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April 01, 2009
April Newsletter
Pastor's Pen
April is finally almost here. While we have had a few April-like and Spring-like days, there is nothing like the real thing. And for Christians, there is nothing like Holy Week, which this year comes during April.
During Holy Week, which begins on Palm Sunday and Ends with Easter, we celebrate the greatest truths about Jesus. On Palm Sunday we celebrate the fact that He is the King of God’s eternal Kingdom. On Holy Thursday we remember that he predicted his death for our sins by memorializing his death in the Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion. On Good Friday we honor his death and remember that he died for our sins on the cross. On Easter we celebrate his marvelous victory over death and his gift of eternal life to us.
We plan to honor all of these holidays with special services here at faith Church.
On Palm Sunday we will not celebrate the Lord’s Supper even though it will be the first Sunday of the month. We will have Communion on the following Thursday evening and then again on Easter Sunday. On Palm Sunday we will remember the declaration of the people in Jerusalem that he was the King of Glory and that he came to save. And as we declare Jesus to be our King we will recognize new members who have joined our congregation. We will proclaim our faith along with them by reciting the Apostles Creed.
On Holy Thursday (April 9th) we will have our Holy Thursday Communion Service at 7:30. The Choir will lead a portion of our Worship that evening by presenting a Cantata. Then the Lord’s Supper will be celebrated by the method known as “intinction”. All who come forward will be given a piece of bread to dip in the cup of wine.
On Good Friday we will have our own brief devotional service at Noon and at 7:00 P.M. (The same service will be celebrated at both times) During this 18-20 minute devotional service we will read the passage of the Suffering Servant from Isaiah, read a Psalm from our pew Bibles, and listen to the reading of Matthew’s account of what happened to Jesus from the time he left the upper room on Thursday evening until his burial on Friday evening. Prayers will also be offered. This service is not intended to replace your attendance at the local Good Friday Service in West Lafayette. This is just an opportunity to honor the death of Christ in a different, perhaps simpler way.
On Easter we will celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus with the Sacrament of Communion. After the Worship Service, we will have a reception in Fellowship Hall for everyone and an Easter Egg Hunt for the younger children. I am really looking forward to celebrating the Death and Resurrection of Jesus with all of you this year.
And the Special Events at Faith Church will continue through the rest of April.
On April 19th the Deacons will present our Mission Fair during the coffee and fellowship time. Many of the Missions we support will be present through publications or personnel.
On April 26th we will celebrate Youth Sunday. The young people from our Youth Group will be leading us in Worship. Our graduating High School Seniors will present mini-sermons and all of our youth group members will be participating via leadership roles during the service.
As you can see, it appears that April will be a busy month filled with great opportunities to Worship God and celebrate our connections with each other and with Him. I hope to see you often at Worship in April.
Your Pastor,
Dave Horner
Worship Information
Sunday, April 5th Sermon: “Hosanna and Lazarus Too”
John 12: 12 – 19
Thursday, April 9th Cantata: “The Living Last Supper”
Friday, April 10th Good Friday Service
Sunday, April 12th Easter
Sermon: “Mary, Peter, and John on the Day of All Days”
John 20: 1 – 18
Sunday, April 19th Sermon: “Forgiveness and Thomas”
John 20: 19 – 30
Sunday, April 26th Youth Sunday
Clerk's Corner
The most recent Session meeting was held on March 3, 2009. At the meeting the Session:
• Authorized the baptism of Elizabeth Kucik on May 17, 2009
• Authorized the Mission Fair which is scheduled for April 19, 2009
• Scheduled the Youth Sunday service for April 26, 2009
• Authorized the institution of brief Good Friday services, to be held at noon and at 7 PM on April 10, 2009 in the church sanctuary
• Granted Pastor Horner a personal leave of absence centered around May 24, 2009
• Approved the performance of the wedding ceremony in the church sanctuary of Cari Van Tuinen and Daniel Carpenter
• Accepted the fiscal report by the Treasurer that showed that income and expenses are roughly in balance
• Agreed to the donation of the old upright piano to the Kucik family
• Was informed that the Handbell Choir would provide music at the March 22, 2009 and Easter 2009 Sunday morning services
• Encourages the submission of Joys& Concerns items as written requests on blanks available for that purpose, and the public introduction of new members to the Congregation at irregular intervals
• Decided not to honor a request by GA headquarters to contribute toward the $ 2 million legal fund for action against churches deciding to leave the Denomination
• Was informed that the acquisition of a church van is still under discussion
• Scheduled the next Session meeting for April 7, 2009
J.M. Honig
Clerk of Session
A gentle reminder: Those who are able, please park on the lower lot, so those who have difficulty walking can park on the upper lot. To those who have difficulty walking, please use the upper lot, we want to see your smiling face on Sunday Morning.
Vacation Bible School is Coming!
Yes, it is that time again.
• VBS will be the week of June 8 – 12, 2009.
• We will study Stories of David.
• Much help is needed. If you are willing to teach, help with crafts, recreation, snacks, or registration, we need you. Please contact Barbara Knox at 463-2725 or bknox1@verizon.net. We have a place for everyone.
Let’s let our kids enjoy learning about the Bible and Jesus.
Did You Know?
• Have you wondered about those shiny bells that the bell choir rings so sweetly? Thanks to a generous gift, Faith Church now enjoys the music from 25 bells. The folks ringing the bells (about 14, more or less) practice every other week. Volunteers are welcome. Tami Sandel is the director. Easter Sunday will feature a song that includes both choirs (and a trumpet). We will be blessed by this special music.
• Celine Sidharta (Dewi's and Leonard's older daughter) has had an original artwork on display in the Youth Art Exhibit at the Tippecanoe Arts Federation Center. Celine is a first grade student at Klondike Elementary School. Pictures for the exhibit were selected by local art teachers. The display ends on Sunday, March 29, so we hope to convince Celine and her parents to bring that picture as well as others she has created to church so we can enjoy them, too.
• Our Youth Group has been quite involved in helping some of our neighbors to the south. In El Salvador, as a matter of fact. Here's how it happened. Our former youth directors, Ross and Melissa Tanner, wrote that in the small town where they live and work there is no library. Taking this situation as a challenge, the young folks set about taking up donations – that would be matched 50 cents to the dollar. (Two of the young people turned up with mustaches and serapes to encourage donations.) This was all accomplished in a very short amount of time and the result was $1800.00 for a very good cause. Those participating were: Mayfawny Bergmann, Graham Bethel, Olivia Lockwood, Carson McVay, Danielle Poe, Grace Sededji, Nestor Sededji, Douglas Varys, and James Varys. Great job!
• In the late-but-noteworthy department, Ann Landgrebe was named the West Lafayette Beautification Winner in October, 2008. You can read about and see some of the plantings at the Landgrebe home on West Lafayette's web site at www.city.west-lafayette.in.us/home.html. (click Beautification Award).
• From the «Traditions of Faith» department comes the story of the lamb cakes that are served at our traditional Easter brunch. In the 1980s, former pastor Scoti Old emphasized that it would be appropriate to use the paschal lamb (among the ancient Hebrews, this was the lamb slain and eaten at the Passover) as the symbol for Easter. Peggy Housley and Nancy Moore decided to depict the lamb in the form of cake. In the beginning, Peggy and Nancy baked and decorated the cake(s). Later, children of the church were invited to help with the preparation and decoration. Over the years, many Faith children (and adults) have taken part in this tradition. Last year the cakes were prepared by the Latour and Bergmann sisters.
Sincerely,
Your correspondent,
N. Dunn
Creations of Beauty and Inspiration
Worshippers at Faith Church often ask about the lovely falls that grace our pulpit. Our church is honored that one of our number, Kathleen Kirsch, designs and constructs these one-of-a-kind artworks.
The Lenten fall that appears first in the spring is made from Buckingham satin, a fabric from England that was used until 1970 for various ecclesiastical garments and hangings. (The original cost was $100/yard.)
Kathleen's idea was to portray an empty cross. She knew the colors she wanted— for the cross itself, she used purple, gold, yellow and red threads with pearls and stones captured in the stitches.
The most dramatic presentation is the water color which appears behind the cross. Here she used red, blue, purple, and yellow. The fabric was wet first, and then the colors applied. Kathleen used the lighter water colors to depict morning but she doesn't take credit for the beautiful effect that resulted. She says, «The water color does what it wants to do.»
The finished piece reflects the death of Jesus that is to come, and the promise and hope of new life.
Each fall that she creates has its own message and meaning that Kathleen translates into color, fabric, and design. Most take at least a year from inception to completion with the Pentacost fall requiring five years. (More about this later).
The Maundy Thursday fall came from a feeling she had while looking at an old church bulletin. She used a section of unbleached linen that she'd had for a long time and chose «darker» colors—browns and beiges. She used gold-colored thread for the crown of thorns.
All the threads at the bottom of this fall are unfinished as befits this solemn time in the life of the church and the Life of Christ.
This fall is special to Kathleen for another reason. As she began to prepare it, she learned of a serious illness in her family. With so much going on, she was concerned about how this particular fall would turn out … and she worried about her family member. She says, «Every stitch was a prayer.»
The resulting creation catches the attention immediately as the muted colors and unfinished threads speak of sorrow and compassion.
The Easter fall features three golden lilies for the Trinity, with a trace of purple.
The lilies stand clear and pure, almost as an announcement of the glorious news of the resurrection. Purple is the color associated with mourning and reminds Christians about the sadness of Jesus' death. It is also linked to royalty and so it celebrates Christ's coming as a King.
Thank you, Kathleen, for adding your creations to our worship experience.
Faith Women's Activities
The Faith Women Planning Committee is happy to announce some activity plans for this Spring and Summer.
On April 25, Saturday, at 11:30am we will meet for Lunch Out at Puccini’s on the Levee. Our small mission project will be to help the people who depend on the St. John’s and LUM Food Pantry at this time when many find it hard to make ends meet. Please bring canned food and paper items to the lunch meeting. Nancy Dunn will be in charge of the meeting, because Grieke and her daughter, Ingrid, will be tip-toeing through the tulips at that time.
A Mary and Martha Day is planned for Saturday, June 27, from 9:00am – 11:30am. We will clean and reorganize Sunday School classrooms with the help of teachers. Teachers, if you can be there and work with us, great. Or else leave us a list of what you want us to do. Ladies, please bring small buckets, and cloths for cleaning. A can of Clorox wipes will come in handy as well. Yes, Martha’s, there will be time for devotions at our coffee break time.
Some people are interested in a beginners quilting event. Please talk to Carol Gentry and Diane Horner if you are interested. This sounds like a good summertime activity.
For the planning committee, Grieke Toebes
Our own Mark Varys will marry Hanna Bloss in May in Angola, IN. We would like to invited all women of the church to attend a shower for Hanna and Mark at Faith Church on Saturday, April 18th at 1:00pm. We will have a light lunch and friendly conversation. Please come and meet Hanna and help us shower Mark and Hanna with blessings!
To RSVP or for gift suggestions talk to Kris Stith (743-2387), Jane Stewart (743-9778) or Carol Goodrich (746-1500). Hanna is registered at Kohl’s and Walmart. In addition, gifts for a first time home owner would be welcome (shovel, rake, flashlight, office accessories, etc.)
Birthdays
April 1 Ian Wark
April 5 David Stith
April 7 Katie Dale
April 9 David Sparks
April 12 David Landgrebe
April 13 Robert Dale
April 13 Donna Lofgren
April 22 Sophia Bergmann
April 23 Brandon Bosler
April 30 Camille Hanson
April 30 Oliver Janovitz
Anniversaries
April 3 Ward & Camille Hanson
April 17 James & Marti McIntyre
April 23 Thomas & Peggy Housley
Community Worship Services
• Sun., April 5 St. Mary’s Healthcare 2:30pm
• Sun., April 12 Tippecanoe Villa 1:30pm
• Sun., April 12 Friendship House 3:00pm
• Sun., April 19 No Davis Manor
• Sun., April 26 Rosewalk Commons 2:30pm
The Deacons invite you to become a part of this ministry
Schedule Information
You can contact Pastor Horner by calling the office, 743-3683, on Monday – Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Pastor Horner's day off is Friday. Outside of office hours please feel free to call Pastor Horner at home at 807-7000.
Worship With Us
We invite you to join in the worship of God each Sunday morning at 9:30am and each Wednesday morning at 7:00am. 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 Horner or call the church office at 743-3683.
Posted by faithpres at April 1, 2009 09:21 AM