THE November 2013 MESSENGER I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:12-13 Contentment the remarkable state of feeling at peace in the world without being torn to distraction by wishes and wants is an elusive condition. It is also the anchor in life that our Lord offers to us. But, we have to get our priorities straight. It is so much easier, for example, to worry. We look at what is not or what has gone wrong, and our minds churn over what we wish were true instead. The burdens that we carry and the weariness we feel in carrying them seem to have no end. It is difficult to keep our eyes off our troubles, to cease from worry. Yet, the Apostle Paul confesses that his strategy for contentment is to shift focus from the conditions of plenty or of want, the variables of life---and to gaze instead at the goodness and steadfastness of God in Christ and Him crucified for us. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, says Paul. Small changes in our practice can assist us in moving toward deeper contentment. Along with reading the daily news or checking the shifts in the stock market, let us turn to a daily dose of scripture. Let us take in a few words of God s word to us and over us. Along with making plans and exerting effort, let us be found in daily prayer---offering our praise, making our requests, interceding for others. Neither peaks nor valleys are our eternal terrain. Our own strength will fail the journey in either case. Let us look to Christ for strength in all things. Much peace, Pastor Suzan The Host of the Feast our Lord Jesus Christ invites You to Come to the Table of Plenty Sunday, November 17 th, Worship at 10:00am Celebrating the Commitment of Time, Talent and Treasure to the Ministry and Mission of First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Followed by a simple feast for all in the Undercroft Please help us fill the table by bringing gifts of canned goods and non-perishable proteins and starches throughout the month of November. Pledges of financial support and of time and talent will be gathered and blessed in worship November 17!
Page 2, THE MESSENGER, November 2013 on November 1. The pageant is a great ans e on so November much to our 1. The faith. pageant To register, a great hristmas eans so Pageant much to Sign-Up. our faith. To register, Christmas Pageant Sign-Up. A few weeks ago, on a rainy Saturday afternoon, about seventy FPCD members converged on what looked like a warehouse in Libertyville. What was going on in the warehouse, however, was pretty remarkable. This is one of several Chicago area locations of a Christian organization called, appropriately, Feed My Starving Children. That is what they do and they do it very efficiently and cost-effectively through extensive use of volunteers. That was our role volunteers packing food in assembly line fashion that would soon end up in Haiti. This event was organized by our Mission Services Council. What a great example of FPCD making a difference in the local and worldwide community! And it did not just benefit the beneficiaries of our work, just as importantly this opportunity enriched those who participated. Following the working session the group enjoyed fellowship and pizza at a nearby restaurant. We are now three-fourths of our way through 2013 just one quarter to go. As we look at the numbers through September we are pretty much where we expect to be on both income and expenses. But because of planned and necessary expenses, we are anticipating a modest deficit for the year. If the year has been good for you, as it has for many but unfortunately not for all - we would appreciate your considering an additional contribution in the fourth quarter. You should have recently received a letter letting you know where you are with respect to 2013 pledge commitment. We appreciate your keeping current in this important area. The 2014 Stewardship campaign is now underway. We had the opportunity at the Stewardship kick-off dinner on October 19 at church to hear Sandy Anderson, recently retired principal at Oak Terrace Elementary School in Highwood. Sandy made us uncomfortably aware of the extreme poverty that many of her students endure, and equally aware of the difference that FPCD support makes, not only in providing Thanksgiving Baskets and Christmas presents to needy school families, but other help provided throughout the year. Just one of many reasons to help FPCD advance our mission in our communities. Please check out our new and improved website. You can take advantage of new convenient options for managing your FPCD financial support, including Bank Direct Payments and On-line Credit Card payments as well as traditional methods.
Page 3, THE MESSENGER, November 2013 Children s Ministries Advent Workshop and Dinner Sunday, December 1 Wreath making and crafts - 4:30pm Youth Rm. Dinner in John Calvin Hall - 6pm If you are looking for a way to put Christ into your Christmas celebration, join us at our Advent Workshop. Each year our church celebrates the start of Advent with a workshop for all ages. This year each family will be invited to make an Advent wreath out of wood and greens a beautiful reminder of what Christmas is all about. As always, families will receive an Advent booklet designed using art contributed by our preschool and elementary age children. In addition, there will be a variety of crafts for all ages which include making Christmas tree ornaments, an Advent calendar, and much more. A festive dinner for the whole family will follow the workshop. This catered Italian dinner will be a nice break from all the turkey leftovers. Dinner will include a brief Advent reading and the lighting of each family s Advent wreath. While dessert is being served, everyone will be invited to sing a Christmas carol or two. Christmas Pageant Sign-Up Christmas pageant registration will begin online on November 1. The pageant is a great way to help our children learn the story that means so much to our faith. To register, simply go to the FPCD website and look for Christmas Pageant Sign-Up. Christian Beginnings Preschool Thank you so much to Sandy Hoffman for inviting CB kids to her beautiful home for apple picking field trips! We had a wonderful time and the apples were delicious. Christian Beginnings would like to thank all those who have donated items to our school, purchased Scrip cards and volunteered to sit nap. We truly appreciate the generosity of our FPCD church member friends! If you are planning to enroll your child at Christian Beginnings for the 2014-15 school year, let us know. We will make sure you receive registration information in the mail this month. Church members receive early enrollment privileges and a discount on tuition.
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Page 10, THE MESSENGER, November 2013 Women s Ministries @ Deerfield First Presbyterian A place for Presbyterian women to connect Thank you who have already contributed to our PW Stewardship drive. The donations received from YOU are the main source of funding for our mission support. Any contribution, large or small, received in 2013 will receive a tax donation acknowledgement in early January,2014. Donations can be placed in the PW envelope in the Friendly Office or sent to Judy Fuller, 950 West Old Mill Road, Lake Forest, Il 60045. We are grateful for your support. PW November Mission of the Month: Casa Central Casa Central s Holiday Magic program distributes over 1500 NEW gifts to their children, teens, seniors and homeless families, to make the season brighter for them. Presbyterian Women will be collecting NEW toys and games during November to help Casa Central with this program. Please place your unwrapped gifts in the PW Mission closet in the West hallway, beginning November 4. SAVE THE DATE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 18 Please join us as we deliver the October Mission of the Month items to Lake View Academy. We will enjoy a tour of the school, led by Principal Deborah Bayly, and stop at a nearby restaurant for lunch before returning to the church mid-afternoon. Carpools will leave the church at 9:30. Enhance your culinary skills with a Parmigiano-Risotto Cooking Demonstration and Tasting with Chef Kenneth P. Such of Culinary Discovery Thursday, November 14 th Morning Class 11:00 am or Afternoon Class 1:00 pm $20 Class Fee Following an autumn theme of healthfulness and creation, Chef Kenneth P. Such will lead a demonstration in making a perfect risotto. Chef Such will introduce the importance of using good imported Parmigiano cheese in Italian cuisine. Chef Such is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and ALMA the International School of Italian Cuisine in Colorno, Italy. His work experience includes Antica Corte Pallavicina near Parma, Italy and Spiaggia in Chicago. Join us for a fun and entertaining demonstration and tasting. All foodies are welcome! This event is sponsored by Presbyterian Women and Women s Ministries.Sign up at the Friendly Desk by November 8 th with a check for $20, payable to Presbyterian Women. Please sign up early class size is limited. A MORNING PRAYER It's morning, Jesus. It's morning, and here's that light and sound all over again. I've got to move fast...get into the bathroom, wash up, grab a bite to eat, and run some more. I don't feel like it, Lord. What I really want to do is get back into bed, pull up the covers, and sleep. All I seem to want today is the big sleep, and here I've got to run all over again. Where am I running? You know these things I can't understand. It's not that I need to have you tell me. What counts most is just that somebody knows, and it's you. That helps a lot. So I'll follow along, okay? But lead, Lord. Now I've got to run. Are you running with me, Jesus? Malcolm Boyd, "Are You Running with Me, Jesus?"
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asual. blanket or picn LIGHTING THE ADVENT CANDLES Be a part of the worship experience this holiday season. We need Advent candle lighters at each service on the four Sundays in Advent ( December 1,8,15 and 22) and at all three services on Christmas Eve. Please contact Leah Adams (logden1066@gmail.com)with your day and service preference as soon as possible. Our Network of Caring Peter and Mary Herr would like to express their gratitude for all the prayers, cards, food, visits and encouraging words of support received from church members during Peter s long encounter with cancer and its subsequent side effects. We are grateful that at this time Peter s cancer is controlled and he is making good progress with the physical therapy for his back. FPCD is truly a caring church family! LUNCH BUNCH for Seasoned Souls will meet for lunch on Sunday, December 1 at 12:00 p.m. at Biaggi s Restaurant. Communion Service Our next Brief Monday Communion will be the 1st Monday in November, November 4, at 1:00 in the Chapel. Please call the church office 847.945.0560 if you need a ride. Please pray for: Peter Herr, Joe Hawkinson,, Charles Blank, Jane Brenner, Dottie Leighton, Christy Markle, Floyd Sutton Remember our military personnel on active duty : Major Dan Mitchell, Matt Northfell, U.S. Navy, Jake Shepard