The Messenger – January 2019

Dear Church Family,
Happy New Year! Exciting, isn’t it? The old year has gone and a new one has begun. Perhaps nothing has changed in our lives except the calendar. In Ecclesiastes 3:1 Solomon writes, “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven.” A new calendar gears up like a blank slate ready to become an artist’s canvas of the events of our lives. What shall we paint?
I enjoy looking at that beautiful pictures in the many gift calendars that I receive, but these are not the ones I use on a daily bases. The pretty calendars are nice, but I am reluctant to paint my every day events on them.
The calendar that I use daily is very plain, business like, with zero pictures. It has blank spaces just waiting to be filled as I journey through this New Year. I am already filling in the pages, but on reviewing last year’s calendar I wonder which dates I should fill in with pencil because to many times in my old calendar I find events, scratched out with pen. It’s a mess!
So I wonder as I begin to fill in this year’s calendar, what will it look like at this time next year? As you review your last year’s calendar what events have you scratched out? What activities should we schedule in pen and which ones in pencil, so when we review this calendar year will we be pleased with it? More importantly will God?
So this year, maybe the only things we should schedule in pen is; time in praying, time in the Word, and a time for serving others. A time for fellowship with other believers and time for worship, and ask ourselves when we go to scratch them out, will I be pleased with this year activities even more importantly, with God?
Once again I’m thankful to ring in this New Year. I’m thankful that in His perfect planning, God gives us this time to use and this season to grow. Let us paint a canvas that reflects our Savior the giver of these days.
In His Service,
Pastor Joe

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sunday School – 8:15 AM in the Community Building
Choir Practice  Every Thursday at 1:00pm
Evening Bible Study – Postponed Until Further Notice
You may reach Pastor Joe at 570-465-7303 or his cell #570-267-4570

Every Thursday Pastor Joe will be at the church from 2-4pm if you need him

Sunday, January 6th – Epiphany
Thursday, January 10th – Presbyterian Women meet at 11:00am
Sunday, January 13th – Corporation Meeting following worship service
Wednesday, January 16th – Men’s Breakfast 8:00am

Thursday,  January 17th – Session Meeting,  2pm
Monday, January 21st – Martin Luther King Day
Tuesday, January 29th – Newsletter Deadline

Week of Prayer for Christian Unity – January 18 – 25, 2019

Thank you to all who donated to Noel Giving – A total of $1360.00.

MENS ACTION GROUP  ***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 ( coins and bills)
1st Sunday – Local Missions
2nd Sunday – Local Missions
3rd Sunday – Kenya/Rev. Malaho
4th Sunday – Community Building
5th Sunday – Trehab Local Food Bank (whenever there is a 5th Sunday)

Our friends in Kenya…Reverend Malaho has reported a quiet month this month with no major problems. But they have celebrated Christmas just like us Americans, just on a smaller scale. They had a big Christmas “feast”, but I think feast is open to interpretation. Some of them received new bedding, but most are still surviving with several kids in a bed.  They have also planted some vegetables in their farm. They are very thankful for whatever help that we can send to them and they pray for abundant blessings for our church family.   By Jim Kessler

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