Chancel Choir will be regrouping and starting rehearsals Monday, August 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the sanctuary. We will begin the new season singing at the Rally Day service, 11:00 a.m. on September 12.
This year will be filled with plenty of new music, including a special Christmas musical.
Come lift your voice up to the Lord! All singers, high school age and beyond, are welcome to join. Please contact Buffy Evans (fpchoir@gmail.com) with any questions.
FPC’s primary international focus Is providing humanitarian assistance to three needy orphanages and schools in rural Uganda. In February 2010 Pastor Paul Heins, Bill Grenney, and John and Jean Stewart made a reconnaissance trip to five orphanages and schools in Uganda. They identified the Lukome secondary school near Gulu as the site in the most need of our help.
The FPC congregation raised money, supplies and equipment for a trip in June back to Lukome as well as to several of the other orphanages. Chris Hult and Kelly Rhea collected and sorted school books. Dorthy Jones helped by providing sewing patterns and samples for backpacks for the children. Linda Roberts and Andy Anderson located and arranged for the donation of a modern microscope. The microscope will be used in the medical clinic serving over 500 children at Byana Mary Hill orphanage for early diagnosis of malaria. The knitting group provided many colorful blankets. Many members of the congregation donated time and money to the project. The trip was organized in conjunction with the Institute for Sustainable Education, Economics, and Engineering (SeeeMe.org).
During the two trips this past six months, FPC has supported a variety of projects at the orphanages including: eye clinics, solar power, educational computer laboratories, micro-loans for small businesses, recreational equipment, school libraries, self-help sewing projects, medical equipment, and educational materials. Perhaps more importantly, we have forged a bond of friendship with the staff and students at these institutions.
FPC plans to continue this successful program. You can help by making a donation to FPC and indicating Uganda Project on the memo line.
INSTALLING SOLAR PANELS: Volunteers installed solar panels to power lights and to support an educational computer lab. Two laptop computers were donated and school staff and students were trained to use them.
TEACHING MATERIALS: Hundreds of surplus educational books from a USU Scholastic book sale were acquired by FPC (Thanks to Chris Hult and Kelly Rhea). Materials were transported to Uganda in the team's checked luggage. Volunteers built shelving units to accommodate them in a NEW school library.
MIXING CONCRETE TO SECURE SWING SET: Swing sets, slides, and tetherball equipment were installed at five schools.
MIXING PLASTER FOR THE CLASSROOM INTERIOR: A major project made possible with FPC funds was RENOVATION of a classroom: installing solar power, concrete floors, windows, a door, and plastering and painting the walls. The room will contain two computers to start an educational computer lab and provide library space for the books donated by the church.
A MICROSCOPE AND EQUIPMENT TO USE WITH IT: The team delivered a microscope to the Byana Mary Hill medical clinic that serves over 500 children. The microscope was acquired through the efforts of two FPC members. It will be used for medical diagnosis in treatment of children and nearby villagers and will be particularly useful in detecting malaria, saving a 12-day delay in accessing the nearest microscope.
The following is only an excerpt of this sermon. The full sermon can be heard by clicking the audio link below.
Hebrews 11.29-12.2; Luke 12.49-56
There is an image that I sometimes like to share with couples as they come to me in pre-marital counseling. We talk about how we, as human beings, when we are threatened or we face conflict, how we respond. We have two general ways of responding: we are either tigers or turtles. It’s another take on the fight or flight response.
But when you are a tiger, if your tendency is to be a tiger, when you are faced with a threat, when there is conflict, what do you do? You strike out. Others of us, when we are faced with conflict or when we’re faced with tension or division, what do we do? We’re turtles. We hide in our shells, we withdraw. We hide under those hard shells to protect us.
Now be honest, are you a turtle or a tiger?
Perhaps when we’re more confident we tend to be a tiger, or when we’re more uncertain we tend to be a turtle. Most of us are a little bit of both.
But is we would characterize Jesus today, if we listened to his words, we would definitely say that at least in this moment, Jesus is all tiger. As I read these words, I hear Jesus striking out, going on offense: “I don’t come to bring peace, but division.” And to be honest with you, I don’t know if I like it. I’m not sure if I like Jesus here, I don’t know if my Jesus would look like this, or speak like this. These words, in fact, make me very uncomfortable.
These sayings are hard, perhaps they’re offensive in any age, but particularly in the Middle East where everything in society is focused around family. Jesus goes right for the jugular. And he says, “When I come, when I speak, I’m not coming to bring peace, to smooth things over, to make everything calm and nice and rosy. I’m coming to bring division. And those intimate relationships that are supposed to be so peaceful, I’ve come and when I speak, son will be set against father, mother against daughter.” Say it ain’t so, Jesus.
I wonder if Jesus, as he is looking towards Jerusalem, as he thinks about his fate there, and all of the suffering that he is undergoing, as he feels all of the opposition starting to generate around him, I wonder if he’s beginning to feel frustrated. Maybe a little exasperated, maybe even a little anxious as a human being about what is to come. Do you hear how the NRSV translates it: “What a stress I am under. I wish I could just get it over with!” Perhaps he feels frustrated and exasperated as he heads to the cross.
Now we have two ways of responding to this language of division, this talk of not bringing peace, but bringing conflict. We can either like it too much or not enough. We can either be tigers or turtles.
When we like it too much, this talk of division, when we connect with it too easily, division becomes the goal in and of itself. Nurturing ferment becomes the sign and seal of our conversations and our actions. Oh, that Pastor Paul, he just loves stirring the pot. He just loves to cause trouble. And we like this language of division too much, we are not happy when people compromise or discover common ground. We are not pleased when the focus changes from what drives us apart to what brings us together. When we like these verses too much, we like to rock the boat and we are happy when those with whom we disagree fall into the sea.
(To listen to the sermon in full, please click below)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
After a wonderfully, successful boutique last year where local artisans sold their beautiful wares, the Deacon’s Fund of First Presbyterian is excited to announce a call for entries for a second round. Part of the proceeds from this sale will go to benefit people in our community.
November 5, 2010 6-8 pm
November 6, 2010 10-4 pm
To apply for booth space and view the regulations, please download this application.
Don’t delay! Applications are due September 17. Applicants will be notified by October 7.
Praise Band Worship Schedule
Mark your calendars! The FPC Praise Band will be leading the early morning service worship services for the next following Sundays: