Session Digest Stated Meeting - Thursday, June 15, 2017

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1 I really am enjoying reviewing the church s history. I can t thank Leslie Wyman and Becky Roberts enough for all their help in reviewing our first 125 years of our life together. What my take away from at least our first 68 years as a church is how we shared our facilities with others. It seems a General Baptist pastor held services in the stone church for several years. It was called The Union Church because the people of the community helped fund and support their local church. Yes, we were affiliated with the Presbyterian Church of the United States (Southern Presbyterian Church), yet saw our mission as supporting the larger body of Christ as well. That hasn t changed, as still today we see a major part of our ministry as helping the different parts of Christ s body work together in serving our Lord, Jesus Christ. This coming Sunday, we ll be looking at the church s past from 1950 to This is the period of time when the church moved into its present sanctuary, added on to the church and continued ministry in the heart of Forsyth. This was an exciting time for the church. Then the following week, our celebration weekend, we ll review our whole history, while taking a close look at our ministry from 1990 to We will have some dignitaries with us, along with some past members and family members of the church. A couple of Sunday s ago, a couple came to the church and asked a couple of members, what does Presbyterian mean? The person asked couldn t easily answer the question, so they asked me. Here s my very quick and short response. Presbyterian comes from the Greek word presbuteros, which means elder. We are governed by the elders of the church. Elders called by God and elected by the people. (Sunday, morning following worship we have a congregational meeting to elect members to be the elders in the class of 2020.) I too am an ordained elder in the church, a teaching elder. Some denominations have bishops and priests who govern them. Some are governed by the congregation. We are governed by the elders. This goes back to the 1500 s when John Calvin was helping form what would become the reformed/presbyterian church. If this is not enough for you, I have books in my office that will help expand on my answer to this question. Yet, as I think about our church s past and our future, what is important to me is not just being good Presbyterians, but being faithful disciples of Jesus Christ, faithful Christians. What does it mean to be Christian? To believe and trust in Jesus the Christ and seek to be little christ s. We are to seek to be Christ s presence to those around us and to share God s holy love unto others. I believe that by reviewing our past, it will help us with our present and the future God is calling us into. This day, I give thanks for our past and this day, this time that God did not promise us, yet is giving to us. May we be faithful with the present and future, as those before us were faithful unto God. Pastor Dennis

2 Ten of the twelve elders were present. Session Digest Stated Meeting - Thursday, June 15, 2017 Devotional & Opening prayer was focused upon directing the rider, motivating the elephant and shaping the path. (Provers 4:26-27, Psalm 5:8; Matthew 7:7-8) Elders heard a report on the installation of the new church sign. A huge thank you to Dale Overcast who was able to come and assist with the drilling of the holes with his hole digger. Elders heard progress reports on the child protection policy for the church, as well as the updating of the church wedding policy. Both will be given to the elders for their review before the next session meeting. Elders decided to focus upon new coffee cups and car insignia for advertising and first time worshipper gifts. Elders heard a report on the church security and disaster training held at the church and lead by Fire Chief Nathan Bower. Diagram s need to be developed for the main fellowship hall so those using it know how to get to safe room and/or exits. In the case of a medical emergency during worship or other church event, a team of three people will give assistance. It was also noted that the safest place for those who cannot get to the safe room, is to go to office hallway or upstairs bathrooms. Head usher Cathie Sutherland will assist with this. The policy will be reviewed and an Earthquake policy added. Financial reports for May were reviewed. Elders give thanks for faithful gifts and watchful spending. Both are keeping us in the black so far this year. Elders heard a report on the review and bids for the church s insurance. After hearing from several different companies, it was decided to stay with American Family as what they are charging the church is very comparable to other insurance companies. They have also been very responsive to all our needs. Under Evangelism and Mission, the elders heard a progress report on the Numana, INC food project being planned for the fall. Reports will be shared with the congregation in the near future. It was also moved that $200 be added to our budget for the Mentor Program as this is a very important program of our church. Parish Activities celebrated the success of the cookout at Steve and Susan Wood s house. They also reported on the plans for the 125 year celebration on July 9. It is hoped that we will have 110 people in attendance at worship and the luncheon. The Nominations Committee headed up by Buddy Roberts and Vera Hardin reported that they have a full slate to present to the congregation. A congregational meeting was called for Sunday, July 2 after worship for the election of elders to the class of Good points about our meeting lively discussion. Next session meeting, July 27 (Fourth Thursday, as the 3 rd Thursday is Pastor Dennis and Phyllis anniversary). Session will convene at 4:30 pm. 2

3 Statement does not include end of month salaries. Benevolence Fund Report: During June we helped 22 people: 15 with rent, 3 with utilities, 3 with food & clothing, and 1 with prescriptions. We also received donations to the fund this month. Thanks for your wonderful gifts! If you would like to make a donation to the Benevolent Fund, please do so by marking your check special gift - benevolent fund. You can also donate to the fund through our website s PayPal button. It s toward the bottom on the first page. Please mark your gift for the Benevolent Fund. Those who receive our assistance greatly appreciate your gifts! Diabetic Focus Group Our guest speaker for the July meeting will be Dr. Reed Click. Our meeting date has been changed to July 10 th at 10:00, because of the 4 th of July holiday. Please note the change and plan to attend. Looking forward to seeing everyone and guests. Remember to bring your ideas and any diabetic health concerns for the Q&A time with Dr. Click. Come and join us and bring a friend or a neighbor! 3

4 During the Summer, we are often so busy that we don t give a second thought to events in the future. So I would like to take this opportunity to talk about two events that are in the future of John Calvin Presbytery. The first event is the visit of the International Peacemaker. This year we will host Doug Baker from Northern Ireland. The dates will be September 22nd to 28th and we are working on a Presbytery Gathering to meet him while he is here. Please put those dates on your calendar. The second event is Equipping the Saints on October 21st at Southminster Presbyterian Church in Springfield, MO. This event will feature Joan Gray, author of Sailboat Church: Helping Your Church Rethink Its Mission and Practice. This all day event will also include workshops on stewardship, resources, elder training, conflict management, and doing church differently. We hope that all churches bring several people to help make this event an amazing success. Hope to see a lot of you at these exciting Presbytery events. Pastor Susan Rosenbaum The Bookies The next meeting of the Bookie Club is scheduled for Thursday, 2017, at 10:30 AM in the hospitality room. Our July book is Simple Gifts by Joanne Greenberg. Family. Humorous novel set in the modern West tells about the Fleuris, a family of poor but engaging misfits, who live on a Colorado ranch. They barely make a living until a government agency persuades them to turn their ranch into a home for visitors that recaptures life as it was for the early homesteaders in Looking forward to August, our book will be : The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir by Ruth Wariner. Chronicle of growing up in a fundamentalist polygamous cult in rural Mexico. Wariner describes the murder of her father by her uncle to gain power within their church, sexual abuse by her stepfather, and fallout from escaping the congregation at the age of sixteen with younger siblings. Please join us and bring a friend! 4

5 Called Congregational Meeting Sunday, July 2 - following worship The purpose of the meeting is to elect Elders for the class of The nominating committee will nominate the following: Madelon Kinkade Clyde Henscheid Donna Lakey Dave Wright Nominations from the floor will also be accepted. If you wish to nominate someone, please ask whether they would be willing to serve, should they be elected. 125 th Anniversary of Community Presbyterian Church Forsyth, Missouri You are cordially invited to attend the 125 th Celebration Service Of the church at Forsyth, Missouri on July 9 th, 2017 Church Service at 10:30 A.M. Light luncheon in fellowship hall immediately following service (Please bring a large salad to share, if you are able.) T-shirts are in! If you still want to order a shirt, please contact Madelon Kinkade or the office. Thanks for the great response! Front of shirt Back of shirt $10 (50/50) cotton or $ % polyester (For sizes XXL +$2 extra, XXXL +$3 and 4X +$4) Payment needed at the time you place your order. 5

6 Note: We re revisiting this series to thank our elders whose terms are up in September and to introduce our new elders. GETTING TO KNOW ELDER: Vera Hardin Vera Harlan Hardin was 1 of 6 children born into a loving family and modest existence in the small town of Westville, Oklahoma. She met Chet, the love of her life and later her husband, while in high school. They married two months before graduating and walked one behind the other across the stage. Chet entered the navy two weeks later. That was the beginning of a fabulous 58-year journey that took them all over the world. After Chet s 4 years in the Navy, they returned to OK to begin their college educations. Vera taught school for 33 years while Chet taught only a few years before becoming a head counselor. Most of his career was as viceprincipal in charge of discipline and campus security. One of the Hardin s great adventures took them to Point Barrow, Alaska, where they taught school for 1 year. Ask her about it; it is a fabulous story. Vera climbed on behind Chet on his motorcycle and rode with him as they toured all over the USA and in many foreign countries. They never had children of their own, but that didn t stop them from sharing their love and big hearts with a young high school girl who was much in need of someone to love her. They more than met the need. They took her in until she graduated from high school, sent her to college, and encouraged her to dream. That young lady, Jeanne, calls them Mom and Dad. She is now a wonderful and thankful lady who is retired from serving as a principal in CA. Chet was a great storyteller. He told me that he was so poor growing up that a tornado once hit their farm and it did $10,000 worth of improvements. It was a sad day for all of us when we lost Chet in We ll never have another with his rare sense of humor and giving heart. He could cause a stump to break out in laughter. If you should be around Taneycomo Terrace, you just might see Vera out walking with her best buddy, her dog Sammy. What do they say, woman s best friend? The Hardins moved to Forsyth in Vera has been a member of CPC for 25 years. She has served as Moderator of P.W., Circle Chair, sings in the Choir, and served on various committees. In addition, she is a long-time mentor with the Panthers Partners mentor program in the Forsyth schools. When asked what word would best describe her, she replied, "dependable." I believe anyone who knows her would agree. Vera is currently completing her 4th term as an Elder, currently in her 10th year. Her current term will end this September. The next time you see her, thank her for her service as an elder and all the other things she does and has done. Thank you Vera for your service to our church family. 6

7 (The following message is a reprint from 2 years ago, but still very relevant today.) INDEPENDENCE DAY THOUGHTS Like many of you the 4 th of July is filled with memories of days which seem like long ago. The excitement of early morning noisy firecrackers and the beauty of evening skies filled with the colorful lights of fireworks. Gretchen and I will always cherish the trips we took to baseball parks with our boys in suburban Kansas City and other such exotic places in Kansas like Dodge City, Larned, Abilene, Hutchinson, Hays, Emporia and yes --- it was always HOT! Every Independence Day is truly a day for each of us to celebrate and yes, to reflect on our nation's historic break from England. Our nation was born out of strife and strife continues to challenge us today, but that is where greatness comes from. In his second inaugural address President Dwight D. Eisenhower made the following comments: "I, too, am a witness, today testifying in your name to the principles and purposes to which we, as a people, are pledged. Before all else, we seek, upon our common labor as a nation, the blessings of Almighty God. And the hopes in our hearts fashion the deepest prayers of our whole people. May we pursue the right without self-righteousness. May we know unity without conformity. May we grow in strength without pride in self. May we, in our dealings with all peoples of the earth, ever speak truth and serve justice. And so shall America in the sight of all men of good will prove true to the honorable purposes that bind and rule us as a people in all this time of trial through which we pass." "This is our home yet this is not the whole of our world. For our world is where our full destiny lies with men, of all people, and all nations, who are or would be free. And for them --- and so for us this is no time of ease or of rest." On this Independence Day let us challenge ourselves, our families, our friends and our nation's leaders to (1) honor our past, (2) live in the present and, (3) plan for the future. We can do no less. Thank you, John Keith A Taste Of Heaven Cookbook! We still have plenty of cookbooks left, for yourself or a gift for a friend! The book contains over 600 recipes submitted by members and friends of the church. Cost of the book is a very reasonable $12.50 each. They are available in the hallway next to the offices and in the sanctuary, in the literature rack as you come up the stairs. 7

8 BIRTHDAYS: 2 Bob DeBres 5 Reed Click 8 Marlene Crandell 9 Gerri DeBres 20 Mary Parr 26 Linda Jasper-Reynolds 29 Dixie Green ANNIVERSARIES: 15 Liz Rogers & Ron Schroder, 15 years 20 Dennis & Phyllis Winzenried, 43 years 21 Rick & Leslie Wyman, 38 years 26 Dennis & Angie Sulgrove, 9 years Quote of the month: Love and serving others is the key to opening the doors to our soul. --Amma Food Pantry Sundays The first Sunday of each month we will have a special offering for Christian Action Ministries Food Pantry. Although food can be donated for this effort, CAM can turn each $1 into $4 to purchase food for the pantry. The total food pantry collection for March was $92! 2017 Per Capita Rate Per capita is an amount of money per member that our congregation pays to our larger Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This annual amount is shared between our local presbytery, regional synod and General Assembly. For 2017, our per capita rate is $35.00 per member. Any contributions toward this amount would be appreciated. Please note your contribution as Per Capita to be sure it s credited correctly. We have received $464 toward Per Capita so far this year. Thank you! If you wish to participate in this fundraiser, please return bottles by August 31. 8

9 Ushers/Greeters Ken Bavuso Reed Click Vera Hardin Anna Koelling Liturgist Barbara Graham Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Every Sunday: Sunday School 9:00 am Worship* 10: CAM Food Pantry Sunday Congregational Meeting 11:30 am th Anniversary Celebration 11:30 am Yoga 5:45 pm 10 Diabetic Focus Group Yoga 5:45 pm 4 (office closed) 11 Exercise Chamber Lunch 11:30 am Yoga 5:30 pm 18 5 Wmn s Breakfast Men s Breakfast Choir 7:00 pm 12 Wmn s Breakfast Men s Breakfast Calico Cutups 10:00 pm Choir 7:00 pm 19 Wmn s Breakfast Men s Breakfast 6 The Bookies 10:30 am Bar Assoc Lunch 11:30 am Care Center Birthday Party 2:30 pm Forsyth Sr. Ctr. Breakfast Yoga 5:45 pm 24 Yoga 5:45 pm 31 Yoga 5:45 pm Yoga 5:30 pm 25 Yoga 5:30 pm NO Choir! 26 Wmn s Breakfast Men s Breakfast NO Choir! 27 Session Meeting 4:30 pm *If you would like a copy of Sunday s service, a CD can be made available to you. Please contact the church office for more information. 9

10 COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH P.O. Box 486 Forsyth, MO Community Presbyterian Church C O M M U N I T Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U R C H PO Box Main Street Forsyth, Missouri (417) Dennis Winzenried, Pastor Website: compresby@centurytel.net Staff Members Pastor...Dennis D. Winzenried Secretary...Denise Carr Choir Director.Arliss Stillings Organist.Linda Stillings Custodian....Gala Vrionis Sunday School Sunday Worship Service 9:00 am 10:30 am 10