the PRES September 2018 A Message from Pastor Kari Olson YOUNG CLERGY WOMEN INTERNATIONAL One of the highlights of my summer was attending the Young Clergy Women International (YCWI) conference and joining the board of this organization. YCWI is an international and ecumenical organization with roughly 1600 members, all of whom are clergy women under 40 years old. YCWI equips the youngest ordained women for their ministry and creates space for us to collaborate and share resources. By being involved in this organization, I find support and encouragement that helps me continue to be the best pastor I can be for you. My participation in the organization also benefits you, the people of EFPC, because of the idea and resource sharing that happens among the members of YCWI. For example, the idea to do a summer sermon series on hymns and the Easter stories and songs service we did the Sunday after Easter both came from YCWI. I also love that we are an ecumenical group, so I get to learn from women who serve in more than 50 different denominations (including Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Church of Sweden). Because we are all over the world, we mostly interact online, but once a year, it is a gift to be together in person for the conference. The Bread of Life and the Abundance of God's Grace We will begin exploring the Gospel of John on Rally Day, September 9. In John 6:1-14, Jesus feeds the 500. Our focus will be how God shares his grace with us. Our communion table will be filled with many different loaves of bread for Communion by intinction. Following the service, we will use the remaining bread to celebrate that abundance during an enhanced Lemonade on the Lawn. We ask that the congregation bring sandwich fixings to make lunch from the provided sliced bread. We will also have sidewalk chalk available for young and the young at heart. We will write and share with the community what God's grace means to us on our street sidewalks. The image of the Bread of Life will continue throughout September. We will culminate by celebrating World Wide Communion with various loaves of bread that we ask you to bring from home. More information will follow. Greetings and Welcome back from Vacation September is going to be a busy month for our Church: September 5th — Property Committee Meets September 9th — RALLY DAY & RETURN TO REGULAR WORSHIP HOUR 10:30 AM WITH COMMUNION September 11th — Choir Rehearsal returns September 16th — Sunday School reopens September 20th — Session Meets September 23rd — Deacons Meet AND FALL begins COMING IN SEPTEMBER Book Study Led by Pastor Kari Inspired: Slaying Giants, Walking on Water and Loving the Bible Again by Rachel Evans. This book is a helpful guide and discussion, started for those us who seek to take the Bible seriously, but not literally. Evans looks at the different genres in Scripture and how that impacts our interpretation. The Book Study will have two date/time options for those who wish to attend: Sunday Mornings from 9:00 to 10:00 am OR Monday evenings from 7:00 pm -8:00 pm The first Sessions will begin September 23rd and 24th, and will cover the introduction of the book. THE MUSIC DERPARTMENT East Falls Chancel Choir welcomes a new baritone/bass, Randy Shupp who will be joining the choir in September. Randy performs throughout the Philadelphia and surrounding area. He has done choral work with the Haverford/Bryn Mawr Chorale group, performed solos and duets in many venues and performed at the Old Academy Players in East Falls. We are excited to be working with Randy. He has an upcoming performance in “Odessa to God Bless America” at the Abramson Center for Jewish Life on September25 at 2:30 PM. Mark your calendars! Many thanks go out to all our summer soloists who filled in for the choir. Your talents and contributions are greatly appreciated. Submitted by Brenda Browne Lynn Schneider Lynn Schneider enjoys taking mini -vacations on Cape Cod with her married partner, Marianne. The following will explain why. In Lynn’s own Words When any of us are talking with Lynne, somehow her conversion will turn to Cape Cod and specially Provincetown. As a child, she spent entire summers with her family on Cape Cod Bay. It was a magical time of playing with friends who stayed in houses nearby. Days were spent on the beach, swimming, picking blueberries, climbing dunes and sliding down, catching crabs, finding mussels, pretending to be pirates etc., painting clam shells, going on speed boat rides, and putting on a play for our families. Times changed and so did the length of time at the Cape. It seemed, so quickly, that Lynne was taking her children who also caught the magic. And what seems like a blink of an eye, her daughter, Nancy, is taking Lynne’s granddaughters (Morgan & Lindsay) and Michael, Lynne’s son, goes with his wife and grandson (Jon) to the Cape creating more magical memories each year. Lynne and Marianne have been going up four or five times a year for the last thirty two years. They just never get tired of Provincetown. It was where they were married, four years ago, in a beautiful church by the bay, with friends and family to celebrate, and Katherine officiating. Five generations of her family have found the magic of the Cape. Now Lynne hopes that her new grandson, Jon, will start the sixth family generation. Lynne feels like she is going home when she’s at the Cape. You will hear her say, this is my heaven on earth and if the real heaven is anything like this, I will be ready… someday. Submitted by Lynn Schneider Hello Church Family, Mike & I wanted to thank you all for the years of love & support you have shown our son Michael. Falls Pres has been a place he has called home. He started here as a small boy sitting in the pew, and has grown to be a young man, singing in the choir. On Sunday August 19th we moved him into his dorm at DuQuesne University. We all helped move his stuff in & set up his room. While the guys moved around furniture, I arranged his drawers & made his bed. Naomi decorated as best she could. He has two roommates. He got connected right away through a program he was invited to on behalf of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion. As a part of this program, he was able to move onto campus 2 days ahead of most freshman....making for a less hectic transition. This week he will also be connecting with students in the honors program, of which he is a member. As has been his love throughout high school, he is looking forward to becoming a strong member of the Ultimate Frisbee club team. And so begins the next chapter of his life. Thank you for all the cards, notes, gifts and well wishes you gave him for graduation & his college send off. Your love & support mean so much. Warmly, Rebekah and Mike Michael recently move into his dormitory at DuQuesne University in Pittsburgh where he begins his freshman year. The full article and photos appear in the Paper copy of the newsletter and can be found in the narthex.
"FALL" begins SEPTEMBER 23rd Paper copies of "the PRES" can be found in the Narthex (on September 2nd). You will find numerous photos of what some of our Church family did this summer. --- along with a complete listing of belated birthdays listings for July and August as well as current birthdays listing for the month of September 2018. You will also find a kitchen renovation update and photo's. |