what does it mean to be . . . presbyterian?€¢ what does it mean to be . . . presbyterian? this is...

CRO

SSCONNEC

TIONS

November

2015

• What Does It Mean to be . . . Presbyterian?

This is a season of great change in the Presbyterian Church (USA). The executive director of the national Presbyterian Mission Agency Board, Linda Valentine, resigned a few months ago in the middle of her term. The moderator of the 2014 General Assembly, Heath Rada recently issued a “call to the church” – a call for transformation of the Presbyterian Church (USA). He named the challenge of a lack of trust across the church, and he shared his sense that the denomination needs to act quickly. “We do not have the luxury of time to discern and to debate,” he said.

I serve on the strategy team of NEXT Church. NEXT Church is a relational community of leaders committed to the health and vitality of the Presbyterian Church. We envision the PC(USA) as a vibrant, healthy church, consistent with the best of the Reformed tradition, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in transformative ways.

NEXT Church is building a network of relationships to

encourage dynamic and diverse congregations, nurture leaders eager to address 21st century challenges, provide resources for leaders, and engender healthy, respectful conversations about challenging issues.

We are faithful participants in the life of the PC(USA), seeking to engender a lively Presbyterian tradition for decades to come.

NEXT Church is holding a denominational listening campaign, in order to help the moderator and Presbyterian Mission Agency Board in gathering thoughts and refl ections from individuals across the church. We are hoping to hold 50 listening sessions involving at least 500 Presbyterian leaders to talk about experiences in mission and gain a sense of how their experiences impact the programs and eff orts of our national church.

I will be hosting a listening session here in Sarasota during November, and I would be delighted to have you participate. If you are a member or friend of our congregation and are committed to the future of the Presbyterian Church, please call or email me, and I will include you in the group. In the meantime, please pray regularly for our church – the international mission workers, those who serve in our national offi ces, our Presbyterian Mission Agency Board and moderator, and the offi cers and staff of our presbytery.

Peace,

CROSS CONNECTIONS FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SARASOTA NOVEMBER 2015 2

• Love Notes

Merle and I have been deeply moved by the support from our church family following the death of my mother, Hilda Chorba. We are particularly grateful for our ministers and Barbara Woods who visited her regularly at Sunnyside nursing home to read to her and to talk, as well as to Janet Clark and Ellen Millar, her Communion ministers, who came faithfully each month. Your prayers, cards, notes, and hugs have been a welcome embrace at this time, and give special meaning to the words “Friends in Christ.”

George and Merle Chorba

• Congregational Meeting A congregational meeting has been called for noon on Sunday, November 1, in the sanctuary to vote to concur with the request of our associate pastor, Melanie Hamill, that her pastoral relationship with our church be dissolved. Melanie says, “I feel called to focus on this new season of my life and my new marriage.” We respect Melanie’s decision, and we will miss her a great deal.

• Farewell Reception A farewell reception for Melanie will be held at noon in the fellowship hall on Sunday, November 8. All are invited to come and share with her their appreciation for her faithful service. Light refreshments will be served. If you wish to contribute to a love off ering in her honor, please make your gift payable to First Presbyterian Church, with “Melanie Hamill” on the memo line.

To donate online go to www.fi rstpressarasota.org and click on the "Online Giving" button on our home page. You will designate the amount and select a fund and an optional memo. For instance, if you want to make a payment towards your pledge, you would select General Fund. You then will enter your email address and press “Continue.” You will be asked if you would like to create an account or continue as a guest. If you are a member, you might want to do this so you can set up a recurring contribution or view your contributions. If you have selected to continue as a guest, select your checking account, savings account, debit card, or credit card (Visa, Master Card, or Discover), then enter the pertinent information, and press “Give.” You will receive an email for your receipt.

If you created your own account, follow these fi ve steps:

1 – The gift amount and fund will be displayed.2 - Enter how often you want to give.3 - Select a payment method.4 - Review and process your gift.5 - View and print your receipt.

Each step must be performed to complete the online giving process.

If you have any questions, call Lisa Garcia 955-8119 ext 101.

WWW.FIRSTPRESSARASOTA.ORG 3

• A Day of Celebration! Plan to join us in the fellowship hall on Sunday, November 15, following the 11:00 a.m. service for a pot-luck luncheon honoring our 2015 new members and their shepherds. The luncheon will be an opportunity to fellowship together with the newest members of our FPC family and share an array of culinary experiences that refl ect the wonderful cultural expression of our church family.

•The fellowship team will provide the entrée. Members are asked to bring an appetizer, salad, side dish, or dessert. We suggest your dish serve at least 4-6 people. Dishes should be table-ready, labeled with your name, and brought to the fellowship hall by 10:45 a.m. Include a card with your name and the name of the dish. PLEASE INDICATE if your dish is gluten-free or contains peanuts, walnuts, or pecans. •Invite a friend. Everyone is welcome!

For additional information, call Wendy Miller at 379-0464.

• Wednesday's @ First

Don't miss the fun starting on Wednesday, January 6, 2016!

5:00 p.m. •LOGOS for children

•Enrichment for adults

6:00 p.m. •Dinner for the church family

Nursery provided

Cost$35 - 7 sessions with meals

$14 - 7 sessions, bring your own meal

Dates•January 6, 2016

•January 20, 2016•February 3, 2016•February 17, 2016

•March 2, 2016•April 6, 2016

•April 20, 2016

Registration •Begins November 1, 2015

•Watch for the booth in courtyard on Sunday mornings, or

•Call Marcia Schaper at (941) 922-5245 or

Pat Feeney (941) 360-8193

The SunCoast Blood Mobile will be at First Presbyterian Sunday, November 8, from 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. To reserve a time, call the church offi ce (941) 955-8119. A blood donation is safe, easy, quick, convenient and you could save a life!


• A Life of Substanceby Jill Duffi eld Presbyterian Outlook editorpublished October 12, 2015 in Presbyterian Outlook

What makes for a life of substance? Put another way: At the end of the day or the end of our lives, what truly matters? As we considered topics for this issue about college life, we decided to ask these questions to a few people and see what they would share with young adults. Knowing that college can be a time of great pressure to do all the right things that lead to the right career or partner or path, we wanted big-picture wisdom from those at diff erent points of life’s journey. We asked a college chaplain, a young adult volunteer (YAV), and a retired Christian educator: What makes for a life of substance?

This is the response by retired Christian educator and elder Elaine Barnett.

When I was in college I truly believed that a life of substance was one lived in total sacrifi ce. Consequently, I decided that God was calling me to be a medical missionary in the Congo. It sounded grand, faithful and diffi cult. As I matured, my ideas of a life of substance began to change as I quietly began wondering if God really wants people to live a life of suff ering. Or, does God want what a person does in the search for meaning to also bring joy? I now know with confi dence that a life of substance is a life lived using the gifts that God has given – lived in ways that reach out to other people to enrich their lives and deepen my faith. For years in my service as a Christian educator and then as a presbytery associate executive, I hung a poster in my offi ce with a picture of a little girl in a yellow rain slicker facing the world that read: “The way to truly keep the faith is to share the faith.” Looking for ways to share my faith with others while working, volunteering, playing, and praying brings me joy. I believe the sense of substance and meaning in life comes from a focus on reaching out to others in practical and faithful ways. Years ago I found a model that uses four pieces of paper to help identify ways to live a life of substance by looking beyond yourself.

I try to practice it as I weigh the choices and opportunities around me. On the fi rst paper I list the things that really energize me, the things for which I have passion. Each time I do that there are some familiar ideas and some new ones that emerge. On the second piece of paper I list the things that I am good at. This is diffi cult because somehow our world makes it easier to list our shortfalls rather than our strengths, but I believe joy and a sense of meaning come most often from doing things for which I have a gift. On the third piece of paper I list the many things that I normally do during the day that are within or on the edge of my comfort zone. I fi nd I am more likely to really move beyond myself as I consider the three pieces of paper together. Then, on the fourth piece of paper, I am able to identify where I believe I can make a diff erence in my world and get involved. I know God smiles when we identify our passion, develop the gifts and talents we have, use those gifts in natural and regular ways, and believe we can make a diff erence in the lives of other people. All our gifts come from the Holy Spirit. So the question is: What are you going to do with your gifts to live a life of substance and meaning? Look in your community for a need that could use those gifts and move beyond yourself.

The way to truly keep the faith is to share the faith.


• Of a Peacemaking Persuasion Cast all your anxiety on Him, for he cares for you. - 1 Peter 5:7

Greening Our Ground

The heavens are the Lord’s heavens, but the earth he has given to human beings. - Psalm 115:16

Here are some simple things we can begin or continue to do to save God’s good earth: •Go for Seconds. Recycling doesn’t mean only separating your cans and bottles, it can mean using things a second (or a third) time. For example, instead of throwing it away that nice padded envelope you got in the mail, scratch out the address, tear off the stamps and use it again. •Flip ‘em Off . In much of America we can’t even see the stars anymore, due in part to all the electric lights. Keep the light on in the room you’re in, but keep the rest of your house dark. You’ll fi nd the dark is soothing. •Get Off . Catalogs are great when they’re from companies you like to order from. But if you’re getting catalogs from companies you don’t buy from, call them and tell them to get you off their list.

-Suggestions taken from World Wildlife Fund

This is our prayer: God, for the diversity of personalities, postures and perspectives that you have instilled in us, we give you thanks. For the many roads we take towards the destination of justice, help us to receive the gifts that we each bring to the movements as gifts from you. Amen.

• Children Protection and Saftey Toddler Shootings in 2015So far in the U.S. in 2015, at least 13 toddlers have inadvertently killed themselves with fi rearms. 18 more injured themselves, 10 injured other people and 2 killed other people.

Source: Wonkblog analysis of news reports

• First Sunday of the Monthby Dorothy Murphy missions and ministry committee

My soul is satisfi ed as with a rich feast. - Psalm 63:5

The love of God fi lls my heart each time I receive communion. The warmth of this sacrament fi lls me with completeness and gratitude. Without looking around me, I feel an expression of love and community togetherness. Our congregation becomes one. We are blessed. We are also reminded on the fi rst Sunday of the month that others, for whatever the reason, are physically hungry. This gnawing hunger is of major concern to our First Presbyterian mission and ministry committee. This is the reason you’ve seen “Jerry” and “Alice” standing outside the fellowship hall doors and outside in front of the sanctuary. These fi gures remind us that the following week, the fi rst Sunday of the month, is not only communion, but the gathering of our canned goods to Help Feed the Hungry. Join us, each fi rst Sunday of the month, as we bring our gifts of canned goods to church. Our church staff members are

(Continued on page 6)


• Sign of Alzheimer’s and Typical Age-Related Changessubmitted by Cheryl Track, RNfaith community nurse

Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, a general term for memory loss and other intellectual abilities serious enough to interfere with daily living. Alzheimer’s causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior. Alzheimer’s is not a normal part of aging, although the greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. But Alzheimer’s is not just a disease of old age. Up to fi ve percent of people with the disease have early onset Alzheimer’s which often appears when someone is in their 40s or 50s. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disease, where dementia symptoms gradually worsen over a number of years. In its early stages, memory loss is mild, but with late-stage Alzheimer’s, individuals lose the ability to carry on a

conversation and respond to their environment. Alzheimer’s is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. Alzheimer’s has no current cure, but treatments for symptoms are available and research continues. Although current Alzheimer’s treatments cannot stop Alzheimer’s from progressing, they can temporarily slow the worsening of dementia symptoms and improve quality of life for those with Alzheimer’s and their caregivers. Today, there is a worldwide eff ort underway to fi nd better ways to treat the disease, delay its onset, and prevent it from developing.

Signs of Alzheimer’s • Poor judgment and decision-making • Inability to manage a budget • Losing track of the date or the season • Diffi culty having a conversation • Misplacing things and being unable to retrace steps to fi nd them

Typical Age-Related Changes • Making a bad decision once in a while• Missing a monthly payment• Forgetting the day and remembering it later• Sometimes forgetting which word to use• Losing things from time to time

Don’t ignore your symptoms. Help is available. Talk to your family doctor or your faith community nurse; you are not alone. There are many causes of memory loss. Your doctor will order some lab work and an MRI to rule out other causes. If the results are negative, a memory screening will be done with follow-up from a neurologist. Sarasota off ers many resources; here are just a few:

The Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline: (800) 272-3900Caregiver Resource Center at the Friendship Center: (941) 536-3268Sarasota Memorial Memory Clinic: (941) 917-7197SciBrain: (941) 556-9900Roscamp Institute: (941) 752-2949

Taken from www.alz.org

the fi rst responders for those in need. Each person seeking assistance from us shows identifi cation and the offi ce completes a card and the information is confi dentially kept in our offi ce. We are following Jesus’ command to feed the hungry. Each person receives a bottle of water, some type of meat supplement (tuna/sausage/soup), a small fruit container, and eating utensils. Many of those coming to our doors do not have the capability of cooking nor do they have a can opener. This is the reason we are asking for cans with the easy-to-open pop-tops. Other food items that are donated, but can’t be used in our pantry, are taken once a month to Caritas, one of our Sarasota mission partners. Caritas suggests the most reasonably nutritious items are baked beans, jelly, peanut butter, and green beans. Please join us on the fi rst Sunday of the month as we receive Holy Communion and bring our canned goods to share with others.

• First Sunday of the Month (continued from page 5)

Nativity Worship Service PracticeThe Nativity Worship Service practices for 2nd grade through senior high will begin Sunday, November 22. The other dates are Sundays, December 6-20. These practices will take place in the forum during the Sunday school hour. Dress and sound rehearsal will be Wednesday, December 23.

• Educational News


(continued on page 8)

by Clarisse Durnell director of Christian education for children and youth

Children’s Choir The children’s choir will sing in both the 9:00 and 11:00 a.m. worship services on Sunday, November 22.

Christmas Parade On Saturday, December 5, First Presbyterian Church will be represented in the Sarasota Holiday Parade. The theme of the parade is “All I Want For Christmas.” FPC’s message will be “We Want Peace and Love.” Using festival puppets and letters that spell out peace and love, we need 20 children, youth, and adults to hold these puppets and letters. If interested, please signup in the courtyard or your Sunday school classroom on Sundays, November 15 and 22. The dress attire to participate will be a white t-shirt, jeans, and comfortable walking shoes.

Advent StarsAfter each of the Sunday, November 29 services, be sure to go to the fellowship hall courtyard and pick up one of the Advent stars with a child’s name on it. During Advent, please pray for your young person.

This program is…. CLUB 45 Friday, October 2, our FPC fourth and fi fth graders of CLUB 45 had a joyous time learning about how to eat and cook healthy food. A big “thank you” to Nancy Pantano of the “Cooking That Matters” program from All Faiths Food Bank for leading an amazing event.


Youth News:Sunday, November 1 - The youth will go to Sky Zone from 4:00-6:00 p.m. Dinner will be provided. They need to bring $5 for their admission.Sunday, November 8 - From 4:00-6:30 p.m the youth will go to Publix Cooking School to learn how to cook comfort food. There will be a $10 cooking and eating fee.Sunday, November 15 - The middle school youth will go ice skating from 1:00-3:30 p.m. Money will be needed for a snack.Sunday, November 22 - The senior high youth will go bowling from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Money will be needed for a snack. Sunday, November 29 - The youth will have a Sabbath Sunday to give thanks with their families for how good God has been to them.

Stewardship study

• Educational News (continued from page 7)

“Sharing our Stories” Luncheon


• Preschool Annual Fund For over sixty years, First Presbyterian Preschool has been dedicated to nurturing children. Parents tell us that they feel as if the preschool is an extension of their home and they are thrilled to be part of the “First Presbyterian Family.” When asked what makes our school diff erent from other schools, parents consistently tell us that it’s the love they feel the minute they step onto our campus. They say it is easy to see that our expert teachers are passionate about caring for children and preparing them for elementary school and beyond. We strive to build on our long-standing success by continuously improving our program, enabling us to make a positive impact on the lives of the children and families we serve. One of the many reasons we have been able to provide such a wonderful environment for our students is that we have generous friends and family like you. Because the need for tuition assistance is constant and we are committed to providing a quality early childhood education to all, we will be allocating 100% of this year’s Annual Fund to the Vicki Fry Memorial Scholarship Fund. We are truly grateful for all of the support we have received over the years. Please consider making a 100% tax-deductible donation to the First Presbyterian Preschool Annual Fund. No gift is too small! Please know all gifts are appreciated and will help ensure that all young children and their families continue to benefi t from the First Presbyterian Preschool experience. You can make your check payable to First Presbyterian Preschool with “annual fund” in the memo line.

• Advent Activity Sundayby the spiritual formation ministry

Let your candles be lighted, Your holly be hung,

Your hearth fi re be merry, Your carols be sung!

Prepare your hearts also, for Advent is here.

Let Christ be the center of Christmas this year.

On Sunday, November 29 we will begin to celebrate the Advent Season with hands on activities in the Fellowship Hall at 10:00 a.m. All are welcome! You can plant a paper-white bulb and watch it grow as Christmas approaches. Perhaps you would like to create a new angel ornament for you tree or for a friend. We will be busily at work shortly after the end of the New Song worship service. Don’t be shy! Simply walk up to any of the craft tables and join in. We can always use help with the little ones and they would love to see you. No reservations are necessary! We will again, this year, off er you a chance to order a bulb and we will plant it for you. They will be ready for pick up on December 6. Watch the November announcements for the order forms and pick up details.

Make room for his coming, throw the door open wide,

In each of your houses, let His love abide.

• Church Workday Saturday, November 7 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Come join us as we clean up the church campus. We have a number of projects underway including tidying the grounds in the memorial garden, the chapel courtyard, and the fellowship hall courtyard. It takes many hands to keep our campus attractive, especially as we prepare for the upcoming Thanksgiving and Advent seasons. Please plan to join us to keep our facility and grounds beautiful. If you have questions, contact the offi ce or call Karen Olson at (941) 554-8023.

• Presbyterian Women Gathering Wednesday, November 4

In collaboration with the FPC peace and justice ministry team, the PW will be featuring a presentation on Sarasota's Selah Freedom House at its Wednesday, November 4 Gathering.

What Is Selah Freedom? Selah Freedom actively confronts the issue of sex traffi cking and is being upheld as the statewide model for how to eff ectively bring solutions to survivors of sex traffi cking and exploitation.

What Is Sex Traffi cking? Sex traffi cking and exploitation involves using someone for commercial sex and their inability to extricate themselves from that situation. Florida is among the top three states in the nation for human traffi cking, with our region of Southwest Florida, including the cities of Tampa, Sarasota, and Bradenton, ranked second in the state. November 4 Gathering Agenda Meet in the fellowship hall for punch at 11:30 a.m. to visit with long-time and new friends. The lunch catered by Chef Paul is at 12:00 p.m. and is $10 per person. The Selah Freedom presentation will begin at 1:00 p.m. To make reservations, call the church offi ce at (941) 955-8119, email [email protected], or text Janet Churn at (609) 203-1305 by Monday, November 2. Payment for the luncheon may be made by cash or check on the day of the luncheon at the door. All are invited to attend and bring a friend.

• 2015 Thank Off ering of Presbyterian WomenFor it is God who is at work in you enabling you both to will and to work for [God's] good pleasure. - Philippians 2:13 NRSV

Presbyterian Women in the PC(USA) have designated $710,000 for 32 missions supported by Presbyterian Women (including health ministries, ending sex traffi cking, child abuse prevention, and prevention of homelessness) and to support 22 ongoing ministries in the US and in countries where the PC(USA) has missions. Presbyterian Women have given millions of dollars to missions since 1888. You are invited to share in this eff ort, Wednesday, November 4, at the Gathering, on Women's Sunday, November 15, or before. Thank off ering envelopes will be available in the announcements on Sunday, November 15.

• A Hint of Orange! Wear orange on Sunday, November 15 as we "Orange FPC" in support of the UN Campaign UNiTE to End Violence against Women and Girls. The campaign, choosing orange to symbolize a brighter future without violence, has proclaimed the 25th of each month as "Orange Day." Show your support also by buying an orange wristband to wear on that day and again on the 25th of every month. Any donation is welcome; $5 is suggested (75% of proceeds will be divided between Sarasota's Selah Freedom House and the the UNiTE campaign, with 25% to PW mission and programming). Wristbands may purchased anytime through the church offi ce, at fellowship hour on November 1 and 8, and at the PW Gathering on November 4.

PUT ON A WRISTBAND...AND HELP PUT AN END TO VIOLENCE

AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS



• Preparing for Christmas: An Advent Retreat

Before the "busyness" begins,set aside this time...

...to "journey" ...to create

...to refl ect ...to share

Sponsored by Presbyterian WomenSaturday, December 59:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

All are invited!Catered brunch/lunch by Chef Tall Paul featuring a variety of quiches.Cost: $10 per person. To make reservations, call the church offi ce at (941) 955-8119 or contact Mary Webb by email at [email protected] or phone at (941) 758-6035 by Thursday, December 3.Payment for the luncheon may be made by cash or check on the day of the retreat at the door.Please make checks payable to PW Women - First Presbyterian.

• Thankfulness Shared “Lost treasures” can show up in the strangest places - up high in cupboards, previously hidden packing boxes, backs of closets. If what you fi nd are no longer “your treasures” and you’d like to share them with others, please put them aside (in a place you won’t forget) and add them to our colossal First Presbyterian Yard Sale to be held Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19, 2016.

• Christmas Shopping with Thoughtful Giving Make your Christmas shopping easy and support the ministries of First Presbyterian Church with Thoughtful Giving! Now through December 7, you can purchase gifts that will honor friends and family as well as provide life-changing gifts for many of God’s children around the world. Your donations will go toward many mission projects that our congregation supports while honoring those on your Christmas list. In place of a typical gift purchased, 100% of your donation will go to the mission of your choice, in honor of your recipient. Your recipient will receive a special card informing them that a fi nancial contribution was made in the name of a ministry of First Presbyterian Church. Your recipient will receive a personalized card including a simple description of the mission you select as their gift. All donations are tax deductible. Thoughtful Giving shopping lists and order forms are available in the church offi ce as well as in the narthex of the church. Please return your order form to the church offi ce before December 7.

• Times to Remember


Many cookies were baked and brought to Jeff and Melanie Hamill’s wedding reception!

Cheryl Track, faith community nurse, at the 2015 Heart Walk

F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke. When you can spot the signs, you'll know that you need to call 9-1-1 for help right away. F.A.S.T. = Face Drooping, Arm weakness, Speech diffi culty, Time to call 911

Trisha Roby and Barbara Chase with the Christ Car Care Kits at PW Night.


• Birthdays

November

Anniversaries

Blessings from your church family

2 Tony & Daina Strong3 John & Jennifer Hutchens6 Kym & Helen Biggar11 Shelley & Vicki Wacksman14 Bob & Anne Jones16 Bill & Barbara Epperson19 Ray & Judy Hord Dennis & Barb McSweeney20 David & Darla Gulliver21 Jo Jo Morrison & Nery Diaz22 Raymond & Twila White Mark & Carol Smith

23 Brian & Cheryl Track26 David & Michelle Young27 Mike & Mary Groninger Bob & Mary Kelly Joe & Joan Callan29 Lamar & Jo Watson

1 Bill Strutton Jeannette Hohmann Morgan Angel Gayle Kloss2 Bob Kimbrough Doug Adamson3 Fred Becking Jill Hougland Sue Pantling4 Bobbie Stevens Bonni Arbuckle Ed Clissold Melanie Kim Marta Jimenez-Aquino5 Sue Peters Abby Wishart Jerry Feeney Brandon Taaff e6 Lamar Matthews, Jr Dave Lamb Emma Johnson7 Francis Maxwell Jim Kimbrough Andrea Tidwell8 Bill Heburn9 Georgia Yeomans10 Al McFadyen, Jr.11 Andrew Millar John Schaub, III Jason Herron David Halstead Daina Strong12 Joan Maxwell Sally Thompson Austin Garraus

13 Josh Hord Betty Silvertooth Caroline Steinwachs Will Steinwachs Mary Williams14 Bob Friday Denis Romanenko Lindsey Capps15 Jo-an Keep A.J. Jones16 Samuel Kellogg Bob Flint17 Bob Lindsley Kelly Saba Ruth Shaw Ann Fowler18 Steve Phillips Bettie Blake Morgan McSweeney Julieta Diaz Marcy Secor-Harrington19 Judy Bosold Billie Burquest Charlie Stottlemyer David Johnston20 Don Fleming Thom Olshewsky21 Monica Steiner22 Jim Dean Raymond White Lela Ronan Liam McGuire23 Paul Smith Mary Cady24 Jim Jackson

25 Ron Saba Alison Ulsh Betty Mills Isabella Mendenhall26 Emilie Kimbrough Trudy Loeff elman Kassidy Saba Hayden Khuu Joe Brown, III28 Andy Reasoner29 Bob Barkley, Jr. Susan Carter Kelly Rhodes Ruth Gonzalez-Brewer John Tatum Olivia Mendenhall30 Fran Lawrence

Non-Profi t Organization U.S. Postage

PaidPermit No. 757Manasota, FL

Cross ConnectionsFirst Presbyterian Church2050 Oak StreetSarasota, FL 34237-7093

(941) 955-8119www.FirstPresSarasota.org

Return Service Requested

Cross Connections is a monthly publication of First Presbyterian Church of Sarasota, Florida, Volume 33 Issue #11. Please submit articles for the next issue by November 15, 2015.

• Thanksgiving Wednesday Theater Luncheon For Our Homeless

For the past fi fteen years, the Sarasota Ministerial Association, of which we are a part, has welcomed community leaders to participate in a Thanksgiving celebration that benefi ts our community’s homeless. For this year a comedy, “Friends of Thanksgivings Past,” welcomes local VIPs for an encore performance. Approximately half of those attending will be from Sarasota’s Resurrection House family. So, come share your “thanksgivings” with local offi cials and our county’s people in transition. You can help our homeless by volunteering to serve as a table hospitality host, November 25, 11:15 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., at First Baptist Church gymnasium (1670 Main Street, 34236). To volunteer, contact Chaplain Tom Pfaff by calling or texting (941) 724-5018 or e-mailing him at tompfaff @verizon.net. Everyone is invited to this luncheon - - no reservation needed, no charge, free turkey, with all the trimmings. Good parking can be found behind the church’s gymnasium. A free-will off ering will be received from those who care to give. The donations will be divided equally and given during the luncheon to Salvation Army, Resurrection House and Harvest House Family Haven.

what does it mean to be . . . presbyterian?€¢ what does it mean to be . . . presbyterian? this is...

Documents