FIRST PRESS | an online newsletter | July, 2016

Our Associate Pastor Nominating Committee is now at work and actively seeking the person God has ordained to be our next clergy member at FPC. Following are answers to some commonly asked questions:

Who is on the Committee?

The APNC is chaired by Elder Trey Byars and includes Elder Carmille Hovious, Dr. Tyler Lovelace, Elder Kathy Neff, Deacon Scott Manley, Amy Lewis and Deacon Shae Orrell. The seven were selected by the Session and elected by the congregation earlier this year.

Who are they looking for?

An associate pastor for young families. Over the past decade, our rolls have grown largely through the addition of couples in their 20s and 30s, many of whom have young children under the age of 12. This individual will join Revs. Kelly and Semmes to comprise a three-person team of ordained clergy, which is appropriate for a church our size.

How does the process work?

As part of his responsibilities, our executive presbyter, the Rev. Dr. Greg Goodwiller, performs computerized matching exercises to learn of PC(USA) candidates presently seeking a call whose interests and skills match our needs. He forwards their "Personal Information Form," or PIF, to the committee for review. Other candidates "self-refer" when they see our "Ministry Information Form," or MIF, which is the church's "resume" found on the PCUSA website. And still others come under consideration when referred by friends and members of our church. If the APNC is interested in a particular candidate, they will seek to have a telephone interview with them, and the process proceeds from that point. If you'd like to read a copy of the church's Ministry Information Form, which includes the job description and the kind of pastor we're seeking, please contact the church office.

How long will this search take?

Pastor searches commonly take from 12-18 months, but can be quicker or longer depending upon a number of variables. It is hoped our newest pastor will begin serving FPC sometime in 2017. The search is confidential, but the congregation can expect to receive regular updates over time.

Will this person also be our new youth director?

No. That position, a part-time post, has already been filled. Joseph Kelly will begin work as FPC's new Director of Youth in August, leading our kids, grades 7-12, in faith development.

What can I do to help?

Let the committee know of anyone you believe would make a good addition to our staff as an associate pastor for young families. And pray! Pray for the APNC, the process itself, and for First Presbyterian Church as we seek the individual God is calling into our midst.

Peace,

Financial Summary

First Presbyterian Church Oxford, MS
Financial Summary
May 2016	2016 Actual (May)	2016 Budget (Jan-Dec)
Income
Pledged	$ 271,505	$ 747,420
Unpledged	34,573	187,500
Total Income	$ 306,078	$ 934,920

Expenses
Benevolence expenses	$ 29,660	$ 71,500
Personnel expenses	229,288	530,736
Ministry team expenses	58,376	131,088
Property expense	59,561	134,000
Administrative expenses	7,708	21,075
Other expenditures	0	3,000
Total Expenses	$ 384,593	$ 891,399

Surplus/ (Deficit)	$ (78,515)	$ 43,521

Secure Our Future - Capital Campaign

May, 2016

Total Pledges $198,478

Total Contributions Received $79,299

Summary of Stated Session Meeting

The Session of First Presbyterian Church held its stated monthly meeting on Monday, May 16, 2016, at 5:30 pm in the Session Room. Eleven Elders were present. Elders Darren Ashmore, Jane Lyle Byars, Kathryn Hill, and Christina Torbert were excused.

Ministry Team Check-In:

1. Finance:

As of May 31, 2016, actual pledges paid to the church operating budget were $271,505.19 versus $311,425.00 budgeted for the same period, creating a deficit of $39,919.81. Year to date actual expenses were $6,751.11 under budget.

2. Membership and Hospitality:

The ministry team reported that they are planning to test a shuttle service using the church bus before and after the 10am Sunday worship service. They anticipate that this service will be available soon and will inform the congregation when it begins. The ministry team also stressed that the members of the congregation, as an act of stewardship, should leave the church parking lot on Sunday for those who have difficulty walking and for guests.

3. Children's Christian Education:

VBS will be held July 18 - 22, 2016.

4. Adult Christian Education:

The ministry team reported that they are in the process of making plans for programming for Wednesdays Together each Wednesday evening in September and October.
Rally Day will be held September 11, 2016, and will include children and adult programs. The ministry team will ask each adult Sunday school class, ministry team, and small group within the church to prepare a table to inform the congregation regarding their class, work, or mission.

The next Stated Session meeting will be held August 8, 2016, at 5:30 pm in the Session Room.

Worship

Summer Worship Hours through September 4

10:00 am - Worship with communion

No Sunday School

Nursery Weekly: 9:45 am - 11:15 am

Lectionary Texts for July

July 3 - 2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

July 10 - Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37

July 17 - Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52: Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42

July 24 - Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19); Luke 11:1-13

July 31 - Hosea 11:1-11; Psalm 107:1-9, 43; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21

Sanctuary flower dates...

...are now available July 10, 31, and August 7 and 28.

If you would like to provide flowers in honor or memory of a loved one,

contact Margaret Fancher at fancherm@bellsouth.net or 234-1359.

Parking Shuttle To Be Available on Sundays

In an effort to solve some of the parking problems at FPC, the Membership and Hospitality Ministry Team will offer a parking shuttle on Sunday mornings beginning Sunday, July 10. The church bus will make a first stop at The Blake at 9:15 am to pick up members who wish to come to church. The bus will then stop at the corner of E. Jackson and N. 13th Street. Parking is available in that lot and the lot behind City Hall, but riders will be picked up at the corner adjacent to Something Southern, where an awning will provide shade and shelter from the rain. The bus will leave for the church at 9:30 so riders can exit and find a seat at church. Following the service, the bus will return to the corner stop before going on to the Blake. If you have any questions about transportation, please call Ann Kelly at the church office. Drivers for the month of July include Bill Bowlin, Steve Mauldin and David Robinson.

Mission

Support Doors of Hope this Summer!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, August 20 at 10:00 am so you won't miss the Doors of Hope annual fundraiser, "Summer Bounty." The artwork of our own Jason Bouldin will be one of the highlights of the event again this year, along with both live and silent auctions. Tickets can be purchased online at http://m.bpt.me/event/2564350 and are also available at the Powerhouse.

Golf Tournament Provides Food and Fellowship

This year's Jerry Warner Memorial Golf Tournament provided lots of fun for FPC members and friends...as well as canned food for the Pantry. The tournament was intended to be a time of fellowship for members, but for the last two years has also helped support two of Jerry Warner's favorite non-profits: the Pantry and Camp Hopewell. This year's participants contributed donations of food for the Pantry and any profit from the tournament will go to the Pantry as well.

Results of this year's tournament are:

1st Flight

First Place: Scott Paul Manley/Denson Hollis

Second Place: Al Ling/Griffin Tanner

Third Place: Keith Hayward/Mickle Hayward

2nd Flight

First Place: Ben Pettis/Billy Wood

Second Place: Joe Joyer/Shae Orrell

Third Place: Niles Lovelady/Dee Hobbs

Numerous donors provided prizes for the winners and door prizes for other participants. We are grateful to our 2016 donors: Ajax, Elliott & Britt, Lily Pad, My Guys, Neilson's, Newk's, Ole Miss Golf Course, Origin Bank, Rowdy Rebs, The Landshark, Tom Davis State Farm and University Sporting Goods. And, as always, many thanks to Shae Orrell, Sarah Brooke and Jeb Bishop, Margie McLeod and Ben Pettis for all their hard work in organizing this year's tournament.

Christian Education

Vacation Bible School: Here's What You Need to Know

Vacation Bible School makes its annual appearance on the FPC summer calendar July 18-22! You can register your child now by clicking on this link. Come learn about Joseph's journey from prison to palace with us this summer at First. A nursery will be available, but please let Sarah McLellan know if you plan to utilize the nursery that week. If you would like to volunteer or donate any items, please contact Sarah at semclellan75@gmail.com. Also, if you'd like to help us decorate, please be at the church Sunday, July 17, at 2:00 pm. This year's VBS will be held in the Sanctuary while Fellowship Hall renovations are completed.

New Adult Bible Study Coming in September

A new Bible study on the Gospel of John will begin on Wednesday, September 7 at 10:00 am and continue into the month of October. Please call the church office if you plan to participate because there may be books to be ordered for participants. More information will be available as the time draws near.

Etcetera . . .

The Prayer Shawl Ministry...

...will not meet in July due to the holiday.

Our next meeting will be Monday, August 1.

Join VIPs for the Third Thursday Dinner

The VIPs will meet for dinner at Oby's on Thursday, July 21 at 5:45 for a Dutch treat dinner and fellowship. These dinners have been a hit with FPC's over 55 crowd and anyone in that age group is welcome to attend. Reservations are not mandatory, but it is helpful to know what size table we will need to seat everyone. Please call the church office if you know you that you are planning to join us, but don't let the lack of a reservation keep you at home if you find that you're free that evening.

In addition to these dinners, plans are underway for a monthly VIP luncheon on the first Tuesday that will include lunch and a special speaker. Be on the lookout for more information about these events in the bulletin, Fast Facts and next month's newsletter.

If you would like to join a Circle or change Circles, please fill out a card found in your pew's Friendship Register during "Parish Life" in worship and place it in the collection plate. We will be studying, "Who is Jesus? What a Difference a Lens Makes." We look forward to seeing you there!

PW Council 2016-2017

Moderator - Becki Felts - beckifelts@gmail.com

Vice - Moderator - Sharron Alexander - sharronalexander@bellsouth.net

Secretary - Julie Field -jfieldrx@aol.com

Treasurer - Margaret Fancher -fancherm@bellsouth.net

Historian - Karen Stockton - karenschain@gmail.com

Ex - moderator - Ann DeVoe - grrx01@gmail.com

A Note from Our Friends at Ole Miss

"My name is Kelly Slater and I am the Director of the International & American Student Alliance (IASA), a student organization on campus. IASA is a fairly new organization that I created this year to help connect International & American students (as well as the members of the local community) together to make connections and help make the transition to American life easier for internationals. While IASA is not directly a Christian organization, we have created some effective relationships with other local churches and feel that by connecting and working together, we can further enhance the experience of international students at Ole Miss.

In the fall semester, we will welcome approximately 500 new international students to our campus (in addition to the nearly 1,000 we have returning). These students come from around the world and are very interested in learning more about and experiencing local culture, which can certainly include religious aspects like church. In fact, many of them have questions about Christianity and the way that it impacts Southern Culture and are open to learning more about it. While this is one thing that my organization can help with to a degree, we feel that at least giving them an enhanced opportunity to connect with local churches as well is good.

One of the biggest ways that we have connected with other churches has been though having them find church members to serve as International Neighbors (similar to host families) to an international student. With this program, we will pair the family with 1-2 international students to get to know and hangout with over the semester. They are expected to meet with their student at least 3 times over the course of the semester and those meetings can range from having dinner together to going to the Memphis Zoo to going fishing to anything else in between (so pretty flexible). The main idea of this is to help the internationals meet people and to experience the family side of American life, which is something they would typically not get to experience. Many internationals return to their home countries having never even been to an actual American home, an experience that while seemingly simple to us, is a unique and insightful one to them.

If this program, or even just internationals as a whole, sounds like something you'd like to support, please contact me at kdslater@go.olemiss.edu or by telephone at (228) 623-7029. Thank you!"

News from the Pews

Directories Have Arrived!

Church directories have arrived and will be distributed to members following worship on Sunday, July 3 and Sunday, July 10. They are also available for pick-up in the church office between 8:30 and 4:30 Monday through Thursday and 8:30 to noon on Friday. At this time, directories are available only to members. One per family unit please.

We extend sympathy to:

Ney Williams, whose brother, John "Dudley" Williams, Sr., died June 10 in Aberdeen, MS.

Kathryn Hill, whose grandmother, Annis Goss, died June 12, 2016.

Syd Shaw and David Shaw, whose brother and uncle, Bill Shaw, died June 13, 2016 in Oxford, MS.

We extend congratulations to:

Moni and Stuart Simpson on the birth of their daughter, Amelia Louise Simpson, born June 6, 2016.

Randall and Lee Mize on the birth of their daughter, Mary Conlee Mize, born June 20, 2016.

Birthdays and Anniversaries

July Birthdays

1 - Martha Burnett, Wendy Carmean

2 - John Neff

3 - Carter Wilkes

4 - Nancy Jetton

5 - Amy Edlin, Louis Brandt

6 - Jen� Smith, Carolyn Abbott

7 - Matthew Hall, Tom Franklin, Ernie Williams, Alice Wilkes

8 - Kay Croom, Martha Kelley

9 - Betty Abdo, Paul Chiniche, Nat Harris

10 - James Thompson

11 - Jean Blackston

12 - Rosalyn Perry, John Neff

13 - Bobbye Wiley, Adam Robinson, George Moak, Alicia Bouldin

14 - Pauline Lewis, Neely Mullen

15 - Joe Huggins, Stuart Schuesselin, Beth Pace, Charles Montgomery

16 - Duke Goza

17 - Judith Cassidy, Pat Carpenter

18 - Ann DeVoe, Tricia Showalter, Walter Nance

19 - Myrna Cook, Ashley Jordan-Hill

20 - David Shaw, Doc Buford, Merrick McCool, Leigh Bundren

21 - Daniel Hall, Miller Elliott, Ann Luckett Montgomery, Wil Howie

22 - Erin Snellgrove, Campbell McCool, Michelle Rounsaville

23 - Billy Chadwick, William Mayo, Ophelia Orrell

24 - Louise Waller, Kate Byars, Joseph Kelly, Lauren Abbott

25 - Eddie Crawford, Bette Butler

27 - Hunter Spragins, Robert Cooper, J. T. Davis, Rob Williams

28 - Weldon Wilkinson, Ed Field

29 - Sparky Luster

30 - Granville Sherman

31 - Jeannice Russell, Tina Montgomery, Vance Byars, Richard Atkinson, Hollis Hayes

July Anniversaries

4 - Scottye & Pete Boone, Lindsay & Brett Estes, Emma & David Flautt

7 - Allison & Jon Crawford, Robin & Justin Geurin

11 - Kim & Al Ling, Peggy & Walter Nance

12 - Fay & Earl Grissinger

13 - Margie & Kevin McLeod

15 - Darri & Keith Mansel

17 - Cherri & Bill Mayo

18 - Jennifer & Jimmy Williams, Pat & Richard Atkinson

20 - Missy & Michael Morrison

23 - Nina & Tommy Patrick

24 - Sharron & Harry Alexander

25 - Betsy & Ed Holcomb, Nancy & Jim Jetton

26 - Karen & Bo Elliott

28 - Kathryn & Allen Elliott

Memorials and Honoraria

~ With gratitude for contributions to First Presbyterian Church ~

In Memory Of:

Alene Pulliam

J. J. Jones

Jane & L. E. Breeding

First Dates

The Men of the Church will meet during the summer on Tuesdays, July 5 and August 2 at 6:30 am at the Beacon Restaurant. The regular schedule resumes September 6.

The Session will not meet during July.

The Diaconate will not meet during July.

The Book Club will meet not meet until September 13.

Piecemakers meet each Wednesday at 9:00 am in Conference Room 101 and Saturday, July 9 at 10:30 am at St. Andrew's Methodist Church, 431 N. 16th Street.

The Dewey Hickman Grief Support Group will meet Tuesday, July 26 at 10:00 am at the home of Fannie Elliott.

Reminder: The July deadline for submissions to First Press is

Friday, July 15.

The Session

CLASS of 2016

Maggie Abernathy, Bill Bowlin,

Bette Butler, Melissa Hall, Ernie Williams

CLASS of 2017

Tom Meredith, Walter Nance, David Shaw,

Christina Torbert, Mary Glynn Wright (Clerk)

CLASS of 2018

Darren Ashmore, Dorothy Lou Aldridge,

Jane Lyle Byars, Paul Chiniche, Kathryn Hill

The Diaconate

CLASS of 2016

Betty Abdo, Sarah Brooke Bishop,

Gale Gurner, Anna Ruth Kesler, Tony Mize

CLASS OF 2017

Kevin Christian, Catie Hester,

Laura Montgomery, Diane Scruggs, Cliff Smith

CLASS OF 2018

Whitney Bolen, Julie Chadwick, James Day

Teresa Flautt, JoAnne Oliver

CHURCH STAFF

The Congregation	Ministers		Ext.
John M. Semmes	Pastor	jsemmesfpc@gmail.com	15
Ann H. Kelly	Interim Associate Pastor	akellyfpc@gmail.com	12
Joseph W. Garrison	Dir. of Music/Organist	jgarrisonfpc@gmail.com	17
Terrell Hall	Dir. of Elementary Music	thallfpc@gmail.com
Joseph Kelly	Director of Youth	jkellyfpc@gmail.com	18
Howard Dudley	College Ministry	hdudleyfpc@gmail.com
Frances Saralvarez	Office Administrator	fsaralvarezfpc@gmail.com	10
Suzan Clark	Secretary	sclarkfpc@gmail.com	11
Carnice L. Woods	Secretary	cwoodsfpc@gmail.com	11
Wade Simpson	Property Manager	wsimpsonfpc@gmail.com
Whitney Allen	Nursery Coordinator	wallenfpc@gmail.com

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