Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church

April 2019 205 S Franklin St, La Grange, TX 78945

Mission of the Month Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter The Gardenia E. Janssen Animal Shelter, serving Fayette County, Texas is

a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization with four paid employees. GJAS is

governed by a ten member, active, volunteer Board of Directors. GJAS

receives payments from Fayette County and the cities in the county - La

Grange, Flatonia and Schulenburg under a contract arrangement. The

organization is also supported by donations, grants and fundraising.

Mission: • To maintain and operate a humane animal care facility to provide

temporary care to homeless, unwanted or displaced animals.

• To keep and provide care to all animals admitted into the Janssen Shelter until appropriate placement can be made in an adoptive home. These animals will not be euthanized unless a serious medical or behavioral problem develops that cannot be resolved and as long as space provides.

• To promote and carry out educational activities relating to the prevention of abuse and cruelty to animals and to the reduction of overpopulation.

• To participate in those activities which are designed to promote the health and welfare of animals and to demonstrate in outreach programs the benefits of human-animal bonding and interaction.

• To provide opportunities for all community members to participate in these activities through volunteer and foster programs.

• To foster and support preventative health care and provide such services to the community as are justified by facilities, personnel and funds.

In April, the First Church Missions Committee will send a $300

contribution to support the work of the Janssen Animal Shelter.

One Great Hour of Sharing Presbyterians join with millions of other

Christians through One Great Hour of

Sharing to share God's love with people

experiencing need.

Our gifts support ministries 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. Gifts are apportioned to the

Presbyterian Hunger Program (36%),

Self-Development of People (32%) and

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (32%).

First Church will receive this special

offering on Easter Sunday.

Prayer List

Charlene Wood, Bernice Wood (W.O. Wood’s mother)

Minnie Meyer

Walter Noll

Jo White, Mary Stanhope

Jean McHenry, Dru Hartman, Sandra Medley, Janet Parker, Dorothy Elliott, Suzanne Manning, Hugh Hall, Nathan Hurst, Suzy Romberg, Bonnye and Max Karger Barbara Tieken (Emily Matheson’s friend) Don Grigsby (Larry Grigsby’s brother) Sean Keegan (Jan Keegan’s son) Jennifer Cooper (McElroy family friend) Clay Good (Marti Collum’s partner) Brian Harvey (Brenda Benes’ grand-nephew), Kaitlyn Nienstedt (Linda Borgstede’s niece), Gordon Brock (Heidi & Richard Schultze’s friend), Charles Carter (Linda Albers’ brother-in-law), Macee Prause (Renata Leach’s friend), Lara Beth & Freddy Perez (Jeremy Janda’s sister & brother-in-law), Katy Smith (Linda Albers’ niece), Heather Davis (Gross family friend), Deputy CJ Lehmann and his family

J. Allbright, Sergio Meneses, Blake Leverett, Ken Roberts

For Ben and Jenn Schovajsa on the baptism of their daughter Elise Lorraine

For Dick and Norma Smith on the death of his sister, Gloria McCutcheon For Mark Lehmann on the death of his friend, Mark Rotter

SSL Classes draw good

community response

Roxanne Shell (left) and Julie Aubrey (right) at registration for

Spanish as a Second Language.

The fellowship hall bustled with activity as more than 60

people responded to the Fayette County Community

Foundation’s offer of conversational Spanish classes.

Members from many local congregations, and folks from

the community-at-large will take part in the opportunity to

learn conversational Spanish. Initial plans were for two

classes taught on Wednesday morning and afternoon. Yet,

given the number of participants, four classes have

formed—one basic, two beginner, and one intermediate—

with meeting days on Tuesdays as well as Wednesdays.

As part of our

efforts to build

community, First

Church will host

the weekly

gatherings.

Classes began

March 19 and will

continue through

May 22.

A full moon will rise on April 19,

the first full moon after the

Spring Equinox. On the following

Sunday—according to the l

ong-standing tradition of the

Christian Church—we will

celebrate Easter.

During the weeks of Lent, we

have followed Jesus on his

fateful journey to Jerusalem.

Three weeks remain to rehearse

this story at the heart of our

faith.

As a kid, my home congregation

didn’t seem to observe “Lent” as

a season. We were all about the

Palm Sunday hosannas and

Easter alleluias. Lenten tradition

and Lenten practices seemed a

little foreign.

I will never forget my first Good

Friday Tenebrae service. Coming

during Holy Week, it punctuated

the hosannas and alleluias with

the drama of the cross. As the

sanctuary fell into darkness, the

depth of the season broke open

my heart.

The first light of Easter seemed

to hold more meaning when it

followed the depth of a Maundy

Thursday or Good Friday

observance. So, I encourage you

to include this year’s Maundy

Thursday Service in your plans

for Easter. This communion

service will rehearse the events

around the Last Supper ending in

the high priest’s courtyard.

As we continue our journey, may

God bless us with traveling

mercies. And may the joy of

Easter be yours this season and

always. Blessings,

Pastor Martha

Palm Sunday Worship with a Palm Processional on

Sunday, April 14 at 10:30am.

Midweek Worship Midweek Services will continue each week on

Wednesday at 6:30pm through April 17.

Maundy Thursday This communion service will be held on Thursday,

April 18 at 6:30pm.

Easter Sunday • A Sunrise Service led by the LaGrange Area

Ministerial Alliance will take place at 7:00am at

Monument Hill State Park.

• Easter Services at First Church will begin at 10:30am

on April 21 and will conclude with Flowering of the

Cross for which .

Pastor Scott Elliott has a vision that our congregations

might join together to fight the “loneliness epidemic”

in our culture while promoting community in

LaGrange. His vision: a community-wide technology

fast centered around Holy Week (April 13-20).

How would this work? Each evening from 5:00-

9:00pm, we would put down our phones, computers,

and video games and power down the television. We

might make plans to share meals with family and

friends.

What else? The Ministerial Alliance will provide a

daily devotion to support the Technology Fast, written

by our area pastors. This will allow us to take time for

reflection and prayer together. The Devotional Books

will be available in the Church Office and in the

Sanctuary narthex.

LaGrange Area Ministerial Alliance “Technology Fast”

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

8-Jay & Pauline Wayman

19-James & Brenda Benes

23-Mike & Lisa Corker

24-Gene & Anna Oeding

26-Sam & JoAnn Goodrich

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

2-Bob Clements

2-Bobbie Nash

5-Joan Fitzpatrick

6-Dashiell Borgstedt

6-Anne Reed

7-Hannah Gross

8-Cliff Giese

8-Hunter Gross

8-Rick Schultze

10-Lynda Adams

20-Debra Schwartzenburg

25-Addison Weiss

First Presbyterian Church

205 South Franklin Street

(PO Box 368)

La Grange, TX 78945

979.968.9424

Return Service Requested

April 14th, 6:30pm Progressive Dinner at the Gruetzmachers In lieu of Second Sunday lunch in April, we’re having a progressive meal hosted by

Larry and Carol Gruetzmacher in Bellville. A sign-up sheet for salads, side dishes, and

desserts is located in the library. We will carpool from the church at 12:15pm. Those

who need a ride or are willing to “share a ride” are asked to contact Kirby in the

church office. Bring your favorite homemade goodies and a recipe to share!

April 17th, 6:30pm Maundy Thursday Worship

April 23rd, 6:00pm CPR and AED Refresher Training This is your opportunity to understand some of the life-saving capabilities in the

church. This is for refresher only and not for certification.