Grapevine, October 2014 Page 1

STEWARDSHIP

As a member of your Stewardship Team this year

I am sometimes asked how we arrive at our

decision about our pledge. The popular slogans

immediately come to mind. “Give till it hurts” or

“Give till it feels good”, the Lord loves a generous

giver and so forth. Of course, there is value in

each of these, but that is simply not the way we

choose to do it. I don’t think of myself as a

hoarder, but I do have one habit of many years. I

save all of our check stubs. I have found looking

back on these long ago written checks is kind of

like keeping a journal or diary. It’s fun to look

back and remember where we were and what

we were doing and when we bought certain

things of lasting value. Some of these items still

adorn our walls and bookshelves. Almost all of

these things fall into the “one person’s treasure,

another’s trash” category. But, we keep them,

because we still cherish them. So, it is most

interesting to look at checks we wrote over 52

years ago and try to remember what our lives

were like then. I was astonished to find checks

written to Bethany Presbyterian Church for

$5.00. But, as a student I earned $29.30 a month!

Our family income before taxes added another

$198.50 but a week’s groceries cost about $5.00,

and gasoline was about 29 cents a gallon. So, it

seems funny now, but $5.00 was about all we

could afford. And then the big revelation. As I

looked through these stubs, I began to see not

only the $5.00 but another $5.00 for the building

fund. Whoo Hoo we were the big spenders!

When we got out of school and went into the

Army these $10.00 checks found their way in the

mail to the Church year after year.

What has changed in over 50 years for us? Well

certainly the income we receive is greater, as is

the cost of living in general. Groceries cost a lot

more than $5.00 a week. But how we approach

and make our decision has remained steadfast all

the while. We start by looking at our income and

expenses and what we give in the way of general

charities. And we look at how important our

Church is to us and the family we find there. We

discuss these things and then we take a day or

two to pray over our decision. Time and talent

are also a part of our discussion as well. When

some time has passed, we get together again and

begin to fill out the pledge card. When we both

feel “good” about the amount and the time and

talent survey, we sign the card and bring it to the

Church. And, when a building fund, or special

campaign, or project is started, we revisit our

position and support it as well. So, I guess we do

“Give till we feel good”.

Keith Greene

Grapevine, October 2014 Page 2

End of Quarter Update from

the Trustees

As of the end of September through ¾ of the

fiscal year, combined giving and other revenues

exceeded our projected Year-to-Date (YTD)

revenues by approximately $3,750. Pledged

giving was at 96% of our projected pledged

giving through September, while our non-

pledged giving was 12.6% above the projected

level.

Expenses YTD through September were,

however, approximately $18,300 above the YTD

revenues. This deficit still reflects the over

$25,000 non-budgeted expenses incurred for

roof repairs and the exterior painting of the

building earlier this year. Other than these

Administration costs, all other ministry areas are

operating within and below their budgeted

expenditure levels.

A Summary of the YTD Revenues & Expenses

through September is provided below

Total Revenues were $363,597.68

Total Expenses were $381,899.43

Expenses exceeded Revenues by ($ 18,301,75)

Mark Widmer, Randy Hoff, Dru Cessac – Trustees

TOOLS FOR DEVELOPMENT

This year our “fund-raiser” has become a “food-

raiser” event. This is in response to several cries

for help from the villages we sponsor. The need

for humanitarian help in the region is great. A

combination of violent acts and scarcity of jobs

has led to a food shortage. Single mothers, the

elderly, and the children are most affected. So at

this time, as we celebrate the approach of

Thanksgiving, we ask for your support. We are in

urgent need of non-perishable food items that

can be transported safely. We need beans, corn

meal for tortillas, rice, noodles, lentils, sugar, salt,

animal crackers, instant soups, cereal, and

similar items. (no cans or liquids please)

Financial donations are welcome. They will be

used to purchase additional food and to pay for

transportation expenses. Donations of winter

clothing are also greatly appreciated.

We will welcome your donations starting Sunday

the 2nd of November through Sunday the 23rd in

the family room. Samples of items will be

displayed. You can also donate at Vega Mail

Center and Insurance, 15033 Nacogdoches Rd.

Ste 208, (Corner of Judson and Nacogdoches,

behind Jack in the box) Monday through Friday

9AM to 6PM and Saturdays 10AM to 3PM.

Maria Lewis

RACAP Holiday Meal Basket Program

Each Thanksgiving and Christmas, the Randolph

Area Christian Assistance Program (RACAP)

provides food to many area families who would

otherwise not be able to prepare a holiday meal.

Last year, 272 households received assistance at

Thanksgiving and 313 at Christmas.

Applications from clients who qualify for

RACAP's regular services are now being accepted

for this year's meal basket program. If you know

of those who might need this type of help during

the holidays, please let them know they may

apply for both holiday programs at the RACAP

office in Schertz. Applications for assistance at

Thanksgiving should be made before November

4 and for Christmas before November 26.

Grapevine, October 2014 Page 3

We at HTPC can assist by giving food, by

donating money and gift cards to buy turkeys

and other perishable items, and, as individuals or

organizations, by sponsoring one or more

families. Sponsorship of a family for

Thanksgiving or Christmas involves providing all

of the meal basket contents and, at Christmas,

gifts for the family's children.

Sponsorship application forms are available in

the church office and in the family room; one is

also included in this newsletter. The forms need

to be returned to RACAP by November 3 for

Thanksgiving sponsorship and by November

21 for Christmas only sponsorship. A RACAP

representative will contact sponsors to provide

more information and answer any

questions about their adopted families.

Sponsorship application forms, as well as

checks with "Holiday Program" on the memo line

and gift cards can be handed to one of HTPC's

representatives to RACAP --Jean DeKunder,

Elaine Hutchinson and Kay Delpero--or mailed to

RACAP, 307 Pfeil Street, Schertz, TX 78154. The

cost of a basic food basket, not including a frozen

turkey, should be less than $35.00.

Food for the Holiday Meal Basket Program can

be left below the Mission and Outreach bulletin

board in the church's family room. Holiday

Program food, as well as regular supplies for

RACAP's food pantry, can also be taken to RACAP

at the address above between 1:00 and 3:00 PM

Monday through Friday.

Items needed for RACAP's Holiday Meal Basket Program:

Chicken Broth Flour Granulated sugar (four-pound bag)

Brown sugar (one pound) Evaporated milk Stuffing mix Canned pumpkin Canned yams Fruit cocktail Cranberry sauce

RACAP asks that those sponsoring a family also

include a turkey, eggs, margarine or butter, pie

shells and rolls or bread in the basket.

Current RACAP food pantry needs:

Canned meats Canned pasta with meat (ravioli, lasagna, etc.) Canned fruits Canned mixed vegetables Canned sweet peas Canned tomato products (diced, sauce and paste) Canned beans Breakfast cereals Soups (no cream soups) Toilet paper

Thanks and blessings to all the HTPC

organizations and individual members who

contributed to RACAP's Back to School Shoe

Program and continue to donate to RACAP's food

pantry. You are doing a world of good.

Adult Sponsors Needed

We are seeking two adult male and two adult

female sponsors to accompany a few of our 6th

through 12th grade youth for the presbytery wide

Midwinter Youth Retreat at Mo Ranch, the

weekend of January 23rd thru January 25th. This

is the Midwinter Retreat that combines middle

school youth and high school youth. If we opt

not to combine the groups, we would only need

one male and one female adult sponsor, but on

Grapevine, October 2014 Page 4

two different weekends – January 16th thru

January 19th for the Senior Highs and January

30th thru February 1st for the Junior Highs.

Please let Pastor Dick or Mark know if you might

be interested in chaperoning the group. A

sponsor packet will be available for you with

some helpful hints, guidelines, event schedule,

travel arrangements, and registration and

emergency contact information on each

participant. You are invited and encouraged to

share some time with these young people and

enjoy the exuberance and enthusiasm generated

by the youth during these retreat experiences.

Directory Photo Time Photos will be taken on Nov. 2nd and 9th in the

Family Room after each service. Digital personal

photos may be submitted to the church office

instead.

Upcoming Youth Group and KFC

Activities

LET’S GET LOST IN A

7 ACRE MAIZE!

KFC and Children of HTPC, you and your parents

are invited to join us at the South Texas Corn

Maize for only $5 a ticket Saturday, November

1st from 1:30-4:30 p.m. Meet us there or carpool

with us to Hondo. Not only will we get lost in the

maze, we will enjoy other fun activities the corn

maze has to offer. Food may be purchased at the

maze or you can bring your own. Join us for

lunch at Burger King off of Nacogdoches and

1604 at 11 a.m. We will carpool from Holy

Trinity at 12:30 and arrive back at 5:30 p.m. For

the safety of our kids, it is important that

children are accompanied by a parent or

guardian. Get directions and information at

www.SouthTexasMAiZE.com. Text/Call Tawni

Garcia 210-884-9991 or Cheryl Serrato 210-

860-3413 for your tickets.

HTPC Youth Fun Night Middle and High School Youth are invited to

enjoy the South Texas Maize in Hondo, on

Saturday evening November 8 from 6:00 pm to

10:00 pm. Meet at HTPC @ 4:45 pm to head to

the Maize. RSVP to Renee Penn.

Thanksgiving Dinner - November 15

We will enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner

and make agape.

Christmas Caroling – December 14

We will travel to sing for some members of our

church who are currently in Assisted Living or

Rehabilitation facilities, and distribute the agape

made at the Thanksgiving dinner.

As always, feel free to contact Tawni via e-mail

or phone 884-9991.

Grapevine, October 2014 Page 5

Hosts for Dinner & Devotional

with Our Youth

We are looking for members of our congregation

who would like to host our youth group in their

home for what we refer to as an evening dinner

and devotional. This would involve serving a

meal and joining the youth for a brief devotional

following some games, activities, music, and/or

pre-arranged program. Our intent is to allow

members and youth to become better acquainted

through a time of sharing and fellowship with

one another. Depending upon the response from

prospective hosts, we hope to be able to

schedule one dinner and devotional in the fall

and two after the first of the year. Those

interested in hosting our youth, please contact

Pastor Mark or Katherine Mehaffey 464-0297.

Youth Group Leaders Selected to Lead

Youth Group

The youth leadership team for this school year has been selected. The youth group leaders are as follows: Josh Kloster-Youth Group Coordinator; Zoe Brown-Program Activities Coordinator; Drew Penn-Worship & Music Coordinator; Natalie Mehaffey-Secretary & Treasurer; and Preston LeBlanc-Publicity and Membership Coordinator. If added assistance is needed, last year’s leaders, Aaron Mehaffey and Josh Saleen, are available to assist Preston LeBlanc and Josh Kloster, respectively. Robin Brown will also assist in his current leadership role as a member of the Presbytery Youth Connection Committee (YCC).

Please congratulate these young people for their willingness to plan, organize, and lead their youth group in the months ahead. Your prayers and support are welcome as we all strive to develop a youth program that is fun, inviting,

inclusive, spirit led, meaningful and constructive.

Mark Widmer, Lay Pastor for Education and Youth Ministry

Holly Days Arts and Crafts Fair Update

The Women of Holy Trinity would like to thank

all the volunteers – women, men, youth – who

helped with the craft fair this year. Thank you to

all who helped with parking, donated baked

goods for the hospitality room, the Angels who

gave our vendors a break, everyone who helped

with set up and clean up and silent auction, and

the women who staffed the Women’s booth at

the craft fair. The craft fair was a tremendous

success, thank you all again.

Mary Ann Hester Zink,

Holly Days Arts and Crafts Fair Chairperson

Book Divas

The next meeting of the Book Divas is Thursday,

November 6, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. in the Geneva

Room at church. We will be discussing the book,

“The Aviator’s Wife” by Melanie Benjamin. Bring

a snack for six people. Beverages and paper

goods will be provided.

The Book Divas will be meeting on December 6,

2014 at 7:00 p.m. at Sheila Clark’s house, 12719

Villa Madero, San Antonio. The book for

discussion will be “The Christmas Pearl” by

Dorthea Benton Frank. We will also have a book

swap. Bring a book or books that you would like

to swap with other members of the book group.

Bring your favorite Christmas snack.

Grapevine, October 2014 Page 6

Join us for any or all of these meetings for a lively

discussion of these books. Do you have a

favorite book that you would like to recommend?

Let me know.

Sheila Clark

HTPC Chain Gang

Join us for our next bike ride on Sunday,

November 30th at 2:00 p.m. We will meet at

Medina River natural Area, 15890 Highway 16

South, and (Chaparral trail is approximately 14

miles round trip).

RSVP: mehaffeyk@holytrinitypres.org

Women’s Luncheon

When: Monday, November 10, 2014 @ 11:30 am Where: Cheddar’s Restaurant 15284 N IH35, Selma, TX RSVP: Katherine Mehaffey 210-464-0297 or mehaffeyk@holytrinitypres.org

Men’s Luncheon When: Monday, November 17, 2014 @ 11:30 am Where: Blake’s Café McQueeny, TX RSVP: Len Gray 210-412-2696 or Lgray001@satx.rr.com by Saturday, November 15th.

KeenAgers

When: Thursday, November 20, 2014 @ 11:30 am Where: Pompeii Italian 16109 Nacogdoches Rd. 210-946-5518

Upcoming Events at HTPC

December 14, 2014 Christmas Cantata All Church Christmas Party

November Birthday’s

2nd Janice McGhee 3rd Will Ann Nava 3rd Layton Pennington 4th Paul Smith 5th Chandler Schavrien 8th Daya Baer 9th LaDonna Smith 10th Zack Serrato 12th Gloria Collins 12th Mark Widmer 16th Hattie Hockaday 16th Juanita Luensmann 16th Coleman Van Allen 19th Jason Saleen 19th Wayne Smith 19th Leah Strickland 20th Bob Parks 20th Karen Wahrmund 21st Terry Widmer 21st Jeff Wise 22nd William Jones 22nd Kathy Price 24th Dawn Diaz 24th Nancy Herriger 25th Sheila Earley 25th Jefferson Johnson 26th Milagros Ramirez 28th Tim Beaver 28th Manuel Serrato 28th Martha Waters

Wedding Anniversaries 1st Linda & Rusty Koehler 45 4th Martha & Randy Waters 47 6th Betty & Frank Rutledge 15 7th Trish & Dennis Doyscher 32 8th Stephanie & Marc Overall 11 17th Judy & Dave Bird 51 18th Virginia & Bill Hopfensack 14 26th Nannette & George Gwaltney 21