March
2014 NEWSLETTER UPCOMING EVENTS Strawberry Smash March 2nd (Pg 8)
PEACE Info Session March 9th (Pg 3)
S.O.S.
March 11th (Pg 5)
Heroes of Hope 5K March 15th (Pg 4)
VISTE Clean Caring March 19th (Pg 7)
Women’s Fellowship Dinner March 20th (Pg 6)
“Snow” Golf Tournament
F ro m P a s to r Mi k e Joyce and I like sports and enjoyed watching the Winter Olympics. She likes the ice skating and I like to watch the crazy ski and snow boarding stuff. The people who fly down those ski jumps and turn somersaults in mid-air are “not right.” However, the month of March means “March Madness” in college basketball. This is the annual NCAA Division I Playoff. Sixty-four teams will compete to determine this year’s national champion. We like college basketball and watch quite a bit of it on television in the evenings. Normally we are able to attend a Nebraska men’s game when we are in Lincoln over the holidays. This year we were able to attend a Nebraska women’s basketball game in the magnificent new 15,000 seat Pinnacle Bank Arena. We have our own version of March Madness at FPC. We call it “Lent.” It is a month filled with services and ministries leading up to Holy Week and Easter. Ash Wednesday is the “kick off” of Lent. That evening we are honored to host the Vanderbilt University Choir for our special Ash Wednesday service. Kenny Ellis will be speaking that evening, and it’s appropriate because his wife, Jennie, graduated from Vanderbilt. I hope that you are keeping up with the Bible readings in the God Story Project. If you have fallen behind, or have not yet started, Lent is a good time to begin. Commit yourself to read the Bible at least one chapter a day. You can pick up the Bible plans in the Welcome Center or online.
March 22nd (Pg 4)
Pastor Mike
Sunday Mornings at FPC
8:15 & 10:30 Classic Services
The Unfolding Mystery of Christ in the Old Testament Dr. Mike Loudon
10:30 Vine Service
The Unfolding Mystery of Christ in the Old Testament Rev. Zac McGowen
6:30 Ash Wed. Service
Featuring the Vanderbilt University Choir Kenny Ellis
8:15 & 10:30 Classic Services
How should a Christian live? Poor in Spirit Rev. Cecelia Wilhite
10:30 Vine Service
How should a Christian live? Poor in Spirit Rev. Zac McGowen
8:15 & 10:30 Classic Services
How should a Christian live? Mourn Dr. Mike Loudon
10:30 Vine Service
How should a Christian live? Mourn Kenny Ellis
8:15 & 10:30 Classic Services
How should a Christian live? Meek Dr. Mike Loudon
10:30 Vine Service
How should a Christian live? Meek Rev. Zac McGowen
8:15 & 10:30 Classic Services
How should a Christian live? Hunger for Righteousness Dr. Mike Loudon
10:30 Vine Service
How should a Christian live? Hunger for Righteousness Rev. Zac McGowen
April
Looking Ahead to
March 30th
March 23rd
March 16th
March 9th
March 5th
March 2nd
During Lent the sermons in both the Classic services and the Vine will be on Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. This is rich Gospel material and will feed your soul. We hope that you will make attendance at worship and Sunday School an important part of your Lenten observance.
2
April 13th April 17th April 18th April 19th April 20th April 27th
Palm Sunday Maunday Thursday Good Friday Children’s Easter Egg Hunt Easter Sunday CenturyMen Concert
What is the P.E.A.C.E Ministry? Micah 6:8 says, “And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” There is a clear distinction here, as well as in Matthew 23:23-24, between justice and mercy. Quite often, however, these two get lumped together and seen as synonymous in our church contexts. So what is the difference? Let’s illustrate the difference with a story: There is a river in a town where lots of citizens drown. One person decides to set up a watch with other concerned citizens in order to pull people out who are drowning. This is an example of mercy. What if that same person were to walk upstream to figure out why so many people are drowning? They would realize that there is a broken bridge and many people fall trying to cross the river. They would gather other concerned citizens and ask the mayor to fix the bridge so that people could cross the river safely and fewer citizens would drown. This is an example of doing justice. Many churches do a good job of mercy ministry; we provide services, such as tutoring or food pantries, to the victims of injustice. Unfortunately, we don’t “do justice” very well because it means holding systems accountable for getting to the root cause of a problem; this would look like making sure our school district ensures all children are reading at grade-level or making sure everyone has access to getting drug/alcohol treatment outside of jail. One church alone doesn’t have the ability to do justice, because it requires the power of numbers to hold governmental and social systems accountable. We learn from Nehemiah’s call for a great assembly (Neh. 5:1-13) to bring charges against the unfair nobles and officials how we can do justice successfully. PEACE (Polk Ecumenical Action Council for Empowerment) is a tool that allows our church to work with other congregations to effectively live out God’s call to “do justice.” Grace was given freely to us through the death of Jesus on the cross, though we didn’t deserve
it. As believers, we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves. Doing justice is a powerful way of showing Christ-like love to our community. PEACE has four large assemblies throughout the year - 1) An Annual Assembly where we vote on a specific community concern like improved healthcare for under-served people. 2) A Rally where we report on the proposed action to address the community concern. 3) An Action where we gather together with over a thousand people and ask public officials to make specific commitments to address the community concern. 4) A Celebration where we celebrate our victories and invest in continuing ministry to do justice in the name of Jesus Christ. Recent work of the First Presbyterian Justice Ministry and other members of PEACE, includes the creation of 98 in-patient drug rehab beds and funding for “Through Hope Now,” an outreach for men and women who want to break the cycle of addiction. In addition, members of FPC (Harry and Jean Petit, Betty Stevenson, Eileen Stone, Maryon Bramley, and Ted and Nancy Hogan) were instrumental in opening 3 clinics to serve uninsured and under-insured families living in Lakeland and Winter Haven. How can YOU get involved? On Sunday, March th 9 at 11:45 a.m. in Room B we will have a gathering to talk about PEACE and the work that we are continuing in the justice ministry. Also, the two most important meetings of the year for the PEACE organization will be held in March. The Rally, which is a fun meeting of singing and preaching, will be held on March 10th at First United Methodist Church of Lakeland. The Action, which is the pinnacle of the year, will be held on March 31st at the Family Worship Center in Lakeland. All are welcome to attend both meetings. AnnMarie Silveira P.E.A.C.E Associate Faith-Based Organizer
3
Her o e s o f H o p e 5 K FPC members have been working in the rural, mountain village of Chauffard, Haiti for over 4 years to strengthen the local church and help the community address practical needs such as education, basic medical care and clean water. Our mission partner, CPI Haiti, is hosting the 4th annual Heroes of Hope (formerly Hope for Haiti) 5K Walk and Run on Saturday, March 15th around Lake Hollingsworth. Come out and join the cause as a walker or runner! You can register online or download a mail-in form at www.CPIHaiti.org. Email Kenny Ellis with questions at
[email protected].
W e a l th S h a re d We are thankful to be part of a connected church system where we can support each other in the ministry and mission of Jesus Christ as Presbyterians in west central Florida. We also benefit by having access to one of the nation’s best libraries of Christian reference materials. The funds generated from apportionment on members pay for the work of the denomination’s offices and staff. Every year FPC contributes to the costs of the Presbytery. This year that cost is $37,000. You can help our congregation defray the cost of our apportionment by contributing $25 per member. Please send in a check marked “per capita”, drop it in the offering plate or stop by the church office. If you have not yet made your 2014 Financial Commitment to the church, you may pick up a Commitment Card at the information centers at the north and south entrances, commit online at fpclakeland.org/give/make-a-commitment or call the church at 686-7187 and ask for Elena Nicholas.
“ S now” Go l f T o u rn a m e n t For many years our church has sponsored a golf tournament in the Spring that was organized for decades by Harold and Peggy Snow. When they “retired” from the tournament it was renamed in their honor. The Snow Golf Tournament is now organized and supervised by Randy Gilbert his family- his wife, Lisa; his mother, Cathy; his kids, Colton, Clayton, and Caylyn. This year’s golf tournament will be on Saturday, March 22nd at Cleveland Heights Golf Course and will begin at 1:00 p.m. with a shotgun start. Supper and awards will follow the tournament. Please sign up in the Welcome Center on Sunday morning or call Randy Gilbert 683-0298.
4
Chil d re n ’ s M i n i s try Our Annual Easter Egg Hunt is on April 19th from 9-11 a.m. We will be hiding over 3,000 eggs and having a scavenger hunt for the 4th - 5th graders! Easter baskets will be created to deliver to our dear folks at The Presbyterian Homes. Call Jo at the church if you want to help with the setup. Speaking of help, we need several helpers for our Vacation Bible School, which is June 16th -20th from 9 a.m.- Noon this year. Below is a list of areas where we need your help. Drama - Need 2 energetic adults who would like to lead children through incredible and interactive learning activities that make the Bible stories come alive. Must enjoy acting, costumes and drama. Some room setup required for each day. Sidekick assistants will be present to help. Crewleader – Need persons who would like to shepherd a group of children from one activity to another and enjoy a five minute wrap up about the lesson before the finale. All crewleaders have assistants. Decoration/Setup- Need persons to help on June 12th with decorating for VBS, from 9:00 a.m. to Noon. Pizza lunch provided. Please contact Jo Ahearn at 686-7187 or
[email protected] if you would like to be on the VBS volunteer list. Only those who want to have fun and share God’s Word need to apply. Registration for VBS is available online and forms can be found around the church.
Mi n i M ir ac les
D o n ’ t fo rg e t!
Mini Miracles, which is our special needs class for ages 4 to 10, is in need of volunteers to help on Sunday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The schedule can be created to fit your calendar. Please contact Jo Ahearn at 686-7187 or
[email protected] if you are interested.
$25, $50, and $100 Grocery Gift Cards from “where shopping is a pleasure” are available in the church office. Great for personal use and for gifts. 3% of your purchase supports several FPC youth ministries.
Pre school Regis t r at io n
S .O.S. - S p i ri t o f Servi ce
Little Shepherds Preschool is accepting applications for the 2014-2015 school year. Registration is open to all currently enrolled families and FPC church members. Please call the preschool office for more information at 616-9196.
Our “older adult ministry” will meet at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, March 14th in Room A. Our devotions will be led by H.L. McConnell. After a short presentation by Hal & Marjorie Roberts on Adult Dyslexia, we will have a musical program by the Imperial Recorder Consort. Lunch will be served; reservations needed by March 11th.
Build a Church Travel with a Mission Team to Merida, Mexico and help build Adonai Presbyterian Church with Pastor Ricardo Santana and Pastor Omar. We will be flying out on October 11th and returning on the 17th. A $100 deposit is due by June 1st. The total $1100 cost includes travel, lodging, and most meals. Members may be eligible for partial scholarships. For more information, contact Nancy Bertram at 686-7187 or Dave Prosser at 646-9240.
5
W om en of Wo rth L e n te n S tu d y WOW is offering a Lenten Study beginning March 5 with “Son of God: The Life of Jesus In You”. It is a DVD Bible study, which features Rick Warren explaining how you can find your purpose by studying the life of Jesus. The six-session study features video clips from the theatrical movie Son of God and custom videos from Pastor Warren explaining Jesus’ teachings and their impact on people’s lives. Topics include baptism, temptation, suffering, death, resurrection and ministry. Scenes from the movie such as Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist will help illustrate each topic. Join us for this impactful study. WOW women’s small group Bible study meets each Wednesday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. in the church parlor. Contact Susan Stephens 646-2178 to reserve your study guide.
F unda m e n ta l l y D ra w n An Adult Basic Drawing Class taught by Richard Bond is coming to First Presbyterian Church. Students will be learning the seven elements and principals of art through drawing still-life. The class will work in a variety of mediums including graphite pencil, charcoal, and soft pastels on paper. The classes will be on Mondays from April 7th - May 12th at 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The cost for the class will be a one-time payment of $80. You will need to bring your own 2b, 3b, and 4b graphite pencils; willow vine charcoal, soft pastels, kneadable eraser, paper towels or shammy cloth, an approximately 6”x8” personal mirror, and at least a 9”x12” sketch pad (100 sheet Strathmore pad is good). To reserve your spot, or ask any questions you can contact the instructor at 510-3973 or purplemaizart@gmail.
Vita Grati The theme of the women’s spring fellowship dinner is VITA GRATI!, which is Italian for “grateful living.” After a short presentation about gratefulness, a delightful, delicious Italian meal will be served. The event is Thursday, March 20th, 6:00-7:30 p.m., in Room A at the church, and the cost is $8.00. Sign-ups and tickets will be available in the Welcome Center on Sunday mornings. FPC women and friends of all ages are invited to take a break, relax, and enjoy being together in a festive atmosphere. (Speaking Italian is totally optional!) For more information, contact Sandi Arnolds-Patron at 646-0472 or Lin Hamer at 647-2219.
C ongr egat iona l C a re F e a tu re d M i n i s try
6
Congregational Care Council touches the lives of many FPC members. The Council wants all members to know what is available to them, so over the next few months we will be giving brief descriptions of how we may help. The first ministry is the Prayer Shawls Ministry. Women in our church have been knitting and crocheting prayers shawls since 2007. These shawls go to people who are mourning, caregivers, homebound, facing major surgery or having serious health problems. Prayers are said while each shawl is created with a final blessing before they are distributed. A prayer specific to the need, if known, accompanies each shawl to its recipient. When the man or woman receiving the shawl wraps it around themselves they feel comforted and loved. This Ministry meets the 3rd Tues. of each month from October to May. If you do not knit or crochet but would like to help with this important ministry, monetary donations are accepted or you may help with delivering shawls. Request for shawls or questions can be addressed to the committee through the church office.
C l e a n C a ri n g If you have a heart to serve seniors, FPC and VISTE are providing an opportunity on Wednesday, March 19th from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. to serve seniors who live at the Cecil Gober Villas, a Lakeland Housing Authority community. VISTE provides the lunch and cleaning supplies, and FPC provides the labor to help seniors with light housekeeping chores. Of course, interaction with the seniors is a key part of this service! Light housekeeping can include dusting, mopping floors, organizing a refrigerator, replanting flowers, or raking leaves. We conclude around noon to have lunch with the seniors. Contact Kathy Abels at
[email protected] or 660-1301 if you can help.
Congratulations F l o ra H e a th Congratulations to Flora Heath, FPC’s longest standing member, who celebrated her 99th birthday party. Flora was born in 1915, and joined FPC in 1926.
C l a u d i a H e n d e rson Congratulations to The Rev. Claudia S. Henderson, former member of FPC, on her call to be the pastor of Forest Hills Presbyterian Church of Tampa. Claudia attended Louisville Theological Seminary and has been serving in recent years as Chaplain at the Presbyterian Homes in St. Petersburg, FL. She was installed as pastor of Forest Hills Church on Sunday, February 23rd.
H a ro l d Sn o w Congratulations to Harold Snow on the recognition of his military service during WWII. Harold was presented a flag that was flown over the Capital in his honor by Congressman Dennis Ross.
D r. J . D a v i d H art Congratulations to Dr. J. David Hart who was chosen by his peers as the Central Florida Outstanding Organist of the year. He will be performing a recognition concert in Orlando, on the afternoon of April 6th.
7
Coming This Spring TICKETS ON SALE
John Kirk and Trish Miller with LightShine at Strawberry Smash Sunday, March 2 at 6:00 Loudon Hall Adults: $8; Seniors & Students: $6 nd
The CenturyMen
Sunday, April 27th at 4:00 First Presbyterian Sanctuary Everyone: $8
A S m a s h i n g Go o d T i m e Strawberry Smash is certainly one of FPC’s treasured traditions. This year, our program will include entertainment provided by our teenagers and participation from two special guest musicians. John Kirk and Trish Miller are folk musicians extraordinaire, and they will add a special down-home flavor to the evening’s entertainment. For those of you who enjoy the Ken Burn’s documentaries on Public Television, you will likely recall the beautiful fiddle tunes used throughout his series entitled, The Civil War. John is one of the fiddlers who performed in that magnificent series. His wife, Trish, is a nationally recognized clogger. The two of them will join forces with other musicians at FPC and perform some of the best authentic folk music you’ve ever heard. The entertainment begins at 6:00 p.m. We will serve delicious strawberry shortcake during a short break, and then we will conclude with music by John and Trish with an array of guest artists. We might even move the chairs and tables and start dancing. Remember that Strawberry Smash is a fundraiser for our students who want to attend the Montreat Conference on Music and Worship.
8
9
Sue Albritton Barbara Bertrand Michael Giggy Sarah Scott
Ashely Bracken Alex Fagan Bob Fahrion Sarah Graham
Kerrie Hall Harris Martin Al Montle
Juanita Black Michael Boland Kim Cook Mary Jane Peddy
Kim Daugherty Will Franklin Susan Tidwell Betty Vocelle
Sunday
30
23
16
9
2
Marjorie Armstrong Tonya Steckler Sandi Stone
John Foley Mike McRory Grace Rodda AJ Trent
Abby Cecchine Barbara Huggins Anthony Ison Michael Lamont
Carol Boulware David Murray Anne Pipping Deborah Stuart
Carl Carroll Sue Coleman Rita Fandrich John King Michelle Radovan Laura Rodriguez Kendra Smith
Monday
31
24
17
10
3
Samuel Bowles Joan Grant Mary Inscho Bernard Johnson Barbara Prosser Gwen Reynolds Angelo Spoto
Kim Brock Debra Martin Marjie Roberts Lana Shulnes Nancy Smith
Patty Foxworth Grant Ilic Peggy Kyzer Pat McConnell Walter Roeser David Royal Ruthellen Taylor Craig Valentine
Robert Agey Jonathan Diaz Renee Hawk Leslie Maddox Wash Respess
Tuesday
25
18
11
4
Frank Bertram Alci MalDonado Esther Stanton Liesl Weeks
Abigail Campbell Brooks Chandler Herb Hamic Laura Lynn Lewis Keith Reinstetle
Tiffany Badcock Lincoln Jacobs Shelli McLeod Terry McMaster Jordan Shattuck Lindsey Stein Chris Stone
Jackie Freed Katie Gilmore Alyson Richards Catherine Sullivan Kaleigh Teets Josh Wilson
Wednesday
26
19
12
5
Nevaeh Boggs Addison Gokee Chad Kostella John Ventura
Dottie Charlton Ginny Houghton Shawn Marler Nancy Vilbrandt
Sarah Breed Kendall Hornbeck Brock McKean Brad Smith Jean Sutton
6
27
20
13
Lindsay Brasington Al Browne Gwynn Butterfield Jack Lewis
Thursday
March 2014
14
7
Conor Browne Bill Dague Michelle Holseth David Houston Nancy Pearson
Gabrielle Benson Kim Manske George Williford
28
21
Loren Bennette David Brimer Barbara Linder Bruce Oelker Kenneth Pennington Trent Tyler Mary Ann Williams
Bruce Hitt
Friday
Gigi Hamlin
Julie Burna Aubie Clements Matthew Davis Elizabeth Jacobs Karen Lentz Ashli Morris
Sue Corley Cheri Curtis Richard Fansler Bill McCarthy Susan Neff Brooks Wilson
John Foley, Jr Emily Hartline Eric Holseth Kelley Shannon
Ashlynn Joyner Brooke Smith Kay Summers Wyllys Taylor
Saturday
29
22
15
8
1
March
NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE PAID LAKELAND, FL PERMIT NO. 198
Strawberry Smash Featuring
John Kirk & Trish Miller with LightShine
March 2nd at 6:00 p.m. Loudon Hall Adults - $8, Seniors & Students - $6
