Focus on Faith

Faith United Presbyterian Church Newsletter

January 22, 2015

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

Pastor: Rev. Dr. Kathy Stoner-Lasala

revkathysl@gmail.com (609) 319-4030

Church Email: faithup@maplecity.com

Website: www.faithpresmonmouth.org

This Sunday - 3rd Sunday after Epiphany

January 25, 2015

10:30 a.m.

"A Fish Tale"

Lectionary: Jonah 3: 1-10, Psalm 62: 5-12, Mark 1: 14-20

Liturgist: John Marshall

Ushers: George Nieman, Carolyn Meling, Steve Johnson, Bob Green,

Dee Ann Shuff

Greeters: Tim Phelps, Bill & Betty Lee

Children's Church: Lorna Blackford

Nursery: Tammi Hottle

Coffee Hour: Youth Potato Bake

CD Recording:
Janice Cunningham

Annual Congregational Meeting & Potato Bake

Upcoming Meetings/Events

Thursday, January 22 - Isabel Circle - 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 25 - Annual Congregational Meeting

Sunday, January 25 - Youth Potato Bake - 11:45 a.m.

Tuesday, January 27 - Lions Club Soup Sampler Supper @ FUPC - 5 to 7 p.m.

Wednesday, January 28 - Focus e-news deadline - noon

Wednesday, January 28 - Wednesday Night Live - 3:20 to 6 p.m.

Congregational Meeting - Sunday, January 25, 2015

There will be a Congregational Meeting this Sunday, January 25, 2015 following worship for the purpose of (1) receiving the budget, (2) voting on church by-law changes, and (3) electing remaining officers. The by-law changes are mainly minor in nature, and copies of the by-laws with the proposed changes will be available in the office in advance of the meeting.

Wednesday Night Live - January 28, 2015

January 28 - Parable of the Tower Builder. God asks us to count the cost of being a disciple of Jesus. Luke 14: 25-35

Kitchen Team for January 28: Brooke Anderson, Karen Erlandson, Jonalyn Heaton, Donna Spears

The Skating Party will be February 4th at the Freedom Roller Rink. Children should bring their permission slips and $3.00 fee to WNL by January 28th.

Wish List for March 18:

$ for prizes for Carnival
Cookies for 25th Anniversary/Closing Program
Help for Carnival and for Reception
Favorite Memories of WNL over the years.

See Deb Dingman with ideas, help, donations, etc. as she is planning the March 18th Celebration.

Youth Potato Bake - January 25

On Sunday, January 25, the youth will have their annual Potato Bake following the Congregational Annual Meeting. A free-will donation will be received where the proceeds will go toward youth missions. If you are able to help with a salad or dessert, you can still sign up on the office door. Thank you!

Finance Committee Meeting

The Finance Committee will meet after church with coffee the fourth Sunday of each month starting with February 22.

Tree of Hope

The PC(USA) has sent us a number of attractive note cards with envelopes that you can use to write to those you honored with a Giving Tree gift to let them know how the gift was used. For example, if you gave a family of chickens in honor of a friend, you can use the card to write to the friend and tell them how this gift made a life-changing difference to another family somewhere on this globe we share. You can pick up as many cards as you need from the church office. Because our church gave so many gifts, we also received a beautiful fair trade artisan handmade Christmas tree ornament from Haiti, which is a symbol of skillful craft and your generosity. Perhaps we see another Giving Tree in our future?

Isabel Circle - TONIGHT Thursday, January 22, 2015

Isabel Circle will meet at the home of Lolla Ballard at 119 South 7th Street at 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, January 22, 2015. Deb Dingman will facilitate the Bible study which will be followed by the business meeting and fellowship. Bible Study Guides are available for $9.00 in the church office. All interested people are welcome to attend.

Lesson Four from the 2014-2015 Horizons Bible Study, Reconciling Paul: A Contemporary Study of 2 Corinthians by Elizabeth Hinson-Hasty, is titled, Carrying In Our Bodies Jesus' Acts Of Healing, Reconciliation, and Love. The Biblical Focus Text is 2 Corinthians 4:7 - 5:10. Lesson Three explored the meaning of Paul's reference to "old" and "new" covenants in 2 Corinthians and considered how these ideas relate to our contemporary understanding of Christian relationships with people of different

faith traditions. Lesson Four focuses on Paul's understanding of how the community of faith, the "body of believers," carries Jesus' death within it by continuing acts of healing, reconciliation, and love.

Sewing Circle - No January meeting

How to Reach Our Pastor

Want to know how to reach our Pastor? Kathy's open door office hours are Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. and Thursdays 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. To make an appointment at another time, you can call or text Kathy's cell phone at 609-319-4030, or email her at revkathysl@gmail.com. Kathy reserves Fridays for visiting homebound members; her day off is Monday; and if her sermon isn't finished by Thursday, she may be deep in prayer and study on Thursday mornings!

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If you receive the Focus via a Gmail account, please be sure to scroll all the way down to the bottom, where you may see [Message clipped] View entire message. Please be sure to click "View entire message" -- otherwise you may be missing out on viewing a major portion of your newsletter!

Nursery

Available from 10:30 through the end of the service on Sunday mornings.

Children's Church

Meets after the children's Time in the service. Children's Church helps children to learn to worship God and to understand what happens during worship. Children 5 years old to 3rd grade are encouraged to attend Children's Church.

Adult Ed.

Beginning at 9:15 a.m. this Sunday, January 25, Pastor Kathy will be facilitating a Lectionary/Sermon study on Sunday mornings. The first class will focus on Mark 1: 21-28 and the sermon will be on that text the following Sunday.

Also, starting on Wednesday, February 4, Pastor Kathy will be facilitating a six-week Wednesday Evening Study at 6 p.m. on "Widening the Welcome of Your Church: Biblical Hospitality and the Vital Congregation" by Red Bernard and Steve Clapp.

Elementary and Junior High Sunday School

Regular classes January - May

January Mission Focus - Jamieson Center

The Focus on Mission this month of January is Jamieson Community Center (JCC). Our Family of Faith has a long history of commitment to this mission project. Jamieson Community Center's mission is to coordinate programs addressing the needs of all ages, provide services which extend widely into the community and surrounding area, and work in cooperation with the social service agencies in the region. It is a non-profit
center that strives to provide social services to Monmouth and the surrounding area. It was founded in 1965 following the merging of four area churches which resulted in the establishment of Faith United Presbyterian Church. JCC is named after Rev. Jamieson who was responsible for the vision of JCC and was one of the early founders.

Your generous monetary support will help carry out the mission of Jamieson Community Center.

To learn more about the Jamieson Center, click here for a link to their website.

2015 Directory Information

It will soon be time to publish the 2015 church membership directory (white book) for new church officers. PLEASE, if you have changed your telephone number (perhaps you've dropped your landline) or have moved to a new address during 2014, call the church office or email at faithup@maplecity.com so that we will have your most current information. We'd like our directory to be as up to date and as useful as possible. The only reliable way to get this information is for you to tell us!

We want to have the new directories available for all of our church officers by the end of January. (NOTE: This is not to be confused with the pictorial directory coming out in April or May.) Even if you have given the Hottles your new information for the pictorial directory, the church office will not have access to that in time for the January 2015 directories, so please let the office know your most current information.

Congratulations - It's a Girl

Madeline Elizabeth Fisher was born on Friday, January 16, to Korey Fisher. Madeline weighed 5 lb 14 oz and was 18 inches long. Grandparents are Mike and Heather Fisher. Little Madeline joins her big sister Preslie Marie, who will soon celebrate her 1st birthday.

Save the Date ~ Sunday, February 8

Join in the fun and fellowship by attending the annual Valentine Soup Luncheon on Sunday, February 8, 2015, which is sponsored by Presbyterian Women.

Prayer Concerns

Cathy Abernathy (recovering at home following surgery); Gabe Torrance; Fred Stanton; Etta Jane Pullen; Esther Mercatoris (Kathy's aunt); Sarah Torrance; Louise Roos; Jack Stoner (Kathy's father); Jan Speer (at Monmouth Nursing Home); Rev. John Irwin; Tamene Bekele; Jim Andrews; Bobbi Cady (Sarah Torrance's mother); Robert Cooper (Bonnie Heflin's cousin); Bill Smallwood; Ed Strickler; Greg & Joy Haning; Bill Hoover; Blaine Robinson; Vern Mettler; Cinda Stansbury; Mary Johnson; Lindsay Murdock.

Jim Andrews has moved to Quality Living, Inc. in Omaha - mailing address:

Jim Andrews

QLI, House 2

6315 N. 70th Plaza

Omaha, NE 68104

New Officer Training

Are you a new Deacon or Ruling Elder on Session? In addition to the Officer Training & Examination of Officers on Sunday, January 11, 2015 at our church, the Presbytery also offers training sessions for new Deacons & Elders on your choice of one of five Saturdays, each held from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30
p.m. with lunch served at noon. The training is taught by Rev. Richard Johnson, Pastor of the Biggsville United Presbyterian Church. Classes registering fewer than 10 will be cancelled.

WHAT IS TAUGHT?

During each training event participants will

Examine and explore the significance of their personal faith to their call to ministry.
Examine the core beliefs of the PCUSA through the confessions of the church.
Look at each part of the Book of Order and how each applies to their work, and spend some time learning just how amendments and overtures, creeds and confessions become part of the Constitution.
In addition, attendees will tiptoe through the minefield of decision-making and the various ways decisions can be made
Give special attention to addressing controversial issues and conflicts when they arise within the life of the congregation.
Time will be given to help both ruling elders and deacons understand the ministry and role deacons play in the life of the church as well as consider the breadth of the deacons' ministry
Ruling elders will be introduced to the many facets of their office as they seek to lead their congregations and shape their ministries.

DATES

January 31 - First Federated Church, 3601 N. Sheridan Road, Peoria, IL 61604

February 7 - Third Presbyterian Church, 1030 N. 7th Street, Springfield, IL 62702

February 21 - First Presbyterian Church, 400 E. Carroll Street, Macomb, IL 61455

February 28 - First Presbyterian Church, 2000 E. College Ave., Normal, IL 61761

March 7 - United Church, 150 W. Third Street, Woodhull, IL 61490

RSVP to Patti Parrish at pparrish@greatriverspby.org or phone 800-537-8592. Be sure to include your name, home and/or cell phone number, and email address in case you need to be contacted about cancellation due to weather. Also, classes registering fewer than 10 people will be cancelled, so be sure to include contact information.

Soup Sampler Supper - Tuesday, January 27

The Monmouth Evening Lions Club will host its Soup Sampler Supper from 5 to 7 p.m. at Faith United Presbyterian Church. Drive-up orders will be taken in the parking lot. The cost of the meal is a free-will donation, and all proceeds benefit the club's many community service projects.

Canned Food Month ~ During Month of February

In honor of Canned Food Month, Courtyard Estates & Legacy Estates of Monmouth are holding a canned food drive through the whole month of February. The food will be collected and then donated to the First Christian Church of Monmouth's Food Pantry. Collection drop-offs through the month of February are at Courtyard Estates, One Courtyard Blvd, Monmouth (309.734.9355) and Legacy Estates 1200 W. Broadway of Monmouth (309.734.0909).

Birthdays

January 25 - Molly Inman

January 26 - Heather Fisher

January 27 - Dawn Fleming

January 28 - Barb Gossett

January 29 - Nisha Hager Spangler

January 30 - Ron Murdock

Anniversaries

December 28 - George & Liz Nieman (54th)

February 28 - Greg & Lynn Baber (28th)

No January anniversaries so far!

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