The Messenger - July 2017 - Page 1

THE MESSENGER The Peekskill Presbyterian Church July 2017

To God be the glory!

This is our Kairos season. Kairos is a Greek word that defines a time when

conditions are right for the accomplishment of a crucial action. It is an op-

portune and decisive moment. In response to the Gospel mandate to, "go

ye therefore and make disciples of all nations.” We are birthing a new min-

istry that will also provide additional leadership for our six day a week

congregation.

“Spirit Talk” will be inaugurated on July 22, and the steering team has

worked hard to design a very unique worship experience in order to lead

young people into a deeper relationship with God.

The worship will include yoga or meditation; an artistic expression; a seven-minute message; loud wor-

ship and praise music; accent lighting; a seven-minute conversation with a guest and participants; scrip-

ture reading; prayer; and an affirmation of faith.

The worship leader, musicians, singers, and technician are on board. The worship center/ social hall is al-

most completed.

The invitation has been extended to all young adults between the ages of 20 & 40 within a two-mile radius

of Peekskill.

The colors have been selected for the new doors, and the water art is flowing. The contractors have been

paid and the topics for discussion are being refined.

All we need now are your prayers.

Please pray that God will be pleased with our efforts to reach young adults who have given up on or

have been discouraged by organized religion.

Please pray that grant money will continue to be awarded to sustain this ministry toward self-

sufficiency in 3 years.

Please pray that the seasoned members of this congregation will seek out ways to participate and en-

courage the growth of this ministry.

Please pray that the messages shared and the conversations had will touch the hearts and the minds of

those in attendance and inspire them to desire a relationship with God.

Please pray that the leaders of this ministry will stay healthy, courageous, patient, hopeful and inspired

as they face the challenges and obstacles that are sure to arise.

Please pray that all of the equipment works, that the worship leaders show up, that our invited guests

attend, and that the presence of the Holy Spirit is strong on July 22, at 6:00 p.m.

A special thank you to Susan, Tony, Terrence and Dan for the extra time and attention they have given to

this ministry. To God be the glory!

By Faith, Pastor Stephany

The Messenger - July 2017 - Page 2

Continued Prayers….

for Joe D, Don H, Ray B, Marjorie C, Joyce & Dutch T, Bonnie A, Lenore M, Carmen M and Roscoe R.

Continued Prayers….

for all of the Congregants unable to join in our activities.

Continued Prayers of Healing….

for those affected by world tragic events and major weather events.

Prayers of Sympathy….

for Hilda A. and her family.

BIBLE MEMORY VERSES FOR JULY 2017

1. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath. (John 3:35, 36)

2. The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

3. Rejoice always; pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 18)

4. May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 5:23)

5. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. (2 Peter 3:18).

Submitted by Rosa Reed

CHOIR CORNER

Congratulations to the chancel choir for all their hard work this year as they turn it over to the Praise Choir for the Summer. As al-

ways new members are always welcomed for the Praise Choir, rehearsal is at 9:15 every Sunday morning. This summer the children's choir will continue rehearsing all summer long, with their rehearsals starting directly fol-lowing the service every Sunday morning. Enjoy the Summer, Matt

Lord's Attic Thrift Shop

2017 Summer Schedule

CLOSED: July 1st

OPEN: Saturday, July 8th; 15th; 22nd & 29th

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

CLOSED: Month of August

We will reopen on Wednesday, September 6th

Thank you for your support.

The Messenger - July 2017 - Page 3

IN THIS ISSUE

Vacation Bible Camp ……………………...…….4

Book Club & Knitting Circle…..…...……..…..4

Capital Campaign.………………………………...5

Women of H.O.P.E………....…………………….5

Clerk's Corner…………...……..……...........…..6

Being Found by God! …………………………….7

Calendar………….……….……..………...….........8

OUR MISSION

In response to the profound love

of God through Jesus Christ

toward all, we

welcome everyone to join as we

study and proclaim the gospel,

seek the will of God, grow in

spiritual maturity, share our

resources, and

respond in service to the needs of

our members and our neighbors.

Vision Statement

The Peekskill Presbyterian Church is

a faithful and diverse community of

Christians with varied backgrounds,

ethnicities, talents, and ages. Guided

by the Holy Spirit, we are committed

to nurturing individual and corporate

faith through:

Vibrant Worship;

Committed Stewardship;

Relationship Building Fellowship;

Mission Focused Discipleship;

and Servant Leadership.

July 4, 2017

Happy Birthday

United States of America

241 years old

SESSION HIGHLIGHTS - JUNE 4, 2017 MEETING

1. Next session meeting will be on July 23, 2017 after church.

2. Kick off date for the 1001 Worshipping Communities is July 22 at 6 P.M.

3. The budget for the New Worshipping Communities is $130,000. With the stipulation that the current grant money when received will go back into the general operating budget. Any further grant money will be used for the 1001 Worshipping Communities and set aside in its operating budget. – Approved

4. $ 80,000 will be taken out of the investment fund to cover the cost of the 1001 Worshipping Communities budget. – Approved

5. A portion of the old choir room will become The Lord’s Pantry and hold the shelving for mission to store food. - Approved

6. There will be a congregational conversation on July 30th.

The Messenger - July 2017 - Page 4

VACATION BIBLE CAMP

Free Youth Program (GRADES 1-6)

”Walking by Faith, Living in Hope, and Leading with Love”

Join us for:

Music, Bible Stories, Arts & Crafts, Games, and a Healthy Lunch!

August 21-25, 2017, 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM

The Peekskill Presbyterian Church, 705 South Street, Peekskill, NY 10566

Sponsored by the Christian Education Ministry

Contact the church office at 914-737-3322 or By email (office@peekskillpresby.org) to sign up!

KNITTING CIRCLE

ON SUMMER BREAK

The Women of H.O.P.E. Knitting Circle will not meet in July or August.

Sessions will resume in early September. Please watch The Messenger for the exact date.

BOOK CLUB

The Book Club will suspend their meetings,

but, not their reading during the months of

July and August 2017.

They will resume their meetings starting on

Friday, September 22, 2017.

Enjoy the summer and stay cool.

See everyone in September.

The Messenger - July 2017 - Page 5

DEACONS' CORNER

The Board of Deacons will not meet during July

& August 2017.

Their next meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sep-

tember 12, 2017 at 6:30 PM

WOMEN OF H.O.P.E.

On June 9th, the Women of H.O.P.E.

held their annual pot luck picnic inside

the newly renovated Social Hall. It

was hosted by Rosa Reed and Marjorie Trainor.

Newly elected officers are: Co-

Moderators: Tina Wileikis and Mar-

jory Trainor; Vice-Moderator:

Beverly Dyckman; Secretary: Eartha

Brown; and Treasurer: Jean Valente.

The women will be taking the summer off

and starting back up on September 8th

with a Brown Bag/Pot Luck meeting in the

Social Hall.

Please do not forget the Annual

Christmas Luncheon in December.

Remember all women are invited to join

in our holiday celebration.

Steeple for the People - Capital Campaign-

Dear Family and Friends:

The year for the Capital Campaign will officially come to

an end on July 26, 2017. The Goal of the Campaign was

to raise $200,000.00 towards the repairs of the Steeple,

Bell and Clock of our Church. Through all the efforts of our Pledges,

applying for Grants, the Live Auction and donations; we raised

$52,900.00. While we did not achieve our goal of $200,000.00 we

give thanks to God our Father for what we received.

To everyone who participated in this Campaign – thank you. Special

thanks to Mrs. Linda Buckiewicz for keeping us updated on funds

received for the entire year. Thank you to Mrs. Lynne Nayman who

applied for and we received a grant in the amount of $25,000.00. To

Mrs. Charlene Woods and Mr. Patrick Buckiewicz for the time that

give towards the Live Auction.

As a reminder if you have not yet completed your pledges we ask that

all effort be made to have this done by Sunday July 30, 2017.

Thank You and God Bless you all…

The Stewardship Committee

John Burke. John Bishop, Linda Burkiewicz, Hilda Arturi, Charlene

Woods, Eartha Brown, Marsha Vernon

The Messenger - July 2017 - Page 6

CLERK'S CORNER

This very valuable message comes from the book “Rise and Shine” by Liz Curtis Higgs. All of us can be reminded of this valuable fact by reading this little anecdote by Liz Higgs.

LOVABLE YOU

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.

—JOHN 15:9

Sometimes when we’re grumpy and utterly unlovable, it’s because we desperately need to know we’re loved and are unconsciously hoping someone will notice and fix things. Quick.

On a family vacation to New England one summer, Bill found a remarkable way to keep me in good spirits. When I got the least bit cranky or tired, he purred, “Have I told you I love you today?” Ninety-nine percent of the time I would sigh, smile, and say, “Thanks, I needed that.” The other one percent, I’d stick out my tongue and say, “Yes, you’ve told me five times!”

It got so laughable that by the end of the week, if I even felt like getting out of sorts, I’d say, “I know, I know, you love me, you love me!”

When we boarded the plane for our trip home, Bill finally con- fessed his strategy to me. With some trepidation I asked, “So, how many times did you—”

“At last count, 135.”

LOVABLE YOU 21

“Oh.” Some of us just can’t hear “I love you” enough.

In the same way, God reveals his love for us when we are feeling the least lovable. In my single years, I would some-times ache with loneliness—genuine, physical pain—and cry out to the walls of my empty little house, “Nobody loves me, Lord; nobody loves me!”

He always responded immediately, not in words for my ears, but in words my heart heard very clearly: I love you, Liz. I love you.

Maybe the human love you’ve received from parents, partners, and/or children has never been enough, never filled you up inside, never seemed to satisfy completely. And no wonder. It’s flawed, it’s fickle, it’s fleeting. Yes, it’s also fine—but it’s not forever.

God’s love is forever love. It’s the kind you can abide in and not won-der if it will still be there when you wake up tomorrow. God’s love is as solid as the wooden cross that was set into the ground of Golgotha, as solid as the nails that were driven into the flesh of his hands, as solid as the rock that was rolled away from his tomb.

You are loved. Stick that in your heart and abide in it.

Lord, to know that you love me, even on those days when I am unable to love myself, is comforting be-

The Messenger - July 2017 - Page 7

Being Found by God! Barbara Devir, CLP

There have been moments in my life when I have been quite aware of finding God. Once was a literal ex-perience. I was digging in my garden when, much to my surprise, there among the stones and roots I found Jesus. Yes, I really did. He was one of those infant figures placed in the crèche in a Nativity scene. You may laugh at this and simply wonder how the baby Jesus ended up amongst the daffodils, or you can share my experience of wonder at how He turned up in the place I least expected to find him. I certainly will never forget the experience.

More astounding to me are the moments when God finds me. One such encounter happened on a Sunday morning in the middle of the ocean. I wasn’t watching the sunrise or seeing the waves and remembering the majesty of God. Instead it happened as I was missing worship. On many ships these days, there is on-ly a video worship on Sunday mornings, something that I must admit that does not appeal to me. I decid-ed to skip it.

I was travelling with my sister-in-law, a devout Catholic, who was longing to hear Mass which, alas, was not being said. We ate breakfast and were strolling around the ship when Janet asked if I could tell her where the chapel was. She wanted a quiet place to pray. I offered to go with her. I too longed for a little quiet meditation time. And the chapel on that ship is extremely difficult to find. You must go to the four-teenth deck, which is actually only a half deck long. To do this you must be at the right end of the ship and take the correct bank of elevators. Otherwise it would seem you were in search of a non-existent place! After you arrive, you have to climb an out of the way staircase to the chapel on deck fifteen, and the chapel is the only thing on deck fifteen. In other words, you would never simply pass by it. You have to be searching for it.

As we approached the chapel, we realized it was full of people who seemed to be getting ready for worship. They had even set up a Communion table. How could that be? It wasn’t printed in the daily schedule. It turned out that this worship service was part of a family reunion, conducted by a family member and not advertised to the general public. Nevertheless, we were warmly welcomed and even invited to sit at the front. Just like in the Bible story, we were treated as honored guests. It was a beautiful service that we would more than likely have missed if we hadn’t gone to pray at that particular time. And it was not actu-ally the time they had planned for the service! Some family members had forgotten to change their clocks overnight so they had delayed the service.

Yes, God really did find me on a distant corner of a ship carrying 5000 or so souls. It showed me that I am never out of the sight and love and care of my God, even when I may not realize it. And, by the way, one of the members of the family turned out to be a young woman who works in prison ministry. But that is an-other story!

For thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I Myself will search for My sheep and seek them out."

Ezekiel 34:11

The Messenger - July 2017 - Page 8

JULY 2017 SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

June 25

9:00am-Stewardship

9:15am-Praise

10:00am-Worship

11:15am-Kids Choir

11:30am-Adult

Bible Study

4:00pm-SDPP Mtg.

26

7-9:00pm-NA

7:30pm-Mission

27

6:45pm-

Fit Club

7:30pm-

Gates of Heaven

28

7:30am-Prayer Call

11:30am-

Adult Bible Study

6:30pm-AA

7:00pm-Praise

29

30

12:00pm-

Knitting

3:30pm-8:30pm

Youth Ministry

7:30pm-Book Club

July1

NAT'IONAL PARKS

MONTH

2

8:30am-Breakfast

9:15am-Praise

10:00am-Worship

(with Communion)

11:15am-Kid's Choir

11:30am-Adult Bible

Study

3

6:00pm-New

Praise Team

Rehearsal

7-9:00pm-NA

4

INDEPENDENCE DAY

5

7:30am-Prayer Call

11:30am-Adult

Bible Study

6:30pm-AA

6

7:00PM-

Corporate

& Business

7

3:30pm-8:30pm

Youth Ministry

8

FRUITS & VEGES

OF THE MONTH

Papaya Mango,

Nectarine, Garlic

9

9:15am-Praise

10:00am-Worship

11:15am-Kids Choir

11:30am-Adult

Bible Study

Good News Ministry

SUNDAE SUNDAY

10

10:00AM-

Thrift Shop

6:00pm-Personnel

7-9:00pm-NA

11

7:30pm-

Christian Ed.

7:30pm-

Gates of Heaven

WORLD

POPULATION DAY

12

7:30am-Prayer Call

6:30pm-AA

13

7:00pm-Bridge

(at P. Bolden's)

14

3:30pm-8:30pm

Youth Ministry

15

16

9:15am-Praise Choir

10:00am-Worship

(with Communion)

11:30am-Kids Choir

11:30am-Bible Study

5pm-6:30pm-Dinner

YOUTH SUNDAY

17

7-9:00pm-NA

FLOWER OF THE

MONTH - Water Lily

18

6:45pm-

Fit Club

7:30pm-

Gates of Heaven

NELSON MANDELA

DAY

19

7:30am-Prayer Call

11:30am-

Adult Bible Study

6:30pm-AA

NAT'L HOT DOG DAY

20

21

3:30pm-8:30pm

Youth Ministry

22

6:00pm-

"Spirit Talk"

23

9:00am-Stewardship

9:15am-Praise

10:00am-Worship

11:30am-Kids Choir

11:30am-Session

PARENTS' DAY

24

7-9:00pm-NA

25

6:45pm-

Fit Club

7:30pm-

Gates of Heaven

26

7:30am-Prayer Call

11:30am-Adult

Bible Study

6:30pm-AA

27

7:30pm-

"Thirsty"

28

3:30pm-8:30pm

Youth Ministry

29

NATIONAL

LASAGNNA DAY

Church Office Hours

Tues—Fri, 9:30am—2:30pm

914-737-3322, 914-737-7822 (fax)

914-737-6549 (kitchen)

office@peekskillpresby.org

Pastor Stephany Graham

Office Hours

Wed: 10AM—3PM, Thurs: 4—7PM

On Call

Friday and Saturday

Church Web site:

www.peekskillpresby.org

Find Us on Face Book:

Peekskill Presbyterian Church

705 South Street, Peekskill, NY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all

those who were born in

the Month of July.

Lord's Attic Thrift Shop

Hours: 10 Am-3 PM

July 8, 15, 22 & 29 only.