Pastor Paul s Post. Thoughts from the Heart. By Pastor Katie Hopper

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1 Pastor Paul s Post Thoughts from the Heart This entire month of March we are in Lent. We go from talk of forgiveness: Yet even now, says the Lord, return to me with all your heart Joel 2:12. Through invitation to orient our lives to Jesus: In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son.. 1 John 4:10. To the cross at Golgotha and Resurrection Sunday: Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen Luke 24:5-6. By Pastor Katie Hopper There was an Ash Wednesday service to prepare our hearts and minds for this season. We try to understand what the cross of Christ Jesus means in the Bible and in our lives as Christians, especially when it seems foolish to the world. It does seem odd to spend time in contemplating the suffering of Christ during this time, that it had to happen this way. We know how this part of the story ends, it ends well, very well. We are not just following these weeks to Good Friday but to Easter. There is death but it is to be faced, dealt with and defeated. This has already been done by Jesus and this is how we can lift up the cross. We look forward to the resurrection! Belize Mission Trip Update The 2015 Belize mission trip planning and fundraising is underway. The team from our church includes: Lyle Morrison, Will, Sheila & Olivia Lanker, Janice Shiffer, Julie Clodfelter, Sara & Olivia McIntosh and Pastor Paul Spangler. We will be gone March to do a construction project and other ministry in Cristo Ray, a village in the Corozal District, in Northern Belize. It has about 500 people and most family income comes from growing sugarcane and farming. We will be staying at the community center in town and working with our brothers and sisters in Christ at Luz Del Evangelio, their church. There will be opportunities to attend church, bible studies, and ministry outreach. Besides the service project, we will also get to know people by home visits and playing sports together. We look forward to sharing what we can and to learn from them how life is lived where they are. Thank you to all who have helped support this team financially as well as in prayer. We are signing up people to specifically pray for individual mission team members. If you would like to be on someone s prayer list, to let them know you are praying for them during this time of preparation as well as during that week then please contact that person. Please note: Due to the February Session meeting being pushed back a week because of the Ash Wednesday Service, Session notes normally found in the Tower Tidings will not be included in this newsletter. If you are interested, you may find the February Session notes on the credenza outside of the church office when they become available.

2 The Clown Report By Butterfly the Clown We hope you enjoyed Clown Sunday we certainly did! Now, we Jesters are thinking about future plans, in keeping with upcoming dates. Spring (that wonderful season) will be here before we know it! But, first Palm Sunday and Easter need our attention. So J4J will meet on Sunday, March 15th. We will gather in the parlor, immediately following our worship service. Please stand by for future information! Until next time. Butterfly the Clown Witts to Clown Conference! Four days in Springfield, MO, were full of all sorts of clowning! Our eyes were opened! We saw a different approach to sharing God s love as clowns. Workshops on magic, balloonsculpting, juggling, story-telling, make-up, and face-painting were presented. Professional clowns, experts in their fields, offered good information on technique of entertaining. Gospel music and devotional times were presented twice a day. Information and entertainment filled each day, and we drove home discussing and sharing our experiences. We thank God for guiding us on our journey, and bringing us safely home. Tread Lightly for Lent Lent is usually seen as a time to give something up for the betterment of our spiritual selves. This Lent, instead of giving something up, what about giving back to God s creation? As a people called to be good stewards of the earth, you are invited to try one thing to lessen your impact as an individual, as well as our congregation as a whole, on the environment each day during Lent. Suggestions for doing this are included on a special Lenten Green calendar in this issue of the Tower Tidings. Feel free to implement the suggestions found there, or even come up with some of your own! Let s use these forty days of inward reflection to also impact the world around us. FCA Banquet Opportunity First Presbyterian Church is considering sponsoring a table for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Banquet on April 19. The banquet itself is at 6 pm and is a free fundraiser for FCA! The banquet also includes hearing a message from Steve Fitzhugh, as well as stories from local student athletes and coaches. If you are interested, let Pastor Paul know. Farewell, Hyeyeon! Hyeyeon s last Sunday with us will be March 1, as she is returning to Korea. First Presbyterian Church would like to thank her for sharing her musical gifts and talents with us, and we wish her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors! We are thankful for the time we were able to share with Hyeyeon, and we know that she has a bright future ahead of her. John Calvin Quote of the Month The custody of the garden was given in charge to Adam, to show that we possess the things which God has committed to our hands, on the condition that, being content with a frugal and moderate use of them, we should take care of what shall remain Let every one regard himself as the steward of God in all things which he possesses.

3 Mission Report: The Mission committee is getting organized and invites any interested mission-loving person in our church family to notify Sheila Lanker if they would like to serve on the committee. Sheila Lanker, Mission Chair During the month of March, Pastor Paul will be attending two conferences. The first of the two is the Stewardship Kaleidoscope Conference, followed by the NEXT Church Conference. If you are interested in knowing more about these conferences, feel free to visit the following websites: Half Week Mission Trip, June 28-July 1: Chicago This summer our middle school students and accompanying adult leaders have an opportunity to serve in urban missions and ministry in Chicago. This program is hosted by 4th Presbyterian Church, where they will stay, in the middle of the magnificent mile on Michigan Ave. They will explore the city in new ways, understanding about the dynamics of life in the third largest city in America while in service to those in need. This information and more is on their website: If interested contact Pastor Paul. To reserve your spot we need a $100 deposit. Monticello Fighting Hunger Feb. 28 There are still plenty of spots to sign up for Monticello Fighting Hunger! The city is putting together 100,000 meals and we will do our part for this effort. We still have spots available from 9-11am and 1-3pm, the sign up sheet is posted on information board by the coat hangers. This is an service that all can participate in. We are also serving the volunteers at that early afternoon shift so we can use even more helpers. All this activity will take place at the middle school. See you Saturday! T-shirts and Bag Lunches! The Belize Mission Group will be selling t-shirts this Sunday, March 1, for $15 each. They will also be selling bag lunches for $5. The lunches will include a turkey sandwich, ham sandwich, or the choice of a turkey and ham sandwich, along with chips and homemade cookies. Both the t- shirts and the bag lunches are being sold to support the upcoming March mission trip to Belize. Take this chance to show your support! All Daughters Banquet Set for May 2 Mark your calendars! The annual All Daughters Banquet will be held on Saturday, May 2 in the fellowship hall. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m., followed by the program Favorite Children s Books Across the Decades. Those attending are invited to bring a favorite book from childhood (either their own childhood or their children s or grandchildren s) and will be given the opportunity to share their memories. People could also bring other books, not necessarily children s books, but ones that mean a great deal to them, perhaps given to them by a family member. We re hoping that the youngest daughters of our church will participate in the program as they can bring their favorite books and, if they choose, tell us why they like the book. The majority of the program will be people talking about their favorites, and Barb Lintner, retired children s librarian, will share information about children s literature. Information about menu, price and sign up will be available at a later date.

4 The First Presbyterian Top 10 Hymn List One of the interesting projects the church office has worked on recently includes cataloguing hymns that the congregation has sung since Part of this project included creating a list of the top ten congregational favorites. We hope you find this list as fun as fascinating as we did! Most Sung Hymns of All Time Times Sung Great Is Thy Faithfulness 21 Let Us Break Bread Together 17 Here I am, Lord 16 My Hope is Built on Nothing Less 16 How Great Thou Art 14 Give Thanks With A Grateful Heart 13 Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine! 12 O Beautiful For Spacious Skies 11 When Morning Gilds the Skies 11 Called as Partners in God s Service 11 Easter Breakfast! E & F committee would like you to mark your calendars for Easter breakfast at 9 a.m. on Sunday, April 5th. We will share more details in the April Tower Tidings. Mega Work-A-Thon Fundraising Event On March 7, participants from churches in Champaign County will help put staple food items into boxes and deliver them to families in need. This is empty tomb s major fundraising event of the year. Church people can sign up to participate and are asked to make a monetary donation to empty tomb. The event will take place at empty tomb (301 N. Fourth St., Champaign) from 8 a.m. to noon. Register at emptytomb.org or call PTS Online Lenten Devotional Pittsburg Theological Seminary invites you to observe Lent with their online devotional, which includes devotionals written by members of the PTS community. You can access the devotional in these ways: Read online or print and share by visiting Receive daily s by visiting the click Sign-up for Seminary News and Devotionals. Follow along on Facebook or Twitter Download the free Android or Apple app by visiting the App Store and searching for Devotionals Advent & Lent. Follow along daily and be prepared to deepen your faith in Christ through the words of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Martin Luther Quote of the Month Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

5 Lenten Green Calendar Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat February 17 Pledge to save energy at home! Go to imatechange/e missions/ind_cal culator.html to calculate your carbon footprint. 18 Wash clothes with a full load and use cold water. 19 Pledge to not drink from a disposable water bottle during Lent. Carry a reusable water bottle and keep up the good work after Lent! 20 Ask your grocery store to supply more locally grown food. February 21 Ask your church to order ecopalms for Palm Sunday (Side note from FPC: We already ordered our eco-palms!) February 22 Learn more about ecojustice at: tice.org. Share what you have learned with others. February 23 Avoid buying anything with extra packaging on your next trip to the grocery store. February 24 End phantom loads: use a power strip to turn off electronics even when they are off. February 25 Place a plastic bottle full of water in the toilet rank to reduce the amount of water used when you flush. February 26 Carry a nondisposable bag with you to avoid using plastic bags. February 27 Skip eating meat this week. It takes 12,009 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of beef. Learn more here: food/justeating. htm February 28 Organize an Earth Day Celebration for your church on the Sunday before or after Earth Day, April 22. March 1 Learn about environmental racism and research related issues in your community. March 2 If you pack a lunch, pack in reusable containers. If you buy your lunch, avoid Styrofoam. March 3 Replace one incandescent lightbulb with a CFL bulb. If you already use CFLs, offer one to someone else. March 4 Take a shorter shower today. Make this a routine and buy a low-flow shower head. March 5 Buy coffee from the Presbyterian Coffee Project through Equal Exchange. See: coffee/order.ht m March 6 Find local food sources at st.org March 7 Organize an energy audit for your church. See: denergy.org/ce PProject/IPLreso urces/index.htm March 8 Learn more about mountaintop removal. Check our your coal at: tains.org March 9 Reuse something that you would have thrown away today. March 10 Turn down your thermostat 2 degrees. Each degree lower can help save 5% on your heating costs. March 11 Do not put fats, oils, or grease down the drain, even if you have a garbage disposal. This can clog pipes. March 12 Go through your closet and donate unneeded items to a local ministry. March 13 Try to eat food that is in season. March 14 Ask your church to use reusable dishes instead of disposable.

6 Lenten Green Calendar Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat March 15 Learn about Fair Trade and how to support it at: trade/ft/htm March 16 Use cloth napkins at home instead of paper napkins. March 17 Check your doors and windows for leaks with a ribbon or feather and add extra weather strips if necessary. March 18 Check your toilet for leaks by putting a drop of food coloring in the tank. If the toilet bowl water changes color without flushing, there is a leak. March 19 Switch to nontoxic cleaning products like baking soda. See: com/live_nonto xic_solutions.ht m March 20 Compost food scraps & use them for gardening rather than sending them to a landfill. See: post.org March 21 Learn about incorporating environmental issues in your worship at tion.org. March 22 Today is World Water Day. Learn more at: rg/worldwaterd ay March 23 Recycle as much as you can! March 24 Walk, bike, or take public transportation as much as possible. March 25 Dispose of hazardous materials properly. Find a disposal site at: com/hazardous March 26 Some personal care & cosmetic products contain toxic ingredients. Check out your products here: database.com March 27 Be mindful of how much food you waste and decrease this. March 28 See if anyone at your church would like to organize a care for creation group. March 29 Learn about how to become involved with Presbyterians for Earth Care at: hcare.org March 30 Take a walk and collect all the trash you see and recycle it (or throw away if necessary). March 31 Check your tire pressure to be sure that your tires are properly inflated. This can improve your gas mileage by 3.3%. April 1 Fix any leaky faucets. A faucet that drips once per second can waste 3,000 gallons of water a year. This is no joke! April 2 Stay up to date on environmental legislative issues. Subscribe to our e- newsletter: washington April 3 Plant seeds for a garden, even a window garden. If it is too early to plant in your region, plan for your garden at: om/content/beg innersvegetablegarden Do you want to learn or do more? Sign up for the Eco-Notes e-newsletter from Environmental Ministries at: Organize a service project at your local food bank. Organize a stream clean up in your area. American Rivers can help with this at: Organize an event surrounding environmental issues at your church.

7 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 Communion 1:30-5 pm Stephen Ministry Retreat :45 am Ministerial Alliance Mtg. 7 pm Worship Mtg. 7 pm E&F Mtg. 5 6 World Day of Prayer 7 7 am Men s Meeting at the Red 8 11:15 am Deacon s Meeting Daylight saving time begins 9 7 pm Mary- Martha Circle Pastor Paul in Kansas City 3/9-3/12 (Stewardship Kaleidoscope) 10 6 pm Friendship Circle 11 7 pm CE Mtg pm Missions Mtg Pi Day 10 a.m.-12 p.m. Willow Tree Volunteering Pastor Paul in Chicago 3/16-3/18 (NEXT Conference) 17 St. Patrick s Day 12:30 pm Stephen Ministers Mtg pm Session Meeting Mary Gangloff/Jordan Latsko Wedding 21 Leave for Mission Trip to Belize TOPS event 8:30 am-4 pm 22 World Water Day Return home from Belize Mission Trip 28 Camps and Conferences Work Day 29 Palm Sunday 30 April TT articles and calendar events due 31 April TT Mailed 1 9:45 am Ministerial Alliance Mtg. 7 pm Worship Meeting 7 pm E&F Mtg. 2 Maundy Thursday 3 Good Friday 12 pm Pastor Paul preaching at Community Service (First Christian Church) 4 Easter Vigil 7 am Men s Meeting a the Red