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April 01, 2007
April Newsletter
Pastor's Pen
I may be permitted to enter a pastor’s pen for May, even though I am no longer pastor here then. But I think now of what I would hope to be a suitable valedictory word.
I think I can’t do much better than to say my ideal in life, which I do not consistently achieve, but which I believe fervently, is that for relationships to work a person must give as much as she/he’s got, for as long as he/she’s got with no expectation of return. Whether the relationship be with a spouse, a child, a friend, with one’s church community, one’s employment, one’s country, or whatever, give as good as you’ve got, for as long as you’ve got, with no expectation of return, and you’ll have a clear conscience, and be glad that you’ve lived by Jesus’ clearest advice called “the golden rule.”
I know full well there are complications in trying to live this way. For one thing, there is the danger of becoming aware of how hard one is trying and comparing this with how others seem not to try. If you see someone achieving better than you are, discouragement. If you see others not trying but coasting along with the view spawned in the marketplace of getting as much as possible for as little as possible, you feel, “What’s the point of trying in a world like this?” Or maybe pride sets in as one forgets that the standard of success in this is not “the average,” but something better that this.
And then there is the problem of competing loyalties. If I give all I’ve got to one relationship what does it do to the other relationships. I sometimes think that in the competition of loyalties the closer the value is to a person the higher its place on the totem pole of value. It’s hard not to see values closest to the self as most important. Me, my family, my friends, my co-religionists, my university, my country. Sometimes over the years I’ve felt that church has suffered in the competition with other claimants to folks’ loyalties. Maybe this is just a pastor’s myopic hang-up. When in the competition between me and thee, thee wins as often as me, then maybe I’m on to the idea.
But the church has not succeeded in teaching this outlook for doctrinal reasons. We Reformed pastors have the DUTY of making it plain that “it is not by works of righteousness that we are saved.” It is all of grace, underserved favor. Thus, I sense, the teeter-totter has succumbed to a stronger force of gravity on one end than the other. On one side is the call of goodness and duty. On the other side is the fact of grace. If one becomes too governed by duty and goodness one may seem not to trust in God’s grace. I think it’s a worthy risk to be considered a “do-gooder.” Do-gooders are motivated by trust in grace—not only God’s grace to them, but the need of their unmerited favor to others.
Every church relies on that percentage of its people who see their personal commitment as essential no matter what. When every church increases the percentage of those who ask, “If all were as I am how would things be?” then every church will become similar to the description of Christian community that Jesus seems to have had in mind.
When I am no longer a pastor I look forward to being a faithful participant in a church community. I want to give as good as I’ve got as long as I’ve got. And I want to develop an attitude that increasingly does not ask to get anything in return. Time will show how well I do. I hope that Faith Church blossoms extravagantly with people who grow into this outlook more and more.
Pastor Stuart Robertson
SAVE THIS DATE - APRIL 15, Sunday evening, Appreciation Dinner for Pastor Robertson and Bonnie.
Dates to Remember - Thursday, April 5th – Maundy Thursday Cantata and Sunday, April 8th – Easter Service & Brunch
Worship Information
Sunday, April 1st Palm Sunday
Old Testament: Zechariah 14: 1 - 8
New Testament: John 12: 12 - 19
Sermon: “Jesus’ Big Moment in Jerusalem
Thursday, April 5th Maundy Thursday
Cantata: “The Living Last Supper”
Communion
Sunday, April 8th Easter
Old Testament: Job 19: 20 - 27
New Testament: John 20: 1 - 18
Sermon: “Whose Bones are in That Bone Box?”
Communion
Mayfawny Bergmann Baptism
Sunday, April 15th Old Testament: Daniel 12: 1 - 3
New Testament: John 20: 19 - 25
Sermon: “Thomas’ Quite Reasonable Doubt”
Evan Kain Baptism
Sunday, April 22nd Old Testament: Jeremiah 31: 31 - 36
New Testament: John 20: 26 - 31
Sermon: “The Hope of the Gospel”
Anthony Van Tuinen Baptism
Sunday, April 29th Old Testament: Isaiah 42: 1 - 9
New Testament: Hebrews 13: 1 - 21
Sermon: “Why That Same Benediction all These Years?”
Pastor Robertson’s Final Communion
Clerk's Corner
A Brief History of Faith Church
On May 14 we celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the founding of Faith Presbyterian Church. The Reverend Kenneth Adelman was the first pastor of the church until he accepted a call on October 15, 1972 to a church in Illinois. The Reverend Doctor Hughes Oliphant Old became the second pastor on June 4, 1972, who served until June 15, 1985, when he accepted a position at the Center for Theological Inquiry in Princeton, NJ. He was followed by the Reverend John McCreight as Interim Pastor who served from October 1, 1985 to April 13, 1986. The Reverend Doctor Stuart Robertson assumed the position of Pastor of Faith Church on August 1, 1986.
Seventy five individuals were registered as charter members; of these James and Shirley Bosler, Naomi Ruth Hershberger, Margaret Rogler, Kristin Kuhn Stith, and Kenneth and Lois Wark are presently members of our Congregation. A second group of fourteen persons was received into membership before the end of 1967. The present membership in the Congregation stands at 176. This does not include a considerable number of other individuals who participate in church activities or occasional visitors to our church. Services were originally held in a converted Quonset hut situated on the far corner of the upper parking lot, until the construction and inauguration of the present church edifice which was dedicated on November 5, 1978. The education wing was constructed later and inaugurated on November 24, 1985.
A special meeting of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley was convened on January 6, 2007 at Faith Church to consider the implications of the Fidelity and Chastity clause that is now operative. This provided a venue for various individuals present to express their views on this subject.
Actions by Session
At its January 16, 2007 meeting the Session received and approved the report by the special committee that had been constituted to explore options available to the Congregation in response to the actions of the most recent General Assembly of the PCUSA. The report was publicized at a general Congregational meeting on February 11, 2007; copies are also available on request to Stephanie Cardwell. The committee consisted of Don Gentry, Tom Goodrich, Patrick Kain, David McKinnis, Elaine McVay, Glenn Sparks, Jane Stewart, and Grieke Toebes.
The Session met with The Reverend Bruce Hurley, Stated Clerk of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley, on January 29, 2007, to learn about the steps required for issuing a call of an Interim Pastor after the retirement of Pastor Robertson. The call of an Interim Pastor is being attended to by a committee drawn from Session members: Elders Don Gentry, Janet Hem, Lonni Kucik, Grieke Toebes, and Steven Varys.
An Appreciation Event and Dinner is scheduled for April 15, 2007, in honor of Pastor Robertson and his wife. Details concerning this event have been publicized.
The Session authorized the baptism of Mayfawny Bergmann on April 8, 2007, and that of Evan Patrick Kain on April 15, 2007.
In accord with the requirements of the Book of Order, the tenure of The Reverend Ralph Smith terminates at the same time as that of Pastor Robertson. All of us are greatly indebted to him for his many devoted services to the Faith Community.
Jurgen Honig, Clerk of Session
Presbyterian Habitat House 2007
The Presbyterian Churches of Tippecanoe County are preparing to build our fifth house with Habitat for Humanity of Lafayette this fall. In addition to the eight churches that have cooperated in the past, we will be joined by Rossville Presbyterian this year.
Our financial objective is $44,000. The joy is we already have $30,000. The concern is we need to raise an additional $14,000. Naturally, your first question is "How can I help?" The first option is to send a donation directly to Habitat for Humanity of Lafayette and include "Presbyterian Habitat House" on the check.
The second option is healthier and more exciting. The churches are forming teams to participate in the Homeward Bound 5K walk on Sunday, April 22nd. Our goal is to raise $1000 in donations per team. You can contribute by supporting a member of the Faith Habitat team, or you can join our team and encourage your friends to support you.
If you live your life "on-line" you can visit trinkle.home.insightbb.com and follow the Homeward Bound link to get to my page and the team page. If you prefer to stay firmly in the real world, you can pick up a donation form in the narthex on Sunday. If you would like to join our
team or have other questions, please contact Dan Trinkle or Barbara Knox.
Kids' Club Update
Kid's Club met during the month of February. We studied stories of people of faith who were blessed by God for their obedience. The skill award during this session was puppetry. The session ended in a performance of a puppet show and songs during the March carry-in. We had 15 students in attendance. They were led by Dave and Kris Stith as storytellers, Amber Latour in music, Joann Kovacs as our craft leader, and Stephanie Colbert as game leader. We thank you parents for lending us your children, and hope to see you all back next session.
Life Care Services Announcement
Speaker and author Dr. Bob Reccord will be the guest speaker at LifeCare Services Spring Banquet in April. Dr. Reccord is recognized as a dynamic and compelling speaker, and was the Keynote Evangelist for the 2006 Promise Keepers’ event.
Dr. Bob Reccord has a deeply personal testimony about his own loss, rejection and adoption. Dr. Reccord has published books including Made to Count and Live Your Passion—Tell Your Story—Change Your World. He is a graduate of Indiana University and received his Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX.
LifeCare Services is a pregnancy center near the Purdue University campus. The spring banquet will be Saturday, April 28, 2007, in the Purdue Memorial Union Ballrooms beginning with dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25.00 each, or $200.00 for a table of 8. Call LifeCare Services at 765-743-4488 for tickets. Your check confirms your reservation. Deadline for reservations is April 18.
Matrix Lifeline Pregnancy Center invites you to our
Sweet Celebration of Life A Fundraising Event Silent Auction – Dessert/Appetizer BuffetSaturday, April 14, 2007
Auction bidding opens at 6:00 pm, Program at 7:00 pm
White Horse Christian Center, 1780 Cumberland Ave., West Lafayette(past University Inn)
Tickets are free, but required. Please call 742-1533 or email matrixlifeline@insightbb.com to reserve your space for this special time of celebration and sharing by Wed., April 11th
Enjoy fabulous desserts and appetizers and help Matrix financially to support women in crisis pregnancies and young families in our community. Current supporters and all who wonder ‘just what do they do?’ are welcome.
As our special guest, Brad Bush—pastor at Maple Ridge Community Church—will share his amazing story of how abortion has impacted his life. Ministry updates and a silent auction will be included, and an opportunity to financially support Matrix will be given as we celebrate the work of this live-saving ministry. Auction bidding opens at 6:00pm, the program will start at 7:00pm.
Springtime
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom, they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Mark Your Calendars
Group's Holy Land Adventure "Galilee By-The-Sea" Catch Jesus in Action
Vacation Bible School Is Coming!
June 18 – June 22, 2007
Birthdays
April 1 Ian Wark
April 5 David Stith
April 7 Katie Dale
April 7 Tristan Lynn
April 9 David Sparks
April 12 David Landgrebe
April 13 Robert Dale
April 13 Donna Lofgren
April 18 Travis Dale
April 23 Brandon Bosler
April 29 Liz Evers
April 30 Camille Hanson
April 30 Oliver Janovitz
Anniversaries
April 3 Ward & Camille Hanson
April 17 James & Marti McInytre
April 23 Tom & Peggy Housley
Community Worship Services
• Sun., April 1 St. Mary’s Healthcare 2:30pm
• Sun., April 8 Tippecanoe Villa 1:30pm
• Sun., April 15 Friendship House 3:00pm
• Sun., April 22 No Davis Manor
• Sun., April 29 Rosewalk Commons 2:30pm
The Deacons invite you to become a part of this ministry
Worship With Us
We invite you to join in the worship of God each Sunday morning at 9:30am. We also invite you to participate in the prayers, fellowship, work and activities of this church.
For more information about this opportunity to be involved at Faith Presbyterian Church, please call or talk to any member of Session, Pastor Robertson or call the church office at 743-3683.
Schedule Information
You can contact Pastor Robertson
by calling the office, 743-3683, on Wednesday and Friday mornings 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Pastor Robertson's day off is Monday. Outside of office hours please feel free to call Pastor Robertson at home at 497-2162.
Posted by faithpres at April 1, 2007 08:18 AM