June 2011 - Weslaco Church

First Presbyterian Church – Weslaco
Mission Statement: In response to God’s Power at Work within us, The Weslaco First Presbyterian
Church offers hope in Christ through opportunities to learn and serve.
I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of
thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by
wonder.
~ G.K. Chesterton
Dear Friends,
Would you like a day that is filled with happiness doubled by wonder? Be thankful. Tell God and
others of your thankfulness.
At Hope Hospice, for many years we began each day with a reading from the Guideposts
(scripture, story, and prayer) and, then, a statement of gratitude from each person at the table. At
Coffee Graces this week, we began with a psalm and then, stated our gratitude.
Paul writing to the church in Thessalonica, said:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is
the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Practice the spiritual discipline of gratitude. This month, begin and end each day with a prayer of
gratitude. If you are going through a really difficult time in your life, it may help you to have a
journal in which you record something in the morning and something in the evening for which you
are grateful. It may change your life. Do you have trouble thinking of things for which to be
thankful?
“You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert
and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I
open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing,
walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.” ~G.K.
Chesterton
Practice gratitude.
Peace of Christ,
Pastor Sonja
Contact Information
Officers of FPC
Session
Deacons
Class of 2011
Nathan Aranda (youth)
Melissa Jones
Linda Kopecky
Mary Mattar
Eddie Seils
Class of 2011
Ruth Meehlhause
Helen Willhite
Class of 2012
Charles Bell
David Dueñas
Debby Rektorik
Linda Taormina
Class of 2012
Kay Gibson
Chuck Hunger
*Bruce Walker
Class of 2013
Camille Jones
Marvin Miller
Margaret Perez
Sue Peterson
Class of 2013
Mary Ellen Beard
Karen Hunger
Jane Seils
10:00 a.m. Choir Rehearsal
*Moderator
10:30 a.m. Worship
Interim Pastor
Pastor Sonja Dalglish
[email protected]
www.hopetalks.wordpress.com
Committees
Christian Education: Sue Peterson
Finance: Camille Jones
Mission & Outreach: Charles Bell
Property: David Dueñas
Worship: Margaret Perez
Fellowship: Linda Kopecky
Environmental: Melissa Jones
Church Office Hours
Monday thru Thursday:
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
*Friday:
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
*Try to remember the Pastor’s day off is Friday.
Our secretary is in the office on Friday mornings.
You can always leave a message, or on the church
answering machine or reach her by e-mail which
she ordinarily checks daily.
Secretary
Connie Leyva
[email protected]
Sunday Morning Schedule
9:15 a.m. Adult Sunday Class, Parlor
11:30 a.m. Fellowship Time
11:40 a.m. Chime Choir
Newsletter articles can be submitted to the church
office by:
 E-mail: [email protected]
 Phone/Fax: 969-1535
 In person during our regular office hours
Deadlines for articles are 12:00 noon the
Tuesday following regular monthly session
meetings. Newsletter deadline is July 19th.
Summer’s here but the worship and
mission continue! Remember to
keep your pledges current.
First Presbyterian Church, June 21, 2011
Coffee Graces
JOHN KNOX VILLAGE:
Our deacons and elders will take communion to
the people of John Knox Village the first Sunday of
at 12:45 p.m.
PARLOR BIBLE STUDY
The Parlor Bible Study group will resume meeting
again in the fall. Our first meeting will probably be
Tuesday, September 6th.
FLOWER & FELLOWSHIP:
Please take a look at the Flower & Fellowship
Charts. There are several summer dates available.
You can sign the charts in the Fellowship Hall or call
the church office.
COMMUNION & POWER OF HOPE FUND:
The Session has voted to move our communion
and Power of Hope collection to the first Sunday of
the month. This will put us on the same schedule
as most other churches that have once a month
communion. The deacons will continue to take
communion to the homebound on the same day
that we have it in church. If you know of someone
who is homebound and would like communion, let
us know by calling the office or informing your
deacon.
Savory Perks on Wednesday
mornings from 7:00 -8:30 a.m.
Grab a cup of coffee or tea and maybe a
muffin or piece of coffee cake and spend
some time with Pastor Sonja and some
friends.
Bonhoeffer Evenings
Wednesday evenings 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Weslaco FPC Parlor
Bonhoeffer, Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy
by Eric Metaxis.
Discussion
DATE
SCHEDULE
CHAPTERS
July 6
11-13
July 13
14-16
July 20
17-19
July 27
20, 21
The Power of Hope Fund is used for helping
families in need find a sense of hope.
FELLOWSHIP REGISTERS:
Thank you for filling out the fellowship registers.
We report attendance members to the
denomination. They are on file for Pastors who are
looking at applying for our pastor position and can
be used by the deacons and membership
committee to respond to members’ needs.
Main Event for Youth
John Knox Ranch
Camp (JKR)
September 23-25.
First Presbyterian Church, June 21, 2011
Stop by and read the blog and make a
comment at hopetalks.wordpress.com
Revised Common
Lectionary
Scriptures for April
The Division of Finance provides a monthly
report regarding average weekly Sunday
service attendance and tithes.
May 2010
Average weekly attendance: 90
Average weekly tithes and
offerings: $3363.05
Average Weekly Expenses:
$ 5900
All financial information is
available in the church office.
Sunday, July 3
Gen. 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
Ps. 45:10-17 or S. of Sol. 2:8-13
Rom. 7:15-25a; Matt. 11:16-19, 25-30
Sunday, July 10
Gen. 25:19-34; Ps. 119:105-112;
Rom. 8:1-11
Matt. 13:1-9,18-23
Sunday, July 17
Gen.28:10-19a; Ps. 139:1-12, 23-24
Rom. 8:12-25; Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43
Sunday, July 24
Gen. 29:15-28; Ps. 105:1-11, 45b or Ps. 128
Rom. 8:26-39; Matt. 13:31-33, 44-52
Sunday, July 31
Gen. 32:22-31; Ps. 17:1-7, 15; Rom. 9:1-5
Women of Faith
Please come with me to the Women of Faith event
at the Alamo Dome in San Antonio, Texas on
October 20-22, 2011.
Call Woman of Faith at 1-888-493-2484 (using
account #1889086) for your reservation. The cost is
$89, which includes two box lunches.
Your room is already reserved at the Courtyard by
Marriott. There are two queen beds in each room.
(There is no additional cost for two, three, or four
people per room). The room rate is set at $157 per
night, payable to the hotel, upon check-out.
We will catch the coach bus at 709 S. Iowa. Ave. in
Weslaco; leaving Thursday at 3:30 p.m. returning
(to the same location) Saturday at 10:00 p.m. Cost
for coach bus is $50, payable to Sharon Newcomer
(1501-40 S. Airport Dr. Weslaco, TX. 78596-7265).
** Registration Forms are available in the Church
Office.
Matt. 14:13-21
First Presbyterian Church, June 21, 2011
Session Snippets
June 20, 2011 Meeting
The Session welcomes questions about church activities
and asks everyone to pray for our ruling elders, deacons,
congregation, community, and the world at large.
1. An all church gathering has been set for
September 17, 2011 at Camp Thicket. There will
be swimming, food and activities for all ages.
2. Beginning August 21, 2011, the first and third
Sunday of the month (skipping Labor Day
Weekend), photos will be taken of church
members and friends for a church directory. A
special software has been purchased that will
allow FPC to print its own directory. Photos will
be taken before and after worship. Debby
Rektorik will be taking the photos in the parlor.
3. The prayer vigil was deemed a success with
members praying in the sanctuary and home
over 24 hours for the wellbeing of our church, for
the hoped for new pastor and other concerns.
4. Other activities include:
1. Communion will be held on July 3, in the
pews
2. Teen Challenge will provide the worship
service on July 10
3. Alabama church mission trip folks here
the last week of July
4. Camp Creativity will be held on August
15-19, limited to forty participants
5. Popcorn Ministry resumes August 31
5. In the larger church, the new Form of
Government (nFOG) has been adopted. When
the northern and southern Presbyterian churches
combined about 30 years ago to form the
Presbyterian Church USA, the two constitutions
were combined. This has resulted in at least 600
amendments to the constitution over the years.
General Assembly tasked a committee to
thoroughly review and revise the constitution.
After much discussion, work, research and
prayer, the nFOG was developed as a much
streamlined document.
6. Also, Amendment 10A has been approved. This
takes a section of the Book of Order relating to
ordination back to the original wording which had
been used successfully for 200 years and to
place the emphasis not just on one behavior but
all behavior of a person seeking ordination.
7. Place the emphasis not just on one behavior but
all behavior of a person seeking ordination.
CAMP CREATIVITY
The Camp will be from
August 15-19
Plans for Camp Creativity are underway. We are trying
some new ideas for classes in the afternoon. We plan to
have a Weaving Room, an Art Room, Music Room, a
Story Room, and games.
We need help with some supplies.
Yarn for weaving and egg beater style drills for children’s
carpentry.
POPCORN MINISTRY
Thanks to Eddie Seils, Tom Newcomer,
Mary Ellen Beard, Ruth Meehlhause, Art
Lindstrom, Chuck Hunger, Marlene Reid,
Barbara Rogers, Evelyn Nelson, Marvin
Miller and others for helping with the
Popcorn Ministry on Wednesday
afternoons. We served about 8,000 bags of
popcorn and bottles of water to students at Central
Middle School during the school year as part of the
church’s Outreach Program. Special thanks to Charles
Bell for supplying water bottles, Dick Gibson for
purchasing the popcorn supplies, and Linda Taormina for
arranging for ice for the water. We will start the program
again when school starts in September. If you would like
to help with this program, contact Marvin Miller or any of
the other volunteers.
First Presbyterian Church, June 21, 2011
Have you explored the
denomination’s website,
www.pcusa.org ? You can find the
scriptures there and can sign up for
news updates and the daily Mission
Yearbook postings, and find out
about many mission opportunities
around the world.
Mission Opportunities - Solar Under the Sun
Synod of the Sun is a mission of our Synod that provides
solar power to nonprofit groups in communities with great
need, no matter where they might be, helping them
alleviate hardship while becoming better stewards of
God’s green earth. The next training is September 15-18,
2011, $475, at Ferncliff Camp and Conference Center in
Little Rock, Arkansas. There are two sections of solar
school. Read more online at www.solarunderthesun.org.
One section helps you to explain the project to others.
The second trains you to install the panels on mission
sites. There is a solar panel in Haiti that survived the
earthquake and provided much needed power to the
village. To read more about this mission work,
Presbyterians Do Mission in Partnership is available
as a free download from the PC (USA). Some
projects are done in cooperation with missions
from other presbyteries, such as the water systems
installed by the Presbytery of the Living Waters.
Ninety people are now trained. 30% are in the
field.
~~~~July Birthday~~~~
Gayle McLaughlin 1st
JoNette Sims
4th
Maebeth Waughtal 9th
Cody Blood
12th
Roger Warren
15th
Jenna Bagwell
22nd
Shirley Bowen
24th
Thomas Newcomer 25th
Jane Heller
27th
Tony Rogers
28th
Elva Lamb
Jeffery Figueroa
Dallas Marshall
Martha Pullen
Jim Van Gonigen
Linda Kopecky
Carter Papacek
Homer Whitley
Elizabeth Moore
Tracy Barbee
4th
6th
10th
14th
21st
23rd
25th
27th
28th
30th
Mark Your Calendars for these
Upcoming Events:
Sunday School:
Sunday School will start August 21st with a kick-off
celebration. We will use the rotational model,
again, for the younger children. If you are willing
to help with Sunday School please talk to Melissa
Jones or Sue Peterson.
Stars of Hope:
Stars of Hope will begin August 31st with Splash
Day! Anyone willing to help with anything
connected to Stars of Hope on Wednesday nights is
asked to contact Roxie Blood.
Thanksgiving for Baptism
We were delighted to baptize Audrey
Camille Jones, daughter of Mitchell
and Rosita Jones, on June 19, 2011.
The church presented her with a
handkerchief trimmed in shell lace.
Opportunity for a Gifted Needle
Worker
Idea for a memorable gift from the
church: handmade handkerchiefs for baptism,
embroidered with the person’s first name and the
date of baptism. If you are interested in this project,
give the office or Margaret Perez a call. This idea
surfaced with the celebration of Audrey’s baptism.
First Presbyterian Church, June 21, 2011
Just Lookin’ for a Name
(and a few good people)
for a Pic Nic Jamboree / Burger Bash**
What would you call a day for the church that has
fun for all ages: swimming, games, eating, full of
laughter and stories?
It needs a name! Can you help? There will be a
prize for the name chosen. The winner will be
chosen by the [**Your Name Here**] Committee
(formerly known as the Retreat Committee):
Margaret Perez, Mary Mattar, Linda Taormina,
Marvin Miller, and Nathan Aranda.
We’d like a name before the next newsletter. Get
your suggestions to the secretary, Connie Leyva,
any way you can! Email them. Write them on the
back of an envelope or a tortoise or the edge of a
bulletin. Send them by smoke signals or tom-tom
drums. Write them in code (supply the key, please)
or use ancient runes. Just think of a NAME!!!
The FPC [**your name here**]
Camp Thicket
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. [approximately]
Saturday, September 17, 2011
3.
4.
Choose and buy prizes for the games.
Organize the food -- maybe pot-luck
with grilled hamburgers and hotdogs.
Handle the sign up and the buying of the
meat. Also, make sure we have the paper
goods on hand. And make sure
we have grills,
if we are grilling.
5.
Publicize the event, encouraging
people
to come & perhaps even
matching people with
rides. Let people
know about the contests so
that they
can practice up.
6.
Organize the clean-up.
7.
Record the event with a camera.
8.
and beyond!! Persons 8-100 are needed so
that the games can be played, the food
eaten, and fun had by all! You are important
to this event - whatever it will be called!
I thank my God every time
I remember you.
[Philippians 1:3]
Special Thanks To Our Recent
Hosts and Musicians
PIANISTS:
Sherri Bagwell
In order to have loads of fun, we need someone
who can:
1.
2.
3.
Create a schedule - some people may need to
come only part of the day
Plan & organize some great activities
Think of things people did or could do in
1900, before TV, computers, and video
games. Think outdoors: sack races, threelegged races, relays, passing a balloon, rolling
hard boiled eggs. Think indoors: checkers,
tall tales, limericks, or fast-talking, fastwalking, fast-drawing contests and who
knows what else? Maybe one of you is great
at having fun, combining different ages, so
that people can meet and learn to know each
other better.
FLOWER HOSTS:
Glen & Margaret Housley
Camille Jones
LITURGISTS:
Linda Taormina
Melissa Jones
Mary Mattar
Jane Seils
FELLOWSHIP HOSTS:
Linda Kopecky
Rektorik Family
Perez Family
ORGANIST:
Jeffery Figueroa
If you would like to
donate flowers for
worship, or if you
would like to be a
fellowship
host/hostess, you
may sign up on
charts located in the
Fellowship Hall or
call the Church
Office.
First Presbyterian Church, June 21, 2011
Please pray for our troops and all the families with
loved ones in the Middle East. Do you know of
others? If anyone is not on the list that needs to
be, or if you have an addition, please contact the
church office.
MILITARY PERSONNEL
Clint Gebke (Polly Lovell’s grandson)
Mickel Fernández
Jim Rogers (Jim & Barbara Roger’s son)
Lucas Anderson (Orlen Anderson’s grandson)
Terry Osheim
Jonathon Osheim
Joseph Osheim
(Sharon Newcomer’s nephews)
If you have someone you
would like the Prayer
Chain members to pray
for, please call (9686478) or email
[email protected] so
this person can be added
to our list. If anyone needs to be removed from
the list, also contact Jane.
SHORT TERM LIST
Thomas January
Connor Cruz
Ruth Armstrong
Randy Petch
Jennifer McDaniel
Amy Scott
Marti Dyrk
Marion Scott
Raul and Carla Leal
Clyde Pellett
Casey Damen
Jerri Lantz
Jay Tirrel (Shirley Anderson’s son)
Sean Moore
Alan Landers (Doris’s son-in-law)
Jeanette Roe
Gerardo Mendoza (Ana Maria “Anita’s son)
Mary Lou Lovell (Polly Lovell’s daughter)
Robert Pratt (Bob Ordway’s friend)
Pamela Dueñas
Dawn (Jo Green's daughter)
LONG TERM LIST
STATE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES
Eric Whitaker based in Nairobi, Kenya
(Carmen Whitaker’s son)
Jonita Whitaker based in Basra, Iraq
Dora Aldrich
Melanie Liesner
Bob Jolma
Dorothy French
D J McGroarty
Chris Anderson
David Salazar
Alex Rodriquez
Phil Timmer (Sherri Bagwell’s cousin) Mary Jane Lofton
Nancy Smith (Kathy Sornson’s sister)
Bette Fasano
Clayton Vicars (Linda Kopecky’s grandson) Jo Summers
Lois Alexander (Phyllis Walker’s step mother) Beth Moore
Linda Evans (Bob Ordway’s sister)
Don Brue
Gavyn (Karen Hunger’s friend)
Bill Cody
Sylvia (Savory Perks)
Julia Sleeth Mays
(Ellen Sleeth’s sister)
Spc. Doughlas Walker (Bruce Walker’s son) has
retired (at least temporary) from the Army. Thanks
for all of your prayers.
~Bruce and Phyllis Walker
SHUT-INS & FRIENDS
Juanita Pointer
Delores Rettig
Fran Pellett
Joe Barbee
Katie Carter
Arlene Waughtal
Juanita Cloninger
Millie Johansen
Dorothy Warren
Isaac and Doris Botts
First Presbyterian Church, June 21, 2011