Faith-ful News

June 2016

United Faith Presbyterian Church

Sunday Schedule

9:15 a.m.

Church School

10:30 a.m. Worship

Deadline for submission of items for the

July newsletter is

Monday, June 20.

Pastor’s Notes 2

Events 3

General Assembly

4

Mission 5

Worship 6

General News 7

Birthdays & Responsibilities

8

Church Calendar

9

Prayer Needs 10

Church Fellowship Church Fellowship Church Fellowship Church Fellowship

at the Lake!at the Lake!at the Lake!at the Lake!

John & Bev Evans invite you to their home on Lake George

Saturday, June 18

11-4 Drive yourself, or sign up for a ride in the

church van (seats 15)

Bring a dish to share and a folding chair!

Conversations with Pastor Kathleen

The Mission Study that was approved by the Session in April included a set of short and long term goals for United Faith. They’ve been on display in the hallway with the Mission study but I think it’s important that everyone have the opportunity to see them. These goals came out of the work that the Session, Deacons, and the committees have been doing since my Interim with you began. They draw on the Faithful Listening process the congregation went through in May of 2015 and the Mission Study we did together this spring. These goals set a vision for the future of the church’s ministry and provide a road map for the PNC’s search for your new pastor. But goals that only sit on paper are worthless. They need to be lived, and the whole congregation will need to grow into them. So - I am asking you to take time to consider each of these goals. Hold them in prayer. Talk about them. Dream ways to work on them. And - I would challenge each and every member to choose at least one of these goals that you personally can help advance. What can you specifically do to help us grow into these goals?

Page 2

Short Term (in process - 2017) Long Term (2018-2021)

Worship ♦ Children’s Chime Choir to participate in wor-ship 3 times a year

♦ Explore using church van to bring in wor-shippers from Assisted Living facility

♦ Increase average Sunday attendance to 60

Mission ♦ Organize community seminar with Dr. Den-nis Bickers, author of “The Healthy Small Church” (in process)

♦ Continue to expand Food Bank partnership with Community Harvest

♦ Explore ways to be more involved in the neighborhood- to be an “anchor”.

♦ Expand Thrift Store outreach through neighborhood publicity

Personnel ♦ Hire new Music Director (done) ♦ Hire part time (3-4 mornings a week ) secretary

Education/Member Growth

♦ Oversee implementation of new Child Pro-tection Policy

♦ Establish adult education and disciple-ship classes

Fellowship/ Outreach

♦ Create welcome packets for visitors ♦ Explore ways to use Social Media and current technology to reach non-members.

Finance/Steward-ship

♦ Balanced budget for 2016 and 2017 ♦ Complete overhaul of financial software and

reporting format

♦ Increase giving to be able to move pastor’s hours to 3/4 or full time

Building ♦ Raise money through grants and donations for a new front sign

♦ Using the grant we received, overhaul and update fire/smoke alarm system. (done)

♦ Establish a new community partner-ship and rental use of lower building space vacated by WIC

Goals

Deacon/Member Care

♦ Establish Caring Card ministry. (done) ♦ Train 3 people (Deacons or Worship com-

mittee) in organization/preparation of home bound communion

♦ Increase home bound communion to 3 or 4 times yearly

Session ♦ Designate a liaison to meet with the NNA(Nebraska Neighborhood Association)

♦

Page 3

Smock Senior Ministries Presents:

Presby Day

At First Presbyterian Church

All Presbyterians over 50 and their friends are invited!

Thursday, June 16

Spiritual Chalk Drawing

By Mary Hilger

RSVP by June 13

at

426-7421, ext.131

Events

Dylan Wolf’s basketball team will be participating in a special fundraiser, and you’re invited! All proceeds will benefit the ESARC (Easter Seals Arc Northeast Indiana) Sports program. If you’re not already going to the Tincaps game with the church that night, c’mon out to support Dylan!

The Healthy Small Church

Coming this Fall!

Mark your calendars now

If you’re interested in helping to organize this

event, please speak with Peg Kelley

Saturday, October 22

9 am - 3:30 pm

$20.00 Includes lunch and a copy of the book

Co-Sponsored by United Faith

Presbyterian Church And Grace Presbyterian Church

Technology expands the congregation for opening worship of GA222

Several thousand people are expected to gather in Portland, Oregon, on Saturday, June 18, for the opening worship service of the 222nd General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

But the congregation could potentially be much larger—with groups of Presbyterians across the country using live stream technology to participate in opening worship from their own church sanctuaries and meeting spaces. The Committee on the Office of the General Assembly (COGA) is encouraging congregations and mid councils to gather groups in their locations to worship with the assembly via live stream. The live stream player will be in place of the promotional video on the Assembly home page at pcusa.org/ga222 on June 18th.

“This was an idea that came from the committee at one of our meetings,” says COGA Chair Margaret P. Elliott. “The concept is a unified PC(USA) participating in worship from all corners of the country and the world.”

The goal is to help more Presbyterians “feel a part of the assembly, rather than feeling like the assembly is apart from them,” says Tom Hay, director for assembly operations in the Office of the General Assembly. This year, when it comes time for opening worship, COGA members hope to transform passive watching into an experience of active engagement.

The assembly’s opening worship service begins at 11 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time and is scheduled to last about ninety minutes. It will include communion, the commissioning of assembly commissioners and advisory delegates, a sermon by outgoing Moderator Heath Rada, and music by a mass choir, a bell choir, and a contemporary band.

The liturgy for the service—including the words and music of hymns—is available online for download by groups planning to worship in other locations. Congregations joining the service by live stream may want to plan how to participate in the Lord’s Supper as well.

“We always try to root the work of the assembly in worship and prayer,” Hay says. Enabling more Presbyterians to participate in opening worship “will help the rest of the church to root their experience of the assembly in worship as well.”

Full article at: http://www.pcusa.org/news/2016/5/24/technology-expands-congregation-opening-worship-ga/

Page 4 General Assembly

This summer the 222th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) will meet in Portland to make decisions about the life of our denomination in its policies, ministries and mission in the world. General Assembly meets every other year, and is made up of an equal number of Teaching Elders (pastors) and Ruling Elders (Session) who have been elected as commissioners from each Presbytery as well as Youth Advisory Delegates (YADs) and observers. This year they have a way for those of us “at home” to connect with what is happening, as noted below. Find out more at http://oga.pcusa.org/section/ga/222nd-general-assembly-2016/

Page 5 Mission

Adopt-a-Plot

To keep the outside of our church looking well tended and inviting, we are asking

for folks to consider “adopting” a small area of the grounds. A person, couple or several friends working together would ‘adopt-a-plot’ and commit to keeping it weeded and cared for throughout the summer. Several spots have already been ‘adopted’ and you can see the difference! There is a map of the church grounds which the Building Committee has posted in the Narthex, which shows how the various outside areas are divided. If we share this together, it becomes a manageable task, and one more way we show the neighborhood that we are a vibrant and welcoming presence.

LET'S BLANKET THE WORLD WITH LOVE--you may be thinking--is the Worship/Mission Committee all mixed up? We normally Blanket the World with Love in February. However, the season of Lent and Easter Sunday was very early this year so the committee has needed to adjust the timing of some of our favorite mission opportunities at United Faith. We will Blanket the World with Love on Sunday, June 19. A gift of $10 will purchase either a wool blanket for use in cold climates or a lightweight, waterproof blanket to be used in more tropical climates. It doesn't seem to matter the season--the news we read and watch on the television and the internet reminds us of severe weather conditions around our world on a daily basis. During 2015, Church World Service distributed 7820 blankets around the world. Sometimes, these blankets are more than blankets for warmth--they can be a tent shelter, they can be luggage, they can be a pillow. A gift envelope will be in your Order of Worship on June 19--let's blanket the world with lots of love!

Page 6

Worship

Summer special music…

The Choir finished their year on Sunday, May 29. Thank you to everyone who sang with the choir this year (Leon Friday, Ron Keck, Peg Kelley, Kip Lytle, Bob and Diane Mossburg, Kathleen O’Connell, Maggie Slack, and Jayme Syndram) and Director Phyllis Bush. Thank you also to all the special musicians who helped out during the year (Carmina, Eva and Paola Arribasplata, Tiffany and Adam Mossburg, Kaden Smith, Tiarra McAtee, Katie Baker, and John and Bev Evans). While the choir is taking a break, we would still love to occasionally include special music in worship during the summer months. Do you play an instrument? Would you sing a solo - or a duet/trio? What can you offer to enrich our congregational worship? Please talk with Phyllis Bush or Pastor Kathleen.

Homebound Communion… We had planned to visit our homebound members on June 5 to bring communion. Unfortunately, there were not enough of our Elders & Deacons available that day to make the visits. Summer plans, graduations, etc. offered conflicts. So, we are rescheduling for Sunday, October 2. That will be World Communion Sunday and we’ll do our best to send out teams of Elders/Deacons so everyone is able to share in the sacrament that day. In the meantime, if you would like Pastor Kathleen and an Elder/Deacon to schedule a communion visit with you this summer, please let the office know.

Education

Sunday School will be on break for the summer and will begin again in September. The children began their studies last fall with Genesis, and nearly completed the book of Exodus. Attendance averaged 4-5 students per Sunday. We would like to see two classes in the fall, with Sharon Clark (and an assistant) teaching the preschoolers and the Evans teaching the older students. It was a successful year in Bible study for the young students. John & Bev Evans

Brown Bag and Bible Thursdays at noon

Starting June 9

The Session has been studying The Healthy Small Church. We were all struck by the observation that a key indicator of a healthy church is the growing discipleship of its adults, and the importance of Bible Study. A number of you named that as a priority for this church in our Mission Study! Since Sunday mornings can be difficult, this summer I’d like to try offering “Brown Bag and Bible” on Thursdays at noon - bring your lunch and share a time of study. We’ll either discuss the scripture that I’ll preach on Sunday, or choose a book of the Bible to dig into. Whoever attends the first week gets to help choose!

If the only prayer you ever say in your whole life is "thank you," that would suffice.

Meister Eckhart

Thank you so much for allowing us to “take over” your service on May 1st to offer a report on the Bulgaria trip. As always, it was very encouraging for me and the students to share with United Faith. Your support of Ruth in this adventure was generous and loyal - a credit to the congregation. I also appreciate the honorarium for the ministry on top of it all - unnecessary but very kind. Please thank the whole church for their typical warmth and hospitality.

God bless, Ben Gates

Page 7 General News

At our May meeting we:

• reviewed Chapter 4 of our study book, The Healthy Small Church,

• reviewed and prioritized the goals set in our Mission Study,

• met briefly with members of the Pastoral Nominating Committee and the liaison to the PNC, Bill Werling.

SESSION MEMBERS--just a reminder! Our June meeting will be held June 23, the fourth Thursday of June instead of our normal meeting time of the third Thursday of June. We're going to Parkview Field on June 16!

The pastor nominating committee was elected on May 8. We are Dan Wolf, Maggie Slack, Erin White, Dave Kelly, Mike Syndram, Rhonda Leeper, and Joe Shultz. We are already two meetings into the process. We first met with our rep from the Presbytery Committee on Ministry, and have since met again to begin work on our first major task, which is to complete our Ministry Information Form. This document explains who we are as a church and what we are looking for in a pastor. We'll keep everyone updated with a note in the newsletter and a short monthly message during worship. Please keep us in your prayers.

Dan Wolf

�� Kathy Brooks shares this poem she wrote:

Cancer

All of a sudden, cancer struck her But she wasn’t giving up, that’s for sure

The treatments got to her, but she fights All through the days and into the nights

She believes and has a positive attitude

Thanks everyone with great gratitude

She has her ups and downs Wears a big smile, not a bunch of frowns

People praise her with all their love

And she looks to God above

Thanking people for all they have done Because she couldn't have done it alone

I’ll go on with all my might

‘cause I am going to win this fight.

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Page 9

Serving in June

Liturgist: June 5 Maggie Slack June 12 Ron Keck June 19 Kip Lytle June 26 Joe Shultz Lock up: Rhonda Leeper-Smith

Greeters: Paul and Bonnie Moore

Children’s sermon: We won’t have regular children’s

sermons in worship during the summer (though Pastor Kathleen may slip one in here and there!).

Emergency Phone coverage: Brian White Deacon Caring Card delivery: Anne

Squires

June Birthdays

If we’ve missed your birthday, please notify the church office so we can update our records!

4 Dan Wolf 13 Olivia Jean Adams Maxine Hartup 18 Maggie Slack 19 Evelyn Teel 27 Phyllis Bush

Can You Help? Office Help Wanted… We need a volunteer in the office on Thursday mornings from 9 - 12 to answer the phone and help produce the newsletter (training provided). The newsletter is the one office task Pastor Kathleen is doing without help, and we NEED someone trained to take over when she leaves. Can you help!?!

Responsibilities and Birthdays, Notes

INTRODUCING NEW UNITED FAITH LEGAL FUND ACCOUNT

A new Legal Fund account has been established for the purpose of generating funding to use in support of members of the church in need of legal assistance. In providing financial support the church is not only helping with the cost of legal representation but it is also extending our love and compassion to a Christian brother or sister in a way that demonstrates our faith in a functional manner. If you have questions or need further details regarding the current need for such funding, please see John and Bev Evans, Phyllis Bush, Charlie and Nancy Hill or Pastor Kathleen. All contributions to this fund will be greatly appreciated.

Pastor Kathleen will be away Sunday, June 26, enjoying a weekend camping with her husband Kip before his deployment later this summer. However, she will not be away from the office during the week. She will be taking a few days of vacation at some point in July when Kip’s departure date is announced.

New Alarm System On May 11th, Priority 1 repaired the church's fire alarm system and installed eight new smoke detectors throughout the building. Priority 1 also installed six door contacts; five more door contacts will be installed in June. The control panel installed in the church office "beeps" every time the doors of the church open. This alerts anyone working in the church office or Pastor Kathleen working in her office that someone has entered the church building. Again, we thank Ruth Baker for her work in writing a grant request to the Smock Foundation who provided the funding for this necessary project.

1616 W. Main Street Fort Wayne, IN 46808

Phone: 260 424-5610 E-mail: ufpc4197@frontier.com UnitedFaithFW.weebly.com

Interim Pastor The Rev. Kathleen W. O’Connell

Music Director Phyllis Bush

United Faith Presbyterian Church

♦ PNC: Dave Kelley, Rhonda Leeper-Smith, Joe Shultz, Maggie Slack, Mike Syndram, Erin White, Dan Wolf.

♦ Kathy Brooks, who began chemo treatments in April.

• Homebound: Lorene Hodell, Ray Dressel, Bernice Norris, Joanne Fagg, Jeanette Stetzel, Ed Hagadorn, Andrea Davies, Melanie Dauplaise, Sue Fields, Dorothy Love, Cleo Hawkins.

Prayer requests can be given to the prayer chain by contacting either:

Barb Munson (426-0933) or

Judy Lehman-Wright (jdwl41@aol.com)

Please Remember in Your Prayers

Office Hours Monday - Thursday: 9:00 a.m. - Noon Thrift Store and Boutique Monday and Wednesday: 9:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. 3rd Saturdays: 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Welcome to our newest member of our congregation:

Faye Lynn Jones

Born to Doug Jones and Jennifer McAtee

April 24, 2016

Faye is being held here by Clara Knox at the May potluck lunch

Picture courtesy of

Rhonda Leeper-Smith

Loretta Smith

June 1, 2031 - May 28, 2016