The Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church

216 West Third Street, Wayne, Nebraska68787

(402) 375-2669  www.fpcwayne.org

“Our chief end is to glorify and enjoy God forever.”

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?”For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. Romans 11:33-36 NIV

What is God up to, anyway, especially when bad things happen?  Consider a parable about an old man who lived in a village.

He was the poorest man in the village, but he owned the most beautiful white stallion. And the king had offered him a small fortune for it. After a terribly harsh winter, during which the old man and his family nearly starved, the townspeople came to visit.

“Old man,” they said, “you can hardly afford to feed your family. Sell the stallion, and you will be rich. If you do not, you are a fool.”

“It’s too early to tell,” replied the old man. A few months later, the old man woke up to find that the white stallion had run away.

Once again the townspeople came, and they said to the old man, “See. If you had sold the king your horse, you would be rich. Now you have nothing! You are a fool!”

“It’s too early to tell,” replied the old man.

Two weeks later, the white stallion returned, and along with it came three other white stallions.

“Old man,” the townspeople said, “we are the fools! Now you can sell the stallion to the king, and you will still have three stallions left. You are smart.”

“It’s too early to tell,” said the old man.

The following week, the old man’s son, his only son, was breaking in one of the stallions and was thrown, crushing both his legs.

The townspeople paid a visit to the old man, and they said, “Old man, if you had just sold the stallion to the king, you’d be rich, and your son would not be crippled. You are a fool.”

“It is too early to tell,” said the old man.

Well, the next month, war broke out with the neighboring kingdom. All of the young men in the village were sent into the battle, and all were killed.

The townspeople came, and they cried to the old man, “We have lost our sons. You are the only one who has not. If you had sold your stallion to the king, your son, too, would be dead. You are so smart!”

“It’s too early to tell,” said the old man.

So when things happen to us—whether they are “bad” or “good”—we may not know exactly what God is up to. But we can confidently say that God is for us (Romans 8:31), and that it’s too early to tell what he is doing.

Pastor Ray

SESSION

The Session will gather on Monday, August 26, at 7:00 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

COMMUNION

We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper on Sunday, September 8.

PASTOR RAY’S VACATION

Pastor Ray will be on vacation July 29 – August 14^th. If you have a pastoral need, please contact the church office at 402-375-2669; fpcwayne@gmail.com or Charity Potter at 402-870-1059;  cntpotter@gmail.com.

CHURCH OFFICE HOURS

Beginning Tuesday September 3^rd, we will resume our regular church office hours: Tuesday – Friday, 8:30-11:30am. Otherwise, feel free to call and leave a message at 402-375-2669 or email us at fpcwayne@gmail.com

CHURCH SCHOOL

Church school for preschool through 6^th grade will start on Sunday, September 8, 2013, and will conclude on Sunday, May 18, 2014. For more information, please contact Misty Beair at (402) 375-3773; mibeair1@wayneschools.org.

WANTED: CHURCH SCHOOL TEACHERS!

We looking for Church School teachers for the 2013-14 school year. Church School will begin on September 8, 2013, and run through May 18^th, 2014. If you are willing to help, please call or email Misty Beair at (402) 375-3773, mibeair1@wayneschools.org

CONFIRMATION

Confirmation is a discipleship program for 7^th and 8^th grade students. There is class time (Sundays at 9:00 a.m.), mentoring, field trips, an end-of-year retreat, and the profession of faith on May 18, 2014. If you would like to participate in confirmation, or if you know someone who would be a candidate, please contact Pastor Ray raydemccalla@gmail.com; 402-833-5251.

SUNDAE SUNDAY

To celebrate the kick-off for church school and confirmation, we will have ice cream sundaes following worship on Sunday, September 8. Yum!

YOUTH GROUPS

The junior high (6^th through 8^th grades) and high school (9^th through 12^th grades) youth groups will start meeting again after school resumes. Watch for details!

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN & SEWING SOULS

The Presbyterian Women would like to thank all the women who helped with set up and food for our Annual Women’s Tea.  There were approximately 85 people in attendance.  Special thanks to Judy Lindberg for putting together the presentation on “Cupcakes: What your Favorite Flavor Says about You.”

Presbyterian Women & Sewing Souls will not meet in August.

CROSSPOINT, REBOOTED

Our campus ministry to Wayne State College has a new director, Josh Sievers, and he is looking for some extra hands to do some awesome things! If you would like to help with college students, contact Josh at (502) 649-1924, or joshsievers@live.com.

Breaking CrossPoint news! Someone has committed to match up to $1,000 for the CrossPoint Ministry.  This is only for a limited time.  Can you help us out?  Donations of any size are welcome, and will be going to reach out to students at WSC.

CHURCH COOKBOOK

Keep the recipes coming in!  We want to have as many recipes as possible for the new edition of the cookbook.  Send your recipes to Jane O’Leary @ jane@inebraska.com or put them in the basket on the Opportunity Table.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

We are on Facebook! You can “like” us at “First Presbyterian Church – Wayne, Nebraska.” Tune in for the latest updates from our church.

PREACHING WORKSHOP

Ever felt the itch to deliver God’s message? Well, this could be your opportunity! Learn the basics of preaching at Pastor Ray’s preaching workshop. If you are interested in possibly filling the pulpit sometime, please talk to Pastor Ray. We will schedule a workshop based on everyone’s schedules.

BACKPACK PROGRAM

It is time to gear up for the next school year! The backpack program provides a weekend’s supply of nutritious food for children when school breakfast and lunch is not available. We are in need of volunteers to hand out packs on Friday afternoons, and individually packaged foods and juices. Please contact Jenny at the church office fpcwayne@gmail.com for more information on how you can help.

CALVIN CREST QUILT AUCTION

The 16^th Annual Quilt Auction and BBQ is scheduled for Saturday, August 24^th. Make plans to join this great fundraising event. Beautiful quilts are donated and there is a live auction. The BBQ beforehand is the best around. This is the date to bid on a great gift for yourself or someone else.

CHRISTMAS IN JULY

Everyone gets extra charitable during Advent and Christmas, but what about in the summer? The churches in Wayne, along with Jacob’s Room, are doing a Christmas in July drive to support Haven House, the Ronald McDonald House (in Sioux City), and Providence Medical Center. Check out their “wish lists” in the Fellowship Hall. The drop-off sites are Jacob’s Room, the Wayne Municipal Building (utility window), St. Mary’s Church, Journey Christian Church, and First Presbyterian Church. We will run this program through August 15. Thank you for your help!

SERMONS ON THE WEB

Pastor Ray’s sermons can be heard on our Web site: www.fpcwayne.org/media.

THE POAM/OWLS FALL CELEBRATION: PRAYER AND MEDITATION

The Presbyterian Older Adult Ministry & The Older, Wiser, Livelier Saints (OWLS) Celebration at Calvin Crest will be held September 17-18, 2013.  Please come and join friends and neighbors from across the Heartland for a two day celebration for older adults (50 and above).  Overnight accommodations and great food are included.  Check at our church office for details or go online at www.calvincrest.org

WAYNE GROW AN EXTRA ROW

If you have extra garden produce, please consider sharing it with our Food Pantry. It doesn’t have to be a lot, and the fresh food is much appreciated by our patrons!

HOMESTEAD PRESBYTERY

Homestead will gather for its summer assembly at Calvin Crest on Friday evening, August 16, and Saturday, August 17. If you are interested in attending, please visit with Pastor Ray, and if you are interested in staying overnight, please contact the Calvin Crest office: (402) 628-6455.

WACAM & THE WAYNE UNITED WAY

The Wayne Association of Congregations and Ministers (WACAM) has received a monetary gift from the Wayne United Way.  We would like to thank them for their very generous gift.  The monies are used to help individuals and families in need in the Wayne Community.

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

• Our unchurched neighbors
• Terry Beair and his family at the death of his mother
• Dawn Fuelberth as she undergoes chemotherapy
• Katherine Butler at the death of her sister
• CrossPoint Campus Ministry and our college students