Newsletter: January 2023

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all the members and friends of the First Presbyterian Church. May God bless all of you that you are warm in the winter, and cool in the summer, and are healthy year round.

Happy Lunar New Year

Happy Lunar New Year! The New Year’s Day in lunar calendar occurs on Sunday, January 22nd (it mostly occurs in February). On this day, Koreans, Chinese, Vietnamese, and many other Asian countries celebrate the new year. (Japan stopped using lunar calendar completely in 1873.) According to the traditional Asian way of year naming (which has sixty year cycle), this new year is 癸卯 (gye-myo in Korean pronunciation, gui-mao in Chinese pronunciation). The first one is one of the ten stems, and this one means black in colour, north in direction, yin in yinyang, water in wuxing. The second one is one of the twelve representative animals, and this one is a rabbit. Thus this year is the year of black rabbit. Water also means food or abundance, and rabbit means the power of life. According to the name of this year, I wish you all to have a year full of life in abundance. For more information, you may google Sexagenary cycle.

Advent and Candle Lighting

Thank you for those who lit the Advent candles on four Advent Sundays. Bess Wilkes and Margi McConnaha lit on the first Advent Sunday, November 11th. Debbie & Les Goodnight on the second Advent Sunday, December 4th. The Hutcheson family on the third Advent Sunday, December 12th. Amy Morrison and Debbie Goodnight on the fourth Advent Sunday, December 18th. The entire Piper family had planned to light the Christmas Eve candles, but because the service was switched to online and thus George Piper, Pastor Je and Samuel Jejun Lee lit the Christmas Eve candles in the video.

Photo Directory

Pastor Je is working on a church photo directory. Many members either took photos with pastor Je at church or submitted their own photos. If you have not participated in one of these ways, please either submit your photos or ask pastor Je to take your photo.

Liturgist Next Year

Arlene Quinn will serve on January Sundays as the liturgist. If you also would like to serve, the sign-up sheet is up on the bulletin board in front of the church offices.

Online Worships

Due to the historic severe winter weather which claimed scores of lives in this country, FPC Lebanon along with many other churches had to cancel the in-person worship services for Christmas Eve and Christmas Sunday, and switch to online worship via YouTube Live Streaming. This could not be done without many members helping. Thank you so much to those who participated in the online worship videos as liturgist, readers, and musicians: Debbie Crouse, Bud Hunter (Organist), Lisa Hutcheson (Reader, Pianist), Hannah Lee, Samuel Lee (Candle Lighter), Amy Morrison, George Piper (Reader, Liturgist), Bess Wilkes. Special thanks to Neal Crouse who took all the videos, spent days in editing them, uploading them to YouTube, and making them available as Live Streaming.

In Memory of…

There is a beautiful water painting of our church hanging on the west side wall in the library, which was painted by Charles E. Martin and given by Ben and Janie Cragun in 1997.

PPM Resumes Classes

The Presbyterian Preschool Ministry resumes their classes from Tuesday, January 3rd.

Epiphany Sunday

Epiphany (ἐπιφάνεια in Greek, meaning ‘appearance (to)) also known as theophany (θεοφάνεια in Greek, meaning the appearance of God) is the feast commemorating the visit of the Magi to the Christ Child, and thus the physical manifestation of Jesus Christ the Saviour to the gentiles. Epiphany falls on January 6th of each year, and by the liturgical calendar, traditionally the churches observe and celebrate it on the Sunday before January 6th which is mostly the first Sunday of the year. To celebrate the first Sunday of the year as the “New Year’s Sunday,” we decided to celebrate Epiphany on the second Sunday of January, calling it Star Sunday. Stars with a guiding word will be distributed randomly. As the star of Bethlehem guided the ancient Magi, we pray that the words on the back of the stars will guide you through this year.

Celebrating New Born Babies

Calisto Nunley was born to Echo & Ryan Nunley on Saturday, December 3rd, 8:44AM. He was 5 lb 11 oz. Arlene Quinn also had one great grandchild born in December. Janet Landon’s new grand-baby was born recently. The names, photos, and other information of those new born babies are not listed in this Newsletter for privacy matter because we did not get the permission (yet) from their parents to publish the information. Let us all celebrate the new lives on earth and bless those babies in the name of our great God.

Welcome Anna Newman

Anna Newman, a former member of Otterbein United Methodist Church, began to attend our church since her church closed. She was accepted as our sister member during the worship service on Sunday, December 11th by professing her faith in front of God and before us. Please welcome Anna Newman and let us love and care for her in the love of Jesus Christ who loved us and cared for us first.

Joint Christmas Festival

The First Presbyterian Church and the Central Christian Church came together to celebrate the birth of our Saviour by having the Joint Christmas Festival on Sunday, December 11th, 3PM at Central Christian Church. Joint Choir, Praise Band, and the Bell Choir provided the wonderful music, and the lovely ladies from both churches provided fantastic (full meal-scale) refreshments in the basement fellowship hall. We thank all those involved in this amazing joint festival.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

During the Advent Sundays Josh Kern rang the church bell fourteen times each to remind us in the sanctuary and the people in town that Jesus Christ, the newborn baby Saviour is the son of David because David’s name value in Hebrew alphabet is fourteen. In the First Presbyterian Church, the bell always tolls for Jesus Christ.

Myrtle Bailey Toy Drive

By the leadership of Debbie Crouse, we joined the Myrtle Bailey Boone County Toy Drive whose goal was to provide Christmas gifts to over 800 children in Boone County. We surpassed our original goal of filling a big box by overflowing one big box, one medium sized box, and a small box. Debbie Crouse and Samuel Lee delivered the toys on Monday, December 19th. Thank you all who donated toys and participated in this lovely ministry, making hundreds of children smile in our neighbourhood.

New Elders Joining the Session

After the worship service on Sunday, December 18th, we had a Called Congregational Meeting to elect new elders to join and serve in the session. The nominating committee (Bess Wilkes, Ralph Willard, Nancy Williams, and Mary F. Meyer the chair) nominated Arlene Quinn, Sigmon Myers, and Benjamin Piper. Margi McConnaha moved the motion and Amy Morrison seconded. The motion carried unanimously. We thank God for giving us such faithful and wonderful servants to serve Him and His church in the session for a few years.

Monthly Communal Lunch

This year, on the second Sunday of each month, we will have the fellowship of the saints in the fellowship hall by eating together. The first Monthly Communal Lunch will be after the worship service on Sunday, January 8th, which is our Star Sunday. To minimise the burdens of those who would prepare it, simple sandwiches will be served. The church will provide the sandwich ingredients and drinks so that you can make your own sandwiches because our purpose is not to have fancy meal but to eat together while having fellowship in the love of Christ. You don’t need to bring anything, but if you must, you are permitted to bring whichever you wish to share.

Thank You for the Service

• We thank Hank Walters who retired from the session after two years of service in the Property Committee. Previously he served God and the church in the session multiple times.
• We thank Meredith Erwin who retired from the session after five years of service in the Outreach Committee.
• We thank Daniel Erwin for his many years of service cleaning the church and PPM, and especially helping us go through the pandemic when the cleanness was very important.

Grieve Together

Bette Keller, aunt of Kitty Hill, passed away at St. Vincent’s Hospital on Sunday, December 25th at the age of 100 after a short bout of pneumonia along with heart and COPD issues. Please pray for Kitty Hill and the family of Bette Keller (including her two sons) that God’s comfort and consolation will be with them.

John Is Now Cancer Free

After two years of treatment, John Quinn is now declared cancer free. We thank God and we are very happy for John. Hallelujah!

Serving in the Presbytery

The First Presbyterian Church of Lebanon is part of the Presbytery of Wabash Valley, and many of us are serving God in the Presbytery. Those of us serving in the Presbytery this year are:

• Dennis Brannon, 1st term at Personnel Ministry Team.
• Allen Woods, 1st term at Stewardship Ministry Team.
• Leeza Finch, 1st term at Commission for Preparation for Ministry
• Debbie Crouse, starts 1st term at Ministry and Outreach.
• Arlene Quinn, 2nd term at Nominating Committee.
• George Piper, starts 1st term at Committee on Ministry.

Wabash Valley Presbytery

The First Presbyterian Church of Lebanon along with other seventy one congregations belong to the Presbytery of Wabash Valley, which in turn belongs to the Synod of Lincoln Trails. Wabash Valley Presbytery’s office is located in Rochester, IN (530 Jefferson Street, P.O. Box 225) and the website is https://ourpresbytery.org/ where you can get all kinds of information. The Synod of Lincoln Trails’ office is in Indianapolis, and the General Assembly (which is the highest church council in the Presbyterian Church of United States of America; PCUSA) is in Louisville, KY.

LHS Madrigals

Madrigals, the choir of Lebanon High School, visited us on Sunday, December 11th and at the end of the Sunday morning worship service presented us with wonderful carols and lovely music.

Heating and Cooling Units

Upon session’s decision, Airy Time (which is just across the street from the church) replaced four PTAC (Packaged Terminal Air Conditioner) wall units in PPM classroom 4 and classroom 8, and also replaced two floor units in classroom 9 and classroom 10. It is to let the little children at PPM stay in more pleasant environment with better heating and cooling.

Service of Comfort and Peace

Wednesday, December 21st was the Winter Solstice (precisely 4:47PM in Northern Hemisphere) on which day has the longest night, and thus making it the darkest day of the year. Some churches have Longest Night service, others call it Blue Christmas. We had the “Service of Comfort and Peace” wishing and praying that God’s comfort and peace will come to all who are going through the darkest moments in their lives. May God help us when we go through the dark days. May we help others when they go through the dark days.

Celebrations This Month

(B) = birthday. (A) = anniversary.

Mon. 2nd (B) John Morton.

Mon. 9th (B) Leeza Finch.

Sun. 15th (B) Jerry Jones.

Thu. 19th (B) Toby Meyer.

Tue. 24th (B) Oliver Hutcheson.

Sat. 28th (B) Steve MacPherson.

Sun. 29th (B) Anna Karen Butler.

Serving This Month

Elder of the Month: Dennis Brannon. (first Sunday)

Amy Morrison (rest of the month)

Liturgist:  Arlene Quinn.

Important Days

Thursdays 6PM: Presbyterian Ringers pactice.

Thursdays 7PM: Chance Choir practice.

Saturdays 10AM: Live & Learn.

Sun. 1st Communion. New Year’s Day.

Fri. 6th Epiphany.

Sun. 8th Star Sunday. Communal Lunch.

Tue. 17th 6:30PM: Session Meeting.

Sun. 22nd Korean New Year’s Day.

Corrections

In the previous issue, pastor Je wrote “Ron Williams” but his name is “Rob Williams.”

Join Us

Want to write something in the newsletter? Want so share your story? Please contact pastor Je.

First Presbyterian Church, Lebanon, Indiana

765-482-5959 / office@LebanonFPC.org

je@LebanonFPC.org

128 E. Main St., Lebanon, IN 46052