June 24-27 9:00 until noon - Clover...

First Word The

Vol. 38, No. 5 June 2013

June 24-27

9:00 until noon

VBS is for children ages 4 yrs - 5th grade. Nursery and Toddler VBS classes (ages 2 and 3)

are available for volunteers’ children.

To register your child or to volunteer go

to www.hsv1pres.org Click on Christian Formation / Children

Dr. Mark Mueller

June 2013

I have always looked forward to the summer months for any number of reasons. The weather is generally quite good and there are ample opportunities to get out and be active. In the summer months, I take many more walks and run in many more races than I do in the winter time. Generally, I eat better and snack less and therefore feel better about myself. Likewise, routines are a little more relaxed in the summer as vacations come and the pace slows a bit. Likewise, in the summer, during the church Sunday school hour, we take a bit of a break and provide some unique opportunities for refreshment of the soul and spirit. Many of our Sunday school teachers take some time off and the Learn Cluster offers short, break-out sessions that have proved to be informa-tive, worthwhile, and fun.

This summer will be no excep-tion as June and July will offer unique opportunities for growth and enrichment. In June, Dr. Bryan Laue, Dr. Ken Teachey, Dr. John Johnson, and Mr. Mark League will present offerings in the Fellowship Hall about Christianity and how it compares to other world religions. Each of their presentations will include guest speakers along with engaging conversation. The presentation will include a short 10 minute video by Adam Hamilton, senior pastor of a Methodist church in Kansas City. We will study Judaism, Mormonism, Islam and Buddhism. I hope you can come. The presentations will be stellar. Likewise in July, we will once again offer some book discussions regarding our faith. Salvation on Sand Mountain will be our first book. The book is a captivating exploration of nature, power, and the extremity of faith. Healthy Congregations will be the next book. There will be a third book if we have time. Salvation on Sand Mountain is a National Book Award Finalist and centers around a court case that sparked national interest in Scottsboro in the 1990s. It involved snake handling and

people who profess to be part of that faith tradition. The book is a very compel-ling and interesting read. Faith plays a vital role in the book and I hope you come prepared to discuss it and compare it to your faith. We will make books available in the office. There will be a nominal cost for the book. I have chosen Healthy Congre-gations by Peter Steinke as our second book. It is a delightful and thought-provoking book that encourages readers to look at their congregation as a living organism. It is always enjoyable to think about a book in light of who we are as the Body of Christ at First Presbyterian Church and how we function as a church. Again, books will be available in the office. I hope you consider these addi-tional offerings in the summer months. Some of our adult class will continue to meet during the summer months. However, if you need a break from the normal routine or find one of the offerings compelling, please come, as together we grow as the Body of Christ. Blessings! Mark

The Healing Ministry of Jesus by Otis Vaughn

Our FPC Healing Ministry needs you – men, women, youth! Do you ever wish you knew more about prayer? Do you want to learn more about prayer? Do you want to practice praying for your family, church members, and friends with a dedicated group of prayer “warriors”? Is Jesus Christ calling you to practice a more disciplined prayer life? We plan to start the next class on the healing ministry on Sunday, September 8, 2013. This class will continue each Sunday at 9:00 a.m. If this is not a good time for you, but you still want to participate we can make arrangements to have a class at a different time. The title of the study material is: The Healing Ministry of Jesus. Come and join us as we learn and practice God’s will in prayer and healing. The leaders of the healing ministry are Jim & Martha Barnett. If you are called to participate in this ministry, you can call Jim & Martha at 256-776-2937 or talk with Cindy Caldwell, Judy Howard, Carolyn Mathews, Sandy McKenzie, Betty or Otis Vaughn. We use study materials provided by The International Order of Saint Luke the Physician http://www.orderofstluke.org/content/international-order-st-luke-physician.

Motto and Cross of the Order of Saint Luke the Physician Blue is the color of healing. The emblem of the order is a cross within a circle, which together make an acrostic. The motto is in Latin:

JESU ESTO MIHI JESUS - DUX - LUX - REX - LEX Roughly translated this means: "O Jesus, be to me my Savior (Healer), my Leader, my Light, my King, and my Law." Life's greatest adventure awaits you when Jesus Christ becomes your Leader, Light, King, Law, and Savior-Healer.

Welcome New members INCLUDING CONFIRMANDS

June 2013

by Harriet W. Bibb

On Sunday, May 5, the following met with the Session of First Presbyterian Church and were received into membership:

Leslie Ecklund by transfer of letter from the Church of Today in Warren, Michigan. Leslie and her husband, Fred, moved back to Huntsville several years ago. Leslie is not only “coming home” to Huntsville, but she is “coming home” to First Presbyterian Church. She is the daughter of Bobby and Alice Tanner and was a very active member of FPC all during her youth. Leslie is now the CEO of Burritt Museum and helping that wonder-ful place grow into the outstanding place it is today. She taught Kindergarten Sunday School for six years in her former church. Leslie has already found a place to serve at FPC through the Flower Guild and plans to find a Sunday School class soon.

Col. Bennie and Kathrine Pokemire by transfer from the Reid Memorial Presbyterian Church in Augusta, GA. They have two children, Andrew, a rising senior in high school and Moira, a rising freshman in high school. Moira also joined FPC May 5 with the Confirmation Class. Bennie is on active duty with the Army at Redstone Arsenal and Kate is a substitute teacher. They both enjoy golf and travel plus Kate enjoys reading and crafts such as scrapbooking, etc. Bennie and Kate attend the Salt Sunday School Class.

First Presbyterian Church is a richer place with the addition of these new members. If anyone is interested in joining FPC, contact one of the ministers and the office will take care of the details. All are welcome!

Leslie Ecklund

Bennie and Kate Pokemire

Abbie Childs

Chelsea Owens

Coleman Martinson

Drake Kobler

Emma Rose

Emma Stowe

Ethan Heard

Jade Baldwin

Lillian Garrison

Liz-Giles Calvert

Madyson Taylor

Moira Pokemire

Natalie Fogle

Rachel Caudle

Prayer before graduation

June 2013

Melanie Fowler, Director

We are so proud of the work the teachers and staff did to make the 2012-2013 school year so success-ful. We had our graduation May 17th and sent our 4s off to Kindergarten. It was a bittersweet day for us as we said farewell to our first friends. We are ready to relax and renew so that we can begin again in the fall with our little first friends. There are still a few openings in some classes. Call Ms. Melanie if you know of a child wanting to be a FIRST FRIEND! Remember that we offer one week of SUMMER SPLASH June 17th-21st. We would love to include your preschooler. Cost per child is $125.00. Please call the church office at 256-536-3354.

Class of 2013Class of 2013Class of 2013Class of 2013

Lewis says, “Have a GRrrrrrrEAT Summer. I have enjoyed being friends with all of you.

Presbyterian Women Elect New Officers by Harriet W. Bibb

Presbyterian Women ended the 2012-2013 year with the Spring Gathering May 5 and circles on May 12. Dr. Patricia Hacker and Dr. Frank Contreras kept the group spell bound with their presentations of Spanish music. A business meeting concluded the meeting as we heard reports from Janis Williams on the Together In Mission projects, minutes of the last gathering and a treasurer’s report. Over $1,000 was received for the Birthday Offering. The officers for the 2013-2014 year Coordi-nating Team were unanimously elected and they are:

Moderator – Mary Darsey First Vice-Moderator – Alicia Beam Second Vice-Moderator – Pat Golley Secretary/Historian – Marilyn McCorkle Treasurer – Karen Madison Together in Service – Janis Williams Music Coordinator – Doris Phillips Accompanist – Josephine Stroud Publicity Coordinator – Harriet Bibb Pastoral Staff – The Rev. Margaret Davis

Don’t forget to register to attend AL/MS in Laural, MS July 17 – 19. The author of our 2013-2014 Horizon’s Bible Study will be the Bible leader for this conference. This is a great time to meet women from both states and to learn through the many workshops. See Mary Darsey for details or application forms. Have a great summer and be ready to resume in September.

The Dedication Ceremony for all the 2013 houses

will be June 15 at 11AM. Please join us as we celebrate with our

Habitat families on Banks Road.

Directions to the ceremony: Go North on Parkway to University Dr. Go west on University to Pulaski Pike. Go North on Pulaski Pike to Mastin Lake Rd. From I-565, old Madison Pike, or University Drive, Take Jordan Lane (Hwy 53) north to Mastin Lake Road. Turn right onto Mastin Lake Rd.

June 2013

Creative Folk Needed for a Rewarding Task By Pat Kyser

The Worship Cluster is looking for volunteers to take over the refurbishing of the ornaments for our Chrismon Tree which graces the Sanctuary annually during Advent. Several ornaments need replacing each year, and from time to time, many of them need repair. We want a person or persons to take charge and form a committee to do the work. There are books and patterns for the ornaments, so it is a fairly easy task. Those of us who have done it for years will be glad to help and get you started, but we feel people with younger eyes and nimbler fingers are needed now. Contact the office (256-536-2254) or Pat Kyser (256-539-4002) if you can help with this fun and gratifying service.

2013 Christmas Cards from Presbyterian Home for Children

by Janis Williams

We are happy to support the PHC in Talladega by ordering their Christmas Cards. Presbyterian Women have orders for 25 boxes which means that our shipping will be free. Each box of cards ordered now with our order will cost you $12. If you would like your order to go in with Presbyterian Women please call me by June 14th. If you do not want to join in this order or would like to place an order online later, you may go to the website http://www.phfc.org/ and click on the top right corner. The cost per box online is $14 plus shipping.

Grace, Janis Williams (256-881-8829)

Circle of Friends (Single Adult Women’s Fellowship) by Peggy Collins

Who among us would stand up and say “I have all the friends that I need. I don’t need ONE more friend”. Maybe a recluse like Howard Hughes but no one here at First Presbyterian. We want to be known as a friendly church. Our Session spent several meetings this spring discussing the vision of our church. Love, acceptance and friendship were certainly a part of that discussion. When we are young parents we stress the importance of love, acceptance and friendship. Over the years we make lots of friends and these interactions help make us who we are today. In the first decades of our lives we seem to be busier and on the go. We have more opportunities to meet new people and make lots of friends. In the later decades, we establish our patterns. Some might say we get set in our ways. By that time we usually have a core set of friends. But as the years roll by our circle of friends can actually shrink as we lose connections with our friends and family. Some

may move away. We, or they, may retire from a job we shared. We may experience a divorce, or we may experience the death of a spouse or the loss of a friend. When these things happen our circle of friends may change or shrink. The Care Cluster (Congregational Care and Stephen Ministry) wants to provide an opportunity for the single adult women of the church to come together one day a month and expand our Circle of Friends. We hope that you will join us. Please bring your own brown bag lunch and join us in the fellowship hall on the third Monday of each month from noon until 1. We will provide dessert, coffee and tea. We will eat together, visit with one another and finish the hour with a hymn sing or a speaker. There is no sign up, no Bible lesson to prepare, and no cost. We hope to see you at our first Circle of Friends luncheon on June 17. It will be an opportunity to strengthen, encourage and enlarge your circle of friends at church. If you have questions please contact Sue Shaver (256-533-7364), Peggy Collins (256-772-5224) or Jeanie Glynn (256-883-7467).

June 2013

YOUTH NEWS “I have much to write to you, but I would rather not write with pen and ink; instead I hope to see you soon, and we will talk together face to face.” 3 John 1:13-14

Andrew Bevel, Youth Director

Emma Grace Huber is graduating from Way Home Christian School

and will attend Stetson University.

Branson Teachey is graduating from

Randolph and will attend the

University of Alabama.

Bailey Lockhart is graduating from

Huntsville High School and will attend

Auburn University.

Anna Gant is graduating from

Huntsville High School and will attend the


Mallory Kobler is graduating from


American University, D.C.

Austin Howard is graduating from



Casey Wermuth is graduating from


University of South Alabama.

Wesley Adams is graduating from Arab High School and will attend UAHuntsville.

Lane McLendon is graduating from


Auburn University.

Ben Peters is graduating from New Century

Technology High School.

Johane’ Malan is graduating from Hazel Green High

School and will attend UAHuntsville.

Abigail Samson is graduating from Grissom High School and will attend Wharton Business School at the

University of Pennsylvania.

Lindsay Birchfield is graduating from


Samford University.

Class of 2013Class of 2013Class of 2013Class of 2013

“This book of the law shall not depart

out of your mouth;

you shall meditate on it day and night,

so that you may be careful to act in

accordance with all that is written in it.

For then you shall make your way prosperous,

and then you shall be successful.

I hereby command you:

Be strong and courageous; Be strong and courageous; Be strong and courageous; Be strong and courageous;

do not be frightened or dismayed, do not be frightened or dismayed, do not be frightened or dismayed, do not be frightened or dismayed,

for the Lord your God is with you for the Lord your God is with you for the Lord your God is with you for the Lord your God is with you

wherever you go." wherever you go." wherever you go." wherever you go."

Joshua 1:8-9

Check out the Youth Summer Calendar at www.fpcyouthgroup.org

CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

June 2013 Page 5

Karen Madison, DCM

Out in the wide open spaces, we

will discover a colorful old town where

all the excitement of the Wild West

awaits! In SonWest, we’ll celebrate all

the fun of being buckaroos. There will

be food, games, music, crafts, and

amazing Bible stories that will point us

to Jesus! We will travel down a trail

through the Old Testament stories of Moses to discover God’s ultimate plan of salvation in Jesus,

because…..“Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever” ~Hebrews 13:8~

VBS is for children age 4 thru 5th grade. There is Toddler VBS (Pony Corral) and nursery for volunteers. Please register children by June 17th online at

www.hsv1pres.org. Click Christian formation/children.

We need lots of volunteers! Please sign up online at the same link.

Vacation Bible School

June 24-27

9:00 until Noon

On Pentecost Sunday the Bible Quest Kids had a Pentecost Party during the Sunday School hour, complete with Red Velvet Cake. All of the Teachers and Shep-herds from the year were invited to join in the fun and to receive personal thank-yous from the children for all of their help during the school year. Then “Fire” streamers were made and used in the 10:30 worship service processional. This picture shows the kids ready to celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit and the “Birthday of the Church”.

The Life of the Church

*Order of St. Luke

Sunday mornings at 9:00 a.m., the Order of St Luke meets in the

Willing Workers Room. All are welcome for healing of physical, mental, and

spiritual needs and all will remain confi-dential.

*Fellows Pursuing Christ FPC is a men’s Bible Study led by Dr. Mueller Wednesday mornings at 7:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall.

*YOGA/Centering Prayer

This class, led by Lori Smith, meets every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the Carriage House.

*Second Sunday PWs Hope for Haiti Clothes Making is at 9:00 a.m. the second Saturday of each month in Fellowship Hall. (August’s workshop will be August 3

due to the Bevel wedding.)

Contact Janis Williams at [email protected]

During the summer we will also meet on three Thursdays for a special sewing session. June 14, July 25 and August 22 at 9:00 a.m. in Fellowship Hall. *Backpack Packing

All are welcome to help pack backpacks the first Sunday of each month resuming in August.

June 2013

The dates for the market this season are May 2 thru October 31.

Times are 4 to 8 pm May thru August, 4 to 7 pm in September and 3 to 6 pm in October.

If you are interested in volunteering in any way with the market, please contact FPC coordinator:

Susan Gillespie 256-539-7454 or [email protected]

Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes by Jeff Kyser A topical study using the book 'Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural Studies in 1 Corinthians' by Kenneth Bailey will begin on or around June 2nd during the Sunday School hour. We have a room: the last one on the left on the second floor of the education wing. Jeff Kyser and Sandy McKenzie will be facilitators. Books can be ordered a t h t t p : / / www . w t s b o o k s . c om / paul-through-mediterranean-eyes-kenneth-bailey-9780830839346 for $12 plus shipping, which was the cheapest

I ran across. Dr. Bailey spent 40 years in the Middle East teaching and preaching, and he focuses on both the literary structure of the writings, and on cultural context. Participants will

wrestle with a chapter during the week, and then meet each Sunday morning to discuss. Let Sandy or me know if you're interested!

Ruth Erwin, Business

Administrator

Memorials & Gifts The following gifts have been received:

1818 Foundation in memory of Kay Meier. Honorarium in honor of Frank Wilson on his 100th birthday. Memorial Fund in memory of Ben Matthews, Charles Shaver and Jerri Newman. Missions Fund in memory of Ira Jones. Music Ministry in memory of Pat Gardner and Ira Jones. Transportation in memory of Horace Bibb and Pat Gardner.

We are excited to announce that Alice Gardner donated some of Pat’s photographs to the Huntsville Museum of Art. They are now in an exhibi-tion called Recent Acquisitions at the Museum. They will be there now through November in the Chan Gallery in the old part of the Museum. Please enjoy.

Work has finally begun on our new parking lot and we will have complete use of it before the end of June! A lot of planting will need to be done and we will plan to do this when the weather gets cooler. We will also begin removing the old shrubbery at the Weil House, and getting the beds ready to plant in the fall. More painting and repair is planned for the outside of the Weil House as we bring it up to the level of the rest of our campus.

As summer approaches and things slow down a little, we have a few major projects planned. We began cleaning the attic above the education wing after the roof was completed and we will continue that (in the mornings, when it is cool!) A new, harder finish will be put on the tables in the fellowship hall to accommodate the heavy use they get! We will be also cleaning and polishing all the floors and all the windows will get a good scrub.

One last request, please do not use the education wing doors for regular use as they are difficult to close. We are investigating why they are consistently found open.

For His sake… I am but one, but I am one.

I cannot do everything,

but I can do something.

What I can do, I ought to do.

What I ought to do,

by the grace of God I will do.

June 2013

GOODTIMERS . . .GOODTIMERS . . .GOODTIMERS . . .GOODTIMERS . . . by Brenda Engelking

On June 13 we will meet in Fellowship Hall at 1:00 pm with brushes and supplies in hand and begin what will be a wonderful painting to display in our home or to give as a gift to someone. I can already hear you saying: “I can’t paint, I don’t have any idea how to paint, or not me, I sing not paint!” Well all of this is true and I am right there with you. Never painted anything in my life but a wall. But, neither had Patricia and you can see by her beautiful painting (pictured right) that

she discovered that singing is not her only talent. It will be a fun afternoon and Leslie Lockhart, a mem-ber here at FPC will be our instructor. Look at the beautiful portrait (pictured left) that she painted for Dr. Mueller’s office. (Stop by and take a look at it). Leslie has a studio on Franklin Street and she tries to paint every day. Leslie’s Art Work is currently shown in Golden Griffin and Brooks and Collier here in Huntsville as well as Kathleen’s Gallery in December and Halsey House in Florence. Bird in the Hand Gallery in Salado, TX also displays Leslie’s art work. Leslie is not currently offering painting lessons but gives an occasional paint party. She is looking forward to sharing with you and you will truly enjoy painting with her.

t Building in downtown Huntsville, Alabama. Studio visits are This is not just for the ladies. Men, you come and paint a “memory.” If you choose not to paint it will be fun just to sit back, visit, and watch. The cost of the class is $35 each and this includes your canvas, paint and supplies PLUS Leslie’s expertise in helping you create a beautiful picture to take home! Please sign up on the board and join us!

~ Ever wonder why there are still cows grazing in the pasture as you go over the mountain to Jones Valley? Ever wonder why that

“farmer” still has cows right there by the shopping mall? Ever wonder who takes care of those cows? Well, on August 8th, Ray Jones (Yes, the Jones valley farmer!) will be our guest at 11:30 in Fellowship Hall. Raymond B. Jones has a great capacity to remember details from his life growing up in Jones Valley that come together to paint a picture of a beautiful valley that is beloved by all who pass through it. Ray was four years old when he moved with his family to this place and he has loved the farm for all these years. He still lives on the farm with Libby, his wife of soon to be 50 years. He has three children and seven grand children, all of whom have worked or are still working in the family business. Ray will show slides and tell about the farms survival over difficult obstacles these last 70+ years. Wars, money problems, changes of leadership, deaths, weather and the encroachment of a growing city just some of the obstacles that have been overcome during these last seven

are decades. The farm has survived the test of time, events, and difficulties yet remains, operationally at least, similar to any large farm in a rural setting.

Ray has a book called The Farm in Jones Valley. This book can be purchased locally in book stores. Ray will bring some of them with him if you would like to purchase one. “There is no substitute for leadership.” – Carl. T. Jones

We will have lunch, catered by Sally Stockton, and enjoy this wonderful presentation by Mr. Jones. You won’t want to miss this great opportunity to hear about development to the farm and the area that surrounds it. Some developments precipitated by the road on the farm were Somerby at Jones Farm, Southwood Presbyterian Church and the Mayfair Church of Christ. MARK YOUR CALENDAR and sign-up! You won’t want to miss this! Cost is $10 per person. Questions: [email protected]—256-536-3354 ext. 132

Patricia Hacker

“Trinity” by Leslie Lockhart This beautiful painting is hanging in Dr.

Mueller’s office.

Raymond

B. Jones

June 2013

May celebrations are over and the Summer is around the corner. Personally I want to thank the chancel choir, Westmin-ster Ringers, Logos, and Crusad-ers Ringers as well of all the soloists and guest musicians for their amazing work done this first part of the year by presenting in every worship service their best for God’s glory and only His. In June you will have the opportunity to hear some of the best singers in town during wor-ship. Makeda Hampton, Elizabeth Wright, George Edwards, and Shonda Devine will be our guests.

Dr. Patricia Hacker Director of Music

Do you want to sing with us?

Do you play an instrument?

Do you want to give praises to God?

Please contact Patricia Hacker at

[email protected]

The FPC chancel Choir showed their support of John Randall Howard by all wearing JR Team t-shirts during the worship service.

This campaign is sending research dollars to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

to help find a cure for Pediatric Melanoma.

During the week of June 16-21 a group from our church will be attending the annual Montreat Worship and Music conference in the mountains of North Carolina. During the conference we will be singing and practicing with the choir for each service, we will take some handbell workshops, and guitar. We will go to the seminars of Collaborative worship planning, Global song and your congregation, Glory to God (the new Presbyterian Hymnal), Liturgical dance, preaching seminar, A Panorama of Psalmody, Words for Worship, Worship reflections and of course Bible Study and daily worship service. We will be busy attending all those workshops and seminars but we will return filled with new ideas, and ready to serve God and our church in the future. If you would like to attend, it is not late, you can register online at www.montreat.org and contact me for more details.

During the Sunday School hour on August 4th

we will be holding the annual HYMNSING.

Please join us to sing your favorite new and old hymns.

June 2013

CALLED INTO THE WORLDCALLED INTO THE WORLDCALLED INTO THE WORLDCALLED INTO THE WORLD The Marion Medical Mission Shallow Well Program

Providing Safe Water To the People of Malawi, Zambia, and Tanzania One Well At A Time

Many of the health problems throughout the underde-veloped world are water-related. This is especially true in the rural areas of Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, Africa where the people suffer from dysentery and other water-borne diseases. Most of the villages depend on surface water collected from open ponds and water holes similar to the one pictured here. The Synod of Livingstonia, Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP), has a goal of making safe water available to everyone. Since the early 1990’s, Marion Medical Mission has sponsored the building of over 16,000 wells serving over 2,000,000 people.

It costs approximately $400 to install a shallow well! This is because the wells are built in cooperation with the villagers. The wells are self-help projects. Marion Medical Mission only provides what they cannot; the pipe, the pump, the concrete and some trained labor. The villagers make the brick and supply much of the labor. Each village signs a contract agreeing to pay an annual maintenance fee so spare parts are available. Presbyterian Missionary Judy Jewett is enthusiastic about the benefits of the shallow well program, "It's wonderful! Wherever the wells are installed, we at the Hospital see a one-hundred percent drop in children with dysentery. Safe water virtually eliminates that health threat."

So often, we take this precious, critical resource for granted. God has blessed America with abundance and fresh water is no exception. No doubt as you read this article, you are probably never more than twenty feet from a water tap! In African and Asian countries, women walk an average of 3.75 miles for water and carry as much as 45 pounds of water on their heads. Marion Medical Mission is doing something about this as the picture illustrates: a prayer dedication of a newly built shallow well.

We can do something about this!!

submitted by George Van Kirk

June 2013

Never Again Heeding the Warning Signs

by Heidi Meadows

Never again, the world said. Never again will millions of innocent people be slaughtered, without cause or justification, because some twist of genetic fate tied them to a doomed ethnic group. Never again will entire communi-ties be cruelly starved, humiliated, tortured, raped, mutilated, and killed. Following the atrocities of the Holocaust, the international community jointly and formally pledged Never Again. In 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the “Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide”. It legally defined genocide for the first time, as “acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group” and included a list of crimes that were to be actively prevented and punished. During the Holocaust, German factory owner Oskar Schindler had given safety and haven to hundreds of Jewish people, providing jobs making kitchen-ware and later ammunition, listing them as ‘essential to the war efforts’. These 1200 protected few did live. They lived to tell of the horrors suffered, to be reunited with family, to marry and raise children. They, along with fellow survivors, promoted the 1948 Genocide Conven-tion, to ensure that no other ethnic group would ever suffer the same horrible fate. But history repeated itself 50 years later, in the land of Rwanda, East Africa - the land of a thousand lovely hills, the land where God was said to sleep, the land of breathtakingly beautiful volcanoes, lakes, farms, and forests. The massive killings were ‘caused by centuries-old ethnic infighting’, the world initially reported. But that was a lie. The killings had been well planned and organized, by the government. After the League of Nations ‘awarded ’ Rwanda to Belgium in 1921, the Belgian authorities had chosen the taller, leaner, more Caucasian-looking Tutsi minority to rule

the land. Ethnic identity cards were compulsory beginning in 1933: ethnic division, mistrust and hatred were fueled to gain political and economic power. The Belgian leaders that had favored the ruling Tutsi minority for decades later turned on them, and directed that the Hutu majority utterly destroy the traitor Tutsi enemy. Paul Rusesabagina, a manager of the Hotel des Mille Collines – Hotel of a Thousand Hills – in Kigali, Rwanda was forced into a similar crisis of conscious as the killings consumed his country. His Hutu lineage would have preserved his life, but not the life of his Tutsi wife, fam-ily, and friends. In 1994, Paul was able to save 1200 of his Rwandan countrymen in his hotel – Tutsis as well as moderate Hutus – using the same techniques as Oskar Schindler had employed in 1944. He begged, bribed, sacrificed, crossed enemy lines for food, and put his own life on the line and in danger. But he was unable to save more than 800,000 Rwan-dans who perished in the hundred days of slaughter between April and July. As had been the case in Hitler’s Germany, the warning signs of genocide were present in Rwanda. Exclusionary ideology. Polarization. Political upheaval. Centralized authority. And the most prominent common factor, dehumaniza-tion, was there as well: belief that the opposed group was ‘less than fully human’. Cockroaches, the Tutsis were called. Nasty, vile vermin. They were not people. They were sneaky, defiant pests in need of extermination. Ignited by fueled hatred, neighbor turned against neighbor. Lucky victims fell to grenades and gunshots. Less fortunate victims were tortured and hacked to death, piece by piece, by machetes. The agrarian Hutus used the tools of their livelihood to cut down their fellow countrymen. The few Tutsi and moderate Hutu who lived through the carnage carried deep physi-cal, emotional, psychological and spiritual scars. 400,000 children were left orphaned. But the international community chose to violate what they had vowed in

the 1948 Genocide Convention would Never Again happen under their watch. The UN ignored January 1994 warnings of the extermination plans. When killings started in April, peacekeeping troops were withdrawn. Nations looked the other way. Of what value was a small, landlocked, irrelevant African nation with no minerals and no strategic value, that it should merit time, attention, money, protection, or intervention? Despite 8000 people being mercilessly hacked to death each day, and a greater number fleeing for shelter and safety in neighboring Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Zaire, the world continued to watch in apathy. In late April, the UN “condemned the killings”. Perhaps there had been “acts of genocide” the United States State Department finally conceded in late May. But by then over 500,000 people had died. If the UN had called the slaughter “genocide” the world would have been obligated to intervene, based on the 1948 Genocide Convention. No action was taken. And 300,000 additional people perished. A semblance of peace was finally restored, one hundred days after the genocide’s bloody beginning. But the hurt and devastation, the loss, the brokenness, the hatred, the evil still lingers in Rwanda. The legacy of genocide, as was also the case with Holocaust survivors, continues to impact future generations. Never Again must mean Never Again. The warning signs must be heeded. People must recognize that the path that often leads to genocide – particularly dehumanization – is not part of who we were created to be, and is not what is expected of us as a human race. Ignorance, complacency, indiffer-ence, and apathy are not excuses. Active participation in the well-being of our fellow man must be the path we choose to take, and the legacy we leave for our children. We must treat life with dignity and respect. We are all God’s children. We are all God’s chosen people. Heidi Meadows, Missile Defense Agency 256-450-4012 April 2, 2013.

Light a candle. Light a candle. Light a candle. Light a candle. This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine - Let it shine ‘til Jesus comes. - Let it shine o’er the whole wide world. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Glorifying God Locally and Worldwide highlighting our mission statement

DRAWN INTO COMMUNITY, NURTURED BY GOD’S WORD, CALLED INTO THE WORLD.

June 2013

Heidi Meadows will be traveling to Rwanda, East Africa with The Outreach Foundation from July 4-16. We have an opportunity to provide some gifts and donations for our mission friends and partners. Items that would be helpful include:

Basic school supplies (but not books, due to language difference)

Balls (Soccer, basketball and volleyball) and pump needles

Toothbrushes and toothpaste “Hope for Haiti” small dresses and

shorts would be very welcome Team jerseys (all ages but mostly elementary school age) Body Lotions and bar soaps Money for purchasing Bibles and hymnals in the local Kinyarwandan

language New laptop computer for a minister (or donations to purchase one) Communion set

Share Cluster Ministries - 2013 Name: South Africa Partnership Vision: A model of Christ's compassion in the world. Contact person(s): Kim Hovater, Morris Hammer and Hedi Medows Description: The Session has voted for FPC to partner with St. Marks Presbyte-rian Church in Yeoville, a suburb in Johan-nesburg, South Africa. We have close contacts with Liz White and Val Brake, who are elders. Their beautiful church underwent significant loss of members who left the country at the end of Apart-heid in the 90's. At the present their mem-bership is growing and they have a new minister. Significant funds have been sent to them for more than six years. The funds are used for scholarships (supplies all needs of children - transportation, uni-forms, meals, and educational materials) at United Church School; Bethany Home for abused women & children; and meals on wheels. As Partners in Prayer for 2010, FPC and St. Marks have agreed to do the following three things: 1. Email a copy of our quarterly or monthly church newsletter to St. Marks and graciously receive a copy of theirs. 2. Include in our printed prayer concerns the pastoral concerns and program needs of St. Marks knowing that this is being reciprocated. 3. Include once a month the voicing of St. Marks prayer concerns, confident that they are lifting up our congregation’s con-cerns in worship at least monthly as well. Other church participants: Church members are encouraged to participate in this ministry. Joys and successes: The stability and growing membership of St. Marks. We have great joy that the abused and poor are being helped, fed, and educated. Volunteer opportunities: Attend the meetings where the North Alabama Presbytery and Egoli Presbytery partner-ship is planned. Plan to travel to South Africa to see the partnership in action.

Share Cluster Ministries - 2013 Name: Churches United for People (CUP) Vision: A model of Christ's compassion in the community. Contact person(s): Pat Lummus, Pat Frierson Description: CUP is a cooperative pro-gram between First Presbyterian Church and First United Methodist Church. The purpose of the CUP program is to provide temporary assistance to needy clients in Madison County. Assistance given by CUP is usually to help with the payment of delin-quent utility bills, rent, etc. No cash is ever disbursed. The Administrative Officer at First Presbyterian Church disburses any aid by the direct payment of outstanding bills. The CUP office is located in the First United Methodist Church. There are two components to the CUP program: the telephone/appointment component and the interview component. Pat Frierson is in charge of the telephone/appointment portion of the program. Pat Lummus is in charge of the interview portion of the program. All volunteers are trained to work with the program. Tele-phone/appointment volunteers work an hour each Wednesday talking with clients and making appointments if they determine the request is within the scope of the CUP program. Interview volunteers work the second, fourth, and, if appropriate, the fifth Wednesdays of each month between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. Two volunteers work together interviewing clients, filling out appropriate paperwork, making copies of supporting documents, determining CUP approval of help and taking approved paperwork to the Administrative Officer for direct payment of the approved amount of aid to the utility company, landlord, etc. Joys and successes: Helping the unfortunate make ends meet. Volunteer opportunities: volunteers

are needed – check with Pat for details.

Share Cluster Ministries - 2010 Name: Living Waters for the World Vision: A model of Christ’s compassion in the world; a place of discovery (where we expose members to the needs of the poor); a place of sending (where we help members fulfill their call). Contact person(s): Jeff Kyser Description: We will return to Quintana Roo for our first follow-up in 2010, and we will hopefully initiate our second install in Samahil. This funding will be used to collect the money for these trips. Other church participants: Mary Romer, Olga Gonzalez, John Newton, Roy McCorkle, Kim Hovater, Jason Kerr Joys and successes: Our first system was successfully installed in Quintana Roo in April of 2009 Volunteer opportunities: Additional mem-bers could go to training at CWU and be available for installation trips.

Heidi Meadows, Missile

Adult Education and Ministry Adult Education and Ministry Adult Education and Ministry Adult Education and Ministry

Rev. Margaret Davis, Associate Pastor

“They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon every-one, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hear ts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2:42-47

June 2013

Screen on the Green Cartoons at 7:00pm

Feature starts at dark thirty (7:30-7:45pm)

Fri., June 7th: “Soul Surfer” "Soul Surfer" is the inspiring true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton,

who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.

In the wake of this life-changing event that took her arm and nearly her life, Bethany's feisty determination and steadfast beliefs spur her toward an adventurous comeback

that gives her the grit to turn her loss into a gift for others.

Fri., July 12th: “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” Based on the book by 'CS Lewis' , "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," the film tells the story of 4 children who go to live with an old professor during the war. One day, while playing hide and seek, Lucy, the youngest of the children, finds a wardrobe which leads to a magical land called Narnia. However Narnia is being ruled by the evil White Witch who has made it

snow for 100 years and according to an old prophecy, Edmund, Lucy, Peter and Susan are the "chosen ones" who will defeat the Witch. They are assisted by the true ruler of Narnia, the lion, Aslan. With the good Narnians on their side, all 4 children must now defeat the witch using all their strength and fulfill their destinies to become the new kings and queens of Narnia.

Popcorn, drinks, and nachos will be provided. $2 Meaux's New Orleans Sno Balls available for purchase

Bring lawn chairs and blankets to spread out

on the lawn beside our parking lot!

Save the Dates:

Rally Day Ministry Fair Sun, August 18th

Fellowship Camp at Maranatha Fri-Sun, August 23-25th

Cursillo Spiritual Immersion Retreat Oct 17-20th

You are warmly invited to a special Learning and Growing Opportunity. Adult Education Ministry Team, the pastoral staff, and the Sunday night men’s bible study group are bringing you a seminar on religions. We hope to increase understanding and communication between people of faith in the Huntsville community and to increase understanding of our own beliefs. This weekly seminar will be based on the lessons presented in Adam Hamilton’s book and DVD entitled, “Christianity and World Religions.” Guest speakers from each tradition will be included. No advanced reading necessary. June 2 Judaism June 9 Mormonism June 16 Hinduism June 23 Islam June 30 Buddhism / Wrap-Up Join us Sunday mornings during the traditional Sunday School hour from 9:00-10:00 a.m. in the fellowship hall. Upcoming Summer Sunday School Offerings, 9-10 am, Fellowship Hall July: “Peek into Pastor Mark’s Library” (see p. 2 for details) Aug. 4th: Hymn Sing Aug. 11th: Visit from an Iraqi Presbyterian Pastor Aug. 18th: Rally Day Opening Service (in the sanctuary) Aug. 25th: Presentation on Marion Medical Mission Shallow Wells (see p.11)

Discerning the Future of First Presbyterian Church by Dr. Joe Sparks

Our efforts to discern how God wants us to unfold the future of First Presbyterian Church have produced good fruits. We are blessed that our renewed vision clearly describes who we want to be and to become—it provides a distinct sense of our being:

We seek to be a Church United in Christ, Scripturally Based, and a Compassionate Community of Faith. The values and beliefs of our being and our becoming represent our stack pole—the center of our existence—and they should drive everything we do each day in our church and in our lives—that is, drive our mission as servant leaders. Through our mission, we glorify God, because it informs and drives our goals and objectives within each and all of our ministries and worship services:

We are drawn into community, nurtured by God’s Word, and called into the world.

Activating our mission by going into the world as a compassionate community of faith—engaging that world in all its manifesta-tions—will enable us to proclaim the good news of the scriptures and to reveal to the world that our being and our doing are inextricably linked. In the context of our church as a disciplined enterprise for Christ in the world, the process and the timeline by which the Elders and the Deacons have sought to discern how God wants us to unfold our future are sound, monitored, and measured. Meaningful collective vision and vibrant missions are vital not only to the spiritual development and outreach of our faith community; they also nurture each of us as individuals on our respective spiritual journeys. What must follow now is the expanded development of our FPC Christian enterprise strategic plan—particularly our goals of what we will do and why, as well as where and how, for the next three or so years; and then we will establish our objectives for each of those years to address what and how much of each goal we will address each year. Annual budgets will be established, as appropriate, to address who and what resources we will use within each part of the strategic plan. I will work within the next few weeks with the Elder leading each of our Cluster ministries, and with the membership of each Cluster to discern current and future goals and prioritized objectives of each Cluster…prioritized because we must be good and faithful stewards of God’s gifts. Each cluster will work to determine what resources are deemed necessary to achieve their objectives, in priority order. The Lead Elders and I will effectively be the Strategic Planning Team, and the church staff will be the consistent—and we all know—persistent facilitators of the plan, working with each member of our compassionate community of faith to guide the implementa-tion of God’s plan for our church. As long as there’s a God in heaven and people united in Christ on earth who believe in Him, who are scripturally based, and who will work passionately to see His vision for us all, there is hope. That vision and hope will guide us to fulfill our mission, called into the world as a compassionate community of faith—nurtured by the Word—to glorify God by spreading His commandment to love Him and to love one another, even as He has loved us.

Vision StatementVision StatementVision StatementVision Statement

United in Christ,

Scripturally Based,

Compassionate Community of Faith.

Mission StatementMission StatementMission StatementMission Statement

Drawn into Community,

Nurtured by God’s Word,

Called into the World.

June 2013

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