“Opening Doors, Living God’s
Word”
E-CHIMES
A Weekly Update of Joys,
Concerns and Ministry with
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Sunday Worship Hour
10:30 a.m.
Church Office Hours: Monday
- Thursday: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Pastor's Office Hours: Monday
– Thursday 9:00 am – 2:00 pm
(Fridays: Pastor's day off,
office closed)
OUR MISSION
As followers of Jesus,
we will
open our doors
to glorify
God and do God’s work
in our
community and beyond.
February 2, 2012
Church Phone:
989-773-9609
Our email is churchoffice@fpcmp.org
Our website is www.fpcmp.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/FPCMP/
Pastor Miller’s phone 502-609-6171
Email address: andrewlmiller1@gmail.com
The Link to the 2011
Annual Report is below.
ftp://fpcmp:fpcmp123@fpcmp.org:24/AnnualReports/2011AnnualReport.pdf
In This Issue:
· Prayer
concerns:
· An
Invitation to Rev. Andrew Miller’s Installation Service (NEW)
· 8th
Annual Goodrow Fund Benefit Ball (NEW)
· Share
& Care (NEW)
· Darwin
Discovery Day (NEW)
· Thank You
From CCN (NEW)
· Hearts for
Hospice
· Woodland
Volunteer Training Program
· Art Reach
Festival of Banners and First Presbyterian Church
· Walk for
Warmth
· Noah’s Ark
Donation
· Microloans
· Deacons
Valentine Cookie Sale
· Lenten
Study
· New Member
Class
· Opportunity
for you to join the Costa Rican/ IEPC Mission trip this summer.
· Lectionary
Readings
· A Glimpse
at The Week Ahead
· Looking at
Events in the Church, Around the Town and Beyond
· Birthdays
and Anniversaries
· Web Links
of Interest
PRAYER CONCERNS
Prayers of Concern go out to Sue Blodgett,
Lucille Wysong, Hilary Burns, (Heidi Rocha’s
sister), Liz Hubbard, (Martha Miller’s mother), Ralph Groves (Kathryn Longton’s godfather), Lois Austin, Byron Shunk (Jan Johnston’s son-in-law), Marilyn Bidwell, and the
IEPC Mission Team who will be traveling to Costa Rica this summer.
Prayers of Sympathy go out to Paul and Nancy
Klunzinger and family for the death of Nancy’s brother, John Kingsnorth who
died February 2, 2012.
Dear Lord, help us to be mindful of Christ’s call to love one
another. Remind us that our words have power. Help us as we seek to
learn, listen, and grow in faith by pushing us into action and joining in
witness with our brothers and sisters throughout the world. Amen.
Prayer taken from the 2012
Mission Yearbook for Prayer and Study.
|
Your prayers and presence are requested as the congregation of First Presbyterian Church cordially invites you to the Installation of Andrew L. Miller as Pastor Sunday, February 26, 2012 at 3:00 PM First Presbyterian Church 1250 Watson Road Mt. Pleasant MI 48858 Reception to follow in Witherspoon Room |
8th Annual Goodrow Fund
Benefit Ball
February 17, 2012
Buck’s Run Golf Club in Mt. Pleasant
Social Hour begins at 5:30 pm
Dinner is at 6:30 pm
Raffles, Music, Great Company!
Cost: $40 per person
($320 reserved table of 8 or $350 sponsored table of 8)
For more information, or to purchase tickets, contact any Goodrow Board Member or call Debi
Peterson, Goodrow Fund Director at 989-506-5383
Share & Care
Adult raincoats/overcoats needed for the MPHS Spring
Musical. We be returned. Any color
acceptable. Please call Laurie Patton @ 506-7086 or email dkplap88@yahoo.com
Darwin Discovery Day
I thought that you would like to know about Darwin Discovery Day,
taking place from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on February 12, in the Michigan State
University Museum, West Circle Drive, next to Beaumont Tower on the MSU campus
in East Lansing.
The event is free and open to the public, although donations are
welcome. For further information, visit:
http://museum.msu.edu/index.php?q=node/529
Thank You From Community Compassion
Network
It is with great pleasure and a real privilege to write this
letter to you; yet, it is an incredibly difficult task. How can Community
Compassion Network even begin to say “thank you” for all of your
generosity? As I wrestled with how to show our appreciation, I thought it
would be best to simply let you know all of the ways in which God used you and
your donation to help CCN accomplish the vision that “All would be adequately
fed, clothed, housed, and know the love of Christ.” So, I would like to share
with you some of our highlights from 2011.
CCN’s Mobile Food Pantry ministry distributed over 602,000 lbs of
food to 8,018 families in need. In just over four months of operation,
CCN’s stationary pantry partnership with the Salvation Army distributed 57,000
lbs. of food to 1,152 families in need. The combined food total
distributed exceeded the total in 2010 by 146,000 lbs. of food! Over 500
Personal, Baby, and Home Care Kits were packaged, received, and distributed to
local agencies. CCN was able to continue partnering with the Isabella
Community Soup Kitchen and keep it open for two hot meals every Sunday.
Thousands of volunteers were blessed with the opportunity to serve their
neighbors. Yet, most importantly, our guests, volunteers, and partners
were shown the love of Christ at every encounter!
With that I would simply like to say, thank you! Your
donations and continued support of Community Compassion Network is an absolute
blessing to us and to the Mid-Michigan Community!
Hearts for Hospice
January 24 to February 17 buy a Heart for Hospice at any
participating Blodgett Foodmarts, Krapohl
Quick Lane, Pixie, Italian Oven, Big Boy, Big Apple Bagel, Buccilli’s
Pizza in Clare, or Ace of Diamonds, and receive coupons valued at over thirty
dollars. Help support local family businesses as they help
support Woodland Hospice and Morey Bereavement Center. At Woodland
Hospice life is added to days even when days cannot be added to lives. Buy a
heart today. Hearts for Hospice, it’s all about living.
All proceeds go to Woodland Hospice and Morey Bereavement Center.
Woodland Volunteer Training Program
Make a difference in someone’s life today by volunteering at
Woodland Hospice.
Volunteers are involved throughout the Hospice Program-in the
office, extended care or
assisted living facility, patient’s
home and at Woodland Hospice house. Whatever your interests or skills, we have
a place for you!
Become a Woodland Hospice volunteer by attending volunteer training session on
Thursday, February 9th from 5-9pm and Saturday, February 11, from 9:30-4.
Attendance at both training dates are
required. Registration deadline ends January 24,th
Give the Gift of Time…Volunteer today at Woodland Hospice. For
more information, contact Bianca at 989-773-6137 or email Bianca@woodlandhopsice.com.
Art Reach Festival of Banners and First Presbyterian Church
We would like to be a "sponsor" of one of the banners
displayed by Art Reach this summer with the Festival of Banners. All we need is
an original design that illustrates their theme of "Art for All
Seasons!" and includes our name...First Presbyterian Church. Could you be
the one to create such a design? We welcome multiple designs so we may
also share them within the building. The deadline to submit designs
for Art Reach is February 17. Painting days on the banner material are in
March. We invite you to be creative, bring your design to church and share
your talents. We may need to vote for the banner to submit, so plan for a
Sunday, February 12 gallery showing and voting. We will have banner
paper at church if you would like, as well as Art Reach fliers. You can
read more information on the web site of Art Reach: http://www.artreachcenter.org/festivalofbanners.html
Walk for Warmth
Join us in raising money to help needy families and individuals in
Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, and Montcalm counties stay warm this winter.
Brochures available on-line at www.EightCAP.org
COME WALK WITH US
Saturday February 4, 2012 @ 10:30 am
Isabella Bank
401 N. Main St. Mt. Pleasant
Walk around an outdoor route in downtown Mt. Pleasant and enjoy a
soup and bread luncheon.
Saturday February 11, 2012 @ 10:30 am
Commission on Aging
115 Hudson St. Ionia
Walk around an outdoor route in downtown Ionia and enjoy a soup
and bread luncheon.
Saturday February 18, 2012 @ 10:30 am
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church
908 W. Oak Greenville
Walk around Baldwin Lake in Greenville and enjoy a soup and bread
luncheon.
Saturday February 25, 2012 @ 10:30 am
Alma First Church of God – His Place
200 W. Superior St. Alma
Walk around an outdoor route in downtown Alma and enjoy a soup and
bread luncheon.
We are inviting area faith-based organizations or other agencies
to join us in the soup cook-offs. A small crick pot is all that is
needed, or you can even have more than one soup. We hop
you will also bring bread, cookies, etc. with your soup (s). Judging will
be done by donation – if you like the soup, you donate more money into that
group/individual’s jar. Whoever raises the most money is the
winner. The 41st, 2nd, and 3rd place
winners from each event will be recognized. Drop us a line, email, or call us
to let us know that you will be bringing an entry (written communication can be
mailed to Jan Lacy, EightCAP, 904 Oak Drive,
Greenville, MI 48838; phone 616-754-9315 x3345; or email jan1@8cap.org.
“Noah’s Ark” Donation
The Social Justice and Peacemaking Committee of Session is
challenging our congregation to raise the funds to donate a "Noah's
Ark" of animals as an Easter gift. Look for more information in the
coming weeks.
Microloans
Social Justice and Peacemaking has used the money earned from the
SERRV sale, combined with a donation to fund a Microloan with World
Vision. This loan will go to a woman in need to start a business so she
can support her family. When the loan is repaid, another woman will
receive a loan, providing an ongoing gift of opportunity to women in
need.
If any members of the congregation are interested in learning
more about donating microloans, please talk to a member of SJP. We have
information on several organizations which are involved in providing such
loans.
Deacons Valentine Cookie Sale
On February 12 the Deacons will be having a “Valentine Cookie
Sale”. The proceeds will help with the cost of their mailings.
Lenten Study
Lent is a time to contemplate where you are in your journey of
faith. Consider becoming a part of a study group to explore your walk with
Christ. The group will gather on Wednesday evenings (Feb. 29 and March 7-28)
from 7-8:30pm at the church and will use the book Were You There?: Finding
Ourselves at the Foot of the Cross by Erik Kolbell.
Were you there when they crucified our Lord? It is a question we all must face.
Kolbell goes inside the minds of key players: Peter,
Judas, the woman who anointed Jesus, Pilate, Herod, Simon of Cyrene, the
centurion, Joseph of Arimathea, Mary, and so on. By
looking through their eyes, we can see better into our own.
If you are interested in participating in this study please call the church
office, 773-9609, by Sunday, February 5. We will place an order for the books
on Monday, February 6. The cost of the book is $17.00. However, if you
would like to order the book ahead of time it can be found at www.christianbook.com for $6.00 for a
limited time only. That is a 60% discount. If you order the
book ahead of time or already have the book and would like to join the study
please let us know at the church office.
New Member Class
Are you trying to decide if you want to become a member of First Presbyterian?
Do you already know that you are ready to join? Or are you really not sure what
you want to do but would like to know a bit more about who we are as a church?
We’ve prepared a time of exploration just for you. We will gather each of the
Sundays in February (5, 12, 19, 26) as well as Sunday
in March 4th from 9:15-10:15am. If you are interesting in
participating please email churchoffice@fpcmp.org
or call the church office 773-9609.
LECTIONARY READINGS for Sunday February 5, 2012
Mark 1: 29-39
Isaiah 40: 21-31
A GLIMPSE AT THEWEEK AHEAD (Thursday -
Thursday)
All events are at First Presbyterian Church unless otherwise noted
Sunday February 5, 2012
9:15 New Members Class
9:30 am Adult Bible Study
10:00 Children’s Choir Practice
10:30 Worship Service/Communion/Souper
Bowl of Caring
“ May We Become a People of Prayer” Rev. Andrew Miller
11:30 am Fellowship Luncheon
5:30 pm SJP Meeting
Monday February 6
10:00 am Staff Meeting
Tuesday February 7
Wednesday February 8
8:00 pm AA
Thursday February 9
6:30 pm Bell Choir Rehearsal
7:30 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal
LOOKING AHEAD AT EVENTS IN THE CHURCH, AROUND THE TOWN AND BEYOND
There is an opportunity for you to join the Costa Rican/ IEPC
Mission trip this summer.
The trip is focused on learning and sharing. This encounter
is an opportunity for you to enrich connections with brothers and sisters in
Christ and learn about their ministries.
You will have a chance to see how the 2 Coins a Meal program works
and also have experiences with people from the Latin American Biblical
University, which the Presbyterian Church helps to sponsor.
Come join the team, and be a part of an enriching
experience.
The dates are July 28 through August 6. Cost is
estimated at $550.00 plus airfare.
For more information please contact Heidi Zwyghuizen 989-779-2025,
or Norma Richardson 989-772-0850.
Mobile Food Pantry 2012 Schedule
February
11
Finch Fieldhouse
Corner of Preston & Franklin
February
25
Finch Fieldhouse
Corner of Preston & Franklin
BIRTHDAYS AND ANNIVERSARIES
February Birthdays
2 James
Bidwell
2 Jane
Staples
5 Alain
Shannon
7 Chris
Bullard
7 Ellie
Smith
LINKS
Presbytery of Lake Huron www.presbylh.org
Presbyterian Church USA www.pcusa.org
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance http://pcusa.org/pda/response/usa/hurricanekatrina-index.htm