the view - fpccleveland.org€¦the poem offers the imagery of the blooming of spring and the...
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Pastor Page 2
New Members 3
PW Page 4
Calendar 5
Men of the Church 6
Mission Team News 7
The Growing Place 8
Birthdays 9
Session & Diaconate 10
The View
Volume XV Issue II
FEBRUARY 2018
First Presbyterian Church 147 N. Main St. Cleveland, GA 30528 706-865-6499 Pastor: Rev. Dr. Gary Bagley [email protected]
Office: [email protected]
Prayer Request [email protected]
Website: www.fpccleveland.org
A DAY OF COMMITMENT
Newly elected First Presbyterian Church Elders Jean Kelly
(Communications), Becky Clark (Worship), Nanette
Baughman (Missions) and DeWayne Nix (Congregational
Care) and Deacons Kim Ciriello (Class of 2020), Tony Clark
(Class of 2020) and Gail Rollin (Class of 2018) were installed
on Sunday, January 7 by Gary Bagley, Moderator; Jim
Hiers, Clerk of Session and the Congregation.
By Jean Kelly
2 FEBRUARY 2018 THE VIEW from Presbyterian Hill
ith February, comes the season of Lent…and Valentine’s Day. Actually this year, the
beginning of Lent—Ash Wednesday—is February 14, Valentine’s Day. Things are
rarely as simple as they seem…such as Valentine’s Day. Is it a religious day we
celebrate on February 14, or not? Well, yes and no. A St. Valentine did exist, but since
there were three bishops named Valentine, doubt existed as to whom the 500 CE honor of
Sainthood was given. And in 1969, St. Valentine was removed from the Catholic calendar of
saints because of this uncertainty, though our culture continues the traditions that grew out
of it.
Geoffrey Chaucer of the late 14th century known by some as the Father of English Literature
is actually the person credited with beginning the development of this romantic holiday. His
poem, “The Parliament of Fowls,” was written to honor two fifteen year-olds on the
anniversary of their engagement—King Richard II and Anne of Bohemia. The poem offers
the imagery of the blooming of Spring and the tradition that birds choose their mates at
that time.
Valentine’s Day, which is a secular holiday tied to something noble associated with a bishop named Valentine in
the early Church, has developed into a tradition of honoring the romantic love that flows between two
individuals…and mutual appreciation and affection that can exist among friends. Most kids love the tradition of
valentines.
Romantic poems have been written for hundreds of years that make their way each year to February 14. One
line I slightly modified, became a part of the wedding ceremony I wrote (and use) in the early days of my
ministry: “Loving is not just looking at each other, it is looking in the same direction,” Antoine de
Saint-Exupery. The poet, Rumi, wrote: “The minute I heard my first love story I started looking for you, not
knowing how blind that was. Lovers don’t finally meet somewhere. They’re in each other all along.” One of my
favorites is a Dr. Seuss quote: “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally
better than your dreams.”
The great chapter on love, 1 Corinthians 13, often finds its place in weddings and romantic settings though it
was never intended for such. Nothing wrong with it, of course. The Apostle’s words were written for a specific
community of believers that was like most churches—a diverse group of people who struggle with that which all
human beings struggle…self-centeredness versus selflessness.
As we near St. Valentine’s Day this year, read this bit of poetry (1 Corinthians 13) among other timeless pieces.
Try extending your “love consciousness” to those beyond your normal circle of appreciation and affection.
Carefully, look others in the eye—the stranger, the young woman behind the cash register at the grocery, the
homeless man on the corner, and the myriad of people who celebrate life and love. Interesting that Lent comes
to a close with Holy Week and with the words of Jesus’ Maundy Thursday’s mandatum: “By this others will know
you are one of my followers—that you have love for one another.”
—Gary
Rev. Dr. Gary Bagley
W
BRUCE MORGAN
Our View Editor will be moving to the Elder of
Administration.
Thank you for your wisdom, guidance and direction as
the View Editor
3 FEBRUARY 2018 THE VIEW from Presbyterian Hill
FPC WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
HANS AND ELAINE WEIGERT
Sunday, January 7, First Presbyterian Church welcomed Hans and Elaine
Weigert as new members. The couple lives between Alto and Lula in
Banks County and relocated to the area from South Carolina to be closer
to their daughter and 3 grandchildren who live in Buford. Hans and Elaine
transferred from First Presbyterian Church of Simpsonville, S.C. Married
in 1971, they met in Germany when Elaine was an Exchange Student
staying with a family in the village of Michelbach and Hans lived nearby.
Interestingly enough, they met at church. Both are retired—Hans from a
career as an Electrical Engineer; Elaine from teaching. They enjoy
numerous hobbies and look forward to becoming part of our First
Presbyterian Church family.
By Jean Kelly
New FPC Deacon Kim Ciriello (left) and Elder Jean Kelly (right)
were ordained on Sunday, January 7th
In an inspiring and solemn ceremony which included Session
members, Deacons and the Congregation, new Deacon Kim
Ciriello and Elder Jean Kelly were ordained as part of the
Installation of officers of First Presbyterian Church.
Kim works for Habitat for Humanity of Northeast Georgia. She
has been married to David for 21 years and has two boys TC
(20) and Zack (18). Originally from St. Petersburg, FL she and
her family moved to the area in July of 2015 after 10 years of
visiting the area yearly. Kim has chaperoned a Youth Mission
trip to Charlotte. She has helped paint/decorate the bathrooms
and several rooms in the church. She serves on the
Communications Committee, Membership Committee and helps
maintain the church website and Facebook page. If Kim has any
spare time, she enjoys reading, turning items on the lathe and
doing various other craft projects.
Jean works for R-Ranch in the Mountains, in Dahlonega, GA and has three children and two
grandchildren. Formerly of Clearwater, FL, she and her late husband, Kevin, relocated to the
Cleveland area five years ago to open a family restaurant, The Mountain View Trading Post, with their
son and daughter-in-law. Jean joined FPC last year and first attended a Service at our church on
Christmas Eve 2015 at the invitation of Dale and Jan Williams-- friends and former neighbors. Jean
participates in the choir and is an avid supporter of FPC activities. She looks forward to serving as
Communications Elder for 2018, putting her Marketing experience to work.
Jean, as the Communication Elder 2018. She will be the new Editor of The View.
By Jean Kelly
4 THE VIEW from Presbyterian Hill FEBRUARY 2018
PW CALENDAR
January 31 - Coordinating Team Meeting for February - 3:30 p.m. February 8 - Women's Bible Study - 10:00 a.m. We will study Lesson 5, "In Community with the Tradition of the Past". Betty Royds will be the study leader, and Becky Clark will serve as hostess. Knit and Stitch - Wednesdays - 3:30 p.m. February 28 - Coordinating Team Meeting for March - 3:30 p.m. SAVE THE DATE: May 5 - Spring Retreat
Lunch Bunch Does Taco Tuesday Sixteen of our members enjoyed lunch at Big Daddy's in Cornelia and most had wonderful tacos at half price. It sure is nice to fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ and share some time getting to know each other better. Look for future announcements for the next "Lunch Bunch" gathering.
By Bruce Morgan
Movie Night
The feature will be the recent film, “Let There Be Light”. Friday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. is show time. Popcorn and beverages will be served.
Lunch Bunch will enjoy an outing to Fresco’s
restaurant in downtown Clarkesville on
Thursday, Feb. 15th. Please sign up in
Narthex if you plan to attend.
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6 THE VIEW from Presbyterian Hill FEBRUARY 2018
by Bruce Morgan
PRESBYTERIAN MEN
By Bruce Morgan
The Presbyterian Men will hold their monthly dinner fellowship on Tuesday, February
6th at 6:00pm. We would love to have any of our adult men join in the Presbyterian Men as we enjoy our
meals, Bible study and fellowship. We like to take outings that give us a chance to have new experiences
and, as always, eat. Won't you plan to join us?
ASH WEDNESDAY
FEBRUARY 14
Who says God doesn’t have a sense of humor. Have you noticed on the calendar this year Ash Wednesday is on Valentine’s Day and Easter falls on April Fools day. Not sure what this means in the grand scheme of things but it definitely has the potential to make for some interesting stories.
Anyway, join us 2/14/18 for our own Ash Wednesday service at FPC? We will have a pancake supper at 5:30 with a Service of Ashes to follow at 6:30. Be a part of this first day of Lent service as we prepare for Easter.
By Melody Thomason
What role does the Church play in your life? Here’s one point of view using a simple
analogy from everyday life.
Some people use the Church like a refrigerator to preserve themselves as they
already are.
God wants the Church to be more like a toaster: heating up and moving us out into
service!
Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good
works and glorify your father.”
Thanks to Sally Kaltenbach for submitting this to The View
The ThingsI Learned in Sunday School
7 THE VIEW from Presbyterian Hill FEBRUARY 2018
Mission Team And Education News
Souper Bowl Sunday
Get ready, the big day is quickly approaching. Start collecting your change to
make some noise on February. 4. All of your pennies, nickels, dimes and
quarters (checks and greenbacks) will add up to a big win for the White County
Food Pantry. So, don’t just settle for a field goal, when you can make a
touchdown! Help us help those on our community’s home team as we Rock This
House with the noise of coins going for this great cause.
By Nanette Baughman
At the January session meeting the session: Received a thank you note from Habitat For Humanity
for providing the church van and driver Jim Crawford to
transport runners from the Hog Pen Hill Climb,
Reviewed reports from committees,
Planned for the Annual Congregational Meeting,
Approved Debbie Wessely as Assistant Clerk of the
Session,
Approved the Financial report,
Established the Pastor's Discretionary Fund,
Approved the 2018 Budget for presentation to the
congregation,
Heard a report from the Policies and Procedures
Task Force about email and office changes,
Elected two session members to serve on the
Nominating Committee to be selected at the annual
congregational meeting,
Approved the position and selected a candidate to
fill a part time Administrative Assistant,
Approved the use of the fellowship hall by Life Line
Screening on June 1,
Approved a concert to raise funds for The Growing
Place,
Prayed for pastoral care concerns in the church family,
Set the next meeting for February 18th.
A TIME TO TURN
An excerpt from the Companion to the Book of Common Worship (Geneva Press 2003, 109-110) The Lenten journey from the ashes of death to resurrected life begins on the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, which signifies a time to turn around, to change directions, to repent. This first day of Lent reminds us that unless we are willing to die to our old selves, we cannot be raised to new life with Christ. The first step of this journey calls us to acknowledge and comfort our mortality, individually and corporately. In many traditions, this is symbolized through the imposition of ashes – placing a cross on one’s forehead. During the imposition of ashes the words: “You are dust, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19) are repeated again and again. We are to remember that we are but temporary creatures, always on the edge of death. On Ash Wednesday, we begin our Lenten trek through the desert toward Easter. Ashes on the forehead is a sign of our humanity and a reminder of our mortality. Lent is not a matter of being good, and wearing ashes is not to show off one’s faith. The ashes are a reminder to us and our communities of our finite creatureliness. The ashes we wear on our Lenten journey symbolize the dust and broken debris of our lives as well as the reality that eventually each of us will die. Trusting in the “accomplished fact” of Christ’s resurrection, however, we listen for the Word of God in the time-honored stories of the church’s Lenten journey. We follow Jesus into the wilderness, resist temptation, fast, and proceed “on the way” to Jerusalem and the cross. Our Lenten journey is one of metanoia (“turning around”), of changing directions from self serving toward the self-giving way of the cross.
From Becky Clark
By Bruce Morgan
8 THE VIEW from Presbyterian Hill FEBRUARY 2018
What's happening at The Growing Place?
The Growing Place Preschool students returned
from Christmas break on January 9th of this new
year. Sadly, our numbers fell by four upon their
return. One student moved away and three
siblings switched to the Hall County Preschool
and Head Start program. That is special
program that evaluates children's abilities
compared to their peers and determines if they
need extra attention to get them to the level
where they should be. We will miss our students
but we know they will benefit from the longer school days and extra attention they will receive.
As the weather has been either very cold or warmer but very rainy,
the children have not had a chance to go outside since they’ve
returned. As always, Ms. Clair and Ms. Christy do an excellent job of
keeping them occupied with songs, dancing, crafts and playing with
the large selection of toys in the Preschool Room. The holidays are an
exciting time but they can also be very chaotic for everyone – children
included! – so it is a relief for the students to be back to school and
back to their routine. It is a relief for the parents to be back to their
routine as well!
Our community is very
blessed to have The
Growing Place as a safe and
nurturing environment for
young minds to grow. As a
Church, we are blessed to
have the resources to provide
this wonderful school
experience! If you have a desire or feel called to help
support this important cause, please make your donation
payable to “FPC” with “The Growing Place” in the memo line
or written on the outside of your envelope. Donations can be
brought to the Church office or placed in the Sunday Worship
offering.
The Growing Place has Openings!
Please help spread the word. Call 706-865-6499 for information.
By Lindsey McGrath
9 FEBURARY 2018 THE VIEW from Presbyterian Hill
FEBRUARY BIRTHDAYS
February 6 - Abby McGrath
February 8 - Rachael Romfo
February 11 - Lindalee Walters
February 12 - Dot Pardue
February 16 - Bill Francis
February 22 - Claista (Callie) Rades
February 23 - Robert (Bob) Murdoch
February 23 - Kyrsten Buote
February 26 - Bruce Morgan
February 27 - Natalie Leonard
February 28 - Nanette Baughman
Please accept our apologies if we
missed your birthday this month.
Please notify the church office so we
will remember next year. Thank You
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY
GOD BLESS YOU
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
FINANCIAL CORNER
December Finances
2017 Financial synopsis December Year to Date
Income for Operating Expenses: $21,238.25 $ 224,873.24
Operating Expenses: $18,860.68 $ 211,497.75
Net Operating Income for the month: $2,381.25 $ 13,375.49
At this writing the 2018 budget has not been presented to the Session for final approval.
The final decision will be presented to the congregation at the annual meeting on January
28 following worship.
Judy Winski
A complete listing of the church’s December financial documents is posted on the church office glass wall (by the office door).
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.
10
First Presbyterian Church
147 N. Main Street Cleveland, GA 30528 Phone: 706-865-6499
Fax: 706-865-5362 E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.fpccleveland.org
Jean Kelly
Publisher
Cookie Mathis
Committee Members
Judy Winski
Bruce Morgan
Kim Ciriello
Bonnie Frost
Dick Frost
Jean Kelly
MARCH NEWSLETTER
DEADLINE FEBRUARY 21TH
Chairperson & Editor
The Session
Jim Hiers, Clerk of the Session
Rev. Dr. Gary Bagley, Moderator
Class of 2018 Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Jim Crawford Melody Thomason Nanette Baughman Building & Grounds Education Mission Jean Kelly Lindalee Walters Becky Clark Communications Membership Worship Bruce Morgan Judy Winski DeWayne Nix Administration Stewardship & Finance Congregational Care The Diaconate
Don Mathis, Moderator
Class of 2018 Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Carolyn Brooks Betty Royds Kim Ciriello Don Mathis Betty Smith Tony Clark Gail Rollin Hugh Walters Rachel Romfo
Please submit any Prayer Request to
NEW OFFICE HOURS
TUESDAY—FRIDAY
9 AM TO 1 PM