Monthly Newsletter for November 2023

From The Narthex News Library

Narthex News – November

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

Table of Contents

Chapter One: You’ve Got Mail!

Chapter Two: The Potter and The Clay

Chapter Three: We Remember

Chapter Four: Treasure

Chapter Five: Missions and Outreach

Appendix A: Events Calendar

Appendix B: Celebrations Calendar

Appendix C: Mission of the Church

~ CHAPTER ONE ~

You’ve Got Mail!

(To see some pictures in connection with some of the following “mail”,

please visit the pdf version of this newsletter.)

You are invited

to a Harvest Dinner with the First Presbyterian Church Family!

When: Sunday, Nov. 19^th, after morning worship service

Where: FPC, Fellowship Hall

What served: Pastor Je will be making his bacon-wrapped turkeys! You are invited to bring favorite appetizers, side dishes, and desserts to share. You are encouraged to bring family, friends, and neighbors. We hope to see you there!

Thank you

for being a part of the growth of FPC in 2023 by sharing in Bible study with Faith Circle, one Wednesday a month, and Live & Learn, Saturdays at noon; by fellowshipping with Time for Tea, one Tuesday a month, and Gourmet Seekers, one Friday a month; supporting the missions outreach programs; and welcoming visitors. The growth of a church is intentional – and we recognize your dedication, devotion, and care.

Live for Life co-founder

Michelle Standeford is scheduled

to visit FPC on Sunday,

Nov. 19^th. (Live for Life’s Karen Young was unable to come for her pre-arranged

visit in October due to an unexpected

hospitalization.) We thank you for your

prayers for this ministry and its staff.

Our own Debbie Crouse,

with the Greater Greenwood Community Band, had a concert at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis on Sunday, Oct. 22^nd. Good job, Debbie! Thank God for musicians bringing glory to Him with their beautiful sounds.

Gourmet Seekers met at Bookers in Kirklin on Friday, Oct. 27^th –

with such a large crowd they had to pull up an extra table and call in an extra cook! No joke! This is a super fun group and if you aren’t already coming, we would love to welcome you to fun, food and fellowship! The next meeting will be on Friday, December 1^st at Parky’s Smokehouse in Lebanon. That will serve as the Gourmet Seekers gathering time for November and December. The holidays keep you busy and we want to free up your schedule without cancelling this fun event. (Plus, the regular November Friday for Gourmet Seekers would be Black Friday - and y’all will be too busy shopping to come eat!). Please plan to join us on December 1^st. If you are planning on coming, you need to contact Gretel in the church office so she has accurate numbers for that event.

Scott Hutcheson performed a monologue

to celebrate reformation Sunday on October 29^th. We thank Scott for sharing his talents and glorifying God with God’s gifts.

When my kids were younger, one “time change Sunday” in the fall

my son was on a camping trip with his boy scout troop. He played on the worship team so wanted to be at church that Sunday but forgot about the time change. He got up, got ready. walked all the way from their camp site out to the road to meet his ride – then while waiting (and waiting and waiting . . .) realized – Time Change! Don’t worry – he got there. Don’t get caught stranded this weekend – set your clocks back one hour Sat. night!

Time changes Sun. morning.

Christmas news! (Wait . . . Christmas news? Before Thanksgiving? Yup!)

We are excited about the upcoming Advent season and want to share with you the fun plans, so you can mark them on your calendar. FPC will begin the Advent season on Nov. 26^th, with the fourth Advent Sunday falling on Dec.17^th. On Christmas Eve there will be no morning worship service. Join friends and family for an evening worship service on Sunday, Dec. 24^th at 7pm. The theme for Advent this year is “The Countries in the Nativity”. We will travel around the world during Advent, with Pastor Je as our tour guide as we learn about a different country each Sunday. Come, see, and worship with us the birth of the King of Kings, our Savior, Jesus Christ!

The church building has new flooring!

During the laying-down/construction process, PPM had their fall break. On their last day before break there was a bit of discussion between kids and parents about the upcoming flooring project. The best bit I heard was between one little girl and her mother. When the mother asked her daughter what color she thought the floor would be, the little girl answered confidently, “pink, with sparkles.” While the new flooring is not pink with sparkles, it does look very nice. We thank you for your patience during this time. It has really paid off! We also thank PPM Director Lori Rowe for taking the lead on this project. It went very well.

~ CHAPTER TWO ~

The Potter and The Clay

By Gretel Magnuson, contributions made on behalf of IUMCH

As the wheel spins, the potter uses his tool to finely tune the piece he is creating. It may not look like much now to the untrained eye, but the potter sees something different. He has already envisioned what this clay will be in its finished form. He sees it as clearly as if the work was already done.

I speak here of a student at the Indiana United Methodist Children’s Home (IUMCH) here in Lebanon, Indiana. But our Heavenly Father has much the same perspective toward us. Scripture says:

"But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter;

and we all are the work of thy hand." Is 64:8

I am so thankful that we are the clay and it is God who is the Potter. I don’t have to figure out what to make myself into – it is God who does the shaping. I just need to remain near Him, allow Him to mold me and shape me, and trust that He does so with love and care.

I know that God holds each one of the students of UMCH with tender loving care. I know He wants to transform them, much like the butterfly which this poem was shaped into. (To see poem, refer to the pdf version of this newsletter.) Transformation can be a long and trying process, but new life and beauty are the result when God is the One at work.

Presbyterians, will you pray for the youth of America? Will you pray for the youth of Lebanon, Indiana? Will you pray specifically for the students of the IUMCH here in Lebanon, Indiana?

We are coming up on the holidays. That is a joyful, wonderful time for a lot of people. It is also a very difficult time for some people. For the students at IUMCH, the holidays can be challenging. As you drive by the school on Camp Street, or sit at the corner near Walgreens, take a moment to remember these students and ask for God’s protection and provision for them. Please pray also for God’s hand as the Potter to mold them into works of art which give glory to Him. Pray that they will lean into Him as He transforms them into new creations. Thank you.

"But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter;

and we all are the work of thy hand." Is 64:8

(Text of the poem referred to in article above:)

The bubble of ignorance, the safety of youth

Gives way to the weight and the burden of truth.

The veil sheds away, you open your eyes

So you can spread your wings and take to the skies.

You see more of the world, but you weren’t prepared.

So you stop and you drop as your wings start to tear;

Your silk soul to shred, your body to shatter,

Your mind to decay as you cease to matter.

But upon your descent, your heart turns to steel,

Your spirit is strong, your wounds to heal.

You put up a fight – you will win this war –

And with those scars, you take flight and soar.

Please pray with me that these students will know the truth of God’s strength, shelter, and healing as identified in Isaiah 40:28-31:

“Have you not known? Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.

He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might he increases strength.

Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall,

But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

~ CHAPTER THREE ~

We Remember

I sat in a back pew of a prayer service one Wednesday evening. When the opportunity was presented to express praises and thanksgivings, one of those who spoke was an older gentleman. He had been on the prayer list for some time with serious health issues, but he was present that evening. He stood up, and with a strong and joy-filled voice said, “I woke up this morning!” This brought a hearty round of laughter. When the chuckles quieted down, he added, “Every morning that I awake with breath in my lungs and a new day before me is cause to thank the Lord.” This man’s words were as much a testimony to faithfulness, joy, and gratitude as was his life. He always had a smile to share and a hug to give. Generosity came as natural to him as breathing. He was a little man full of a lot of life and love. Though this testimony comes from another time, another place, I see this example lived out every week in the family of FPC.

It is in that spirit of joy, gratitude, and love, during this season of thanksgiving, that we share with you here the names and faces of First Presbyterian friends to whom we said goodbye this year. As we enter the holiday season, please remember to thank God for these precious family members and lift their loved ones up in prayer. Thank you.

Thank You, Heavenly Father, for the lives we shared.

Steve Whipkey

February 6, 1969 - April 21, 2023

Dr. Philip Gibbs

April 20, 1943 – June 8, 2023

Phil Stark

November 9, 1953 – July 20, 2023

Kathy McConnell

June 22, 1944 – September 12, 2023

Al McConnaha

October 13, 1931 – September 14, 2023

George Morton

August 13, 1936 - October 20, 2023

~ CHAPTER FOUR ~

Treasure

By Gretel Magnuson

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels,

that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Co 4:7).

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” (2 Co 4:8).

How is it that we can be troubled yet not distressed, perplexed yet not in despair, persecuted yet not forsaken? How can we feel cast down and yet not be destroyed?

Because “we have”.

What do we have?

We have a Heaven-sent treasure:

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Co 4:7).

How did we come by this treasure?

It is a gift.

From God.

To us.

By way of God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

Life gave way to life, not death. Christ’s life put death to death, and because of that made life possible for you and me and for anyone who believes in Jesus Christ.

What exactly is it that we have?

We have a treasure that is life as we have never known it.

We have a promise greater than words can express.

We have a hope only realized by faith born in our hearts.

O the riches we have!

And we have so very much because Christ Jesus gave up everything. When we face a loss, a change, an upset, a death, a turning upside down of “everything”, may we clearly see this treasure that we have. May we then have born in our hearts a hope, a peace, a faith, that testifies to the excellency of the power that is of God.

We are earthen vessels. We are only jars of clay. But God is so much more. It is because God can fill these jars of clay with the excellency of His power that we can confidently say: Yes, we may be troubled, perplexed, persecuted, cast down, but that is not all there is to us. We have more. We have Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Do you have the treasure that is called Jesus Christ?

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Co 4:7).

You are a piece of art created by the Master Craftsman. Your beauty comes from His vision and His Hand fashioning you.

"But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter;

and we all are the work of thy hand." Is 64:8

You are His workmanship.

“For we are his workmanship . . .” Ephesians 2:10

Dear Heavenly Father,

We are but figures of clay and You are The Potter. You are fashioning us on Your wheel. What steps will You take us through today? Will You take us in Your hands and pound, press, roll, flatten? Will You set us on a wheel and, with speed, friction, and an artist’s eye create something new? Dear God, we are the work of Thy hand. Mold us and make us according to Thy will. Take what we have and make us new, O God. We come to You not just as willing vessels. Rather, we go one step further, and we give ourselves to You with joyful abandon. Amen.

*Follow the link included below to see a YouTube video of a potter at work. (Online viewers can click on the link. Those reading the paper version can type that link into their device.) The potter’s studio showcased in this video is at Conner Prairie, the music is from Casting Crown’s song “In the Hands of the Potter”. The video was created by Ruth Deem. https://youtu.be/sIppaPXA7p8?si=fcnQy5FLgTLJhU22

~ CHAPTER FIVE ~

Worship and Outreach Ministries at FPC

By Neal and Debbie Crouse

The following is a summary of the various Mission and Outreach initiatives at FPC and their current status, especially from a financial point of view, at this 10 month point in the year. Please contact either Debbie Crouse for questions on specific projects or Neal Crouse for questions on the financial side of things.

First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon Indiana has a variety of Mission and outreach projects and giving opportunities.

Presbyterian Preschool Ministry (PPM)

PPM is our in-house preschool. The church supports PPM by providing rooms, utilities, and other financial support. PPM returns a portion of that in the form of a monthly payment to the church, but that covers only a portion of the costs. Our estimate is that the church’s financial assistance to PPM amounts to a little under $19,000 a year, so clearly PPM is our #1 mission. PPM enrolls between 80 and 90 children at any given time, and has a staff of around 15 teachers, aides, and support staff.

Per Capita

Per Capita is the way Presbyterians share equally, responsibly, and interdependently in the costs of governing the Presbyterian

Church (U.S.A.). It takes the form of an annual donation per person (per capita). In 2023, the Presbytery asks each member and friend of FPC to contribute $42.90 each to help support their work and ministry.

So far in 2023, we have collected $1191. We will continue to accept donations for 2023 until later December, when we will send the collected funds to the Presbytery. Based upon our registered membership, our “obligation” to the Presbytery is $5,706 this year.

One Great Hour of Sharing, Christmas Joy, and Pentecost Offerings

These are additional collection campaigns that the Presbytery, both at the local level and the national level, solicits donations from church members. The Pentecost offering returns a portion of the money collected to our local church to help support youth.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

For selected national or international disasters or situations of extreme need, the Presbytery also accepts and manages donations.

In the spring of 2023, an appeal for donations for the Turkey / Syria Earthquake was put out and we collected $800 from church members and friends.

The Caring Center

The Caring Center in Lebanon provides financial counseling, clothing, food, and many more services to families or individuals in need. FPC is proud to partner with The Caring Center in these efforts.

So far in 2023, FPC members have donated $865 to The Caring Center, plus many contributions of food, clothing, and other items. These donations included moneys donated during the Souper Bowl Sunday and Ash Wednesday events.

Live for Life

Live for Life is committed to helping women gain control of their circumstances and create a new path. So far in 2023, FPC members have donated $437 to Live for Life, plus other contributions of clothing and personal items.

Memorials

When a church member dies, friends and family members often make donations to FPC in the name of that individual. In 2023, FPC has so far received over $3,100 in gifts given in the names of Dr. Phil Gibbs, Al McConnaha, Kathy McConnell, and George Morton.

FPC’s Session is responsible for deciding how to use that money within and/or outside of the church in a way that reflects the spirit of the gifts received.

The Malawi Project

The Malawi Project focuses on helping the African nation of Malawi in the areas of agriculture, education, medicine, food sustainability, famine relief,

community development, and the development of church and community leaders.

FPC supports The Malawi Project by providing supplies, both donated and sewn/built by church members.

Little Dresses for Africa

Little Dresses for Africa sends relief to all parts of Africa and many countries beyond, through the distribution of little dresses made by volunteers from all over the world. Their goal is to plant in the hearts of little girls that they are worthy.

FPC supports LDFA when church volunteers sew dresses and send them to LDFA. FPC also supports their “Dignity for Women” mission.

Myrtle Bailey Toy Drive

Stay tuned for coming details on FPC’s involvement in the annual Boone County toy drive.

We thank you for your involvement in supporting these worthy causes and for thinking of those in need both locally and globally. May God bless the efforts put worth, and may His name be glorified. Amen.

Text Box: Elder for Nov: Amy Morrison Text Box: Liturgist for Nov: Roy Flanary Appendix A: Friendly Presbyterian Calendar

NOVEMBER EVENTS

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Live & Learn, 11:30, Church Library

Communion Sunday

Remember the time change – “fall back”

PPM Staff Mtg, Fellowship Hall, 5:30pm

Live & Learn, 11:30am, Church Library

Live for Life Sunday

Counters

Live & Learn, 11:30am, Church Library

Harvest Dinner after morning service;

Michelle Standeford here from Live for Life

Session mtg. 6:30pm church library

PPM Thanks Fest for teachers, lunchtime

Thanksgiving Day!

FPC celebrates First Advent Sunday

Counters

PPM Program Practice in sanctuary, 10am

December 1:

PPM Christmas program @10am.

Gourmet Seekers: Parky’s Smoke-house in Lebanon, Dec. 1st

Appendix B: Friendly Presbyterian Calendar

NOVEMBER CELEBRATIONS

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Carolyn Dunham

Ken & Pam Dies -anniversary

Hank Walters

Neal & Debbie Crouse - anniversary

Rob Bevington

Marylynn Boatright

& George Piper III

Ralph Willard

Cindy Goodnight & Sam Piper

Jane Myers

George II & Leanne Piper - anniversary

John Quinn

Nancy Jones

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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