationally. Hunger Program: Takes action to alleviate hunger and the systemic causes of poverty so all can be fed. Self Development of People: Invests in low income communities to overcome oppression and injustice. Don t Forget to set you clocks. 3/25 Palm Sunday Service 10:30 a.m. - New Members Received 3/29 Maundy Thursday Service 7:30 p.m. 3/30 Good Friday Community Service 7:00 Fellowship EPC 4/1 Easter Sunday Service 10:30 a.m. 3

MISSION AND OUTREACH MARCH Active Faith: 4 March Strike Out Hunger Bowling Fundraiser. Gwyn has organized five teams.

21 March at 9am we will meet to go to Spirit of Hope for the next meal. 28 March is our combined Easter meal.

One Great Hour of Sharing: Fish banks are available on table outside of Sanctuary.

Souper Bowl of Caring: We collected $30 and 95 pounds of canned soup on 4 February. Thank you to all who donated.

4 MISSION AND OUTREACH MARCH Active Faith: 4 March Strike Out Hunger Bowling Fundraiser. Gwyn has organized five teams. March Non Perishable Food: Rice, Rice-A-Roni, white rice, brown rice...any kind of rice. American Red Cross: In January we collected 39 units. Our next Blood Drive is 4 April (Wednesday) 1pm-7pm. Be sure to sign up online. If you would like to volunteer, please contact Bob Cue. Everyone Eats: Served 100 meals in February. 21 March at 9am we will meet to go to Spirit of Hope for the next meal. 28 March is our combined Easter meal. FPCSL will be providing desserts. Watch for more details. One Great Hour of Sharing: Fish banks are available on table outside of Sanctuary. Envelopes will be available in pews 18 March and 25 March. Collection is Palm Sunday 25 March. FEED THE FISH. Souper Bowl of Caring: We collected $30 and 95 pounds of canned soup on 4 February. Thank you to all who donated. All donations went to Active Faith. 4 NEW MEMBERS INQUIRY CLASS SUNDAY, MARCH 11 Have you been worshiping with us for a while now, and considered joining the church? Would you like to know more about being a Presbyterian, or have questions regarding our faith? Join Pastor Mike for a special Inquirers Class on Sunday, March 11th following worship in the library. New members will be received on Palm Sunday, March 25th. Remember, there is no obligation to join the church.

Grief Support Group Monday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m. Java House Café It is a fact that the grieving process takes time and you will travel though different stages as you heal.

5 Grief Support Group Monday, March 19 at 10:00 a.m. Java House Café It is a fact that the grieving process takes time and you will travel though different stages as you heal. Join Pastor Mike and the group on the third Monday of each month at 10:00 a.m. Support groups are a good way to help in the grieving process. Everyone in the group traveling through this process just like you. Give us a try. If you a friend who could benefit from the group, bring her/him along. FOR and ABOUT SOUTH LYON PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN March 2018 March the month of unknowns. Will we have warm weather or snow. Lion or Lamb? But, we will rejoice as the days grow longer, the sun shines, and the birds sing their welcome to spring songs! Come, be part of our time of renewal as we celebrate the coming of Easter and all the promises that the celebration of Palm Sunday brings and then the promises of the Resurrection! Be sure that you are a part of this eventful time in every Christian s life and celebrate the coming of Easter! Halleluiah! March 14 will find the women of FPCSL in the library studying Chapter 6 of our PW/Horizons Bible Study Cloud of Witnesses. The Community of Christ in Hebrews as we learn that communities of faith support us in troubled times! How appropriate this is indeed troubled times, come and learn what the Hebrews learned about their faith as a support tool for the times as we learn what it means to be in community with the reality of the present! At 12:15 March 14, the Out to Lunch Presbyterian Women will meet at the Lake Street Tavern for lunch, fellowship and enjoying each other. All women are welcome to join us. Circle Eve will meet Tuesday, March 27th at 7:00 p.m. for their continued Bible Study with a light supper at Anne Lyke s home. All women are welcome. Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery of Detroit will be holding their Annual Retreat on Saturday, March 24, 2018 at First Presbyterian Church of Dearborn. Registration begins at 8:30-9:30 with coffee, tea & snacks available. Join other Presbyterian women of our area in a day of fun, fellowship and spiritual renewal. Keynote speaker is Renee Warman, well known motivational speaker, recording artist of Christian songs with her family, choir and children s ministries for the past 24 years. Come and explore that we are Fearfully and wonderfully made Cost is $30 and includes lunch and is due by March 14. See Barbara Clark Greene or Nancy Geiger for a Registration form. 5

Session Highlights February 2018 Session Mee ng Hilites Present: Moderator Rev. M. Horlocker; Clerk K. Schultz; Elders B. Cue, D. Beckstein, P. Eichinger, B. Greene, A. Lyke, R. McClintock, M.

6 Session Highlights February 2018 Session Mee ng Hilites Present: Moderator Rev. M. Horlocker; Clerk K. Schultz; Elders B. Cue, D. Beckstein, P. Eichinger, B. Greene, A. Lyke, R. McClintock, M. Mueller; R. Weinburger, Treasurer; G. McClintock, Deacon Rep. Excused: K. MacNish. Regular Session Meeting of February 24, 2018 opened with reading from Eugene Peterson s The Message. Elected K. Schultz as Clerk of the Session. Approved applying for a Faith in Action Grant for $1,000 to be used in Children s Ministry. Approved $150 cost to send Gwyn McClintock to a Food Handler s Certification class. Approved release of some budgeted funds for VBS supplies and music supplies. Discussed office closure policy. Approved Pastor to determine when office closure is necessary. Discussed communication issues. Respectfully submitted, Kathy Schultz Kathy Schultz, Clerk of Session EASTER FLOWER ORDER FORM Easter is just around the corner. Help us decorate the sanctuary by purchasing beautiful Easter flowers. This year, in addition to the Easter Lily, you may purchase tulips. Your plant(s) can be taken home following the Easter service. Just complete this form and place it in the offering plate, or return it to the church office, with your payment, no later than March 18th. No. of Easter $17 = No. of $10 = In honor/memory/celebration of (circle one please): From: 6

7 Prayer requests received during the month of February. Please pray for the following... Geri and Nick for healing. for those in life transitions peace and trust, in God. family and friends of Bill Padelford. Stef Reid as he continues his battle with cancer. Rob VanderVoort Mary Lue Verran Mary Bond Phyllis Goodman Bette Haack Billy Lintner Harry Prentis Mark Fitzgerald healing from surgery. for our Federal government and agencies. In Thanksgiving... for Jeanette Asiala who graciously stepped up to head our Vacation Bible School this year. In Celebration... on the birth of Jim and Debbie Allen s first grandchild Elenora Allen. Our Shut-ins and Homebound Shelly Birckelbaw Joan Borsh Edna Hope Betty Ross Harry Prentis Ann Seden Our Men Serving in the Armed Forces Kenny Bond Ben Bond Jared Roth Our Friends Under the Care of Presbytery Anne Lyke Ruth Azar Birthdays Anniversaries 3/1 Shelly Birckelbaw 3/1 Gary & Lori Panicacci 3/2 Alesa Panicacci 3/7 Jack & Donna Rae 3/5 Gabriel Bobosky 3/17 Karen & Richard Lynch 3/8 Nicole Fergusson 3/18 Mike & Stephanie Horlocker 3/10 Ron McClintock 3/24 Sally Messner 3/25 Kenny Chapman 3/30 Stephen Harrington 3/31 Ken Kappler 3/4 Open 3/11 Mary Lloyd 3/18 Tom & Phyllis Goodman 3/25 Open Request prayer by calling the church office at (248) or online at Please let your Deacon know how your prayer is being answered. If you do not know who your Deacon is, contact the church office. 7

Vol. 21 No. 1 January 2019 Round and Round We Go...

The Vol. 21 No. 1 January 2019 Round and Round We Go... If you were at the Blue Christmas service last month then this may sound a bit familiar to you. The circle of seasons, the circle of the day, the