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C O N TA C T U S407.423.3441
To aage a baptismCotact Woship x1451
To aage a weddigCotact Weddigs x1453
To aage a fueal o memoial sevice
Cotact Pastoal Cae x1455To aage a memoial doatio
Cotact Fiace x1479
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Cotact Woship x1451
To place a otice i the bulleti o ewsletteCotact Commuicatios x1467
With questios about you pledge o doatioCotact Fiace x1479
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To let us kow whe you o a loved oe ae hospi-talized - Cotact Pastoal Cae x1455
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With questios egadig the budgetAdmiistatio - Cotact x1459
To reach the Security Ofce
Cotact 407-415-9793
Fo Weekday SchoolCotact 407-996-5864
To nd out about Sunday school classes
Cotact Spiitual Fomatio x1463
With questios about the FPCO Web siteo this Colums publicatio
Cotact Commuicatios x1467
To eseve meetig spaceCotact Special Sevices x1469
Hospta Cas:
Hospitals ae o loge able to otify us wheou membes ae hospitalized. If you kow
someoe who is i the hospital, please otifythe Pastoral Care ofce at x1455.
Pastoa Eegences:
Fo pastoal emegecies outside of the 8:30a.m.- 5:00 p.m. church ofce hours, please leave
a voice mail message at the mai chuch umbe.The message cete will page the miiste o
call, who will eply as soo as possible.
Need Hep?Depedecy assistace, cace suppot goup,
gief suppot, divoce cae, ifetility goup,please cotact Pastoal Cae x 1455
On TheWhen ou wee dead n ou sns, God
ade ou ae wth Chst. He ogae us
a ou sns; he took t awa, nang t to
the coss. Coossans 2:14
WITH Dr. DAVID
We are in the time o the churchs year known as Lent
but perhaps it is more easily understood as the season o th
CROSS. From Pauls words to the Colossian Christians, we se
yet again that the cross is the ulcrum o human history the
central point the dividing line or all who would come to gaze
upon it. It is the moment upon which Christian aith rises and
alls, and thereore, the predominant symbol or believers around
the world. Though oten seen, the cross is rarely understood.
pray that in this season we will consider its power and grandeur
yet again and know o its transorming power, not only or our
lives, but or our world.
To that end, our church has planned a number o opportu
nities or you to pray, reect, worship, receive instruction, andshare with others on this sacred git o our God.
TheCrossWitnesscampaign.Ifyouhavenothada
chance to get one yet, its not too late! Drop by the church
ofce and get one or your yard or porch. Become a cross
witness in your neighborhood!
ChurchLentenDevotionalsareavailabletoyouthrough
our Prayer and Spiritual Formation ofce. These will
walk you daily through the steps o Jesus.
AprayerservicewillbeofferedeachdayduringHoly
Week at noon in our Reormation Chapel.
Also,asyoumakeyourplans,wehaveplannedsix
services or Easter morning: Traditional (Sanctuary) at
8:30,9:45and11;Genesis(LeeFellowshipHall)at8:30,
9:45 and 11. Take note and take part. I know you will be
blessed!
The cross is the ground o our unity; or it is there that we
ace our common need and fnd our common salvation, oered
solely and sacrifcially in Christ. May these days and weeks o
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ECONOmy Of GOD BiBlE STUDy:
AsIpenthisupdateonTheEcon-
omy o God Bible study, we have just
completed week three and God is mov-
ing through these study groups, con-
victingusofHisWordandhowweare
to be good stewards o everything with
whichHehasblessedus!However,by
the time you read this, we will be well
on our way to concluding this great
sermon series and study on March 22.
Without a doubt, lives will be changed
because o the Sunday morning messag-
es and the commitment to studying and
applying His Word in practical ways
that will impact the way we live and
eventuallyinuenceHisKingdom!
There are 375 people participating
in this study 192 o them come each
Sunday aternoon to make up 18 dier-
ent groups meeting throughout the cam-
pus. There are an additional 183 people
takingthisstudythroughtheirexisting
small groups.
There was great excitement as we
launched into this study by hosting an
Orientation and Dessert on Sunday eve-
ning, January 11. Lee Fellowship Hall
wasstandingroomonly.However,long
beore we gathered or that event, acilita-
tors participated in training sessions and
prayed or everyone taking the study.
HAPPENiNGS & EvENTS
AT firST PrESByTEriAN
AN UPDATE!By Loi needham, Paye ad Spiitual Fomatio
Sue oengs ae unde deeopent so watch o oppotuntes to be engaged n stud
thoughout the ea!
This church is appreciative and
blessed to have so many leaders pouring
their lives, time, talents and gits so that
we may grow closer to God and under
standHisplanforeachoneofus.n
_____________________________________
WOmENS BiBlE STUDy,
THE AmAziNG COllECTiON;
THE KiNGDOm BOOKS
Womens ministry experienced a
strong enrollment or the second install
mentofTheAmazingCollectionstudy
Once again, three study sessions were
oered to accommodate busy sched
ules. Atthis writing, 210 womenare
enrolled and will work through the
nextsevenbooksoftheOldTestament
When we conclude this study season
in lateApril,manywomenwill know
much more about the frst twelve booksof theBible! OurAmazing Collection
study will pick back up in September
withthePost-ExilicBooks,1Chronicles
through Esther. n
Econo o God oentaton
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What n the wod woud akea gu n hs d-otes eenconsde gong on a tp wth dde
schoo students to the Ocaa Natona
foest o a weekend eteat? i hae
no dea, but he dd. fo the past thee
eas, i hae becoe good ends
wth and e uch encouaged b a
budd o ne, Keth Hocob. Hesgown up n ths chuch, but has e-
cent joned oces wth us hee n
the outh nst. its unn because
when we appoached hs we, Daph-
ne, we wee cautous as to just how
uch ths staght shootng, dead
honest an coud hande o kds.
So we went to the boss. Now, Daphne
tod us we shoud stat h knd o
sow; abe wth soe uppe cass-
en, so the coud hae a decent
conesaton. So what dd we do? We
dd just the opposte! We stuck h
whee the need was geatest - d-
de schoo 7th gade bos. And guess
what? Yep, it was a perfect t.
Hestartedteachingclassandhelp-
ing out at events like the Red NeckRound Up, and that was all she wrote!
Hewashooked.Keithwassohooked
that he even volunteered to go on the
middle school all retreat to Southwind.
There, he served as a cabin leader, just
got to know kids on his own terms and
theylovedhim!Attheendoftheweek -
end, Keith slipped me a note which
said, Bra (thats Spanish or bro, just
sounds unny or us to call each other
ladies apparel) dealing with middle
schoolers is like training Shetland
ponies and herding cats at the same
time! BUT AWESOME! Youth ministry
makes Corporate America seem like
Hell. I couldnt agree more. Thanks to
God or teenagers and thanks, too, or
good riends who get what our youthministry is all about, like my riend
Keith. Keith is a believer.
How about ou? Do ou want
to see n a deent tpe o
nst? T stang 100 dde
schoo students n the ace and
not ang n oe wth the ke
Keth and i hae. Thees oo
o oe. Coe On! n
SOUTHWiND
By Bowig Wood, Diecto of Studet Miisty
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A
bout ve years ago, Tracy and I were sitting
n chuch when the showed pctues o
Cap Genea. The kds and counseos a ap-
peaed to be hang a geat te. i eaned oe
to Tac and sad, That ooks ke soethng
we shoud sgn Joshua up o. She ageed,
but unde one condton; i woud hae to go
with him as a counselor for his rst year. I re-
uctant ageed. i stated eeng bette about
gong ate takng wth ens Bbe stud
goup. The encouageent een heped e
ee ke i was dong soethng good. Soe oJoshuas ends paents aso heped e to
ee good because the sad, as ong as i was
gong to be thee, the woud send the chd
wow! Then, on the rst day of camp, as par-
ents wee doppng o the kds, the stopped
to thank e and tod e what a geat thng i
was dong. i was ea eeng pett good
about se i was on a o!
I was doing something good. I realized that this camp was
not about me. It was about the amazing things that God was
doing in the lives o these kids. Every day at Camp Geneva in-
volves a lot o un activities, but it also includes a morning as-
sembly with worship time, an aternoon Bible study and a big
evening event with worship built in. Ill let you in on a amily
secret that Im sure only pertains to our kids; sometimes Tracy
and I have a tough time dragging our kids to church or one
service each week. Yet somehow at Camp Geneva these kids are
going happily to three worship activities every day. Now, to be
air, worship at Camp Geneva doesnt include parents telling
the kids what to wear, to sit up straight, to not talk or fdget, etc
Rather, the worship is on their terms. The frst time I saw my
cabin o boys put their arms on each others shoulders and sway
back and orth as they sang and worshipped, it brought tears to
my eyes (ok, at the risk o sounding wimpy it brings tears to my
eyes every time I see it). It also made me think about one o my
avorite Bible verses, Let the children come to me and do not
hinder them or the kingdom o God belongs to such as these
Matthew 19:14. I learned that Camp Geneva was a place where
childrencouldcometoHim,andthatiswhatitisallabout!
This year will be Joshuas fnal year as a camper, but he is
already making plans to come back as a Junior Counselor. Our
CAmP GENEvA
GET UPAND GO!By Joe Losch, Elde
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daughter, Olivia, will be back or her third year. The
good news or me is that despite this being my fth
andnalyearascounselorofJoshuasgroup;next
year our son, Caleb, starts camp, and I will be able
to join his group as they grow and develop or the
nextveyears.Thenitwillbetimeforournewborn
Noah to start Camp Geneva, and I will get started all
over again!
I you are considering sending your child, I en-
courage you do that. I you are considering being a
counselor because you want to do something good
too, I encourage you to do that as well! But let me as-
sure you that you will walk away rom Camp Geneva
with much more than you could ever put into it!
This years theme will ocus on Jesus challenge
toHisdisciplestogo!takewhatyouhaveheard
andexperienced,evenifitisbrandnewtoyou,and
go and share this with others. Studies and worship
will be based on Jesus call to the disciples to frst
come and ollow, the Samaritan woman whose words
about Jesus changed her and her town, the shepherds
who let to tell what they had seen and heard, and
our own commission to go and tell.
Asusual, theactivitiesareUNbelievable!The
annual avorites include the giant waterslide, paint-
ball, wet and gooey recreation, the snack bar, the in-
sane big events, and most o all the riends.
I you have never beencome! I you have
been beorecome again! Bring your riend, your
neighbors, and your parents (we need counselors).
But most o all bring your heart because it will be
changed.
Camp Geneva is located between Leesburg and
The Villages, one hour rom downtown Orlando.
Camp dates are Sunday, June 14Thursday, June 18.
Kids who have completed 1st through 5th grades are
eligible to be campers. Junior counselors must havecompleted 7th grade. Adults are needed and are
critical to the camps success. Pray how you can be
a part o the greatest week o your lie!
Registration packets are available rom Chil-
drens Ministry. Costs are $325 or campers, $250 or
junior counselors and $100 or adults. Scholarships
are available upon request.
For questions or more inormation, contact Car-
ol Welker at cwelker@pco.org or call 407.423.3441
x1490.n
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will giv
you rest. Matthew 11:28
We wake to the morning news and the news is not good. Lie seems
little shaky, uncertain, and downright scary at times. The circumstanc
es o our lives could easily overwhelm and consume us, and we oten
wonder how to fnd peace in such a storm. Meanwhile the disciple
were in trouble ar away rom land, or a strong wind had risen and
they were fghting heavy waves.
Heavywavescouldbedenedincountlessways:grief,loneliness
sickness, unemployment, divorce, worries, ear, depression. Many
days it does seem as though we are fghting heavy waves and a
times we ear that the storms o lie might actually consume us. Wlong or peace in our storms and comort in our circumstances. W
want to quiet our minds rom the multitude o worries and fnd res
or our weary spirits.
In the midst o each o our lie storms, Jesus bids us to Come.
Come to me all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you
rest.Hisinvitationneverchanges.
When lie rages around us and we try to hang on
When we reach the end o ourselves and realize that we just cant do i
on our own
Ultimately, it comes down to the very same invitation, spoken rom th
One whose love passes all understanding,Whose compassion never ails,
Whose aithulness reaches to the heavens.
Jesus bids us Come
Come to me.come to me.and I will give you rest.
Healoneprovidestherestandthepeaceandthecomfortandthestrength
andthehopewerequiretotakethenextstepinthehardplacesoflife
Heinvitesustocome.Hestandsreadyarmsspreadwide-towel
comeandholdustoHimself.Theinvitationisclear.Theresponseis
up to us.
There is a time and a place o rest specifcally set aside each week
The Wednesday night prayer service is a respite rom the storm and
sae haven rom lies heavy waves. It is a holy place where you can
meetthePersonofJesusChristandabideinHisPresence.Prayerfully
consider responding to Jesus invitation to come, to lay your burden
atHisfeet,andtondpeaceastheMastersVoicereassuresus,Its al
right. I am here! Dont be araid.
ItisHISinvitation.pleasecome.n
The Wednesday night prayer services are held Wednesdays at 6:30pm
in the Lee Fellowship Hall. For more inormation, please contact Rev
Donna McClellan at 407.423.3441 x1488 or dmcclellan@pco.org.
rESPiTE frOm THE STOrmON WEDNESDAy NiGHTS
By Cay Buchack, Membe
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How Puttig God Fist Made Oe Couples
Love Fo Each Othe Stoge.
By Kisti Davis
Its About
God First
| www.fpco.og
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One thing they have always agreed on is that God comes frst, their marriage second and their children third. You
cantbeparentsifyoucanthavearelationshiptogether,Courtneyexplains.Theirdaughter,Kimble,justturned17
months old in February and Courtney, a stay-at-home mom, is now pregnant with baby number two, Josephine. Chris
supports the amily fnancially through his job in commercial real estate. Relationships, even really good ones, take
work, Courtney says. Thats a lesson they learned at FPCOs weekend marriage retreat in 2008. The retreat was led
by Dr. Swanson and his wie, Leigh. Its a moving weekend, Chris says. Its about how to interact with each other
I think thats what some couples orget; that youre still married to someone when you have kids. Yeah, its about the
kids, but its about God frst, my wie second and my kids third.
The retreat also taught them how to communicate more eectively with each other and gave them insight into how
other couples interact. They talked to couples o all ages, some o who had been married or 30 years, others who had
been married only a ew weeks. It was really the frst time since Kimble was born that we took time to look at each
other and our relationship and realize, OK, maybe we should spend a little more time together, Courtney says. Maybe
lke an aed coupe, ebes Chs, 31, and Coutne Quaes, 28,dont awas agee. Take how the et o nstance. Do ou want tote the sto? Coutne asks. i et ou te ou eson and then i te
ne, Chs sas jokng. The et at the D. Phps ymCA, Coutne sas,
whee she woked at the ont desk and Chs was a g ebe. Athough
the sad h egua, t took Chs seea onths to ask he out. When he
nally invited her to go to the YMCAs Valentines dance, she told him she had
aead ade pans to go wth he dad. But when Coutnes o decdedto go to the dance too, she ound hese dateess. i tod Chs and he sad,
i aead asked ou once, i not askng ou agan. So i sad, W ou go
to the vaentnes dance wth e? Chs ecoecton o the eent s a tte
deent: She asked e out. Thats how t went down.
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we arent on the same page because we arent trying to be.
They returned home rom the retreat with a new aspiration
tomake their relationship apublic example ofGods love.
Were here with God and were ocusing on our relationship
in private; we need to let that go public, too.
Courtneys parents have been an inspiration to her own
marriage. Together or more than 32 years, their relationship
hascreatedasolidfoundationforCourtney,hersister,Ash -
ley, and her brother, Charlie. When Chris came into the pic-
ture, they quickly took him under their wing as well. Chris
was spending a lot o time with my amily and to see them
joke around and have such an easy, comortable relation-
shipwashugeforme,Courtneysays.AlthoughCourtneys
parents liked Chris, her dad had a ew reservationsmostly
aboutChrisfacialhair.HiscommenttoCourtneyafterImet
him was, Im not sure about this guy goatee, spiky hair? I
dontknow,Chrisrecalls.Afterdatingforjustsixmonths,
Chris was ready to propose to Courtney, but wanted to ask her
parents permission frst. One Fourth o July weekend, when
Courtney was away on a trip with some riends, Chris went
to spend some time with her amily and asked or their bless-
ing. Over some freworks, her parents and I talked about me
asking Courtney and they approved, Chris says. The two tied
the knot on December 30, 2004.
Unlike Courtney, Chris parents divorced when he was
only 6 years old, but hes never let his past aect his uture.
I see how lonely my parents were and I dont want to be
like that, he says. With a Christ-centered lie, you begin tha
walk with someone and begin weaving something thats very
special.Asachild,Chrisremembersgoingtochurchwith
just his mom. Thats not how it works, he says. It makes it
difcult because the kids dont really understand.
Courtney and Chris say that their relationship with God
has made them stronger as a couple. They began attending
First Pres together, through the recommendation o riends
and amily. [When] we came to church here or the frst time
Courtney and I remember wanting to interact ater a sermon
that Dr. Swanson had given, Chris says. We could relate
to [it] and talk with each other about it. I think thats when
Courtneywaslike,Thisiswherewerebeingcalledto.Al
though it was their frst time at FPCO as a couple, Courtney
had been there several times as a young adult. I grew up
coming here on and o, she says. First Pres has had a pres
ence in my lie.
Beore joining the church, Chris and Courtney got in
volved in the 40 Days o Purpose Bible study, which involved
a daily reading they would discuss together. It was the frst
time that we were discussing God on a regular basis and ac-
knowledging that [it] was an important part o our relation
ship or needed to be, she says. It was about setting aside
that time or us to talk about God. Their riends were also
a part o the Bible study and they grew to become a system
o support or each other. You go to church, but to set aside
time during the week to meet with your riends to talk about
God is huge, Courtney says. Not only are you seeing these
people at church, but youre meeting them outside o church
so theres more accountability and youre more open with
your aith. From that Bible study, they became members and
went on to participate in three other Bible studies with the
same riends.
Those riends were also there or Courtney and Chris dur
ing one o their lowest points; the death o Chris best riend
Joseph. Memorial Day weekend three years ago, [he] was in a
boating accident and broke his neck and basically drowned,
Chris says. Jody (Josephs nickname) had been riends with
Chris or more than 10 years and was Chris best man in his
wedding. Chris blamed himsel or not being there with Jody
thatweekend.He alsoquestionedwhyGod had chosen to
take his best riend. I prayed about it, he says. I prayed or
him. I prayed or his amily. Its still a struggle today because
there are a lot o things that I wish he was a part o. The sup
port Chris received rom amily and riends got him through
the dark times. Friends o Chris, that had never met Jody
i not sue about ths gu
goatee, spk ha? i dont know
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drovetwohourstoBradentontoattendhisfuneralservice.Hesaysit
still bothers him that he never got to say goodbye, but hes thankul that
so many people were by his side in his time o need, especially Court-
ney. We cried a lot together, Chris says. You dont know why things
happen, but you have to trust that God has a plan, Courtney adds. I
dont think I said much. We prayed a lot, all in desperation.
AfterthelossofJody,CourtneyworriedthatChrisfaithinGod
would waver. But in the end, it only made it stronger. My ear was
thatChriswouldbelike,HowdidGodletthishappen?Imdonewith
God. [But] the way that Chris dealt with it was amazing. I think, in
turn, it has made Chris stronger and value the people in his lie more.
The tragedy gave Chris the confdence that, with Christ, he and Court-
ney could make it through whatever obstacles lie had in store. Their
secondchild,Josephine,isnamedinJodysmemory.Asanewchapter
in their lives begins with Josephine on the way, Courtney and Chris are
ready or anything. They may not always agree about everything along
the way, but one thing they are both certain o is their love or God and
their love or each other. We talk about this every day and we pray
or it every day: that our relationship becomes stronger, that we ollow
inthefootstepsofChristandmakesureHeisthecenterofourlives,
Chris says. n
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Back n 2007, a joune had begun; a joune o ath andncedbe odds. Woud t be possbe that the eeen-ta chden o ths chuch coud, on the own, wok o and
ase $6000 to put a oo on a schoo n Ngobe, zaba?
Lets back up or just a minute and be reminded o how we
even got there. During FPCOs Global Mission Conerence in the
spring o 2007, I was presented a list o missionaries that would be
visiting our campus. I was asked which one I would like to have
speak to our children. I chose Debbie Shawa rom Zambia and the
Ngombe Presbyterian Church and Community School. Little did
I know, God had really already chosen her to be with us. Debbies
visit was simply astounding. Never beore had I seen, nor have I
since seen, all o our elementary children gathered in one place at
one time, being so attentive and tuned in to what was being pre-
sented. Debbie spoke about and shared pictures o the compound
where she has built a church and then a school. She shared o
the absolute poverty and disease that is ram-
pant in the lives o the children that attend her
school. Most o them are orphans and live in
literal shacks with no electricity or water or
family.And yet, they come toschool every
day recognizing that the opportunity to go to
school is the only thing that can, or will possi-
bly change, their lives because it is more than
just a school; it is the Gospel o Christ.
In the midst o silence, a young man
raised his hand, and with complete sincer-
ity and a true desire to ulfll whatever the
answer might be, he asked, What can we do
or you?
Debbies response was somewhat hesitant, as she knew
what she was about to say was a step out and it was huge orthe audience in attendance. We could use a roo on a build-
ing or the children. They generally cost us $6000. The hush
in the room thickened. Suddenly my heart burst out in words
rom my mouth and I said We can do that, cant we, kids?
Suddenly the silence was broken as the room was flled with a
very loud cheer o Yeah! We closed in prayer and class ended.
AsIexitedtheroomIrealizedwhatIhadjustcommittedour
ministrytoandthoughtAreyoucrazy?
Suddenly, plans were being made, partners were ound in
Rick and Wendy Conant, proposals had to be approved, and the
Raise the Roo mission project began Easter o 2008. Through-
out the year, several projects were placed beore the children
and they responded with the greatest of enthusiasm.As the
year ended, books were closed and all the 2008 accounting was
tallied. We discovered that our children kept me rom being
crazy! They raised $6000; truly an amazing accomplishment by
our children and this church.
So, i you were to ask me now, Can your kids raise a roo
or $6000? My certain reply would be, You bet we can! I wen
back and talked with Brian Walsh, the young man not araid toask the question that opened the door to this blessing. Withou
his asking, God could not have answered. Our conversation was
a real blessing.
I asked Brian what he thought Mrs. Shawas response
mighthavebeenwhenheaskedwhatcanwedo.Herespond
ed by saying he thought she would ask us or prayer or or a
collection o school supplies or perhaps some money or a
couple o kids. Yet when he heard her re-
sponse o a roo that would cost $6000, he
said he suddenly thought, Can I take back
myquestion?Headdedthatheneverex
pected such a response because in his lie
certainly all buildings have a roo. Thats
just the way they are and how in the world
couldI,akid,getheraroof?Hesaidhe
realized that one person really does make a
difference.Iaskedhowsthat?Hewent
ontoexplainthatifonekiddidntdowhat
they did then, as a group, we would not
have reached our goal. It took every eor
by every kid to make the whole. Our dis
cussion ended with me asking Brian i he elt he had learned
anything rom this whole thing that he would take on in liewith him.His true andhonest answertouchedme deeply
Hesimplysaid,Yeah,IknowthatGodwillprovide,andH
will move in peoples hearts and spirits to make the things
happenthatHewantstohappen.
Its hard to fnd words with which to fnish, but I know
that as $6000 is being delivered to Debbie Shawa and her chil
dren, their lives will be changed. I know or certain o at leas
two lives here that have been changed as well; all because o
one question. Dont be araid to ask that question. God has the
answerwaitingforus,andifweneverask,Hecanneveran
swer! Thank you, God, or your answers!n
rAiSE THE rOOf!...
yOU BET WE CAN!By Caol Welke, Diecto of Childes Miisty
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On Ap 27, 2008, i wote a edifcult email to the volunteerso the Copasson Cone, a poton
o whch ead as oows:
Friends o Compassion Corner-
This past Friday was a quiet, but im-
portant day that I know was not lost on
many o you. Compassion Corner closed
its door ater seven aithul years o ser-
vice to the homeless o Orlando in the
name o Christ.
Over the years, tears have been shed,
souls have been saved, fghts have been
reconciled, amily members have reunited,
and new commitments have been attempt-
ed. You and others have aithully served
in that small, but holy, space serving as thevery hands and arms o Jesus Christ.
And yet, I have hope. Im hope-
ul that we can transition to (another
location) or a season o good ministry.
Im hopeul we can fnd a partnership
with St. Georges Orthodox Church (the
Homeless Services Center on Wall Street)
that will enable us to look back and won-
der how we ever got by on a ew hundred
square eet. You will always know how it
was able to happen. Greatness is surely
not measured in square ootage, but lives
touched, and many, many over the years
were blessed because o your aithul-
ness. Thank you and may Gods blessing
be upon our transition or His glory.Be well, Case
Little did I know how long and hard
it would be to negotiate with a variety
o churches or a new home, to struggle
to keep the vision alive in the absence
ofday-to-dayministry.However, God is
aithul and the leadership o the Com-
passion Corner, led by Dawn Ne, is pas-
sionate enough to conquer any obstacle. In
late January, the new Compassion Corner-
Magnolia site was dedicated by over 130joy flled visitors and the homeless started
being served on February 9. Yet, getting to
this point o success was no easy eat.
After negotiations with several
churches, but two in particular that went
very deep, the perect sized space became
available at 425 N. Magnolia, opposite
the Orange County Courthouse. Trin-
ity Evangelical Lutheran Church, which
aces Livingston, owned this adjacent
property having bought it over ten years
ago with the hopes o one day using it or
outreach.Amortgageandaveryfaithfu
tenant kept the church rom using it as
such until the Compassion Corner need
ed a new home, the mortgage was almos
paid o, and the tenant moved out! The
men o Central Care Mission, the Naza
rene mens recovery ministry that partners with us each Sunday morning to
conduct the Good News Breakast in the
LeeFellowshipHall,cameandworked
diligently putting in a new tile oor
closet space, resh paint, and a hanging
ceiling. Without their partnership and
assistance, such a resh and welcoming
home would not have been possible.
Ayearlostinministrymightdoom
your normal initiative; but not First Pres
byterians ministry to the homeless. Dur
ing the transition, the Compassion Cor
ner volunteers and resources were reed
up, providentially some eel, to launch
the IDignity initiative which is a month-
ly push to secure IDs or hundreds o
poor and homeless (www.idignity.org)
The relationships ormed through this
eort, mostly among the fve downtown
churches, has been the seed-bed rom
whichthelargerHomelessServicesCen
ter on Wall Street may come about.
The Compassion Corner-Magnoliasite is the temporary home o the minis
try until we hope to make a fnal move to
the15,000squarefootHomelessServic
es Center (ormerly Drop In Center) on
Wall Street. Until that day, however, the
homeless o Orlando will have a place to
call home, a place where strangers mee
to hear the Gospel, to fnd reerrals and
help or their suering and to build com
munity. To God be the glory! n
__________________________________
TO SErVE Or LEArn MOrE
Compassio Coe-Magolia:
Daw neff at mslavelle1@aol.com
IDigity: Michael Dippy at
mdippy@eathlik.et o www.idigity.og
Homeless Sevices Cete o Wall Steet
Case Thop at cthop@fpco.og
AfTEr TEN mONTHS,
THE COmPASSiON COrNErHAS A NEW HOmE!rev. Case Thop, Associate Pasto fo Missio & Evagelism
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About a ea ago, re. Sa Knghtand a sa tea stated theTeecae mnst. We ae sa but
dedcated and, ee second Tues-
da o each onth, we eet and
ca chuch ebes to sa heo
and end the that we ae thnk-
ng about the, and the hae an
pae needs, the chuch a
can be o hep to the. Soetes
ou cas ast ess than a nute and
soetes onge because
wee caed on the e da
the peson needed ou ca
the ost. One o ou tea
ebes gae a geat e-
panaton o what we do and
how we enjo eachng out
to ou chuch ebes:
Being on the Telecare Team
has provided me an opportunity
to interact with many members
o the congregation with whom I
might not have had the chance to
visit with otherwise. It has been
encouraging to see how grateul
people are to have someone con-
tact them personally just to check
in on them. As is typical in min-
istry, we are the ones who eel
blessed by having given our time
in service or someone else.
We do provide a training workshop,
but once you make your frst ew calls,
you realize that its all very natural.
We call a ellow church member to say
hello and how have you been, and
because the call is coming rom their
church, they welcome a riendly voice.
In our training, we are reminded how Je-
sus commanded Peter to take care o my
sheep (John 21:15-17) and Peter then
turned to the Elders and said be shep-
herds o Gods ock that is under your
care. (1 Peter 5:1-4)
We are inviting each o you to take
a ew moments and ask God i this min-
istry might be a way or you to serve at
FirstPresbyterianChurch.AsDr.Swan-
son said in his sermon, Full, Round and
Packed, God never allows us to sit on
thesidelines,andheexpectsustohelp
eed others. When we show our love or
others, we are not only eeding
them,butwearealso fed. Asdeacons,weknowexactlyhow
it eels to show our love and
compassion or others.
Well be praying or each
o you and look orward to lots
o phone calls telling us you
would like to join us. Please call or email
one o us soon:
Sam Knight at 407.423.3441 1159 orsknight@pco.org
TammasSmithat407.423.3441x1455
or tsmith@pco.org
Linda McCallister at 352.243.7345
ater 6pm n
TElECArE iNviTE
TO DEACONSB mage Ba, Deacon
We ca a eow chuch
ebe to sa heo and
how hae ou been,
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enlightening, debatable, strengthening, and connecting. All
levels of spiritualjourneyarewelcome. Happy hour (coffee
and bagels) begins at 9:30 a.m. Sunday mornings in room 304
o the Clayton Lie Center with other young adult classes. Class
ollows at 9:50 a.m. in the same room!
Contact:SethBakeratsethuelb@gmail.comorAmandaGibson
at amandaegibson@gmail.com
BASiCS ClASS:LFH:BASICSstandsforBrothersAndSisters
in Christs Service. Various Biblical topics are taught by rotating
gited teachers in a large, lecture style class.
Contact: Larry Kreider at larry@thegathering.org
BErEANS: 300-EMC: Intense Bible study with lively
discussions!
Contact: Carolyn Ragan at iclr@aol.com
COUPlES ClASS: Young Adults: 312-CLC: The Couples
Class,underthecareofthe20sand30sministry,existtobring
couples together or ellowship, scripture based teaching and
local and global outreach.
Contact: Chad Cahill at ccahill@cahillhomes.com
CrOSSrOADS:305-CLC:Agroupdiscussionbasedonthe
sermon scripture and how to put eet to the scripture in our
dailylives.Alivelysmallgroupformatthatstrivestobuild
community.
Contact: John Guglielmi at jguglielmi@c.rr.com
fOrUm ClASS:310A-EMC:Weareamultigenerationalclass
established in the early 1980s with the goal o providing an
open orum or discussion on Christs lie as it relates to the
Bible, the community, and to the church.
Contact: Margaret Fail at mpeake123@yahoo.com
fOUNDATiONS ClASS: 240-EMC: I you are looking or an
energetic class with lots o class participation and discussion,
taught by lay teachers just like you, then the Foundations class
is or you!
Contact: Jack Prevost at 407.422.6430
GrOWiNG ClOSEr:YoungAdults308-CLC:Togrowcloserto
God, to church, to amily, and to the community.
Contact: Kyle Taylor at kyle@providentconsultant.com
PASS the WOrD:241-YowellHall:Weareaclassmadeupo
people who love studying the Bible, book by book, chapter by
chapter.Aclassthatisseriousaboutindividualandcorporate
Bible study that is willing to invest itsel in the lives o those
in the class, is mission minded, reaching beyond the class to
embrace others and to help meet the needs o those we come in
contact with.
Contact: Cleatous Simmons at cleatoussimmons@gmail.com
QUESTEriAN ClASS:340-EMC: Our class name is our mis
sion statement we are on a quest to ortiy ourselves to serve
Christ.
Contact: Joe Stine at stinejoe@bellsouth.net
SErvANTS n the SON: 330-B EMC: The members believe
strongly in the Word and each lesson is wrapped in prayer. The
class strives to live up to their name and serve in many minis-
tries within our church and the community.
Contact:AlWilliamsat407.275.8756
UNiTy:330-AEMC:Biblestudy,historicalperspectiveandlife
applications. Contact: Tony Frilingos at arilingos@c.rr.com
yOWEll:Reormation Chapel: Led by various teachers, with
ellowship and traditional hymns.
Contact: Jack Sneed at jsneed3@c.rr.com
EMC Edington Ministry Center
CLC Clayton Lie Center
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Ae ou seous? Two tenthgade gs ecaed. youwant us to ake ou ha ook ke
oots? How ae we gong to do
that? What oowed noed bottes
o ge, ha spa, ha teasng, we
hanges, wa, and two goups tng
to tun a head o ha nto the eabo-
ate oot sste o a tee. Ate the
te t, both teas hed the o-
untees upsde down n a handstandposton to bette dspa the as-
tepece and the weekend was ooted
nto pace.
From this hilarious race to turn locks
into roots, the Disciple Now 2009 week-
end unolded into a deeply impacting
time o discovering how true character
can only be ound rooted in the Lord. I
spent the weekend staying in a house to
lead twelve 10th grade girls. Little did
I know, they would end up leading me
in many ways. There is truly something
about being real with yoursel, with God,
and with others that orever changes
you. For three days, I sat amazed among
15 and 16 year old women who had the
strength, bravery, and aith to be so hon-
estandvulnerable.Asweallloungedin
a circle discussing both the darkness and
the light within our hearts, I watched the
Lords graceul hand move among those
girls and work in their hearts and lives.
Illneverforgettheexperienceofwatch-
ing the roots o their hearts grow deeper
intoHimandwitnessingtheirfacesbe-
ginning to take on a distinct shine.
That was just what happened with
the 12 root systems under my care!
That weekend more than 250 students
were scattered in over 30 other homes
around the greater Orlando area and di-
vided among more than 40 other leaders
rom all over the country. It is so easy to
get absorbed in the events o the weekend
that pertained to my group alone but, as
withmostworksofGod,therealityofHi
big picture is astounding. Saturday nigh
took my breath away as close to 300 o uslledLeeFellowshipHallforaworship
service. It was one o those beautiul mo
ments to see seniors in high school orge
how old they are and 6th graders orget
how young they are. The only thing they
worried about that night was liting their
hands high enough and raising their voic-
es loud enough; not because o what peo-
ple might think, but or the simple need
to lay it all out or their Lord whod been
cultivating their hearts all weekend.
The weekend came ull circle or me
at the end o the worship service, when
all o the leaders went up ront to give
the students an opportunity to approach
their leaders for prayer. As I stoodup
there with my teaching partner, Courtney
Williams, I cant tell you how humbled
I was to have our girls come to us with
some o the most tender and personal
prayerrequests.Asweheldeachgirlin
our arms, it was as i they handed their
hearts to us to lit up to the Lord on their
behalf.Atonepointduringthispraye
time, I looked to my let and to my right
and saw the other leaders holding their
students in prayer just as we held ours
It was then that I realized how precious
that weekend was or our 10th grade girls
group and or everyone else involved.
Then it hit me. While God was using
the leaders to help cultivate individuatreeswithHisgreaterpurpose,Hewa
actually cultivating an entire orest o
rooted ollowers. Isaiah 61 states, they
may be called oaks o righteousness, the
plantingoftheLord,thatHemaybeglo
ried,andthatisexactlywhatGoddid
duringDiscipleNowasHestrengthened
and grew the roots o an entire orest
incredible! n
A PlANTiNGOf THE lOrDBy Katy Becke; Semiay Studet Volutee
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EASTErEGG HUNTBy Kiste Welke, Membe
Theeoe, anone s n Chst, he s a new ceaton;
the od has gone, the new has coe!
2 Conthans 5:17
by Dr. Swanson as he prayed with everyone beore the start o
the estivities. Then it was time or the children to release the
butteriesthathadbeenanxiouslywaitingintheirboxes.The
children shrieked with delight as they watched their buttery
enterthisbeautifulworldthatGodhasblesseduswith.After
the release, it was time or the Easter egg hunt. What a sight see
ing all the little ones, dressed in their spring best, running and
searching or their treasures. The delight on their aces when
they discovered the treats hidden inside each egg was some
thing to cherish. Once the hunt was over, many children and
parents settled down on blankets in the shade to enjoy a picnic
lunch.Aslunchwasnished,thechildrenplayedinthepark
while amily and riends took time to visit.
Personally, I ound this event to be a wonderul opportu-
nitytoinvitefriendstocomeandexperienceFirstPresbyterian
Church. What a great ministry this simple Easter egg hunt ha
provided to people seeking a church home. It has given them
a way to meet other amilies in a un and casual atmosphere. I
is a perect way or people seeking a church home to see wha
we are all about!
SoinviteafriendandjoinusattheEasterEggHuntand
Buttery Release. This year it will be held at Phelps Park on
April10beginningpreciselyat10:00am.Thedaywillbegin
with Dr. Swanson leading us in prayer. Be sure to bring a blan
ket and pack a picnic lunch to enjoy ater the estivities. I you
have any questions regarding this event, please contact Kathy
Mangascle at kmangascle@pco.org. n
Ee ea, Ea Chdhood mnst ceebates Chstsesuecton b hostng an Easte Egg Hunt and But-tery Release. What a perfect way for our children to cel-
ebate Chsts pose o eeastng oe!
Reminiscing on last years events, I have ond memories
o seeing adorable children walking up to the park holding
their giantbasketswith the lookof excitementandanticipa-
tion on their aces. The children and amilies were greeted
Friday, April 10, 2009
10:00 a.m.
Phelps Park
Free EventChildren birth 5 years old
Contact Kathy Mangascle at 407.423.3441
x2250 or kmangascle@fpco.org
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Gaatans 5:22 sas, But the uto the Spt s oe, jo, peace,patence, kndness, goodness, ath-
uness, genteness and se-con-
to. Ths ese s a speca one to
e and one that i hope to ode o
thee chden, Ea, Hason,
and Conno. m pae s to teach
the these potant tats so that
the w soeda know and deon-
state The fut o the Spt the-
sees. As the sa, it takes a -
age, and i hae ound a geat pace
to hep husband and i n ou eot
to ase God chden-The Weekda
Schoo at fst Pesbtean Chuch
o Oando.
LOVE is ound everywhere at Week-
day School. Teachers love their students
and students love their teachers - making
it easy to love going to school. JOY is on
the ace o each child as they master new
skills, make new riends, and climb into
their car every aternoon, eager to share
the news o their school day. PEACE is
the eeling you have leaving your child in
the hands o such caring teachers know-
ing that, no matter what, they are going
to have an excellent day. PATIENCE
overows rom all o the teachers at
Weekday School, even when
our sweet little angels arent
being so angelic! KIND-
NESS, GOODNESS, and
SELF-CONTROL are encour-
aged and modeled when they
teach The Golden Rule.
GENTLENESS is abundant at
Weekday Schoolin the way they take
your childs little hand and lead them to
a welcoming and loving classroom each
morning, in that cozy and comortable
eeling you get upon entering the school
and especially in the way everyone there
genuinely loves our children, making
their saety and well-being a priority.
Recently, we have witnessed the
FAITHFULNESS o with the Weekday
School sta and many o its amilies
Our daughter Emma, who is currently
a our-day student at Weekday School
was born with a severe heart deect
She had her frst surgery when she was
nine weeks old and is scheduled or her
second surgery on February 19. Upon
hearing the news o Emmas surgery
our Weekday School amily has ooded
us with love. They have lited us up in
prayer and given us amazing
Words o encouragement, reminding
us o Gods love and lightening the heavy
burden that is upon our shoulders.
Over the last several years, I have
come to love this precious little pre
school. I have learned that it is a
special place where love, joy, peace
patience, kindness, goodness, aithul
ness, gentleness, and sel-control are
THE frUiTOf THE SPiriTArE PrESENT ATWEEKDAy SCHOOl
By Ei Summe, Membe
lOvE s ound eewhee
at Weekda Schoo.
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abundant. The Fruit o the Spirit are
easy to ind at Weekday School and
my amily and I are blessed to be a part
o it!
_____________________________________
Weekday Schools mission is to provide
a loving, Christ-centered environment
or Gods precious young children as
well as help parents come to know the
school as a partner in guiding their chil-
dren and in maintaining their Christian
homes. One o the ways we do this is to
provide events that enhance a parents
knowledgeandexperienceinparenting
with Christ-centered ideals. Each year,
we see transormation in the lives o
moms and dads; our parents tell us how
they themselves have grown spiritually
both rom the materials and events that
Weekday School provides. During the
months ofMarch and April, we have
scheduled two special days, each de-
signed just or moms or dads.
mOTHErS BrUNCH:A delightful morning spent with
other Weekday School mothers, grand-
mothers and riends. Bruch will be
served and our moms will receive a
take-home treasure created by their
children as well as time spent view-
ing our childrens artwork. Our guest
speaker is Mrs. Leigh Swanson; her
topic is titled: Why I Dont Want to
RaiseHappyKids!Thebrunchisfun
or all. Please plan to attend on
Wednesday, March 25, 2009 rom
9:3011:30am. There is a charge o
$15.00 to cover each persons meal
Please contact the Weekday SchooOfce i you would like to make a
reservation: 407.996.5864 or e-mai
weekdayschool@pco.org.
DADDy ANDmE DAy:
This is a special day
or our Three and Four
Day children and a spe
cial dad in their lie. OnWednesday, April 15
2009 rom 9:3010:30 am
the dads come to spend
time with their children
at Weekday School. Dur
ing this time they wil
enjoy a snack, share worship time, read
a story and join in some outdoor games
with their dad.
Each dad will receive a special keep
sake rom this un morning spent with
their child. Dad can be dad, granddad
a riend o the amily or another Week
day School dad, so dont worry i it hap-
pens to all on a day when dad cannot be
there. n
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Thee ae usua two tpes o
testones that cone how
God ound us and caed us nto
a ath eatonshp. Thee s the,
Hose who gew up n the coa
wok o God o the Wd staon
bought n o the pans sto-
ne that can be oe sensatona.
God cea woks sow and subt
bngng peope to ath n the sae
wa that a hose gowng up on a
a knows hs owne we and s
cootabe n the connes o the
coa. God soetes oes e
cea and daatca and we can
oten nae the te and pace t oc-
cued. Ths s akn to that wd sta-
on that coes nto the coa sud-
den and oe te eans the was
o the a. Ethe wa s egtate
and ethe wa s undestandabe.
Some corral horses are jealous o
the stories oered by wild stallions
because they are more sensational and
exciting.However, thewild stallions
often long for the experiences of the
corral horse because that path is o-
ten less bumpy and painul. The cor
ral horses need to know their journey
with God is valid and wild stallions
need to share the parts o their stories
that help others draw closer to the Lord
rather than seek undue attention.
PrEPAriNGA
ND
GiviNGyOUr TESTimONy
By rev. Case Thop, Associate Pasto fo Missio ad Evagelism
sactify Chist as Lod i you heat, always beig
eady to make a defese to eveyoe who asks you to
give a accout fo the hope that is i you
1 Pete 3:15
2 | www.fpco.og
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One structure or raming your per-
sonal testimony is as ollows:
3sentencesdescribing,Mylife
beore Christ
3sentencesdescribing,My
encounter with Christ
3sentencesdescribing,My
lie since being in relationship
with Christ
As an exercise, write these 9 sen-
tences out, and boom, you have an artic-
ulated testimony that others can under-
stand and appreciate.
Key points to remember:
Keepyourregulartestimony
no more than 5-7 minutes.
Preparea3minuteversionfor
those with short attention spans.
Chooseyourwordscarefully,sothat
they reect Reormed Theology.
JesusdidHissavingwork
2000 years ago on the cross.
Rather than using the phrase
when I was saved, say,
When God opened my eyes
andearstoHissavinggraceand
I responded... Notice the
action in the latter sentence
rests with God as does our
salvation. You didnt fnd
Jesus.God/Jesus/theHoly
Spirit fnds you.
Ratherthansaying,Attheage
o 10 I asked Jesus into my
heart, since it implies you are
the active agent, rephrase the
sentencetosay,Attheageof
10GodrevealedHisloveand
grace to me.
Mentionandsummarizesinful
encounters and mistakes along the
way.However,makesuretheyadd
to the power o Christs presence
now in your lie rather than acting
as sensational attention grabbers.
Strong doses o authenticity and
brokenness are oten appreciated
by others who can identiy, or we
are all broken, sinul people.
Havetwopeoplereviewyour
testimony or ow, clarity, and
theological appropriateness.
I would be honored to review and
comment on your testimony i you
email them to me at cthorp@pco.org
Practice,practice,practice.Good
verbal communication only
happens with intense preparation
and repeated perormance. Get
your testimony to the point that
it ows naturally rom your heart
rather than a rehearsed paragraph.
PraythatGodwouldgiveyou
opportunities to share your
testimony, that God would send
HisHolySpirittopreparethe
hearts o your hearers and that
your aith would be nurtured by
seeing the ruit o your testimony.
AN ExAmPlE frOm my lifE:
3 sentences descbng, m e
beoe Chst
My lie beore Christ was rooted in
a church-going home, but one without a
true relationship with God. My parents
elt it was the proper thing or the chil-
dren to be in church to receive a moral
foundation. Also,wewent because it
was the appropriate social thing to do in
Southern culture.
[Main message here: I was a cor-
ralled horse who had to be awakened to
the Spirits presence. Just because one
attends church unctions doesnt mean
they are in relationship with Christ]
3 sentences descbng, m
encounte wth Chst
It was through the riendship and
inuence o our Director o Christian Ed
ucation that Gods love and message o
grace began to emerge in our amily. I en
countered Christ during Vacation Bible
School at the age o ten and I opened my
hearttothepresenceoftheHolySpirit
thus securing the salvation Christ oers
me rom the cross. While I didnt ee
anything physically and there weren
any major fre works in that classroom
God began a good work in the young lie
o a child who honestly clung to the Gos
pels message o hope.
[Main message here: I encountered
the message o salvation through a dis
cipleship type relationship. My entire
amily was aected by the DCEs disci
pleship. Accepting Christ as ones Lord
and Savior is not necessarily a physica
encounter, although it may be.]
3 sentences descbng, m e
snce beng n eatonshp wth
Chst
Since being in relationship with
Christ at such an early age I was able to
avoid many o the pitalls that teenagers
and college students encounter. Sure,
wasnt perect, but I eel as i my motive
to keep my relationship with God good
and pure allowed me to avoid a great
deal o sin and urther dedicate my gits
andtimetoHisservice.Hecalledmeinto ministry during my college years
Seeing my lies work as a reection o
Hisglorygivesmesuchjoy,peace,and
ulfllment.
[Main message here: relationship
with God allows or purity rom relation
ship and ulfllment (joy, peace, hope)
rom service] n
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The Aaon re and suound-ng junge s a pace that hodsuch ste o the est o the
wod. man ae n awe wth the sta-
tstcs concenng ths pace. fteen
thousand tributaries; owing water
at 1.5 es pe hou eoct, eght
ton gaons o wate pe da
epted nto the Atantc (60 tes
oe than the Ne and 11 tes
oe than the msssspp); 300 eet
deep n pats; 117 speces o tees.
Besidesthenaturalwonder,theAma-
zon basin is home to over 20 million peo-
ple that include over 400 people groups.
Six and a halfmillion of thesepeople
live in rural areas and about 300,000 are
considered indigenous. Quite a ew o
them have never even been discovered
by the outside world, much less heard
the Gospel o Christ.
The rural, indigenous people o the
Amazonlivemostlyoffthelandforev-
erything: housing, clothing, ood, and
medical care. You can imagine that such
subsistence living can be reeing rom our
modern ways o lie, but can also carry
with it many o the unnecessary suer-
ings that modern medicine has helped to
alleviate.
World Hope Missions Ministry, a
long time mission partner with First
Presbyterian Church and a ministry
ounded within our own congregation
has grown in impact over the years by
taking people rom around our country
toblessthepeopleoftheAmazonwith
medical care and the Gospel. World
Hopetook10medicalmissiontripsin
4 | www.fpco.og
WiTH THEBANNEr Of CHriST!TO THE AmAzON
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2008withatotalof153Americanvol-
unteer missionaries.
In partnership with the Presbyterian
Church o Manaus, in a two million per-
soncity,intheheartoftheAmazonrain
forest,WorldHopetakesaroundeighteen
short-term missionaries on seven-day
trips o mercy to these orgotten people
in remote villages. Doctors, nurses, den-
tists and other proessionals donate their
time and talent. These missionaries
show Gods love by ministering to the
physical and spiritual needs o people
ar rom the main stream
o society.
During the day, vil-
lagers are examined,
prescriptions are flled
and teeth are pulled. By
night, the Word o Christ
is spread. Non-medical
missionaries paint hous-
es, teach village children
about Christ through crats and songs,
distribute clothing and toys, soccer balls
and Bibles.
Boats owned and maintained by the
Presbyterian Church o Manaus are spe-
ciallyequippedwithexaminingrooms,
a pharmacy and a dental ofce. Stops
at small villages along the river are
not random. The Manaus Presbyterian
Church makes preparation in advance.
The youth o the church volunteer
their time to go along as interpreters.
Cooks on board the boat provide reshly
cooked meals throughout the day; state-
rooms and the dining salon are air-con-
ditioned. Each day begins with a short,
encouraging Bible lesson rom Pastor
Jonathas Moreira, ounder and ormer
pastor at our church. Missionaries have
time or reection and meditation as
theboattravelsdownthewideAmazon
River. Beautiul sunrises and a canopy
o jeweled stars at night create unorget
tablememories.Andmostimportantly
medical care and the saving Gospel are
delivered to people in need or which
God gets all the glory and the partici
pants get a big dose o love, love, love.JoinRev.ThorpAugust1-10,2009
as he joins Dr. Moreira in leading 18
peoplefromFPCOuptheAmazonforan
excitingadventureinministry.Formor
inormation, please attend an Inorma
tional Dessert on March 11 at 7:30 pm
in the King Parlor or details and costs
More inormation can be ound at www
amazon-mission.org. n
www.fpco.og
8/14/2019 FPCO Columns - March 2009
26/286 | www.fpco.og
in June o 2007, i went on a e-changng adentue wth e3 pat-nes to pant chuches n Santa Cu,
Boa. i had been attendng fPCO
o thee eas and hadnt et a ca-
ng towads ssons, but a ento
o ne asked i woud consde
gong. i dd what i noa do when
akng ea potant decsons -
act on the and then thnk about the
consequences at a ate te!
While in Bolivia, I met a 12-year
old girl named Natalie, who was dying
rom kidney ailure and could no longer
walkonherown.Herfamilyofsixwel-
comed us into their home, a one-room
apartment. They truly greeted us with
open minds and hearts. After sharing
the Evangecube and the story o the Gos-
pel, Natalie and her mother both prayed
with us to receive Christ into their hearts
and lives. That same week, we even pur-
chased Natalie a wheelchair so that she
would be able to attend church.
Three months ater I let Bolivia, I re-
ceived word that Natalie had passed away.
Instead o being sad, I was overcome and
awestruckbyGodsplanandHisabilityto
provide a dying girl with the promise o
spendingeternitywithHim.Atthebegin-
ning o the trip, would I have been able
to believe that I was capable o delivering
this critical message? No!
Last year as I was preparing to go on
my second trip to Bolivia, I was asked at
a large gathering how long I had been a
Christian. I answered, three years. (Pri-
or to coming to FPCO, I was a Christmas
& Easter Christian in the Roman Catholic
tradition). The question, posed in ront o
this large group was, Well in those three
years beore going on this trip, how many
people had you shared the Gospel with?
None I sheepishly answered.
And how many people did you
share the gospel with during the nine
days you were in Bolivia?
Seventy fve, I answered.
And how many of those
people accepted Christ into their
hearts?
Twenty fve, I answered and
this was coming rom someone who
never thought she had the capabil
ity o sharing the Gospel. Its quite
amazing how God uses those who
are inadequate on their own._______________________________
Emily Brown is part o FPCOs
20s & 30s community, part o the
2009 Latin America Mission Team
and is really excited to be living
out her calling to share Gods mis
sion to the world. In 2007, Em
ily joined a translator and a member o
the local church in the neighborhoods
around Santa Cruz, to share with others
what God had done or her and could do
or them. She returned to Bolivia on her
second trip last year and is looking or
ward to going on her third trip in July.
e3 is one o FPCOs newest mission
partners, working worldwide to buil
and strengthen local churches. Church
members rom around the world team upwith local church members and transla
tors to share in neighborhoods and intro
duce people to a particular church. A
relationship is ormed; a connection is
made between the local church and their
community, and the transormationa
message o Jesus Christ is shared with
each person._____________________________________
You can join e3 on their next trip
Because they believe in the work being
done and want to build up local church
es everywhere, e3 is oering ull scholar
ships to any FPCO members who would
like to go on uture trips. For more in
ormation, contact Emily Brown at emi
lybrown332@gmail.com
For more, visit www.pco.org/mis
sion and www.e3partners.org n
SHAriNG THE GOSPEliN BOliviABy Emily Bow, Membe
8/14/2019 FPCO Columns - March 2009
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neWs & nOTicesBng you Heat to Chuch o the Chstan Sece
Cente Dung mach
BringYourHearttoChurchforMarchinvolvespantryitems
or the Christian Service Center. The increased demand upon
thefoodpantryduetotheeconomyiscreatingextremestress
on supplies. Please bring canned items such as canned meats,
rice and pasta, and other non-perishable items. Collection
binswillbelocatedintheEMCLobbyandAngelWingeach
Sunday during March.
Attend Aaon msson Tp Desset
Join Rev. Case Thorp and others as we hear Jonathas Moreira,
ofWorldHopeMissionMinistry,FPCOmember,andformer
FPCO pastor, present the vision and plans or a short-term
missiontripuptheAmazonRiversetforAugust1-10,2009.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 7:30 p.m., King Parlor. For more
inormation go to www.amazon-lie.org or by contacting Case
Thorp at cthorp@pco.org
Sae the Date o the iCCC Go Tounaent o the Tots to
be Hed on Ap 8
MarkyourcalendarsforApril8,2009andcomejoinusfor
an aternoon o gol, rereshments, un and ellowship to ben-
etFPCOsWilliamE.AlexanderInfantChildCareCenters
Scholarship Fund at Dubsdread Gol Course. For more inor-
mation please contact Sue Fulord at 407.859.01968.
Hoeess mnst Seeks vountees o mach 26
On Thursday, March 26, volunteers are needed to help withthe IDignity event at the Orlando Rescue Mission. The IDignity
program helps the homeless obtain birth certifcates, IDs, legal
counsel and other documents. To serve, contact Dawn Ne at
407.617.3370 or MSLavelle1@aol.com. www.idignity.org
Econo o God Seon Sees Aaabe on CD and DvD
The Economy o God Sermon Series CD and DVD sets are
available or purchase. Volume 1 CD and DVD sets con-
tain sermons 1-5 and are currently available. Volume 2
CD and DVD sets contain sermons 6-10 and will be avail-
able March 29. Sets may be purchased immediately ol-
lowing both services or by contacting Aaron Rupp at407.423.3441x1438.
Congatuatons to:
Elizabeth and Brian Coates on the birth o their son, James
Brian Coates, Jr. The proud grandparents are Nancy and
BruceMcAllister.ThegreatgrandparentsarethelateRuth
andDonMcAllister.
MargaretAshlynDominickand JonathanTateCooper,mar-
ried on January 17, 2009 in the Sanctuary. Ashlyn is the
daughter o Deborah and Jay Dominick.
Spath to:
Linda and KevinHunsicker on the death of his mother,
MarthaHunsicker,onDecember24,2008.Mrs.Hunsicker
wasthegrandmotherofMargaret,Emma,AubreyandDinah
Hunsicker.
Maria Kaemper on the death o her mother, Marilyn Stock,
on December 30, 2008.
The riends and amily o Jeanne Seybert, who died January
9, 2009.
Pam and Mark Oldham on the death o their niece, Linnea
Oldham, on January 15, 2009.
The amily and riends o Kathy French, who died January
17, 2009.
The amily and riends o Mary Bailey, who died January 21,
2009.
The amily and riends o Iris Wrenn, who died January 25,
2009.
Karen and Sam Oswald, on the death o her ather, Dr. J.O.
McCullough, on January 25, 2009. Dr. McCullough was the
grandfatherofEmily,SamHillandClaire.
The amily and riends o Dr. Charlotte Little, who died
January 27, 2009.
Lori and Dan Needham on the death o his step-mother, Shirley
Needham, on January 29, 2009.
Thefriends and familyof Dr. JohnAnderson,whodied
January31,2009.DrAndersonwastheministerofFPCO
rom 1958-1965.
January 09 Giving Snapshot
General Contributions Budgeted Surplus/
Operating (Defcit)
January Gits $ 483,512 $ 743,416 $(259,904)
Fiscal Year-
to-date Gits $4,203,301 $4,622,93 $(419,638)
Line o Credit $0
Immeasurably More Outstanding Balance $4,909,649
IM December Gits $51,031
IM Fiscal Year-to-date Gits $1,282,873
(net o 10% tithe to Missions)
ContactFinanceforafullrevenue&expensesummary.
www.fpco.og
8/14/2019 FPCO Columns - March 2009
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fst Pesbtean Chuch o Oando106 E. Chuch St., Oando, fl 32801
The Fist Pesbyteia Colums (USPS 604-040) is publishedoce pe moth, except fo twice i Mach, by the FistPesbyteia Chuch. Ciculatio: 4750. (3750 by US Mail, 1000by o campus distibutio). Peiodicals postage paid at Olado,
Floida. POSTMASTEr: Sed addess chages to COLUMnS,106 E. Chuch St. Olado, FL 32801-3390.2008 Fist Pesbyteia Chuch of Olado COLUMnS.
POSTmASTEr: Te Senste mateaPease Dee b febua 27, 2009
PErIODICALS rAUS POSTAGE PA
OrLAnDO, FL
106 East Chuch SteetOlado, Floida 32801
407.423.3441 | www.fpco.og
Taditioal Sevices: Sudays, 8:30 &11 a.m. i the Sactuay
lENT 2009SAvE THE DATEBy rebecca Bedell; Miiste of Woship ad Cultue
In our society, not only do we get invitations and announce-
ments to important events, now we get a card telling us that the
invitation is on the way! The card asks us to Save the Date,
because our presence is requested. Friends, you are requested to
attend Lent. You are important to us and we want to share this im-
portant season with you. We hope that you will save some dates
to pull away and draw near to Christ. Being an active participant
in the Lenten season will be a blessing to your soul and help you
to prepare or the wonder o Easter!
DuringworshipontheSundaysofLent,wewillbeextin -
guishing candles to symbolize the increased darkness o our sinand the darkness that came with the impending death o the Light
o the World. We will let owers die beore our eyes to symbolize
the death and decay that comes with sin.
DuringHolyWeek,wewillhavenoondayworshipservic-
esthemedAWalkwithJesusthatwilltakeusthoughthelast
week o Jesus lie.
On Maundy Thursday, we will remember the last supper
throughworshipandahand-washingexperience.
On Good Friday, the night o Jesus death, we will celebrate the
Tenebrae (service o darkness or shadows) worship service, with
themagnicentRequiemofGabrielFaur.AsasymbolofChristsultimatesacrice,thenalLentencandlewillbeextinguished.
OnHolySaturday,challengeyourselftoadayofsilenceas
you remember Christs time in the grave. n
SAvE THE
DATES &JOiN US
SUNDAy WOrSH
Mach 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29; 8:30 & 11a
Sactuay & L
PAlm SUND
Apil 5; 8:30 & 11aSactuay & L
HOly WEEK NO
Apil 6, 7, 8, 9 & 10; no
refomatio Cha
mAUNDy THUrSD
Apil 9; 6:30
Sactu
TENEBrAE WOrSHApil 10; 7:00p
Sactu