June 2012 - Providence Presbyterian Church

Providence Presbyterian Church
Good News
JUNE 2012
Reflections on the Journey of Faith
Great News!
On behalf of the Personnel
Committee and the Session of
Providence Presbyterian Church,
I am delighted to introduce
James F. Cubie as our new Director of Children’s Ministry. James
comes to us with a strong faith in
Jesus Christ and a love for children and youth, plus a range of
education and experience that
will serve us well at Providence.
James will begin June 1 as Leigh
Burke, our Interim Director of
Children’s Ministry, passes the
baton of leadership over to him.
In addition to his college degree
in Religion and Philosophy,
James received a Master of Arts,
Master of Divinity degree from
Union Theological Seminary
(NYC) in 2004. He worked for
the AmeriCorps VISTA program in New York. James also
received a ThM in Systematic
Theology from Princeton Theological Seminary in 2010.
He has a variety of church work
experience as well. From 20082010 he was the Acting Director
of Education for Children and
Youth, Bradley Hills Presbyterian Church (Bethesda, MD) until they filled that position. Presently he is working part-time as
the Director of Youth Ministry,
Takoma Park Presbyterian
Church (Takoma Park, MD).
James is a member of Company
of Teachers, Reformed Institute
of Metropolitan Washington
(Washington, DC). The Reformed
Institute is dedicated to providing churches in National Capital
Presbytery with high-quality
adult education opportunities.
James teaches courses on: New
Calvinism; recent debates about
Justification and the Atonement;
Rob Bell’s Love Wins; and the
theology and history of the Barmen Declaration. His teaching
duties this Spring have taken
him to Potomac Presbyterian,
Georgetown Presbyterian, National Presbyterian, Bradley Hills
Presbyterian, and he has helped
team-teach the Institute’s course
on the Reformed Confessions.
James is scheduled to take the
ordination exams this fall and
will be working toward ordination in our denomination over
the next few years. James comes
to us with excellent recommendations and has cleared a
thorough background check
(standard procedure for ministerial candidates) by National
Capital Presbytery.
Please read a brief greeting from
James below:
“I am very excited to join Providence Presbyterian to serve its Children and Families as they learn, enjoy, and grow in the Faith. I grew
up in Washington, D.C., on Capitol
Reflections continued on Page 2
Inside this issue:
Session Highlights
2
Lilly Grant
3
KidsQuest
4
Youth Corner
5
Mission
6
Thank You
7
Music & Arts
10
Kids Page
11
GOOD NEWS
Page 2
Session Highlights
The Session of Providence Presbyterian
Church met Tuesday evening, May 8, 2012.
Here are the highlights:
†
†
†
The Session met with 15 of the 18 Confirmands and joyfully accepted them as new †
adult members of our Congregation.
The names of the 18 are: Dylan Adie,
Kyle Adie, Zeb Berg, Gwen Cameron,
Jody Faber, Claudia Hayes, Julie Kavjian,
Pete Locke, Shelley Locke, Adam
Luftglass, Genny Norman, Bailey Oliver,
Merritt Palmer, Randy Prosperi, Madison
Schinstock, Daniel Sugrue, Nate Sugrue
and Keely Withington.
†
Rev. Burns reported he would be visiting
Wales, UK during the week of May 11 –
20 where he will be on study leave, attending a spiritual retreat and also
preaching at a Church in Loughor, Wales.
Rev Burns introduced a new initiative
entitled “ACTS 16:5” which he proposes
to initiate in September, with Session
approval, as the theme for our church as
we transition forward. We will learn
more about the initiative after his return
later this month.
Stewardship & Finance reported that our
offerings continue to reflect faithful giving on the part of our congregation and
are on track with pledges. They further
reported that due to the prepayment of
pledges for the Capital Campaign plus a
recent generous contribution, we were
able to pay $150,000 toward the principal
on our building mortgage.
The Personnel committee submitted the
name of James F. Cubie as their recommended candidate for the position of
Director of Children’s Ministry. Their
recommendation was reviewed and
unanimously approved by the Session.
The next meeting of the Session is
scheduled for Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at
7:30 pm.
Reflections continued from Page 1
Hill, and so know the joys, blessings, and demands of being a family in the Metro-DC area. I attended Capitol Hill Day
School, and then The Field School for High School. At Field, I played three sports: soccer, basketball, and ran track.
I still love basketball, but love soccer even more -- I’m a big fan of the English Premier League, and am excited to follow
the European Championship this Summer! I attended the College of Wooster, in Ohio, where I played soccer, and
majored in religion and philosophy. I also met my wife -- Tara -- at Wooster.
“My wife and I will celebrate our seventh anniversary this June, and our daughter, Lina, just turned six years old in
March, and is about to finish Kindergarten at St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School in Alexandria.
“I look forward to getting to know and serve the Children and Families of Providence Presbyterian, and am deeply encouraged and delighted to be working alongside a superb ministry team.”
We will introduce James F. Cubie to the congregation on Sunday, June 3, at our one service at 10:00 am. Please
give James our usual warm Providence welcome.
Faithfully,
Mick
The Rev. Dr. Michael P. Burns
Pastor
[email protected]
Page 3
Lilly Foundation Sabbatical Grant
Journey from despair to PRAISED!
The Isaiah 61 Project is the focus of Rev. Mary Rodgers’s
sabbatical renewal as well as an opportunity for Providence
to reflect, to renew, and to reconnect. There are many ways
to participate!
·
PRAY: While we always keep our pastors and the church
as a whole in our prayers, we ask special prayers for
Mary during this time. A church officer will pray for Mary
each day that she is away, and individuals, families, committees, and groups are invited to do the same. Please
sign up at the Isaiah 61 display in the Commons Area.
·
SERVE: Donate to and/or sign up to participate in the
Stop Hunger Now Mission Project on June 17. Please see
page 9 for details.
·
CONNECT: Join an evening Connect Group during the
month of July to share a meal and a brief study of Isaiah
61. Sign-ups begin June 3.
·
CELEBRATE! Join us for a church-wide party on June 3
at 11:00 am to send Mary off on her sabbatical and to
celebrate the ways God has worked, is working and will
continue to work in the life of our church. Please see
page 8 for details. Then join us in September for a Homecoming/Sharing celebration to welcome Mary back.
“The spirit of the Lord is upon me…” Isaiah 61:1
GOOD NEWS
Page 4
KidsQuest
We l c o m e J a m e s C u b i e !
On June 1, James Cubie takes over as the new Director of Children’s Ministry. We are delighted to welcome him to Providence and look forward to
the new ideas and experience he brings to the program. I also want to
say a big THANK YOU for your support to me and to the program during
the time of transition. As we approach our summer programs, I hope you
will take a look at our volunteer opportunities and how you can support
James in his transition. It’s an exciting time! Thanks again and God bless!
Wo r sh i p Ki d S t y l e an d Nu r s e r y S u m m e r N e e d s
Volunteers are needed this summer to teach a bible story or care for our
infants and toddlers. If you can help one or two times this summer, please
sign up using the insert in the bulletin or on the board outside Mission Hall.
O p e rat i o n O v e r b o ard
Va c at i o n B i b l e Ca m p
4 year olds through rising 6th Grade
Dates: July 30-August 3, 2012
Time: 9:30 – 12:30
Cost: $35/child; $75 max/family (before June 30)
$40/child: $80 max/family (after June 30)
(Please pay by July 20 to hold your child’s spot!)
Invite your friends and neighbors!
Registration is now ready for both children and volunteers at
overboard.cokesburyvbs.com/providencechurch.
Also, fliers and registration forms are at the bulletin board
outside Mission Hall.
Volunteers needed!
Please sign up on the board outside Mission Hall. Opportunities include:
Shepherd/Small Group Leader
Childcare
Storytelling
Decorations
Registration
Ice Cream Social
Leigh
Arts & Crafts
Recreation
Science & Exploration
Set Up
Clean Up
Page 5
Y outh Corner
The school year is winding down
and we’re getting ready for summer
vacations, summer jobs, and sleeping in, but before we say goodbye
to another year I’d first like to say
THANK YOU!!! We thank the folks
who help with big events like the
Rummage Sale and Youth Sunday
as the events happen, but there’s a
dedicated crew whose efforts continue tirelessly from September to
May, who don’t always get the
thanks they deserve. So I’m going
to list some folks and what they
did this year. I’d like YOU to shake
their hands, give them a hug, or
invite them to go on vacation with
you, to show just how much Providence cares about them and our
youth.
I’m talking, of course, about our
All Star Team of Sunday School
teachers!
With the Sr highs for the third
straight year, Kevin Burel! He has
done a wonderful job connecting
life and faith for our 9th-12th graders. His dedication is especially
commendable when you consider
that his second child was born this
year! Kevin has recently been
joined by Jason Gwaltney, whom
we welcome enthusiastically to
the team!
Teaching our brand new Confirmation class this year were Cathryn
Krebs, Noelle Locke and David
Ranowsky! They agreed to be
guinea pigs as we tried a newer,
longer curriculum with a younger
Confirmation class. Cathryn, Noelle
and David shared a bit of their lives
with this year’s class of 18 7th-10th
graders. Coordinating teaching
schedules and homework assignments wasn’t easy, but they made it
look like it was!
Finally, a big “thank you” to Linda
MacArthur who was my partner in
crime at our twice monthly Bible
Sundaes! Not only did she come
up with endless ways to decorate
ice cream, she dove right into our
Bible studies and demonstrated
through her curiosity and thoughtfulness what it means to follow
Jesus in a messy world.
I’m grateful to each of these great
people for their hard work this year,
and I hope you’ll join me in thanking them in whatever way you like
best! They are helping to shape the
folks whose leadership we will
need as the church charges into the
future!
Celebrating our youth-oriented adults,
Mary Ellen
MANY THANKS
to “our All
Star Team of
Sunday School
teachers! ”
“… invite them to
go on vacation
with you …”
GOOD NEWS
Page 6
Mission
Share Your Time
and Talent by …
Driving
Cooking
Donating
Driving for Meals on Wheels
Cooking for Shelter Guests
Meals on Wheels is looking for
drivers in Annandale, any day
of the week, delivering food to
elderly shut-ins. Time involvement would be about 1-1/2
hours on a regular basis, or periodically. Several of the regular
MoW drivers are going out of
town this summer, and some are
retiring. Call Mary Lee Di
Spirito for more information.
On the second Tuesday of each
month a team of Providence
volunteers prepares a dinner
meal at the church, which is then
served on the following Wednesday evening to the guests at the
Bailey’s Crossroads Community
Shelter. More Tuesday cooks
and Wednesday servers are
needed. Please contact Barbara
and David Hansen.
Driving for ACCA
Donating Extra Food
ACCA is seeking volunteers to
drive some of our low-income
elderly neighbors to medical
appointments and follow-up
treatments. Many are unable to
use public transportation and
have no family in the area to help
them. To add your name to the
list of available drivers to help
with this important ministry in
the community, please contact
Madeline Cryttzer at 703-2562342 or send an email to [email protected].
“I prepared too much food for
my group---what do I do now?”
Don’t let your food planning zeal
go to waste. Any food left over
from a church event or activity
can be shared with the guests at
the Bailey’s Crossroads Community Shelter. Food can be taken
(within a few days after the
event!) to 3525 Monsure Avenue
in Falls Church. Need help?
Call Mary Lee Di Spirito or
Eleanor Shubinski-Mosser.
Good News deadlines
Issue
Summer (J/A)*
September
October
November
Winter (D/J)*
Deadline, 2012
June 24
August 15
September 16
October 15
December 6
Submissions to Kathy Knorr
at [email protected].
(Deadlines subject to change.)
*Note adjusted deadline.
Page 7
GRACIAS FROM GRANJAS.
The Providence Shawl Ministry and the Mission
Committee recently teamed up to help our very
poor neighbors in Granjas del Desierto outside of
Juarez, Mexico. That area is a high desert, which
can be warm during the day but still chilly at
night, and the people have few warm clothes. Our
Providence-supported minister, Reverend Juan
Pablo Gutierrez, asked if we could help, and these
two committees answered the call.
The Shawl Ministry sent beautiful hand knitted
scarves, shawls, and blankets, and the Mission
Committee sent clothing harvested from the
Rummage sale. Altogether eight large boxes were
shipped in April and distributed on April 30 to
the grateful families. A big thank you to both
committees and the members of Providence that
through their generosity support them.
GOOD NEWS
Page 8
Lilly Grant
Journey from despair to PRAISED!
Celebrate the start of the
Isaiah 61 Project
with a PPC Party!
Sunday, June 3, in Mission Hall
following the one 10:00 am service
¨
Come and send Rev. Mary off on her sabbatical!
¨
Come and find out the fun things that the Congregation gets
to do through the Lilly Sabbatical Grant awarded to Providence for the sabbatical!
¨
Come and just be together, have fun, and most importantly,
celebrate the ways God has worked, is working, and will
continue to work in the life of PPC!
RSVP to the Church Office 703-978-3934 / [email protected]
Isaiah 61: 1, 7
1
The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,
because the LORD has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor…
7
Instead of your shame
you will receive a double portion,
and instead of disgrace
you will rejoice in your inheritance.
Page 9
Lilly Grant
SIGN-UP NOW
Big Mission Event, June 17
What:
Stop Hunger Now Family Mission Project
for ages 5 and up in Mission Hall! Come help package meals!
When:
June 17, 2012 at 12:30 pm and lasting about 2 hours
Light pizza lunch will be served and then we’ll package 20,000 meals to be
shipped around the world..
Where:
Sign-up in the Commons
Volunteer Questions?
Contact Tommie Curtis.
Donations:
You can support the project by donating money to purchase meals. Cash can be
left in the “Stop Hunger Now” donation box in the Commons area. Checks made
to “PPC” with “Stop Hunger Now” in the memo line may be dropped off in the
collection plate or donation box in the Commons.
$10 buys 40 meals; $20 buys 80 meals; $100 buys 400 meals, etc.
For general questions about the Stop Hunger Now mission project, please
contact Abby Gwaltney.
GOOD NEWS
Page 10
MUSIC & ARTS AT PROVIDENCE will present its final concert
for the 2011-2012 season on Sunday, June 3, 2011, at 7:00 pm, at
Providence.
“Something Old Is New Again” will feature a modern premier of
an unpublished patriotic oratorio about Napoleon’s attacks against
Germany, “Der Retter in Gefahr” by Franz Sussmayr, a student of
Mozart. This oratorio has not been performed since 1796, but was
recently edited from handwritten manuscripts by a doctoral student
at the University of South Carolina (Columbia).
You are invited to
attend Riverbend
Opera's production
of Verdi's Otello
at Providence on
Sunday, June 17
at 4:00.
Providence’s own
Linda Kiemel will be
The editor will present a brief pre-concert lecture at 6:25 pm about
this oratorio, a very interesting historical work as well as surprisingly
delightful music. The choir and orchestra will also perform a couple
of orchestral works adapted for choir using sacred texts: Samuel
Barber’s “Adagio for Strings”/“Agnus Dei” (Lamb of God, who takes
away the sin of the world), and Thomaso Albinoni’s “Adagio in G
Minor”/“Sicut Cervus” (Psalm 42: As the deer longs for streams of
water, so my soul longs for Thee, O God).
And for good measure and variety, the concert will also include a
couple of a capella choral settings of the Lord’s Prayer and some
Russian liturgical anthems to feature all the really-low basses in the
choir ... a rather eclectic program, but hopefully a little something for
everyone in the audience.
singing the role of
Desdemona, and
Kevin Courtemanche
will be singing the
role of Otello.
For more
information:
riverbendopera.com.
Tickets In Advance $20, (Students/Seniors $10)
(At the Door $25/$15)
To reserve tickets, call
Providence Presbyterian Church
(703) 978-3934, ext. 30
Tickets held at Will Call
www.providencechurch.org
This Love coloring page is 100% free to use in any ministry setting. (ministry-to-children.com)
Page 11
Kids Page
Prov idence Pres by teria n Churc h
9019 Little Riv er Turn pike
Fairfax, VA 22031
http://kindergartengs.files.wordpress.com
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
N o n Pr o f it Or ga n iz a tio n
U . S. Po s tag e Pa id
M er r if ie ld , V A
Pe r m it No . 6 28 4
June 2012
Worship
Communion: June 3
One service, 10:00, Sanctuary
Church -wide celeb ration (lu nch ), 11:00
Summer Schedule resumes June 10
Traditional, 10:00, Sanctua ry
Contempora ry, 11:15, Fellowship Hall
Providence Presby terian Chu rch
9019 Little Rive r Turnpike
Fair fax, VA 22031
703-9 78-3934 Office
www.providencechurch.org
STAFF
The Rev. D r. Michael P. Bu rn s, Pasto r
The Rev. Ma ry E. Rod ge rs, Associ ate Pa stor
M &A Event
Sunday, June 3, 7:00 pm
Stop Hunger Now M ission
Sunday, June 17, 12:30 pm
Contemplative Pra yer
M onday, June 18, 7:30 pm
Mary Elle n Moss, Di recto r of Yo uth Minist ries
James Cu bie, Dire cto r of Child ren’ s Ministri es
Joe Moss, Busi ness Administ rato r
Kathy Kn orr, Exe cutive Secreta ry
Terry Sto neb erg, Dire ctor of Music
Jane K aye, O rga nist
Rick Thiel e,
Music Le ade r & Te chn olog y Coo rdin ator
Arwen N orma n, Children’s C hoir Di re ctor
~ subject to change ~
( for up-to-date information see
www.providencechurch.org/about/calendar.php)
Gene Ka ye, Provid ence Singe rs
Richa rd Mud d, Sexton
Good News E ditor: Kat hy Kn orr