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Pastor Amy's thoughts...

7/3/2015

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Greetings –

On this beautiful sunny summer day in June, I am thinking thoughts of grace. The letter to the Ephesians (2:8) reminds us that ..”by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God…” First and foremost, grace is a gift. You can’t demand it, you can only be given grace.

During my week in North Carolina at the CREDO conference, grace was evident throughout. CREDO is funded by our church board of pensions – a gift made possible for every pastor, not just those with large expense accounts. Some of us serving smaller churches needed that grace-filled gift more than others, but we all received it. During the week, we pastors (who often are the first to arrive on Sunday mornings and the last to leave) were encouraged not to “help” in any way. Don’t clear the dishes, don’t help set up chairs, and don’t “pitch in.” Just relax, fill a glass with sweet tea, and participate in the workshops. Though I was sorely tempted to fix the sound system problem the first night, I resisted. What a gift it was to be served, to receive someone’s gift of hospitality. When have you been given the gift of being a guest? It was a true gift of grace – unmerited, unearned, with no expectation of repayment. 

Thinking more deeply about the grace of God, I am struck by how our very lives are a gift of God’s grace.  As Frederick Buechner writes,

“The grace of God means something like: Here is your life. You might never have been, but you are because the party wouldn’t have been complete without you. Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Nothing can ever separate us. It’s for you I created the universe. I love you. There’s only one catch. Like any other gift, the gift of grace can be yours only if you reach out and take it. Maybe being able to reach and take it is a gift too.”

This summer as your vacations take you to places of rest and relaxation, relax deeply into these words. Your very life is a gift of God’s grace. You are here because the world needs you - the unique gift that you are and that you bring to the world by your very presence. God’s gift doesn’t end there. God desires to be with us, to calm our fears, to give our lives purpose. All we need do is reach out and take that gift of grace, freely offered. As the familiar hymn states, “Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.”

It is my prayer this summer that we may we say yes to God’s gift of grace. That we realize just how big a gift our very lives are to the world, and that we may we seek to grow deeper into who God has created us to be.


Now there’s food for thought for a summer sunny afternoon. Where’s my sweet tea?

In Christ,

Pastor Amy

 


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Outdoor worship Sunday July 19th

7/3/2015

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Come join us on Sunday, July 19th, at 10 AM for a service outdoors on the lawn near the cross. We’ll have chairs set up, but feel free to bring a lawn chair or blanket if you’d like. Even better – invite a friend! It will be a treat to worship God together outside.

 


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Volunteer spotlight: Rod D., Gay H., Bev F.

7/3/2015

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We have been blessed by the service of ruling elders and a deacon whose terms of service have now ended. 


Thank-you to Rod D. for his service on the session these past three years. We have appreciated his service in increasing outreach, on the nominating committee, and serving as our liaison to the board of Deacons. 


Thank-you to Gay H. for completing his second three-year term as a ruling elder. It has been a blessing to have Gay coordinate building and grounds and rally all of us for congregational life events. 


Thank-you to Bev F. for her service these past three years on the Board of Deacons. Bev has been a caring support to the church members and friends on her deacon list, and has enriched our worship by making sure we had flowers each week. 


Thank-you to all three of these leaders and we look forward to seeing in what new ways they will serve God and the church in the future.

 


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Confirmation class schedule

7/3/2015

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A Confirmation class for high school youth inquiring into church membership has begun! We have four youth and their mentors meeting after worship on selected Sundays over the summer and into the fall. Next meetings are: July 12, July 26 and August 9 at 11:15 AM in the back classroom. If you have not picked up your book from Pastor Amy, please do so! Our first topic is “the Bible.”

 

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Hello from the Deacons!

7/3/2015

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Hello from your friendly neighborhood deacons! The deacons have decided to reach out to our beloved congregation through The Caller to let you know a little more about us. Our moderator Don C. has put together a brief history of the deacons.

One of the duties of the early Christian Church was to distribute and serve food to Christians. The twelve disciples (Judas had been replaced by Matthias; see Acts 1:23-26) called a meeting of the church leaders and it was decided to appoint seven of the church members to “wait on tables” (diakonein trapezais). They chose the seven and then they prayed and laid their hands on them and dedicated them to the task of waiting on tables. This allowed the other leaders of the church to devote themselves to praying and preaching (This is described in Acts 6:1-6). This group of seven people was the first deacons committee.

The Book of Order of the Presbyterian Church says: “The office of deacon as set forth in the Scripture is one of sympathy, witness, and service after the example of Jesus Christ.” Pastor Earl S. Johnson , Jr. says in his book The Presbyterian Deacon (pp1-2): “Traditionally, deacons are people persons. Their hearts go out to those in distress; to members who have suffered loss; to neighbors in the hospital; to friends who have lost their job; to new parents who are confused by a wonderful, sudden, and challenging change in the responsibilities of life; to new members who need a word of welcome; to members who are shut in and lonely and cannot leave their homes; to people in the community who have lost their way and can no longer find God; to those who are economically oppressed and do not have adequate places to live or enough to eat;….”

We hope this helps to have a bit of background on the deacons so we can all understand their position in the church. We would also like to remind everyone that there is a list of who your individual deacon is. This list can be found on the farthest bulletin board in the fellowship hall. Hopefully you’ll be able to look for more from the Deacons.



-Mandi S

 



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Nominating Committee

7/3/2015

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Nominating Committee includes: Charlotte B., Rod D., Brian H., Shirley L., Steve W., Fran Y., and Minna D. Many thanks go to each of these people, who served on the 2015 Nominating committee. As voted on and confirmed at the EPC Congregational meeting on June 21, 2015

Deacon:

Charlotte B., class of 2018

Brian H., class of 2018

Session, Ruling Elders:

Doug D., class 2018

Steve W., class of 2018

When you see these four people, please thank each of them for their willingness to serve our church.

Respectfully submitted,

Minna D.,

Chairman, Nominating Committee


 

 

 

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Leadership / session retreat

7/3/2015

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If you are a Ruling Elder please put Saturday August 22nd on your calendar. We will be meeting from 9-3 for a session retreat. Both incoming and outgoing elders are invited to attend.

 

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Special musicians for the summer

7/3/2015

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Do you have a hidden or not-so-hidden musical talent? We are looking for you! Summer Sundays have begun, and with them we have many opportunities for you to share your music with the congregation during worship. Talk with our pianist, Gina, to schedule a Sunday to share your talents. AND, if you are thinking about joining the choir, the first rehearsal will be Wednesday September 9th at 7 PM. Put it on your calendar now and plan on joining us then.

 


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Facility upgrades – made possible by good stewardship

7/3/2015

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There are changes in store this summer for the physical plant of Edmonds Presbyterian Church! Thanks to generous donations over the past few years, we have been able to resurface the parking lot, upgrade our sanctuary lighting, replace the choir robes, purchase a new vocal microphone, and many more projects. This summer, there will be three major projects taking place: We will replace the windows on the East (garden) wall of the sanctuary, replace carpet and flooring in the sanctuary and hallways, and fix the Fellowship Hall & entryway roofs. Wow! We are blessed by the generosity of our members and the careful stewardship of our resources by the session elders. We are getting a LOT for our money! It is our goal that this building will serve the congregation in our mission and ministry to the community for many years to come.

 

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Sunday school returns in the fall!

7/3/2015

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Our Sunday school teachers have begun preparations to offer a Sunday morning Sunday school class for elementary students. Contact Pastor Amy if you would like more information for an elementary aged child/grandchild who would enjoy attending. Sessions will start in September.

 


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