Forest Hills Presbyterian Church Monthly Newsletter October 2015 Mark Your Calendar 10.03 Rummage Sale 10.04 World Communion Sunday ACCESS 6 Food Collection Flu Shot Clinic 10.13 Pub Theology 10.17 Mobile Food Truck Amazing Race Youth Event 10.24 Mizpahs & Hunky Dories 10.31 Trunk or Trunk - 6:30 PM Greetings FHPC family and friends!! Fall is upon us, the colors are beginning to change and I have to admit, it is my favorite time of the year. We are truly blessed to live where we are able to see the changing seasons of life. Just as the book of Ecclesiastes 3 teaches us; there is a time and season for everything under heaven. Our new church season brings new small groups, Bible Studies, book studies, Congregational Life events like Trunk or Treat, bonfires, outdoor movies, and many other activities. Another season for the church is a time to look at next year s financial faith commitment that we will give to God, through the ministry at Forest Hills. God has placed on our hearts (B- HAG) Big Hairy Audacious Goals, and we are ready to take the challenge head on and answer the call of God. As I have share with you before, we have been challenged with being Inviting, Relational, and building Relationships, and that is what we are striving to do. You are going to hear soon about a goal of our mission team called Mission India. We are so excited to share this mission with you for reaching many brothers and sisters in India with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. World Communion Sunday, October 4, will be our introduction to the congregation with a special guest from Mission India. Continued on page 2...
Greetings Continued With everything we have been challenged to face, we need your support. There is no other way to say this. We need you to be praying and asking God what your faith promise 2016 will be to this ministry. Our theme this year is simply this: Listen to your heart. You will be hearing more about this in later writings, letters and in worship. But allow me to leave you with these words: Listen to your heart, it will tell you what to do. Listen to your heart, it will tell you what is true. Listen to your heart, it will tell you what is right. Listen to your heart, listen with all your might. It s God s way of showing you the light and helping you through the night. Shalom, Pastor Jim Giving from the heart is supernatural, it manifests into blessings. - D.A. McBride Giving Beyond What is Expected It s easy to be generous when a cup of lemonade costs only 25 cents. Some of us might even given a whole dollar if the children are raising money for a worthy cause. Or maybe $5! Well how about $200? Sheriff Deputy Zach Ropos, new in law enforcement was trained to pull over at every lemonade stand in an effort to improve community relations. As told to Good Morning America, he recently met Gabrielle, who was doing some fund raising. She hands me a glass, I hand her a few bucks. I asked her what she wanted to do with the money she said she d get an ipad to help with school and play games. Hoping he could resurrect an old ipad, Ropos went home that night to get it in running condition. Once he realized his old tablet was too outdated, Ropos looked for and found a store to help with the cost of a new one. Unequal exchange. The next day the officer met up with the little girl and her mother. Apparently Gabrielle had raised only a few dollars. She told Ropos that her mother s car needed gas, so she gave her hard-earned money to her mom to fill the tank. When she told me she gave the money to her mom that s when I almost started crying because of how great of a kid she really was, Ropos said. Deputy Ropos handed over the new tablet, and Gabrielle just couldn t stop hugging her new friend. Attitude is contagious and so is giving. When we receive something truly wonderful and unexpected, often we are overwhelmed with a desire to share it or create that type of opportunity for someone else. God s mercy and grace are new every morning, gifts beyond measure. Let us remember these gifts and share out of all that we have!
Missions Kids Food Basket. 10 volunteers are needed to help pack sack suppers at Kids Food Basket, 2055 Oak Industrial Pkwy, Monday, Oct. 12, 12 to 1 PM. Sign up on the Mission slat wall. Volunteers from FHPC meets at Kids Food Basket the second Monday of every month, October to May. ACCESS 6 Food Collection October 4 The food we give to ACCESS 6 food pantry helps individuals/families in crises in 6 rural townships: Ada, Cascade, Lowell, Caledonia, Vergennes and Bowne. Grocery carts will be available in the lobby for your donations on October 4. The carts remain in the coat room area any other time for donations. Thank you! Warm Up America. Thank you to all who have knitted squares all summer long. We have 153 squares, enough for two afghans! The knitting group will begin meeting again in October. Skeins of yarn for the knitters would be greatly appreciated. They use Red Heart Super Saver yarn which can be found at Walmart, Michaels and Hobby Lobby. Please place donations in the basket by the church office. Questions? Contact Sandra Suarez. Food Distribution at the Mobile Food Truck: The Mobile Food Truck sponsored by FHPC will be at Cesar Chavez Elementary School, 1205 Grandville Ave., SW, on Saturday, Oct. 17, 8:15 10 AM. We need 10-12 volunteers to unload food in the truck and set up for distribution. We will be distributing baked goods, produce and some dairy products. There will be some clean up after the distribution is finished. We welcome families to come and serve. Sign up on our website, www.fhpcusa.org. Kids Hope USA: Our mentors are meeting up with their Kids Hope students at Kettle Lake Elementary this month. Thank you to mentors, prayer partners and the congregation for your support. The third year of our program is off to a great start! Prayer Concerns In Medical Facilities Jerry Winters (Kathy Cullens father), Lacks Cancer Center Ed Hordyk (Clark on Keller Lake) Recovering at Home Dean Forhan (hip surgery) Noah Scripps In Retirement Facilities JoAnn Strayhorn (Sunrise Assisted Living) Barbara Sjoerdsma (Clark Retirement) Eleanor Vollwiler (Maple Creek) Other Lyn Jones brother, Robert Watret, Hospitalized in Windsor, Ontario, cancer Jeff Sauter, (relative of Sandy Armstrong), Cancer Ed Gerger, in Porter Hills under Hospice Care Kevin Ayres (son of Bev Ayres) Walt White (Don Brown s brother, cancer Prayers for a son for continued sobriety Members of our Armed Forces Christian Hindley (friend of Anita Brocker), inoperable cancer. Gabbi, granddaughter of Larry and Renee Donovan. (Gabbi suffers from Congenital Ullrich Muscular Dystrophy.) Kids Hope USA: This month we are collecting Box Tops for Education and Labels for Education for Kettle Lake Elementary! Be sure to clip and save these labels off of various food, clothing and paper products, and place the labels in the container on the Missions slat wall in the Narthex. Each label is worth 10 cents they add up quickly. Lists of products with these labels are on the Missions slat wall. What an easy way to show support for our Kids Hope school!
Parish Nurse News Corner October is Churches Food Week in Action, bringing awareness of food insecurity and its effects, around the world. All of us can examine our own food choices and call for policy changes that will ensure the right and access to healthy food for everyone. Facts about Food Insecurity: Around the world, approximately, 800 million people, about 1 in 8 people, experience food insecurity. Food insecurity is described as not having adequate amount of food to meet the minimum daily food requirements over the course of a year. Every child and adult needs healthy, whole, nutrient dense foods. Healthy foods can sometimes be more expensive to purchase, and sometimes, even difficult to obtain from a food pantry due to low availability. Since the 1950 s, with the increased consumption of processed foods and decreased physical activity, there has been a rise in obesity and chronic diseases, including the rise of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes in children. Soil programs are an integral part of food sustainability and reducing food insecurity. The Churches Call to Action to reduce food insecurity: Share a meal with a family who is struggling with having adequate nourishing food. Donate healthy foods to a local food pantry. Get involved in with a food pantry or meal program as a volunteer. Lead a study and discussion group, learning more about Food Insecurity, and the church s response. Become familiar and get involved with the Presbyterian Hunger Program, whose mission is to alleviate hunger and eliminate its causes, responding with compassion and justice to poor and hungry people in local communities in the United States and internationally. Learn more about the role of poverty in food insecurity. Participate in a poverty simulation workshop. Resources about Food Insecurity and Promoting Food Security. Presbyterian Hunger Program. www.presbyterianmissions/ministries/hunger. Many excellent resources, webinars and a Bible study on food insecurity. A.C.C.E.S.S. 6 Food Pantry. Cascade Christian Church. 616-949-1360. Access of West Michigan, serves as a faith based leader in linking congregations, individuals and community resources to reduce hunger and the impact of poverty in Kent County. www.accessofwestmichigan.org. Dust and Breath: Faith and Health, and Why the Church Should Care about Both, by Kendra Hotz and Matthew T. Matthews. Soil and Sacrament: A Spiritual Memoir of Food and Faith, by Fred Bahnson. The Inflammation Solution by Dr. William Sears, MD. The role of nutrition on health. Health Ministry Events: Shalom! Nancy Blood Drive-seventeen people donated blood this past Sunday! Thank you!! Book Study of Pilgrimage into the Last Third of Life Eight week series, beginning Wednesday, September 30, from 9:30-11:00 AM. There is still space to join! Flu Shot Clinic: Sunday, October 4, from 10:30- Noon. We have several spots available after 11 AM. Though it is helpful, it is not necessary to preregister. Matthew 25:40, NLT, And the King will say, I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you were doing it for me.
Announcements Falling in Love with the Psalms Again is a new Adult Study topic that will meet in the Bread House on Oct. 25, Nov. 8, 15 and 22 and will be led by Rev. Dr. Jack Stewart. This study will open your eyes to how the Psalms were written, and how we should read them, study them and sing them. To prepare for this study, Dr. Steward is asking us to read C.S. Lewis book Reflections on the Psalms, but it is not required in order to attend and learn from this class. Dr. Steward is an author, pastor, Princeton professor and theologian. He will introduce this class by preaching the Word on October 18 at our regular worship service. We hope to see you there! Confronting the News with Scripture and Hope begins October 1. Are you interested in a Bible Study that focuses on current events? We will look at a particular news story of the week, discuss the role of Scripture and how to look at the story from a Christian perspective. Bring your Bibles to the study, and it doesn t matter what translation of the Bible you have. We will meet in the Bread House from 10 to 11 AM. Bring a friend, we always have room for one more. Are You Interested in Joining Our Family of Faith?? Pastor Jim will be holding a new members orientation class on October 8 at 6:30 PM in the lounge. If you would like to hear more about our family of faith, our history, our vision and what is expected from our members, please call the church office to reserve your place. We would LOVE to welcome you into membership. Women in the Vineyard: Calling all women. The October gathering will be Thursday, Oct. 22, 7 PM, at Nancy Struyk s home, 2176 Teal Court SE. We will be exploring Mary Magdalene s path with God. Reach out to Jennifer Wolbers if you have any questions. Pub Theology: Men, our next meeting will be Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6:00 PM at Schmohz s Brewery, 2600 Patterson Ave., SE. All men over 21 are invited to join us. College Addresses: Parents! Please help us update contact info for church college students both new freshmen and returning students. And, if your student graduated last Spring, please let us know. Submit info to the church office. Thank you! To feel good about yourself do something for others. - Norman Vincent Peale Nursery Help. We have a GREAT new challenge facing our nursery. There are TOO many children for our nursery worker, Jenna Schumaker, to handle SHE NEEDS HELP. Please sign up for a Sunday to hang out with the babies, or sign up your 12+ year old! Sign up online or on the slat wall in the church lobby!! Protect Young Eyes! Defending Kids from Online Danger You are invited to hear Chris McKenna, an expert on kids and technology, on Thursday, Oct. 8, 7:00-8:30 PM at Ada Christian School. To RSVP, call 676-1289. Hunky Dories & Mizpahs October Event: Who s Destroying the Temple of God? Presented by Kenneth Dudley MD, Assoc. Prof. at MSU College of Human Medicine. Saturday, Oct. 24, 6:30 PM. Dessert and coffee will be served. RSVP to Clara & Keith Crittenden. Will You Be Spending Thanksgiving Alone? Would you be interested in having a Thanksgiving Potluck with your church family? If this idea interests you, please see the sign up sheet on the Current Events slat wall in the back of the church. The FHPC Newsletter is sent out monthly. If you have an announcement you would like included, please submit it to the office by the last Monday of the month.
CALENDAR Thursday, October 1 9:00 AM Rummage Sale Set Up / Fellowship Hall 10:00 AM Confronting the New / Bread House 6:15 PM worshipband Rehearsal / Sanctuary 7:00 PM Zumba / Lower Level Assembly Area Friday, October 2 9:00 AM Rummage Sale Set Up / Fellowship Hall Saturday, October 3 9:00 AM Rummage Sale / Fellowship Hall Sunday, October 4 World Communion Sunday ACCESS 6 Food Collection 9:30 AM Celebration Worship Service / Sanctuary Communion served by intinction Pre-K 4 th grade dismissed to TRU Worship 10:30 AM Congregational Breakfast / Fellowship Hall 10:30 AM Flu Shot Clinic / Parish Nurse Office 4:00 PM FiftySix & Jr. High Youth Group / Core 6:00 PM Sr. High Youth Group / Core Monday, October 5 10:00 AM Program Staff Meeting / Lounge 11:00 AM All Staff Meeting / Lounge 6:30 PM Boy Scout Committee Mtg./ Lounge Tuesday, October 6 5:00 PM Missions / Lounge 6:30 PM Session / Lounge 7:00 PM Zumba / Fellowship Hall Wednesday, October 7 7:45 AM Men s Breakfast / The Gathering Place 9:30 AM Pilgrimage into / Lounge 6:30 PM Jubilation Bells / Sanctuary 6:30 PM Preschool Family Night / Fellowship Hall 7:30 PM Sanctuary Choir / Choir Room Thursday, October 8 10:00 AM Confronting the News / Bread House 10:00 AM Pieceful Gathering Quilters / Fellowship Hall 6:15 PM worshipband Rehearsal / Sanctuary 6:30 PM New Members Orientation Class / Lounge 6:30 PM Boy Scout Troop 345 / Fellowship Hall 7:00 PM Zumba / Lower Level Assembly Area Friday, October 9 Saturday, October 10 Sunday, October 11 9:30 AM Celebration Worship Service / Sanctuary Pre-K 4 th grade dismissed to TRU Worship 10:30 AM Fellowship Time / Lounge 10:45 AM Education Hour & Engage / Lower Level 4:00 PM Fifty Six & Jr. High Youth Group / Core 6:00 PM Sr. High Youth Group / Core Monday, October 12 10:00 AM Program Staff Meeting / Lounge 12:00 PM Kids Food Basket / 2055 Oak Ind. Pkwy. Tuesday, October 13 6:00 PM Pub Theology / Schmohz Brewery 7:00 PM Zumba / Fellowship Hall Wednesday, October 14 9:00 AM Health Ministry Team / Parish Nurse Office 9:30 AM Pilgrimage into / Lounge 6:30 PM Jubilation Bells / Sanctuary 7:30 PM Sanctuary Choir / Choir Room Thursday, October 15 10:00 AM Confronting the News / Bread House 6:15 PM worshipband Rehearsal / Sanctuary 6:30 PM Boy Scout Troop 345 / Fellowship Hall 7:00 PM Zumba / Lower Level Assembly Area Friday, October 16 Saturday, October 17 8:15 AM Mobile Food Truck / Cesar Chavez Elem. 6:30 PM Amazing Race Youth Event Sunday, October 18 9:30 AM Celebration Worship Service / Sanctuary Pre-K 4 th grade dismissed to TRU Worship 10:30 AM Fellowship Time / Lounge 10:45 AM Education Hour & Engage / Lower Level 4:00 PM FiftySix & Jr. High Youth Group / Core 6:00 PM Sr. High Youth Group / Core Monday, October 19 10:00 AM Program Staff Meeting / Lounge 7:00 PM Finance Committee / Lounge Tuesday, October 20 7:00 PM Board of Deacons / Room 26 7:00 PM Zumba / Fellowship Hall
CALENDAR continued Wednesday, October 21 7:45 AM Men s Breakfast / The Gathering Place 9:30 AM Pilgrimage into / Lounge 11:00 AM Preschool Board of Directors / Bread House 1:00 PM Ministry Team / Lounge 6:30 PM Jubilation Bells / Sanctuary 7:30 PM Sanctuary Choir / Choir Room Thursday, October 22 10:00 AM Confronting the News / Bread House 6:15 PM worshipband Rehearsal / Sanctuary 6:30 PM Boy Scout Troop 345 / Fellowship Hall 7:00 PM Women in the Vineyard/Nancy Struyk s Home 7:00 PM Zumba / Lower Level Assembly Area Friday, October 23 Saturday, October 24 6:30 PM Mizpahs & Hunky Dories / Fellowship Hall Sunday, October 25 9:30 AM Celebration Worship Service / Sanctuary Pre-K 4 th grade dismissed to TRU Worship 10:30 AM Fellowship Time / Lounge 10:45 AM Education Hour & Engage / Lower Level 10:45 AM Sermon Discussion Group / Oasis 4:00 PM FiftySix & Jr. High Youth Group / Core 6:00 PM Sr. High Youth Group / Core Monday, October 26 10:00 AM Program Staff Meeting / Lounge Tuesday, October 27 7:00 PM Zumba / Fellowship Hall Wednesday, October 28 9:30 AM Pilgrimage into / Lounge 6:30 PM Jubilation Bells / Sanctuary 7:30 PM Sanctuary Choir / Choir Room Thursday, October 29 10:00 AM Confronting the News / Bread House 6:15 PM worshipband Rehearsal / Sanctuary 6:30 PM Boy Scout Troop 345 / Fellowship Hall 7:00 PM Zumba / Lower Level Assembly Area Friday, October 30 6:30 PM Trunk or Treat Saturday, October 31