News of the Family from The United Presbyterian Church at Whitinsville

Transcription

1 The New Covenant News of the Family from The United Presbyterian Church at Whitinsville Homespun Holidays Inside this issue: Homespun Holidays Front Volunteer Schedule 2 Homespun Holidays 3 From the Pastor 4 NAC Thanksgiving 4 Coffee Fellowship 4 Book Club 5 BV Shelter App 6 Book Nook 7 Homespun Holidays 7 Hymn of Month 8 BV Shelter 8 Time Change! 8 Thank You! 8 Church Clean Up 8 Harvest Can Drive 9 Thanksgiving Sunday 9 Birthdays & Anniver 9 Prayers of the people 10 Calendar 11 Homespun Holidays Back Saturday, November 10th The United Presbyterian Church at Whitinsville 51 Cottage St. (church) - 7 Spring St. (office), Whitinsville, MA November 2018 Phone: Website: Office office@whitinpres.net Rev. Dr. Susan DeHoff sldehoff@verizon.net Office Hours: 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM Monday & Wednesday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM Thursday & Friday *The church office is CLOSED on Tuesdays. In case of emergencies, please call

2 Page 2 Ministries Nov 4 Nov 11 Nov 18 Nov 25 Dec 2 PoM WL 11/7 PoM Power Point D. Redden 11/14 L. Redden 11/21 G. Shannon 11/28 J. Vollmer 11/7 D. Redden L. Joyce L. Joyce L. Joyce L. Joyce T. Morin Worship Leader C. Matchett A. Reichert R. Thomas G. Shannon M. Thomas Children's Sermon Welcome Center ~ November ~ Rev. DeHoff A. Santoro G. Shannon C. Matchett H. Platt J. Baker M. Spalton S. Santoro C. Matchett Greeter J. Baker L & N Joyce K. Miedema G. Giemza M & B Widner Offering Counters Power Point N. Joyce & S. Mateer D & S Mateer G. Giemza & M. Austin C. Pilibosian & D. Miedema N. Redden N. Redden N. Redden N. Redden N.Joyce **Sunday Morning Worship Schedule** Adult Education Morning Worship Service Coffee Fellowship 9:30AM - 10:30AM 10:30AM - 11:30AM 11:30 AM For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them Matthew 18:20

3 Homespun Holidays November 10th 10 am 2 pm Our fair is just around the corner on Saturday, November 10th, from 10 AM 2 PM. Chairman Suzanne Santoro ( ) and her committees have finalized plans for a better-than-ever fair! Homespun Holidays will feature Crafts, Harvest Table, Theme Baskets, Silent Auction, Bake Sale featuring our famous Cookie Walk, Attic Treasures, Kid s Corner, and our delicious Crunchy Chicken Luncheon served from 11:00 AM on! Take-outs will be available ( $7 adults $3 10 years and under) On Monday evening, November 10th at 6:30 PM our Attic Treasures will be transported to the church from the Office Building. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated! On Wednesday, November 7th, tables will be arranged in the Fellowship Hal after Peace of Bread. On Thursday Evening, November 8th, from 6 PM to 8:30 PM the doors will be opened for Theme Baskets and Craft Donations. On Friday evening, November 9th, from 6 PM 8:30 PM the doors will be opened for Food and Craft Donations. On Saturday, November 10th the doors will be opened to the public at 10:00 AM.

4 Page 4 Would you like to help out with Coffee Fellowship? You can now SIGNUP to serve by writing your name on the schedule in the Gathering Place, or by contacting the Church Office. Signup alone or with a friend, and please plan on bringing one or two goodies to share. Thank you! On November 4, we celebrate our Presbyterian heritage by honoring those who have handed down the Christian faith from one generation to the next. Each succeeding generation answers God s call to build up the household of God, adding its contribution to those of all the faithful who went before us. Some of those who taught us the faith and encouraged us in it remain with us, and we honor their work by striving to fulfill our own calls from God. Others are no longer with us. The 11 th chapter of the book of Hebrews reminds us of the faith of people such as Abel, Noah, Abraham, and Moses. We also remember Deborah, who was one of the judges in the early days of the Israelite people. In his letters to the early churches Paul thanks Junia and Pricsilla for their contribution to furthering the gospel, and we certainly recall Mary and the prophetess Anna in the nativity story. Our Presbyterian heritage began with John Calvin and John Knox. John Calvin s writings form the theological basis of the Presbyterian denomination. Four of his ideas lie at the root of the Presbyterian understanding of the nature of God and humans and the relationship between them: (1) the image of God lies in the human soul; (2) knowledge of God has been naturally implanted in the minds of human beings; (3) the Spirit of God illumines the human spirit to have knowledge of God; and (4) the work of Christ overcomes the corrupted knowledge of God caused by sin. Calvin was 8 years old and living in France with his father when Luther published his 95 theses. The Calvins were devout Catholics, John s father holding a responsible position of service in the cathedral chapter. At 12, John was sent to the University of Paris, his father intending him for the priesthood. He became interested in evangelical humanism, including the study of the original Greek and Hebrew scripture manuscripts. After Calvin earned a Master s Degree, his father sent him to law school. Calvin earned a law degree and was a licensed attorney. His heart was in theology, however, especially the evangelical humanism that fueled the Reformation. NAC Thanksgiving Eve Service Will be Wednesday, November 7 pm at the St. Patrick's Church Whitinsville Calvin and Luther never met, but Calvin read Luther s writings. He became an outspoken supporter of the Reformation movement. As the Reformation continued in Europe, violence erupted in Paris, where the Catholic Church killed many of those advocating Protestant beliefs. Calvin broke permanently from the Catholic Church and for safety fled France, eventually settling in Geneva Switzerland for the rest of his life. Other Reformers also fled to Geneva, among them John Knox from Scotland. In Geneva Calvin became the first theologian to systematize Protestant theology. He wrote the Institutes of the Christian Religion as an instructional manual for lay people. He also published Bible commentaries. His writings show careful attention to and study of scripture. He did not dismiss challenging or disagreeable passages but rather used other passages and context to enlighten their meaning. Calvin preached at the Protestant church and turned Geneva into a theocracy whose governance centered on his biblical understanding of how society should be ordered. His belief in the sovereignty of God led to his views on predestination, a theological thought which, unfortunately, has become synonymous with him, overshadowing other more important beliefs.

5 For Calvin faith is a combination of doctrinal belief and direct experience of God. Along with the other Reformers, he taught that Christians have direct access to God without need for the church or church authorities as intermediaries. Salvation is by God s grace alone through faith; it has nothing to do with human merit or works. John Knox, according to Jane Dawson s excellent biography, was born in Haddington, Scotland in 1514 or 1515, making him two or three years old when the Reformation began. He was born into a Catholic family and christened in the Catholic Church. He attended the song school at St. Mary s church as a child, and his family hoped for a career in the Church for him. He learned and throughout his life remembered the singing of the psalms. Knox attended the University of St. Andrew. Although he did not become a humanist scholar and linguist, he recognized the importance given to rhetoric by other Reformers and became a worthy debate opponent. In 1536 Knox was ordained a deacon and subsequently a priest. By 1540 he was a minister in the archdiocese of St. Andrew. But in 1543 the regent for the infant Mary Queen of Scots moved toward church reform in Scotland, hoping to bring into it some Protestant belief. Knox first heard the Protestant message when a former Dominican Prior came to Knox s hometown. The decade of the 1540s saw Knox come to embrace the Protestant belief in justification by faith alone, and vehemently turn against the Roman Catholic Church. In 1547 Knox was called to be pastor of the Protestant congregation in St. Andrews castle. He embraced the evangelical humanist theology and totally rejected the Roman Catholic Church, including not only its message of works righteousness but also its style of worship, the pomp and circumstance of which he found to idolatrous. Knox s sermons were strong in their rejection of anything having to do with the Roman Catholic Church, and he did not preach them in secret. To make matters worse, he had a sizeable flock of followers. The establishment of a rival church incensed the Roman Catholic Church. Knox s friend and mentor George Wishart was burned at the stake in A fleet of French ships arrived to storm St. Andrews castle in July of 1547; Knox was captured and forced to serve on galley ships for seven years. Upon his release it was still not safe for him to be in Scotland, which remained under Catholic rule and Protestant persecution, so Knox joined the many other European exiles in Geneva, Switzerland, where he met John Calvin and was called as the first pastor in the Geneva Protestant Church. Knox became well-versed in Calvinist theology and eventually took it back to Scotland, where it was united with Scottish ideas of church government and became the Presbyterian denomination. In 1560, Knox was one of six theologians who wrote the Scots Confession, which remains part of the Presbyterian Church (USA) Constitution. Each generation of Christians does not re-invent the wheel, creating its own faith beliefs and practices. Ours is a Reformed Theology tradition, and as the Holy Spirit works within God s people to share faith in the current culture, the church continues to evolve. It is the evolution of a living creation, though, and it is important to remember that the church is not called to change itself to fit in with each new culture. Rather, the church is called to transform the culture in which it finds itself. Page 5 Women s Book Club Women s Book Club for November will be Friday, November 17th at 6:30 pm. We are reading the book MASTERPIECE by Francine Rivers. A successful LA artist, Roman Velasco appears to have everything he could possibly want money, women, fame. Only Grace Moore, his reluctant, newly hired personal assistant, knows how little he truly has. The demons of Roman s past seem to echo through the halls of his empty mansion and out across his breathtaking Topanga Canyon view. But Grace doesn t know how her boss secretly wrestles with those demons: by tagging buildings as the Bird, a notorious but unidentified graffiti artist an alter ego that could destroy his career and land him in prison. Like Roman, Grace is wrestling with ghosts and secrets of her own. After a disastrous marriage threw her life completely off course, she vowed never to let love steal her dreams again. But as she gets to know the enigmatic man behind the reputation, it s as if the jagged pieces of both of their pasts slowly begin to fit together... until something so unexpected happens that it changes the course of their relationship and both their lives forever.

6 Blackstone Valley Emergency Shelter VOLUNTEER APPLICATION Name: (Last) (First) (Middle Initial) Street Address: Page 6 City, State, Zip: Home Phone: Cell Phone: Volunteers must be over the age of 18 in order to interact with shelter guests. Age (choose one): under 18 OR 18+ Volunteer Opportunities. Please indicate how you would like to serve. Overnight Volunteer Team Coordinator Food preparation Setup / Cleanup On-call Facilities Assistance Other: Are you ServeSafe Certified? Yes OR No Are you CPR Certified? Yes OR No Gender (choose one): Male OR Female Special skills / talents: How often would you like to volunteer? Weekly Twice a month Monthly Other (please specify): Availability. Please indicate which shifts you would be willing to work, and mark your preferred shifts with an asterisk. (Note: Please mark all of the days that you would be willing to serve so that we can best coordinate our volunteers. You will only be asked to serve the number of times that you stated above.) Setup Crew Shift 1 Shift 2 Shift 3 Cleanup Crew Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Reference Information If volunteering as a part of a church or community organization, please give the name of the group: Employer: Phone: Please list the names and telephone numbers of two personal references: Name: Phone: Name: Phone:

7 This month s book suggestion is not a new, hot off the press book. Instead, it is a book that has stood the test of time, has been translated into several languages, and continues to be reprinted from time to time. The title is What Shall This Man Do? It was written by Watchman Nee (aka Ni Tuosheng), a Chinese Christian who, before the Cultural Revolution in China, was responsible for establishing Christian churches in that country. After the revolution, he was arrested in 1956 and sentenced to 15 years in a labor camp, because he would not stop spreading the Christian gospel. At the end of 15 years he was refused freedom, and he died in prison in In this book, Nee looks at the question Peter asked Jesus as he turned and looked at John: What about this man? What shall he do? Jesus replied that John s life was of no concern to Peter, but that Peter was to follow Jesus. Using that as a jumping off point, Nee considers the very different ministries of Peter, John, and Paul. In so doing, he leads the reader to consider the ministry God is calling the reader to fulfill. Ministries are individual, and they conform to the gifts, talents, even at times likes and dislikes, of each individual. The ministry to which one is called draws together all the elements of a person s life and focuses them on work for the Kingdom of God. Nee makes the point that the first requirement for a church to fulfill what God calls the church to fulfill is for its members to develop a close enough relationship with God that they can discern what God is calling them to do. The reader may find him/herself reflecting on the question what shall this church do? as she or he gets deeper into the book. A copy has been ordered for the Pastor s office and will be available for two-week check out times. It is also available for purchase on-line. H A P P Y oliday Cheer to ALL! pple pies rule! astries of all kinds resents for Christmas ummy cookies at our famous Cookie Walk! Sock Drive Page 7 The cold weather is upon us early this Fall season. The Deacons are collecting New Socks for the Emergency Shelter which will be opening November 1st. There are 2 collection bins located at the back of the church behind the last row of pews. H O M E S P U N arvest results jams, jellies, and relishes pportunity to visit with friends in the valley ore Money for Missions! veryone loves a Bargain! tylish clothes for 18 inch dolls lenty of fun items in Attic Treasures nique, quality crafts for every occasion ever forget the Reason for the Season! Save the date! Christmas Concert December 16 2:30 pm H O L I D A Y S appy faces everywhere! ften finding that special something you always wanted uncheon favorite Crunchy Chicken with Apple Crisp ncludes a Silent Auction with unusual items oing crafts and face painting in the Kids Corner nother display of attractive Theme Baskets early event always in November pirit of the Season prevails!

8 Hymn of the Month for November Page 8 The KMHMC appreciates your support of the fair and hopes to see everyone of you there! People of all ages working together makes hard work light as a feather! Raising money for Missions is what it s about, To God Be the Glory is our joyous shout! This month we will learn the only hymn believed to have been written by John Calvin, whose theology forms the basis of the Presbyterian understanding of Christian faith. Between his initial visit to Geneva and his return to Geneva, where he then lived the rest of his life, Calvin spent two and a half years in Strasbourg, France. I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art first appeared in 1545 in The Strasbourg Psalter. Calvin liked hymns, especially those that allowed the congregation to sing the Psalms. According to Dr. Derek Thomas, whose interview for the radio series Hymns of Faith can be found at around 1545 Calvin also began working on a larger volume of hymns, The Genevan Psalter. He spent fifteen to twenty years translating, setting into verse, and providing tunes for all 150 Psalms. His psalter continues to provide worship music in some of the Scottish Presbyterian churches and in the only French Protestant church in the U.S, located in Charleston, SC. Calvin did not put his signature to I Greet Thee Who My Sure Redeemer Art, and some scholars have questioned whether it can truthfully be attributed to him. We, of course, will never know for sure, but the hymn does reflect his theology and his understanding of what our Lord was like. Calvin never questioned the sovereignty of God or the sinful nature of human beings. He was very clear that God showed love and mercy for us sinners when he came to earth incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth. For Calvin, Jesus was the compassionate redeemer who brought salvation to all who would accept it. I have no doubt that when Calvin sang this song, in his heart and in his spirit he really was greeting his RFeaturededeemer. So shall we on November 4! Blackstone Valley Emergency Center Church Clean Up Day! Saturday, November 3 The shelter is planning to open on November 1st but volunteers are needed! Volunteers are needed to staff the shelter in four hour shifts throughout the night. Volunteers must be 18+ to apply and both men and women are needed! If you would like to help, please fill out the application on page 6 and mail to United Presbyterian Church 7 Spring St Whitinsville, MA or bv.emergency.shelter@gmail.com 8:00 am Come help get ready for the holidays and clean the church inside and out! See Susan Mateer for more info.

9 Page 9 Harvest Can Drive And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17 The holidays are upon us and Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away. The Deacons will be providing bags for Peace of Bread donations this Sunday Oct. 28 th and again on Sunday Nov. 4 th for anyone wishing to contribute non-perishable items for the food pantry. Please bring them back filled by Nov. 11 th so we may decorate the altar and restock the pantry before the holiday. Please leave your donations in the designated bins located at the entry doors of the church, please Do Not take downstairs to the pantry. Suggested Items: Potatoes Gravy Cranberry Sauce Broth Vegetables Soups Thanksgiving Sunday Join us on Sunday November 18 for a special time of celebration and sharing. Members of our congregation will be sharing stories of gratitude from this past year and we each will have the opportunity to give thanks by adding our own gifts to the Blessings Tree. You don't want to miss it! November Birthday Corner Celeste Frederickson 11/6 Molly Powers 11/6 Aaron Serna 11/8 Marcie Brandriff 11/9 Greg Giemza 11/10 Melody Powers 11/10 Kelly LaCava 11/12 Rena Matchett 11/13 Amy Nadeau 11/14 Jennifer Connelly 11/15 Liz Redden 11/15 Jennifer Szajna 11/28 November Anniversary Corner Tony & Suzanne Santoro 11/29 Chuck & Clara Holding 11/30

10 Prayers of Praise and Concern Prayers of Joys & Concerns Page 10 Our praises to God for: Todd Schelin is at home! Todd has returned home from Spaulding Rehab and is working hard with a local rehab therapist to regain full use of his leg. Sophie Liz Redden reported that her niece, Sophie s, surgery went well and she will be having the plate and pins removed from her right foot this week. Annmarie Castonguay expressed praise upon the birth of her friend s perfect and healthy baby girl, Brielle Michelle. David Danielle Redden would like to thank everyone who prayed for her friend Esther s brother, David (who had an abscess on his pelvic bone). His treatments are working and the infection is healing. Ruth Hoekstra Ruth s doctor has given her a pump to use to help relieve the fluid build-up in her legs, and she is feeling much better! Jim Ben Gaye Shannon had requested prayers for her cousin, Jim Ben, who had emergency thoracic surgery. Praise God that he is doing much better and is already sitting up. Jason Morin Jason expressed thanks for our prayers for him during his transition to college. We has adjusted well and has even found a job to cover his expenses. Please be in Prayer for: Diane Copp Diane requested that we remember the families of the victims in the recent shooting in a synagogue in PA in our prayers.. Mary Spalton Mary asked for prayers for herself as she will have skin cancer removed from her face on Nov. 13. She will also have 3 spots on her head frozen. Jean Finnegan Jean asked for prayers as she has a bone scan scheduled to try to determine the cause for the pain she has been suffering in her right leg and knee. Maura Suzanne Santoro asked for prayers for her niece, Maura and Maura s husband. Maura s mother-in-law passed away quite unexpectedly. Paul Annmarie Castonguay requests prayer for her friend, Paul, who has been suffering from esophageal cancer and is now at home on hospice care. Please also keep Paul s wife, Barbara, in your prayers as she cares for her husband. Pat Starkey Annmarie also requests prayer for her co-worker, Pat, who has leukemia. Pat now needs a bone marrow transplant and will be going through intense chemo to kill her own marrow in preparation for the transplant. Rosie Danielle Redden asks for prayer for Rosie (19) (sister of her friend Joshua) who will be having surgery this month for stage 3 colon cancer. Richard Brandy Giemza requests prayers for her brother, Richard, who is on a waiting list for a liver transplant. Richard has become very bloated and his health is deteriorating. Brandy asks that we pray that a liver will be available soon. Jason Morin Jason asked for prayers for healing of a whip lash injury that he received during a skate boarding accident. Matthew Laura Joyce requested prayer for her nephew, Matthew, who may have a separated shoulder caused by playing football. Ray & Sue Mary Spalton asks for continued prayer for her brother-in-law, Ray, who has come home from the nursing home with hospice. Mary also requests prayer for her sister, Sue, as she assists with Ray s care. Connie Mary Spalton requests prayers for her sister, Connie, who had a malignant mass removed from her colon. Doctors feel that have removed all malignancy and no further treatment is required. Please pray for Connie as she recovers from her surgery. Miles Erickson Arlene Koopman requests prayers for her newest great-grandchild, infant Miles Erickson, who has viral meningitis. Please pray for the success of his treatment. Norma Johnson Judy Salzberg asked for continued prayer for her daughter-in-law s mother. Norma had a set back and was put back on a breathing tube. She will be given a temporary tracheostomy so that she can begin rehab. Remember Those in Hospitals, Rehab Centers and Nursing Homes: Leona Cook - St. Camillus Health Center, 447 Hill Street, Whitinsville, MA Marion Boyd Beaumont Assisted Living, 85 Beaumont Dr., Rm 21, Northbridge, MA Arlene Koopman - Beaumont Assisted Living, 85 Beaumont Dr., Rm 17, Northbridge, MA Making Your Requests for Prayer Known You may use our prayer chain (upcwprayerchain@googlegroups.com) to share your prayer request. Before the worship service, write your request on a piece of paper & give it to the worship leader. During the worship service, share your request during the Prayers of the People segment. OR Call ( )or (whitinpres@gmail.com) your request to the church office.

11 6:00 am Men s Bible Stdy 8 AM Bible Study Heritage Sunday 6:30 PM Moving Attic 4:30 PM Bible Study 6:00 am Men s Bible Stdy 8 AM Bible Study 9:30 Sunday School Treasure items 5:30 Peace of Bread 6:30-8:30 pm Doors open 10-2 Homespun Holidays 10:30 Worship Service 7:00 Trustees 6:15 Peace of Music For Fair donations 11:30 Luncheon 7:00 Session Prayer 7:00 Sermon Discussion Mission Study Kickoff 7:00 Set up for Fair ;45 PrimeTime :30 Sunday School 7:00PM Worship Comm 7:00 PM Joint Sub Comm 4:30 PM Bible Study 6:00 am Men s Bible Stdy 8 AM Bible Study 10:30 Worship Service 5:30 Peace of Bread 6:30 pm Women s Book 11:30 Coffee Fellowship 6:15 Peace of Music Club 7:00 Session 4:30 PM Bible Study 6:00 am Men s Bible Stdy 8 AM Bible Study 9:30 Sunday School 5:30 Peace of Bread 10:30 Worship Service 6:15 Peace of Music 11:30 Coffee Fellowship 7:00 Sermon Discussion ;45 PrimeTime :30 Sunday School 6:30 Deacons 4:30 PM Bible Study 10:30 Worship Service 5:30 Peace of Bread 11:30 Second Sunday 6:15 Peace of Music November Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Thanksgiving Sunday Daylight Saving ;45 PrimeTime 8 9 Veterans Day 10 7:00 Sermon Discussion ;45 PrimeTime 22 Thanksgiving :00 NAC Thanksgiving Service Social/church decorating 7:00 Sermon Discussion party 8 AM Church Clean Up

12 NON-PROFIT United Presbyterian Church of Whitinsville U.S. POSTAGE PAID Permit No Cottage Street Whitinsvile, MA Phone: News of the Church Family from the United Presbyterian Church at Whitinsville Homespun Holidays Homespun Holidays is fast approaching! On Saturday, November 10th from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Fellowship Hall will be bustling with enthusiastic holiday shoppers. Chairman Suzanne Santoro and her committee have finalized plans for a better- than- ever fair with something for everyone! If you can assist in any way, please contact Suzanne ( ) Homespun Holidays Contact People Craft and Harvest Tales Suzanne Santoro ( ) Theme Basket Consultant Harriet Platt ( ) and Jennifer Connelly ( ) Silent Auction Harriet Platt & Jennifer Connelly Bake Sale Rena Matchett ( ) Attic Treasures Carol Pilibosian ( ) and Bev Keeler ( ) Kids Corner Anna Santoro Luncheon - Chefs Laurie, Gaye, Sally and Mike Publicity Alice Legg, Harriet Platt and Bev Keeler