1

Recently I heard an interview of a baseball player from a team that is doing very poorly this year, (I will let you guess which team!) The reporter asked the player why he hadn’t given up on the team given their dismal rec-ord. The player simply replied, “I haven’t giv-en up because I trust the process.” Trust the process. That’s a catch phrase that is used a lot right now. It struck me as I thought about it that God is the process. The process is God with a capital P. Slowly but surely, I’m learning that things don’t just happen overnight, right now. The results we want take time, & God is always working so that steps are taken & the right thing happens at the right time. Sometimes, when it seems like we are treading water, go-ing nowhere, it’s because some other things have to fall into place before the next thing can happen. This may take weeks, months, or even years, but behind the scenes God is in charge of the program, so we can trust the process that’s required to accomplish the goal.

In this Issue Page The Pastor’s Post 1 Financial News 2 July Birthdays 3 Book Nook 4 Welcoming Sundays 5 Capital Campaign News 6 Events & Announcements 7 Kids Coloring Page 8 August Calendar 9

Trust The Process

We need to remember that we cannot see the big picture. Only God sits in a position where God can see where all the players are and how they are moving to fit God’s de-signs. We just have to sit back and be confi-dent that God knows what God is doing. And truthfully, aren’t you glad that we aren’t in charge of it all? All we have to do is trust the Process. Please Abba, let it be so. “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord here in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, be strong, and let your heart take courage. Wait for the Lord” - Psalm 27:13-14

Potwin Post

Sue Ann Seel, Pastor

AUGUST 2019

2

TREASURER'S REPORT FOR JUNE

BALANCE 6/1/19 $ 3,441.84

June Receipts $ 10,083.90

June Disbursements $ 6,699.61

BALANCE 6/30/19 $ 6,826.13*

RESERVE ACCOUNTS $ 27,953.47

*Balance includes $4404 designated for build-

ing repairs. (see the Capital Campaign article

on pg 6 for more details)

Potwin Presbyterian Church

400 SW Washburn Avenue

Topeka, KS 66606

(785) 235-1311

Find us on Facebook or visit online at

www.potwinpres.org

Sue Ann Seel, Pastor

Libby Adams, Pastoral Assistant

Gwen Jones, Music Director

Angela Juarez, Office Assistant

Session:

Sue Ann Seel, Moderator

2019 2020 2021

Gwen Jones Gary Baker Libby Adams

Erica Marshall Brenda Strobel Jane Sewell

Ella Abbey - Youth Elder

Clerk of Session: Gwen Jones

Treasurer: Linda Tuller

Financial Secretary: Erica Marshall

Building Coordinator: Pat Abbey

Personnel:

2020

Gary Baker

Littles—Angela Juarez

Middles—Dawn Jackson and Madeline Martin

Uppers—Linda Tuller and Brenda Strobel

Floater/Substitutes—Pat Abbey, Jane Sewell, Sue Ann Seel

Adult Study—Libby Adams

PNK Youth Representative—Gwen Jones

Thank you for your generous contributions

to the Doorstep in the month of July

through our loose coin offerings.

For some time, Potwin Presbyterian has had a

brokerage account with TD Ameritrade which

allows us to accept gifts of stocks. Please con-

tact Linda Tuller for details if this option

would be of interest to you.

LOOSE COIN OFFERINGS THIS QUARTER

Heartland Camps $255.16

One Great Hour of Sharing $261.66

Project Restore Hope $270.55

Presbyterian Disaster Relief $25.00

3

Deadline for the

September Post

August 21

Please email your articles to Angela Juarez

arp0371@gmail.com or potwinchurch@att.net

Or put hard copy on office desk with note.

If we don't have you or one of your loved ones on our birthday list, and you would like to be included, please email Angela or the church and let us know.

Like God the Father, we

celebrate the day you were born!

Jane Sewell 3rd

Madeline Martin 5th

Jody Scott 12th

Caitlin Charity 15th

Ella Breitenstein 15th

Rod Seel 16th

Britton Stasiulis 18th

Jon Workman 18th

Brenda Strobel 20th

Brynn Stasiulis 22nd

Elizabeth Chermok 22nd

Angela Juarez 23rd

August Brenda Strobel

Weekly Ushers

See Calendar

Loose Coin Offering

AUGUST—Building Utilities

Our church building is one of our missions. Nu-merous groups use the building throughout the week, and our utility bills reflect that. The loose coin offering for this month helps to off-set our utility bills.

Communion Assistant

Please pray for our at home Friends

Ken Adams

Dorothy Dahlstrom

Janet Lafferty

Marjorie Shoemaker

4

A while back I ran across a book called “The Sailboat Church: Helping Your Church Re-think Its Mission and Practice” by Joan Gray which I found very helpful. The blurb for this book reads, in part:

“Is your church a rowboat church or a sailboat church? Rowboat churches depend largely on human effort. In a time of often shrinking budgets and membership, rowboat churches frantically row harder against a current, often frustrated and disappointed at their efforts. Sailboat churches, on the other hand, take up the oars, hoist sales, and re-ly on the Holy Spirit to guide them.” The author then proceeds to talk about how to lay down the oars and to put up the sails for the Spirit.

Joan Gray is a Presbyterian pastor and author. In addition she was elect-ed moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA) at the 217th General Assembly. She has pastored various churches and is currently serving on the faculty at Columbia Theologi-cal Seminary.

Fast forward to this past Saturday at the Presbytery meeting in Junction City, where Joan S. Gray was the speaker! Her sermon and her presentation to the Presbytery was excellent. Rest assured you will be hearing more about this from the pulpit in upcom-ing Sundays. In addition is my intention to have Session study this book as we move forward with rethinking how we do things as a small church in a big building!

I highly encourage anyone else who wants to be a part of this process to read this book as well. You will find Gray’s writing to be very down to earth and engaging. As you read, ask yourself “in our church, and in my life, am I rowing the boat on my own power, or am I putting up the sails and letting the Spirit take control?”

Let the winds of the Spirit blow!

BOOK NOOK

~Pastor Sue Ann Seel~

5

WELCOMING SUNDAYS

All of us Potwinites know that we have a good thing going. We love our church and our

church family. Since one of the great commandments and our charge as the body of Christ is

to go and make disciples, we should spread the good news and extend our fellowship to

those we know and those we meet. We do a very good job of this when people find us and

join us for worship and fellowship. It is time to reach out to those we may know or those that

we meet to invite them in to worship and fellowship with us. Starting on August 25, 2019, on

the last Sunday of the month we are going to have Welcoming Sunday, where we will do our

best to invite others to come and join us for worship and a coffee fellowship afterwards.

“14You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people

light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they out it on its stand, and it gives light to eve-

ryone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see

your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

6

NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL

CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE

In order to address major building concerns, the session voted to commission a Capital Cam-

paign committee. Committee members are Libby Adams, Don Wright, Gary Baker, Mary Char-

ity, Maia Strobel and Linda Tuller. The committee is working hard on ideas and methods of

reaching out to various audiences to approach with stewardship opportunities.

We need your help to get mailing addresses and email addresses of friends, former members,

and other persons who we hold in our heart. If you have mailing or email addresses for

friends or former members, please write them down on a sheet that will be provided in the

library for this purpose or share with one of our committee members.

Kick-off activities for this capital campaign are being planned for late summer. If you are

asked to help, please say “yes” with a joyful heart.

As most of you know, we have moved the 2nd Mile Giving bulletin board into the sanctuary.

From time to time, we will post expenses the church has incurred on this board, in the hopes

that someone who would like to help with that expense will take it off the board and pay the

bill. This is sacrificial giving at its best, and we extend our deepest gratitude to those of you

who are willing and able to help the church extend its mission in this manner. Blessings to

you all!

7

EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

PRAYERS & CONCERNS We are sad to report the death of Darren Abbey who passed away on July 6. His funeral was held at Potwin Presbyterian Church on July 12, 2019. Sympathy and prayers to parents Joe and Pat, children Lauren, Tegan and Tatum, and brothers Charlie and Mark and their families. Former member, Ed Tuller, suffered a stroke on July 1, 2019. He has been at St Francis’ Rehab unit all month and has shown good progress. Cards may be sent to him at 1715 NW Fredith Lane, Topeka, KS 66618. A NOTE FROM THE ABBEY FAMILY Thank you!

During times like this we learn how much our Church Family means to us. All of you have worked so

hard to show your love to us and we so appreciate it. God’s love dwells here at Potwin Church. We love

you all!

Sincerely,

Joe and Pat Abbey

Mark Abbey Family

Charlie Abbey Family

Darren’s children – Lauren, Tegan, and Tatum Abbey

SUNDAY SCHOOL

Sunday School teachers will be meeting on Sunday August 4, 2019 after worship to discuss the plans for

the upcoming year. Sunday School will be starting in early September. Please stay tuned for more infor-

mation as it becomes available.

BELL CHOIR

Bell choir rehearsals will resume on Tuesday September 3, 2019 at 6:15PM. If you have any questions,

please contact Gwen Jones or email the church at potwinchurch@att.net.

PRESBYTERIAN YOUTH TRIENNIUM

Photos from the Presbyterian Youth Triennium 2019 will be added to the website soon. You can also

look forward to an article to be in next month’s Potwin Post with an account of our group’s time at PYT.

BACK TO SCHOOL BACKPACK DRIVE

With the start of the school year just around the corner, we are collecting donations until August 7,

2019 for the school supply & backpack giveaway we do in conjunction with Westside Baptist for the

students at Meadows Elementary. The supplies will be distributed on August 9, 2019. Please bring your

donations to the Kids Closet table in the sanctuary. You may also contact the church office to make al-

ternate arrangements for donation drop-offs if you are unable to make it to worship. We are seeking

standard school supplies as well as earbud style headphones. If you have any questions, please see Pas-

tor Sue Ann Seel.

8

9

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

Sunday Morning

Schedule

9:30am Wor-

ship

10:30am All

Ages Summer

Sunday Crafts

Communion Assistant

Brenda Strobel

Adult Craft Time

Wednesdays

9am—4pm

1 2 3

Happy Birthday

Jane Sewell

4

Debi Harvey

5

Happy Birthday

Madeline Martin

6 7 8 9 10

11

Angela Juarez

12

Happy Birthday

Jody Scott

13 14

6:00PM

15

Happy Birthday

Caitlin Charity

Ella Breitenstein

16

Happy Birthday

Rod Seel

17

18

Debi Harvey

Happy Birthday

Britton Stasiulis

Jon Workman

19 20

Happy Birthday

Brenda Strobel

21 22

Happy Birthday

Brynn Stasiulis

Elizabeth Chermok

23

Happy Birthday

Angela Juarez

24

25

Unassigned

26 27 28 29 30 31

10

Potwin Presbyterian Church

400 SW Washburn Ave.

Topeka, KS 66606

(785) 235-1311

Potwin Presbyterian Church exists to

worship God and to show Christ’s love

through actively and joyfully sharing,

caring, and giving to others in our

congregation, community and world.