The

January, 2019

OUR MISSION:

IS TO KNOW THE LOVE OF GOD, TO PROVIDE TANGIBLE CHRISTIAN GROWTH

AND TO GO LIVE OUR FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.

KNOW – GROW – GO

While the new year for the church actually began the

first week of December (with Advent), it’s with the

end of the Christmas season (Epiphany, on January 6)

that we find ourselves in a new calendar year. And it’s

a great way to start a new calendar, too: celebrating the

arrival of the magi (or wise men) and marking the

revelation of the Christ to world.

Epiphany is a fantastic reminder for Christ-followers to start anew. Like

the magi, most of us come from non-Jewish backgrounds, but have had

some kind of encounter with the living God in Jesus of Nazareth. And, like

the magi, once we’ve had that encounter with the living God we cannot

return to life by the same way we came (a lose interpretation of Matthew

2:12).

One way we start “fresh” each Epiphany here at FPC is with the giving and

receiving of “star gifts”: a simple piece of paper with a star drawn upon

it…and a word inside the star. We’re asked to place that star, and the word

it reveals, in a prominent place in our home or office, or even our car—

wherever we’ll see it most often and take the opportunity to reflect on the

word and how God might be revealing something new to us, or calling us

to reflect such a thing. It’s amazing how God uses such a simple thing as a

piece of paper to work in, on, and through us!

Over the years I’ve received quite a few words that have given me pause,

challenged me, and forced me to focus, discern, see with new eyes, hear

with new ears and so on. My word for 2018 was “forgiveness” and it

served as a constant reminder to me to seek forgiveness, and grant it. Boy,

oh boy! Such a core command as forgiveness served as a deeply humbling

reminder to a bloke like me (who can hold some serious grudges) that to

pray “forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors” is actually pretty

hard, yet transforming work! Thanks be to God for that star gift and the

focus God called me to have in 2018.

Of course, I’ve heard lots of stories from others about how they’ve

wrestled with their star gift…and have enjoyed it! And I want to

encourage each of you to come on Sunday, January 6, and receive your

star gift—and give it a try: place it in a prominent space in your life and

see where God leads you.

Surely it will be down a different road than the one you first came down.

But that’s not a bad thing. In fact, the places you travel, and the

experiences you have on the journey, may enrich your life all the more and

leave you a transformed child of God!

Pastor Jason

-1-

MISSION OF YOUTH FELLOWSHIPS

The Youth Ministry Program at First Presbyterian Church seeks, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to nurture youth in their faith development (through worship and study; retreats and spiritual enrichment; mission and evangelism;

fellowship and recreation) and to equip them to live our their call to be Christ’s disciples in the world.

SPARK (Middle & High School Youth)

Spark meets Wednesdays during Oasis (6-

7:15pm).

All 6th-12th graders are welcome as we gather

for fellowship, prayer, lessons, mission, and fun!

We hope you’ll join us every Wednesday

as we pray for the

Holy Spirit to “spark” the fire of our faith.

REMINDER: Spark, Kids Crew and Oasis

Will resume on Wednesday, January 9th.

See you then!

-12-

Join your friends from Port Presby as we

enjoy a fabulous brunch at The Whitney in

Detroit, followed by a self-guided tour of the Detroit Historical

Museum! We always enjoy both of these activities. Your friends

are welcome too, whether singles/couples/members, you are all

welcome. Do RSVP.

What: Delicious brunch at The Whitney. Cost depends on what

your order; it can be pricey or not so much. Then we will

visit the Detroit Historical Museum, which is donation

only.

When: Saturday, January 5th. Meet at our church’s parking lot at

10:00 a.m. to carpool to Detroit, returning by 6:00 p.m.

Cost: Brunch price varies, chip in for gas money for drivers.

RSVP: Call Annette at 586-725-4934 by December 30th to reserve

your spot.

-11-

The voices of Bethlehem were joyfully heard on Sunday, December

16th, as the children and youth of First Presbyterian Church led our

congregation in praise and worship.

A BIG thank you is extended to all of the young people who so

faithfully offered their gifts of leadership as they proclaimed the

Good News of Jesus’ birth:

Rebecca Brown Luke Fletcher

Sarah Brown Tia Fletcher

Mila Peyerk Dane Peyerk

Benjamin Pittman Benjamin Nurnberg

Kathryn Pittman Jonathan Nurnberg

Cameron Cronce JJ Fletcher

Paige Cronce Shuko Sakuma

Ty Fletcher

Thank you also to all of the parents and grandparents who made sure

the children made it to rehearsals.

Finally, a special thank you to Laura Nurnberg for organizing

costumes and props, and Tami Cronce for “behind the scenes” help!

Because of each of you, we witnessed angelic faces and lovely

speaking voices! THANK YOU!

With gratitude and joy,

Kelly Pittman & Cyndi Beerbower

-2-

PARISH

PERSONALS

What a joy and blessing it

is to minister to and with the First

Presbyterian Church of Port Huron!

All of us on the staff: Pastor Jason, Carrie, Ann, Mike,

Amanda, Wes, Cyndi, Elizabeth and Taylor, wish to thank you for

the graciousness you’ve extended with your year-end gifts to us;

gifts full of love and grace. THANK YOU! And may the Lord bless

and keep you all in this new year, ripe with new possibilities for

faithful ministry in Christ’s name.

Church Family,

Thank you for your healing thoughts, prayers, cards, and

Jason’s visits after my recent surgeries.

Darla Hayes

We are very grateful for every ones prayers, cards and visits during

Don’s illness and death. You are in our thoughts and prayers.

Love,

Vivian West & Family

-3-

Deacons’ Bench Thank you all so much for supporting the Blue Water Community Food Depot throughout 2018. The Board of Deacons collected $855.00 in donations over the last year! Please help us to

continue this important ministry by bringing in nonperishable food and personal care items the first and second Sunday of the month. Thanks again! Starrla Opferman

A huge thank you goes out to our congregation

in the continued support of our Angel Tree

families. We were able to provide gifts to 7

families. Thank you to the members who took multiple angels,

helped sort the gifts, and assisted in the delivery to the families.

The Board of Deacons

Community Ministry Committee

CIRCLES

Sarah Circle will meet Wednesday, January 9, 1:00 p.m., at the church. Martha Circle will meet Thursday, January 10, 1:00 p.m. at the church.

-10-

ADULT EDUCATION

Sundays 9:00-9:45am in parlor

Come reflect on the scripture passages that will be used in upcoming Sunday worship services. This will be a great way to enrich our worship of God by diving deeper in God’s Word for us.

Teacher: Pastor Jason

OASIS –Resumes January 9

Sometimes the middle of the week can feel like a dry, deserted place. Join us every Wednesday for our mid-week Oasis—a time of refreshment,

reflection, and fellowship.

5:00-5:30 Chime Choir (elementary-aged children) 5:30-6:00 Light supper 6:00-7:15 Adult Christian Education class 6:00-7:15 SPARK and Kids’ Crew (youth groups) 7:00 Sanctuary Choir

There is no cost for supper;

however, donations will be taken to offset the cost.

In the midst of a week left wandering in the desert, come—and find your body, soul, and faith refreshed at the Oasis.

***PLEASE NOTE—IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COME, BUT NEED A RIDE, NO PROBLEM! JUST CALL THE CHURCH OFFICE

BY MONDAY BEFORE***

-9-

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 2019 CALENDAR

SAVE THE DATE!

DATE EVENT HOURS

Sun. Jan. 6 Star-Gifts and Communion 10:00a.m.

Wed. Jan. 9 Oasis Restarts! 5:30p.m.

Sun. Jan. 20 Annual Meeting of

Congregation 11:00a.m.

Sun. Jan.20

Martin Luther King Comm.

Service, First United

Methodist Church

3:00 p.m.

Fri. Feb. 8 Faith and Film Series: Life Is

Beautiful 6:30p.m.

Wed. Feb. 20 Church-Wide Game Night

(Bring a Friend!) 5:30p.m.

Tues. Mar. 5 Fermenting Faith @ Vintage

Tavern (Bring a Friend!) 7:00 p.m.

Wed. Mar. 6 Ash Wednesday (Fellowship

Hall)

7:00p.m.

Sun. Apr. 14 Palm Sunday 10:00 a.m.

Sun. Apr. 18 Maundy Thursday

Communion

7:00 p.m.

Thurs. Apr. 19 Ecumenical Good Friday

Service

TBA

Sun. Apr. 21 Easter Services 8:00 & 10:00a.m.

Sun. Apr. 21 Easter Breakfast 8:45 a.m.

Thurs. May 2 National Day of Prayer Noon @ MOC

Fri. May 3 Faith and Film Series: Hidden

Figures

6:30p.m.

Sun. Jun. 3 Worship at the Beach begins! 8:00a.m.

Sun. June 9 Pentecost 10:00 a.m.

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We are required to have a quorum...of at least 55 people.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE

CONGREGATION AND CORPORATION

Sunday, January 20, 2019

The annual meeting of the congregation and corporation of First

Presbyterian Church will take place on a

SUNDAY, JANUARY 20, 2019, following

worship. We are required to have a quorum

at this meeting of at least 55 people. Please

mark your calendar and plan to attend.

The purpose of the meeting of the congregation is to

approve changes in the terms of call for the pastor,

and to hear ministry reports from the standing

committees and boards of our church. The

purpose of the meeting of the corporation is to

review the financial statements for 2018, and

receive the budget for 2019. Please attend and celebrate what God

has done – and will do – among us!

-5-

What is Epiphany? The word “epiphany” means “appearance” or “manifestation” of God, and has roots in the word for sunrise or dawn. In ancient times, an epiphany meant either a visible manifestation of a god or a solemn visit of a ruler venerated as a god. For Christians, Christmas marks the coming of God to us; Epiphany celebrates the appearance of the Lord in the midst of humanity. The Christmas stories of the birth of Immanuel declare the divine entry into the world; Epiphany extols the revelation of God to the world in the person of Jesus. In our celebrations of Christmas and Epiphany we rejoice in the dawning and arising of Light in darkness, stability amid chaos, assurance amid anxiety for the whole creation. Epiphany not only discloses the Savior to the world but also calls the world to show forth Christ, to be witnesses to God’s true Light…to show and tell of Christ as God’s gift of grace and salvation for all people. Some call this ongoing epiphany the work of Christmas. Please join us as we give thanks for the “sun of righteousness” breaking into the world on Sunday, January 6! REMINDER: It has become a bit of an Epiphany tradition to receive what

we call “Star-Gifts”—simple paper stars with a word, a thought, a notion to

ponder throughout the coming year as to what gift, what talent, what

blessing God has bestowed upon you or may be calling you to share with

others in the new year. While we may wonder what the word could

possibly mean when we first receive it, several folk over the years have

come to reaffirm the notion that God, indeed, knows more (and better) than

we! So come eager to find out what word you receive this year; what ways

God will use you in the year as it unfolds.

Join us on Sunday, January 6, to receive your word, and to begin your

journey of discovery for 2019!

-8-

Thank you to everyone who fulfilled their 2018 pledge!

Do you imagine God looks at you with loving compassion like Jesus

did in this story? • Sometimes, we don't feel able to do something big

right away, but we can take baby steps and make small choices in

that direction. Is there something in your life that feels too big to do

right now? What is a step you could take in that direction, even if it's

small? How can the rest of our family help you in this?

FAMILY ACTIVITY—ASK Who do you know who has made

their life about serving others? Who do you know who is unfailingly

compassionate? Who do you know who has given up a great deal

because of their commitment to Jesus, to justice, to mercy, to

creation? As a family, think of someone whose story you’d like to

know better. Draft some questions you’d like to ask them. Invite

them to your home for an interview—take turns asking the

questions—and see what you can learn from that life well-lived. Say

a prayer of thanks for the rich young ruler’s hard questions, and for

the people who give you examples of true discipleship.

PRAYER Dear God, thank you for the story of the rich ruler and

what it teaches us about your compassion and understanding. Inspire

us and give us courage to take both small steps and big steps to

follow you. Amen.

-7-

THE RICH

RULER

STORY TIME—

MARK 10:17-27 Jesus

was beginning a

journey when a man

ran up and knelt in

front of him and asked,

“Good Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life?” Jesus asked him,

“You’re calling me good? Only God is good. You know the

commandments: Don’t kill, don’t betray, don’t steal, don’t lie, don’t

cheat, honor your father and mother.” The man said, “Teacher, I’ve

always obeyed all of these, ever since I was a kid.” Jesus looked at

the man and loved him. Then he said to the man, “There’s one more

thing: Go sell all your stuff. Whatever money you make, give it to

the poor. Then you’ll be rich in the things of heaven. And then, come

follow me.” The man was really surprised by what Jesus said, and

really sad. He had a lot of stuff, and he really loved some of it. He

walked away, still upset by what he’d heard. Looking at his

disciples, Jesus said, “It is so hard—can you even imagine

how hard?— for someone who has so much to come to God’s

kingdom. It’d be easier for a camel to go through the eye of a

needle.” The disciples didn’t know what to think. They asked, “Then

who can? Is it possible for anyone?” Jesus said, “Not for anyone who

thinks they can do it alone. But it is for everyone who thinks they

can do it together with God.”

IMAGINING TOGETHER • What do you think of Jesus' response

to the rich ruler? Do you think you would have felt compassion like

Jesus did? (Or frustration? Or understanding? Or anger? Something

else?) • Imagine for a moment you are the rich ruler. You want so

badly to follow Jesus, but you have a lot of stuff and Jesus is asking

you to give it all away. How do you think you would feel and what

do you think you would do? • When you don't do what God has

asked you to do, how do you picture God responding to you?

-6-

First Presbyterian Church

811 Wall Street Port Huron, MI 48060 JANUARY 2019

810.985.6191 Email: portpresby@fpcporthuron.org

Web: fpcporthuron.org

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

DEACONS BENCH

The Board of Deacons Communion Offering schedule is as follows: church members may donate any non-perishable items each month. The Food Depot is always in need of baby wipes, diapers, boxed dinners – ie. Hamburger or Tuna Helper, Rice-a-Roni, etc. crackers & cookies, Jelly, cake mixes, chunky soups,& personal items such as toothpaste, soap,

combs, Band-Aids, etc. Items are collected at the church weekly.

Donations should be placed in boxes located in the foyers or in the church office.

01 NEW YEAR’S DAY

OFFICE CLOSED

02

10:00 Quilters

03

8:00 Breakfast @ Theo’s

04

Office Closed

05

10:00 Port Presby

Social Group

06 Epiphany

Communion Hunger Offering 9:00 Adult Ed Classes 10:00 Worship/Communion 11:00 Coffee Hour/Fellowship 11:00 Children CE Classes

07

7:00 Deacons

08

10:00 Prayer Group

12:30 Lunch Group

09 10:00 Quilters 10:00 Staff 1:00 Sarah Circle 3:00 Memorial Bells 5:30 Oasis 6:00 SPARK/Kids’ Crew 7:00 Sanctuary Choir

10

8:00 Breakfast @ Theo’s

12:00 Management

1:00 Martha Circle

11

Office Closed

12

13 9:00 Adult Ed Classes 10:00 Worship 11:00 Coffee Hour/Fellowship 11:00 Children CE Classes

14

6:00 Coordinating Co.

7:00 Session

15 CHALLENGE DEADLINE

10:00 Prayer Group

12:30 Lunch Group

5:15 C.E.

7:00 Membership

16 10:00 Quilters 3:00 Memorial Bells 5:30 Oasis 6:00 SPARK/Kids’ Crew 7:00 Sanctuary Choir

17

8:00 Breakfast @ Theo’s

18

Office Closed

19

20 9:00 Adult Ed Classes 10:00 Worship 11:00 Annual Meeting 11:00 Coffee Hour/Fellowship 11:00 Children CE Classes 12:00 W & M 3:00 Ecumenical Martin Luther

King Jr. Service @ 1st United Methodist Church

21

22

10:00 Prayer Group

12:30 Lunch Group

4:00 Presbytery –

Westminster, Detroit

23 Challenge in Mail 10:00 Quilters 10:00 Staff 3:00 Memorial Bells 5:30 Oasis 6:00 SPARK/Kids’ Crew 7:00 Sanctuary Choir

24

8:00 Breakfast @ Theo’s

25

Office Closed

26

27 9:00 Adult Ed Classes 10:00 Worship 11:00 Coffee Hour/Fellowship 11:00 Children CE Classes

28 4:30 Mission

29

10:00 Prayer Group 12:30 Lunch Group

30 10:00 Quilters 3:00 Memorial Bells 5:30 Oasis 6:00 SPARK/Kids’ Crew 7:00 Sanctuary Choir

31

8:00 Breakfast @ Theo’s