Welcome to the Family! Six confirmaon students were welcomed to the church family as new members by the session on May 27th, 2020. Congratulaons to: Mackena Diefenderfer Anna Luther Daniel Luther Nicolai Motovidlak Rebekah Nowak Ryan Sco We are so glad you are a part of LPC! 1 CROSS PURPOSES LANGHORNE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH // JULY 2020 // VOLUME 7 IN THIS ISSUE A Leer To The Pastor - Pg. 2 Monthly Giving - Pg. 3 VBS Updates - Pg. 4 A Leer To The Congregaon - Pg. 6
Transcript
Welcome to the Family!
Six confirmation students were welcomed to the church family
as new members by the session on May 27th, 2020.
Congratulations to:
Mackena Diefenderfer
Anna Luther
Daniel Luther
Nicolai Motovidlak
Rebekah Nowak
Ryan Scott
We are so glad you are a part of LPC!
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CROSS PURPOSES LANGHORNE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH // JULY 2020 // VOLUME 7
IN THIS ISSUE
A Letter To The Pastor
- Pg. 2
Monthly Giving
- Pg. 3
VBS Updates
- Pg. 4
A Letter To The
Congregation
- Pg. 6
Dear Pastor Bill and Becky, Thank you so much for all you have both done for LPC over the past twelve and a half years. Your faithful preaching of God’s word has been inspiring, challenging and a blessing to our congrega-tion. We appreciate your hard work and dedication to sharing the life of Jesus to Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth. What a privilege it has been to learn from you. You will be missed by many. May God bless this next season in your lives.
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A Letter To The Pastor
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May’s Monthly Giving
Thank You! May giving was 102% of budget. We are grateful for the support in these uncertain times. For the year, giving is now at 92% of budget.
While giving is off year-to-date, reduced spending on staff and programs has LPC income less expenses very close to the year-to-date budget. On-Line Giving for LPC is now available. This is another way to provide financial support to Langhorne Presbyterian Church and its programs. Many thanks to Melynda Boyle and our testers. Link to contributing: https://abundant.co/langhornepres/give Link for more giving information and instructions: https://www.langhornepres.org/give/
Milestones
Among The
Church Family
Dick and Jackie Stover celebrated their 53rd
wedding anniversary on June 10th.
Congratulations!
An Update From The Trustees
Have you seen the LPC edger??? The edger that is normally in the shed behind the church is apparently visiting another location. If anyone knows where the edger is, please contact Dave Gal-lagher, or Melynda in the office, so we can help get it back home. No questions asked! Thank you
Landscape Maintenance We would like to thank all those who have contributed time and effort to keep your landscaping around the building in good shape. Many weeds have been pulled, flowers planted, and bed maintenance performed to keep our building in good condition.
Routine Operations While the building may be closed, routine inspections and maintenance is still being done, Security checks the building each night, and contractors for the lawn, etc. have been covered. Activity on major projects is limited by the re-strictions related to the COVID 19 virus. Timing will also be impacted by oper-ating conditions.
Parking lot Sealing Trustees are working on getting estimates and moving forward with plans to seal both parking lots. The target date is now the September/October 2020 time frame.
Deacon, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is a subordinate officer in a Christian church: such as one of the laymen elected by a church with congregational polity to serve in worship, in pastoral care, and on administrative committees. My definition of the Deacons at LPC is a group of individuals dedicated to the well-being of both the members of the church and the community in which we live. This cannot be more evident than now as we conduct our monthly meetings via Zoom. Each Dea-con comes prepared to update us on the needs they are aware of for the church and community. Thankfully, our church family has continued to support us during the shutdown both financially and through contributions to the food pantry. As John stated last month, these contributions have made it possible for us to continue supporting existing partners and add new partners that are helping individuals and families during this crisis. My position while serving as a Deacon is as the Sunshine Coordinator. I continue to try to send cards and notes to those whom we would visit to help them still feel connected. I also send cards to celebrate milestone birthdays and anniversaries. If you know of anyone who could use a little pick-me-up feel free to email or call/text me the name and address and I’ll do my best to make them feel connected. I can be reached at [email protected] or 267-994-7007. It is wonderful to be a part of a group of such caring and dedicated individuals at LPC. Trudy Odgers
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Gospel Project Summer We will be using an all new curriculum this summer called the Gospel Project. It will be available online for families to use at home during the summer. The curriculum is a Christ-centered study of the Bible and connects each lesson to the overall story of the Bible. We will be studying Jesus the Servant this summer. Hard copies of activity books and lesson summary cards are available at the church office (if you don't want to print them out every week. We hope you enjoy this series and teaching your children about the Gospel.
Vacation Bible School It will be happening though not as in the past! Stay tuned to learn how we will be doing it digitally. There still will be crafts and games and songs—the use of the internet will let us do this! Most of all we will be sharing the story of the love of Jesus to children at LPC and in our community. Invitations and information are in process, stay posted!
Q. What does it take for one to virtually plan a women’s retreat? A. More than one. The women of LPC– with hope and faith – joyfully move toward personal reunion in the fall. Dr. Sheryl Vasso, our guest speaker slated to share our (cancelled) spring retreat, has graciously agreed to bring us a message of Joy Takers/Joy Makers on Saturday, October 17th, in a one day retreat at LPC. Sheryl is a Bucks County native, a member of Grace Point Church where she leads regular Bible studies, and a professor at Cairn University. This is where you first come into the picture. We need to prepare for this event. Now. Virtually. Separately but toward the same goal. If you have attended a retreat in the past, please watch your emails for an “invitation” to help in some way. Much can be done from home: from sending out invitations, taking registrations, planning menus, to making centerpieces and table favors. If you have never attended a retreat and want more info, or (bless you) want to volunteer, please contact Sandy Heuckroth at [email protected]. So please mark your calendars to attend, and prayerfully consider how you can help to make this a joyfully outstanding event. WHAT IF???? We still plan a Baby Shower for Choice One on September 26th, 8:30 – 10:30 a.m. with a speaker from this mission project. If we cannot gather, we will take up a collection of new baby items around that date. Suggested donations: Baby bath towels, bibs, receiving blankets, onesies, socks, clothes in sizes 0 – 3, 3-6, and 6-9 months, diaper bag, pacifiers, brush/comb, rattles, cups, bowls, spoons, plastic bottles, stroller toys We realize our families’ incomes have been impacted by the pandemic so please feel free to join with others to contribute in some small way. These moms appreciate all they receive.
Youth Ministries
The Youth Programming has officially wrapped up it's spring programming and kicked off our summer programming with a youth reunion! It has been a long time since we have all seen each other in person but we finally got the opportunity to have an outdoor bible study in the church grove! Games, campfire, s'mores, and lots of hand sanitizer gave students the opportunity to come back together again. We are excited to keep providing opportunities to safely reintroduce in-person meetings to our regular schedule and our Outdoor Bible Study was an awesome way to start! In the coming weeks, we will continue to have regular bible study meetings over zoom on Tues-days and Fridays at 10am, so feel free to join us then! More in person meetings are yet to be scheduled but can be expected to be announced in the next couple of weeks. This continues to be a crazy time but God keeps proving to us over and over again that he is faithful. We will continue to trust in Him as we move forward planning events!
In Genesis 12:1-3, Abraham is told to go and the result is that he is blessed. In Matthew 28:16-20, Disciples are told to go, and to go without fear for He will be with them always. In Mark 16:1-8, Trembling, bewildered and frightened they went. But they went.
Go. The word occurs 1,165 times in the Bible.
The youth committee of a church could not figure out how to keep more young people involved with church after confirmation. No matter how long they tried, the young adults didn’t seem interested. “We have to find a way to interest them, go out and bring them,” said a wise member.
“I wonder how many of the families moving into the area are members of a church?” questioned a member of the evangelism committee. “There’s only one way to find out,” said another. “We’ve got to go out, and ask them.”
“This community seems to have little care for the homeless and hungry. There isn’t enough food at the pan-try for all of them.” said a member of the deacons. “Perhaps it is up to us,” said another, “to go and speak for them. To let people know the situation.”
God’s leaders do a lot of going. Abraham was roused out of his comfortable home and told to go to a new country. The disciples, perhaps contentedly following Jesus, were told to go to every town and village and preach the coming of the kingdom.
Gathered with Jesus after the resurrection, Jesus’ followers were told to go to all and preach and teach “everything.” And the women at the empty tomb were told to go and tell.
We are still sent; a sent people. We are still told to go. We look at our congregation and don’t see most mem-bers involved in mission, Certainly the message of God is go, but how many of us at LPC are involved in mis-sion. When people listen to God and go, things happen. They move into what God has ready for them. They engage the Spirit as guide. They climb out of old ruts and move down new paths. They cause change. Some-times God’s word to us seems complex. Sometimes it seems difficult to discern God’s will. Sometimes we wander and wonder. But this message is simple and clear: “Go!” Go and tell…. Go and teach…. Go and build… Go and minister to my people... Go! Jesus said and continues to say, “You did not choose me but I chose you. . . .” (John 15:16) As chosen ones, we go.
Have you heard God’s command to go? How have you responded?
Prayer. Lord, send the wind and fire of your Spirit to move us into the future you have set for us. Fill our hearts with a desire to go, fill our ears with the call to go, and our feet with the need to go and reach and teach each one. In the name of the one who was willing to go to the cross for us, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
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Upcoming Events:
Stay tuned for infor-mation on the church reopening for wor-ship services and please continue to check your e-mail and the church web-site for event up-dates in the weekly E-pistle and on the Church Calendar. You can find the calendar at www.langhornepres.org/news/calendar.cfm If you are not sub-scribed to the weekly E-pistle and would like to be, please sign up at the bottom of the news page of the LPC website or let us know by e-mailing us at [email protected]
A Letter To The Congregation
My dear LPC family, To lose someone I loved at the height of the coronavirus pandemic was a very isolating experience. It deprived me of a traditional funeral service and com-fort of the physical hugs from friends.
But you, my church family, have been there for me from Day 1. You have helped me cope with my grief. You were all so caring and supportive. The emails, the kind words and inspirational messages comforted me even if I couldn’t stop the tears from flowing down my face when reading them. Your calls and prayers were consoling and very much appreciated. One of you even came to my house and just silently sat outside. For all the small yet meaning-ful gestures, I am thankful. Thank you also for the meals and your generosity in donating to the church in Vic’s memory.
My family and I miss Vic everyday. We are all overwhelmed by your countless stories of how Vic touched your lives in a positive way. You said that you can-not forget his infectious smile, his sense of humor, his genuine affection show-ing his love, kindness and compassion towards others. A long time patient of his wrote a bible verse that Vic lived out in the gospel of Matt.5: 14-16. Jesus tells us, you are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under the basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are all in the room. Let your light shine so bright before others, that they see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
May the blessing of love and friendship be with us forever.
