newsletter sept 2016 - vassarfpc.files.wordpress.com · please let the church ofﬁce know so that...

First Presbyterian Church

Newsletter250 W. Huron, Vassar, MI 48768 VassarFPC.org September 2016

...from Doug’s desk... “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven…” Eccl 3:1, NRSV

Every year at this time, many of us remark “where has the summer gone?” While we enjoy summer’s last gasps, we are keenly aware that fall is mere weeks away. We are aware the season is about to change.

“Season” is a word used not only to describe weather changes, but many other aspects of our lives. We speak of going through seasons of want and plenty, of contentment and happiness periods, or of difficulties and pain. Just as meteorological seasons change the landscape, so our life seasons change us. Even from one “spring” to the next, we are different than we once were. And, like meteorological seasons, life seasons come and go on their own schedule, ready or not.

Seasons are a critical part of how we grow. In some seasons our growth is fresh and obvious, filling the air with sweet scents and vibrant colors. In some, that growth is steady, warm, and pleasant. In some, change comes quickly and has a beauty all its own, but fades and becomes bare as it heralds a season where growth seems dormant, the air is cold, and we are sometimes even stuck in our houses. It sometimes feels frustrating, sometimes scary. But if we learn to rest in those times and draw our strength from God alone, we find He is all we need, that winter is good for us and prepares us, and that His timing is perfect. It is during the winter, difficult as it may be, that we are preserved and prepared for another season of growth. Nor is winter a solely negative season—there are many beautiful sights and activities that cannot be experienced at any other time.

Similarly, even in the most warm and pleasant seasons, the weather is not always rosy. Spring can be full of full of long, steady rains, sometimes floods. Summer can be so hot and humid it’s not safe outside for the vulnerable or elderly, and can produce severe, even deadly storms. Fall is a beautiful time, but that beauty fades as leaves turn dry and brown. Nor is fall immune from tough weather and dangers either. And even in winter, when it’s already cold and barren, we can get winter storms to add on top of it even more.

Whether we’re talking about natural or spiritual meteorology, weather is no respecter of seasons, or of persons. Our personhood is an ever-changing landscape, shaped by our weather and seasons. But it is also shaped by our faith, hope, and love of God. Experiences must be interpreted and responded to.

Going through a rough season? It will change. At a great place in life right now? That too will change. Seasons are normal. Rough weather is normal. However close or far we feel from God because of seasons and weather, he always keeps his promise to walk with us and uphold us. Rather than rescue us from all trouble, God intends to use it to bless us, and others through us.

Yes, that’s hard to believe or even hear when we’re in the middle of that trouble. But if we can truly trust God with our lives and futures, God will always bring us through, and much better off than we’d be on our own…no matter what weather or season we are in.

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Do you or someone you know need visitation?

In the hospital? Home bound? In a nursing facility? Please let the church office know so that Pastor Doug can visit them! You may also call your care team Deacon.

FINANCIAL NOTES

JULY: ACTUAL INCOME: 4,372.01 EXPENSE: 7,688.70 NET: ( 3,316.69)

JAN-JULY: ACTUAL BUDGET INCOME: 58,177.33 55,416.67 EXPENSE: 66,235.68 65,863.02 NET: ( 8,058.35) (10,446.35)

NEWSLETTER INFORMATION DEADLINE

Sept. 27

PASTOR DOUG’S CONTACT INFO: Cell/Text: (989) 780-2813

Email: [email protected]: facebook.com/pastordougabelLinkedIN: linkedin.com/in/pastordougabel

TWITTER: @REV_DSA

Calling all DEACONS!! September 15, 2016 at 5:30 p.m. there will be a deacons meeting in the Heritage

Room at the church. (Note: not on the 8th due to Labor Day)

Calling all WORSHIP LEADERS (or those that want to be one)

There will be a short meeting following service on September 4, 2016.

We need more people to help lead worship.

Collection Items NoticeThere are a few items that the church is collecting for the schools. They are as follows:1) School supplies. There is a list of

items at church, and on the Friends and Family church FaceBook page.

2) Box Tops 4 Education. We are continuing to collect these and the schools earn a lot of money through this program. Go to www.boxtops4education.com for more info and what products have these.

3) Shoparoo. This is new as of last year. It’s an app for your phone or android. Our schools earn points for your receipts. Receipt dollars are worth points and points are worth real money. In our first year, Central Elementary earned $600!!! Check it

out and follow the instructions to connect to our schools. If you have questions, see Kim Wegrzyn or Bobbi Gamet.

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mailto:[email protected]

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http://linkedin.com/in/pastordougabel

http://twitter.com/Rev_DSA

http://www.boxtops4education.com

http://www.boxtops4education.com

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mailto:[email protected]

http://facebook.com/pastordougabel

http://linkedin.com/in/pastordougabel

http://twitter.com/Rev_DSA

GREETERS Sept. 4 Lynn & Cheryl Childs Sept. 11 Winona Williams & BJ Warle Sept. 18 Bill & Linda Shoop Sept. 25 Bette Gould & Maxine Vagaski

USHERS Sept. 4 Ted Gamet, Z. Wegrzyn, K. Wegrzyn Sept. 11 L. Childs, B. Shoop, T. Steele Sept. 18 The Wegrzyn Boys Sept. 25 L. Hubbard, M. Kennard, K Wegrzyn

WORSHIP LEADERS Sept. 4 Russ Hubbard Sept. 11 Dianne Hackett Sept. 18 Kim Wegrzyn Sept. 25 Tanya Steele

VIDEO/TECH Sept. 4 Shelley Abel Sept. 11 OPEN Sept. 18 OPEN Sept. 25 Dianne Hackett

01 David Walker 05 Jack Hoornstra 05 Gail Vernon 06 Ken Blackmer 12 Barbara Walker 17 Peggy Bulko 20 Mary Kennard 22 Mackenzie Brightman 28 Wendy Heinrich 28 Bethany Childs

07 Charles & Joan Bradanini 09 Bob & Jackie Strecker 10 Tim & Veronica Childs 16 Dan & Nancy Zuzula 29 Lynn & Cheryl Childs

WHAT’S GOING ON???

September 2016August 2016

S M T W T F S1 2 3 4 5 6

7 8 9 10 11 12 1314 15 16 17 18 19 2021 22 23 24 25 26 2728 29 30 31

September 2016

S M T W T F S1 2 3

4 5 6 7 8 9 1011 12 13 14 15 16 1718 19 20 21 22 23 2425 26 27 28 29 30

October 2016

S M T W T F S1

2 3 4 5 6 7 89 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 2223 24 25 26 27 28 2930 31

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday28

10:00 AM Worship29 30

8:30 AM Church Of-fice Hours1:30 PM Pastor's Of-fice Hours

311:30 PM Pastor's Of-fice Hours

16:30 PM Discipleship & Growth Team7:00 PM Cancer Sup-port Group8:00 PM Worship & Music Team

28:30 AM Church Of-fice Hours8:30 PM Firepit Fri-days

3

4COMMUNION10:00 AM Worship

5 68:30 AM Church Of-fice Hours

79:00 AM Vassar Min-isterial Alliance12:30 PM Study: Bad Girls of the Bible1:30 PM Pastor's Of-6:00 PM Communica-tion & Publicity Team

8 98:30 AM Church Of-fice Hours8:30 PM Firepit Fri-days

1011:00 AM CROP Walk Organizational Meet-ing

118:45 AM Sunday School10:00 AM Worship

125:00 PM Grief Group


141:30 PM Pastor's Of-fice Hours5:30 PM Community Connections Team6:00 PM Women's Guild

155:30 PM Deacons7:00 PM Cancer Sup-port Group7:00 PM Session


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1910:00 AM Book Club

208:30 AM WIC8:30 AM Church Of-fice Hours1:30 PM Pastor's Of-fice Hours

2112:30 PM Study: Bad Girls of the Bible1:30 PM Pastor's Of-fice Hours


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26 278:30 AM Church Of-fice Hours8:30 AM WIC1:30 PM Pastor's Of-fice Hours



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2810:00 AM Worship

29 308:30 AM Church Of-fice Hours1:30 PM Pastor's Of-fice Hours




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Vassar First Presbyterian Church Ministry Team Summaries

Administration (Scott Wegrzyn)This team has two sub-teams: personnel and finance. It oversees these and other general administrative concerns of the church. It crafts a budget proposal each year for Session to approve, oversees staff, considers staffing structure, crafts job descriptions, and recommends building use policy. Buildings & Grounds (Bob Rice)This team handles all things related to facility and property, such as routine maintenance, small repairs, facility or equipment upgrades, tech needs, or large projects as approved by Session. The church owns not only the church building and grounds, but also the upper parking lot and the pastor’s manse, as well as the equipment and appliances inside them.Communication and Publicity (Betty Jo Atkins)This team’s focus is providing for and managing communications and publicity, with internally and externally, by prioritizing and appropriately timing these things and implying the most effective method for them. This is not only so that any given need gets the best exposure appropriate to it, but so that key events or initiatives don’t get “lost in the noise.” The team will work closely with the church secretary to execute communication and publicity, but will curate what, how, and when any communication publicity is done, and help establish processes and strategies for easy management of the same.Community Connections (Mark O’Connor)This team’s focus is any event or project that brings the community together in Christian fellowship: which is “Christian-speak” for having fun and making connections. It serves a practical and cohesive function in our community of faith, and at the same time provides a safe space for new people to get to know us. The team executes several events each year to that end, and looks for smaller ways to facilitate a sense of connection between friends and members as well.Discipleship & Growth (Kevin Haines)This team’s stated mission is “Inviting you on a Journey with Jesus.” It oversees, enables, resources, and supports the person-inviting, disciple-making and disciple-growing aspects of the church’s ministry, from nursery to families to ecumenical Youth Group and VBS, to adult professionals, to retirees. It is concerned with education, but not merely as knowledge transfer, but heart changing: helping people of any age or stage meet Jesus, grow in faith, and become committed followers of Jesus. This team also oversees and resources any small groups that form, from study groups to affinity groups to service/mission groups. Mission & Outreach (Betty Jo Atkins)This team concerns itself with supporting mission efforts that do not typically fall under our own congregation’s ministry. These may be local, regional, statewide, national, or global in nature. In many cases that support is financial, such as perhaps funding a missionary abroad. It may also sometimes be more personal, like forming a work trip to a devastated area of our nation.Worship & Music (Steve Franko)The worship & music team concerns itself with providing for the worship and music aspects of our congregation, and considers not only present needs but future directions for forms of and tools for worship. There are practical matters like making sure ushering and children’s sermons are covered, resourcing our choirs and accompanists, making sure candles are stocked, etc. It also, in collaboration with the pastor and music staff, considers weightier matters like the practice and philosophy of worship.

(Note: Nominating team is not listed because at-large members of this team are nominated by previous nominating team and elected at the congregational meeting. Steve Franko is the chairperson this year)

If you would like to be a part of any of these ministries, please contact the chairperson.Come find your place with us as we build God’s Kingdom together!

CONTACT PERSONS

Pastor Doug Abel, (989) 780-2813 (Voice, VM, or Text) Kimberly Wegrzyn, Church Office: (989) 823-7671

Elders

Shelley Abel 780-2817 Kevin Haines 871-3293....................... .............................

Betty Jo Atkins 882-9021 Mark O’Connor 823-8663.................... ..........................

Nicole Baker (917) 776-9546 Bob Rice 652-9474............. ....................................

Lynn Childs 868-4802 Scott Wegrzyn 529-1147......................... ...........................

Steve Franko 823-7590 Dan Johnson, Clerk 823-2525...................... ...................

Deacons

Louanne Campbell 823-3624 Ray Sowden 871-9127............ ..............................

Cherie Herr 823-2094 Tanya Steele............... 823-2278......................... ...............

Mike Kennard, Mod. 823-2192 Carol Swaffer 823-3756........... .............................

Bill Shoop 823-1331 Kimberly Wegrzyn 233-8460........................... .....................

PRAYER CHAINS

Telephone Chain: Louanne Campbell....823-3624

Email Chain: Kimberly Wegrzyn....233-8460

Contact Persons Session Ministry Teams: Administration (Finance & Personnel) Scott Wegrzyn 529-1147 ........................................ Buildings & Grounds Bob Rice 652-9474 ................................................................... Discipleship & Growth Kevin Haines 823-3293 ................................................................. Communication & Publicity Betty Jo Atkins 882-9021 ......................................................... Community Connections Mark O’Connor 823-8663 ............................................................. Mission & Outreach Betty Jo Atkins 882-9021 .................................................................... Nominating Steve Franko 823-7590 .................................................................................. Worship & Music Steve Franko 823-7590 .........................................................................

Deacons Mike Kennard 823-2192 .........................................................................................Youth Cheryl Childs 868-4802 ..............................................................................................Choir (Shared with FUMC) Pat Middlin 545-0948............................................................

newsletter sept 2016 - vassarfpc.files.wordpress.com · please let the church ofﬁce know so that...

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