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Features & News
May 22 - June 18, 2005
Worship Schedule 8:30 a.m. Worship in the Chapel
9:45 The Bridge in the Lower Level
11:00 a.m. Worship in the Sanctuary
Summer Worship Schedule(Starting June 5) 8:00 a.m. Chapel Service
9:15 The Bridge Service
10:30 a.m. Sanctuary Service
Two Weeks at a Glance Monday, May 23
8:00 a.m. - PBJ/Room 100
Tuesday, May 24
9:00 a.m. - Worship Team & Staff
11:30 a.m. - The Bridge Worship Team/ Office
7:00 p.m.- Deacons/ Room 101
Wednesday, May 25
8:00 a.m. - Men's Prayer Breakfast/ Perkin's
10:45 a.m.- Wednesday's Table/ Room 101
7:00 p.m.- Bridge Band Rehearsal/ Lower Level
7:30 p.m.- Chancel Choir Rehearsal/ Choir Room
Thursday, May 26
9:00 a.m. - PoGO/Room 100
1:00 p.m.- Small Group/ Room 101
Friday, May 27
7:00 p.m.- PW Retreat/ Geneva Center
Sunday, May 29
8:30 a.m. -Worship/ Chapel
9:45 a.m.- The Bridge Worship/ Lower Level
- Church School & Chancel Choir Rehearsal
11:00 a.m.- Worship/ Sanctuary
3:30 p.m.- Worabo/ Mesfen Wedding
5:30 p.m.- Small Group/ Reception Room
No PYF
| Monday, May 30 Memorial Day
Office Closed
Tuesday, May 31
9:00 a.m.- Worship Team & Staff/ Office
11:30 a.m. - The Bridge Worship Team/ Office
Wednesday, June 1
8:00 a.m. - Men's Prayer Breakfast/ Perkin's
10:45 a.m.- Wednesday's Table/ Room 101
7:00 p.m.- Bridge Band Rehearsal/ Lower Level
Thursday, June 2
10:00 a.m. - Presby Day/ First Presbyterian Church, Mishawaka
Sunday, June 5 Communion/Sernior Recognition
8:0.0 a.m.- Worship/ Chapel
9:15 a.m.- The Bridge Worship/ Lower Level
- Church School & Chancel Choir Rehearsal
10:30 a.m. - Worship/ Sanctuary
12:00 p.m. – PYF/ Bonneville Mill
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Dream Gathering, June 12 You are invited to the first of what will become regular “Dream Gatherings,” in which all members and friends of First Presbyterian are invited to share their hopes, dreams, and prayers for our church’s mission. It will be held Sunday afternoon, June 12, from 3:00 - 4:45, with a light supper to follow from 4:45—5:30. Food will be provided.
Bring your hopes and dreams on the 12th. Behold, God is doing new things through our congregation!
Exploring Membership Are you interested in exploring membership at First Presbyterian? Our next class will be offered two times. For those who prefer evenings, you are invited to join us Thursday, June 2 & 9 from 6:30—8:00. If weekends are better, a second session will be offered Sunday, June 12 from 11:00—2:00. Both classes will be led by Pastors Steve Braden and Kathleen O’Connell. Childcare will be available. If you have questions, or cannot make either session, please speak to Kathleen O’Connell. New members will be received in worship on Sunday, June 19.
The summer worship schedule will start Sunday, June 5. Because we now have three Sunday morning services, the schedule will be a bit different this year:
8:00 a.m. Chapel Service
9:15 a.m. Bridge Service
9:15 a.m. Sunday School during June
10:30 a.m. Sanctuary Service
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Steve's Scratchings “God isn’t finished with me yet.”
Several of my friends have used that as a tag line. Whenever I see it, I’m reminded that God isn’t finished with me either. God isn’t holding my shortcomings against me; instead, God is trying to help me grow as a follower and disciple of Christ.
God isn’t finished with any of us. Whether we’re nine or ninety, God’s Spirit is still active in our lives
- increasing our faith, strengthening our love, deepening our joy. This is a sign of God’s unending love for each of us. Praise God for that! But it is also part of God’s unending love for others. For God’s Spirit is always seeking to make us instruments of God’s grace and Christ’s love for the whole world. God’s work in our lives is never for our benefit alone; it is always meant to help us be a blessing to others.
This is equally true of our life as a congregation. God seeks to bless this congregation to be a
blessing to others. God seeks to do new things among and through us to share Christ’s love. I
have visited congregations who have lost any sense that God still needs them — they have become
mired in a survival mode, just trying to preserve the status quo. That is a sad place to be, and I
thank God that we aren’t anywhere close to that.
I believe that God has great purposes for us. Do you share that belief? What are your dreams and hopes for what God might do through our church? As suggested by Jeff Patton, our church consultant on his return visit, we are beginning a series of “Dream Gatherings,” in which members and friends of our congregation are invited to gather to share our dreams for what this church might do in fulfilling our mission. Information on the first such gathering — June 12— is on the front page of this newsletter.
Come and share your dreams. No dream is too grand or too wild. And don’t be afraid that you’ll automatically be asked to chair a committee. We want to share our dreams, pray about them, and discern which ones God is leading us toward in the near future.
The session is also in the process of looking at reorganization, to streamline our structure so as to better facilitate carrying out our mission. Stay tuned for further information as our reorganization plans develop.
Recently, one of our faithful members came to me and said, “I’ve always come to church asking ‘What will I get out of the service?’ Lately, I’ve come to realize that’s the wrong question. I should be asking, ‘How can I become more of a disciple?”
If we can all have that attitude, God will do great things through this church. And when a church is doing great things for God, God’s blessings are with it. We don’t yet know exactly how God is calling us to be a blessing to our community, but we are moving toward that discernment. Please pray for this process — it needs to be bathed in prayer.
God isn’t finished with us yet! And fulfilling God’s mission will be a wonderful and exciting journey.
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Worship and Music
Favorite Hymn Sunday June 12, 8:00 & 10:30
Do you have a favorite hymn that we haven’t sung in a long time? On June 12 , we will try to sing many of your favorite hymns. Preference will be given to hymns not in our hymnal or which we don’t sing regularly.
Copies a form to suggest a favorite hymn will be available in the church. Please turn in the form by Sunday, May 29 (to give us time to find and duplicate the music). We can’t guarantee that be able to sing every song, but we encourage you to suggest your favorite hymn. Preference may be given to hymns outside our hymnal or not sung on a regular basis.
Jazz Sunday- June 26
 The popular Reformation Band with the Opperman Brothers will return to our Jazz Sunday worship at 10:00 am. on June 26.From its first performance over 35 years ago at a Saginaw church, the seven- piece traditional jazz band has made a joyful noise at national jazz festivals, with various symphony orchestras, on cruise ships, at colleges and universities, and with hundreds of congregations. Invite your friends to this unique and inspiring worship service! The 10:00 Jazz Service will be the only service that day.
Geneva Center Worship July 17. .On July 17, you are invited to car-pool down to Geneva Center (our Presbyterian camp near Rochester) for an outdoor worship service, followed by a picnic lunch and opportunities for swimming or hiking. There will be a single worship sen/ice in the church. This replaces our worship in the park. Watch for further details.
Summer Choir.....you are invited to sing in the Summer Choir during the month of June. Singers who have graduated from high school are encouraged to join our adult voices as we share our songs of praise. We will practice in the Choir Room on Sunday mornings at 9:45 a.m. on June 5, 12, and 26. Singers will sit in the congregation and come to the front of the Sanctuary for the morning’s anthem. The music will be enjoyable and easy to sing. Please join us!
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Fellowship and Fun We're Going to a Ball Game!
 Friday, June 17, against the West Michigan Whitecaps
Time: 7:00 p.m. (game time — meet at the park)
Coveleski Regional Stadium (501 West South Street, South Bend)
for directions: (574) 235-9988 or www.silverhawks.com
Tickets: $3.00 Money and Registration are due by Sunday, June 12
How do I sign up?
- Call the church office (264-3109),
- Email Kathleen
- Sign the sheet on the table by the Gathering Place or on the counter at the Bridge
PoGO-Presbyterians on the Go
June-Postponed - An intergenerational Canoe Trip down the St. Joe River to Bristol by paddlers of all ages. Non-paddlers  will await the arrival of the POGO FLEET and be entertained by a variety of lawn games. A carry-in picnic will climax the afternoon of fun and fellowship.
July - Come join the fun on Sunday afternoon July 31 to see the musical, Singing in the Rain. The bus will leave the church parking lot at 11:00 a.m., arriving at 12:00 for lunch at the Wagon Wheel. The play begins at 2:00 and we should be home by 6:00. The fee is $42 which includes lunch, tickets, and bus fare. Sign up soon as there are only 44 spots available. Reservations can be made at the table in the hallway or by contacting Mary Ann (264-9794) or Jackie (295-5784). Reservations and money are due by June 30.
Sydney Bontrager Mary Ann Graves Jackie MacKenzie
Sharing Christ's Love
It is “Peacemaking Award” Time...
Over the next two weeks, members of the Mission Commission will be awarding our five hundred dollar Peacemaking Award to a graduating senior at Jimtown, Concord, Elkhart Central, and Elkhart Memorial.
 At Jimtown and Concord the award will be presented during their awards night programs. At Central and Memorial the award will be presented during a classroom arrangement.
This award recognizes graduating seniors for making an effort to actively promote justice and reconciliation between people.
In the next newsletter we will feature the four recipients and sometime in June they will be acknowledged during our worship service.
Peacemakers are the promise of tomorrow for our world.
Homebound Communion...Elders and Deacons—current and ‘retired’:
We will be visiting homebound and nursing home residents on Sunday, June 5, following each of the morning worship services. If you are available, please share an hour of your time to enable our members to receive the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. If you’ve never served homebound communion, you’ll be paired with an experienced server. Contact Kathleen O’Connell if you can help.
Communion Bags needed...
If you have been a homebound communion server in the past, would you please check to see if you still have one of the blue or beige tote bags? Several have gone missing over the last year. If one is hiding at your home, please encourage it to return to Kathleen’s office before June. Thanks!
 Once again the generosity of this congregation has come shining through. The total funds from the fish banks, the Lily Fund after purchasing the lilies, and other donations came to $4,958.19. What a difference those funds will make in the lives of people facing hunger, recovery from disaster, and the need to build their lives all over again! Thank you for “serving one another with the gifts you have received.”
Growing in ChristYouth Fellowship Schedule
May 29 - No PYF due to Memorial Day weekend.
June 5 - Picnic and volleyball at Bonneyville Mill County Park. We will leave the church after the 3rd service. Lunch at 1:00 p.m. Parents, please pick up your youth at 5:00 p.m.
June 12 - Cookout and campfire at Karen Renkiewicz’s home. We will meet from 6:00-9:00p.m.
June 19 - Father’s Day, No PYF. Enjoy the day with your dad!
June 26 - Possible movie or Putt-Putt night. Meet at 5:30 p.m.
PresbyDay is a gathering of senior members from Presbyterian churches in the Elkhart-South Bend area for fellowship, study, and lunch. The gatherings are at First Presbyterian Church of Mishawaka, but different churches host. We are hosting the June 2 gathering, with Kathleen O’Connell as devotion leader. Come and join the fun! There is a sign-up sheet near the Gathering Place, or call the church office. Car-pooling can be arranged.
Geneva Center, our presbytery camp near Rochester, IN (about 75 mm. south), has some wonderful summer  camp opportunities for children & youth. Call the camp for abrochure (574) 223-6915, or check out their website at Geneva Center Website:www.genevacenter.org, Application forms are available in the church office or at the welcome desk. Scholarship help for up to half the cost of camping is available from the church. To request scholarship help, talk to Steve Braden.
 Vacation Bible School: Peace! The Time is NOW!- This is our theme for our 2005 Vacation Bible School being planned with our neighbors from St. Paul’s Methodist Church. We’ll be hosting them this year, and we encourage ages 4 to 104 to participate in many different ways. The dates will be June 26 to June 30 from 6 - 8 p.m. We are currently signing up teachers, helpers, drama team, music team, kitchen crew, volunteers for all areas! Registration for children and adults attending will begin soon. To volunteer, contact Jennifer Pitcher, Children’s Coordinator, Mindy Suhr or Cheryl Ann Miller
Synod School... The 2005 Synod School, with the theme “Fearless Factor,” will be held July 10-15 at Hanover College, Hanover IN. Presented in connection with the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center, this will be a wonderful week of family activities and spiritual growth. Call the church office or visit their website: http://www.lincolntrails.org/school_2005.asp
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.
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Trustee Tribune
Dear Gardeners, Thank you for adopting a plot and committing your “magic” to have wonderful gardens. We are all anxious to see the Lord’s wonderful and beautiful flowers materialize in front of our eyes. Over and above planting flowers and plants it will also require weeding, trimming, and pruning.
This is the time to check and assess the flower beds. We will spray those weeds that grow on sidewalks and driveways. Karen Cittadine so graciously had leaves cleaned up. She will have plants trimmed and she also adopted additional plots. Karen we thank you from the bottom of our heart.
The map of the plots is on the wall adjacent to the sanctuary. Each plot is numbered. We also made a spreadsheet showing names of the gardeners and committed plot(s). Please look it over and if we need to make any correction(s) please mark it on the spread sheet.
We need several more volunteer gardeners. Please feel free to mark your name on the spreadsheet and mark your Garden Plot number. If you know someone who would like participate in gardening please let me or Cinda know.
If you have any questions, or if you need any special supplies, please give me a call.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND HAPPY GARDENING!!!!
Alex Eraybar
848-1848
| New Outdoor Sign...
We are getting a new outdoor sign! After a thorough investigation, the session has approved a new, illuminated sign with changeable letters, to be placed in a curb extension in the southwest corner of our parking lot. The sign, to be made and installed by U.S. Signcrafters of Goshen, will look something like the picture below. For more detail, see the display that will be placed near the Gathering Place. Thanks to Alex Eraybar and a task force made up of representatives from the Outreach Commission and the Trustees (Alex, Jane Cherepak, Russ Gilpin, Barbara Harman, Sean Wall, and Steve Braden) for months of hard work on this project.
Drywell. . .Work on fixing the drywell in the Memorial Garden is scheduled to commence May 23. Bill Walters will fill in the clogged drywell and dig two new drywells under the Beardsley Street parking lot. Weather permitting, the basic work should be completed in a week.
HVAC . .The trustees are actively investigating options for a major overhaul or replacement of our current HVAC system. As mentioned last month, one of our two boilers has failed, and we have persistent leaks in our 45-year-old piping. Needless to say, this will be an expensive proposition! Watch for further information as it becomes available.
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| This 'n' That
Thank-you Notes
2004 was a difficult and discouraging year. 2005 is going to be much better.
It is impossible to adequately express my sincere appreciation to each of you for your prayers, visits, and beautiful flowers including the Easter lily. The many cards, get well, and birthday, as well as the Caring Cards (get-well poster & birthday card) showed your loving thoughtfulness.
Thank you very much, Helen Hovey
To the Members of the First Presbyterian Church:
Thank you for all your prayers and cards, it will help in my recover.
Sincerely, Marian Ball
To our friends at First Presbyterian Church, Elkhart, Please accept our heartfelt thanks for all the love and kindness you have shown us making it possible for us to endure the last two months. It never will be forgotten.
Lois & Orvis Rupe
| The sympathy of the congregation is extended to Vernease Pyles on the death of her sister on May 8.
Baptism..Josephine Constance McCormick, daughter of Katie & Braden McCormick was baptized on Sunday, May 22 during the 8:30 service. Grandparents are Connie & Ron Minzey.
Congratulations go to... Leslie & Daryl Greising on the birth of their new son, Luke who was born on April 30, 2005.
Congratulations to all of this year’s Beardsley School volunteers for their help as a lunch time reader, tutor, pen pal, and as a lunch buddy. We thank all of you folks again.
From the Beardsley School staff
Ushers for summer needed...We need ushers for the three services for the summer months. Pick out your dates now (ahead of time)! The sign-up sheet will be located on the table by the Gathering Place for you to sign up in advance. Serve as often as possible; it will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance!
2005 Mission Yearbooks available...it is not too late to order the 2005 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study. See Cinda in the office for a copy!
| FISH update.. .FISH (a program of worship enrichment for children through 2nd grade, offered during the Sanctuary service) will be taking a break for the summer months starting in June. FISH will resume when we return to our regular worship time in late August. If you would be interested in being a FISH volunteer (leading FISH once every 4-6 weeks), please contact Kathleen O’Connell .
| A small group, especially for Parents of Young Children...Parenting is one of the most rewarding and challenging activities any of us tackle. We can all use support and encouragement—especially when we wish to raise our children as faithful followers of Christ. If you are looking for an opportunity for study and fellowship with other parents, this new group is for you. It is for parents whose are not old enough for Elementary School. Single parents and individual members of a couple are welcome. The nursery is staffed during the class. The group meets in the Reception Room at the church Sunday evenings at 5:00 every other week. See calendar for dates.
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Steve Braden will be out of the office on study leave Tuesday-Thursday May 31-June 2.
| High School Seniors...High School or college, technical school, seniors will be recognized on Sunday, June 5 at the 10:30 a.m. worship service. Graduates, please call the church office and let us know your plans after graduation and send a picture. We’ll include those pictures and plans in a future newsletter.
| The Brown Bag Book Bunch meets once a month, on the first Monday of each month, at 11:00 a.m. to discuss the current book. The upcoming selections are:
June- Mammoth Cheese by Sheri Holman
July- The Runaway by Alice Munro
August- Bury Me Standing, The Gypsies and Their Journey by Isabel Fonseca
Join us on June 6 in the Reception Room. | 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 | Newsletter Deadline
The next newsletter will be inserted in the bulletin on June 19, and mailed the following week to those who are not in worship. Please submit articles for that newslatter by June 10.
| 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 or Bea Pyle to be placed on the prayer chain, or send information to prayer@presby.net
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Worship Schedule
| May29 | June 5
| June 12 | June 19
| Preacher
| Steve Braden | Walt Davis
| Steve Braden | Steve Braden
| Bridge Preacher
| Steve Braden | Kathleen O'Connell | Kathleen O'Connell
| Kathleen O'Connell
| Liturgist
| Jennifer Pitcher
| Alan Sirinek
| Colleen Goode
| Russ Gilpin | Special
| Memorial Day Weekend (Remember deceased members)
| Confirmation (9:15)
Senior Recognition
(10:30)
| Favorite Hymn
(8:00 & 10:30)
Baptism (9:15)
| Newsletter
New Member
Reception
| Greeters
| Mindy Suhr
Dave Van Putten
| Pam Duncan
Daryl Greising
| Barbara Harman Barbara Hodgson
| Jim & Mary Rasp
| 8:00 am Ushers
| Susie & Dave Lehman
(8:30 am.)
| Lori & Bob Eber
| Paula & Stu Barb
| Chuck Vetter
Stephanie Wright
| | 9:15 am Ushers | Marsha Brownewell
Peggy Zimmerman
| Anita & Jessica
Gorden
| Vernease & Jim Pyles
| Mary & John Seddon
| | 10:30 am Ushers | Jackie & Gordon MacKenzie
Vernease & Jim Pyles
(11:00a.m.)
| Betty & Bill Rice
Ferne & Bob Huber
| Denise & Bob Briggs
Barb & Bob Hodgson
| Andy & Mason Braden
Debra & Jeff Kaufmann
| 10:30 a.m.
Music
| Summer Choir (11:00 am.)
| Summer Choir
| Summer Choir
| Jill Stoll, flute
Dennis Hoffer, organ
| Hospitality Host
| Mary Jane & Rob
Blanken
| Anita Gorden
| Linda & Del Schrock
| Susan Wu
| Counters
| Troy Scott
Sean Wall
| Norma Boyer
Doc Atkins
Stephanie Wright
| Norma Boyer
Doc Atkins
Stephanie Wright
| Norma Boyer
Doc Atkins
Stephanie Wright
| FISH
| Vicki Kronemeyer
Cheryl Ann Miller
| No FISH
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Updated May 22, 2005
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