Ephesians 1:18-19
“I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.”
Dear Friends,
2009 is the 500th birthday of John Calvin! This Sunday is Reformation Sunday, and we will remember the founder of Reformed Christianity and his faithfulness to Jesus Christ.
What do you know about John Calvin? Not much, probably. Unlike Lutherans and Methodists, we Presbyterians shy away from putting our heroes on pedestals. In fact, one of our elders at Southminster told me he was an “old sour puss.” If you look at his pictures you can see her point of view. In order to discourage veneration, he specified that he be buried in Geneva’s common cemetery in an unmarked grave. His house no longer stands, and no one even knows where it was. Anyone spending time in a Presbyterian meeting would not be surprised that he started out life as a lawyer.
There are two things that I would like you to know about John Calvin. One is his idea that we need Holy Spirit glasses when we read scripture. The way he put it is was, “Just as eyes, when dimmed with age or weakness or by some other defect, unless aided by spectacles, discern nothing distinctly; so such is our feebleness, unless Scripture guides us in seeking God, we are immediately confused.” Scripture is important to us because it helps us to live honestly in the world. Scripture helps us to see God truthfully, ourselves honestly, and God’s Way in the world clearly. The other was his personal prayer as request for “an unwavering declaration of surrender to the Lord, whom he sought to love with all his heart, soul, mind and strength.” His seal was a hand holding a heart offered to God.
This Sunday we will be offering our hearts to God as well. During the affirmation of faith we will have an opportunity to place commitment cards in our offering plates. These commitments range from declaring your pledge for 2010 to remembering our church family in prayer. Your commitment is personal and between only you and God. We will also host guests from Ghana Presbytery in Ghana. Join us in the parlor following worship for a chance to hear more about our sisters and brothers in Ghana. What a wonderful opportunity to share our faith with one another. Take it from here.
Love, Wendy
Announcements:
If you missed the deadline (yesterday) for the November Dialog, get your information together right now and hit Reply. November and December are very busy times in the life of any church, and our members definitely want to know what’s going on.
We start tonight! A book club, Presbyterian Readers, is forming at our church that will meet on the third Wednesday of the month from 7:30-8:30 p.m. in the parlor. Tonight is our first get-together; we will discuss what books we have read in the past and what books we will want to read through the month of May. This group is open to all, men and women, members and non-members. If you have any questions please contact Wendy.
Mission is pleased to welcome 2 visitors from the Presbytery of Ghana this Sunday, October 25. They will be participating in worship with Pastor Wendy, as well as giving a short presentation in the parlor following the service. Dr. Quarshie is one of the founders of ACI, the first Presbyterian seminary in Ghana. If you can’t stay and hear their presentation, please stop by the reception in their honor and give our fellow brother- and-sister-in-Christ a warm Southminster welcome! How exciting it is to share our faith with international visitors on the same Sunday Gretchen and Bill are with our sister church in Guanabacoa, Cuba. We are truly “One in the Spirit.”
Adult Education: This Sunday, October 25, we not have our Sunday morning adult class so we can spend time with our guests from Ghana. Neither will there be a class November 15: Blair will be out of town.
Women’s Bible Study is meeting on Sundays from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in the parlor We are studying “Walking with God” by John Eldredge. Contact Ann Anderson (630) 469-2097 if you are interested in joining.
Christian Ed. Notes:
Tithing Halloween Candy: Parents, please talk to your child/children about contributing a free-will offering (tithe) of their Halloween candy this year to the PRC. If they bring their tithe in on Sunday, November 1, it will be delivered to the PRC that week.
Acolytes: We are still praying to get more children on board who want to be an Acolytes for the remaining year. A schedule will soon be published with each child serving three-four times per year. Please call the church office or email Laura Baer at smpcce@ameritech.net if your child is interested.
Music Ministry: Great singing job by our Pre-K - third graders this past Sunday! This concludes the formal music ministry for the children for 2009, as we now set our sights on the Christmas Program.
On Sunday, November 1, our only third grader, Dakota Dolister will receive her Bible during the Sunday School hour. If you see Dakota (often helping her mom out in the nursery), please congratulate her and let her know that you are praying for her to grow in God’s wisdom and grace.
The November 15 “Second Helpings” will be dedicated to the Christmas Program rehearsal from Pre-K through high school. We will begin directly after worship with selection of parts and rehearsing. Our program this year is being coordinated by Suzanne Tennyson. We will follow with the “Second Helpings” tradition of a soup and bread supper for the entire church family.
Mark your Calendars for these Christian Ed. dates!
November 15 – Second Helpings/Christmas Program Rehearsal
November 29 – No Sunday School
December 6 – Christmas Program Dress Rehearsal after worship
December 13 – Christmas Program
(There will be no “Second Helpings” in December.)
SPY and PYNGUINS: For those of you not going to iWITNESS, join us for SLEEP OUT SATURDAY: November 7, all night long! Do you need practice being cold? Probably not. But lots of people don’t get that choice because they have no warm homes to be in at night. Sleep Out Saturday is an event sponsored by Bridge Communities to educate us about the homeless. We’ll sleep out on the church lawn in a cardboard city to experience homelessness first hand (sort of). There will also be a rally, games, and lots of fun stuff. Blair’s gonna need a head-count, so let him know that you are planning on it.
Grown-ups: Because there are two youth events November 7 we need some folks to help. Please contact Blair if you can participate in Sleep Out Saturday as chaperone. Also, we need corrugated cardboard for Sleep Out Saturday. Again, contact Blair if you have some to spare, and who doesn’t?
We’re starting a Young Adult Group! Once a month we will meet at Blair’s house for dinner and fellowship the last Wednesday of the month. Our first meeting is Wednesday, October 28, from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. Please call and let us know if you are coming so we can set a place at the table for you.
On Sunday, November 1, Southminster will celebrate All Saints Day as part of our morning worship. Our closing benediction will occur outside in the Memorial Garden. During our Prayers of the People we will give thanks to God for the people who have touched our lives and are no longer present with us except that portion which lives in our hearts and minds. If you have a loved one, a friend or a family member whose death occurred since last All Saints Day and whom you would like mentioned during our All Saints Prayer, please contact the church office by next Wednesday, October 28, giving us their name and date of death. You can help us be as accurate as possible by providing correct spelling and leaving your name and phone number so we can check with you if we have any questions.
The Women’s Circle Used Book Sale will take place after church on November 15 in the narthex. For those donating books, please bring them in after November 1 and put them in the coat closet. We would like to get hard- and soft-cover novels and children’s books – books that you would like to take home and read to yourself or your children. Please, no textbooks. The proceeds will go to the Women’s Circle to support their programs and mission. Linda Ellinghausen and Betsy Rogers are the co-chairs for this event.
At our next Ladies Breakfast on Monday, November 2, we will have a Fall towel (kitchen, etc.) exchange instead of a sock exchange. Please join us at 8:00 a.m. at IHOP at Danada Square East, with or without a towel. Hope to see you there!
Southminster’s fourth annual Art Show is coming up! We’re looking for artists from our congregation who would like to share their work in our gallery from November 15, 2009 to January 18, 2010. Holiday hangings would be nice, but any work you are proud of would be fine: stitchery, painting, quilting, glass, photography, or whatever form of art you do. Items must be able to hang on our walls, and we’d like to ask that there be no repeats from last year. Contact Linda Ellinghausen (630-469-9039) or sign up in the narthex.
Presbyterian Women’s Thank Offering jars will be dedicated on Sunday, November 15, during the worship service. Please remember to bring your Thank Offering jar on Sunday morning. The Thank Offering gives women a tangible way to express their gratitude for the special blessings in their lives. But you don’t need to have a Thank Offering jar… or even be a woman… to support an offering that goes to projects such as agricultural development, child care, community organization, criminal justice, drug counseling, economic justice, elderly care, employment training, homelessness, literacy, violence, and women’s concerns. When the invitation is extended to bring the Thank Offering forward, please feel free to “give as you are blessed,” even if it’s simply the loose change in your pocket.
We are in need of a second person to work in the nursery. We are asking you to share this information with anyone you believe is qualified (at least 18 and with some child care training or experience) and who might be interested. The hours for this position are Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 noon (depending on the need during programs following worship). There may also be occasional other times when this person will be asked, if available, to care for children in the nursery during special church activities. The wage for this position is $10/hour. Please ask anyone who is interested to speak to Laura Baer.
Valet parking is available on Sundays for anyone who would like that service. In order for that offer to work, we need volunteers to assist with the parking! If you would like to volunteer to help with valet parking, there is a sign up sheet on the bulletin board as you enter the church.
Have you considered becoming a member of Southminster? Please talk to Pastor Wendy Boden (office: 630-469-9149) or Elder Ginny Kline (630-668-7374).
