October Newsletter 2015
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Monthly Publication - Volume 15.10
October 25th October 18th
October 11th
October 4th
Upcoming Sermons 8:15 Communion and 10:30 Classic Services
What Are Your Goals? Dr. Rev. Mike Loudon
10:30 Vine Modern Service
Jonah Series Rev. Kenny Ellis
8:15 Communion and 10:30 Classic Services
Your Goodness or God’s? Dr. Rev. Mike Loudon
10:30 Vine Modern Service
Jonah Series Rev. Zac McGowen
8:15 Communion and 10:30 Classic Services
Striving for the Living Christ Rev. Zac McGowen
10:30 Vine Modern Service
Jonah Series Rev. Kenny Ellis
8:15 Communion and 10:30 Classic Services
Our Citizenship is in Heaven Dr. Rev. Mike Loudon
10:30 Vine Modern Service
Jonah Series Rev. Zac McGowen
Upcoming Events John Maxwell Leadership Seminar October 9 at 8:00 a.m. th
Loudon Hall
O.A.M. Game Day
October 17th at 9:30 a.m.
Youth Hall
Military Christmas Card Signing
O.A.M. Spirit of Service
October 18th at 8:00 a.m.
October 9 at 10:00 a.m. th
Welcome Center
Room A
Season of Service Kick Off
Music Mission Kiev
October 25th
October 10 at 7:00 p.m. th
Welcome Center
Sanctuary
3rd Grade Bible Presentations
O.A.M. Sherrif’s Leadership Tour
October 25th at 10:30 a.m.
October 15th at 7:30 a.m.
Sanctuary & Loudon Hall
Lakeland Sheriff ’s Station
Fall Festival
Pedal Power Work Day
October 25 at 11:30 a.m.
October 17 at 9:00 a.m.
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Front Lawn
Bike Shed
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PC is an amazing congregation in so many respects, and especially in the area of generosity. It is said of some people that they possess the spiritual gift of generosity. That could be said of this congregation. You are generous to a fault. This fall I am preaching at the Classic services through Paul’s letter to the Philippians. He commended them for their faithful support of his ministry. The Philippians were the most generous of all the congregations with whom Paul ministered. Time and time again they sent gifts to encourage him. The same could be said of you. Time and again you generously lend your support to those on the mission field and in area ministries. You give generously to support the programs and staff of the church. You give to maintain our incredible facilities. FPC is blessed by your generosity. I have been privileged to have been the pastor of five wonderful churches prior to being called to Lakeland. I appreciated and loved each congregation which I served. Each had unique gifts for service and ministry and touched my heart in different ways. However, FPC has been the most financially generous. Thank you!! Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” That’s the promise of the Word of God. When we give generously to the work of the Lord, God will supply our needs. As Paul wrote to another congregation he started, the Church at Corinth, “He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God.” (II Corinthians 9:10-11)
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Pastor Mike Loudon
like neighbor like aa good good neighbor FPC is there FPC is there
For decades, State Farm Insurance stood behind the slogan “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there!” In recent years, that slogan has been the center of a series of commercials in which State Farm customers find themselves in a myriad of problems (some of which have no relationship to insurance needs) and are prompted to “do the jingle.” They sing the line, and POOF, from some State Farm mothership an agent pops up ready to take care of the problem. As an ad campaign, it has been effective in communicating that State Farm Insurance agents are there for customers “like a good neighbor.” Except what happens when neighbors aren’t very good? Since last December, FPC has made a concerted effort to show our neighbors we are there for them through a program the Evangelism Team has called The Good Neighbor Initiative. Through this program we have sent hundreds of gifts related to
the big events on the FPC calendar to the 300+ homes surrounding FPC and invited them to come and see what God is doing in our midst. We have visited the Lake Hollingsworth Apartments and brought pizzas to the hungry Florida Southern students who now reside there, and we have expanded our presence in downtown Lakeland’s First Friday events. The results have been wonderful! We saw significant boosts in attendance at our 2014 Christmas events, growth in our Easter attendance, and most recently we have seen an increase in our Sunday attendance with new guests every week! This is a wonderful testament to what God wants to do when we reach outside our walls, but this also affords us a unique opportunity: to be more hospitable and more caring to people we do not know than we ever have before. Many of our new folks have church experience they are coming to us from other 4
churches… but many do not. Think about what it must be like for someone who has never attended a church before to cross the threshold of this big, beautiful building. For those who are unchurched, it can be intimidating. So our call is to be neighborly, and show all those who walk into our halls that we are warm, caring, and full of the love of Jesus Christ. Hebrews 13:2 reminds us “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Our faith compels us to be kind, generous, and loving to everyone we meet. Let’s put that into practice this fall as guests come to see what FPC is about. Each Sunday in October, I challenge every single person to find one person they have never seen before and introduce yourself and find out about them… only God knows what that simple act of neighborly love can mean in another person’s life.
Making a 3G Connection Mark your calendar for the 3G Guys Weekend at Lakewood Retreat Center on November 6-8. Last year, over 40 guys attended our first 3G Guys Weekend. The “3G” stands for 3 generations because we invited the younger guys to join us. This year is going to be another great event bringing back the 3G Games Competition, bonfires with Bob, the Vine Worship Team, fishing and nature trails and plenty of free time. In our group sessions, we will be privileged to welcome our guest speaker, Ed Diaz. Ed has lived in Lakeland for many years with his wife Gwen and together they raised four boys, Zach, Matt, Ben and Johnny. Ed is a gifted teacher and speaker who spent several years teaching one of our Sunday School classes here at FPC. Lakewood is located in Brooksville and offers various accommodations including hotel-style rooms, cabins, bunkhouses or tent/RV sites. Register in the Welcome Center on Sunday Mornings. For more information contact Kenny Ellis at
[email protected].
Children’s Ministry The fall season looks very positive for the programs in Children’s Ministry. Our EPIC45 program might have as many as 30 children in 4th and 5th grade attending this fall. His Kids and Kids Etc. is very active as well. Kids Club had its opening night on September 2 with 50 children enjoying pizza, games, Bible story, crafts and games. It was a night of much energy!!! The Third Grade Bible program started Sunday, September 27th at 9:15 a.m. Mrs. Kim Bowers facilitates this exciting time of scavenger hunts, serious study, puzzles and games, as we learn to use, enjoy and respect our Bibles. Engraved personal Bibles will be presented on October 18th. I know it seems early, but the Christmas season will be here before we know it. The Children’s Christmas Workshop is scheduled for Saturday, December 5th, 9 - 11:00 a.m. this year. Look forward to seeing you at this event.
Fall Festival Mark your calendars now and plan to join the whole FPC family on Sunday, October 25th, on the front lawn following the 10:30 a.m. worship services. There will be events and entertainment for all ages including games, inflatables, train ride, a cake walk and BINGO. We will be serving a FREE BBQ lunch and plenty of sweet tea and lemonade. This is a great opportunity to enjoy the friends you have and make some new ones. Don’t miss it!
Stitching Together The Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet in the Craft Room on October 20th at 10:00 a.m. This is the first meeting since spring so there are many things to do and discuss. Anyone interested in stitching for this wonderful outreach will be so welcomed. Patterns and yarn available if needed. Come join this group as we pray and stitch together. Call Marilyn Leonard at 646-0132 for more information. 5
Host On Ocober 10 FPC will host the musical group Music Mission Kiev for a free concert. Several hosts are needed to volunteer to house 2 musicians for the night. If you have space in your home, please contact
[email protected].
‘Sew’ Wonderful The Pace Center for Girls would like to teach its junior and high school students how to sew. Please consider donating your sewing machine that you no longer use. The mission for this wonderful institution is to provide girls and young women an opportunity for a better future through education, counseling, training and advocacy. PACE values all girls and young women, believing each one deserves an opportunity to find her voice, achieve her potential and celebrate a life defined by responsibility, dignity, serenity and grace. Contact Sherran Spurlock at
[email protected] or 863-393-3427.
Older Adult Ministry Friday, October 9, marks the beginning of our Spirit of Service (SOS) program and a blessed, inspiring and fun season for our Older (50+) Adult Ministry. Our first speaker will be Dick Fearnow from the Polk County Sherriff ’s Office speaking on “Seniors vs. Crime”. Spirit of Service meets the second Friday of each month from October through May at 10 a.m. in Room A. This program consists of a devotion, time for singing, special speaker or entertainment, fellowship and lunch. Lunch is $7 and we will need your reservation this month by October 7. A bus is available to those who live at the Presbyterian Homes, Presbyterian Apartments or Lake Morton Plaza and wish to attend this program. Please let the church office know if you are in need of this transportation. On October 15, we will be participating in the Sheriff ’s Leadership Council Tour. The Sheriff sends a bus for us at 7:30 a.m. and we spend a whole day
OAM Upcoming Events Oct. 9
Spirit of Service Lunch feat. “Seniors vs. Crime”
Oct. 15
Sherriff’s Tour
Oct. 17
Game Day
Nov. 13
Spirit of Service Lunch feat. “Pilgrim’s Story”
seeing all the things the Sheriff ’s Department has and what they do to help make Polk County a safer place to live. We must have your response no later than our Spirit of Service meeting on October 9. There will be a table in the Welcome Center on Sunday, October 4, where you can sign up for the tour or you may email Sandie at
[email protected] or call the office at 686-7187. Game Day continues on the third Saturday of the month and the next one will be October 17th from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Youth Hall. Bring your favorite breakfast food or snack and a 6
friend if you would like and come enjoy playing a variety of table games led by Bob Reed. Dr. Paul Suich continues his Bible Study/Small Group, “As Long as it is Still Day”, on Wednesdays at 4 p.m. Come join the group in the Conference Room and be home well before it is dark. November’s Spirit of Service program will be J. Lenora Bresler’s “Thanksgiving: A Pilgrim’s Story” on November 13th. On November 17, we will be going to Solomon’s Castle in Ona and the Mulberry Phosphate Museum. Our overnight trip to Fort Meyers and Sarasota is scheduled for late January. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again on October 9th and having another great year with the Older (50+) Adult Ministry. If you would like to be added to the email list or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact Sandie at
[email protected] or ext. 242 or come by the table in the Welcome Center on Sunday.
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Adam Antaya Craig Betz Donna Cobb Dee Dubose Jo Hamilton Jackie Hutchinson Andrew Ilic Gabriel Leach Ken Loar Katie Sherrouse
Cory Austwick Ann Caroline Bean Jessica Cobo Shannon McManus Dennis Ross Jaquae Smith Bryden Tyler
Sean Byers Jessica Hart Alex Ison Alice Lewis Gary Smith
Matthew Barber Kevin Hamer George Hudson Laurie Melton Stacey Naughton Shelia Pryde Judi Sellers Vicki Smith
Sunday
25
18
11
4
Kyle Cummings Mark Elliott Shelly Gerber Ryan Gregory James Melton III Anthony Nicolo Buzz Tarver Jerre Wilson
Barbara Arnold
Janine Anderson Chase Burns Lizabeth Engle Katherine Fitzwater Ann Marshall Dick McFarlin Betsy Sklenicka
Byron Bailey Nancy Hurd Mason Prahl Jeff Robinson Martha Willoughby
Monday
26
19
12
5
Mary Conover Dot Read Maria Turner Gary Webb
Amy Bonini Erin Garzon Brett Labozzetta Barbara McKown
Gerald Black Pamela Burton Susanne Coffman William Finger Margie Flatt
Colleen Castor Jon Freed Sara Hubbard Jaime Tyler Jeremy Williams
Tuesday
27
20
13
6
Amy Eckenroth Janice Hammack Anne Mitchell Ernie Neff
Devon Dillon Anna Shouppe
Tami Grove Barry Hawk Mike Parrish Jerold Slaughter Wayne Wiswedel
Roy Andersen Fiona Broomfield Tristan Giggy Davis Lowe Eliza Trice Sharlott Williams
Wednesday
28
21
14
7
Thursday
Pat DuBose
Kelsey Cook Cooper Ellis Jean Hornbeck Helen Kantner
Elton Denson Donna Grant Laura Hogan Nelson Hughes Heather Watson Sharlotte Wilkerson Art Zinszer
Morag Betz Earl Galbraith Sherrylyn Gatison Emily Rice Andy Sowell
Christina Moore Julie Wilkerson
October
29
22
15
8
1
Sarah Coleman Susan Holmes Rebecca Merritt Kyli Tomlinson Tracy Wilson
Lisa Gilbert Ashley Romeu Jerry Ruthven Faith Taylor
David Allen Taylor Hammersla Harriet McIntosh Cole Spurlock Matthew Valentine
Holden Dykhuizen Bryan Stone Jim Young
Herbert Britain Tina Hill Joseph Neilan Carrie Stute Jennell Thornton Janice Varnadoe Jacob Wilkerson
Friday
30
23
16
9
2
Sadie Fitzsimmons Megan Lewis Teresa Lyle Glen Varnadoe
Ned Laderer Debbie Nipper Diane Thompson
Heather Betz Jeanne Boland Rosemary Cottrell Diane Kegley Kailaya Kelleher Mattie Lewis Robert Rachwal
Jim Bigley Jaime Branning Peter Fritschen Jeffrey Nave, Jr Wayne Smith
Amanda Franklin Nancy Garman Paul Irwin Clayt Liljequist Mitchell Meinke Linda Peach Betty Slaughter
Saturday
31
24
17
10
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Carillo
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O ctobe r
Monthly Newsletter - Volume 15.10
NON-PROFIT US POSTAGE PAID LAKELAND, FL PERMIT NO. 1
Music Mission Kiev
in October 10 at 7:00 p.m. the Sanctuary with Free Admission Love Offering
