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A Letter from Pastor Richard Strick
Glorify, Build,
REACH
The purpose of St. Peter’s First Community Church is to glorify God, build up the body of Christ, and reach out to those in our community and world to help them become
followers of Christ.
Eva
nge
l
JANUARY
2016
Opportunities To Grow in 2016
Happy New Year!
As we celebrate the closing of
2015, we can look forward to the
new chapter awaiting us in 2016.
Several years ago I came to a
crossroad alongside several
coworkers in the Huntington
community - Timshel. Six of us
committed to pursuing better
rhythms of life to open us up to the
work of divine grace so that our
leadership could be transformed and
we could continue becoming and
serving as the leaders God had
called us to be.
As part of this journey, we
joined Ruth Haley Barton and her
team at the Transforming Center in
Wheaton, IL for quarterly retreats to
experience a different way of being
in the world and a different way of
being with Christ. We’re excited to
announce that Ruth will be coming
to Huntington from February 5th-
6th, 2016 for a day and a half
workshop that will be hosted here at
St. Peter’s First for only $20 per
person. See inside this Evangel for
more information.
In addition to hosting Ruth, we’ll
have other opportunities to grow in
2016. The Indiana Center for Middle
East Peace will be leading a tour of
the Holy Land June 18th - July 1st,
2016. One of the best ways to
accelerate growth is by choosing
uncomfortable and stretching
experiences and few things stretch
us like traveling in another culture.
Those that join us on the tour will
have a chance to meet Christians,
Jews, and Muslims that are wrestling
with the truth of Jesus’ teaching:
“Blessed are the peacemakers.”
Christmas began in Bethlehem and
you have an opportunity to literally
walk where Jesus walked (though he
didn’t have to watch for cars when
crossing the road).
There will be tremendous
opportunities to grow in 2016 by
giving, serving, sharing, and leading,
and I invite you to join us on a
journey of transformation for the
sake of the Kingdom of God.
Sola deo Gloria!
January 3 January 10 January 17 January 24 January 31
Snacks Rineharts Velma's Group Kalhoefers Tammy Brown
Reader Jay Rinehart Shari Brinneman Sandy Hacker Mike Hacker Barb Derr
Acolyte Gabe Baumgardner Dana Meyer Bailey
Baumgardner Becky Lyons Claudia Wilson
Ring Bell Claudia Wilson Scott Baker Foust kids Baumgardner
kids Jennifer Braun
Sound System Phil Engle Mike Lyons Drew Morrison Brian Royer David Morrison
Video Tech Ryan Lemon Barb Baker Claudia Wilson Sandy Hacker Mike Lyons
Songleaders Ann Ambler, Lisa
Harter, Jim Hildebrand
David Morrison, Bonnie Hosler, Becky Lyons
Barb Derr, Adrian Halverstadt, David
Morrison
Ann Ambler, Lisa Harter, Jim Hildebrand
Something Biblical
Open/Close Duty Steve Schilling Brian Royer Tom Jennings Tom Hosler Mike Lyons
Announcements Ann Ambler Adrian Halverstadt Brian Royer David Morrison Ann Ambler
Nursery Helper Sandy Shoemaker Megan Engle and
Drew Morrison Nicole Baker and Samantha Schultz
Robin Baker and Brandy Kalhoefer
Sandy Stephan and Kasey
Kohlmorgen
Little Discoverers Teacher/Helper
Megan Condry Megan Condry and
Lauren Baker Megan Condry and
Lauren Baker
Megan Condry and Lauren
Baker
Megan Condry and Lauren
Baker
Young Explorers Teacher/Helper
Claudia Wilson and Shari Brinneman
Megan Condry and Robin Baker
Megan Condry and Jennifer Braun
Phil and Megan Engle
Phil and Megan Engle
Kids Ignite Teacher/Helper
Dianna Whitesell and Dawn Williams
Jenna Strick and Lisa Harter
Jenna Strick and Lisa Harter
Megan Condry and Jill Gamlin
Megan Condry and Adam Myers
Greeter-Wm St Jennifer Braun Shari Brinneman
and Claudia Wilson Laura Snider
Sandy and Kevin Shoemaker
Shari Brinneman and Claudia
Wilson
Ushers & Greeters - West
Sandy and Mike Hacker
Vern and Theda Neel
Karen and Jay Rinehart
Jill Krueger and Mike Ward
Robin and Scott Baker
Usher & Greeters - East
Geoffrey Guy Geoffrey Guy Geoffrey Guy Geoffrey Guy Geoffrey Guy
Usher - Center Gary Yeiter and
Kenny Foust Rick Chesterman and Rick Baker
Tracy Blocker and Terry Rodgers
Adam Myers and Phil Engle
Rick Chesterman and Rick Baker
If you are unable to volunteer as scheduled, please find a replacement and notify
Megan in the church office of the change as soon as possible.
Happy New
Year!
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Author and Speaker Ruth Haley Barton to be in Huntington from
February 5th-6th, 2016: Several Huntington churches and ministries are
partnering together to host Ruth Haley Barton at SPFCC from February
5th-6th. Ruth is the director of the Transforming Center in Wheaton, IL
and is dedicated to helping people experience God in their daily lives. If
you’ve been wanting to take the next step in your spiritual growth, this day
and a half workshop will give you the tools you need to do so. The
conference will be held from 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. on Friday evening and from
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Saturday. The cost is $20, and the first 100
registrants are guaranteed a copy of Ruth’s book, Sacred Rhythms. To
register, contact the SPFCC office or register online at https://
www.eventbrite.com/e/a-taste-of-sacred-rhythms-arranging-our-lives-for-
spiritual-transformation-tickets-19907687429.
Christmas Eve Service: The audio recording of the SPFCC Christmas
Eve service can be found by clicking on the Media tab then clicking on
SPFCC Teachings on our website, www.spfcc.org. Videos of the children
singing and signing "Away in a Manager" and of Jillian Davis singing and
signing "What Child Is This?" can be found on the homepage of the
SPFCC website. Thank you to all who contributed to the Christmas Eve
service!
Birthdays
01/01, Jody Kramer
01/04, Jayla Kelsey
01/06, Velma Myers
01/07, Jerry Baker
01/09, Katie Schilling
Zetta Schultz
01/11, Maggie Schroeder
Tim Schultz
01/14, David Morrison
01/16, Debbie Foust
01/17, Yvette Jarvis
01/18, Jeff Hildebrand
01/23, Tracy Blocker
01/24, Matt Harter
01/25, Kristen Spiegel
01/26, Nancy Riggs
01/30, Jim Ambler
01/31, Vern Neel
Anniversaries
01/14, Joey and Kristen
Spiegel
Should You Make A Charitable Contribution From Your IRA? “The
IRA charitable contribution provides a tax benefit for many taxpayers over
age 70 1/2. It should be used by most charitably-minded seniors unless they
could receive a greater tax benefit from a gift of substantially appreciated
long-term capital gains property. Each taxpayer
must look at their personal tax situation and
compare the benefit of the two approaches to
charitable giving.” Please view the following
article online for additional information: http://
www.forbes.com/sites/berniekent/2015/12/20/
should-you-make-a-charitable-contribution-
from-your-ira/
ADDITIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
The annual meeting will be held after service on January 31, 2016. Written reports are due from the 2015
team leaders and any other group leaders by Monday, January 11th so they can be compiled, printed and
ready to distribute by Sunday, January 24th.
There is a limited supply of Terri Lynn Candy and Nuts left! Remaining items are as follows: five
packages of pecan pieces, six packages of deluxe mixed nuts, one package of heart healthy nut mix, one
package of fruit and nut mix, seven packages of almond cranberry granola mix, two packages of chocolate
coated pecans, two packages of chocolate coated raisins, four packages of chocolate coated bridge mix, five
boxes of chocolate pecan clusters, and two boxes of dark chocolate mint patties. Candy and nuts may be
purchased either on Sunday mornings after church service or Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
in the church office. Thank you for helping with this fundraiser to support the Women’s Team!
Study and Solidarity Tour of the Holy Land: The Indiana Center For Middle East Peace will be leading a
group from Northeast Indiana to the Holy Land June 18th - July 1st, 2016. The time will be spent touring
holy sites, learning the history of the land, and meeting Jewish, Muslim, & Christian peacemakers who are
working for reconciliation between Palestinians and Israelis. If you are interested in learning more about this
trip (to attend or help someone else attend), please contact Pastor Richard at 260-224-2146.
North To Alaska: Pastor Richard has been invited to be a guest teacher for one week at the Friends Bible
Training School in Kotzebue, Alaska from January 25-29th. He’ll be donating his time to teach the book of
Revelation to pastors and missionaries in training. If you would like to support Pastor Richard in this
opportunity, financial gifts to help with airfare, in addition to your regular support of SPFCC, can be dropped
off in the church office. Please mark “Alaska” in the memo line. His expenses are $705 for the trip. Any gifts
received over and above his expenses will go toward underwriting SPFCC’s 2016 Missions & Outreach
budget items.
If you’re interested in visiting or sending a note to our shut-in friends, those in
local or nearby nursing homes are indicated below.
Heritage Pointe - Warren, IN
Florence Crago
Joan Diffenbaugh
Betty Henderson
Mary Alice Shideler
Bettie Stensel
River Terrace - Bluffton, IN
Mary Gelzleichter
Heritage of Huntington
Bud Ambler
Maribelle Bechstein
John Hacker
Lavonne Haines
Virginia Oden
Mary K. Schenkel
Maggie Schroeder
Ada Ulrich
Thank You from Love INC: Thank you SO MUCH for hosting our Christmas shop
this year. You make this community a better place!
Samaritan Fund Thank You: I just wanted to thank you all very much for the help
you provided. It helped us out so much. We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas
and a happy new year!
Children’s Update
*Thank you to all the volunteers who helped with our Happy
Birthday, Jesus Christmas Party! We had 26 kids join us as
we celebrated our Savior’s birth through story, games, crafts,
food, and fellowship.
*In addition to our Christmas party, the kids enjoyed making
Christmas gifts for a family member and items to include in
the shut-in gift bags. The kids did a great job making cards
and ornaments to share with others.
*A big thanks to all the kids who helped host snacks on
December 13th. They did a great job preparing and serving
yummy treats for everyone to enjoy.
*We are very excited to share that the Kids Ignite classroom
is finished! Thanks to the property team, children’s team,
and many other individuals who helped with the project.
Celebration Moment: We had a blast at our Happy
Birthday, Jesus Christmas Party! The kids enjoyed our new
games and activities. It was fun to see the kids singing
Happy Birthday to Jesus and celebrating the importance of
His birth.
a_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Homework Help
*Homework Help is for Middle & High School students and
meets Mondays – Thursdays from 3:00-5:30 pm.
*Homework Help will be starting up again on Tuesday,
January 5.
*We’ve had an increase in students attending the program
which means we are looking for more volunteers to invest in
the students. If you or someone you know would be
interested in volunteering on a weekly basis or as needed,
please let Megan know.
*Thanks to all who have brought in items to help refill our
snack and drink pantry! If you would like to donate items,
please drop them off in the box located in Fellowship Hall.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Megan
Condry.
Celebration Moment: One of the greatest celebration
moments has been the relationships our volunteers are
forming with the students. The volunteers remember details
from the student’s lives from week to week. It’s really
encouraging to see how much these volunteers care about
the students.
HKC Update
*HKC (Huntington Kids Club) meets on Monday evenings
from 6:30-8:30 pm for kids ages 8-12 years old or 2nd-6th
grade. If interested in joining, see the brochures in the
William St. foyer. HKC will be back on Monday, January
4th!
*We are looking for additional male volunteers to help on
Monday evenings. If you would be interested in building
relationships with students, sharing Jesus, and having fun,
see Megan for more details.
Celebration Moment: I was so encouraged by the kids at
our Birthday Party for Jesus! The kids had fun celebrating
Jesus’ birth. They enjoyed receiving a gift from Jesus and
then thinking about what kinds of gifts they can give to
Jesus.
Please continue to pray for all the children & youth involved in these activities.
Pray for the volunteers who interact with them each week.
The Beauty of Patience
Just be patient. Patience is a virtue. If you are anything
like me, these are similar phrases to things you may have
heard over and over in your childhood. As kids, patience
was often a dreaded word. Be patient and wait for this to
start or be patient and wait until this event is over! Seems
like we never could win. We just couldn’t wait! We
couldn’t wait for our birthday. We couldn’t wait for
Christmas morning.
It wasn’t just about being patient, but it was about how
little we understood patience as kids. Patience is one of the
words in our RESPECT acronym at HKC. We often think of
patience as just waiting but one of our volunteers was
explaining to the kids that it’s more than that. It’s about how
we wait. She explained patience as waiting without
complaining. We struggle enough with the waiting part but
throw in not complaining and patience has a whole new
meaning.
We are just coming out of the advent season. A season of
waiting, anticipating, and preparing for the birth of the
Savior. We are also on the cusp of a new year. Waiting,
anticipating, and preparing for what that new year may
bring.
How do we live in this in between time? How do we, as
adults, live out waiting without complaining? How are we
patient? How are we patient with our families, in our work,
and in our daily encounters with others? Could we look at
the waiting season differently, not just as a stop over to get
somewhere else but as an essential part of the journey of
formation and growth? Could we be challenged to learn as
we wait?
“A waiting person is a patient person. The word
‘patience’ means the willingness to stay where we are and
live the situation out to the full in the belief that something
hidden there will manifest itself to us… But patient people
dare to stay where they are. Patient living means to live
actively in the present and wait there. Waiting, then, is not
passive. It involves nurturing the moment, as a mother
nurtures the child that is growing in her womb.” Henri
Nouwen
Nouwen gives us a different and very beautiful picture of
patience. Patience is living fully in the here and now,
trusting and believing that God is at work. A person who
practices patience has hope and believes in the power of
redemption. How interesting to look at our times of waiting
as times to be daring! How often do we think of patience as
an adventure? When we choose to live in the now, live
while we are waiting, we are choosing to live fully in what
God has for us.
When we live with this kind of patience, we are living
actively, in the now. We aren’t complacent, waiting for
something to happen. We choose to live in today and realize
that there is something beautiful God is doing in it. No
longer waiting for a better day to come or for perfect
circumstances to align. As Nouwen shares, when we live
with real patience, we nurture this day, this time, and this
season. We take care of it, we embrace it, we enjoy it, and
we live it to the full.
“I have come that you may have life, and have it to the
full.” John 10:10
As we embark on a new year, let us give a little more
thought to being people who practice patience. People who
seize the season of waiting and live it to the full. People who
see waiting as an opportunity not as a roadblock. People
who embrace waiting and choose to live in it without
complaining.
“This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be
glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
A Letter from Megan Condry
Youth Update
*Youth group meets on Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30 pm. All middle and high school students are welcome to attend.
Youth group will kick off the new year on Wednesday, January 6th.
*The youth enjoyed games, food, and a movie at our Christmas Party!
*Festivus, January 1-2: Area youth groups will come together for a lock-out all night party. Travel around Huntington & Ft.
Wayne for all kinds of games and activities.
Celebration Moment: During a review recently, I was very impressed with all the youth are retaining, remembering, and
applying. I was also encouraged by the generosity of one of the youth in bringing a special treat to our recent gathering.
SPFCC January Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday
3 9:30 am Worship
4 6 pm Something Biblical practice 6:30 pm HKC
5 SeniorPak Prep 7 pm Circle of Faith HH
6 6:30 pm Choir 7 pm The Flock (Youth) HH
7 HH
1 11 am - 8 pm FH rental
2 12-4:30 pm FH rental
10 9:30 am Worship
11 6-8 pm Girl Scouts
6:30 pm HKC HH
12
6 pm YSB Parenting Class
6:30 pm Women’s Team Meeting
HH
13
6:30 pm Choir Practice
7 pm The Flock (Youth)
HH
14
5:30-7 pm Meal Ministry HH
15
16
17
8 am Men’s Breakfast
8:30 am Children’s Team Meeting
9:30 am Worship
18 9:30 am Cooking with Love
6-8 pm Girl Scouts
6 pm Something Biblical practice
6:30 pm HKC
HH
19 SeniorPak Prep 6:30 pm Council 6:30 pm Community Prayer Service - New Hope HH
20
6:30 pm Choir Practice 7 pm The Flock (Youth) HH
21 10 am- 8:30 pm YSB rental HH
22
23
24
9:30 am Worship
6:30-8 pm HKC Celebration & Encouragement Night (volunteers only)
25 5:30 pm Worship Team Meeting
6-8 pm Girl Scouts
6:30 pm HKC HH
26
6:30 pm Property Team Meeting HH
27 6:30 pm Choir Practice 7 pm The Flock (Youth) HH
28 5:30-7 pm Meal Ministry HH
29
30
31
9:30 am Worship followed by Annual Meeting
*HH denotes Homework Help program, which runs from 3 - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday of each week in the Fellowship Hall.
8
9
7:30 pm
Evensong
concert at
Trinity UM
A Note From the Ministry Coordinator:
“I leave you peace. It is my own peace I give you. I give
you peace in a different way than the world does. So don’t
be troubled. Don’t be afraid.” John 14:27
Even after 34 new years, the anticipation of a new year
is exciting! A new year brings a fresh start. A new year
brings hope. A new year brings a time for reflection and a
time to focus on growth for the coming year. As I think
about what I anticipate in this new year, where I want to
focus, and how I want to spend my time, God has been
guiding me to an awareness of hurt, both hurt I’m
experiencing and hurt I’m causing others. With this, God is
leading me to reflect on how I can promote peace.
Initially, my thoughts on hurt and pain led me to, “I
won’t allow other people to hurt me in 2016.” But, as it
should be, God is challenging me to think much more
deeply. I’m realizing it’s okay to experience hurt if we
deal with those feelings appropriately, and I’m focusing on
how I may be hurting others without realizing it instead of
solely focusing on how I’ve been hurt. In this, God is
calling me to a place of vulnerability, humility and
sacrifice. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient,
bearing with one another in love,” Ephesians 4:2.
Ultimately, it’s not about me. It’s about Him. How can I
align my actions with those of Jesus so that others
experience His peace through me?
I don’t hurt others intentionally. I hope none of us do.
But, we hurt others nonetheless. Pain is a universal
experience. We all experience pain. But, pain doesn’t have
to make us bitter. “We have sufferings now, but these are
nothing compared to the great glory that will be given to
us,” Romans 8:18. How can I help alleviate the pain of
others, especially the pain I may cause? How can I
promote peace rather than pain in the relationships in my
life?
In order to better understand how to bring peace, I have
to be honest with myself about my hurts. I am hurt when
someone makes a snide remark, excludes me from a
situation, talks about me behind my back or doesn’t share
openly with me but instead gives me a dishonest answer. If
I’m hurt when others do these things, others are probably
hurt when I do these things. God is encouraging me to give
honest answers in all things, to include others whenever
possible, and to eliminate gossip from my life. “Don’t hit
back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you,
get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even;
that’s not for you to do. ‘I’ll do the judging,’ says God.
‘I’ll take care of it.’ Don’t let evil get the best of you; get
the best of evil by doing good.” Romans 12:17-19 & 21.
These sound like simple things I should have learned in
kindergarten, but too often I still find myself struggling to
obey these
commands from
the Lord. I can’t
win by hurting
others. When I’m
tempted to give a
curt response, to
talk behind
someone’s back, or
to exclude
someone from a
situation, I win by
allowing God to
work in me to
overcome my
selfish desires with
good. We all know
the saying, “If you
don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at
all.” If the words you are going to speak don’t honor God,
don’t speak them. I’m finding that the opposite is also true.
If you have a kind word for someone, if you have joy in
your heart, share it, rather than holding on to it in fear that
sharing it might cause it to diminish. Sharing our joy
multiplies our joy.
As we begin the new year, I encourage you to reflect
on how you experience hurt. Is it possible you are causing
others to experience hurt in some of these same ways?
What actions can you take to bring peace rather than pain
to those around you? In what areas could less of you and
more of Him help promote peace? In the coming year, may
you recognize areas in your life where there is hurt and
allow God to work through you to bring healing and peace
to those situations. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they
will be called children of God,” Matthew 5:9. May we
promote peace in such a way that we make God evident to
those around us and that through us others can more fully
experience the joy and peace He brings! ~Megan Engle
PRAYER REQUESTS:
Please continue to pray for:
Ron Whitesell and his family as Ron deals with health issues.
Brian Royer as he recovers after knee surgery.
Virginia Oden as she recovers following surgery.
All those facing financial, emotional, spiritual, and health stresses.
Eva
ng
el
ST. PETER’S FIRST COMMUNITY CHURCH 206 ETNA AVENUE HUNTINGTON, IN 46750
Worship 9:30 am Conversation and Refreshments
10:45am
Glorify, Build,
REACH
The purpose of St. Peter’s First Community Church is to glorify God, build up the body of
Christ, and reach out to those in our community and world to help them become followers of
Christ.
ST. PETER’S FIRST COMMUNITY CHURCH
phone: 260.356.7728
fax: 260.356.7514
email: [email protected]
web: www.spfcc.org
https://www.facebook.com/StPetersFirstCommunityChurch
Megan Engle, Ministry Coordinator
Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday 8 am-4 pm
Richard Strick, Pastor
260.224.2146
Becky Lyons, Financial Secretary
Megan Condry, Youth & Children’s Director
419.733.1272
“Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and
not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
Isaiah 40:31
