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Summer BugleVolume 48

Issue 6-7

First Presbyterian ChurchRev. Mark Hults, Senior Pastor

Digital Ways to Join Us for Worship!

1 Worship Videos on YouTube the day of the service

2 Audio-Only Worship available Sundays at 1stpc.org

3 Sunday services on Cox Channel 11 at 9:00 a.m.

". . . so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another."

Romans 12:5

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Congregational MeetingThe Session has called a virtual Congregational Meeting for Wednesday, June 3 at 7:00 p.m. for the purpose of voting on the proposed parking lot development and only matters pertaining to this item.

• The meeting will take place via Zoom, as we will not be meeting in person. • RSVP by June 3 at 10:00 a.m. by contacting the church office. We will email you the information needed to join

this virtual meeting on Wednesday, June 3 by 12:00 p.m. If you do not receive the email by 2:00 p.m., please call the church office.

• Do you have a question(s)? To make sure we address them accurately during the meeting, please let us know your questions beforehand by contacting Laura Montgomery at assistant@1stpc.org or call 352-378-1527.

If you are new to Zoom, please know you can join the meeting at least 30 minutes early to check your connection before the meeting begins. Zoom allows folks to virtually meet by calling in on a phone or video calling in from a phone, smartphone, tablet, or laptop.

Hello First Presbyterian Church,Thank you for all the kind words you have spoken and written to me, our staff, and our volunteers as we have worked to provide a virtual worship service for our church every week. We all really appreciate it. Although it is a labor of love, we would love even more being together with you, catching up, laughing and/or crying, shaking hands and/or hugging. We miss you! Our Session met on Wednesday, May 20. They made the following decisions:

• The preschool will remain closed at this time. o This was a hard decision, as we know some of our parents are working and others are being called

back to work and need a place for their children. • Session also did not act to open worship services. They will remain closed until further notice.

In light of these decisions, Session also acted to create a reopening team to research what would be needed and how and when we would go about reopening our preschool, worship services, and building. The reopening team doesn’t have the authority to initiate policy. Instead, they will present their findings to Session, and Session will decide how we move forward (Session’s next scheduled meeting is June 10). I am the liaison for this subcommittee. Members are Deanna Cook (Chair), Troy Bleeker (Clerk; Elder-Property), Tim Schubert (Elder-Worship), Heather Mears (Elder-Preschool), Mary Jo Deichler, Lisa Lundy, & Laura Netardus. In addition to the members, they have sought the counsel of medical professionals to speak into the situation. If you have any questions about this group, please touch base with me. Remember, although our building isn’t open, our church isn’t closed. Whenever you do things in line with the kingdom that God is bringing about, you are being the church to our world. Think about what opportunities you have, even if you are stuck at home. Excited for what is in front of us,

Contact Pastor Mark at pastor@1stpc.org.

The Latestfrom Mark Hults

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Adulting . . . When you find yourself hiding in your closet . . . from Fred LundyWelcome to Summer! Like summer’s past, it will most likely be hot, there will be times when we wish for rain and then wish for a break, wonder if you really can fry an egg on the sidewalk, and those of us lacking the luxury of a house with a pool or on a lake or a river will find a few moments on Zillow or realtor.com thinking about chucking a FOR SALE sign in the front yard and hoping we can sell our home for cash above appraisal and find a unicorn of a deal on a residence with some built-in relief.Yet the Summer of 2020 is also the Summer of COVID-19 and, as a result, most of us will probably just be looking for a place where we can find some relief from the perpetual onslaught of months that have felt like summer since March. For clarity, I am writing this all first person. I too have looked online for a “deal” on an above ground pool, have consider buying water troughs from Tractor Supply, am considering if a summer trip is possible and might finally invest in some kayaks.I have also been wrestling with isolation. At times, I have been the one to figure out the best places in the house to be available while also being hard to find. Other times, I have wondered if time in front of the computer for hours at a time with very little human interaction is really the best thing for me, Lisa, or the kids. And while we have done the best we can to respect others through social distancing and staying to ourselves, I also wonder if there are things I am missing out on – something very Holy and Redemptive about this time that, when I look back on it, will be remiss for not taking advantage of.One is; am I really benefiting from taking time to isolate from others and spending it insulating my faith with our Heavenly Father.At this point, we are about two months into COVID-19 restrictions. And if it is true that it takes thirty days to establish a new habit, what Holy Habits have I established in the past sixty plus?Pretty much every Sunday, we corporately repeat Matthew 6:9-13, the Model or Lord’s Prayer. And as good as it is for us to say, study and really understand the theology of that prayer it is the introduction to that passage that we must also remember. The Message reads as follows:

“And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?“Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense His grace.“The world is full of so-called prayer warriors who are prayer-ignorant. They’re full of formulas and programs and advice, peddling techniques for getting what you want from God. Don’t fall for that nonsense. This is your Father you are dealing with, and He knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply.”

My hope for all of us is that we are and will continue to grow to be people of this kind of prayer all the while realizing, full well, that this kind of prayer life takes work, time, and effort. Yet it also yields a life in-tune with The Heavenly Father. Because it requires time with Him, it results in time spent with Him. As it becomes something more normal for us to do in dedicated increments of our day, it naturally becomes something that is natural for us to be involved in daily and throughout our day.The Message closes out this section as follows:

“In prayer there is a connection between what God does and what you do. You can’t get forgiveness from God, for instance, without also forgiving others. If you refuse to do your part, you cut yourself off from God’s part.”

So, it’s find if you find yourself hiding in your closet; just make sure you are spending it with our Father.

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Gainesville Community Ministry is in need of a dentist part-time. If you are retired and still maintain your license or still have a thriving practice and want to give back to the community, consider volunteering here twice a month or even every Wednesday morning.There are many in Alachua County who cannot afford to go to the dentist. If you are interested in volunteering your time, please contact Lisa Gray, Dental Coordinator at (352) 548-4806 or Michael Wright, Director of GCM at (352) 372-8162.

Had I known COVID-19 was going to be something long-lasting, I might have started a journal of recent events documenting the daily highs and lows of life and the world we live in. In my records I would have included things like the beginning of “social distancing,” “lockdown,” “growth numbers” etc… However, knowing myself, I also would have included things that have happened personally along the way, such as my Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) and Ordination Exams.Some of you all might remember me writing several months ago about my time away this summer. To complete ordination every candidate in our Presbytery must undergo an internship either in a hospital or a hospice-type setting. This summer I had everything lined up at Orlando’s Advent Health to complete this part of my ordination. As you can imagine, due to COVID all CPE’s through Advent Health were canceled. With that being said I will not be heading to Orlando this summer. However, Reverend Hults and I working on an alternative plan to fulfill this need, one that will include me staying here and working through the summer to complete my hours. While I will never be able to replace the experience I would have gained in a hospital setting, my hope is to work diligently with the opportunities that the Lord has placed in front of me.In regards to my ordination exams, the good news is I recently completed all my written exams and have passed each one of them. The thought did cross my mind as to whether or not we were going to still have our exams, but a letter of notification informed us that despite COVID, they would proceed as normal. After finding out that I passed my last two exams, I looked at Alison and said, “One day we’ll go out and celebrate!” There is no doubt that like many of you, I wouldn’t have dreamed that such a thing would happen in our world today. Too often times, whether I say it out loud or not, I feel like I have gotten accustomed to a mentality that carries the weight of “That will never happen.” However, I was recently reminded of a short sermon that Francis Chan gave on Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God” (You can find this video on YouTube Francis Chan Be Still). In this short sermon Chan reminds us that we ought to not walk through life making our plans as James warns (James 4:13-14), but rather slow down and give God our undivided focus. COVID-19 has interrupted a lot of plans, but as I reflect on who God is, I am reminded that his ways are higher than our ways and he yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us (James 4:5).Regardless of the situations in front of us, I am thankful for all God is doing in my/our midst. Our God is not bound by COVID, rather He is working through it in mighty ways. My hope is that we can and will thank God for the ways that He is showing up and look to use them as we move forward. Blessings to you all this summer

Moving Forwardfrom Scott Stuart

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LOCAL MISSIONS COMMITTEE ANNUAL REPORT, 2019 – 2020

Church TriumphantBobby Bowman, May 9, 2020

BirthsGriffin & Gabriel Hooper, April 24, 2020

“Meet Human Needs” is one part of our church’s overall purpose statement and the Local Missions Committee tries to fulfill this commitment. We do this in two ways: monetary funds and encouragement of personal involvement in mission work. The funds come from assigned line items in the church budget, special offerings from choir concerts, and offerings from Christmas Eve and Easter. This year the Concordia Choir concert was underwritten by generous individuals with the result that the whole offering could go for missions. Additionally, some church members give extra funds to the mission budget.It is difficult for many in the congregation to be personally involved in the mission projects. Even so, many volunteered for the various tasks when we hosted Family Promise for four weeks (two weeks at a time, twice a year); we added several college students to the committee serving dinner at St. Francis twice a month; there was good involvement by the congregation in bringing food every Sunday for Gainesville Community Ministries; multiple baskets were filled of home supplies for homeless families moving into transitional housing; many Christmas gifts were given

to children through Family Promise; socks were given to Helping Hands clinic; reading tutoring was conducted at Rawlings Elementary; mentoring of students was started at Anderson Elementary and Lincoln Middle schools; and a meal was served every day for a week at a church in East Gainesville during their Vacation Bible School. Last year the committee conducted a Mission Fair. The agencies sent representatives who set-up materials and answered questions before and after church. It was decided this year to have one agency focus each month. The agency would be introduced in a Moment for Mission in worship and have a table with materials in Gordon Hall for at least a month. Gainesville Community Ministries did this in February but then the others had to be canceled because of the coronavirus. Most of the Local Missions Committee members are active in one or more of the agencies. All are involved in the discussions and decisions of the committee. Although we keep making progress in the funds and involvement of members, we still have a long road ahead as the needs in our community are great.

Sunday Morning WorshipWorshiping together in the sanctuary has been postponed until further notice. Please join us Sunday mornings with full-service audio found on the webpage or videos on YouTube. Search "1stpc" on YouTube or links are sent in the Weekly Invite email on Fridays. **For closed captioning on YouTube, hover over the bottom of the video and click the sign for auto-generated subtitles.

The Church Office is closed to visitors until further notice. Our church staff is still available at (352) 378-1527 during regular office hours, Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., or via email. Calls are forwarded on the weekends. Please wait through the entire recording to be connected or to leave a message.

First Presbyterian PreschoolIt is the decision of our Session that

our preschool will remain closed at this time. At our May 20 meeting, we appointed a reopening team,

for the preschool and church as a whole, tasked with making sure it is the time to reopen, creating a manual for reopening, and insuring that we have access to the supplies we need to maintain the safety of our children and staff once we reopen. We will continue to communicate with you as we move forward. Please contact the church office at (352) 378-1527 or communications@1stpc.org if you are a preschool family and are not receiving the church email updates.

Member Information

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Thank you to the following individuals who have contributed over $13,966 this past year through Sweetie Pies, Homecoming Parade Parking, Downtown Art Festival Parking, Church Cookbooks, and Noteworthy Sponsors:

Thank you for having the heart of God for the children of God.

Mrs. Mary Adams-SmithMr. & Mrs. Nick AlfordMrs. John Allbritten Mrs. Leewood AndersonDrs. Roger and Marilyn Bachmann Mr. & Mrs. Robert Bailey Mrs. Kimberly Ball Mr. and Mrs. Shawn BaratMr. Paul Bennett Mr. & Mrs. Jason Berger Mr. & Mrs. Todd Best Mr. Christopher Bilowich

& Mrs. Barbara Smith Mrs. Kathy Black Mr. & Mrs. John Bonerba Dr. & Mrs. Billy Brashear Mr. & Mrs. James Carr, Jr. Ms. Mimi CarrMr. & Mrs. John Carswell Dr. & Mrs. Donald Caton Dr. & Mrs. Thomas Chamberlain Dr. Lindsey Childs-Kean Ms. Jennifer Clark Dr. & Mrs. Mark CoffeyMs. Rachel Coffey Ms. Colene Cone Dr. & Mrs. William ConerlyDr. & Mrs. James CookMr. & Mrs. Frank CountsMrs. Virginia CraigDr. & Mrs. Brian DeckerDr. & Mrs. James DefordMr. & Mrs. Alan DeichlerMs. Deborah DesforgesMr. & Mrs. Tom DonaldsonMr. & Mrs. James DoyleMr. & Mrs. Thomas Evans

Mrs. Christine Feigum Dr. & Mrs. Carter GilbertDr. & Mrs. Joseph Gilkey, Sr.Ms. Angie GiovencoMr. & Mrs. Brian GrayMrs. Ruthie GraybillDr. & Mrs. William HagerMr. & Mrs. Craig HallMr. & Mrs. Ed Hamilton, Sr.Mrs. Judy Hart Ms. Janet Heffner Mr. J. & Dr. P. Henderson Dr. & Mrs. Glenn IsraelMs. Linda IvinesMr. & Mrs. John JarrellMr. & Mrs. David JonesMs. Audrey KellemanThe Rev. Dr. & Mrs. Karl KlingMrs. Elaine Langford Dr. & Mrs. George LeboMs. Caroline Lewis Mr. & Mrs. Fred LewisMs. Ruth LewisMr. Bret McCallMrs. Helen McIntosh Mr. & Mrs. Ken MearsMrs. Jane Morris Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Murdock, IIIMs. Elisa Neale-TobenerMr. & Mrs. John NetardusMr. & Mrs. Ryan NeuhausDr. & Mrs. Thomas PattonMs. Martha PayneMs. Marjorie Pedrick Ms. Patti PhillipsDr. & Mrs. Brian PickensDr. & Mrs. N. Earle Pickens

Dr. Barbara ProbertMs. Joyce RameyMr. & Mrs. Robert W. Richardson Mr. & Mrs. John RobertsMrs. Susan RolandMr. Mitch Rorick

& Dr. Laura Dallman Dr. & Mrs. Walter RosenbaumDr.s. Leslie & Louise RothmanMs. Megan SaillantMrs. Virginia ScarboroughDrs. Dean & Orene SchoenfeldMrs. Mary Sharkey Dr. & Mrs. George Singleton Mr. & Mrs. Allen SiorekDr. & Mrs. Garrett SnipesMr. John Steinmeyer, IVMrs. Eileen Stephens Mr. & Mrs. Scott Stuart Dr. & Mrs. Dale SyfertMrs. Jeanne Thomas Mr. Patrick Townley Dr. Robert Tucker Ms. Carol Turner Mr. Edzard van Santen Mr. & Mrs. Andreas VanDenendDr. & Mrs. John VanSickle Mr. & Mrs. Nicholas Vellis Mr. & Mrs. Randy Wacha Dr. Eric Wagner Mr. & Mrs. Dean Ward Mrs. Christine WatersMr. & Mrs. Henry Weech, Jr.Ms. Cyndie WilliamsMr. & Mrs. William WiltbankMrs. Elizabeth WoodMs. Mary Mac Zeigler

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Thank you, Children and Parents! Congratulation to the members of the children and youth choirs and the Joyful Ringers whose attendance on Wednesdays as part of LOGOS this past year was spectacular:

Junior ChoirWati Chiputula 35 of 36Zack Conerly 34 of 36Campbell Johnson 33 of 36Sammy Wacha 32 of 36Landon Tillery 31 of 36Norah Barat 30 of 36

Cherub ChoirGinger Neuhaus 34 of 36Shane Sumner 34 of 36Alex Conerly 32 of 36Parker Mears 32 of 36

Senior ChoirKaylee Bleeker 28 of 28Emmy Barat 25 of 28Marin Best 24 of 28Honest Chiputula 24 of 28

Joyful RingersKaylee Bleeker 28 of 28Honest Chiputula 28 of 28Marin Best 27 of 28Sammy Wacha 27 of 28

Montreat 2020The Presbyterian Associations of Musicians (PAM) announced that the 2020 Worship and Music Conference on June 21-26 will be a virtual, online conference. 12 of the original 66 members of First Presbyterian Church who were planning to attend the conference are now registered for the online conference. The week-long conference is continuing to present a meaningful, worshipful offering, even in these difficult and unusual times! They desire to still bring our best to God. Members of First Presbyterian Church are invited to attend. The daily schedule includes Morning Prayer, Bible Study, Worship, Morning Masterclass with three choral conductors, Handbell Hour with David Harris, conductor of the Raleigh Ringers, Routley Lectures on hymnody with Dr. Mel Bringle who was the 2020 Keeter Lecturer at First Presbyterian, Art Workshop, an organ recital, and a hymn festival. The cost is $175 for adults and $100 for children and youth. The conference will be available for all who register until December 2020. For more information, please contact Mark Coffey, music@1stpc.org.

Music Camp 2020For the safety and wellbeing of our children and youth, Music Camp 2020 scheduled for June 8-12 has been postponed until a time when we are allowed to gather as a community. Parents of children and youth will be contacted when a decision has been made. For more information, please contact Mark Coffey music@1stpc.org or Mitch Rorick music2@1stpc.org.

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Youth: 6th through 12th Grade youth are invited to an hour-long session once a week. Please contact Vicki Sumner to obtain specifics on meeting days, times, and how to join online.*Class promotions will take place at the end of the summer. Those entering 6th Grade will remain in 2019-2020 class until the Fall unless otherwise contacted by the Director of Children’s Ministries.

College Trajectory Bible Study meets in the Summer. For more information about how to Zoom with us, please email Scott Stuart at college@1stpc.org.

Young Adult Ministry We are meeting regularly via Zoom. For more information on Young Adult Ministry or specifically on these meetings, please email Fred Lundy at youngadult@1stpc.org.The Gordon Hoover Class is Zooming! They meet on Sundays at 9:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome! If you’re interested in joining the class, please contact Perry Foote at palbertfoote@gmail.com.

#DigitalDiscipleship!Weekly Dose of Digital Discipleship

As we continue practicing social distance as an act of loving our neighbors, we will send weekly emails which aim to refuel and connect us. This

space is created for the intergenerational church family and will provide links to online devotionals, information regarding Face-to-Face Digital Spaces, and various tools for refueling which will change intermittently.If you are not receiving the Weekly Dose of Digital Discipleship emails, please reach out to Vicki Sumner, Director of Children’s Ministries, at children@1stpc.org to be added to the list.

Face-to-Face Digital SpacesDuring the summer months we will continue to create space for our church family to gather – digitally. See the sections below for demographics and more information on how to join these digital spaces via Zoom.

Preschool: Three-year-old through Pre-Kindergarten children are invited to a thirty-minute session once a week. Please contact our Vicki Sumner to obtain

specifics on meeting days, times, and how to join online.

*Class promotions will take place at the end of the summer. Those entering Kindergarten will remain in this group until the Fall.Elementary: Kindergarten through 5th Grade children are invited to an hour-long session once a week. Please email children@1stpc.org to obtain specifics on meeting days, times, and how to join online.*Class promotions will take place at the end of the summer. Those entering Kindergarten or 6th Grade will remain in 2019-2020 classes until the Fall unless otherwise contacted by the Director of Children’s Ministries.

Christian Education

Gordon Hoover ClassEveryone is welcome to join us!

June 7 Zechariah 12-14 Fred LundyJune 14 Malachi 1-4 Betsy BerryJune 21 1 Thessalonians

Intro & Chapter 1Perry Foote

June 28 1 Thessalonians 2 Jed Keesling

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The Great Escape - What Now?As it is still May while we submit information for the Summer Bugle, we do not know the particulars about what will take place when it comes to our Middle School Camp – The Great Escape. Right now, we do not see a way for us to physically bring leaders and campers to The Great Escape for the full camp experience we hoped for. The Youth Connection Committee will discuss and discern next steps once our Director of Children’s Ministry hears the plans from Youth Conference Ministries as to their vision for camp during this pandemic. We will continue to update our youth and their families but do not anticipate a physical camp experience this summer. Please do not hesitate to contact our Director of Children’s Ministries with questions.

Confirmation Class of 2020 On May 20, 2020 five ladies publicly professed their statements of faith before our church session and were voted in as confirmed members of First Presbyterian Church. We invite you to join us in celebrating Kaylee Bleeker, Honest Chiputula, Breezy Dowling, Josephine Henderson, and Lacy Pirkle as they appear before the congregation in our virtual worship service on Sunday, June 7, 2020.

Children’s Worship GuidesWe continue to send digital versions of our children’s worship guides for you to print and use as you participate in worship during this time of social distancing. These Children’s Worship Guides can be found through links in the Weekly Invite emails from the church office. We encourage your family to discuss thoughts on worship together - even if you don't use the guide.

Reflecting on Psalm 100 with Gratitude While we watch some of our summer plans shift to online platforms; some open with restrictions; and some cancel completely we encourage you to spend time reflecting on the good things going on around us in the midst of these ever-changing and uncertain days.

Read Psalm 100.

• Where have you felt the presence of our Lord? • Where are you finding joy? • What has come out of this time which you are

thankful for?As we wait and reflect, we encourage you to think of ways to keep thanking the Lord on the forefront of your mind.

Glimpses of God in Film – Wednesday, June 24 at 5:30 p.m.

The Christian Education and LOGOS Committees typically host an annual, church-wide, intergenerational summer movie night in Gordon Memorial Hall. While it remains unclear if we will be physically gathering during the summer months, we would like to continue this tradition in a new way this year. Please consider joining us as we look for “Glimpses of God” in Disney’s Frozen.

*The first one – Frozen, not Frozen 2*We encourage everyone to view the film on their own prior to joining us for our live Zoom

session. But, please be attend even if you aren't able to do so. We will be watching YouTube clips and making connections to biblical themes together.Contact our Director of Children’s Ministries with questions, to R.S.V.P., and to receive the Zoom information.

2020

First Presbyterian Church106 South West Third StreetGainesville, FL 32601(352) 378-1527Return Service Requested

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Summer Bugle

Over one hundred members of our congregation gathered at First Presbyterian Church on Sunday, May 31 for our first-ever, parking lot congregational meeting. We parked every other spot, wore masks, and respected social distancing - and unanimously voted to approve virtual meetings in time of need. It was a joy to be together after so may weeks apart. Thank you to everyone who came out on Sunday to volunteer and to attend the meeting.

*Are you missing being together? We encourage you to think of someone from the church to call this week. Let's stay connected!

Church First