THE BEACON Christmas 2019 First Presbyterian Church of Wildwood 203 Barwick Street Wildwood, Florida 34785 Website: www.fpcwildwood.org Phone: 352-748-2530 E-Mail: [email protected]Office Hours: Monday through Thursday from 9-1; closed Fridays Staff Directory Pastor: The Rev. Susan Takis Secretary: Pat Ledoux Accompanist: Eunice Mosier Music Director: Connie Emery Session Members: Sharon Hamilton John Ulrich Louise Fahey Chuck Loser Tom McKee Carole Norton Fran Simone Jim Boring Church Diaconate: Nancy Myers, Moderator Rev. Susan Takis, Advisor Jan Coleman Nancy Caldwell Dru Movizzo Marilyn Englesbe Amy Dunigan The Beacon is published monthly by the church staff and volunteers. Beacon Editor: Marge O’Kane. Deadline for submitting an article for The Beacon is the 4 th Friday of the prior month. January Issue’s deadline is Friday, December 27th. All articles submitted for consideration must include the author’s name, telephone or email, and are subject to editing. Please submit information for all media sources to [email protected]. If you’d like to have The Beacon sent to you via email, send your address to the office at [email protected]. Our Mission is to be welcoming, caring and compassionate, joyfully celebrating the Lord while sharing His love and grace A Note From Your Pastor: Advent Thoughts As I write this, our sanctuary has been greened for Advent by our dedicated Worship Team elves, and I am anticipating our first Sunday of Advent in just a few short days, when we will gather for worship and communion as we begin our journey toward the manger. As is our tradition, we will light the Advent candles one by one each week, in anticipation of the lighting of the Christ candle on Christmas Eve. And each week, after the lighting, we will sing a special hymn together that evokes the anticipation and joy of the Advent season: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! And then later in the service each week, as we await the assurance of God’s forgiveness following the prayer of confession, we will sing these haunting yet profound words: Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing in His hand, Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand. Join your church family during advent each Sunday morning as we prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. We prepare with joy even as we prepare with fear and trembling, acknowledging that God came to earth so that we might find relationship with God. Yes, our full homage is the only response to such a great and everlasting gift. Join your church family for these special services of worship as we await coming of Christ: Sunday, Dec. 15th, 10:30am: Service of Lessons & Carols followed by a potluck lunch Thursday, Dec. 19, 6:00pm: “Blue Christmas” Service of Communion and Anointing Tuesday, Dec. 24th, 6:00pm: Christmas Eve Candlelight & Communion Service May your Advent season be a time of blessing and anticipation, as we await the Promised One. Solo Deo Gloria Pastor Susan
Transcript
THE BEACON Christmas 2019
First Presbyterian Church of Wildwood 203 Barwick Street
Office Hours: Monday through Thursday from 9-1; closed Fridays Staff Directory Pastor: The Rev. Susan Takis Secretary: Pat Ledoux Accompanist: Eunice Mosier Music Director: Connie Emery Session Members:
Sharon Hamilton John Ulrich Louise Fahey Chuck Loser Tom McKee Carole Norton Fran Simone Jim Boring
Church Diaconate: Nancy Myers, Moderator Rev. Susan Takis, Advisor Jan Coleman Nancy Caldwell Dru Movizzo Marilyn Englesbe Amy Dunigan
The Beacon is published monthly by the church staff and volunteers. Beacon Editor: Marge O’Kane. Deadline for submitting an article for The Beacon is the 4th Friday of the prior month. January Issue’s deadline is Friday, December 27th. All articles
submitted for consideration must include the author’s name, telephone or email, and are subject to editing. Please submit information for all media sources to [email protected]. If you’d like to have The Beacon sent to you via email, send your address to the office at [email protected].
Our Mission is to be welcoming, caring and compassionate, joyfully celebrating the Lord while sharing His love and grace
A Note From Your Pastor:
Advent Thoughts As I write this, our sanctuary has been greened for Advent by our
dedicated Worship Team elves, and I am anticipating our first Sunday
of Advent in just a few short days, when we will gather for worship and
communion as we begin our journey toward the manger. As is our
tradition, we will light the Advent candles one by one each week, in
anticipation of the lighting of the Christ candle on Christmas Eve. And
each week, after the lighting, we will sing a special hymn together that
evokes the anticipation and joy of the Advent season:
O Come, O Come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!
And then later in the service each week, as we await the assurance of
God’s forgiveness following the prayer of confession, we will sing these
haunting yet profound words:
Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand;
Ponder nothing earthly minded, For with blessing in His hand,
Christ our God to earth descendeth, Our full homage to demand.
Join your church family during advent each Sunday morning as we
prepare for the coming of the Christ Child. We prepare with joy even as
we prepare with fear and trembling, acknowledging that God came to
earth so that we might find relationship with God. Yes, our full homage
is the only response to such a great and everlasting gift.
Join your church family for these special services of worship as we
await coming of Christ:
Sunday, Dec. 15th, 10:30am: Service of Lessons & Carols followed by
a potluck lunch
Thursday, Dec. 19, 6:00pm: “Blue Christmas” Service of Communion
and Anointing
Tuesday, Dec. 24th, 6:00pm: Christmas Eve Candlelight &
Communion Service
May your Advent season be a time of blessing and anticipation, as we
November Session Highlights In an effort to keep our congregation informed, below are highlights from the
November 20, 2019 Stated Meeting of the Session: ~ Shared congregational prayer concerns and participated in an opening devotional and prayer led by Elder Louise Fahey. ~ Recited the Session Covenant of Leadership. ~ Approved minutes from the October 16, 2019 Stated Meeting of the Session, October 29, 2019 Called Special Meeting of the Session, and November 3, 2019 Congregational Meeting. ~ Approved the following consent agenda items from the Clerk of Session: - to accept Louise MacCallum into FPC membership by letter of transfer from The Presbyterian Church of Dover, DE. - to hold the Annual Meeting of the Congregation on January 26, 2020 following worship. - for Louise Fahey to serve as Ruling Elder Commissioner at the Stated Meeting of Central Florida Presbytery, December 3, 2019. - for the removal of Liz Baker, Barbara Bostleman, Dawne Lampson, Lizette Murray and Jean Vohden from the church rolls. - for Neville Cullen to sell his homemade marinara sauce as a church fundraiser in 2020. - for Rev. Bill Kramp to preach on December 29, 2019. ~ Discussed chapter 9 of Spiritual Leadership for Church Officers. ~ Reviewed the monthly financial update. ~ Approved a motion from the Finance Team to approve the Mid-Year and Annual Servant Keeper Statements Policy. ~ Approved a motion from the Personnel Team for disbursement of $100 Christmas Staff Gifts for Connie Emery, Pat Ledoux, Eunice Mosier, and Susan Takis. ~ Approved a motion from the Men’s Group to sell shirts with the church logo. ~ Heard a report from Sharon Hamilton that the lease to rent the Clow Center is currently under review by FPC and St. Vincent de Paul. ~ Received written reports from the various teams of the church. ~ Closed the meeting in prayer led by Elder Sharon Hamilton.
Highlights submitted by Louise Fahey, Clerk of Session
Joe and Rosangela Baczewski
Joe and Rosie have been worshipping at FPC for many months, and we are so glad
they have made FPC their home.
Rosie is originally from Brazil, and became an American citizen in 2011. Her
native language is Portuguese, and she describes herself as a “warm and friendly
person” which is absolutely true! Rosie enjoys yoga, pickleball, beach tennis and
likes to read.
Joe hails from New Jersey, and enjoys table shuffleboard, pickleball, range
shooting, and is a member of the Mini-Cooper club in the Villages. Both Joe and
Rosie find FPC to be welcoming and friendly, and they like the congregation size.
They say they felt God’s presence in the church the first time they came to worship.
our Past, Present, and Future”. The event was held in the newly
renovated Clow Center, the original sanctuary for our church. (See Kim
Stuchell’s article on page 4.)
“Since its founding in 1885, First Presbyterian has been a force for good in the
Wildwood community and in the world. Whether it’s helping feed the hungry in our
Wildwood Soup Kitchen, spreading the gospel through various activities in our
community, or adding our support to Presbyterian initiatives around the world, in 2020
FPCW will continue its tradition of caring for God’s people near and far. Past,
present and future, the mission of First
Presbyterian Church of Wildwood has
remained the same – to share God’s love
and grace with the world.”
The Celebration Brunch was a
resounding success! This was an event
that came together through hard work of
volunteers – too many to mention, and if
I try to list them I’m sure I’d leave
someone out! However, I do have a written quote from the Men’s Group, who “pitched
in on Saturday to set up tables, and then helped return the tables and chairs after the
luncheon on Sunday.”
Kim Stuchell has been a member of FPCW most of her life. She is the oldest member, not in age, but in membership. “I believe at one time in the past, I was the youngest and oldest member at the same time!” she says. She was recently asked to share with our congregation what it was like growing up in this church. Following is an excerpt from her presentation.
My family has attended here for many years. My Nana and
Granddaddy Watkins were some of the earlier members of the
church. In fact, the bible located in our Narthex was given in loving
memory of my grandmother, Zora Crenshaw Watkins.
I can remember feeling so special being part of the children’s choir when
we would get to perform. As a child, I can remember attending both
worship and Sunday School in the building that is now known as our Clow
Center. Back then, those rooms seemed to be of large enough size, but
to look at them now they seem so very small, especially for the number
of children that I remember being there. During worship, the pews
would be so filled that the teenagers stood along the outer walls of the
sanctuary. The choir loft banister came up to my chin the first time I
sang up there! I have many memories of dressing up as shepherds and
angels for the Christmas pageants.
One of my fondest memories is all of the kids, big and small, loading up
on an old sleigh that one of the farmers had made, and we would ride
around to the shut-ins and older members of the church in town and sing
Christmas carols. And oh yes! There were many a pot-luck Sundays!
And we used to have picnics on the lawn where our sanctuary is now
located.
Above is a photo from Kim’s album. She is in the middle of the back row in the dark dress with a big white collar.
This church has become more and more special to me over the years, not only because of memories of
loved ones from the past, but also because of friendships developed and the fellowship that is shared
here.
Growing up in the church and having served on the Transformation team several years back, I have seen
many changes. But I believe our basic DNA has remained the same. We are friendly, we are caring, we
are compassionate. These are just a few of our traits used to create our mission statement several
years ago:
Our Mission is to be welcoming, caring and compassionate, joyfully celebrating the Lord while sharing His love and grace
There are so many opportunities and ways to share our time and talents. Ways to share the love of
Christ with each other and with our community. Let us be mindful as to how
each of us might find ways to share not only our treasures but our time and
talents as well.
-- Kim Stuchell, October 2019
Photo by Donna Madison
This past October, the women of The First Presbyterian Church of Wildwood attended a Retreat at Warren Willis Camp
on beautiful Lake Griffin in Fruitland Park. This was a time to study, discuss, pray, relax, laugh, and make friends. Pastor
Susan was the leader for this meaningful event.
"Blue Christmas"
Service of Healing & Wholeness Thursday, December 19, 6pm
Are the holidays a difficult time for you?
Are you experiencing an overwhelming loss?
Are you journeying through a hard life transition? Do you simply need a time of quiet amid the chaos of the season?
You are invited to a special worship service of Scripture readings, music, communion, private prayer & anointing with oil
Thursday, Dec. 19 at 6 pm in our sanctuary.
Please invite your friends to this special time of quiet worship.
GLORY TO GOD HYMNALS Have you purchased a hymnal in honor or in memory of a loved one yet? A nameplate will be placed
in the front of the Hymnal to recognize your contribution. Order forms are in front of the pulpit.
Hymnals are $18, and checks should be made out to FPC with “hymnal” in the memo line. Deadline to
order is December 8.
REMEMBER TO BRING THESE ITEMS TO CHURCH ON AN ONGOING BASIS!:
Besides your Bible and yourself, here are a few other items to remember to bring with you when you come to church: Box
Tops for Education to support the Wildwood Elementary School Library, and 7.8 oz cans of Beanee Weenees to support
the Wildwood Soup Kitchen Snack Pack Program.*
* Bins are located by the three doors to the sanctuary.
ANGEL TREE MISSION – MENDING BROKEN WINGS For a number of years FPC has had an “Angel Tree”. The children who are blessed by it are all in foster care homes and have special medical needs.
To participate in this mission, choose an Angel tag from the tree in the narthex. Purchase the gift listed on the Angel tag, wrap the gift, attach the Angel tag to it, and place it under the tree by December 15th. If you don’t want to shop for a gift, choose a tag from the Angel Tree listing a monetary amount. All monetary gifts will need to be turned in by December 8th. Please make your checks payable to First Presbyterian Church of Wildwood, with an “Angel Tree” notation on it.
If you have any questions, contact Kim Stuchell at 352-446-8204. Medical Foster Care would like to thank you for remembering their precious angels and for partnering with them once again to make this a special Christmas for these children. With your caring and generous hearts, we can once again give them the Christmas they deserve!
Each year, hundreds of families struggle to provide Christmas under the tree, many times at the sacrifice of
their everyday bills, causing them added financial burdens and stress. For the past 10 years, Love INC has
teamed up with local churches to meet the need through Christmas Blessings.
We can't do this without you. Whether through time, talent, treasure or monetary donation, please consider
spending a few hours with us loving on families through this Christ-centered, fun, family event. Below are
the needs, along with the dates and times for the volunteer shifts.
1. Do you have skills in photography or videography? We would love for you to document these
events for us! Please call Michelle at (352) 245-8774 or email her
THE JOYFUL NOISE It’s Advent! The Church looks beautiful, and we’re busy getting our houses ready for
Christmas. Actually, the choir started our Christmas preparations a month ago, getting music ready
for our Advent services. This morning (Nov. 24) the choir loft was full, and two members were not
here! What an amazing “problem” to have! I am sure we will find a couple more chairs to accommodate
the full choir in the future! On December 15th we will have our service of Lessons and Carols. This is always
a beautiful, meaningful service to prepare us for Christ’s Nativity. We wish you all a blessed and Merry Christmas!
Connie Emery, Choir Director
Connie Emery played “You Are My
All-in-All”, by Dennis Jernigan, at
the Sunday, Nov. 17th service.
PCUSA CHRISTMAS JOY OFFERING
For all of us gathered together in Advent expectation, we know that the only perfect gift ever
given was the one we received in Jesus Christ – a perfect gift from our gracious God. In
Matthew’s Gospel, one of the names given to Jesus is Emmanuel, which means “God is with us”.
We know that in Jesus, God shared our human experience, and chose to “be with” those who were
often overlooked, left out, vulnerable or in need. Although we cannot ever give the perfect gift, as
Presbyterians, during Advent, we can give generously through the Christmas Joy Offering to
support and “be with” our past, present and future leaders in their time of promise and their time of need.
When we give to the Christmas Joy Offering, we step forward as Presbyterians to be with the young people
attending Stillman College, Presbyterian Pan American School and the Menaul School, recognizing their potential
and rejoicing in their talents. We offer the gift of being with them in support of their education and leadership
development, knowing that the students of color who attend these schools will soon lead the church and world,
receiving our gifts and offering their gifts in return.
We also step forward to be with church workers and their families who have faithfully served the church but find
themselves in critical financial need because of changing health situations or an emergency. We can be with them
to help restore hope through the Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions.
We give these gifts through the Christmas Joy Offering because God shows us how powerful it is to “be with”.
The power of “with” is the power God shows us in Jesus Christ, God’s perfect gift: Emmanuel. This year let us
share our gifts on December 15 and celebrate our church leaders – past, present and future.
Choir Rehearsals Wednesday, 6:00-7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 9:30 a.m. Blood Pressure Clinic 1st Sunday of each Month, 11:30 – 12:00 noon 2 Cents A Meal Offering 2nd Sunday of each Month Potluck Fellowship 3rd Sunday of each Month, After Worship
DEADLINE REMINDERS:
Beacon and Bulletin Submissions: Remember to submit your articles for the Beacon and/or announcements for the bulletin directly to [email protected]. Beacon articles are due the fourth Friday of the prior month. December’s due date is Friday, November 22. Bulletin articles are due the Tuesday before the Sunday your announcement will appear. Announcements will run for three weeks, and may be edited for length.
NEW CONTACT INFORMATION: New address for Jack and Carole Owings: 302 Spring Lake Road, The Villages [email protected] New Phone # for Kim Stuchell: 352-466-8204 Remember to let the office know if you had any recent changes to your contact information. This would include phone numbers, addresses, or part-time addresses. We will be emailing updated church directories in July and January.
DECEMBER Sunday, December 1 Choir Rehearsal
Worship/Communion BP Clinic in Fellowship Hall
9:30am 10:30am 11:30am
Tuesday, December 3 Tuesday PW Circle 2:00pm
Wednesday, December 4 Mission Team Meeting Choir Rehearsal
10:30am 6:00pm
Thursday, December 5 Thursday PW Circle 2:00pm
Sunday, December 8 Choir Rehearsal Worship/Two Cents a Meal
9:30am 10:30am
Monday, December 9 Deacons Meeting 2:00pm
Tuesday, December 10 Finance Team Meeting 10:30am
Wednesday, December 11 Wednesday PW Circle Choir Rehearsal
10:00am 6:00pm
Sunday, December 15 Choir Rehearsal Worship Potluck Luncheon
9:30am 10:30am After Worship
Tuesday, December 17 Ladies Luncheon 11:30am
Wednesday, December 18 Session Meeting 2:00pm
Thursday, December 19 Blue Christmas Service 6:00pm
Sunday, December 22 Worship 10:30am
Tuesday, December 24 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service 6:00pm
Wednesday, December 25 Christmas Day Office Closed
Thursday, December 26 Christmas Holiday Office Closed
