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Sunday Worship
Adult Sunday School 10:00-10:45 am Youth Sunday School 10:00-10:45 am Elementary Sunday School (please call church office ahead of the Sunday you will attend) Church Nursery: 10:30 am-12:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal: 10:30 am Morning Worship: 11:00 am
Youth Group 12-2 pm (alternates with Youth Sunday School, please call to check times)
Wednesdays Bible Study: 10:00 am
Chancel Choir Rehearsal: 7:30 pm
What's up? Bible Study Continues - The regular meeting time for our Bible Study is on Wednesdays at 10 am in the Library. Pastor Karen will discuss "red-letter Jesus" scripture and how we might apply it in our daily lives. Bring your Bibles! Coffee and pastries will be served. Can you help the Food Pantry? Items currently needed for our pantry include peanut butter, crackers, cream soups (cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, etc.) and jelly. Canned fruit, canned vegetables (especially peas), pasta and egg noodles, tomato sauce, and canned chicken are always welcome. Donations may be brought to the church office or placed in the canvas hamper in the narthex.
| October 2017
Pastor's Letter
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Just yesterday, a newly churched friend explained to me how they hadn’t grown up in the church, and, having just encountered the concept of a tithe, were uncertain of what they were expected to give, whether that came before or after taxes, and how that might contrast with what they had given in the past (which they assumed to be fine until they heard the “tithe” concept!)
Really, giving to the ministry of the church is just like bringing a dish to a church potluck. You are giving of your time, talent, and treasure to contribute to a feast in which everyone can share!
As your elders start the process of looking at equipping all of us for mission and ministry, they will be asking you for a “Pledge” – that is your best guestimate on what portion of our work together you will give. Like the making of deviled eggs or pimento sandwiches, a lot of work goes on behind the scenes before those dishes come to the table. In the same way, some of our best work together you fund but never see.
Most of you aren’t present when our administrative assistant (funded by you) takes a break from preparing the bulletin (funded by you) on a computer in a lighted office (funded by you) so that she can open your doors and give the hungry sacks of groceries (funded by you). All those elements of her job are ministry – you can see where the numbers might fall – administration, worship, building, outreach. Each of those legs support the ongoing ministry of First.
Your giving – of time, talent, and treasure— that is what supports the seven-day-a-week-ministry of First Presbyterian. You are not funding “bricks and mortar.” You are funding the open door to counseling, to a community center, to other not-for-profits who use our space.
What is a tithe? A tithe is 10%. What should you give? That’s really a question between you and God. I’m happy to discuss this with any of you – but spirituality is not based on a formula, and God measures the heart. I once heard somebody say that “God doesn’t want 10%, he wants 100%. He wants your whole life.” As we come to season of planning and planting for the coming year, just consider what it means to be faithful in the stewarding of your time, talent, and treasure. Pray before you fill out your pledge card. On November 12, we will celebrate the good gifts of the “Potluck” of our giving with a Potluck lunch in the fellowship hall following worship.
We can be assured that whatever we bring to the feast, it contributes to the whole, and enables the fellowship of the children of God, both in and outside the church, seven days a week.
Blessings,
Pastor Karen
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