July 2014 NEWSLETTER UPCOMING EVENTS
3rd Mini Miracles Camp July 7-11th
4th Mini Miracles Camp July 14-18th
Fine Arts Camp July 14-18th (Pg 3)
Golf Camp July 22-25th
2nd Kids’ Club Camp July 28- Aug 1st
Sports Camp July 28- Aug 1st
F ro m P a s to r Mi k e I would like to comment on some significant things in the life of both our local church and the national church: First- Kenny Ellis preached on June 15 and received a unanimous call to become the Associate Pastor of Discipleship and Christian Education. He has served FPC well as a staff member for the past four years, and will now continue to serve as an ordained minister. We have been blessed to have Kenny on our staff and will be doubly blessed to have him as part of the ministerial team. His ordination and installation will be in August when he’ll become The Reverend Mr. Kenny Ellis, but you can still call him “Kenny.” Second- Former Associate Pastor Celie Moore Wilhite was diagnosed with an Atypical Carcinoid lung tumor (a form of lung cancer). Please remember Celie and Ted in your prayers. She will have surgery at Moffitt Cancer Center on July 8. Third- Vacation Bible School was once again an uplifting and exciting week. It is one of the highlights of the church year. We registered 300 children by opening day, along with 100 adult and teenage teachers and helpers. The greatest joy of VBS is not the impressive numbers, but the fact that children are learning about Jesus Christ. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Fourth- The General Assembly of the PCUSA voted to permit ministers in states which allow same-sex marriage to perform such ceremonies immediately. They also voted to reccommend a change in wording to the Book of Order, however this would take ratification by the 173 presbyteries before implementation.The Session and pastors of the First Presbyterian Church of Lakeland will continue to uphold the traditional view of marriage as between one man and one woman only. Fifth- Hopefully the Tampa Bay Rays will have broken out of their slump and begun to win some baseball games. At least we can hope (except when they play the Pittsburgh Pirates).
8:15 & 10:30 am Classic Services
In God We Trust Dr. Marilyn Cummings
10:30 am Vine Service
Jesus and the Demoniac Kenny Ellis
8:15 & 10:30 am Classic Services
Oblivious Answers Dr. Paul Suich
10:30 am Vine Service
Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler Zac McGowen
8:15 & 10:30 am Combined Services
Jesus and the Woman at the Well Zac McGowen
8:15 & 10:30 am Classic Services
If I could Start Again, I’d Be More Joyful Dr. Mike Loudon
10:30 am Vine Service
Jesus and Levi Kenny Ellis
August
Looking Ahead to
July 27th
July 20th
July 13th
July 6th
Sunday Mornings at FPC
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July 28- Aug 1st July 28- Aug 1st August 4-8th August 9th August 16th August 18th August 23rd August 27th
Kids’ Club Camp - 2 Sports Camp - 1 Sports Camp - 2 H.S. Lake House Bash M.S. Pool Party Little Shepherds Resumes Family Skate Party Ignite Kick-Off
Does Chur c h M e m b e rs h i p M a tte r? Come join us on Sunday, July 27th to meet some new friends and learn more about what membership means here at FPC with Pastor Mike, Pastor Zac, and Kenny Ellis. We will meet in Room A from 11:45 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. with a complimentary lunch provided. Our culture values independence and is very suspicious of “organized” religion. This makes it easy to dismiss the importance of church membership. At FPC, membership is not simply a hoop to jump through or a way to be part of “the club.” Rather, it is an invitation to make your devotion to Jesus practical and specific by committing yourself to the family of God in a specific church. If you would like more information, contact Kenny Ellis at
[email protected].
S eek ing S tu d e n t L i fe D i re c to r FPC is seeking a Director of Student Life Ministries to provide leadership and oversight for our youth program which serves over 100 6th-12th grade students. The program includes weekly youth meetings, special events, summer camps and mission/outreach opportunities. The position is a full-time position and includes salary plus benefits. If you know of anyone who may be interested, please refer them to our website to learn more about the position. Additional inquiries can be submitted to
[email protected].
F in e Arts C a mp
Please sign up for the Summer Fine Arts Camp production of Tom Long and Allen Pote’s wonderful musical, Rescue in the Night: The Story of Daniel in the Lions’ Den. The camp is available to students in grades 3 – 8. All enrollees should report to audition at 5:00 pm on Sunday, July 13 in the Fine Arts area. Camp runs from 8:30 – 5:00 each day, beginning on Monday, July 14 and ending on Friday, July 18. Our performance takes place on Saturday, July 19 at 4:00 pm. For those of you who have not participated in Fine Arts Camp, we teach the children a full forty-minute musical in one week. Kids help to create lion masks, learn spoken lines, sing songs, and learn choreography with hand motions. Even with all of these activities, the kids have time for fun and some quiet times when we focus on the relationships that exist between the story we are presenting and our own personal walk with God. Dr. Gordon directs the show and invites all eligible FPC kids to become involved. Also, grandparents, this is a great time to bring your grandchildren to stay with you for a week while we “wear them out” during the day. Space is still available, and it really helps us to create our camp budget if the children are enrolled well in advance. Enroll your children in the church office to participate in Summer Fine Arts Camp. Cost of the camp is $120.00.
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S um m e r fo r Ki d s Vacation Bible School was a huge success with 300 kids from age 4 to 5th grade. We also had 150 volunteers helping the children experience how Jesus’ Love is One of a Kind during VBS week. Children’s Ministry sends heartfelt thanks to all of the folks who helped make VBS a huge success again this year!!! Starting in August Kids Etc. is relocating from the Youth Hall to Room 115 which is in the Children’s Ministry area just next to the Welcome Center. Children from Kindergarten to Third Grade will be checked in at the south entrance of the church. Come and enjoy a doughnut with your children and others of the church on Sunday Mornings before Kids Etc. at 10:30 a.m. Please don’t forget that Kids Etc. and His Kids is taking a break the whole month of July. Children’s Ministry wishes you a safe and enjoyable summer! See you on August 3rd.
C ongr egat iona l C a re F e a tu re d M i n i s try A number of hearing units are maintained for use in the Sanctuary. Those regularly using units have one with their name on. These are at the door the user normally enters by. There is a log with each box and it is requested that users sign out their unit. Upon returning it is asked that they make sure they are turned off and make a note on the log of any problems with the unit. Bob Reed, who has been in charge of this program for many years normally checks the units each week, replacing batteries and ear pieces or units as needed. There are unassigned units in each box for visitors or those wanting to see if it will add to their ability to hear during the service.
News fro m Al a b a m a The FPC Youth group returned home from the Alabama mission trip safe and happy. Students did a fantastic job impacting the community of Wetumpka, through a kids club in a trailer park community, helping to beautify the landscape of a ministry called the Adullam house. The Adullam house, houses kids whose parents are incarcerated and provides them with a Christ centered environment to grow up in. Students also visited an assisted living center and interacted with the children of a local boys and girls club. Overall it was a great trip which provided students with plenty of opportunities to get outside their comfort zones. Hopefully this experience helped students to develop a desire for living a mission minded life here in their own community and everyday life.
Con g ra tu l a ti o n s Congratulations to the Rev. Dr. Robert E. Noble, who travelled to the Pittsburgh area for the dedication of a building in his honor on June 15. The former manse of Union Presbyterian Church in McKees Rocks, PA, was dedicated as “The “Noble House.” Bob was the pastor of this growing church from 1975-1990. The church has continued to thrive since he left in 1990, and they will now use the manse for their expanded ministry needs. Before pastoring this church, Bob served as missionary in Pakistan, first as a teacher at Gordon College in Rawalpindi, then as the chaplain at Taxila Hospital, and later as a founder of the first international congregation in Islamabad. Following his pastorate at the Union Presbyterian Church, Bob served three churches in Tennessee. He and his wife, Charlotte, are beloved, active members of FPC.
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5
David Campbell Stephanie Carlos Michael carter Pam Daniel Ed Herring Steve Knott Bart Lewis Austin Little Keith Stanton
Kim Cleghorn Richard Derk Dan Nixon Russ Sklenicka
Sarah Dubose
Mary Lowery R.J. Pearce Bettie Pieringer Nancy Stanley
Sunday
27
20
13
6
David Hornbeck Seth Norman Bronson Tidwell Linda Wilder
Clarke Aldridge Carmen Antaya Jonah Carpenter Kathy Cline Kenny Ellis Julie Ennis Richie Johnson Michael Marcewicz Alexander Marshall Marie Raymond Lucile Richardson Cherie Simmers
Joshua Bennett Gale Doak Thomas Houghton Nathan Reinstetle Ihla Sloman
Gary Barber Coleman Ellis Andrew Hartline Kimberly Parnell Maggie Teets
Monday
28
21
14
7
Isabel Cumming Darlene Jones Caitlin Maddox Brant Masters M.J. Mitchell Emily Szilvasy
Landon Benson Kim Byers Nancy Carter Matthews Clements Aaron Feliu Maggie Hall Brittany Prosser Julia Schleif Brian Smith
Elizabeth Blanchard Nathan Giggy Jackie Hopper Jackson Mundy
Steve Bruce Stephen Furr Steve Hamic Ava Hill Louie Holmes Warren Wright
Benjamin Timmes
Tuesday
29
22
15
8
1
Judy Ashe Dale Bennett Susan Rogers
Larry Black Megan Moore Abigail Smythe Tom Williams
Ed Bahrenburg Herminia Fowler Martha O’Brien Tonya Parnell Josh Suich
Steve Browne Clayton Gilbert Deanna Labozzetta Tim Rice Joe Ruthven Bobby Tart Ginger Whittington
Cynthia Hauth Mike Houghton Bryan Page Morris Pickens Sara Robinson Ava Severance
Wednesday
30
23
16
9
2
Thursday
Debbi Damkjer Christopher Johnston Judith Klusza Lisa Reinstetle Ashley Wallace
Beverly Page
Cindy Holcomb Matt Holcomb Roger O’Brien Cindy Wallace Matt Watkins
Callie Neslund Carolyn Spoto
Jackson Bailey Anna McManus
July 2014
31
24
17
10
3
Evelyn Brownlee James Daughtrey Diana Miller Harold Snow
Dena Hornbeck Chad Johnson Susie Moerschbacher Jackie Whitlow
Ashley Otero
Gregor Ruthven Liz Sellers
Friday
25
18
11
4
Maria Baker Ron Bigelow Martha Carroll Jerry Curtis Christian Holseth Jim Lobinsky
Amber Grubb Lowell Heneveld Meil Leach
Richard Armstrong Penelope Badcock Joy Browne George Carr Mildred Heinicke Laurie Kincart Naomi Stuart
Katherine Fazio Ray Royan Holden Smith Robert Trent
Saturday
26
19
12
5
July
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