Monthly newsletter of FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CANTON, iLLINOIS

 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 4^th through July 10^th.  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

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     

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!”

      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 219^th 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

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 219^th 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, 219^th General Assembly                     Stated Clerk of the General Assembly

The Rev. Landon Whitsitt                                                Elder Linda Bryant Valentine

Vice Moderator, 219^th General Assembly            Executive Director, General Assembly

                                                                                    Mission Council