You're invited to Faith United on September 11, 2011, for Homecoming Sunday.  Join us for our Sunday school kick-off at 9:15 a.m.  Our worship celebration will follow at 10:30 a.m. featuring The Sound of Brass. Then, at 11:30 a.m., stay for our church picnic.  The church will provide the beverage and main dish - hamburgers and brats.  Bring a side dish or dessert to share and join us for the fun.  If you have a  

favorite recipe from the Finest Fare from Faith & Friends cookbook, bring it to share.  Remember to bring table service.

Lay Assistant:

Ruth Wright
 Musical Guests:

The Buchanan Singers
Ushers: 

 Carol & Bonnie Heflin, Ralph & Martha Whiteman, Norma Mettler   

Greeters:  

 Brenda, Job, & Noah Runge and Don & Jeanne Robeson

Nursery: 

      Cindy Erickson & Landen Crosier

Children's Church:

  Stephanie Reading     
  Coffee Hour:      

                            Pam Youngblood, Phyllis Wilson, & Cindy Erickson                            

We are very happy to welcome Stephanie Byrne Reading as our new Youth Director.  After an interview with the personnel committee and the staff, Stephanie's appointment was agreed upon by the Session on Tuesday night.

Stephanie has been working as an adviser with our youth group for about 5 years.  She has been a member of our church since 2003.  When asked what excites her about the job she said, "The opportunity to be able to work with such a great group of youth as they learn and grow in their faith."  After prayerful consideration before applying she is now very excited to get to work.

Stephanie's ties to this congregation are very deep.  She is the mother of Malik, D.J., and Mariah, and her husband is Dominick.  Her parents are Larry & Barb Byrne and her grandmother is Phyllis Wheeler.

Please congratulate and welcome Stephanie to our staff.  Of course, the best way to that is to say, yes, when she asks for help! 

Join with Jamieson Community Center on Saturday, August 27, at 7:00 p.m. for a summer concert featuring The Maple City Jazz Band.  Free will offering will be accepted. 

Thai Circle will resume its regular meetings beginning Thursday, September 1st in the social hall of the church.  All women are invited to meet for this Bible Study at 9:30 a.m.     

We would like to put a new display in the social hall beginning on Homecoming Sunday, September 11.  We would like to have pictures of your family in our church setting.  We do not want wedding pictures at this time.  Have you taken a picture of your family at Easter, or in the garden with the flowers.  Maybe you have a great picture of your child participating in a church activity.  It doesn't matter where it is in or around the church or how old the picture is, we would love to have them all.  Please follow the directions below - and THANK YOU!

• 5x7 or 8x10 (preferred).
• Framed or matted.  Mattes can be purchased at Walmart.
• Include your name, the date of the picture and names of people in picture.
• Deliver pictures to the church office by Wednesday, September 7.

Just a reminder to let you know that on Homecoming Sunday, September 11, and thereafter, our regular worship schedule will resume to 10:30 a.m.    

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.  Psalm 46:1

PW is asking for your assistance as we collect money for the Tools and Blankets Offering, which is through Church World Service.  There is such a significant need throughout the world for assistance and we have traditionally given to this worthy need.  We will be taking the offering the next two weeks and will send it in this fall. The past couple of years we have sent $500 each year.  

$25 can provide five warm blankets for a family left homeless by an earthquake or other disaster.

$100 can enable three women to receive a micro-credit loan, a sound investment in their family's future.

$200 can provide a struggling farm family with a draft animal to increase their harvest and carry their produce to market.

General Presbyter's Perspective Rev. Susan Krummel

Mission Initiative Grants

This week's message will be featuring a video presentation from Faith United Presbyterian Church in Monmouth.  This is an example of what can be accomplished when a congregation receives Mission Initiative Funds from the presbytery. The Faith United Presbyterian Church started a Wash Day Ministry. Watch this video on YouTube and maybe it will give you an idea of how your church can reach out to others.

Wash Day Ministry Video

Your weekly Scripture readings are:

Sunday - (8/28) - Hosea 10:15-Joel 2:12

Monday - Joel 2:13-Amos 3:14

Tuesday - Amos 3:15-8:13

Wednesday - Amos 8:14-Jonah 4:11

Thursday - Micah 1:1-6:16

Friday - Micah 7:1-Habakkuk 1:17

Saturday - Habakkuk 2:1-Zephaniah 3:19

Sunday (9/4) - Zephaniah 3:20-Zechariah 3:8.

Churches are invited to send a small group of members to work with fiber artist Grace Cox-Johnson in creating a new banner or a new set of paraments for your church.  During the workshop Grace will share ideas, images, and artistic inspiration to make your sanctuaries come alive with your own unique paraments, banners, and liturgical art.   

This workshop will take place on Friday, September 16, at Faith United Presbyterian Church.  Each church group is asked to bring a side dish or two to share at a 5:30 p.m. potluck.  The workshop will begin at 6:15 and depart at 9:00.   

If you would like to attend, please sign up on the office door.  

Greetings from First Pres. in Galesburg!  We are very excited that 2012 will mark the anniversary of our 175th year as a congregation, along with the City of Galesburg and Knox College, and are planning many special events in celebration.

One such event for our church is a Presbyterian Heritage Tour to Scotland in the summer of 2012.  Please consider this letter your invitation to join us and help celebrate our history as a denomination.  We will be visiting Presbyterian landmarks such as the tine island of Iona in the Inner Hebredes, where Celtic Christianity began over 1,400 years ago, St. Andrews, where John Knox preached his first and last sermons, and Edinburgh, the home John Knox' and St. Giles Cathedral, the first Presbyterian church in Scotland.

During our 10-day adventure, we will also visit Loch Ness to see if we can spot "Nessie".  We look forward to stopping at a local farm that raises herding dogs and watch them in action.  A trip to Scotland would not be complete without visiting a few beautiful castles.  There will be an opportunity to plan a round of golf at one of the famous courses of St. Andrews, the birthplace of the game.  Plans also include a stop at a distillery for a "wee dram" and an evening of Scottish entertainment on our final night of the trip.

These and many other memorable experiences await us; not the least of which is the fellowship with each other in the sharing of our common faith.

If you would like more information and a brochure, I may be reached by any one of the following means...

Linda Hinrichs          1019 Florence Ave.        Galesburg, IL  61401

Phone:                        309-342-6090 (afternoons and evenings)

E-mail:                        hinrichs@grics.net

One need not be a "card carrying Presbyterian" to travel with us.  So invite your friends and family.   

Look for Mother to Mother in the Prime Beef Festival Parade!  They will be collecting diapers as they walk/drive along the route.  Mother to Mother has an "emergency" diaper pantry.  The pantry is located at the 1st Street Armoury in Monmouth.  Each year they provide over 400 packages of diapers to moms in Warren County.  Donate a package of diapers - size 1 - 5.  Any questions please call Kathy at 309-299-3951.

The medicine that the insurance refused to pay for my mother has been resolved.  Janet Paris gets to start her oral chemo soon!!!  This is to help prevent more tumors in her brain.  We are so thankful for efforts from the doctors, nurses, insurance reps, and pharmacy reps to make this happen, and for all the prayers and support during mom's cancer journey!

Julie McVey

Bill Smallwood, Carolyn Albert, Jan Gebauer, Susan VanKirk, Pat Brown, Ruth Carwile, Brian and Amanda Byers, Ollie Faith Reed, Janet Paris, and Kylie Logsdon.