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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
From
the DCE
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Kathy Maddy 768-2502 What
an eventful summer we have had at First Presbyterian Church of St.
Albans. From Vacation Bible School to an intergenerational tea and boat
cruises with the Presby Pacers, the first ever annual youth rafting
trip and a service camp for elementary youth – we have been buzzing
like a beehive all summer. A prayer group met for two thirds of the
summer and is trying to establish a regular meeting time to continue
blessing our church with this ministry throughout the year. Numerous
guest leaders made Sunday school special through the sharing of
knowledge and skills; we cooked, we learned about bugs (and talked
about cooking some of them!), we camped in and even went “fishing.” And
now it is time to get back into the “regular” rhythm of things.
Rally
Day is September 7th and we will celebrate with a pancake breakfast,
special recognitions, and programs to inspire us to deeper devotion to
Christ and to one another. Wednesday Night Out programs begin September
10th. With the start of the new school year, I challenge each of us to
dive deep into devotion; to “take time to be holy.”
What does that
mean? Holy. Set apart. Holiness. The word comes from the Old English
word for wholeness. “Holiness means our lives are whole because we are
set apart for service to God.” “Presbyterian congregations are called
to be a people set apart that we might proclaim the mighty acts of God.
Holiness is fundamentally about what we do, not just what we do not
do.” (Charles Wiley, “It’s Not Easy Being Pure,” Presbyterians Today,
April 2007, page 15) “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a
holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the
mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous
light.” 1 Peter 2:9.
Holiness is not about being self-righteous.
It’s about remembering that we are forgiven, and spending time with the
one who forgives our sin. To rephrase the old hymn, “take time to be
holy, speak often with the Lord.” Dive into devotion. Join us for
Sunday school, worship and Wednesday night Bible studies.
School Supplies for STAIR in New Orleans Last
fall the Christian Educators across our presbytery collected school
supplies for the STAIR (Start the Adventure in Reading) program in New
Orleans. Sara Woodard, Executive Director of STAIR has sent Gay
Mothershed a request for assistance again this year. Specifically, they
need gallon-size plastic storage bags, dry erase markers and small
white dry erase boards, 3x5 cards, pocket folders with 3 prongs,
individual sani-wipes, staplers and staples, post-it notes, paper
clips, scotch tape dispensers with tape and anything else you may want
to send! These are for the teachers who have to buy supplies on their
own and for tutoring programs. If you would like to contribute, please
leave the items on the kitchen counter in the blue box. They will be
delivered to Presbytery on September 22nd for shipment to New Orleans.Sunday School News
Classes
for all ages begin at 9:45am each Sunday morning. Children and youth
meet together in the Upper Elementary Classroom for worship before
splitting into age groups for classes at 10:00am. They will again use
the Seasons of the Spirit, an ecumenical lectionary based curriculum
which teaches compassion and justice through Bible story. Carol Buck,
Sharon Peterson, Valerie Hughes, Peggy Young, Kathy Harrah and Connie
Ivey will lead the small group classes. Helpers and substitute leaders
are still much needed. Talk to Kathy if you are called to children’s
ministry here at First Presby.
Betty
King continues to lead the Fellowship Class each Sunday in the Parlor.
The door is always open and all are welcome. The Present Word
curriculum is excellent for new and seasoned Bible students alike.
Lively discussions of life applications happen weekly.
The
Covenant Class meets upstairs at the end of the hall. They serve coffee
and snacks along with the “bread of life.” God’s word to us is explored
through a variety of current literature. This fall they will explore
the faith tenants of other denominations through Adam Hamilton’s text
Christianity’s Family Tree: What Other Christians Believe and Why.
Visit the class of your choice. Wednesday Night Out
Our
10th Around the Moringa TreeOur Wednesday Night Out programs kick off
on September 10 with dinner at 5:45pm in the Fellowship Hall. We have a
new dinner team coordinator this year! Be sure to thank Kathy Harrah
for taking on this important task. Dinner is a suggested donation of
$3.00 for adults and youth, $2.00 for senior citizens and children.
Bible study for all ages begins at 6:30pm along with children’s choir
and youth bells, all before 7:30pm. Adult choir is at 7:30pm. Our
preschool children will “Play and Pray” the Bible downstairs in the
church school room. The elementary grades will learn about the root
causes of hunger and poverty and the depletion of the earth’s resources
through the “Read to Feed” challenge and thAround Tree project. Our
youth groups are ready to akaloo. Are you? Adult Bible study with
Pastor Paul and Parrish Associate Kathy Weed will be held in the
Parlor. Later this fall we will have an early childhood development
specialist, Ginna Taylor, for parents of young children (October 15 and
22). In November, Sabrina Rollins will join us again for a
communications workshop. Join the fun and dive into devotion on
Wednesday nights! thnd
Wednesday Evening Adult Study
This fall
Parish Associate Kathy Weed and Pastor Paul Romine will teach a course
on the Writings, the third division of the Hebrew Scriptures (can you
name the first two?), also known as Wisdom Literature. We’ll explore
some of the biblical books that are studied less often, such as
Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and Ecclesiastes. It would be wise to
join us for adult Bible study Wednesday evening, September 10th at 6:30
PM as our fall season gets underway!
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