Dear Friends, The next few weeks in worship, we will celebrate several special events. This weekend, the Presbyterian Women in our congregation will lead in worship for Celebrate the Gifts of Women Sunday. I will be preaching, but other women in the congregation will take the other parts of worship leadership. I have sometimes joked that with me as your senior pastor, every Sunday I preach is Celebrate the Gifts of Women Sunday. But, what my preaching does not celebrate is the massive amount of service and giving that happens through the Presbyterian Women s Circles in this congregation! Not only does every Women s Circle have a service project that they support, but they also identify older women in the congregation with whom each Circle keeps in touch, building great lines of communication and support for our oldest women. The women who lead in this congregation through our Presbyterian Women s Organization are excellent examples of servant leaders and Disciples of Christ. If you are a woman looking for a good way to meet other women, study Scripture and serve others, talk to Margaret Shackelford or Pat Pate who are Moderator and Vice-Moderator of this wonderful organization. February 1 st we will have our annual Youth Sunday Celebration. The youth of this congregation will lead in worship. Several of our High School Seniors will be preaching. Their sermons normally reduce many to tears. If you have ever said I Do! to the questions at a service of Baptism, then I hope you will make a point to be in worship on February 1 st to make good on your vows! In an age when many are leaving the organized church, how can we not stand and cheer our youth who are willing to risk leading in worship?! I ll see you there! Finally, the next Sunday, February 8 th, we will have several great celebrations. At both services we will dedicate and celebrate our new hymnals. Glory To God: Hymnal Dedication! We will introduce the new hymnals and sing parts of lots of hymns, both oldie goldies and wonderful new hymns! Also on that Sunday during the 11am service, we will welcome the basketball teams that are sponsored by FLPC! Every week, there are hundreds of children and youth who play Church League Basketball in shirts that say Forest Lake Presbyterian Church! And those children and youth are coached by members and friends of FLPC. We will thank those coaches and parents and recognize the players in the eleven o clock service. Players, coaches and their families will be treated to a pizza lunch in the Fellowship Hall after worship on that day! Kind of makes me want to play basketball! There is so much to celebrate in our family of faith. I hope you will be here the next few Sundays to help praise God and to help us recognize the many ways in which God has blessed this church! See you in worship! Ellen Dr. Ellen Fowler Skidmore Forest Lake Presbyterian Church 6500 North Trenholm Road Columbia, SC 29206 (803) 787-5672 www.flpc.org Proclaiming the good news of God's love in Jesus Christ, to build a fellowship of Christian Love, and to serve this community and the world in the spirit of the Servant Christ.
Please Pray For... Missionaries * Mark Adams - Mexico Shelvis & Nancy Smith Mather, - South Sudan * Ingrid Reneau-Walls - Ghana * Ministry of Hope- Lesotho State Department Employee Derrick Hanson, Embassy, Kabul, Afghanistan PASTORAL CARE NUMBERS Ellen Skidmore - 803-463-7586 (cell) E-Mail: ellenskidmore@flpc.org Eric Skidmore - 803-543-9859 (cell) E-mail: zacchaeus@sc.rr.com Stephen Ministry Forest Lake Presbyterian Church is a Stephen Ministry congregation! If you feel like you or someone you know could benefit from a one-toone, confidential, caring Christian relationship, please contact: Wayne Harris at 790-0954 or cell 608-1187 or harris1973@bellsouth.net ; Margaret Harris at 790-0954 or cell 608-1477 or mharris@trinity-presbytery.org; Bettianne Davenport at 782-6256 or Cell 530-6018 or bettianned@sc.rr.com Please Pray For... As a family of faith, one of the ways to care for each other is to offer prayer on behalf of each other even when we do not know of the person's circumstance. All of us have a need for prayer from time to time. If you become aware of special situations, please call a pastor, deacon, or the church office and let us know. Sympathies of the congregation are extended to: Don Miles on the death of his brother-in-law, Russell Bomhoff, of Wichita, KS. Dear Church Members and Staff, On behalf of Richland School District Two, I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest appreciation for the holiday assistance that was provided to 90 families at Condor, Windsor and Forest Lake Elementary School. We are extremely grateful for our partnership with FLPC. Your support over the years has helped countless families, individuals, and children. As you are aware, many of our families are facing daily challenges to meet their basic needs. The holiday season creates an even more stressful time for them. The assistance provided by FLPC allowed them to continue to focus on the needs of their families and to enjy a wonderful holiday with their children. Richland School District Two appreciates the opportunity to continue to partner with FLPC. We truly understand that it takes a village and we rely on our community partners to help ensure that all students are successful. Thank you again for your overwhelming kindness and warmth for the families of Richland District Two. Sincerely, Abby K. Cobb, LISW Lead Social Worker Richland School District Two I would like to personally thank Forest Lake Presbyterian Church for providing Christmas gifts for so many of our families. Many of the families that were having a rough time last year were able to have a better Christmas due to the generosity and thoughtfulness of your church members. You adopted so many children in this area for Christmas it really made a difference in the community. It is a hard time of year for so many of our families because it is so expensive. Thank you for providing these gifts that they might otherwise be able to provide. Sincerely, Christie Hutchinson, LISW-CP Richland School District Two Social Worker Forest Lake Elementary Technology Magnet School
Calendar of Events SUNDAY, JANUARY 25 8:30 AM Choir Rehearsal 9:00 AM Worship Service 9:45 AM Coffee Time 10:00 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Choir Rehearsal 11:00 AM Worship Service 5:30 PM FLY 5:30 PM Session 6:00 PM Disciple 2 (E102) MONDAY, JANUARY 26 5:15 PM Worship Ministry (Library) 6:00 PM Stephen Ministry Leaders (S212) 6:30 PM Stephen Ministry Suprv (S211) 6:30 PM Disciple 1 (E102) TUESDAY, JANUARY 27 6:45 AM Men s Bible Study & Breakfast 9:00 AM Yoga (Parlor) 6:30 PM Evangelism & Comm (E102) Food Pantry Needs Your Help Richland Northeast High School runs a small food and supply pantry that serves their students in need. FLPC is committed to helping this school where many of our own youth attend. Please donate non-perishable food, feminine hygiene products, soap, shampoo, deodorant in the collection bin located in the Welcome Center. Meal/protein bars are especially appreciated. Thank you! Congratulations!! Susan Ford Robertson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Craftsmen s Guild of Mississippi for work in glass. The award was presented by the Phil Bryant, Governor of Mississippi. To see a video of Susan s work, go to Youtube.com and search: Susan Ford Robertson - A Passion for Glass WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28 10:00 AM Christian Believer (S212) 10:00 AM Disciple 3 (S211) 5:30 PM Kirk Night Dinner 6:00 PM Children s Choir 6:40 PM Handbells 7:30 PM Chancel Choir THURSDAY, JANUARY 29 9:00 AM Yoga (Parlor) 5:30 PM Yoga (Parlor) 6:00 PM Beth Moore Study (201) SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1 8:30 AM Choir Rehearsal 9:00 AM Worship Service 9:45 AM Coffee Time 10:00 AM Sunday School 10:30 AM Choir Rehearsal 11:00 AM Worship Service 3:30 PM Kids Krew 6:00 PM Disciple 2 (E102) Mystery Overnight Retreat at Camp Fellowship February 27-28,2015 Sign up at the Connecting Point desk in the upstairs lobby.
Dinner at 5:30pm $5 adults, $4 children, under 3 - free $25 family maximum. Menu: Breakfast for Supper: Egg and Cheese Casserole, Buttered Grits, Sausage, Biscuits, Sausage Gravy, Fruit Programming begins at 6:15 Having the Conversation: A Safe Place to talk about the church and homosexuality ; A Spiritual Journey Through Estate Planning; Knitting for Everyone Call the church office by noon on Tuesday January 27, to make your reservation. Or make your reservation online by Monday evening. If you have been visiting our church and would like more information about becoming a member, or just have general questions you would like answered, then you are invited to Dinner with Ellen on February 8 from 5:30-7:30. Stop by the Connecting Point Desk or call the church office to register. We have several shift openings. Please sign up here: www.signupgenius.com/go/5080e49adaa2cab9-connecting Dinner and a Movie Saturday, January 31-6:00pm Have you ever slurped spaghetti noodles? Have you tried piling noodles to make a tall pyramid? Join us for some fun and fellowship to share your secret methods of piling or slurping at our congregation-wide spaghetti dinner and movie. Suggested donation of $3 per person. Reservations are requested so we can know how much to prepare. Deadline to register is Wednesday, January 28 at the Connecting Point or on the website. Come join the fun! https://secure.accessacs.com/access/eventlink.aspx?id=cdtg%2favwlyxjfwwnjmik%2fa%3d%3d
The Service and Benevolence Committee at Forest Lake would like to say THANKS to the FLPC church community for helping the 2014 Angel Tree program be a huge success. We wanted to let you know that our church members adopted 103 children and purchased gifts for them through our Angel Tree this year. Additionally, church members gave an additional $500 that was used to purchase gifts for another 9 children. All together, we were able to serve a total of 112 children. That is AWESOME! Many thanks go out to all who participated and made this happen - special thanks goes out to Caroline Streater, Jackie Cominotti and Janyce Collins (who created all the angels on the trees). If you are interested in knowing more about the activities of the Forest Lake Service and Benevolence committee, please feel free to contact David Robertson, Lydia Clary, or come meet with the committee each month to find out what's going on and to talk about how we as a community can be of service. We look forward to hearing from you. FLPC DEACON CONTACTS Congregant last name - Deacon A- B Sandra Allison - 331-4375 C-D Joe Hall - 782-5907 E-G Sandy Helfer - 788-8111 H-L Sandy Hill - 413-2009 M-Q Shane Horne - 754-9027 R-U Rebecca Olive - 782-5716 V-Z Cindy Powell - 787-5756 File Your Taxes for No Cost!! The Cooperative Ministry, United Way of the Midlands, and the USC School of Law are working to help you file your taxes. Both State and Federal Taxes can be filed at no cost to you if your adjusted gross income is less than $65,000 filing single or less than $95,000 filing jointly. Multiple locations around the Midlands are available. SOUPER BOWL OF CARING The Souper Bowl of Caring is coming up on Feb. 1st. Our youth will be collecting money for charity in Soup bowls outside of the Sanctuary. Please donate to the cause. Checks should be made out to Forest Lake Presbyterian Church. FLPC FLOWER COMMITTEE SEEKS MEMBERS If you have an interest in flower arranging and/or enjoy the beautiful flowers in the sanctuary, please consider joining the Flower Committee. Contact the church office (787-5672) or Ruth Roddey (782-5305) Jam & Jelly Sunday - Feb 1 Please bring a jar of jam, jelly or peanut butter to church on Sunday, Feb 1 to support Harvest Hope Food Bank.
Sunday Nursery Workers Kids Krew SAVE THE DATE February 1, 2015 3:30pm - 5:00pm More info to come! January 25 9:00 Christie & Marshall Brown 11:00 Jessica & Billy Agee February 1 9:00 Karen & Michael Brown 11:00 Mary & El Baylor February 8 9:00 Ashley and Kenyon Foster 11:00 Courtney Shytle February 15 9:00 Virginia & Jason Wetzel 11:00 DoraAnn & Jack McKenzie Created By God is coming - February 26 March 1 for all 5 th, 6 th, and 7 th graders and parents. This study of human sexuality provides an opportunity to learn, grow and celebrate the fact we have each been created by God and are called to responsible living as sexual beings. Parents are part of this partnership and will receive a Parent s Guide; each student will receive a workbook. Registration is available via Andrea Paschal or on the church website. Cost is $50 per family. To insure that your group has the equipment it needs, use an Audio Visual Request Form to reserve a television, VCR or DVD player, projector, or screen. Forms are available at the Welcome Center. Please do not remove any equipment from its cart and report any technical problems immediately. We will make every effort to provide what you need. If there are questions about any equipment, you may contact Sunday School Superintendent, Cambo Streater, at cambo@streaterpi.com, or Andrea Paschal at andreapaschal@flpc.org Forest Lake Presbyterian has a presence on Facebook. A link to our public, business page is available at the top of our church web page: www.flpc.org. If you would like to join our private Facebook group, search for Forest Lake Presbyterian Church and ask for permission to join. You can also follow us on Twitter at @flpc_cola Fun Daze Monday, February 16 9:30a 3:30p Enjoy the school holiday with friends as we spend time Bowling at Royal Z lanes. We will eat lunch at CookOut then head to Regal Cinemas to watch the SpongeBob movie. Elementary ages are welcome. Cost: $25 Registration deadline: February 11
Family Promise Host Week January 25-February 1 Our host week is quickly approaching and we are excited to welcome our first family to FLPC the week of Sunday, January 25 through February 1. Right now we have one family in the program, a mother with two teen boys, but that could change. If you are planning on volunteering with Family Promise by serving a meal or spending the night as host, you must complete the Child Protection Policy form which is found on the FLPC web site under the Children, Volunteer Opportunities tab or you may pick one up in the church office. Please return forms to Andrea Paschal. Also, please plan to attend the volunteer training on Sunday, Jan. 18 at 10 am in the Fellowship Hall. We are still in need of twin size blankets or comforters. If you would like to donate some, please leave in the box in the Welcome Center. We are also in need of folks willing to drive the family where they need to go. Any amount of driving would be greatly appreciated! Want to help with Family Promise? Contact Jackie Cominotti or Jodi Beckham if you haven't already. Recycling and Shred Event January 24, 2015 11:00am to 3:00pm at FLPC Items accepted: Paper shredding Computers, and accessories, TVs, stereos, VCRs, DVD players, power tools, radios, FAX machines, small appliances, telephones, pagers and answering machines, any other items with a power cord. Scrap metal - Stoves, washers, dryers, bicycles, metal door frames, metal chairs, and shelves, lawn mowers (must be free of gas and oil), refrigerator and air conditioners. Tires - car and light truck tires or smaller, bike or wheel barrow tires, limit 8 per family. Please Contact Judy Timmons with questions or concerns (782-6880) Youth Sunday is on February 1 this year. We will be preparing for Youth Sunday during Sunday night FLY. Anyone wanting to participate should contact Daniel Hobbs, sign up for a t-shirt, and attend Sunday night preparation times.
Guess Who s Coming to Dinner Do you want to get to know your fellow FLPCers better? Do you like to have dinner with friends new and old? Do you like surprises? Then join us for Guess who s coming to dinner! In the fall, winter and spring, there will be dinners hosted in members' homes. You don t have to commit to all three months; just sign up and come the month or months that work for you. A few weeks prior to the dinner dates, sign up will be available. If you would like to host, please let us know! Here s the really fun part: when you make your reservation, you won t know who your host will be or who else will be there that night. That comes later. Several days before each party, our volunteer hosts will send details to those who have reserved for their night. That s when you find out the name of your host, start time, location, menu, and how you can help. Once you arrive, you will meet your fellow guests. They may be the new couple from the pew in front of you, a longtime friend, or the lady you see every week but can t remember her name. Every party is unique in its own way. Mark your calendar for our second round of Guess who s coming to dinner Sunday, February 22 or Tuesday, February 24. If you have questions please contact Rebecca Timmons at rebeccatimmons@yahoo.com or 318-5145. Please RSVP by Sunday, February 15. Sign up by calling the church office, at the Connecting Point, or online at http://goo.gl/saa0ar Power Strips: A smart way to Save Your electronics can draw energy even while they are off and that costs you money. Power strips help prevent that. Plug electronics into a power strip. Flip the switch off when you re not using them. If you have many electronics, group them into several power strips. Put things you use at the same time, such as the computer and printer, on the same strip. Put power strips in easy-to-reach places. They won t save energy if you don t turn them off regularly! Don t put your TV on a power strip. Most TVs need to be reprogrammed if they are completely turned off, making them a bad fit for power strips. From Property Ministry and Environmental Stewardship: In an effort to reduce our energy consumption, a number of our restrooms have been equipped with motion sensitive light switches. Please do not adjust these switches or place them in the on position. They will turn on by themselves when you enter the room and turn off when you leave. For manual light switches, please turn OFF the lights when you are the last person leaving a room. Thank You!!