The Lamplighter Loving, Praising, Caring Vol. 20 No. 4 800 Lawrenceville Highway Lawrenceville, GA 30046 (770) 963-9498 (770) 963-9458 FAX www.lawrencevillepresbyterian.org Sunday School 9:15 am Worship Hours 10:30 am Office Hours Monday through Thursday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm Fridays 9:00 am to Noon Our Staff Pastor Rev. Ryan Jensen Office Manager Annette Houtz Director of LPK Sandy Futch Director of Music Chancel, Handbell and Children’s Choirs Lynette Branch Organist/Accompanist Joyce Parks Youth Director Bobby Newman The Lamplighter is a monthly newsletter. Articles may be submitted via email to ahoutz@lawrencevillepresbyterian.org or by bringing them to the church office. Please note that the deadline for the May Lamplighter is April 20, 2015. April 2015 Resurrection Over the past year or so, news has been bubbling up here and there about our preschool program, LPK. It is finally time to officially get that news into print and to move forward with the plan; more information is contained inside. But just in case you are wondering why we are doing this, we need look no further than Easter Sunday itself. On that day more than any other, we proclaim that Christ lived, Christ died, and Christ rose from the dead. Through that witness to the Gospel message, we also welcome the news from Revelation 21:5, in which God is “making all things new.” So it goes with all living things; we live, we die, we rise from the dead and are made into something new. How great is our God and how thankful we should be! LPK is one of those living things. There was once a time when the downstairs area of our building was overflowing with children. Those days are gone: Lawrenceville has changed. Benefits from the Georgia lottery have changed the rules. And compared to the past, most mothers work these days. A four hour preschool program is simply no longer in demand. LPK, as it once was, is dead. If this were the end of the story, our church could simply lament the good old days, board up the lower part of the building, and move on. And if that were the case, things would certainly be easier: A vacant downstairs would certainly be less taxing on the church budget. It would be less trouble in general; so much has to be done before the fall of 2016 when we plan to go full time. One could even come and pray in silence without any distractions. All of that being said, LPK remains a living thing and as such, it is destined for resurrection and to be made new. Personally speaking, I am very thankful that this is true! Since 1966, LPK has been a vital part of the church’s fabric and a presence in the Lawrenceville community. I invite you to come to lunch on April 12th to learn more. The lunch is catered and at no cost. Childcare will be provided and activities will be available for children. All that is required is your presence, your interest in the life and ministry of this church, and any questions that you might have. Thanks and hope to see you there! Session News LPC Session Clerk of Session – Tina de Waart Administration – Barbara Wilson, Dick McCracken Building and Grounds – Cary Hannon, Skip Robinson Christian Education – Bonnie Rary Fellowship – Mark Bacchus, Ben Davis Missions – Margaret Bell, Julia Bartlett Welcome and Care – Sue Seibenhener, Hope Payne Worship – Patsy Price, Lawanda Burke April Committee Meetings Committee Meetings - TBA Session Meeting – April 19, 12:00 pm On Sunday, March 22, Session held its monthly stated Session meeting. Many items were discussed and approved. Below is a recap of some of these items: Session approved the following: Administration Committee’s request to redeem the funds invested with New Covenant Funds (donated by the McGee family) to be used for the LPK renovations; Henry McGee has given his support and approval for the use of these funds Personnel Committee’s request for the pastor and other eligible full-time staff of LPC to contribute to a 403B which will be administered by Fidelity Investments; the Church will not make any contributions to the 403B Personnel Committee’s recommendation to form an ad hoc committee whose responsibility is to come up with new, fresh approaches for the music in worship service; Personnel Committee will contact individuals proposed by Session for this committee Building & Ground’s recommendation to donate the trailer to a not-for-profit organization The proposed Policy for Access to Church Building, submitted by Building & Grounds The LPK Board’s proposal to add the following to the sign in front of the church: “Private Preschool est. 1966” Welcome & Care’s request to use Fellowship Hall for blood drives organized by the American Red Cross A luncheon for the congregation on April 12 for the purpose of addressing the capital campaign for LPK The baptism of Lewis Basil Beam on April 12; Lewis is the son of Travis A. Beam and Billie J. Beam, great-grandson of Lew and Mame Beam, and great-great-grandson of Basil Street At the next Session meeting, the elders will discuss how LPC will celebrate its 125 th anniversary next year. The full set of the Minutes of this Session meeting and previous Session meetings are located in the Church office. Please continue to be in prayer for your Pastor and for your Session as they discern God’s will for our church. PC(USA) NEWS Presbyterian Research Services is inviting you to join a list of potential Presbyterian Panelists! Since 1973, church leaders have turned to the Presbyterian Panel to learn more about the beliefs and practices of Presbyterians. By joining this list, you will be added to a group of people who are willing to fill out occasional surveys (four per year) that help Presbyterian entities, congregations, and others make informed decisions and reach their goals. All surveys will be available in English, Spanish, and Korean. It is important that the group of selected panelists represent Presbyterians as a whole. If you are interested on serving on the Presbyterian Panel, please answer the following demographic questions to help Research Services select a representative sample of Presbyterians: http://presbyterianmission.us9.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=a12f6a658c88a518bb84d8f3b&id=1a749fedcd If you are selected to become a Presbyterian Panelist, Research Services will send you a welcome letter with further details. If you are not selected right away, they will keep you on a list of potential Panelists for the future. You can unsubscribe from this list at any time. This list will not be shared with anyone outside of Research Services and will not be used for any other project without your permission. If you have any questions, please contact Research Services by phone at (800) 728-7228 Ext. 2040, or by email at panel@pcusa.org. Christian Education Sunday, April 5th Children’s Sunday School 9:45am Every Sunday at 9:30am For Children of All Ages Bring your Baskets and Cameras Meet in the LPC Gathering Area Kid’s Zone Led by Brooke Roberts Come Learn about Jesus and the Bible! Christian Education (Continued) Plans for renovating LPK and starting an extended day Learning Center in the Fall have been moved back a year. This has been a function of securing funding for the renovations and finding the right personnel to take over the running of the Learning Center. The building renovations which include an extensive reworking of the plumbing will begin this summer. Due to the nature of the work, it will be necessary to complete it when there are no children or teachers in attendance. Once the reworking of the plumbing is completed, we will move forward on replacing the downstairs doors and adding ventilation fans to bathrooms and classrooms where diaper changing will occur. We will also be adding some drains and possible new terracing to the playground to ensure that it doesn’t continue to “hold” water as it does now. Once this is completed, teachers will be moving back into their classrooms and readying them for the coming year. The Preschool Board has approved job descriptions of the Director, Assistant Director, Lead Teachers, and Assistant Teachers that meet State Guidelines. These are being passed on to the church Personnel Committee for approval. Once this happens and salaries are set, we will begin advertising for a Learning Center Director. This person will be crucial to the success of our endeavor. This will be a full-time job with full benefits. Please be in prayer that God will send the person who is perfect for leading this new and exciting extension of our mission of LPK. For next year, we have begun registering for the Fall term. We will have a two year old, three year old, and four year old class. Each class will be from 9:00 – 1:00 and will meet two, three, or five days depending on the age of the child. The Enrollment forms are on the LPC website and can be downloaded from there or picked up in the church office or preschool office. Please tell those that you know who may be interested about our school. It is a special place for children and word of mouth can be a wonderful advertiser. EARLY REGISTRATION SPECIAL For those who complete the enrollment process before April 30, 2015 the monthly tuition will be $15 less than the published tuition price for the 2015-2016 school term. This adds up to a savings of almost one full month’s tuition! Fellowship Sunshiners Sunshiners will meet at noon on Wednesday, April 8 in the Fellowship Hall. Our program will be presented by Pete Griffin, a wildlife interpretive specialist and outreach coordinator for the Charlie Elliot Wildlife Center. He will talk about the different types of animals that inhabit Georgia. With the use of live animals and props he will tell about some of the regions where they can be found and their natural history. Lynette Kowlessar and Carolyn Fetner will provide the entrée of chicken and the drinks. Everyone else should bring a vegetable, salad, or dessert to share. If you are not called to make a reservation, please contact Carolyn Fetner at (770) 963-6118 or carolynfetner@bellsouth.net if you plan to attend. Fellowship (Continued) Presbyterian Women Yard Sale Saturday, May 2, 2015 8:00 am to 3:00 pm The Presbyterian Women of LPC will hold a yard sale to benefit Mission Haven. Mission Haven is sponsored solely by Presbyterian Women. It provides clothes and other necessities to missionaries and their families who return to the US on furlough. It also provides housing for them at the site. We are not accepting clothes for this particular sale as we do that as a separate event. We are asking you, our members and friends, to collect items that you can donate to our sale. Items may be brought to the church on Thursday, April 30 or Friday, May 1. Please put items in the first room inside the front door of the church. It will help us tremendously if you will have priced your items prior to drop off. We are looking forward to having a great sale. This is our chance to support the important work of our missionaries. Please plan to participate. Upcoming Presbyterian Women dates: Spring Gathering – April 26; Following worship Gifts of Women - Sunday, May 10, 2015 Missions Thank you for all you do and contribute to this very Special Offering. All across the world we see needs: lack of food, potable water, damage due to hurricanes, typhoon and other natural disasters; we see children who are not enrolled in elementary schoolsunable to read or to write their names; poor sanitation leading to the death of children....... areas of the world undeveloped and unable to support themselves in an ever changing world................ HERE’S WHERE WE ALL COME IN.................. When we give to One Great Hour of Sharing we change lives......... Livelihoods are developed… children educated … people fed. Envelopes will be in the Bulletins on Easter Sunday, April 5th and look for one of the Mason Jars in the Gathering Area decorated in red with a request to donate your small change. You can help if you take it into your Sunday School Class; or take one to your Committee Meetings; or bring one to your Circle Meetings.....small change adds up … Together we can all make a difference in the lives of others. Thank you again for all of your loving and giving hearts. Missions (Continued) We hosted 3 families the week of March 15-22. A Mom and her 11-year old daughter; a Mom and her 1-year old son; and a Mom and Dad and their 6 children, ranging from 4 years old to 20 years old. The families were very appreciative of all the volunteers and the hospitality of the Church, and of all the food and supplies that they had access to throughout the week. They all said they were so comfortable that they would have loved to have stayed another week. The families spent time with the volunteers watching DVDs, including “Thomas the Engine” and “Maleficent.” They played all sorts of games with blocks, with dice, and with fake money. And on Saturday the families spent time in the LPK playground. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped make the week happen: the volunteers who set up the rooms, who provided the supplies, who provided the meals, who provided the fellowship, who spent the night, who drove the Family Promise van, who covered the Day Center on Sunday, and who helped take down the beds and set up the Sunday School rooms. Our host week would not have been possible without the help of each and every one of our volunteers. Next Host Week We will host Family Promise again during the following weeks in 2015: May 24-31 and October 4-11. If you are interested in hosting Family Promise and haven’t been trained yet, the following training dates are available: April 13, 7-9 pm May 10, 2-4 pm June 8, 7-9 pm July 13, 7-9 pm July 20, 2-4 pm August 10, 7-9 pm September 14, 7-9 pm September 27, 2-4 pm The above training sessions are held at First Christian Church on Sugarloaf Parkway. All volunteers planning to attend one of these volunteer training sessions will need to RSVP to Laura (volunteer coordinator at Family Promise) at least 24 hours before the scheduled session. You may contact Laura at 770-310-4292 or at volunteer@familypromisegwinnett.org. If you have any questions regarding Family Promise and the volunteer opportunities during host week, please see Tina de Waart at 770-601-6118 or tinadewaart@bellsouth.net. Saturday, April 18th Downtown Lawrenceville On the Square Come and cheer on the LPC Team!!! Music and Worship We are almost to that glorious season of Easter. Everything looks so fresh around the church after our workday, and we are enjoying the spring weather and the new life it brings. As Christians, we also enjoy the promise of new life that Easter gives us. We want to remind you of our special services coming up and invite you to join us for as many as possible for you. We began our entry into Holy Week with Palm Sunday on March 29th. The service began with the procession of palms and Hosannas Thursday, April 2 - Maundy Thursday The service begins at 7:00 pm and will include the Lord’s Supper Friday, April 3 - Good Friday Again the service begins at 7:00 pm as we remember the death of Christ. Sunday, April 5 - Easter 7:00 am - Sunrise service in the outdoor worship center if weather permits. Coffee will be provided. Bring something to share for a covered dish breakfast. 10:30 am - Worship service in the Sanctuary Music Camp 2015 June 8 – 12 This year our Music Camp is for ages 3 years – 5th grade Because of construction in the LPK area, there will be limited openings available for 3 and 4 year olds James Tanner is back to direct this year’s Music Camp. The musical this year is entitled “Something’s Fishy.” Its message is that from the stars in the heavens to the bottom of the deep blue sea, God's great big world is an amazing and marvelous creation. "Something's Fishy" celebrates this creation-as well as God's greatest creation of all-you and me. The downstairs LPK area of the church will be undergoing renovations this summer. That area will most likely be unavailable for use; therefore, the 3 and 4 year old classes will have limited openings available. Be sure to get your registration form in early for these ages! We need volunteers for all ages. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Lynette Branch at lbranch@lawrencevillepresbyterian.org or Joyce Parks at bjstwp@mindspring.com. Welcome and Care April 1 Bryse Knortz April 9 Bob Simpson Jennifer Weaver April 21 Christine Grace Keelan Lawson April 2 Babye Jewel Baggett Brenda Bonner April 10 Basil Street April 3 Trey Futch April 13 Komi Gagnon April 22 Susan Ard Erin Weaver Madelyne Lofstrand April 5 Pearl Adams April 18 Dick McCracken Skyler Carroll April 6 Dick Chew April 19 Jeane Simpson April 7 Charlie Roberts Bianca Pate April 20 Carol Majeske Harper Parypinski April 23 Laura Jensen April 24 Carol Mays April 26 Taylor Greene Gentry Bruce The Family of Basil Street Cordially Invites You to Join Us At an Open House Celebrating the April 27 Dottie Kuhn May 6 Gregg McIver April 28 Mike Nape Jean-Luc Lawson Matthew Weaver May 7 Ann Huff Annette Thomas April 30 Hope Gehle May 9 Sawyer Roberts Sydney Roberts May 1 Marlene McGuire WaWH O Joyous Occasion of His 95 Birthday! th Saturday, April 11 One O’clock to Four O’clock in the Afternoon (Widows and Widowers Heading Out) April 3rd - 1:00 pm Pat Walochik’s home 475 Meadowfield Court Lawrenceville, Georgia 30043 RSVP by April 2 We Request only the Mame Beam Gift of Your Presence 770 822 9025 Bus will leave the church at 12:15 pm Prayer Concerns of LPC First Week Al Cofer, son of Libba Cofer, is having knee surgery on March 24th Julia Woodson, mother of Nancy Welborn, is under hospice care Lydia Force, close friend of Dick and Dee McCracken, is fighting cancer Rob, neighbor of Gail LaBerge, is having procedures for glaucoma Second Week Sheryl Smith, friend of Bobbie Pate, fell on her face and broke every bone in her face; cause of fall is unknown but possibly a stroke Daniel Huff, principal of Collins Hill Christian School, mother suffered an aneurysm that will end her life soon Jo Beth, sister of Johnnie Sue Wallace, passed away on March 20 Grady Mays, brother of John Mays, passed away on March 18 Third Week Whit McMath and his family; he is an infant fighting brain cancer at Egleston; Whit’s family is friends of Trey Futch’s niece Pat Capper was at the emergency room and was diagnosed with pneumonia; she is at home recuperating Fourth Week Carol Gordon, friend of Bobbie Pate, will be having surgery on Thursday to remove a tumor Judy Roland, friend of Gail LaBerge, is having a cancerous kidney removed Linda Womack, friend of Gail LaBerge, passed away after being hospitalized with a bacterial infection Janet Blackmon’s friend, Susan’s brother, Bobby Harrell is hospitalized in a comatose state; had a stroke but also has pneumonia and a UTI 4 month old great-granddaughter of Johnnie Sue Wallace has been sick for a couple of weeks with the flu Nursing, Extended Care, Rehab, Shut-ins: Joy Beck, mother of Sherry Blalock Julienne Carter (Life Care Gwinnett) Mike and Barbara Nape June Leonard Special Military Concerns: Those known to LPC members: Matthew Courant USN San Diego, CA Grandson of Dottie Kuhn TSGT Michael C. Rice USAF Moody AFB, Valdosta, GA son-in-law of Brenda Bonner Jason Lane Army Seattle, WA grandson of Carol Sigrist Sgt.Samuel Ridenhour USMC Camp Pendleton, CA grandson of Jim and Georgia Lucas Capt. Rick S. Chew Army Special Forces grandson of Richard and Jean Chew Lt. Chris Cox USNC Afghanistan nephew of Kathy Vanderplough Welcome and Care (Continued) Words cannot adequately express the thanks and appreciation I feel for the love shown to my family by LPC members and Pastor Ryan during the illness and passing of my mom, Betty Hunziker. Your prayers, food, cards, calls, and generous donations in her memory have been overwhelming. She would be so honored. Your loving friendship and care have provided us much peace and comfort, and we are forever grateful to be a part of this loving congregation. Janie Carroll and Family We would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of the congregants of Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church of their thoughts, prayers and concerns during the passing of my mother and Mark’s grandmother, Julie Kowlessar this past January. It is very comforting to have such a warm and caring church family. Upon her visit to Georgia for almost a year, she enjoyed being part of this church. She always felt welcomed and part of the church family when visiting. Thank you all again for the cards, flowers, prayers and love. It truly meant a lot to our family! Lovingly, Lynette Kowlessar and Family April 2015 Sun Mon Tue Regular Sunday Schedule 9:15 am Sunday School - Adults 9:30 am Sunday School - Youth 10:30 am Worship 5 12 Regular Sunday Activities 8:00 am Men’s Breakfast 11:30 am Middle School Extravaganza 11:45 am LPK Awareness Luncheon 19 6 Regular Sunday Schedule Youth Sunday Graduate Recognition 11:30 am Middle School Extravaganza 11:45 am Presbyterian Women Spring Fling 12:00 pm Graduate Recognition Lunch 14 11:00 am Monday Morning Bible Study Disciple V– Jesus in the Gospels 27 11:00 am Monday Morning Bible Study 6;30 pm Disciple V– Jesus in the Gospels Sat 1 2 3 4 8 6:00 pm Chancel 7:00 pm Good Choir Practice Friday Service 7:00 pm Maundy Thursday Service 9 15 21 22 7:00 pm Presbyterian Women Evening Circle Regular Wednesday Activities 28 29 Regular Wednesday Activities 7:30 am Presbyterian Men 9:30 am Presbyterian Women CT Meeting 10 11 7:30 am Presbyterian Men 9:30 am Presbyterian Women Saturday Circle 16 17 Regular Wednesday Activities 12:30 pm Presbyterian Women Afternoon Circle 6;30 pm 20 Fri No Children and Youth Activities 12:00 pm Sunshiners Lunch and Program 11:00 am Monday Morning Bible Study Regular Sunday 11:00 am Monday Activities Morning Bible 11:30 am Study High School 6;30 pm Extravaganza 12:00 pm Stated Disciple V– Session Meeting Jesus in the Gospels 26 7 Church Office Closed 13 Thu No Wednesday Evening Activities 11:30 am Gourmet Lunch Group and Children 7:00 am Easter Sunrise Service 9:30 am Easter Egg Hunt Wed 18 7:30 am Presbyterian Men 11:00 am Family Promise Bed Race 23 24 25 7:30 am Presbyterian Men 30 Regular Wednesday Schedule 5:15 pm Praise Kids 6:00 pm Youth Dinner and Program 7:00 pm Chancel Choir Rehearsal 8:15 pm Adult Handbell Choir Rehearsal The Lamplighter Lawrenceville Presbyterian Church P. O. Box 765 Lawrenceville, GA 30046 (770) 963-9498 FAX: (770) 963-9458 Email: ahoutz@lawrencevillepresbyterian.org Website: http://www.lawrencevillepresbyterian.org Daily Lectionary Readings See enclosed attachment or go to http://www.presbyterianmission.org/devotion
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