Congregational Life

Congegational Life Committee News

Announcements

New Look for the Parish Paper - your ideas? After serving us well for decades, the Parish Paper is due for a revamp. Over the next couple of months, Helen Brouwer, Dale Hobson, and Terry de la Vega will be working with Cindy Bowen to find ways to streamline, reformat and generally spiff up the Parish Paper and the Parish Life Insert. If you have any ideas, please contact one of these individuals.

HERITAGE SUNDAY REPORT - JUNE 13, 2010 Our recent Heritage Sunday was quite a celebration. Our latest 50 year member, Alice Cullen was recognized during worship. On top of that, almost all of our more than 50 year members attended. Our 50 year members include: Dorothy Gordanier, Richard Sitterly, Helen Dunstone, Joel and Betty Merriman, Betty Jeffers, Winifred Bicknell, Mary Theisen, George and Ann Davis, Art and Mary Ellen Frackenpohl, Robin Wilkinson, Marcia Reutershan, Dawn and Gary Bartow, Rosalie and Chip Hunter, Betty Smith, Alice Cullen. Thanks to Ruth Kreuzer, Dawn Bartow, and the Bicentennial Committee, we enjoyed a special coffee hour, a slide show, and a display of photos and other memorabilia from years gone by.

Renovaré ... An eight Week Renovaré Spiritual Formation Group began April 8, 2010 (more...)

We Honored College Graduates on May 2.  On Sunday, May 2, there was a special recognition during service for the college students who are graduating this year. We wish our young people well as they move out into the world.!

Next Congregational Life / Outreach Committee Meeting: Monday September 14 at 7:00 pm, Meeting Room at Debra Drive (Building A). New people and ideas are always welcome.

NEW KITCHEN SUPPLIES.  The Committee has purchased some new soup bowls and juice cups. Now we will not run out of bowls and cups when we serve a community dinner.

THE LADIES GUILD HAS BEEN BUSY!! IN THE NURSERY  . . . and something is afoot in the KITCHEN (SINK NEWS TOSHARE)  (More... Ladies Guild News)

MOVIES:  Ideas for the future include "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," and other CS Lewis stories dramatized by the BBC, and "The Prince of Egypt," a Dream Works animated film about Moses, an Egyptian prince who learns of his identity as a Hebrew, and later his destiny to become the chosen deliverer of his people. Please let the committee know if you have any ideas for family friendly movies.

CHANGES for the PARISH PAPER  delivery You have a choice on how you receive the church Parish Paper: via mail or via email.  If you choose to receive the Parish Paper via eamil, you would then be able to read it on your computer or read it after printing it.  The look of the Parish Paper will change in order to ensure ease of printing and reading.  The more people switch to email deliery, the more money the congregation will save. Please fill out the following form and return it to the secretary's office to indicate your personal preference on how you want your Parish Paper delivered:  The Parish Paper Delivery Questionnaire  Remember: the Parish Paper is always available to download from the web site. It is the top document in the "Publications" section.

WEAR YOUR NAME TAGS Members and Friends of Potsdam First Presbyterian please wear your name tags at coffee hour so that we can get better acquainted with each other.  Name tags can be found on the large bulletin board in the corner of the Church Center.  Be sure and put your name tag back on the board each time so that it will be there the following Sunday.

Bi-Centennial Celebration of Potsdam First Presbyterian Church in 2011 VISIT THE BI-CENTENNIAL WEB PAGE Looking ahead to our Bi-Centennial, which will occur in 2011, the Session asked Pam Whittet and Dawn Bartow to do the general planning for the events.  Anyone who has an idea to share,  who is interested in helping with planning, or who just want to help is encouraged to contact either Pam or Dawn. We need to think about our 200th year of celebration. So, please give thought to what you’d like to see the church plan for this milestone in our history.

New Church Members - May 2008 We are excited to have these following individuals received into membersion: Perry and Janet Yaw, Vernice Church, Kristin Brown, Michael Bartow, Rob Ewy and Carolyn Zanta, Dave and Emily Beck, Suzanne Waters, Christine Sunmi Lee, Aaron and Sarah Coffin, Paul and Lynda Beckwith.  On May 18 there was a special coffee hour to celebrate our growing church family. New Church Members - December 2007 We are delighted to welcome new members received on a snowy day in December: David Clancy, Marlene and Seth Chichester, Shirley and Lynn Warden, Sharon Warren, Audrey Bicknell, Eva Barrett, and Beth Grace.

Coffee Hour hosts  always needed If you are available and would like to help out where there is a need, please sign up on the sheet outside the church office or contact Terry de la Vega 265-5732 delavega@twcny.rr.com or  the church secretary. (Coffee Host List) Check the Calendar to find out who the coffee hour hosts are this month. Check the "Coffee Hosts" list to find out when you have coffee hour. COFFEE HOUR HOST INSTRUCTIONS Coffee Hour Hosts A note/reminder about coffee hours...the coffee (regular & decaf), tea and sugar are supplied by the committee. The use of liquid cream (milk) is your choice. There is a container of powdered milk in the cupboard that may be used. Check in the cupboard in the hallway for coffee when the containers on the counter are empty. If you cannot serve when you are scheduled, please find a replacement and let the church secretary know. Thanks to Wanda and Phil Paro for their continued help getting the coffee pot going each Sunday. In order to facilitate the use of name tags, coffee hour hosts are asked to move the rolling bulletin board that holds the name tags so that it is positioned next to the entrance to the church center. And, please be sure to wear your name tags!

See also:
the "Knitting Group" home page (More...)
the "Ladies Guild" home page (More...)
the "Outreach" home page (More...)
the "Coffe Hour" home page (More...)

Heritage Sunday - June 13, 2010

DISPLAYS AT COFFEE HOUR.  During coffee hour on June 13, in honor of Potsdam First Presbyterian’s Heritage Sunday,  Dawn Bartow created a historical display of photographs and other items. Ruth Kreuzer set up a  PowerPoint with archived photos and newspaper clippings.

A NEW 50+ YEARS MEMBERS WILL BE HONORED on June 13, 2010: Alice Cullen.  Congratulations, Alice! She joins a large group of others on the "Honor Roll." See who else is a 50+ years member (More...) 

CHURCH FAMILY BULLETIN BOARDS PUT ON PERMANENT DISPLAY. Two Church Family Bulletin Boards hang outside of the church offices in the hallway. Congregational Life invites all members and friends to bring a picture of themselves to post on the boards. The Church Family Bulletin Boards are now a permanent display of our growing church family.  Members and Friends of Potsdam First Presbyterian are invited to bring their favorite individual or family photograph on to post on the photo boards. (Size of photos should be: 3 1/2 X 5 or a 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 wallet size; please print your name(s) on the back.  DON'T HAVE A PHOTO TO POST? Ask Ruth Kreuzer to take one of you.

Equal Exchange Fair Trade Coffee

Thanks to the Session and the Membership and Congregational Life Committee, we now serve Equal Exchange Fair Trade coffee during coffee hour and at our community dinners. What is Fair Trade Coffee?

Fair Trade coffee provides a unique stewardship opportunity for people of faith. Coffee is grown in some of the poorest countries of the world, primarily by small scale, subsistence farm families. Because the large companies who purchase and distribute most of the world’s coffee pay so poorly, it keeps the farmers in abject poverty. Equal Exchange Fair Trade offers farmers and consumers another way. The coffee costs a little more, because farmers are guaranteed a living wage, are given an incentive to use earth friendly agricultural practices, and most of the profits are put into economic and community development projects where the coffee is grown. By purchasing Fair Trade coffee, we are promoting the well being of the people who grow it and the land in which it is grown.

Equal Exchange Fair Trade coffee - both regular and decaf - comes to us through a special arrangement with The Potsdam Food Coop. Scott Miller, Coop manager, has graciously offered to allow us to purchase coffee for our congregation at cost, thus allowing us use Fair Trade coffee at all church-sponsored events from now on. Many thanks to the Potsdam Co-Op and the others who will gift us with the coffee. Anyone wishing to purchase Equal Exchange Fair Trade Coffee can do so at the Potsdam Food Co-Op.

Fair Trade Coffee Donations: Thanks to all who have so generously supported the Fair Trade Coffee we purchase through the Presbyterian Coffee Project. We have also been purchasing a variety of teas and hot chocolate through this mission program. This organically grown coffee tastes great and buying it improves the lives of the farmers who grow it and nurtures the land where it is grown. During coffee hours, community dinners, and special events, we consume about one to two cases of coffee each month. Please continue your support by giving a dollar at coffee hour or consider buying a case or two of coffee. The average price is $35 for a case of regular or decaf. If you would like to sponsor a case of Fair Trade coffee, see Terry de la Vega.

Heritage Sunday

On June 5th, 2005, Marcia Reutershan and Robin Wilkinson were honored for their 50 years of membership in Potsdam First Presbyterian Church. They were celebrated at a special coffee hour that honored all 50 Year (+) Members.

Milestones

There are many things we celebrate with our members. In the "Milestones section of the Church web page you can check to see who are 50-years-or-more members of our church, who has a birthday this month, and who has celebrated a significant milestore. (More...)

A Soup and Bread Luncheon followed the Annual Meeting on Sunday, January 31, 2010; it was a big success 
For those who missed the meeting, this list was created by many people calling out their ideas of what, when we look back at 2009, what we need to celebrate:

A list of some of the Gifts of 2009
We reached our $ goal for the organ console renovation
The roof repairs have begun
Joys that come in little packages—KIDS
The Christmas Star only blew out three bulbs
Cookbook project
Unsung heroes of the church, people who do what needs to be done behind the scenes
Our Website, thanks Ruth and Dale
New Bulletin Boards in the lobby with pictures of our church family
Works of art like quilting
Deacons
Music
Community Dinners
College Students
Food
Pastor’s successful eye surgery
Our new secretary, Cindy Bowen
Our Sexton, Ron Kaiser
Spiritual strength within our church community
Our strong commitment to our church, to each other, to mission, and to the growth of our church

Palm Sunday Breakfast, 2006 (more pictures...)

2009 Congregational Life and Outreach Committee Report

Over the last two or three years, Congregational Life and Outreach have effectively become one committee. Although this is not ideal, for the sake of getting things done, this structure has worked reasonably well. We invite interested members and friends to join Congregational Life or Outreach. New ideas ns d new energy are always welcome.

This year's committee members have been: Terry de la Vega, Charlene Spieler, Ruth Kreuzer, Phil Paro, Barb Baker, Linda Caamaño, Martin Walker, Shirley Baylash, Eleanor Hopke, and Laura Toland. Ladies Guild members are Eva Barrett, Helen Brouwer, Fran Shaw, Pam Whittet, Amy Walker, Gail Schaberg.

Some activities in 2009 have been:

• Fall barbeque Coordination of coffee hour hosts
• Fair Trade coffee supply
• Outreach on Clarkson and SUNY Potsdam College campuses
• Sunday night dinners for college students
• Final exam treats for college students
• Transportation to Sunday service for college students
• Prayer calendar Palm Sunday
• Pancake Breakfast
• Recognition of high school graduates
• Recognition of college graduates
• New name tags were purchased and printed
• New name tag display on bulletin board in the center for use during coffee hour
• Welcoming visitors with letters and emails
• New bulletin board display of our church family
• Weekly knitting group
• Ladies Guild quilts for new babies
• Ladies Guild Pentacost quilt for the sanctuary
• Ladies Guild Christmas Luncheon
• Ladies Guild two successful rummage sales
• Bicentennial Committee, Co Chaired by Dawn Bartow and Pam Whittet
• Parish Paper, now available via email or regular mail
• Advertisements for Christmas and Easter Services
• Web site, www.potsdampresbyterian.org, managed by Ruth Kreuzer and Dale Hobson