May 2017 | Newsletter of Central Presbyterian Church, Downingtown, PA 19335

hands&feet

Greetings Central Family,

The April 26th edition of The Christian Century magazine arrived in Emily’s church mailbox Tuesday morning. Yes, some Millennials still enjoy getting physical copies of periodicals and reading things not on a computer. The cover article is titled “Invitation to Wonder.” Wait, I’ve seen that phrase before!

At Central, we identify with and celebrate our mission statement, “Determined to love, invited to wonder, inspired to serve” as it guides our ministry. As your pastors, we love that Central is a place where wonder is part of the identity of this congregation and our worship together. Here we seek to explore questions of faith together. We create opportunities to encounter God in new ways by connecting with our own God-given imaginations. We also recognize that prescribed answers to the deep challenges and pain in our world often fall short of truly encompassing all we believe. Instead, we wonder together, and believe God is present with us even in our unknowing but faithful posture toward hope and love.

Debra Dean Murphy’s cover article in The Christian Century is about poetry’s ability to speak a language of faith and help posture ourselves for wondering. Specifically she talks about Mary Oliver and her exquisite poetry, much of which is around the natural world and creation. Murphy writes about the limits of finite language, especially in light of our culture of what she calls the “failure of arguments.” Instead she says, quoting Oliver herself, “Poetry turns out to be like fires for the cold, ropes let down to the lost, something as necessary as bread in the pockets of the hungry.” Poetry invites us to deep centers of our imagination to hold what we believe and wonder about it in ways more deep than concrete sentences can offer.

During Holy Week, we used quite a bit of poetry in our worship at Central. Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday especially invited us to wonder along with poets like Ann Weems and Yenuda Amichai. We hope it helped you encounter Christ’s story in a new way. Is there poetry that is cur-rently speaking to you? Are you writing some? Here is an invitation to share it with us—that it might strengthen our journey together.

As we move through this Easter season, we are so thankful for all of you, and all the many ways Central is in ministry in our local community and abroad. Many of those wonderful things are highlighted in this newsletter, but plenty more don’t make it in each month. There’s much we already know about who we are as a church and where we are called—yet there is still more to discover. Come, be a part of that work, as we wonder together about what is next for CPC.

Blessings and peace,

Pastors Emily Chudy and Tim Black

Notations from Betsy Williams, Financial Administrator

Giving Statements on Their Way to You Soon! A heartfelt “thank you” to the CPC church congregation who have been diligently keeping track of their contributions and checking their giving statements on a regular basis. This year, tax day came and went with no last minute calls regarding giving statement discrepancies and urgent requests for corrected giving statements. All discrepancies are researched and verified before a corrected giving statement is issued. This is a time consuming process, so catching discrepancies early is helpful. We strive to post contributions as accurately as possible, but discrepancies do happen for a variety of reasons. Hard to read handwriting is one of the most common causes of recording discrepancies. Another is using outdated envelopes. Please be certain to use the envelopes from the current year, as people are assigned new numbers at the beginning of the year, and the envelope number you had last year is most likely being used by someone else this year. In early May, I will be printing and mailing giving statements for the period of January through April 30, 2017. If you are a church officer, we will put this giving statement in your church mailbox. This saves the church a little bit of money for postage. If anything looks incorrect on your giving statement, please don’t hesitate to let me know and I’ll research it.

SUMMER CAMP OPPORTUNITIES 2017 TRINITY YOUTH CONFERENCE- Pastor Tim will be returning to the Trinity Youth Conference, July 23-29, and high school and college-aged students are welcome to join him. See Tim for more information. CAMP DONEGAL- Brochures and information for Camp Don-egal are at the Welcome Center. Pastor Emily will be serving as Chaplain on Week 2, June 25-30. Camp Donegal offers experiences for those in grades 2-12. Register now for a summer filled with all the excitement and growth a summer at Camp Donegal brings. Check out the website to see the new camp brochure and read about the new programs for this summer! https://www.campdonegal.org/summer2017/

BACCALAUREATE SUNDAY is June 4, when during worship we will recognize all of our graduates from high school, college or higher-level degree programs this academic year. (Winter Session graduates welcome!) If you know of someone graduating, please contact the church office at 610-269-1576 or email Nancy at nhilton@cpcdowningtown.org as soon as possible. Please provide the graduate’s name, where graduating from, date of graduation, degree, future plans, and a picture if possible. Thank you.

Amazon is one of the most widely used websites in the world. When a customer shops on AmazonSmile

(smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation will do-nate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the chari-table organization selected by that customer. If you shop on Amazon, we invite you to shop at smile.amazon.com and choose Central Presbyterian Church, Downingtown, PA as your charity of choice. If you were unaware that CPC is a recognized nonprofit option that you could choose as a recipient and would like to change your Amazon Smile donation, you may follow these steps: To change your charitable organization:

1. Sign in to smile.amazon.com on your desktop or mobile phone browser. 2. From your desktop, go to Your Account from the navigation at the top of any page, and then select the option to Change your Charity. 3. Then, select Central Presbyterian Church to support.

HELP WANTED! CPC has a vacancy in the nursery on Sundays beginning in May. We will be hiring a childcare worker from 9:00 a.m. until noon starting as soon as possible. If you know anyone who would be interested, please have him or her email personnel@cpcdowningtown.org.

Vacation Bible School

Passport to Peru Grab your passport for an unforget-table VBS Trek! Hike cloud-shrouded ruins of Machu Picchu. Savor exotic flavors of the Amazon. Hear what daily life is like from kids in Peru.

Immerse yourself in this vibrant culture and discover God’s good gifts. MARK YOUR CALENDARS! Families, join us for Vacation Bible School this summer, July 10-14, 2017 (for children who have completed 1 year of preschool through 5th grade). Registration forms are available in the church office, on the VBS Bulletin Board, or you can register on-line from our church home page.

The CPC Kids on a Mission Sunday School class (grades 3-5) is doing a new sock collection for the month of May. The socks will be donated to the Lord's Pantry. Warm winter socks can be placed in the large collection box near the Welcome Center. Thank you for helping make a difference!

RUN FOR THE SON- May 6, 2017 On May 6 this year, the Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) will hold its annual fundraiser ride, the RUN FOR THE SON. This is the only fundraiser we do and we give all that is raised to charities. None of the money goes to supporting the day-to-day operations of our organization. CMA’s vision is changing the world, one heart at a time, with a strong belief in the Biblical principle of giving through outreach to bikers and other ministries with world-reaching potential. CPC member Kevin Sorrell is the contact person for the local chapter. If you would like to donate to RUN FOR THE SON, please contact Kevin Sorrell at 484-467-2661 or leave a note in his church mailbox. If you, or anyone you know, are interested in becoming involved in touching millions of souls with the Good News of Jesus Christ through the efforts of “Run for the Son,” visit www.cmausa.org/run-for-the-son. You can make a difference!

Community Luncheon Join us for the May Community Lunch-eon, the last luncheon of the season at Central on Thursday, May 4. All are wel-

come...and bring your friends! The Luncheon begins at 11:00 a.m. and continues until 1:00 p.m. The Working Guild members will be serving their updated menu, which includes homemade soups, sandwiches, hot dogs, salad plates, beverages and des-serts at reasonable pric-es. Take-out is available by calling the office at 610-269-1576. This is your last chance until October to enjoy the Guild’s special lunches! Come take advantage of this opportunity to stock up on some soups-to-go!

Red Cross Blood Drive

CPC’s next Blood Drive is set for Friday, May 26, from 2:00 to 7:00 p.m. There is an immediate need for platelet donors to give as soon as possible.

Please make an appointment to give blood by visiting redcrossblood.org and finding our drive listed (Zip Code 19335 and date of the drive) and entering your information. Or, you can call the CPC volunteer desk during office hours and ask for a time that is conven-ient to you. Generally, the 5:00 to 7:00 times are those most available.

For those who give, we thank you for your gift. The need is constant, especially on this Friday of Memorial Day Weekend. The gratification is instant. Please give blood. A single unit of blood can save up to three lives!

PARENTS’ GROUP

Fellowship, Friendship and Discussion…Please join us for a time of fellowship and short studies led by Pastor Tim on Monday evenings from 5:45-6:30 p.m. in the Prayer Room. If you are bringing your children for Jr. Bells and/or Choir, please plan on staying and getting to know some of the other parents. You can come and stay for part of the time or the entire time. Feel free to bring food and eat while we talk. Childcare is provided. Please contact the office for more information, or just come!

Per Capita Giving

Shared Proportional Giving (also known as Per Capita) is a fee charged to PCUSA churches based on membership numbers that supports the broader mission of the denomination. So, if you are a member and haven’t already done so for 2017, please consider making a contribution to offset your portion of CPC’s Shared Proportional Giving expense. The amount per member (Per Capita) for 2017 is $35.53.

All In the Family

SYMPATHY AND PRAYERS to:

SWEET DREAMS at Central invites you to learn how to quilt! We make the baby quilts that are given to fami-lies when their babies are baptized here. We also make baby quilts for the NIC Unit at Chester County Hospital in West Chester. We have the fabric; we have the sewing machines. We need sewers! Could you volunteer some of your time to this fun cause? Quilting experience is not needed! If you know how to sew, we will teach you how to make baby quilts. Are you downsizing, or just clean-ing out, and don’t know what to do with your stash of fabric? We can help. Bring your fabric to room 117. We will sort through it and keep what we can use. The fabric we can’t use will be passed on to the appropriate groups. It won’t

be wasted! Please join us for a creative, fun time of fellowship! We will continue to meet through-out the summer on Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Room 117. Come and check us out… and help when your schedule permits.

WITH GRATITUDE from: Alan Lukens, on behalf of his family: “It is with deep gratitude that I wish to thank members of Central Presbyterian for their wonderful outpouring of love and support during the recent loss of my daughter Barbara. Your generous thoughts and prayers have made it easier for me to release her unto God's arms.”

CAFÉ CENTRAL HOSTS. We are looking for hosts and hostesses to sign up for a Sunday to do Cafe Central. This would be a fun opportunity for a family, or maybe two families, to join together as hosts in our new kitchen! Please help us! All you have to do is set out the cups, creamers, sugars, napkins, etc. (You do not have to set up any tables or chairs!!), serve (refilling donut baskets if they run out) and clean up. You would also need to return the coffee urns to the Dunkin Donuts on Rt. 113. You do not need to provide any

food or beverages unless you wish to, and a church member has agreed to bring the coffee and donuts to the church for you. A complete list of what to do is at the

Welcome Center, or can be obtained by calling the church office. Everyone loves our Fellowship time, and we hope to see it continue with your help!

ALL-CHURCH WORK DAY

SUNDAY, MAY 7, 10:30 A.M. Trustees will host the May 7th Extending the Table with a CHURCHWIDE WORK DAY. The Trustees will also manage Cafe Central, picking up the Dunkin Donuts coffee and donuts. Look for an announcement in the Bulletin calling for volunteers.

• Snacks will be served (no lunch) • Wear (or bring) comfortable work clothes Sunday morning

• No childcare, but school-aged children are welcome to help alongside their parents A variety of indoor and outdoor projects taking one to two hours:

• Helping the various groups do inventory.

• Install floor in walk-through pantry next to kitchen.

• Paint education hallway to brighten and clean up this well-traveled area of our church (experienced painters, please).

• Leaves raked and removed; twigs and trash collected.

• Plant items in garden (please bring work gloves and a trowel)

Please sign up at the Welcome Center and indicate your area of interest. Think of your church as your home; as you know, it takes a lot of effort to make it to look welcome and inviting. Please help out!

Questions? Contact Jane Chaballa at 610-269-2785 or chaballafamily@gmail.com

Alex and Nathaniel Greenwood and their family on the passing of their father, Scott C. Greenwood, on April 3, 2017. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 5th, beginning at 4:00 p.m. at the Phillips Autograph Library in Phillips Memorial Hall at West Chester University.

The CPC Board of Trustees met on April 3, 2017. OLD BUSINESS: Capital Campaign Committee- Kitchen Hood Update: Hood company will adjust automatic hood run time from 30 minutes to 15 minutes and will measure the intake/outtake rates to decide if adjustment is needed. The contractor is still working through a punch list. Bathroom Reno Status: Mike Cihlar shared finishes for the bathrooms: wall tiles, counter top, back splash and light fixtures. Rev. Tim Black commented that the new logo being designed by the Communications Committee would work well color-wise with the bathroom colors. Projector: Steve Caggiano received quotes a few months ago to replace the projector and screen for the back of the Sanctuary. (The other two projectors and screens have already been replaced.) The total cost to purchase and install new equipment was quoted at $8500; the electrician would be extra. Tim mentioned that the Worship Committee will be undertaking a study of our worship (what we do, how we use our space) and cautioned that we may not want to make an investment in new equipment until we learn if any changes will come out of the Worship Committee study. Steve and Tim will discuss further and come up with the best short-term solution. Roof Maintenance: Steve has begun looking into what is recommended maintenance for a roof the age and shape of ours. His findings: the life of a flat roof is typically 10-15 years. Recommended maintenance includes keeping clean, clearing debris, clearing pooled water, and cutting overhanging branches, basically what we’re doing now. The damage we’re seeing is typical of a roof this age. Discussion of options to improve roof included using a sprayed seal or membrane that is typically white or silver to deflect light/heat. Mike Cihlar mentioned that a new roof for our entire building would start at $150,000 at the low end, so maintenance of what we have is paramount. NEW BUSINESS Crime Victims Candlelight Vigil- The annual memorial service to remember victims of homicide and law enforcement officers fallen in the line of duty was held Thurs., April 6, at

CPC. Jim Sciandra will be the Trustees’ representative. Wedding policy: Rev. Emily Chudy has asked the Board to review our present policy, especially the fees. Jane Chaballa will circulate for review and we will discuss details at our next meeting. Extending the Table: Trustees will host Extending the Table May 7 with a Churchwide Work Day. Details to follow. MINISTRY REPORTS Personnel: Health insurance has been purchased for our custodian Pathman Carnation and his wife effective May 1, 2017; the cost was within the allotted budget. Boy Scouts: Lew, Michelle, Jane and Kelly met to discuss issues with Scouts. Kelly Kelly will summarize Board concerns and the group will present them and our expectations at a future meeting (date TBD) with the Scout leaders. TRUSTEE SPECIALTY REPORTS Kitchen Management: It was noted that a meeting was held Sunday, April 2, for all users of the kitchen; over 30 people attended. At that time, Michelle and Sue presented and reviewed policies, answered questions, and gave a tour of kitchen. The Board discussed putting Trustee contact information into Kitchen Manual before contractor numbers. If a problem arises, we would rather folks contact a Trustee, who would then call the appropriate contractor. Jane asked all Trustees to provide her with contact information for current contractors/vendors, including HVAC/ Plumbing/ Electrical/ Safety, so we can compile the information. Mike had the contractor put a “reducer” in the PVC pipe through which water discharges, so the volume in equals the volume out and avoids overflow. Safety: CPR/AED Training on Wednesday, May 24 at 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Fee is $30. Call Nancy if you will attend; some Trustees should receive training. Last date to RSVP is May 17, but do not wait! Next meeting will be Monday, May 1, at 7:00 p.m.

Trustees News

DEACONS’ CORNER Our Spring Senior Luncheon took place on Tues-day, April 18th, in our newly renovated kitchen. We served a delicious luncheon of roasted turkey breast, gravy, stuffing, mixed vegetables, jello salad, rolls, butter, lemonade, water, coffee, tea – with apple crisp and whipped cream for dessert. Kudos to chef Rick Sapovits for the moistest, most tender turkey breast ever! The decorations were very festive – aqua tablecloths with spring colored buckets brimming with fresh spring grass, decorative butterflies, and flowers and runners of multi-colored Easter grass with pastel plastic eggs interspersed. Many thanks to Diane Ward for planting and trimming the grass – a several weeks labor of love, which was absolutely charming. Special thanks to Lowell McKinney and Ralph Johnson for once again manning the dish-washer, which allows us to use our Corelle dishes, rather than paper products. We served 96 seniors and veterans, 5 musicians, and approximately 20 workers. Our gratitude to everyone who helped! Many thanks also to Kathy Mendoza for co-coordinating the giving of crocheted and knitted items for our veterans and for some of the nursing homes. Since it had been a full year since our last Deacon Senior Luncheon, there was real bounty to share. Kathy had crocheted lap robes for ALL 33 beds at the veteran’s home, as well as hats and bags for the medical ward. There were also quite a number of other lap robes for two of the nursing homes, as well as some larger blankets donated through the prayer shawl ministry. Thank-you to all the crocheters/ knitters – keep those needles clicking! Thank you for extending our Lord’s warmth beyond our borders. Our Deacons Liaison Committee continues to oversee the disbursement of financial assis-tance to those who have a need. We serve the needs of those in our congregation first, and of others in our community as funds are available. For non-congregational needs, two of our Deacons donate their Saturday morning each week to meet with people who have needs requests, to evaluate those needs and determine if they are within our scope of help. If not, we help them with referrals to community agencies that may be able to help them. If you have a need, or know of a need, please let us know – you could contact any Deacon or call the church office and they would forward the information on to an appropriate Deacon. See a need/share a need. For the Board of Deacons Nancy Blackwood, Moderator

American Cancer Society Relay for Life

SAVE THE DATE: The American Cancer Society Relay for Life will be held at Downingtown West High School on Saturday, May 20, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. to Sunday, May 21, 10:00 a.m. Would anyone want to form a team of walkers in honor of those members of CPC or other loved ones who have recently passed away due to cancer? If so, please contact the church. This is an important 24-hour fundraising event…24 hours long because cancer never sleeps!

CHANCEL FLOWERS. There are openings on our Chancel flower sign-up chart for the summer months. If you would like to donate the Chancel flowers “in honor of” a respected CPC member or group or “in memory of” a loved one, please make your check payable to the CPC Working Guild. The cost is $40.00. Perhaps you might consider pairing up with a friend (or friends) to split the cost. Flowers can be taken home immedi-ately after the service, or you can designate that the Deacons deliver them to a shut-in. Thank you for sharing the beauty of your flowers with us in worship.

Special Message from CPC Mission Ministry:

THANK YOU! The 221st General Assembly (2014) of PC(USA) affirmed a bold goal for Special Offerings of $20 million a year by 2020 and challenged each congregation to begin receiving a new Offering and/or increasing current offering support by 10 percent. We hope this statement helps you track progress of these goals and provide transparency on direct giving to the Mission Agency. You will receive information concerning the local portions of the Pentecost and Peace & Global Witness offerings after the books are closed for the fiscal year. #7371 Central Presbyterian Church 100 W Uwchlan Ave. Downingtown PA 19335-2320 OFFERING CPC NATIONALLY 2015 2016 2015 2016 Christmas Offering- $917 $962 $3,270,701 $3,048,083

One Great Hour of Sharing- $2,405 $2,368 $5,998,872 $5,333,442

Pentecost Offering- $434 $338 $656,886 $717,071

Peace & Global Witness Offering- $294 $296 $872,573 $829,578

(includes Peacemaking Offering) Presbyterian Giving Catalog- $0.00 $0.00 $615,714 $771,903

(includes Special Offering events)

* 2015 amounts are end of year totals

* 2016 amounts are as of 12/31/17 preliminary, subject to audit.

VISIONCORPS, a support group for the visually handicapped, meets at CPC on the third Tuesday of the month from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. They are looking for volunteers to transport visually impaired persons from West Chester to the meeting at CPC and back. These meetings have been extremely valuable for those suffering from major vision loss and blindness, and the clients very much appreciate the volunteers who help transport them. Please contact Claire Hinkle, 610-741-6378.

Men’s Ministry Breakfast and Bible Study

Saturday, May 13, 8:30 a.m.-10:00 a.m. Men’s Ministry meets at The Lion’s Share, Exton, for a great time of fellowship, good food, study and discussion.

This month’s lesson will be Matthew 25:14-30, the Parable of the Talents.

RAISED BED GARDENING AT CENTRAL- The gardening season is coming! Central has four raised beds provided by the Chester County Food Bank, located by the kitchen entrance. We are trying to assem-ble a list of gardeners to help out with the raised beds. If you are interested in helping on a rotating basis, please contact Jane Chaballa at chaballafamily@gmail.com or 610-269-2785. Help us; help others! No experience necessary!

NEW MEMBERS/INQUIRERS CLASS. If you have reached a point in your faith journey where you are considering membership at CPC, you should know that we will be holding a New Members/Inquirers dinner class Monday, May 15, at 6:30 p.m., for those who are ready to commit to membership or for those who have questions about membership. Come find out just a little bit more about what it means to be a Presbyterian and what CPC believes and does as a body. Please call the church office at 610-269-1576 for more information.

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN OF CPC IN HONOR OF MOTHER’S DAY. On May 7th and May 14th, CPC Presbyterian Women will be in the Narthex providing Mother’s Day cards in exchange for donations for its Healthy Women, Healthy Families Project for 2017. This is an annual PW program that protects and restores the health of women and children in their communities; some of the projects are malaria prevention (remember our mosquito nets project?), prenatal care, nutritional rehabilitation, immunizations and primary care for children. This is a wonderful way to share the gift of caring and love to honor your mother, wife, or another special person in your life. Thank you for your support!

WOMEN'S CIRCLES OF CPC DEBORAH CIRCLE will be meeting on Thursday, May 18, at 7:00 p.m. in the Prayer Room at the church. Chapter 8 of "Who Is Jesus" is to be studied and discussed. Call Mary Lee Caggiano or Nancy Hilton with questions. LYDIA CIRCLE meets on May 2, the first Tuesday of each month, at 7:00 p.m. in the Prayer Room at Central. Call Denise McMillan for information. MIRIAM CIRCLE will meet on Monday, May 8, at 10:30 a.m. in the Prayer Room at CPC. "Jesus Para-bles About Priorities", Chapter 4, will be reviewed. Starting September 2017, the circle will meet the 1st Monday of each month. Call Cindy Markley for more information. SARAH CIRCLE will meet at the home of Susan Blevins on May 15 at 7:00 p.m. Chapter 5 of "Jesus Par-ables about Priorities" will be studied. Contact Tina Bandoian or Susan Blevins with any questions.

UPCOMING MISSION TRIP Six CPC representatives from the Mission Ministry will be driving down to Sumter, SC, from May 6-13. On Sunday, April 30, during worship, the pastors commissioned the members of this team to send them forth safely on their travels. Sumter is the same town where the team went last year to help with flood repair efforts still remaining from the October 2015 flood. The work is being supported by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, which has twice helped connect our ministry with the local church groups. The efforts of the CPC team last year were mostly involved with demolition and removal of debris. This year the team hopes to be in the rebuild phase. The blessings of CPC go with these committed mission workers.

Food Drive Set to Support the Lord’s Pantry’s Summer Lunch Program

Many low-income families rely on the School Lunch Program to provide their children with nutritious lunches throughout the school year. During the summer months, many struggle to meet the demands of providing the extra meals for their children. The Lord's Pantry provides its clients with school-age children with additional pre-packed bags of kid-friendly foods in June, July and August. In 2016, 340 children received this much-needed supplemental food. On May 21st, the Mission Committee and the Kids on a Mission Sunday School class will be collecting the following foods to support the program:

• Macaroni and Cheese

• Applesauce (individual servings size)

• Juice boxes

Kids Central News And another year comes to an end! Unbelievably, we are wrapping up our fifteenth year of serving preschoolers in the Downingtown area…God is really good! At KCP May is packed with the excitement of springtime, and the fun of all the “end of year” activities. Sadly, we say good bye to some; and wait with anticipation for the arrival of a new group in the Fall. We will welcome back our current Threes, some returning alumni families, and several new families as well. I often brag of how awesome our children and families are at Kids Central…with good reason. As the year winds down, there is no decrease in activity; in fact you might say, that May goes into “over-drive”! We have our usual Music and Chapel days, a lovely Mom’s Tea and our end of year Graduation/Summer Birthday Celebration. We look forward to Field Day in the middle of the month, where we spend the entire day outside and transform the church yard into a “festival” of fun. I would like to express our thanks to all the people who have given generously of their time and talents to enrich the programs at Kids Central. Special thanks go to Margaret Van Gilder for bringing Science and Nature to life several times throughout the school year; and to Mary Lee Caggiano who just can’t bear to leave us (truth is we can’t let her go) for the countless hours spent volunteering wherever an extra pair of hands is needed. And of course, thanks to the Pastors and the Staff for their continued support…where would we be without all of you! It’s been a great year, and a cooperative effort; from our Preschool Board (Don Bilyew, Jessica Cihlar, RaeAnn Lukavsky, Jim Price, Carol Warren, John Yurkutat our Session representative, and Kevin Sorrell from Trustees), to our fantastic teachers (Erika Haak, Melanie Lifer, Molly Bugbee, Maria Llevat, Amy Francella, Lisa Wagner, Debbie Whiting, and Jill Rubinaccio). We are truly blessed by the partnership with CPC in this ministry and look forward to another year with new joys and challenges. **An Update on our Lord’s Pantry “Food of the Month” collection: We have collected 27 boxes of Cereal, 20 jars of Peanut Butter and a whole lot of Macaroni and Cheese so far. In May we will be collecting Ketchup. Thanks so much for your contributions! We still have several openings for Four-Year-Olds for the 2017-2018 school year. If you know of a child who would benefit from the Kids Central experience, please call Robin in the KCP office at 610-269-0297. Word of mouth advertising is the very best kind!

In His Service Together,

Robin Chiavetta

His Mission

The May menu for His Mission, a shelter for the homeless located in Kennett Square, will consist of baked chicken pieces, rice, fresh asparagus, 3-bean salad, and baby carrots. We strive to provide healthy meals to these grateful individuals who need tempo-rary support. Please help us towards this goal! We also encourage you to add in any of the following if possible since they are always needed: coffee, ice tea mix, 100% fruit juice, milk, whole wheat bread, bleach, paper towels, and toilet paper. There is also a current need for new or very gently used dishcloths and dishtowels. Cathy and Bob Hankes will be taking our donations to His Mission on Sunday, May 21, so please look for the display on the card table in the North Narthex the previous Sunday (on the 14th), which will contain the cards listing needs for the month! Many thanks for your generosity and continued support for this worthy mission!

HEARTS-IN-HANDS, one of our local mission partners, is in need of a volunteer with administrative skills (Word and Excel) to work 4 hours per week at their Glenmoore office. Kindly contact Dawn Schell at 610-942-4039.

MUSIC NOTES

Central’s Music groups continue to celebrate Eastertide up until Pente-cost Sunday, the birthday of the church, June 4. May 21 will feature the Youth Choir’s performance of “Paul & Co” a musical story of some of the travels of the apostle Paul with disciples Silas and Timothy. The play

will be presented during our 9:30 worship service.

Beginning June 11, “Come As You Are Choir” will be welcomed back to the chancel each Sunday during the summer, as the participants rehearse an anthem at 9 a.m. in the choir room and present it during worship that day. No choir practice Thursday nights! If you have wanted to sing with the choir, but weren’t sure if you should, take this opportunity as your personal invitation to come whenever you are able—all ages welcome!

Spirit Rising And Now for Something Completely Different… Sometime in the next few weeks, Spirit Rising will be introducing a brand new song to the congregation. Although this in itself is not new, what IS new is the source of this particular song, and the fun we have had in finding the right “sounds” for it! “Build Your Kingdom Here” is a song by a Northern Irish folk-rock-worship band called Rend Collective. In the last six-seven years, they have premiered five albums, and although their home is in Ireland, they tour worldwide! According to one of the members, Rend Collective started as “a bunch of us trying to figure out life.” What has resulted in their “figuring” is a large collection of songs, joyful and uplifting. “Build Your Kingdom Here” is a very up-tempo, lively song, reflecting the joy that the group extends to worshippers. Rend Collective believes that “joy is a spiritual gift…we’re all together, we’re all worshipping God. We wanted to communi-cate…that the Kingdom of God is an inclusive, welcoming, and diverse community.” This new song, which features a vast array of instruments (that we are trying to figure out how best to imitate!), will show that joy! We look forward to introducing it! (Some of their other songs that we look forward to bringing to Central: “You Will Never Run”; “My Lighthouse.” Their videos can be seen on YouTube, and info on Rend Collective can be read on rendcollective.com.)

Music Performance by Damascus Methodist Church Youth Choir

and Orchestra Central will be hosting Damascus, MD, United Methodist Church Youth Choir and Orchestra, The Charles Wesley Singers, on Tuesday, June 20. Central will be the first stop on their June 20-27 tour of New England, themed “Of Prayer and Prophecy.” The repertoire includes a variety of anthems and songs, as well as Felix Mendelssohn’s “Hear My Prayer.” Central’s Youth Choir will join with them to sing the anthem “In This Very Room.”

The concert will be presented at 7:00 p.m. in the Sanctuary, following dinner for guests and host families in Fellowship Hall at 5:30 p.m. We request Central families to host students and one of their chaperones overnight following the concert, returning them to the church after breakfast on June 21. Sign-up sheet for host families is at the Welcome Center. For questions, please contact Anne Cowburn, cowburnanne@gmail.com or 610-212-0300.

WOODWIND ENSEMBLE Calling all flute, clarinet, oboe and bassoon players! With so many talented musicians, Central is re-forming a woodwind ensemble to have fun and play occasionally in worship. Whether you play professionally or haven’t played in a while, join us and worship the Lord through music! Rehearsal will likely be every other Sunday after the worship service. If you are interested and would like more information, please email Jessica Clark at clark.jcar@gmail.com.

Where Christ Is Central

KRIS BLANKMEYER

This month’s Volunteer Spotlight shines on someone who can always be seen with a smile on her face and an extended helping hand. Kris Blankmeyer started attending Central ten years ago. Although she lived only a few blocks away, she hadn’t yet found Central. She was looking for a church where she felt a connection, and as Kris puts it, she visited…and Central felt like home! Her favorite part of Central is that the people are so welcoming.

She has served the church in the Nursery, with VBS, as a Sunday School teacher, and as Coordi-nator of the Easter Egg Hunt. She often participates in the Festival Choir, singing soprano along-side her musically-talented daughter Abby. Kris says that serving on the Nominating Committee for three years was one of her best experiences, as she got to know more people from the church. Kris also uses her Food Handler’s Certification to help out at events in the kitchen, and she capably designed and built our CPC outdoors Little Free Library, which you can see at the pre-school entrance to the church.

Kris grew up in Marple-Newtown, PA. While she was attending Penn State, she met her husband Bill at a Campus Crusade for Christ meeting. After two years, Kris left college to start her family. Abby is now 17, David is 14, Henry is 12, and Billy will soon be 10. She finished her education in 2016, earning a BS degree in Nutrition.

Kris spends her spare time reading, running, and transporting her children to their many activities. The family loves hiking together and is deeply involved in Boy Scouts. Kris is the advisor for Venturing Crew 23, a co-ed scouting group for young men and women ages 14 (or having completed 8th grade) through 21 that focuses on adventures. She would love to tell you more about this group if you are interested!

Like a bright ray of sunshine, Kris is a welcome sight at Central.

Central Presbyterian Church 100 W. Uwchlan Ave., Downingtown, PA 19335

Phone: 610-269-1576 Fax: 610-269-9842 www.cpcdowningtown.org

Rev. Emily Chudy, Co-Pastor

Rev. Timothy Black, Co-Pastor

Newsletter Editor-in-Chief: Sue Blevins

Staff Writer: CorieSue Freeman

Layout Editor: Leah Greenwood

Copy Editors: Nancy Hilton, Sally Frederick

Photographer: Dick Dague

Contact Newsletter Staff: blevsb@comcast.net

JORDANS’ CORNER

• Pray for Nikki's healing. Her back and leg pain has continued to be a bother and has been especially worse after PT. Pray for wisdom about how to care for herself and pray for miraculous healing!

• Pray for Naomi's health. She continues to battle various childhood illnesses and is teething (finally!).

• Pray for Allen as school winds down. The end of the year goes by so quickly, and it's easy to let responsibilities slip through the cracks. Pray that he can take care of his responsibilities with grading in a timely manner.

• Pray for the Jordan's as they prepare to go on furlough for the summer months (June 4 - July 25), for provision in finances, wisdom and restful opportunities.

• Pray for Charlie, Lek's widower, who continues to fight depression. Pray for him as he looks for a better job in England, that God would provide something better so that while he saves to come back to Thailand, he's doing something he enjoys.

• Praise God for continued improvement for Rosemarie's father. He can sit up unassisted in a chair now. Pray for Rosemarie as she cares for him, that she would find balance to take care of herself.

• Continue to pray for Doris, whose health is not good and who lost her elderly mother recently. Pray for her to focus on and be thankful for the last few months she and her mother had together and not to feel guilt over the years she was in prison.

• Pray for Duang's dad, Da. His liver is failing again, and he's been in the hospital and now cannot walk. Pray for Duang as she has gone to care for him.

For those of you who want to know how to pray for the Jordans more throughout the month, please request to join their prayer and support page on Facebook at the following URL. https://www.facebook.com/groups/

A new branch of our favorite import grocery store opened just down the road, which is a huge answer to Nikki's prayers!