THE VIEW - First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland

FROM Presbyterian Hill

THE VIEW

July 2019 Volume XVI Issue VII

Inside this Issue

Disaster Preparedness 1

A Note from the Pastor 2

Session News 3

Cyclorama Trip 3

Missions News 4

Things I learned in

Sunday School 4

New Website 4

Presbyterian Women News 5

Presbyterian Women Calendar 5

Thank Y’all BBQ 5

Calendar 6

Birthdays 7

Upcoming Events 7

New Summer Office Hours 7

Camp Growing Place 8

Harp Concert 8

Pentecost Banner 9

Flowers 9

June Lunch Bunch 9

June Movie Night 9

Church Info 10

We View Life Through the Cross

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF CLEVELAND 147 N. Main Street, Cleveland, GA 30528 (706)865-6499

DISASTER PREPAREDNESS

Did you know?

• FPC has a Disaster Preparedness Team which is

working to be sure we have plans ready in case of a

natural or manmade disaster? Yes, the Team is

comprised of Bruce Morgan, Becky Clark, Garry

George, and Lindalee Walters. Lindalee is also a member of the

NEGA Presbytery Disaster Preparedness Team.

• How to evacuate the building in case of fire? There are building

diagrams placed throughout the facility which show the closest exits.

In case of fire, please proceed calmly to the closest exit door and do

not return to the building until the Fire Department advises that it is

safe to do so.

• Where to shelter in case of tornado or high winds? You need to

get as far away from the glass windows as possible. The interior

hallways and restrooms are the safest place to wait out the storms.

• There is a Disaster Checklist for the Family available in the

Narthex which will help you devise a preparedness plan for your

family? Please obtain a copy and begin work soon to be sure you

and your family are ready before disaster strikes.

Watch for more Disaster Preparedness tips in

upcoming newsletters!

By: Lindalee Walters

2

THE VIEW from Presbyterian Hill July 2019

FROM THE PASTOR...

Dear Friends:

Have you ever heard of the seven deadliest words in the church? As an institution

of volunteers, the church maintains a fragile existence in the world that can be stopped

dead with nothing more than these seven words: "We've never done it that way before."

Fortunately, those are not words I've heard spoken often at First Presbyterian

Church, but they don't have to be spoken to have their effect. These times for us are

different times. The unusual blessing of longer-term pastoral leadership makes our present transition seem

to us in many ways foreign.

Here we are just getting our search started and already we are challenged, and challenging each

other, to think in new ways or to do things we haven’t done in a very long time. Sometimes they are things

we've never tried before, and some are things we may have previously declined to do. God has already called

us out of our comfort zone, and if we are to answer that call faithfully, it makes a difference whether or not

our minds are open to new possibilities, including, by the way, the possibility of success!

The third verse of Martin Luther's great hymn, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God, intones: "The prince of

darkness grim/ We tremble not for him/ His rage we can endure/ For lo! his doom is sure/ One little word

shall fell him." In their day, they were powerful words to sing in the face of religious upheaval and a plague-

borne death, but they are words that have given hope and life to the church ever since.

If seven words can be so deadly in the church, it only takes three key words (Martin Luther’s “one

little word” notwithstanding) to turn that threat aside and breathe new life into any church. They are words

that can be uttered by any one of us: "I'll do it!" It is on these three words that the life and the work of the

church long have, and still do, turn.

The Old Testament speaks in eloquent but harsh terms of the inability of the people of God to earn

their salvation by adherence to the Law of the Torah. The New Testament is God's even more eloquent

answer to that failure with the assurance of salvation in Martin Luther’s “one little word.” That word, of

course, is Christ.

What if, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Christ had prayed to his Father, “I’ve never done it that way

before!” In the end, what Christ did pray at that ultimately critical moment was the phrase on which his faith

made a difference for us: “Nevertheless not my will, but Thine,” in other words: "I'll do it!"

We count heavily on Christ to follow through on his words of salvation, and in return God calls on

each of us to repeat them for ourselves and for the sake of the church that wears the name of God's Son.

As surely as I believe in God's purpose through the saving work of Christ, so also I believe that God

has a plan for First Presbyterian Church. We are here as a result of those who previously said, "I'll do it," and

those who say those three small words now will be the ones who take this church into the next phase of its

life and ministry.

As we move steadily toward the traditional seasons of building through the summer, then on to

stewardship, Kirking, Advent, and Christmas, and on into the New Year, I hope you will prayerfully consider

how God is calling on you to respond with these three words of life for your church: “I’ll do it!” May God

give each of us the strength to speak them.

Rev. Arch Baker, Interim Pastor

By: Arch Baker

3


SESSION NEWS

At the June meeting your session:

• Reviewed the need for more closet/storage space,

• Reviewed the draft of the duties of the Sexton,

• Approved the use of the church for a wedding,

• Appointed members of the session to the Congregational Nominating Committee and called for a

meeting of the congregation on June 30,

• Approved the Presbyterian Women's request to raise funds for a project to replace the flooring in the

Fellowship Hall,

• Approved the financial report,

• Celebrated the success of the recent movie night,

• Heard a positive report of Camp Growing Place,

• Reviewed maintenance issues on the building and the status of the van,

• Heard the progress of the Disaster Preparedness Task Force,

• Previewed upcoming events and Pastor Arch's planned vacation,

• Reviewed the new website and Communication’s plan to draft a Policy Statement for the Members Page,

• Prayed for the needs of members and the church.

The next meeting was scheduled for July 21st.

CYCLORAMA TRIP

Twenty intrepid travelers made the journey to the Atlanta History Center to see the

restored Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama painting. The new setting with replaced foreground

and characters, and cleaned and brightened paint was accompanied by a well produced

film on the painting. Everyone agreed the ride was well worth the experience.

By: Bruce Morgan

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THE THINGS I LEARNED IN SUNDAY SCHOOL

Enthusiasm

I love our weekly Sunday School class. One reason is that I constantly learn new things.

I am a word person and have made my living for many years with words. So, I'm always

delighted to discover new things about words, like their origins and alternative

meanings; certainly not their biblical connection (up until now). Take enthusiasm, for

instance. This month I learned that the word is derived from two Greek words, en and

theos, with theos being the Greek word for God. So, according to information from Google and Betty, our

Sunday School teacher, " 'enthusiasm' literally means, in its root concept, 'full of God.' Maybe that’s why

enthusiastic people are so often creative and joyful!" I know that I'm enthusiastic about attending Sunday

School each week at FPC. In fact, I'm eager!

By: Jean Kelly

MISSIONS NEWS: OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

Oh the weather outside is sunny,

and a fire would not be funny.

But in a few short months we know …

It could snow, it could snow, it could snow.

So as we enjoy our beautiful summer weather, we can still prepare for the upcoming Holiday Season with

Christmas in July! Our Missions Team decided to get a jump start on Operation Christmas Child with this

campaign to get us thinking about one of the largest foreign missions events we support. With a “Christmas

Tree” created from the colorful shoe boxes on the Mission’s Table, let us start thinking and planning for our

Shoebox donations in the fall. There will be a donation bin for you to drop off your Operation Christmas

Child donations you have started gathering, or run by the Dollar Store and pick up a few.

And folks … this is just the beginning. Our major push will of course come in November when we hold the

official Pizza Packing Party as we actually stuff the boxes to the brim with items and love from our church to

the far reaches of the Earth. How about a goal of 100 boxes?? I think we can do it!!

Although the official Christmas in July push will end on Sunday, July 28, you can still be gathering treasures to

bring back when “The Weather Outside Gets Frightful, and a fire will be so Delightful!”

By: Nanette Baughman

By: Bruce Morgan

Have you seen what's new?

www.fpccleveland.org

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PW CALENDAR

CT Meeting - None in July

Men’s Dinner - None in July

Women's Bible Study - None in

July

Knit and Stitch - July 17 at 1:30 PM

Summer Luncheon at Bernie’s -

July 11 at 12 noon, depart from the

church at 11:30 AM. Sign-up sheet in

the Narthex. Choose what you want

to eat. She only takes cash and

checks.

Dates to save:

August 3 - Thank Y’all BBQ

August 24 - NEGA PW Workshop,

Athens

October 25-27 - SOSA PW

Triennial Gathering, St. Simons

Presbyterian Women News

Something new from Presbyterian Women.

There are several events scheduled in the coming months which will attract many new

people to our church, and we all want our Church facility to look it’s best. The carpet in

Hutcheson Hall needs to be replaced. The Presbyterian Women, in cooperation with the

Presbyterian Men’s group, have pooled resources to finance this project. The money

which the men have contributed toward their meeting dinners has been earmarked for Church projects, and

the PW now has $1300.00 to be used for the flooring. The PM have agreed to match these funds

($1301.00), not to be outdone. We may have another donation from a group which uses our facility.

The plan is to install an inlaid linoleum floor just outside the kitchen doors in the serving area, and a

commercial carpet in the remaining area. After obtaining estimates and recommendations from several

companies, Anderson Carpet was chosen to do the work.

The approximate cost will be $5,000. Over one-half of these funds has been raised, and PW invites you to

contribute toward this project. The plan is to place an order for the carpet by July 31st, and the project

should be completed by the end of August.

Contribution checks should be designated “Fellowship Hall Project” and may be placed in the Offering each

Sunday. The project will not proceed until funding is in place. Thank you for your support!

By: Bernice Rogers

Special

THANK Y’ALL DINNER

for all the

SUPPORT y'all give to PW Presbyterian Women invites everyone (adults, youth and children) to join us

for our 10th annual Barbecue. We use this occasion to say THANKS Y’ALL

for all the wonderful support our congregation gives to Presbyterian Women

throughout the year. From buying and selling necklaces to donating for our

special projects, you always support us all the way.

Where: Hutcheson Hall

Date: Saturday, August 3, 2019

Time: 6:00 p.m.

Menu: Barbeque Pork & Chicken with all the trimmings.

Cost: No charge but reservations are required.

Deadline to reserve your seat—July 31st

(Donations to cover the cost of food will be accepted.)

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7


JULY BIRTHDAYS

July 1—Cindy Free

July 2—Cathy Rades

July 10—Anna Bogart

July 12—Chloe Barrett

July 13—Debbie Wessely

July 17—Walt Barrett

July 18—Hans Wiegert

July 20—Gabe Smith

July 20—James Geiger

July 21—Carol Hunt

July 21—Ann Chard

July 22—Shirley Kitchens

July 22—Bill Hines

July 23—Avery Rades

July 23—Sandra Montgomery

July 27—Jeff Bogart

July 29—Donna Barrett

July 30—Mary Smith

July 30—Damon Hunt

Please accept our apologies if we missed

your birthday this month. Please notify

the church office so we will remember

next year.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU


HAPPY BIRTHDAY

GOD BLESS YOU


UPCOMING EVENTS AT FPC

No Choir Practice for the month of July

The Church Office will be closed on Thursday, July 4th.

Presbyterian Men will not meet for their monthly dinner during

July and August. Stay tuned for upcoming events!

Camp Growing Place will not run the week of July 4th. It will

resume July 9th.

Presbyterian Women Summer Luncheon will be Thursday,

July 11th. Meet at Bernie’s at 12 noon or meet at the church at

11:30AM. Please sign up in the Narthex if you plan to attend.

Presbyterian Women Knit and Stitch will be July 17th at 1:30

PM.

Movie Night will be Friday, July 19th, at 6:30 PM. The feature film

has changed to “Run the Race.” Popcorn and beverages will be

served. Please sign up in the Narthex.

Deacon Meeting will be Sunday, July 21st, following Worship.

Called Meeting of the Session will be Sunday, July 21st,

following Worship.

Lunch Bunch will meet Tuesday, July 23th, at 1 PM at Wild

Berries Café and Gift Cottage, Clarkesville. Please sign up in the

Narthex.

NEW SUMMER OFFICE HOURS The Church Office will be closed on Fridays for the months of June

and July. Our hours will be Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday

from 9 AM to 1 PM. On Friday through Monday emails and

voicemail will be checked regularly for prayer requests or other

emergencies that need pastoral care. Please contact the pastor,

your deacon, or a session member if you need immediate

assistance with an emergency. Arch's cell phone number is

770-833-5913. Regular hours will resume in August.

8


CAMP GROWING PLACE

Summer is off to a great start here at Camp Growing Place! The children enjoyed

two field trips in June. One was to Smithgall Woods for a hike, nature center tour,

and a game of soccer in the field. The second field trip was to Unicoi State Park

beach where they played in the sand and swam in the shallow swimming area. They

also enjoyed trips to the library to participate in the Summer Reading Program. In

addition to most of the preschool children

from last year, you’ll also notice several

familiar faces from last year’s Camp

Growing Place and a few brand new faces!

There will be three more weeks of camp

in July so stay tuned for more summer fun!

By: Lindsey McGrath

HARP CONCERT

We were blessed again this year by the group of harpists who

use our sanctuary for their harp concert. They performed on

Saturday evening, June 22nd, with 42 in attendance and several

more watching and listening on Facebook Live. A light

reception followed the performance.

9


If you place flowers in the sanctuary

and you would like them to go to one

of our home-bound members, please see

Dewayne Nix.

These beautiful

flower arrangements

were on display

during worship in June. Please sign up

in the Narthex to

provide flowers for

upcoming Sunday

services.

JUNE LUNCH BUNCH 14 people joined together for Lunch Bunch in June for Taco

Tuesday at Bigg Daddy’s in Cornelia. When we sang the Doxology

as our grace before eating, the whole place became quiet. Glad we

were able to demonstrate our faith

in this positive way.

Just two short years ago, at Kids First,

the children and I spent our Easter

Season studying Pentecost. The banner

you saw in the chancel on Pentecost

Sunday is a result of this time of

study. We began by reading from the

book of Acts about the gift of the Holy

Spirit and discussing what this meant

for these early followers of Jesus and

how they must have felt. We shared

what this means to each of us. We

also studied various forms of liturgical

art. We emphasized the responsibility

of those who are blessed to create art

for worship - to spend time in prayer

and in thought about how best to

represent God's Word at that

moment. We prayed - together and

individually, out loud and silently, with

our words and with our thoughts and

with our hearts and with our hands.

We each designed our own version of

a Pentecost banner. We, then,

combined our thoughts and decided

on this design. The placement of the

elements, the colors, the flames, the

embers, the descending dove were all

contributions of the eleven children

who worked

on it. My

f a v o r i t e

part? The

c h i l d r e n

i m a g i n e d

Jesus' follow-

ers to be so

excited to

receive the

Holy Spirit

that they are

s t re t ch ing ,

r e a c h i n g ,

anxious to

receive this

precious gift!

-By Clair

Arvold

JUNE MOVIE NIGHT

A good group enjoyed the movie "A Dog's Purpose” during the

Friday Movie Night in June.

First Presbyterian Church 147 N. Main Street

Cleveland, GA 30528

Phone: 706-865-6499

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.fpccleveland.org

THE SESSION Bruce Morgan, Clerk of Session

Rev. Arch Baker, Moderator Jim Hiers, Clerk of Session—Emeritus

Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Class of 2021

Melody Thomason Nanette Baughman Jean Kelly Education Missions Communications

Lindalee Walters Becky Clark Membership Worship

Judy Winski DeWayne Nix Administration & Finance Congregational Care

Garry George Building & Grounds

THE DIACONATE

Betty Smith, Moderator DeWayne Nix, Session Liaison

Class of 2019 Class of 2020 Class of 2021 Betty Royds Walter Bogart Linda Leslie Betty Smith Kim Ciriello Rachel Romfo Hugh Walters Tony Clark

Chairperson & Editor Jean Kelly

Publisher Lindsey McGrath

Committee Members Bruce Morgan Kim Ciriello Bonnie Frost Dick Frost

Elaine Wiegert

@fpccleveland.org

http://www.fpccleveland.org/

THE VIEW - First Presbyterian Church of Cleveland

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