Presbyterian Women

Presbyterian Women Purpose

Forgiven and freed by God in Jesus Christ

We commit ourselves:
to nurture our faith through prayer and Bible Study,

to support the mission of the church worldwide, to work for justice and peace,

and to build an inclusive, caring community of women that strengthens the Presbyterian Church (USA) and witnesses to the promise of God's Kingdom.

Brrr. .Is it cold enough for you? Imagine how cold you would be if you did n’t have warm mittens, a hat, and a scarf to wear! There are too many peo ple in our community who don’t have the basic clothes they need for winter - but you can help! The Mitten Tree will remain up until early January. Gloves, mittens, hats, scarves, boots, slippers - any clothing item suitable for winter-wear is welcome. Thank you for your gifts!

The Cookie Walk was a wonderful success! If you donated cookies (or a specialty item) - thank you. If you collected cookies on Friday - thank you. If you worked in the kitchen on Saturday - thank you. If you came and purchased items - thank you. In other words - thank you! The Cookie Walk is our main way of raising funds for mission, and we couldn’t do it without all of you.

Are you looking for a last-minute gift? Is there someone on your list who has ' everything'? Maybe a Presbyterian Cookbook would be the perfect gift Look for Jill Stoll today to purchase a cookbook, or call her this week (848-5322)

January meetings will follow their regular schedule. Don’t forget to bring an item for the health kits when you go to Circle. The Coordinating Team will meet on January 10 meetings are always open to visitors - come join us!

Dates for your calendar

February 11 - Saturday: Valentine’s Day Party
If you would like to be on the planning team for this event, talk to Jill Stoll.

March 17-18 - Friday & Saturday: Let’s Learn Together at Geneva Center The focus at this event will be the Beatitudes, learning how this beautiful passage fits our lives today. For more information, call Alice Morris (522-9985).

July 7-11 - Friday-Tuesday: Churchwide Gathering in Louisville, KY
This is a truly awesome event, gathering women from around the country and even from around the world. Imagine 5,000 women singing, praying, and worshipping together. Jill Stall has registration brochures.

Susanna’s Kitchen is an ecumenical soup kitchen currently housed in First Congregational Church, at Third and Marion. Our congregation serves food the fourth Monday of each month. Volunteers need to be there from 10:45-12:30. After many years of faithfully coordinating our congregation’s participation, Susie Wu has turned coordination over to Walt & Beth Davis. If you would like to help, sign up in the Gathering Place or call Walt or Beth (293-7786).

Church Community Services (CCS), our ecumenical food pantry, distributes bags of food and (as funds are available) assistance with rent and utility payments to local families needing emergency help. Our church supports CCS with regular donations from our mission budget, and a number of our members make individual contributions toward rent assistance (since CCS now incorporates the work of the former Dave’s Place). Several of our members volunteer at CCS, and they can always use more volunteers! We collect grocery donations each Sunday on the following schedule:

First Sunday – Fish (canned tuna & salmon)
Second Sunday – Spaghetti & Spam (sauce & canned meat)
Third Sunday – Oral Hygiene & Toiletries (toothpaste, personal care items)
Fourth Sunday – Canned Fruit
Fifth Sunday – Cleaning Supplies for Faith Mission

Soup of Success, a job-training program for women which is part of CCS, has its Computer Lab located in the north lower education hallway of our church.

Soup Labels for Beardsley School…We are still collecting labels from Campbell’s Soup (and related brands) for Beardsley School. Please bring them in and place them in the cupboard in the hallway across from the restrooms.

Thank you to Carla Schubert for leading the instrumental ensemble last Sunday and to all the youth who played.

Dear Friends,
My mother and I would like to thank you for all the kind expressions of love that came our way after the twins were born.
Lisa Shephard & Cinda Olinger

Dear Congregation:
I really appreciated all your prayers and cards after the death of my mother.
Rudy Gourdine

Thank you to all who helped with the Hanging of the Greens. It was a large crew, very organized, and the decorating went very quickly. The church looks beautiful as we await the Christ child. Also, many thanks to those who brought goodies to make a nice meal together afterwards. It was very much appreciated. I hope all of you who were there will help again next year. We’ll try to talk Dennis Hoffer into making a bigger pot of Hungarian Goulash. Jan Horner & the Worship Commission

PYF is collecting empty pop cans to earn money for projects. There is a container just inside the back door for your empty cans. Also, we are collecting old working cell phones to send in to a recycling company for cash. You may put these in the same bin.

Food Collection: To help the ongoing food shortage at the Church Community Services Food Pantry, please bring something each Sunday:
First Sunday- Fish (canned tuna & salmon)
Second Sunday- Spaghetti & Spam (sauce & canned meat)
Third Sunday- Teeth & Toiletries (toothpaste, personal care items)
Fourth Sunday- Canned Fruit
Fifth Sunday- Cleaning Supplies for Faith Mission

Do you have a prayer concern?
Do you know of someone in the hospital, recovering from illness, etc.? Let us know, so we can hold you or your friend in prayer. Contact Pat Van Dyke to be placed on the prayer chain, or send information to prayer at presby.net

Kathryn Lansche
May 4, 1918-November 19, 2005

The Sympathy of the congregation is extended to Cindy Gamber, whose father, Authur Eastman, died on November 17.

Congratulation go to:
Linda and Delbert Schrock on the birth of their newest grandchild, Melissa Kate born to Angie & Eric Nelson on December 6.

Jan and Don Horner on the birth of their newest grandchild, Max Andrew Horner, born to Chad & Stacy on December 12.

The CD of Celia’s 30th anniversary concert is ready and available for purchase, along with the other two CD compilations of some of Celia’s organ pieces and piano improvisations. Each is $10, with the proceeds benefiting our church’s music fund.

Elkhart Community Lion’s Club is collecting used house keys, car keys, hearing aids, and eyeglasses. If you have any of the above that you would like to donate, a box marked Lion’s Club in in the cabinet by the office in the Lost and Found cupboard, or you may drop them off at the office.

Newsletter Deadline
The next newsletter will be inserted in the bulletin on January 22, and mailed the following week to those who are not in worship. Please submit articles for that newsletter by January 13.