Midweek Newsletter: Wednesday, July 5th, 2023

 

From:

The News Desk

 

To: First Presbyterian Church

July 5^th, 2023

 

Your Weekly Edition of Narthex News is here!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

·         REMINDERS

·         PASTOR JE’S BREAK

·         MUSIC NOTES

·         FAITH CIRCLE

·         SIGN UP FOR AUGUST EVENT

·         CELEBRATIONS

·         LOOKING AHEAD CALENDAR

·         PPM UPDATE

·         WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL

·         PRAYER ROOM

 

Reminders:

Liturgists! Thank you to those who signed up to be liturgists for this year! We have every month covered except November.

Live & Learn! No Live & Learn for July, since Pastor Je will be out of town.

Treats! Trial run for July of treats theme for each Sunday. Want to get involved? Love to have you join in! Contact the office and let Gretel know when you want to bring something! The weeks listed here reflect the most recent information Gretel has for volunteers. If she has missed your sign-up, she apologizes. Please confirm or volunteer by emailing her. Thank you!

 Bring a treat and give a smile! gretel@lebanonfpc.org

July 9^th: Cheerful Cupcakes

July 23^rd: Kind Cookies

July 30^th: Merciful Muff

Pastor Je’s Break: Pastor Je and his son Samuel are headed home to Korea for the better part of July. Please be praying for their travel safety, their health while they are gone, and a blessed time for them and their family. Also please pray for Hannah, as she will need to stay here in Indiana for work. Please keep in your prayers those who will be stepping into the pulpit in Je’s absence, including Ben Piper (July 9 & 23, Rev. Joseph Parker (July 16), and Rev. Jennifer Burns Lewis (July 30). Thank you.

Music Notes: Make A Joyful Noise!

Can you sing, play an instrument, are you dramatic (in a good way)? We need you!  I'm looking for members who would like to sing, play an instrument, or provide monologues or dramatic readings in our July and August services. Please email me or let me know at church if you are one of these people, I know you are out there!

In love and service, Lisa Hutcheson Worship Coordinator (lisahutcheson@yahoo.com)

Faith Circle: Faith Circle will meet again on Wednesday July 12^th, 1:30-3:30pm in the church library. Women in the church are going through the Bible study book Twelve Women of the Bible. Join the study as these women search the scriptures together to find direction, hope, and encouragement.

Sign Up for August Event: On the bulletin board in the hallway is a sign-up sheet for the event FPC is hosting in August – a tricycle decorating event in connection with PPM.

Quick run-down of the event:

PPM kids are done with their day about 5pm. Parents will come and, instead of picking up the kids and going home, will stay and work together, with FPC folks, to decorate kids’ tricycles. Kids will ride their bikes around the square. Every child will get a ribbon for participating. FPC and PPM folks will enjoy pizza together afterwards.

Please help us out:

1)      Keep this event in prayer. (This is not on the sign up, this is just a request you can personally make note of and keep on your prayer calendar!)

2)      Sign your name on the list if you plan to attend

3)      Make note on the list if you plan to come to help the kids decorate their tricycles.

4)      Stay and eat pizza with the kids and interact with their families.

The goal is to help make the families and kids feel welcome. We occupy the same building space, but we’d like it to be more than that. We would like to reach out to the kids with our hearts, our help, and our smiles. This event is a fun way to do that. 

Celebrations:

Happy birthday Mildred Flanary, 7/5 and Neal Crouse, 7/11!

May the  gift of God’s grace strengthen you,

The gift of God’s presence comfort you,

And the gift of God’s love refresh you.

Looking Ahead Calendar: Love INC is hosting an event you are invited to put on your calendar. September 7^th, at Zionsville Fellowship Church, beginning at 5:30pm, Love INC’s annual fundraising event will include a silent auction, a coffee bar and dinner. Interested in participating as a group? By individual families? More information can be found on the flyer posted on the hallway bulletin board. You can also go to www.loveincbc.org/banquet or contact Traci Hoffman, Co-Executive Director, at traci@loveincbc.org . There is a donation form available in the FPC church office if you wish to make a donation. Contact the church office for more info.

 

PPM Update:

Wow! It's hard to believe that we just celebrated the 4th of July. PPM starts back next week to finish out the summer session, and Fall semester starts August 7th. I am excited to announce that for the first time in 2 years we are fully staffed for teachers this fall. We are still in need of a full time helper in the kitchen. All classes are full, we do have 2 openings in the 3 year old class. 

We have started our outdoor project. This is going to be nice to have when we start back in August. I want to thank Jacob Hale(PPM parent) for doing some updated electrical work in the courtyard for us, and Troy Rowe(my husband) for working on the landscaping out there. We have one more area to finish and then add our new furniture and items to enjoy the outdoor area. July 29th, PPM staff will have an all-day training at the church on Social-Emotional needs for children, and STEAM(Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math). These trainings are possible through the Empower to Educate grant from United Way. We will also be purchasing items for our classrooms with the grant. Happy July!, Lori 

 

Weekly Devotional:

“Let not your heart be troubled . . .” John 14:1

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” John 14:27

 

Ever felt like that admonition, to not let your heart be troubled, is a little too much to ask? Have you had that conversation with God where you say, “Let not my heart be troubled? Really? I’d love to! That’s a great idea! But . . . having a bit of trouble not being troubled!” I know I have felt that way, and I had that conversation with God very recently! Sometimes a picture in my head helps me remember something and act on it a little better. So here is one picture I have: an Amazon delivery guy comes to my door with a tiny little box. He says the item is for me and hands it off with a smile. I wonder what it is and then see the return address says simply: “GOD.” Huh. Inside the box is another smaller box with a label attached. It simply reads: “the peace you need”. Well. Kinda felt like I needed more peace than would fit in that little box. But . . . when I open it . . . wow! A peace bigger than the space can contain comes flooding out. With a whoosh the room is filled up with peace and it's overflowing into all the other rooms of the house and out the doors and windows and keeps going. The box was bigger on the inside! God’s gifts are often like that, aren’t they? Surprises? Maybe bigger on the inside than they appear from the outside?

 

Prayer Room:

Here at FPC, prayer is important to us. Are you interested in joining the prayer chain? Would you like to learn more about the role of prayer in our lives? Please contact Phyllis Duff, Prayer Coordinator, at (765)482-1485/ raduff2@att.net

Dear Heavenly Father, I ask for Your peace today, that peace that is different from what the world gives, that peace that fills like none other, matches the need like none other, lasts like none other, and keeps giving like none other. I ask for that for myself and all who come to You in prayer today. Thank You! Amen!