The Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church
216 West Third Street, Wayne, Nebraska 68787
(402) 375-2669 + http://www.fpcwayne.com
“Our chief end is to glorify and enjoy God forever.”
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS
Daylight savings ends Sunday, November 7th at 2:00am. Set your clocks back one hour before bed on Saturday night, November 6th and enjoy a little extra rest!
From the Pastor……
We’ve turned the calendar to November and all around us nature is showing off her fall splendor in flowers, trees, and fields. We recently had our first frost as a result, the next day leaves were drifting to the ground all over town. I stood for several minutes looking out the kitchen window at church watching a tree in the back yard as its leaves fell like a gentle rain. The ground beneath the tree was quickly covered by a golden blanket of leaves.
Trees have an unspoken knowledge about when it’s time to let go of their leaves and prepare for change, and the next season of life. I’ve seen this anonymous quote recently on social media: ‘the trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go.’ Nature sets a good example for us in that there are times we need to let go.
Often however, we are like the last leaf clinging to the tree refusing to let go, refusing change, refusing a new season, refusing even death. God’s creation shows us that even letting go, death brings new life. The leaves that fall become nutrients for the soil, plants and other creatures, the leaves sustain and bring new life even as they wither and die. Nature doesn’t look backward to what was but moves on and prepares for what is next.
What things should you let go of? What are you afraid to let go of and why? What would be helpful and healthy for you to let go of; Anger, fear, anxiety, self-doubt, frustration, the need to control? We all experience times of difficulty and worry about our health, our family, and our finances. It can be tempting to try and control every aspect of our lives, from our personal life to our work life, however sometimes we must let go. Circumstances such as illness remind us there are some things we can’t and shouldn’t try to control. We should do what we can to address our challenges and issues but often it IS best if we pray and give our worries to God. These are just some of the things we should let go of and by letting go, even letting them die, we would be healthier in body and spirit.
The Psalmist, in response to those times when life seems hard and unfair, wrote: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.” Let us take a lesson from nature as all around us she gives us visual reminders to let go and let God take charge.
Grace and peace,
Pastor Teresa
STEWARDSHIP REMINDER
Members and friends of the congregation should have received a year to date statement of giving for 2021 and a 2022 intention of giving form. If you did not receive this information please contact Anita Fuelberth.
You are asked to prayerfully review your information and return the intention of giving form to Anita Fuelberth right away. You can mail the form to Anita or drop your envelope in the container at church. This information is helpful to the Session in planning for 2022. Thank You for your support and dedication to FPC.
DID YOU KNOW?
Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) have become a great way for people 70½ or older to take all or part of their Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) from their Traditional IRA. The recent tax code changed the standard deduction for those over 65 to $26,600 for married filing jointly or $13,600 for single filers. Thus for many of us our church pledges will no longer be included in an itemized deduction. However, by making all or part of our pledge a Qualified Charitable Distribution directly from the IRA custodian or trustee to the church the distribution will not be included as taxable income to the IRA owner. Qualified Charitable Distributions can also exceed one’s specific RMD amount and still not be taxed.
While Qualified Charitable Distributions are not complex there are certain requirements and steps that should be followed so check with your tax professional.
-Ken Marra, Financial Advisor (Edward Jones)
COMMUNION
We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper on November 7th with Shari Dunklau as the communion elder.
DECEMBER SURPRISE!
The month of December and the Advent season are always filled with surprises and waiting. On December 4th the Session and Pastor Teresa have a surprise to share with the congregation. However, in order to learn what the surprise is, you must be present in worship on Sunday the 4th. So save the date of December 4th and don’t be late to church!!
PRESBYTERIAN PEALERS
The Presbyterian Pealers Bell Choir practice has begun. We are meeting on Sundays at 9:00am. All are welcome, and if you have a friend who would like to play, they are also welcome and encouraged. If you have questions, please contact Jay O’Leary at JayO@inebraska.com
HOMESTEAD PRESBYTERY
Our presbytery will meet via Zoom on November 11th at 10:00am. John Fuelberth & Pastor Teresa will attend.
PRAYER FOR VETERANS DAY
God of peace, we pray for those who have served our nation,
who laid down their lives to protect and defend our freedom…
We pray for those who have fought, whose spirits and bodies are scarred by war
and whose nights are haunted by memories too painful for the light of day…
We pray for those who serve us now, especially for those in harm’s way:
shield them from danger and bring them home, soon…
Turn the hearts and minds of our leaders and our enemies
to the work of justice and a harvest of peace…
Spare the poor, Lord, spare the poor!
May the peace you left us, the peace you gave us,
be the peace that sustains, the peace that saves us.
Christ Jesus, hear us! Lord Jesus, hear our prayer!
Amen.
From – ConcordPastor.blogspot.com
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
The Session has called a congregational meeting for November 14th following worship. At the meeting we will elect a new class of deacons & elders and approve the terms of call for the pastor in 2022. The snow date will be November 21st.
FPC GAME NIGHT
The next Game Night will be Sunday, November 14th at 6:30pm in Fellowship Hall. Bring your own board game to share. Friends and kids are welcome – we’ll have games for everyone!
COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING SERVICE
Everyone is invited gather on Sunday evening, November 21st, at Our Savior Lutheran Church for a Thanksgiving worship service. We will begin at 5:00pm, This year there will be no meal.
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
The church office will be open on Monday, November 22nd from 9-noon and will be closed Thursday & Friday, November 25th & 26th for the Thanksgiving holiday.
SESSION
The Session will gather on Monday, November 22nd at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall.
To Give Thanks…
is to remember how it feels to experience belonging,
to look long around a laden table
and be glad to claima place among that gathered company.
To give thanks is to remember what has been-time’s bewildering recital-
and, despite so much, to look ahead with undiminished hope.
To give thanks is to recall with heartache all those absent from the assembled,
the dear departed, those, too, who never made it in the first place,
due to loss, or want, foul fortune, being born at the wrong place, at the wrong time.
To give thanks takes all that we have been, all that we are and yet might be,
and shapes it new around a fuller, richer, broader future feast.
J. Barrie Shepherd
HANGING OF THE GREENS
We will be “Hanging the Greens” on Sunday, November 28th after worship. Stay tuned for details.
Deacons Coat Giveaway a Success!
….. ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these
brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:40b NIV
Saturday, October 9th the FPC Deacons hosted a coat giveaway. In total 141 coats and 184 accessories, such as hats, mittens, gloves, snow pants etc., were given away Saturday and throughout the following week. The Deacons were pleased to have such a good response and hope to repeat the event next year.
The Deacons really appreciated the various groups who held their own coat drives prior to the event so that we would have a good selection of coats. Karen Parker donated a large number of knitted items, hats and headbands, for the event and these were very popular.
The coat giveaway was a big project and the Deacons were fortunate to have the assistance of several groups. The FCCLA organization from Wayne Community Schools (WCS), Ms. Alina Surber and students, helped the Deacons move coats and racks from the basement into Fellowship Hall to set up for the event. The decision to move to Fellowship Hall allowed more space for coats, volunteers, helpers and clients. Christa Dutcher, Spanish instructor at WCS and her students helped with the translation of some of our posters and forms into Spanish. Nancy Rodriguez was our Spanish interpreter on the 9th and she really helped with many of the families who came for coats. We also appreciated Ace Hardware who loaned racks for the event and the WCS Maintenance crew who moved the racks to and from FPC. Thanks to Nina Hammer who assisted with posters and on the day of the event. Jenny Hammer also assisted in getting ready for the event, following the event, and doing the final report. The Deacons appreciate the assistance of KTCH in public service announcements about the event as well as the Wayne School District sending information out the families. Kent and Jodi Pulfer and Pastor Teresa returned the coats and racks to the basement to get ready for packing backpacks, another great FPC project. Thanks to every individual and group who assisted in the Coat Closet giveaway in any manner and helped make it so successful.
Due to the success of the giveaway the Coat Closet stock is low. If you would like to donate we always need children’s coats and we are in need of men’s work coats as well as hats, mittens and gloves for all people. The Coat Closet is one way we live into our mission as a Matthew 25 church and address the needs of people in our area.
OUTREACH TEAM UPDATE
After exciting input from volunteer “brain-stormers” last spring, the Outreach Team (Mark H. and Jane) and the Worship Team (Jean G. and Jane) are beginning to see some results of fantastic suggestions. Some of the ideas have necessarily been put on hold because of expense, and we are still looking for more input from the congregation.
Look for an email in the next two months that will allow you to respond with ways you would like to participate in church activities and worship. Some of this participation will include greeting worshipers, ushering, lecturing, and volunteering in any special way. We are also hoping for more ideas that will allow our church individuals to feel move involved in church without burdening Pastor Bartlett or Jenny with new responsibilities.
In August we held a successful outdoor game night, and we will be bringing the event indoors November 14 and again on December 12 beginning at about 6:30 in Fellowship Hall. If you need to finish watching a game on TV, late arrivals are welcome. We encourage families, kids, college students, young adults, recently young adults and seniors to attend and bring friends. If you have a particular game or puzzle you are willing to share for the evening, please feel free to do so.
Brochures, designed by Suzanne (Ras) Sjuts, are completed and are colorful and inviting. They fill the requirements of “able to read the entire brochure standing on one foot” and “providing understanding about where to find more information.”
Jean organized visitor gifts. Created by the deacons, the gift will include edible treats, a magnetic refrigerator clip, and brochure. Each gift will be packaged in a gift mug featuring the logo of our church. To offset the cost of the first order of mugs, we are inviting people in our church to purchase mugs for $5.00 each.
Ronda and Gail have been canvasing other churches and researching information about the role of greeters for Worship Services. Look for a short “training session” in the upcoming weeks about how we can improve the ways we respond to visitors.
Please continue to contribute to a vital and meaningful church. – Jane O’Leary
SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGERS NEEDED
The Wayne Extension Unit of the Salvation Army will be conducting its Annual Bell Ringing Campaign in November 26th through December18th. The bell ringing campaign is the primary fundraiser for the Salvation Army in Wayne. Bell ringers are needed for 2-hour time slots on Friday or Saturday. Churches, service organizations, youth groups and others have been invited to participate in the bell ringing project.
Ninety percent (90%) of the total funds collected in the Wayne bell ringing campaign remain in the community and assist with housing, utilities, medical, transportation and other needs of families and individuals in Wayne. This year the Wayne SA Unit sponsored a back to school drive for school supplies for elementary children. The project was very successful and helped more than 100 children with backpacks and school supplies.
This year First Presbyterian is scheduled on Saturday, December 11th from 10:00a.m.-12:00p.m. at Quality Foods Center. The only requirements are to be friendly and welcoming, dress warmly and smile easily and say thank-you, oh yeah, a little wrist action with a bell. We can fill shorter time slots if we get more volunteers. There will be a sign-up sheet in Fellowship Hall.
Participation in the Salvation Army bell ringing campaign is one way we can live into our commitment of being a Matthew 25 congregation; as we are reminded in Matthew 25:40; ‘… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Please sign-up to ring the Salvation Army Bell this season or contact the office to sign up.
ADVENT CANDLE LIGHTERS NEEDED
Pastor Teresa is looking for couples, families or individuals who would like to assist with lighting the Advent candles during worship in December. All readings will be provided in advance. Your participation in this seasonal tradition will be appreciated. A sign-up sheet will be in Fellowship Hall or you can contact Pastor Teresa.
The dates are:
November 28th, December 5th, December 9th, December 12th, December 19th
Thank-you for the cards, sweets and other treats you shared with me in recognition of Pastor Appreciation Sunday. Your kind words are especially appreciated after an unusually challenging 18 months. I look forward to continuing our work together.
Thank-you,
Pastor Teresa
A TIP OF THE HAT
Thank-you to the many individuals who took care of the mowing of the church lawn over the course of the last several months. Thank you also to those who planted flowers and trimmed bushes, plants and trees. Your gifts of time have made sure the church grounds were looking nice for Sunday as well as for other church and community events. Thank-you to each one who gave of their time.
LOOKING AHEAD TO ADVENT & CHRISTMAS
- The Hanging of the Greens will take place after worship on November 28th. Stick around to help decorate our building in anticipation of Christmas!
- Christmas Surprise?
- Our congregation has been asked by the local Salvation Army Board to provide bell ringers on Saturday, December 11th at Quality Foods from 10:00am-12pm. Please sign up at the Opportunity Table.
- Our Christmas Eve Service will be held at 5:30pm.
NOVEMBER BIRTHDAYS
(Would you like to see your birthday listed here?
Just contact the church office 402-375-2669 or fpcwayne@gmail.com)
6 Brandon B.
10 Kevin P.
12 Ken L.
12 Mark Mc.
13 Katherine B.
14 Audrey H.
November 2021 – First Presbyterian Church
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| 9:00am Bell practice10:00am Worship11:00am Fellowship | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 Word in Faith column runs in Wayne Herald | 5 | 6 |
| 7 Set your clocks back one hour 10:00am Worship & Communion 4:00pm Cub Scouts | 8 9:30am Wayne Community Response Meeting | 9 | 10 10:00am Pastor at WACAM | 11 10:00am Homestead Presbytery | 12 | 13 |
| 14 11:00am Congregational Meeting 6:30pm Game Night | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
| 21 4:00pm Cub Scouts 5:00pm Community Thanksgiving Service at OSLC | 22 9am-12pm Office open 7:00pm Session Meeting | 23 | 24 3:30pm Kinship Pointe Chapel | 25 Thanksgiving Day Office Closed | 26 Office closed | 27 |
| 28 11:00am Hanging of the Greens | 29 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living | 30 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living | 1 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living | 2 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living | 3 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living | 4 10am-1pm Salvation Army Bell Ringing at QFC |
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Contact Information:
First Presbyterian Church
216 W. Third Street
Wayne NE 68787
FPC Office/Wayne Food Pantry/Coat Closet
402-375-2669
Tuesday – Friday, 9am – 12 noon
Pastor Teresa Bartlett
402-375-2669 (office)
319-795-2911 (cell)
Websites:
Church: https://fpcwayne.com/
Wayne Food Pantry: https://fpcwayne.com/food-pantry/
Wayne Coat Closet:
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