Happy New Year! 2016 – I remember when we celebrated the year 2000 that seems like yesterday, yet it has now been sixteen years since then. Where does the time/years go. I remember as a young child, about Mackenzie’s age (8), say-ing to my grandmother, “Time slowly marches on”, and she responded, “Every year seems to get shorter and shorter and time goes quickly by.” I guess, I’m reaching the age of my grandmother.

Well we can’t stop time nor can we really turn the clock back. Time keeps march-ing on – slowly or quickly depending on one’s age or circumstances of life.

Every year has its own particular challenges and own particular surprises. As we begin this new year we may have a sense of what some of the challenges might be but no idea as of yet what the surprises will be. What I know is this, God has been and will be with us throughout this year. It is God who will help us with the challenges before us and be the one who brings about many of the surprises. Our God is the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and the End. God has been and will be even beyond the end of time as we know it. So, may we put our faith and trust in God as we take early steps into this new year. A year God did not promise us, yet

seems to be giving us. Thanks be unto God. Amen.

In the session digest you’ll see an update on the project to refurbish the Old Fel-lowship Hall and Sanctuary. Since we announced the matching challenge grant of $24,000 we have received $1,100. This along with the work being accomplished is moving forward. In January the Old Fellowship Hall’s ceiling will be done and some patch work in the sanctuary. Also the new audio/video equipment will be installed making it possible to better record our services and special events. Don’t hesitate to ask me or one of the elders about the progress being made and the need for

special gifts to help get it all accomplished. We’ll keep you posted.

I’m asking for special prayers for the session as we meet together on Saturday, January 16, 9 a.m. to noon, and Thursday, Jan. 21, beginning at 6:30 p.m. This is scheduled to be the organizational/planning meeting for 2016. Part of this meeting

will be setting up the session committees for the year. Don’t wait for an elder to call you, call the office and volunteer to be a part of one of the session commit-

tees.

In closing I want to express my thanks for your support of the ministry and mis-sion of Community Presbyterian Church throughout the past year and as we begin this new year. It is your support of the ministry of the church, financial and the gift of your very self, that make it possible for us to serve our Lord by carrying on

the work of the church.

As I began, so I close – Happy New Year, 2016 in the year of our Lord.

God’s blessings and guidance upon us all,

Pastor Dennis

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Session Digest—Thursday, December 17, 2015

The monthly stated meeting of the session of Community Presbyterian Church, Forsyth, Missouri was held Dec. 17, 2015, at 3 p.m. in the church’s Fellowship Hall. Ten elders plus the elders elect were present for the meeting.

Pastor Dennis opened the meeting with prayer and the sharing of Matthew 1:18-25. Together everyone shared what this passage on the birth of Jesus means to them. Prayers were then offered up for members who are hurting and in need of God’s holy presence; elder Ken Bavuso and Gayle were included in the prayer.

The elders approved the agenda for the meeting, the minutes of the November meeting, and called con-gregational meeting of Dec. 6, 2015.

Pastor Dennis then reported on his work and the home communions conducted since the last meeting.

The elders then moved on to the treasurer’s report and approving the budget for 2016. It was noted that as of the end of November we have had $9411.06 more income than expenses. Yet in looking at projected income for 2016 and projected expenses, the following was noted: projected income of $118,500 and ex-penses of $147,199. All elders and the pastor are concerned about these projections yet believe it is a good challenge for all of us. The elders will be watching things very closely in the coming year and making periodic reports to the congregation. The proposed budget passed by a vote of 8 yea, 2 nay.

The joy of the afternoon meeting was the examination of the elders elect Delpha Riley and Steve Wood. They each shared their journey of faith, what they had learned about Presbyterian Polity during the educa-tional time with the pastor and that they could answer all the ordination questions in the affirmative. The session then approved the elders elect be ordained and installed during worship on December 27, 2015.

Under Old Business the session heard a progress report on refurbishing of the Old Fellowship Hall and the sanctuary. A bid from O D Drywall has been accepted for $4,500 for the ceiling work in the Old Fellowship Hall and patching in the sanctuary. This work will be done shortly after the first of the new year. The el-ders then heard the bids on upgrades to our audio and video equipment. The elders accepted the bid from Southwest Audio and agreed to do it in two phases. The first phase is upgrade to our recording equipment, making it possible for us to record services via audio or video. This will be paid for by monies given in the past for this upgrade. The second phase is the installing of two monitors in the front of the sanctuary. This phase will be done once funds have been given to accomplish this; cost would be around $4,750.

Under new business the elders heard reports from the different session committees and took the following actions.

The elders set Saturday, January 16, 9 a.m. to noon, and Thursday, Jan. 21 beginning at 6:30 p.m., to be the session organizational/planning meetings for 2016. It was also decided that session not meet in Febru-ary but use this month to organize the different committees of the session.

The elders reviewed the membership rolls and took seven members off the active rolls because of their at-tending other churches or not having attended in the last two years.

Elder Linda Reynolds and incoming elder Delpha Riley will review the financial records for 2016 and report back to the session as a whole at it’s January meeting.

Personnel – Evaluations of staff are complete and Pastor Dennis will be sharing with them after the first part of the year.

Called Congregational Meeting – Pastor’s Terms of Call, the session approved the date of Sunday, Dec. 27, 2015, for a called congregational meeting for the purpose of approving the changes in the terms of call for Pastor Dennis. Elder Buddy Roberts will act as moderator.

ADJOURNMENT AND CLOSING PRAYER – Pastor Dennis closed the meeting with prayer and by consensus the meeting adjourned at 5:30 p.m. Pastor Dennis thanked the elders for moving up our meeting time so he could attend his granddaughter’s Christmas program at Kirbyville Elementary.

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Benevolence Fund Report:

During December we helped 15 families: 8 with rent, 5 with utilities, 1 with transportation and 2 with family/household needs.

We were blessed with several donations to the fund this month: 6 individual donations from members and friends of the church; the Diabe-tes Focus Group donated $162 to the fund, and we received a generous Slusher grant! Thanks to all for your wonderful gifts!

If you would like to make a donation to the Be-nevolent Fund, please do so by marking your check “special gift - benevolent fund”. Those who receive our assistance greatly appreciate your gifts!

Diabetic Focus Group

The regular monthly meeting of the Diabetes Focus Group will be held on Monday, January 4, 2016, at 10:30 A.M. in Fellowship Hall.

This month’s meeting will be a time for sharing; recipes, diet tips, exercise ideas during cold weather, etc., anything you think might be helpful to someone else with this disease. Come and share your tips for success with the group.

Please join us and bring a friend or neighbor!

Does not include end of month salaries or expenses.

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Sunday lectionary Readings for January:

January 3 – Jeremiah 31:7-14; Psalm 147:12-20; Ephesians 1:3-14 and John 1:(1-9) 10-18

January 10 – Baptism of the Lord Sunday – Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8:14-17 and Luke

3:15-17, 21-22

January 17 – Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 36:5-10; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and John 2:1-11

January 24 – Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Psalm 19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a and Luke 4:14-21

January 31 – Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and Luke 4:21-30

“A Taste Of Heaven” Cookbook!

The book contains over 600 recipes submitted by members and friends of the church. Cost of the

book is a very reasonable $12.50 each. It would make a great gift!

FYI-We found a small omission in the cookbook on page 108, in the recipe for Green Chicken (Turkey)

Enchiladas. In the paragraph that begins “Use 24 tortillas”, after the sentence that reads “Pour 1/2 of spinach mixture over each casse-role.” Please add “Bake 20 minutes at 350˚F.”

The Bookies

The next meeting of the Bookie Club is scheduled for Thursday, January 7 2016, at 10:30 AM in the hospitality room at the Forsyth Community Presbyterian Church. We will be discussing The Last

song by Nicholas Sparks.

Defiant, troubled seventeen-year-old Ronnie is not happy to leave New York for a summer in North Carolina with the musician father she hasn't spoken to in three years. But an unexpected romance and a bittersweet reconnection with her father changes her attitude.

Please join us and bring a friend.

Planning ahead: The February book will be The Rogue Lawyer by John Grisham.

Annual Committee Reports are

due!

This is a notice to all committee chairpersons that your annual re-ports are due!

Please have your report to the

office by Monday, January 18. Your report can be dropped off at the office or you can email it to compres-by@centurytel.net.

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We have begun a new year. 2016 is now a reality. This year promises to be a year of adaptive

change - change which challenges our ways of thinking and requires us to do things differently. We will be

adapting to the new realities of a smaller Presbytery. One thing that we need to remember in the midst of all this change is that we are still a connectional denomination and together, it is our continuing call to proclaim the love of Jesus Christ to the world, something we do and will continue to do. I have to say that I am look-ing forward to what the future holds. We have no idea where God is going to take us, so let us look at this

as an adventure and embrace what God has in store for us. We do know that this is true - God is good - all the time and we can count on God as we move into our future.

Blessings to you, Pastor Susan Rosenbaum

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Vera Harlan Hardin was 1 of 6 children born into a loving family and modest existence in

the small town of Westville, Oklahoma.

She met Chet, the love of her life and later her husband, while in high school. They married two months before graduating and walked one behind the other across the stage. Chet entered the navy two weeks later. That was the beginning of a fabulous 58-year journey

that took them all over the world.

After Chet’s 4 years in the Navy, they returned to OK to begin their college educations. Vera taught school for 33 years while Chet taught only a few years before becoming a head counselor. Most of his career was as vice-principal in charge of discipline and campus

security.

One of the Hardin’s great adventures took them to Point Barrow, Alaska, where they taught school for 1 year. Ask her about it; it is a fabulous story. Vera climbed on behind Chet on his motorcycle and rode with him as they toured all over the USA and in many

foreign countries.

They never had children of their own, but that didn’t stop them from sharing their love and big hearts with a young high school girl who was much in need of someone to love her. They more than met the need. They took her in until she graduated from high school, sent her to college, and encouraged her to dream. That young lady, Jeanne, calls them Mom and Dad. She is now a wonderful and thankful lady who is serving as a principal in

CA.

Chet was a great storyteller. He told me that he was so poor growing up that a tornado once hit their farm and it did $10,000 worth of improvements. It was a sad day for all of us when we lost Chet in 2009. We’ll never have another with his rare sense of humor and giving heart. He could cause a stump to break

out in laughter.

If you should be around Taneycomo Terrace, you just might see Vera out walking with her best buddy, her dog Tippy. What do they say,

“woman’s best friend?”

The Hardins moved to Forsyth in 1992. Vera has been a member of CPC for 23 years. She has served as Moderator of P.W., Circle Chair, sings in the Choir, and served on various committees. In addition, she is a long-time mentor with the Panthers

Partners

mentor program in the Forsyth schools.

When asked what word would best describe her, she replied, "dependable." I believe

anyone who knows her would agree.

Vera is serving her 4th term as an Elder,

currently in her 10th year.

The next time you see her, thank her for her service as an elder and all the other things she does. You're also encouraged to share your ideas, suggestions and concerns with

her or any of our other elders.

GETTING TO KNOW ELDER: Vera Hardin

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Quote of the Month

It's what you learn after you know it all that counts.

—John Wooden

Food Pantry Sundays

The first Sunday of each month we will have a special offering for

Christian Action Ministries Food Pantry. Although food can be donated for this

effort, CAM can turn each $1 into $4 to purchase food for the pantry.

December’s total food pantry collection was $207!

BIRTHDAYS

2 Linda Worster 7 Samantha Doolin 15 Linda Stillings, Thelma Mills 20 Billie Utesch 26 Glad Haltom 27 Sue Hull 28 Len Clifford 29 Wayne Graham

ANNIVERSARIES

5 Roy & Dixie Green, 61 years

Dear Pastor and Congregation

“Thank you” for the Christian love and fel-lowship that we experienced on Thursday as we celebrated Thanksgiving day with you. We greatly appreciate you accepting us.

In Christian Love, May God bless you in your future endeavors.

Sincerely, Mr. & Mrs. James Pede

From the staff of

Community Presbyterian Church, we would like to say “Thanks” for the

generous Christmas gifts- we appreciate it very much!

We look forward to serving you in

2016!

Dennis W.

Denise Arliss Linda

Paul Dennis S.

The amount of love, affection, and

help given to Gayle and me during Gayle’s illness is both heartwarming and overwhelming. I would like to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart.

—Ken Bavuso

2016 Per Capita Rate

Per capita is an amount of money per mem-ber that our congregation pays to our larger Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). This annual amount is shared between our local presby-tery, regional synod and General Assembly.

For 2016, our per capita rate is $31.00 per member. Any contributions toward this amount would be appreciated. Please be sure to note your contribution as “Per Capita” to be sure it’s credited correctly. Thank you!

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Every Sunday: Sunday School 9:00 am Worship 10:30

1

2

AA 7:00 pm

3

CAM Food Pantry Sunday

4 Diabetes Focus Group 10:00 am Yoga class 5:15 pm

5 Exercise class 10:00 am

AA 7:00 pm

6 Wmn’s Breakfast 8:15 am Men’s Breakfast 8:15 am

Hannah Circle 1:00 pm

Choir 7:00 pm

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Exercise class 10:00 am The Bookies 10:30 am Bar Assoc Lunch 11:30 am

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9 Forsyth Senior Ctr Breakfast 7 – 10:00 am

AA 7:00 pm

10

11

Esther Circle 11:00 am Yoga class

12 Exercise 10:00 am

Chamber Lunch 11:30 am

AA 7:00 pm

13 Wmn’s Breakfast 8:15 am Men’s Breakfast 8:15 am

Calico Cutups 10:00 am

14

Exercise class 10:00 am

15

16 Session Plan-ning Meeting 9 am– Noon

17

18

Yoga class 5:15 pm

19 Exercise class 10:00 am AA 7:00 pm

20 CHIMES

Deadline

Wmn’s Breakfast 8:15 am Men’s Breakfast 8:15 am

21 Exercise class 10:00 am

Session Meeting 6:30 pm

22

23 AA 7:00 pm

24

31

25

Yoga class 5:15 pm

26 Exercise class 10:00 am

AA 7:00 pm

27 Wmn’s Breakfast 8:15 am Men’s Breakfast 8:15 am

Choir 7:00 pm

28 Exercise class 10:00 am

29 30 AA 7:00 pm

Ushers/Greeters Liturgist

Ken & Juanita Elders Edd Riley (1/3, 24,31)

Barbara Graham

Madelon Kinkade

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Community Presbyterian Church

Staff Members

Pastor....................................................Dennis D. Winzenried

Secretary…………………………………….....Denise Carr

Choir Director………………………………….Arliss Stillings

Organist………………………………………….Linda Stillings

Custodian……………………………….……...Paul Weeks

COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

P.O. Box 486

Forsyth, MO 65653-0486

Sunday School 9:00 am

Sunday Worship Service 10:30 am

C O M M U N I T Y P R E S B Y T E R I A N

C H U R C H

PO Box 486 271 Main Street

Forsyth, Missouri 65653 (417) 546-2584

Dennis Winzenried, Pastor

Website: www.compresby.org

Email: compresby@centurytel.net