to make
a change in
position or direction to effect an end.
Here at FPC, we have been
talking about and dealing with change a lot over
recent years. You may be excited
or frustrated by the changes that have taken
place- possibly both! The concept of change
itself is neither good nor bad; it is neutral.
The purpose, process and end result determine
whether change is good or bad. Our commitment
to the end result plays a large part in whether
we embrace or resist change. And what we have
to give up, compared
to our perception
of what is gained, profoundly impacts our openness
to change.
As we move into the fall, Stan Ott challenges us once again in
his book, Twelve Dynamic Shifts for Transforming Your Church,
and as we work with other churches in the presbytery
that are participating in the Acts 16:5 INITIATIVE.
Stan and others contend that there
are twelve shifts that are necessary for the
church to make in order to grow in vitality and
effective Christian
witness in this
time of dynamic change in American culture. The
proposed end result for these changes is greater
vitality and effective Christian witness.
Two of the twelve shifts are:
SHIFT: The congregation
and each of its ministries must become missional as well as
communal. Mission is no longer
one of the various programs of the church;
it is the driving force and lifestyle of the congregation. Each
ministry develops
a balanced, three-fold goal of
Reaching
those who are uninvolved and uncommitted,
Nurturing the spiritual growth and relationships
of those who are involved, and
Sending every person to ministry.
SHIFT: Rather than a few people doing most of the work, members
all pursue and participate in ministry, each person using his/her
spiritual gifts and a servant’s heart both inside and outside
the church.
In just two weeks, FPC is hosting the Sizzlin’ September
Spree. We have a wonderful opportunity to live more fully into
these two shifts in order to grow in vitality and effective Christian
witness. The Sizzlin’ September
Spree can either be a weekend
event that is driven by a few people and over and done on Sunday,
September 12 . . . or it can be a ministry opportunity, actively
supported by the congregation, that is a beginning step in reaching
out to our community, as it also deepens our own spiritual growth
and relationships, and increases our commitment to be “sent” in
humility to do ministry in every place and at all times.
If you believe in the end result,
would you be willing to take a step to live into these ?
To participate in the Sizzlin’ September
Spree, contact Alisha Finn at 748-1544
or Lishp3578@gmail.com, or sign up on the bulletin board in the
Gathering Area.
We know from looking at
our bulletin board in the Gathering Area that many of you had some
wonderful experiences this summer, and we hope all of you have enjoyed
our very summery weather. However, because we are a family, we have
been saddened too many times these past two months as we have heard
about the difficulties that some of you have experienced:
† Andrew
and Laura Tanis on the loss of their
child, Emilia June, who was born prematurely
on July 3
† The
family and friends of the two Hungarian
young people who were killed in a
boating accident on July 7 just prior
to their arrival at our church
† Jim and Helen Jephson and family on the sudden death of Jim and Helen’s
son on July 8
† Janet and Clark Cook and family on the loss of Janet’s sister,
Thelma, on July 8.
† Pam and Katherine Hicks and family on the tragic accidental death of
Glen Hicks on July 10
† Phil and Karen Castoro and Bob and Hilde Johnson and the rest of their
family on the loss of Phil and Karen’s infant son, Philip Michael, on July
21
† The family of Ruth Davis, who died on July 24
A number of our church family members
and close friends were hospitalized
this summer, but we can report that
all have been treated and are now recovering
from their illnesses and injuries:
Sheila
Beblavy - knee replacement surgery Kristin
Talley - knee surgery Kayla
Davis - infection Roberta
Hunsinger - heart problems Karen
Garman (Hoey) - surgery Julia
Wade - broken leg Carole
Cockrell - fractured
wrist Janet
Hoffer - surgery Phyllis
Perkins (Jan Devine’s
mother) - heart surgery Don
Camp - surgery Hemant
Tandi - surgery
As a church family we rejoiced when we
learned of:
The
birth of a new grandchild, Sarah Elizabeth
Finer, for Jim and Sandy Chambers on
July 22
The
birth of Kyran Thomas Harris to Merritt
and Christine Harris on August
16
The
birth of Marian Smith’s first
grandchild. Eloise May was born to
Audrey and James Harmon on July 17.
Alice
and Bob Griswold’s family gathered
in Colorado Spring to celebrate Alice
and Bob’s 50th Wedding Anniversary
Jason
Camp and Erin Schrader both got jobs
at Lourdes Hospital after having lost
their previous positions.
Cristina
Nava-Wilson became a United States
citizen on July 23
Jim
Lewis’s family surprised him
with a party to celebrate his retirement
from teaching. Congratulations, Jim!
Morgan
Talley attended the Youth Triennium
at Purdue Univ. in July
Caryn and Kristen Camp left
in mid-July for Taiwan, where Caryn
has taken a position as a guidance
counselor in a Christian school.
David,
Jean and Andrew Jenkins will be
in England for four months while
David is doing research for a sabbatical
from Binghamton University.
Please
keep Joel Everett
and his family in your
prayers, as Joel has been
deployed to Afghanistan.
From Jim and Helen Jephson:
Dear Church Friends
We thank you all for the many prayers, beautiful cards, telephone calls, and
the many kindnesses shown to us regarding the great loss of our dear son, Jim.
In Christ’s love,
Jim and Helen
From Karen Garman (Hoey):
Thank you so much for your prayers and support and your continued concern for
me as I recuperate from surgery. The outreach that I have received from your
community has been inspiring, to say the least. Please share with the entire
FPC community my immense gratitude and prayer support for your mission.
Karen
Out of the Mouths of Children...
In
the spring, Mikayla, who was in first grade, was learning about the
neighborhood at school and was asked to
write a story about someplace in the neighborhood.
Here's what she wrote in her own words and spelling...
My favorite place in Endwell is church. We have
Sunday school. In Sunday school we make fammly
teees, prayer boxes, and Erth day art. I go on
Sunday. I go with my mom and dad and sumetimes
I go with my sister. I like to have snak we have
goldfish. I like to listn to my sunday school
teacher read a story from the bible.
The end.
Of all the places our
daughter could have written about, she chose FPC.
A big thank you to all
in the Christian Ed program who have given
her such a positive experience here. God bless
you all! (Submitted by Birgit Nicolaisen)
Be Part of the Christian Ed. Team
After reading Mikayla’s “essay” above, you can
see the importance of the Christian Education we try and provide
for our children. There is an immediate need for teachers in the
4- and 5-year-old classroom beginning this fall. We also still need
a consistent presence in the Crib Room during the 10:45 service.
Make a difference!! Contact Alisha Finn if you would like to be a
part of this important ministry team.
From Jay Peak: As we begin this year, in what ways
can God enlarge our territory at FPC?
1 Chronicles 4:10a. "Oh, that
you would bless me and enlarge my territory!
“God is interested in the world coming to know him. The only
way people will know him is when they see him at work. Whenever God
involves you in his activity, the assignment will have God-like dimensions
to it. Some people say, “God will never ask me to do something
I can’t do.” I have come to a place in my life that,
if the assignment I sense God is giving me is something I can handle,
I know it is probably not from God. The kind of assignments God gives…are
always beyond what people can do because he wants to demonstrate
his nature, his strength, his provision and his kindness to his people
and to a watching world. That is the only way the world will come
to know him… When God’s people and the world see something
happen that only God can do, they come to know Him.”*
* Henry Blackaby and Claude King, Experiencing
God (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 1995), p. 138.
Calling
Fall a season of new beginnings may seem strange. But for
many of us it is a time of transitions- from kids returning
to school, to many of us returning to a more regular schedule
to our routines; and in particular, for the Early household,
it has really been a time of major change. We just returned
from a week of dropping our oldest daughter at college for
her senior year and our second daughter to college for the
first time, and in a couple of weeks our youngest will be
starting high school. As I ponder how well have we prepared
our kids for this next season of their lives, it really
gets me thinking about what is the most important thing
can we give our children. Obviously, a personal faith is
an integral component in what we would desire for our children,
but that is only the starting point and not the end. As
Steven Covey shares in his book, “The Seven Habits
of Highly Effective People,” “Living with
the end in mind” is essential to living a life of purpose. “To
begin with the end in mind means to start with
a clear understanding of your destination. It means to know
where you’re
going so that you better understand where you are now and
so that the steps you take are always in the right direction.” We
have started asking our kids the question about what they
desire for their futures so they can make decisions today
to achieve their goals for the future.
We know our kids will be dealing with major decisions
and change in their lives. “Change
is one of God’s greatest gifts and most useful tools. Change can push us,
pull us, rebuke us, and remake us... it is not something to run away from, as
though we could, and in many cases, change is a function of God’s graciousness,
not life’s cruelty.” * As our FPC family has experienced this summer,
life has been filled with many life-altering changes for many individual families.
Our kids will not be immune, so how do they deal with easy and not-so-easy changes
that will occur? My gut belief is they will best be able to deal with decisions
and changes in their lives if they have a group of friends that will challenge
and question them through a common belief system that is based upon the Bible.
How many of us specifically weigh advice from our friends as to whether it is
Biblically based or not? And how many of us are able to remain faithful and strong
in our decisions when they become hard or don’t follow the directions most
of our surrounding society upholds? I ran across another quote I would like to
share (in case you haven’t guessed yet, I have done a lot of reading this
summer!): “It is usually easier for me to trust God for other people’s
problems than it is for my own. But that’s why it’s good to have
a prayer partner or a group of praying sisters. To hold up our shaky faith, to
remind us of God’s promises, to stand with us when we don’t feel
so strong ourselves.” (“Who Do I Lean On?” by Neta Jackson)
So this how I have been encouraging my kids this
summer and what I am also encouraging our FPC community
- do you have a group of praying friends that will help
you
trust God with your problems and move forward with Biblical wisdom in your life
so you can achieve your end goals? If not, will you make this a new beginning
in your life and find a group to support and encourage you? We are working with
our existing groups to see which may have room, plus the small group ministry
team is looking at what new topical small groups we could initiate this fall.
Watch for additional information about groups for the fall and/or contact me
to let me know what your interests are to help in our planning process. I am
looking forward to this fall as a new beginning in our family’s life and
in our church life!
“When life is sweet, say thank you and celebrate.
When life is bitter, say thank you and grow. ” *
This
summer has certainly flown by...but we
are so excited about this fall! God continues
to do amazing things within the families of our church and community. He is in
the
business of redeeming souls, and it’s a privilege to be used to reach kids
for Christ!
As we kick-off our 2010 - 2011 season with our Sizzling September Spree and
then
continue children’s ministry through the autumn months… we anticipate
miracles
happening all around! Please join us to pray for all of FPC’s Children’s
Ministry.
Here are the Children’s Ministry Team
2010-2011
Prayer Requests:
That all leaders will have endurance, patience, wisdom, and grace as we work
with each other, with children, youth, and parents within all sorts of situations.
That children will hear God’s Word and as a result come
to know Jesus as their personal Savior.
That parents would grow alongside their children, become confident
in Biblical truths, and transform into the primary spiritual
teachers to their children.
That as people grow in God’s grace, new leaders would
step up and apprentice into this awesome ministry! (We could
use YOUR
help!)
That families will surround each other with support and care so
that children can have lifelong Christian friendships that will
spur them on in their faith.
As the kids go through the day at the Sizzling
Spree, they collect stickers for various things like encouraging
each other, helping another child in an activity, picking up
a piece of trash, letting someone in line ahead of them, cheering
for their teammates, etc. At the end of each day, they turn in
their stickers for prizes!
Stuffed animals, toys, coloring books, stickers,
puzzles, wigs, sunglasses...anything can
be a prize! So clean out those old toy boxes
and donate those treasures that you haven’t
yet figured out what to do with!
Work camp 2010 was an amazing success! Both our jr. and sr.
high groups participated wonderfully and accomplished more
than what was expected.
Our jr. high students were given the responsibility of planning
and running a FUN summer program for the students at the Lourdes
Hospital Day Care Program. Their participation began with an
all-nighter/planning session. During this session our jr. high
team crafted an excellent three day camp program—planning
out crafts, plotting out games, and putting together snacks—ALL
that fit our DIG EGYPT theme. Their work with the 40 students
they were entrusted with was excellent! WOW—God is good!
Our sr. high group participated alongside of our friends at
Bethanna again for our third consecutive year. Once again our
students were used by the Lord as a blessing to Bethanna. The
two main projects this year were landscaping the 30 acre campus
and putting up property line fencing. At the end of our two
and a half FULL days of work Bethanna’s Maintenance Supervisor,
Matt Murdoch summed up our team’s accomplishments by
sharing that, “we were able to accomplish TOGETHER what
would have been a month’s worth of work for my department
alone.” WOW—God is amazing!
I would like to say thank you to all of the students who sacrificed
a chunk of their summer to serve the Lord! You are all amazing.
I would also like to thank all of you who prayed us through
the summer —we desperately needed it.
Want to Remain
Informed?
Weekly youth
group schedules are available in the
yOuthouse and in the gathering space.
Parent Meeting
This meeting will highlight some
of the changes you are going to see in our programs
this fall. Looking forward to catching up with
you after what has been a very busy summer!
Sunday, September
5, 2010
12:15-1:15pm
Questions? Contact Jeremy Finn. The youth
web page will be kept updated with the current Monthly
schedule or you can always e-mail
Jeremy with questions.
Over these hot busy summer months, plans have been
taking shape for yet another vibrant year of musical praises to
God at FPC. What a perfect opportunity this is to extend a warm
welcome and open invitation to all singers to become a member of
our Chancel Choir, our new Resurrection Choir, and our new Cantor
Program. If you love to sing praises to the Lord, know that we
have a seat waiting just for you.
Our choral library has been expanding over the
summer months with new anthems; some with lush harmonies, some
upbeat and soulfully energetic, some late Renaissance
and early Baroque, some quietly thoughtful and reflective, and yes, some that
will have the congregation tapping their toes to the music.
Looking ahead to
Advent and Christmas, our Chancel Choir will be presenting weekly
anthems from a magnificent cantata
by Joseph Martin, which uses narration and
beloved carols to tell the story of Christ’s birth through the “voices” of
witnesses to the good news.
If you have ever
considered singing in our choir, now is the time to join us. Our
fall rehearsal schedule
will begin with a Pot Luck Dinner on Thursday,
September 9, at 6:00 p.m. in the Dining Room. Our first rehearsal
will commence immediately
thereafter.
Choir rehearsals are held every Thursday evening
in our choir room beginning at 7:00 pm. I am looking forward
to another spiritually rewarding year for all
of us, so let our praises to God begin anew as we start our fall season together.
The PW Circle, also known as Circle III, will be
having its first meeting of the fall on Wednesday, September 15,
at 1:30 pm in the dining room at church. This group meets once
a month, the third Wednesday of the month, for a sharing time,
a prayer time and a Bible Study using the Horizon’s Bible
Study material. They started the study of Joshua last winter and
will continue that study this fall.
These women feel very blessed to be able to
meet together, share common everyday experiences, and share
any prayer concerns they may have. If you would like to
learn from or share experiences with the matriarchs of our church family, we
invite you to join them on Wednesday, September 15, at 1:30 in the dining room
of our church. You, too, will be blessed!
Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery
On Saturday, September 11, Presbyterian Women of
the Presbytery will meet for their Fall Gathering at Union Presbyterian
Church in Endicott. The Rev. Pat
Raube will be the main speaker and will use song, story, poetry and conversation
for a presentation on Revelation 22. Joan Wise-Hostetter will also present
a workshop on Revelation based on the Horizons Bible study for 2010
- 2011. The program begins at 9:30 and concludes at 1:00 after lunch (at
a cost of
$5.00). Reservations are requested by September 7 and can be made by contacting
Lisa Burts at unionpresbyterian. stny.rr.com or at 748-9651.
This presbytery group is “going green” and will now put out its
newsletter on line. If you would like to receive The Caller, send your e-mail
address to
JoAnne Aynar at unpredictablejoa@aol.com.
Women of Faith Conference
- Last Call
There are still seats available on the Conklin Pres.
bus for the Rochester Women of Faith event. If
you or someone you know might be interested,
please contact Dana Wolfe at 607-206-6738. The
cost includes bus, overnight accommodations,
lunch Friday and Saturday, October 8 and 9, hot
breakfast on Saturday, cool pool and a hot Jacuzzi!
Ladies, this is a wonderful way to rejuvenate
and revitalize your life! The cost ranges from
$165 to $195, depending ont he number in the
hotel room. For more information about Women
of Faith, check out their website: www.womenoffaith.com.
This
has been a GOOD summer. Enjoying the out of doors is the best relaxation
in the whole world! Maybe you enjoy sailing, swimming, picnics
and the ants, hiking, traveling to parts unknown, or just sitting
in your back yard and reading a good book! But even while relaxing
we need to take stock of the moment and not forget some important
disciplines.
One of these is our dietary habits. The daily
diet should include all four food groups – grains, vegetables, fruits, and a protein or dairy product –including
the school lunches you pack for your children. Be aware of over-feeding yourself
or your family with a high carbohydrate menu – such as white bread, white
pastas and sweets, including cookies, candy or soda.
You might be aware that Phyllis’s husband recently had coronary
bypass surgery. He has completed a 12-week rehab program offered
at a local hospital, and part of his instruction was on diet, obesity
and Basic Mass (or Metabolic) Index (BMI). Two websites I found helpful
in determining an individual’s BMI and the importance of body
weight are www.whathealth.com/bmi/formula.html
and www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/bminojs.htm.
Being overweight is a big problem in America. Some
of the complications of obesity are high blood pressure, diabetes,
high cholesterol or abnormal body
fats, coronary heart disease, stroke or gall bladder disease.
God instructs us how to take care of our bodies
in I Corinthians 3:16 and 17. “Don’t
you know that you yourself are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit
lives in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him;
for God’s temple is sacred, and you are that temple.” When we think
of our bodies as being God’s temple we realize the importance of taking
care of them. Watching our dietary intake is just one way of doing that.
Recently, Barbara Work’s daughter brought
in some church memorabilia she’d come across while cleaning out
Barbara’s house.
Our own Liz Dawson wrote this clever poem on the
occasion of Rev. Vincent Earley’s 10th Anniversary at First Pres.
The Four Thousand, Five Hundred
It
has been about ten years, since Vince's ordination,
And his and Betty's coming to our congregation.
So it is a time for rejuvenation,
Having overcome many a trial and tribulation,
Filled with the happiness of elation,
Paired with joy and jubilation,
That hopefully will last over a generation.
Out of town friends, across the nation,
Were reached with written communication.
Some answered promptly, without hesitation,
Others declined, after due consideration,
But sent a generous donation.
Some church members are away on vacation,
Unable to attend, but send best wishes and felicitations,
Regretfully missing this momentus celebration!
Those of us here, gave our affirmation,
Adding to the excitement of anticipation.
There have been weeks and weeks of preparation,
Under Lynda Helmer's guidance and coordination,
She provided us with pertinent information,
And has succeeded in the whole conglomeration.
However, keeping the plans secret for the duration,
Has required considerable concentration.
With the fury of a raging conflagration,
Ethel Whittemore has been an inspiration,
To many members of the Women's Association.
She had an idea, which underwent germination,
Beginning to flower, after consultation
With Olivia Ide, who has an artistic reputation.
Together, they tastefully designed an original creation.
Under Ethel's supervision, and devoted dedication,
As well as her unbelievable determination,
An old art form has undergone revitalization.
Each gathering proved to be a congenial demonstration,
It was really a most pleasant revelation.
Many have worked, a varied representation
Of skills, along with blood, tears, and perspiration.
She may have felt she has been through Hell's fire
and damnation,
After many, many moments of frustration.
But it has been a beautiful experience in cooperation,
From all who have had a hand in the participation.
The Whittemore living room served as the arena for
confrontation,
Where our secret mission was performed like a delicate
operation.
And now, as we make this presentation,
We trust our gift will be a sensation,
Representing, in a small way, our love and admiration,
Schemed especially for your edification,
To be received with your usual appreciation.
From the best church in all the nation,
Which has prospered under your administration.
You just can't beat this congregation,
Others could take note, and gain an education!
Did you know that Elizabeth (Liz) Dawson
won the Ms.
New York Senior America
Pageant in 1987?
Samaritan Supper needs some more Samaritans!
We are looking for some volunteers to help with the weekly suppers served to
our community each Tuesday. Please prayerfully consider if you can commit to
one Tuesday afternoon or evening a month to help either cook or serve.
Volunteers come one Tuesday
each month at 3:00 p.m. to prepare the meal. They are usually
done by 4:30-5:00.
Volunteer servers and “hosts” (crowd
control upstairs before the meal) come at 4:45 and stay until we are cleaned
up, usually around 6:45-7:00.
We have been blessed by a troop of local Girl Scouts who have been managing our
clothing tables. Thanks, girls! As always, if you are cleaning out closets, please
consider donating to us.
If you haven’t come to a supper yet, please join us and see what we are
about. If it’s been a while, we miss you!
We would really like to have a consistent body
of volunteers to make this ministry run smoothly.
Another vital part of this ministry is picking
up the food from Broome Bounty. On Tuesday mornings, we
need
someone to
travel to CHOW in Binghamton for a 9:30 am
pick-up of the supplies we’ve ordered for that week.
If you can volunteer to do this once a
month (a commitment of about one hour), please
contact Barbara Peak. You do not have to
load or unload the food; help is available
both here and there.
Fellowship
Group to Meet on October 1
Plan to join the Fellowship Group on Friday,
October 1, at 12:00 noon for lunch and a
program. Carleen and George Rynick will give
a presentation on their travels and work
in Europe. Please call Maxine or Charlie
Waughtel at 625-4693 to make a reservation.
PEACEMAKING
SUNDAY -
SEPTEMBER 26
One
of the ministries we take for granted is
the way the visuals are created on Sunday
mornings, especially for the 9:09 service.
We want to thank Sarah Early for loving
and serving this congregation by making
sure we have slides for the announcements,
scripture readings, words to songs and
other graphics for several Sundays each
month over the past several years. As Sarah
goes off to college, we wish her the very
best in her college years and want to express
our gratitude that she chose to use the
talents God has given her to serve this
congregation so faithfully.
Happy
Birthday to
Our Over 80's
September
1: Janet
W.
5: D.
William S.
6: Marjorie N.
7: Roberta H.
13: Robert N.
Note: Please
notify the Church office if you have turned
80 but your name is not mentioned.
.In
the interest of privacy, please contact the church
office to receive the current list of
changes
to the directory.
Sunday,
September 19
5:00 pm
Watch the bulletins for details
and sign-up sheets
Nursery School Summer
and Fall News
The Nursery School was a busy
place again this summer! For two weeks in
July, the “Under the Big Top” program
kept children involved as they learned about
the circus. Special thanks to the teachers,
parents and to Val O’Neill, Julie Murphy,
Kim Zarzynski and Peggy Wheeler who coordinated
the summer program.
Our enrollment allowance in the Union Endicott
School District Universal Pre-Kindergarten
(UPK) was frozen again this year for the third year in a row. We have a full
enrollment in the UPK program at 71 students, with a long waiting list. Our
private-pay students are down from past
years due to most districts offering
free UPK programs
this year and the tough economy, which makes it difficult on our families.
We do have a few openings in our MWF
program and the five-day private program
in
the mornings. The three-year-old program still has several openings as well.
With growing unemployment and underemployment
in our area, it is getting harder for
working class families to get by, so
we will be offering our scholarship
program again this year. The Nursery School is committed to accept all children,
regardless of their ability to pay. We are grateful to the families and church
members who continue to contribute to the scholarship program. Scholarship
contributions are tax-deductible and are always welcome. Just call or stop
by the Nursery School
office for more details or support one of the Parent Council fundraisers
throughout the year.
Our part-time custodians Mike and Joe worked
with Lou Pasquale to make sure all the
classrooms were cleaned and that touch-up
painting was done as well.
The
classrooms look great because of all their hard work. The teachers will
be returning on August 30 for three days
of training. At this time, we have
no new staff for
next year. The students will not start here until Monday, September 13,
due to the lateness of Labor Day this
year.
The staff and I are looking forward to
another wonderful year. We are grateful
for all the prayers, words of kindness and financial assistance and support
we continue to receive from this church.