Profiles December 2008 - First Presbyterian Church of Holland

Presbyterian Profiles
December 2008
Pastor’s page
2
Family
Advent Family Night
3&4
Outreach
5
Church in Community
6&7
Stewardship/Dinner
8
Youth Page
9
Presbyterian Women
10
Associate Pastors Page
11
Staff and Officers
12
8:45 am Worship
9:45 am Church School
11:00 am Worship
December 21 deadline
Send articles to:
Profiles@fpcholland.org
First Presbyterian Members and friends of all ages are invited to the annual
Advent Celebration. Dinner will begin at 5:30 pm in the fellowship
hall. There is no charge for this event, but a free will offering will be
taken. At 6:30 pm The Shepherd’s Story will be presented in the sanctuary
by our children’s choirs. Dessert will be served in the fellowship hall following the program.
Please join our children in anticipating and celebrating the birth of Jesus.
Presbyterian
December
2008 Michigan 49423
First Presbyterian
ChurchProfiles
659 State Street
Holland
(616) 392-9022 Fax (616) 392-8817 www.fpcholland.org
2
PASTOR’S MESSAGE
Rev. Linda Knieriemen, Pastor and Head of Staff
Perhaps it an occupational hazard. Instead of naming the months of the
year, I could sing the hymns of the liturgical seasons and “high holy days”.
Fall is a frenetic time of musical changes. Beginning in early October on
I’d hum, “In Christ there is no East or West” for World Communion Sunday. By the end of the month it’s “A Mighty Fortress Is our God” as we
mark Reformation Sunday. As the calendar turns to the first Sunday in
November, and we name the First Presby saints who have died during the
year, our eyes well up as we all sing “For All the Saints”. While Stewardship Season isn’t part of the official liturgical season, it is our practice to focus on time, talent
and treasure in mid- November and the hymns change again to songs like “We are An Offering” and “Take My Life and Let it Be”. With the first hints of winter, and perhaps a blanket of
snow like we’ve seen this year, Thanksgiving brings families together and we warm to the
strains of “We Gather Together to Ask the Lord’s Blessing”.
And then, it’s Advent and we’re turning back to page one of our hymnal for “Come, Thou Long
Expected Jesus” and the Advent waiting begins. Not just one Sunday, but a season of Sundays. While the culture around us scurries from store to store and recipe to recipe, the church
quiets itself and waits. And for four weeks, sings Advent Carols. Yes, the church runs counterculture in this season, and practices waiting, not instant gratification.
Our Advent theme centers around Jesus’ ancestors which, in a hurry to get to the more
exciting parts of the Christmas Story, is often skipped over as tedious unimportant history.
Sometimes, though, what seems to be trivia holds treasures which can enrich our understanding of God-with-us, Emmanuel. We’ll move from a look at Jesus as a descendent of Abraham
and Sarah, the first keepers of God’s covenant; as a descendent of some intriguing women
who foreshadow Jesus’ friendship with unlikely characters; to Jesus’ important genealogical
connection to the Jewish monarchs, Jesse, and Saul and David, and Solomon; and finally on
the fourth Sunday of Advent consider the significance of Jesus’ birth into the family of Joseph
and Mary, two ordinary Jewish peasants. Thanks to Lois Rodgers who has designed our bulletin covers for Advent and Christmas, we’ll visually witness the flowering of the Jesse Tree.
And yes, this Season has a special carol:
“Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming, as men of old have sung.”
Wait well and your singing of “Joy to the World” and “Christ the Savior is born”:
will be that much more brilliant.
Presbyterian Profiles
December 2008
3
THE CHURCH FAMILY
Presbyterian Family
in our hearts and prayers
Freedom Village Inn, 145 Columbia Ave.,
Suite 1, Holland 49423
Birdella Clark
Jeannette Gage
Trudy Stewart
Mary Lambert
Mary Ann Frieling Shirley Judd
Resthaven, 49 E. 32nd St., Room 127,
Holland 49423
Frances Martin
Heritage Health Care, 320 Central Ave.,
Zeeland 49464
Tom Urbaniak would like to thank those who
offered their prayers for him and sent cards
and e-mails of encouragement as he worked
through his recent heart issues. He wants to
report that during his very brief period of cardiac arrest he did not see a white light (as
many have asked) nor did he feel intense
heat nor see flames either. He is back to a
full schedule with a promise to his cardiologist that he will not pick up a snow shovel
this winter and recommends that others old
enough for Social Security do the same.
CHANGE OF ADDRESS
Rick and Terri Schamper
9039 Ridgeland Ct
Zeeland MI 49464
Joyce Scholten
Lakeside Vista, 340 W. 40th St., Holland
49423
Mary Noe Bldg. 4
Gloria Hoekenga #324
Warm Friend, 5 East 8th St, Holland 49423
Ev Frobom #524
Dick Anderle 11-14-08
Joyce Meeuwsen 11-16-08
Homebound, 829 Apple Blossom Lane,
Holland 49423
James Arndt
BIRTH
Tyler Charles Hagood 11-6-08
ANAGRAM
Presbyterian = Best in Prayer
Presbyterian Profiles
December 2008
4
THE CHURCH FAMILY
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December Birthdays
What is Coffee House Ministry?
Kyle Magennis
Jim Clevenger
Alan Martens
Jennifer Ludwig-Laux
Amanda Kouw
Andrew Wagner
Robert Martin
Alexander Updegraff
Ida Kompsie
Deb Schutmaat
Patrick Hayes
Madeline Van Houzen
Amanda Richardson
Rachael Johnson
Elsie Bergstrom
Kevin Chambers
William Evenson
Stacey Williams
Barbara Scholten
Marlene Oswald
Robert Smart
Sophia Blackburn
Larry Lynn
James Oswald
Dawn Mulder
Robert Kompsie
James Smith
Tom Glover
Jack Burkholder
Arloa Wirbel
Jennifer Bussey
Abigail Wallar
David Benedict
Mary Robertson
Bernard Mulder
Fred Birdsall
Len Bergstrom
Elizabeth Walters
Tom Urbaniak
Ellen Cuthbertson
Judith Matuszewski
Nancy Kreple
William Robertson
Kathryn Malmstadt
As many of you know I am called to coffee
house ministry and I work at a coffee shop in
downtown Holland. But what is coffee house
ministry? This is a question I am frequently
asked and one that I am still developing an
answer to. However, I want to share with you
what I know to be true: community is an important factor in everyone's life.
Presbyterian Profiles
The idea of community is what drives coffee
shop ministry. As we begin to watch the young
people in our society take shape as a generation, it is noticeable that the idea of a “third
place” is prevalent in their formation. Third
places are seen as somewhere that is not
home, work or school; instead it is another
community to which one belongs. Coffee
shops are often “third place” for people; a
place that they are known, comfortable and
safe. Because people are seeking community
in the coffee shop setting, there is a need for
people to help foster this community. That is
where the ministry aspect comes in, fostering
and ministering to those in the coffee shop
community. Unlike being a pastor in an established church, there is no real title given. So,
for me, this means being an employee at the
coffee shop and a member of the community
there.
I recognize that I have not even begun to ask
the many questions you may have. I want to
encourage anyone who wants to know more to
talk to me! I love to dialog with others and to
learn from them!
Sara Appleyard
December 2008
5
COUNCIL OF MISSION AND OUTREACH
Nursing Home Christmas Gifts
Once again First Presbyterian Church will be sharing individual gifts with the residents of
Heartland of Holland Care Center. On November 30 and December 7 following each church
service there will be cards with individual gift suggestions for each resident. Please take a
card, sign for it and on December 14 bring your gift to the church, securely wrapped and
labeled with the person’s name. Please sign the card First Presbyterian Church (and your
name if you wish). We suggest $15 price range but more or less is up to you. By providing
gifts for each resident, everyone at Heartland Health Care Center will receive a gift at their
Christmas party whether they have family or not.
Thanks to All Who Made Jonah’s Visit a Success
Thank you to everyone who helped to host and entertain Jonah while he was here. We appreciated his many contributions to our church life and have a much better understanding of his
life in Vanuatu. We especially thank Larry and Kay Briggance who did such a great job of
organizing Jonah’s stay with us.
The Peacemaking offering this year totaled $1,414.
Thank you to the Presbyterian Cooperative Preschool at our church who have adopted our
Community Housing Partnership families for Christmas. For both families who struggle to meet
daily needs, this will be wonderful.
Nancy and Jon Kreple have volunteered to organize our mission trip to the Katrina Gulf Coast
area this year. Please see them if you are interested in helping. No dates have been set yet.
We are also planning a local mission trip in March or April for those folks who aren’t leaving
town, but would like to help locally.
The Community Housing Partnership recognized First Presbyterian Church for its dedication
and faithfulness in mentoring families for the past 13 years. Our present two teams, Terri Borgman and Marilyn Lynn, and Sarah Anderson and Linda Pynnonen, were commended for their
love, caring and always going beyond the program requirements. Our church’s great support
of the Community Housing Partnership families has made mentoring a joy.
As the economy slips, the number of people using Community Kitchen, Care Closet, and Community Action House services continues to rise.
Please remember to return your nursing home gifts by December 14. Hats and mittens can be
brought to decorate the Christmas tree in the narthex any time in December.
Linda Pynnonen
Book Club
MEN’S BOOK CLUB for December 1 is Game of Shadows.
Presbyterian Profiles
December 2008
6
The Church
in
Community
E-Waste Collection Saves 46,000 Pounds from Landfill
Wow. That's all I can say about the Holland community and your organization. The total weight
for Saturday's event was 21,312 pounds. Again, West Michigan Creation Care surpassed expectations and had the second largest collection event Comprenew has ever been involved
with. Of course the largest was yours as well in August at Hope Church. Add Saturday's total
weight to your August event and you have over 46,600 pounds solely from your community.
That is a lot of e-Waste saved from the landfills! Please let your network and congregations
know and look for documentation from Comprenew within a day or so. Your organization has
been fantastic to work with and I look forward to future events in Holland with you (and hopefully with a Haworth truck again. We filled the truck and then some!)
Disaster Mission Work Planned for 2009
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) continues to be active in rebuilding lives in several
storm-ravaged communities. In years past, Dale Wyngarden has wisely and effectively led
groups from First Presbyterian Church in mission trips to the Gulf Coast. The baton has been
passed to me to coordinate a trip in early 2009. As of this writing, PDA has not yet sent all of
the relevant information but indicates that opportunities are in Louisiana, Eastern Iowa and
Galveston, Texas. Please consider joining this rewarding experience. If interested in volunteering, contact me -- Jon Kreple -- at 616-399-2202 or jskreple@charter.net.
STYROFOAM RECYCLING TO START IN JANUARY
This holiday season will bring with various toys, gifts, and electronics an ample supply of
styrofoam. What do you do with it? If you believe it gets recycled when you place it in curbside recycling bins you are wrong. It gets sorted out and placed in the trash which fills landfills.
But there is a solution in Allegan county (Hamilton) where Styrofoam materials (not including
packing peanuts) can be recycled. Starting in January we will join this program with recycling
at First Presbyterian. In addition we’ll start taking batteries and cell phone for recycling.
SO SAVE YOUR STYRFOAM! You’ll hear more about this program in the coming weeks.
And note that we can recycle only “clean” Styrofoam not covered by food particles. So stay
tuned. More information to come.
Presbyterian Profiles
December 2008
Church
in
Community
7
Vanuatu Visitors End Six Weeks of Sharing
When he returns to Vanuatu after his six-week visit to Holland and Grand Rapids, Presbyterian
elder Jonah William wants to establish a web site to share ideas with the youth of his church
and those of First Presbyterian and Westminster churches.
“We will be looking for ways to develop programs and enhance communications among the
youth groups,” Jonah said before he left Sunday, Nov. 16 for the return flight to Vanuatu.
Jonah and the Rev. Allen Nafuki, pastor of a Presbyterian church in Vanuatu, arrived in midSeptember as part of a mission partnership that included an earlier visit by members of First
Presbyterian to Vanuatu.
While impressed by the diversity and freedom of religion in America, Jonah said it would be
sad if God were not seen more in this country. In his homeland, it is tradition for families across
his nation to gather at home for evening prayers of thanksgiving and concerns.
In America he says it appears people pray just to eat. Church members, he says, should engage in personal prayer daily and not rely on ministers and their prayers.
While no nation or people are perfect, Jonah said the challenge is to find a common place to
reach out to others of the world. He proposed to contact the Vanuatu representative to the
United Nations, who is an elder in the Presbyterian church, to help establish a formal friendship
with the United States such as Vanuatu has with churches in England, France, Australia and
New Zealand.
Pastor Allen spent his time in Michigan with First Presbyterian Church of Escanaba, preaching
and leading communion and observing the culture.
Allen cautioned against possible commercialization of the Word of God in countries where ministers are paid to preach, where they serve for what they are paid. In Vanuatu, he says, many
are volunteer ministers and he would like the elders to preach the Word of God.
He also encourages the gospel to be presented in a cultural perspective. He says Vanuatu is
more of a communal society and it is important to learn how the word is presented in an individualistic nature. He says there is still a sense of unity in Christ among Christians living in the
diverse United States. The Bible still is honored by Christians in America.
Jonah and wife Apele have sons Robin, 18; Hotei, 16; Vaipouli, 14, and Bruce, 12. Allen and
wife Idau have a son Arua, 34, and daughters Uravo, 27; Zonia, 25; Aloha, 22, and Alicia, 18,
and five grandchildren.
Presbyterian Profiles Presbyterian Profiles
December
November
2008 2008
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STEWARDSHIP/DINNER
Christmas Joy Offering
MADRIGAL DINNER—DECEMBER
20 & 21
The Christmas Joy offering will be received
on the fourth Sunday in December. The reYe Are Hereby Invited to Celebrate the Birth of
ceipts from this offering are distributed
our King
equally to the Board of Pensions for assistance programs and to Racial Ethnic and
Women’s Ministries of the General Assembly King’s Feast
Council to support Presbyterian racial ethnic
education.
A Madrigal Dinner
with Musicians and Mirthe
To help retired church workers and their surviving spouses, the board offers income sup- Hosts: FPC Choir & Friends
plements to raise incomes to a level where
retirees can live modestly and continue to
Saturday, December 20 and
maintain their independence.
Sunday December 21
The Shared Grant Program also provides
Housing Supplements and funds for emergencies and financial needs for all current
and retired church workers.
Again and again, recipients of grants large
and small say that as important as the financial assistance is, what really sustains them
is the knowledge that the church stands with
them in their time of need.
Seating will be limited to Courtiers wise enough
to RSVP with their Patronage
Price is $15.00 per person or $100.00
for a table of eight.
Stewardship Council Reminder. Session needs to
plan for 2009. If you have not
turned in your 2009 Financial
and Time and Talent pledge
cards, please do so as soon
as possible. Cards should
be sent to church or placed in
Vicki's box in the church office. For questions, contact
Ann Meengs
(ameengs@wmol.com) or
Brett Bowen
(brett@brettbowen.com).
Presbyterian Profiles
December 2008
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Presbyterian Profiles
December 2008
10
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN
Christmas Luncheon is Wednesday, December 3
at 12:00 p.m. at the church. The food will be catered from Hope College by Tim Blackburn. This
year our Christmas message is from our own
Ministry Intern, Sara Appleyard. You can reserve
your spot with Sarah Glover or Liz Bristol, or sign
up on the bulletin board. The cost of the luncheon
is $15.00.
The Master’s Card
On Wednesday, December 10, the Miriam Circle
will meet at 9:30 a.m. at the church to explore
Lesson 4 and have their annual cookie exchange.
There are no finance charges, no payments
due. My bill has already been covered; it’s
a prepaid deal. I couldn’t afford the price,
so Jesus stepped in and paid it for me.
Information of the Churchwide Gathering of Presbyterian Women is now available online at
www.pcusa.org/pwgathering. This gathering will
be July 11-15, 2009 in Louisville, KY. Also, a registration booklet is located on the PW shelf in the
M & M cafe area. If interested, please see any
member of the PW coordinating team.
My name is written on the card for all to
see. It is accessible twenty-four hours a
day from anywhere in the world. The Master’s Card has so many benefits it’s hard to
list them all. Let me share some of them
with you...you might want to apply for a personal card yourself.
Many women come to the Center for Women in
Transition in urgent haste, with clothing for their
children, but not much for themselves. On the
small shelf next to the 28th Street entrance is a
basket to receive new women’s underwear,
which will be given to women who come to the
CWIT. Please leave price tags on the underwear; this assures that it is brand new. Watch for
good sales, coupons or Senior Discount Days
and bring as much as you can. Presbyterian
Women can help other women!
Just for starters, there is Unlimited Grace.
That’s right; there is presently no limit to the
amount of grace you receive from The Master’s Card.
I’m sure you’ve all received applications for
credit cards in the mail. However, I’m here
to advertise a different card. You see, my
life is a product for others to see. I’m a
card-carrying representative for The Master’s Card. That’s right, The Master’s Card.
Let me tell you about it…
Have you been looking for love in all the
wrong places? Then look no father than
The Master’s Card. It offers the greatest
rate on love that has ever been offered.
The Master’s Card gives you access to
many “members only” benefits. Want real
joy despite the difficulties of life? Apply for
the Master’s Card. Looking for something
you can always rely on in a jam? The Master’s Card is perfect for you. Another great
thing about The Master’s Card is that it
never expires and will never be cancelled.
Once you’re a member, you’re a member
for life...eternal life, that is.
Membership has its privileges, you know.
So why not apply today!
It’s only a prayer away.
Presbyterian Profiles
December 2008
11
.
ASSOCIATE PASTOR’S MESSAGE
Advent is coming. Then again, as I write this, so is Thanksgiving. As
these two holidays come around each year, it seems as though our schedules fill up faster than we can keep track of some times. There is so much
to do around this time of year and as the calendar fills, stress levels seem
to rise a bit. Okay, maybe they rise more than a bit.
Today, however, I let my dog Rudy out for his morning “outing” and the
snow covered the ground. While for some, snow means slowed travel
and therefore longer commutes to and from work or play, for Rudy, it
means bliss beyond comprehension. As he raced around the yard, turning
sharp corners, leaning into every turn, zipping past me as I brushed the snow off of my pick-up,
he finally stopped and stared at me. He stood there in the snow for a moment, his breath steaming with each exhale, and then, with a look of mischief in those big brown eyes, he flopped
down on his side and rolled. Rudy rolled and rolled, making snow angels (snow Rudies) in the
freshly fallen snow until I finally called him inside.
Once inside, I brushed off any remaining snow that he did not shake off before he curled up on
his bed for his morning nap. As I walked out to my pick-up and saw all the imprints of my dog
left in the snow, I realized that in this time of stress and schedules filled to capacity, that I
should at times pause (paws) and be like my dog. I need to just enjoy life and occasionally roll
in the snow or some other way in which I may choose to really celebrate life in a special way.
That is what this season is about, celebrating. We are blessed to celebrate that our creator loves
us enough to choose to be with us in the most intimate way; God choose to be with us, to be our
Emmanuel. This manifestation of God’s love for humanity is reason enough to step back from
busy schedules to celebrate. And maybe for some celebrating is shopping for presents to share
with loved ones or making dinner for a large group or gathering with friends and family, but
whatever it is, in this holiday season, when stress may build up, I encourage you to be like my
dog.
Presbyterian Profiles
December 2008
12
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN STAFF & OFFICERS
Linda Knieriemen, Pastor
Matt Webber, Associate Pastor
Ned Pierson, Parish Associate
Vicki Best, Office Manager
Chuck Norris, Director of Music
Craig Avery, Interim Organist
Nancy Burkitt, Child Care
Thom Samuelson, Maintenance
Jodi Stevens, Bookkeeper
Hope Alexander, Custodian
Elders
Business Affairs
Personnel
Christian Education
Outreach
Stewardship
Worship
Congregational Life
Hospitality
Clerk of Session
lindak@fpcholland.org
mattw@fpcholland.org
nedp49423@yahoo.com
vickib@fpcholland.org
norrisc@gvsu.edu
craigoryallen@hotmail.com
contact church office
toms@fpcholland.org
pjstevens@chartermi.net
contact church office
Chris Polich
Linda Gebben
Lori Klinesteker
Fran Rosensteel
Linda Pynnonen
Ann Meengs
Brett Bowen
Mary Deenik
Cary Schutmaat
Sherry Martens
Ellen Cuthbertson
Bob Smart
Presbyterian Profiles
Deacons
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Kristi Kiekintveld
Terri Borgman
Mary Harrington
Mark Van Oostenburg
Lynn Wildt
Bev Plagenhoef
Bob & Jeanne Weber
Larry Briggance
Karen Yonker
Gene Karn
Lynette Van Oss
Jan Goodwin
Scott Jacobusse
Krista Anderson
Marilyn Lynn
December 2008