First Presbyterian Church Sweetwater, Texas April 2015
The mission of our church is to make disciples for Jesus Christ
Our vision is to be an oasis of God’s love.
From the Pastor’s Pen
Dear Everybody,
Easter dawns with the light of day, like a West
Texas sunrise. Red, orange, pink and yellow sun-
beams rise across the sky and a stone is moved
aside from a grave. A woman straggles in, eyes
puffy from crying, black robe, and ointments in
hand. No thoughts are left. Grief leaves no
room….but where is Jesus’ body?
Two angels appear and say, “Why are you weep-
ing?” Mary Magdalene answers, “They have taken
him, and I don’t know where they have laid him.”
She turns around and there is Jesus, but her eyes
are not yet “opened” to understand that it is him.
“Whom do you seek?” Jesus asks. “Tell me where
you have taken him; I will go and get him,” she al-
most begs. “Mary!” Jesus replies. “Rabboni!” she
cries.
Mary will go and tell the Good News of Jesus’ Res-
urrection to the disciples. The news will move
quickly. Jesus will appear and comfort. Death is
conquered! Life, freedom, forgiveness, goodness,
hope and love are victorious in Jesus Christ!
This Good News continues today in the church.
This glorious Easter Sunday we will sing praises
to God and proclaim this victory through Jesus
Christ. What blessing! What hope!
Blessings,
Kary
Maundy Thursday April 2 5:30pm Chapel
A.D. A Musical for Easter and Beyond
Thursday April 2 6:30pm
First United Methodist Church
Easter Sunday April 5 10:45am Worship
One Great Hour of Sharing Offering
Easter Egg Hunt after Worship
Bring your Easter Baskets
1311 McCaulley Office hours: M ~ F, 9:00 am ~12:00pm website: www.fpcsweetwater.org
P. O. Box 956, Sweetwater, Texas 79556 325-235-5491 email: [email protected]
Pastor : Rev. Kary Fry email: [email protected]
Clerk of Session: Paula Carmichael Elder of the Month: Keith Brock
5 Mike Fry and Keith Brock
12 Patty Gesin and Richard Gesin
19 Lou Ann Cumbie and Dennis Cumbie
26 Donella Parker and Hilary Brennan
Dates to Remember
1 Plarning~ 1:00pm
Presbyterian Women~5:00pm Business Meeting
5:30pm Bible Study
2 Kary Ann’s Clan~11:30am~Big Boys Barbeque
Maundy Thursday Service~5:30pm~Chapel
A.D.: Easter and Beyond Musical~ 6:30pm
First United Methodist Church
5 Easter Sunday
Hoyt Place Worship ~ 9:00am-9:30am
No Sunday School
Children’s Choir Practice~ 10:10am
Worship ~ 10:45am ~ Reverse Offering
Communion Class of 2015
Children Sing
Easter Egg Hunt after worship.
8 Plarning~ 1:00pm
Session Meeting~ 5:30pm
9 Kary Ann’s Clan~11:30am~Schlotzsky’s
Choir Practice~ 5:30pm
12 Sunday School~9:30am~ Bible Bowl for Youth
Pizza Hut after Worship
Worship~ 10:45am~ Jack Aycock preaching.
Little Ones~ 5:00pm-6:00pm
IBKs~5:30pm-6:30pm
15 Plarning~ 1:00pm
16 Kary Ann’s Clan ~ 11:30am~ Dairy Queen
Choir Practice~ 5:30pm
17 MS & HS Opening ceremony/game at SHS Baseball
Field~ Time to be announced later.
19 Sunday School~9:30am
Worship~ 10:45am~ Brenda Church preaching.
MS & HS~ Hoyt Place at 4:00pm
22 Plarning~ 1:00pm
23 Kary Ann’s Clan ~ 11:30am~Oak Street Cafe
Choir Practice~5:30pm
26 Sunday School~9:30am~ HS Sunday School
Worship~ 10:45am~ Noisy Offering
Little Ones~ 5:00pm-6:00pm
IBKs~5:30pm-6:30pm
29 Plarning~ 1:00pm
30 Kary Ann’s Clan ~ 11:30am~ Amole’s
Choir Practice~5:30pm
Your cards, phone calls, food and your prayers were so wonderful. We are so blessed with our church family. Please continue to pray for me. My back problem is going to take a long time in healing. Again, know that we love each of you and appreciate all the caring for us. Linda and Lloyd Rasco
Birthdays 1 Jodie Aycock
3 Jordan Graham
4 Hunter Rotan
6 Caden Scott Wilburn
10 Boopsie Stanford
Tommy Maitland
14 Makee McCollom
15 Billie Weston
19 Bradley Armstrong
25 Nick Nemir
28 Carroll Stroman
29 Emily Brock Ledesma
Wesley Maxwell
All Women of the Church are invited to come
for fellowship, prayer and Bible Study. Pres-
byterian Women will begin their monthly
meetings on Wed. April 1. There is a business
meeting at 5:00pm and Bible Study with Kay
Staton at 5:30pm. The study will be Walking
by Faith: Lessons I Learned in the Dark by
Jennifer Rothschild.
This is a wonderful study, and we are so
blessed to have Kay lead us again this year.
We hope to see you all on Wednesday.
Mission and Outreach Committee
One Great Hour of Sharing Offering
The offering for One Great Hour of Sharing will be
collected on Easter Sunday. Gifts to this offering are
given to programs that help support people in need of
food, water, shelter, relief from crises and catastrophic
events worldwide, and developmental assistance.
Envelopes will be in the pews.
On Saturday, March 20th, several churches in our
Ministerial Alliance, along with a church from Coleman
joined together for the City Prayer Walk organized by
Mike Rosales, Faith Harvest Church. Lou Ann Cumbie
and Ruth Ann Campbell represented FPC. It was a rainy
day, yet approximately 70 people were in attendance.
Everyone met at the Jaycee Barn for worship and
instructions before leaving to surround the city for
prayer. The music during worship was quite impressive
being led by many youth members from Faith Harvest.
Many hope the event is one that will be held annually.
First Presbyterian Church is joining with other local
churches to participate in a new ministry called,
The Care Portal. Local CPS agents and police identify
a need a family is experiencing within Nolan County and
then puts that need into the Care Portal. Participating
churches then receive an email identifying the particular
need or needs. We can then work individually or
together with other churches to meet the request. The
Care Portal provides a great way to minister to families
and at-risk children, and First Presbyterian Church is
excited to be a partner in this new ministry. Jeannette
Bryant will participate in a Care Portal training session
on April 15 at the new police headquarters.
Palo Duro Presbyterian Cursillo
# 29 April 16-19, 2015
Camp Chaparral, Iowa Park, TX Arrival Time is 5:00pm Thursday April 16, 2015
Departure time is 5:00pm Sunday April 19, 2015
What is Presbyterian Cursillo?
Cursillo is a Short Course in Christianity. It is a three-day weekend that is intended to impact the life of the participant in a specific, identifiable way. This retreat is organized around a series of talks given by both clergy and lay people who serve as staff for the weekend. In addition to these talks, and the responses to these talks, there are opportunities for worship, celebration of the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, devotional moments, small group participation, and community building. Applications are available in the church office.
The Congregation Care
committee is missing 3
round white tablecloths.
Please let us know if you
have them.
Thank you.
Hoyt Place
We are excited to lead worship every
first Sunday of the month at Hoyt Place,
from 9:00-9:30 a.m. We will sing, hear the
Word of God, and share Communion.
Come join us in this wonderful
Ministry of fellowship.
Message from Lou Ann
Little Ones and IBKs *April 5 (Happy Easter): No Sunday School.
10:10 Practice for today's Easter performance
during service Easter Egg Hunt after church, so
bring your Easter baskets!
*April 12: 5:00-6:00 Little Ones
5:30-6:30 IBKs
There is 30 minutes in the middle that they
will all be together.
April 26: 5:00-6:00 Little Ones
5:30-6:30 IBKs
There is 30 minutes in the middle that they
will all be together.
Message from Ruth Ann
Middle School and High School *Sunday, Apr. 5th - No Sunday School. During
worship, right after communion, MS/HS will
hide eggs and assist in the hunt following the
service.
*Sunday, Apr. 12th - Bible Bowl for all ages
during Sunday School. We will all dine at Pizza
Hut following worship.
*Friday, April 17th - Opening ceremony/game
celebration at SHS Baseball Field. Time to be
announced later.
*Sunday, Apr. 19th - MS Sunday School. MS/HS
at Hoyt House at 4:00 for activity with
residents.
*Sunday, Apr. 26th - MS/HS Sunday School
Session Minutes Stewardship and Finance: Financial Report which
was unanimously approved.
Property Committee: Elmer Green will trim the trees
and Jarrod Gee will clean out the flowerbed and trim
the shrubs.
Congregational Care: The committee has been
ministering to the needs of several church members
and families.
Mission and Outreach: Care Portal Training will
take place at the police station on April 15th. This
program will consist of local Children Protective
Service agents identifying a specific need. 7
churches have committed to this mission and will
minister to local families and children in need.
One Great Hour of Sharing offering will occur
during the Easter Service.
“Heal our City” walking event is scheduled. Ruth
Ann Campbell and Lou Ann Cumbie volunteered to
attend.
Christian Education: There will be an Easter Egg
Hunt after worship on Easter Sunday for the
younger youth. The older youth will hide the eggs.
Linda Duncan, Rev. Kary Fry, Boo Nemir, Donella
Parker, Ann Wilson and Rebecca Webb will attend
the Women’s Retreat.
The confirmation class was received: Ethan Boswell,
Tabby Baugh, Mason Maxwell, Payton Moore and
Annisa McCollom.
Worship Committee: Maundy Thursday will be
April 2nd at 5:30pm. Communion will be served
Easter Sunday.
New Business: A large TV screen was donated to the
church that will be placed in the fellowship hall. Rev.
Fry will take vacation April 12-19th. Jack Aycock will
fill the pulpit on April 12th and Brenda Church will
be pulpit supply on April 19th.
New members were welcomed on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2015
Neil and Darlene Moore, Linda Duncan DeeAnne McFarland, Jody Moody
Averi Emersyn Moody was baptized on Palm Sunday, March 29, 2015. Parents Jody and Ashton Moody, brother Kallen, Rev. Kary Fry and Elder Mitch Moore.
Confirmation Class 2015
Payton Moore
Annisa McCollom
Tabby Baugh
Mason Maxwell
Ethan Boswell
Women’s Retreat March 27-28, 2015 70 Women enjoyed hearing Dr. Cynthia
Rigby speak at the Retreat in San Angelo.
Sweetwater Group Donella Parker, Anne Wilson,
Boo Nemir, Kay Staton, Rebecca Webb,
Linda Duncan and Rev. Kary Fry
If you are visiting First Presbyterian Church, we
warmly welcome you in the name of Jesus Christ!
If you want to join in this journey of faith, you are
invited to join by:
-letter of transfer from another church;
-The Sacrament of Holy Baptism; or
-Reaffirmation of faith in Jesus Christ as
your Lord and Savior.
Kary and the Session elders are always happy to meet
with you.
We celebrate the Sacrament of Holy Communion every
first Sunday of the month. Because this is the Lord’s
Supper, we invite all in Christ to share the blessings of
this Sacrament.
Directory Update
Mike Briggs Cell Number 236-1080
DeeAnne McFarland 1662 FM 419 S Sweetwater, TX 79556 325-235-9296 [email protected]
Kathy King Update
Kathy has moved to Wisteria Place in Abilene for a few weeks. Cards may be sent to: Wisteria Place c/o Kathy King Room 303 3202 S. Willis Abilene, TX 79605 692-6145
Printed Directories are available in the church office.