First Presbyterian Church Sweetwater, Texas April 2015

The mission of our church is to make disciples for Jesus Christ

Our vision is to be an oasis of God’s love.

From the Pastor’s Pen

Dear Everybody,

Easter dawns with the light of day, like a West

Texas sunrise. Red, orange, pink and yellow sun-

beams rise across the sky and a stone is moved

aside from a grave. A woman straggles in, eyes

puffy from crying, black robe, and ointments in

hand. No thoughts are left. Grief leaves no

room….but where is Jesus’ body?

Two angels appear and say, “Why are you weep-

ing?” Mary Magdalene answers, “They have taken

him, and I don’t know where they have laid him.”

She turns around and there is Jesus, but her eyes

are not yet “opened” to understand that it is him.

“Whom do you seek?” Jesus asks. “Tell me where

you have taken him; I will go and get him,” she al-

most begs. “Mary!” Jesus replies. “Rabboni!” she

cries.

Mary will go and tell the Good News of Jesus’ Res-

urrection to the disciples. The news will move

quickly. Jesus will appear and comfort. Death is

conquered! Life, freedom, forgiveness, goodness,

hope and love are victorious in Jesus Christ!

This Good News continues today in the church.

This glorious Easter Sunday we will sing praises

to God and proclaim this victory through Jesus

Christ. What blessing! What hope!

Blessings,

Kary

Maundy Thursday April 2 5:30pm Chapel

A.D. A Musical for Easter and Beyond

Thursday April 2 6:30pm

First United Methodist Church

Easter Sunday April 5 10:45am Worship

One Great Hour of Sharing Offering

Easter Egg Hunt after Worship

Bring your Easter Baskets

1311 McCaulley Office hours: M ~ F, 9:00 am ~12:00pm website: www.fpcsweetwater.org

P. O. Box 956, Sweetwater, Texas 79556 325-235-5491 email: secfpc@att.net

Pastor : Rev. Kary Fry email: kary.fry@att.net

Clerk of Session: Paula Carmichael Elder of the Month: Keith Brock

5 Mike Fry and Keith Brock

12 Patty Gesin and Richard Gesin

19 Lou Ann Cumbie and Dennis Cumbie

26 Donella Parker and Hilary Brennan

Dates to Remember

1 Plarning~ 1:00pm

Presbyterian Women~5:00pm Business Meeting

5:30pm Bible Study

2 Kary Ann’s Clan~11:30am~Big Boys Barbeque

Maundy Thursday Service~5:30pm~Chapel

A.D.: Easter and Beyond Musical~ 6:30pm

First United Methodist Church

5 Easter Sunday

Hoyt Place Worship ~ 9:00am-9:30am

No Sunday School

Children’s Choir Practice~ 10:10am

Worship ~ 10:45am ~ Reverse Offering

Communion Class of 2015

Children Sing

Easter Egg Hunt after worship.

8 Plarning~ 1:00pm

Session Meeting~ 5:30pm

9 Kary Ann’s Clan~11:30am~Schlotzsky’s

Choir Practice~ 5:30pm

12 Sunday School~9:30am~ Bible Bowl for Youth

Pizza Hut after Worship

Worship~ 10:45am~ Jack Aycock preaching.

Little Ones~ 5:00pm-6:00pm

IBKs~5:30pm-6:30pm

15 Plarning~ 1:00pm

16 Kary Ann’s Clan ~ 11:30am~ Dairy Queen

Choir Practice~ 5:30pm

17 MS & HS Opening ceremony/game at SHS Baseball

Field~ Time to be announced later.

19 Sunday School~9:30am

Worship~ 10:45am~ Brenda Church preaching.

MS & HS~ Hoyt Place at 4:00pm

22 Plarning~ 1:00pm

23 Kary Ann’s Clan ~ 11:30am~Oak Street Cafe

Choir Practice~5:30pm

26 Sunday School~9:30am~ HS Sunday School

Worship~ 10:45am~ Noisy Offering

Little Ones~ 5:00pm-6:00pm

IBKs~5:30pm-6:30pm

29 Plarning~ 1:00pm

30 Kary Ann’s Clan ~ 11:30am~ Amole’s

Choir Practice~5:30pm

Your cards, phone calls, food and your prayers were so wonderful. We are so blessed with our church family. Please continue to pray for me. My back problem is going to take a long time in healing. Again, know that we love each of you and appreciate all the caring for us. Linda and Lloyd Rasco

Birthdays 1 Jodie Aycock

3 Jordan Graham

4 Hunter Rotan

6 Caden Scott Wilburn

10 Boopsie Stanford

Tommy Maitland

14 Makee McCollom

15 Billie Weston

19 Bradley Armstrong

25 Nick Nemir

28 Carroll Stroman

29 Emily Brock Ledesma

Wesley Maxwell

All Women of the Church are invited to come

for fellowship, prayer and Bible Study. Pres-

byterian Women will begin their monthly

meetings on Wed. April 1. There is a business

meeting at 5:00pm and Bible Study with Kay

Staton at 5:30pm. The study will be Walking

by Faith: Lessons I Learned in the Dark by

Jennifer Rothschild.

This is a wonderful study, and we are so

blessed to have Kay lead us again this year.

We hope to see you all on Wednesday.

Mission and Outreach Committee

One Great Hour of Sharing Offering

The offering for One Great Hour of Sharing will be

collected on Easter Sunday. Gifts to this offering are

given to programs that help support people in need of

food, water, shelter, relief from crises and catastrophic

events worldwide, and developmental assistance.

Envelopes will be in the pews.

On Saturday, March 20th, several churches in our

Ministerial Alliance, along with a church from Coleman

joined together for the City Prayer Walk organized by

Mike Rosales, Faith Harvest Church. Lou Ann Cumbie

and Ruth Ann Campbell represented FPC. It was a rainy

day, yet approximately 70 people were in attendance.

Everyone met at the Jaycee Barn for worship and

instructions before leaving to surround the city for

prayer. The music during worship was quite impressive

being led by many youth members from Faith Harvest.

Many hope the event is one that will be held annually.

First Presbyterian Church is joining with other local

churches to participate in a new ministry called,

The Care Portal. Local CPS agents and police identify

a need a family is experiencing within Nolan County and

then puts that need into the Care Portal. Participating

churches then receive an email identifying the particular

need or needs. We can then work individually or

together with other churches to meet the request. The

Care Portal provides a great way to minister to families

and at-risk children, and First Presbyterian Church is

excited to be a partner in this new ministry. Jeannette

Bryant will participate in a Care Portal training session

on April 15 at the new police headquarters.

Palo Duro Presbyterian Cursillo

# 29 April 16-19, 2015

Camp Chaparral, Iowa Park, TX Arrival Time is 5:00pm Thursday April 16, 2015

Departure time is 5:00pm Sunday April 19, 2015

What is Presbyterian Cursillo?

Cursillo is a Short Course in Christianity. It is a three-day weekend that is intended to impact the life of the participant in a specific, identifiable way. This retreat is organized around a series of talks given by both clergy and lay people who serve as staff for the weekend. In addition to these talks, and the responses to these talks, there are opportunities for worship, celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, devotional moments, small group participation, and community building. Applications are available in the church office.

The Congregation Care

committee is missing 3

round white tablecloths.

Please let us know if you

have them.

Thank you.

Hoyt Place

We are excited to lead worship every

first Sunday of the month at Hoyt Place,

from 9:00-9:30 a.m. We will sing, hear the

Word of God, and share Communion.

Come join us in this wonderful

Ministry of fellowship.

Message from Lou Ann

Little Ones and IBKs *April 5 (Happy Easter): No Sunday School.

10:10 Practice for today's Easter performance

during service Easter Egg Hunt after church, so

bring your Easter baskets!

*April 12: 5:00-6:00 Little Ones

5:30-6:30 IBKs

There is 30 minutes in the middle that they

will all be together.

April 26: 5:00-6:00 Little Ones

5:30-6:30 IBKs

There is 30 minutes in the middle that they

will all be together.

Message from Ruth Ann

Middle School and High School *Sunday, Apr. 5th - No Sunday School. During

worship, right after communion, MS/HS will

hide eggs and assist in the hunt following the

service.

*Sunday, Apr. 12th - Bible Bowl for all ages

during Sunday School. We will all dine at Pizza

Hut following worship.

*Friday, April 17th - Opening ceremony/game

celebration at SHS Baseball Field. Time to be

announced later.

*Sunday, Apr. 19th - MS Sunday School. MS/HS

at Hoyt House at 4:00 for activity with

residents.

*Sunday, Apr. 26th - MS/HS Sunday School

Session Minutes Stewardship and Finance: Financial Report which

was unanimously approved.

Property Committee: Elmer Green will trim the trees

and Jarrod Gee will clean out the flowerbed and trim

the shrubs.

Congregational Care: The committee has been

ministering to the needs of several church members

and families.

Mission and Outreach: Care Portal Training will

take place at the police station on April 15th. This

program will consist of local Children Protective

Service agents identifying a specific need. 7

churches have committed to this mission and will

minister to local families and children in need.

One Great Hour of Sharing offering will occur

during the Easter Service.

“Heal our City” walking event is scheduled. Ruth

Ann Campbell and Lou Ann Cumbie volunteered to

attend.

Christian Education: There will be an Easter Egg

Hunt after worship on Easter Sunday for the

younger youth. The older youth will hide the eggs.

Linda Duncan, Rev. Kary Fry, Boo Nemir, Donella

Parker, Ann Wilson and Rebecca Webb will attend

the Women’s Retreat.

The confirmation class was received: Ethan Boswell,

Tabby Baugh, Mason Maxwell, Payton Moore and

Annisa McCollom.

Worship Committee: Maundy Thursday will be

April 2nd at 5:30pm. Communion will be served

Easter Sunday.

New Business: A large TV screen was donated to the

church that will be placed in the fellowship hall. Rev.

Fry will take vacation April 12-19th. Jack Aycock will

fill the pulpit on April 12th and Brenda Church will

be pulpit supply on April 19th.

New members were welcomed on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2015

Neil and Darlene Moore, Linda Duncan DeeAnne McFarland, Jody Moody

Averi Emersyn Moody was baptized on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2015. Parents Jody and Ashton Moody, brother Kallen, Rev. Kary Fry and Elder Mitch Moore.

Confirmation Class 2015

Payton Moore

Annisa McCollom

Tabby Baugh

Mason Maxwell

Ethan Boswell

Women’s Retreat March 27-28, 2015 70 Women enjoyed hearing Dr. Cynthia

Rigby speak at the Retreat in San Angelo.

Sweetwater Group Donella Parker, Anne Wilson,

Boo Nemir, Kay Staton, Rebecca Webb,

Linda Duncan and Rev. Kary Fry

If you are visiting First Presbyterian Church, we

warmly welcome you in the name of Jesus Christ!

If you want to join in this journey of faith, you are

invited to join by:

-letter of transfer from another church;

-The Sacrament of Holy Baptism; or

-Reaffirmation of faith in Jesus Christ as

your Lord and Savior.

Kary and the Session elders are always happy to meet

with you.

We celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion every

first Sunday of the month. Because this is the Lord’s

Supper, we invite all in Christ to share the blessings of

this Sacrament.

Directory Update

Mike Briggs Cell Number 236-1080

DeeAnne McFarland 1662 FM 419 S Sweetwater, TX 79556 325-235-9296 damcfar2@hotmail.com

Kathy King Update

Kathy has moved to Wisteria Place in Abilene for a few weeks. Cards may be sent to: Wisteria Place c/o Kathy King Room 303 3202 S. Willis Abilene, TX 79605 692-6145

Printed Directories are available in the church office.