Geneva’s MissionWe are a church that has been drawn together by God to:

Embody the fullness of Christ;Exalt God through Christ-centered worship;

Edify each other in the faith through God-ly nurture and Christian love;

Equip God’s people to Engage the world with Spirit-empowered ministry.

March 2009 Issue

Geneva Gems

Deacon’sOne Great Hour of Sharing

One of the four special offerings held by the PC(USA) annually, One Great Hour of Sharing joins Presbyterians with millions of other Christians to

share God’s love with people in need. Our gifts support minis-tries of disaster response, refugee assistance and resettlement, and community development that help people find safe refuge, start new lives, and work together to strengthen their families and communities. We will be learning more about the minis-tries of the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Self-Development of People and Presbyterian Disaster Assistance through a series of Geneva Moments and bulletin inserts prior to the offering which will be received on Palm Sunday, April 5. Please give generously, recognizing that the hope we have in Christ is lived out in our hope for one another. Barb Fichtenberg

by Sandy Stoecklein

Corner

Deacon’s

As I read about the mission team from Geneva that traveled to the Dominica Republic I couldn’t help but think what a gift from God to

be able to unite two countries with completely different cultures. If five people from Geneva can make even a small change in the lives of people in the Dominican Republic, imagine if we all would do mission work here

in Canton Plymouth and Westland area.

There are so many people in this area hurting right now. Un-employment, money woes, foreclosures, and sickness amongst many other problems. Why not get involved right here using the gifts God gave each of us? You ask what can or could I do?

Start a program or get involved in an existing one. Mentor a child. There are many children who could use guidance or just someone to talk with. Visit or help the sick or handicapped. I have had doubts about my abilities to help people but with the help of God I have seen some amazing changes in people and their lives. All I can say is to get involved and become active instead of passive. I have seen great joy and much sadness but I received much more joy and love than I could ever give.

Change as defined in the dictionary: a variation or devia-tion: the substitution of one thing for another: Transformation Is defined as: to undergo a change in form, appearance, nature, or character; become transformed. In these times of rapid change and high stress we must try to transform our daily lives. We need to get closer to God and know him. To do this will not be easy. It will take much work on your part. I quit smoking 12 years ago. I smoked for over 30 years. It took me at least 15 or more times to finally transform me into a nonsmoker. Even now I still have to keep fighting the desire to smoke. 3 years ago while I attend the ACTS 16:5 training I made a commitment to transform my life and spend more time praying, reading the Bible, and just getting to know God. Just like when I quit smoking I struggle daily to change my daily behavior. God knows I’m trying to please him and like most hu-mans I sometime fail. But the one thing I know is I will not quit trying to fulfill my commitment. Why not make a commitment to transform your life and spend some time with God on a daily basis? When you start, whatever you do, don’t quit. God’s not the quitting kind. He is there to help you - just ask.

Joe Stoecklein, Prayer Elder

Change or Transformation?

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Reflections on the Dominican Republic

This mission trip to the Dominican Republic had a huge impact on me. At thebeginning of the week I admit that I didn’t have a very good attitude aboutthe trip. I was questioning why God had sent me, I didn’t see the significanceof my being there. But I prayed about it a lot and of course He definitely changed my mind.I was on one of the Christian Education teams, teaching a VBS-type programto the kids in a few different churches. Every area we went to was very verypoor. The families had few possessions, their clothes were dirty, and theirsurroundings were quite unsanitary. I felt such sorrow and pity for thesepeople, especially the children. I knew that if I had to live in these conditions,I would be full of self-pity and doubting God.But on the second day of VBS God really opened my eyes. These kids werefilled with such joy! Most of them seemed not only content with their living situation, but they embraced our presence there whole-heartedly. The kids were always grabbing our hands, hugging us, and wanting us to pick them up.Whenever any of us Americans sat down we would be instantly swamped by children wanting to sit next to us. They especially loved our cameras, and were constantly wanting to take or be in photos. We had to learn to control our picture-taking urges, because if we took out our cameras during the lesson, all attention would immediately be focused on the camera instead of the Bible story! Every day when we left whichever church we were working at there would be a line of 15 kids waiting to give us hugs goodbye.It was easy to see how much the kids loved having us there, and how they appreciated us. But I was surprised by how much those senti-ments went both ways, especially in my own heart. These kids made such a significant impact on my life! Even with what little they had they were showering us with presents. I now have a pretty hefty collection of homemade beaded bracelets the young girls there gave me! On the last day, some of the girls that I’d met and seen for only a few hours earlier in the week, presented me with a gift.It was a small box filled with jewelry, hair clips, and candy, with a big bow stuck on top. Again, they were so giving, even though they had so little. Just like the Bible story of the widow giving her two small coins, the gift meant so much more because of the meaning behind it. It touched my heart in a way that I know I’ll always remember.By the end of the week my feelings about the trip had definitely done a total 180. I was so sad to leave, and didn’t want to go home! I made friends I’ll never forget, and I’m so, so grateful to God for the entire wonderful experience.

Mission Team enjoying lunch at the Pastor’s house

Mission Team together at the hotel

By Julia Smith

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What’s Happening At Geneva

Geneva Presbyterian Church (USA)5835 N. Sheldon Rd. Canton, MI 48187734-459-0013Pastor: Bryan Smith revbds@sbcglobal.net The Geneva Gems is published 11 times a year to keep members and friends informed of programs and events of the church. Article submissions should be received by the 25th of the month. E-mail articles to Denise Barkume at geneva-gems@genevachurch.org or place it in the Geneva Gems mailbox.

Dear Friends:Thank you for contributing to Church World Service through your Alternative Holiday Fair. With your help we can con-tinue to assist people overcome by natural and human-caused disasters, as well as supporting community efforts to de-velop sustainable agriculture, reliable safe water supplies, and other means to break the grip of grinding poverty.Please accept this honor certificate as a sign of our gratitude for your support. We hope you will display it proudly as a sign of our partnership in building a world of enough for all. Sincerely,Rev. John L. McCulloughExecutive Director and CEOChurch World Service Note: The honor certificate is dis-played on the church bulletin board.

Further Reflections on the Dominican Republic

I think it’s safe to say that our entire team of 13 had an unfor-gettable experience on our mission trip to Gaspar-Hernandez from Feb. 6-15. There were 5 of us from Geneva (Carol

Bunch, Lindsay Stolz, Jennifer and Julia Smith and me) as well as 4 from the First Presbyterian Church of Howell, 2 from St. Clair Shores and 2 from Oxford. By the end of our first day we had already formed a close bond. Our trip was not without frustrations--6 straight days of rain, team members with gastro-intestinal problems, over-crowded teaching conditions, and the mental exhaustion that goes along with listen-ing to a different language for much of the day. However, these things paled in comparison to the joy and fulfillment that perme-ated the trip. We learned and received so much from the people we went to serve. The children were delightful, well-behaved and always smiling. When it seemed that we weren’t getting through to them and we were feeling ineffective, we would later be rewarded with suckers, thank-you posters and notes, bracelets (Julia and Lindsay have a whole collection!) and hugs. Feedback from the children to the local church leaders was very positive so we are thankful that our efforts were well-received.On Friday evening, there was a gathering at the church to honor us with certificates and gifts. We sang, prayed, and heard a sermon (in English!). The people were so warm and loving. I was particularly touched when one of the older women who worked at the Com-passion Center where I had been teaching English all week came up and kissed me and said “I love you.” I hadn’t heard her speak a word of English the whole week! Many on our team commented during the week on how we have so much materially in the U.S. along with a lot of dissatisfaction, but the Dominicans who have so little are so content and joyful. The biggest impact that the trip had on me was to put a face on poverty. Though I’ve read alot on the subject, it was quite an expe-rience to walk through Semillaro (one of the poor villages built on the hillside above Gaspar-Hernandez). I felt for a minute like I was on a movie set and had to keep telling myself that these people actually lived there all the time.

We saw the dirty stream where many of the residents collected their drinking water. The sewage runs into that stream and some-one even saw a dead dog in it. There were dogs, cats, chickens and garbage everywhere. Tears were welling up in my eyes as I walked up the hill and then I heard “Hola, Barbara!” It was one of my students, sitting on her porch with a big smile on her face. I guess I hadn’t made the connection that some of our students came from this area. What a wonderful ministry has been going on for a number of years to install water projects and outhouses in places like Semil-laro, to provide nursing care to those who can’t afford medical care, to help nurture the children in the Christian faith and provide them with computer and English language skills. The church is growing and lives are being transformed through the power of the gospel. Thank you all again for your medical supply donations and prayers--they were very much appreciated. Barb Fichtenberg

VBS utilizing the Geneva parachute

Mar 2009 (Eastern Time)Geneva Presbyterian Church, Canton Mi., Geneva Presbyterian Church Mid High Calendar,Geneva Presbyterian Church Senior High Calendar, Geneva Presbyterian Church Thermostat Control Calendar

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8 9 1 0 1 1 1 2 1 3 1 4

1 5 1 6 1 7 1 8 1 9 2 0 2 1

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2 9 3 0 3 1 1 2 3 4

9am - Worship

11am - Worship

6pm - Girl Scouts (LH)

7pm - CHEPA (WA)

4:30pm - Delta Kappa Gamma (K)

9am - Food Addicts Anonymous (4/5)5:45pm - LifeStream

8:15pm - Men's Life in Jesus Group (2) @ Jesus Group (2)

6pm - Prayz Team (WA)

7pm - AA (4/5)

1pm - Home School Band

6:30pm - First Friday

9am - Creating a Healthy Lifestyle (4/5)9am - Shuai Jiao (WA)

7:30pm - Pinochle (OS) @ Members'homes

9am - Worship

11am - Worship

11:15am - Breakfast Club (YR)11:15am - Food for Thought (4/5)12:30pm - Coffee Server AppreciationLuncheon12:30pm - Mid High Fellowship12:45pm - CommunionClass (LH)6pm - Bowling (OS) @ Superbowl

11am - CHEPA CPR training (WA)

7pm - Deacons 9am - Food Addicts Anonymous (4/5)11am - Lunch Bunch

5:45pm - LifeStream

8:15pm - Men's Life in Jesus Group (2) @ Jesus Group (2)

6pm - Prayz Team (WA)

7pm - AA (4/5)

1pm - Home School Band 9am - Creating a Healthy Lifestyle (4/5)9am - Shuai Jiao (WA)

12pm - Second Saturday Servants

9am - Worship

11am - Worship

11:15am - Breakfast Club (YR)11:15am - Food for Thought (4/5)12:45pm - CommunionClass (LH)6pm - Senior High Fellowship (OS)

6pm - Girl Scouts (LH)

7pm - Session (4/5)

9am - Food Addicts Anonymous (4/5)5:45pm - LifeStream

7:45pm - Night Out Set-Up8:15pm - Men's Life in Jesus Group (2) @ Jesus Group (2)

6pm - Prayz Team (WA)

7pm - AA (4/5)

1pm - Home School Band

7pm - A Night Out

8am - Marking Milestones Workshop (LH)9am - Shuai Jiao (WA)

9am - Worship

11am - Worship

11:15am - Breakfast Club (YR)11:15am - Food for Thought (4/5)12:30pm - Mid High Fellowship(YR)12:45pm - CommunionClass (LH)6pm - Bowling (OS) @ Superbowl

9am - Food Addicts Anonymous (4/5)5:45pm - LifeStream

8:15pm - Men's Life in Jesus Group (2) @ Jesus Group (2)

6pm - Prayz Team (WA)

7pm - AA (4/5)

1pm - Home School Band Mid-High Outing to Gleaners9am - Shuai Jiao (WA)

12pm - Prayz Team (WA)

9am - Worship

11am - Worship

11:15am - Breakfast Club (YR)11:15am - Food for Thought (4/5)12:45pm - CommunionClass (LH)4pm - CHEPAInternationalDinner (WA)

9am - Food Addicts Anonymous (4/5)5:45pm - LifeStream

8:15pm - Men's Life in Jesus Group (2) @ Jesus Group (2)

6pm - Prayz Team (WA)

7pm - AA (4/5)

1pm - Home School Band New Member Potluck (OS)

9am - Shuai Jiao (WA)

7:30pm - Pinochle (OS) @ Members'homes

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday TueSday WedneSday ThurSday Friday SaTurday

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Geneva Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)5835 Sheldon RoadCanton, MI 48187

Place Mailing Label Here

Current Session Members

Worship / Education • Children-Cindy Pohl • Youth-Brian Anderson • Adult-James Moon-Dupree • Worship-Nancy Glodich Discipleship • Clerk of Session-Dave Bunch• Local Mission-Dawn Christenson• Global Mission-Barb Fichtenberg • Fellowship-Cheryl Caldwell• Prayer-Joe Stoecklein• Stewardship-Chuck Ten Broeck• Membership-Jennifer Smith• Property-Jeff Doering• Evangelism-Keith McBain

Current DeaconsFamily DeaconAdedeji - Bruski - Julie Graunstadt

Bunch - Degener - Grace Morgan

Delaney - Fichtenberg - Kurt Cross

Fisher - Harry - Linda Condash

Hartnett - Leslie - Sandy Stoecklein

Lively - Paskiewicz - Gail Harry

Pelic - Rogers - Greg Clarke

Russell - Stark - Don Glass

Stoecklein - Yang/Buu - Kay Sousa