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Presbyterian Church USA logoFirst Presbyterian Church of Potsdam, New York

A community gathering in Christ and ministering as God leads
42 Elm Street, Potsdam, NY 13676 • phone (315) 265-9434 • email p1presch@twcny.rr.com

Education

Announcements

Heifer Project  - The Heifer International Fundraising for Heifer International by the children took place this year in April and May. It began Sunday, April 19th when children were encouraged on that day and following Sundays to contribute coins to the "penny jar" during the service. The families and the congregation also helped out with coins. They also brought, and asked others to bring in donations of used books to sell at the book sale held in the Center during the weekend of May 16 & 17.

New members sought

The Christian Education committee is seeking new members. We need people of all ages who will help us generate new and different programs for all ages in our church. If you are interested please see Sharon Pickard.

Collecting Soup Labels

Our teachers would like to remind the people of the congregation that the children are still actively collecting the Campbell Soup labels to help the children of the Kemmerer Village.

(Christian Education Committee News)

 

Children

  • Sunday School 
    Classes for children are held in the Church Center - children will leave the worship service for class, following the Children's Sermon.  (More...)   
  • Vacation Bible School
    • Vacation Bible School (VBS) is held each summer in the month of August. (More...)

Youth

  • Confirmation Classes
    Talk to Pastor Rich if you are interested in future confirmation classes for yourself or for your children.
  • Potsdam First Youth Group
    The Youth Group begins each school year with special plans and new young adult leaders/helpers.  (More...).

College

  • College Student Dinners
    • During the academic year the college student group enjoys having dinners with various members of the church. Sometimes a get-together includes a special activity, sometimes it just is a great dinner and a great evening of fellowship. (more...)

  • Honoring Graduates
    Local college graduates are honored each year the last Sunday in  April. (more...).   We also recognize those attending colleges away from Potsdam, as well as our own high school and college graduates, on the last Sunday in June. (more...)

Adult

  • Adult Study Group
    Adult Study classes are held during the school year at 9:00-9:45am in the Head Start room. (Childcare is provided for the youngest children so that parents can attend the adult class).  This year there are "Bible Studies" and "Presbyterian 101".  Contact Pastor Rich for information about upcoming studies.  (more...)

    Reminder: there are online study resources/publications for individuals and groups and other information pertinent to our denomination at the Presbyterian Church (USA) website: http://pcusa.org/.

  • Renovaré : Women's Spiritual Formation Group
    If you would interested in finding out more about what Renovaré is, visit their website at http://www.renovare.org/; if you are interested in creating a Renovaré  group, call Dianne Morrison at 265-4890 or Terry de la Vega at 265-5732 for more information.

An Article to Contemplate

Hi Friends!

"Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up*" I Thess. 5:11

Why does the writer of the letter to the Christians at Thesolonica need to tell them to encourage each other? I believe he did it because it is much more natural for us to DIScourage each other. Bad news and bad attitudes love to be passed on, and misery does love company. Anxiety is more contagious than the common cold, and there is a lot of it going around the PC(USA) today. It is much more natural to us to wring our hands in anxiety or to bat out with ill-considered plans to fix things in our own power than to look to God for guidance and support.

  • What is it that we should be encouraging each other with at this time in the life of the PC(USA)? I would suggest that
  • We should be encouraging each other to remember whose church this is. It is not ours. It belongs to Jesus Christ who gave his life for it. The church is very precious to our Lord and we should be looking to him and having confidence in his ability and desire to do his will among us.
  • We should be encouraging each other to pray. Prayer is the door that God has ordained for grace to flow into this world. There are things that will never happen unless God's people ask for them.
  • We should be encouraging each other to keep the main thing the main thing. What is the main thing? The story of Peter walking on the water reminds us that the main thing, the only thing, really, is keeping our focus on Jesus. He can lead us to do things beyond our wildest dreams if we only let him.

These ways of thinking and acting are very contrary to ordinary human nature. They require a faith that can look beyond the cross to the resurrection and to Pentecost. God promises us that ALL things work to the good of those who love [literally "are loyal to"] God and are called according to his purposes. Do we believe this? Then, beloved, let us encourage one another in these things!

Grace and peace, Joan

Joan S. Gray, Moderator, 217th General Assembly (2006)

For more such articles visit the online study resources/publications of Presbyterian Church (USA): http://pcusa.org/navigation/resources.htm.