FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK…..
I John 4:18 “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives our fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in Love.”
A boy and his father were driving down a country road on a beautiful spring afternoon, when a bumblebee flew in the car window. The little boy, who was allergic to bee stings, was petrified. The father quickly reached out, grabbed the bee, squeezed it in his hand, and then released it.
The boy grew frantic as it buzzed by him. Once again the father reached out his hand, but this time he pointed to his palm. There stuck in his skin was the stinger of the bee. “Do you see this?” he asked. “You don’t need to be afraid anymore. I’ve taken the sting for you.
2016 is here and it seems we are living in a world gripped in fear. Terrorist attacks, failing economics, moral decay and religious persecutions how are we to face and deal with them all?
Are we like the boy in the story, fear is buzzing all around us, and if we let it consume us there will be as John puts it “punishment”. It will control our lives in our attitudes and actions.
Remember that God reached out His hand by sending Christ for us to take the sting, the fear, and gave us the greatest example of what love looks like.
Let this be the year when we reach out like the FATHER and reveal that, “there is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear”.
In His Service,
Pastor Joe
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday School – 8:30 AM in the Community Building
Choir Practice Every Wednesday at 4:00pm
You may reach Pastor Joe at 570-465-7303 or his cell #570-267-4570
Every Wednesday Pastor Joe will be at the church from 2-4pm if you need him.
Friday, January 1st – Happy New Year
Wednesday, January 6th – Epiphany
Monday, January 11th – PW meet at Noon. Bring your lunch. Meeting starts at 12:30pm
Saturday, January 16th – Family Supper – 5:30pm in the Community Building
Monday, January 18th – Martin Luther King Day, Observed
Wednesday, January 20th – Men’s Group meets – 8:00am in the Community Building
Tuesday, January 26th – Newsletter Deadline
News from Kenya is scarce this month. Rev. Malaho’s time is focused on the loss of several family members. That leaves several orphaned children who need to be taken care of and they need to find room in their home for new dependents. All the while He needs to prepare for funerals, which, in Kenya, is a big event. In the meantime, they have had excessive rains, causing health issues in their animals. This is treated with medication, paid for by the funds we send them, and their animals are recovering. This, I believe, Is a heifer that we helped buy a few years ago, and her offspring.
Rev. Malaho always is gracious with the “Thank you”s and very appreciative of whatever we send to him. They always need our prayers. Jim Kessler
Souper Bowl Sunday Offering – The Super Bowl will be contested on February 7, 2016. We will be having a Souper Bowl Sunday Offering to support our local mission projects. Watch the Sunday Bulletins for details. The offering will be non-perishable food items or cash which will be used to purchase grocery store gift cards.
Discernment Process Update
The Session would like to update you on the current status of our Discernment Process in leaving the Lackawanna Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church USA. Since the Lackawanna Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church USA have moved farther away from our core beliefs we are seeking to be dismissed from the Lackawanna Presbytery and the Presbyterian Church USA.
The Session has had a meeting with the Rev. Bill Carter from the Presbytery to review the dismissal process. A Presbytery Engagement Team (PET) has been named and will be contacting us for discernment meetings.
We have made arrangements to have our buildings and property appraised in support of the dismissal policy. We have also sent $1000 to Presbytery for any expense that they may incur during the process. We will get the remaining funds back at the end of the dismissal process.
We are making arrangements to meet with the Rev. Karen Ballard who represents the Evangelical Covenant Order (ECO) of Presbyterians. We will then meet with a representative of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. The Dismissal Policy states that we must move to a Reformed Church when we leave the PCUSA. The congregation is invited to both of these presentations to aid in discerning where God is calling our church. The Session will continue to update the Congregation as we move through the dismissal process.
Watch for details about a new youth program in the church…led by Kathy Walker.
Prayer Shawl Ministry – We have several shawls ready. If anyone knows of anyone in need of one, or if anyone is interested in making shawls at home and wants to donate them to this ministry, please give them to Carolyn White for distribution. Thank you!
MENS ACTION GROUP *** If anyone is in need of transportation and/or assistance for doctor or hospital appointments, please contact Bill Printz at #570-967-0858, or e-mail bjprintz@frontiernet.net
***If anyone needs visitation or for a friend, neighbor or family member, please contact Ken Post at #570-879-4219, or e-mail kpost@echoes.net OR Bill Printz at #570-967-0858 or bjprintz@frontiernet.net
***For help with small projects for church family and neighborhood, please call Pastor Joe Travis at
#570-465-7303 or email him at joetravis@live.com
Loose Change Offerings
1st Sunday – Local Missions
2nd Sunday – Local Missions
3rd Sunday – Kenya/Rev. Malaho
4th Sunday – Building Maintenance
5th Sunday – Habitat for Humanity (whenever there is a 5th Sunday)