Steve's Scratchings
Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world.
We've had a number of baptisms in the first two months of this year, and I want to reflect briefly on them
On January 6 in the sanctuary we baptized:
Eugene Henry Mulinde, newborn son of Alex Mulinde & Wezzie Munthali. Alex and Wezzie are from Malawi, both here in college. Wezzie was baptized and raised in the Church of Central Africa (Presbyterian).
Somkeing Thammavongsa, youngest son of Smiley and grandson of Nom and Pien. The Thammavongsa family are from Laos, and were sponsored in immigrating to this country by Wabash Presbyterian Church.
On February 12 at the Bridge we baptized:
Kaytlyn Grayce Wall, daughter of Sean and Jenny, granddaughter of Bob and Kathy Wall, and great-granddaughter of Ralph and Betty Murphy.
Evan J. and Olivia Grace Nix, children of Robert and Kristy, a young couple who joined our church in 2005.
Dustin Messick, who professed his faith and was baptized as part of joining the church, along with his wife, Lisa (
more).
On February 26 we will be baptizing Luke Greising, son of Daryl and Leslie,
and grandson of Jack and Ruth Linton, in the sanctuary service.
What do you notice about these baptisms? Several things strike me:
First, notice the wonderful ethnic diversity. We live in a multi-ethnic world, in which America's history of being a "melting pot" of immigrants is alive and well. Our community is becoming increasingly diverse, including populations from Africa and Asia as well as from Hispanic countries. It is good for our congregation to mirror this diversity.
Second, notice how our baptizing baby Eugene and young Somkeing witnesses to Presbyterian commitment to worldwide mission. Eugene is the spiritual heir of Presbyterian missionaries who brought the gospel to Malawi in the 19th century and then let the local church grow and develop.
Somkeing is here because a local Presbyterian congregation reached out to sponsor a family from Laos.
Third, notice the mix of old and new families: Kaytlyn Wall and Luke Greising represent families who have been involved in our church for at several generations. Evan and Olivia and the other children are from families new to our congregation. To be healthy, a congregation must nurture the children of both long-time members and new ones.
Fourth, notice that not all our baptisms are children: we have one adult baptism on profession of faith. If a church is truly reaching out to share the love of Christ, it will be reaching adults who have not been "churched," and adult baptism is one indication of this. We welcome Dustin and other adults who have been baptized recently.
But, above all, I want to remind us of the commitment we as a congregation make at baptism. In each infant baptism, an elder asks the congregation something like this:
Do you, as members of this congregation, promise to guide and nurture these children by word and deed, with love and prayer, helping them to know Christ and share Christ's love?
This is a serious commitment to a joyful task: helping children experience and know the love of Jesus. It is a commitment that takes work: people willing to teach Sunday School (even if only a few Sundays a year), people willing to work with toddlers or youth (even if only occasionally), people willing to help with Vacation Bible School and other activities.
In the next article you will see an ambitious program to nurture children, including some events that will reach out to children outside our church. Linda Hartman and the children's commission are committed, but they need people to step up and get involved. Are you willing to help? Please prayerfully consider getting involved – you may rediscover the child within you!
Growing in Christ:
Children's Ministries in Action
We are looking forward to an exciting spring season. We have many new activities and will be using Lent as a basis for our curriculum.
The new "Best Lab in Town" is finished and we
will be dedicating it on Sunday, February 26, immediately after the 10:30 service. Stop by this Sunday to see it and plan to join us for the dedication. Thanks to the Best family for providing funding for this dream to come true.
Thanks also to Jennifer Pitcher for chairing this project and to Kathy and Bob Wall for countless hours spent in planning and decorating the space. Nico Valentijn and Todd Miller spent many days planning for computer needs. Others also had a share of the goal and the mission. Thanks to everyone. We now have a state of the art facility to accommodate the needs of our children. Carolyn Best had a wonderful understanding of the spiritual needs of children. We will use this new lab in her honor and to the Glory of God.
The "Tween" class continues to study "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" Sunday mornings in Room 107 at 9:30 a.m. Please notice the time change. They still need another table lamp and a stereo to complete their room.
Children from ages 3-Grade 6 will still meet upstairs at 10:30. We are in need of more teachers. Can you help us one Sunday a quarter?
We will be having a "beach party" on Saturday, February 25, from
1:00-3:30. Children should dress in tee shirts, shorts, etc. No swimsuits please. A few parent volunteers are needed and also three small kiddie pools and some other beach type articles for decoration.
Contact the church office if you can help.
Our vision is to expand children's ministries to be more family
 inclusive. To this end, we are having our first "camp in" to be held here at the church on March 24-25. We are in need of pop up tents. If you have one to loan, or would like to volunteer, please contact the church office. Mary Freed is the chair of this committee and Mindy Suhr is also serving this group. Watch for more details!
We will be having a Community Egg Hunt on April 15. Many, many
volunteers will be needed. More details later.
 We have dates for Vacation Bible School. This year it will be held June
12-15. Cheryl Ann Miller will be helping me with VBS this year. The theme
is "Fiesta." Please reserve this space on your calendar!
First Presbyterian is on the move!
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Growing in Christ:
Adult Ministry
What is your
personal philosophy of life?
| Sundays 9:30 &10:30 am
March 19, 26, Apr 2
Room 100
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What core values guide your life? NPR has brought back the concept of the weekly radio program hosted by Edward R. Murrow from 1951-1955. In this three-week class, you will hear and discuss short essays written by Americans of all ages and perspective about their belief system. Many of these people are well known, presidents, diplomats, businessmen, and civic leaders. This class will encourage you to examine your personal beliefs and develop respect for and reach a deeper understanding of beliefs different than your own. You may even find yourself writing your own short core value essay! Purpose Driven Life classes continue on Sunday mornings at 9:30 in Room 101 and at 10:45 in Room 104. Find a book and join us! Sin of the Week - Do we have your attention? In Lent we will have a sermon series on the 7 Deadly Sins (more). On Thursdays from noon - 1:00, Kathleen O'Connell will lead a discussion of the particular sin being discussed that week. Bring a brown bag lunch. The schedule: Thursday, March 2: Pride | Thursday, March 9: Greed/Envy | Thursday, March 16: Anger | Thursday, March 23: Sloth | Thursday, March 30: Gluttony/Lust |
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PoGO  On Tuesday, March 21 at 11:30, PoGO takes a Walk Down Memory Lane. Memories on various topics will be revisited an shared. Many funny stories will surface to keep you amused and laughing. Lunch will be served at 11:30. As a reminder, anyone is invited to attend any of PoGO's events.
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Men's Breakfast
What is the connection between our faith and our work? What difference does our faith make in the real world of the workplace? The Men's Breakfast begins exploring this topic this week. Join Steve Braden Wednesday mornings at 8:00 a.m. at Perkins at North Pointe Plaza (Cassopolis Street) for good food, good discussion, and prayer.
BBBB
 The Brown Bag Book Bunch meets on the first Monday of each month at 11:00 a.m. to discuss the current book. The next selection is Deep South by Nevada Burr
Join us on Monday, March 6 in the Reception Room.
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Lenten Worship
Lenten Sermon Series:
"A Lively Look at the Deadly Sins"
Are there old habits holding you back? Are you "stuck" in moving toward the life you want to live? Does peace of mind seem far away? Do you feel guilty and anxious?
For centuries people have struggled with such questions, and much of their thinking has crystallized around the classical "Seven Deadly Sins:" Pride, Anger, Greed, Envy, Lust, Gluttony, and Sloth. What do these words mean? Why are they "deadly?" How might they affect your life? How might you overcome them?
This Lent, at both the upstairs services and the Bridge, we are looking at these. Since there are only five Sundays in Lent, we have condensed them into five.
You may join a discussion of the "sin of the week" on Thursdays at noon (more). Join us for worship, and find new ways to overcome these old, old temptations.
Come and Find the Quiet Center:
Wednesday Night Soup & Worship
March 8 - April 5.
Join us Wednesday evenings in Lent for a simple meal and quiet, Taizé-style worship. From March 8 (the week after Ash Wednesday) through April 5 (the week before Palm Sunday), we will share bread and soup in Room 100 at 6:00 p.m., and then move to the chapel for a gentle worship service of prayer, singing, and reflection. Come and reflect, come and pray, come and find the "quiet center" where you may reconnect with God. Marge Mason Braden is planning and leading the worship, and the meals are being coordinated by Abigail Circle. To help us plan for the meals, please sign up on the table by the Gathering Place or call the church office.
Ash Wednesday Service
 | We begin our Lenten journey with our Ash Wednesday service, a time of quiet and prayer when we are invited to receive the traditional "imposition of ashes." Come and join us in the chapel on Wednesday, March 1, at 6:30. |
As we enter Lent, a time of reflection and prayer, a few words of wisdom from Barbara Brown Taylor:
"Even now, some Christians have difficulty listening to God. Many of us prefer to speak. Our corporate prayers are punctuated with phrases such as "Hear us Lord," or "Lord, hear our prayer," as if the burden to listen were on God and not on us. We name our concerns giving God suggestions on what to do about them. What a reversal of power might occur if we turned the process around, naming our concerns and asking God to tell us what to do about them? "Speak Lord, for your servants are listening.'"
May this Lent be for you a time of listening to God.
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Sharing Christ's Love
Presbyterian Giving
Since 1949, Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God's love with people experiencing need. Our gifts support ministries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development that help people find safe refuge, start new lives, and work together to strengthen their families and communities. Recognizing that the hope we have in Christ is lived out in our hope for one another, we respond with gifts that help our sisters and brothers around the world find the hope for a brighter future.
The Presbyterian Hunger Program receives 36 percent of undesignated One Great Hour of Sharing gifts, while the Self-Development of People and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance each receives 32 percent.
We will be receiving the One Great Hour of Sharing offering through Lent, and will dedicate it on Palm Sunday, April 9. Please give generously.
Presbyterian "Per Capita"
 As Presbyterians, we celebrate being a "connectional church," in which congregations share in mission and ministry at the regional (presbytery), multi-state (synod), and national (General Assembly) levels. We support this mission and ministry in two ways: through the "per capita apportionment" (which funds the operations at each level required by our constitution) and "shared mission" (which funds other programs and staff). The per capita apportionment is set each year by the presbytery, synod, and general assembly. The Stewardship and Finance Commission asks that you give prayerful thought to making an additional contribution this year to cover your own per capita apportionment. We are grateful for the many of you that have contributed to your per capita in past years.
For 2006, the per capita amount is $29.16 per active member. As an example, if you are part of a 2-parent, 2-child household, and both of your children are members (i.e., they have been confirmed), your total per capita would then be $116.64.
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Please consider making your per capita apportionment today. Make your check to the church, marked "per capita."
Emergency Needs Fund
The church office maintains an Emergency Fund which is used to help church members and to respond to requests from Church Community Services to help their clients. We probably get 2-3 calls a week from CCS asking us to help in putting together a "package" of funds to help some family avoid eviction or keep their utilities on. We spent over $1,600 from this fund last year, but the fund is about exhausted. If anyone would like to help replenish this fund, please make your check out to the church and mark it "emergency fund." Thank you!
|  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
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Geno & Michele Braun joined us by reaffirmation of faith. They have two children, Gene & Briana, both attending college. Michelle is a therapist at Oaklawn, and Geno is Used Car Sales Manager at Harold Ziegler Ford. The Brauns joined January 29 at the Bridge.
Dustin & Lisa Messick, who were recently married in our church. Dustin is a salesman at Adams Remco and Lisa works at Forest River. The Messicks joined January 29 at the Bridge, Dustin by baptism and Lisa by reaffirmation of faith.
Wonani Mhango ("Wo-nahn-ee Muh-hahn-go") was raised Presbyterian in Malawi (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian) and has a degree from Blackburn College, a Presbyterian college in Carlinville, IL. Wonani is a financial services representative for Primerica, and is playing on our church's basketball team. After living in Elkhart for a year or so, Wonani was attracted into our church by our sign. He will join at the chapel service.
Tom Roberts was encouraged to come to our church by some former members. Tom works at Utilimaster, and will be joining on reaffirmation of faith at the sanctuary service.
Katie & Brian Henderson, who are getting married in our church, will be joining at the Bridge. Brian is a supervisor at MSC Industrial Supply, and Katie works at Lane Bryant. They will join at the Bridge.
Ron Lautzenheiser & Mickey White actually joined in November, but their picture has not been published in the newsletter. Ron is retired after a varied career, including service as chief of staff to the two governors of Wyoming and owning a trucking business. Mickey currently is food service director of Bashor Children's Home, after serving as an Elkhart police officer and owning a local restaurant.
We welcome Todd Miller in the newly-created position of Bridge Technical Coordinator. As any Bridge regular can attest, Todd has spent untold hours not only preparing for sound and video for the Bridge services, but building the Bridge sound booth and installing and trouble-shooting the complex sound, video, and lighting systems.
