Focus on Faith

Faith United Presbyterian Church Newsletter

March 27, 2014

Phone: 734-5129 Hours: M-F 8 AM - Noon and 1 - 4 PM

Pastor Charles B. Cunningham (emergencies after hours) 309-221-8168

Church Email: faithup@maplecity.com Website: www.faithpresmonmouth.org

This Sunday - Fourth Sunday in Lent

March 30, 2014

Sermon Title: "I Came into this World for Judgment"

1 Samuel 16:1-13 Psalm 23

Ephesians 5:8-14 John 9:1-41

Liturgist: Evelyn Carlson

Ushers: Gary Distin, Jon Graham, Ted Briscoe, Larry Willett, Bryce Willett

Greeters: Les & Jo Ellen Dollinger and Rod & Hallie Lemon

Children's Church: Lorna Blackford

Nursery: Tammi Hottle

Coffee Hour: Jarod & Nisha Spangler

CD Recording: Jim Brown

Upcoming Meetings/Events

Thursday, March 27 - Sewing Circle - 9:30 a.m. TODAY

Thursday, March 27 - Isabel Circle - 7:00 p.m. TONIGHT

Friday, March 28 - Lenten Lay Breakfast @ Strom Center - 6:30 a.m. (Faith United Presbyterian Church will be leading the service)

Saturday, March 29 - ZBT Pancake Dinner @ FUPC Serving 4:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Sunday, March 30 - Jr and Sr High Youth Meeting - 9:15 a.m.

Sunday, March 30 - PW meeting to elect officers - 11:35 a.m. in sanctuary

Wednesday, April 2 - Lenten Study with Pastor - 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, April 3 - Thai Circle - 9:30 a.m.

Thursday, April 3 - Whiteman Lecture at MC - 11:00 a.m.

Faith United Announces New Website

We have gone live with a brand-new, up-to-date website with an intuitive, easy-to-remember web address: www.faithpresmonmouth.org. (If you can even recall the old address, you will notice the new one is a lot easier to remember i.e., the name of our church, its denom-ination, and its location. Also, the .org is more appropriate for a non-profit.)

Building a new website is a work in progress, and Vicki will be updating it frequently with content about our news, our events, and our programs. So, please do check it out and take a look. There's plenty of room for exciting, dynamic content.

A word about browsers - Since the website was built using Wix.com, a Google product, it does run best using the Google Chrome browser, and I would recommend downloading and installing the Chrome browser if you don't already have it. Mozilla Firefox and Safari (for Mac users) have also worked well. We are still having some issues with certain versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer. If you get a message about long-running scripts while using IE, you can opt to stop the script and refresh the page. You may need to do it each time you want to navigate to a new page. This is cumbersome, so unless you have IE 11, you may want to try another browser.

PW Meeting - Sunday, March 30 after Worship

This Sunday, March 30th, Presbyterian Women of Faith Church will meet in the sanctuary immediately after worship to hold an election of officers. Please come to this important meeting. The Nominating Committee has worked hard and thoughtfully to present a slate. We will elect officers at this meeting and then install them on June 19 at our Annual Salad Supper Meeting and Program.

PW Survey

Thanks to all who responded! Survey results encourage Presbyterian Women to explore the possibility of branching out in two new areas: (1) forming a group that would meet weekly to discuss inspirational books, and (2) short-term studies (meeting weekly) on particular topics of interest. Anyone interested in serving as a discussion leader for a particular topic or inspirational book, please contact Pam Youngblood at 734-4107.

Deacon/Elder Training Rescheduled

The Elder/Deacon training for First Presbyterian Church in Macomb has been rescheduled for Saturday, March 29 from 8:30 am until 3:00 pm.

If you would like to attend, please contact the presbytery with your RSVP, 309-683-6980 or by email to Patti parrish at: pparrish@greatriverspby.org

Isabel Circle - Thursday, March 27 TONIGHT!

The next meeting of Isabel Circle will be 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 27 at the home of Pam Youngblood (341 South 8th Street). Mary Distin will be facilitating Lesson 6, "Becoming a Holy People," in the Horizons Bible Study An Abiding Hope: The Presence of God in Exodus and Deuteronomy. The key idea is that in the covenant relationship, God offers us abundant blessings. We honor this covenant through the choices we make each day. Exodus 19 and 24 and Deuteronomy 7:1-11 provide the background for this lesson.

Lenten Lay Breakfast Series - next on Friday, March 21

The 39th Annual Lenten Lay Breakfast series continues each Friday morning through Good Friday on April 18, 2014. The series is sponsored by the Warren County Ministerial Association and hosted by Strom Center. Breakfast begins at 6:30 a.m. with the program from 7:15 - 7:45 a.m.

March 28

- Faith United Presbyterian TOMORROW

April 4 - Fairview Center UMC

April 11 - Immaculate Conception

April 18 - First United Methodist

Community Caring Days - Applications for Work Projects

The ecumenical group of five local churches met most recently on March 6 in the Community Room at Security Savings Bank.

The first work day weekend is tentatively planned for June 20-21. Applications will be available soon in our church office, or from Ralph Whiteman or Bob Wells, for work projects you would like done and should be submitted by May 20. Applicants do not have to be members of Faith Church to submit an application.

The next meeting of the Community Caring group volunteers will be April

10 at 7 p.m. at Security Savings. If you have questions, please see Ralph Whiteman or Bob Wells. Also, anyone who would like to make a donation toward this effort can make a check payable to Faith United Presbyterian Church and designate "Community Caring" on the memo line.

Whiteman Lecture at Monmouth College - 11 .m. Thursday, April 3

This year's special guest speaker at the Whiteman Lecture is Mary Kellogg-Joslyn, sister of Buster Kellogg. Mary

has an extensive background in entertainment, marketing and production. She served for 20 years as Senior Executive Vice President of Television for The Walt Disney Company. At Disney she helped develop and served as the executive-in-charge of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire," plus oversaw more than 90 television shows. In 2004 Ms. Kellogg-Joslyn joined Cedar Bay Entertainment company as Executive Vice President, working with the company's Titanic Branson operation and the Pigeon Forge Titanic Attraction.

The event is free and open to the public and will take place in the Dahl Chapel and Auditorium. Parking is available at Faith Church, with shuttle service running from 10:30 - 10:55 a.m. and immediately after the lecture.

4th Annual ZBT Pancake Dinner - Saturday, March 29

The men of Zeta Beta Tau, Monmouth College Chapter, will be having their 4th Annual All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Dinner at Faith United Presbyterian Church 200 South 8th Street from 4:30 - 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 29. Tickets are available at the door for $6 each or 2/$10. There will also be a 50-50 raffle. All proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.

Birthdays

March 19 - James Connell, Samantha Cheek

March 20 - Shanae Glasgow

March 21 - Dale Dingman

March 23 - Jonalyn Heaton, Kathy Rickey, Bob Wells

March 27 - Harlow Blum

March 28 - Phyllis Wheeler

March 29 - Vernon Mettler

March 30 - Evelyn Carlson, Jim Hallstrom

March 31 - Gentry Sorensen, Lisa Willett

News from the Deacons - Wedding Anniversaries

The Deacons would like to acknowledge your wedding anniversaries. Please notify Dixie Wells of your date so you can be included in our list. You can e-mail the information to bwells@speednet.com or leave a note with the information with Vicki in the church office or e-mail her at faithup@maplecity.com.

Raising Money for Teddy Bear is as Easy as Pie!

Teddy Bear C.D.C. is selling pies to raise money to replace the mulch in our playground. Pies are from The Kitchen Bakery on South Main Street, owned and operated by Madeline Brown's grandmother. If you would like to order pies, there will be an order form posted on the office door or call us at Teddy Bear 734-2724.

●pies are frozen in a nice, presentable package.

●instructions are included
●fruit pies are prepared ready to bake
●pumpkin and pecan pies are pre-baked and will only need thawed
●13 pie flavors to choose from, with a sugar free option for nearly every flavor

Pies are $15 each and payment is due upon ordering. Checks should be made payable to Teddy Bear C.D.C.

Orders will be taken from now until Monday, March 31 to ensure these delicious pies can be enjoyed in time for the Easter holiday.

Pie pick up day at Teddy Bear will be Friday, April 18th. We are excited to be able to sell such a unique and enjoyable product to help raise money for our school and support a local business!

Thank you for supporting our school!

PW Spring Gathering of Presbytery of Great Rivers

Registration for Spring Gathering - Apr 12, 2014 (The registration form is on page 7 of the Currents PDF file. Please be patient - this file can take a long time to download.)

This year the Spring Gathering of PW of the Presbytery of Great Rivers will be held on Saturday, April 12, 2014 at United Presbyterian Church in Mason City, IL. Gathering for coffee and refreshments begins at 9:00 a.m. and the Opening with Worship is at 9:30 a.m. United Presbyterian Church is located at the corner of North Main and High Street and the telephone number is (217) 482-5438.

The theme this year is "The Reconciliation of Humankind Through Jesus Christ" and is based on scriptures from Deuteronomy 15:7-11, Matthew 5:3-10, and Matthew 26:6-13.

Linda Miller and Sharon Graham will be using activities from a Church World Service publication that focuses on the Millennium Development Goals so that attendees at the PW PGR Spring Gathering will have the opportunity to attend two workshops that afternoon to learn how a global chorus of voices is calling to make poverty history. Two of the eight Millennium Development Goals are (1) to eradicate extreme hunger and poverty and (2) to ensure environmental sustainability by providing access to safe water. Sharon's workshop is entitled "Water for Life/Water for All," and Linda's is "Luck of the Draw" and "Who's Got the Cheese?"

To access the registration form, you may click on the link above, or if you prefer, there are some paper copies in the church office that Vicki can give you.

Luncheon reservations are due to Registrar Barbara Rodgers at P.O. Box 191 in Mason City, IL 62664 (phone 217-482-5438) by Monday, April 7. Cost is $8.00. Checks should be made out to Presbyterian Women (memo: Spring Gathering).

One thing to note before making non-refundable luncheon reservations, the Genevieve Ball Memorial Service is scheduled for the same day, April 12, at Faith Church, at 11 a.m. with a Bereavement Luncheon with the family at approximately 12:30 p.m., so it will not be possible to attend both this and the Spring Gathering.

Wednesday Night Live

A few more WNL Thank You's

A big thank you to Jim and Diana Critzer for donating and making a delicious taco dinner for WNL International Night. Also, thanks to Benant Bukari for a PowerPoint presentation and Abrafi Osei-Kofi from Monmouth College for talking about Ghana, her country.

Mark Your Calendar - VBS 2014 June 29 - July 3

The summer VBS at Faith Church will be scheduled for Sunday, June 29 thru Thursday, July 3. The change is due to a change in the College for Kids schedule. Since the Fourth of July holiday occurs on the Friday of that week, VBS will begin on Sunday and run through Thursday. More information will be coming from CE later.

With Sympathy

to the family of Donald H. McBride, 82, of Vero Beach, FL, formerly of Monmouth, who passed away on March 15, 2014. He is the brother-in-law of Betty McBride. A memorial service is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, March 29, 2014, at Hoover-Hall Memorial Chapel. Visitation with the family is at 10:30 a.m. Click here to view obituary

Prayer Concerns

Bobbi Cady (Sarah Torrance's mother); Ken "Shorty" Wilson; Dave & Eilleen Spoerl; violence in the Ukraine; Bill Smallwood; Cathy Abernathy; Jim McCurdy; Greg Haning; those who are unable to worship with us on Sunday; Marian Mills; Donna Lee; Jessie James; Bill Hoover; Blaine Robinson; Vern Mettler; Cinda Stansbury; Irvin Lipp; Mary Johnson; Gary Youngblood; Lindsay Murdock; and Jim Paris.

Jim & Carol McCurdy are now at Courtyard in Rooms 109 & 110. Eilleen is doing better. Cathy Abernathy is back home in Galesburg. Bill Smallwood was re-hospitalized on March 18 and is now recovering at Seminary Bounce Back. Erma

is staying at Seminary Estates to be near him. Irv Lipp is back at Sloan-Kettering undergoing further tests to determine why his blood is not clotting well. He has developed a condition known as Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC). For the latest on him, check Caringbridge.org

Lindsay Murdock's story and interviews with her family members was aired on the TV show "The Doctors" on February 28. Here are links to the show - watch 11042 first.

http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videolib/init/11042

http://www.thedoctorstv.com/videolib/init/11043

Buchanan Community Chorus - April 6

The Buchanan Community Chorus invites you to their

"Lawrence Welk Tribute" at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 6

in the Dahl Chapel of Monmouth College. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted.

Ecumenical Singers Palm Sunday Concert

The Ecumenical Singers, directed by Leo Ramer, will present their 34th Annual Holy Week Concert of Sacred & Classical Music on Palm Sunday, April 13th, at 4:00 p.m.

at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.

Guest performers include the MRHS Concert Choir, directed by Kevin Ferry, along with the Ecumenical Brass, Wind & String Pit. Alisa Ramer will accompany and will also conduct the Handbell Choir. There is no admission fee, but a free-will offering will be taken. This concert is partially funded by the Buchanan Center for the Arts and the Illinois Arts Council, a state Agency. The public is invited.

The above photo shows the Ecumenical Singers performing at the Lincoln Museum in Springfield at Christmas time.

Easter Flowers

Members are invited to make donations for our Easter flowers.

Each year we intersperse spring flowers with the traditional lilies. Members are given the choice to either pick up a lily following the Easter service or to donate a lily for a homebound member. Please turn in your order on or before Palm Sunday, April 13. Thank you!

_____I would like to order _____ lilies at $7.50 each to be picked up after the Easter Service. In addition, I would also like to order _____ lilies at $7.50 each to be delivered after the service to a homebound member.

_____I would like to order _____ spring flowers (tulips) to be planted in the courtyard or south side of the church after Easter at $7.50 each.

to be given in memory of: ________________________________________

to be given in honor of: __________________________________________

given by:______________________________________________________

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