the PRES                        November 2018

A MESSAGE FROM REV KARI OLSON

GIVING THANKS

With Thanksgiving almost around the corner (how did that happen?!) I am thinking about gratitude. While there have been seasons of my life where gratitude did not come easily, for the past year, I have been practically bursting with gratitude—often for you, dear people of EFPC. So I want to take this opportunity to share with you some of the reasons I am grateful for you:

• You love each other and you love our community. 
• You are generous in sharing your gifts with the congregation and the community. It continues to amaze me how many of you share your gifts, serve one another, and offer leadership. You are a talented and generous congregation!
• You are curious and thoughtful people. You want to bring your faith to bear in your lives and ask great questions about what this means and looks like, and you don’t settle for easy answers.
• You are trusting me to be your pastor. This happened not just when you voted to confirm the PNC’s call to me, but happens in all the little ways as we get to know each other and you let me be part of your life. I do not take this sacred trust lightly and I am honored that you allow me to be your pastor.

So this Thanksgiving, I’m especially grateful for you, EFPC, and for the privilege of being your pastor. What are you grateful for?

Blessings,
Pastor Kari

Nov 4th —Celebrate All Saints' Sunday

LOOKING FORWARD TO ADVENT

"Silent Night, Holy Night".  This Christmas favorite was first heard Christmas Eve 200 years ago in the village of Obendorff, Austria.  The poem had been written several years earlier by a Joseph Mohr, the parish priest, but only set to music a few hours earlier by Franz Gruber, the church's choir director and organist.  Our theme for Advent will incorporate this beloved hymn as we prepare for the coming of Christ. 

Saturday, December 1st 2018

The annual Hanging of the Greens will being on Saturday morning.

Sunday, December 2nd 2018

Advent begins 

More details will be in the December 2018 Newsletter

This Advent Season the choir will sing three anthems from last year’s Christmas Concert.  These anthems focus on “waiting” and “looking forward.”

 “Come Emmanuel” was written by Pepper Choplin and sings with bright anticipation of the birth of Christ.  It repeats the message of “waiting” but also rings out the words “for unto you a Child is born”. 

The other Advent anthems from last year's Christmas concert are “O Come to Set Us Free” written and arranged by Mary McDonald and “ We Wait for Thee” written by Victor C. Johnson.

The choir will also perform the Advent anthem “Emmanuel” written by Tom Long and Allen Pote. 

Our Christmas Concert, “Sing We Now of Christmas” is on Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 4:30.  The choral selections will feature the beautiful John Rutter piece, “Angels Carol”.  The choir will also perform the upbeat gospel style anthem, “Mary, Mary”, along with the beautiful anthem about Mary and Joseph, entitled “The Hands that Cradled Mary’s Child”.   We will also perform as requested three choral pieces from last year’s concert and much more. 

As always we end with the beautiful and moving Candle Lighting Ceremony and the singing of “Silent Night”.  Following the concert there is a light dinner in our Fellowship Hall.

We hope you will join us.  Mark your calendars!

Submitted by Brenda Browne

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME

Turn your clocks back November 3rd 2018

Is God calling you to serve?

Submitted by the 2018 Nominating Committee

Well, it’s that time of year again…time for the Nominating Committee to get to work on filling vacancies on the Board of Session and finding people to fill open spots as Deacons. Or at least that is what some of us might think or how some of us may feel, that the Nominating Committee is just trying to fill openings with warm bodies who can do some work.  But if that is all we did, then we’d be getting it wrong.

Elders and Deacons of the church are not just warm bodies.  They are called by the Spirit to use their talents and gifts to support and uplift the congregation, to provide spiritual and business guidance to the church, and reflect God at work in the church and in our community.

There are future Elders and Deacons all around you, and maybe in you.

As defined by the Book of Order, Elders are called to share in the discernment of God’s spirit and governance of God’s people.  Ruling elders should not “lord over” the congregation, but as representatives elected by the congregation, they work in partnership with the pastor, exercising leadership, government, spiritual discernment, and discipline, and have responsibilities for the life of the congregation. 

And from the Elders, a Clerk of Session is chosen.  The Clerk is the main record keeper for the church – serves as secretary for all church meetings, takes and maintains minutes from Session meetings, receives and distributes communications, maintains membership and elder/deacon rolls.  The Clerk should be, among other things, faithful, well organized, patient, and diplomatic.

Deacons are called to compassionate witness and service, sharing in the redeeming love of Jesus Christ for the poor, the hungry, the sick, the lost, the friendless, and the oppressed.  The Deacons are not just the church party planners.  Within our church and our community, they nurture our spiritual needs, share Christ’s love, bring comfort, and celebrate joys. 

So, as the Nominating committee begins its process to find who will be new leaders of our congregation, we encourage each of you to consider your gifts and your talents.  Consider the gifts and talents of others in our congregation.  How can each of you contribute to the life of our church here in East Falls and the larger community around us.

Please talk with a member of the Nominating Committee if you feel there is a member or members of our congregation who have the appropriate gifts.  The members of this year’s Nominating Committee are:  Doug Cowley, Emily Nichols, Dave McClenahan, Cynthia Jickling, Michael Davis, and Bethany Mandes.

And if the Nominating Committee approaches you to discuss being a Deacon or Elder, we encourage you to listen to God’s calling with an open heart and an open mind, and to consider a leadership role.

Submitted by Bethany Mendas

Birthday Celebration

On November 4th, (today)the congregation is invited to participate in celebrating the100th Birthday of Dick Webb.

Everyone is invited to join in the festivities in the

Fellowship Hall immediately following worship.

HANGING OF THE GREENS

"Hanging of the greens" is generally an annual event that many members of our Church join in to "dress up" our Church for ADVENT.  This year it is scheduled for Saturday, December 1st, 2018. 

Please mark your calendars for December  1st, you won't want to miss this event.

Get Ready for the 2019 Presbyterian Youth Triennium

Every three years high school age students from the Presbyterian Church (USA) and the Cumberland Presbyterian Church gather together at Purdue University. Youth from all churches (across the sponsoring denominations) come together for this life changing, life giving, faith growing gathering! Five days that help form a younger generation of active Presbyterians. Five days that shape the leadership gifts and deepen the discipleship awareness for a generation who are already achieving a strong presence in this church and this world!  For info on the 2019 Philadelphia Delegation to the Triennium, contact:   triennium2019.philadelphia@gmail.com.

HOLD THE PHONE:   The robocall epidemic is getting worse in America

WAYS TO STOP ROBO-CALLS

LAND LINES

If you have been tormented by Robo Calls on your land-line.  You can finally stop unwanted solicitations using NOMOROB0.  This is a service that's paid for by your carrier (Verizon, Comcast, etc.).  It takes about 10 minutes to install and you won't be bothered again.  Call your carrier and they will lead you through installation

CELL PHONES

Now you can download an Internet App called "Robo-Killer".  This is an easy to install program and once installed unwanted solicitations stop.  There is a cost of approximately $24.00 per year, but if you have experienced annoying calls, it could be worth the cost.

Both work well when installed correctly and the annoyance of unsolicited calls will finally stop.

A man, late for Church, was searching desperately for a parking spot on a crowded street. Looking up to the sky he said “Lord if you find me a parking spot, I promise to go to Church more often.” The words were barely out of his mouth, when a spot opened up right in front of his car. The man looked back up, “never mind, I found one.”

For additional Church Information please pick-up the November edition of our Newsletter.  They can be found in the Narthex.