Newsletter: February 2023
Musician Party
There was a Musicians Party at Allen & Jennie Woods’ house on Saturday, January 21st 6PM.
Epiphany Sunday/Communal Lunch
Epiphany Sunday is actually the Sunday before January 6th, which was the New Year’s Day this year. But to observe the first Sunday as the New Year’s Sunday, we celebrated the Epiphany on the second Sunday of January. Stars with random words from the Bible on the back were distributed so that it can be the guiding star for this year. We also had the first Monthly Fellowship Lunch on the second Sunday after the worship service in the fellowship hall. We will have this fellowship lunch on the second Sunday of each month.
In Memory of…
The fellowship hall is used by the PPM daily as the lunch room as well as the indoor playground. It is also used by the church for monthly lunch and Saturday exercises. There is a placard over the door which says “REV. ARTHUR K. KORTELING MEMORIAL HALL.”
New Elders Elected
At the Called Congregational Meeting on Sunday, December 18th, 2022, three new elders were elected: Sigmon Myers, Arlene Quinn (to serve first term of three years, can be re-elected for the second term), and Benjamin Piper (to serve and finish the second term of two years, cannot be re-elected consecutively).
Committee Assignments
Elders in the session were assigned to clusters and committees to serve God the best in this church.
• Allen Woods is the chair of the finance committee.
• Personnel committee and Care & Nurture committee are assigned to Dennis Brannon (this can change later to ease his burden).
• Roy Flanary is the chair of the Property committee.
• Debbie Crouse is the chair of the Mission & Outreach committee.
• Amy Morrison is the chair of the Discipleship committee and will lead the worship team.
• Benjamin Piper is the chair of the PR committee and will be the contact point to the Lebanon Reporter, local radio stations, and internet social media.
Clerk of Session for 2023
Arlene Quinn was appointed as the Clerk of Session for 2023. Clerk of session is similar to the House Speaker at the US congress. But we did not vote fifteen times to elect Arlene Quinn. It was one time vote and unanimous.
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the holy season of Lent which is our journey toward the cross and crucifixion of our Saviour. Without Lent, there is no Easter. Because we want to come to God repenting sincerely at the beginning of the Lent, there will be joint Ash Wednesday Service with the Central Christian Church on Ash Wednesday, February 22nd, 7PM at our church. Pastor Je and Rev. Kibler will lead together. There will be a communion, and ash imposition. Lisa Hutcheson will make ashes by burning the last year’s palm branches, and pastor Je will mix it with the olive oil which he bought in Jerusalem. One of the pastors will use Q-tips for ash imposition for hygienic purpose. If you are concerned with virus and everything, you may want to line up at the Q-tip queue. If you prefer traditional way, you can stand on the other line for the bare-finger imposition.
Party! Party! Party!
During Lent (from Ash Wednesday all the way through Easter), we must keep ourselves holy and solemn. That includes staying away from good things (you can say it fasting) such as steak, any kind of fatty foods, beer, wine, social media… So a day before Ash Wednesday, those people in New Orleans have party, that is, Mardi Gras. Many religious traditions also have Shrove Tuesday the day before Ash Wednesday. Shrove is the Middle English meaning fat. Those religious people gather together and eat fatty foods, having fellowship together. So we decided to do the same. It is the combination of Lebanon style Mardi Gras and Shrove Tuesday. And also just because the Valentine’s Day is less than a week apart, we will make it as the Valentine Dance Party as well. So please come and join us for the party, party, and party! It will be on the third Sunday of February, 19th, which is the Sunday before Ash Wednesday.
Great Banquet
The Great Banquet is like a short introductory course to Christianity, learning and experiencing Christ while staying together for seventy-two hours (mostly from Thursday evening to Sunday evening). But it is also one of the best ways for the Christians to reawaken and restrengthen their faith. The nearest Great Banquet is at the Zionsville Presbyterian Church, Thursday, March 2nd to Sunday, 5th for women, and Thursday March 16th to Sunday, 19th for men. Check their website at https://www.zpc.org/great-banquet/ to register or to get more information.
Samuel Goes to Harney
Lebanon Lent Soup and Supper
The churches in Lebanon came together to have the Wednesday supper and worship together, which we could not do for a few years because of COVID-19 pandemic. We are one of the host churches:
• Wed., March 1st: St. Joseph Catholic Church
• Wed., March 8th: Trinity Lutheran Church
• Wed., March 15th: First Presbyterian Church
• Wed., March 22nd: Centenary United Methodist Church
• Wed., March 29th: St. Peter’s Episcopal Church
Membership Roll
The clerk of session contacted those members who have been inactive for a very long time, asking if they want to maintain their membership of the church. Those people without any answer or answered no were removed from the membership roll, and our active membership as of end of last year was 99.
Session Meeting
The session is the church council at Presbyterian churches which functions very much like the congress in the democratic countries. The session members are elected by the members of the church, serving three year term which can only be extended once, totalling six years of service (according to the church by-laws, some churches can make it two years for three terms, but no PCUSA church can make it longer than six years). The session of the FPC Lebanon meets regularly once a month on the third Tuesday, 6:30PM at the church library, unless otherwise stated. The meeting is not a closed door meeting and open to the members. Any members are welcome to the meeting. Though non-session members do not have votes, all the church members have voice in the session meeting.
Souper Bowl and Communal Lunch
The monthly communal lunch for February will be on the second Sunday of February, 12th. That Sunday is happened to be the Super Bowl Sunday, which is again the Souper Bowl Sunday when we collect funds to end hunger in our community and neighbourhoods. On the second Sunday, there will be a collecting plate or bowl in the fellowship hall. Join us the communal lunch, and join us again the communal effort to end hunger in our town.
Lenten Devotional
We purchased the digital copy of 2023 daily Lent Devotional by the Presbyterian Outlook. This digital copy is allowed to share with the church members. Once it is released, the church office or pastor Je will email all the members with the PDF attached so that you can read it from your tablet or computer. If you prefer paper copy, you can print it out at home or church office can do it for you.
Bat in the Church Building
Saturday evening of January 28th, pastor Je and a PPM teacher saw a flying bat in the church. The bat was flying around in the kitchen, fellowship hall, hallway outside of the kitchen, and the second floor. Pastor Je tried to catch the bat, but soon realised that a flying bat is way faster than a running pastor. The bat was gone on Sunday morning. Roy Flanary called ‘Lady Bug Pest and Wild Life Control,’ and they came Monday. They searched the building thoroughly and found the evidence that a bat was here. But they did not find the bat itself. It looks like that the bat(s) can come and go. We will keep an eye on it and try to make the church building clean.
Temporary Cleaner
After Dan Erwin retired or resigned, the elders in the session had cleaned the church area by taking turns each week. One of the PPM teacher (Nikia Dixon and her husband Jeff) began to clean both church and PPM spaces as temporary cleaner (until we find a permanent custodian or professional service to hire) from the third week of January.
Pastor Je on Vacation
Pastor Je had his vacation from Tuesday, January 24th through Monday, January 30th. Elder Benjamin Piper preached on Sunday, January 29th.
Celebrations This Month
(B) = birthday. (A) = anniversary.
Mon. 6th (B) Steve Whipkey.
Tue. 7th (B) Cindy Walters.
Wed. 8th (B) Evan Whipkey.
Sat. 11th (B) Carolyn Dunham.
Thu. 16th (B) Meredith Erwin.
Sun. 19th (B) Michelle Dies.
Mon. 20th (B) Sigmon Myers.
Thu. 23rd (B) Leanna Woody.
Tue. 28th (B) Teresa Brannon.
Serving This Month
Elder of the Month: Benjamin Piper.
Liturgist: Neal Crouse.
Important Days
Thursdays 7PM: Chance Choir practice.
(Except Thu. Feb. 2nd)
Saturdays 10AM: Live & Learn.
Sun. 12th Communal Lunch / Souper Bowl.
Sun. 19th Valentine / Shrove / Mardi Gras
Mon. 20th President’s Day.
Tue. 21st 6:30PM: Session Meeting.
Wed. 22nd 7PM Ash Wednesday Service.
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
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