THE LAMB’S KIN www.fpcsanangelo.org September 2012

No matter life’s direction, God remains steadfast and ever present

A message from our pastor Bill Proctor

First Presbyterian

Church

Devotion for September

We have all had

times on the

mount when we

have seen

things from

God’s stand-

point and have

wanted to stay

there; but God

will never allow

us to stay there.

The test of our

spiritual life is

the power to

descend; if we

have power to

rise only,

something is

wrong.

Oswald

Chambers

My Utmost for

His Highest

S unday morning I had an interesting experience. As usual I was

out at the crack of dawn walking the world’s dumbest dog. We

had just about completed our normal circuit of the neighborhood

and were about to head back down our street when I looked up

and saw in the dim light that a mosquito-fogging truck was heading right

our way – with clouds of fog spewing into the air.

Thinking that breathing in poison was not a good idea I grabbed the leash

on the world’s dumbest dog, did a quick u-turn, and headed down the

nearest alley – problem solved.

Exiting the alley I looked behind me to find the mosquito-fogging truck

was now heading down the alley behind us. Fortunately when the driver

reached the street he made a turn and did not follow us down the second

alley to which we had gone for refuge.

Unfortunately, when we exited the second alley he was on our street

again, fogging in the opposite direction this time. Acknowledging defeat

in my effort to keep my lungs fog-free, I grabbed my T-shirt, pulled it up

over my nose, and did my best to walk back to the house without breath-

ing in too much of the poison that hung everywhere around me in the

damp morning air. As for the world’s dumbest dog, since he is all nose and

no brains, he was on his own…..

What does this story have to do with issues of faith? The connection is

this; first, there are times in life when you can see trouble headed your

way and you are able to make a u-turn to avoid it.

Second, there are times in life when even if you have made a u-turn to

avoid trouble you can look up and find that trouble is coming at you from

a different direction.

Third, there are times in life when no matter what you do trouble catches

up with you and the best you can do is figuratively cover your nose and

do your best to pass through trouble without taking too much of it in.

Continued on page 2

P A G E 2

T H E L A M B ’ S K I N

Continued from page 1

I think God is pleased when we do whatever we can to avoid life’s troubles –

and those troubles include all manner of sin. I also think God sometimes steps

in and forces trouble to turn away from us. Finally though, and most impor-

tantly, I think God is very much with us when life’s troubles find us and

catch up with us in spite of our best efforts to avoid them.

In this life there is no place to hide from trouble. Sometimes we bring trouble

on ourselves because of the realities of our own sin – and sometimes trouble

comes our way because of the fact that we live in a sin-filled world. No won-

der the Psalmist writes, ―God is our refuge and strength, a very present help

in trouble.‖

We cannot control sin, which is a frustrating reality for those among us who

try so hard to be in control of everything. Sin is beyond our control – but it is

not beyond God’s power to change.

We need such a God as that. We need such a Savior. We need to believe that

God is ―a very present help in trouble.‖ We may not be able to control sin,

but we can trust in God to be present with us in all times and in all circum-

stances. Thanks be to God!

Women of the Word (WOW) (Room 107)—WOW is a group of dynamic women

who attend various churches in and around San Angelo.

They are of no certain age – as any and all women are

welcomed! The group meets every Tuesday at noon

(excluding summer) to study the Bible or other current

Christian literature. A lead-ership team facilitates dis-cussion. It is designed to be completed in an hour so that women working outside the home may attend during the lunch hour. You may bring

your lunch. This Fall the

WOW group will study

Priscilla Shirer’s

Discerning the Voice of

God.

Women’s In-Depth Bible Study (Room 210)—This group meets every other

Thursday (except summers) from 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Women are invited to meet for probing into the Bible or other works of Christian lit-erature. Presentation of the

weekly lesson rotates among the members of the group, with lively discussion taking

place. After the lesson, those who are available, join to-gether for lunch at various locations around town. This fall they will discuss and

study Timothy Keller’s

book King’s Cross. The

book is based on the

Gospel of Mark.

Women’s

Bible Studies

P A G E 3

9/2 Daniel Hardwicke

9/3 Hannah Brown,

Virginia Huffman,

Marjie Shirey

9/4 Jeff Curry,

Robert Meyer

9/5 Suzanne Dorris

9/6 Ricky Johnson, Sutton Allison, Kristi Cswaykus

9/7 Hayley Perrine

9/8 Randy Mull

9/9 David Scott

9/10 Bette Allison, Alex McCammon

9/11 Sherri Brown, Gigi Mackie

9/12 Anne Lauer

9/13 Fred Roeben

9/14 Lyndon Polhemus

9/15 Thelma McMurtrey, Tamatha Robertson,

Don Hulse

9/16 Ryan Junell

9/17 Alice Edwards, Mason Brooks

9/18 Beaver McManus, Louellen Meyer

9/19 Bryan Brown

9/20 Neal Grigg, Donna Crisp

9/21 Elizabeth Jost

9/22 Meredith Snyder, Ginger Heare,

Kaylee Jo Scott

9/24 Sherry Albert, Leslyn McManus

9/25 Nancy Cargile, Grace Huffman

9/26 Chris Barnett

9/27 Stella Doyle, Morgan Newlin

9/28 Joe Kilman, Carolyn Dawson

9/29 Ana Ross

9/30 Stephen Brown

T H E L A M B ’ S K I N

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2

9:30 Sunday School

10:30 Worship Serv

3 OFFICE

CLOSED

Labor Day

NO AA

4 5 6:45 MBS - 210

9:00 AA

12:20 Youth Lunch

5:15 Praise Team

5:30 Handbells

resume

7:00 Chancel Choir

6 7

MS Retreat -

Stephens’

8 MS Retreat -

Stephens’

9 Kick-off Sunday

9:15 Sunday School

10:30 Worship Serv

10

9:00 AA

6:30 Jr Dance

Club - WFH

11 Patriot Day

12:00 WOW -

107

12 6:45 MBS - 210

9:00 AA

12:20 Youth Lunch

5:15 Diaconate - 107

13

10:30 WID -

210

14 15

16 9:15 SS

10:30 Worship Serv

5:00 Youth Grp - YC

17

9:00 AA

18 12:00 WOW

- 107

5:15 Session -

210

19 6:45 MBS - 210

9:00 AA

12:20 Youth Lunch

Music & B/S as usual

20 21 22

23

9:15 Sunday School

10:30 Worship Serv

5:00 Youth Grp - YC

24

9:00 AA

Soup Kitchen

6:30 Jr Dance -

WFH

25

12:00 WOW -

107

26 6:45 MBS - 210

9:00AA

12:20 Youth Lunch

Music & B/S as usual

27

10:30 WID -

210

28

29

30 9:15 Sunday School

10:30 Worship Serv

5:00 Youth Grp - YC

September 2012

“The breezes taste of apple peel. The air is full of smells to feel—ripe fruit, old footballs, burning brush, new books,

erasers, chalk, and such. The bee, his hive, well-honeyed hum, and mother cuts Chrysanthemums. Like plates

washed clean with suds, the days are polished with a morning haze."

John Updike, September

P A G E 4

T H E L A M B ’ S K I N

Sunday school—It’s for Life!

Find a class for you—there’s one for everybody!

Pre-School-Kindergarten Class (Room 101)—this class is for children who are age 3-

5 (or enrolled in Kindergarten this school year). We use Group’s Hands-On Bible cur-

riculum for this age. This class will mark the beginning of your child’s formal Christian

Education—equipping them for a life of loving their Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Elementary Class (Room 201)—this is for children who are in 1st through 5th grade.

The curriculum, One Room Sunday School from Augsburg Fortress has something for

every age! If you have a child this age, won’t you please consider having Sunday school

become a part of their life?

Middle School (Studio 41)— the class provides a fun and accepting environment for all

who participate. If there is a middle school child looking to feel accepted and loved, they

would have to look no farther than this Sunday school class. This Fall they are using

re:form ANCESTORS from Spark House Publishing, a division of Augsburg Fortress.

Senior High Sunday School (Youth Center)—each week we will look at the current

state of our society, both globally and locally—we’ll ask the question ―Where is God in all

of this?‖ We will come to know God better by learning how God is at work in and around

us. We will discover God a little more through His Word and by opening ourselves to the

Holy Spirit. The class is led by FPC Youth Director, Bradley Morgan.

Genesis Class (Room 203) —True to its name—this class is a great place to begin! The

class is made up of a diverse group of people. The class does various Bible studies and con-

temporary Christian book studies. However, a prayer request might become that morn-

ing’s lesson—time spent ministering to the person in need.

Knox-Calvin Class (Room 107) —This class has been the mainstay of adult classes for

over 50 years. Class members are primarily over 50 and include men, women, couples and

singles. ALL adults are welcome! Study materials are typically Bible studies utilizing

videos and DVDs.

Awakening Class (Room 210)—This class includes men and women—with couples and

singles alike participating. The leaders function as the class moderators rather than lec-

turers. The leaders endeavor to keep the discussion on track and lively discussion is en-

joyed by all who participate. Studies include Bible studies, Christian topics and books.

Continued on Page 4

Wednesday Youth

Lunch—12:20 p.m.

—1:30 p.m. every

Wednesday SAISD

runs a normal sched-

ule. Get a free meal

and a short faith mes-

sage! Meal spon-

sors are needed!

High School Bible

Study—

Wednesdays from

7:00 p.m.—8:15

p.m. We will be

reading and discuss-

ing The Shack start-

ing on September 12

in the Youth Center.

Youth Group will

start on September

16 from 5:00 p.m.—

7:00 p.m. The meal

will be served at

5:00. Middle School

and High School will

meet together, but

separate as needed.

Sunday meal spon-

sors are needed.

P A G E 5

Thankful Hearts

T H E L A M B ’ S K I N

Dear FPC,

Fran Early delivered the

Church flowers given by Beth

Rion in memory of her loved ones

to our door the week following my

brother’s death. What a fine

blessing for Robert and me to re-

ceive them, now twice given—

once to grace the Church and

again to comfort us.

Thank you for your kindness,

Susan Meadows Pfluger

Dear Members,

The Church flowers you

sent to Jesse’s room at Arbor

Terrace were just beautiful! Being

delivered by Fran Early was an-

other pleasure—I had never met

her!

Thank you, again!

Carol Dotson

My Dearest Church Family,

Thank you so much for the

beautiful flower arrangement that

was brought over on Sunday, the

flowers were just beautiful!

Thank you also for all the

prayers and love that have been

lifted up for my surgery and re-

covery. The prayers mean so very

much!

With love,

Wendy Snider

To the Church,

Thank you for the beauti-

ful flowers given by the family of

Sophie and Harris Williams and

delivered by Lane Allison. I ex-

perience gratitude each day as I

am reminded of the support and

prayers of my church family; plus,

I smile because the yellows, pinks

and whites of the bouquet are so

cheerful!

With love,

Shirley Sherrill

Dear Church Members,

We are extremely grateful

for the baby shower that was held

for us. Your gifts were very gener-

ous and will help tremendously as

we become new parents. We are

very excited and nervous about

our new baby’s arrival, but with

your help we are now prepared for

her.

Also, the many kind words

and encouragement we have re-

ceived from many members of the

church have been greatly appreci-

ated.

Sincerely,

Janay & Brad Morgan and Baby

Morgan too!

Dear FPC,

I would like to thank

Suzanne Dorris and Noma

Perrine for bringing me the altar

flowers. I really appreciate being

remembered and certainly did en-

joy the arrangements. I hate to

miss church and look forward to

being back soon.

Blessings to all my friends in

Christ,

Dorothy Schuch

Continued from page 3

Wood Class (Room 100)—This is

a Bible study class which begins

with a video presentation of the

lesson and ends with questions

and discussion. This is a small

class of seniors, including both

men and women, however, we

welcome all adults!

Bibles and Burritos (Room 207)

—Our newest Sunday school

class is ideal for the person who

travels frequently and thinks

they would miss too much at-

tending a traditional class! Each

week’s lesson will stand alone.

Come for fellowship, bible study

and burritos!

Family Faith Class—This is our

non-traditional Sunday school

class as this class meets on Sun-

day evenings in the homes of the

leaders. Childcare is provided at

the church.

9/2

Alicia & Sterling Cole, Susan Woods,

Fran & Tom Early, Bill Morehead

9/9

Mary Louise Strain, Steve Stephens,

Renee & Rod Winn,

Susan & Paul Little

9/16

Janet & Warner Phillips,

Gabriella Spraggins, Devin Bates,

Robert Hamblen, Julie Quam

9/23

Kathy & Ken Newman,

Evalie & Neal Grigg, Ronnie Hooker

9/30

Diane & Scott Montgomerie,

Doran Reynolds, Allyn Byars,

Patt & Earl Warren

The Lamb’s Kin is

published monthly for

the members and

friends of

First Presbyterian

Church. Deadline is the

20th of each month.

Please email your news

to

Susan Gober

gosusan@msn.com

Church office: 655-5694

Church office email:

choffice@gte.net

Food for the month of

September

Of utmost importance is

Powdered milk, then canned

vegetables and lastly, any

kind of pasta whatsoever!

Please place your

donations in the

basket in the

Commons.

The family and

friends of

Mary June Beck,

who passed into eternal

life on August 2, 2012

And to

Ellen & Stephen Brown

on the loss of Ellen’s

sister,

Lynn Herring Crawford

who passed into eternal

life on August 14, 2012

September flower delivery

Please provide the

church office with the

address of your college

student!

9/2

Evalie & Neal Grigg

Johnna Page

9/9

Lane Puckitt

Trish Probandt

9/16

Ezra Walling

Barbara Rogers

9/23

Fran Early

Suzanne & Richard Dorris

9/30

Lane Allison

Georgia Edwards

The Fall Festival

is scheduled for

October 28!