Pasadena Presbyterian Church
April 2010
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Session Digest
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"Why is it considered incredible among you if God does raise the dead?” (Acts 26:8)
The resurrection of Jesus is the central foundational fact of, and key controversy surrounding, Christianity. While few would dispute Jesus was a real, historical figure, and a good person, everything about Him beyond that—whether He was God’s Son, whether He told God’s truth, whether he could and did die for the forgiveness of the world’s sins, and whether He is alive—depended and depends upon the reality and truth of His resurrection.
For almost 2000 years, people around the world have heard of this amazing, unprecedented, historical event; upon hearing, they have had to make a decision:
believe--accept Jesus and trust in who He is and what He did for the salvation of our souls and assurance of having eternal life with God, OR not believe--and so keep trusting in some other god(s), religion, philosophy or way for salvation, if there is any eternity and way to be living in it at all.
Having modern medical technology and seeing people resuscitated and literally brought back from being dead should make our acceptance of the resurrection of Jesus easier—but it doesn’t: miracles are always hard to explain! Explaining them, though, isn’t the point: believing them, and believing in the One, True, Living God of the Bible who does miracles, is!
That’s why God not only raised Jesus but proved the reality of His resurrection by having Him meet with His followers—alive—after His death. As verification of this unmatched, mightiest miracle, three days after being crucified, the original disciples of Jesus witnessed Him alive; within a couple of months, the number of first-hand witnesses, seeing and meeting the resurrected Jesus, rose to “more than 500” (1 Corinthians 15:3-6).
OK: so, do we still see and meet Jesus alive today?
Absolutely—but not as those first witnesses did: we meet Jesus, see Him and know He is alive through the “eyes” of faith—by making the choice to believe God, agree with God, trust in His Word (the Bible) and pray to invite the risen Jesus into our lives as our personal Savior and only Lord!
“though you have not seen Him, you love Him,
and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him,
you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:8-9)
Believing in Jesus means believing in His resurrection: Jesus can’t be Savior for and Lord of all—God the Eternal Son-- if He wasn’t raised and isn’t alive! The Good News and TRUTH is, of course, Jesus lives—Praise God! And because He lives, we who believe in Him do live with and for Him now, and we will live forever with Him, too (Romans 4:24-5; 6:4; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 15:1ff; 2 Corinthians 4:14)!
Praising God with you for the resurrection of His beloved, one and only Son, Jesus—our risen Savior and reigning/returning Lord!
In Christ,
Carl
Session Digest: February 23, 2010
The Session held its February Stated meeting on February 23 at 7 p.m. in the Boswell room. The Moderator was Carl Crawford, who called the meeting to order with prayer. A quorum was present. Elder Smith shared a devotion from 2 Peter 1:3.
The following items were discussed and acted on:
1. Elder Rexie Casey shared that she felt God was leading her to another ministry, but does not know yet what it is. She wants to be totally unhindered by her comfort zone, so asked that her name be removed from the church rolls. The Session voted that her request be honored and approved. A season of prayer was held for her.
2. The January financial report was approved, which showed a positive balance of $25,056.48.
3. A bid of approximately $4000 to lower the screen and the projector in the sanctuary was approved. The wish list funds are designated for this project.
4. A mission trip to Trinidad, under the leadership of Anthony Oliver during the week of July 10-17 was approved.
The meeting adjourned with a season of prayer at 8:35 p.m.
Larry Oline, Clerk
Complete Session minutes are public record and are available for review in the church office by any PPC member.
Financial Report: February 28, 2010
The Financials for February show actual income $24,421.31 with expenses of $31,185.01 leaving us $6,763.70 in the red.
Year to Date 2010 |
|
| Actual Income | $82,684.97 |
| Actual Expenses | $64,392.19 |
| Black | $18,292.78 |
PPC Foundation |
|
| Pasadena Foundation | $ 26,622.90 |
| Wahl Scholarship | $ 49,945.67 |
Cash Reserves $133,654.46
Our PPC Session is grateful to report the hiring of PATTI STRONG as our new
OFFICE CLERICAL ASSISTANT. Patti will be assisting in our Office
Tuesdays—Fridays, 9am—1pm.
WELCOME TO OUR STAFF, PATTI!
God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear.” Acts 2:32-33
The children have an opportunity to celebrate Christ’s resurrection at the “Resurrection Egg Hunt” on April 4th, immediately following the 8:30 AM service. The children will meet in the chapel where they will hear a presentation of the gospel, and be separated into age groups for the egg hunt.
Children’s Church is a worship service designed specifically for children in kindergarten through grade 5. The children are dismissed from the chapel during the 8:30 AM service each Sunday, with the exception of Communion Sunday.
Leslie Hughes
Stewardship Ministry Update
During Lent, I was listening to Ravi Zacharias, a noted Christian author and speaker, (<http://www.rzim.org/>) The particular message was "God's Plan for Your Life." Ravi made the point that giving is a privileged part of worship. Giving is not just a good deed; it's a reverential deed and an essential part of worship. You are giving to God who made it possible for you to give. You are blessing others with your gift to God and they will often thank God for the gift He gave them through you. Here at Pasadena, we can all thank God that He has blessed us and kept His ministries at Pasadena funded in these difficult times. Hallelujah!
Please, Remember the Samaritan's Fund
Several of our fellow Pasadena members are in need; so we'd like to remind everyone that the Samaritan's Fund was set up to help church members and the Deacons' Fund is for those outside the church. At the moment, the Deacons' Fund is doing very well, but the Samaritan's Fund is getting low as we help our members in need. When filling your offering envelope, please consider giving to the Samaritan's Fund so that we can continue to help those who belong to our church.
Wish List Update
The Session has approved our youth group's request to add $1,500 in needed sound equipment to the wish list. That would get them two powered PA speakers, two powered monitors, mixing board and speaker stands for the chapel.
Pasadena Presbyterian Church Wishlist |
||
| Bature of Project | Estimated Cost | Amount Recieved |
Youth sound equipment (speakers, etc) |
$1,500 | new item |
Wednesday Night Women's Bible Study Group
Three times a year, the Ancient Israelites traveled to the temple in Jerusalem, NOW IT’S YOUR TURN, join us on April 21st at 6:30 for “Stepping up: A Journey through the Psalms of Ascent” that explores Psalms 120-134. Through this study you will gain a new appreciation for the life of faith as a journey to greater fellowship with and worship of God. The more we unveil our faces to God and bare our soul to Him, expressing what is on our hearts, the safer we will feel with Him, and the closer we’ll draw to him.
Each Wednesday night, we have a women’s bible study group that has blossomed, transforming lives, changing hearts, teaching and leading women to be who God has designed her to be. We are finishing up our study of the Fruit of the Spirit on March 10th and I want to share with you some of the words expressed to me about what this study has meant to some of the 35 women who have been attending each week.
“for me personally, there have been two Wednesday evenings recently that Beth Moore's study was just what I needed. And, our small group leader epitomizes how God so graciously works in our lives and changes us to be the person HE wants us to be. I have learned from the other ladies as well.....I appreciate it all!”
“I have been out of serious bible study for years, this study has brought me back to the word, a deeper fellowship with God and a changed heart.”
“This study has been an answered prayer to for me.”
“I am so thankful and feel so blessed for this time to learn so much and have so many great examples of the type of woman God wants me to be.
“I have learned so much and know that I am right where God wants me to be.”
Please join me on our next journey in God’s Word,
In his love
Carol Pilkington
THE PURPOSE OF PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN:
FORGIVEN AND FREED BY GOD IN JESUS CHRIST AND EMPOWERED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT, WE COMMIT OURSELVES. . . . .
To nurture our faith through prayer and bible study
To support the mission of the church worldwide
To work for justice and peace
To build an inclusive, caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (USA) and witnesses to the promise of God’s Kingdom.
Activities for Month of April 2010 at Pasadena
Monday, April 5th at 10:15 am Communion at The Springs
Tuesday, April 6th at 10:00 am PW Council Meeting—Boswell Room
Monday, April 12th at 7:00 pm Rachel Circle—Fellowship Hall
Tuesday, April 13th at 10:00 am Esther Circle— Bettie Ehman’s Home
Tuesday, April 13th at 1:00 pm Ruth Circle—Pat Drucker’s Home
Another Circle, named Hannah has been started and meets in the evenings. Time and place to be determined each month. Contact Vicki Danz (347-3617), Felicia Ragland (345-6396) or Ruth Hansell (343-1568) for further information.
PW Birthday Celebration is Saturday, May 15, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. in the Chapel. Our guest speaker will be Robin Powell, newly elected Tampa Bay PW Moderator. Robin is one of the younger members of Presbyterian Women and we would encourage all women of the church to try to attend this celebration. After our program, we will have a salad luncheon in the Fellowship Hall, furnished by our women of the church. We will need some kind of a head count in order to prepare enough food. After our lunch, we will have a style show with fashions from Bon Worth. Anyone who would like to model should get in contact with Ruth Hansell (343-1568). There is no charge except a monetary birthday gift for Presbyterian Women USA to give to the many mission projects which have asked for grants. Watch for further instructions for reservations in the May Alleluia News.
In Christ’s Love,
Patricia Watts, Acting Moderator
DID CHRISTMAS COME EARLY THIS YEAR?
Twice in the last few months, the library has received large donations of books. Wonderful books. One of the best donations was that of a young preschool girl who authored her own book. Her mother has checked out books for years for her from the church library and now she has written one of her own! It is on the gray shelves in the hall. Come read it!
Here are some of the books that are new to the library from the donated books:
I Love You But Why are We So Different? Tim LaHaye
Help! I'm Turning Into My Mother**With a Few Quirks of My Own Becky Freeman (author of Worms in My Tea) and her mother, Ruthie Arnold
Loving Solutions Overcoming Barriers in Your Marriage Gary Chapman
The Bumps Are What You Climb On Encouragement for Difficult Days Warren W. Wiersbe
Cries from the Cross A Journey Into the Heart of Jesus Erwin W. Lutzer, Moody Church Senior Pastor
Just Enough Light For the Step I'm On Trusting God in the Tough Times Stormie Omartian
Communication Key to Your Marriage A Practical Guide to Creating a Happy, Fulfilling Relationship (revised edition) H. Norman Wright
Laurie Smith,
Librarian
The Evangemissions ministry wishes to thank all those people who gave their time, energy, and gifts to make our annual Missions’ Conference a success. If you have not turned in your Faith Promise pledge, it is not too late! You may still turn it in at the office, or you may place it in the offering plate on Sunday. Thank you to those of you who have pledged to support our 19 missionaries.
Jesus said in Acts 24:46-47, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name, to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” This month we will celebrate Christ’s resurrection, and we can all be a part of preaching the gospel “to all nations.” God calls us ALL to be His missionaries!
Leslie Hughes, EvangeMissions Chair
Pastor Anthony, Judy, Phillip and Michael are leading a Pasadena trip to Trinidad this July 9th—16th. They have been missionaries in Trinidad for many years and now they want to take us there on a short-term mission trip. Please go with us to Trinidad this summer.
This is a great trip for a first time mission trip as Trinidadians speak English and the people are very friendly. Trinidad is the southernmost of the Caribbean islands, 7 miles off the coast of Venezuela, South America. A population of 1.5 million made up of people of African, East Indian, Chinese, Syrian, Lebanese, Portuguese, British and French decent. With all the different racial, religious, and cultural heritages, you'll find it is like taking 5 mission trips all in one! It is like you are going to the Caribbean islands, India, the Middle East, China and England!
Don’t say no to this trip without first attending Pastor Anthony’s Wednesday night class at 7:00 PM. The class is EVERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT. Trip is open to youth (with parent or responsible adult) and adults. Flying American Airlines to Port of Spain airport in Trinidad leaving Friday July 9th and returning Friday July 16th. Even if you decide not to go you can be on the prayer team and anyone desiring to know how to share Jesus should attend the Wednesday night equipping classes. In class you will find out why Anthony has that big smile on his face. Fair warning though, it just could be contagious.
April is national Donate Life Month. Established in 2003, every day in April, we give thanks for the people across the U.S. who have saved lives through organ, tissue, marrow and blood donation. What can you do? #1. Make your wishes known. Register by saying YES to donation on your driver’s license. Tell family, friends, physician, and pastor that you want to be a donor. No one is too old or too young to donate. However, under 18, parental permission is needed to donate. Even if you have a chronic medical condition, you are not automatically ruled out. #2. Spread the word. Greater than 98,000 people are in need of organ transplants. Daily, approximately 77 people get the organ transplant that, through the grace of God, gives them life. 17 to 19 others die because they did not receive an organ transplant. #3. Be informed and advocate. Much more than organs can be donated. Organs, tissue, stem cells and blood and platelets can all be donated. The organs that we currently have the technology to transplant are kidneys, heart, lungs, liver, and pancreas in addition to combined organs like kidney/pancreas transplants. Tissue transplants include corneas, the middle ear, skin, heart valves, bone, veins, cartilage, tendons and ligaments. Healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 60 can donate blood stem cells. Successful donation usually requires closely matched tissue type. Blood and platelets are formed by the body, go through a life cycle, and are continuously replaced throughout life. It is safe to donate blood every 56 days. There are multiple different kinds of organ donation. One is from a living donor. For example, living individuals can donate one of their two kidneys; this is the most frequent living donor procedure. Living donors can also donate blood, marrow, and blood stem cells. However, most organs used in transplants come from people who have suffered brain death as the result of an accident or stroke. Brain death is total cessation of brain function, including brain stem function. Knowledge is power, the more you know, the better equipped you are to make informed decisions. If you want more information go to http://organdonor.gov/get_involved/donatelifemonth.htm , which is the site I used for the information presented herein.
“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well…..” Psalm 139:14
Debbie Rivard, RN, FCN
March was a wonderful month at the preschool ministry. We learned about the many different types of people that live in the world, and how God has created each and every one of His children to be unique and special. Our VPK classes had an Olympic day which was attended by the entire school. All of the children received event medals for their good efforts. The parents of the three year old class hosted an “International Celebration” with food, music, clothing, and art work from many different countries. It was wonderful to see the parents and children interacting in such a meaningful way and sharing their heritage. We had about 300 people attend family night. The theme was “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” We sang songs about God’s love for us and for everyone in the entire world.
As we continued our journey towards the celebration of Easter, the children learned a lot about the life of Jesus. They learned how He traveled with His friends and spread the Good News to everyone, and how we too can tell our families and friends about Jesus. We lined up in the Sanctuary and waved palm branches and sang “Holy, Holy, Holy Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” as a child playing the role of Jesus walked down the aisle. To help the children learn about the Last Supper, the teachers washed the children’s feet, and then they broke bread and drank grape juice together.
When we return to school on April 4th we will celebrate the Resurrection. May the Lord bless you and your loved ones. Thank you for your prayers.
Laura Woodard
Congregational Nominating Committee
The CONGREGATIONAL NOMINATING COMMITTEE is meeting in April seeking the Lord’s leading to nominate in May the next class of elders to serve at PPC. If you would like to suggest a name for consideration to be elected to our next class of elders, please send your suggestion to Kathie Schellhaas, Leo Meilus, Don Davis, Cesar Van Ardoy, Terry Odom or Becky McLaughlin. You do not have to ask permission of someone before suggesting their name to the Nominating Committee, but it is a helpful thing to do. All suggestions must be submitted to the Nominating Committee no later than April 18th. Please keep in mind that suggesting a name does not guarantee that person will be nominated by the committee; all suggestions are prayerfully considered.
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
It is hard to believe that VBS is right around the corner! This year’s VBS will take place June 14th – 18th. If you feel God calling you to be a part of this ministry that serves our community, please contact Leslie Hughes.
A special THANK YOU to everyone who supported the Youth for our Valentines Day Dinner Fundraiser. It was a huge success this year. We made $1100.00 to date and without the help of Vicki Danz and others, this event would not have been as big a success. We hope everyone had a great time and we look forward to next year.
The youth meet in the Chapel every Sunday Night from 5PM to 7PM. We have a time of praise, worship and message. Check out our new look calendar. We welcome all youth from Middle School to High School.
We are excited to start a new Youth Outreach event each month and we are looking for servant projects in the area,
Please Pray for our Youth and leadership daily.
God Loves You and so do I,
Rob Taylor
OK Ladies,
A very unique class is about to unfold at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. Creative Friendzy helps women:
- grow in spiritual character
- reach those intimidated by the words “Bible study”
- unite from various ages and backgrounds
- build new and stronger friendships
- give purpose to their creativity
- explore new, hands-on creative skills
Creative Friendzy builds in opportunities for meaningful interaction. Women unite in common purpose. God has built women with creativity woven into the fabric of who they are. Think of all the excitement! Your friendz will love all the opportunities to creatively work together in ministry. I am expectantly looking forward to seeing all you ladies April 11th. There will be more information forthcoming. Stay tuned with your eyes and ears open.
Most importantly, pray that God will enrich this ministry and become a blessing to PPC.
| 8:30 a.m. | 11:00 a.m. | Total | |
| March 7 | 104 | 109 | 213 |
| March 14 | 93 | 73 | 166 |
| March 21 | (combined) | 162 | |
| March 28 | 104 | 128 | 232 |
Thank You
Dear Pastor Carl & Members of the Church,
My sincere thanks to all for your prayers, visitations, calls and cards during a most difficult period in my life. My belief in God’s goodness, grace and blessings never for a moment wavered. Collective prayers work and my speedy recovery is a testament to that fact.
To God be the glory and praise. Elaine and I are most appreciative of your support,
Thanks
Vincent Luke & Elaine
Fellowship Ministry Needs You!
COME JOIN US IN MAKING 2010 A FANTASTIC YEAR OF FELLOWSHIP AT PPC
Volunteers are needed for the Fellowship Committee (Ministry). Please contact Vicki Danz or Patti Strong if you are interested in helping us.
Thank you to those who helped with the Missions Fair lunch. God knows who you are. You are a blessing to PPC and we love that about you.
Vicki Danz
Craft Sale
The Monday Morning Hobbies & Craft Group cordially invites you to our Craft SaleSunday, May 2nd in the Fellowship Hall.Please join us for coffee and goodies.
How Safe Is It to Use Food from a Dented Can?
“When in doubt, throw it out,” says dietitian Stacey Nelson of Massachusetts General Hospital. “While rare, there is a potential for botulism poisoning. Even the tiniest amount of botulinum toxin can be deadly, so never ever taste food from dented, bulging, leaking, or rusty cans.
Support Our Troops
Pasadena Presbyterian Church is again collecting items for our troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. They may be dropped off at the visitors booth on Sunday.
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