Presbyterian Women
Faith Circle will meet on Tuesday, September
1 at 9:15 A.M. at the church.
Hope Circle will meet on Thursday,
September 3 at 4:30 P.M. at Lana
Henderson’s for a finger food potluck and
swimming.
HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!! We will be cleaning the
Nursery, Sunday School rooms and storage
room on Tuesday, September 1 at 9:00 A.M.
Please come and help as we prepare for the
new Sunday School year.
Sunday School begins September 13th: we
will be kicking the new year off on
September 20th with a church fishing trip at
Lake Sara (11:00am-2:00pm)! Sign-up sheets
are posted in the narthex for anyone who can
help out with desserts or side dishes. There
will be games, fishing, and a "beach party"
for the younger kids; please sign-up or let
Scott know if you plan on attending/
volunteering!
Inspiration Gardens…
”The current balance of the Inspirational
Garden Fund is $4.97. Recently we added
new mulch in the gardens and around the
trees. We have been fertilizing the grass
around the gazebo area, and also planted
shrubs and flowers this spring. The fund has
been depleted. We have had very few
memorial gifts in the last few years and there
is more we would like to do! There are
currently (5) trees available to be adopted at
$500 each. A memorial marker will be put
under each tree along with maintenance for
the life of the tree. For larger gifts, we'd like
to continue the concrete on the other side of
the bridge up into the wildlife area which
continues to develop along with additional
seating areas along the pathway. For smaller
gifts $5 and up would help with planting
flowers, bulbs, fertilizer, replacement shrubs,
mulch, etc.
Thank you for considering any gift to the
Inspirational Garden Fund. This account was
set up to be independent of the Church
General Fund. Checks can still be made out
to First Presbyterian Church and put
"Garden" on Memo section”.
Fill the BLUE Tub for the hungry..
When you come to church please help
the hungry in our area by bringing one or
two non-perishable food items and place
them in the blue tub in the entry way.
Sue Schimmelpfenning has volunteered
to distribute the food. If you have
questions , call Sue at 536-5209.By
sharing we keep someone from going
without food and in doing so you will be
nourishing both the body and mind of
those that live amongst us .
WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO TO THE
CHRISTMAS CONCERT?
Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
December 12 - 8:00 P.M.
Sign up on the sheet in the Narthex if
you want to go. Need to sign up
by September 30!!!!!!!!!!!
Lana will drive the church van for
those who do not drive ( Eight seats are
available )
There is a possibility of a tour of the
Basilica before dinner, then dinner
At the Rooster before concert.
Plans to depart the church and driving
instructions will be announced later.
Menu available
Tickets for concert are $31.00.
Meal is $10 - $15.
CALENDAR FOR SEPTEMBER
August 30 - guest minister will be Jeff Grote, Honorably retired, Jeff makes his home in
Shelbyville. He and his wife have visited our church several times this summer.
Sunday September 6- Scott Goodson will be preaching at 9:30 am service.
Wednesday, September 9 - kids and parents, 6th grade through High School will meet at
6pm for Pizza and an orientation of the Junior and Senior High Youth groups. The
orientation is for parents and kids in both Senior and Jr. High groups. Watch for a letter
with more details.
Sunday, September 13 is the opening of Sunday School. VBS Kids plan to share their
music from the summer. Bibles will be awarded to 3rd graders. Bring spare change for a
“Blessing in a Backpack” offering.
Sunday, September 20
After worship we travel to Lake Sara for a Beach Party Potluck and fishing.
Wednesday, September 23 - Family Night Picnic and Pavilion Jam
Join us for dinner, campfire and great music.
* Parents- please plan to stay and eat with your children. Please make sure your children
are in their class before you leave.
Wednesday, September 30th - Dinner at 5:30 / 6-7pm Classes & activities
Looking ahead:
October 4- World Communion Sunday
October 7- Family Night
October 14 Family Night
October 21- Family Night— come help build our float for Halloween Parade.
Saturday - October 24 - Trunk or treat, Hot Dog Roast and Hayrides
Sunday - October 25 - Halloween Parade — Come walk with us on the Presbyterian Float..
5/14/2015 VBS Letter
Dear Parents:
It's that time of year again-Vacation Bibles School! Mark your calendars for June 7th to June 11th, Sunday through Thursday from 5:15pm to 8:00pm. VBS is opened to all 4 year olds through 4th grade. A light meal will be served at 5:15pm each day for those families interested. Please let Kristen or Scott know if you plan on your child eating at the church. We will discover how to see God in everyday life through God Sightings at our Base Camp Sing & Play, Bible Expeditions, Glacier Games, Mountaintop Treats, Kidvid Cinema, Imagination Station, and Summit Celebration.
Our mission project will be "Bank on It." A child in Thailand can have a kid-friendly and colorful New Testament Bible with every $4.00 raised. Let's support his ministry and put God's Word in the hands of these children. We will distribute a small offering box at VBS; the children can collect money, and bring in their offering box to VBS. Then, they drop their donations into a collection container each night. At the end of the week, your child even gets to keep their offering box to remind them to continue to pray for the kids in Thailand.
We will conclude VBS with a short program at 7:00pm on Thursday. Parents may drop off their children between 5:15pm and 5:30pm and then come back and join us at 7:00pm. We will have our final Summit Celebration to show you all what the children have learned.
We are asking everyone to register by May 29th if possible, but we will also be doing registrations at the door for late-comers. Registration is a breeze, and you may even do so online by visiting the link on the church homepage. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to call the church office at 217-342-6272.
4/1/2015 Holy Week Newsletter
Holy Week at First Presbyterian Church March 29 — April 5, 2015
Our regular first Wednesday Fellowship will not meet this week. Wednesday is rehearsal night for participants in the Maundy Thursday Drama(see below). There will be no other activities this Wednesday.
Maundy Thursday - April 2
6pm - Choir Rehearsal
7pm - Worship
Worship begins with communion as we remember the last supper Jesus shared with his disciples. After communion we will turn to the story of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion and death on the cross. This part of the worship service is called the Tenebrae which is Latin for “darkness” or “shadows.” We will bring to life several key participants in the events of Thursday night and Good Friday. At the conclusion, as the passion story is read, candles will be extinguished until only a single light remains burning. The title of the drama is “What Shall We Do with the King of the Jews?
Maundy Thursday is also the time when our church asks for a special offering for the ministry of One Great Hour of Sharing . OGHS is our first line of defense in times of disaster. Be it a tornado, hurricane, earthquake or a manmade disaster we can reach out to people in need around the world with OGHS funds.
Good Friday Prayer Vigil from 7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.
We have 30 minute time slots available before 9am and after 4:30pm. This is a time of prayer and reflection. Some participants read scripture, journal, or simply sit quietly.
The prayer vigil has been a tradition in our church for more than 40 years.
9:30 a.m. Easter Sunday Service
As is our custom we will begin our worship with the sanctuary shrouded in darkness. When the good news of resurrection is announced, the sanctuary will be flooded in the light of Christ.
In addition, our young people will also be performing in the Easter Service. The Lil' JC Crew group will perform (Ages 2yrs to Kindergarten) and then the older kids Ages 1st grade thru 5th grade. Parents, please have the kids at church by 9:10 to go thru the songs one last time
10:30 a.m. NO JC Crew Sunday School
Presbyterian Women News
Faith Circle - April 7th at 9:15am at the church
Hope Circle - April 9th at 4:30pm at the home of Marge Lancaster.
The Ladies & Lassies Brunch is scheduled for Sunday April 12 at 10:45 a.m. following the regular church service. The program will be presented by Patti Winn on words from the “Mama” who prepared the fishes and loaves for the boy’s lunch that day on the miracle of the Feeding of the 5,000. Tickets are on sale for $7.00 a person with age 10 and under FREE. Tickets may be purchased before and after church service on Sunday April 5 or by contacting Theresa Harner.
PW is collecting seed packets (flower and/or vegetable) to take to the SPRING GATHERING in Decatur on April 18. If you wish to participate, please bring to church by April 12 and deposit in basket in the Narthex.
Spring Rummage/Bake Sale : April 24-25. All hands are needed to set up, sell and clean up. This is a wonderful fundraiser for our church. Please come out to help make it a success. We will need extra help with cleaning up after the sale and setting up for the Ladies and Lassies Brunch. Signup sheets are on the Narthex table.
A word of special thanks to the “Welcoming Team” for the greeters welcoming first time guests to our church and all those who helped put together the gifts and informational packet to give to our visitors. A whole lot of time and effort goes into making us a friendly and welcoming church If you heard our radio spots last week and this week thank Tod Lancaster for getting them on the air.
Looking forward to May!
Sunday, May 17 - Celebration Sunday
Sunday May 24- Memorial Day Weekend - worship in the Inspiration Garden.
Sunday May 24 is also Pentecost Sunday - We celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.
It’s time to plan for Summer!!
Vacation Bible School - June 7-11th -get ready to climb Mt. Everest
Presbyterian Women Triennium in Minneapolis. June 17-21
Mission Trip - We plan to travel to Conway, AR. to help clean up and rebuild in two small communities hit by tornadoes in April 2014. We leave June 22 and return June 27.
Camp Carew
Our youth ministry director, Scott Goodson will be attending camp the week of July 5th to the 11th. This is a general camp with all kinds of activities for the kids. The young people will learn about their fight and the Bible - in addition to fishing, swimming, camping, canoeing and meeting other young people from all around Central Illinois. Church will pay for 1/2 the cost. Friends are welcome to come along.
Kaitlyn Holste Blood drive will be April 10th from 2-7pm. Sigh up to give the gift of life.