A PUBLICATION OF COMMUNITY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
OF WEST FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA.
ORGANIZED APRIL 1, 1928
September, 2013
Ministers: The People of God; Pastor: Rev. D. Matthew Stith
702 Sheyenne St., P.O. 546, West Fargo, ND 58078 701-282-4135 E-mail: [email protected] Web: http://cpcwf.org
WATCH OUT
FOR NEW
TIMES!
Beginning on Sunday, September 8,
Sunday School, from ages 3 years
and up (That means adults of all ages
AND children are welcome!), will recommence at 9:00 a.m. followed by
the worship service at 10:00 a.m.
TOWN HALL
PLANNED
Sunday, September 15, in
the sanctuary following
worship, Session will hold
a town hall to inform the congregation
of decisions it has made regarding
CPC’s current and ongoing relationship
with Presbyterian Church (USA).
A question and answer time will accompany the meeting.
PW BAZAAR
IS COMING!
Presbyterian Women’s Bazaar
is coming soon on Saturday
and Sunday, October 26th and
27th. Why not start canning
a couple of extra jars of jam or pickles
or spending a rainy afternoon finishing
off a craft project? Then, you will be
ready when October rolls
around.
Thanks in advance for all
your efforts!
PASTOR’S PEN
“What is sin?
It is the glory of God not
honored.
The holiness of God not reverenced.
The greatness of God not admired.
The power of God not praised.
The truth of God not sought.
The wisdom of God not esteemed.
The beauty of God not treasured.
The goodness of God not savored.
The faithfulness of God not trusted.
The commandments of God not obeyed.
The justice of God not respected.
The wrath of God not feared.
The grace of God not cherished.
The presence of God not prized.
The person of God not loved.
That is sin.”
John Piper
I ran across the quotation above in, of
(Continued on page 2)
In this issue
AED
Calendar
Clerk’s Corner
Dates to Remember
Financial Report
Mission Opportunity
PW Cards
Roof News
Page
6
9
3
5
8
6
7
8
Page 2
(Continued from page 1)
all things, a Christian rap song that
someone linked to in an internet discussion. The song is about atonement, the
way in which Jesus, by dying on the
Cross, bore the punishment that we deserve and the wrath that we have
earned by our disobedience, so that in
exchange we could be treated as if we
had lived the sinless and obedient life he
lived. The song is a powerful expression of this important doctrine of the faith, and, for those
few of you who might be interested in rap songs that faithfully
set forth Christian doctrine, I
would be happy to provide a reference. My purpose in this column,
though, is not to serve as a music critic,
but rather to explore a bit more deeply
the implications of John Piper’s words
about sin, which really gave me pause
when I heard them.
I don’t think we think about sin all that
often. Now, sad to say, we think about
sinning all the time—that’s our fallen nature at work, lurching from temptation
to temptation day in and day out. But
most of us, I suspect, would struggle
mightily to come up with a definition of
sin itself, or of what makes it so bad.
We might say something like “sin is
when I break God’s rules,” or perhaps
something like “sin is whatever separates us from God,” but I think Piper’s
description points out, quite vividly, the
flaw in these and most other common
ways of thinking about sin: we tend to
imagine that sin is primarily about us.
It’s about when I break the rules, or
about separating us from God. Certainly
sin has an impact on the sinner, and
certainly there is something of the sinner’s decision involved. But what makes
sin sinful is the fact that every instance
of sin, of every possible type and de-
scription, takes away something that
belongs to God. That’s the point of
Piper’s definition. Notice how many
times he refers to “I” or “we”: not once.
Sin is sin because it perverts, omits, or
even steals something that properly belongs to God. That means that there is
no such thing as a purely personal or
private sin, no such thing as a sin that
“only hurts me.” Every sin, of
any kind, offers insult and injury
to the all-powerful, all-knowing,
and all-just Creator of the universe. Thinking of sin in this way
drives home the enormity of our
sinful nature and status. We
have done all of the things Piper
describes, over and over again, and we
have done them not to ourselves, not to
a fellow mortal, but to Almighty God
himself. The enormity of it makes me
tremble.
But the enormity of our sin is matched,
and even exceeded, by the enormity of
God’s mercy, a mercy that was expressed in its purest and highest form in
the incarnation, perfect life, and atoning
death of Jesus. Only God himself could
bear the punishment we deserve for our
offenses against him without being utterly destroyed, but only a human being
could rightly pay the price for human
sin. And only the infinite and unsearchable love of God could combine both divine and human natures in the one man
who could do something about it. That is
a gift worthy of song, no matter what
style of music you may sing.
CALLING ALL LITURGISTS
Interested in helping out with
the Sunday service by serving
as a liturgist? Please sign up
on the sheet posted on the bulletin
board outside of the sanctuary.
Page 3
JULY CLERK’S CORNER
The regular meeting of Session was held on Tuesday, July
16, 2013, at 7:00 p.m. in the
church conference room. Elders present were Kevin Galt, Jackie
Petik, Dixon Moorhead, Carolyn Meester,
Dave Ruhnke, Bonnie Thompson, and
Scott Meyer. Anneus Meester, treasurer, was present. Brent Montgomery and
Andrew Thostenson were absent. Becky
DeJong, clerk, was absent.
Anneus Meester presented the financial
report. There are enough funds in the
building fund account to cover the August payment.
$1,000.00 additional
was borrowed on the operating loan
with the balance at $8,785.69.
Discussion was held concerning issues
and the format of the congregational
meeting which will be held on September 15, 2013.
Unpadded folding chairs and old tables
can be borrowed from the church with
permission from the pastor, Session, or
Trustees. Tablecloths, punch bowls, coffee pots, and everything else need approval from Session on a case by case
basis. Fragile or easily broken items will
not be loaned.
Christian Education Committee reported
that Vacation Bible School is scheduled
for July 28 through August 1. Dinner will
be at 5:30 and activities will run from
6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Craft helpers and
guide for pre-school are still needed. 3
years to 5th grade are welcome to attend. Kevin Galt has the information to
get a sign for advertising.
Worship Committee has reworded and
updated fees for the pastor and wedding
coordinator in the wedding policy. The
updated document will be sent to church
office secretary, Lora Wehrung, and
Matt.
Personnel Committee stated the Music
Director position is still being advertised.
Colleges and some area churches have
been contacted.
Trustees requested bids from three contractors for roof replacement. One bid
from M.J. Dalsin, Co. for a total of
$18,623.00 has been received. Other
bids are expected soon. A bid will need
to be selected quickly since contractors
are booked eight weeks out and we
want the repairs to be completed this
year.
Mission Committee noted that Food Pantry items were delivered last week.
United Way is the mission for July and
August’s is school supplies.
Stewardship had mid-year contribution
statements sent out. The accompanying
letter indicated the need for a new roof.
The committee will be looking at some
of the memorial money to see if it can
be used to help pay the costs. The
committee requested to move memorial
plaques to one location at the end of the
hallway near the elevator. Individual
plaques will stay where they are.
No reports were issued from Deacons,
Nominating and Service and Fellowship
committees.
Moderator’s report:
Pastor Stith requested vacation August 7 - 11. Vicki
Riedinger will fill the pulpit on August
11.
Clerk’s report: 56 people were served
communion on Sunday, July 7, 2013.
Meeting closed with prayer by Bonnie
Thompson at 8:40 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Carolyn Meester
Page 4
AUGUST
CLERK’S CORNER
The regular meeting of Session was held on Wednesday,
August 21, 2013, at 7:00
p.m. in the church conference room. Elders present were Kevin Galt, Carolyn
Meester, Scott Meyer, Brent Montgomery, Dixon Moorhead, Jackie Petik, Dave
Ruhnke, and Andrew Thostenson.
Anneus Meester, treasurer, was present.
Bonnie Thompson was absent.
Anneus Meester presented the financial
report. There is enough money in the
building fund account to cover the next
two month’s payments. $2,640.00 was
borrowed from the bank note and put
into the general fund. $11,893.40 is in
the roofing fund.
Gloria Ruhnke, Ann Chale, and Delores
Horn would like to hold a bridal shower
for Blair Moorhead on September 14 at
10:00 a.m. in the narthex.
The Presbyterian Women would like to
hold the Annual Bazaar and Baked Potato Luncheon on October 26th and 27th
in the church fellowship hall. On Saturday they would need the kitchen and
fellowship hall from about 8:00 a.m. to
about 3:00 p.m. and on Sunday from
about 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Andrew Thostenson attended two recent
special Presbytery meetings. The meeting in May voted to rescind the gracious
separation policy because of a recent
ruling from the PCUSA General Assembly Permanent Judicial Council.
The
meeting in June voted to remove Mark
Frueh as a commissioned lay pastor
from the Minot church and to appoint an
administrative commission to work with
the Minot church and its Session to resolve property issues, and if need be,
dissolve its Session, and take control of
the church if no agreements can be
reached.
Beginning in January, Andrew Thostenson is set to serve on the Committee on
Ministry for the Presbytery.
Our church will receive the electronic
newsletter from the Fellowship of Presbyterians. Copies will be made available
and placed in the library.
Discussion was held regarding the upcoming meeting of Session with the congregation. The informational forum will
be held on September 15, 2013 following worship. Session would like to visit
with the congregation with regards to
denominational issues.
Christian Education reported that Vacation Bible School was a success with lots
of helpers and lots of kids.
Worship Committee would like to see
the Minute for Mission moved to the beginning of the worship service during
announcements.
Personnel Committee noted that there
has been interest and inquiries into both
the Music Director and accompanist positions.
Trustees have accepted the roofing bid
from Tecta. Construction will begin in
September and be done by the middle
of October. Once started, the construction will take 30 days. Payment in full
will be expected between the middle of
October or November.
An auxiliary
sump pump has been installed. The
glass tabletop in the conference room
has been measured but a bid has not
been received. The continued sticking
of the front doors will be addressed
soon.
(Continued on page 5)
Page 5
(Continued from page 4)
Mission Committee stated that the raffle
raised $2,850.00 minus expenses. The
Kenyan Instructor commitment ends in
December, and the committee must decide whether to continue this mission.
The focus for September and October
will be 18 year old young adults who are
leaving PATH (Treatment Foster Care
and Family-Based Services).
Stewardship Committee mentioned that
there are several designated funds that
can be re-designated as the roofing
fund. Furnishing/Sign/Landscaping has
$3,402.67; 75th Anniversary Fund has
$621.84, and Community Handbell
Startup has $188.30 with a total of
$4,212.81.
No reports were submitted from Deacons, or the Nominating and Service and
Fellowship committees.
Moderator’s report: The next Presbytery
meeting will be September 20-21 in Ellendale.
Andrew Thostenson will be
Session delegate to this meeting.
Clerk’s report: 106 served communion
on Sunday, August 4. Becky DeJong will
be attending the annual Session record
review in Casselton on Sunday, September 29, at 2:00 p.m.
Meeting closed with prayer by Dixon
Moorhead at 8:55 p.m.
Becky DeJong, Clerk of Session
MOMENT
FOR MISSION
Yearly, the Mission Committee allocates
monies to the Andrew and Kari Downer
who serve as missionaries in Cameroon.
Also on an annual basis, the Mission
Committee supports Youth for Christ’s
Teen Moms which is under the direction
of Linda Bass. This year each group will
receive $500 from the missions fund.
SEPTEMBER DATES
TO REMEMBER
BIRTHDAYS
9-1 Andrea Corneliussen
9-3 Clyde Van Cleve
9-4 Ryan Bastle
9-6 Meghan Hanna
Amanda Herman
Thomas Herman
Bruce Steele
9-9 John Wilkinson
9-12 Gordy Pederson
9-13 Ann Chale
Parker Nelson
9-15 Danielle Swart
9-16 Dale Matzke
Vicky Whitcomb
9-17 Lee Dobrinz
Shelly VanCleve
9-19 Debbie Matzke
9-23 Uneva Dobrinz
9-25 Joan Hall
Louise Johnson
Ted Martin
9-27 Nancy Herman
ANNIVERSARIES
9-7-63 – Delbert and Donna Jenner
9-10-60 – Jim and Marlys Martin
9-18-54 – Dale and Gail Matzke
9-25-93 – Brent and Carolyn Talley
9-26-97 - Derek and Carrie Leopold
9-29-79 – Veril and Dawn Larson
BRIDAL SHOWER
A bridal shower is planned for
Blair Moorhead and Jim Gallagher
who will be getting married on October
13 in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. Blair is
a member of our church and the daughter of Dixon and Mary Jo Moorhead.
The shower will be Saturday, September
14th, at 10:00 a.m. in the fellowship
hall. All ladies of the church are invited.
The couple is registered at Target and
will be living in Arlington, Virginia following their wedding.
Page 6
AFTERNOON
CIRCLE
Afternoon Circle meets on the
second Tuesday of each
month September through
May. This year Circle starts on September 10th at 12:30 p.m. in the church
narthex. Ladies should bring their own
lunch but coffee will be provided. We
will be using the 2013-14 Study Guide
from Horizons. The title of the guide is:
An Abiding Hope: The Presence of God
in Exodus and Deuteronomy.
Study
Guides are available now from Delores
Horn at a cost of $8.80. All ladies of the
church are invited to attend. Carolyn
Koerselman is Moderator of Circle.
MISSION
OPPORTUNITY
KNOCKS
Our congregation has recently been presented with
another opportunity to serve God and
our community.
Churches United of
Moorhead has asked our congregation to
make a one year commitment of setting
up, preparing, and serving dinner at
their mission six times for the year. No
clean-up will be required. The work
would start this September on Wednesday, September 11, from 4:00 to 7:00
p.m. and would continue every odd
month on the second Wednesday until
July 9, 2014. At least five people would
be required to complete an evening’s
tasks.
Should our congregation take on this
obligation? Is it a project you would be
willing to personally support? If your
answers are “yes,” please contact Dixon
Moorhead. He can be reached by phone
at home at (701) 277-1414 or at work
at (701) 232-8283 or via e-mail at
[email protected]
WHAT’S UP WITH THE AED?
You may have recently noticed
this label on the front door to
the church.
This means we now have an AED, an
Automated External Defibrillator. So
why is this such a valuable addition to
our building?
Consider that in the U.S.:
“Approximately 890 deaths from coronary heart disease occur outside of the
hospital or emergency room every day.
Most of these deaths are due to the sudden loss of heart function or sudden cardiac death. In 2001 and 2002, there
were 6,628 workplace fatalities reported; 1,216 from heart attack, 354 from
electric shock, and 267 from asphyxia. A
number of these victims, up to 60 percent, might have been saved if AEDs
were immediately available. Chances of
survival from sudden cardiac death diminish by 7 – 10 percent for each minute without immediate CPR or defibrillation. After 10 minutes, resuscitation
rarely succeeds. An AED is an electronic
device designed to deliver an electric
shock to a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. Ventricular fibrillation may be restored to normal rhythm up to 60 percent of the time if treated promptly with
an AED, a procedure called defibrillation.”
Our new AED device has simple audio
and visual commands and is designed to
be easily used by lay people. You can
find the device in a white cabinet which
is mounted on the north wall of the old
narthex. Simple instructions for use can
be found in the cabinet.
Short video training clips will be shown
in the fellowship hall on Sundays during
the month of September to let
everyone find out more about
how to use it.
Page 7
SEPTEMBER HS & MS
SOUL TRAIN
SCHEDULE
Sunday, September 1- No Soul Train
Labor Day Weekend
Sunday, September 8-Kickoff
Saturday, September 15-Horseback
Riding (or TBA)
September 20-22- MS Fall Retreat at
Presbyterian Clearwater Forest
Sunday, September 29-Ultimate Frisbee
SOUL TRAIN HELP NEEDED
The Soul Train Youth are looking for an
adult male (college-aged or older) to
help chaperone retreats and lock-ins for
this school year. Responsibilities include
helping lead and participate in games,
worship, and Bible study as well as
hanging out with the youth. Talk to Samantha if you are interested or have
any questions.
WEDNESDAY
BIBLE STUDY RECOMMENCES
Beginning September 18, join us
on Wednesday mornings at
10:00 in the sunny narthex as
we begin our study of Jesus’ Sermon on
the Mount.
See how life in God's kingdom differs
from the way the world lives. The Sermon on the Mount is a collection of Jesus' teachings on life in the kingdom of
God. Jesus reveals that life under God's
rule is radically different from the way
the world lives. Through topics that
range from murder and adultery to
prayer and forgiveness, Jesus deftly
weaves the theme of living by true
righteousness. Gain valuable insights on
trusting completely in God and understanding God's will.
All are welcome! See Bonnie Thompson
with any questions.
PRESBYTERIAN
WOMEN
CARD MAKERS
Have you checked out the
greeting cards that the PW
Card Makers have in the rack in the narthex? Many of these are one of a kind
that the ladies make from “scratch”.
Others are made from used greeting
cards. This group started in early 2009
with eight to nine members who work
one afternoon a week for approximately
three hours.
Can you guess how many cards have
been sold in that time? Approximately
5,000 cards! This amounts to approximately $2,354.00 profit! So far, the ladies have contributed to many different
projects for the church. Some of which
are: counters for the kitchen, new chairs
for the narthex, new lights in the old
narthex, Project Open Door, license to
be able to copy music from other hymnals than the one we use in the church,
postage for mailing the Community Call,
Roof Fund, soap for the dishwasher plus
contributions to many mission projects
approved by Session. So far, a total of
$2,040.00 has been contributed to these
projects plus the group is financial selfsustaining in that all supplies are bought
with proceeds from the sale of cards or
contributed by group members.
The group meets each Thursday afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the
narthex. One of the best parts of these
meetings is the fellowship and becoming
close friends with other members. We
also have coffee and treats each week
(just ask Pastor Matt).
We would like to invite any one from the
church who is interested to come and
check out the group and visit and share
in the treats and coffee.
Page 8
IT’S TIME
TO REPLACE THE ROOF
This May, something that has not
happened for the past six years at
CPC happened. It started in the old narthex and spread into the adjoining new
narthex. It was water. The old annex
roof was failing.
For these past several years, you could
tell it was October by the leaky roof.
You see, every October the roofer came
in and did some patching for a couple of
hundred dollars, and then we would be
okay again for another year. Well, this
May, the leaks came back early and
they were worse than before.
So, we need a new roof. The old one,
which was installed in 1982 served us
well, but patches on top of patches
simply will not do anymore. In June, we
contacted three roofing companies to
give us estimates. Two bid the job, and
in early August we accepted an offer of
$23,285. We decided to accept this bid
because it will provide a 15 year warranty, it will be slightly sloped (¼ inch in
12 inches of run), and it will be integrated into our sanctuary and new narthex
roofs (which are seven years old). Finally, the new roof will not require rock
ballast, so this should help us tolerate
greater snow loads. We expect the work
to be done in September or October.
We sincerely ask that all members and
friends contribute funds to this essential
enterprise so drying fans no longer need
to be set up whenever rainclouds appear.
October’s Community Call
deadline will be
Friday, September 20
ROOFING FUND UPDATE
The roofing fund continues to grow. At
this writing, we have a little over
$18,000.00 of the necessary
$23,285.00. The contract has been
signed, and we will need to have the full
amount in either September or October.
For those who have contributed already,
all we can say is a sincere "Thank You.”
For those who are still considering their
contribution, please prayerfully consider
what you may contribute, so we may
have the total amount when it is needed.
Thank you,
Kevin Galt , Stewardship Committee
FINANCIAL REPORT
Budgeted
2013
giving:
$158,652.00 / 52 weeks =
$3,051.00 per week
Budgeted
Actual
Giving
Giving
Week
to Date
to Date
8/18/13 $100,683.00 $87,905.00
This does not include the mortgage payment of $3,146.54. We have funds designated to pay the mortgage through
October. The balance of the operating
fund loan at this time is $10,785.00.
If we give generously to others and for
the building of God’s kingdom, He will
find ways to bless us. We can never out
give God. Jesus tells us to “give, and it
will be given to you” (Luke 6:38). Our
giving will reap blessings.
SPAGHETTI FOR THE SOUL
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Presbyterian Squares’ new study compares life to a plate of spaghetti! The
soul satisfying seasonings of faith, hope,
and love can transform one’s attitude,
outlook and actions. At 5:55 p.m. at
the church, we begin with a supper of
spaghetti, followed by our Bible study.