May 2012
From the Pastor’s Desk
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Resurrection continues, as our Easter was beautiful. Did this year’s Lenten and Easter experience touch us and give us more insight about our Lord, about ourselves, and about how we respond to the Risen Christ in our life in today’s secular society? How about the importance of scripture in our lives? Did we think about how scripture touched us throughout our journey this Lent, through Holy Week and Easter? Or did we just go with our feelings. Not to say anything is wrong with feeling God’s word. But, my question to us all is, how do we read scripture? After reading it do we have the courage and priority to apply it to our lives displaying it as a way to live toward others? Do we really figure how to use it in today’s context? What does scripture mean for us today? I want to talk about what I believe is fundamental in our Christian faith as Presbyterians — it is Scripture. How do we as Christians understand God’s Word? Do we live in the popular notion that life experience and feelings trump scripture. Or do we believe scripture is to be read interpreting God’s inward personality for us? Dr. John MacArthur wrote a book called Charismatic Chaos. Dr. MacArthur also has a radio broadcast called Grace to You and is aired on various religious stations throughout the country. This book I speak about was written back in 1992 and Dr. MacArthur is quite candid about how we, in the Reformed Faith, are to go about understanding scripture. Dr. MacArthur believes, as I do, that scripture is authoritative and witnessed as God’s infallible word. This means that scripture is not something that can be taken differently today just because times are different. God’s word is living, because God breathed it to humanity. Scripture lives in a person’s life when read with the Holy Spirit. Scripture continually needs to be interpreted in conjunction with society and its changes. People today that measure their spiritual journey and God through feeling or experience, rather than reading and interpreting God’s word, are those that do not understand God as God reveals God’s Self. Scripture is to be read, heard, and understood through the Holy Spirit, which allows God to be better known in our lives. Then, we Christians can best center ourselves on how to focus in ways that best address the issues today. |
Knowing God, just through feelings felt, or life experienced, brings a disingenuous interpretation of who God is. Though feelings are important to how we experience God, they are not the all-in-all as to how we know God. Remember Satan’s ploy is to contort meaning. He is the great Deceiver, making deception— truth, the bigger the lie the better. God speaks and is known to us through God’s Word. As Christians and Presbyterians, we ascribe that out of scripture, God is talking with us allowing us to witness His personality, as it is witnessed in His Word. This is why there has never been, or ever will be, a book that will be as good a best seller as the Bible. We are all formulating our spirituality. I appreciate those who are searching, reading, and coming to an understanding of who God is in their life, and how God reveals Himself to them. People aware of who God is, understand that they read God’s word and follow it, even when it doesn’t make them feel good—and as we know, scripture often times can do that as it convicts and corrects us. We who undertake the reading of scripture are formulating our spirituality, as we learn to read and interpret. So let us not be confused about knowing God just by how we feel, but let us read scripture as often as we can to know God better as scripture reveals God to us. Remember, our ways are contrary to God’s ways. God wishes us to read and delve into His Word. Our Lord wrote the Bible giving us the Holy Spirit to help understand how to know Him better to live the life God created us to live. Remember what the B.I.B.L.E means—Basic Instruction Before Leaving Earth. Know that when you carry the Bible, Satan has a headache, when you open it, he collapses, when he sees you reading it, he loses his strength, AND when you stand of the Word of God, Satan can’t hurt you. I hope to see all in worship. Invite a friend. May Easter resurrection continue in your life. In Christ’s Service, Pastor Hal |
HOME COMMUNION
Please call the church office (419-238-3670) if you would like to have home communion.
HIGHLIGHTS - from the Session
:Delighted in the reception of new members and the confirmation class;
The Clerk participated in Session Record’s Review in March;
Approved summer worship at 9:30 A.M. beginning May 27th;
Have rejoiced in serving Communion on Maunday Thursday, Easter Sunday, at Vancrest Health Care Center and to members unable to join us at church;
Rejoiced in the members sharing their time and talents;
Reviewed the church financial statements;
Heard of the Trustees continues maintenance and improvements on the church building;
Delighted in the continuing mission work of our church and the Deacons care and concern for our members;
Rejoice in the Christian Education work with our youth, their plans for VBS and another successful year of JAM;
Look forward to The Holocaust Cantata on May 6th.
A companion is someone you share bread with.
INFORMATION - from the Session:
The per capita payment due from First Presbyterian Church of Van Wert for 2012 is $6,678.11. This is broken down to $27.71 per member. If you are able and have not made a payment to our church for your portion, please consider helping. Your payment would contribute to keeping our budget in check. Thank you for your generous help with this obligation.
HOLOCAUST CANTATA
Experience the moving rendition of Donald McCullough’s Holocaust Cantata: Songs from the Camps, to be presented at 7pm May 6, in our sanctuary by the Chancel Choir, along with guest members of the community, under the direction of David Van Tilburg.
The cantata is comprised of a collection of actual songs written by prisoners while incarcerated in Nazi concentration camps. Readings are based on interview transcripts, letters, historical data and the personal stories of survivors. Each song and reading represents a different person and a different time in the Holocaust experience. This musical work remembers and honors the memory of the millions of innocent men, women and children who suffered or died during the Holocaust.
Along with the choir, soprano soloist Cricket Smith-Dobmeyer, mezzo-soprano Sheila Chilcote-Collins and baritone soloist Hugh Saunier will be joined by organist Harriet Schaadt, pianist Karen Koch and cellist Daniel Jones. Additionally, the Rev. Hal Shafer, Lelia Mouser-Sunday and Michael Mooney will provide narration while Rachel Hertenstein and Luke Bonvillian will provide two interpretive dances during the performance.
The Deacons will sponsor a coffee hour following the presentation in the Fellowship Room.
From the STEWARSHIP Team
,"Stewardship A Way of Life" will be our theme this year. The Stewardship Team wishes to embark on a journey with First Presbyterian Church’s congregation to be able a wonderful walk with God that is pleasing to Him. We want to lift up our church and allow each member to have the joy of knowing the new beginning they will have experienced when giving is witnessed this October.
Initially the Team will study the dynamics of first, giving one’s self to God, in order to develop a keen sense of joyfully living for God, while exemplifying it in the church itself, even more today than in the past.
A willingness to give of one’s self.
What it means.
Secondly, the team will try to help bring the genus, even more than it is witnessed now, out of the congregation by looking into taking a gift assessment survey, for those that would like to know what their God given gifts are. This then will give a better understanding of time and where one can place him or herself in best giving of their time and talent happily. The chair of the team, and the team itself want to emphasize time and talent this year in a way that will help those coordinate their efforts to best suit their personal giving.
An emphasis on time and talent through the blessing of one another’s gifts.
A time and talent gift assessment.
Giving of time and talent and the importance of it.
And thirdly, we will look into how tithing works coordinating it with practicing God’s mission here on earth through our financial giving. The team will review what has worked and hasn’t worked for our church, while looking at what hasn’t worked for other churches.
How tithing supports the inner and outer workings of our church.
Therefore, through each bullet point, with the emphasis on time and talent, we will understand this way of life as a gift, so that our church, in everything it does will give glory to God, in a way it always has, with new freshness.
Service Above Self, The Stewardship Team
Ed Conover, Team Leader
Tim Purmort
Sue Gates
Dianna Early
Rev. Hal Shafer
Book Club
The Read & Review Book Club will meet at noon on Thursday, May 3, in the Fellowship Room for its last meeting of the season. Meetings will resume on September 6, same time, same place. Please bring your own sandwich or salad. Dessert and beverage will be furnished. Connie Weber will review "The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford and Evelyn Schwartz will provide the dessert. Following the book review the group will finish choosing the rest of the book selections to be read next fall. As always the public is invited to attend and no reservations are necessary.
Presbytery Commissioner Report
April 21, 2012 Meeting
Attendees: Rev. Hal Shafer, Ed Conover
The Maumee Valley Presbytery called a special meeting, for the sole purpose of discussing the current Ordination Vows, used within the Presbytery when new Elders and Deacons are ordained. This has been an ongoing conversation within Presbytery counsel, for several months, for the sole purpose of reviewing the vows. It was deemed time that feedback from the various members church should be considered.
The meeting was started with a short worship service, a review of the history of the vows dating back to 1645 with changes made in 1843, 1946, 1970, 1980, and those now part of the 2011 Book of Order in the Presbyterian Church USA. After the presentation was made, small groups of six to seven members were assembled, to discuss the vows with the following questions to be considered:
WHAT DO YOU APPRECIATE ABOUT THE YOUR ORDINATION VOWS?
WHAT BIBLICAL STORIES, IMAGES OR REFERENCES FORM THE FOUNDATION OF THESE VOWS FOR YOU?
WHAT PRACTICES WOULD YOU ADD TO THIS DOCUMENT TO MAKE THE DOCUMENT A COMPLETE EXPRESSION OF OUR ORDINATION VOWS?
WHAT IMPLICATIONS DO THESE VOWS SUGGEST FOR OUR LIFE TOGETHER?
WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU SUGGEST?
WHAT DIFFERENCES FOR THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST WILL MAUMEE VALLEY PRSBYTERY MAKE IN THE NEXT 3 -5 YEARS?
WHAT OTHER ASPECT OF YOUR CONVERSATION WOULD YOU LIKE TO COMMUNICATE?
After the small group discussions, a general discussion was held with input from each group, with notes taken and a review of a power point presentation—on what the committee interpretation were noting, that, the input of the meeting will also be considered. Upon closing, each church was encouraged to continue to give feed back to the Presbytery as discussions are held, at local level, in our own churches. This can be done via the Presbytery web site. The meeting was closed with a unification prayer with all attendees joining hands. This commissioner found, once again, the meeting very informative. Plus, another chance to Network with other attendees, both with other commissioner and pastors.
Respectively submitted in prayer,
Ed Conover
Priscilla Circle
will meet Monday, May 21, at 7pm in the Frantz Room.Jane Eachus will have a Minute on Mission and Sue Gates will give devotions. Felicia Quaintance will present Session #3 "the Master’s Plan – Learning to Yield". Hostesses for the evening are Shirley Soldner and Cherrie Evans.
The One Great Hour of Sharing received $407. Thank you for your generous donations!
In May on Mother’s Day, we will be presenting the annual Blanket Day. This program provides blankets for those in need of warmth and comfort during a crisis or due to a standard of life. We hope for a great response again this year. The envelope for your gift will be in the bulletin.
The 127 Yard Sale will take place on August 2nd, 3rd and 4th this year. We are accepting donations of your unneeded items to sell to the treasure seekers that will be coming this year. You may put your items on the stage. No clothing items, please. We will need volunteers to set up the sale on August 1st, work the sale on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th, and to assist with clean-up on the 4th. Contact Pam Purmort at 419-238-1062 with any questions.
The Daily Bread Soup Kitchen held a dinner on Monday, May 9, to honor all the volunteers that assist in helping with their work. They displayed a slide show, had a musical program and served a delicious dinner. A warm thank you was given to the 38 churches and the numerous volunteers that help each month.
SCOUTING REPORT
Outstanding Eagle Scout Recognition
The American Legion of Ohio has selected our Troop 35 Eagle Scout Brandon Lippi as this years recipient of their "Ohio Eagle Scout of the Year". Brandon is now a candidate for the National Eagle Scout Award.
Black Swamp Area Council Venturing Officer Association Officers
Two members of our Venture Crew 35 were elected to serve as 2012 officers in the
Black Swamp Area Council Venturing Officer Association.
Elected are: Katie Myers, Vice President, and Adam Myers, Vice President of Programming.
The Black Swamp Area Council covers 13 counties in Northwestern Ohio.
First Presbyterian Church Scouting Leaders Recognized for Excellence
The Hawthorne District (Van Wert, Paulding and Putnam Counties) volunteer recognition banquet was highlighted by the presentation of the Volunteer of the Year Awards. Several recipients of the District awards are leaders in our Scouting programs.
Volunteer of the Year is Mr. Larry Taylor, Committee Chairman of our Scout Troop 35.
Venture Crew Leader of the Year is Mrs. Teresa Lippi, Advisor of our Venture Crew 35
The District Scout Family of the year is Mr. and Mrs. Doug and Tammie Speer.
Tammie is Cubmaster of our Cub Pack 35 and Doug is a Den Leader and member of our Troop 35 leader committee. Doug serves also as the Hawthorn District Commissioner, and Camp Director of the Camp Lakota Summer Camp. Tammie also serves as Director of the Cub Scout Summer Camp programs at Camp Lakota and is a trainer of cub leaders throughout Northwestern Ohio.
Reported by Fred Early
Chartered Organization Representative
Youth and Family Programing:
Youth Group News
Youth Group will restart with Wednesday Night studies beginning May 2,
2012. We will meet in the youth group room at 5:30 and order Pizza. We
will meet every Wednesday until summer break.
Geocaching and Ice Cream
The Youth Group will go Geocaching on Saturday, May 12, 2012. We will meet
in the parking lot at 1PM and then head out and stop for ice-cream
in-between caches. Geocaching is a global treasure hunt using Global
Positioning Systems. See geocaching.com for additional information.
VBS Volunteers Needed!!
VBS will be held July 22-26 at 5:30 P.M. to 8:00P.M. I still need volunteers for the following areas. A sign-up sheet is posted on the bulletin board outside of the Sanctuary.
Opening/Closing Leader: Leads opening skit, introduces daily themes and concludes activities.
Craft Station Leader: Will work with Michele Mooney in helping the kids create fun Sky crafts.
Game Leader (Preschool-1st): Leads the outdoor games for 20 minutes before station rotations begin.
Game Leader (2nd-5th): Leads the outdoor games for 20 minutes before station rotations begin.
Flight Crew Leaders (X4): will accompany one age group, all four days from each activity to the next. There is no teaching involved! Crew leaders can be dependable high schoolers or adults.
Donation Request
The Presby Kids will soon be operating under a new incentive program called Presby Bucks. Similar to the former sticker charts, students will receive a "Presby Buck" as a reward for different things throughout the season (ie showing up, remembering their Bible, bringing a friend, etc). On the first Sunday of every other month, the students will get to visit the "Presby Store" where they can decide whether they want to continue saving their money for a higher price item or spend it on the items available through the store. We thought it would be neat to give the congregation a part in what those prizes are. Therefore, we are asking for footballs, Polly pockets, Christian T-shirts, Christian CD’s, various toys. Anything you think the kids would enjoy working towards as a prize to be donated. Donations for the program can be dropped off at the office labeled "Presby Bucks". Contact Felicia with questions.
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