The Covenanter 400 S. Lakemont Avenue Winter Park, FL 32792-4600 407-647-1467 www.winppc.org April 2017 Easter is, of course, a celebration of the new life that is given to us in Christ. Newness is central to our faith, not only the new life in Christ, but also the way that the Spirit is constantly calling the church to reformation and rebirth. One motto of the Reformation, the 16th century movement that gave birth the the Presbyterian church, was Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda. The phrase, "the reformed church is always being reformed," reminds us that God is constantly calling us to align our beliefs, our worship, and our action with the will of God. As John Calvin put it, "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish, (Eph. 5:25-27.) Nevertheless, it is true, that the Lord is daily smoothing its wrinkles and wiping away its spots. Hence it follows that its holiness is not yet perfect. Such, then, is the holiness of the Church: it makes daily progress, but is not yet perfect; it daily advances, but as yet has not reached the goal." (Institutes, 4.1.17) Winter Park Presbyterian Church has sought to respond to God's calling ever since we first established a church here in Winter Park, Florida in 1953. To be faithful to our calling as the body of Christ, we must continue to discern God's call to this congregation. As such, the Session of WPPC established the Sustainment Committee, a group that is working to lead this congregation through a period of discernment. The Visioning Team of the Sustainment Committee is continuing in their work to convene focus groups, with the goal of all of us working together to discern where God may be calling this congregation to focus for the next few years. Once completed, the Visioning Team will report the findings to the Session. The Finance Team of the Sustainment Committee has presented to Session a robust Endowment Policy, aimed at helping us to become even better stewards of the financial resources that God has entrusted to this congregation through the generous gifts of those who have gone before us. This is an important time in the life of this church, and I invite your participation through prayer, through participation in the focus groups, and a continuing commitment to ministry here at Winter Park Presbyterian Church. Grace and Peace, Holy Week Services Palm Sunday - April 9 8:15 & 10:30 am Maundy Thursday - April 13 Easter Sunday - April 16 6:45 & 10:30 am
2 In This Issue Pastor s Post 1 Table of Contents 2 Calendar 3-4 2 Cents a Meal, OGHS, KIVA 4 R in A, Thank You & Sympathies 5 WPPC Clubs & Circles 6 Easter Egg Hunt 7 Deacons Den, Habitat for Humanity, Library 8 Spring Fling 9 Fun Page 10 Coalition for the Homeless 11 Birthdays 12 Staff & Officers 13
3 SATURDAY 1 SUNDAY 2 Communion Worship Svc. 8:15 am, Chapel 10:30 am, Sunday School 9:15-10:15 am WPPC Ringers 11:45 am Room #514 Salt of the Earth Young Adults Panera Bread 3:00 pm Youth Group 5:00 pm CE Bldg. #202 MONDAY 3 Tai Chi Fellowship Hall Book Club Room 303 Boy Scouts CE Bldg. #204 TUESDAY 4 Staff Meeting 10:30 am Health Cabinet Room 303 History Comm. Work Group Room #315 Children s Choir/ Youth Ensemble 6:30 pm CE Meeting 7:30 pm Parlor WEDNESDAY 5 Worship Mtg. Westminster Ringers 6:00 pm Bell Room Chancel Choir 7:15 pm Choir Room THURSDAY 6 Caregiver & Support Group 10:00 am Sustainment Visioning Team Noon Sustainment Finance Team FRIDAY 7 Friendship Club Fellowship Hall Tai Chi CE Bldg. #102 SATURDAY 8 Preschool Spring Fling/ Silent Auction 11:00 am-2:00 pm SUNDAY 9 Worship Svc. 8:15 am, Chapel 10:30 am, Sunday School 9:15-10:15 am WPPC Ringers 11:45 am Room #514 Salt of the Earth Young Adults Panera Bread 3:00 pm Youth Group 5:00 pm CE Bldg. #202 MONDAY 10 No Tai Chi Hannah Circle Boy Scouts CE Bldg. #204 Hannah Circle TUESDAY 11 Elizabeth Circle 10:00 am CE Bldg. Parlor Staff Meeting 10:30 am History Comm. Work Group Room #315 Children s Choir/ Youth Ensemble 6:30 pm WEDNESDAY 12 Preschool Board 10:00 am Worship Mtg. Westminster Ringers 6:00 pm Bell Room Chancel Choir 7:15 pm Choir Room THURSDAY 13 FRIDAY 14 No Tai Chi Stephen Ministry Process versus Results in Caregiving 4:15 pm Room 301 SATURDAY 15 Easter Egg Hunt 9:00 am SUNDAY 16 Worship Svc. 6:45 am, Front Lawn 10:30 am, Sunday School 9:15-10:15 am WPPC Ringers 11:45 am Room #514 Salt of the Earth Young Adults Panera Bread 3:00 pm No Youth Group MONDAY 17 Tai Chi Fellowship Hall Ladies Game Night 6:00 pm - Dinner - Games CE Bldg. #102 Boy Scouts CE Bldg. #204 TUESDAY 18 Staff Meeting 10:30 am History Comm. Work Group Room #315 Children s Choir/ Youth Ensemble 6:30 pm WEDNESDAY 19 PAC Meeting 10:00 am Worship Mtg. Westminster Ringers 6:00 pm Bell Room Chancel Choir 7:15 pm Choir Room THURSDAY 20 Sustainment Visioning Team Noon Diaconate Mtg Sustainment Finance Team FRIDAY 21 Friendship Club Outing Leave Church at 10:30 am Tai Chi CE Bldg. #102 SATURDAY 22
4 SUNDAY 23 Worship Svc. 8:15 am, Chapel 10:30 am, Sunday School 9:15-10:15 am WPPC Ringers 11:45 am Room #514 Salt of the Earth Young Adults Panera Bread 3:00 pm Youth Group 5:00 pm CE Bldg. #202 SUNDAY 30 Worship Svc. 8:15 am, Chapel 10:30 am, Sunday School 9:15-10:15 am WPPC Ringers 11:45 am Room #514 Salt of the Earth Young Adults Panera Bread 3:00 pm Youth Group 5:00 pm CE Bldg. #202 MONDAY 24 Tai Chi Fellowship Hall Boy Scouts CE Bldg. #204 TUESDAY 25 Staff Meeting 10:30 am History Comm. Work Group Room #315 Children s Choir Party WEDNESDAY 26 Coalition Bake Brownies, Mix PB&J 9:00 am Kitchen Worship Mtg. Westminster Ringers 6:00 pm Bell Room Chancel Choir 7:15 pm Choir Room THURSDAY 27 Prep Meal 9:00 am Kitchen Stewardship 6:00 pm Session Mtg. DONUTS AND KIVA APRIL 9TH FRIDAY 28 No Tai Chi Coalition Bag Brownies & Make Sandwiches 9:00 am/kitchen Sort & Bag Toiletries 10:00 am/kitchen Serve the Meal 4:30 pm/fh-gather 5:30 pm Depart SATURDAY 29 Since 2008 WPPC has been making micro loans (small loans for business purposes) to people throughout the developing world. The Relationships In Action class sponsors this activity through partnership with KIVA, an international non-profit devoted to micro-loan creation and administration. In nine years WPPC has loaned more than $6,000 to eighty-one women store owners and vegetable farmers and make goat herders in Peru, Malawi, Pakistan and many other countries. The April 9th RIA class in Room 301 at 9:15 AM is devoted to a brief explanation of how the KIVA program works and will be followed by group decision making. Everyone present, hopefully including yourself, will set WPPC s goals for the next years lending - including percentages of loans to be apportioned between female and male entrepreneurs, types of occupations and businesses to be supported and geographical areas of choice. If you can, please fire up your browser and check out www.kiva.org to view the basics of the KIVA program and thus get prepared for the class. Donuts will be served promptly at 9:15 AM in Room 301. The Peanut Butter Jar will be passed at the end of the session to beef up our support for KIVA. Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you in RIKA on April 9th at 9:15 AM. One Great Hour of Sharing Please remember our special collection on Easter Sunday for One Great Hour of Sharing. When you give to OGHS, you are assisting in the empowerment of others as they move past emotional, physical and spiritual misfortune. You offer a chance for them to be resilient. The programs that benefit from your gifts to OGHS partner with others to show that through Christ s love all things are possible (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: restoring hope 32%, Presbyterian Hunger Program: reducing hunger 36%, and Self-Development of People: partnering in progress 32%). In 1949, our country responded to the appeal for contributions for disaster relief after the devastation resulting from WWII. Both within the United States and throughout the world, the gap between those who have enough and those who don t continues to widen. Increased costs of living means that this year s dollars simply can t do as much as last year s. The pinch many Americans feel is amplified many times over for those who must already spend most of their earnings on food. Since 1949, this offering has been an ecumenical effort. While each denomination allocates its gifts differently, all use their funds for ministries of disaster relief, refugee assistance and development aid. Today, projects supported by One Great Hour of Sharing are underway in more than 100 countries, including the United States and Canada. Please prayerfully consider your gift for this special offering to be collected on Easter Sunday morning, April 16, 2017. ~The Compassion Committee 2 Cents A Meal Sunday, April 30 is the next collection day for 2 Cents A Meal. Please continue your support for P.A.T.H. (Presbyterian Answer To Hunger). Your contributions support the Second Harvest Food Bank, Society of St. Andrew (SoSA), Alliance for International Reforestation (AIR) in Guatemala, and Madagascar Project (Dan and Elizabeth Turk, PC (USA) Missionaries). Thank you for your continued support. ~The Compassion Committee
5 April 2 Tricia Wilson, Director of the Preschool, and Anne Bensinger, Preschool Consultant and previous Director, will discuss the Preschool history and ministry. Winter Park Presbyterian Preschool began in 1985 and has a reputation for providing comprehensive, high quality childcare for toddlers through preschool age children throughout the community. It is staffed by an excellent and dedicated group of teachers. Currently the program has 130 students and 25 staff members. April 9 Since 2008, WPPC has been making micro loans (small loans for business purposes) to people throughout the developing world. The Relationships in Action class sponsors this activity through partnership with KIVA, an international non-profit devoted to micro loan creation and administration. John Gehrig will be helping us understand how this works and giving us the chance to set goals for next years lending. See page 4 of this newsletter for more information on KIVA. April 16 Easter No Sunday School R in A (Relationships in Action) Sunday School Lessons for April April 23 The Relationships in Action Sunday School class was founded on the basis of helping us to make our Faith and Spirituality go with us through the days that we are away from church. On this Sunday, we will bring articles on ethical or theological issues that we face, and have to make decisions about, in our daily lives. Mike and Nancy Galyean will be our monitors. April 30 We will learn about a unique ministry for the homeless called Homeward Bound. Program leader, Dawn Neff, will share with us this unusual work with the homeless. Thank You! Richard's family and I want to thank all of our WPPC friends for the many cards, expressions of sympathy and offers of help. We especially want to thank the deacons for their help in the memorial reception and for the flowers in the sanctuary March 12 in memory of Richard Small. We also want to thank the choir members for singing at the memorial and donating food for the reception. We really do have a wonderful church home. ~Holly Small Karly Ellard - 2/12/17 A Memorial Service for Karly will be held on May 6 at 11:00 a.m. in the WPPC Chapel. Kay Ackermann 2/28/17 John Fordham 3/5/17 Xandra Roth 3/7/17
6 Book Club - The Abibliophobes (for those afraid of running out of reading material) Monday, April 3 @ 7:00 PM in room 303 April 3: Lilac Girls: A Novel, Martha Hall Kelly May 1: Joanna Wallace, organist at WPPC from 1989-99, has written a book, Minding My Keys and Pews. She will be at our book club meeting on Monday, May 1 to present and sign copies. The book is a memoir about her experiences as an organist at several Central Florida churches. We will meet in room 301 at 7:00 p.m. All are invited so come and join us for an evening with Joanna! The group discussion is open for everyone who likes to read! Friendship Club Friday, April 7 @ 11:30 AM in Fellowship Hall Join the Club for a great program and lunch. The Lake Nona Singers (their select ensemble) will be here to entertain us. They will be sitting with us so we will get a chance to know them. Lunch will be Italian and the cost is $5. Please make reservations by noon on Wednesday, April 5. Product of the month is household cleaning supplies. Our trip for April will be lunch at the Columbia Restaurant in Celebration. We will leave the church on Friday, April 21 at 10:30 a.m. and should be back before 3:00 p.m. The cost is $5 for the bus plus your lunch. Hannah Circle Monday, April 10 @ 7:00 PM in room 301 The Hannah Circle meets monthly on the second Monday. All are welcome! Elizabeth Circle Tuesday April 11 @ 10:00 AM in the Parlor, CE Bldg. The Elizabeth Circle meets monthly on the second Tuesday. All are welcome! Ladies Game Night Monday, April 17 @ 7:00 PM in room 102, CE Bldg. All WPPC women are invited to join us at our monthly game night (the 3rd Monday of each month). We typically play Hand & Foot and Bridge, but feel free to come and introduce your favorite game. Better yet, come at 6:00 pm and build a salad. One lady brings greens, and everyone else brings a cup of something to go into the salad such as onions, beets, chopped eggs, beans, corn, cheese... or anything of your choosing. Bring your own drink and favorite salad dressing and, if you would like, a snack/munchies for later. Come alone or bring a friend. Questions? Call Carla Gehrig at 407-678-8396. Cell phones for Soldiers and Glasses for VOSH Thanks for all the cell phones and glasses that have been brought to the church. This is an ongoing ministry, and it proves how just one congregation can make a difference. From the faithful WPPC members we have collected thousands of pairs of glasses in the years since we started, and the cell phones number over 100! The drop boxes are on the white cabinet in Fellowship Hall.
7 Calling All Kids! The annual EASTER EGG HUNT will be held on Saturday, April 15! Tell your parents to mark their calendars NOW! The morning will begin at 9:00 with a Continental breakfast, followed by story time and some really fun Easter activities and visits to our six Easter Activity Centers. The Hunt itself should be finished by 11:00. Be sure to bring your own basket for collecting your treasures!! Calling All Parents and Friends! CANDY DONATIONS are solicited for the Hunt! We are looking for lots and lots of contributions! (Please, do not bring regular chocolate as it melts in the heat of the Florida sun and creates more mess than fun!) We welcome lollipops, jolly ranchers, tootsie rolls, and so much more which is all needed to stuff the eggs. We need your candy by Sunday, April 9. And remember, no chocolate except possibly M & Ms. All candies should be individually wrapped or packaged. And of course, you will not need to fill eggs just provide bags of the sweet stuff and we ll take care of the rest. You have come through for us so generously in the past and we know you will outdo yourselves this year! Please bring your donations to church over the next several Sundays and drop them in the bins that will be located in the narthex and the front office. Questions? Contact Emily Wasser (emilyw@winppc.org). Eternal thanks from Community Life!
8 DEACONS DEN The ministry of the Deacons is the care and compassion of the congregation of Winter Park Presbyterian Church. A part of this ministry includes sending cards to our members, such as Sympathy for the death of a family member; Get Well for someone who has been ill or had surgery; Thinking of You to someone we have not have seen for a while; and Thank You to the person who has done something nice (a member crocheted lap blankets and prayer pockets for the Deacons to give to our members). We may also send Birthday and Anniversary cards. These are not the only types of cards that can be sent. The Deacons invite everyone in the congregation to send an Easter card to someone who they think would like to receive one. The cards will be in the Healthy Living Room during the first two weeks of April. All you have to do is stop by during the week or on Sunday and write a note, address the envelope, and the Deacons will put a stamp on it and mail it. This is a good way to connect with anyone on your prayer list, or who you haven t seen for a while, just to let them know you are thinking about them and wish them well. They do not have to be a member of WPPC; this is for anyone you want to receive a card. Most people love to receive cards and notes in the mail. Even in this day of super speedy email, snail mail is still welcome, especially a handwritten note of hello. WPPC PARTNERS WITH HABITAT FOR HUMANITY WPPC is sponsoring a local Spring mission trip with Habitat for Humanity. For the 3rd year in a row, our April/May mission trip is to work on a local Habitat for Humanity house for one Saturday in April (29th) and one in May (6th). We will either ride the WPPC bus or carpool to the site on Lyman Ave. We will paint and do other finishing touchups with other volunteers. We did this the past two years and it was a great success. By popular demand we are signing up volunteers again to work. Plan on spending from 8:30 to noon on the project. There will be a sign-up table in fellowship hall on April 9 and 16. We can only take about 10-12 people each Saturday so sign up as soon as possible so you won t lose your spot! ~WPPC Compassion Committee WPPC LIBRARY NEWS Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Saturday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word lencten, which means "spring". The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the wilderness, enduring the temptation of Satan and preparing to begin His ministry. Lent is a time of repentance, fasting and preparation for the coming of Easter. It is a time of self-examination and reflection. In the early church, Lent was a time to prepare new converts for baptism. Today Christians focus on their relationship with God, often choosing to give up something or volunteer and give of themselves to others. Sundays in Lent are not counted in the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini- Easter" and the reverent spirit of Lent is tempered with joyful anticipation of the resurrection. At Easter, we celebrate the good news that in Christ's death we and all creation are continually being made new by God's love and saving grace. Last month we listed books that focused on Lent, many of which can be found in the church library. Some of these can also be found on the table in the Narthex and are available for take-out. On the table there are also books of fiction by Christian authors and biographies of well know theologians. Children's books in the library have some excellent stories about Easter and other subjects. Come see our outstanding church library where you can find a book on almost any subject.
9 Spring Fling & Silent Auction Join us for this year s Preschool Spring Fling and Silent Auction. The event will be held this Saturday, April 8 from 11:00 a.m. 2:00 p.m. The Spring Fling is a family fun community event for all ages. There will be bounce houses, a Thomas train, arts and crafts, face painting, a balloon artist, classrooms full of fun activities, the Scholastic Book Fair, and a basket/silent auction. We hope you, your family and friends will be able to attend this special event. It is a day that many of our families look forward to each year.
Bible Quiz Answer-E (See John 20:24, NIV and ESV.) 10 By what other name(s) does the Bible identify the disciple we call Doubting Thomas? A. Didymus B. The Skeptic C. The Twin D. A and B E. A and C
11 COALITION FOR THE HOMELESS - Here s How to Help We are delighted to be serving in the new Men s Service Center which has brought many positive changes. Now 250 residents are housed there; the residents and the folks coming in from the outside community, are served separately. We are asking volunteer servers to please sign up on the Coalition serving list posted in the hallway near the office. Because of reduced space in the new facility, volunteers will be limited to 15. What Bake brownies & mix PB&J (Bonnie Gaughan 407-804-2565) Prepare meal - (Mary Van Hook 407-359-2388) Bag brownies; make PB&J sandwiches Donate travel-size toiletries (soap, shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, disposable razors), Handi-Wipes & gallon Zip-Lock bags to hold them. The folks also appreciate gently used baseball caps, granola type bars, environmentally-friendly tote bags, and plastic grocery bags to carry toiletries and PB&J sandwiches. Contact Nancy Galyean (407-929-0903) Sort and bag toiletries & reading donations (Marilyn Bryant 407-252-7499) Reading Donations: Magazines for men (sports, cars, news), religious magazines/booklets, devotionals, paperback books. Prepare to transport: gather supplies, load food & supplies into van (Nancy Galyean 407-929-0903) Serve the Meal. Please join us in the WPPC Kitchen for departure to the Coalition for the Homeless at 5:30 pm and return by 8:00 pm. Volunteers please wear closed toed shoes to the Homeless Coalition. It is a violation of the health code to wear flip-flops. Please call Nancy Galyean (407-929-0903) by the Wednesday before if you would like to serve. Cleanup kitchen - wash, sanitize items used; store supplies (Nancy Galyean 407-929-0903) Financial Donation: Make check out to WPPC. Note on the memo line Coalition for the Homeless - mail to WPPC or bring to the church office. When Wed 4/26 9:00-11:00 am Thurs 4/27 9:00-11:00 am Fri 4/28 9:00-11:00 am All month: Place in COALTION giant storage box located in Fellowship Hall Fri 4/28 10:00 am-noon Fri 4/28 4:30-5:15 pm Fri 4/28 5:30-8:00 pm (NOTE: THE CHURCH VAN IS RESERVED FOR THIS FUNCTION) Fri 4/28 8:00-8:30 pm Any Time HOMELESS COALITION TEAM NEEDS VOLUNTEERS Each month about 50 devoted WPPC volunteers handle the many tasks to provide a wonderful meal and a bag of toiletries to our guests at the Coalition. We are in need of additional volunteers for various projects, and backup volunteers when regulars must be absent: Pick up donated pastries/bread from Panera at 9 p.m. and deliver to church (2 hrs/mo) Sort/bag toiletries at church (2 hrs/mo) Make PB&J sandwiches (seated) at church (1.5 hrs/mo) If you could help out with this special mission, please call or email Nancy Galyean (info below). Any of the above gifts, or your time, are so appreciated! To help in any way, please contact: Nancy Galyean 407-929-0903 or nangalyean@embarqmail.com Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida is a Compassion Committee Ministry.
12 1 Doug Copeland Sara Spivey 2 Pat Pulliam Jackie Harmeling Lora Smith Will Lawrence 3 Doug Reece George McGowan Ryan Wilson 4 Ann Underwood Lenlee Klusman 5 Lynn Booth Thomas Skelton Susan Lampman 6 Pam Eastburn Marian Herman Ryleigh Ranson Sarah Johnson 7 Dave Miller Shay Ranson 9 Matt Groeteke Betty Johnston Tatiana Lampe 10 Betty McKay Elizabeth Head 13 Melissa Mulock 15 Harry Oldford 16 Mary Ellen Priester Shirley Westbrook 17 Lisa Dreasher Brian Klusman Perry Klusman 19 Tom Thompson Brad Erb 21 Maurice Pulliam, Jr. Nelson Roe 22 Eric Johnson Justin McGowan 23 Jackie Groeteke Cora Evans Cameron White, Jr 24 Lynn Youtz Allie Evans 25 Gene Waugh Jennifer Klusman 27 Anne Murray 28 Phyllis Woods Ardyth Austin 29 Nancy Holmes Ray Cook Jeff Buhler Nicholas Beattie 30 Caroline James Touckay McCurdy
13 CHURCH STAFF The Rev. Dr. Jason T. Micheli, Senior Pastor The Rev. Emily Wasser, Associate Pastor for Family Discipleship Carolyn Achenbach, Director of Operations/Accountant Cindy Mitchum, Executive Assistant Barbara Hordern, Administrative Assistant Justin Chase, Director of Music Dr. Esther Kim, Organist Tricia Wilson, Interim Director of Preschool Programs Susan Davis, Director of Handbells & Children s Music Catherine Cross-Tsintzos, Cultural Arts Coordinator Kenny Lovelace, Sexton Jorge Barrios, Sunday Assistant Sexton SESSION 2017 2018 2019 Mike Galyean Terry Irwin Jayne Leach Max Reed Meg Ball Thomas Mary Van Hook Hal Eastburn Reta Jackson Don McCarter Debby Roberts Sara Van Arsdel Phyllis Woods Will Lawrence Will McCurdy Rachel Myers Dail Pribil Doug Reece Debby Tallungan DIACONATE 2017 2018 2019 Howard Evans Curtis Harrison Gary Henderson Allen Shaw Jyme Smith Jeanne Vinci Peggy Bargar Almeda Dean Carol Howell Betty Johnston Sevilla Morse Ginny Seel Nancy Appich Barbara Edwards Bonnie Gaughan Fran Morrissey Cynthia Nants Eileen Silvers MISSIONARIES Rev. Gordon and Dorothy Gartrell - Brazil Jenny Bent - Dominican Republic Mark Hare - Haiti Dr. Dan & Elizabeth Turk - Madagascar