Newsletter
"First Things":
March 2008
Contents...
Church
News
Session News
Campus/Youth/Children
Fellowship/Study Groups
And
More
From the Pastor's Pen
Dear Members and Friends of First Church:
This morning I opened the Friday, February 22nd edition of the
Akron Beacon Journal and the headlines read, Deadline Overhaul
- Cavs involved in 11-player blockbuster trade - Cavs Get: Szczerbiak,
Smith, Wallace, West; Bulls Get: Brown, Gooden, Hughes, Simmons;
Sonics Get: Newbie, Marshall, Griffin. I had heard about
this deal the night before on the 11 o'clock news and I couldn't
believe it. Wow! What a team overhaul. The Cavs
literally changed in the flickering of the eye - 3 starters among the
6 dealt away for 4 new additions. I wondered if the players
traded would have thought at the beginning of the season that just
midway through they would be wearing another team's jersey. This
whole "changing of the guard" made me think of the question - Whose
team are we on?
It was May Day, 1990. The place: Moscow's Red Square.
"Is it straight, Father?" One Orthodox priest asked another,
shifting the heavy, eight-foot crucifix on his shoulder. "Yes,"
said another. "It is straight." Together the two priests,
along with a group of parishioners holding ropes that steadied the
beams of the huge cross, walked the parade route. Before them
was the official might of the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics:
The usual May Day procession of tanks, missiles, troops, and salutes
to the Communist party elite. Behind the tanks surged a giant
crowd of protestors, shouting at Mikhail Gorbachev. "Bread!...
Freedom!... Truth!" As the throng passed directly in front of
the Soviet leader standing in his place of honor, the priests hoisted
their heavy burden toward the sky. The cross emerged from the
crowd. As it did, the figure of Jesus Christ obscured the giant
poster faces of Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels, and Vladimir Lenin that
provided the backdrop for Gorbachev's reviewing stand. "Mikhail
Sergeyevich!" one of the priests shouted, his deep voice cleaving the
clamor of the protesters and piercing straight toward the angry Soviet
leader. "Mikhail Sergeyevich! Christ is risen!"
It was obvious that May Day in Moscow's Red Square whose team
Gorbachev was on and whose team the priests and parishioners were on.
As we make our journey to the cross and Easter, I ask us all to
consider whose team we are on? We are either for Christ or we
are against Him - there is no fence sitting when it comes to Jesus.
On Sunday, March 23 Jesus is calling a team meeting at First
Presbyterian Church of Akron. It has something to do with a
cross, much like the one the priests carried through Moscow's Red
Square. I hope you will be present. All team members are
expected to attend. Don't miss out, you will not be sorry.
I pray I will see U in CH_RCH.
Yours in Christ,
Mark
From the Pulpit
- March 2nd Fourth Sunday of Lent / Communion Sunday
- Scripture: Amos 5:4-6:7
Sermon: “SOCIAL JUSTICE" (3rd of a 5 part series)
March 9th Fifth Sunday of Lent- Scripture: I Thessalonians
Sermon: “DISCIPLING" (4th of a 5 part series)
March 16th Palm Sunday- Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30
Sermon: “TIME AND TALENTS" (5th of a 5 part series)
March 23rd Easter / Resurrection of the Lord- Scripture: John 20:1-18
Sermon: “NOT JUST ANY SABBATH"
-
- March 30th
- Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16
Sermon: “CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY"
-
Church News
Palm Sunday
Calling all children. We need you to process down the isle at
the beginning of the worship service waving your palm branches.
Please plan on meeting in the Narthex of the Sanctuary at 10:40 a.m.
so you can receive your palm and join us in the celebration.
Happy Birthday
 The
congregation would like to say Happy Birthday to Colina Wells and Joan
Shorter. Joan Shorter turned 95 years old on February 22nd and
Colina Wells turned 93 years on March 2nd.
Special Good Friday Tenebrae
Service Friday, March 21
Please mark your calendars for a special Good Friday Tenebrae Service
that will be held in the sanctuary beginning at 7:00 p.m. Our
friends and neighbors from the Church of the Holy Spirit Church will
be joining us again this year. FYI - the word "tenebrae" is the
Latin for "shadows." The service was originally designed for
Good Friday, but can be observed on Maundy Thursday. The service
can be divided into seven, eight or nine parts, each one assigned to a
different reader. The purpose is to recreate the emotional
aspects of the passion of Christ: the betrayal, the abandonment, and
the agony of the events. The service is left unfinished because,
as we know, the story isn't over until Easter Sunday. Come and
worship with us on Good Friday for this moving service as we prepare
our hearts and minds for the great Resurrection Day. Note: THERE
WILL BE NO CHILDCARE PROVIDED THIS NIGHT.
Update in Youth Ministry
I thought the youth ministry was overdue for an
update to First Church. Many of you enjoy a meal with us for our
fundraising dinners, but other than that, I would venture that most
don't know how things are faring with our youth and the ministry.
So, I'd like to fill our First Things youth space with a snapshot.
Our programming consists of four weekly meetings.
Sunday School, The 5 o'clock group, SNL, and the Tuesday Urban
Discipleship Group. The 5 o'clock group is for High School
students who want to learn how to interpret the Bible on their own so
we dig as deep as the rabbit hole will take us. This group is
mainly composed of sub-urban youth, while our SNL is mainly composed
of urban youth. In fact, the 5 o'clock group was created to
offset the more basic but foundational teaching in SNL since our
demographics have been transforming. In SNL we usually have some
free time and an active game, followed by musical worship and a
lesson. The Tuesday Urban Discipleship Group is a consistent
group of eight young urban men, most from our immediate neighborhood,
that meet for basic Christian teaching. The hope of this group
is to show them the love of God and equip them to be followers of
Christ and, in turn, make more disciples for Christ.
Our main priority is to see transformed lives and
that probably won't happen through any magical program 2 hours a week.
So, our ministry is trying to use these programs as a spring board for
shepherding relationships, attempting to follow Jesus' discipleship
model. At this point we have 5 adult leaders and in order to
really touch more youth's lives we need more help. Part of our
difficulty has been with the lack of transportation. Many of the
youth are dependent on being picked up and there have been quite a few
nights where I've gotten a call from a student but had to say, "Sorry,
we just don't have enough seats to get you here."
We've also seen a lot of new faces; some that come
and go and some that stay. Apart form our adult leaders who
attempt to hone in on them, we try to make our programs a safe
environment where they don't feel threatened, mistreated and can have
a blast. Perhaps you've seen the couple TVs we have in the youth
room for video games or the computers we've set up for homework and
internet access. (If anyone has a computer that they don't need
anymore, we would be interested in accepting donations and can give
you a statement on those). Our hope is to meet their different
needs, whether academic or social so then we can attempt to meet their
spiritual needs. We're still working at it, but I believe we're
moving in the right direction.
I hope this has given you a little more insight
into the ministry. My resolution is to keep you all more
informed so that you will know what to pray for and perhaps, how to
better support us, whether through time, food, or transportation help.
I also want to say thank you for the prayers and support this church
has already given to us. You are truly a blessing.
The Elegant Egg VI
First Presbyterian Church and the Ohio Egg Artist
Guild will present their sixth annual "exquisite eggshell artistry"
egg show and sale on March 15th and 16th in our Fellowship Hall.
The Elegant Egg VI show will run from 9am to 4pm on
Saturday and 1 to 5pm on Sunday. All proceeds from the gate fee
donation (adults $2.00, under 12 free) and the pancake breakfast
(adults $5.00, 5-12 $3.00, under 5 free) will be given to our Summers
Best Two Weeks Day Camp scholarships. Last year we were able to
present over 5 scholarships for day camp participants.
 Egg
decorating classes will be held on Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 to
3:30pm. There is no charge for the classes which are limited to
12 participants per class. To participate safely, children must
be at least 8 years old. Reservations can be placed on the
long-term sign-up bulletin board in the second floor hall way, and
should include each participant's name and phone number or by calling
the church office.
Wearing a decorated Easter bonnet or cap to the
show will give you an opportunity to take home a decorated egg.
Show attendance drawings will be held periodically throughout the
show, and a postcard drawing will be held as well.
To schedule a block of time for this event, i.e.,
Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, or Sunday afternoon, or some
portion of those times, please sign up on the Long-term Sign-Up
Bulletin Board. Help is needed to sell tickets for breakfast and
for the egg show, to serve breakfast, to clean-up, booth sitters for
the eggers, to give hospitality, to "man" the information tables, etc.
Please contact Suzanne Gibson with any questions.
Easter Flowers
Help make our sanctuary beautiful by purchasing an
Eater flower. This year we will have 6.5 inch Easter lilies,
daffodils, tulips and hyacinths. Members and friends can
purchase a plant to be given to one of our home members or purchase
one in honor of memory of a loved one.
The price this year is $10.00 for each plant.
Please call the church office at (330)434-5183 if you wish to purchase
one. All orders and money need to be in the church office by
Sunday, March 9th.
Session News
Session Highlights
The Session met for a special meeting on Sunday, February to
approve the 2008 Budget. This was the only item of business.
Campus/Youth/Children
Wide World of Youth
We are heading into Mahvalous March! Read
all about it on the Youth page.
Fellowship/Study Groups
Tuesday Club
The Tuesday Club will meet on March 18th 19th at the Macaroni
Grill, 41 S. Springside Dr. in Montrose at 1:00pm. Call the church office if
you have any questions.
Morning Circle
Morning Circle will not be meeting during the winter months.
WNGs
They that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength. They
shall mount up with wings as eagles..." Isaiah 40:31
Women of the church are invited to participate in the Wednesday
Night Intergenerational Caring Group at 7:00 pm.
Evening Circle
Evening Circle will be meeting on March 18th at 7:30. Call the church office for details.
First Faithful Friends
FFF will be gathering for food, fellowship and faith on Monday,
March 10th at the Montrose Olive Garden at 6:30pm. We will
continue to survey Norman Vincent Peale's Positive Thinking. Contact the church office for more details.
Men's Bible Study
There are two men's bible study groups at First Presbyterian Church.
- Wednesday
morning at 6:30 am
- Thursday
morning at 6:30 am
Contact the church office for more information.
And More
Newsletter Deadlines
The deadline for the March issue of First Things is
March 9, 2008.
Plain English
If God seems so far away, guess who moved?
Presbyterian
Church (U.S.A.)
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