Old First Presbyterian Church 125 Main St, Huntington, NY 11743-6960 631-427-2101 www.oldfirstchurchhuntington.org Rev. Anne Stewart Miller, Interim Pastor Return service requested Non Profit Org. U.S POSTAGE PAID Permit No. 146 The Weathervane April 2016 Worship Services: Sundays at 10:00 a.m. 20
From the Interim Pastor s Study At another church I served, I was the Associate Pastor for Christian Education so was able to spend a good deal of time with the kids and youth of that congregation. We used to have an expression we d yell when something exciting was about to happen or something even better than anticipated had just happened yippee yahoo! That expression came to mind last week at Session when by unanimous vote, our 2016 Mission Study was approved. Some minor tweaking is almost done, thanks to some good input by several elders but for all intents and purposes it s done. It will be presented to our Presbytery s Committee on Ministry on Tuesday, April 5 to receive their approval. They will then charge our session: Enough already! Form your Pastor Nominating Committee! Our congregational nominating committee is, in fact, already doing some necessary background work enabling it to make telephone calls to possible PNC members right after the Presbytery committee meets and gives the go-ahead to form the PNC. On April 12, our session will set the date for our PNC to be elected by our congregation, likely late April or early May. Once the nine members of the PNC are elected they ll be off and running. (Why nine members on the PNC? That number [but no less than seven] was recommended to Session by the Transition Team; that motion was also approved at last week s session meeting. The first part of the PNC s work will be, using the findings of the Mission Study, to write Old First s Ministry Information Form that document that will circulate around our denomination for minister candidates to read--then decide if they ll throw their hat into our pastoral search. Now, I did mention that the approval of the Mission Study was a yippee yahoo? But I d like to add another yippee yahoo to the nth degree and that is the Mission Study itself. Five individuals met weekly over 2-1/2 months to analyze the results of last fall s Congregational Questionnaire and Gathering; gather more data, including demographic information from the research firm, Percept Group; then began writing the various sections. Every member of the Writing Team (Jim Colbert, Leslie Schult, Susan Oehrig, Anne Gunthner and myself) wrote several of the sections that were eventually assembled, redacted and closely edited. A draft was presented to Session in February to solicit their comments, questions and input. Afterwards, the writing team assembled again, and based on the input received from Session, reworked and retooled the Study into its present form. Some ten different drafts were done prior to the final one. The final draft approved by session is undergoing some minor tweaking (based on input from our March meeting) before being sent to Presbytery. Copies of the Study for the congregation will be available late the week of March 27; it will also be sent electronically with an Update. By now, you may have already heard some things about the Study. First, that it s a very candid, facts-based document that provides critical information about our congregation that 2 Special Days to Celebrate April Birthdays Sing a song of Birthdays Full of fun and cheer And may you keep on having them For many a happy year. (Anonymous) 1 Maryann Backstrom 7 Virginia Perry, Carl Saenger 11 Jennifer Tibbetts 12 Jim Colbert 17 Chris Youngquist 26 Tim Youngquist 29 Carolyn Savage May you be showered with all God s best blessings today and always. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you haven t already submitted the dates for your birthday and anniversary, please let the church office know as soon as possible so we can list them in the Weathervane for the appropriate months. Please note that since there is no Weathervane for the months of January, July, and August, these special days will be listed in the previous months issues. 19
You are invited to contribute to the news and newsworthiness of our congregation! The Weathervane is published by Old First Church and distributed to members and friends of Old First Church. The deadline for the May 2016 issue of the Weathervane is April 13 2016 @ noon. Please mail, hand deliver, or e-mail submissions to the Church office at cherieconell@oldfirstchurchhuntington.org or office@oldfirstchurchhuntington.org Weathervane assembly will be the last Wednesday of each month. Anyone who is available and would like to help out, please let the church office know. Thank you. If you do not want to receive a paper copy of the Weathervane so we can reduce postage cost, please let the office or me know. Thanks. Keep in Touch WEATHERVANE DEADLINE Keeping Up To Date Please let the church office know your new address if you have moved or have changed your phone number and/or e-mail address so we may continue to keep you informed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~...When going to Huntington Hospital, be sure you list Old First Presbyterian Church as your church. Hospital workers provide lists of Protestants and Presbyterians, but often do not know what Old First s affiliation may be....if you are aware of a member in the hospital, please let us know. Many people are admitted through emergency and will not appear on any church lists. Your minister is there often and wants to call on you. will be read, absorbed, pondered (and yes prayed over) by only those minister candidates who are under very serious consideration. Some might express concern though, that its open and honest tone may deter a candidate from applying especially when you consider the relatively shorter tenure (based on national averages) of our two most recent installed pastors as well as the associated angst and anxiety that resulted from their departures. Let me then, offer several observations based on my experience on the other side of the road as a pastor who has several times been involved in the call process, either as a permanent or interim pastor seeking a call: *First of all, the study clearly affirms that our congregation s people are its greatest strength. By tradition during an interim time, program activity can diminish. That is clearly not the case at Old First with the start-up of new programs and our capital campaign. And that is all due to the commitment and devotion of the people of this congregation. If I ve heard it once, I ve heard it over and over again that the membership of Old First loves this congregation. And gushing from that deep and abiding love, the Study clearly announces that our people are both putting their past behind them and growing in hope and confidence about the bright future of Old First. *Second, based on a thorough examination of the financial data contained in the Study, one must conclude as the Study clearly states, that Old First is in a strong financial position a worrisome point for many ministerial candidates. *Finally, as a prospective permanent pastor, I would read this Mission Study with appreciation and wonderment--that a congregation would offer this both candid and loving portrait of itself. For I absolutely assure you any serious candidate will consider the Study an act of devotion by the congregation, putting this proverbial mirror up to our face. Put another way, can you ever imagine going into a loving and lasting marriage without wanting and working to know mostly everything about your future partner? I encourage you, then, to read the Study with those same loving eyes you have for Old First. Take pride in all of our accomplishments and the many ways we have ministered to Huntington for more than 350 years. Be thankful for all the saints before us and among us now. And take hope from the Study--placing that hope and confidence in our bright future under the leadership of your next installed pastor. Faithfully, Rev. Anne Interim Pastor Please help by informing the church. We care. 18 3
April 2016 Worship Schedule Sunday, April 3-2nd Sunday of Easter 10:00 am: Communion Worship Sunday, April 10-3rd Sunday of Easter/Women's Sunday 10:00 am: Worship w/kids & Youth Choirs Sunday, April 17-4th Sunday of Easter 10:00 am: Worship Sunday, April 24-5th Sunday of Easter 10:00 am: Worship In Our Prayers Pray at every opportunity in the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18) Dorothea Ashby (member), Maryann Backstrom (member), Paul Burgess (member), Dave and Else Haddock (members), Ed Williams (member), and Grace Youngquist (member). Names on our prayer list will remain for a month. If you wish to have a name remain on the list, kindly contact the Church Office. HAVE YOU NAMED OLD FIRST CHURCH IN YOUR WILL? By naming Old First Presbyterian Church in your will, you will have a direct effect in the ongoing ministry of Old First Church for many years to come. Below is information to help you include Old First Church in your estate planning. It is recommended that you obtain the professional advice of your attorney. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Leaving a Bequest to Old First Presbyterian Church A bequest in your will allows you to pass any amount you wish to Old First Presbyterian Church free of estate tax. Bequests can take various forms. You can give cash or specific property, a dollar amount or a percentage of your estate, with restrictions or without. To make a bequest to Old First Presbyterian Church, please include one of the following in your will: General Bequest A general bequest is one of the most popular ways to make a planned gift. Through a general bequest, you simply leave a specified dollar amount to Old First Church. "I give (insert dollar amount) to Old First Presbyterian Church, 125 Main St, Huntington, NY 11743 as an unrestricted gift." Percentage of Estate/Residuary Bequest Giving a percentage of your estate or a residuary bequest is used to give Old First Church all or a portion of your property, after all debts, taxes, expenses and all other bequests have been paid. "I give % of my estate to Old First Presbyterian Church, 125 Main St., Huntington, NY 11743 after all debts, taxes, expenses and all other bequests have been paid as an unrestricted gift." Prayer List Requests The prayer list is prepared each Thursday at Noon. Please notify the office of names to be included. If you would like to place someone on the Prayer List, please fill out forms located in the Narthex, and return to the Church Office or email your request to the church office at cheriecornell@oldfirstchurchhuntington.org, stop by or call the church office Additional forms are located in the hallway between Parish Hall and the Sanctuary and in the office. 4 17
Youth Ministry Update MARCH/APRIL YOUTH GROUP & TUXIS SCHEDULE Old First Church Mission Thrift Store Spring Sale!!! Friday, April 22nd and Saturday, April 23rd, the Clothes Line Thrift Store will be open 11am to 4pm both days to sort and sell Spring Clothes Please consider helping for as long or short a time as you can. WE NEED YOUR HELP!!! Thanks. Call Cynthia Stewart with Questions - 516-780-2185 Sunday April 3rd: TUXIS 6:30-8pm Tuesday, April 5th: L.I. Homeless Vigil 6:30-8pm Call Tina for details. Wednesday April 6: YG 5-7pm Sunday April 10th: FAMILY FEUD NIGHT 5pm-8pm - (teens will help to cleanup afterwards) Wednesday April 13: YG 5-7 Sunday, April 17: TUXIS 6:30-87pm Wednesday April 20th: YG 5-7 Sunday April 24th: NO TUXIS (Spring Break) Wednesday April 27: NO YG (Spring Break) Thrift Store Hours: We are open Tues., Thurs., & Fri. from 11am to 4pm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ We accept clothing donations during hours of operation. Flowers and butterflies drift in color, illuminating spring. - Anonymous Author 16 5
OFC Movie Night Do You Believe? Friday, April 1, 7:30 to 9:30 pm Fiske Room Keep the meaning of Easter alive... A dozen different souls- all moving in different directions, all longing for something more. As their lives unexpectedly intersect, they are each about to discover there is power in the Cross of Christ. Please contact Anne Gunthner if you plan to attend and need a ride! For where two or more are gathered in my name, there am I among them. (Matthew 18:20) Strength in Numbers (Moms in Prayer) Sunday April 17th at 11:15 to 11:45 am in Fiske Room Mothers share ongoing concerns for their children (no matter how old they are!). Please join us for a special time of fellowship together as we lift up all of our children (young and old!) in prayer and get ready to walk away feeling renewed, refreshed and empowered for your children and the world in which they live! (Questions? Contact Anne Gunthner) HAVE YOU NAMED OLD FIRST CHURCH IN YOUR WILL? 6 15
Sunday, April 10 Coordinating Team Meeting Moderator: Susan Oehrig (718-499-6138) email: PresbyterianWomen@OldFirstChurchHuntington.org Next PW Board meeting in April will be Tuesday, April 5 th in the Fiske Room Refreshments at 9:30am, Meeting begins at 10:00am Circle 1 (Evening Circle) Leader: Priscilla Jahier (351-4941) April Meeting will be Monday April 18, at 7:30pm We will be walking a labyrinth. Come walk with God. Each woman will experience their own unique "journey" through meditation and prayer surrounded by music and the fellowship of your peers. Refreshments will be provided, and a short business meeting will begin at 7:30 pm. We will start our walk at 8 pm. Circle 3 Bible Study Co-leaders: Holly Baptista (757-0719) and Gloria Burgess (424-5168), Lucy Fetterolf (co-leader emeritus) Meets the 2nd Tuesday each month at 12:30pm in the Fiske Room Our next meeting will be Tuesday, April 12th, 2016 We will continue Bible Study of Come to the Waters studying chapter 8. All are welcome! Circle 4 Quilting Leader: Asenath Fuchs (692-4139) Thursday Mornings at 9:30am in Room 101 All are welcome. No experience necessary. Also, any unwanted embroidery floss would be greatly appreciated for the use of shoulder cover ties. Circle 6 Crafts Holiday Shoppe Leader: Kris Colbert (271-4072) Fridays, 9:45am in the Craft Room. Presbyterian Women Giving: If you would like to contribute to the missions that Presbyterian Women support, you may use the envelopes in the pews. Please mark PW on the envelope and on your check -make check payable to the Presbyterian Women. With our blessings and thanks, PW of Old First Church. 14 7
Have you really checked out our parking lot? How about the walkways leading to our church? The kitchen, the Parish Hall and the choir room all need major updates and repairs. The furniture throughout this church is all outdated. We have a lot of projects that need work. The trustees are doing them one at a time so they can self-manage them, and save money. The flat roofs, the Fiske room, 101 and 102 and the AA room have all been worked on. And the steeple, one of our signature features of this church, is up next. We don t want our next installed pastor to have to start on the job and have to deal with these issues. We want him or her to come in here and be able to focus on our minds, our hearts, our souls and the true mission of our Old First and not on this physical structure. Women s Sunday Please join us for Women s Sunday, April 10th. Elder Pricilla Jahier preaching on Talents and Gifts Are you going to sit back and watch, or jump in and participate? Are you going to walk by the work that is being done, and keep your hands in your pockets? The history and traditions of OFC demand that we don t let future generations down. We have the resources, do we have the will? So what do I ask? I want you to take ownership of this magnificent structure. I want you to rally around our steeple. I want you to come, and join us today in making a pledge. $1 million dollars is all we need, one pledge at a time, one family at a time. The Capital Campaign Committee has begun to contact each of you to present our materials and answer any questions you may have. This process will continue until each and every member has been contacted. At any time, please reach out and let us know if there are questions you have. And please turn in your Restoration and Preservation pledges. Thank you and may God continue to pour down his blessings on all of us. Jim Colbert The Capital Campaign Committee: Jim Colbert Jerry Kessler Peter Fetterolf Cindy Samuels Curt Abbott Gerard Schult John Collins James Thatcher Heather Tucker HAVE YOU NAMED OLD FIRST CHURCH IN YOUR WILL? 8 13
RESTORATION & PRESERVATION So what is this Capital Campaign all about? It s pretty simple. This Capital Campaign gives you the opportunity to take ownership in your church. I wonder if in 1784, when they had to rebuild this church, if they had cocktail parties, mass mailings, personal calls, and Moments for Mission, to encourage the congregation to participate. I truly doubt it. Back then the congregation members showed up at this church and said, How can I help? What can we do? We are here to help and tomorrow I will bring my neighbors. Those early church members supplied the muscle, the sweat and the resources to build this magnificent structure. They believed it was their responsibility to do it, and they rallied around it! We have inherited this church from those 18th century builders, with no strings attached, and at no cost to us. It is now our responsibility to restore and preserve it so it will be standing for future generations. It is time for us to rally around our steeple. We need your support, your commitment and, most importantly, your resources. Our goal is to raise $1 million dollars over a 3 year period. This may sound like more than you would think possible but Northport Presbyterian, a church almost identical to ours, raised over $2 million in a capital campaign. St. Johns in CSH, a much smaller church, raised close to $5 million. How will we do it? For a start if each member of our church would just set aside $1 a day for 3 years that would be about $1000 per member and we would raise a total of $400,000. How much would a dollar a day change your lifestyle? Not one little bit! Many already have pledged much, much more than that for which we are grateful. Each and every one of our Trustees and each member of our Capital Campaign Committee were asked to support this campaign and 100% have pledged their financial support. Not only have they pledged their support but many have paid their pledges up front. They have written a check or transferred stock to the church. When we ask other Board members we hope for the same response. We pray that each and every one of our members take ownership in our church. New Photo Directory! A new photo directory for Old First is coming soon! You will soon receive a phone call describing our new directory and the photo session sign-up procedure. Appointments can be made by following the link on the homepage of the Old First Website, (oldfirstchurchhuntington.org) at Coffee Hour and by calling the Church Office. Rides are available for photo appointments! Sign up as soon as possible! Thank you! Questions? Ask Jerry Kessler. One million dollars, why now? The reasons are obvious. We have been doing band-aid repairs on this building for as long as I can remember. The little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike comes to mind. It has come to the point that we have so many leaks in the dike, that patchwork repairs are just not cost effective and don t solve the underlying problems. We have shingles blowing off the steeple in every storm. We have ceiling tiles that are over 50 years old. We have tree roots buckling our sidewalks. And the list goes on and on. 12 9
SUN MON TUE EASTER SUNDAY MARCH 27 MARCH 28 MARCH 29 9a Family Worship 11a Worship 6:45p AA 9:30a Prayers 10a Worship 10:20a Church School 11:15a Book/Bible Study 11:15a R&P Capital Campagn 6:45p AA 6:30-8p TUXIS Easter Monday Holiday 3 4 5 10 11 12 Womens Sunday Marcie Mazzola Run 9:30a Prayers 10a Worship w Kids &Youth Choirs 10:20a Church School 11:15a R&P Capital Campagn 5-7:30p Potluck/Family Feud Night 6:45p AA 9:30a Prayers 10a Worship 10:20a Church School 11:15a R&P Capital Campaign 6:45p AA 9:30a Prayers 10a Worship 10:20a Church School 1l:15a R&P Capital Campaign 1-2:30p T.O.H. Advisory Board (PH) 6:45p AA 7:30p Trustees 7:30p NA 7:30p NA 7:30-9p BS Comm. Meet. 17 18 19 7:30p PW C1/Evening 7:30p NA 24 25 26 7:30p NA 10 1p AA 2:30p Staff Meeting 12:30p PW Board 1p AA 7p Deacons 12:30p PW-C3/Bible Study 1:00p AA 2:30p Staff Meeting 7p Session 1:00p AA 1:00p AA 2:30p Staff Meeting 9:15-10:15a Gentle Bends 5-5:30p Kids Choir 5-7p Youth Club 5:30-6p Youth Choir 7:15p AA 5-5:30p Kids Choir 5-7p Youth Club 5:30-6p Youth Choir 7:15p AA 7:30-9p BS Troop 32 5-5:30p Kids Choir 5-7p Kids & Youth Club 5:30-6p Youth Choir 6p Archival Dinner 7:15p AA 7:30p BS Troop 32 WED THU FRI SAT 5-5:30p Kids Choir 5-7p Kids & Youth Club 5:30-6p Youth Choir 7:15p AA 7:30p BS Troop 32 5-5:30p Kids Choir 5-7p Kids & Youth Club 5:30-6p Youth Choir 7:15p AA 7:30p BS Troop 32 MARCH 30 MARCH 31 1 2 9:30-11p PW/C4 Quilting 5-9:30p Giant Steps 8p Choir Rehearsal 9:30a Al Anon 9:45a PWC6 - Crafts 7:30p Movie Night 6 7 8 9 Set up and preparation for Deacons Potluck & Family Feud Night in Parish Hall 9:30a PW C-4 Quilting 5-9:30p Giant Steps 8p Choir Rehearsal 13 14 15 16 9:30a PW C-4 Quilting 5-9:30p Giant Steps 8p Choir Rehearsal 9:30a Al Anon 9:45a PWC6 - Crafts 9a Al Anon 9:45a Crafts 20 21 22 23 9:30a PW C-4 Quilting 5-9:30p Giant Steps 8p Choir Rehearsal 11 Earth Day 9:30a Al Anon 9:45a Crafts Spring Sale SPRING SALE 27 28 29 30 9:30a PW C-4 Quilting 5-9:30p Giant Steps 8p Choir Rehearsal 9:30a Al Anon 9:45a Crafts