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Pacific Presbyterian Church 410 W. St. Louis Street, Pacific MO 63069

636-257-2742 pacpresby@gmail.com

The Reverend Bill Vincent

www.pacificpresbyterianchurch.org Presbyterian Church (USA)

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Church Office Hours

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday

9 am—4:30 pm

Pastor Office Hours

Pacific - Tuesday & Wednesday Afternoon

Union - Wednesday Morning and Thursday

Happy New Year!

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Pastor’s Message

I share with you the ‘letter to the editor’ that I submitted to the Missourian for their pastors’ Christmas editorial page. I was not sure how many of you would have seen the Missourian letter and believe it is an appropriate message to take with us into the new year. His life should have been snuffed out early on, near the very beginning: a helpless infant before Herod’s anger and raging response. He should have been dead long before he ever had a chance to say much or do much or interfere with life as we know it. But he wasn’t. So he did. And it occurs to me that’s a reminder that God is ultimately in control. Not to dismiss human input and response, and the affect we can, and do, have on our lives and the life of those around us and even the world. But ultimately -- ultimately -- God is in control. Not me. The world is not on my shoulders. So I can stop fretting as if it were. Again, not to dismiss what I can do, and should do, to stand up for what is right and stand against what is not and to live compassion and demonstrate mercy and embody grace. But ultimately, the world is not on my shoulders. So I need to stop acting (and thinking and worrying) as if it were. I need to do my part and do it well; do it faithfully and lovingly. And trust that God will take care of the rest. “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight” (O Little Town of Bethlehem-1868) wrote Phillips Brooks about that birth we celebrate this time of year. ALL the hopes and fears you and I have. So that we worry. And we fret. “For hate is strong, and mocks the song of peace on earth, good-will to all” (Christmas Bells-1863) wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Yes, we can see that, too. And we can despair and be frozen into inaction. ‘What can I do?’ ‘What’s the use?’ But remember, the world is not on my shoulders. So, I will do what I can and do it well. And do it faithfully and lovingly. And trust that God will take care of the rest...and of my rest, for rest is not easy to come by when you think the world rests on your shoulders. But it doesn’t. The world rests on the shoulders of that small infant born in Bethlehem. Strange to say it that way, don’t you think? But that’s the affirmation of angels and saints: that the one born in Bethlehem -- whose small shoulders are no bigger than...well, an infant’s -- that he is the King of Kings and the Lords of Lords; that in him, heaven and earth meet; for in him we meet the God of the universe come to dwell in our midst...to carry us when we can’t. For, “God is not dead, nor doth God sleep; the wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to all.” That is how Longfellow ended his song: on that note of affirmation and faith. “The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good-will to all.” I may not be able to see how, in the midst of the tangled web we have woven for ourselves. But I can do my part, where I am, with what I have. I can do my part. And do it faithfully. And do it lovingly. And trust that God -- yes, the God who comes to us in the cooing infant -- trust that God will see to the rest. For the world does not rest on my shoulders. It rests on the Child’s. And don't worry, his shoulders are big enough...for us all.

Peace to you into this new year, and beyond. Bill Vincent

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Clerks Corner

-Communion Servers: 1/5 – Nancy Watson, Becky Reed -Worship attendance: 11/17 25 11/24 22 12/1 16 12/8 22 -White House front steps and porch completed by Operation members with non-slip

runners added. -Rev Doug Mankell to lead worship 12/29 and 1/5 while Pastor Bill is away on vacation. -Dinner With Us going strong with new faces and more children, averaging 60 – 70. -Save-A-Lot giving food packages to PPC for distribution at Dinner With Us. -Prayer tree will be put up in Reflection Garden as last year. -Annual Congregational meeting to be February 9, 2020.

Pastor’s Schedule

Adjustment! Change of schedule! I will be adjusting my weekly schedule for office hours starting in January. I will plan for office hours in Pacific on Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. (I’ll be in the Union office on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.) We’ll see how this plan works out and make further adjustments as needed. (I intend Mondays and Fridays to be flexible time, i.e., not tied to office hours.) Feel free to give me a call (573-576-6088) or send me an email (pastorbillv@gmail.com) if you need anything or have a question or want to make an appointment or want to get together to visit. Also, if you know you’re going to be in the hospital, please let me know: I can’t come visit you if I don’t know you’re there. Pastor Bill Vincent

Church Office Hours

The Church Office will be closed on New Years Day

Happy New Year!

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Save the Date

Friday, March 13th the West

Cluster PW will hold its winter

gathering at the First

Presbyterian Church of Sullivan

Join us in the Fellowship Hall, Sunday, January 5th after worship for fellowship and light snacks.

Volunteers will also be needed Sunday, January 5th to assist with taking down

the Christmas decorations. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Save the Date

Saturday, April 25th, the PW

Spring gathering will be held at

The Pacific Presbyterian

Church.

Ladies from around our

Presbytery will be joining us, so

we hope all the ladies in Pacific

will help to make this a really

special gathering.

Much thanks for your generous donation of $439 to

the Christmas Joy offering. 50% of gifts received go

to making it possible for students to learn and grow in

faith at Presbyterian-related schools and colleges

and 50% assists current and retired church workers

and their families with critical financial needs.

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DATE

LECTIONARY

READINGS

LITURGISTS

DEACONS/

USHERS

COMMUNION

RULING

ELDERS

January 5, 2020

2nd Sunday of Christmas

Jeremiah 31:7–14

Psalm 147:12–20

Ephesians 1:3–14

John 1:(1–9) 10–18

Karen Whitlock

Bob Price

Becky Reed

&

Nancy Watson

January 12, 2020

Baptism of the Lord

Isaiah 42:1–9

Psalm 29

Acts 10:34–43

Matthew 3:13–17

Stan Williams

Jim Reed

January 19, 2020

2nd Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 49:1–7

Psalm 40:1–11 1

Corinthians 1:1–9

John 1:29–4

Marianne Perez

Wilt Risenhoover

January 26, 2020

Becky Reed

Wilt Risenhoover

3rd Sunday after Epiphany

Isaiah 9:1–4

Psalm 27:1, 4–9 1

Corinthians 1:10–18

Matthew 4:12–23

Fellowship

Communion

Sundays Join us for Fellowship after worship on Communion Sundays. The sign up sheet is located in the

Fellowship Hall if you’re interested in serving.

Fellowship will be on January 5th.

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Remember in Prayer

Military and law enforcement

Michael Parks, Keaton Todd, Tyler Gerling, Sergeant Steve Rainey, Deputy David Rosner

Continued prayer

Ray Stark, Carrol and Jean Young, Carolyn Crawford, Cal Koelling

In need of special prayer

Gloria Valska, Carol Ann, Verlene Schmidt and Cheryl D., Kathleen Fischer, Dakota Sutherland,

Jason Goss, Tanya Kramer (Dan’s daughter), the Homebound and Nursing Home Residents, Jose

Padilla, Don Nagel, Ray Miles, Bob Myers, Becky Turner (friend of Pat’s), David Pich, Brian

Whitmore (Bonnie Whitmore’s Husband), Jean Summerville (Pastor Jay’s Mom), those suffering

from the bonds of addiction, those affected by the California fires, Etta Hass, Marilyn Parks, Phil

Holeman (Nancy’s brother), Lana Dinehart, Edith McLaren and Cheryl Rainey

Men’s Club Breakfast

The Men’s Club will meet for

breakfast on January 10th at 9 AM.

Breakfast will be held at the

Pacific Family Restaurant.

Congregational Meeting Notice

There will be a Called Congregational Meeting at Pacific Presbyterian Church February 9, 2020 following worship.

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Book Club

Join us for Book Club! The January title is “The Giver of Stars” by: JoJo Moyes Book Club is the last Tuesday of the month at 12:30 and is bring your own brown bag lunch. Anyone is invited, so feel free to bring friends, family and ideas for future reads. See you in January.

- There is no Dinner With Us when the Meramec Valley School District is not in

session. DWU is currently on Christmas break and will resume on Thursday, January 9th.

200 wonderful dinners were served in December! Thanks to Becky Reed for spearheading

this amazing program. Much thanks also to the many volunteers who spend their Thursday

evenings working the dinners and to those who donate the amazing desserts!

- What is a backpack food program? Backpack food programs provide nutritious, non

-perishable, easy-to-prepare food to children to ensure they get enough food on weekends

and holidays to avoid hunger when they can’t depend on school meals.

We are preparing backpacks containing weekend meals for 30 children from Zitzman

Elementary School. Much thanks to Jim Reed for packing the backpacks every week.

Monetary donations or donations of backpack food is always appreciated!

Mission Report

The family of Marilyn Lohneiss would like for me to extend a 90th birthday party invitation to the congregation.

All are welcome to celebrate Marilyn’s birthday with her on February 9th following worship in the fellowship hall.

Please RSVP to 636-375-8288.

Thanks to all who prayed for my family during

my dad’s short illness and death. The comfort

that your prayers brought meant so much to all

of us. Thanks also to all those who mailed

beautiful cards and to those who stopped by

the funeral home and shared the kind words.

Your thoughtfulness touched mine and my

families heart.

May God shower you with his blessings today

and always,

Pam

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Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 3 4

5 Communion

Sunday Worship 11AM

Fellowship

following

Welcome

Rev. Mankell

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Operations

5PM

Epiphany of

The Lord

7 8 9

10

11

12

Worship 11AM

13 14 15 16

17 18

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Worship 11AM

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Worship Committee

12PM Session 1PM

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Happy

Birthday

Bonnie

Post

23 Chamber Luncheon

24 25 Pianos for a

Purpose

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Worship 11AM

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29 30

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2020 Year in Review

Farewell Pastor Marilyn Gamm Welcome Pastor Jay Summerville

Mound Ridge Dinner Auction

PW West

Cluster Winter

Gathering

Welcome Chris, Irene & Indy! Baptism of Indiana Rainey

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Easter

Kirsa Ovesen Baptism

Pentecost

W

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B

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D

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Church Picnic

Thank you Veteran’s!

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Pacific Presbyterian Church

401 West St. Louis Street

Pacific, Mo. 63069