Fircrest Presbyterian Church FOCUS The FOCUS March 2016 Vol. 46 No. 2 Good Friday services March 25 {See Page 2} ef Easter Sunrise service 6:30 am At Fort Steilacoom Park Joint worship of Fircrest PC, Lakewood PC & Lakewood UMC ef Pastor s message {See Page 2} Palm Sunday March 20 Jesus enters Jerusalem Worship at 10:30 am March 27 Come celebrate our risen Lord! 10:30 am Alleluia! He is Risen
GOOD FRIDAY Services Noon March 25 Ecumenical Service St. Andrews Episcopal Church 7:00 pm March 25 Joint Service at Redeemer Lutheran Church Holy Week EVENTS Easter Egg Hunt After worship THOUGHTS FROM HOLY WEEK: Journey thoughtfully through this time Pastor Julie Johnson Our Pastor Since the beginning of Lent, I have been reading a beautiful book called God For Us: Rediscovering the Meaning of Lent and Easter, edited by Greg Pennoyer and Gregory Wolfe. In addition to providing daily scripture meditations, this book includes information about our journey through Holy Week, some of which I share in this article. Events in between It is tempting for us to leap from the joy of Jesus entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to the joy of Easter - without remembering the important and difficult events in between. I encourage you to journey thoughtfully through Holy Week, and I hope the information and readings here can be helpful in doing so. Palm Sunday (March 20): On this day, we remember Jesus entry into Jerusalem just days before his death. This is a day on which we hold in tension the joy of Jesus presence, and the story of Jesus Passion. In Palm Sunday worship we will hear Luke 19:28-40. You may also consider reading the story of Jesus passion in Luke 22:14-23:56 on your own. Maundy Thursday (March 24): On Maundy Thursday, we remember the Last Supper, the final meal that Jesus shared with his disciples before his betrayal. Maundy is derived from the Latin word for commandment, mandatum. It was on this day that Jesus gave his disciples a new command to love one another. We have no gathering scheduled on Maundy Thursday, and you may consider reading John 13:1-17, 31b-35 on your own. Good Friday (March 25): On Good Friday, we remember Jesus death. This is a difficult, mysterious day, and I invite you to observe it with reverence. There will be an ecumenical Good Friday service at 12 pm at St. Andrews Episcopal Church. There also will be a joint Good Friday service at 7 pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church. Your music leaders and I will help lead this service, in which we will remember Jesus last words from the cross. You may also find it meaningful to read John s version of Jesus passion in John 18:1-19:42. Holy Saturday (March 26): On this day we confront the silence of the tomb with a time of mourning, stillness and expectation. We have no congregational vigil time scheduled. However, you may consider reading Matthew 27:57-66 as you observe this day on your own. Easter Sunday (): On this day we celebrate Jesus resurrection from the dead! There will be an Easter Sunrise Service at 6:30 am at Fort Steilacoom Park, where I will be leading music. Park near the barns and follow others to Waughop Lake where we will worship with Lakewood United Methodist Church and Lakewood Presbyterian Church. Then join in our regular 10:30 am worship service in our sanctuary! We will hear Luke 24:1-12 in worship - and you may also consider reading John 20:1-18 on your own. I look forward to completing our journey through Lent and celebrating Jesus resurrection with you! Warmly in Christ, Pastor Julie Johnson Page 2 March 2016
NEWS In BRIEF Welcome! Our new church office manager Heather Randolph We re happy to announce that Heather Randolph joined the FPC staff team March 1 as office manager. The new Administrative Assistant has an admirable professional background. You will find her a skilled, enthusiastic and cheerful person to meet and work with. A Fircrest resident, Heather and her husband have 3 grown children and a grade school-age daughter. Her office hours will be 10:00-2:00, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Personnel Committee asks you to stop by and meet Heather, when you have the chance. Shoes to Moldova How about 57 pounds of shoes?! Our church continues a realistic mission to support people in the struggling country of Moldova - sending shoes. Led by the Mission & Outreach Team, a new supply of gently-used shoes was collected during the winter - and refurbished at a January work party. Then, 57 pounds of shoes were shipped to Moldova. Please help to keep this misson going. Put donated shoes in the giving bins in the social hall. Joint Youth Group The West End pastors association is working on plans to start an inter-church Youth Group for the Fircrest-University Place area. Our Pastor Julie is a part of the planning group - which is seeking funding from the Presbytery of Olympia. March foods for FOOD BANK Please bring these items during March > Spaghetti sauce with meat > Corned beef hash > Canned beans Spring has sprung! [So, it s time to commit] Look carefully (below) - and you ll see that the tomato plant seeds being nurtured under the grow light set-up in the church basement - have sprung! Of course, these little sprouts are headed for our church garden, where they can flourish this summer. This is a good time to remind FPC members and friends to help - please help us keep growing this garden that produces hundreds of pounds of food for the Food Bank - and is a joyful activity for Arts Camp kids. Can you help? Every hour helps. You don t need to be an expert. Please ask Larry or Betty Richardson for the sign-up sheet...& sign it. Our next... SOUP SUNDAY April 10 Malawi REPORT A Malawi phone call brings happy news As part of FPC s 40th anniversary in 2007, the church took on a mission to support a scholarship for a student attending the University of Livingstonia in Malawi where the Gentili s were doing mission work. For the following 8 years our congregation supported 6 students - who all have now graduated. Our first student was Donald Moyo - who was about to drop out of school his senior year as his father had died. Donald not only no longer was able to pay the fees, but as the eldest child, he was responsible for supporting his large family. We were asked to fund his schooling for his last year. The phone call Donald recently called the Gentilis to share some happy news that his wife who had not gone to high school (many girls don t go to high school as families can t pay the fees) had graduated and was accepted into a teacher training college. Not only is Donald teaching other Malawians as a HS teacher, but his wife will now be a primary teacher. Because of our help in giving him the opportunity to complete his college education, he also was able to support his wife to get her education and both will be helping the development of other leaders in their country. Other good news Ken Gentili has just returned from a 3 week trip to Malawi to deliver science equipment and 16 computers donated by Tacoma Community College. He also got to visit the new girl s dormitory which is almost completed. March 2016 Page 3
March Fircrest Presbyterian Church Do something beautiful for God 2016 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 3 4 5 10:3 Worship COMMUNION 11:40 -Fellowship 3-5:00-Springs of Life 10:30 Worship 11:40-Fellowship 3-5:00-Springs of Life 6:00pm Deacons 7:00 Resources - Spiritual Life M&O - & Youth/Family Teams 9:00am Sunrise meditation 6:30pm-choir 7:00pm Theology on Tap 9:00-Noon Pre-Easter church spruce up 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 10:00-Bible study 6:30 - Session 9:00am Meditation 6:30-Choir practice 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 9:00am Meditation 6:30pm-choir PALM SUNDAY 6:30-Sunrise Service 10:30 Worship 11:40 -Fellowship 3-5:00-Springs of Life 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 10:00-Bible study 9:00am Meditation 6:30pm-choir MAUNDY THURSDAY 27 28 29 30 31 GOOD FRIDAY Noon-Ecumenical service - St. Andrews Episcopal 7:00pm Joint service at Redeemer Lutheran HOLY SATURDAY EASTER 10:30 Worship 11:40-EGG HUNT & Fellowship 3-5:00-Springs of LIfe April 10 SOUP SUNDAY Page 4 March 2016
About FPC Fircrest Presbyterian Church 1250 Emerson St. (40th St.) Fircrest WA 98466 Here s how you can contact us... Happy Bir t h Happy Bir t h d d a y a y! MARCH 2 JV Delaney 2 Cookie Rice 3 CJ Kersh 5 Hattie Fender 12 Pat Cunningham 17 Leisl Bringer 19 David Riggs 19 Mason Doffing 22 Stephanie Van Arnam! One Great Hour of Sharing contributions fund three impactful programs that make a difference in the world: Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Presbyterian Hunger Program Self-Development of People Please Give Call 253.564.3737 E-mail: fircrestpres@gmail.com Website: www.fircrestpres.org Office hours: 10:00am - 2:00pm Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Our pastor: Rev. Julie Scheer Johnson Sunday morning 10:30 Sunday worship 11:30 Fellowship time Also A Joy Program (pre-school & primary) & nursery care during worship Treasurer s Report January 2015 General Fund Building Fund Reserve Fund Beg Balance $1,708 $1,541 $43,813 Income 7,805 775 25 Expenses 8,027 891 538 End Balance $1,486 1,425 $43,300 General Fund Income in the form of Pledge contributions totaled $7,805 Transfer from Deacons Fund to cover two Power bills on credit card $ 504.79 Surprise Deposit from Amazon.com $ 4.46 Expenses totaled $8,027 Deacons (Contributions) $485 (Jan) $00 (Feb) $00 (Mar) Foodbank (Contributions) $25 (Jan) $00 (Feb) $00 (Mar) PerCapita (Contributions) $00 (Jan) $00 (Feb) $00 (Mar) PerCapita due for 2016: $2,496 Paid: $00 Collected: $ 00 Building Mortgage Paid: $890.92 Balance: $ 91,104 Reserve Fund Theater: $1033.88 Paid out: $00 Food Bank: $25 Paid out: $00 Garden Fund: $40 Paid out: $00 Joy Offering: $00 Paid out: $488 Mentoring Fund: $450 Paid out: $50 Malawi Scholarship January offering: $00 Paid out: $00.00 General members scholarship contributions - balance: $ 85 Sincerely, Jack Stillmaker, Treasurer March 2016 Page 5
Fircrest Presbyterian Church 1250 Emerson St (40th) Fircrest WA 98466 Phone: 253.564.3737 E-mail: fircrestpres@gmail.com Web: www.fircrestpres.org COME... Join in the JOY of celebrating EASTER Sunday 10:30 am The Fircrest FOCUS is published monthly for our members & friends. To receive a free subscription, or for more information about our church, please call the church office or stop by.