Newsletter: Today is Thursday, January 18, 2018

Transcription

1 JOHN CALVIN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Natural Bridge Road Bridgeton, MO Call Check us out at Newsletter: Today is Thursday, January 18, 2018 FRIDAY 6:30PM JANUARY 19 All ages are welcome at the JCPC family game night. Bring your favorite table games and snacks/drinks. The Robinson family will assure there are extra games for all. BRIELLE HARDY IS TURNING 2! You are invited Saturday, January 20 11am-1pm in the GE Room ABOUT THIS SUNDAY, JANUARY 21 FROM PASTOR JOHN MUGS & MUFFINS I got into church at about 6:30 Thursday morning and I realized I had already made lots of decisions... what to wear, what to eat for breakfast, what to prepare at the house to take with me for lunch, what was I going to do first when I got to the office. None of these decisions are what I would call life changing. But in the course of our lives we do have decisions that are life changing. All women are invited to come to the JCPC Library this Sunday to get together for Mugs & Muffins. Please join us from 9-9:30 for coffee, muffins and conversation. So how do we journey with God in these life changing decisions? There seems to be 2 ways which I will be talking about in Sunday's Sermon. I invite all of you to make a decision to come for worship this Sunday. See you at 10:30. ~PJ It's good to be back. I share with people that the day after I had my foot amputated I felt so much better - like a new person. The doctors felt like my body was no longer being poisoned by a completely infected foot. I had antibiotics for another ten days, just to get rid of any remaining problems. Then I was off to a week of physical therapy at the rehab center and now I am in the process of being fitted for a prosthetic foot. I am still wheelchair bound but in another few weeks I should have the prosthetic and walking again. Then my first goal is to start swinging a golf club. So here is how God operates. I have been in conversation with a real estate agent who mentioned he grew up in North County and ran around with a bunch of the firefighters. I asked him if he knew Dave Tilley and Mike Murray who had been big supporters of mine when I was in politics. He knew both but then he mentioned that Dave lost his foot in an accident some nine years ago and had a prosthetic foot. The next time we talked, the real estate agent had spoke to Dave Tilley and he absolutely remembered me. And he said when I have the prosthesis installed and I am ready for my first golf game, he wants to take me out and show me a few adjustments I will need to do with that artificial foot. Yes, God does provide. I have another great story to share with you on this Sunday. I am so excited to be back and to be leading worship again. I hope my life filled with constant trips to the hospital because of infection, has now moved on and I will no longer deal with a whole body illness. Peace to all of you and I look forward to being there Sunday. See you then. ~PJ ALSO THIS SUNDAY WOMEN S MOVIE DISCUSSION GROUP This Sunday at 9:30, the Women s Movie Discussion Group will continue with the DVD Laughing in the Dark: A Bible Study on the Book of Job. This study features contemporary Christian author and Queen of Clean comedian Chonda Pierce who parallels her own life struggles to the Old Testament character of Job. Chonda s take on loss, friends, relatives and the nature of God s enduring faithfulness are filled with truth and humor. All women are invited to participate in this DVD discussion.

2 JOHN CALVIN PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH INVITES YOU TO I teach a class in World Religion at Lindenwood University. We are on our first religion known as Judaism. As Judaism developed as a religion, it developed this notion of Halakah. This was the way one was made righteous. It required daily readings from the Torah, attending Shabat which is their version of a church service only somewhere between sundown on Friday and sundown on Saturday. And practicing the festivals and Holidays such at Yom Kippur and Passover, just to name a few. It is hard to stay on the path of Halakah. Many cannot do it or even want to do it. The result according to the theology of Judaism is that if you do not walk the path of Halakah then you will wind up in the "Hell" part of Sheol, instead of the Heaven part. If you are in the the "Heaven" part then when God returns, your soul will be reunited with your bones (Ezekiel) and you will live in a new paradise on earth. Boy am I glad that our theology works just the opposite. Jesus is the propitiation, the one who paid the price, who walked the path of Halakah so that by our faith in him, we have the promise of eternal life. So instead of walking the path, as followers of Christ we get to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit to transform our lives. We also can find the peace that passes all understanding when we trust in Him. What a difference. As Paul says in Romans 12 - I employ you (like you were trying to get someone to come out of a burning house) to be transformed by the renewing of your mind - that is letter Jesus be both Lord and Savior of your life. Amen to all of that. ~PJ A Night of Pasta & Praise Friday, February 23 PASTA DINNER SERVED 6:00-7PM $10 per adult / $5 per child PRAISE CONCERT AT 7PM JCPC CHOIR PRAISE TEAM HANDBELL CHOIR GRANITE CITY GOSPEL SWING BAND escrip PROGRAM UPDATE John Calvin Church received $ from the Schnucks escrip Community Card Program during September, October and November This increases our total receipts to $10, since we started the program. This program includes both Food and Pharmacy purchases. Thank you for your continued support. If you would like to sign up for the program or need a new card, call Marion Elliott ( ) for information on how to receive a card. Adult substitutes are needed to help fill in at Nursery or Kids Club when someone is out. If anyone is interested please contact Robin rkinquist@gmail.com or call We are in need of one or two people to be trained on the AV equipment and the software programs we use on Sunday Morning. This person would be put on the schedule to operate the booth during worship. If you are interested, please see Pastor John. There will be a JCPC All-Church Bowling party Sunday February 18, from Noon - 2:00pm at Carrollton Bowl (less than a mile from church). Cost is $1.50/game & $3.50 for shoe rental. The snack bar and Brick Stone Pizza are available for lunch. COMMUNITY HELPING MINISTRY WHAT: For every "Hunger" bag sold during the month of February at 2 Schnucks locations, Community Helping Ministry (CHM) will receive $1 donation. WHERE: Olive Blvd and St Charles Rock Rd WHEN: The entire month of February 1/22 1/27 1/28 1/29 1/30 2/1 2/6 Jackson Barnum Brielle Hardy Kaylee Shear Jaydon Oldham Kyle Baker Christina Shear Gil Elliott Tara Barnum Angela Cook Paul Doty

3 Worship at JCPC on January 14, 2018

4 Worship at JCPC on January 14, 2018

5 Below: Barb Hanson and Rick Kreitner read scripture from 1 Samuel chapter 3. The LORD said to Samuel: See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. Worship at JCPC on January 14, 2018 Below: Rev. Janet Riley preached the sermon, Answering God s Call based on 1 Samuel chapter 3, when Samuel realized God was calling him. Samuel s ears tingled at God s voice. Do your ears sometimes tingle when you hear God speak? Below: Tuning in to what God is saying takes concentration and setting aside the quiet time to dwell in God s word. The congregation was challenged by Rev. Janet Riley to say, Speak, Lord, your servant is listening. Here I am, when we hear God calling us to serve him.

6 Worship at JCPC on January 14, 2018 Below: Doug Peterman invited everyone to participate in Family Game Night on January 19 at 6:30pm. Doug shared a story about a game of his childhood, a Dutch version of shuffleboard. Below: This is a photo of the church Welcome Area, where Jennifer Hardy keeps a watchful eye on the youngest member of Kid s Club. Below: This chalkboard highlights what the Kid s Club is studying. Their lesson, In the Beginning focuses on God s Creation in Genesis.

7 Kid s Club at JCPC on January 14, 2018 PHOTO CREDIT: CINDY LAY