From the pastor’s study By Murray Richmond Education is about learning things. Formation is about putting things into practice. For instance, I could get a bunch of books on golf out of the library. I could read about what makes a per-fect swing, I could learn all the rules of the game, I could tell what the best equipment is, and who the best golfers are . But none of that actually impacts my ability to play golf. The only way to do that is to get into the game, to pick up a club and hit a golf ball. All the education can help. Without it, I might never be able to play well. But the education is not the doing. The same is true of the Christian faith. I could learn the teachings of the Bible cover to cover. I could know the history of the Church. I could learn about different ways to pray and read all about how to do Christian mission. But like the golfer who has read a lot but never hit a ball, I am not in the game. One of the seven marks of a vital congregation is lifelong Christian formation. While this certainly has a lot do with the education program in a church, it is more than that. It a process that helps people become better practicing Christians. That is a lifelong goal! I have been following Christ, intentionally, for the last 40 or so years, and I still have ways I can improve. I imagine those could be my last words. As we move into the Congregational Vitality Initiative, one of the things we will look at is lifelong Christian formation. Many of us have been doing this for a long time, but over the next few years First Presbyterian will be more intentional about focusing on Christian formation. If I had to give a short definition of what Christian formation is, it would be this: Intentionally doing those things that bring us closer to Christ. We learn more, but we also worship more, pray more, serve more and love more. As a congregation that is faithful to Jesus Christ, we do many things here that help us in our Christian formation. But, we can do more, and we can do better.

8th

& Holly newsletter First Presbyterian Church 85 South Holly Street Medford, Oregon 97501

Sax man Chris Pearson plays Jazz Vespers

The Chris Pearson Quartet plays our July 14 Jazz Vespers service. Pearson is a Medford free-lance musician and band instrument repair technician. Backing him are Ian McCarty on piano, Mark Hamersly on bass and Jake Riggs on drums. Jazz Vespers starts at 5 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month except December. Pearson’s been part of the Rogue Valley music scene for years, including stints as conductor of Southern Oregon Concert Band and instrumental music teacher at St. Mary’s School. He’s best known for his work on saxophone, but also plays clarinet and flute. Pearson is leader of the Rogue Big Band and plays with several local groups. Artist and photographer Howard Hunt will be the fea-tured visual artist. Hunt trained as a wildlife biologist, taught ecology and mixes his photographic images with digital painting. The exhibit, hung in our first floor gallery, shows Hunt’s vision of creatures, real and imagined.

8th

&Holly

Our 134th

year

The monthly newsletter of First Presbyterian Church of Medford, Oregon July 2019

Change service requested

NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage paid Medford OR 97501

Permit No. 383

Chris Pearson

July at First Vacation Bible School this month

1 Monday 10:30 a.m. Fellowship Commit-tee, library 2 Tuesday 10 a.m. Staff Meeting, workroom 3 Wednesday 10 a.m. Food Bank set up 1:30 p.m. Food Bank 4 Thursday Independence Day

Office and Sa-rah Corson Center closed 5 Friday Sarah Corson Center closed

7 Sunday Worship Informal 8:30 a.m. Traditional 10:30 a.m. 7 p.m. Christian Ed Committee, 348 Sutter Ave. 8 Monday 9 a.m. VBS ages 4-7, Fellowship Hall and classrooms 4 p.m. Mission Committee, Li-brary 9 Tuesday 9 a.m. VBS ages 4-7, Fellowship Hall and classrooms 10 a.m. Staff Meeting, workroom 10 Wednesday 9 a.m. VBS ages 4-7, classrooms 10 a.m. Food Bank set up 1:30 p.m. Food Bank 11 Thursday 9 a.m. VBS ages 4-7, Fellowship Hall and classrooms 12 Friday 9 a.m. VBS ages 4-7, Fellowship Hall and classrooms 14 Sunday Worship Informal 8:30 a.m. Traditional 10:30 a.m. 5 p.m. Jazz Vespers, Chris Pear-son Quartet, Sanctuary

16 Tuesday 10 a.m. Staff Meeting, workroom 17 Wednesday 10 a.m. Food Bank set up 1:30 p.m. Food Bank 18 Thursday 10 a.m. Finance committee, Workroom 21 Sunday Worship Informal 8:30 a.m. Traditional 10:30 a.m. 11:45 a.m. Deacons, Fireplace Room 22 Monday 9 a.m. VBS ages 8-11, Fellowship Hall and classrooms 23 Tuesday 9 a.m. VBS ages 8-11, Fellowship Hall and classrooms 10 a.m. Staff meeting, workroom 1:30 p.m. Book Nook, library 24 Wednesday 9 a.m. VBS ages 8-11, classrooms 10 a.m. Food Bank set up 1:30 p.m. Food Bank 25 Thursday 9 a.m. VBS ages 8-11, Fellowship Hall and classrooms

26 Friday 9 a.m. VBS ages 8-11, Fellowship Hall and classrooms 28 Sunday Worship Informal 8:30 a.m. Traditional 10:30 a.m. 30 Tuesday 10 a.m. Staff Meeting, workroom 31 Wednesday 10 a.m. Food Bank set up 1:30 p.m. Food Bank

July Birthdays 8 Dudley Peterson 9 Josie Metz 11 Rev. Kathy Waugh 12 Jean Herron Huth 16 Evonne Hubbard 18 Lenny Reierson 23 Vera Morrell 27 Bill Lucas 28 Robin Blomquist 29 Monty Holst Bill Walter 30 Jan Grunwald

Lunch Bunch Meet Sunday in the Fellowship Hall after the second service. All are welcome. Here’s our sched-ule: July 7 Debby’s Diner, 3800 S. Pacific Hwy, Phoenix July 14 Mazatlan Grill, 1350 Plaza Blvd, Central Point July 21 Sizzler, 700 Biddle Road July 28 Ali’s Thai Kitchen, 2392 N. Pa-cific Hwy

First Presbyterian Church 85 South Holly Street Medford, Oregon 97501 Phone: (541) 779-1711 Email: fpcm@firstpresmedford.org

Office hours Mon-Thurs 8:30 am to 3:30 pm

Pastor …Rev. Murray Richmond Congregational Care Associate …...Mike Hubbard Associates for Visitation and Pas-toral Care …..Rev. Mary Wright Gillespie ….Rev. Barbara Haddon Administrative & Financial Assis-tant……….…….Elizbeth Mahan Sarah Corson Childcare & Learn-ing Center……….....Jaime Snider

Session Committee chairs

Building & Grounds—Jim Foucault (541) 841-8345

Christian Education—Vickie Reierson (541) 601-5591

Church Growth — Bob Frey 1-(503) 779-5558

Fellowship— Kristy Denman (541) 772-3259

Finance — Dwight Sinner (541) 770-5720

Personnel—Dan Johnson (541) 826-7736 Mission— Evonne Hubbard

(541) 778-3501 Worship & Music—Doris Sjolund

(541) 857-6646

www.firstpreschurchmedford.com

There are still open-ings for both session of this summer’s Va-cation Bible School. The music-and-motion oriented July program is offered to two age groups. Help us spread the word and invite children to the return of VBS. · Week One: July 8–12 for Four- to Seven-year-olds and meets from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. every day. Week One is titled “We Sing and Move.” · Week Two: July 22–26 for Eight- to 11-year-olds and meets

from 9 a.m. to noon every day. Week Two

is titled “Puzzling Parables.” Director Doris Sjolund and Christian Education chair Vickie Reierson told Session this week that extensive promotion is underway for the school, including a VBS banner hanging from our newly painted church building. Doris is still recruiting adult volunteers to assist with classes and fur-nishing snacks for break times for the second week. You can call her at (541) 857-6646. Mail should go to the church office, attention Doris Sjolund.

Your newsletter team Paulette Avery, Vickie Reierson,

Barbara Moore, Tam Moore (541) 608-0171

Copy deadline: 4th Monday of the month prior to publication email: newsletter.firstpresmedford@gmail.com

It Seems

It seems I’m going nowhere, But I only see the first step.

It seems my world will end, But you made a better way.

It seems my wounds won’t heal, But you made them whole.

It seems my sins overtake me, But you’ve given your cross.

--Becky Jones, 2018

Spies and redemption The Alice Network, an historical nov-el by Kate Quinn, is the July read for our Book Nook group. Everyone’s welcome to read this New York Times best seller and join the discussion in the Church Library at 1:30 p.m. Tues-day, July 23. Quinn wraps together the story of a French woman, recruited in 1915 to spy on the Germans in the real World War I Alice Network, with an American college girl who in 1947 sets out to find her cousin who disap-peared during World War II. Those who come to the July meeting will have a chance to pick up copies of the August read, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.

There are still openings for both VBS sessions