2025 April Newsletter

 

Nancy Turner Is an Elder

The called Congregational Meeting was held during the Worship Service on Sunday, March 9^th. Nancy Turner was elected as an elder. On the following Sunday (March 16^th), Nancy was ordained and installed as an elder in the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. to serve in the session of First Presbyterian Church in Lebanon, IN. At the following Session Meeting, she was assigned to the Chair of the Mission & Outreach Committee which Debbie Crouse led for the last four years.

Session Elders and Committees

The elders in the session are assigned to committees. The committees and the elders are as shown in the table below:

• Moderator: Rev. Je Lee
• Clerk of Session: Arlene Quinn
• Finance: Sigmon Myers
• Personnel: Dennis Brannon
• Care & Nurture: Nancy Kincaid
• Property: Roy Flanary (chair), Bruce McConnell
• Mission & Outreach: Nancy Turner
• Discipleship: Amy Morrison
• Nominating: Amy Morrison
• Public Relations: Barbara Belt

Beside the elders in the session, there are more workers in the church:

• Treasurer: Debbie Goodnight
• Finance & Technical Manager: Neal Crouse
• PPM Director: Lori Rowe
• Office Manager: Lesley Klooz
• Worship/Music Director: Lisa Hutcheson

Church Custodian

The church custodian, Ruth Deem, resigned from her position and her last day at the church is Friday, April 4^th. The Personnel Committee (Dennis Brannon, Nancy Kincaid, Jennie Woods) is actively looking for the candidates for this job. If you know of someone that might be interested in this position (that is not affiliated with FPC or its members), please get in contact with a member of the Personnel Committee.

Lenten Wednesdays Soup & Supper

The Community Lenten Wednesday Soup & Supper are wonderful opportunities for the good Christians in town across the denominations to gather together having fellowship of the saints over yummy soups, and worshipping together. The first Sunday was at St. Joseph’s Catholic church, followed by Trinity Lutheran church. We hosted the third Wednesday of Lent, 26^th of March. We did wonderfully. Our wonderful Presbyterians came to set up the tables, and brought soups to share. Nancy Kincaid organized them all. Thank you all who helped. For the worship, Jennie Woods provided lovely music, Neal Crouse worked with the technology, and the Worship Team planned it all. Again, thank you all who helped.

There will be no gathering on the fourth Lenten Wednesday, but the following and final Wednesday (April 9^th) the gathering will be at Central Christian Church. Dinner is at 6PM, and the worship service at 7PM.

Lenten Sermon Series

Our Lenten journey will be marked with pastor Je’s Lenten Sermon Series with the theme of “Journey to the Cross: Following the Steps of Jesus” and the weekly topics are:

• The Steps into the Wilderness
• The Step of Compassion
• The Step of Living Water
• The Step of Light
• The Step of Surrender
• The Step toward Victory (Palm Sunday)
• The Step to the Eternal Life (Easter Sunday)

Holy Week Schedules

Palm Sunday, April 13^th:

Palm Sunday we will have regular Sunday morning service at 10:30 A.M.

Maundy Thursday, April 17^th:

There will be a modern American style Last Supper in the fellowship hall at 6 PM. A simple baked potato meal (which was not available at Jesus’ time) will be served with some explanation by pastor Je.

Good Friday, April 18^th:

A solemn Good Friday Service will be at the sanctuary at 7 PM. No heavy sermon is involved.

Holy Saturday, April 19^th:

No Bible Study.

Easter Sunday, April 20^th:

Son-Rise Service is at 8 AM at the courtyard if the weather is good. In case of bad weather, we will worship in the fellowship hall. The service will be brief. Crafting and casserole breakfast follow.
Sunday Morning Service at 10:30 AM.

Two Lenten Devotionals

Beside the sermon series, the church will provide the two Lenten Devotionals. One is the daily audio devotional which you can watch on YouTube (the daily emails will be sent to you with the video link and PDF for each day). The other is PCUSA’s 2025 Lenten Devotional with the topic of “Grieving Change and Loss.” This is PDF version which will be emailed to you each week. If you prefer to have a printed copy, please contact the church office.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday was at Central Christian Church on Wednesday, March 5^th at 7 PM. Pastor Je preached, and Rev. Nathan Kibler presided over the communion. Ashes were imposed on the foreheads of the good Christians attending the service. For all who couldn’t come, God gave the white ashes over all the houses in town.

Per Capita

Per Capita is a financial commitment made by every Presbyterian in the PC(USA) to support the broader mission and ministry of God’s church. It helps fund the work of the denomination at all levels, ensuring we can carry out God’s call effectively.

This year, the Per Capita contribution is $44.66 per member, which is distributed as follows:

• $30.01 to the Presbytery of Wabash Valley
• $3.81 to the Synod of Lincoln Trails
• $10.84 to the Office of General Assembly

To contribute, simply mark your offering envelope or cheque with “Per Capita.” Your support ensures that we, as a denomination, can continue to serve God’s mission faithfully and effectively.

Thank you for your commitment to the ministry of the church and for helping us make a difference together.

FPC Church Finance Notes 

This is the second in a series of monthly church finance articles. Last month, I spoke about the church’s primary source of income, your contributions. This month, I will tell how we use those contributions, or at least the General Contributions.

All contributions received that are either unmarked, or are marked with a designation such as Tithe, General, Regular, Weekly, etc. are considered as General Contributions, and they are used to pay for the church’s operating expenses.

The church operates on a financial calendar that runs from June to the following May. So we are currently operating under a budget for the period from June 2024 through May of 2025. For that 12 month period, our budget had anticipated that it would cost us $185,750 to operate. So far, after 9 months (June through February), our actual expenses have been about 2% higher than the budget.

Our operating expenses divide into four categories: 

·        Personnel 

·        Building and property 

·        Discipleship / Worship 

·        Congregational Care

The church does not carry any debt, so we do not have any mortgage payments or other loan payments.

Personnel

The church has budgeted for 6 paid employees, although we currently have only 5 paid employees: 

·        Pastor Je Lee 

·        Lesley Klooz – Office Manager 

·        Neal Course – Financial Administrator 

·        Lisa Hutcheson – Worship Director 

·        Ruth Deem – Custodian (Ruth is leaving us soon so the position will be open) 

·        Organist – the position is currently open

The first two positions are full-time, while the remaining four are part-time.

In addition to the expenses for those employees, our Personnel costs include: 

·        ADP Payroll service fees

·        Pastor health and other benefit expenses

·        Worker’s Comp insurance premiums 

Some of our Personnel costs are considered as “shared expenses” with our preschool PPM. That portion of the Personnel costs are not included in the numbers shown below. I will explain in more detail in a future article how PPM “shared expenses” are allocated.

The budget for 2024-2025 for those Personnel costs was $147,130. So far, after 9 months, we are about 2.7% ahead of (better than) budget on such expenses, partly because we are not paying for an organist at this time.

As is true for most organizations, Personnel costs are a relatively larger proportion (79%) of our overall expenses.

Property Expenses

Property related expenses include: 

·        Office and administrative expenses

·        Building and property maintenance

·        Janitorial supplies

·        Property and liability insurance

·        Electric, gas, and trash service utilities 

Our budget anticipated that, after subtracting PPM’s share of those expenses, the Church’s share of Property expenses would be $34,120. After 9 months, such expenses are coming at about 25% higher (worse than) than anticipated. Our aging building has thrown us a few unanticipated expenses this year. 

Discipleship / Worship  Expenses 

This category of expenses includes: 

·        Flower expenses not covered by member payments

·        Organ, piano, and other instrument maintenance

·        Music

·        Worship supplies

·        Copyright licensing fees 

Our 2024/2025 budget had anticipated expenses of this type to be: $2,000.

After 9 months, we are about 30% below (better than) budget. 

Congregational Care Expenses 

This category includes: 

·        Kitchen supplies

·        Food, as for communal lunches and other events.

·        Coffee and fellowship supplies

·        Congregation mailing and communication expenses 

Our 2024/2025 budget had anticipated expenses of this type to be: $2,500.

After 9 months, we are about 18% below (better than) budget. 

General Contributions 

Finally, I wanted to give an update on how contributions are coming in to allow us to continue to pay the bills listed above.

Our 2024/2025 budget had anticipated that total General Contributions would be $170,000. So far, after 9 months, we are about 2% behind that pace.

Also, note that $170,000 in contributions still leaves us with a deficit of over $15,000, since as mentioned earlier, our operating cost budget for the year 2024/2025 was $185,750. We will use investment and endowment income to cover that deficit. Ideally, we would be able to cover all operating expenses using contribution income only, but many years, that is not possible.

Exceptional Operating Expenses 

Also note that the above may not include special one-time expenses that we occasionally incur on our older building. An example is the expense we had last year to repair our aging stained glass windows, or an expense we may have in the next year or two to perhaps replace our aging heating equipment. If it is not possible to cover such expenses using contribution income, and often it is not, we do have some cash reserves from prior member special gifts that can be used, though again we try to avoid that if possible. 

Neal Crouse 

Financial Administrator 

Special Offerings

Awesome Presbyterians

There are four Special Offerings in PCUSA according to the liturgical seasons beside Giving Catalogue: Christmas Joy, One Great Hour of Sharing, Pentecost, and Peace & Global Witness. According to PCUSA’s statement for the Special offerings from our congregation, the giving in 2024 became slightly more than four times than in 2023. This is truly wonderful. Below is the summary of the statement:

Year / Offering	2023	2024
Christmas Joy	$650.00	$1,175.00
One Great Hour of Sharing	$100.00	$1,305.00
Pentecost	$142.00	$165.00
Peace & Global Witness	$0.00	$745.31
Giving Catalogue	$0.00	$300.00
Sum	$892.20	$3,690.31

Pentecost Offering

The Pentecost Offering unites us in a church-wide effort to support young people and inspire them to share their faith, ideas, and unique gifts with the church and the world. Psalm 71 testifies that a foundation of faith established during childhood helps ensure lifelong faith and service. The patterns and lessons established during these formative years continue to bear fruit throughout a person's life. By receiving the Pentecost Offering, you are nurturing the faith of children, youth, and young adults. The collection of this special offering is from Easter Monday (Monday, April 21^st) through Pentecost Sunday (Sunday, June 8^th).

• 40% of this offering stays at our congregation to support work with at-risk children, youth and young adults in their local community. 
• 50% goes to PCUSA to support ministries with youth and young adults. 
• 10% also goes to PCUSA to support child advocacy/children at risk.

Gourmet Seekers

On Friday March 28^th, the Gourmet Seekers traveled to Cracker Barrel for food and Fellowship. Our next meeting will be at The Americana Grill on April 25^th at 12 PM (528 Lafayette Ave. Lebanon, IN 46052). If you would like to rideshare please be at the church by 11:30 AM. Call or email the church office if you plan to attend.

One Great Hour of Sharing

 

One Great Hour of Sharing is being collected from Ash Wednesday through Easter Sunday. The purpose of this special offering is to relieve hunger (Presbyterian Hunger Pro-gram), to promote development (Presbyterian Committee on the Self-Development of People), and to assist in areas of disaster (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance). The last day of contributing to this offering is Easter Sunday.

Faith Circle

Faith Circle is back and will be meeting on the second Wednesday of each month from April to October. However, due to a calendar conflict the April meeting will be on Tuesday April 7^th. 

Historic Sermons

On Monday, March 10^th, a small package arrived at church from Richmond, VA. That was from Rev. Dr. Lynn McClintock, a newly retired PCUSA minister, and a great-granddaughter of our former member Samuel Moffett Ralston, who was an Indiana governor and a U.S. Senator from Indiana. The package contained two sermons by Rev. O. H. Carmichael, one of our former ministers at this church. One sermon is titled “God made man in His own image,” which was preached on Sunday, December 22^nd, 1907, and the other “The Church’s Message to Those Who Toil” on Sunday, December 13^th, 1908.

Rev. Dr. McClintock found these two sermons which her great-grandfather kept carefully while clutter-clearing. These two historic sermons are scanned and available to read at our church website:

https://www.lebanonfpc.org/publications/historic-sermons

Historic Bulletins

(The Bulletin cover of the Installation Service of Rev. Arthur Kollen Korteling as Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Lebanon, Indiana by the Presbytery of Crawfordsville on Sunday, June 29^th, 1947, 8PM.)

As Rev. Dr. Lynn McClintock found the historic materials during clutter-clearing, pastor Je is also doing the clutter-clearing at the church library. A Reel tape was found which was an organ recording for the Organ Dedication some year in the 1950s. Jane Myers is looking for ways to convert it into digital format such as MP3. Once converted, it will be uploaded and available for listening at the church YouTube channel.

Pastor Je also found a bunch of old church bulletins from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s etc. Some of them are already scanned and available to see at the church website:

https://www.lebanonfpc.org/publications/historic-bulletins

PPM Sunday

Sunday, April 27^th is PPM Sunday—an occasion to highlight the Presbyterian Preschool Ministry’s (PPM) efforts in shaping the lives of our youngest learners. During worship, our preschoolers will sing and dance, reminding us of the joyful vitality that children bring to the faith community. Your support, both prayerful and financial, enables them to flourish in an environment centered on love, discovery, and God’s Word.

Investing in Christian education from an early age is vital. As Proverbs 22:6 teaches, “Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” When children regularly experience stories of God’s grace, engage in songs of praise, and form friendships under Christ’s example, they develop a strong sense of identity and belonging. By nurturing their growing faith, we equip them to face life’s challenges with confidence and hope.

On Sunday, April 27^th, let us celebrate these bright young souls and recommit ourselves to the ministry of early Christian education. This collective effort forms an indispensable part of our calling to pass on the teachings of Christ to future generations. May their voices and dances inspire us to continue fostering a welcoming space where each child can thrive in God’s loving care.

Passover

The Passover this year is Sunday, April 13^th. Each spring, we remember the ancient Jewish festival of Passover. This sacred observance commemorates God’s deliverance of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt (see Exodus 12:1–28). In the original Passover, families sacrificed a spotless lamb and placed its blood upon their doorposts, trusting God to rescue them. This lamb was not only central to their liberation but also a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice: Jesus Christ.

In the New Testament, Jesus is often referred to as the Lamb of God. John 1:29 records John the Baptist exclaiming, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Just as the Passover lamb offered temporary safety from a physical threat, Jesus’ sacrificial death brings eternal salvation from the bondage of sin. As 1 Corinthians 5:7 notes, “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”

At Passover, the Israelites paused to honor God’s faithfulness and to celebrate new freedom. Today, as we approach Sunday, April 13th, we do well to reflect on how Jesus, our spotless Lamb, continues to free us from sin and grant us spiritual life. May we keep our eyes on Him, remembering that His perfect sacrifice means deliverance and hope for all who believe.

Last Supper

The Last Supper, recounted in the Gospels (Matthew 26:17–30; Mark 14:12–26; Luke 22:7–38; John 13:1–30), took place during a Jewish Passover feast. Jesus and His disciples gathered in an upper room to share this meal, honoring the age-old tradition that commemorated God’s deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt. As He dined with them, Jesus used the symbolism of this sacred feast to reveal a profound new covenant. In the midst of the Passover meal, He took bread and wine, giving them fresh meaning: the bread as His body broken for us, and the cup as His blood shed for our salvation.

For Christians, the Last Supper holds tremendous importance. It was here that Jesus instituted Holy Communion, encouraging His followers to partake of bread and wine in remembrance of His sacrifice. This practice remains central to Christian worship today. As the Apostle Paul affirmed in 1 Corinthians 11:23–26, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” In this simple act, believers throughout the centuries have declared their unity in Christ and their reliance upon His atoning work. The Passover meal thus became a testimony not only to God’s past deliverance but also to the saving grace made available through Jesus, the Lamb of God, for all who place their trust in Him.

Easter

Easter stands at the heart of Christian faith, marking the day on which Jesus rose from the dead and secured victory over sin and death. As Luke 24 recounts, some of Jesus’ disciples found His tomb empty on the first day of the week—an astonishing discovery that forever changed the course of history. This miracle is more than a remarkable event; it holds enduring significance for believers everywhere.

The resurrection of Jesus demonstrates that death does not have the final word, offering hope to all who trust in Him. 1 Corinthians 15:20 proclaims that “Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.” In other words, Jesus’ resurrection is a promise of new and everlasting life for everyone who calls upon His name. This truth also compels Christians to share the good news of redemption and renewal.

When we celebrate Easter, we honor not only an historical event but also the life-giving power found in Christ’s rising from the grave. Because He lives, we have assurance that our own struggles, sorrows, and limitations do not need to define us. Through the resurrection, we look forward to a future in which all things are made new and God’s kingdom reigns in full.

Pack a Baby Pack

It’s time again to pack our baby packs for Malawi. This is our second year doing this worthwhile mission and hopefully one we will continue to do every year. No doubt you have all heard and read the announcements and have seen sign-up sheets at church for donations to this cause. Many times pregnant women in Malawi have to walk several miles while in labor to get to a hospital to deliver their babies. Often they can’t get to the hospital in time. These baby packs supply them with everything they need to deliver their babies as safely as possible. Many times if the women make it to the hospital , the hospitals don’t always have enough supplies, so when the expectant mother reaches the hospital she has the baby pack for the nurses and doctors. It is hard for us to imagine what it is like to deliver a baby all by ourselves out in the Malawi bush. That is why it is so important to support this project. There is a sign-up sheet in the back of the sanctuary with the items we need to fill the baby packs. If you haven’t already signed up to donate something please check it out. You can always donate money by putting baby packs in the memo section of your check and place it in the offering plate. We are collecting items until April 20. You will find a box in the foyer labeled Malawi baby packs to place your donated items. We will pack the baby packs on Saturday April 26, at 2 PM in the fellowship hall. We will have a baby shower theme along with cake and drinks. There is also a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board to let us know if you are coming to pack so we know how big of a cake we need. Hopefully a very large one! Please join us!

Leftover Bibles

Do you have more Bibles than you need or read? If they are in fair condition, you may want to donate them to our Christian brothers and sisters in Malawi. The unopened Bibles which are just sitting on the shelves can be treasures and divine words to them. If you would like to bring your Bibles to church, we will send them to Malawi with the Baby Packs.

New Benches

The benches that were purchased through the Boone County Solid Waste grant program were delivered to the church early March. Roy Flanary and Rob Bevington worked to put them together. They have been in the courtyard waiting to be moved to the Pocket Park. On March 27^th, the benches were moved to the park for all to enjoy. Thank you to Roy Flanary, Don Sanders, Asher Klooz (Lesley’s nephew) and Dominick Klooz (Lesley’s husband) moving these heavy benches.

Easter Flower

We are once again ordering flowers to decorate the sanctuary to celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and to celebrate new and eternal life. The sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board outside the church office. The flowers available this year are Lilies, Hyacinths, Daffodils and Tulips. The price per plant is $17. All orders are due by April 14^th.

BYOB

Don’t forget the BYOB—Bring Your Own whatever B— is the second Friday of every month. Hope you can join us this month!

Saturday Bible Study

Bible Study will meet on Saturdays in April (except Holy Saturday April 19^th and Malawi Baby Shower April 26^th) at 11:30am in the church library. We are currently studying the Book of Genesis, focusing on the ancient Middle Eastern and Hebrew cultures that shape its narrative. Coffee and tea will be provided but you need to bring your own lunch

Communion Servers 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 interested, there is a sign-up sheet on the bulletin board across from the church office. May and June still need volunteers. 

April Communion Servers:

·        Roy Flanary

·        Don Sanders

·        Amy Morrison

·        Nancy Kincaid

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.

April Church Calendar

Fri. 4^th: 5:30 PM Worship Team Meeting

Sun. 6^th: Communion Sunday

Mon. 7^th: Carmen Donaldson’s Birthday

Tues. 8^th: Kathy Flanary’s Birthday
1:30 PM Faith Circle Meeting

Fri. 11^th: Hank Walters’ Birthday
11:30 AM BYOB

Sun. 13^th: Palm Sunday / Passover
Craig Reynolds II’s Birthday

Tues. 15^th: Cyndy Gibbs’ Birthday
Tax Filing Due
6:30 PM Session Meeting

Wed. 16^th: Kitty Hill’s Birthday
McKenna Reynolds’ Birthday

Thurs. 17^th: Maundy Thursday
Last Supper at 6 PM

Fri. 18^th: Good Friday
Good Friday Service at 7 PM
Nancy Turner’s Birthday

Sat. 19^th: Holy Saturday
No Bible Study

Sun. 20^th: Easter Sunday
8 AM Son-Rise Service in the Church Courtyard

Fri. 25^th:  Gourmet Seekers
5:30 PM Worship Team Meeting

Sat. 26^th: Malawi Baby Shower
No Bible Study

Sun. 27^th: Caring Sunday
PPM Sunday

Wed. 30^th: Nancy Turner & Steve McPherson’s Anniversary

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