Presbytidings – May 2016

The Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church

216 West Third Street, Wayne, Nebraska 68787

(402) 375-2669 + www.fpcwayne.org

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

 

A WORD FROM THE PASTOR

Did you ever give any thoughts to doorways?  Seems as if we’re always going in or out.  Out to work, the movies, the mall, out for a drink or to visit friends.  In to the doctor’s office, the school for a conference, the retirement party…. You get the picture.

Coming and going is what we do best – and we do a lot of it.

Did you know that the Hebrew people, our faith forefathers and foremothers, saw all that coming and going as holy, or at least they attempted to, as they sanctified their doorways, the thresholds to and from the world.  Every Jewish household had a mezuzah, a small box with a portion of the Torah (first five books of the Old Testament) in it, fastened to the doorway of the house.  And each time one left or arrived at home, one touched the mezuzah and spoke a quick prayer.  This is still a feature in many Jewish homes today.  And its purpose is to remind each person that God watches over all of one’s comings and goings.  God is a part of everything one does, and so the doorway by which one begins or ends one’s tasks is a very holy place.

What has all this to do with us?  To begin with, we’re back in the sanctuary again, and does it ever feel great!  Thanks to the dedicated leadership of many people, we are worshipping in familiar space, surrounded by the sounds of the pipe organ and the warmth of our newly painted/ carpeted/lighted/upholstered space.  Oh, there’s still work to do, and contractors to hound, but it’s mostly done and we are grateful to be in our familiar pews.  Whether you’ve been present every week thru the renovation, or you’ve not been in church for a bit, come see what has transpired.

Then there’s this month’s calendar.  If you start your newsletter reading with the calendar, you’ve already discovered that May is filled with major changes and events.  There’s Confirmation, with seven of our youth joining the church and the baptism of one them.  Then comes Mother’s Day, with graduate recognition, a day to acknowledge the end of four long years of high school and the beginning of a new adventure.  And we’ll also baptize Noah McLaughlin on that day.  On May 15 we’ll elect a Pastor Search Committee and celebrate the end of Sunday School, a break for our teachers and time to look at what the summer holds in the way of faith training.  Seems like a lot of changes and parties with nothing in common – right?

Wrong!  Think about the doorway.  We will spend May celebrating doorway events!  Our remodeled sanctuary is a doorway home, back to the familiar holy ground that has held us for so long.  Baptism is the entry into the family of God – a very holy doorway.  Confirmation is a doorway from the faith of our parents into claiming our own faith and becoming full members of God’s family in our own right.  Graduation is both an exit – from youth and family home – and an entrance – into adulthood, new learning, and thinking about starting one’s own home.  Electing a Pastoral Search Committee begins the process of finding new clergy leadership for this congregation, finding the right match to guide the congregation on the next phase of its faith journey.  The end of school, besides being a celebration for every school child, is a doorway into summer and exploring life in a more relaxed way.  It’s also the end of a year filled with one set of friends, teachers and classmates and looking toward what the next year at school will hold.

All of these are holy events, holy because God is a part of every part of our lives.  Holy because there is nothing we do which is outside of God’s vision, God’s participation.  This is true of more than just the events we celebrate at church.  The Jews were making a powerful statement by making the doorway a sacred space.  We would be well advised to do the same in our own homes, to take a moment each time we come in or go out, to remember the Lord’s presence in whatever we go to do or come from doing.  Does your threshold lead to more business – – – or yet another sacred adventure with God as participant?  Take time in this month of thresholds to consider your goings out and your comings in.

Pastor Sally

 

COMMUNION

We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper on May 1, 2016.

GRADUATION SUNDAY

Following the service on Sunday, May 8^th, join us as we celebrate our high school graduates. Jacob Abraham and Jacob Beair will be graduating from Wayne High, and Josephine Peitz is graduating from Wakefield High.

YOUTH GROUPS

High School and Jr High Youth will meet together on Wednesday, May 4^th. This will be our final gathering for the school year.

CHURCH SCHOOL

The final day of church school will be May 11^th.

SESSION

The Session will meet on Monday, May 23 at 7:00pm.

CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

The session has called a congregational meeting for Sunday, May 15, following worship (about 11:00am). The purpose of the meeting is to elect a Pastoral Nominating Committee. There will also be an opportunity for the congregation to ask questions about the process of finding a new pastor.

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN

Presbyterian Women will meet on Wednesday, May 4, at 6:30pm. Martha Svoboda will lead the Bible study. Babs Middleton will be the hostess.

SEWING SOULS

The Sewing Souls will meet on Wednesday, May 18^th.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL UPDATE

We are excited to announce that we will be doing another joint VBS this year! This year it will be Our Savior Lutheran and First Presbyterian. VBS will be July 18-21 from 9:00 – 3:00 at Our Savior Lutheran Church. This is for children who have completed grades 1-6.  The theme is Upside Down, with Camp Carol Joy Holling providing the staffing for this event. No teachers are needed, but they sure can use some treats!

There will be an evening VBS session for kids age 3-Kindergarten, from 6:30-8:30.  Volunteers are needed for crafts and refreshments for this segment.  Sign-up sheets and volunteer sheets are on the Opportunity table.

WAYNE COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE

The next community blood drive will be held Thursday, May 26 from 12pm – 5:30pm at the Wayne Fire Department (510 Tomar Drive). To make an appointment, contact the LifeServe Blood Center at 800-287-4903 or visit www.lifeservebloodcenter.org

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First Presbyterian Church – Wayne, Nebraska

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

• Our community
• Our schools, administrators, teachers, graduates & students
• Our unchurched neighbors
• All who are battling cancer
• Victims of earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan
• All who live in care centers
• Peace in the Middle East
• Persecuted Christians in Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and North Korea

 

 

 

GREETERS – MAY 2016

5/1 – Milton & Jackie Owens, Jim & Shari Paige

5/8 – The Peitz Family

5/15 – The Worner Family

5/22 – The Heese Family

5/29 – John & Anita Fuelberth, Phil & Jean Griess

GREETERS – JUNE 2016

6/5 – The Hammer Family

6/12 – Jim Curtiss, Karen Johnson, & Babs Middleton

6/19 – The Pulfer Family

6/26 – Jim Lindau, Joyce Reeg & Pat Straight

 

LECTORS – MAY 2016

5/1 – Mark Hammer

5/8 – Larry Heese

5/15 – Jodi Pulfer

5/22 – Tiffanny Heese

5/29 – Karen Johnson

LECTORS – JUNE 2016

6/5 – Jim Lindau

6/12 – Jan Liska

6/19 – Ken Marra

6/26 – Gail McCorkindale

 

ACOLYTES – MAY 2016

5/1 – Madison Urbanec

5/8 – Taytum Sweetland

5/15 – Emily Worner

5/22 – Ethan Wibben

5/29 – Cate Worner

ACOLYTES – JUNE 2016

6/5 – Nina Hammer

6/12 – Andy Wibben

6/19 – Bo Armstrong

6/26 – Braydn McCorkindale

 

May 2016 – First Presbyterian Church

 

Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
1  Worship with Confirmation/Baptism & Communion   Each Sunday Morning: o  Worship 10:00 o  Fellowship 11:00	2	3	4 12pm Brown Bag 6:30 Presbyterian Women 6:30 Church School 7:30 Combined Youth Group	5	6	7
8 Graduation Sunday	9	10 7:00am Polling place for county elections	11 12pm Brown Bag 6:30 Last day for Church School	12	13 7:00 Uken Recital	14 10:30 Bressler funeral
15 11:00 Congregational Meeting to elect PNC 2:00 Uken Recital	16	17	18 12pm Brown Bag 6:30 Sewing Souls	19	20	21
22	23	24	25 12pm Brown Bag	26	27	28
29	30 7:00pm Session meeting

 

MAY BIRTHDAYS

(Would you like to see your birthday listed here?

Just contact the church office 402-375-2669 or fpcwayne@gmail.com)

 

3         Joann Proett, Dave Peitz

10        Jeryl Nelson, Bralen Murphy

11        Karen Johnson, Soloman Peitz,   & Tami Worner

12        Joan Lage

14        Bo Armstrong

15        Jordan Alexander

17        Jaci Alexander

18        Jay and Jane O’Leary, & Taytum Joan Sweetland

19        Glenda McDonald

22        Marie Johnson

24        Gail McCorkindale

26        Dale Alexander

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