Newsletters: Faith Presbyterian Church
March 01, 2010March Newsletter
Pastor's Pen
On March 20th Spring is supposed to arrive. I am looking forward to it. My roadster has been sitting in storage untouched since the end of December. As I write this (on March 18th) there are piles of snow surrounding the parking lot outside my office window and there are rumors being spread by meteorologists that we will receive more snow before winter is over. Most of us will readily admit that we have received much less snow and bad weather than friends living further North, West, South and especially East of our vicinity. But as mild as our winter has been (compared to other places) we are ready for some warmer weather.
Perhaps we will receive some emotional warmth during the March Madness Basketball tournament since the Purdue Men’s Basketball Team has been performing better than in the past and just might be the best basketball team Purdue has had yet.
Speaking of emotional warmth, we had a great event on March 14th. After Sunday School we had a Valentines’ day carry-in. We signed Valentines cards, and enjoyed food provided by all. It was good to gather with our brothers and sisters around our round tables and be a part of each other’s lives for a while. We thank the Congregational Life Committee for thinking of and planning this event.
And then there was the cold reality brought to us by the death of our dear sister Margaret Rogler. We will miss her strong presence with us. But along with her death comes the reality that the founding members of Faith Church are getting older and some are passing away. We are proud of our history and what we have been to each other and our community, but we need to become what we need to be to continue the ministry we have had in this community. We need to think about what the Lord might be wanting us to do in the present and in the future. And to be on the right track in our thinking, we need to pray about the future of Faith Church. Praying will not only help us to think about and look for God’s guidance, it will help us to focus our thoughts on God as we seek His future for His church. I hope that you will all join me and the members of our Session as we pray for God’s guidance as we seek our future. I also hope that you will convey to me or members of the Session any ideas that you might have for our church.
During March we also need to be preparing ourselves to celebrate the sufferings, death, and resurrection of Jesus. A little over a year ago I suggested that we prepare for Easter by reading the gospels of Mark and John. This year I am suggesting that we all read the gospel of Matthew. Easter is the first Sunday of April this year. There will be 31 days in March and there are 28 chapters in Matthew, so reading one chapter a day will get us through this gospel during the month. Some of the chapters are long, so some of us may need to begin early or use the first three days of April to catch up. Those of us who read Mark and John last year enjoyed the readings and we enjoyed knowing that many others of our congregation were reading along with us.
As a side note to the above, starting on February 21st, the Sunday Evening Bible Study group will be meeting in the church library around 6:15 or 6:30 to study the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5,6,&7 of Matthew). You are all welcome to join us. So while many of us will be reading the gospel of Matthew this March, some of us will also be studying a very important part of that gospel.
Since Easter is early in April, now might be a good time to remind you of the special services that will be held at Faith Church before Easter. On April 1st we will have our Maundy Thursday Communion Service at 7:30 P.M. On April 2nd we will have two brief Good Friday Services, at Noon and 7:00 P.M. On April 4th (Easter) we will have Communion during Worship and an Easter Brunch after Worship.
So during the last few days of Winter 09-10 as we prepare for Easter and spring I hope you will be praying for guidance for the future of Faith Church and that you will join us in reading or studying the Gospel of Matthew. I am praying that God will bless each of us as we approach and enter the Easter Season this year. May God bless us with a renewed awe of the death and resurrection of our Lord.
Your Pastor,
Dave Horner
If you of someone in the church family with sickness or physical problems who needs a little caring and some help with meals, please notify Peggy Housley. She has agreed to coordinate this phase of our activities.
Thanks to all who helped with the Valentine cookie project! In spite of the weather, we packed and mailed or delivered cookies to 20 students and a number of our senior members, and there were cookies left for the weekend activities. It is always nice to know that you are being thought about when you are away from home and studying hard.
Flowers on Sundays
Could you bring flowers for the sanctuary some Sunday morning? It could be in honor of a special occasion or a special person, or just because.
If you are interested, please contact Donna Lofgren.
An Opportunity to Aid Our Future Leaders!
This fine group of leaders is still in the formation stage. Actually, they’re toddlers—children in our nursery.
Each week the leaders of the future need some adults to spend time with them during the worship service. Magic tricks are not required, but a genuine interest in children and experience in being a child help a lot.
Want to take a turn? You can sign up at https://pukka.homeip.net/nursery. (Firefox works better than Internet Explorer.) You will be prompted to accept the self-signed security certificate, and then prompted for a login. The login is to keep out snoopers. The login is nursery and the password is toddler. Put in only first names and last initial.
If more convenient, you can call Kathy Trinkle at 463-1107.
Don’t let this opportunity pass you by! E-mail or call today!
FREE Low-Income Tax Assistance!!
January 20 – April 15, 2010
Make sure you get your Earned Income Tax Credit! File your taxes electronically with the help of financial professionals.
Who qualifies? You need to have worked and:
Marital Status # of children 20009 income less than
Single (age 25 – 65) 0 $13,440
Single 1 $35,463
Single 2 $40,295
Single 3+ $43,279
Married, filing jointly 0 $18,440
Married, filing jointly 1 $40,463
Married, filing jointly 2 $45,295
Married, filing jointly 3+ $48,279
Where?
Lafayette Urban Ministry, 420 N. 4th Street, Lafayette
To make an appointment, hours or to find out what you need to bring:
Lafayette Urban Ministry, 423-2691
Worship Information
Sunday, March 7
Those Who Eat at the Lord’s Table
I Corinthians 10: 1 - 22
Sunday, March 14
Changing with the Times
Joshua 5: 8 – 15/II Corinthians 5: 16 - 21
Sunday, March 21
Lazarus and His Sister Mary
John 12: 1 - 11
Sunday, March 28
Palm Sundy
The Joyful Entry
Luke 19: 28 - 40
Birthdays
March 1 Lana Johnston
March 2 Jackie Stewart
March 3 Ward Hanson
March 5 Marti McIntyre
March 5 Joram Stith
March 10 Tom VanHorn
March 12 Jessica Stewart
March 16 Emily Matthews
March 16 Chase Latour
March 21 Eleanor McKay
March 22 Doug Varys
March 29 Brad Kovacs
March 30 Robert Stith
Anniversary
March 15 Luke & Barbara Jacobus
Pray For
Betsy Davenport (Lonni Kucik’s mother)
The Rogler Family
The Gillom & Johnson Family
Kathy Skene
Amy Dale
Jack & Mary Voelkel (IVCF)
Scott & Kristin Livermore (Campus Crusade)
Michael W. Meyer, US Air Force, Varys nephew
Michael P. Nolan, Hemmer’s grandson
Clerk's Corner
At its February 1, 2010 meeting the Session:
Authorized the Clerk to send a letter of transfer to the Two Cities Church of West Lafayette, IN, on behalf of Myron and Jan Davis who have joined that church
Was informed that the admissions process for University Church to the Presbytery of Wabash Valley has been temporarily placed on hold
Turned down a request by the Society of Non-Theists at Purdue to host an atheist as a visitor during a Sunday Worship service, while affirming that anyone who, without special inducements and on his own, wishes to attend is welcome to do so.
Learned that the current income and expenditures are in balance
Was informed that, in a special meeting of current and past treasurers with Pastor Horner, it was decided that the Christmas Jubilee event is considered an operation of Faith Church rather than a benevolence under the aegis of the Board of Deacons. Contractual arrangements to effect this change should be signed either by the Pastor or by the Clerk
Was informed that of various minor improvements in the building and authorized initiation of a plan to install a chairlift to the library wing of the balcony
Approved a hymn sing to precede four worship services beginning February 28, 2010
Discussed plans for a July 16, 2010 hiking and camping event at Shades Park/Turkey Run, to be organized by the Fassels
Discussed the erection of a temporary sign to advertise special events at Faith Church
Learned that a limousine service, funded by private donations, was being instituted on a trial basis, to transport elderly congregants to our Sunday services.
It is my sad duty to report the death of Margaret Rogler, a long standing member of the Faith community, on February 8, 2010.
J.M. Honig
Clerk of Session
Community Worship Services
Sunday., March 7
St. Mary’s Healthcare
2;30PM
Sunday, March 14
Tippecanoe Villa
1:30pm
Sunday, March 14
Friendship House
3:00pm
Sunday, March 21
Cumberland Point
3:00pm
Sunday, March 28
Rosewalk Commons
2:30pm
The Deacons invite you to become
a part of this ministry.
Did You Know?
Faith Women’s Fellowship recently received this letter from Melissa Tanner. She and her husband Ross were youth leaders at Faith in the recent past. Her comments refer to a donation given to her to spend “on herself.” She and Ross are serving in El Salvador.
Here’s Melissa’s letter:
“To the women of Faith Presbyterian Church:
“Thank you for the card and money! It is so great to feel supported and know that someone is thinking of you.
“I have gone to the city on multiple occasions to spend the money, but I always come home empty handed. I am overcome with guilt every time I pick something up to buy for myself. I just imagine myself walking in my village with something new while shoe-less children run up to hug me.
“I thought of using the money for something with my women’s group here in El Salvador. Maybe a women’s appreciation day where we paint our nails and pamper ourselves.
“I thought the idea was interesting especially since it would be from one women’s group to another. Please let me know if you have any objections to me spending the money in this manner.
“We are in the process of finishing up our service and we plan to return home the second week of April.
“We appreciate all the support we have received from the church.”
Sincerely,
Melissa Tanner
The envelope the letter arrived in features four large, exquisite stamps – any collectors among our readers?
Your correspondent,
N. Dunn