FARTHER ONJul 08, 2015 · Youth Mission Pics 2 Birthdays/Anniversaries & Recent Happenings pleased...
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First Presbyterian Church 115 - 6th Ave. NW P.O. Box 188 Independence, Iowa 50644 Phone: 319-334-3523 Fax: 319-334-4134 Email: [email protected] Website: fpcindependence.com TRI-CHURCH VBS First United Methodist First Presbyterian Immanuel Lutheran (Held at Immanuel Lutheran Church) Sunday, July 19th – Thursday July 23, 2015 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm Registration is $5 per student or $15 maximum per family. Thank you! (Your registration donation will go to the One Another Program.) FARTHER ON INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Words from our Pastor 1 Youth Mission Pics 2 Birthdays/Anniversaries & Recent Happenings 3 VBS Info 4 J ULY /A UGUST 2015 “Seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7) This verse is God’s word to the exiles in Babylon. So often when we are where we don’t want to be we can turn inward and pout. We have our own pity party. God is going a different direction. He is telling a group of people who don’t want to be where they are to seek to have a positive impact on the place where they are. Why? Because in seeking the well-being of others we secure our own. When I was a young elder in my home church located in the inner city of Minneapolis our pastor shared this verse with our Session (church board). Ours was an island church. Most of our members commuted to church and the people who lived around the church were nothing like us. For us to seek the welfare of the community our church was in was a daunting task. And to be honest we struggled to do so. In the end my home church was not able to make God’s words to the exiles come to reality. It remained an island church until they closed their doors. As a church we have a symbiotic relationship with our community. As the community goes, so do we. God’s call to positively affect the place in which he has placed us is more than just a command, it’s just plain common sense. If we work to make the lives of others better than our life will be better as well. Remember Jesus’ words, “Whoever wants to save their life will lose it”. We often think we need to do what’s best for us. We think that is the road to prosperity. God is clear that the opposite is true. Who are the happiest people you know? They are the givers. They are the generous people. They are the people positively impacting your life and the lives of others. In obedience to God and sure of God’s wisdom we have begun a new project in our community. The FPC Community Garden Project is our latest attempt to “seek the peace and prosperity” of this place where God has placed us. The intent is to benefit our local Food Pantry by providing fresh produce. Our thanks goes to Melody Malek, Judy Olsen, Shirley Rozendaal, and Ruth Duritsa for making this happen. In addition, we wrote a grant to the Northeast Iowa Community Foundation for $2,080 to assist in funding this project and I’m pleased to say we got it. Soon after I arrived many years ago we asked this question, “If we closed our doors for good how long would it take for the community to know we were gone?” I am pleased and proud to say I think it wouldn’t take long. Together we are seeking the peace and prosperity of our community. To God’s glory and our own well-being. Pastor John PASTOR John H. Hougen Email: [email protected] Church Office Phone: (319) 334-3523 Fax: (319) 334-4134 Office: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday - Friday Website www.fpcindependence.com Staff Kathy Eilers Youth Ministry Coordinator Email: [email protected] Kathy Smith Secretary Email: [email protected] George Hemmer Custodian Community Life Meeting - July 6 @ 6:30 PM Election Day - August 4 Spiritual Life Meeting - August 5 @ 6 PM Deacon Meeting - August 11 @ 6:30 PM Mission Sunday - August 16 during service Red Cross Blood Drive - August 31
Transcript of FARTHER ONJul 08, 2015 · Youth Mission Pics 2 Birthdays/Anniversaries & Recent Happenings pleased...
First Presbyterian Church
115 - 6th Ave. NW
P.O. Box 188
Independence, Iowa 50644
Phone: 319-334-3523
Fax: 319-334-4134
Email: [email protected]
Website: fpcindependence.com
TRI-CHURCH VBS First United Methodist
First Presbyterian
Immanuel Lutheran
(Held at Immanuel Lutheran Church)
Sunday, July 19th – Thursday July 23, 2015
5:30 pm - 8:30 pm
Registration is $5 per student or $15 maximum per family. Thank you!
(Your registration donation will go to the One Another Program.)
FARTHER ON
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Words from our Pastor 1
Youth Mission Pics 2
Birthdays/Anniversaries
& Recent Happenings
3
VBS Info 4
JULY/AUGUST 2015
“Seek the peace and prosperity of the city
to which I have carried you into exile. Pray
to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you
too will prosper.” (Jeremiah 29:7)
This verse is God’s word to the exiles in
Babylon. So often when we are where we
don’t want to be we can turn inward and
pout. We have our own pity party. God is
going a different direction. He is telling a
group of people who don’t want to be where
they are to seek to have a positive impact
on the place where they are. Why?
Because in seeking the well-being of others
we secure our own.
When I was a young elder in my home
church located in the inner city of
Minneapolis our pastor shared this verse
with our Session (church board). Ours was
an island church. Most of our members
commuted to church and the people who
lived around the church were nothing like
us. For us to seek the welfare of the
community our church was in was a
daunting task. And to be honest we
struggled to do so. In the end my home
church was not able to make God’s words
to the exiles come to reality. It remained
an island church until they closed their
doors.
As a church we have a symbiotic
relationship with our community. As the
community goes, so do we. God’s call to
positively affect the place in which he has
placed us is more than just a command, it’s
just plain common sense. If we work to
make the lives of others better than our life
will be better as well. Remember Jesus’
words, “Whoever wants to save their life will
lose it”. We often think we need to do
what’s best for us. We think that is the
road to prosperity. God is clear that the
opposite is true.
Who are the happiest people you know?
They are the givers. They are the generous
people. They are the people positively
impacting your life and the lives of others.
In obedience to God and sure of God’s
wisdom we have begun a new project in our
community. The FPC Community Garden
Project is our latest attempt to “seek the
peace and prosperity” of this place where
God has placed us. The intent is to benefit
our local Food Pantry by providing fresh
produce. Our thanks goes to Melody Malek,
Judy Olsen, Shirley Rozendaal, and Ruth
Duritsa for making this happen. In addition,
we wrote a grant to the Northeast Iowa
Community Foundation for $2,080 to assist
in funding this project and I’m pleased to
say we got it.
Soon after I arrived many years ago we
asked this question, “If we closed our doors
for good how long would it take for the
community to know we were gone?” I am
pleased and proud to say I think it wouldn’t
take long. Together we are seeking the
peace and prosperity of our community.
To God’s glory and our own well-being.
Pastor John
PASTOR John H. Hougen
Email: [email protected]
Church Office Phone: (319) 334-3523
Fax: (319) 334-4134
Office: 8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Monday - Friday
Website www.fpcindependence.com
Staff Kathy Eilers
Youth Ministry Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Kathy Smith Secretary
Email: [email protected]
George Hemmer Custodian
Community Life Meeting - July 6 @ 6:30 PM
Election Day - August 4
Spiritual Life Meeting - August 5 @ 6 PM
Deacon Meeting - August 11 @ 6:30 PM
Mission Sunday - August 16 during service
Red Cross Blood Drive - August 31
J ULY /AUGUST 2015 PAGE 2
“But you are a chosen race, a
royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own chosen people.”
1 Peter 2:9
The youth had a great week of service and worship. Please join us on Sunday, August 16th to hear about their week and the impacts it had on them.
FARTHER ON PAGE 3
1 Dean & Deb Weis
3 David & Donna Jordening
4 Dustin & Michael Bathen
14 John & Cathy Butler
18 Dave & Kris Martin
22 Tim & Ruth Duritsa
Rick & Connie Sorg
28 Larry & Kelly Johnson
29 Steve & Amy Copenhaver
31 Dave & Janet Harms
1 Jon TeStrake
3 Mary Kay Handy
4 Rowan Adams
6 Kim TeStrake
7 Alexis TeStrake
8 Darwin Johnson
Dave Jordening
Marcia Stoneman
9 Roger Barloon
10 Helen Broshar
12 Dustin Bathen
15 Lori Johnson
16 Amanda Whitaker
18 Louis Risk
Reese Martin
20 Marty Brown
Bob Hanna
Jon Blin
23 Weiler Johnson
Casen Rodriguez
24 Monte Cue
25 Kristin Maynard
25 James Kelley
26 Randy Blin
Jacob Diers
John Hougen
Nicholas Maynard
27 Chloe Kaiser
Ruth Stilwell
28 John Malek
29 Rob Scott
30 Audra Kaiser
1 Tristan & Christi Sauer Joyce
2 Bill & Mary Burkett
Mike & Kelly Loveless
6 Jim & Sally Peters
7 Rob & Alicia Scott
9 Jon & Kim TeStrake
10 Cole & Gina Trimble
14 David & Wendy Eldridge
20 John & Jinger Hougen
24 Frank & Sandy Sauer
1 Bob Hummel
2 Audrey Conklin
Dean Weis
3 David Eldridge
Gabe Kennicker
Lyda Kennicker
4 Steve Copenhaver
7 Wayne Seward
Rick Sorg
10 Mary Winder
11 Kaylee Eilers
12 Connie Maynard
15 Carrie Hamilton
Olivia Rae Bathen
17 Teresa Rathbun
19 Katie Henderson
22 Deb Blin
23 Linda Bowden
24 Anna Ruffcorn
26 Connie Sorg
27 Brooks Burkhart, Sr.
31 Brianna Krusey
RECENT HAPPENINGS...
Katie Diers enjoying her Prayer
Quilt. A special thank you to the
Quilting Ladies for making this
meaningful ministry happen.
It is such a blessing!
Alicia Scott on behalf of the Community Life
Committee receiving a Friend of Education
Award from Independence Schools for providing
clothes to the school nurse for children that
need a clean change of clothes during the
school day. HOT (Help Our Teachers)
money was used for this.
Pastor John presenting a check from our
Community Dinner and Silent Auction for
$1,300 to the Independence Area Food Pantry
Board. (Pastor John chairs the Board.)
We distributed a total of $4,300.
