September Monthly Newsletter: Friday, September 1st, 2023.

From The Narthex News Library

NARTHEX NEWS:

September 2023

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

Je@lebanonfpc.org

Gretel Magnuson, Administrative Assistant

Gretel@lebanonfpc.org

Lori Rowe, Presbyterian Preschool Ministry Director

LoriRowe@lebanonfpc.org

Narthex News – September

Table of Contents

Chapter One: Family Photo Tree

Chapter Two: Bulletin Board

Chapter Three: Churches in East Asia

Chapter Four: Friendly Financial Figures

Chapter Five: The Peace Which Can Be Found

Appendix A: Events Calendar

Appendix B: Celebrations Calendar

Appendix C: Mission of the Church

Appendix D: PCUSA Mission Updates (pdf version only)

~ CHAPTER ONE ~

Family Photo Tree

~ CHAPTER TWO ~

BULLETIN BOARD FOR SEPTEMBER

Photos on our Family Photo Tree

On our Family Photo Tree in this issue are photos from Gourmet Seekers’ visit to Heidelburg Café & Bakery on August 25^th, PPM’s first day of school on August 7^th, and the Mission Update from Revs. Myung and Jieun Kim Han from PCUSA Mission to East Asia. These were a few of the highlights for the FPC family for August of 2023. Thank you for being a part of these events and supporting FPC, PCUSA, and PPM in prayer.

Chair of Nominating Committee & More

It was decided at a recent session meeting that a chair was needed for the Nominating Committee. That position will be filled by Sigmon Myers. Sigmon will also be filling the role of the President of the Corporation for First Presbyterian Church. This is a business related position and is chiefly needed to fulfill legal requirements instituted at the state and federal level. FPC appreciates Sig’s dedication and his willingness to use his skills for the service of the church.

Caring.com – A Thoughtful Way to Care for Loved Ones

We have information to share with you that may help caregivers who have family members needing memory care assistance.

Caring.com is an online resource which provides detailed information to help caregivers and their families in the state of Indiana, specifically in regard to the issue of memory care.

“Due to symptoms that accompany memory loss,” says Barbara Smith of caring.com, “continuing to live at home without professional help can become unhealthy and unsafe for some seniors.” She goes on to advocate for safe alternatives for seniors living with memory impairment. The following links provide detailed information that may assist someone trying to choose the right community for their loved one.

https://www.caring.com/senior-living/memory-care-facilities/indiana

https://www.caring.com/senior-living/memory-care-facilties/

If this does not pertain to you, but you are aware of a family for whom this could be a timely resource, please pass this along. We hope this helps you.

PCUSA Mission has been doing some great work around the world. Look for more information attached to the end of this newsletter in the pdf version. (You can find this on our website http://LebanonFPC.org/ )

Thank You from Little Dresses for Africa!

Enjoy the thank-you note included below, sent to the FPC family from Little Dresses for Africa for donations to this worthwhile organization made earlier this year.

~ CHAPTER THREE ~

Churches in East Asia

What a pleasure it was to worship with and learn from Reverends Myung and Jieun Kim Han on Sunday, August 27^th!

During the worship service, Rev. Jieun Kim Han shared a beautiful message on the ministry to “the least”. She highlighted the compassion of Jesus as demonstrated towards the woman in Luke 13:10-17. Rev. Han was able to not only open our eyes to the extent of Jesus’ healing for this woman, she also shared insight into the experience from the woman’s perspective.

Rev. Jieun and her husband Myung shared a mission report with the church after the worship service. They are the regional liaisons for East Asia for PCUSA.

They explained the main points of their responsibilities:

· To support PCUSA mission co-workers in the East Asia region;

· To work with partner churches and entities in the region and to liaise between them and PCUSA;

· To join the partners for peace making efforts in the region;

· To encourage and support the marginalized;

· To develop leadership in the church.

Some of the insights shared with the FPC congregation included the following:

There is a large Bible printing operation in China. They are opening a new printing plant in Ethiopia so they can print Bibles for African countries.

Some Chinese provinces allow people to attend Christian churches. If a pastor or congregation attempts to promote independence, there will be consequences. However, there are areas of the country in which the government leaves them pretty much alone.

Some of the Asian churches with large congregations are seeing a reduction in their membership. It was shared that in some instances this can be traced back to the younger generation and the fact that they feel they are not welcome in leadership positions. The Revs Hans are trying to introduce the concept of having young people and women fill leadership roles.

Please keep the Hans in your prayers, as well the mission of PCUSA in the East Asia region.

“In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me. For you are my rock and my fortress.” Psalm 71:1-3

~ CHAPTER FOUR ~

Friendly Financial Figures

2023-2024 Operating Budget

On Sunday, August 13, 2023, at the end of our worship service, we held a Congregational Meeting at which time we presented, in brief summary form, the approved budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. As most of you may know, our fiscal year runs from June through May, so this year’s budget covers the period from June 1, 2023, through May 31, 2024. Here is what we presented at that meeting:

1. We announced this year’s “Terms of Call” for Pastor Je Lee, which included a well-deserved 9% pay increase.

2. We also presented a high level summary of our operating budget, which included these details:

· Our “cash reserves” are very good, thanks in part to a number of larger “one-time” gifts of various types over the past year or two.

· Our anticipated operating expenses for the year are $189,000.

· A reach-out goal for our “regular contribution” income this year is $185,000, which would leave us $4,000 or so “out of balance.”

· If we include our anticipated $19,000 in investment income, then we should be “in balance” even if contributions fall a bit short of our target.

3. We noted that PPM is doing quite well financially, due to many factors, but including record enrollment, greatly reduced “past due” accounts, and good success in obtaining grants.

4. We also presented a summary of “mission” related income and expense items. We will include a summary of those in next month’s newsletter.

Please contact Neal Crouse with any questions or if you wish more details on any of the above points.

Contribution Designations

Like all churches, First Presbyterian Church depends upon the generous contributions from its members and guests, and we thank you for your faithful giving. We would like to provide additional information to you as to how to give, as well as how your contributions are used.

How to Give

· In the offering plate on Sunday morning. We do not “pass” the plate during the

· service, but leave it at the back of the sanctuary where you can place your contributions either before or after the service.

· By mail. Many people send their checks by mail, often once per month.

· On-line. We do have a means by which you can contribute on-line, by credit card or direct debit. You can visit our website at lebanonfpc.org to find a link to that “Giving” page.

How your contributions are used

Depending upon how you designate your contributions, they are used as follows:

Designation	How it is used
(no designation)	Most of the contributions we receive have no designation. We consider these as “Regular Contributions” and they are used for the regular operations of the church. This includes Personnel, Building, Office, Utilities, Sunday Morning Worship services, and most other expenses associated with our day to day operations. We use these contributions to help maintain a “Balanced Budget,” and they are vital to both our short and long term financial health.
Per Capita	Contributions marked “Per Capita” are sent to the Wabash Valley Presbytery and are used for the operations of the Presbytery. Each fall, we ask those who consider FPC to be their church home to contribute their “Per Capita” amount, which this year, is $42.90 per person. Our “invoice” this year from the Presbytery is $5,706, covering our 133 official church members, which we will pay in December regardless of how many people submit their Per Capita’s, so we do also welcome any “extra” payments you can make to help cover any shortfall which inevitably occurs.
Mission	Contributions marked “Mission” are used by the Mission & Outreach team in FPC for their various local and international mission projects.
Caring Center	Contributions marked “Caring Center” are sent to the Lebanon Caring Center.
Live for Life	Contributions marked “Live for Life” are sent to the Lebanon Live for Life Center.
Christmas Joy or One Great Houe of Sharing or Presbyterian Disaster Relief or Pentecost	Contributions so marked are sent to the Wabash Valley Presbytery, to support the related collection there. We usually solicit such contributions at particular times of the year as suggested by the Presbytery.
PPM	Contributions marked “PPM” are used to help offset the cost borne by FPC to support our PPM Preschool.
PPM Scholarship	Contributions marked “PPM Scholarship” are used by PPM to help parents who struggle to pay for tuition for their children in PPM.
Building Fund	We do not have an active Building Fund campaign at this time, but we always welcome contributions designated to help offset major building repairs or upgrades.

~ CHAPTER FIVE ~

The Peace Which Can Be Found

The music was calm and gentle, the notes easy to play, and the tempo was slow. As I neared the end of the first verse, I felt myself relax, settling into the music, and I went on to the second verse. “Peace, perfect peace,” are the first three words of each verse. This in itself was a draw. With the start of each verse, I looked forward to hearing those notes and quietly singing those words. Even without the rest of the verse, the repetition of “peace, perfect peace,” was soothing. But something else was drawing my attention. Something else held my interest. What was it? I played the hymn through a second time, then a third time, before I figured out what it was.

Each verse held a question, a representation of why or when peace may be hard to find. In doing so, the author of the hymn acknowledged the fact that peace is hard to come by. We are constantly assaulted in our world by pressures from within and without, distractions, obstacles, hindrances, oppression, struggle. Though written in 1825, the questions this hymn poses are not relegated to one historical time period. The question of peace plagues humanity through every century. Blessedly, the answer is the same today as it was when the hymn was written, and as it was when Jesus first spoke the words: “My peace I give you . . . not as the world gives.” (John 14:27) Questions remain. Turmoil is real and, all too often, up close and personal. But our God is personal too, and His peace is available.

Can we find perfect peace “in this dark world of sin?” When duties press upon us, when sorrows surge around us, when our future is an unknown road before us, when death’s shadow lingers about us, can we find peace? Where? How? In sum, Edward Bickersteth knew the answer to each question before he penned these words. It comes from a simple but profound truth in the book of Isaiah: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”[1] (Isaiah 26:3 KJV)

I confess, it seems as though my mind does not strictly “stay” on anything for long. It has the tendency to flit about, like a butterfly or a hummingbird. It is a special experience to have a butterfly land on your open palm. To a casual observer, it appears the butterfly spends more time in flight than in rest. In fact, they actually don’t sleep[2]. They rest with their wings closed, but they don’t sleep the same way that we do. As for hummingbirds, have you seen how fast their wings move? Even when they are “still”, they aren’t really still! Hummingbird wings beat between 50 and 200 flaps per second. Relative to their size, hummingbird’s can fly faster than a fighter jet and withstand g-forces that would cause an average human to pass out[3]. If I feel like my mind is moving like a butterfly or a hummingbird, then it surely is not very still! So how do I get my mind to “stay” on the Lord?

According to Strong’s Concordance, the Hebrew word used for “stay” in the King James Version of Isaiah 26:3 is the word “samak” and it means to lean, lay, rest, or support. Though my mind may not be very still, as it is constantly processing and pondering, I can set my mind on Him. I can turn to the Lord for support, to uphold me and sustain me. I can rest my soul in Him. From that position I can live and move and find my breath. He is not far from me. Indeed, He is very near. In this I can, assuredly,find peace.

When the apostle Paul sailed aboard a ship to Rome and a storm hit just off Crete, the safety of all on board was in jeopardy. Everyone else gave up hope, but the apostle

Paul stood firm, his mind fixed on the Lord. “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.” (Acts 27:25)

An edict was given that citizens were to bow down before a gold image and worship King Nebuchadnezzar’s gods. When Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah refused to do so, they were warned that they would be thrown into the fiery furnace. But they stood firm, their minds fixed on the Lord. “Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not . . . we do not serve your gods . . .” (Daniel 3:17,18)

Year after year she prayed and waited, and yet still Hannah was barren. Hannah’s husband’s second wife regularly provoked Hannah and made her life miserable, because she had children and Hannah had none. Though Hannah suffered in anguish and grieved for her barren womb, she did not turn her back on God. She remained firm, her mind fixed on the Lord. “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me . . .” (1 Samuel 1:11)

We live in a dark world of sin, but Jesus “whispers peace within”. Our future may be unknown but Jesus is known and “on the throne”. Death may overshadow us and ours, but Jesus conquered “death and all its powers”. Peace, perfect peace? Yes, in Jesus: peace, perfect peace.

Peace, Perfect Peace

“Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?

The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?

To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.

Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?

On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.

Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?

Jesus, we know, and He is on the throne.

Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?

Jesus has vanquished death and all its powers.

It is enough: earth’s struggles soon shall cease,

And Jesus, call us to heav’n’s perfect peace.”

By Edward H. Bickersteth, 1825

Appendix A: Friendly Presbyterian Calendar

SEPTEMBER EVENTS

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Liturgist for September:

Margi McConnaha

Elder for

September:

Amy Morrison

Live & Learn, 11:30am, FPC Library

Communion Sunday

Labor Day

(PPM Closed)

Love INC fundraising banquet @ Zionsville Fellowship Church, 5:30pm

Live & Learn, 11:30am, FPC Library

Fellowship Lunch after worship service;

Live for Life Sun.

Counters

Faith Circle, 1:30pm church library;

PPM Staff mtg. 5:30pm, Fellowship Hall

Live & Learn, 11:30am, FPC Library

Time for Tea; 11am, Church Library

Session mtg. 6:30pm church library

Fall Great Banquet @ Zionsville Presbyterian Church: Women’s Banquet Sept.21-24

(Gretel out of the office)

Live & Learn, 11:30am, FPC Library

Caring Sunday

(Gretel out of the Office)

Counters

Fall Great Banquet@ ZPC: Men’s Banquet

Sept. 28-Oct.1

Gourmet Seekers, So Italian,

Brownsburg

Live & Learn, 11:30am, FPC Library

Appendix B: Friendly Presbyterian Calendar

SEPTEMBER CELEBRATIONS

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Jeannie Shaw, birthday

Rob Williams, birthday

Rob & Nancy Williams, anniversary

Donna Bevington, birthday

Margi Walters, birthday

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)