Presbytidings – November 2023
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 5th at 2:00am. Set your clocks back one hour before bed on Saturday night, November 4th and enjoy a little extra rest!
Reflections of a Deacon…..
In the midst of a CROWDED WEEKEND
On Friday night Fry Conference Suite was filled with guests and honorees gathered for recognition and celebration. Six or seven people circled several tables decorated with place cards and enticing slices of cheesecake. Various administrators introduced honored guests as the assembled crowd applauded. All of the tributes and remarks reached conclusion. Tableware was collected. The dinner was over.
The next morning, throngs of people lined both sides of Main Street including many excited and energetic children. Kids eagerly scampered to collect securely wrapped candy tossed from passing floats. Adults settled into comfortable lawn chairs and marveled at the variety of colored uniforms as they were stirred by the pulsing beat of disciplined bands that marched up the street with studied precision. Eventually familiar shiny vehicles signaled the close of the parade.
Later on dozens of individuals joined forces as a burgeoning crowd of more than 2000 spectators packed the stadium and echoed one another’s gasps, groans, and explosive cheers as teams of opposing gladiators surged back and forth on the gridiron in a competitive football contest. Eventually time ran out. The winning team was crowned. The stands emptied. The game had ended.
Yet for all the enthusiasm that was such a vital component of varied gatherings crowded into such a tumultuous weekend, another event occurred that left an impact beyond Saturday morning. With a minimum of noise and commotion, families – grandparents, moms and dads, youngsters of all ages quietly surged into the Fellowship Hall at the First Presbyterian Church. The guests poured over myriads of coats on display and found winter attire with the perfect size, color, and fit. They also found snow pants, mittens, gloves, scarfs, and boots to compliment garments they’d already found. Accomplished Spanish speakers offered accessible assistance and recorded transaction. Bright smiles and even occasional hugs gave expression to evident joy.
Once the sparkling trophies all have been put away, the shiny instruments and uniformed band members have left the scene – football players complete with helmets, shoulder pads and mouth guards have returned to the locker room. The outcome of the game has been logged.
The practical warmth, lingering love, and penetrating joy found in the coat closet will last well into the chill of winter and beyond.
- Deacon Gordon Granberg
SIERRA SJUTS BABY SHOWER
Let’s celebrate Sierra Sjuts with a baby shower on Sunday, November 5th, 5:30-7:30pm at the First Presbyterian Church – Wayne. Please RSVP to Gail McCorkindale. There will be a meal provided. The registry is at babylist.com (or diapers size 2 and up).
COMMUNION
We will celebrate the Lord’s Supper on November 5th with Gail McCorkindale as the communion elder. We will celebrate Communion on December 3rd with Kent Pulfer as the communion elder.
HOMESTEAD PRESBYTERY
Our presbytery will meet on November 16th at Eastridge Presbyterian Church in Lincoln. Worship begins at 10:00am. Pastor Teresa will attend.
COFFEEHOUSE WORSHIP CONTINUES ON NOVEMBER 19th
We will meet in Fellowship Hall, coffee and refreshments will be available as desired throughout the service. The McCorkindales will lead discussion. We are still in need of a followship host for the day. This will be the last CoffeeHouse for the year.
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
The Session has called a congregational meeting for November 19th following Coffeehouse Worship. At the meeting we will elect a new class of deacons & elders and approve the terms of call for the pastor in 2024. The snow date will be November 26th.
THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
The church office will be closed Thursday & Friday, November 23-24th for the Thanksgiving holiday.
SESSION
The Session will gather on Monday, November 27th at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall.
STEWARDSHIP REMINDER
Members and friends of the congregation should have received a year to date statement of giving for 2023 and a 2024 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 offering box at church. This information is helpful to the Session in planning for 2024. 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.
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
To Give Thanks…
is to remember how it feels to experience belonging,
to look long around a laden table
and be glad to claim a 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
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
October 7th the FPC Deacons hosted a coat giveaway. In total 100 coats and many 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.
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 move to Fellowship Hall allowed more space for coats, volunteers, helpers and clients. Christa Dutcher, Spanish instructor at WCS and her students helped with Spanish translation for clients. The Deacons appreciate the assistance of KTCH in public service announcements about the event as well as the Wayne School District sending information out to families. Thanks to every individual and group who assisted in the Coat Closet giveaway in any manner and helped make it 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.
MITTEN TREE
The Deacons request your help in restocking our glove and mitten inventory. In December we will have a Mitten Tree in Fellowship Hall and ask you to donate gloves and mittens. Your donations of coats, gloves and mittens are welcome anytime.
SALVATION ARMY BELL RINGERS NEEDED
The Wayne Extension Unit of the Salvation Army will be conducting its Annual Bell Ringing Campaign beginning Friday, November 24th. 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 beginning Thanksgiving weekend to December 23rd. Churches, service organizations, youth groups and others are invited to participate in the bell ringing project. 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.
Ninety percent (90%) of the funds collected in the bell ringing campaign remain in the community and assist with housing, utilities, medical, transportation and other needs of families and individuals in Wayne. In 2023 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 90 children with backpacks and school supplies.
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. The sign-up sheet will be on the Opportunity Table.
A TIP OF THE HAT
Thank-you to the Galles family 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
- We will begin observing advent on the last Sunday in November, 11/26th.
- The Hanging of the Greens will take place after worship on November 26th. Stick around to help decorate our building in anticipation of Christmas..
- Our Christmas Eve Service will be held at 5:30pm. There will be no morning service that day.
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 26h, December 3rd, December 10th, December 17th, December 24th
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 2023 – First Presbyterian Church
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| *9:00am Bell practice *10:00am Worship *11:00am Fellowship | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| 5 Set your clocks back one hour 10:00am Worship & Communion 4:00pm Cub Scouts 5:00 Sjuts Baby Shower | 6 | 7 | 8 10:30am Pastor at WACAM | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 10:00am Homestead Presbytery at Eastridge Presbyterian in Lincoln | 17 | 18 |
| 19 10:00am Coffeehouse Worship 11:00am Congregational Meeting 4:00pm Cub Scouts | 20 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living | 21 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living | 22 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living 3:30pm Kinship Pointe Chapel | 23 Thanksgiving Day Office Closed 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living | 24 Office closed 5:40am KTCH 104.9 Moment for Living | 25 |
| 26 First Sunday of Advent 11:00am Hanging of the Greens | 27 7:00pm Session Meeting | 28 | 29 | 30 |
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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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First Presbyterian Church of Wayne, Nebraska 