Here's the sanctuary during painting and plaster repair:
And here's our new carpet:
"The Messenger"
November 2010
Amherst Presbyterian Church, Incorporated Amherst, VA
24521
Church
Breakfast hosted by "Mission, Witness, & Christian Education"- November 7 at
9:30 a.m. Please bring a
breakfast dish to share. There
will be a special collection taken for a very special program. It is called Backpacks for Kids' Sake and the idea is that no student should
face a weekend or break from school without food. This program is sponsored by Amherst Middle School. Over 30%
of the students at AMS are "food-insecure" and these students receive a small
package of kid-friendly food items to take home with them on Fridays. This
program is voluntary and names are strictly confidential.
Stewardship
Sunday - November 7. Your
pledge cards will be received and dedicated to the mission and work of this
Church. We ask that you give
prayerful consideration to a giving goal that fits you. The Stewardship Committee thanks you
for your continued interest and support of our Church and its finances.
Administration of those finances requires some idea of our expected income and
your pledge provides us with that information.
Next Panel
Discussion - Poverty in
Amherst County, November 16th in the Sanctuary 7:00 p.m. Amherst
Presbyterian Church is sponsoring a series of Panel Discussions on the Third
Tuesday of each month. The first Panel, held on October 19th,
considered the Death Penalty. It was well attended, and the audience heard
attorney Steve Martin, Del. Vance Wilkins and Judge Lawrence Janow debate the
issue. Our next Panel will
consider poverty in Amherst County. Panelists will include Amherst Social
Service Director Glenn Sullivan, Amherst Sheriff Jimmy Ayers, and Amherst
School Superintendent, Dr. Brian Ratcliff. The latest available U.S. Dept. of
Census data for Amherst County will be available on the table at the rear of
the Sanctuary. Please be sure and
pick up a copy to see the breakdown.
Please make arrangements to attend the next Panel Discussion.
Thanksgiving
Children's Offering - will be collected November 21. This offering has supported four agencies in the Synod
of the Mid-Atlantic for over 50 years: The Presbyterian Children's Home of the
Highlands; Presbyterian Homes & Family Services; Volunteer Families for
Children; and Edmarc Hospice. Your support ensures that children and families
in need will be served in a variety of settings, from pediatric hospice care to
temporary and long-term residential care, from educational programs to family
counseling.
Thanksgiving
Community Service - November 23, Amherst Presbyterian
Church will host the Amherst Community Thanksgiving Service at 7:00 p.m. Ministers from neighboring
churches will help lead the worship. Adam White, the chaplain of Sweet Briar
College will bring the evening message.
There will be special music by the adult choir and the Preschool
children's choir. Bring a friend and enjoy this special time.
A Prayer for
Thanksgiving Day - We give you thanks, O Lord! Not for
palaces that wealth has grown, where ease is worshipped, duty dimly known, and
pleasure leads her dance the flowery way. We give you thanks, for quiet homes
where love abounds, and life is more than baubles, your grace surrounds. And
old folks bless us, and dear children play, for these, O Lord, our thanks! This
day and every day, we thank you for your bounty given to us and shared with
others, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1st
Advent Sunday - November 28 - In the
previous Sunday's bulletin there will a copy of the Advent Calendar for devotion. Devotion
booklets will also be available on the table in the rear of the Church.
"Thank you" - Our October Coffee Hour was beautifully hosted by Donna Meeks, Judy Faris and Kathleen Ayau.
Thanks to these ladies for giving us this lovely time of fellowship with such
delicious refreshments.
Presbyterian
Women - Officers are needed for the upcoming year. Please contact Barbara
Baker if you are willing to serve.
Our 2nd
Annual Ecumenical Yard Sale - September
25 was a great success. Emmanuel
United Methodist Church and St. Marks Church were very pleased with the results
and expressed an interest in joining us again next year. It was a great day of
fellowship for all involved.
The
Fellowship Committee wants to thank everyone that helped out in any way to make
this year's yard sale a success. We had the help of the entire preschool staff
and many thanks to them for all their time and support. Running a yard sale is
such a time consuming endeavor and many hands make the work load some lighter.
When
it was all over Amherst Presbyterian Church made $726.85. The Preschool received $250 and the
remaining went to the Amherst Food Pantry.
We
hope you will join us again next year and remember - it is not too early to
start saving your "stuff". -- Sharon
Shrader
November Volunteers
Ushers -
Kurt Ayau & Bill Seay
Greeter -
Sharon Shrader
Building
& Grounds - Bob Wimer & Johnny Wimer
December Volunteers
Ushers -
Rodney Taylor & Bill Tucker
Greeter -
Claudia Tucker
Building
& Grounds - Mitch Heishman & LeRoy Yancey
Please be sure to contact a replacement in your
absence
Pastor's
Page - For a long time, I have
been praying the 23rd Psalm because I have felt so lonely and
surrounded by illness. The following is a meditation on the 23rd
Psalm:
In
"pastures green"? Not always;
sometimes He who knows me best, in kindness leads me in weary ways, where heavy
shadows be.
And
by "still waters"? No, not always
so; oft times the heavy tempests round me blow, and o'er my soul the waves and
billows go.
But
when the storm beats loudest, and I cry aloud for help, the Master stands by
me, and whispers to my soul, "Lo, It is I."
So
where he leads me, I can safely go, and in the blest hereafter I shall know,
why, in his wisdom, he has led me so.
To
all who are working too hard, struggling with life, worried about
relationships, frightened by the forecasts ahead, wrestling with losses, and
ill in body and mind, there is hope, for Christ is walking with us through this
vale.
-- Shalom, De
"The Messenger"
October 2010
Amherst Presbyterian Church,
Incorporated Amherst, VA
24521
Congregational
Gathering
- On October
17 a
congregational follow-up gathering will take place to continue the discussion
on the survey results. The
gathering is from 4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Series of Panel
Discussions -
Our church will be presenting a series of panel
discussions on current issues of general interest. Our objective is to have a
civil dialog on some of the controversial issues of our day. These meetings
will take place on the third Thursday of the month in our sanctuary, starting
on October 19 at 7:00 p.m.
Our
first panel discussion will consider capital punishment.
General
Assembly of Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA 2010, which met in
Minneapolis this July, called for an immediate moratorium on all executions in
all jurisdictions that impose capital punishment.
Virginia
is about to execute Teresa Lewis, the first woman in Virginia to be executed
since 1912. Where do you stand on this issue?
A
distinguished panel including Judge Lawrence Janow, Moderator, Vance Wilkins,
presenting the case for the death penalty, Steven Martin, Esq., presenting the
case against, and Ned Kable, providing context, will explore the arguments
for and against capital punishment. We encourage you to come and invite your
friends to this community event.
Members in the
News - Russell
Mikenas was
initiated/voted into the Natural Bridge Fire Department's Junior Crew. As a
junior crew member he will work on fund raising projects. Russell was also
recently featured on a radio commercial for the Special Olympics. Congratulations, Russell!!!
Ed
Mikenas's
retirement is going well. He "aced" his welding mid-term. Way to go, Ed!!
World Communion
& Peacemaking Offering Sunday - October 3 the Peacemaking Offering will
be collected. This year 25% of the offering will go to "Lynchburg Grows". This
is an urban farm that takes a hands-in-the-dirt approach to teaching others how
sustainable food production promotes a healthy planet. Seeded in 2003, the
non-profit's mission is centered on giving people with special needs a space to
share their talents and skills while acquiring new ones. They are on 6.8 acres
in historic Lynchburg with two of those areas spread among 9 greenhouses.
"Thank you" - A really BIG "THANK YOU!" to
Janet Steven for being the leader of the September Coffee Hour. She and her
committee of Bev Kryspin, Carol O'Brien, Cheryl Steele and Gina Fell did a wonderful
job of starting autumn off right.
"In Appreciation" - "I want to thank everyone
for their kind words, gestures, prayers, and cards following my mom's passing
in late August. These acts of love were like an embrace from God."
--
Pam Althouse
Daily Bread - The next scheduled Daily Bread is November 6. Volunteers are asked to be
at the church at 9:15 a.m.
Fellowship
Breakfast - November 7 at 9:30 a.m. the Fellowship Committee
will sponsor a breakfast. Please
remember to bring a breakfast "goodie" to share.
Nominations - On September 19 at our congregational meeting, Jack
Faris, Gina Fell and Janet Steven were chosen to serve on the nominating committee to elect
officers for the Class of 2013.
"Preschool News" Preschool is off to a
wonderful start! The classes are near full capacity with only one spot
available in the 2 year old class and one in the 3 year old class. The children
are full of life and so enthusiastic each day. We are excited to see our
program growing and we have a wonderful staff this year that seems to be as
excited as the children.
Last
week our 4 year old class had an opportunity to visit the Amherst Museum. It
was a wonderful experience for the children seeing the Tyler School House and
the museum's new "hands-on" room for young people. I believe a good time was
had by all !
The
fall brings not only cooler weather, but a very busy schedule for us, such as
field trips scheduled for the fire station, Drumheller's Orchard and our Annual
Harvest Festival.
We
are looking forward to working with Amherst Presbyterian Church again this year
with the Ecumenical Yard Sale and at the Preschool's Annual Chili Cook-off
February 18, 2011.
As
always, please feel free to come by and visit with us. We'd love to see you. -- Kimberly
Maddox, Director
October Volunteers
Ushers - Tom Clark & LeRoy Yancey
Greeter - Jane Clark
Building & Grounds - Jim Bost & William Plail
November Volunteers
Ushers - Kurt Ayau & Bill Seay
Greeter - Sharon Shrader
Building & Grounds - Bob Wimer & John Wimer
December Volunteers
Ushers - Rodney Taylor & Bill Tucker
Greeter - Claudia Tucker
Building & Grounds - Mitch Heishman & LeRoy
Yancey
Please be sure to contact a replacement in your
absence.
Pastor's Corner - There were still great
woods when I was growing up. Playing Daniel Boone, or J. J. Audubon, gave me
the excuse to pry into strange places. One day, I lay down on the edge of a
glade, warmed by the sun and lulled by the murmurs of the forest, I drifted
into sleep. Suddenly there was
commotion and outcry in the clearing. On a branch, sat a crow with a red and
featherless nestling in his beak. The outraged parents flew helplessly about
the open space. The crow was indifferent to them. He gulped, cleaned his beak
on the branch, and sat still. This was the usual pattern of life and death in
the forest.
Then
out of all the areas of the woods, came a soft sound of complaint. A multitude
of small birds of many varieties had been drawn into the edges of the glade by
the anguish of the parents of that nestling. No one dared attack the crow. But
they were there in a shared grief, the bereaved and the unbereaved. The air was
filled with their rustling and their cries. Their wings seemed to point the
finger of accusation at the murderer. He was the bird of death. He did not
care.
The
little birds grew silent. In the midst of protest, they forgot the violence. At
the edge of the clearing a sparrow, lifted a crystal note. Another took the
song, and then another, the song passing from one bird to another.
'Till
suddenly they took heart and sang from many throats joyously together as only
birds can do. They sang because life is sweet and sunlight beautiful. They sang
under the black shadow of the crow. The song birds forgot the bringer of death,
for they were singers of life.
Can
we join the birds, and sing the Lord's song?
Shalom, De
"The Messenger"
September 2010
Amherst Presbyterian Church,
Incorporated Amherst, VA
24521
"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 2nd
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 2nd 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
"The Messenger"
July & August 2010
Amherst Presbyterian Church,
Incorporated Amherst, VA
24521
"Daily Bread" Saturday, July 3, 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.
"Annual Church
Picnic" - July 11, the Augustine family
will host the church picnic. The
fun will start at 4:00 p.m. with lots of fun, fellowship, food, swimming and
games. Please bring your favorite
side dish to share. Also, bring a
swimsuit, a lawn chair, and any lawn or pool games. A good time will be had by all, so mark your calendar - July
11 at 4:00 p.m.
"Thank you" - Thank you to the ladies of
the Church for such a nice Coffee Hour on Father's Day. Thank you to Pam
Althouse, Sharon Shrader, LuAnn Mikenas and a special "thanks" to Bev and Ed
Kryspin for always being so helpful. As is
the custom, there will be NO scheduled coffee hours for the months of July and
August. However, there will be lemonade served in the fellowship hall directly
after service on the second Sunday in July & August, so come with your
fellow parishioners and enjoy!
"Congratulations" to
Bill & Darlene Sirois Seay - They were married on June 6.
We are so happy for them as they enter into a new and wondrous time of life
together. They are living Nelson County.
Bill, a graduate of Virginia
Tech, retired from the Cooperative Extension Service at the end June. He has
provided care for farmers and growers in Bedford, Campbell, Appomattox, Nelson
and Amherst Counties and Lynchburg City for more than 30 years. He taught 4-H
groups, preparing young people for work in agriculture. We thank Bill for his
faithfulness and service to our community.
A "Special Note" of Thanks
"Dear Friends of Amherst Presbyterian Church,
Thank you for the Amherst Presbyterian Church
Cookbook. I look forward to trying
out the tasty recipes. I will think of you all each time I use it. Thank you so
much.
Warmly,
Sarah Strapp"
Pulpit Supply - On July 18, The Reverend George
Goodman, will be the guest pastor.
George will be retiring as the Associate Presbyter of Peaks
Presbytery. Dr. James Price will
be the guest pastor on July 25. James
is a retired Lynchburg College professor and Presbyterian minister.
Committee Meeting
& Session -
Session committees and Session will resume meeting in August. Refer to the August calendar for dates
and times. Circles will resume in September.
Preschool News - On Monday, August 16,
Preschool will start the 2010 - 2011 school year. The Preschool staff will
return on August 9. Enrollment is
looking very good at this time with 28 students enrolled. The session approved, if the need is
there, to offer extended hours to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Preschool "Open House" will be Friday,
August 13, from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. "Back-to-School" Night will be August
26 at 7:00 p.m.
From the "Fellowship
& Membership" Committee - Please save the date, September 25, for our Church Annual Yard Sale. Since it was such a success last year, we are planning
another one this year. We ask that you please start saving "stuff" you would
like to donate to the yard sale.
Remember - "one man's junk, is another man's treasure". We had such a
great day of hard work and fellowship last year, that we hope you will be able
to help us make this a great success again. All donations will be greatly
appreciated. All proceeds from the yard sale go to a charity in great
need. If you have any questions,
please contact a member of the committee - Joanne Baldock, Anne Wilkins, Donna
Meeks, Grant Massie, Sharon Shrader, Janice Augustine or Carol O'Brien.
July & August Volunteers
July: Building & Grounds - Bill Drummond & Grant
Massie; Greeter - Ruth Joy;
Ushers - Grant Massie & William Plail
August: Building & Grounds - Ken Althouse & ?; Greeter - Bev Kryspin;
Ushers - Ed Kryspin & Joe LeBlanc
Communion Schedule
July 4
Servers - Class of 2010
Preparers -- Wimers
August 1
Servers
- Class of 2012
Preparers -- Bakers
Some "thoughts to
think" about......
* Accept
that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
* Always
keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
* Drive
carefully. It's not only cars that
can be "recalled" by their maker.
* If
you can't be kind, at least have the decency to be vague.
* If
you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.
* It
may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to be kind to others.
* Never
put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg
to stand on.
* Since
it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
* The
second mouse gets the cheese.
* Nobody
cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance like nobody is watching.
* When
everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
* Birthdays
are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
* You
may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one
person.
* Some
mistakes are too much fun to only make once.
* We could learn a lot from crayons...some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all live in the same box.
Pastor's Corner -- As a boy, I would ride my
bike down to Tuscarora Creek and then up the path to the gate where fences kept
cows out of Kilmer's Springs. The water was cold even on the warmest summer's
day, and the embedded pebbles stood out in prefect clarity through the ripples
of the flow.
By
standing perfectly still almost forever, my waiting would be rewarded with the
flicker of a crawdad tail beneath a rock, the shadow of a water bug gliding
along, and finally the treat of treats, the small trout hidden under the
overhang, darting out to snatch a bit to eat.
The
ever-flowing stream would open new vistas, new worlds of discovery for a boy,
who waited for the Lord to stir creation. But let that same boy be distracted
by the mosquito practicing its landing on his arm, or turn to listen to the
cows stretching for the next bite of greenery, and everything changed. Life
would be hidden from view.
When
we wait upon the Lord, instead of demanding life be on our terms, there are
wonders to be seen, marvels to be enjoyed, and healings of the heart to be
received, and new visions for our souls. This summer, wherever you go, wherever
you are, be still and enjoy what the Lord has in store for you.
God's Peace,
De
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Invites you to glean with us
Gleaning is..."hands-on" love in action, a way to feed the hungry, a worth-while activity, for all ages and groups, and lots of fun!
In 2009, 1,579,949 pounds of fresh produce were gleaned, salvaged and distributed by you, your group and others in Virginia. Gleaning fresh fruits and vegetables is a shared experience with putting food on the table of those who are truly hungry in our communities.
For additional information, contact: Sarah Ramey, Society of St. Andrew, 800-333-4597, vaglean@endhunger.org
To learn more about the Society of St. Andrew and gleaning, visit www.endhunger.org
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