JOIN US FOR WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP

Sunday School 9:45am

Worship Service 11:00am

CHURCH CURRENTS First Presbyterian Church 210 S. Wayne Street

Milledgeville, GA 31061

phone: 478-452-9394

fpchurch@windstream.net

www.fpchurch.org “like” us on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/First.Presbyterian.Church.Milledgeville.GA

We seek to glorify God through:

Inspiring worship in Word and music, Inquiring study for adults and youth,

Inclusive hospitality locally and globally, Industrious outreach for social justice

and environmental stewardship.

June 2019

We are on the radio Our worship service is broadcast on WKZR

(102.3 FM.) every Sunday morning at 11:00am and Live

on Facebook

ONLINE GIVING

www.fpchurch.org

VBS 2018

Vacation Bible School Monday June 24 ~ Friday June 28

9:00am to 12:00pm Ages K~5th grade

Coord. of Children &

Youth Ministries:

Gloria Burns

Issue No. 277 June 2019

First Presbyterian Church

Organists:

Kate Phillips

Jenny Moore

Director of Music:

Dr. Jennifer Flory

Admin. Asst.:

Amy Snowden

Child Care Providers: Morgan Martin, Raeven Rodney, Andaysha Taylor

Pastor:

Rev. Susan

Balfour

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Greetings in the name of Christ! You are children of God, loved and cherished. I give thanks for you and for your faithfulness, and I am grateful for the ways in which you serve God in this time and place. In particular, this congregation has been deeply faithful to the Prison Family Lunch ministry for the past 37 years. We have reached out to people whose life experiences are very different from our own and offered our love, support, and hospitality to families facing the challenge of incarceration. Not only have we helped some of those families stay connected and grounded, we have done a little something for racial reconciliation in our little corner of the world. This ministry is one to be both proud of and humbled by. Over the last few years, the Hardwick Trip (as it is known in the Open Door community) has been dwindling. We rejoice that some of our men have been released; many others have simply been transferred to other facilities. I have had several conver-sations with Murphy Davis and Ed Loring about how we can recruit new families, but our efforts have been unfruitful. Murphy called me the other day to inform me that the Open Door board has decided to bring this ministry to a close, with the last two Hard-wick Trips taking place on June 15 and July 20. We will plan a worship service sometime in September to honor this ministry and the people who have, and have been, served in the Prison Family Lunch. Volunteers from the Atlanta area and the families who have enjoyed our hospitality will be invited to worship with us and share one last meal. While the end of this ministry saddens us, it is important to acknowledge that ministries have life cycles, and that often, the time comes for a particular ministry to pass on. We resist that, because tradition and nostalgia drive us to hold on to things that should be let go. But we are Resurrection people, and we believe that new life comes after death; while this particular ministry is ending, there will be new possibilities to explore when we consider how we might serve our community. I encourage you to consider the needs of our community and brainstorm ideas for how we might re-channel our energy in the future. In the meantime, we say “well done” to the many, many souls who have made the Prison Family Lunch possible over nearly four decades. It has been an honor to witness and participate in it, and I am grateful. May the peace of Christ be yours, always. Rev. Susan

SESSION/ELDERS 2019 ~ Donna Gautier, Nancy Miller (Clerk), Bill Werts, Bob Wilson

2020 ~ Grace Anne Azahar, Catherine Dean, Marianne Edwards, Doris Moody, Anne Smart

JOIN US FOR WORSHIP & FELLOWSHIP

JOIN US FOR STUDY & WORSHIP

Sunday School 9:45AM Potluck Wednesday 6:30PM

Sunday Morning Worship 11:00AM Bible/Book Study 7:15PM

NURSERY SCHEDULE: June 2 Joel Burns June 9 Anne Smart June 16 Elizabeth Baarda June 23 Gloria Burns June 30 Doris Moody Church member volunteers needed!!Anne Smart (asmart@johnmilledge.com).

FPC Book Club

How do refugees fare when they come to our country, even to our home state? The story of many refugees who came to Clarkston, Georgia, is told in the book we read for May, Outcasts United - An

American Town, A Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference by Warren St. John. Clarkston was a small, typical Southern town that became part of Metropolitan Atlanta over recent

decades. The town was designated as a refugee resettlement center in the 1990’s and became one of the most diverse towns in the country. Families in flight from the world’s war zones, including Iraq, Syria,

Liberia, and Afghanistan, were sent there to find a new home. Luma Mufleh, an American-educated Jordanian woman, began an after-school soccer program for some of the refugee children. Her sense of displacement from her home country and her family, as well as her love for soccer, made her the ideal person to work with the often-traumatized young people. The story of their struggle to stay together as a team is one of overcoming local prejudices and economic and language

barriers. One chapter in the book, called “Getting Over It,” shows how some of the community members overcame

their original prejudices and learned to work with the people new to their community. A failing traditional grocery store began to stock items the refugees knew and wanted to purchase so that they could make familiar dishes from their home countries. A church with dwindling attendance changed

focus and remade itself as an explicitly international congregation that reflected the diversity outside its doors. An old-school police chief was replaced with an officer of Trinidadian descent who valued commu-

nity involvement and enforced a policy of “courtesy, professionalism and respect.” Book club members were hopeful that Clarkston might serve as an example for other communities

struggling with acceptance of refugees or any newcomers from different backgrounds. As one Clarkston resident said, “I tell people, ‘America is changing’. Get over it.”

The June book club selection is Evicted - Poverty and Profit In The American City by Matthew Desmond. According to a review of the book, “Evicted transforms our understanding of poverty and

economic exploitation while providing fresh ideas for solving one of twenty-first-century America’s most devastating problems. Its unforgettable scenes of hope and loss remind us of the centrality of home, without which nothing else is possible.” The book won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction. Other

choices for coming months are American Nations by Colin Woodard for July and Maybe You Should Talk To Someone by Lori Gottlieb for August. The group meets in the church parlor at 2 p.m. on second

Thursdays. All are welcome to participate.

Sermons are now available as a podcast

on the Anchor App and June also be

found on iTunes! “Under the Palm” is

the name of the podcast.

Please consider hosting an after church reception in the month of June. Sign up on the clipboard in the kitchen!

June 2 ____Donna Gautier__________ June 9__Laura King/Rosemary Begemann__

June 16___Cecilia Odihe/Deborah Harrington__ June 23 ________________

June 30__________________________

UPDATE ON OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS

We are excited to report that Reverend Balfour has decided to lead our Wednesday night group in a study of the new Barbara Brown Taylor book Holy Envy, Finding God in the Faith of Others. As most of you know, Rt. Rev. Taylor is a best selling author and has a magnificent array of books that are essen-tial reading for the modern Christian. This series of discussions is set to begin on the first Wednesday night in June (June 5th). Our meeting will begin with a pot luck meal at 6:30 p.m. If you want to just come for the discussion you can arrive around 7:00 p.m. Please mark your calendar and join us for the enlightenment. There are (3) books remaining for $16.00 each in the office!! Also the Adult “Bible Class” is beginning a DVD series “In Search of Christian Origins” featuring James H. Charlesworth from Princeton Theological Seminary. This series continues the class's study of the beginnings of our distinct form of worship of God. It begins with the “Jewish Context of Jesus” and continues in ten sessions to help us see how we developed into the faith we now practice. Our Sunday School classes begin at 9:45 a.m. Please join us. ~Joel D. Burns

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION

Save the Date VBS ~ Abundance Orchard

June 24~28, 2019 our Kindergarten ~ 5th grade students will gather to learn about: Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 18:1-15)

Esau (Genesis 25:29-34) The first Passover (Exodus 13:3-10)

Manna and Quail in the desert (Exodus 16) A mother sharing with Elijah (1 Kings 17:8-16)

On Friday we will be sharing some of our music and work with the residents of our two Assisted Living Facilities in Milledgeville. Join us for a fun and inspiring week of Bible stories, music, drama, crafts, and service to others. We will again think about how we can help the people in our community who

need help being food secure. Students That Always Rejoice and Serve

Our Elementary Group will resume again in September after the summer break! This group meets each Sunday afternoon 3~5pm. We sing, make crafts, perform service projects, learn Bible stories, pray and

have fun! Please come join us!! Puppets

Our hardworking Puppeteers will also break for summer and return to action in September! We meet at 10am in the Fellowship Hall to prepare. Older youth are welcome to help us plan, costume, and assist

with props.

Pentecost Offering received June 9th The Pentecost Offering helps our youth begin life with a strong start--- a solid foundation of faith formed in the

years from childhood through young adulthood. 40% stays with this congregation to develop and support programs for young people in our own church and

community. 25% supports Young Adult Volunteers, serving in communities around the world, and growing as leaders

through transformative Christian service. 25% supports Ministries with Youth to help guide our youth by uniting them in Christ and lifting them up

as leaders and messengers of God’s word. 10% is devoted to children at risk to improve education and provide safe havens.

Our congregation is joining the whole church in building for our future, in building individual lives of faith. Won’t you join in your support?

IF WE ALL DO A LITTLE, IT ADDS UP TO A LOT.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH

Communion for the Infirm and Homebound Our FPC Worship Committee would like to make Communion available to those members of

our congregation who are unable to attend our church worship services. They will do so by

bringing the communion elements to homes, hospital rooms, and nursing facilities. To request this service, please call the church office at (478) 452-9394 and leave your contact information.

Food Pantry ~ 9:30-10:30am ‘Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness and

the darkness around you will be bright as noon.” - Isaiah 58:10

Thank you to so many who have helped expand our service to the community, either by volunteering or by contributing food or money. We fill bags on Monday mornings and distribute between 9:30 and 10:30 on Tuesdays. A sign-up sheet is on the Pantry door in the downstairs hallway for your convenience in volun-

teering for either day, so please take the opportunity to do so.

Since we continually shop for this ministry, designated contributions and gift cards are useful if you find bringing food items difficult, or feel you do not know what to bring. Also, because we have expanded the

distribution since the budget was prepared, our planned funding for this ministry is being exhausted early. Please keep this in mind as you shop. ~ Donna Gautier Mission & Outreach Chairperson

Samaritan Ministry This ministry offers limited utility assistance for our neighbors in need. We are able to help keep the lights on, the heat/air (sometimes oxygen)

running, and shelter from the storms! We have been blessed to be able to help 3-4 individuals/families each month this year!! Please give if you are

able!! We will be assisting this month on June 18th at 9:15 am .

Help for the Hopeless, Light for the Lost, and Rest for those who Strive...

Prison Family Luncheon ~ Every Third Saturday 11:00am~1:00pm

We hosted a small group of Atlanta visitors in May, but we all enjoyed oven-cooked chicken and rice, baby limas, and yellow squash, followed by banana pudding. Thank you to all who joined in and helped with the meal, the clean-up, and especially with sharing good fellowship. All of us will sadly miss these times

after this ministry closes out in July.

We host again on June 15, the day before Father's Day. The final date will be July 20, five weeks later. Menu plans have not been made, but assistance is always needed, so put those last two opportuni-ties to serve on your calendar if you wish to be involved. The final gathering in the Fall will be publicized

when plans are complete. Right now, we just know we want to have a special celebration meal.

~ Donna Gautier Mission & Outreach Chairperson

Thank you to our community for abundantly donat-

ing to the USPS Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive!!

Snack pack supplies are LOW Small bottles of water, a protein (small boxes of tuna

and chicken salad, Vienna sausages, or canned sardines), fruit cups, Saltines, and individually

packaged crackers.

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY

Overcoming the Challenges of Visual Impairment We always look forward to visits from our friend David Self. He is the Washington Baptist Association Director of Missions and an active member of the local Lions Club. David never fails to inspire us as he teaches and shares news about work being done to enhance vision. David’s wife and 2 children ( now adults) were born with congenital cataracts. The family has met the challenges associated with the condition and have successful careers: his wife teaches at GMC and both offspring are college graduates with careers in art and information technology. David emphasized the importance of not letting visual impairment be an excuse to not achieve, but recognize the challenges presented & find ways to overcome them. Another challenge is to not let yourself become so dependent on others that you do not develop the skills you can to be more independent. Others often assume you need more assistance than you do. “Blindness” is defined differently by people and each eye issue has its own individual issues. It is often necessary to let others know what help you need and do not need. Some assumptions others may make include talking loudly to you as if you must also have hearing problems, or assuming you are intellectually limited or inferior. A good solution to this problem is to politely say, “You are so kind to offer help, but I can do that for myself.” Another challenge is that often a speaker does not address the visually limited person, but speaks to his/her companion. Because the visually limited person has difficulty establishing eye contact, the speaker may assume the listener is not listening. Mr. Self also updated us on the new Plus Optics machine which evaluates children from the age of 5 mos. to 18 yrs. So far 1,500 children have been assessed by the club; approx. 10% are identified for referral. Many times a child with unidentified visual problems will have difficulty in school and/or may develop a negative self-image. Our next meeting will be July 17th when we will have an indoor picnic. Members are asked to bring a brown bag lunch. This group is open to anyone interested in learning more about coping with low vision. Contact Harry Beck 112sandstar@gmail.com or Anne Weathers weather- sabc@yahoo.com for more informa- tion.

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN PW is on a summer recess and will resume gathering in September! Join us on the 2nd Sunday

(September 8) at 5:00pm in the FPC Parlor or the 2nd Tuesday (September 10) at 11:00am in the FPC Parlor If you are interested or have any questions please contact Rosemary Begemann at

rbegemann@windstream.net. If we believe the “word of God is living and active” (Hebrews 4:12), then we must let it live

and act.

An

niv

ersa

ries

Limited Mobility: Mary Carlton Martha Chappell Helen Danuser Polly Morrison Gloria Smith

Church Family: Harry Beck, chemotherapy Haywood Edwards, recovering at home Devon Farmer Frankie Holder, relocating Debbie Lamsma, recovering at home Jenny Moore, recovering at home from back surgery Millie Murphy, recovering from surgery Extended Family: Murphy Davis, Open Door Community, cancer, multiple health concerns Judy deGrandcourt, Sandra Balfour’s sister, advanced MS *Kyle Dennis, Anne’s husband, Multiple Myeloma, kidney issues, bypass surgery Russell & Kathleen Edwards, Marianne’s parents, numerous health problems Joellen Gonsauley, Nancy Miller’s sister, health concerns Dee Hartmann, Sandra Balfour’s sister-in-law, health issues Sue Madden, Catherine Dean’s aunt, undergoing chemo, having a difficult time of it Molly Manley, Jo Ann Manley’s daughter, cervical cancer, needs assistance Arthur & Julie Montemayor, Becky Henderson’s parents, ongoing health concerns Chris Pearson, Sunda Coleman’s son, recovering at home; dialysis treatments in town Spencer Scott, Laura Burns Scott’s husband, health concerns Diana Steward, recovering from leg surgery

In Assisted Living: Jane Carroll, Fellowship Home at Meriwether, 10 Meriwether Place Bryan Dempster, Green Acres, 313 Allen Memorial Drive Bob & Eloise Lamb, Fellowship Home at Meriwether, 10 Meriwether Place Steven Powell, Chaplinwood, 325 Allen Memorial Drive SW Suzy Smith, Savannah Court, 61 Marshall Rd., Milledgeville

June 4 ~ Nancy Miller June 8 ~ Gloria Burns June 10 ~ Devon Farmer June 12 ~ Jenny Moore June 14 ~ Michael Phillips June 17 ~ Deanna Bivins June 27 ~ Amy Smith June 28 ~ Anne Dennis

June 4 ~ Brandon & Jenny Morris June 16 ~ David & Elizabeth Baarda June 25 ~ Bill & Jennifer Flory

Bill & Ruby Werts

June 30 ~ Bob & Kathy Carroll

Gerald & Karen Grimes

Bir

thd

ays

TREASURER'S CORNER We are beginning the long hot summer. It is a time when many people get away from town and church attendance wanes.

Please remember to take care of our church while you are busy doing other things. Our expenses don't decease for vacation.

We have salaries, utilities and other expenses which must be handled.

As you can see from our financial information, the church needs every penny to keep the ministry going. We will sponsor

our annual Vacation Bible School this month which always inspires me to remember the reason we give. I hope you feel the

same way. Please give generously. May Christ bless our church. ~ Joel D. Burns

March April 2019 YTD Contributions $14,285 $14,503 $58,611 Other Income 1,722 745 $2,972 Total Income $16,007 $15,248 $61,583

Budgeted Expenses $20,955 $20,754 $75,154 Net (Loss) ($4,947) ($5,506) ($12,583)

2

9:45 Sunday School

11:00 Worship Service

~ William Werts w/

Food Offering Rec’d

3 4

9:30~10:30 FOOD

PANTRY

12:00 Kiwanis Club

Luncheon

5

6:30 Potluck

Gathering

7:15 Holy Envy

Study & Discussion

6

1:00 Afternoon

Bridge Club

6:30 In Our Best

Interest

No Choir Practice

7 8

9

9:45 Sunday School

11:00 Worship Service

w/Communion

Pentecost Offering &

Graduation Sunday

10 11

9:30~10:30 FOOD

PANTRY

12:00 Kiwanis Club

Luncheon

5:30 SESSION

12

6:30 Potluck

Gathering

7:15 Holy Envy

Study & Discussion

13

1:00 Afternoon

Bridge Club

2:00 FPC Book

Club

5:30 Finance Com-

mittee

5:30 Confirmation

Class

7:00 Choir Practice

14 15

16

9:45 Sunday School

11:00 Worship Service

w/Confirmation

Ceremony & Baptism

12:00 Congregational

Meeting to Elect

Nominating Commit-

tee

17 18

9:30~10:30 FOOD

PANTRY

9:30 Samaritan

Ministry (Limited

Utility Assistance)

12:00 Kiwanis Club

Luncheon

19

2~7pm Recital

Practice

6:30 Potluck

Gathering

7:15 Holy Envy

Study & Discussion

20

1:00 Afternoon

Bridge Club

2:00 Learning in

Retirement Reading

3:00 Learning in

Retirement Writing

5~9pm Recital in

Sanctuary

No Choir Practice

21

9:00 Setup for

PFL

22

11:00~1:00

PRISON FAMILY

LUNCHEON

23

9:45 Sunday School

11:00 Worship Service

24 25

9:30~10:30 FOOD

PANTRY

9:15 Samaritan

Ministry (Limited

Utility Assistance)

26

6:30 Potluck

Gathering

7:15 Holy Envy

Study & Discussion

27

1:00 Afternoon

Bridge Club

No Choir Practice

28 29

30

9:45 Sunday School

11:00 Worship Service

~ 5th Sunday Loose

offering goes toward

Samaritan Ministry

June