Amherst Presbyterian Church: August 2010 Archives

"Daily Bread" Saturday, September 4, volunteers for Daily Bread should arrive at the church at 9:15 a.m.  If you are interested in helping with this important ministry, please show up and a rewarding experience is guaranteed.

"Adult Sunday School" - Beginning September 12 at 9:45 a.m. Adult Sunday School class will resume.  Please meet in Pastor De's office.

"Thank you" - Thank you to Anne Wilkins for providing homemade, fresh lemonade which was served in the fellowship hall directly after service on the second Sunday in July & August!  Thank you, Anne.  Your thoughtfulness was greatly appreciated!

"Congregational Meeting" - On September 19 a congregational meeting will take place following the morning worship service.  The purpose of this meeting is to elect 3 members from the congregation to serve on the nominating committee.  Joe LeBlanc and Anne Wilkins are the elders serving.

"Fellowship & Membership" Committee - "Our committee has had their hands in many things!

             APC Directory  -- a new church directory has been sent out to all. If you see any thing that needs to be changed, please let one of our committee members know and we will do an update.

             Breakfast - A "Back-to-School" breakfast was held on August 15. The fellowship was wonderful, the food was great and we collected $163 to give to our Preschool Scholarship Fund. Please look for details on the next breakfast we have. This is a great time for fellowship and we hope you will join us.

             Photographer - As many of you may have noticed at our church functions, there has been the click of a camera capturing these events. The pictures are then made into displays for all of us to enjoy. We would like to recognize Joe LeBlanc for the great job he is doing and since he is doing such a great job, we have named him our "Official Church Photographer".  Thanks, Joe!!

Yard Sale - Our 2^nd annual ecumenical yard sale will be September 25. This yard sale is to raise funds to give back to our community. We would like to give to a couple organizations and one of them being our local food bank.  Currently we have 2 other churches joining us in the endeavor and hope more will join.

This event was a success last year due to many helping hands. We hope you can help out again this year.  Here are areas where we need use help:

Donating items to sell

Saving plastic bags

Pricing the items - Sept. 22 & 23 in the church fellowship hall at 5:00 p.m.

Loading items for delivery to our church property - Sept. 24 at 5:00 p.m.

Setting up for the day of the sale at the church property at 6:00 a.m. 

YES, there will be fresh coffee

Working the day of the sale

Cleaning up after the sale

             If you have any items you would like to donate you may start bringing them to the church and put them in our nursery (the room across from the kitchen). Grant Massie has offered to pick up (with your help) any large items the night before the sale. Please contact him directly if you need his service.

 God Bless, Joanne, Anne, Carol, Donna, Grant, Janice and Sharon.

"Preschool News" Our 2010 - 2011 school is off to a great start! Enrollment has increased from last year leaving limited available spaces. We are happy to announce that we have added "The Extended Care Program" which operates from 1:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.  All our previous teachers are returning this year and we have hired two new employees.

             As always, we welcome each of you to come visit our classrooms and we would love for you to sign-up to volunteer.  We can always use you to read to a class, help with carpool, or anything else you might like to offer.

             Thank you so much to all everyone who has given so generously to our Preschool Scholarship Fund.  Currently, there are five families benefiting from this wonderful mission that Amherst Presbyterian Church provides for the preschool. So, once again...a very heartfelt "thank you"!!

             And finally, we are looking forward to the 2^nd Annual Yard Sale. Some items have already been donated and a few parents have volunteered to help out.

Kimberly Maddox, Director

September Volunteers

Building & Grounds - Ernie Baker & Ed Kryspin

Greeter - Barbara Baker

Ushers - Ernie Baker & Bob Wimer

Pastor's Page - The little boy sat on the bench outside the museum with his grandmother. Before entering, they would have their lunch. He carefully unwrapped the mayonnaise and lettuce sandwich which he had made for himself. "I am trying to eat more healthy, Grandma." Gravely, he ate every bite, folded up the wrapping, wiped his face, and tossed the trash into the litter basket.

             He reached into his pocket and pulled out his New Testament given to him by his minister, opened it, held it up before his eyes, and proceeded to read, moving his eyes back and forth across the page in a devout but uncharacteristic silence. After a long minute, he closed the book slipping it into his pocket. "Okay, Grandma. I'm ready. Let's go to the museum."

             Grandma was impressed, and amused, because the boy cannot read. He wants to read. His sister can read. Some of his friends can read. But he cannot read. And he knows he cannot read, telling folks what he is missing. So what was he doing, "reading" the New Testament on the park bench that afternoon?

             The little boy, moving his eyes back and forth across the pages of his Bible, "reading" but not reading, reverent but uncomprehending, honors this book but without awareness that it has anything to with either the lettuce sandwich he has eaten or the museum he is about to enter. Is he like us?

             In order to read the Scriptures adequately and accurately, it is necessary at the same time to live them. Not to live them as a prerequisite to reading them, and not to live them in consequence of reading them, but to live them as we read them, the pendulum of living and reading.

             Reading the Bible is letting ANOTHER have a say in everything we are saying and doing. It is as easy as that. And as hard.                                                                   Shalom,  De