Summer 2014 To submit articles, e-mail a word document to barb@intracsystems.com We will go to a 10:00 worship service beginning June 15. Calling All Parents Who: ALL PARENTS of youth that will be between 6 th and 12 th grades next year. Why: To discuss the importance Youth Ministry and give some information about it When: Following the church service on June 22 nd. Where: Fellowship Hall It is crucially important that you try to attend this meeting. We are currently redesigning our Youth Ministry and we need your input! We will be discussing changes in Youth Ministry in the church and the importance of the program. Any questions call Jake Tobolewski 392-5985. Vacation Bible School VBS will be July 14 18. Jim Case & Carissa Iszkula will be directing it. They need helpers!! There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the Lobby. Table of Contents Youth News.......... Page 2 Chuck s Chatter..... Page 3 Joys and Concerns.... Page 4 In a Different Voice.. Page 5 Book Review....... Page 6 Brian McNally s Pg...Page 7 Worship bags & News.Page 8 Church News........ Page 9 Bits and Pieces....... Page 10 Calendar.......... Page 11 Birthdays........... Page 12 Editor s Page........ Page 13
Love Grows Here By Jake Tobolewski This past month has been trying and stressful for me. As many of you know I will be reassuming the role of Youth Director in July (with continued leadership for Shannon Sanders and Alysabeth Mahood, thank God). I will be calling on the parents of the youth in our church this summer to help support our ministry. In preparation for all of that, I spent my spring break from school meeting with youth leaders from various churches in the area. I received some good insight. I am also part of the team of people heading back to Belize this summer to solidify contacts and a vision for our mission work there. These experiences had an unattended consequence. I was thrust in to the adult world of church politics and I learned that I do not like it one bit. It turns out that youth leaders usually come with an agenda. As representatives of their respective congregations they promote the beliefs and positions of their church leaders, often to the point of refusing to work with others of differing views. In Belize, we have been carefully working our way through a mine field of Christian politics to find like-minded partners to work with and help facilitate our mission work there. Errgh. Politics. Divisive. Necessary. Unpleasant. Reality. You combine all of that with Pastor Chuck constantly pushing me, challenging my worldview, etc. and I sometimes find myself wishing for the simpler Christianity that I knew as a child. On those days, when I am most stressed, I look up above the pulpit and I see the familiar words Love Grows Here. For many this is still the motto of our church and for me it breathes life. It was our benediction response every Sunday when I was young and it was what drew my family to the church 25 years ago. Pastor Chuck and I are very good friends and he is my spiritual leader. He also drives me completely crazy at times. Chuck and I view the world through different lenses. We disagree on many issues, we read scripture differently, and sometimes we draw different conclusions. However, we agree that Love was Christ s essential message, a message that is echoed throughout Paul s letters and the rest of the New Testament. Chuck and I passionately agree that as Christians we must always put LOVE first as Christ did. All other things come second. I think that sometimes we forget that. I think that sometimes I forget that. I think that the world would be better if we always put Love first. I think the Body of Christ would be better if we always put Love first. Love is patient. Love is kind. Love does not boast. Love is not proud. Love is not rude. Love is not self-seeking. Love is not easily angered. Love keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with Truth. Love always trusts. Love always hopes. Love always perseveres! Jesus is patient. Jesus is kind. Jesus does not boast. Jesus is not proud. Jesus is not rude. Jesus is not selfseeking. Jesus is not easily angered. Jesus keeps no record of wrongs. Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with Truth. Jesus always trusts. Jesus always hopes. Jesus always perseveres! Fairview Presbyterian Church will be patient. Fairview Presbyterian Church will be kind. Fairview Presbyterian Church will not boast. Fairview Presbyterian Church will not be proud. Fairview Presbyterian Church will not be rude. Fairview Presbyterian Church will not be self-seeking. Fairview Presbyterian Church will not be easily angered. Fairview Presbyterian Church will not keep a record of wrongs. Fairview Presbyterian Church will not delight in evil but rejoice with Truth. Fairview Presbyterian Church will always trust. Fairview Presbyterian Church will always hope. Fairview Presbyterian Church will always persevere! Fairview Presbyterian Church is a place where Love Grows, where it has always grown, and where it will continue to grow. We will disagree. We will argue. We will have different opinions. However, we must always remember that Love Comes First! The strength of this congregation comes from our ability to love each other while holding different views and opinions. Fairview Presbyterian Church Loves Grows Here Page 2
As I write this my four year old granddaughter Adelyn is visiting us from Reston Virginia. She and her mom have come to stay for a week or so. Our daughter Bethany, Adelyn s mom, can work remotely (she is an actuary a numbers cruncher) so she comes to visit, works out of our basement, and we get to have Adelyn (and Beth) here for a week or so. It is a good deal. Whenever Adelyn is with us, stuff happens. Yesterday, as we prepared to have dinner, she decided she wanted to set the table. She loves folding napkins. So we set the tableware on the table and she set about setting it for dinner. I turned away for a minute and when I turned back she was walking around on the table squatting at each place setting and placing the dishes and silverware and such. I looked over at her and said, That s an interesting way to set the table. She looked up at me, smiled, and said, I couldn t reach all the way across the table so I just walked across. It made perfect sense in her head. Lots of the things Adelyn does and says force me to think of things from a different perspective than I am used to. That doesn t mean that I always accept her ways of thinking and doing things, after all walking around on the table is neither sanitary nor safe. My point is that I am enlarged by having her do things in ways that challenge my preconceived and habitual ways of thinking and doing. Having her around brings a freshness, a new life, into the routine I have established in my life. Often, she challenges me to see with new eyes, and live with a new focus. And often those new eyes bring glimpses of great beauty to me. My grandson Caden and I, took Adelyn, and our dog, Gus, for a walk around the neighborhood yesterday. It was actually more of a run. Adelyn doesn t do much walking. As soon as we hit the road in front of the house she was off to the races. She starts running, Caden and Gus start running after her, she looks back over her shoulder at me, still walking, and she says, Come on old man, you can run too!! Grrrrr! But I did start running. It is depressing to have a four year old call you out, and to be barely able to keep up with her, but I ran. As we ran she looked over at me with joy painted all over her face and said this was the experience of great beauty she said, Pap Pap I love you. I love you too Adelyn. Caden, I love you. Caden responded, I love you too Adelyn. Gus, I love you. Gus said nothing, but he is a keep his thoughts to himself kind of guy. In that moment I thought about the deep connection between love, joy, and beauty. My beautiful girl of four, was, at that moment, filled with a joy that expressed itself in love. Believe me. I understand that life is hard sometimes. But I also know that you and I are surrounded by beauty, surrounded by God s beauty, and if we keep our eyes open, and our ears if we allow ourselves to see and hear and feel that beauty, it is a way of experiencing God, and leads to awe, humility, gratitude, and joy. And where joy is present, as my Adelyn reminded me, love is not far behind. Email chuck.cammarata@gmail.com Cell 814-881-1905 Love Ya - PASTOR CHUCK Page 3
People to Pray for Sara Tobolewski's sister Dawn Ickes was diagnosed with breast cancer. Michele Barth's family - Michele passed away May 17 from liver cancer Kathy Weidenboerner's mom Dorothy is recovering from a stroke Bob White is severely anemic - working with a blood doctor Ann Lewis's daughter Jennifer - battling cancer Sally Palo- many health issues Continued prayers for Hagan Hetz and his family Dave Sanner going through cancer treatment Michael Heath - a new job and and a new place to live -prayers that he will do well Al Copeland still in Afghanistan where he is doing security work at a prison Lori Straub continues to battle both MS and Sjogren s disease. Deb Pifer and Julie Seggi both continue battling MS. Julie has some special needs because she cannot work and has no means of supporting herself right now. Jackie Ostergaard has Alzheimer s and is at Sarah Reed Things to Celebrate Our 2014 Graduates! Our Summer Weddings! Jesse Young & Amanda Schatz - April 26, 2014 Pat Copeland & Jenna Clark - May 24, 2014 Jake Carver & Laura Milewski - June 7, 2014 Christian Mahood & Jennifer Vitullo - July 19, 2014 Our Young People in the Military Joe Grimaldi home from Kandahar, Afghanistan soon to return to his base in Seattle. Scotty Case - Mississippi Page 4
Brian McNally Mrs. Kobierski March 6th, 2013 Honors English 12 Who Am I? Music is a wonderful way for people to express themselves. There are countless songs that have been made and it is safe to say there is a song out there for everyone. Personally, I listen to a wide variety of music depending on my mood. Of all the songs I listen to, there is always one that I end up turning on no matter what. That song is Who Am I by Casting Crowns. I first heard this song on a church retreat about 5 years ago and I have liked it ever since. This song really applies to my life and it sends a powerful message that I need to be reminded of from time to time. Throughout my life, I have always tried my hardest to go down the right path. I have worked hard in academics and athletics, I have been polite and respectful to others, and I have been an all-around friendly and outgoing person. All of that hard work and sacrifice has paid off for me. I have become very successful in school as a member of National Honors Society and Honor Roll. I have also succeeded in athletics by being a two time captain of my football team, being named all state in football, and being awarded a Division 1 football scholarship. Last year, I was selected to Prom Court at my school which goes to show that I am liked by my peers and teachers. Overall, I have had a high school career that I can look back on and be very proud of. So, what does all of this have to do with Who Am I by Casting Crowns? With each of my accomplishments I have I am faced with a challenge. That challenge is to not become arrogant and compromise the morals that got me to where I am in the first place. Each day, I am faced with many temptations to go down the wrong path and make bad decisions. I will be the first to admit that I have given in to temptations and I am nowhere near perfect, but for the most part I have been able to keep my head on straight. One way I have been able to do that is to remember this line from Who Am I : Not because of who I am/ But because of what You've done. Not because of what I've done/ But because of who You are. This speaks volumes to me because it is a reminder that no matter what I become or what I accomplish, it is all because of what God has given me. I have been put in a position to succeed by God so all of my glory needs to go to him. I am a flower quickly fading Here today and gone tomorrow/ a wave tossed in the ocean/ a vapor in the wind. This is yet another reminder that I am just a small part in such a big world. Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth/ Would care to know my name. To me, this part is asking what makes me so important that God would have a specific plan for me. I try to emulate the message this song sends. Too often, people are more concerned with their own problems and their own lives and forget that the petty problems we face everyday are miniscule. I honestly believe that this song helps bring me back down to earth when things are going well for me. I recently had a very humbling experience when I suffered an injury that ended my football season. Up until this point, football took up a majority of my life and was almost always my main priority. After going through this experience, I realized that God is the only reason I can play football. Which means he also has the power to take it from me at any time. I listened to Who Am I countless times during this time of my life and now I am more aware that although I have worked hard, I am not the reason I have been successful. Every day is an opportunity to do the right thing. This world needs people who are unselfish, humble, and caring. Only in a utopian society would everyone put others interests before their own. That is why Who Am I doesn t really describe anyone, because nobody is perfect and not everyone thinks that way. Everyone is devious at times and everyone gives in to temptations, but if I can just strive to make Who Am I my life s theme song, I am doing exactly what God has asked me to do. Page 5
Worship Bags and Apps for Kids Our church strives to engage each individual as fully as possible during each service. This definitely includes your children. Many look forward to the worship bags that are located near the entrance of the sanctuary. These provide activity sheets that relate to the theme Pastor Chuck has chosen for the week. What a great way to include the whole family in the postservice discussion! This allows your children to realize that their active involvement in the service and their opinions about it are just as important as the rest of ours. Perhaps this feeling of importance in the church body will continue as they consider participating in Sunday School, candle lighting, the children s sermon, and, as they grow a little older, being a greeter, becoming a choir member, etc. We want the children as involved as possible. We also need to consider the time in which they are growing up. So, we can also find excellent resources on the internet which involve God s Word. If your child is more motivated by using a mobile phone or tablet during the church service, perhaps parents can explore appropriate apps. A few I have found for our kids are: The Beginner s Bible, Bible for Kids, Sproutville, LoJ Miracles, Bible Adventures for Kids, inoah: the Man, and Children s Bible Games. Each has free versions available. These, of course, are limited, but have complete versions that can be purchased. Please be sure the device is on silent, or that your child has ear buds plugged in during the service. All of these apps include music, animation, and verbalization. Have fun choosing what most excites your child about enjoying time with our church family and the word of God that we all seek! Pentecost Sunday Pentecost is Sunday, June 8. Please plan to wear red or bright colors to church. The choir will sing a joyous song of celebration! Mark Your Calendar On Saturday, July 26, we will have an all-day Worship Music Event! There will be different worship bands performing throughout the day! Watch for more details in upcoming bulletins Page 6
Congratulations to Our 2014 Graduates! High School Ben Burton Hunter Jageman Buster Johnston Brian McNally College Kayla Paden Michael Phillips Nicholas Tessier Kailee Traut Graduate College Jessica LaFlamme Alysabeth Mahood Joey Weidenboerner We will be honoring our 2014 Graduates Sunday, June 1 during the service, and with a small reception afterwards in the Adult Lounge. 2014 Summer Weddings Jesse Young & Amanda Schatz April 26, 2014 Pat Copeland & Jenna Clark May 24, 2014 Jake Carver & Laura Milewski June 7, 2014 Christian Mahood & Jennifer Vitullo July 19, 2014 Congratulations!!!! Vacation Bible School VBS will be July 14 18. Jim Case & Carissa Iszkula will be directing it. They need helpers!! There is a sign-up sheet on the table in the Lobby. Mark Your Calendar Adult Sunday School Sunday, June 1 Bonnie Krause will be starting a class on the book of James at 9:15 am. This first class will be held in the Conference Room. The following Sundays it will be in the Adult Lounge. On Saturday, July 26, we will have an all-day Worship Music Event! There will be different worship bands performing throughout the day! Watch for more details in upcoming bulletins. Bible Study Jake Tobolewski will be leading a Bible Study for college age students Tuesday evenings at 7:00 in the Conference Room beginning June 3rd. The group will start by looking at Paul's letter to the Galatians. If you know any collegeage students that would be interested please share and pass this along. Feel free to call Jake with any questions at 392-5985. Page 7
Someone With Skin On My 3-year-old nephew was having a hard time falling asleep at Grandma s house, so my mom lay down beside him for a while. As she started to ease out of the room, his eyes flew open. You re save, she reminded him. Jesus is always with you. I know, Grandma, he protested, but I want someone with skin on! That reminded me of a quote by theologian Frederick Buechner: Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it is like to live inside somebody else s skin. God came to us as Jesus someone with skin on so we would know he understands what it s like to live inside our skin. Now as Jesus body in the world, we re often called on to be someone with skin on to others. Indeed, we re to show them such compassion that we could just as well by wearing their skin. Heidi Mann What was the first plague God brought upon the Egyptians when Pharaoh refused to let the Hebrews leave his land? A. Water turned to blood B. Dense darkneww for three days C. Death of all Egyptian firstborn males D. Swarms of gnats Scientists have discovered that sound travels faster in the summer than in the winter. In hot summer air, sound travels at 1,266 feet per second. But, in cold air, sound travels as slow as 1,066 feet per second. So that means sermons preached in the summer will naturally be shorter, right? Answer to Bible Quiz: A Page 8
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S U M M E R B I R T H D A Y S 1 Bev Solvedt 2 Richard Knight 3 Janine Sanner 4 Willy Arce 5 Bonnie Krause Sullivan Nelson 7 Karen Milewski 9 Sherry Copeland 11 Amy Arce Katelynn Twining Mark Harmon 13 Barb Wingerter 14 Jesse Illig Cameron Mando 15 Elaina Ward 16 Bob Boyd 18 Pat White 20 Liam O Brien Ryan Crawford Aleks Zaytsev Chloe White 22 Erin McNally Lauren Scharf 23 Deb Pifer Shawn McNally 24 Paul Case 25 Sally Junker Annette Hutchinson Jennifer Lewis 26 Don Wilson 28 Jim Getz Danielle Nies 2 George Esquivel 5 Bill McNally Jayme Sanner 7 Ken Krause Sydney Lee Sam Lewis 9 Michelle Miller 10 Halle Krieg 11 Linda McFarland Boyd Bob O Connell David Sanner Madelyn Brosig 13 Gary Heath Denise Miller 15 Jett Derry 16 Ty Mando Joseph Scott 20 Sam Lee 21 Kris Russin 23 Bill Johnston 24 Ivy Iszkula 28 Guy Buell 29 Nancy Pickens 1 Jaxon Derry Tom Straub 2 Paul Simpson 3 Michele McNally 9 Remlee Zeiser 11 Marilyn Ferringer Nicholas Adams 15 James Case 16 Mike Mucciarone Tyler Nies Monte Annegan 20 Kristin Miller Amy Twining Brian Thompson Cindy Heidler 22 Steve Sample Joe Weidenboerner Jr. 23 Ron Stadler Ron Ferringer 25 Ken Milewski 29 Benjamin Iszkula 30 Melisa Layton 31 Gina Case Page 10
Editor s Page I love shopping online... usually. About a month ago I ordered an umbrella for the back deck from Target online. It kept being delayed and delayed. Finally last week it was delivered by UPS and you can t imagine the condition of the packaging! Only about 2/3 of the box was there, with clear tape holding it all together. We took it out of the box (such as it was) and discovered there was a hole in the umbrella. This wasn t really a surprise given the condition of the packaging. So, Mike contacted Target by phone and was told to take the whole thing to the Target store and they would take care of returning it to the appropriate people. Mike took it to the local store and was told that he didn t have the correct credit card. So he lugged it back to the car and came home to get my credit card (which, by the way, was drawn on the same account as the one he had given them at the store). He took this card plus the umbrella back to Target and was then told that he couldn t return the item to a store since it had been ordered online, and by the way it was out of stock and unavailable from the online store. So, back to the car with the umbrella. He came home and contacted the online store again and they said to send it back to them via UPS and they would see about getting a refund on our credit card. He suggested (politely yet strongly) that they should arrange for pickup, and they agreed. So, just a couple of days ago UPS picked up the umbrella and we now have to wait for our refund. If it ever comes.. This past Sunday Mike and I went to Sam s Club and found an umbrella we liked even better than the one from Target, so we bought it and put it up on the deck. I guess I ve learned that it s better to buy odd-sized item locally, because sending some things through the mail or UPS sometimes doesn t have a favorable outcome. I ve told you before of some of the bad experiences Mike and I have had with medical personnel. Yesterday I called my doctor because a prescription that I had had run out and I needed a new prescription. The receptionist (who is also the doctor s wife) told me I shouldn t have run out, so I had to make an appointment for an office visit to get the new scrip. I told her what I thought of that new rule, and she became very rude. So, I hung up. I called back a couple of hours later (after I d cooled off) and asked her to please make an appointment for me. She started yelling at me and then she slammed the phone down! Real professional, huh? Needless to say, I won t be going back to that office again. There s another problem, though. The medication I need a prescription for is one which has to be gradually stopped. Definitely not cold turkey. So, Mike and I have been scrambling to get to another doctor, but we keep running into roadblocks. Luckily, my family doctor (who has very nice office personnel who bend over backward to help) has agreed to prescribe this medicine until I can get a replacement doctor. This stress Mike and I didn t need. Barb Mucciarone Page 11