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CHURCH CURRENTS First Presbyterian Church 210 S. Wayne Street Milledgeville, GA 31061 phone: 478-452-9394 fpchurch@windstream.net www.fpchurch.org

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid

Permit No. 113

We seek to glorify God through:

Inspiring worship in Word and music, Inquiring study for adults and youth,

Inclusive hospitality locally and globally, Industrious outreach for social justice

and environmental stewardship.

August 2013

We are on the radio Our worship service is broadcast on WKZR (102.3 FM.) every Sunday

morning at 11:00AM

SING A NEW SONG TO THE LORD Weekly church choir rehearsals will resume on Thursday, August 1, at 7PM in the sanctuary. The choir will resume singing weekly responses and anthems on Sunday, August 4, with a warm-up at 10:30AM. All are welcome who like to make a joyful noise.

FPC CHOIR PICNIC

Saturday, August 10, 3PM until… Come join us at the home of Greg & Sue York on the lake- swimming, canoeing, boating, relaxing, visiting. We will cookout and eat around 5:30 or 6:00PM.

This is a wonderfully fun group and we hope you will come join us! We hope you will consider joining the choir as we begin a new year. For more information, contact Jennifer Flory (the best choir director around!) at jennifer.flory@gcsu.edu

or Sue York at gregsueyork@gmail.com.

Issue No. 209 August 2013

First Presbyterian Church

Organist:

Kate Phillips Dir. of Music:

Jennifer Flory Admin. Asst.:

Dianna Hendricks

Elders: Class of 2013: Mary Lucik, Linda McKnight, Joe Owens, Peter Piro Class of 2014: Rosemary Begemann, Linda Watson-Kaufman, Sue York Class of 2015: Dave Baarda, Anne Smart, John Bradley Deacons: Class of 2013: Jan Clark, Sunda Coleman, Faye Heal, Mary Baker Class of 2014: Deanna Bivins, Mary Jordan, Doris Moody Class of 2015: Bill Werts, Margie Dodd, Jesse Osterhoudt

Pastor:

Debbie Osterhoudt

Child Care Providers: Robin Collins Jason Poole

Coord. of Children Campus & Youth Ministries: Ministries: Gloria Burns

Even though we live in "days of great trial" and Christian discipleship seems to be moving further and further to the margins of our lives, I believe that God is calling us to be that voice preparing for the Lord to enter into our lives. Give me a call and respond to God's calling just as the prophets did with "Here I am, Lord. Send me!" Peace! Pastor Debbie debbieosterhoudt@windstream.net FLANNERY O’CONNOR

DISCUSSION GROUP

Thursday August 15th 10:30 AM at Andalusia

Please come join us on Thursday, August 15, at Andalusia,

the Front Porch; we will be reading

“The Geranium” and “Judgment Day”. We always have lively discussion and it is a great time of fellowship.

If you have questions, call Sue York 478-454-3288.

Hope to see you there!

Dear Friends, One of my favorite contemporary praise songs is "The Days of Elijah" and the words to the first stanza are: "These are the days of Elijah, Declaring the word of the Lord: And these are the days of your servant Moses, Righteousness being restored. And though these are days of great trial, Of famine, darkness and sword, Still, we are the voice of the desert crying, 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord.'" One of the questions with which I always struggle is "how do we prepare the way of the Lord to come into the our lives, given our contemporary context?" How do we maintain the truth of the ancient stories of the Bible but share those stories within our 21st century communities? With the Session's support, I am beginning to explore the possibility of starting a contemporary worship service for Sundays at 5:00PM, followed by a simple supper. Contemporary praise music and the sharing of God's word in creative, interactive ways will characterize this worship. We hope that this form of worship will be particularly appealing to our college students and other folks, regardless of age. I have been in dialogue with some folks who might help us with the music but I would like to pull together a ministry team to help us with the genesis of this new ministry. If you think God might be tapping you on the shoulder and calling you to participate in this ministry, please give me a call or email me. We would like to begin this new 5:00PM Sunday worship service in September.

Congregational LifeCongregational LifeCongregational LifeCongregational Life

FELLOWSHIP RETREAT, OCTOBER 18-20, 2013

EPWORTH-BY-THE-SEA, ST. SIMONS ISLAND, GEORGIA

You are invited to join us for a Fellowship Retreat at Epworth-By-The-Sea on beautiful St. Simons Island, October 18-20, 2013. We have reserved rooms at the Turner Lodge, Epworth’s newest resort facility. Check out their web site! All rooms have a private balcony with unrestricted views of the historic Frederica River and the Marshes of Glynn. Rooms have either two queen size beds or one king size bed. Roll-a-ways, cribs and sleeper sofas are also available for children.

Our retreat/worship leaders are Reverends Chris and Gloria Hughes, who are ministers at Clemmons United Methodist Church in Clemmons, NC and Bethel UMC in Winston Salem, NC. With years of experience in ministry, Chris and Gloria now serve as pastors who seek to equip all persons as ministers within the Body of Christ. Christ describes himself as a passionate post-modern prophet, pastor, multimedia communicator, playful worship leader, teacher and musician. His book, “The Porpoise-Given Life,” will inform our time together. Gloria is a sacred artist, disciple maker, and foundation director.

Childcare will be provided; however, children will be included in worship and group activities as best meets the needs of each family. There will also be opportunities for free/family time. You decide what will nourish and renew you best. The weekend will also include a 1 ½ hour Dolphin Boat Tour.

Costs for the weekend include two nights’ lodging (Friday and Saturday), five meals beginning with breakfast on Saturday and ending with lunch on Sunday, the Dolphin Tour, childcare, worship and creative activities.

2 adults per room: $160 (an additional $50 cost for single occupancy)

Children, ages 3-12: $34 per child

Youth, ages 13-17: $80 per teen

Registration and a non-refundable deposit of $50 for each individual or $100 per family is due by Sunday, September 15. For more information, please contact Linda Golson Bradley at 478-696-3133 or Gloria Burns at 478-452-9394.

*************************************************** *************************************************

Registration Form

Epworth-By-The-Sea. October 18-20, 2013

Adult Name(s):_________________________________________________________

Children’s Names and Ages:_______________________________________________

Address:_______________________________________________________________

Phone Number:_________________________Email:___________________________

CHILDREN & YOUTH

End of Summer Fun August 25, 2013

Watch the Sunday Bulletin and your email for more information.

GEORGIA WAR VETERANS HOME

First Presbyterian Church Youth Group received a letter of appreciation from the Georgia War Veterans Home

thanking them for their work painting the veterans putt-putt golf course. Work on this project will continue once the weather is dryer and cooler.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATIONCHRISTIAN EDUCATIONCHRISTIAN EDUCATIONCHRISTIAN EDUCATION

NEGA PRESBYTERY LEADERSHIP EVENT Mark your calendar for Saturday, August 24 to attend the Northeast Georgia Leadership Event at First Pres-bytery Church, Athens, GA. If you have not been to this beautiful church that is reason enough to go but,

there will also be a variety of interesting and informative workshops designed to help local churches meet the needs of their

congregations and communities. This event is not just directed at deacons and elders

but is designed to offer something of interest to most church members. There will is a copy of the brochure on the bulletin board or check online at the Northeast

Georgia Presbytery website, www.negapby.org. If you have questions or plan to attend contact Gloria,

gloryb.ce@gmail.com or 478-454-6285.

GREEN PLAGUES AND LAMB Our children and youth gathered on Sunday afternoon, June 30, to explore Green Plagues and Lamb The Story

of Moses and Pharaoh. After hearing the story and talking about the event, three teams were established and each team worked to create one of the plagues. The pictures are below. Can you pick out the frogs, boils and locus? Which one do you think looks the

most authentic (color doesn't count).

.

PARENT AND CHILD COMFORT STATION

We at First Presbyterian Church love children and understand that not all parents and children are the same. Some people prefer to worship with their

whole family, some parents prefer to have their chil-dren in Children's Worship were they have a lesson that mirrors the Biblical text of the day in a child

friendly way. We would like you and your family to be comfortable

how ever you prefer to worship with us. Children are always welcome.

We understand that children get restless or fussy. If it makes the parents nervous we have provided a rocking chair and bookcase with some comforting items in the corner of the narthex where they can take the child out and comfort them for a brief time.

THE FALL LINE FARMERS MARKET FRIDAY AUGUST 2, 4PM - 8PM

It's time to go back to school and Milledgeville Mainstreet has lots of fun activities planned. Check out

their Facebook page and watch for more details. We look forward to a fun evening with music provided by the twice-grammy-nominated band, Big Mike and the Booty Papas. This band of seasoned senior musicians will impress you so be sure to mark your calendars. The music starts at 5:00. Seating is pro-vided or bring your own! Stay tuned for more details! Meanwhile, please check out the market on our market

Facebook page and be sure to "Like" You'll find weather updates there too!

WHAT’S NEW IN THE COMMUNITY GARDEN

Vegetables and friendships are flourishing in the new community garden in Harrisburg at the Collins P. Lee Center! The gardeners have been enjoying their harvest and working hard to control the weeds that are enjoying the rainfall too! Bees and butterflies are busy pollinating among the perennial flowers that will add beauty and benefit for years to come. If you are interested in knowing more or visiting the garden, contact Debbie Harshbarger or Linda McKnight and we'll be happy to take you for a tour!

SENIOR FARMERS MARKET The annual state-sponsored market for low-income senior citizens is planned for Friday July 26th at the site of the Harrisburg Community Garden. First Presbyte-rian Church members volunteered to assist those seniors receiving the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that are available on EBT cards. Through our partnership with the Milledgeville Community Garden Assoc., we provide SNAP/EBT access to all patrons of the Fall Line Farmers Market. As the only market in town which provides EBT, we were asked to help with this valuable service for the annual market. One of our market vendors, the Palmer Elias Brothers Farm, is the lead farmer at the Senior Farmers Market.

Community OutreachCommunity OutreachCommunity OutreachCommunity Outreach

GREEN INITIATIVE Late summer is peak butterfly season. The bright splashes of color are one of nature’s enigmatic creatures. The metamorpho-sis from a caterpillar into a winged creature of beauty makes the butterfly a subject of eternal fascination in art, literature and myth. There is a feeling of enchantment in a garden where butterflies dance freely. The butterfly is also a universal symbol of hope and redemption. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross spoke of the many drawings of butterflies seen on the walls of prisons and concentration camps. The ancient Greek word for butterfly is psyche, meaning soul or mind. Legends interpret the sighting of a butterfly as a sign of good luck or as a reminder of a departed loved one. Many of us remember the wonder of the many butterflies in the gardens of our mothers and grandmothers. Sadly, loss of habitat and the extensive use of pesticides have greatly affected our butterflies. The same creatures who can make amazing thousand-mile journeys, such as the famous Monarch migration from Mexico, often cannot survive without needed habitat. The good news is that we can create butterfly habitats in our own back-yards. Butterflies need caterpillar host plants as well as nectar plants for the adult butterflies. Information about butterfly gardens can be found at www.butterflywebsite.com. Advice From A Butterfly

Let your true colors show Get out of your cocoon Take yourself lightly Look for the sweetness in life Take time to smell the flowers Catch a breeze We can’t all be Monarchs !

(From the National Wildlife Federation’s “Advice From Nature” series) By Alice Tenold

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH FOOD PANTRY Our food bank is currently in need of canned fruits, soups,

vegetables & meats, dry rice, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, macaroni and cheese, and peanut butter.

We also need volunteers to work Tuesdays from 9:30-10:30 distributing bags of food.

Please call Mary Baker, 478-453-2626 if you would like to help with this ministry.

Your continued support helps us to feed our neighbors and many lives are changed with Christ.

Thank you.

VIP’S CORNER (Visually Impaired Persons)

A Family of Faith: Meet the Selfs

Today VIP’s heard from a family of faith. I do not use the term loosely at all. David, Kathy, Kelly and Jon Self are a family of faith. Their faith not only gave them hope but gave them the perseverance to overcome enormous

challenges. Mrs. Self, Kathy, and her two children, Kelly and Jon were all born with cataracts. Instead of giving in to feelings of despair, this family went searching for answers. They looked for ways to accommodate their needs, sought medical advice, and kept searching until answers were found. David, the father, is the Director of Missions for the Washington Baptist Association. Here is their story: Kathy was born into a family in which many members had cataracts. She had grown up in an environment in which Braille was used and games had been adapted for use with limited vision. This was necessary because medical remedies for congenital cataracts were limited at that time. She attended the Georgia Academy for the Blind and a private high school. Kathy completed college and now teaches math at GMC. When her children were born with cataracts, things had changed but many challenges still existed. Kelly, the oldest, will gradu-ate from GCSU in December with a double major in psychol-ogy and art. But it hasn’t been easy. She had several surgeries to improve her vision but still faces some limitations. She drives with a conditional license. Jon, her younger brother (and Valedictorian of his High School class!) encountered more difficulties in his journey. At birth he had surgery to remove the cataract, but later learned he had glaucoma. He needed special medicines to control the pressure in his eyes. Many trials were needed to discover the combina-tion of medications that worked for him. At one time he was on 9 different medications. Over time, the doctors were able to find one medication that adequately controlled his eye pressure without unwanted side effects. Then the drug company decided to discontinue the one medication that worked for him. Pleads to the pharmaceutical company to reissue the medication were unsuccessful as were attempts to find another company any-where that produced it. The companies said there was simply no profit for them in making the drug. Without the medication Jon would lose his vision. Faith kept this family going. Many, many calls and letters and finally a petition from a coalition of doctors to the pharmaceutical company resulted in the reissue of the drug for children. Over time, more problems developed with his eyes. The family began the search again for a solution. The family learned of a new surgical procedure, a Trabeculectomy.

This is a procedure in which intraocular pressure is relieved by removing part of the eye’s meshwork so the eye can drain. This, plus medications helped reduce the pressure, but more surgery to insert a drainage implant was needed to control the eye pressure adequately. The procedure was a success. Jon was able to pass the test to get his driver’s license and now reads with only glasses to enhance his vision. He is pursuing a degree in computer science at GCSU. Faced with these difficulties, how many people would have persevered? How many people would have completed college? A family of faith did. Also present was Don Golembiewski. Mr. Golembiewski was attending the meeting to learn more about how the support group func-tioned. He is gathering information for an article on support groups for the American Federation for the Blind.

The VIP’s will meet again on August 21. Don Shirreffs will be the speaker.

He will discuss his hobby of building birdhouses. The public is invited.

ANNE HARRY MILLADENE MARJORIE

MAY PRISON FAMILY LUNCH

Thirty-six guests from Atlanta joined us on Saturday to eat barbecue and share fellowship.

Our visitors are so appreciative of the work we do and the food we provide. Please consider joining

us in this ministry—it is so rewarding. A big thanks to Mary Jordan, Faye Heal, Haywood

Edwards, Rosemary Begemann, Margie Dodd, Gene Gunter, Nancy Holbrook, Jack and Deanna

Bivins, Joseph Dean, and Jan Clark for your gracious help.

Self family( Kathy, Kelly, Jon and David) and Mr. Golembiewski

Illnesses: Tom Murphy, colon cancer, Kathy Carroll’s brother Robbie White, cancer, Betty Hattaway’s friend April McMillan, cancer, Jeanene Vinson’s granddaughter Bill Brenner, prostate cancer, Bill Flory’s uncle Amy Smith, colon cancer Carmen Silva, pancreatic cancer Chris Pearson, Sunda Coleman’s son, eye & health issues Audie Wilson, home Evelyn Knight, Rob Grimes’ grandmother, hospitalized in Tallahassee Roy Pound, Sunda Coleman’s father, recovering at home after knee surgery Mary Jane Deckard (temp address) c/o Mr. & Mrs. James Paul Jr. 128 South Cambridge Drive Milledgeville, GA 31061 Mary Barbara Tate, home Paul Moore, Dallas, TX, Reba Vaughan’s grandson, cancer Frank Gunsaley, Nancy Miller’s brother-in-law, surgery Paula Mitchell Murray, Anne Smart’s sister, in Vietnam working with orphanages Leigh Humphrey, friend of Bill & Ruby Werts, kidney failure Judy Powell, friend of Letha & Sandra, diagnosed with MDS Andrew Lindsay

Assisted Living: Banny Lundy, Green Acres, Milledgeville Laurette Smith, Savannah Court, Milledgeville Katherine Lyda, Louise Sallstrom’s mother, Green Acres Jonnie Tenold, Savannah Court, Mike Tenold’s mother, Savannah Court Harold Gillis, Sr., Lee Gillis’ father, Scotia Village, Laurinburg, NC

WITH GRATEFUL HEARTS

Thank you so much for the meals, cards, emails, prayers, and good thoughts this summer surrounding my surgery and recovery. I am blessed to work with

such a kind and caring group of people. Jennifer Flory

WITH MOST SINCERE THANKS

Thank you to Nancy Holbrook, Reba Vaughn and Deanna Bivins for helping out in the church office during my vacation days. Your time and efforts are

very much appreciated. Thank you also to all the Ministry Teams for meeting

deadlines for bulletin and newsletter articles. Peace in Christ,

Dianna Hendricks

A NEW SOUND SYSTEM FOR THE SANCTUARY

Thanks to a very generous benefactor, we have been able to replace our sound system in the sanctuary. We

had hoped to accomplish this work when we com-pleted the renovation, but we simply did not have the funds. Several months ago we were presented with this gift and so we are now able to install this new sound system. The work includes new wiring, new speakers, new sound board and microphones and,

AND, new headphones which will make it so much clearer for folks who need assistance in hearing. Also, the new system will make listening on the radio much

clearer. The work should be completed within the next two weeks. It is truly amazing how generous

folks are in this congregation!

NURSERY SCHEDULE

If you would like to help with the Nursery, please contact Anne Smart @ 478-452-4109.

August 4 Margie Dodd August 11 Elizabeth Baarda August 18 Anne Smart August 25 Joel Burns

Thank you for your help.

FROM THE TREASURER: June Year-to-Date Undesignated Income $19,310 $118,419 Budgeted Expenses $20,361 $157,340 Net Income/(Loss) $(1,051) $(38,921) A big "Thank You" to those who have already responded to the request for “13 months in 2013”! As always if you have any questions about the finances of FPC, please contact me at 478-451-7118 or faye.heal@gcsu.edu

Bir

thda

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August 3rd Kyle Dennis Linda Watson Kaufman John Hunter Lane August 5th Beth Baarda August 7th Virginia Herndon Bob Lamb Jane Tipton Ruth Treptow August 11th Winn T. Jefferson August 16th David Ritchie Jude Hirsch

Anniversaries

AUGUST Sun Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat

30

OFFICE

HOURS

10:00 - 3:00

31

OFFICE HOURS

10:00 - 3:00

6:30 Pot Luck

7:15 Bible Study

1

OFFICE HOURS

10:00 - 3:00

7:00 Choir

2 4pm - 8pm “First Friday” Fall Line Mkt.

3

4

9:45 Sunday School

11:00 Worship

Lords’ Supper - bring

canned goods please

Noon - Nominating

Committee Meeting

5

OFFICE HOURS

10:00 - 3:00

6

OFFICE

HOURS

10:00 - 3:00

7

6:30 Pot Luck

7:15 Bible Study

8 10:00 So-So Sewers

6:30 IOBI 7:00 Choir

9

10

3PM till …

Choir Picnic @

Greg & Sue

York's home on

the lake

11

9:45 Sunday School

11:00 Worship

Noon - Deacons

12

6:30 Session

13

5:00 Personnel

14

6:30 Pot Luck

7:15 Bible Study

15 10:00 So-So Sewers 10:30 Flannery O’Connor Group 2:00 LIR Reading Group 3:00 LIR Writing Group 7:00 Choir

16

17

Noon Prison

Family Lunch

18

9:45 Sunday School 11:00 Worship

19

20

21

10:30 VIP’S 5:15 Property

6:30 Pot Luck

7:15 Bible Study

22

10:00 So-So Sewers 5:00 MCGA 6:30 IOBI 7:00 Choir

23

24

25

9:45 Sunday School

11:00 Worship

26

27

5:15 Kiwanis

28 29

7:00 Choir

30 31

August 17th Clyde Tipton August 18th Martha Chappell Rebecca Elangwe August 20th Bob Deason August 21st JoAnn Yao August 22nd Mrs. Gerry Califf August 23rd Sue York August 25th Sarah Applebury August 31st Jolena Yao

August 2nd John & Louise Sallstrom August 5th Jason & Amy Smith August 17th Shane & Selia Geeter August 22nd Ben & Donna Gautier August 30th Joel & Gloria Burns