The Link March 1, 2018 ALTAVISTA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH www.altapres.org 707 Broad Street P O Box 126 Altavista, Virginia 24517 434-369-5286, office 434-369-1101, fax office@altapres.org Rev. Eduardo Soto, Jr. 434-369-5286, office 434-219-5648, mobile AltaPres.org Facebook In This Issue Pastor s Page..1 Scriptures/Sermons.2 Session Minutes..3 Margaret s Article..4 Birthdays..4 From our Pastor This month we have a very unusual and unique event. A dear friend of mine from seminary, Mr. Mortiz Emmelmann, is a doctoral student at the University of Göttingen, located in central Germany (about two and a half hours northwest of Frankfurt). His research is what brought him to Princeton Seminary back in 2011. While there he studied a local Quaker School and continued his research into American Practical Theology. Most all of us know that America and Europe do religion and Christianity very differently. What may come as a surprise is that Germany, once the center of the Holy Roman Empire and the birthplace of the Reformation, is largely an agnostic state. While many are still baptized into a Christian church, few attend worship, and even fewer still are involved in the regular life of the church. This is not so in the States. Therefore, my friend will bring eleven of his students to the United States to experience first-hand the American expression of faith. They will interact with many great Christians and hear many powerful stories of life and faith from Boston to Atlanta. And we will have the unique opportunity to be part of that conversation. On Saturday, March 17, I will join these German students in Farmville, where we will tour the Robert Russa Moton Museum. For those who don t know, the Moton Museum is the former Black High School of Prince Edward County. Prince Edward County entered the annals of history when, in 1959, the School Board voted to close the public schools rather than integrate them. They remained closed for five years, only when the Supreme Court outlawed Virginia s private school tuition grants in 1964. One of the many individuals who were locked out from public education was Mr. Bob Hammond. Mr. Hammond would eventually become the president of the Moton Museum and, through the Hampden-Sydney Religion department, I was able to arrange his giving us a tour of the Museum. This should prove to be an eye-opening experience for these students. After our time in Farmville and on our way to Lynchburg, we plan to stop by the Appomattox Surrender Grounds. On Sunday, March 18, the twelve guests will join us for worship. I would like to encourage all of our members to interact with our guests, for they are here to experience faithful and active Christians. So don t be afraid to let the love of Christ shine through you. Sunday evening, we will have a Koinonia dinner in their honor and for their benefit. This will be a perfect opportunity to share in wonderful table conversation. After dinner, I have asked our own Ron Coleman
Monthly Calendar..5 Linda s Chili recipe..6 Monthly Happenings 6 Daily Scriptures..7 and Chip Roark, and pastor Brett Witcher of Lane Memorial, to be participants in a panel discussion about the American Religious Experience. There will be time after the presentations for questions from the audience, but I will give preference to the German students. I hope you will be able to join us Sunday both in worship and in fellowship. I also want to thank our panelist for their willingness to discuss their faith. And I especially would like to thank the hosts who have agreed to open their houses to our guests. Grace and peace, Ed Soto SCRIPTURES & SERMONS FOR MARCH MARCH 4 th 3 rd Sunday in Lent Old Testament Lesson Deuteronomy 24:14-15 New Testament Lesson Matthew 20:1-15 Sermon The Parable of the Hired Laborers MARCH 11 th 4 th Sunday in Lent Old Testament Lesson Leviticus 25:35-38 New Testament Lesson Luke 18:9-14 Sermon The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican MARCH 18 th 5 th Sunday in Lent Old Testament Lesson Deuteronomy 15:7-11 New Testament Lesson Luke 16:19-31 Sermon MARCH 25 th Palm Sunday Choral Cantata The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus I Am the Lord of the Dance MARCH 29 th Maundy Thursday New Testament Lesson I Corinthians 11:23-26 Sermon The Lord s Supper
Altavista Presbyterian Church Session Highlights February 25, 2018 meeting Ø Accepted Linda Bennett Giles as an Active member of APC. Ø Decided to collect a special offering on April 22, 2018 for the West Virginia mission trip & to take the remainder of the expenses for the trip from ACT for Mission funds. Ø Decided to match the Souper Bowl for Caring offering from ACT for Mission funds. Ø Reviewed the January, 2018 Treasurer s Report. Ø Decided to collect a special offering on Easter Sunday (April 1, 2018) to benefit the Ryan Hedgpeth family & to match it with ACT for Mission funds. Ø Approved minutes of the January 21, 2018 Stated meeting as amended (Page 1, (Ministry Beyond the Congregation), third bullet, last sentence, change in the ACT for Mission Money Market account to in a liability account. Ø Called a Congregational meeting for March 18, 2018 following Worship for the purposes of (1) electing a class of elders for the Class of 2020 & (2) to hold the annual meeting of APC, Inc. Ø Decided to move the March Stated Session meeting from March 18, 2018 to March 25, 2018 immediately following Worship. Ø Joys & concerns of the congregation were identified. Moderator Ed prayed for those listed & to close the meeting. January-2018 YTD Pledges 8,309 8,309 Non-Pledges 1,181.25 1,181.25 Plate Offering 159 159 Total Expenses 10,483.17 10,483.17
SAYINGS My grandfather had an apology he d use when mentioning an achievement of his. He d say He that blowth not his own horn the same shall not be blown. I had always thought it was a quote from the Bible, but other than the briefest reference to blowing your own trumpet in Proverbs 27, it is not. Granddaddy s twist on blowing one s own horn is used today, but not as an apology. Instead, it is the driving force behind the internet ads and TV commercials in our competitive business world. We have a number of common sayings that have entered our language directly from the Bible. For example, in Matthew 5: 15-16, we are told not to hide one s light under a bushel, meaning not to be unduly modest. We like that saying, and use our talents and abilities to bring recognition to ourselves, but we neglect the follow-up using them to bring glory to God. Another saying we re familiar with comes from Galatians 6:7, You reap what you sew. It means that actions have consequences, and is a handy quote for harassed law enforcement officials, climate-control observers, and parents of teenagers. The phrase handwriting on the wall comes from the 5 th chapter of Daniel. In the story, Belshzzar, the king of Babylonia commits a sacrilege against the Jews, and as a result a hand appears to write a warning of misfortune. Today, the saying can apply to messages on social media. Instead of words of warning on a wall, we see tweets from the White House, which prove, I suppose, that someone is tapping away.. A saying that can have repercussions comes from Matthew 7:6, in which we re told not to cast our pearls before swine. It means don t waste good things on people who will not appreciate them. It s an apt saying for today, but you ll want to use caution. If you tweet on Twitter who s swine and who isn t, you ll reap what you sew and see handwriting on the wall. M. Liebchen
MONTH of March 2018 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 10 AM-Worship/ Communion Children s Church 5 5:00 PM Ministry Beyond Mtg. @ Church 7 PM Boy Scouts Mtg. in FH 6 12 Noon -Men s Lunch -Taste of Italy 6:30 PM Bible Study in Adult SS Room BYOD 7 12:10 PM Lenten Service/Luncheon 5:30 PM Property Mtg. in Adult SS Room 8 10 AM Bible Study in Adult SS Room. 9:30 AM COM Meeting in F-Hall 9 10 7 PM Churchwide Movie Night in FH 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 10 AM Worship/ Children s Church 5 PM Youth Group Mtg. @ Church 7 PM Boy Scouts Mtg. in FH 10:30 AM Women s Fellowship Mtg. in the Parlor 5 PM Worship Mtg. @ Church 9:30 AM Prayer Fellowship @ Church 12:10 PM Lenten Service/Luncheon 6 PM Christian Ed. Mtg. @ Church 18 10 AM Worship/ Children s Church Congregational Mtg. after Worship 6 PM Koinonia Dinner 19 7 PM Boy Scouts Mtg. in FH 20 12 Noon -Men s Lunch -El Cazador 6:30 PM Bible Study in Adult SS Room BYOD 21 9:30 AM APC Serves Lunch @ Daily Bread 12:10 PM Lenten Service/Luncheon 1PM DAWN Board Mtg.- Adult SS 22 10 AM Bible Study in Adult SS Room. 23 24 8 AM Pancake Breakfast for Habitat for Humanity in the FH 7 PM Panel Discussion in FH 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 10 AM Choir s Cantata/Receive OGHS Offering 1:00 PM Session Mtg. @ Church 7 PM Boy Scouts Mtg. in FH April Link Deadline 9:30 AM Prayer Fellowship @ Church 12:10 PM Lenten Service/Luncheon 7 PM Maundy Thursday Service 5 PM Youth Group Mtg. @ Church
HAPPENING THIS MONTH! Prayer Fellowship March 14 th and 28 th The Prayer Fellowship is meeting every Second and Fourth Wednesday in the Pastor s Study at 9:30 AM. All are welcome to join us in prayers for our church, community, nation, and the world. If you have any prayer requests for the Fellowship, please contact the main office. Youth Group March 11 th and 25 th The Youth Group is meeting every Second and Fourth Sunday in the Youth Room at 5:00 PM. All youth between Sixth and Twelfth grades are welcome. Pastor Ed will lead a series of discussions on the basic Reformed theology. The Youth will be treated to a meal and will fellowship throughout the evening. Koinonia Dinner March 18 th Our church will host eleven students from Germany who are in the United States on a tour of the American Religious Experience. They will join us Sunday for worship and that evening we will have a Koinonia Dinner at 6:00 PM and a Panel Discussion at 7:00 PM. Bible Studies March 6 th, 8 th, 20 th, and 22 nd Two Bible Studies are starting this month! On First and Third Tuesdays, the BYOD: Bring Your Own Dinner Bible Study will meet at 6:30 PM in the Downstairs Classroom. Bring your favorite fast food or leftovers and join us for a variety of topics. On First and Third Thursdays, the Morning Bible Study will meet at 10:00 AM in the Downstairs Classroom. This study is exactly the same as the evening study, so don t worry about missing anything. We had a lot of fun with What s Art Got To Do With It? and if you missed it, don t worry, Pastor Ed will do something similar in the fall. For now, we will return to an in-depth look at the Bible. Pastor Ed (and maybe Betsy) will lead us through the first several chapters of Genesis. Creamy White Chicken Chili 1 T Olive oil 1 ½ lbs. skinless, boneless chicken breast, chopped 1 / 3 c. finely chopped onions 4 cloves garlic, minced 2-15 oz. cans Great Northern Beans, rinsed & drained 1-14oz, chicken broth 3 4 oz. cans diced green chili peppers, undrained 1 ½ tsp. garlic powder 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. garlic salt ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper ¼ tsp. black pepper 1 8 oz. carton sour cream ¼ c. whipping cream 2-3 T lime juice (optional) In Dutch oven heat oil over medium high heat; Add chicken, onion & garlic; cook & stir about 7 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink; Stir in beans, chicken broth, green chilies, garlic powder, cumin, garlic salt, cayenne pepper & black pepper; Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat. Simmer 1 hr., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Mash beans slightly with potato masher. Turn to low heat setting & simmer 30 min. more. Do not allow to boil. Garnish servings with cheddar cheese * sliced green onions.
DAILY SCRIPTURE READINGS Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday March 1 March 2 March 3 Luke 19:11-27 Hebrews 13:1-16 Ephesians 2:1-10 March 4 March 5 March 6 March 7 March 8 March 9 March 10 Exodus 20:1-17 Psalm 19 I Corinthians 1:18-25 John 2:13-22 II Corinthians 3:4-18 I Peter 1:13-25 Hebrews 1:1-4 Jeremiah 32:16-27 Luke 9:1-6 Luke 24:36-53 March 11 March 12 March 13 March 14 March 15 March 16 March 17 Numbers 21:4-9 Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22 Ephesians 2:1-10 John 3:14-21 Luke 16:1-13 Matthew 20:20-28 Philippians 2:1-11 Hebrews 12:12-17 I Peter 4:1-11 John 12:20-36 March 18 March 19 March 20 March 21 March 22 March 23 March 24 Jeremiah 31:31-34 Psalm 51:1-12 Hebrews 5:5-10 John 12:20-33 II Kings 8:22-30 Nehemiah 9:6-25 Romans 4:16-25 James 1:1-15 II Corinthians 1:12-22 II Peter 3:5-13 March 25 March 26 March 27 March 28 March 29 March 30 March 31 Isaiah 50:4-9 Psalm 31:9-16 Philippians 2:5-11 Mark 14:1-15:47 Genesis 32:22-32 Exodus 3:1-12 Isaiah 55 II Corinthians 4:1-6 I Corinthians 13:1-13 Romans 8:1-17
Altavista Presbyterian Church P O Box 126 Altavista, Virginia 24517