Ash Wednesday. February 14, February 2018

Transcription

1 Ash Wednesday February 14, 2018 Ashes-to-Go, noon-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. Ash Wednesday Worship, 7 p.m. Lenten Book Study, 6:30 p.m. at La Madeleine February 21 and 28, March 7, 14 and 21 Details for all our Lenten and Easter activities are on page 4. Lent is a special season of the church set aside for reflection and for anticipation of God s saving action in Christ s passion, death and resurrection. Plan now to join in weekly worship each Sunday at 11 a.m., as we continue our study of the Gospel According to John. Daily devotional guides Faithful Facts for Lent by Paul Maier are available in Fellowship Hall. Calendar...2 Something to Think About...3 Next Mission Corner Financials Days of Our Lives Remember....20

2 CALENDAR Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday :15 p.m. Refuge Recovery 4 8:55 a.m. Bell Choir 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Choir Practice 11:00 a.m. Worship Communion 12:15 p.m. Mission Committee meeting 5:00 p.m. Youth at the Batts 6:30 p.m. Centering Prayer 5 9:00 a.m. Monday Morning Group 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts 6 7 Noon: e News Deadline 5:00 p.m. Band 8 9 6:30 a.m. Serve at The Bridge 10 7:15 p.m. Refuge Recovery 11 8:55 a.m. Bell Choir 9:00 a.m. Youth Pancake Breakfast Fundraiser 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship-Congregational Meeting 6:30 p.m. Contemplative Prayer Library 12 9:00 a.m. Monday Morning Group 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts 13 11:30 a.m. PW Bible Study 4:00 p.m. Finance Committee Meeting 14 Noon: e-news Deadline 12 1 p.m. Ashes to Go 5-6 p.m. Ashes to Go 5:00 p.m. Band 7 p.m. Ash Wednesday Worship :15 p.m. Refuge Recovery 18 8:55 a.m. Bell Choir 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship Helping Hands Offering 12:15 p.m. Birthday Sunday 6:00 p.m. O.W.L.S. Small Group 6:30 p.m. Contemplative Prayer Library 19 9:00 a.m. Monday Morning Group 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts 20 7:00 p.m. Stated Session Meeting 7:30 Boy Scout Adult Leadership Meeting 21 Noon: e-news Deadline Noon: Lunch Bunch Palio s :15 p.m. Refuge Recovery 5:00 p.m. Band 6:30 p.m. Book Study at La Madeleine 25 8:55 a.m. Bell Choir 9:45 a.m. Sunday School 11:00 a.m. Worship 12:15 p.m. All-Church Soup and Games Lunch Member Care meeting 6:00 p.m. O.W.L.S. Small Group 6:30 p.m. Contemplative Prayer Library 26 9:00 a.m. Monday Morning Group 7:00 p.m. Boy Scouts Noon: e News Deadline 5:00 p.m. Band 6:30 p.m. Book Study at La Madeleine 7:15 p.m. Refuge Recovery 2

3 SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT From your Pastor... Last year, this church was awarded the great honor of receiving a Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Grant of almost $50,000. This money will fund a time of renewal also called a sabbatical for me and for you during the summer of It is the tradition in most churches and the policy of FPC Rockwall that clergy who have been in service over a period of years be given time to refresh spiritually and physically in order to better serve the congregation in the next season of our life together. Because we have been awarded funds from the Lilly Endowment, everyone pastor and congregation will have the opportunity to take part in enriching activities that will prepare us for a new season of ministry come the fall. Here is what will be happening: -- Between now and May 6, there will be a team of congregants working to plan both the day-to-day functions of ministry and special events for the sabbatical period. -- On May 6, we will hold a special service of worship and an all-church luncheon to commission each other pastor and congregation to use this summer to relax, to learn and to grow so that we may come back together in the fall, rested and ready to renew our partnership. -- From May 7 through August 6, I will be away from the congregation on sabbatical leave. Because of the generous support of the Lilly Endowment, I will be able to travel extensively and do a lot of walking including about 100 miles of the Camino de Santiago pilgrim trail in northern Spain. -- From May 7 to August 6, you will have a variety of dynamic preachers each and every Sunday to lead you in worship. You will have a variety of guest musicians in these worship services. There will be special events including a community concert on our front lawn, a tapas and movie party, and a field trip to the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas. All of this will be paid for by the Lilly Endowment! -- Pastoral care will be covered by the Rev. Dr. Randall McGee and members of the church s Member Care Committee. Our goal is that pastoral needs will be met by this team just as they would be met if I were on duty. -- I will return to the church and to full-time service on August 7. My first Sunday back in the pulpit will be August 19. That service of worship will be followed by an off-site event that will give all of us the opportunity to reconnect and share about our experiences while apart. -- Finally, we will move together in the fall with a focus on discerning how God is calling us to serve in the years to come. Watch the newsletter in the months to come to learn more about what this summer holds. I am grateful to you for the opportunity to retreat from the work of ministry this summer. And I am grateful to you for the opportunity to return to renewed work this fall! Please hold me, my family and our congregation in your prayers, that God will use this time of preparation, separation and reunion to God s own glory, and that we may move forward as one in joyful service. Grace and peace, Pastor Cheryl 3

4 NEXT! Mark Your Calendars! Lenten Activities at FPC Ashes-to-Go, noon-1 p.m. and 5-6 p.m. Drive up to the cross out front to receive the mark of our mortality and God s mercy and pray with Pastor Cheryl. Tell your friends! Ash Wednesday Worship, 7 p.m. Join with others to worship the God who promises us life beyond this life. The meditative service will feature the spiritual practice of examen, and those attending will be invited to come forward to receive ashes on their foreheads a sign of our mortality and our eternal hope in Christ. Childcare is provided. Lenten Book Study, 6:30 p.m. at La Madeleine February 21 and 28, March 7, 14 and 21 Pastor Cheryl will be leading a five-week study of Mike Science Mike McHargue s book Finding God in the Waves: How I Lost My Faith and Found It Again Through Science. For more details, see separate article on page 7. Easter Activities at FPC Maundy Thursday Service Easter Service Easter Egg Hunt Easter Service Thursday, March, 29, 7:00 p.m. Sunday, April 1, 9:00 a.m. Sunday, April 1, 10:15 a.m. Sunday, April 1, 11:00 a.m. 4

5 NEXT! SIGN UP NOW! Our Annual Mo Ranch Retreat Is Set for October Sign-up today in Fellowship Hall Payment due by May 1 Our all-church retreat tradition continues this year as we travel to beautiful Mo Ranch on the banks of the Guadalupe River in the scenic Texas Hill Country. Dates are Friday, October 19, through Sunday, morning, October 21. Due to the generosity of our congregation, the cost is only $225 per room ($100 less than anticipated) and includes two nights lodging, four meals and all activities including canoeing and the ever-popular Mo Slide! To reserve your room (we have reserved both Nicklos Barn and Nicklos Place at the top of the hill this year), please sign up in Fellowship Hall or contact Pastor Cheryl for more information. Payment is due by May 1. Simply make your check out to FPC and write Mo Ranch on the memo line. If you would like to go but need scholarship assistance, funds are available. Please contact Pastor Cheryl. 5

6 NEXT! Youth Group Pancake Fundraiser Sunday, February 11, 9:00 a.m. Come join the youth group for our annual Pancake Breakfast to raise money for mission trip to Heifer Ranch this summer! It will be held in fellowship hall from 9:00 a.m.-the beginning of worship. $5 per person or $20 max per family! Join us as we share the love and fill our bellies! Acolyte Training Sunday, February 4, after Worship Would your child like to help lead worship? Pastor Cheryl and Ruling Elder Julie Rowan will be meeting with interested children and their parents immediately following worship THIS SUNDAY to talk about this opportunity and show children how to participate. If your child is in elementary school and would like to be an active part of serving God in worship, please plan to be there! Questions? Contact Cheryl or Julie. Presbyterian Women s Bible Study Tuesday, February 13 at 11:30 a.m. Our study this year is Horizons Who Is Jesus? PW Bible Study meets the second Tuesday of each month. Study books are available in the church library/conference room. Bring your lunch, and join us for our next meeting on Tuesday, February 13 at 11:30 am for the next lesson. Contact: Melanie Logue Soup and Games Fellowship Event Sunday, February 25, after service Join us for Soup and Games after church service on Sunday, February 25, Following worship we will gather to share food and play games. A sign-up sheet will be available for a potluck of soups, cornbread, and desserts. Bring your family's favorite game to share. Come for lunch, stay for fellowship. 6

7 NEXT! Lenten Study: Finding God in the Waves Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. at La Madeleine Join us in the back room of La Madeleine (located on the eastbound service road to I-30) each Wednesday beginning February 21 as we delve into Mike McHargue s provocative book on the relationship between faith and science. The plan is to cover three chapters each Wednesday, beginning with chapters 1-3 on February 21. Per Amazon: From the host of the popular podcasts, The Liturgists Podcast and Ask Science Mike, a story of having faith, losing it, and finding it again through science revealing how the latest in neuroscience, physics, and biology help us understand God, faith, and ourselves. Full of insights about the universe, as well as deeply personal reflections on our desire for certainty and meaning, Finding God in the Waves is a vital exploration of the possibility for knowing God in an age of reason, and a signpost for where the practice of faith is headed in a secular age. Among other revelations, we learn what brain scans reveal about what happens when we pray; how fundamentalism affects the psyche; and how God is revealed not only in scripture, but in the night sky, in subatomic particles, and in us. Annual Meeting of the Congregation Set for February 11 Plan now to be in the room to hear about the state of the church and elect members of the 2018 Nominating Committee when our congregation holds its annual meeting at the close of worship on February 11. Learn how your actions have touched the lives of so many! Plus, you don t want to miss what is certain to be another incredibly entertaining report from our Clerk of Session, Roger Alexander. Be a part of a uniquely Presbyterian experience! 7 Lunch Bunch Meets Wednesday, February 21 at 12:00 p.m. The women of the church are invited to meet for lunch at Palios in the Kroger shopping center the third Wednesday of each month at noon for lunch and fellowship.

8 NEXT! SESSION NOTES FPC is governed by The Session which is composed of members who have been ordained as Ruling Elders, along with our Pastor, who moderates the body. Ruling Elders are nominated from and elected by our congregation and serve for a period of three years, during which time they oversee committees, which anyone can join. The Session is functionally divided under the three elements of our motto: Feel the Love, Be the Love and Make the Love Possible. FPC SMALL GROUPS There are many reasons to join a Small Group at FPC. Fellowship, encouragement, support, prayer, acceptance fun and food are generously offered. Try one on for size! Koinonia will meet Sunday, February 18 at 6:00 p.m. Contact: Greg Blair Feel the Love will NOT meet February. The Christian Education (CE), Worship, and Fellowship Committees meet on an as-needed basis. Christian Education plans and prepares our education offerings for adults, youth and children. Contact: Erika Nannis The Worship Committee facilitates the Sunday worship service and also helps prepare for special services like Seder and Tenebrae. Contact : Julie Rowan The Fellowship Committee manages a full calendar of opportunities Older, Wiser, Livelier to share Souls fellowship with one another, including picnics, potlucks, breakfasts, dinner and a movie night, Halloween parties, Easter Egg Hunts and Birthday Sundays. Contact: Carolyn Hickey (coy NO nyah) The New Testament says communion or koinonia begins with a joining of Jesus with the faithful. The same bonds that link us to Jesus also link us to other faithful. Koinonia meets the third Sunday of each month, usually at 6:00 p.m. O.W.L.S. will meet Sunday, February 25 at 6:00 p.m. Contact: Joanie Mehl The Member Care and Hospitality Committee will meet February 25 at 12:15 p.m. They usually meet the fourth Sunday of each month. Contact: Kay Dutta Mission Committee will meet February 4 at 12:15 p.m. They usually meet the first Sunday of each month. Contact: Fritze Batts. The Older, Wiser, Livelier, Souls Small Group meets the fourth Sunday of each month, usually at 6:00 p.m. G.I.F.T Small Group Contact: Kristi Gordon. The Finance Committee meets February 13 at 4:00 p.m. The Finance Committee usually meets the second Tuesday of each month. Contact: Dale Hamilton Facilities and Personnel meet on an as-needed basis. 8 Growing in Faith Together meets bi-monthly, days and times vary.

9 MISSION CORNER Mark Your Mission Calendars! Please join us Friday, February 9 to serve breakfast at The Bridge. We meet at the church at 6:30 a.m. If you are meeting us at The Bridge, plan on being there at 7:00 a.m. when we gather and receive instructions. We start serving at 7:30 a.m. and stop serving at 8:30 a.m. This is a wonderful volunteer opportunity, and, as an added bonus, we strengthen our relationships with each other! Remember to wear long pants, closed-toed shoes, and leave purses and other valuables in locked cars. If you can serve, please contact Andrea Vanderpool or Greg Blair. The sign-up sheet for FPC s volunteer program for Helping Hands Food Pantry is in Fellowship Hall. Contact: Fritze Batts 9

10 10 MISSION CORNER

11 FINANCIALS FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE: MONTHLY and YEAR--END OPERATING BUDGET REPORT DECEMBER 31, 2017 $ 33,669 Actual December income (pledges, plate, interest, reimbursement, gifts) $ 22,996 Budgeted December income $ 311,700 Actual YTD income $ 275,948 Budgeted YTD income $ 26,628 Actual December expenses $ 22,995 Budgeted December expenses $ 259,647 Actual YTD expenses $ 275,948 Budgeted YTD expenses MONTHLY and YEAR-to-DATE MORE-TO-FOLLOW CAPITAL PROJECT REPORT DECEMBER 31, 2017, 2017 $ 2030 Actual December income (pledge) $ 6201 Budgeted December income $ 54,286 Actual YTD income $ 74,409 Budgeted YTD income $ 0 Actual December expenses $ 0 Budgeted December expenses $ 62,886 Actual YTD expenses $ 62,450 Budgeted YTD expenses Financial report details are available from Bob Cotti (Treasurer), Greg Blair, Dale Hamilton, Brad Hendon, Jon Downs, Chris Rinner, or Bill Sinclair. 11

12 DAYS OF OUR LIVES CHRISTMAS AT FPC 2017 Thank you from your pastor and your staff... Once again, the gracious generosity of the people of First Presbyterian Church of Rockwall has overwhelmed the members of the church s staff. Thank you for your giving to the Christmas love offering. Your ongoing support of each of us in our ministry to Christ and to you touches our hearts and inspires and encourages us in our service. We look forward to working with you and for you in In appreciation, Pastor Cheryl On behalf of the FPC Staff Presbyterian Women Christmas Luncheon More than two dozen Presbyterian Women celebrated the season with a festive lunch at the Chocolate Angel in Plano. Thanks to Karen Miller for coordinating a lovely event! 12

13 DAYS OF OUR LIVES PW Red Stocking

14 DAYS OF OUR LIVES CHILDREN S CHRISTMAS PAGEANT 14

15 DAYS OF OUR LIVES CHILDREN S CHRISTMAS PAGEANT 15

16 DAYS OF OUR LIVES CHRISTMAS AT FPC 2017 O.W.L.S Small Group Christmas Party On December 10, the O.W.L.S had a festive dinner at Karen Miller's beautiful Christmas home. Everyone was in a jolly, festive mood! FPC s Young Families Small Group Pie-Making Party Our newest small group got together at the Batts home before the holidays to enjoy fellowship, build bonds and make pies. Apparently light sabers are required! 16

17 DAYS OF OUR LIVES FPC s Roger Alexander at the Wreaths Across America Ceremony in Rockwall, TX - one of 1,544 identical ceremonies nationwide. 17

18 DAYS OF OUR LIVES Our New Elders The congregation celebrated the ordination and installation of new Ruling Elder Fritze Batts and the installation of returning Ruling Elder David Gordon during worship on January 21. David and Fritze are serving in the elder class of 2020, and we are all grateful that they answered God s call! FPC Confirmation Class 2018 On January 7, our 2018 confirmation class received their Bibles. Classes began on January 14, and we will celebrate confirmation on April 29. Member of the class are Caroline Batts, Connor Culmo, Kevin Gordon and Nick Kersey. Pastor Cheryl and Melanie Logue are leading the class. 18

19 DAYS OF OUR LIVES NEW MEMBERS Steven and Sherri McCurdy 2914 Anatole Court Garland, Texas Steve Cell: Sherri Cell: Sherri Tommy and Laurie White 5701 Sunflower Drive Rowlett, Texas Cell: Tommy Laurie 19

20 REMEMBER Remember Gordon and Marie Breland; Linda Cardwell s husband, Cliff; Gonzalo Castillo; David Case s nephew, Sean Case, and family; Jayrard Denysschen; Kay Dutta s cousin; Dale and Carol Hamilton; Lisa Harris; Art Hendon; Mary Kirk s grandson, Thomas; Karen Miller; Tom Moore; Erika Nannis; Richard and Lorene Nash; Mandy Noerper; Chris and Steve Rinner; Jill Culmo s father, Joel Roberson, and aunt Norma Cummings; Roy and Julie Rowan and family; Bill Sinclair; Bob Smith; Hanor Smith; Kelly Smith; Don Smith s father, Ralph Smith; Sherri and Ken Strack s granddaughter, Megan; Mary Thacker s parents, Henry and Elizabeth Johnson; Ian Wright; Andrea Vanderpool and family on the death of her beloved sister-in-law, Joan Vanderpool; the Fisher family on the death of Heather s beloved grandmother, Mary Doell; Brian Petty and family on the death of his beloved mother, Vaudry Petty, and Terisia Mote and family on the death of her beloved sister, Pam Arnold. Victoria Ashley Sharlene Dutsch David Gordon Jo Jenkins Melanie Logue Evee McConnell Sally Jo Parise Curtis Roughton Howard Saucier James Tunnell Linda Warren T H E F I R S T P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U R C H P. O. Box White Hills Drive Rockwall, Texas Telephone: welcome@firstpresrockwall.org 20