On the INSIDE Fellowship/CE ..................... 2-4 Mission ................................ 4,7 New Members..................... 5-6 Youth ..................................... 8 Birthdays/Milestones.............. 9 A Publication of The Presbyterian Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia Lamp Led by the Holy Spirit, we glorify, nurture, witness. 2015 The Edge of Faithfulness A New Year. -- New opportunities, resolutions and beginnings. January brings to Christians more than a calendar change, and less also. We are part of the people of the new covenant in Christ Jesus. Our begin- nings are open to us every day in our time. Repentance, forgiveness, rec- onciliation and renewal are part and parcel of our life in Christ. “A new covenant sealed in my blood.” (Luke 22:20) “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!” (II Corinthians 5:17) The hymns of Israel describe God’s blessings and mercies as new every morning. “The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (Lamentations 3:22-23) We Christians have tended to view every day as full of opportunities to serve God through Jesus Christ. Sometimes I wonder if we lose sight of those themes when around us are so many resolution articles, lists and dis- cussions. The new reality that has come to the world in and through Jesus Christ is as fresh every day as the dawn. We need not limit ourselves to looking only at the first day of January. God’s grace and blessing meet us every day. Lean on that truth. What is most remarkable about January, is true for every month: God’s steadfast love and faithfulness! Imagine who we can be and what we can do if daily we strive to live on the edge of God’s eternal faithfulness! Hoping you will make the most of all the newness God provides, I am. Sincerely yours in Christ,
Transcript
On the INSIDE
Fellowship/CE ..................... 2-4
Mission ................................ 4,7
New Members ..................... 5-6
Youth ..................................... 8
Birthdays/Milestones.............. 9
A Publication of The Presbyterian Church, Fredericksburg, Virginia Lamp
Led by the Holy Spirit, we glorify, nurture, witness.
2015
The Edge of Faithfulness
A New Year. -- New opportunities, resolutions and beginnings.
January brings to Christians more than a calendar change, and less also.
We are part of the people of the new covenant in Christ Jesus. Our begin-
nings are open to us every day in our time. Repentance, forgiveness, rec-
onciliation and renewal are part and parcel of our life in Christ.
“A new covenant sealed in my blood.” (Luke 22:20)
“So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation:
everything old has passed away;
see, everything has become new!” (II Corinthians 5:17)
The hymns of Israel describe God’s blessings and mercies as new every
morning.
“The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases,
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
(Lamentations 3:22-23)
We Christians have tended to view every day as full of opportunities to
serve God through Jesus Christ. Sometimes I wonder if we lose sight of
those themes when around us are so many resolution articles, lists and dis-
cussions.
The new reality that has come to the world in and through Jesus Christ is
as fresh every day as the dawn. We need not limit ourselves to looking
only at the first day of January. God’s grace and blessing meet us every
day. Lean on that truth. What is most remarkable about January, is true for
every month: God’s steadfast love and faithfulness!
Imagine who we can be and what we can do if daily we strive to live on
the edge of God’s eternal faithfulness!
Hoping you will make the most of all the newness God provides, I am.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Page 2 The Lamp The Presbyter ian Church
Presbyterian Women Circles
Never-ending Circle Sun., Jan. 4, 12:30pm, Barbara Howe
Leader, Trudy McNatt - 373-2852.
Circle of Joy Mon., Jan. 5, 10am, Church Parlor Leader, Kathryn Hower - 361-7435,
Leader, Gale Kehoe, 371-4570.
Faith Circle Mon., Jan. 12, 12:30pm, Church Parlor - Leader: Susie Kuliasha, 370-1710.
Circle of Prayer Tues., Jan. 13, 12:15pm, Church Parlor - Leader: Jeanne Ramsburg, 710-5891.
Friendship Circle Tues., Jan. 13, 11:30am, Chancellor’s Village Leader: Paula Kallay, 898-6169.
Lunch in Fredericksburg The Prime Timers will meet for lunch at La Rossetta, a Northern Italian-themed
restaurant, located in the Chimneys in downtown Fredericksburg, across the street
from the Courtyard by Marriott at 623 Caroline St., on Wednesday, January 14, at
11:45 a.m. We will order from the menu. Please call Gina Whitticar, 373-7271, by
Sunday, January 11, for a reservation.
Forever Young at O’Charley’s The Forever Young Fellowship group will meet at O’Charley’s Restaurant, 1791
Carl D Silver Parkway, on Tuesday, January 27, at 11:30 a.m. Please call Bruce
Harvey, 373-7057, by January 20, for a reservation.
What is the Church? — 2015 Congregational Retreat The theme for the 2015 Congregational Retreat is “What is the Church?” The
location of the retreat is Camp Hanover, on March 14-15. Adults of all ages,
children and youth are invited and encouraged to come for the day or spend the
night as we explore the theme together through organized activities, Bible study,
fellowship, games, worship, singing and more. There will be free time to explore
the camp, fish, play games, read, nap and participate in a mission project. The food
will be great. The committee busy planning for the retreat includes: Sallie
Nowacek, Julie Young, Tom Wimberly, Brian Liska, Roxanne Nance, Matt
Bohmke, Hannah Porter, McCray Fidler, Rachel Talmadge and Bruce Harvey. Stay
tuned for more details.
Worship Workshop Children in grades 1-3 and their parents are invited to attend the Worship Workshop
on Sunday, January 25, following the 11:00 a.m. worship service. Lunch will be
served followed by learning centers on the Lord’s Prayer, Apostles’ Creed, finding
scripture, Order of Worship, making a hymnbook marker, the Doxology & Gloria
Patri and playing the sanctuary game. Please let the church office know by January
The Journey Begins The 2015 Confirmation Journey will begin with a gathering for our explorers and their
covenant partners on Sunday, January 11, at 5:00 p.m., in the Church House. The first
class will meet on Sunday, January 18, at 9:45 a.m., on the 2nd floor of the Middle
House, back room. The sessions will continue through May 24, with Confirmation
taking place on Sunday, May 31. There will be special activities including ushering/
greeting; helping prepare communion; reading the gospel of Mark; participating in the
congregational retreat; helping Stop Hunger Now; helping in the food pantry and more.
Please be in prayer for the explorers, their parents and covenant partners as they go
through this journey together. They are:
Explorers Parents Covenant Partners
Caroline Bowling Randy & Mary Lynn Carrie Szlyk
Sydney Coffman Michele/Mark Betsy Lewis
Guy Gormley Guy & Sarah Dick Balch
Sam Harrison Lisa & Mike Bill Nix
Sam Horn Paul & Holly Allen Polk
Libby Humes Sharon & Pete Hannah Porter
Nils Pedersen Andy & Heidi John Conway
Claire Rehm Elizabeth & Jeff Lynn Simms
Will Rowe Charlie & Jen Pete Kolakowski
Reid Schattgen Marnie & Steven David Wright
Rachel Talmadge Trey & Amy Terri Kunkler
The teachers for the Confirmation Journey are Porter Blakemore, Tricia Garner, Della
Hall and Bruce Harvey.
Cold Weather Shelter Please keep the Cold Weather Shelter in your prayers as it is open every night during
January, February and March until it warms up. The guests are picked up each evening
wherever the community dinner is served and taken to the shelter at 750 Kings High-
way. Volunteers from the different Micah churches welcome them and check them in.
A snack and supplies -- underwear, socks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc. -- are provided
each night. Volunteer teams from our church go each Wednesday of the month to the
shelter. There is a paid staff person who stays the night with the guests.
Page 4 The Lamp The Presbyter ian Church
Rebekah Eaton grew up the
Fredericksburg area, graduating from Massaponax High School, and now working as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher in Spotsylvania County. Raised in a small Roman Catho-lic parish in Ladysmith, she en-joys knitting and sewing, read-ing, running, playing the flute and piano and is learning the ukulele. She has degrees in His-toric Preservation and Art His-tory with a Masters in Architec-tural History from UVA. Bekah is an accomplished actress, ap-pearing in local productions and
has a son Lachlan (18 months).
Bobbie & Patti Kerns have
been in the area for well over thirty years, currently residing in Lake Acres near the Ni River Reservoir. Patti is a retired edu-cator from the Spotsylvania County schools where she was a music teacher and principal. Bobbie is a UVA grad who re-tired as chief of staff of the USA Topographical Engineering Cen-ter at Fort Belvoir after time in the Army. They have connec-tions in Baptist congregations and were members of Spotsylva-nia Presbyterian Church for many years. Both enjoy singing and are members of our Choir. They have four grown daughters and six grandchildren in the area. Together, they love traveling and Bobbie lists enjoying reading and history as hobbies.
. Regina Payton & Darak Holl-lis have lived in the City of Fred-
ericksburg for more than a year.
Darak’s roots extend back to
Stafford where he was a member
of Summit Presbyterian Church.
He works for Cox Communica-
tions and has lived in FL, TX
and Richmond, VA. Regina is a
homemaker and parent of Deven
(21) and Sean (17); she has lived
in AL, TX and CT, and enjoys
reading, animals and health.
Darak runs, reads and cooks as
hobbies.
Vickie and Bill Neely come to
us from the former Spotsylvania Presbyterian Church where they were charter members. They are parents of a grown and married daughter. They have been in our area over 30 years. Vickie is a retired elementary teacher. Bill is the Commonwealth’s Attorney for Spotsylvania County. Vickie
enjoys watercolor painting,
reading, cooking, needlework, movies and bridge. Bill lists reading and movies as hobbies as well as reconditioning a Triumph convertible.
Bryan Eland is a native of the
Fredericksburg area, works in heating and air conditioning in Northern Virginia. He has been part of St. Matthias United Meth-odist Church for some years and is a fisherman. In April he mar-ried Heather Howe Eland of our congregation, and they are ex-
pecting their first child.
Shannon Farley has lived in
the area for 18 years and was married in our sanctuary. She and husband Elliott (member) are parents of two sons Christo-pher (17) and Nikolas (10). She works in the office of a local maxillofacial surgeon and enjoys
reading.
Zac Cunningham has come to
Fredericksburg after time in Spartanburg, SC, and Athens, OH. A native of Ripley, WV, he is manager of Educational Pro-grams for George Washington’s Ferry Farm and Historic Ken-more. Zac was a member of First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg. He lives in the England Run area and enjoys hiking, reading, swing dancing,
British TV and space.
Melissa & Michael Gloyd
have been in our area nearly 2 years and both have roots in OH. Mel lived for 10 years in NYC, while Mike has retired from the USMC and has lived in many locations with the military. He is a full-time college student. Prior to the birth of their son Robert (7½ months), Mel worked in advertising and marketing. Mike also has two older children, Stephen (11) and Savannah Gloyd (8). Mike’s church back-ground is Methodist, while Mel has been part of Presbyterian congregations. Mike loves watching, teaching and playing sports, golf, and landscaping. Mel runs, bikes, cooks, bakes, reads and does crafting.
Welcome
New
Members
Page 5 The Lamp The Presbyter ian Church
Page 6 The Lamp The Presbyter ian Church
Anders & Heidi Pederson are
new to our area from Saranac Lake, NY, where they lived for 16 years. Heidi was raised in IN near Indianapolis. She is an RN. She worked in hospital settings and most recently as a school nurse. Anders is a minister in the PC(USA), serving as a Fed-eral Prison Chaplain and now Central Office Administrator. They are parents of 3 children; the oldest are students at St. Olaf College in MN: Harriet (21), a senior, son Haakon (19), a fresh-man. Their son Nils (13) is an 8th grader at Stafford Middle School. Heidi enjoys gardening, reading, her dog Snowy and anything outdoors. Anders lists hiking, camping, canoeing, kay-aking, woodworking, and his Nordic heritage as interests.
Sarah Newmeyer is new to
Fredericksburg. She works as a Special Education teacher at Kate Ballard Elementary School in Stafford. She has been a member of Hewitt Presbyterian Church in Rice’s Landing, PA, where she served as a Deacon. Waynesburg, PA, is her home-town -- she is a Steelers fan. She lists crafts, sign language, read-ing and travel as interests and has been on mission trips in other churches and hopes to participate in more.
Dick & Mary Szymanski moved here from Alexandria nearly 2 years ago; they live in the Virginia Heritage neighbor-hood of Spotsylvania. They have 3 adult children. Dick worked for Pillsbury Co. in Min-neapolis, MN; Chicago, IL; and then Alexandria. Mary is a re-tired nurse, having worked in a pediatric office. They come to us from Westminster Presbyte-rian Church in Alexandria. Dick enjoys travel, golf, volunteer work and is a sports enthusiast. Mary enjoys reading, gardening, painting and volunteering.
Dave Techlin
From Bay City, MI, Dave had a career as a teacher and coach. He is the husband of Susie of our congregation. They live in Fawn Lake. Dave enjoys running, biking and reading.
Jerry & Trina Parsons return
to The Presbyterian Church after several years in Knoxville, TN. Jerry works in computer services program management. Trina has a background in social work in mostly educational settings. They are parents of Amy Parsons Ellis and grandparents of Sophie and Johnny Ellis of our congre-gation. Their adult daughter, Katie, lives in TN. Trina enjoys reading and decorating, while Jerry is a golfer and fisherman, who is beginning to pursue inter-ests in genealogy. Welcome home, Trina and Jerry!
Julie and Joel Young Julie
lived most of her childhood in Norman, OK, and is a School Psychologist in the Spotsylvania school system. Joel traces his childhood back to Radford, VA, and comes to us from the Rad-ford Presbyterian Church. He is an attorney in Fredericksburg. They have a daughter Charlotte (8) and a son Cole (5). Both are soccer enthusiasts, and Julie enjoys running.
Beth & Joe Valasko have lived
in our area for 14 years. Now in Caroline County, Beth has lived in Richmond and Front Royal (where she was part of the Front Royal Presbyterian Church); Joe has lived in Severna Park, MD and Morgantown, WV, in addition to 2 years as a Peace Corps volun-teer in Papua, New Guinea. Joe is an English teacher at Spotsylvania High School; Beth taught high school Social Studies prior to opening a home-based preschool. Joe has been a member of several Roman Catholic parishes, and a wrestling coach and softball player. Beth enjoys reading, swimming, the outdoors and travel with her family. They are parents of Jackson (7) and Samuel (6).
Alexandra Spaulding has lived
in the area for over 11 years in both Stafford and Spotsylvania counties. She was raised in Madison, WI, and spent time in Des Moines, IA, but was born in Switzerland, and lived in Ve-rona, Italy, for a time as a young child. She is an attorney and comes to us from the former Parkside Presbyterian Church in Madison, WI. She enjoys travel, singing and outdoor activities and has sung in our Church choir
for some time.
(Photo not available)
Chuck Penick is originally
from Roanoke, and has been in the Fredericksburg area for 31 years, living in the River Bluffs subdivision but looking to move downtown. He and wife, Kim have 2 adult children, Seth and Kelly. Chuck comes to us from the Spotsylvania Presbyterian Church. His interests include cooking, golf, and stand-up pad-dle surfing. He has been an E.R. doctor at Mary Washington Hos-pital for 31 years.
Page 7 The Lamp The Presbyter ian Church
Stop Hunger Now Stop Hunger Now will return on Sunday, February 1, when we will again package
20,000 dehydrated meals that will be sent to hungry children, youth and adults in
our world. We will again join with St George’s Episcopal Church in this effort.
This year there will be two shifts, one at 10:00 a.m. and another following the 11:00
a.m. worship service. You will be able to sign-up on line. Children, youth and
adults are welcome. Each shift will put together 10,000 meals. Please stay tuned for
more details. Our Church School will be on regular schedule.
Our Middle School Youth group will collect the Souper Bowl offering for hunger
on the same day. The donations will go toward the costs of 25-cents per meal for
Stop Hunger Now ($5,000 for 20,000).
We wish to thank Karen Johnson for her continued leadership of our 3rd Saturday
Community Dinners and all the volunteers who make food and work at the dinners.
Karen also stays in touch with Hope Presbyterian Church and Redeemer Lutheran
Church, who do the dinners on 1st and 5th Saturdays.
Gratias! Merci! Gracias! Thanks! We appreciate the leadership that Wayne Hibbeler and Helen Fortune provide
for our Food Pantry along with all the volunteers who come on the Monday,
Wednesday and Friday each week from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Wayne orders food,
picks it up and brings it to church. Helen organizes our volunteers.
