Pastor’s Notes
First, before I forget, note
that daylight savings ends November
3rd. So, don’t forget to set your clocks back one hour.
Otherwise you’ll come to worship and no one will be here yet. That doesn’t mean
you can’t come on in and sit with God in silence and meditate. You’ll just have
to wait for people to arrive.
Our worship
theme from October 13-November 24 has been and is about homes, the places where
we live. First it was “Home Is Where the Heart Is” and then “New House Rules” and
the Sunday I was at Great Plains Presbyterian Pilgrimage #14 was “House of
Hope.”
We are
continuing this theme using a doll house loaned to us by Chuck & Linda
Ploen. We can look or peek inside this house/home and rearrange the furniture
and peek through the windows just to try out different settings and then see
how it looks.
Our church
is a house, a sanctuary. We bring our hearts here to be mended, broken open, comforted,
and sometimes just to rest. There are rules; mostly unwritten except in our
minds. There are windows; I haven’t noticed any peekers yet maybe there have
been and I just didn’t see them. Our church is a place of hope, faith, and
trust.
When we think
of our churches as houses we notice that, like houses, some are simple and
plain in design while others are grand looking structures with Greek styled
pillars and huge, ornately carved doors, and beautiful stained glass windows
that tell the stories from the Old & New Testament.
Churches
also move and relocate when the neighborhood around them changes. The
demographics change, people move out and other ethnic groups move in; everything
changes, people, neighborhoods, and churches.
The final
Sunday, November 24th, we’ll note that houses are for living in.
They’re meant mainly for people but we may find dogs, cats, hamsters, birds,
fish and other pets also living with the people of the house. We’ll be
considering who lives there, which
are the busiest rooms, how many people are squeezed into these
homes.
After that
we move into the season of Advent on December 1st. Are you ready for
that? I’m not sure I am but it’s coming nevertheless.
My prayers
for Walnut First Presbyterian Church are that we consider prayerfully what
God’s mission is for us, this Body of Christ in Walnut. How are we, how can we
serve our community, our presbytery, and our world? What is God calling us to
do? What is being laid on our hearts?
This is the
season when we begin to receive those letters in the mail asking for our
donations. I’m always reminded that the needs of these folks extend through the
rest of the calendar year. They need our
assistance, our help, every day, every month of the year.
So, listen
as God speaks to your heart and then share with us what that mission
opportunity might look like.
God’s peace and grace be yours,
Pastor
David
In Memoriam
Mildred Joy Sievers
1914-2013
Fall supper work schedule is included in
this Gleaner. Please check to see your
duties. The Bazaar/supper is Nov. 16th.
If you have
been asked to roast a turkey please thaw them before roasting and then
cook them in a cooking bag. Deliver them to the church on the day of
supper (November 20) by 3:30 to 4. Thanks
for all your help.
A
“Joint” Thanksgiving Service will be held Nov. 27th at 6:30 at Trinity Lutheran Church
Stewardship
Sunday
Stewardship
Sunday is November 4th.
Please bring your pledges to Church on or before that day.
I used to sing to forget my
worries until I realized my voice was worse than my problems.
Thank-You
Special
thanks go out in this November (Thanksgiving) Gleaner to all our Church
volunteers:
Sunday School teachers Robin Heilig, Cathy Shutters,
Bonnie Holtz, Kathy Hansen & Michelle Mertz
Piano Player - Connie Jensen
Clerk of Session - Linda
Ploen
UPW President - Charlotte
Shepherd
Church Treasurers - Robin Heilig
and Connie Jensen
Session Members
Flower Contributors
All workers at the Church
Bazaar and Supper
All workers at the Antique
Walk Food Stand
Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case
you have to eat them.
Thank-you!
Thank-you! Thank-you!
Thank-you to Jim McDermott for planning and providing the
congregation with a “fish fry”. Jim and
his “helpers” held the meal after our “informal” contemporary worship service.
Drive
carefully…It’s not only cars that can be recalled by their Maker.
Once
again our Presbyterian Women are hosting the “Fall Bazaar/Supper on Nov 20th. Thank-you to them for all the work they put
in to organizing it. Can you imagine
hosting over three hundred guests for a Thanksgiving meal with all the
trimmings? The real joy of the meal is
seeing so many of our church members working together.
“Silence is Golden…
Unless you have children, then silence is just Suspicious.”
Peace United Church of Christ
The
Peace Church Fall Dinner will be held Sunday, November 10th from
11:30-1:30.
They
will be serving a full roast beef meal.
Veteran’s Day Program
November 11, 2013
10:30 AM
Veterans are invited for
coffee and goodies at 9:30 AM in the lobby outside the gym.
December Ushers and Communion Servers
Ushers: Ross & Jean Bornholdt,
Craig & Linda Woltmann
Communion Servers:
Michelle Mertz (chm), Jean Bornholdt, Allan Sievers, Mary Ellen Woltmann. November ushers and communion servers are at
bottom of calendar.
“Whoever said you can’t
buy happiness forgot little puppies.” Gene Hill
Flowers for Pulpit
November 3 -
Linda Woltmann
November 10- Gloria Walter
November 17- Charlotte Shepherd
November 24- Charlotte
Shelpherd
Christmas Poinsettias
Order your Christmas
poinsettias from the Walnut
Community School Charlotte
Session Minutes
October
8, 2013
The session of Walnut First Presbyterian Church met in
regular session on October 8, 2013 at 7 pm in the Sunday School south
annex. Session members present were:
Linda Ploen, Jim McDermott, Michelle Mertz, Kathy Hansen, Allan Sievers and
Cathy Shutters. Absent were: Jack Ploen,
Greg Mertz, Jim Tooley and Michael Mertz.
Also present at the meeting were six members of united church of Avoca
Representing
Moderator David Krueger opened the meeting with prayer. Our reflection was Engage the Gospel from
Salvation Through the Church. Scripture
was from Mark 1:17-18. We also watched a
video on being disciples. David also
asked us to think about what it means to be a “sending” community.
The minutes of the September meeting were read and
approved. The Treasurer’s report was
approved as given. David’s pastor report
was approved as presented. He traveled
94 miles. He also performed the wedding
of Sarah Sievers.
New Business
During new business we began a discussion with our guests
from Avoca about sharing a pastor after David’s retirement on January 1,
2015. It was a very positive and
productive discussion. The two sessions
need to meet soon to fill out forms, create a covenant statement, and a yoke
agreement. The sessions will do this so
the PNC committee won’t have to. We were
reminded the church nominating committee for 2013 is Linda Krueger, Chuck Ploen
and Robin Heilig.
Stewardship and Mission
Our stewardship campaign begins this month. Kathy also reported that she had delivered a
Welcome Basket to the Luke Larsen residence.
She will also have door prizes for the church dinner.
Christian Education
Cathy asked permission to have a Harvest Party for the
Sunday Schools kids on October 19th from 2-6 pm. Permission granted. The children will also be making a casserole
for Deb Peterson. At 6:00 pm is our
contemporary church service and the Sunday School kids will be singing and
receiving their Bibles.
Worship
There will be no church service on Sunday, October 20th
because of the Saturday night service and fish fry. Communion was served to 4 residents at Peace
Haven on October 6th. Jim
Tooley was the serving elder. David
asked permission to serve communion at the Saturday night services. Permission granted. Pastor David will be at Pilgrimage on October
27th so it was suggested that we attend the contemporary church
service at New Horizon Presbyterian Church in Council Bluffs . It will be a good opportunity to attend a
contemporary service. There will be no
service at our church that day. It was
also moved and 2nd to go to Vala’s Pumpkin Patch after church and to
pay for all children that have attended church service. Motion carried.
Finance and Property
Jim M. reported that he is getting new bids for our new
heating and air. He also asked for
permission to sign a paper from the lawyer of the estate of Gloria Myers
stating that we will ask for nothing further from that estate. Permission granted.
Personnel
We still need to work on our By-laws.
The meeting was closed with prayer and the Lord’s Prayer.
Our next meeting will be November 12th, 2013 at 7
pm.s
Linda Ploen
Clerk of Session
October 14, 2013
The session of Walnut First Presbyterian church met for a special
meeting on October 14, 2013 in the south annex.
Present were: Linda Ploen, Jim McDermott, Jack Ploen and Cathy
Shutters. Absent were: Kathy Hansen, Jim
Tooley, Allen Sievers, Greg, Michelle and mike Mertz. Also present were seven members from United
Church of Avoca.
Moderator David Krueger opened the meeting at 7 pm with
prayer. We began the meeting with
introductions.
The purpose of the meeting was to work on a draft for a yoke
agreement and a covenant statement between the two churches to share a
pastor. We answered questions and
discussed similarities of the
churches. Avoca has their forms
completed; however, we need to get our mission statement completed as soon as
possible. Another meeting was set for
Sunday, November 17th at 11:30 at United Church of Avoca.
The meeting was adjourned and closed with prayer.
Linda Ploen
Clerk of Session
What we’d like to hear in Church
Hey,
it’s my turn to sit in the front pew!
I
was so enthralled, I never noticed your sermon ran longer than usual.
I’ll
volunteer to be the permanent junior high Sunday School teacher.
I
love it when we sing hymns I’ve never heard before.
Pastor,
we’d like to send you to this Bible seminar in the Bahamas .
Nothing
inspires me and strengthens my commitment like our annual stewardship campaign.
(submitted by Faithful Shepherd Presbyterian Church of
Omaha)
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~ November 2013 ~
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Sun
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Mon
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Tue
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Wed
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Thu
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Fri
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Sat
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1
Kent Johnk
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2
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3 Time Change-back 1 hour
Worship 9 AM
Worship & communion at
Peace Haven 11 AM
Robin/Dave Heilig
Dennis Jensen
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4
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5
Sarah Ehlers
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6
Morning worship &
communion at Salem Lutheran Homes 9 AM
PW 1:30 PM
Choir practice 7:15 PM
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7
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8
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9
MRV Presbytery meeting at
Westminster P.C.,
11AM to 3 PM
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10
Worship 9 AM
Sunday School 10:15 AM
Peace UCC Fall Dinner
11 AM to 1 PM
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11
Karla Helms
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12
Morning worship at Allen
House 11 AM
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13
Jeff Neilsen
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14
Betty Griffith
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15
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16
Mason Griffith
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17
Worship 9 AM
Sunday School 10:15 AM
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18
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19
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20
Mini Bazaar 3 PM
Church Supper 4:30-7 PM
Jessica Helms
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21
Evening worship at Peace
Haven 7 PM
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22
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23
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24
Worship 9 AM
Sunday School 10:15 AM
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25
Cole Sievers
Michelle Tooley
Tuesday McDonald
Connie/Dennis Jensen
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26
Afternoon worship at Avoca
Nursing & Rehab 2 PM
COM meeting at New Horizon
P.C. 4:30-6:30 PM
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27
Ecumenical Thanksgiving
service – Trinity Lutheran, Avoca 6:30 PM
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28
THANKSGIVING
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29
Doug Matthies
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30
Lily Anderson
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November Communion Servers: Cathy Shutters,
chm., Jim & Bobbie McDermott, Darlene Stuart
November Ushers: Teri Abel, Darlene Stuart,
Margo Matthies, Cathy Shutters
