First Baptist Church
224
Main St. Penn Yan, NY 14527
(315)
536-9821 e-mail: pyfbc@peoplepc.com
Rev. John R. Tharp, Pastor
Our Worship Services for September
Sept.
6 “Who Are You Talking To?”
Psalm 84:1-12
Sept.
13 “Fishers of Men”
Matthew 4:18-22
Church School Rally Day
Sept.
20 “Let Go and Let God”
Proverbs 31:10-31
Phyllis Granger – Guest Pastor
Women’s Sunday
* Ladies: Remember to
bring in your Love Gift Offering
Sept.
27 “A Baptist Birthday!”
Rev. Dr. Donald R. Rasmussen – Guest Pastor
Interim Executive
Minister for American Baptist Churches of NYS
(See biography enclosed)
Greeters
Sept. 6 Ethel & Jack Clancy
Sept. 13 Matt Scutt & Charlie Miller
Sept. 20 Women’s Sunday
Sept. 27 Jennifer & George Slocum
“GOD HAS MADE EVERYTHING
BEAUTIFUL IN ITS TIME
… HE HAS PUT ETERNITY INTO
THE HUMAN MIND”
Ecclesiastes
3:11
A message from Pastor John -
Did you ever notice that your pets tend to live a very
orderly, if not disciplined, existence? Our three dogs have specific rituals
which they “doggedly” follow each day. When I get up (around 6 am), they go
crazy because they know that their walk will happen just after I shave. After
the walk, it is naptime. After supper it is beg for scraps time. And at 8:30
pm, it is doggy bone time. If any part of this daily ritual is forgotten they
have ways of reminding us. Their awareness of order is what makes them
excellent choices for guide dogs and therapy dogs. (Did you ever hear of a
“seeing eye” cat or attack rabbit?)
In spite of their many good qualities, it does not seem
that concern for the future is much on their mind. Aside from burying a bone or
waiting for their person to come home, it seems that their lives are pretty
much one dimensional. Someone once told me that for a dog, time does not exist
when their person is not there. We humans appear to be the only creatures that
bear the weight of the eternal.
In reality, we are surrounded by eternity. The universe
in infinitely huge and sub atomic particles are infinitely tiny. For some
reason God has selected us to grapple with the meaning of this. This amazing
gift has prompted some of the most majestic of observations. Such are the words
of the Psalmist (8:3-5).
“When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars which thou hast established,
what is man that thou are mindful of him and the
son of man that thou doest care for him?
Yet thou hast made him a little less than God
and does crown him with glory and honor.”
The beauty of this is that we have the option of “living
large”. Living in the light of eternity gives us a depth, which animals do not
have. It also gives us a richness that comes when we discover the Eternity of
God in the center of it all. I like the verse in the hymn, “Immortal,
Invisible, God Only Wise” that says: “Only the splendor of light hideth thee.”
Coming of the autumn is a firm reminder of God’s promise:
“While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and
winter, day and night, shall not cease.” (Genesis 8:22) The gift of God to us
is the spirit of eternity within the brief time we have on this earth. It is
the gift that leads us to eternal fellowship with Him.
...... Pastor John
September Birthdays:
7 ~ Kathryn Clayson 24 ~ Greg
Miller
8 ~ Mary Lou Hainsworth 25 ~ Jack Clancy
11 ~ Sylvia Ansley 28 ~
Viola Gray
17 ~ Matt Scutt 30
~ Barbara Burke
20 ~ Pat Ames
Women's Groups
Our two
Women’s Groups are ready to resume their fall schedules. Won’t you consider
joining them for fellowship?
Mary &
Martha Circle
Tuesday,
September 8 @ 10:30 am. Marge Cornell
will provide dessert for the group and will bring a devotion to share. Remember
to bring your own sandwich.
Fellowship
Class
Wednesday,
September 23 @ noon. Bring a sandwich
for your lunch.
MISSION SUCCESS!
Congratulations
First Baptist on yet another successful mission
outreach
project! Through your loving and generous hearts we
were able to
present a check for $301.00 (plus one final bag
of pennies) to
Gwen Conrad, our Missionary with YWAM in
El
Paso/Juarez. To God Be The Glory!
Dear Friends,
As a congregation, we are privileged to be stewards of
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Many persons have been transformed by the power of
the gospel working through the ministries of our church. Our staff at American
Baptist Churches of New York State (ABC/NYS) work in partnership with us as
stewards of the gospel.
Our Interim Executive
Minister will be preaching here on Sunday, Sept. 28.
We will be taking a “Love
Offering” for Regional Ministries on that day.
Your gifts will help
transform lives across New York State and in our church. Please give
generously.
Thank You.
In Christ’s Service,
Board of Missions
A Golden Opportunity Coming Up This Fall!
DID YOU KNOW…
1.
God planned ahead for all
your gloomy days?
2.
God arranged for
encouragement to be right there when you needed it?
3.
God gave each of us the
ability to console and encourage as well?
4.
“Encouragement is to a
friendship” what “confetti is to a party”?
What does “encouragement”
and “confetti” have in common, you ask? Well, both are light, refreshing, and
fun. They’re “CHEER” you can throw someone’s way. But even deeper, each of them
demonstrate the assurance you’re there, that you’re standing behind them and
supporting them. NOW HERE COMES THE
GOOD PART…
A six-week small group study
“Encouraging One Another” will take
place this fall on Wednesday nights at 7 pm at the church beginning Sept. 23.
Led by Cheryl Stewart it is open to anyone who wants to search the Bible for
all the ways God wants us to know he didn’t leave us to face life alone. We’ll
think, share, smile and fellowship as we search the scriptures for all God’s
encouraging “love notes” to us. So what are you waiting for? Grab a handful of
confetti and jump in! But be careful … you’re liable to find little pieces of
what you discover stuck to you for a lifetime!
Church Library News
Have you browsed
the library lately? There is a wealth of material there for your
enjoyment. You can find:
BIBLES BIBLE STUDIES CONCORDANCE
BIOGRAPHIES GUIDEPOST PUBLICATIONS CHRISTIAN FICTION
VIDEOS OF: WOW CONCERTS
KEN DAVIS CHRISTIAN COMEDY
Be sure to sign
your borrowed material out on the log provided.
A book by
Karen Kingsbury – “Every Now and Then” was given in honor of
Helena
Cranmer.
Fall Fest
Bring your ideas to the
first planning meeting for Fall Fest 2009. Our first get together will be held
at the home of Cindy Ovens at 10 am, on Saturday, September 26. This will be a
brain-storming session, so bring your creative suggestions. The bazaar is
scheduled for Saturday, November 14.
Colgate Rochester Crozer
Divinity School
Supporting Family
Caregivers: Faith Communities Can Help
A series of workshops are
being offered co-sponsored by the Gene Bennett Program for Life Long Learning,
Ithaca College Gerontology Institute and the Finger Lakes Geriatric Education
Center UNY.
¨
A Holistic Approach to
Caring for the Caregiver – Sept 16, 7-9 pm
¨
Understanding Alzheimer’s
Disease – Sept. 23, 7-9 pm
¨
End of Life Care and the
Importance of Caregiver Self Care – Sept. 30, 7-9 pm
To register online visit:
www.crcds.ed or call 585-340-9540. All workshops will be held at Colgate
Rochester Crozer Divinity School 1100 South Goodman Street, Rochester.
Board of Christian
Education ~ Summary
of August 17 Meeting
2009-10 Teaching Staff
Pre-School – Sue Willson
& Ethel Clancy
Elementary - Tammy Miller
(Sept – Nov) & Diane DeLooza (Apr – June)
Pre-Teen – Greg Marion
We will hold a common
worship in room 201 at the beginning of Church School (after the Children’s
Story). During the first quarter the children will be able to recite the Lord’s
Prayer and sing: Jesus Loves Me, To God Be the Glory, Gloria Patre, Doxology
and O Little Town of Bethlehem.
Refugees: continued…
“I asked God,
can you please find someone for me,” said Khin Soe. “I don’t want my husband to
be like those people, I asked God can you please find a good husband for me.”
A week later, she had found
Aung Tin and they were married.
Though
married, the couple continued to live life on the run. They delivered their
first two children – a 13-year-old daughter Kapaw Sasah, and an 11-year-old
daughter Kapru Htoo in the forests of Burma.
“We didn’t
have a village, no place, because the Burmese military always attacked us,”
said Khin Soe. “The first time I was so worried, the first baby, but I prayed
to God to please help me (and) Aung Tin was my doctor.”
Finally, in
2001, the couple was able to flee persecution and come to the United States
through a refugee resettlement program.
They came to Utica, New York, where the Tabernacle Baptist Church
reached out to them. Tabernacle had been working with Karen refugees since
1999, said Edith Davison of their refugee ministry team. The church also has a
historic connection to Burma, sending Cephas Bennett and his family out in the
1820s to serve as missionaries with the Judsons.
Khin Soe
arrived pregnant, and soon gave birth to a son, Thomas Dale.
Two years later, the couple
sent $10,000 back to their home village to build a new church, and this was
after repaying the airfare to resettle them in the U.S., something all resettled
refugees must do. Davison said.
“My home
village is very old and the church there is very old,” said Khin Soe. “I
decided when I was young, I would like to build that church, but I never had
the chance when I lived in the jungle. I think God sent me here for people who
live in my village.”
Now six years
into their new life, the Moes have purchased a home. Aung Tin works as a
technician and has earned an associate’s degree, and Khin Soe works with the
public schools as a liaison to the Karen resettled community. And most
recently, the couple became U.S. citizens.
“I was so
happy when I got U.S. citizenship,” said Khin Soe. “I have never gotten
citizenship before,” said Khin Soe, committing that people who have fled to the
forests are denied citizenship in Burma.
Tabernacle Church, which
ministered to about 75 refugees in 2001, now ministers to over 500 resettled
Karen.
Many of those
who come will be blessed to interact with missionaries – like Duane and Marcia
Binkley – who serve in the U.S. an in Thailand (which borders Burma) working
with displaced people living in the refugee camps on the Tai-Burma border, and
with Karen, Chin and other ethnic persons being resettled by the tens of
thousands in the U. S.
Did you know that ethnic Karen were some of the first converts to
Christianity in the Burma mission pioneered by Adoniram and Ann Judson in 1814?
Karen have been a persecuted ethnic group in Burma for years. Estimates
are anywhere from 500,000 to 1 million Karen are in hiding and internally
displaced in Burma.
Over 155,000 refugees – mainly Karen – live in camps along the border
of Burma in Thailand.
To learn more abut this information visit the ministry website of Duane
and Marcia Binkley www.karenkonnection.org
Mission Trip Information
Meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 7 pm
There will be an
informational meeting for anyone interested in going on the Mission trip to
Mexicali, Mexico. The trip is scheduled for the End of October. This is the 3rd(?) annual trip.
If you are unsure about the details, come to the meeting to learn more. Here
from those who have gone before.
The Trustees meeting on Aug. 11, 2009.
¨
The fence is now around the
Air Conditioner. It hopefully will deter vandalism.
¨
We are getting hooked up
with Time Warner to provide fast (RR) internet and phone service. As a package
we will get better coverage for about the same price.
¨
The sink hole in the parking
lot has been repaired and other spots patched.
¨
Pre-Concert food sales are
going good. Thank you to all who have helped.
¨
A Steeple Jack has been
contacted to look at slate on steeple. No call back yet.
¨
We are researching how long
financial papers should be kept.
¨
We are investigating more
ways to help people who are served by the Food Program.
¨
We are already thinking
about the Fall Stewardship Drive.
¨
We have given approval for
the Depression BiPolar Support Group to meet in our building once a month.
¨
We received a Certificate of
Liability Ins. from Family Counseling of the Finger Lakes who use our building
on occasion.
¨
The Trustees will be
responsible for Coffee Hour in October.
¨
The next meeting will be
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009.
__________________________________________________________
A HUGE THANK YOU!
The Board of Trustees would
like to take this opportunity to thank ALL THE PEOPLE who helped this summer with
the Pre-Concert –In –The –Park Picnics:
~ To the wonderful people
who donated food items/condiments/paper
goods/meat/drinks
~ To our “Master Chef” Greg
Miller
~ To the Food Pantry and
their continued support and generosity
~ To Stan Ovens for making
food/drink runs
~ To Kathie & Don
Lawrence, Cindy & Stan Ovens, Nancy & Rev. John Tharp, Erma
Mullins, Pam Scutt, Sheryl Robbins, Greg & Erik Miller, and
Cheryl Stewart.
Because of our teamwork,
generosity, personal time given, and donations we had another very successful
season! TO GOD BE THE GLORY!!!
ANOTHER THANK
YOU!!!
To those who donated food and helped make the sandwiches for the
American Baptist Men’s Conference. We will receive $100 for the New Building
Fund.
To those who donated $109.34 to the Dollar and A Prayer Offering for
Camp Scholarships.
To those who donated $316.50 to the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering.
Green Lakes Report
At the end of
June, Christian and I had the opportunity to attend the Holy Spirit Renewal
Conference in Green Lakes. It was the perfect beginning to a summer that would
bring some very big changes to the lives of both of us.
Before we left
Penn Yan, Christian was a little upset about our upcoming move and his leaving
his friends. Also, at the same time as the HSR Conference, PYFBC was having
their own VBS that Christian didn’t want to miss. So, we encouraged Christian
and told him he would have fun meeting new friend at the HSR Conference along
with arts, crafts, games and other activities. The kids center held morning and
evening sessions. Christian went on fieldtrips around the campus, talked about
macaws, did arts and crafts, talked about macaws, went bike riding, walking,
took a little trolley ride and also talked about macaws. He had a great time.
For me, I
think the most I got out of the conference was realizing and honestly ADMITTING
that my ability to trust others and most importantly, trust Christ and have him
in my life needed a lot of work. Through our small group sessions, I think I
realized that my life as a Christian is not a place or frame of mind that I
could get to. In reality, a continuous journey that is not easy for me, but one
that makes me hopeful that in time the trust I have for God, others and myself
will come easier for me. Also, by nurturing my new and growing faith in Christ
and his love for me, will help me overcome and break down the walls and
obstacles I set up for myself.
I am very
happy that I was able to spend this quality time with Christian, John and
Nancy. I am also very happy and blessed to have gotten to know Tom and Katie
better as they embark on their own Life Journey together. I look forward to
experiencing the whole Green Lakes journey again sometime in the future.
~ Eileen Modaffari
Green Lake Experience
We greatly enjoyed our experience at Green Lake this
year. Singing praises to God and being in the company of old friends is always
a refreshing experience for us. This year’s keynote speaker was Dr. Moreland
who shared with us from his rich background of experience as a professor of
Philosophy at the University of Michigan. His in depth analysis of the current
cultural trends and ways of thinking in America led to a review of many of the
tenants that are held as sacred in our culture. Issues like relativism and the
unquestionable status of scientific analysis were primary pieces of his
critique. He offered many avenues for Christians who feel that they have been
pushed out of the market place of ideas. He offered well founded arguments for
the authority of scripture and a solid basis for speaking the truth of Christ
in a world which is wishy–washy due to it’s lack of a solid foundation.
Other speakers included Reid Trulson, who offered the
churches new insights in evangelism because of the new life being discovered by
many of our mission churches. One of the points of hope that he raised up was
in relationship to the work of evangelism in Islamic countries. He showed that
many of the differences between Christians and followers of Mohammed are really
cultural instead of religious. For example; the eating of pork and the use of
alcoholic beverages is condemned by the Islamic faith however these are
commonly accepted in the Christian community. On the other hand there are many
of the Islamic community who value the teachings of Jesus and would draw nearer
to the Christian church if it were not for the cultural differences.
It was fun for us to introduce Tom’s fiancée, Katie and
our friends Eileen and Christian to the beauty of Green Lake and to the Holy
Spirit Renewal Conference. We shared a cabin together and the six of us
experienced “close” fellowship. There were lively and sometimes deep discussion
around our dinner table. Christian especially enjoyed riding his bicycle, the
Children’s program and trying to convince everybody to adopt a macaw.
We would like to thank the good people at First Baptist Church for
making this trip possible for all of us.
- John & Nancy Tharp
Food for the
Needy News
It’s Back to School time,
remember to shop for after school snacks for the children. Food for the Needy
can use your help Sept. 23-25 in the mornings. Also, on Sept. 9 to help with
the evening food distribution.
The Backpack Program is
gearing up for Back to School. Remember to shop for the following items to help
support the children of the community.
tuna mac &
cheese fruit cups
Snack bars applesauce cups fruit/pudding cups cereal bars
You can help with the
backpack program on Wednesday evenings at 5 pm in the Great Room.
American Red Cross Needs~n~Things
hand soap laundry
soap paper towels Diapers sizes 4,5,6
kleenex toothpaste feminine products
Items for donation may be left in the box marked
“Red Cross Needs-n-Things” in the front of the sanctuary.
SUNDAY
BULLETIN MEMORIAL COVERS
Now is the
time to indicate your preference for a Memorial bulletin cover.
The cost is
$10 for one Sunday. In purchasing Memorial Bulletin Covers, you will help
defray some of the church’s operating costs and at the same time memorialize or
recognize a loved one. Printed in the bulletin will be the information you
provide below. Please send this form to the church office along with your
payment.
Date Preferred _______________ From _______________________
In Honor of
______________________________________________
In Memory of _____________________________________________