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 Happy Birthday! | |
July Birthdays
July 1
Roger Von Deylen
July 2
Matthew Dubois
July 3
Phyllis Geist
Nathan Smiley
July 6
Vicki Uday
Bryan Jenkins
Brandon Ranka
July 8
Shirley Krieg
Michele Griesmer
Jared Blum
July 10
Carol Krohn
Linda Lademan
July 12
Karen Gauthier
Billy Gruits
Jackson Blum
July 14
Bill Widger
Nancy Repp
July 16
Flora Case
William Conger
Bill Krauss
Mason Martin
July 17
Alex Markwardt
July 18
Cynthia Watson
Noah Ng
Bryce Bixler
July 19
Kathleen Rankin
July 20
Karen Ranka
Stacy Loudon
July 21
Kelsey Waugh
July 21
Ellen Dubois
July 22
Shirley Williams
Pamela Conger
Savannah Houghton
July 23
Marjorie Kill
Carole Poleski
Ken Lepidi
July 25
Ron Case
Linda Washburn
Karl Kandler
Linda Poston
Anthony Mitek
July 26
Doug Ledbetter
Stacy McGowan
July 27
Sue Ashley
Judith Clemons
Sherry Lilley
July 28
Don Hill
Claudia Poigne-Klamm
July 30
Jean Fletcher
July 31
Judi Treadwell
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Stephen
Ministry  | |
July 7
Psalm 30:1
I will praise you, Lord, for you have saved me from my enemies. You refuse to let them triumph over me.
July 14
Psalm 82:8
Stand up, O God, and judge the earth. For all of it belongs to you. All nations are in your hands.
GIPC is a Stephen Ministry congregation. Contact a pastor or Julie Gloor for more information about this ministry.
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GIPC Connections | |
Our Website:
www.gipc.org
GIPC Church Calendar
Visit us on
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Follow Us on Twitter: GIPresbyChurch
Subscribe to our sermon podcast on iTunes: "Grosse Ile Presbyterian Church Sermons"
Check out what's happening nationally: www.pcusa.org
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Presbyterian Response To
Oklahoma Tornadoes
On Monday, May 20, 2013, a category E5 tornado struck Moore, OK, killing 24 people, including seven children, and causing property damage estimated to exceed that of the tornadoes in Joplin, MO, in 2011. The previous day, tornadoes struck nearby Shawnee, OK, where two people were killed and more than 100 homes were damaged or destroyed.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance deployed six members of the National Response Team to respond to the situation in Oklahoma. Four of those volunteers arrived in Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, May 21. Another volunteer and I arrived on Wednesday morning. After meeting with the General Presbyter of Indian Nations Presbytery to get information about the communities and churches impacted by the tornadoes, the team split up to visit multiple locations. Several people went to Moore, and two of us drove to Shawnee to meet with the pastor of the Presbyterian church there. None of the churches in the presbytery had tornado damage, but some had members who sustained damages. Many of the churches wanted to know how they could help with the recovery process.
Over the next several days, the NRT volunteers continued to meet with pastors, Red Cross personnel, and, more casually, with victims and members of other responding organizations, including FEMA, Southern Baptist Convention, and Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon). Several times, we were asked to follow up on requests for assistance, which we did. Whenever appropriate, we offered the services of PDA, specifically for programs on spiritual and emotional care, care for caregivers, and compassion fatigue prevention and resiliency, as well as long term recovery organizational assistance. One of the team members collected information about potential hosting sites for volunteer work teams and began assessments for churches willing to be host sites.
On Sunday morning, we visited local churches to meet members and do Minutes for Mission about PDA. Sunday evening, we attended the community memorial service in Moore, OK. During the following days, NRT volunteers continued to meet with local authorities and to network with responding organizations. The presbytery organized a recovery task force to coordinate response among the churches.
Within several days of the tornadoes, we were told that there were an estimated forty responding organizations on the ground in Oklahoma City. Disaster response is something like a jigsaw puzzle with many pieces. Presbyterian Disaster Assistance is one of those pieces. Through the NRT volunteers, PDA is able to provide early responders to assess the needs and determine how PDA can contribute to the recovery efforts. In addition to early programs for emotional spiritual care, PDA is skilled and experienced in long term recovery and hospitality (hosting sites). Additional NRT volunteers will be traveling to Oklahoma in the weeks and months ahead.
Gifts to One Great Hour of Sharing make possible these responses. Part of the OGHS offerings fund Presbyterian Disaster Assistance programs at home and abroad. When disasters happen, we often wonder what we can do to help. The Presbyterian Church (USA) suggests GAP . . . Give . . . Act . . . Pray. GIVE to OGHS or to the specific disaster recovery. ACT to donate clean-up buckets or health kits. PRAY for those affected by the disaster and those responding.
I like to say, "Thank you. Through your prayers and gifts, you were there and you made a difference. You enabled disaster victims to experience the love and compassion of Christ and you witnessed to the unity of Christ's church."
Respectfully and thankfully,
Kathleen Rankin
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York Connection
Project: Barter Board
Looking for help with something? Looking for information? Write and post your request on the Barter Board at the Crossroads.
Are you able to help? Do you have the answer? Check the Barter Board for requests that you may be able to answer.
This is a friend-to-friend activity designed to match needs with skills and resources. Please give it a try and then give us your feedback and suggestions.
-York Connection Task Force
Tips For Seniors
You may call me anything but please don't call me late for supper... The GIPC York Commission was formed to recognize our aging congregation and address the task of serving them better. From its inception, the York Connection Task Force was confronted with the sensitive question of what to name this group of older congregants. Does "Senior Citizen" have a negative connotation? Are older adults offended by that name? In the past, the term "senior" often brought to mind images of a crotchety oldster, like the cartoon character Maxine, hobbling about on her cane but, influenced by the arrival of the "Boomers" and recent predictions of increased longevity, that image is rapidly changing. Arriving at a time when long-cherished dreams of personal freedom, excitement and adventure are becoming a reality, today's seniors don't view themselves being confined to rocking chairs; they envision themselves piloting hot air balloons, shooting rapids, running marathons and climbing mountains!
The term "senior" often denotes elevated status or superiority. In primitive cultures, senior tribe members were venerated for their wisdom. In modern industry, employees are ranked by seniority to determine salary, lay-off status and vacation time, the best benefits going to the most senior workers. I for one, treasure my senior status, a designation that brings a multitude of perks such as discounted meals and admission fees, a seat on the bus and access to National Parks. Why would one not treasure being thought of as a respected sage and savor the deference received? Be proud to have lived as long as you have and strive to keep the journey going by practicing an active lifestyle and maintaining a positive attitude. Embrace your seniority; it certainly beats the alternative!
Game Day - Wednesdays, Summer Hours: 2-4 pm
Meet in the west side of the Fellowship Hall to play Euchre, Canasta, Dominoes, puzzles or bring your own game. Join us for good competition and good conversation!
Guests are always welcome. |
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Reminders
Early Birds - Prayer and Bible Study group continues to meet during the summer on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 am. in the Fireside Room. Open to all who are interested.
Kroger Community Rewards Program
This program has been very lucrative for our Youth Mission Fund and we really appreciate everyone who has participated. If you are already a member, you need to re-enroll in order to continue. If you have not joined, please consider enrolling. Go to www.krogercommunityrewards.com to register. Our NPO # is 82535. |
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Least Coin
GIPC LEAST COIN JOINS LEAST COIN FROM 80 COUNTRIES TO AID WORLDWIDE PROJECTS:
Every year Mary/Martha Circle takes the money we drop into a little bucket passed around at our monthly circle meetings and Bible study sessions and sends it to Church Women United in NYC which forwards it to their headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Then it is included in the least coin dropped into "buckets" all over the world and is sent to Thailand to be distributed to financial aid to worthy projects. In 2012 the amount added up to $207,400 and funded such projects as literacy school for female dropouts in Africa, a home for aged women in India, training women in theology in Egypt, and ending violence against women and children in New Guinea. To add to our Mary/Martha collection, the congregation dropped their loose change into the collection containers at the service where I gave the Minute for Mission about the Least Coin project. In 2013 the amount added up to $120.63, not a great deal of money but it's a grand gesture by caring people worldwide to help women and children around the world.
-Pamela A. Frucci |
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Vacation Bible School
I'd like to make a few personal comments as another Vacation Bible School at the Grosse Ile Presbyterian Church comes to a close. Once again I felt honored to play the part of Godwin Merrifeather or "a bird."
Along with my wife, Janet, who was playing the part of Telly Ticket, we opened each of five sessions with some dialog.
For me, each of these past three years seemed to be a step up from the previous. Last year I was an Octopus and the year before, a raccoon. This year's theme was "Everywhere Fun Fair or God's World comes together." In the opening of each session Janet and I welcomed the children with live conversation which was followed by video segments and again back to live conversation.
I, of course, had a puppet in one hand and a microphone in the other and was hidden from the children. My attempt of hiding my identity didn't fool even the youngest of the fifty plus children. After each opening session, I roamed throughout the church and sat in on several classes. Just as in Sunday School, I learned a little more each time.
Several people should be singled out for the success of the event but for myself, a special thank you to Rochelle O'Brien for her direction and of course to Jan Holmes, simply for being, Jan Holmes.
-David Dyer
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 The Spire is a publication of the Grosse Ile Presbyterian Church, 7925 Horsemill Road, Grosse Ile, Michigan. The purpose of this newsletter is to share news and information about GIPC and our denomination.
Contributions are invited and encouraged. The Communications Commission reserves the right to accept or reject submissions and to edit to fit available space or for style and consistency.
Material is due six business days before the first or the fifteenth of the month. Emailed submissions should be sent to spire@gipc.org. Please contact the church office or a member of the Communications Commission if you have any questions. Communications Commission: Sue Ashley, Marta Kramer, Ray Kramer, Carl Krohn, Nancy Morrison |
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