January 2010 Newsletter

WORSHIP ASSISTANTS

Jan. 3rd      Jan Steinkamp; Carole Perry-communion

Jan 10th         Joan Edwards

Jan. 17th       Bob Steinkamp; Minister: Rev. Harland Merriam       

Jan. 24th     John Matthews

Jan. 31st        Rose Johnson

                                                      

CARES AND CONCERNS

 

  Let’s be sure to remember our shut-ins and their families in our prayers:    

    Dorothy Cluck, Spanish Meadows Nurse & Rehab

    Katy, Texas

 

                                Marguerite Schwartz

                                Twin Lakes Care Center

                                 San Augustine, Texas

 

Other prayer requests include:  Marguerite Schwartz; Brad Blake; Christy Witaker; Aaron Cordova; Chris Mims;  Robert Miller; Seth Dougharty; and our church family; Don & Shirley Higbee; Martha McKeever; Breanna Soto;  Charles & Anne Heare;

Violet Maxwell; Elaine Outhouse;  Marissia Mulvey (Gigi’s niece); Karl & Karon Johnson (Loren’s parents); Patricia McCullough; Sarah Maxham; Casey Mens; family of Betty Gunter; Jeff & Ruth Cameron; Ann Palmer; Jan Kroll; Ed Johnson; Chris Mims; family of Donald Craft; Caroline Pitre and Andy Provo (Anne’s grandson-in-law).  

  Lectionary lessons for  the month of January

 

January 3rd, 2nd Sunday after Christmas:  Jer. 31: 7-14; Ps. 147:12-20; Eph. 1:3-14; John 1:(1-9) 10-18

 

January 10th, Baptism of the Lord:  Isa. 43:1-7; Ps. 29; Acts 8:14-17; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

 

January 17th, 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time:  Isa. 62:1-5; Ps. 36:5-10; 1 Cor. 12:1-11; John 2:1-11

 

January 24th, 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time:  Neh. 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; Ps. 19; 1 Cor. 12:12-31a; Luke 4:14-21

 

January 31st , Sunday in Ordinary Time:  Jer. 1:4-10; Ps. 71:1-6; 1 Cor. 13:1-13; Luke 4: 21-30

 

CONGREGATION PRAYERS

  As part of your daily prayers, please pray for the people listed

during the week following the Sunday indicated below:

 

Jan. 3rd          Scott A. Mulvey; Margaret Munsell

Jan. 10th        Peggy Nimmo; Elaine Outhouse

Jan. 17th             Roger & Wanda Page (Butterfield); Carole Perry  

Jan. 24th       Dr. Lee and Cheri Lynne Popejoy; Roger and Barbara                Puckett

Jan. 31st            Kristi Popejoy Pudwill; C. W. Richardson

 

            

JANUARY  BIRTHDAYS

                           

  4   Christine Johnson      16    Jeff Gunter   

   11   Loren Johnson         

    11   Marguerite Schwartz         

    13   Stanley Johnson     

    

                                                        

“Farewell to Our Good Friend and Co-Worker”

 

Even as we are thankful for Christine Johnson, our new church secretary, we know we will miss Carmen Coker, who resigned as of the end of  December. She has been with us for five years and done a really fine job. Carmen and Gary have moved because Gary has been promoted. Their new address and phone number are 901 State Park Road 44, Grapeland, Texas 75844,  (936) 687-5726. Please drop her a note to express your good wishes for her and her family.      

 

         PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN

All women of the church and friends are invited to the PW annual party.  It is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Thursday, January 21, 2010 at the Belle-Jim.  There will be a gift exchange. 

Joan Edwards, Moderator      

ROUND TABLE FOR JANUARY

 

Round Table will not meet for January.  It will meet again during February in the home of Roger & Wanda Page,  1316 Northwood Drive, Jasper, Texas, Thursday Evening, February 4th, at 5:30 p.m. 

Session News

  

“A  Thank-You to Those Who Serve”

 

On behalf of the whole church, we would like to give our heartfelt thanks               to those Session members and Trustee, who have rotated off in the year

2010. To Carole Perry and Jan Steinkamp, thank you for your dedicated

service on Session. To Jeff Gunter, thank you for your dedicated service as Trustee.

Likewise, on behalf of the whole church, we welcome and give our heartfelt thanks to our new and continuing Session members and Trustees for their dedicated service: Bob and Joan Edwards, John Matthews and Wanda Butterfield Page, Robert Steinkamp, Stan Johnson, David Godefroy and Bob Gazaway, our Session members and Bob Gazaway, John Matthews and C.W. Richardson, our Trustees. And finally, but certainly not least, we give our heartfelt thanks to our past and future Nominating Committee members: Carole Perry, Chair, Stan Johnson and Anne Heare, who served in 2009; and Wanda Page, Chair; Carole Perry and Verlene Griffin, who serve in 2010.

Betty Jean Gunter

Our congregation is saddened by the death of longtime member Betty Gunter, who passed away in her home

Monday, November 30th.  Carole Perry had this to say about Betty, “It is going to be hard not to look behind me on Sunday morning and find Betty Gunter absent.She always had a ready smile even though I was aware of the effort it took to bring her to services, given her health problems.And so I add Betty to my list of friends that I am going to miss.”   Betty was an active member of Presbyterian Women.  And she was a regular participant in Trade Days.  Our condolences go to her family.

Welcome Christine Johnson!

 

Our congregation would like to welcome Mrs. Christine Johnson as our new church administrative assistant.  She will be taking Carmen Coker’s place beginning January 4, 2010.  Please come by and welcome her!

                To The First Presbyterian Church In Jasper

 

You are cordially invited to join with Joan & Bob Edwards in celebration

of their 50 years of marriage, to be held on January 30th, 2010. At the First    Christian Church, 5856 9th Avenue Port Author, Texas. At 6:00pm for

dinner, by their children. Please no presents!   

                     

                        

     Report from Session

 

Session met on December 6 immediately after worship. Permission was granted to establish a Game Day in Coleman Hall on the first Friday of each month. Carole Perry, Nominating Committee Chair, identified three recommendations for ruling elder in the Class of 2013: Bob Gazaway, David Godefroy and Stanley Johnson. C.W. Richardson was recommended as Trustee for the term ending 2012.  A budget for 2010 was proposed by Treasurer Dr. Bob Steinkamp and after discussion, passed.  Officer training was scheduled for January 10 by Maria Betancourt-Smith. Session met in a called meeting on December 13 for the purpose of hiring a church secretary. It was decided to hire Christine Johnson.   

A Note from Pastor Sharon

 

As the new year begins, it’s time to remember and time to look forward.  A perfect way to remember is by reaffirming our baptismal covenant, which we will do as a church body on  January 10.  We will also look forward on that date by installing our officers for the coming year and ordaining one as a new elder.  In an article  “Ordained? To What?”, the Rev. Joseph Small, director of Theology, Worship and Education for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), reminds us of why remembering our baptism is appropriate even as we install new church officers.  He says, “ All Christians are gifted for ministry; and so there is a real sense in which all are ordained to ministry in their baptisms.”  When I hear someone spoken of as a person who has gifts for ministry,  I am always tempted  to say, “Well, of course! She is baptized.”  In baptism we become ministers, each and everyone of us, whether called to a particular ordered position of the church  or not. Whatever our activities each day,  we are first and foremost,  in Paul’s words, ambassadors for Christ.  The work of the Church is certainly discerned by our ruling elders  acting in community,  but each of us lives that work daily.  How exciting!

Sun

Mon

Tue

 

Wed

Thu

Fri

 

SUN

 

MON

TUE

WED

THU

FRI

SAT

  3  Sunday School-9:30 AMWorship-10:30 AMCommunion

4

TX Master Gardeners 5:30-8 PM in Coleman Hall

  5

6 

7

PW Women/Men’s BF meet at 10:00 AM

in Coleman Hall

 

8Game Day10a.m.-12p.m.

9 

10

Sunday School-9:30 AMWorship-10:30 AMSession at 1 PMElder Training at 3 PM

11TX Master Gardeners 5:30-8 PM in Coleman Hall

12

Quilters 9 AM to 3 PM in CHGS 5 to 7PM

13

14Girl Scouts meet in CH from 5 to 7 PM

13

16

17

Sunday School-9:30 AM

Worship-10:30 AM

3rd Sunday Luncheon

Rev. Harland Merriam

18

TX Master Gardeners 5:30-8 PM in Coleman Hall

MLK Day

19Girl Scouts   5 to 7 PM in CH

20

21

PW Women Christmas Party @ 11:00 at Belle-JimGS meet 5 to 7 PMAll in Coleman Hall

22

23

24

Sunday School-9:30 AM

Worship-10:30 AM

 

25      TX Master Gardeners 5:30-8 PM in Coleman Hall

26Girl Scouts   5 to 7 PM in CH

27

28

29

30

31

Sunday School-9:30 AM

Worship-10:30 AM

 

 

Feb. 1TX Master Gardeners 5:30-8 PM in Coleman Hall

  Feb. 2

Girl Scouts   5 to 7 PM in CH

Feb. 3

Feb. 4

Feb. 5

Feb. 6

JANUARY 2010

Mission Statement

The mission of First Presbyterian Church, Jasper, Texas is:

-to join together as the body of Jesus Christ in the worship of God;

-to share joyfully the good news of God’s love in Jesus Christ;

-to live the gospel in our everyday lives, nurturing and

serving those in our homes, church, and community;

-to be a vital part of the Presbyterian Church (USA),

accomplishing worldwide what we could not do alone. 

Deadline

    Deadline for the February publication of the Link is January 24th.  Anything after the 24th  will be in the next publication.  You can put information in the box in the hallway at the church or email to firstpressecty@att.net to Christine Johnson, church secretary.