Vol. 22 No. 12 December 2016 First Presbyterian Church of Fairbury
Communion Holy Communion will be served on Sunday, December 4th and 24th. Flowers Liturgists Greeters 12/4 Bob and Ann Nussbaum 12/11 JD and Robin Buchenau 12/18 Poinsettias 12/25 Poinsettias 12/4 Ann Lage 12/11 Ron Peters 12/18 Volunteer Needed! 12/25 Sandie Moore 12/4 Lisa Kilgus 12/11 Walt and Marillyn Moore 12/18 Bob and Anne Nussbaum 12/25 Rod Stevens Prayer Concerns.John Enderli, Deanna Stewart, Deanna Canonge, Jeanine Perez, Terry Miller, Marilyn Dennis, Brent Edelman, Dave Jeffries, Tom Whitfill, Eileen Sohn, and Chuck Sasse. Deacons Calling 12/4 Jack and Shirley Mitchell 12/11 Lisa Kilgus and Pam Teske 12/18 Phyllis Tipton and Jeanette Franklin 12/25 Phyllis Fyke and Justin Goembel Food Pantry Sunday The Deacons have designated the second Sunday of every month as Food Pantry Sunday. Please help us fill the Food Pantry box with cleaning and laundry supplies this month. Thank you for your help! Stay Informed! Did you know that you can get the newsletter emailed right to your inbox every month? Simply send an email to fairburypresbyterian@route24.net and we will add you to the list! And our newsletter and the most up-to-date version of the church calendar is always available for viewing on our website www.firstpresfairbury.org!
Birthdays 1 2 6 8 9 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 22 23 24 25 28 Ryker Rafferty Kamber Kilgus Harmony Zimmerman Isaac Okai Pam Teske Hayden Breen Ashley Brining Tess Ward Dolan Barnes Marlene Janssen Taelyn Bach Goldia Sasse Bob Nussbaum Walt Moore Eli Corey Sean O Donnell Sarah Dawson Becky Webster Gene Leffingwell Eileen Sohn Kailey Masters Justin Cox Bill Fugate Kathy Ladeairous Dorothy Householder Anniversaries 8 28 Phil & Diane Troehler Bill & Kay Fugate If your birthday or anniversary has been omitted, please contact the church office.
It s That Time of Year Again It s that time of year again! Over the next few weeks we will be looking ahead to 2017, which means we will be having a lot of sign-ups for the coming year available. Please prayerfully consider how you may be called to serve the following ministries: Flowers Have a special day you would like to honor with flowers in the church chancel? Sign-up for the date you want, and as it approaches, the church office will contact you to find out what you want printed in the bulletin. Flowers can be ordered to be delivered through Nature s Designs or Dave s, or you can bring your own arrangement. Liturgist Being liturgist is a simple and important way to participate in worship. The bulletin is mailed to you ahead of time for you to look over beforehand. Fellowship Time Treats 2017 Christmas Joy Offering Advent and Christmas are times to celebrate the arrival of the true light. The Christmas Joy Offering is a way to share God s love all season long. This offering gives us the unique opportunity to join in this celebration by supporting those in need of help and hope. This Presbyterian tradition has helped many since its inception 80 years ago. Approximately 50% of the donated funds honor the faithfulness of current and retired church workers when they incur a special need resulting from life s challenging circumstances. The balance of the offering is used for financial support of Presbyterian related racial ethnic schools and colleges to help future church leaders achieve their professional goals. All of these schools are open to any student regardless of their race. These funds help pave the way for future leaders. During Advent there will be special envelopes in our pews for The Christmas Joy Offering from Sunday, Nov. 27 to Sunday, Dec. 18. Please consider making a donation to this special cause that has great needs and rewards. We are always in need of more volunteers willing to provide treats for fellowship time. There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex if you would be able to provide 3 dozen cookies or bars (homemade or store bought are both fine). Salvation Army Bell Ringing Kitchen Duty 2017 Kitchen duty sign-ups are now available in the narthex. Duties include: Washing towels and dishcloths, keeping refrigerators clean, keeping counters clear and keeping the floor clean. First Pres will be responsible for ringing the Salvation Army bell at Dave s on: Thursday, December 8th Friday, December 16th Wednesday, December 21st There is a sign-up sheet in the narthex if you can help with any of those dates.
KITCHEN DUTY FOR DECEMBER: Alma Augsburger Mark Your Calendars! The 2017 Pork Loin Dinner has been set for Tuesday, March 14th. Please save this date on your calendars to help with Presbyterian Women s major fundraiser for the year. Your help makes it possible for PW to assist with so many mission projects! PW Coordinating Team Officers Ann Lage, Moderator (309-723-4043) Michelle Clemons, Vice Moderator (815-692-0622) Lisa Kilgus, Secretary (815-692-3956) Donna Roman, Treasurer (815-692-1212) Anna McKeon, Mission Rep. (815-692-2962) Together in Service Committee (Mission Opportunities) Melissa Goembel, Jill Krieger, Theresa Rafferty Nominating Committee Sandy Dawson, Alma Meister-Augsburger.. The next PW meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, December 6th at the home of Alma Augsburger. "Church Basement Ladies" trip on December 13th. We have one ticket left! If you're interested in going contact Alma Augsburger (815) 848-3627.
Christian Education News Sunday Morning Adult Class The Adult Sunday School class meets on Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m. in the Library September thru May. Christmas Program Practice Practice for this year s Christmas program will be at 8:45 a.m. every Sunday until the program on December 18th. All the children have a part, so please try to have the children there on time so we can have enough time to rehearse. Wednesday Bible Study This group meets every Wednesday morning at 9:00 a.m. in the church fellowship hall. John 3:16 This group of couples with children meets once a month for fellowship and study. Free childcare is provided. The next meeting is Friday, December 16th at 6pm at the home of Matt and Jenna Kilgus. Spotlight on Sunday School This Month s Focus: The Stories of Christmas 12/4: Mary s Story 12/11: Joseph s Story 12/18: Jesus Story 12/25: Shepherd s Story Koinonia κοινωνία A faith, food, and fellowship class aimed at 40-50 something s meets on the 1st Friday of the month. The next meeting is Friday, December 2nd at 7:00pm at the home of John and Connie Rich.
Please take a moment to check the Friends & Members list in the back of the 2015 Annual Report (yellow cover) to see if your address and phone number is listed correctly. Please check the addresses of any adult children that are listed as well. If you know of an incorrect address, please email the church office at: fairburypresbyterian@route24.net or put a note in the Secretary s mailbox with the correct info. Annual Report Deadline Friday, December 16th The Annual Report deadline has been moved up to Friday, December 16th so that the majority of the Annual Report can be completed by the end of the year. Please submit your annual report in Word format by e-mailing the church office at fairburypresbyterian@route24.net. Thank you! If you do not have a copy of the Annual Report, please check with the church office. We can get you another copy or just verify your address is correct in our records. Thank you for taking a moment to help us get the most up-to-date contact information before the next Annual Report is published! 2016 Contributions All contributions for the year 2016 must be given to the church by December 31, 2016 or mailed in an envelope postmarked December 31, 2016. Monies received after the start of 2017 cannot be attributed to the 2016 year. Our Mission Statement We, The First Presbyterian Church of Fairbury, Illinois through ~ worshiping the God of love, ~ inviting everyone to experience grace through Christ, ~ reflecting Christ in our daily lives, are working with God (the Holy Spirit) to make life improvements happen. Where there is no vision, the people perish. (Proverbs 29:18, KJV) Offering Envelopes for 2017 Everyone who gave contributions during the 2016 fiscal year will receive an offering envelope and offering number. The envelopes are available in the Narthex in December. If you are not interested in receiving offering envelopes, simply request that the Financial Secretary recycle them for you.
Income TREASURER'S REPORT 9 Month Thru October 31, 2016 Actual Budget Pledges 114,208 125,780 Non-Pledged 17,971 11,670 Per Capita 2,324 2,500 Interest on Checking 23 20 Use of Church 415 130 Special Reserve Fund 997 1,670 Interest Bequest/ Memorial 20,395 15,910 Funds Total Income 156,332 157,680 Expenses 94,292 151,558 Excess (Shortage) 62,040 6,122 The January newsletter deadline is Thursday, December 15th. The Giving Tree Giving Tree Schedule 2016 The Giving Tree is a ministry of First Pres that gives Christmas gifts to children in need in the Prairie Central School District. Each child receives a new shirt, a new pair of pants, and a toy of their choice. Starting on November 27th, the Christmas tree in the narthex will be covered in paper ornaments. Each ornament represents a child in need that you can volunteer to shop for. The ornaments have sizes and gift requests printed on them. If you d like to help with a monetary donation, but don t want to do the shopping yourself, we have designated shoppers who will buy the gifts for you. If you have any questions about the Giving Tree, please contact Connie Rich or Anna McKeon. Nov. 27 to Dec. 11: Ornaments available for pickup in the narthex. December 16: Wrapping Party at 5:30 p.m. We will get together to organize the Friendship Room for the sorting of gifts and wrap the items purchased by the designated shoppers. December 18: Blessing of the gifts during worship, and The Sort after worship. Ordination and Installation of Officers Sunday, December 11th During worship on Sunday, December 11th, we will be ordaining and installing our new officers. We encourage you to come and support them during their time of ordination and installation. We also encourage all officers who have been previously ordained to come and participate in the laying on of hands for the new officers. Tuesday, December 20: Gift delivery at 8:30 a.m. Santa s Little Helpers will be needed again this year to help deliver the gifts. Delivery only takes about an hour, and maps and directions are provided. Please signup in the narthex if you can help.
from all of us here at First Pres!
First Presbyterian Church 101 East Elm Street Fairbury, IL 61739 815-692-2963 www.firstpresfairbury.org Return Service Requested