
 |
|
Monthly newsletter of FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CANTON, iLLINOIS
AUGUST, 2010 |
|
As we move forward in our search for a pastor...
A number of acronyms are used in the
call process. An acronym is a word formed from the initial letters
of a name, as WAC for Women’s Army Corp.
To help you become familiar with the
most common acronyms, we have listed them below:
CIF
Church Information Form
CLC
Church Leadership Connection
COM
Committee on Ministry
CPM
Committee on Preparation for Ministry
EP/GP
Executive/General Presbyter
PDS
Presbyterian Distribution Service
(Presbyterian Marketplace)
PIF
Personal Information Form
PNC
Pastor Nominating Committee
“My command is this: Love each other
as I have loved you.”
John 15:12
(TNIV)
|
|
PRESBYTERIAN
PERSONALS
by Mary Wilson
·
Linda (Bair) Dilts,
Susan (Radunzel) Schwab and Randy Wilson attended the Canton High
School Class of 1970 reunion.
·
Isaac Frame and
Colton King, members of Boy Scout Troop 104 just returned from a
week’s stay at Ingersoll Scout Reservation.
They were at camp from July 4th through July 10th.
They were awakened late one night by a “river” running
through their campsite (actually right through their tents). They
huddled under the dining canopy on the tables until the storm
subsided. They dried out as much as possible that day before sending
home bags of wet, dirty laundry with their parents at Family Night.
They spent the final night sleeping under their dining canopy. I am
sure the boys will remember this summer camp for many years.
·
Our sympathy goes
to David and Janet White, Amy and Mark Sawyer, Anne and Adam
Stevens, Sarah White and their families on the death of Dave’s
Mother, Doris White, on July 8, 2010 in Cuba, IL.
·
Our condolences to
Emma Bain on the death of her brother, Robert Stephan.
|
|
|
|
Birthdays & Anniversaries
August 1
Noah Allen, Penny Frame
August 4
John Harbaugh
August 5
Lindsay Cash
August 6
Sadie Sale
August 7
Jeanine Lund
August 8
Alexander Herink, Chris
Walker
August 9
Jackie Trotter
August 10
Trenton Long,
John Harbaugh
August 11
Carl Walraven
August 13
Linda Dilts
August 14
Peggy Glatz
August 15
John Lund
August 16
Jack Harroun,
Ethan Sebree
August 17
April Lund
August 19
Alma Bair,
Nathan Miller
August 21
Marvin Schmidt,
Dave Glatz,
John Thompson
August 26
Dan Hoepker
August 28Dave
Gould
August 30
Barbara Johnson
August 31
Megan Austin
July 31 Sarah
|
Happy Anniversary
August 5 Brian and Marilyn Telander
|
|
Thank You!
Thank You so much
for your Prayers, Cards and Phone Calls.
We appreciated our good neighbors, Pat and Ed Patton.
Ed stayed at the hospital with Floyd.
Also to Pastor
Marisa for visiting me in the hospital.
God
Bless You All!
Eileen Stees
|
|
June Statistics
|
|
Attendance (June 2010): 205
Attendance (June 2009): 249
Offering Receipts (2010):
$4,308.15
Offering Receipts (2009):
$9,020.13
Needed to Meet June Budget:
$6,800.00
Needed to Meet July Budget
(Budget Approved): $7,333.00
Deficit Amount to Meet June
Budget: -$2,491.85
Special Offering
(Pentecost/Challenge Pledge):
$4,007.20
|
|
|
|
The Little Things
To work together, to agree
To pray together as one
The Holy Spirit in His ability
In one heart in faith we see
To learn how to find clarity
Love to worship and to cling
Wrapped in the faith of Christ our King
In faithful
spiritual unity
I imagine things
along the way
I want to share; I want to say
Things that brighten up my day
That maybe if you knew
Might have meaning to you too
The sweet surrender of my soul
How I give Jesus full control
My little things were in disarray
On my knees I humbly pray
Share courage I found today
He is your power of
what to say
|
|
PATHWAYS TO THE
PROMISED LAND
Pathways to the
Promised Land Sunday School is in need of
plastic jars with
lids for an up-coming project.
Peanut butter jars,
mayonnaise jars, etc. are what we are looking for.
The larger the better, but any size will work.
If you have any to
donate , please leave them on Beth’s desk.
Thanks.
|
|
|
|
YOUTH AND DISCIPLESHIP |
|
Teen Talk
Conflict
Is it possible to steer clear of conflict?
Yes and No. Yes,
you can avoid some squabbles by not ticking anyone off more than
necessary. For
instance, there are times you need to choose which battle to fight.
It’s good to mind your own business or even give up some of
your rights for other’s benefits.
Other times however, conflict may be necessary.
God can use it in your life to help you grow.
And often does to accomplish a larger purpose.
Your goal should be the following:
1.
Resolve conflicts you are now facing.
2.
Manage disagreements wisely, by not purposely hurting the other
person.
3.
Refuse to squabble over petty matters.
4.
Ask what can you (not the other person) learn from this situation
5.
Love people even when they don’t seem loveable. Remember we love God
by loving others!
Paul says in 2 Timothy 23 – 24, Don’t have anything to do with
foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce
quarrels. And the Lord
servant must not quarrel; instead he must be kind to everyone, able
to teach, not resentful.
Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope
that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of
the truth.
Summarized From Youthwalk Devotional Bible
|
|
|
|
Pointers for
Parents
There will always be disagreements between people, which means there
will always be disagreements within families.
Always finding solutions
sounds good, but does it always provide the best long term outcome?
Instead, the top priority with every conflict should be to
first listen to everyone involved and try to understand the
situation from their perspective.
Then everyone feels respected and is more willing to find a
solution that works for both parties.
“When there is conflict, the perception that you are generally fair
is eight times more important than the perception that you are
generally correct, in maintaining the respect of family members.”
Montford 2002
|
|
|
|

New Beginnings Potluck
The Discipleship Team would like to invite you to take time to
celebrate new possibilities in our church along with the start of a
new school year. The
potluck will begin at 6:00 pm.
Please bring either a main dish, or two side dishes. A brief
program will follow.
|
|
|
|
Toot Your
Own Horn!
(But don’t
rest on your laurels)
Mel Green
I love statistics – at least when they paint happy pictures.
Lately I’ve been seeing some feel-good statistics in
Chronicle articles this summer.
The first ones were in the June Chronicle about the Teacher’s
Appreciation Breakfast.
Did you see it? Did you
read it? It was
wonderful! Thirty-five
(35!) members of our congregation participated in at least one way –
many in more than one way – in our church’s Christ-centered
education of our youth. (Sunday School).
That’s Awesome!
And even more awesome is the fact that 12 of them were men.
Think how important it is that we demonstrate to our youth
that practicing our faith is not just a feminine thing.
It’s an EVERYBODY thing.
Then came the most recent Chronicle and the article about Vacation
Bible School. It just
knocked me out. Fourteen
boys and men and 30 girls and women worked together to conduct a
SUPER Vacation Bible School.
And of course many, many folks – 26 to be exact – were
heavily involved in both Sunday School and VBS.
What I’m really trying to point out to everyone is what a high ratio
of teachers and backup people per child we have.
What a great message that sends to the kids and their
families and to the Lord whom we serve.
It says “We care about you!
You are important to us!”
Certainly, we need a pastor to lead and guide this flock but we’re
strong and we’re united and we’ll do fine while we’re searching for
a pastor. We may even do
great! Look what we did
while searching for a pastor 8 or 9 years ago.
We implemented the rotation workshops (Pathways to the
Promised Land). What a
blessing that has been to us.
What a gutsy step forward.
Pastor Steve said many times that the fact that we moved
ahead on our own – pastorless – to do that played a significant part
in his deciding to accept our call to pastor us.
No, folks, we’re not broken.
We never were.
All we need to do is keep our faith and our eyes on the prize and
keep marching forward.
So take just a second to pat yourselves on the back for jobs well
done and then it’s “Onward, Christian Soldiers!”
|
|
|
The Humble Shepherd
Have you ever stopped to think about the metaphors that God
uses in the Bible? He
uses a lot of them. For
example, living the Christian life is described as “a walk” (Rom.
6:4, 2 Cor. 5:7; 1 John 2:6).
False teachers are described as wolves – an apt description
(Luke 10:3; Acts 20:29).
Scripture is full of metaphors. Jesus’ speech was full of metaphors,
similes, parables, and similar descriptive language. One biblical
metaphor is that of the pastor as shepherd (John 10; Eph. 4:11; 1
Peter 5:2). It’s a
metaphor that is very helpful for instructing pastors in the
practice of biblical humility.
Real shepherds are rarely famous people (King David would be
an exception). Real
shepherds are seldom-famous people.
The task of shepherding is humble work, hard work, dirty
work, constant work, dangerous work, and definitely not high-minded
work. Perhaps that’s why
God chose to describe those who pastor His people as shepherds.
The very definition of a shepherd demands humility.
A proud shepherd is a contradiction in terms, a violation of
God’s plan, and a disgrace to the ministry.
A Shepherd is Focused Upon his Sheep,
Not Himself.
The shepherd’s task is the care and protection of his sheep.
When we read of David, an exemplary shepherd, taking on a
bear and lion in the defense of his sheep, we get an idea of the
devotion he had to his task.
If I saw a lion looking for lunch in my flock, I would
probably make sure that I outran my sheep in getting away from the
devourer. Maybe that’s
why so many pastors up and leave their churches when the going gets
tough. Cherishing
creature comforts, a good salary, a better area, or nicer sheep is
all the motivation that some pastors need to find a new pastor post.
Such vacillation doesn’t reflect the kind of dogged
determination that one pastor
Missionary demonstrated in his
church-planting career: “With the countless beatings, and often near
death. Five times I
received…forty lashes…three times I was beaten…once I was
stoned. Three times I
was shipwrecked…in
danger from rivers, danger from
robbers, danger
from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger
in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers, in
toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and
thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure…” (2 Cor.
11:23-27).
A Shepherd Feeds His People from the
Word, Not His Own Imagination.
One way in which shepherds can become proud is by feeding
their people from their own imagination.
We must recognize that the only legitimate source of
nourishment for the sheep is the Word of God.
Anything else is junk food. Junk. Food. It malnourishes.
It contributes to sickliness.
It makes them vulnerable to the ravages of diseases.
It makes them easy prey for the devouring wolves.
Only the Word can strengthen, nourish, and provide.
Unfortunately, some shepherds think that their weekly routine
of one-liners, warm-and-fuzzies, plus a smattering of prooftexts
(for good measure), will suffice to feed the sheep.
Not going to happen.
Besides malnourishing the precious sheep, such unpalatable
fare is contributing to the shepherd’s arrogance.
A Shepherd is an Undershepherd, Not
the Chief Shepherd.
Although God has gifted the church with pastors (Eph. 4:11),
he has also identified One Man as the True Shepherd.
That is Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:25; Heb. 13:20; Rev. 7:17).
Jesus is the Exemplary Shepherd.
What kind of example does He provide for us?
An example of absolute humility (Phil. 2:1-10).
There is no room for pride in following the pattern of
Christ. Jesus “humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of
death, even death on a cross,” one of the most humiliating forms of
punishment known to mankind (Phil. 2:8).
Pastor, Shepherd, how does Christ’s humility, the Chief
Shepherd compare to your humility?
Is yours the humility-to-the-point-of-death?
The lovableness of sheep is not the arbiter of our humility
or service. Rather it
should be the teaching of Scripture, grace from God, and the example
of Christ that can sustain the pastor in His shepherding role.
www.sharefaithblog.com
The Humble Shepherd – The Need to Have Humility in the
Ministry
|
|
|
|
Post General Assembly pastoral letter from Moderator and Stated
Clerk
To Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations
Posted at July 10, 2010 12:33 p.m.
|
|
MINNEAPOLIS
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
“Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water”
(John 7:38) …
Just one week ago, the 219th General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) convened with Scripture and music and
prayer. Commissioners and advisory delegates from every presbytery
across the church gathered around the baptismal font with hopeful
expectation of what God’s Spirit would do in and through them as
they sought to discern together the mind of Christ for the PC(USA).
As the week progressed, prayer was a foundational part of each day’s
deliberations and decisions, and the presence of the Spirit was
palpable!
“Out of the believer’s heart…
While all assemblies are significant, this one holds particular
significance in the life of the PC(USA). Among the assembly’s
decisions – to be ratified by presbyteries – are the addition of the
Belhar Confession to The Book
of Confessions and a revised Form of Government. Both of these
items give a clear signal that we are a church that is not afraid to
change – an important perspective to have in these days of great
change in the church and the world.
The assembly celebrated and was greatly encouraged by the
commissioning of 122 young adult volunteers and 17 new mission
workers for service around the globe. Commissioners voted
unanimously to renew the call to “Grow Christ’s Church Deep and
Wide” and were inspired by the stories of congregations that are
growing in evangelism, discipleship, diversity, and servanthood.
They celebrated the generosity of Presbyterians who have contributed
more than $10.5 million to relief and redevelopment work in Haiti in
the wake of January’s devastating earthquake.
The assembly also engaged in discussion about significant matters of
faith and life – ordination standards, justice and peace in the
Middle East, and civil union and marriage, to name just a few.
Information on the more than 300 assembly actions is
available. Answers to frequently asked questions about the items
that have already garnered media attention are attached to this
letter. We commend these resources to you for their accurate and
straightforward information. (Available online at the
http://ga219.pcusa.org/news
site).
Civil Union and Marriage FAQ
Ordination Standards FAQ
Form of Government FAQ
Middle East Peacemaking FAQ
Middle Governing Body Commission FAQ
While the content of the assembly’s decisions is important, what may
be of equal or greater importance is the
manner in which
commissioners and advisory delegates did their work. They debated,
but did not fight. They tackled tough issues while refraining from
tackling each other. They placed great value on finding common
ground as they displayed gracious, mutual forbearance toward one
another. They sought the will of God within their actions, rather
than regarding their decisions as the will of God. One commissioner
called the experience of seeking – and finding – common ground truly
“miraculous.”
In short, this assembly exhibited to the whole church and, indeed,
to our society and the world a way to engage in difficult issues
while maintaining respect for one another. To put it another way,
they exhibited well what is means for the church to “a provisional
demonstration of what God intends for the world” (Book of Order,
G-3,0200).
…shall flow rivers of living water.”
Just a few short hours ago, the 219th General Assembly
ended in the same worshipful manner with which it began, as well as
with a similar same sense of hopeful expectation that the hard work
done in Minneapolis will continue forward across the church.
Michael East and Caroline Sherard, elected by their peers as
co-moderators of the young adult advisory delegates to this
assembly, shared their thoughts in a blog entry:
If all our commissioners and advisory delegates returned to their
places of community and encouraged others to continue similar
stories, what great things could be next for the PC(USA)? These
narratives have the ability inspire discussions on new, creative,
and innovative ways of being the Church. At the heart of being
Presbyterian is the principal belief that our discernment is best
done when we gather together. Being able to gather in one place, as
one people, for the one Church is a powerful and transformative
experience – one which dramatically shapes future generations.
The assembly has commended to the church a number of items for
further study, out of which is hoped will come, as Michael and
Caroline write, “new, creative, and innovative ways of being the
Church.”
May the good and faithful work begun in Minneapolis truly be just
the beginning of a season of respectful, earnest, and gracious
engagement – both in our words and in our deeds – all for the sake
of the gospel.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
Elder Cynthia Bolbach
The Rev. Gradye Parsons
Moderator, 219th General Assembly
Stated Clerk of the General Assembly
The Rev. Landon Whitsitt
Elder Linda Bryant Valentine
Vice Moderator, 219th General Assembly
Executive Director, General Assembly
Mission Council
|
|
|
|
| |