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Soundings
January 2012
ANNUAL
CONGREGATIONAL MEETING
The Session has called
the Annual Meeting of the Congregation and Corporation of the First
Presbyterian Church of Easton for Sunday, January 29, 2012, immediately
following the 10:30 AM service. The business of the meeting will include
presentation of the church operating budget for 2012, and the hearing of
annual reports of church teams, groups and organizations, including
financial reports.
The meeting will be
held in the Sanctuary and nursery and childcare will be available during
the meeting.
Annual report booklets
will be available on Sunday, January 22.
ANNUAL
REPORT
Annual Reports from
Team leaders, staff and others are due in the church office by Tuesday,
January 3, 2012. Reports can be dropped off or emailed to office@eastonfpc.org.
IN
CONCERT…
Save
the date!! Mary Fahl will perform a benefit concert for the church on
Saturday, February 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. (Snow date is Saturday
February 18.) Don’t miss this special event as singer/songwriter and
recording artist Mary Fahl gives a special solo
performance. Songs will include those she has written and performed for
several motion pictures. You won’t want to miss Mary’s powerful, expressive
and emotional singing that draws on classical, folk and world music, and
has been described by Boston Globe critic Steve Morse as “a voice for the
gods that can transport listeners to other realms”.
The concert will be
followed by a reception and meet and greet in Legacy Hall. Tickets are $20
and can be purchased by calling the church office at 610-253-3579 or Susan
Mackay at 908-507-2621.
SHAWL
MINISTRY
Next Meeting: Monday, January
2nd from 1:00 to 3:00 in the Brainerd Gathering Area
All
congregational members, neighbors, and friends are welcome to join us.
On
Monday, December 5th, with beautiful Christmas music playing in
the background, members of our group helped package many crocheted and
knitted hats, scarves, mittens, lap robes, and shawls for delivery. We
delivered to six agencies after our holiday luncheon. The agencies were:
·
Spring Garden Children’s Center
·
Cheston
Elementary School
·
Safe Harbor Homeless Center
·
Salvation Army
·
Northampton Children and Youth
·
Third Street Alliance
A total of 246 items were distributed!
Thank you, thank you, to ALL who participated.
Our
annual Nut Sale is drawing to a close. Thank you to all that support our
mission. A few bags of nuts are still available each Sunday in the Legacy
Hall during Coffee Hour right after the Worship Service. Remember they make
great gifts and delicious, nutritious snacks!! After ALL bags have been
sold our total profit will be $321.60. That money is used for purchasing
yarn that keeps our mission going. Call Fran Dean 610-838-7779, for more
information.
May
this season wrap you in warmth and much comfort.
PRESBYTERIAN
WOMEN
The
2012 Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women
will be July 18-22, 2012 in Orlando, Florida. For more information or to
register go to www.presbyterianwomen.org/gathering,
or call 502-429-5825. The theme is “River of Hope”.
BOOK
CLUB
The Book Club
meets for lively discussions in the Brainerd Gathering Area on the
following Mondays at 1:00 PM. New members are cordially invited. Questions
– call Cathy Burnet at 610 588-6738.
January
9 - I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron, a lighthearted
look at aging.
February
13 – All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten by
Robert Fulghum.
March
12 – Can’t Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg.
April
9 – The Kindness of Strangers by Katrina Kittle
May
14 – Saving Cee Cee
Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
PRAYER
REQUESTS
First
Presbyterian Church has a prayer list which is updated and printed weekly.
Prayer lists are available from an usher on Sunday morning, on the back
table in the sanctuary, or on the Deacons' information table in Legacy
Hall. You may also receive this prayer list weekly by email just by calling
the church office. Also, you may add the name of anyone for whom you have
prayer concerns to this list by calling the church office. Names will be
automatically removed after six weeks unless the office is notified otherwise.
Please consider obtaining this list and supporting those in need of prayer.
BRUNCH
BUNCH
The
Brunch Bunch will go to lunch immediately after worship on Sunday,
January 8. Meet in Legacy Hall to carpool to Ruby Tuesday Restaurant in
Bethlehem Twp. For more information on the Brunch Bunch, speak to Rose
Marie Leone (610-258-3063).
THANKS FOR THE OVERWHELMING
ANGEL TREE RESPONSE!
At least 1forty angels
contributed fifty-four gifts for this year’s Angel Tree family! The
collection box outside the office was filled so full that the deliverers
needed four large bags to hold the additional gifts. As requested, the
gifts were wrapped, too. The checks received bought additional clothing for
the children.
In
addition to the three winter jackets, each of the three boys in the family
received shirts, pants, and warm sweat shirts. Each received a book, a game
and toy, and a filled stocking. The Shawl Ministry provided each member of
the family with mittens and scarves, and the Mom was given a shawl. The Mom
also received a gift card to WalMart, Target, and
the Palmer Park Mall, as well as scented candles and perfume so she can
feel special, too. True to our previous experience, the Moms in the program
ask for very little for themselves.
Carol
Freebairn, Deacons’ co-Moderator, excitedly and
proudly delivered the gifts on Monday, December 19 to our contact at the
Third Street Alliance. Each contributor should be pleased for making this
our best year yet. You expressed the true meaning of Christmas. Thanks to all for your very generous support!
SANCTUARY FLOWERS
The
sanctuary flowers enhance the beauty of our weekly worship services and
bring joy to homebound or hospitalized members of our congregation who
receive them after worship. A sign-up sheet to provide flowers during 2012
is posted in Legacy Hall. Two floral arrangements cost $35 and up,
depending on the type of arrangement. After you reserve your date to donate
flowers, let the church office know your price range and we will order the
flowers for you from Bloomies, our church
florist. Bloomies will then bill you directly.
MANY THANKS
Thank you to our church family for all
the prayers, cards, flowers and meals you provided to Tim and I during my
recent illness. They were all very much appreciated.
-
Connie Cain
* * * * * * * * *
Dear Church Family,
Thank you for your prayers during my
recovery. Also, Rev. Simmons’ visit was much appreciated as well as the
beautiful shawl presented to me by Fran Dean.
-
Shirley Cooper
* * * * * * * * *
Thank you so much for letting us use the church for our Al-Anon meeting. Have a wonderful
holiday.
-
Al-Anon Group
* * * * * * * * *
On
behalf of the soldiers who receive our care packages, we would like to
thank First Presbyterian Church and the Mission Team for including Support
the Troops, Inc. as part of Mission Sunday on November 13.
We
ship packages to the troops year round, so if you know of anyone serving
overseas, contact us with their full address and we will surely ship them a
care package. If you have any questions, we can be reached at 610-438-8885.
-
Blair and Valerie Ferguson
OFFERING
ENVELOPES
Boxes of 2012
offering envelopes for those who had them previously are on a table in the
narthex. If you would like offering envelopes, please call the church
office, 610-253-3579.
PROJECT OF EASTON
Every second Sunday of the month envelopes are in the
bulletin for contributions to ProJeCt
of Easton. These monetary gifts benefit the Interfaith Food Pantry
($1.00 allows ProJeCt to distribute $15.00 worth
of food). ProJeCt of Easton also offers
comprehensive emergency assistance and language and literacy services.
Please continue to give generously to this local mission.
“A
LEGACY OF FAITH”
DID
YOU KNOW…. that
our church has four special funds that support the ministry of this
congregation?
The Capital Fund
made possible the extensive renovation of our church building and still
welcomes contributions.
The Memorial Fund
receives gifts in memory or in honor of loved ones, and these funds may be
unrestricted or designated for a specific purpose.
The John H. Lehr Helping
Hand Fund, established by member Barbara Lehr in
memory of her husband, is a discretionary fund disbursed by the pastor to
assist members of the First Presbyterian Church of Easton who are in need
of temporary assistance.
The Endowment Fund
consists of three parts: Ministry Enhancement (outreach,
worship, education and fellowship), Building and Property, and
Christian Education.
Your
gifts to any of these funds are warmly welcomed at any time!
2012
PER CAPITA
All members of the
church are encouraged to find the envelope marked per capita
at the front of your box of offering envelopes and use it to pay
the per capita assessment that our denomination uses to fund the
operations of the presbyteries, synods, and General Assembly of the
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) This year’s per capita amount is $26.89 per confirmed member of the congregation.
Our
church has benefited greatly from the support of our denomination when we
were able to renovate our building because of the Presbyterian Loan and
Investment Program. As we have benefited from the support of the larger
church, let us be generous in supporting the larger church by paying our per
capita assessment. Note: Your regular pledge does not go towards per
capita; this offering is “over and above” your regular pledge to this
congregation.
SNOW
CANCELLATION POLICY
First Presbyterian Church of Easton is
registered with WFMZ Channel 69 and church activity cancellation/
postponement information will both run across the bottom of your television
screen and appear on-line
at WFMZ.com.
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE
The deadline for the February
“Soundings” is Monday, January 23. Articles can be mailed, dropped off or
e-mailed to the church office, office@eastonfpc.org
The
Haggis is Coming, Ho-Ro, Ho-Ro!
First Presbyterian Church of Easton will
be celebrating Scottish poet Robert Burns and all things Scottish with our 9th
Annual Burns Supper on Saturday, January 21, 2012. The event
will be held from 5-9 p.m. in the candlelit Legacy Hall.
Reservations
are required and seating is limited for our popular annual fundraising
dinner, so don’t delay in signing up. Suggested minimum donation is $50 per
person for the evening featuring a multi-course meal, entertainment and the
poetry of Burns, as we follow a ritual more than two centuries old
commemorating this figure of worldwide renown.
A
Burns Supper is held to mark the Scottish bard’s birthday with food, poetry
and good fellowship. The bill o’ fare for our Burns Supper includes roast
beef with the traditional Scottish side dishes “lang
kail” and “tatties-an’-neeps” (also known as kale, and mashed potatoes and
mashed turnips); Cock-a-Leekie Soup and smoked
salmon and whitefish on homemade oatcakes as appetizers; Typsy Laird trifle for dessert; and our own special
recipe for Haggis, the Scottish national dish that Burns celebrated with a
poem.
For reservations,
please contact Shirley Van Norman at 610-258-4259. To learn more about the
dinner, call Art Charlton at 610-393-0156. Kitchen helpers and servers also
are needed for the dinner, and anyone interested in reciting a Burns poem
or singing during the entertainment portion of the evening is encouraged to
participate. See you there!
JANUARY BIRTHDAYS
1 Margaret Chen
3 Zoe Meyer
4 Carolyn Peil
5 Barry Fugere,
Eugene Oliva
6 Melissa Mohammed
7 Ann Minnich
11 Barbara Lehr, Richard Peil
12 Madeline Worley
15 Kenneth Stanek,
Mary Young
16 Karla Florindi
19 Shirley Cooper, Gary Ruschman, Jacob Van Norman, Jessica Van Norman
20 Tanner Berkenstock,
Melanie Miles
22 LeRoy
Cooper
24 Michelle Muthoka
25 Debbie DiCanto,
David Kreidler
26 MaryAnn Spindler
27 Aalyiah
Swass
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