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The Grapevine
“I am the Vine, You are the Branches.” John 15:5
New Braunfels Presbyterian Church
April 2015
April Worship
Schedule
Cover
Announcements 1
Reflections/PW
2
Book of Order Update 3
Pastoral Thoughts 4
Mission & Outreach 5
M&O Cont./VBS 6
KDO 7-10
Ministries at Work 11
Birthdays/Calendar Insert
Inside this issue:
For more information please visit
our website at
www.nbpres.org
Holy Week
Palm/Passion Sunday (March 29th)- Services at 9 & 11
We remember Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem with the crowds singing His praise. Special Palm Sunday music is
scheduled with the children joining the choir. We also remember the events that will occur during the week as we walk our way
through Jesus’ Passion.
Maundy Thursday (April 2nd)- Services at 7:00 pm Maundy– the Latin word for commandment
Jesus spent a very intimate time with His disciples in the Upper Room. He washed his disciples’ feet, He gave the new
commandment to love one another, He shared His final thoughts with the disciples, and He gave instructions for the act of Holy
Communion.
Good Friday (April 3rd)- Service at 12:00 pm From the Garden of Gethsemane to the meeting of the Sanhedrin,
to the depths of dark confinement, to the halls of Pilate, to the whipping post out back, up the Via Dolorosa (the way of sorrows),
to the hill of Calvary, to being nailed to a cross to die, to a borrowed tomb. Lord, have mercy.
Easter (April 5th)- Services at 9 & 11 The glorious resurrection of our Lord and the validation that the
events of Good Friday were not in vain but truly accomplished the salvation of the world and the world is saved. The love of God in Jesus Christ took the vilest of human sins and rose above them all
to show the ultimate victory of God over sin and death.
Page 1 Grapevine
On Easter morning, between services, you are
invited to come to the parlor for a foodie
celebration. Coffee will be served in the parlor,
along with a variety of temptingly delicious
goodies. Come join in this joyful celebration.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ladies, come join the Lunch Bunch at the Gruene Door in Gruene on Tuesday, April 7th. We meet for lunch at 12:30. A sign-up sheet is in the Narthex.
The MOC Devotional Breakfast for April will be Friday, the 10th at 7:30 AM in the Church Activity Center. The cooks are Dave Wright, Manard Ivy, and Mike Olson. After breakfast, the men will join in the conference room to watch Session 5 (Managing Your Household) of the DVD “The Measure of a Man.” The sign-up sheet is posted in the credenza.
The next MOC Fellowship Dinner will be April 21, 2015 at Freiheit Country Store, 2157 FM 1101. We will gather around 6 and order supper at 6:30. The sign-up sheet is
posted in the credenza.
Family Promise Update
NBPC is hosting Family Promise April 12-18
The week of April 12th is right around the cor-
ner and NBPC is once again hosting homeless
families in the Family Promise program
through April 18th. We always need volun-
teers. All you need to do is contact Everlee
Cotnam in the church office at 830-625-5141
or by e-mail at [email protected]
and leave your name and contact number. Also
please tell her what area you would like to
help out with and she will pass your infor-
mation on to Bob Presley, chairperson of the
Mission & Outreach Committee. The areas to
volunteer are set up, meals, fellowship, over-
night hosts, breakdown, and linen washing.
The experience is rewarding!
Welcome Wednesday News…
Welcomes Wednesday has been concluded for the
spring. Many thanks to Carl McCauley for helping
us understand the ins and outs of Presbyterianism.
And thanks too, to all who helped in the kitchen,
helped the children learn about Jesus’ early life,
and brought soup and bread for the soup suppers.
Next fall’s Welcome Wednesday will reprise the
ever popular Speaker’s Bureau. If you have a
special hobby or interest or belong to an
organization that benefits the community that you
would like to share on one Wednesday evening,
please contact Jody Cosson. Or perhaps you have
an idea for a speaker or area of knowledge that
will benefit the congregation. We are looking for a
variety of speakers. –Jody Cosson,
16th Annual KDO Golf Tournament
Saturday, May 9th at 8:00 a.m.
The Bandit Golf Club
Our annual golf tournament is coming up next month. Entry forms are
available in the KDO and church office. The entry fee for playing in
the tournament is $85 and includes a round of golf, cart rental, unlim-
ited range balls, lunch and a door prize. That’s a great deal and it’s
always a fun tournament in which to play! If you don’t play golf, you
can still take part by sponsoring a hole for $150 (tax deductible
donation!) We’ll put your name on a sign and display it on one of the
holes on the golf course the day of the tournament and also include
your name in our ad book. Star Sponsorship is also an option for $500
and includes a 4 person team, sponsor sign, an ad and your name on
the tournament banner.
Proceeds from the tournament benefit our Kid’s Day Out program.
Thank you for your support!
Page 2 Grapevine
The Virtue of Flexibility Trees look strong compared with the wild reeds in the field. But when the storm comes, the trees are uprooted, whereas the wild reeds, while moved back and forth by the wind, remain rooted and are standing up again when the storm has calmed down. Flexibility is a great virtue. When we cling to our own positions and are not willing to let our hearts be moved back and forth a little by the ideas or actions of others, we may easily be broken. Being like wild reeds does not mean being wishy-washy. It means moving a little with the winds of the time while remaining solidly anchored in the ground. A humorless, intense, opinionated rigidity about current issues might cause these issues to break our spirits and make us bitter people. Let’s be flexible while being deeply rooted. -Henri Nouwen For further reflection… “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.” —James 3:13 (NIV)
FOR YOUR REFLECTION…
FROM THE HENRI NOUWEN SOCIETY
PROVIDED BY PASTOR BOB
Page 3 Grapevine
Forum to be held on changes to the Book of Order
On March 16th, the presbytery of the 172 presbyteries in our denomination voted approval of amendment 14-F, the change of language in regards to marriage in the Book of Order. As of this writing, the vote in favor of the change is 95-42-1 with 34 presbyteries yet to vote. Mission Presbytery, at its meeting on March 7th, voted approval of the change by a margin of 212-142.
So what will these changes to the Book of Order mean to NBPC? It remains up to the session to determine church usage in regards to weddings. It can approve or not approve any wedding as is consistent with the beliefs and practices of the church. This change in the Book of Order does not mandate churches to do same gender marriages. It merely allows those churches ministering to the gay commu-nity to hold wedding services where it is legal as they feel led by the Holy Spirit. Since at present, same gender marriages are not legal in the state of Texas, the issue will not come before session. The Supreme Court is expected to rule on the legality of banning same gender marriages sometime this year.
This discussion is something that has stirred deep emotions in many people for a wide range of reasons. So that you as a congregation may have an opportunity to ask questions and share your feelings concerning this subject, there will be a forum held following 11:00 worship in the activity center on April 19th. Lunch will be provided as will childcare activities.
It will be a time to clarify the changes in the Book of Order, to ask questions, and to share feelings. This is not a congregational meeting, therefore there will be no action taken on any part of this topic. Also, this will not be a debate. It is for understanding and expression of feelings. You are encouraged to attend if you have questions or hold feelings one way or another on this issue.
“Although the church is at the present time hardly to be distinguished from a dead or at best a sick man, there is
no reason for despair, for the Lord raises up His own suddenly, as He waked the dead from the grave. This we must
clearly remember, lest, when the church fails to shine forth, we conclude too quickly that her light has died utterly
away. But the church in the world is so preserved that she rises suddenly from the dead. Her very preservation
through the days is due to a succession of such miracles. Let us cling to the remembrance that she is not without
her resurrection, or rather, not without her many resurrections.” -John Calvin
Page 4 Grapevine
As we approach Holy Week and explore the walk with Jesus through His passion, we see the validation of everything He taught in what He experienced and how He dealt with those experiences. One of His most challenging teachings was the value of being meek. In our present society that thrives on defeating others and being in charge, this admonition is completely countercultural and, by the standards the world sets for us, even undesirable. Yet the Lord tells us, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth,” (Matthew 5:5). Hmm—sounds rather victorious in the end, wouldn’t you say?
Indeed, Jesus Himself exhibited meekness throughout His final hours. First and foremost, He submitted Himself to the Father’s plan regardless of the cost—something His mother also did upon being informed of her role in God’s plan to bring forth the Messiah. “I am the Lord’s servant; let it be to me as you said,” was her response. So too was Jesus’ response in the Garden of Gethsemane—“Not my will but Thy will be done.” In so doing, Jesus exhibited meekness in His surrendering to the will of the Father. With that attitude, He set Himself up to be arrested. He did not resist arrest. He did not argue His case before the Sanhedrin. He did not defend Himself before Pilate. He did not resist the brutality of the Roman soldiers, and in the end, He allowed Himself to be nailed to a cross and to die the horrible death of crucifixion.
Through it all, He had the power at His fingertips to soundly defeat any person who stood against Him. When His disciples were willing to fight for Him, He told them, “Put your sword back into its place...Do you not think that I could appeal to my Father, and He will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels (144,000 angels)? But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled?” (Matthew 26:52-54). Yes, He could have stopped everything that was happening to Him in a moment. Yet He knew diametrically He could not stop things, for to do so would have the meant the plan of salvation would have failed and the Father would not have you back to Himself. To not have chosen meekness would have meant everyone would have been lost. So Jesus did choose meekness, and in so doing, He inherited the earth and, more importantly, all that ever walked upon it, including His enemies.
This week we experience Jesus’ passion again. Choosing meekness over pride was the path to victory for Himself and for anyone else who has the spiritual courage to do so. May God help us in this struggle to choose what is right over what the world tells us to value.
See you in church.
With Love,
Page 5 Grapevine
MISSION & OUTREACH NEWS
Fairways for Warriors– The MO Committee recently heard from the NB chapter of Fairways for Warriors.
The group hosts combat wounded warriors each month in a complimentary round of golf at The Bandit. All
equipment, instruction, and green fees are covered by the Fairways for Warriors. On April 23rd, the group is
holding its annual golf tournament at The Bandit and the committee approved sponsoring a hole for $200.
For more information about the group and the golf tournament, please visit fairwaysforwarriors.org.
Family Promise Bed
Race Needs You! Ready to have fun for a
great cause? Interested in
building a bed into a racing
vehicle and then racing it
with others? NBPC is looking
for one or two teams to rep-
resent the church in Family
Promise’s 1st Annual Bed
Race to be held June 20th at
Church Hill Middle School.
This unique, fun event, ben-
efiting local families and
children as they move on,
up, and out of homeless-
ness, requires a team of 6.
The church can enter a
youth and/or team of
adults. Each team is responsible for building a bed into a rac-
ing vehicle using a bed kit provided by McCoy’s Building Sup-
ply and bed construction rules. The deadline to enter is May
15th. Please let Neil Gately know ASAP if you are interested
in being a part of a bed race team ([email protected]). Go
to nbbedrace.com for more info.
Yucatan Medical Mission Update The Yucatan Medical Mission trip in late February was suc-
cessful, thanks to you! Our church made a huge difference in
the Yucatan, supplying reader glasses to 231 people in just
over three days. As a result, these people can now see better
to weave, sew, paint pottery, etc. For those who can read,
they can again read “la biblia!” In fact, Al Beekly reports that
biblegivers.org gave him 100 free Bibles for distribution on
the trip. Thank you, NBPC!
Habitat for
H u m a n i t y
Update:
Our church will be
participating in an-
other Apostle Build
with Habitat for
Humanity of Comal County this spring. There
are 10-12 churches that have pulled together
the funds to build this new home for the
Page family and Ms. Page has successfully
completed her initial requirements to now as-
sist in the building of her home. During the
recent groundbreaking, a Bible was placed in
the foundation of the home as a symbol of
making the Word of the Lord part of the
foundation on which the home will be built.
Now it is time for NBPC to come together for
its physical commitment to make this home a
reality for the Page family. We need 10-15
volunteers (age 17 or older) to volunteer Sat-
urday, April 11th—it is guaranteed to be a fun,
rewarding experience! Please see JP Kessel-
ring or call him at 210-857-4609 to sign up.
Support for Kiwanis International Tetanus Project:
NBPC’s MO Committee recently approved a $250
donation to Kiwanis International for its work with
UNICEF to eliminate maternal and neonatal tetanus
in countries worldwide. For $1.80 per woman, three
injections of the tetanus vaccine will protect women
of childbearing age and their newborns. Without this
protection, the mother and newborn can die within a
week of childbirth. More info-contact Al Beekly.
Page 6 Grapevine
Vacation Bible School
July 20-23, 2015
9:00-11:30 Children pre-
kindergarten-5th grade
Come join us for this exciting week of fun and
fellowship. Volunteers are needed in all areas to make this a great
week for our kids! Whatever your gifts, we can use you in VBS!
Contact Katie at [email protected] for more information.
ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY
Volunteers are needed to clean up our 2 mile section of Loop 337 on
Saturday, April 11th for the official “Don’t mess with Texas Trash-
Off.” We will meet in the New Braunfels High School parking lot at
2:00 p.m. following the
Habitat for Humanity
Apostle Build. Bring
leather work gloves.
Closed-toe shoes, long
pants/jeans and long
sleeved shirts are recom-
mended. Safety vests
and litter bags will be
provided. For more in-
formation contact bri-
Please submit all materials for The Grapevine to the church office, or by email to
[email protected] by Thursday, April 16th for the May 2015 Newsletter.
Worship Information
* 9:00—Worship Service * 10:00—Christian Education (all ages) * 11:00—Worship Service
New Braunfels Presbyterian Church 373 Howard Street New Braunfels, Texas 78130
Phone: 830-625-5141 FAX: 830-625-5161 Email: [email protected]
NBPC Web site: www.nbpres.org
Church Office Hours: Monday –Thursday 8:30am-3:00pm; Friday 8:30am-12:00pm
MINISTRIES AT WORK…
Would YOU like to BE INVOLVED in
the Life of the Church! Contact one of the com-
mittees of your choice and see how you can
make a DIFFERENCE!
Julia George—Clerk of Session
CHRISTIAN EDUCATION/YOUTH MIN-
ISTRY
Gretchen Weicker
COMMUNICATION MINISTRY
Brian Vajdos
CONGREGATIONAL CARE
Marian Benson
Connie Jurica
FACILITIES MINISTRY Joyce Taylor
FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY
Jody Cosson
KIDS DAY OUT MINISTRY
Laura Smith
PERSONNEL
Michael Meek
MEMBERSHIP MINISTRY Ann Brunn
MISSIONS/OUTREACH MINISTRY Jerri Petmecky
Bob Presley
STEWARDSHIP
Courtney Cowden
Logan Dietel
WORSHIP MINISTRY
Scott Payne
Dave Wright
New Braunfels Presbyterian Church
373 Howard Street
New Braunfels, TX 78130
