Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
The Messenger F I R S T P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U R C H 133 Jackson Street
Oconto WI 54153
HAPPY 100th BIRTHDAY
MARION OLSEN!!
www.fpcoconto.org
DECEMBER 2012
Highlights from your Session’s latest meeting Calendar & Important Dates 2-3
Birthdays & Anniversaries 4
Prayer List 5
Christian Ed & Worship 6-7
Deacons & Presby Women 8
Puzzle & Boiler Update 9-11
Pastor’s Ponderings 12
Inside this issue:j
A full copy of the minutes is available on the bulletin board in the narthex.
Approved purchase of new wireless mics and mixer for the Sanctuary
Received positive 90-day review report on Office Manger Taylor Amell from per-sonnel. Approved increasing regular office hours to M-F 8:30-11:30 AM.
Approved upgrades to fluorescent lighting in offices.
Approved Stewardship letter. Set Dec 2 as Commitment Sunday with special treats being supplied by current members of Session.
Approved entering a float in the Chamber Christmas Parade.
Worship Schedule 9:00 am—Sunday School 10:15 am—Worship
Church Leadership:
Ministers: Every Member!
Current Session Members: Margret Drewry, Pete Gabrielson, Jeff Krueger, Dean Reed, Audrey Rietz, Dennis Stamsta, Julie Trepanier, Mike Werner and Scott LaPlant (clerk)
Current Deacons: Sue Cross (Chair), David Cross, Sharon Bauman, Jenni Hanna, Bert Hollander, Bonnie LeMense, Michelle McDowell, Barb Sikma and Jenny Wickman
Support Staff (paid and volunteer): Taylor Amell—Office Manager and Volunteer Coordinator
[email protected] Volunteers—Custodian Donna Boehmer—Organist Sue Stodola—Adult Choir Director and Organist Don Sikma—Children’s Choir Director Polly Exferd— Bell/Chime Choir Director Kris Alwin—S.S. Superintendant Michelle McDowell, Stephanie Heyrman— Nursery Coordinators Heidi Reed—Treasurer (accounts payable) Jennifer Wickman & Chuck Nick — Assistant Treasurers Rev. Craig R. Alwin—Pastor
[email protected] 920-604-3922 (urgent contact via cell phone)
Marion Olsen is turning 100 on Dec. 18th!
We are hosting a Birthday Party for her at church
on Sunday December 9th after worship.
Please plan on stopping by to celebrate with her.
The Children’s Christmas Program
“The Twas’ of Christmas”
Will be during worship
on December 9th,
Please join us for our Christmas Eve Service
December 24 @ 5:00 pm
Holy communion will be served in the pews
SUND
AY
MO
NDAY
TUE
SDAY
W
EDNE
SDAY
TH
URSD
AY
FRID
AY
SATUR
DAY
N
ew
off
ice
ho
urs
!
M-F
8
:30-1
1:30am
1
2
Casu
al
Wo
rsh
ip 8
am
Su
nd
ay
Sch
oo
l 9
am
Wo
rsh
ip 1
0:1
5 a
m
WO
ME
N’S
BIB
LE
S
TU
DY
9 a
m
3
Pas
tor
Cra
ig @
Fo
rest
L
arge
r P
aris
h S
essi
on
4
Deaco
ns
5:0
0 p
m
5 P
&G
6:3
0p
m
Co
nfi
rmat
ion
6:3
0 p
m
Piz
za/ I
talia
n 5
:30
Yo
uth
Han
d C
him
e 6 p
m
Han
d B
ell 6:4
5 p
m
6
7
8
9
S.S
. P
rog
ram
Pra
cti
ce 8
:30
Su
nd
ay
Sch
oo
l 9 a
m
Wo
rsh
ip 1
0:1
5 a
m w
ith
CH
ILD
RE
N’S
PR
OG
RA
M
Mari
on
Ols
en
’s P
art
y
10
11 W
ors
hip
8:3
0 a
m
12
Co
nfi
rmat
ion
6:3
0 p
m
Bak
ed P
ota
to 5
:30
Yo
uth
Han
d C
him
e 6 p
m
Han
d B
ell 6:4
5 p
m
13
14
15
16
Su
nd
ay
Sch
oo
l 9 a
m
Wo
rsh
ip 1
0:1
5 a
m
17
5:0
0 p
m M
ann
a M
eals
Ch
rist
mas
Din
ner
Sess
ion
6:3
0 p
m
18
New
slet
ter
Art
icle
s D
ue
To
day
19
Co
nfi
rmat
ion
6:3
0 p
m
So
up
/San
dw
ich
5:3
0
Yo
uth
Han
d C
him
e 6 p
m
Han
d B
ell 6:4
5 p
m
20
21
22
23
Su
nd
ay
Sch
oo
l 9 a
m
Wo
rsh
ip 1
0:1
5 a
m
30
NO
Su
nd
ay S
ch
oo
l
Wo
rsh
ip 1
0:1
5 a
m
24
Ch
rist
mas
Eve
S
erv
ice @
5 p
m
Wit
h C
om
mu
nio
n
31
New
Year’
s E
ve
25
Ch
rist
mas
Day
H
ap
py B
irth
day
Jesu
s!
O
FF
ICE
C
LO
SE
D
26
NO
Co
nfi
rmati
on
Bre
akfa
st/C
hri
stm
as 5
:30
NO
HA
ND
BE
LL
S
27
28
29
DE
CE
MB
ER
2012
Th
e C
hil
dre
n’s
Su
nd
ay S
ch
oo
l C
hri
stm
as
Pro
gra
m w
ill
be D
ecem
ber
9th
du
rin
g W
ors
hip
!
Page 3
The Messenger F I R S T P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U R C H 133 Jackson Street
Oconto WI 54153 (920-835-3922) www.fpcoconto.org
GREETERS: Dec 2 Dave & Sue Cross Dec 9 Pete & Patty Gabrielson Dec 16 Bill & Priscilla Hermsen Dec 23 Michael & Cynthia Krohn Dec 24 Ann & Jenna Hornblad Dec 30 John & Brenda Jicha HOSTESS: Rosemary Rice SNACK PROVIDER: Dec 2 Deacons Birthdays Dec 9 Tammie McCarthy Dec 16 Betsy Werner Dec 23 OPEN Dec 30 Bobbie Mlnarik HEAD USHER: Dean Reed USHERS: Dec 2 Don & Betty Glynn Dec 9 Judy Ferris & Donna Bushmaker Dec 16 Harry & Cindy Shallow Dec 23 OPEN Dec 24 Jeff Krueger Family Dec 30 Bert & Lynn Hollander ACOLYTES Dec 2 Kyle Huempfner & Gavin Mlnarik Dec 9 Dylan Hendzel & Sterling Heyrman Dec 16 Elise DeVuono & Alex Reed Dec 23 Hannah McDowell & James Alwin Dec 24 Elise DeVuono & Nathan DeVuono Dec 30 Jenna Hornblad & Kaitlin Hanna
GREETERS: Jan 6 Confirmation Students Jan 13 Steve & Carrie Jones Jan 20 Harry & Cindy Shallow Jan 27 Shirley, Don & Barb Sikma HOSTESS: Rosemary Rice SNACK PROVIDER: Jan 6 Deacons Birthdays Jan 13 Sue Cross Jan 20 Kris Alwin Jan 27 Michelle McDowell HEAD USHER: Brian Rice USHERS: Jan 6 Confirmation Students Jan 13 David & Sue Cross Jan 20 Ben & Anna Bourassa Jan 27 Jerry & Nikki Giese ACOLYTES Jan 6 Jake & Luke Krueger Jan 13 Alex & Emmy Reed Jan 20 Gavin Mlnarik & Dylan Hendzel Jan 27 Mackenzie & Sterling Heyrman
SUNDAY MORNING WORSHIP VOLUNTEER SCHEDULE FOR:
December 2012 January 2013
December 9th (during worship)—Children’s Program
December 9th (after worship)—Marion Olson’s Birthday Party
December 16th—Sunday School Cookie and Christmas Star Sale
December 24th—Christmas Eve Service @ 5:00 pm with Holy Communion
If the dates we have you scheduled for won’t work, please find a replacement or contact Pete Gabrielson or the Church Office.
Page 4
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
Dec 1 Barbara Leonard
Dec 3 Lucy Ann Schmidt
Dec 4 Blake Giese
Dec 6 Don Glynn
Dec 6 Ernest Schroder
Dec 8 Lisa Champion
Dec 8 Mike Werner
Dec 13 Nancy Nick
Dec 15 Nikki Giese
Dec 17 Linda Mehlberg
Dec 18 Marion Olsen
Dec 20 Charlie Rice
Dec 22 Aaron Malczewski
Dec 26 Keegan Shallow
Dec 31 Cindy Rysewyk
DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
Dec 13 David & Sue Cross
Dec 27 Sean & Stephanie Heyrman
Dec 27 Michael & Betsy Werner
CASUAL WORSHIP
Please join us on December 2 for 8:00 am Casual Worship:
Worship Commission is discussing offering this service in 2013. If you have any sugges-tions, please contact Pete Gabrielson or a member of the Worship Commission.
As always, we will offer Traditional Worship at 10:15 am every Sunday.
REQUEST FOR TREATS
CHILDREN’S DRAWINGS
Does your child love to draw? We will be collecting children’s drawings to copy and use for worship and bulletins. Please drop off your best work to Pastor Craig or the church office! Thank you!
We are so blessed to have a higher attendance at church—which creates a unique ‘problem’ for us: running out of treats at fellow-ship time! If you have too many goodies to eat this time of year, please feel free to bring in your extras to help stock our freezer with ‘back-ups’! Any treats with religious shapes or themes—crosses, hearts, etc—would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN PRAYER LIST
Deets Aland
Nancy Baker
Sandra Ballard
Becky Baranczyk
Ruth Belongia
Megan Brabant
Ann Buerger
Carol Crawford
The Family of Marge DeYoung
Phyllus DonLevy
Caroline Drewry
John Dumke
Ken Exferd
The family of Rev. Richard Fite
Jerome Friedman
John Gabriel
Arleen Gabrielson
Don Glynn
Bennett Heyrman
Stephanie Heyrman
Kathy Hodges
Kennedy (Wallin) Hoffman
June Janovsky
The family of Allan ‘Al’ Jenkins
Kelli (Viestenz) Jenkins
Nancy Korfmacher
Terry Korfmacher
Diane Lasley
Rosetta Lehman
Gloria LeMay
Marlow Katherine LeMieux
Karen Meier
Bea Messenger
Michelle McDowell
Sara Nick
Virginia Plier
Audrey Rietz
Jackie Roskom
Scott Schultz
Nancy Seefeldt
Dennis Stamsta
Aislinn Villanueva
Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find
grace to help in time of need.
– Hebrews 4:16
Page 5
All Military personnel & families including: David Weber & the 1157 - National Guard Lance Corporal Mark Beck Private Mike Beck Airman First Class Michael Brugger Forest Larger Parish (Lakewood, Wabeno, Laona) during Pastor Search All affected by the economy and layoffs
POINSETTIA SIGN UP SHEETS
Anyone wishing to share a poinsettia for Advent & Christ-mas Eve can do so by purchasing your own. If you would
like to have the plant given in memory or in honor of some-one, please fill out a sign up sheet and return to the office.
Poinsettia sign up sheets are available in the narthex.
Page 6 THE MESSENGER
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The middle school office is looking for a part time office aide -
but this individual would need to be employed through Experience Works
(a program for those aged 55 and over) to qualify.
Contact Cindy Shallow for more info. (920) 834-7806 ext. 2102
All are invited to join in a Women’s Bible Study! The theme is ‘Women of the New Testament’. Please feel free to join at any time, no mat-ter your knowledge of Scripture. This is a casual meeting and a chance to
discuss our faith as we learn about the dynamic women in the Bible— and how they may be just like us today!
Our next meeting will be 9 am Sunday, December 2nd in the Fireside Lounge. Any questions please contact Taylor Amell.
WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY
SOUND AND VIDEO VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Are you handy with technology and love to work with media? Then we need you! We have new microphones and a mixer ordered that will need to be installed. Please contact Pastor Craig if you are interested in helping with setting up and updating our audio video equip-
ment, or helping to utilize it during worship.
WORSHIP COMMISSION
The 8:00 worship services held so far are going very well. More discussion will be held to see how the
folks respond to keeping this going in 2013.
The Veterans Day worship service with Chaplain Howard Cole was exceptional and we will consider doing
something like this again.
We are discussing the possibility in 2013 of celebrating Holy Communion on the first Sunday of each
month, plus a few other special Sundays.
We will have a service of music and Christmas Carols with explanation/history behind the songs on De-
cember 30.
Page 7
The children’s Christmas Program will be
December 9th, during worship. The children
are asked to attend practice
during Sunday School on Dec. 2nd at 9am
and on Dec. 9th at 8:30 am.
Sunday School kids are doing a great job bringing weekly money for
supporting Jumma. Kids are writing him this month and pictures will be
taken to send to him.
On December 16th, the Sunday School kids
will decorate Christmas cookies. The stu-
dents will be selling cookies and Christmas
stars after worship to raise money for
Jumma.
On Friday December 21st, the Sunday
School kids are invited to ring bells at
Thompson’s from 4:00-5:00 pm. Feel free
to wear festive hats and your best smile
and singing voice!
On December 23rd, the Sunday School kids
will watch the movie ‘The Nativity Story’
during class time.
No Sunday School on Dec 30th. See you on Jan 6th!
SUNDAY SCHOOL NEWS
Please remember Jumma in your prayers!
YOUTH HAND CHIME CHOIR
All youth in grades 5-8 are invited to join the NEW Youth Chime Choir! Practices have sounded terrific!
We need at least 8 youth to participate to make this a success—so please keep up the good work!
Practices will be held every Wednesday evening at 6:00 pm. Come for Potluck at 5:30 pm for food and
stay for the fun at 6:00 pm! Can’t wait to see you there! Any questions, please contact Polly Exferd.
Page 8 THE MESSENGER
FROM YOUR DEACONS
Check out our website and Facebook page for daily encouragements from scripture and updated info!
BREAD BY THE BAY NEWS
Thanks so much for your past donations. Your caring and sharing is helping. Items
needed now: cereal, peanut butter, oatmeal packets, cocoa, canned fruit, noodles (all kinds),
soups, pasta sauces, and all personal hygiene products. We would also like empty medium
size laundry detergent bottles.
Bread by the Bay is Oconto’s Food Pantry, located at Oconto United Methodist Church 641
Washington Street. They are open every 1st and 3rd Tuesday from 3:30-6:00pm.
Registration begins at 3:00pm. All are welcome.
The Deacon’s Food Pantry shelves are running low. Please help bring in items to help families especially for the holidays. Thank you so much for your gener-
osity! Your help truly makes a difference!
Your Deacons delivered five Thanksgiving food baskets to families in Oconto. We will be delivering Christmas Baskets by December 21. Please let us know if
you would like to donate any items to be included in these.
We will be setting up the “Mitten Tree” again very soon. If you know of anyone in the area who could use a little encouragement this Christmas, please talk with
one of the Deacons, Taylor in the office, or Pastor Craig.
THANKS to these GREAT volunteers!
There are many, many important tasks that only get accomplished because of the generous help of so many volunteers. Every task is important and appreciated. We wanted to offer a special thanks to a few people who have made a significant commitment this year to help fill a few gaps: Bill Hermsen for taking care of our lawn care and leaf cleanup. Dennis Stamsta, Jerry Giese, Jeff Krueger & Dean Reed (and their families!) for cleaning the sanctuary and narthex. Jeff Bostedt for cleaning the bathrooms. Toni Hendzel for cleaning the Sunday School rooms. Ann Hornblad and Amy Mehlberg for helping to do extra clean-ing whenever needed. Jennifer Wickman & Heidi Reed for the treasurer work. THANK YOU ALL!!!
Page 9
KIDS CROSSWORD PUZZLE
Page 10 THE MESSENGER
WORDSEARCH
Page 11
BOILER REPLACEMENT PLANS
One of the boilers heating the sanctuary cracked on Good Friday and was no longer able to be used. We had three options to choose from, and after discussion and prayerful consid-eration your Session has voted to replace the three 80% efficient boilers with two 95-98% High Efficiency boilers. The cost for replacing the boilers is $23,950. The work is being done by Johnston Furnace (who installed our current boilers and is doing the nor-mal repair work.) One of these new boilers is currently providing heat to the sanctuary!
Your Session decided to “borrow” this money from our Crisis Contingency Fund.
This loan will be “repaid” over the next five years through a special “Boiler Fund.” Any portion of the principal that is paid off during 2012 will be interest free. Begin-ning January 2013 we will pay a 2% annual interest rate to help offset any gains we may have realized from our investments.
Please prayerfully consider whatever amount you are able to contribute towards the new boilers. We are VERY thankful to those who have already contributed toward this!
INVESTMENT FUND — “Crisis Contingency Fund” explanation
In 1995, the Session invested $100,000 in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Foundation (now called New Covenant Investment Fund), using the gift of Ella Browy. Gains from this fund have been used for a variety of “special” needs, including the parking lot and office equip-ment. In 2011, as a result of a visit from Executive Presbyter Lucy Rupe, the Session “set aside” $75,000 of this investment fund as a “Crisis Contingency Fund” and voted for $25,000 to be used for a 5-year plan towards a balanced budget.
The 5-year plan calls for utilizing our investment fund as follows:
$9600 in 2011 $7200 in 2012 $4800 in 2013 $2400 in 2014 $0 in 2015
At their September meeting, your Session authorized Chuck Nick to reduce our “New Cove-nant” investment fund balance to cover the boiler expenses and realize gains. This reduced the balance of our “Crisis Contingency Fund” to $51,000. Please help us to replenish this fund with your gifts.
CHECK OUT OUR RE-DESIGNED WEBSITE!
www.fpcoconto.org
133 Jackson Street
Oconto WI 54153
Fi rs t Presbyter ian Church
Phone: 920-835-3922
www.fpcoconto.org
www.facebook.com/FirstPresbyOconto
The deadline for the next issue is:
December 18
Some Ponderings From Your Pastor –
“‘...and they shall name him Emmanuel,’ which means, ‘God is with us.’” - Matthew 1:23
Emmanuel. God is with us. Not God is above us. Not God is somewhere in the neighborhood. Not God is with the rich. Not God is with the religious. Not God is with the Presbyterians. Emmanuel. God is with us. ALL of us. God has come to live with all of God’s children! God has come to take up residence in our hearts! As we remember and celebrate the birth of our savior, may we ALL experience the gift of God’s Son anew.
