December Newsletter
We Miss Mildred
Mildred was an exceptional woman with a big heart. She loved her family
and attended as many of their activities as she could, all the children whose
lives she touched through her many years in various schools/churches, music
both playing and teaching, the Bob Flanary Open Tennis Tournament in memory of
her husband and of course her church family. She left an imprint on the lives
she touched and will be greatly missed.
Veterans Day Luncheon
Pastor Je invited the American Heroes
from our congregation to lunch at Flapjacks on Wednesday, November 13th.
Because of their sacrifice and service, we enjoy the peace in this wonderful
country.
New Pocket
Park Benches
Roy Flanary (with assistance from Lori Rowe), on behalf of First Presbyterian
Church of Lebanon, applied for a Community Grant provided by Boone County Solid
Waste Management District in the hope of replacing the benches in the pocket
park with 6 made of recyclable materials. Boone County Solid Waste Management
received 19 grant requests totaling nearly $71,000, which made it extremely competitive
with several great projects. Their annual budget for this program totals
$32,000 so many tough decisions were made to hit the budget mark and partially
or fully fund 13 organizations. Roy’s request was one of the 13 granted with
partial funding. Next year the pocket park will have 3 new benches! Thank you, Roy
& Lori for making this possible!
Advent Devotional
Daily Advent Devotional
2024 will be emailed to you. The title is “Advent 2024, A Calendar of
Devotions” written by pastor Charity Goodwin, published by Abingdon Press. Wait
for the email from Cokesbury.com
A Note from Bud Hunter
To the Members of the First Presbyterian Church of Lebanon,
I need to take a moment to thank everyone at the First Presbyterian
Church that attended or contributed in various ways to my retirement
celebration on Saturday, November 9th. I was overwhelmed with the
attendance, cards, gifts, decorations and dessert party after the music and
kind remarks were concluded. The engraved plaque with my years of service has
now been mounted over the organ keyboard.
I shall always have a warm spot in my heart for each and every one of
you at the First Presbyterian Church here in Lebanon. It has been my sincere
pleasure to serve both God as well as all fellow worshipers with music at
Lebanon FPC.
Blessings and Best Wishes,
Bud Hunter
Christmas Eve Service
The Christmas Eve Worship Service,
featuring Carols and Scriptures, will be on Tuesday, December 24th, 7PM in the
sanctuary. Please come and enjoy the candlelight service, celebrating the birth
of our Savior.
Toy Drive
Myrtle Bailey’s
Boone County Toy Drive is here again! The list of items needed is below. The
mission committee will have a big box wrapped in Christmas paper in the foyer
for you to drop your donations in. Sunday, December 15th will be the
last day to donate. Monetary donations can be mailed to: Myrtle Bailey’s Boone
County Toy Drive, 614 Elm St., Lebanon, In. 46052.
Needs List:
·
Toys, games, sports
equipment
·
Hygiene items, and school
supplies for infants through 18 years old.
·
Teens: fairy lights,
storage crates, razors, shaving cream, mirrors, wallets, cosmetics, perfume,
cologne
·
Diapers, diaper bags
·
Books, craft supplies
·
Shampoo and conditioner
·
Cold weather clothing
Another Advent Devotional with Accent
As pastor Je did previous years, during
the Advent mornings, he will also deliver voice recorded daily devotionals,
reading from “These Days: Daily Devotions for Living by Faith” published by
PCUSA. Anyone who misses pastor Je’s Korean accent (since he is not delivering
the message but by our wonderful volunteers) will be satisfied even daily.
No Gourmet Seekers
During the Winter months of December
and January, the Gourmet Seekers will not meet due to possible harsh weather
and dangerous road conditions. Our next meeting will be in February. The venue
will be decided sometime in January.
Parking
Reminder to not park in the parking lot across from the pocket park, as
we do not want you to get towed. Airy Time would like us to not park in their
lot as well. Please be understanding and considerate of the businesses we share
the street with!
Advent
The worship team and pastor
Je prepared (and are still working hard on) the Advent Sunday Worship Services.
You may remember that we worked on the major countries of the Nativity for last
year’s Advent, featuring the traditional recipes and cookies from those
countries. This year, we will feature the Monologues of the Major Characters in
the Nativity. These monologues will replace the sermon by pastor Je and will be
delivered by:
- First Advent Sunday,
December 1st: the Monologue of Virgin Mary by Jennie Woods
- Second Advent Sunday,
December 8th: the Monologue of Joseph by George Piper II
- Third Advent Sunday,
December 15th: the Monologue of king Herod by Bruce McConnell
- Fourth Advent Sunday,
December 22nd: the Monologue of John the Baptist’s Parents by Lisa and Scott
Hutcheson
- Epiphany Sunday, January 5th: the Monologue
of a Magi by Benjamin Piper
BYOB
Don’t forget the BYOB—Bring Your Own whatever B—on Friday, December
13th in the church library, 11:30AM.
Harvest Dinner
We had a wonderful turnout to our Thanksgiving lunch on November 24th. Thank you to Jennie and Lisa for organizing/decorating, to pastor Je for cooking the delicious turkeys, and everyone who provided a dish to share.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance 2024 Mid-Year
Report
Here is the Impact report
showing your offerings and support in action.
- Grants to 17 countries
- 1,149 volunteers at
PDA volunteer host sites
- $1,748,950 granted
- 86 grants disbursed
National Response
Through June, 108 members
of the National Response Team (NRT) members were deployed for natural and
human-caused disasters in 29 presbyteries, including responding to tornadoes,
hurricanes, storms, gun violence and other human-caused events; leading trainings
on resilience and church security planning and preparedness; and onboarding new
volunteer host sites. 1,149 volunteers served at PDA volunteer host sites, and
44 grants were disbursed totaling $498,900.
International Response
28 grants totaling $647,087
were disbursed to partners in 17 countries that included the following:
Response to flooding and hurricanes in Ghana, Nepal, the Dominican Republic,
Brazil; wildfires in Chile; climate response and disaster preparedness in India
and Sierra Leone; humanitarian response to conflict in Israel/Palestine,
Lebanon, Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, and Ukraine and nearby countries;
and long term response to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
Local Mission
Through PCUSA (via
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Presbyterian Mission Agency), we support
the national and international missions. In our town, we also work to further
the kingdom of God:
- We donated $2,000 to
the United Methodist Children’s Home
- We donated $166 to the
Teen Challenge (from your offerings of Peace & Global Witness). Teen
Challenge is a faith-based organization /program that offers residential
programs and counseling services for people (as its name suggests mainly
for teens) with life-controlling issues, such as addictions, alcoholism,
and self-destruction. You can find them on Lebanon street.
- We donated $165 to the
Sylvia’s Child Advocacy Center (from your offerings of Peace & Global
Witness). Sylvia’s Place is named after Sylvia Likens, a young girl from
Boone County who died of domestic abuse. Sylvia’s place works on abuse
prevention and trauma reduction as well as advocating for the victims.
- Caring Centre
- Live for Life Indiana
Lauren Rogers Spoke
Lauren
Rogers, the Ministry Engagement Advisor at the Office of General Assembly of
PCUSA, came and spoke about "Becoming a Matthew 25 Church." The Matthew 25 Church is an
Initiative launched by the PCUSA. This movement invites us to actively engage
in the world around us, so our faith comes alive, and we wake up to new
possibilities. Inspired by Jesus' teaching in Matthew 25:31–46, where He calls
us to serve "the least of these," this initiative challenges us to
deepen our discipleship and make a tangible impact in our community. The
Matthew 25 Initiative focuses on three pivotal areas: Building Congregational
Vitality, Dismantling Structural Racism and Eradicating Systemic Poverty.
Per Capita 2024
Per Capita is due annually
for the members of the Presbyterian Church (USA). Per Capita connects PCUSA
congregations and mid councils with the work of the wider church. As the
primary source of funding for the Office of the General Assembly (OGA), it is
how Presbyterians mutually and equitably share the costs of moving the church
forward in the 21st century.
Per Capita giving makes it
possible for:
- Presbyterians to
discern and live out God’s call in their lives
- Churches to connect
with individuals seeking a call to ministry
- Staff support for
General Assembly committees and commissions
- Management and
coordination of General Assembly gatherings
- Presbytery and Synod
leaders to gather for training and discernment
- Counsel and support
for churches in crisis (misconduct, legal matters)
- Presbyteries to
address matters of inclusion, participation, and representation at all
levels of church leadership and decision-making
- The denomination to
build connections with ecumenical partners around the world
- Presbyteries and
pastors to receive support on immigration issues
- Presbyterian history
to be cataloged, preserved, and utilized by future generations
Per
Capita 2025 is $44.66 per member. $30.01 goes to the Presbytery of Wabash Valley,
$3.81 goes to the Synod of Lincoln Trails, and $10.84 goes to the OGA. If you
haven’t paid yours, please do so before the end of this year.
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Happy
Thanksgiving,
Miss Lori
Called Congregational Meeting
The session has called for
a Called Congregational Meeting for two topics on Sunday, December 15th after
the Sunday morning worship service in the sanctuary. It will be a brief, short
meeting. The first reason for this meeting is to elect new Elders to serve in
the session from January 1, 2025, for the next three years. As some of the
elders in the session are graduating, we need to elect the equal number of new
elders. The nominating committee will present the nominees. The second purpose
of the meeting is to vote and decide whether we will become the Matthew 25
Church or not.
Christmas Joy Offering
During the Advent Sundays,
we collect one of the PCUSA’s Special Offerings–the Christmas Joy Offering. The
main use and purpose of this offering is to provide assistance to current and
retired church workers in their time of need and to develop our future leaders
at Presbyterian-related schools, colleges, and seminaries. Some portion of this
offering is used to fund the PCUSA scholarship. Pastor Je, who received the
PCUSA scholarship during his seminary years, was able to focus on his study
because of your contribution to this Christmas Joy offering in 2013, 2014, and
2015. Please read two stories of this offering:
Isabella Pérez Sanchez, an 18-year-old high
school senior, was raised by her mother and stepfather in a Christian household
in Bogotá, Colombia. She had a lifelong dream of attending high school and
college in the United States. The Presbyterian related Colegio Americano de Bogotá,
where Pérez was a student at the time, told her about their partnership with
the Presbyterian Pan American School in Kingsville, Texas, and the way seemed
clear. Once Pérez arrived on campus, she thrived. Yet in 2019, the aspiring
doctor encountered the greatest challenge of her young life. Coming out of
church one Sunday, she had the strongest pain she'd ever felt and was taken to
a hospital immediately. Diagnosed with an abnormal tangle of blood vessels that
irregularly connects arteries and veins, disrupting blood flow and oxygen
circulation, she underwent brain surgery and spent nearly two months in the
intensive care unit. "That was when I realized I had a personal
relationship with God," said Isabella. "That was when I received my
calling for life, which is to help others and to be God's hands in the
world." Today, more than five years later, she is completely and
miraculously healed.
A single phone call nearly
20 years ago turned Jenni Whitford's whole world upside down. Jenni, who
was then serving as a Christian educator at First Presbyterian Church in
Jackson, Michigan, got a call that her husband, Ken, had collapsed. When she
and her children arrived at the hospital, they learned that the husband and
father had died of an aortic aneurysm. So much started happening at once. She
learned their medical insurance, which was carried by her husband, was only
paid through the end of the month and COBRA was incredibly expensive. Her
pastor, the Rev. Jim Hegedus, recommended to Jenni that the Christmas Joy
Offering was there to help church workers in times of need. She found the
support she needed through the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions. In
partnership with Lake Michigan Presbytery, she received an emergency assistance
grant to cover the family's medical premiums. Jenni now serves as the director
for Congregational Faith Formation at First Presbyterian Church in Granville,
Ohio. By sharing her story, Jenni is helping prepare for way for other church
workers who may need help in their own time of crisis.
Saturday Bible Study
Will meet in the library on Saturdays at 11:30am.
We are continuing our study
of Genesis. Coffee and tea will be provided but you need to bring your own
lunch
CCC Community Christmas Festival
Central Christian
Church is hosting a Community Christmas Festival on Sunday, December 15th, at
3pm Choir rehearsals will be on Wednesdays at 7 pm, at Central Christian
Church, 311 E. Main St.
Communion Server Needed
We have Communion once a month, on the first Sunday of each
month. We need elders to serve the communion. You can volunteer to serve if you
are an ordained elder in the Presbyterian Church of U.S.A. (PCUSA). Session has
voted to invite those that are not ordained elders to serve as well. If you are
willing to serve, please put your name on the sign-up sheet on the bulletin
board across from the church office.
January Communion Servers:
·
Lynn Shaw
·
Amy Morrison
·
Cyndy Gibbs
·
Your Name
Voice Actor for the Scripture Reading
We usually have two Scripture readings each Sunday, one from
the Old Testament (traditionally read by the liturgist), and the other from the
New Testament (traditionally read by the preacher). To make the Scripture come
alive to us, we are dramatizing the Scripture reading whenever there is
conversation involved in the Scripture readings. If you would help in making
the Scripture readings more dynamic, please let Neal Crouse know on the Sunday
of your choice.
December Church Calendar
Sun. 1st
First Sunday of Advent
Communion
Tues. 3rd Calisto Nunley’s Birthday
Fri. 6th 10:30am PPM Christmas
Program Dress
Rehearsal
Sat. 7th 11:30am
Bible Study
Sun. 8h Second Sunday of Advent
5 pm PPM
Christmas Program
Fri. 13th 11:30am BYOB
Sat. 14th 11:30am Bible Study
Sun. 15th Third Sunday of Advent
Called
Congregational Meeting
LHS Madrigals
Tues. 17th No Session Meeting
Fri. 20th PPM’s
Last Day (2week break)
Sat. 21st 11:30am Bible Study
Sun. 22nd Fourth
Sunday of Advent
Wed. 24th Christmas Eve
Wed. 25th Christmas Day
Fri. 27th No Worship Team Meeting
Sat. 28th No Bible Study
Sun. 29th Caring Sunday
Tues. 31st New
Year’s Eve
Church Contact Information
Office Email: office@LebanonFPC.org
Pastor Email: pastor@LebanonFPC.org
Phone: 765-482-5959
Address: 128 E. Main St. Lebanon, IN 46052
Website: https://www.LebanonFPC.org
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