1 | COLUMNS

First Presbyterian Church of Orlando May 2010

Seeking, Sharing, Serving...All to the Glory of God

M I S S IONMINISTRYR E AC H ES O U TACROSS THE STREET & ACROSS THE GLOBE

2 | COLUMNS

ON THE WAY

Can you afford to be generous? Can you afford not to be?

This month and next month, at least part of our focus in minis-try turns to stewardship as we move towards the conclusion of our fiscal year (June 30) and work through planning our church’s budget for 2010-2011. For many of you, when you hear the word “stewardship”, you run, but let’s remember what we learned last winter in the Economy of God study. It is not about what God wants from us, it’s about what God wants for us in regard to our finances.

Now, more than ever before, we are living through economic uncertainty and stress. As such, our lives, our emotions, and our attitudes are often controlled by our things, our financial secu-rity, or our financial performance in any given month. Thus, we have a greater sense of needing to clutch and hold our things tightly to ourselves. Because of our current situation, or the obli-gations we have made, we can no longer afford to be generous. We can no longer afford to give. That’s a tough, isolated place to be in, and it is certainly not a part of what God desires for us.

Taking a cue from Paul’s words above, we find a great model of a church in significant stress, yet one that never failed to be generous, to have a perspective beyond their own need. In try-ing to capture that spiritual understanding, it is apparent that our generosity is less a financial issue, and more a spiritual one. When we recognize the transforming nature of God’s love for us in Christ, we naturally want to respond. We are going to want

to love God back, and what God loves is our obedience, when we yield our will to His. Such surrender is most challenging in relationship to our money because that is the one area of life we so desperately want to control.

I have recently finished work on my first book entitled Vital Signs: Discovering the Keys to Abundant Christian Living. Generosity is one of those keys. If we’re not generous, if we don’t learn this, then we are forever living out of the narrow perspective of our own need. Here’s an excerpt from Chapter 10:

“I believe we treat God’s command to tithe as if it is a negotiation: ‘Well, God, you didn’t really come through on the Baker deal – or in my marriage – or in my health, so I think I’ll give two percent this year.’ Perhaps in our imagination, God counters with five percent and we compromise and give three percent. But this is not a negotiation.

Everything we have comes from God, and He has asked us to give 10 percent of what we have to the Church, so that she might fulfill her ministry and calling. In addi-tion, He wants us to give an offering to help provide for others’ needs in our world. He wants us to help support the needy, the aliens, the widows and the orphans. The concept in Scripture is not just tithes, but tithes and of-ferings.

In Acts, Luke is very clear about this idea. First, in Acts 4:34, he describes how people would, from time to time, sell their land and give the money to the church for distribution. It was that kind of sacrifice that made ministry to the needy in their community possible. He talks about a man named Barnabas who sells some of his land and gives the proceeds to the church. Then, in Acts 5:1, Luke describes a situation where someone was not generous and the consequences that followed. He introduces a man named Ananias who also sold a piece of his property, but instead of giving all the money to the apostles, he kept some back for himself. He gave it to the church as if he were making a complete sacrifice. He gave it trying to create the appearance of faithful giving, but he was lying to God and to the church. Soon after, he and his wife fall over dead. It’s gruesome and graphic, but it serves as a stark example of God’s view regarding our stewardship. He takes this very seriously.

WITH DR. DAVID D. SWANSON

“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.”

2 Corinthians 8:2

(On The Way Continued on Page 5)

CONTACT US407.423.3441

To arrange a baptismContact Worship x1451

To arrange a weddingContact Weddings x1453

To arrange a funeral or memorial service

Contact Pastoral Care x1455

To donate flowers for worship services

Contact Worship x1451

With questions about your pledge, donation, or budget

Contact Finance x1479

With a change of addressContact Membership x1471

To purchase a sermon CD or DVDContact x1438

To join the Chancel ChoirContact x1273

For child care reservations - Early ChildhoodContact x2250

To reach the Security OfficeContact 407.415.9793

For Weekday SchoolContact 407.996.5864

To find out about Sunday School classes

Contact Spiritual Formation x1463

With questions about the FPCO website or its Columns publicationContact Communications x1467

To reserve a meeting spaceContact Special Services x1469

HOSPITAL CALLS:Hospitals are no longer able to notify us when our members are

hospitalized. If you know someone who is in the hospital, please

notify the Pastoral Care office at x1455.

PASTORAL EMERGENCIES:For pastoral emergencies outside of the 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. church office hours, please leave a voice-mail message at the main church number. The message center will page the minister on call, who will

reply as soon as possible.

NEED HELP?Dependency assistance, cancer support group, grief support, divorce care, infertility group,

please contact Congregational Life x1159

www.twitter.com/fpcorlando

Group: First Presbyterian Churchof Orlando

4 A Business Development Initiative to Madagascar

6 Weekday School 60th Anniversary Review

10 Arts in April

11 Vital Signs: Discovering the Keys to Abundant Christian Living

13 Parenting in the Pew - Guiding Your Children Into the Joy of Worship

14 A Call to Pray for Our Nation

15 Prayer Memories at FPCO

16 Get Involved in a LIFE Community

17 Heart of the City Foundation Honors Annie Bell Johnson

18 Hey Kids!

19 News & Notices

IN THIS ISSUE:

2 Transformational Generosity Responding to God’s provision in tough times.

7 IDignity Finding A New Identity.

8 We Must Go Wil Brown follows God’s call to the Amazon.

8

2

ON THE COVER:The cover photo was taken by long time member and deacon Kim Penney, courtesy of World Hope Mission Ministry.

77

8

2

4 | COLUMNS

Since 2005, our relationship with the Church of Jesus Christ in Mada-gascar (FJKM) and Elizabeth and Dan Turks, Presbyterian Church

(USA) missionaries there, has grown more and more deep. It is now the time to launch an initiative to help the church sustain itself and meet the needs of a populace confused by political instability and mired in a sinking economy.

When the democratically elected president of Madagascar was overthrown by a violent coup in 2009, I was there visiting. It was ter-rifying. Information was scarce and no one really knew what was hap-pening. There was an absence of any kind of official rule and order. It has been heartbreaking to watch much of the previous progress un-ravel over the past year. Yet, it’s been inspiring to watch our Malagasy brothers and sisters in the over 5000 FJKM churches continue to do the work of the Lord during these desperate times.

Late last year, our church hosted a Madagascar Network Meeting on behalf of the Presbyterian Church (USA), with interested support-ers from around the country. Pastor Lala, the president of the FJKM church, had fled the country due to the threats to his life. He came to FPCO and shared his story of persecution, trial, and profound hope in the future provided God’s people stayed the course. Dr. Swanson fea-tured a video of Pastor Lala’s arrest and abuse in worship on January 17. It is a horrifying, riveting first-hand perspective of what can happen when chaos breaks lose and God’s people stand in the gap.

While many mission partners might be tempted to pull back and focus elsewhere, we sense the call of God to lean in, go further in our partnership to stand with our brothers and sisters in Christ in their time of need. The coup is destroying an already desperate economy with rising inflation and shortage of basic goods. (It ranked 152 on a list of 166 countries, based on per capita GDP). Now that much of the outside aid has been stopped and the tourism has decreased, the people are in a desperate economic situation. This is directly impact-ing the FJKM church forcing a 50% decrease in their already low sala-ries. There is a huge need to develop sources of sustainable income within the country.

The FJKM church has invited us to come and help them establish a Biblical Entrepreneurship Center to provide an avenue for business start-up and expansion, offering a curriculum for individuals desiring to start and operate a business based on biblical principles.

The Business Development Initiative will tie FPCO to the FJKM work in a much deeper way. There is no greater call than to stand with Christians in crisis. This requires bold commitment where we move more deeply in to the work saying to our Christian brothers and sisters that we not only stand with them during this crisis, we seek the welfare of the society along with them.

Won’t you stand with our brothers and sisters in Madagascar? Will you use your business skills to be a part of God’s story in Madagascar?

For more information on how you can participate, please contact Carol Hafer at chafer@fpco.org.

“Transformation of communities begins with people. And the econ-omies of emerging nations need strong honest Entrepreneurs. No where else have I found such solid biblical teaching for entrepreneurs that can work with our teams internationally to bring people into a Biblical mindset for business.”

Debbie FarahCEO-Founder, Bajalia Trading Company, FPCO Mission Partner

Bajalia Trading Company uses trade, training, and other forms of community development to alleviate poverty and empower low-income people as they work to improve their lives. They work within the guidelines for fair trade and are committed to providing fair wages and good employment opportunities to economically disad-vantaged artisans and entrepreneurs worldwide. For more informa-tion, visit www.bajalia.com

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man

traveling to a far country, who called

his own servants and delivered his goods

to them.”- Matthew 25:14

By Carol Hafer, Director of Mission Ministry

Madagascarto

FPCO TAKES A BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

COLUMNS | 5

In essence, God is saying, “Here’s Barnabas and how he gave. Here’s Ananias and Sapphira and how they gave. Now, think about your own stewardship.”

Transformed to GiveNo doubt, God is serious about this, but we will never understand why giving is important until we have been changed and transformed by the gospel. It is much like the illustration of the pedestrian and the car that I shared earlier. If you see that a car is about to crush you and someone knocks you out of the way, you respond with gratitude. You want to offer something to that person. However, if you don’t see the car, then the person who knocks you out of the way is nothing more than a nui-sance. The same is true in our giving. If we realize the magnitude of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ, that He has saved us from certain death, then our hearts are filled with the desire to honor and obey Him. Our hearts want to offer Him all that we have out of grati-tude for what He has done. However, if we don’t really understand our need for a savior, then we will never un-derstand why we should part with our precious things. Why should we? For that reason, giving is not a financial decision. It is a spiritual one. It is a matter of heart.

Further, when the gospel changes our lives, we realize it is the singular hope of the world. As such, the exten-sion of the gospel and the building of God’s Kingdom become the priority of our giving. How could it not? If Christ alone is the hope of the world, the only possible answer for the pains we see others enduring, then we are compelled to support that cause. Sure, the Ameri-can Heart Association is a worthy cause. The United Way does great things in our communities. There are many organizations worthy of our support, but those organizations are not the singular hope of the world. Those organizations do not deal in ultimate, eternal things. The priority of my giving, my tithe, is to Christ’s Church. Then, I will give an offering to care for people in other ways.

Our Hidden DisobedienceFinally, God has brought me to a challenging realiza-tion of late and it is this: the reason that 94% of God’s people do not tithe is because they have no account-ability in regard to their finances. (Yes, according to SpiritResources.com, only 6% of American Christians actually tithe.) Think about it. 94% of people who pro-fess a deep and active faith in God do not obey God in regard to their money. The level of disobedience is stunning. People are willing to talk about many chal-lenging issues in their lives. They will discuss and share about their alcoholism, their pornography addiction, their infidelity, their lack of ethics in the workplace, their gambling – you name it. We are willing to openly share many things, but we never talk about money. I have been in countless small groups. I have heard hundreds of testimonies. I have been in several accountability, or

covenant, groups. Never, in any of those, have I heard anyone disclose what they make or how much they give. Our money is the last bastion of our control.

It is almost considered socially improper to discuss mon-ey. We’ll talk about the “great deal” we got on our house or our car, but we never say how much. We talk about our “ten percent” raise, but we never talk about the to-tal. We talk about our support of various causes, but we never say how much that support actually is. Honestly, in your life, how many times have you heard someone discuss what they make, what they spend, what they give, and what they save? It just does not happen. We have set up a “Christian system” that allows us to keep that information tucked away and hidden, and because it’s hidden, no one can speak into our lives about our disobedience. We’ll reveal everything else, but we will never reveal that, and so we go right on living according to our will - and outside the will and plan of God.

If we ever want to get free in regard to our money, if we ever want to experience the true abundance of life in Christ, we have got to change this system. No ques-tion, it will not be an easy change. I have had a discus-sion with our Director of Life Communities (our small group ministry) about how to enact this in our church. Together, we have built training with our group leaders to bring our church towards this awareness. However, even for the most gifted leader, talking about money still feels like being naked in front of a crowd. Nothing makes us feel more exposed then having others know what we make or what we spend. This feeling of naked-ness largely stems from our belief that what we have de-fines us. Our identity is held in what we have, therefore, we spend more than we have to make sure the world is convinced about our worth. If we live with that notion, we don’t want others to know what the real foundation is. We don’t want to be exposed. However, until we are exposed, we’ll never change. We’ll never get healthy and free in regard to our money.

I know that’s a lot to consider, but I hope you’ll think about it. I hope you will take time to prayerfully consider how you are living in regard to your money and your generosity. Take a look at the giving form that we will send you this month. If the Church of Je-sus Christ is the hope of the world, and you believe that, I hope you will obediently give to the church this year as we seek to fulfill the call He has placed upon us to serve in this place. Can you afford to be generous? In the end, can you afford not to be?

With joy and thanks,

David D. Swanson

ON THE WAYWITH DR. DAVID D. SWANSON(Continued from Page 2)

6 | COLUMNS

Our God is an awesome God! is the title of a song we all

sang together at the conclusion of the Weekday School 60th An-niversary Celebration on March 10. It was quite evident how great our God is as we celebrated that day. My heart (and I know many others) is filled with love and gratitude for the thousands of indi-viduals that have served the Lord in this place over the past 60 years. We were quite amazed that some of our guests came from out of state, as far as Wisconsin, to attend. Others have children that attended Weekday School many years ago and are now young adults in college or have graduated and are working in the “real world”. It was a joy to see many WDS staff members return to see old friends, reminisce about their time here, and enjoy the many ways this preschool is now meeting needs for young families today.

We also hosted a luncheon in the King Parlor to thank past Advisory Board Chairmen for their leadership through the years; those representing 24 years of leadership came together, along with present Advisory Board members and future Chairmen. Men and women that have served as leaders shared funny stories, com-pared how their experiences were different, and the many ways that their years were similar. What stands out in my mind, from their sharing, is that God’s faithfulness remains constant. It was quite evident that each of their lives was touched because of God’s love they experienced through Weekday School, whether they experi-enced some of life’s tragedies or triumphs during their time here. There is no doubt that the Lord has used this ministry to offer the right amount of love, encouragement and comfort to young fami-lies through the generations. Yes, March 10 was a “sweet day at Weekday School”. It was one filled with wonderful stories about how this little preschool has had such an impact on the lives of so many. Literally thousands of lives have been transformed through the generations. It is a place filled with God’s love and His grace, and those of us working here are blessed to witness His work first-hand.

Weekday School is now accepting applications for our 2 day, 3 day and 4 day classes for the August 2010-May 2011 school year. Weekday School is a preschool for children ages two and a half to five years, that prepares a child for kindergarten and beyond. Apply online at www.fpco.org/wds. For more informa-tion, contact the Weekday School Office at 407.996.5864 or at weekdayschool@fpco.org.

Photos by Todd McLennan

Celebration ReviewBy Donna Speer, Director of Weekday School

COLUMNS | 7

“My real name is Reginald” said the older gentleman seat-ed across from me. “Ok, but what would you prefer to be called?” I asked him. His eyes lit up and he replied, “O.V.” “Alright, O.V.,” I said, “why do you need an ID?” I won’t soon forget his response, “I’m fifty years old and in the eyes of the world, I don’t exist.”

I was taken aback. Tears began to fill my eyes. I struggled to gain some semblance of composure. Immediately I thought, Whoa, this is not what I signed up for. I merely wanted to get out of answering the hundreds of phone calls I receive daily. I am the receptionist here at First Presbyterian Church and we had a Staff Serve day with IDignity on Thursday, March 25, 2010.

Approximately two dozen staff members participated in the day-long event which took place at a rescue mission in the Parramore district. IDignity is a ministry that helps the poor in Central Florida overcome the difficulties of obtaining per-sonal identification that is crucial to becoming self-sufficient.

It would be a lie to say that my motivation for participating in the event was pure. On the contrary, it was selfish. I wanted to get out of the office and also to look good in the eyes of others. My heart’s desire was not to serve anyone but myself.

My comfort zone is something to which I cling tightly, and this experience would be far outside of my box. I would spend the day with poor and homeless people. Many of them would have clothes that do not match or fit. Some would not have shoes. Most would not have had a bath in a while. Ashamedly, I admit that I am not comfortable in these types of situations.

Upon our arrival, we were divided into several stations to complete different tasks. These included client intake, nota-rizing documents, crowd control, and working with various departments to secure birth certificates, social security cards, and Florida State IDs.

Originally, I was assigned to client intake, which is where I had the privilege of meeting O.V. How-ever, I ended up floating throughout the building assisting anyone in need.

The longer I spent with the people there, the more God be-gan to change my heart. I was able to be used in a variety of ways, from notarizing documents to loving on some sweet babies. I was even given a rose made from a palm frond.

The more I got to know the people and hear their stories, the more I realized that they are no different than I am. In-stantly, my focus changed from being there to help out with the ID part of IDignity, to helping with the dignity part. It’s funny what happens when I take “I” (myself) out of the way. As image-bearers of God, these people are so special. They may not look the same or act the same as we do, but they have dignity, and it was such a joy for me to remind them of that as I delighted in them.

What an honor it is to work for a church that puts priority in being the hands and feet of Jesus to the world. I can truly say that regardless of any help I was able to render, I am the one that was left greatly blessed.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25:40

Photos by Todd McLennan

By Kathy Iknonomidis, FPCO Staff Receptionist

Finding aNew Identity

8 | COLUMNS

We must goLive to feed the hungry

Stand beside the brokenWe must go

Stepping forwardKeep us from just singing

Move us into actionWe must go

- Tim Hughes

We Must Go:Let’s Worship Together in the Amazon

this SummerBy Wil Brown, Genesis Worship Leader

COLUMNS | 9

My heart pounds for worship and for leading the body of Christ in worship. This call that God has placed in my life is why I’m alive and I’m sure of it.

Recently, God has cultivated and fueled another raging fire in me for mission. The global mission field is where we, as the body, have the opportunity to join together and be Christ; not to sit on the sidelines and watch as others around us serve, but to actually go and serve.

It is an amazing experience and a desire that constantly leaves me thirsty for more. There’s always someone or somewhere that can be served. It’s an on-going and hard responsibility that God has given us and we must answer the call.

Mission work does something else as well; it forces us to step outside of our com-fort zone and draw closer to Jesus. Even with all the variables of mission work, such as language barriers, culture shock, and potentially incommodious surroundings, something happens to us spiritually in knowing that we are putting ourselves aside and putting our faith and trust completely in Jesus. And ten times out of ten, people leave thinking, “I thought I was coming to change other people’s lives, but just the opposite happened… Mine was changed.” That’s what makes God smile!

This year I will travel with Dr. Case Thorp and Jonathas Moreira to the Amazon to partake in a week long mission endeavor. We invite you to join us as we take the Gospel and medical relief on river boats to the villages along the Amazon River. The four of us (oh yeah, my fantabulous, beautiful new wife Natalie is going as well!) are so excited to see the ways in which God is going to work and transform people’s lives.

During that week I will lead us in worship, Case will lead us through the teachings and life of Jesus, and we will serve. We will serve and be served. If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to serve in this capacity I would implore you to prayerfully con-sider joining us this summer and participating with us as we travel to Brazil and share Christ.

All are invited on this mission trip to the Amazon, in Brazil from July 23-August 1, 2010! Health Care Workers and Doctors/Dentists/Nurses are especially needed. Funds to be raised: $2,852. For more information, contact Dr. Case Thorp or Dr. Jonathas Moreira at 1.800.630.1770 or 321.441.4179 or jmoreira@amazon-mission.org. As of printing, 10 of 18 spots have been spoken for…so book quickly!

World Hope Missions Ministry

World Hope Missions Ministry, a mission partner of First Pres-byterian Church, is a mission-ary and compassionate relief effort delivering health care and spiritual assistance to vil-lagers along the Amazon River Basin. It is run by a Board of Directors composed of 14 ser-vants of the Lord and is under the leadership of its founder, President/CEO, the Rever-end Dr. Jonathas Moreira. World Hope Missions Minis-try operates in partnership with the Presbyterian Church of Manaus, a sister church to FPCO.

Volunteers that wish to par-ticipate in the effort will help in sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with as many villag-ers as possible, by delivering healthcare assistance and pro-moting a better quality of life to the families along the river. Our goal is to take volunteers willing to make a difference in the lives of impoverished people and create a positive impact in their lives.

The ideal group includes a healthcare team with volun-teers working in the medi-cal and dental clinics. They will be supporting the Brazil-ian healthcare team already working in the boats. Support members will perform house-to-house calls, help the poor, lead Vacation Bible School or just have fun with hundreds of children in need of love and a caring touch.

For more information, join us at our Amazon Mission Trip Informational Luncheon on Sunday, May 16, at 12:15pm, in room EMC 320 A & B. The cost is $8 per person. RSVP is required by Monday, May 10, to Amy Heck at 407.423.3441 x1474 or aheck@fpco.org. www.amazon-mission.org

Photos courtesy of World Hope Mission Ministry

10 | COLUMNS

T he Christ School (TCS) is grateful for God’s hand in planning the 2010 Arts in April event. Arts in April is

an annual celebration of The Christ School’s K – 8th grade students’ artistic gifts. For many years, the student art ex-hibition was held on the TCS campus. However this year, God had a greater plan than TCS could have imagined. The Arts in April committee, along with TCS art teacher Meridith Olinger and her husband Monte, envisioned moving the annual event off campus to a downtown art gallery for the one night showing. But God’s vision for the event went further. The City Arts Factory, a gallery located only one block from our school and church, is the site of our 2010 art showcase. And the art is on display for an entire month! A variety of generous donors heard God’s call to sup-port the event. We are glad they were listening. Thanks to these sponsors, we were able cover the cost of the event and set up a scholarship fund for a talented student to study art at TCS. Meridith guided the children while they created paintings and sculptures. Monte secured numerous donations and encouraged city leaders to visit the gallery. The Parent Teacher Fellowship spent many hours hanging artwork and planning for opening night. Dr. David Swanson recently wrote, “Everything we do is worship.” With each work of art, the children worship the Lord. He speaks to the Orlando community through these young talents. Each student provided his or her fa-vorite Bible verse, which is displayed next to the student’s original artwork. The City Arts Factory is filled with God’s word for the downtown and arts community to read. The students humbly teach what The Christ School and its dedicated teachers have taught each of them...”whoever lives by the truth comes into the light.” (John 3:21) God has blessed TCS! We hope that you will visit the CityArts Factory now through May 15.

CityArts Factory is located at 29 South Orange Avenue, Orlando, FL 32801. Hours of Operation: Tuesday-Sat-urday, 11am-6pm; Sunday & Monday, closed. Contact: 407.648.7060.

CityArts photo courtesy of CityArts Factory, Orlando. All other photos by Nicole Millard

By Kerri Kramer, TCS Mother & Arts in April Co-Chair

COLUMNS | 11

Our Senior Pastor, Dr. David D. Swanson,

has published his first book, released

this month. Vital Signs: Discovering the Keys to

Abundant Christian Living is being published by

Conversant Life and is now available through

Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. The

book was born out of a sermon series that Dr.

Swanson gave at First Presbyterian Church in

2005. Describing the process, he said, “It was

just one of those questions I could not get out

of my mind. Where’s the disconnect for people

between faith in God and real life? I kept feel-

ing the tug to write it down and develop it, so I

finally did.”

His book answers one basic question: Why are

there so many people who profess faith in Jesus

Christ, but who do not experience the abun-

dant life He promised? Through the study of

Scripture, personal stories and a few humorous

anecdotes, Dr. Swanson points the reader to-

ward the central truths of our faith which create

abundant living, truths often overlooked today.

A book signing is scheduled for May 2, between

worship services at First Presbyterian Church.

All donated proceeds from the book signing

benefit The Well.

COLUMNS | 13

“A few months ago, Ms. Carol announced that the church was provid-ing books to assist par-ents with teaching their children about worship, called Parenting In The Pew. I rushed to get one, as this is something we will face next year when our daughter will be go-ing into Kindergarten and participating in Chil-dren’s Worship.

I quickly fell in love with the author, who provided per-sonal stories to explain how she taught her two boys to love Jesus and look forward to attending church on Sun-day: that is not just about sitting quietly and not disrupt-ing the people around them. Not only have we learned how to show our daughter what church means, but we have learned the importance of worship and sitting with our child.

As she grows up, she will understand the importance of worshiping as a family instead of a time to sit with friends. She will learn that Sunday is the best day of the week because we get to spend time with Jesus in his house. She will learn that we can serve God during church as ushers, acolytes, and singing in the choir.

I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has children, no matter how old they may be, and even if they don’t have children. This is a book that shows us the importance of worshiping God on Sunday and how we can best do that to the Glory of God!”

~ Melanie Judy, Member

Would you like for Jesus to meet your children? Well, believe it or not, you have the unique privilege of in-troducing them to Him. This intro-duction takes place in worship. Rob-bie Castleman, the author of this book, tells of her experiences as a mother with young children in worship and how with the right attitude as a parent she soon realized she was training her chil-dren in the “most important thing she would ever train her children to do: wor-ship. Worship is the only thing we get

to do forever.” She saw there was a distinct dif-ference between going to “church” and helping her children understand they were going to “wor-ship”. She challenges us as adults to think about all the things we teach children to do, but for some reason in worship we simply demand their stillness and silence.

This book challenges us all to welcome children into God’s presence in worship to teach and engage them in that worship (versus toys and games) instead of sitting next to them, engaged in ourselves and simply expecting “adult” perfect behavior from them. Children learn by “doing”; primarily with their parents. A parent is a child’s greatest example and role model. We, as the church, commit during every baptism to help raise these very children in God’s pathways, and that is worship. There-fore it is upon us all to open our hearts to these children and their families, as they come amongst us to worship our God, for as adults we do not have sole claim to Him or to His worship.

As Mrs. Judy wrote, she discovered in her reading of this book that the privilege is ours if we see it as such: to worship alongside our children. We, in Children’s Minis-try, want to encourage all adults to know this privilege and that is why we have chosen to make this book avail-able. We currently have copies available at the check-in desk in Allen Hall on Sunday mornings. Our prayer is that we may encourage all of us to remember that all of God’s children are invited to worship.

Parenting in the PewGuiding Your Children Into the Joy of Worship

By Carol Welker, Director of Children’s Ministry

Photo by Melanie Judy

14 | COLUMNS

“If my people who are called by my Name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face

and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and

will heal their land.”- 2 Chronicles 7:14

After Cornwallis had surrendered and the United Colonies were victorious over the British, and King George’s tyr-

anny was finally ended, the founders of our nation embarked on a noble experiment: the creation of a government without a king - a government in which the people would rule them-selves. It had never been done before. But they didn’t know how to implement such a government. So they appealed to God. Thursday, June 28, 1787: The constitutional convention was deadlocked with partisanship. It was Ben Franklin who called them to pray.

Ben Franklin, at 81, stood up and addressed General George Washington, who was presiding over the assembly. “Mr. President,” he said: “God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His Aid?” He then called for the assembly to pray.

Prayers opened all subsequent meetings of the convention and have opened both houses of Congress ever since.

Alexander Tyler in 1770 warned: “A democracy cannot ex-ist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until

a majority of voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts out of the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury.” Our founders understood this concern. They believed the antidote was for the populace to depend on God rather than the government. And they were convinced the way to do that was through the teaching of core Biblical principles.

James Madison later wrote about the constitution: “We have staked the whole future of American civilization, not on the power of government, far from it. We have staked the future of all of our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government; upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God.”

In his farewell Address, Sept 17, 1796, Washington spoke forcefully about the necessity of the populace to be governed by reliance on God. “And let us with caution indulge the sup-position that morality can be maintained without religion… reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle…Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

So they embarked on a great experiment. Could these men design an enduring nation in which the people themselves rule? They believed that they could, but only if they were in-fluenced in their values by God.

On September 6, 1774 - almost two years before the colonies

A Call to Pray for Our NationBy Ron Peri, Member

Photos by Todd McLennan

“God governs in the affairs of men...is it probable that

an empire can rise without His aid?”

- Ben Franklin

formally declared independence from Great Britain - the Con-tinental Congress made its first official act a call for prayer.

In February, 1776, the Continental Congress appointed the third Friday in May, May 17, 1776, as an official national day of united fasting and prayer for the colonies:

The Congress....Desirous...to have people of all ranks and degrees duly impressed with a solemn sense of God’s su-perintending providence, and of their duty, devoutly to rely...on His aid and direction...Do earnestly recommend Friday, the 17th day of May be observed by the colonies as a day of humiliation, fasting, and prayer; that we may, with united hearts, confess and bewailed our manifold sins and transgressions, and, by sincere repentance and amendment of life, appease God’s righteous displeasure, and, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, obtain this pardon and forgiveness.

God heard their prayer. Six weeks later, the Declara-tion of Independence was composed and the United States of America was founded as a result of this prayer.

Since that day, there have been many times when united prayer was answered by God. Remember 9/11? After the towers fell and our friends died, the whole nation united in open prayer. We all joined and sang “God Bless America,” the first verses of which are: “and let this be our prayer, God Bless America.” And he did. We sang our prayer. And God protected us.

Just as the first act of our govern-ment was to call for united prayer and fasting, so today, I call upon you to join me and thousands of other people of faith in interceding for this nation on Monday, May 17, 2010. Let us pray for our leaders and our country at this time, when the very future of our way of life is threatened, both from outside in-vaders and overwhelming domes-tic challenges. It is we who must make a new deposit and beg God to restore our nation and fulfill the founding fathers’ dream.

Prayer is the power that moves the hand of God. Join with us to ask God to use His hand to bless us and guide us in the days ahead by pledging to fast and pray on May 17.

Note: Some cannot fast for medical reasons. If you cannot fast, please still pray. God understands. Please read the Con-gressional recommendation above and II Chronicles 7:14 for guidance on how to pray.

To learn more about the practice of fasting, Prayer & Spiritual Formation Ministry would recommend Campus Crusade for Christ International’s website, “Your Personal Guide to Fasting and Prayer” at www.ccci.org/training-and-growth/devotional-life/personal-guide-to-fasting/index.htm

Photo by Todd McClennan

When I first joined this church, in 1960, someone invited me to the 6-week Lenten Prayer group led by Associate pastor, Dr. Spring. What a precious hour we spent

with him each week. Then, later, in the ‘70s, one of our elders, Dr. Dean Steward had such a moving experience at our week-end revival that he his and wife, Martha, started Prayer and Share at their home in Lancaster Park.

I don’t know who lives there now, but that house is blessed, because every Monday night for years, some 20 to 25 of us “frozen chosen” met to pray together. We could go our separate ways -work, travel, kids, etc. - and feel spiritually safe, because Martha, Dean, and the group were “covering” us in prayer.

Later, in the ‘80s, Wednesday prayer nights with Pastor Jim Cook were always memorable, as he led us in singing with his sometimes jazzy piano renditions of favorite hymns. O, we’ll never forget Beulah Land!

In more recent years, we have tried Wednesday nights - first with a class by Rev. Donna McClellan, using Jim Cymbala’s book, “When God’s People Pray”. We all ended up wanting to join Brooklyn Tabernacle. This led to a few months of prayer gatherings in our fellowship hall.

Yes, I believe that First Presbyterian is already a prayerful church. Maybe right now that’s behind the scenes, but one day soon, it will break out again in some wonderful new way. Then we can all join in to praise our Lord, together. Dr. Swanson reminded us that prayer is so “earth shaking” that we should all wear hard hats, so keep yours handy.

Prayer Memories at FPCOBy Betty Rice, Member

Photo by Todd McLennan

COLUMNS | 15

“We could go our

separate ways and

feel spiritually safe

because the group

was ‘covering’ us in

prayer”

16 | COLUMNS

Getting Involved in aLIFE Community

By Kent Sterchi, Director of LIFE Community

To date, 340 people have filled out a LIFE Community interest form. The Lord has helped us create 22 new LIFE Com-

munity Groups with 277 people. Due to the overwhelming response, we will be forming 6-8 additional LIFE Community Groups, which, hopefully will accommodate nearly all who have shown interest. We have also formed 2 new LIFE Com-munity Turbo Groups (Shepherd Leader training) that will meet through the summer, preparing us to form more LIFE Com-munity Groups in the fall.

To better assist you, there are 3 ways to fill out an interest form:• On-line at www.fpco.org/life or by clicking on the LIFE Com-

munity Tab on our home page• Talk with an Elder after worship in the front of the Sanctuary

or Lee Fellowship Hall• Call the church and speak with Sarah Mattheus x1497

Your information will be reviewed and you will be placed in a group according to:• where you live geographically• your age and stage of life (in order to build multi-genera-

tional groups/relationships)• day and evening availability• the amount of leaders available in your area to lead new groups

The LIFE Community team will contact Shepherd Leaders to inform them of their new group members. The Shepherd Leaders will contact their new group members and invite them to the first gathering; an informal potluck at the home of one of the leaders.

To complete a LIFE Community form or for more information, visit www.fpco.org/life or contact Kent Sterchi, Director of LIFE Community at x1458 or ksterchi@fpco.org, or contact Sarah Mattheus, LIFE Community Assistant at x1497 or smattheus@fpco.org. We would love to hear from you!

Photo by Todd McLennan

Photo courtesy of Pam and Dave McComb

COLUMNS | 17

In December of 2009, a new scholarship was established within the Heart of the City Foundation and has been named The Annie Bell

Johnson Nursing Scholarship. This endowment will annually award scholarships to students working to be in the medical profession. Over $4000 from this endowment will be awarded to students on Scholarship Sunday, May 17, because of Mrs. Johnson’s gift to future generations.

Annie Bell was born on March 12, 1922 in McAlpin, Suwannee County, Florida and received her Bachelor’s Degree at Stetson Uni-versity and a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education from the Univer-sity of Colorado. She had a long, distinguished career as a Nursing Educator and touched many lives.

Annie Bell survived her beloved husband, Morris Johnson, who was a decorated wounded veteran of World War II. Although Annie Bell never had children, she treasured her brothers and sisters and extended family. Her grandniece, Emily Dunaway, put it in these words, “Annie Bell always had the warmest smile at our gatherings and such sweet eyes that always let me know how much she cared about being there and spending time with all of us.” Annie Bell was a devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church of Orlando. She could be described as both spiritual and scholarly. She was an avid reader and her collections included all the greatest poets and writers. She passed away on July 7, 2009, but her legacy of spiritual devotion and education will remain alive through students, year after year, as they are awarded scholarships to pursue their dreams.

If you are interested in learning more about Heart of the City Foundation, please contact Amy Bishop at abishop@fpco.org or 407.423.3441 x1484.

Content Provided byThe Heart of the City Foundation

Heart of the City Foundation Honors

Annie Bell always had the warmest smile...and always let me know how

much she cared about being there and spending time with all of us.”

Hey Kids!

18 | COLUMNS

What are we looking forward to this time of year? Find the 9 hidden letters in the photo, then unscramble for the answer.

“ “

Photo

by To

dd

McLennan

Weekday School Cookbooks Available for Purchase on May 2Weekday School has recently celebrated their 60th anniversary as a First Presbyterian Church preschool. As part of the celebration, we have printed a special edition cookbook which includes recipes from the original 1996 version, 90 new recipes, and lots of great photos from Weekday School past and present. Please stop by the Welcome Tent under the Angel Wing Sunday, May 2 to purchase a cookbook for $20 or contact the Weekday School Office at 407.996.5864.

Join Us for A Day of Prayer and Fasting on May 17On Monday, May 17 – The Prayer Ministry will host a day of prayer and fasting. The Reformation Chapel and our prayer room will be open that day as well. More information to follow.

Register Now for Women’s Ministry Summer Bible StudyThe Women’s Ministry is offering a summer Bible study, a lecture series by Beth Moore entitled Here and Now…There and Then. This is an 11-week study on the book of Revelation. Register on-line at www.fpco.org/register or pick up a registration form in the lobby of the Edington Ministry Center. Study sessions begin June 7 and will be offered on Monday nights or Thursday mornings. Child care is available with reservations. For more information, contact Lori Need-ham at lneedham@fpco.org. Registration deadline is June 3.

Get Ready for Vacation Bible School July 12-16Calling all children, who will be age 4 by September 2010 through completed 4th grade! You will have a ball with this year’s theme for VBS “Boabab Blast, God’s Great Get Together.” Adult volunteers are still needed. For more information, contact Susie Dunlap at 407.423.3441 x1482.

Congratulations to:Chad and Jennifer Brown, on the birth of their daughter, Abigail Ann Rawls, born April 8, 2010. The proud grandparents are Larry and Barbara Brown.

Daniel Hayes Vaughan and Amanda Michelle Madigan, who were married March 20, 2010 in the Sanctuary. Amanda is the daughter of Rob and Monica Madigan.

Alexander Joseph Stubenbort and Lyndsey Elizabeth Gill, who were married March 27, 2010 in the Reformation Chapel. Lyndsey is the daughter of Charles and Lynne Gill.

Sympathy to:Sam Hopkins, on the death of his son, Samuel Hopkins, III, on March 12, 2010.

Roy and Kym Smith, on the death of his grandmother, Mary Fran Hecht, on March 14, 2010.

Sarah Shope and Esther and Sphia Whitfield, on the death of their father, David Whitfield, on March 15, 2010.

Robert and Bobbie Wolgemuth, on the death of his mother, Grace Wolgemuth, on March 17, 2010.

Ann and Jeff Caswell, on the death of her brother, Darryl Phillips, on March 20, 2010.

Michael and Janet McKee, on the death of his mother, Joan McKee, on March 21, 2010.

Will Nash, on the death of his grandfather, Bob Nash, Jr., on March 23, 2010.

Stew and Beverly Peet, on the death of his father, Stewart Peet, Sr., on March 26, 2010.

Ann and Jeff Caswell, on the death of her brother, Darryl Phillips, on March 20, 2010.

The family and friends of Shirley Sutcliffe, who died March 27, 2010.

Kristin Dutertre, on the death of husband, Donald Dutertre, on March 29, 2010.

Marie Waller, on the death of her husband, Elwood “Red” Waller, on March 31, 2010.

Nancy and Jim Fly on the death of her father, Kenneth “Pete” Hart-saw, on April 3, 2010.

Tracy Goodson, on the death of her father, Elijah Goodson, on April 5, 2010.

Mary Heath, on the death of her husband, Walter Heath, on April 5, 2010.

Judge C Jeff and Coleen Arnold, on the death of his father, Charles Arnold, on April 6, 2010.

Mike and Bambi Alley, on the death of his mother, Norma Parker Alley, on April 10. 2010.

John Divine, on the death of his wife, Frances Divine, on April 12, 2010.

March 2010 Giving Snapshot

Gen. Operating Received Budgeted Surplus/ (Deficit)March Gifts $357,800 $548,500 ($190,700)Estate Gifts 0 800 (800)

YTD Gifts $4,752,764 $5,443,000 ($690,236)YTD Estate Gifts* 260,227 7,600 252,627

Line of Credit $0

Immeasurably More Outstanding Balance $3,667,058

IM March Gifts $ 75,784IM Fiscal Year-to-date Gifts 706,638(net of 10% tithe to Missions)

Contact Finance for a full revenue and expense summary.*Exclusive of $105,000 scholarship endowment forwarded to HOCF

News & Notices

COLUMNS | 19

Answer to Hey Kids! - Hidden Word Search: “Summer Fun”

First Presbyterian Church of Orlando106 E. Church St., Orlando, FL 32801

The First Presbyterian Columns (USPS 604-040) is published once per month by the First Presbyterian Church. Circulation: 3300. (3000 by US Mail, 300 by on-campus distribution). Periodicals postage paid at Orlando, Florida. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COLUMNS, 106 E. Church St. Orlando, FL 32801-3390.©2010 First Presbyterian Church of Orlando COLUMNS.

POSTMASTER: Time Sensitive MaterialPlease Deliver by April 30, 2010

106 East Church Street | Orlando, FL 32801

407.423.3441 | www.fpco.org

TRADITIONAL SERVICES: Sundays, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.

in the Sanctuary

GENESIS (CONTEMPORARY) SERVICES: Sundays, 8:30 & 11:00 a.m.

in Lee Fellowship Hall

PERIODICALS RATEUS POSTAGE PAID

ORLANDO, FL

A N E W P L A C E T O C O N N E C T

Join us Sundays in the Rotunda(Rm C-200, Clayton Life Center)

9:45-10:45AM