Presbyterian Visitor
Presbyterian Visitor
January 2, 2025
Our Christian sympathy is extended to the family of Crystal Vest on the recent passing of her father Jeffrey Wise.
A big shout out goes to all those who helped make Christmas and the month of December special: LuAnne Allen for putting together a wonderful Sunday School Christmas program, the Advent families for the reading and lighting of the Advent candles, the Local Service committee for the delicious taco bar following the Sunday School program, all those who helped decorate, and to everyone who provided food for our Holiday Families and gifts for their children.
In December we assisted four families with food for their Christmas dinners and gifts for their children. These families had a total of 13 children. All the families were very grateful for everything.
We also provided a gift for each of the students in the Life Skills class at Bloomfield School. These students always appreciate our gifts and treats. Thank you to everyone, these projects would not be possible without your help.
The Soup on Saturday Christmas Dinner was held on December 14th. Our church provided two hams and the fresh fruit. Thank you to everyone who helped with this. Our church will be hosting Soup on Saturday on February 8th. Volunteers will be needed to help provide soup, sandwiches, desserts, drinks, and to work. Please watch for the sign-up sheet to be posted.
With winter upon us, the weather sometimes makes getting to worship services difficult. If the weather gets too bad, the session may make the choice to cancel worship service. The session members will make phone calls to everyone if worship service is cancelled due to bad weather or any other reason. Please be careful during this winter season and if you feel it is too bad for you to make it into church, remember that the worship service will be posted to our Facebook page.
A reception was held following worship service to honor, and thank, Rose Floyd for her years of sharing her musical talent with us. Rose has played the piano during worship service and special services for many years and we are extremely thankful for this. Rose recently moved to Parkview Senior Living in Odon and, while we miss Rose’s playing, we have been blessed with Bob Burch stepping in to play the piano.
It is the time of year for all the committee chairs to be working on their Year End Reports. Please have reports to the church office by Sunday, January 19th. We will be having our Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, February 9th.
The Trustees will be meeting on Monday, January 13th at 6:00 p.m. in the Seekers Room.
The Session will be meeting on Wednesday, January 15th at 5:30 p.m. in the Seekers Room.
The Women’s Association will be hosting the Rotary Luncheon on Tuesday, January 28th. Teresa Chesnut will be serving as the chairperson for this luncheon. The sign-up sheet will be posted on the bulletin board when the menu is decided.
The new Women’ Association books are being worked on at this time and will be ready soon. This month’s Legion Dinner is being hosted by Full Life Development. The Women’s Association will be hosting the Legion Dinner in February.
We will be having a Red Cross Blood Drive on Monday, January 20th from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in Fellowship Hall. Please consider donating if possible. To schedule an appointment, please go to RedCrossBlood.org and enter: FP Church Bloomfield or call the Red Cross at 1-800-733-2767. We will also be looking for a few volunteers to help with checking in people during the blood drive. Please see Karen Ruggles if you have any questions.
Pastor’s Message
I’m writing this newsletter article while sitting on my living room couch. In front of me is our family Christmas tree, covered in memories.
The gold sparkly ball with green and purple glass squares on it from the trip to New Orleans when my
now-husband and I got engaged.
The felt candy cane from a whole set of these soft ornaments made by my grandmother for me
family when I was a child.
The yarn-embroidered Santa with a tag that reads, “Squeeze my cheeks and I’ll give you a kiss,” from the
annual Christmas Store at my childhood church, where for just one dollar each, kid could purchase
handmade gifts donated by church members.
The holidays are full of memories like this:
the dish you must have every year to make Christmas dinner complete,
the traditional family cookie swap and caroling,
the same stories recounted with the same interjections by listeners.
The memoires are often part of what make the holidays meaningful.
Church can feel like this too. We have so many memoires associated with a particular building and the particular people that congregate in and around it.
We remember who used to teach us Sunday School.
the hymns we sang on particular occasions,
the friends who supported us through a difficult diagnosis.
We remember these occurrences alongside so many Bible stories and memory verses that recall to us the epic story of God’s creation.
But God’s Word reminds us of the past in order to point us toward the future that God is creating:
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
This Word is the blueprint for the church. We should never be only a container for memories of what the church used to do and be. Rather, we are called to point to the new thing that God is doing in our midst, and to join in it.
As a new calendar year begins, where do you see God doing a new thing in our midst? And how can you join in?
Happy New Year!
Pastor Hana