MESSENGER. Seth Kurzban in action in our first ever youth musical, Saved by Grace.

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1 he Seth Kurzban in action in our first ever youth musical, Saved by Grace. MESSENGER A Publication of First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach March/April 2018 Edition

2 First Pres Family News MISSIONARY FLIGHTS Each year we participate in the Feed Our Starving Children food packing event held at Missionary Flights international. This year s group made the trek up to MFI for the midday shift. We had First Pres family members of all ages along for the ride, with over 60 people attending. The participants were each assigned to a station. CROS FOOD PANTRY MONTH For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. Matthew 25:35 April is the month First Pres is responsible for helping to restock the CROS food pantry. The need is great. There are still many people in Palm Beach County in need of food. CROS Ministries has been serving people living in food insecure and low-income communities in South Florida for over 39 years. They are able to do this with the help of more than 3,000 volunteers who join them in helping families and individuals from falling into the downward spiral of poverty and, in some cases, homelessness. Last year CROS provided food for 47,000 people but the need has increased dramatically in the last couple of years. If you are wondering what to bring, peanut butter, jelly, beans and rice are always needed. Please help us fill the basket inside Fellowship Hall throughout the month of April! WE NEED YOUR HELP! Each station in the assembly line was responsible to fill some part of the nutritious meal from a scoop of soy protein to a blend of vitamins and minerals. Once the food was packaged, the group gathered to pray for the future recipients from all around the world, asking God that they would be blessed not only by the food, but also to know they are loved by Him! Our Communications Department loves to use photos of our First Pres family and the time we share together here on campus and even at activities we hold off campus, but we are often short on pictures. Here is where you come in! To help us stockpile photos for future use on social media, print publications, our website, etc, please snap some pics when you are enjoying time with your First Pres family and send them to our Director of Communications at firstpresnpb@firstpresnpb.org.

3 FINANCIAL FOCUS by Gayle Coughanour When you serve more, you take less. When you give more, you need less. When you thank more, you want less. When there s more of God, you re selfless. Craig Groeschel In my personal Bible study, I am currently in the book of Proverbs, which provides a wealth of information on how to gain wisdom and live the life God wants for us. Proverbs 11:24-25 says, One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed. How can it be that we become richer when we are generous? It is because God blesses those who give freely of their possessions, time and energy. Many people hesitate to give generously to God or give the first fruits of their income because they are afraid that if they do so, they may not have enough money left over to meet their needs. Don t let a lack of faith keep you from giving freely and generously. 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 speaks the same message as these verses from Proverbs. Paul said, Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows General Income 8/1/17-2/11/18 generously will also reap generously. He then assured the Corinthians that, in being generous, God would make sure that in all things at all times, He will provide all that we need. There is a beautiful pattern here. When we give generously to God, He supplies us with more so we can give more. Sometimes it is difficult to understand or believe some of the promises of God, but if we allow Him to work, He proves them. I decided that for 2017, I was going to become a generous giver, which in my mind, was to give more than one-tenth of my income. With a fixed income, I did not think there would be opportunities for God to give me more if I gave more, and certainly, that was not my motivation to give. And yet, now I see that God proved Himself. I recently found out that Frank had an investment account with a small balance in it that, since he passed, is going to me, I am getting a significant tax return, and, I can look back over the year and think about how God orchestrated it so that I would find rummage sales that had exactly what I was looking for so I would not have to purchase new items. I have lacked for nothing. It is encouraging to see that many of our church members understand the concept of giving generously. As you can note on the chart, our general fund income is well above budget and significantly greater than the amount received last year for the same time frame. In addition, our 2018 Choose Trust campaign has had more dollars pledged than any previous year. Those who pledged in 2017 and 2018 have increased their pledge an average of 7.9% and we have 84 families that pledged in 2018 that had not last year. Although we have record dollars pledged, we do not have a record number of pledgers. A total of 328 families have pledged so far, which is less than half of our families. If you have already pledged, we are so grateful to you. If you have not, please still consider doing so. Commit to giving to the Lord s work here at First Pres. $1,376,436 Actual YTD $634,698 $1,230,139 Budget YTD $627,244 $1,172, Actual YTD

4 A Moment For Missions Youth With a Mission Hungary Our Global Missions Committee partners with 28 missionaries or mission organizations from around the world. The contributions made by the First Pres family make this possible. While this year s mission emphasis month is not taking place until May, we still wanted to offer an in-depth view into how the contributions so faithfully given are making an impact for the Kingdom far beyond our campus! This month s Moment for Missions will take us on a journey to Hungary. Our mission partners in Hungary, Steve and Barbara Johnson, serve with YWAM, or Youth With a Mission. Steve and Barbara, along with their five children, have served at the YWAM base in Budapest, Hungary for 23 years. While their children are all growing up, (1 has graduated from college and is now married, 2 are in college, and 2 are in high school) they continue to make progress for the Lord in this eastern block country that, only a short time ago, was closed to Christianity.

5 Q & A with Steve & Barbara What is YWAM? YWAM is a global movement of Christians from many denominations dedicated to presenting Jesus personally to today s generation, to mobilizing as many as possible to help in this task, and to the training and equipping of believers for their part in fulfilling the Great Commission. Where does YWAM serve? YWAM has over 1,100 locations in over 180 nations, and new teams are constantly being pioneered. There are over 18,000 staff and over 1,200 ministry locations. Two young adults from our church currently serve with YWAM, Bailey Drake in Bethlehem, New Zealand; and Charlie VanMeter who is stationed in Perth, Australia, but is currently on outreach in Nepal. What are some of the highlights of the work you have done in Hungary this year? We formed a new Mercy Ministries team that feeds homeless people, shares the hope and love of Jesus through the Roma church ministry, and performs outreach to Muslim refugee families We have continued regular street Evangelism presentations We facilitate a prayer and worship movement led by Hungarian college students: Up to 1000 young Hungarians reached every week. Many are being discipled and are growing stronger in their faith and knowledge of God. We have an expanded Coffee House ministry which is opened for business on week days and holds a Friday night music and conversation time, as well as special events including worship nights, art exhibitions, children's ministry, all of which are aimed at revealing God's beauty and worshiping Him as our loving Creator. We recently hosted and facilitated more than 10 missions teams and 100 volunteers from different nations, engaging them in many kinds of outward-focused ministry in the city. How can we pray for you and the YWAM: Hungary team? We recently began a 5-month Discipleship Training School in September, lead weekly Bible studies and meet with many one-on-one for discipleship. We would also like to give prayers of thanksgiving for your selfless giving this past year and we pray that you will continue to partner with us as we work together to impact the Kingdom! Mission arises from the heart of God Himself and is communicated from His heart to ours. Mission is the global outreach of the global people of a global God. John Stott

6 THE YOUNG at HEART Our Senior Program is designed for those 65+ who want to join together with others for activities, cultural programs, speakers and wonderful eating opportunities, both on campus and off. ALL ARE INVITED! We encourage you to come and engage with the Seniors of our church. This group is supported by so many wonderful people and you and your friends are welcome to join! From the desk of Nori Douglas... We recently spent time together honoring one of our special, special men Reverend Tim Gooley. The evening was a beautiful tribute to a man, his wife and family for all he has done and meant to this church and the community. It brought to mind all of the people who go unheralded or acknowledged for all they do to touch the lives of others in our church. I won t name names, but you know who you are! You are the special person who brings an individual to church who otherwise would not be able to come; the person who has remained so devoted and faithful to the friend with memory problems; the very capable lady who sews a beautiful outfit/costume for a young girl so she would feel special. And then there is the one who makes sunshine calls every morning to check on their fellow First Pres family members; those who visit the friends who are unable to leave home any longer, or bring a meal to a family or friend in need of a tasty meal. There is the kind soul who takes individuals to the airport and picks them up at the gate, so they are never alone. Then there is the devoted friend who helps take care of the financial affairs and cats of a friend who has gone home to be with the Lord. There are those of you who sing in our choir making our Sundays more special. There are those of you who faithfully make sandwiches for Urban Youth or meals for St. Georges. There is so much more I am unable to put down for lack of space here. These are just a few of the examples that you our people do to care for others in our congregation by sharing the love of Jesus Christ our Savior. To you and all of the other wonderful givers and helpers who go quietly to help others, we thank you and honor you. For all of you Seniors 65+, we are here for you and this church has a myriad of special events and opportunities to enhance your life. Please call me at and I will try to guide you to your special place, whether it be a Bible Study, a fellowship group, a dinner, lunch, musical event, or wherever you might be comfortable doing. We invite you. God s Blessing, Nori & Gordon Douglas

7 FIRST PRES SENIORS HAVE ALL THE FUN! OUT TO LUNCH BUNCH Our Out to Lunch Bunch is a great way to enjoy time with fellow First Pres family members. Feel free to bring friends who are new to the area! COME OUT AND JOIN US! FRIDAY, MARCH 9 / Noon Join us for our annual St. Patrick s day outing to Paddy Mac s in Palm Beach Gardens for a traditional Irish meal prepared by real Irish chefs. RSVP with Ellen Reed at FRIDAY, APRIL 13 / Noon Bonefish Grill in Palm Beach Gardens is our spot for April and a fun spot it will be with all of you there! We hope you will reach out and reserve a spot for this wonderful afternoon! RSVP with Ellen Reed at SENIOR DINNER Friday, March 23 / 5:30 pm We will be having Darryl Aubrey and David Norris presenting us with the history of North Palm Beach. Both of these gentlemen have served on the North Palm Beach City Council and will come to us with a lot of interesting facts. Friday, April 27 / 5:30 pm We are so fortunate to have the Orchid City Brass Band with us playing The Magic of the Movies. This will be a wonderful evening of music. Dinner & Concert - $20 Dinner Only - $13 Concert Only - $15 Both of these programs will be so interesting and will provide great opportunities to spend time with friends. Call Nori at to reserve your spot! CALLING ALL BASEBALL FANS We have tickets to go to Spring Training at Roger Dean Stadium to see the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets on Tuesday, March 20, at noon. The bus will take you from the church for the 1:00 pm game. Tickets are limited, so please call Nori at to reserve your spot now.

8 THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE REMEMBER SUPER SENIOR MOVIE DAY IS ON THE 1ST & 3RD TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM AT 2:00 PM SUPER SENIOR SINGLES Our Super Senior Singles share a haven where you can start rebuilding your life in a safe environment with like-minded Christian folks. This group of men and women from all walks of life enjoy spending time together, going to a movie or eating dinner together, as they go on living their lives. This is not a dating service, but a group of genuinely nice people who are alone and are getting back into the swing of things. If this is you, please call Nori at so I can get to know you and help guide you to a place of comfort. Remember, this is the first day of the rest of your life! UPCOMING EVENTS Tuesday, March 13 / 10:00 am Our own Donna Wright will host a special seminar, When It s Time, which will give an overview of the independent, assisted living, and memory care facilities in our area. The seminar will feature a panel of members with first hand knowledge of knowing when it was time and how they came to their decision. Please reserve your spot with Nori. SENIOR SINGLES NIGHT OUT Tuesday, March 20 / 6:30 pm You don t want to miss out on the epic and wonderful Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, South Pacific. For those of you don t have tickets to The Maltz, we have 20 tickets to see this show at a reduced group rate...with great seats at that! We will leave the church at 6:30 pm for the 7:30 pm show. Call Nori to reserve your spot! Senior Single dinner outings are a great way to get involved with this very special group of people! Come out on March 13 at 5:00pm for dinner at The Bonefish Grill in Palm Beach Gardens. You will enjoy a great time with a group of people who will become friends for life. Call Gwen Steffen at (561) to reserve your spot today!

9 FIRST PRES STUDENT MINISTRIES MARCH 18th College Lunch after The Way 23rd-25th Lift Tour High School Retreat HAVE YOU MET OUR COLLEGE MINISTRIES INTERN? We have been blessed to have Noah Haislah serving on our Student Ministries staff. Noah is PBA Master of Divinity student who is working with both PBA college students and students from the First Pres family who are at colleges around the nation. SAVE THE DATES July 28 - August 2nd Student Life Summer Camp in North Carolina (6th-12th Grade Students) APRIL 6th High School Lock-In 22nd College Lunch after The Way MAY 5th Rummage Sale/Car Wash JUNE 22nd-29th Cuba Trip (High School) FIRST PRES STUDENT MINISTRIES MISSION STATEMENT Our goal in student ministries is to reach students with the gospel of Christ and to connect them with the body of believers as they grow in honor and obedience to the Lord and discover His will for their lives.

10 YOUTH IN ACTION On February 11, we had over 20 students perform in our first middle school/high school musical. The students prepared for months to bring to life the story of John Newton, who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. There was a great turnout and we are thankful for all who came to support our talented actors. All proceeds from this production will go toward sending students to summer camp in North Carolina and our mission trip to Cuba. Several of our students also had the privilege of serving as waiters at the recent Sons Of Barbecue dinner to honor Tim Gooley and also at the annual Valentine s Dinner. In January, ten members of our youth staff attended a Youth Ministry Forum at Flagler college. They spent the weekend together in worship, learning and soul care. Over the past few months, it s been very clear that God is using our college ministry to grow a genuine sense of community and love between us all. Our monthly lunches have spurred new friendships and deepened old ones, all while giving us chances to openly share how Christ has been working in our lives. Our life group that meets every Sunday has been reading through Exodus and looking at God s unchanging faithfulness. We ve been blessed with the opportunity to pray for a man in the hospital who was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer as well.

11 KID S CLUBS AT-A-GLANCE K Motion / Kindergarten & 1st Grade Students K motion kids are learning about families, specifically Jesus' family tree. Through songs such as "Father Abraham," acting out stories from the Bible, games and crafts, these kids sure have been learning a lot...and making quite the K motion! Kingdom Connection / 2nd & 3rd Grade Students The children of Kingdom Connection 23 did a fabulous job signing the Lord s Prayer during morning worship services on February 4th! We are grateful for Ms. Donna LeMaire who taught the children American Sign Language last semester as part of our Lord s Prayer Bible lessons, and who led them in worship. We were also joyfully excited to have Grace Myers sing the prayer. Grace went through our children s ministry program several years ago! This semester we are continuing to learn about the Ten Commandments and how God displays His love through them. The children are being taught special hand signals to memorize all ten, in order, and have mostly mastered it! (Many adults can t even do that!) Test your kids. They are amazing! (But you knew that already!) Your Kingdom Connection 23 Team, Ms. Sarah Keith and Ms. Trish Wikse CLUB 45 / 4th & 5th Grade Students Yes, it s true. Spring is just around the corner and so are service opportunities for CLUB 45. In February, we will make posters to support the Kairos Prison Ministry. Then in March, Club 45 will have a major role in running the Easter Carnival. From helping to set up activities, to running of all the Carnival games, Club 45 will help make Easter a memorable experience for the children of 1 st Pres and the community. Service days for Club 45 are March 30 and 31. Throughout the Spring Session, Club 45 has been learning about Bully Prevention and how to be a good friend to anyone in that situation. We have also been strengthening our own bonds of friendship with various theme nights. From Western Night to Silly Sock Night, we have shared lots of laughter and learning. Friday, March 31st - Easter Egg Stuffing - in Hawkins Hall from 2 4 pm. We will FILL 3000 Easter Eggs for the Easter Carnival! Saturday, April 1st - RUN the EASTER CARNIVAL! Club 45 and interested helpers need to serve 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. June 11th - 15th - Vacation Bible School. Those entering 6 th grade are eligible to serve as Jr. Crew Leaders. Make sure to register early (April 1st) to reserve your spot! Club 45 is high energy games mixed with lessons written just for you. If you have never tried it we meet each Wednesday, 6:30-7:30 pm in Hawkins Hall.

12 A Day in the Life of a First Pres Kid Our Children s Ministries staff works endless hours to provide a place where our children can learn about God s love and saving grace and form friendships with their fellow brothers and sisters in Christ that will last for generations to come!

13 JUST AROUND THE CORNER MARCH 25th Palm Sunday Cantata 9:30 & 11:15 am / Sanctuary 7:00 pm Maundy Thursday Service 7:30 am Good Friday Worship Service 10:00 am Easter Extravaganza Infant 23 Months Egg Hunt - 10:15 2 Year Olds Egg Hunt - 10:15 3 Year Olds Egg Hunt - 10:40 4 Year Olds Egg Hunt - 10:40 The Amazing Mr. A - 10:45 Kindergarten & 1st Grade Egg Hunt - 11:15 2nd & 3rd Grade Egg Hunt - 11:30 APRIL 1st Easter Sunday Traditional / 8:15, 9:30, 11:00 am Contemporary / 9:30 & 11:00 am 5:00 pm Boy Scout Lobsterfest & Silent Auction 22nd Daniel: Rescue in the Night Musical 9:30 & 11:00 am / Sanctuary 27th 28th Man-cation Men s Retreat Contact Suds for info RECURRING EVENTS Super Senior Movie Day 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month Admin. Conference Room Prayer Shawl 2nd Monday of the month Contact Ginger / Gathering of Men Lunch Tuesdays Gathering Office / Monthly Prayer Service 1st Sunday of the month in the Chapel / 5pm April s service will be April 8 Sanctuary Choir Rehearsal Thursdays / 7pm First Friday Book Club 1st Friday of the Month Contact Betty Percy / Women s Morning Circle 3rd Tuesday of the Month Contact Jane Sanders / Men s Prayer Breakfast Thursday mornings / 7:30am Fellowship Hall Saturday Morning Prayer Group 7:15am / Sanctuary Women in the Word Thursday mornings / 9:30am Fellowship Hall, Room B

14 Welcome to the First Pres Family! Multiple times throughout the year we hold a New Members/Inquirers class for those who want to learn more about our church home and possibly become a part of the First Pres family. These two pages are filled with our newest family members! Please be sure to welcome them!

15 Our next New Members/Inquirers Class is taking place on April 14 & 15. This is a great time to meet the staff of First Pres, learn more about the history of the church, and discover the many ways you can become involved with the many ministries we have. From outreach to fellowship - we have it all!

16 First Presbyterian Church in North Palm Beach 717 Prosperity Farms Road North Palm Beach, FL Phone (561) Fax (561) Follow First Pres on Facebook at For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39 GIFTS FROM GOD 12/27 - Levi Daniel Smith Gifted to Chris & Mary Smith 1/7 - Colton James Arnold Gifted to Colin & Amanda Arnold HOMEGOINGS 1/30 - Ann Rice 1/31 - Joarner Samuel 2/12 - Dr. Marilyn Stone 2/14 - Nancy McNair 2/1 - Bowen Henderson Coine Gifted to Connor & Brenna Coine