Monthly Newsletter July 2023

 




From The Narthex News Library


Narthex News - July

Produced by
First Presbyterian Church
128 E. Main St.
Lebanon, IN 46052
(765)482-5959
Office@lebanonfpc.org
https://www.lebanonfpc.org

 

Staff:

Rev. Je Lee, Pastor


Gretel Magnuson, Administrative Assistant

Lori Rowe, Presbyterian Preschool Ministry Director

Table of Contents


Chapter One: Bulletin Board for June & July

Chapter Two: Tricycling Your Way to Happiness

Chapter Three: Legacy, part 1

Chapter Four: Legacy, part 2

Appendix A: Events Calendar

Appendix B: Celebrations Calendar

Appendix C: Mission of the Church


BULLETIN BOARD FOR JUNE & JULY




Some remodeling took place in the Preschool classrooms over their break between the school year and summer school. Teachers then reorganized their classrooms to optimize the use of the space for their students. Thanks to all these good people and their hard work! It looks great up there! 


Little elves are at work in what was once the youth room in the basement of the church. They are sorting through items and cleaning things out. (Hint: Kendra Whipkey and Dennis Brannon may know more about the identity of these elves! If you wish to help out, ask one of them if they know how you can join the Elves-Helpers-Team.)


Tastebuds tingling for new adventures? Love a good restaurant experience? Join the Gourmet Seekers as they combine food and fellowship in local eateries on monthly outings. Keep your eyes open and awaken your tastebuds for the July Gourmet Seeker’s outing, time & location yet to be determined. 



Musicians! Dramatists! Artists of word and tune, a talent scout (a.k.a. Lisa Hutcheson) is calling for your help in July and August during worship services at FPC. Please contact Gretel in the office to learn more and volunteer!


“Worship In The Park”

FPC enjoyed fellowship with Central Christian Church on June 25th. Herr Cabin in Lebanon’s Memorial Park was the reserved site for this year’s service. However, the venue was changed at the last minute due to forecasted rain. CCC’s Praise Band provided the music, Bud Hunter played the postlude, and Rev. Nate Kibbler shared the sermon. A lovely meal followed the service, with food and supplies provided by both CCC and FPC. Thank you to all who contributed time, talent, and food!













~ CHAPTER TWO ~

Tricycling Your Way to Happiness

Tricycle Decorating Event with PPM

Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church Mission and Outreach
Monday August 14, 5:00 at FPC

Article shared by Debbie Crouse

I’m here to share with you about the FPC Tricycle Decorating Event that we are sponsoring for PPM.

The timeline for the event will be as follows:

·         Kids will be decorating their tricycles from approximately 5:00 to 5:45pm. We will be passing out t-shirts to the kids with “Sponsored by First Presbyterian Church” on the back and the PPM logo on the front.

·         From 5:45 to 6:00pm, the kids will ride tricycles around the block.

·         At 6:00 there will be pizza in the fellowship hall for everyone. At that time we will pass out ribbons to all the kids who participated. The time frame for this event was chosen based on when parents come to pick up their children at the end of the day on a typical weekday. We wanted to make it as convenient and easy as possible for families to participate. It was thought that the parents could help their kids decorate their bikes, watch their kids go around the block, and then all share pizza together. The pizza meal allows families to interact with each other and with FPC folk, while at the same time eliminating the need to make dinner once they get home.

FPC Mission and Outreach is paying for the t-shirts, participation ribbons, and pizza.  PPM is helping with decorations and encouraging parents to help with decorations for the children’s bikes. PPM is also setting up space in fellowship hall, giving preschoolers popsicles for treats, and supplying the paper products for the meal. This should be a fun event!

We would like to get as many FPC people to attend as possible since we are sponsoring this affair. You can do as little or as much as you feel like doing, from serving pizza, to passing out ribbons, to helping parents and kids decorate. If any of you can help clean-up and put tables away, your help would be most welcome. Or just come and enjoy the fun!

We need you there! There is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board for those of you who wish come.

This outreach event helps us to build bridges between PPM and FPC. You could say: “Well there are several kids at PPM who have a church home.” However, in talking with PPM, it is my understanding that not all the kids have church homes.  We want it known throughout Lebanon that we welcome all youth and their families. What better way to show this than to have t-shirts all over town letting them know that we care!

“Since you are ambitious for spiritual gifts, use your ambition to try to work toward being the best at building up the church.” 1 Corinthians 14:12 (CEB)

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 (NRSV)



~ CHAPTER THREE ~

Legacy, part 1

I begin this collection of thoughts with a song. The following are the lyrics to a song by the group called Casting Crowns. To listen to this song, click on the link below. It will lead  you to a YouTube page. Click on “Casting Crowns – Only Jesus”. https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=casting+crowns+legacy++youtube

 

Only Jesus, by Casting Crowns

“Make it count, leave a mark, build a name for yourself
Dream your dreams, chase your heart, above all else
Make a name the world remembers

 

But all an empty world can sell is empty dreams
I got lost in the light, but it was up to me
To make a name the world remembers
But Jesus is the only name to remember

 

And I, I don't want to leave a legacy
I don't care if they remember me
Only Jesus
And I, I've only got one life to live
I'll let every second point to Him
Only Jesus

 

All the kingdoms built, all the trophies won
Will crumble into dust when it's said and done
'Cause all that really matters

 

Did I live the truth to the ones I love
Was my life the proof that there is only One
Whose name will last forever

 

And I, I don't want to leave a legacy
I don't care if they remember me
Only Jesus
And I, I've only got one life to live
I'll let every second point to Him
Only Jesus

 

Jesus is the only name
Jesus is the only name
Jesus is the only name to remember”

Songwriters: Matthew West, John Mark Hall, Bernhard Herms. For non-commercial use only.

 

 

~ CHAPTER FOUR ~

Legacy, part 2

By Gretel Magnuson

 

Legacy . . . What kind of a legacy are you leaving?

Jesus told the parable of a man who was concerned about where he would store all his plenty. (Luke 12:16-21) He decided that his soul could find ease once he had built big enough barns. And yet, that very night, before he could put any plan into action, he died. (see Luke 12:16-21)  What kind of legacy did this man leave behind him? He was confident his soul had found peace for the temporal future because of his plentiful harvest, but what about his eternal future – had he planned for that?

Jesus pointed out to his disciples a woman in the temple who gave a small, and yet at the same time grand, offering. Jesus knew it was all she had, and she gave without fanfare. (Mark 12:41-44) What kind of a legacy did she leave behind? 

What is my legacy? A beautiful home? I do not own my home. The home my family once shared now belongs to someone else. A large bank account? Stocks, bonds, treasuries? Nope. Nope. Nope. Nope. An education? It’s been a bit sporadic . . . some of it taking a very long time to complete. My children appreciate the value of a good education and have enjoyed learning. But is that all I have to leave behind?

If all I have to leave behind is of material value . . . what eternal value is there? I only have one life to live - how am I living it? Am I living it now in such a way as to leave fruit behind for those who come after me? Can they make only sour wine from that fruit or something precious and sweet?

What if I never do anything significant with my life? What if there is nothing with my name on it . . . will that matter? What if there is something with my name but Jesus’ name is not there? What if people remember me but they don’t remember Jesus in my life?

If someone could capture my life in a frame, what image would be there? What title would be on the painting? Would the image point to Jesus or to me? Would the title on the painting be about me or about Him?

I don’t have answers to all these questions. In fact, the more I live, the more questions I have. But this I do know: at the thought of leaving my name behind but not Jesus’ name, my heart breaks. If a frame contained my life and Jesus could not be seen in it, that frame might as well be empty. I’d rather it be blacked out than display a life without Him.

My son graduated high school recently. At the ceremony, he played music with his school’s worship band for the ceremony. The song included at the start of this piece is one of the songs my son and the worship team shared that night. Sometime later that weekend I learned that while my son played and sang this song, he looked at me, for he was thinking of me. He knows how much I love this song and how much this message means to me. I know when he sang those words, he sang from his heart.

It’s a tall order – to live a life that is only for Jesus. To seek to leave a legacy that is all about Jesus and not about us. But along with His charge to make disciples and take His message to the ends of the earth, Jesus also left us with a promise: “’And, lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” (Matt.28:20, NKJV) We do not walk, worship, or work alone. To quote the song, are we living the truth for the ones we love? Is our life proof that there is only One whose name will last forever?

Heavenly Father, we have only one life to live. May we live every second pointing to You and Your Son. Jesus is the Only Name to remember. May it be His name, not ours, that people remember. Amen.


Appendix A:    Friendly Presbyterian Calendar

JULY EVENTS  

 

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

 

 

 

LITURGIST FOR JULY:

BESS WILKES

 

ELDER FOR JULY:

SIG MYERS

 

 

 

1

2

Communion Sunday

 

3

PPM on break this week

4

 

5

Pastor Je leaves for South Korea

6

PPM Staff Mtg, 6:30pm, Church Library

7

Gretel out of the office

8

No Live & Learn since Pastor Je is gone

9

Ben Piper speak

Fellowship Lunch after service

 

Life Sunday

10

PPM July Summer School Begin

11

12

Faith Circle

1:30-3:30,

Church Library

13

14

 

15

No Live & Learn

 

16

Rev. Joseph Park speak

17

 

18

Time for Tea 11am,

Church Library

 

Session Mtg 6:30pm

19

PPM Staff Mtg, 5:30pm, Church Library

20

 

21

22

No Live & Learn

 

23

Ben Piper speak

Caring Sunday

24

25

26

27

28

Last day PPM July Summer School

29

No Live & Learn

 

PPM: Teacher Training, 8am-5pm, Fellowship Hall

30

Rev. Jennifer Burns Lewis speak

31

PPM on break; PPM Board Mtg, 6pm, Church Library

 

 

 

 

 


Appendix B:  Friendly Presbyterian Calendar

JULY CELEBRATIONS  

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

 

2

 

3

Susan Giger

 

4

Independence Day for U.S.A

5

Mildred Flanary

(103 years old!)

6

7

8

9

 

 

10

 

11

Neal Crouse

12

 

13

14

 

15

 

16

Janet Self

 

17

 

18

Eric Goodnight;

Lisa Hutcheson

19

 

20

Leanne Piper

21

22

 

23

 

24

Virginia Hussong

25

Mary Frances Meyer

26

27

28

29

Gary & Kitty Hill

30

31

 

 

 

 

 

 

Appendix C: Mission of the Church

The following is taken from “The Guiding Vision”, the mission statement of First Presbyterian Church(FPC). For past sermons, newsletters, and more, please visit the website for First Presbyterian Church: https://www.lebanonfpc.org

FPC is a part of the denomination of PC(USA). More information on the doctrine and abiding principles of First Presbyterian Church can be found at the website for PC(USA):

https://www.pcusa.org

 

“In his life, death and resurrection, Jesus Christ reveals the fullness of God’s love and demonstrates God’s desire for reconciliation among all people. Through Christ, we are called together to be the church -proclaiming God’s love to all and participating in his mission of healing, reconciliation, and transformation to all of creation.

The work of the church is not of human effort, but is a reflection of our obedient response to God’s love at work within us.

By the power of the Holy Spirit, the church is equipped and empowered to join Christ in his mission.

At the same time, God’s perfect love insists that we not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)




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