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Vol. 21 No. 4 April 2019

Emerge from the Dark Wood

During this Lenten season we have been journeying through the Dark Wood. The Dark Wood is that place in

our lives that we would rather avoid if we could, yet we find ourselves there nonetheless. These Dark Wood

moments have a tendency to prevent us from being the people that God created us to be; however, what we’ve

learned and are continuing to learn during our journey is that there are “gifts” in the Dark Wood. For example,

in our times of uncertainty we learn to trust in God. In times of emptiness we remember to make room for God

and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

On Easter Sunday we will emerge from the Dark Wood like a butterfly emerges from its cocoon. We will

gather at the Jesus’ tomb and discover that it is empty and that not even death could snuff out the light that

came into the world and continues to shine in our lives today.

In John’s gospel, Jesus says, “Because I live, you too shall live.” This is an awesome promise that comes with

an awesome responsibility as well because it calls us to be transformed by the life, love and grace of our Lord

and Savior. Even in our Dark Wood moments when we feel alone or lost, God is with us—loving us, healing

us, and guiding us.

As we come out of the Dark Wood may we remember that we have been entrusted with the light; that we too

are called to be a light in the darkness, to help others along the way. This Easter season let us put our faith in

action and show that world that we are followers of Christ not just with our words but with our actions as well.

We have plenty of opportunities at FPC to share the love of Christ in and around South Lyon, and wherever

else the Holy Spirit sends us. Let us go out and proclaim that Christ is Risen! He is risen, indeed!

With Peace and Grace,

Pastor Mike

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ACTIVE FAITH HAM COLLECTION

Easter will be here before you know it! During Lent our Deacons will be accepting

donations to purchase Easter hams for Active Faith. If you would like to contribute to

this worthwhile cause, donations will be received through Sunday, April 14th. Be sure

to mark your checks or envelopes with “Easter hams.”

BLOOD DRIVE

It’s that time again! Our next scheduled Blood Drive here at FPC takes place on

Tuesday, April 9th from 2:00 p.m. -8:00 p.m. To schedule an appointment, log on-

to www.redcross blood, org (sponsor code: fpcsl) or call 248-310-9933. If you

would be interested in volunteering the day of the blood drive contact Bob Cue.

FYSH FRY FRYDAY

Congregational Life invites

you, as well as your family

and friends, to attend Fysh

Fry Fryday on Friday, April

12th at the Brighton VFW.

Food is served from 5:00 p.m.

-7:00 p.m. You have a choice

of 2 or 3 piece fish dinner,

shrimp dinner, or chicken tender dinner. Prices start at

$8.00 - $12.00. Please sign up if you intend to go. The

sign up sheet is located on the bulletin board.

Join us for a Palm Sunday (April 14th) for a Pan-

cake Breakfast to support the Capernaum Health

Clinic and all that they do for the community.

Breakfast is served from 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. in

the Fellowship Hall. Breakfast consists of

scrambled eggs, pancakes, and sausage. Tickets

are $5 for adults, $3 for kids 12 and under and

$15 for a family of 4 or more.

HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES

April 14 Palm Sunday Worship Service - 10:30 a.m.

-New members will be received during worship

April 18 Maundy Thursday Service - 7:00 p.m.

April 19 Good Friday Community Service - 7:00 p.m.

- First United Methodist Church, South Lyon

April 21 Easter Sunday Service - 10:30 a.m.

- featuring brass quartet from SLHS

Be prepared to be blown away by the Holy Spirit! Pentecost is on Sunday, June 9. It’s going to be a special

day in the life of our church. Mark you calendar now and save the date. You won’t want to miss it!

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TRAVELING MUG CLUB

April Destination: Cleary’s Pub - Howell

Friday, April 26 at 6:30 p.m. is our next Dinner and Drinks outing at

Cleary’s Pub in downtown Howell.

At the reborn Cleary’s Pub, they strive to bring you some of the best pub

food around featuring appetizers, burgers, brick-oven pizza, soups, sal-

ads, sandwiches, wraps and entrees.

After dinner and conversation you may want to take a stroll down How-

ell’s main street. Lots of shops, and a coffee house or two. Bring a

friend or two. Everyone is invited.

GRIEF SUPPORT

The death of a loved one can be incredibly overwhelming and leave us feeling

lost and alone. Our Grief Support group offers you guidance on your journey

towards hope, healing, and new beginnings. Whether you are in early

grief, navigating life transitions, or ready to move forward, we provide a safe

space for you to talk about your grief and connect with others who've experi-

enced a similar loss and can help.

Our group meets on the 3rd Monday of the month. Our April meeting is

Monday, April 15th at 10:00 a.m. at the Java House.

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING

One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) during the season of Lent is the single, largest

way that Presbyterians come together every year to work for a better world - sharing

God’s love with our neighbors-in-need around the world by providing relief from nat-

ural disasters, food for the hungry, and support for the poor and oppressed. So...we

ask you to take a fish bank and feed the fish, or to use a OGHS envelope to help these

gifts go for BIG PURPOSES. Banks and envelopes will be collected on Palm

Sunday, April 14.

Each gift helps to improve the lives of people in challenging situations through three impactful programs:

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance: Works alongside communities as they recover and find hope after the

devastation of natural or human-caused disasters.

Presbyterian Hunger Program: Takes action to alleviate hunger and the systemic causes of poverty so all

may be fed.

Self-Development of People: Invests in communities responding to racism, oppression, poverty and injustice

and educates Presbyterians about the impact of these societal ills.

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SESSION MEETING HIGHLIGHTS

Regular Session Meeting of March 16, 2019 opened with prayer led by Moderator Rev. Mike Horlocker.

Present: Moderator Rev. M. Horlocker; Clerk-Elder K. Schultz; Elders R. Cue, B. Greene, M. Harrington, M. Lloyd, A. Lyke, M. Mueller, R. McClintock; Treasurer B. Weinburger; G. McClintock, Deacon Rep. Excused: K. MacNish.

• Discussed chapters 4 & 5 of our book, “Canoeing the Mountains”, to help us learn more about leadership in today’s world.

• Discussed fundraising for a Christian Educator which was part of pastors terms of call.

• Discussed breakfast fundraiser for Palm Sunday. Motion approved to donate profits to Capernaum Health Clinic.

• Heard treasurer’s report on finances.

• Discussed meeting more frequently.

• Meeting closed with prayer by Moderator.

Respectfully submitted,

Kathy Schultz, Clerk of Session

EASTER FLOWER ORDER FORM

Easter is just around the corner. Help us decorate the sanctuary by purchasing beautiful Easter flowers. This

year, in addition to the Easter Lily, you may purchase tulips and daffodils. Your plant(s) can be taken home

following the Easter service. Just complete this form and place it in the offering plate, or return it to the

church office, with your payment, no later than April 14th.

No. of Easter Lilies ______@ $20 = ______

No. of Tulips ______ @ $10 = ______

No. of Daffodils ______ @ $10 = ______

No. of Hyacinths ______ @ $10 = ______

In honor/memory/celebration of (circle one please):

______________________________________________

______________________________________________

From: _________________________________________

______________________________________________

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MISSION AND OUTREACH

APRIL 2019

Active Faith: We are collecting CANNED MEAT in April. Examples are beef stew, Spaghettos with meatballs, Spam, tuna, deviled ham, etc.

American Red Cross: Our next blood drive will be Tuesday April 9, from 1pm to 7pm in the Fellowship Hall. You can make your appointment online in advance to save your perfect time.

Everyone Eats (E1E): March 20 was our Wednesday. Jefferson Avenue PC(USA) sent the crew and we made jambalaya, green beans & carrots, and salad. The Kids Connection made cookies for us to distribute. We served 70 meals.

Our April turn is the Easter meal on the 17th. We will need a maximum of 9 dozen cupcakes because there are fewer people coming now. Contact Anne for more information. 248.202.8526.

Volunteers wear their blue FPCSL t-shirt if you have one, and meet in the parking lot at 8:50am; departure is at 9am and return is closer to 2:30pm now. Any questions? Call Bob Cue (248.310.9933) or Anne Lyke (248.202.8526).

We are collecting Box Tops for Education, Labels for Education, Campbell Soup labels, and Aunt Millie’s bread labels. If you are not donating these to other projects, we would be grateful to receive them. Place them in the receptacle by the M&O bulletin board.

Future Events:

All April Shop for canned meat

April 9 Blood Drive - Fellowship Hall 1pm-7pm

April 16 Mission & Outreach Committee meeting - Library 10:30am

Cupcake decorating - Fellowship Kitchen 3pm

April 17 E1E meal at Spirit of Hope late departure 10am

The Mission & Outreach committee meets on the third Tuesday of the month (April 16th)

at 10:30am in the Library. Anyone interested in using their talents and influence, please

join us, no RSVP needed. If you cannot attend, talk to a member: Jeanette, Barb J., Bob,

Dorcas or Anne Lyke.

STOCK UP ON YOUR FAIR TRADE GOODS

FYI - We still have coffee and tea available for purchase. We have French Vanilla and

Toffee Caramel coffee, and English Breakfast black tea. Be sure to visit our fair trade table

and stock up on your favorite items. If you don’t see the items out for purchase please ask to

see what is available.

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FOR … and About South Lyon First Presbyterian Women!

April 2019

April…is it Spring yet? We have had an interesting Spring so far…cold, wind, rain, snow. Mother Nature threw everything she had at us but…we survived and eagerly look forward to the April Showers when the flowers will be nurtured with rain getting ready for bursting forth in May. I’m ready and will be glad to have warm temperatures and great weather again.

Easter will be celebrated April 21st as we joyfully rejoice in Jesus conquering death on the cross with His Resurrection that gives us all hope for life after death! This special day in the life of the church is always an awesome celebration!

The April Women’s Bible Study will meet on Wednesday, April 10 at 11:00 in the library. We will be doing Chapter 8 called “God with Us as the Holy Spirit” from God’s Promise, I Am With You, the Presbyterian Women’s study for 2018-2019.

The focus will be on God, who tells the disciples that the Father will send the Holy Spirit to be with them. The key question that we will reflect on is “What difference does this promise make to you, today?”

Come, explore with us as we find answers. All women are welcome.

Following the Bible study, the Presbyterian Women will hold a brief meeting before going to Aubree’s for lunch.

The Soul Sisters (all SLFPC) Women are invited to meet at Aubree’s for lunch and fellow-ship at 12:15 p.m. WE’D LOVE TO HAVE YOU JOIN US!

At the March meeting of the Presbyterian Women it was voted to give $500 to the Church General Fund as our local mission project. It was also voted to purchase a large ceiling fan for the Parlor for Property and Facil-ities if they will pay for the installation by our electrician., It was determined by our electrician, that this will assist in cooling in Parlor during the summer months with the air conditioning inoperable.

Circle Eve will meet Monday, April 22nd at 7:00 p.m. at the home of Anne Lyke. Topic will be focused around water. Light meal provided. If you need directions contact Anne Lyke at 248-202-8526

The Presbyterian Women of the Presbytery of Detroit will have their April meet-

ing at Allen Park Presbyterian Church on Saturday, April 13th from 8:30 a.m. -

through lunch, (Cost is $8.00.) The address of the church is 7101 Park Avenue,

Allen Park, MI 48101. April’s program is “Good Works” and will be presented

by PW churches. Motion break will be the Hunger Walk. Agenda is as follows:

8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. is a light breakfast in the Parlor of the main building. The

program and lunch will be across the street. For reservations call Allen Park Pres-

byterian Church at (313) 383-0100 by April 11th.

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TRUSTING GOD

When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the

ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer. Trust God today no

matter how dark your situation. God says, “You are coming out the other

side.”

RELAY FOR LIFE

Whether you are a cancer survivor, a care taker for someone who has suffered from cancer, or lost a loved one

because of this horrible disease, cancer impacts us all. Relay for Life is an annual event held around the coun-

try to raise funds necessary to fight cancer. This year, the South Lyon Relay for

Life team invited Pastor Mike to provide a Relay team from FPC. Enjoying a

good challenge, he accepted and is now looking for a team of 8—10 people that

will help him represent FPC on Saturday, June 15th from noon—11:00 p.m.

What is required of team members? There must be a team member walking the

track at all times, and we must staff a game booth that will help raise additional

funds during the event. If you would like to be a team member, please see

Pastor Mike.

We’re Hiring a Christian Educator!

At the Annual Congregational Meeting in January, we, the Congregation,

voted to fund a Christian Educator as part of Pastor Mike’s terms of call.

What does this mean? In order for Pastor Mike to remain our Pastor, we

agreed that Session would hire a person, by August, to lead our Sunday

children’s education program at an estimated yearly cost of $5,500.

What do we have to do now? We need to raise a total of $5,500 for fund

this position and materials. We need to be funded by June 1st … $1,200 has

already been donated…an additional $4,300 is needed!

We do not have funding for this position in our budget, but with our growing

youth program, we need this position. REMEMBER…the whole church

supports our youth and their Christian Education!

What can you do? Make a donation to the Christian Education Fund and

watch our thermometer climb!

Any questions? Please ask a member of Session.

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ALL DAY CRAFT DAY Our spring craft day is right around the corner on May 4. Spend the day working on your

favorite projects from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. In addition, you can bring your things in for

an early start on Friday, May 3, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Three meals, snacks, an 8’

table, and lots of fellowship are provided. The $35 cost covers everything and the pro-

ceeds provide camperships to the Howell Nature Center for area at risk youth. Space is

limited so sign up soon! Bring a friend and share the fun! Contact Gwyn McClintock

(810-599-7133) or Kathy Schultz (734-449-2938) if you have questions or to sign up.

COMING UP IN MAY . . .

Saturday, May 4 All Day Craft Day - 8:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 5 South Lyon High School Performance of Cinderella - 2:00 p.m.

- Tickets $10 each; Join us for lunch before performance.

Friday, May 10 Traveling Mug Club (TMC) - 6:30 p.m.; Block Brewery, Brighton

Saturday, May 11 Church workday - exterior of building - 9:00 a.m. - noon

Saturday, May 18 Brunch at The Whitney - Capernaum Fundraiser 10:00 am - noon

. . . more to come as the month progresses!

CHURCH WORKDAY

Spring is here and that mean warmer temperatures, sunny days and of course

getting the yard ready for the flowers to pop their heads out and say

“ahhhh!”

The Church grounds need our help as well! On Saturday, May 11th from

9:00 a.m.-noon we are asking for help to clean up the exterior grounds of the

church. We have so many beautiful areas that need a clean bed to grow in.

CHANCEL FLOWER DATES STILL AVAILABLE

There are still available weeks open to purchase Chancel flowers. If you are interested

in a particular date for a special occasion, or in remembrance of someone, please call

the church office and Laura will give you the dates available. The arrangements are

$25.

APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS

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TO MARS AND BEYOND...

Summer is just around the corner, and we are really excit-

ed about this year’s Vacation Bible School!

This year we are going on an adventure to “Mars and Be-

yond.”

VBS runs from Monday, June 24—Friday, June 28,

from 9:00 a.m.—noon.

Our online registration is open. Mark you calendar and

register soon.

BRUNCH AT THE WHITNEY: A Capernaum Fundraiser

Join us for a very special brunch in support of Capernaum on

Saturday, May 18 at The Whitney in Detroit. Capernaum is a

special ministry of several South Lyon churches which offers

free medical and dental to the uninsured and underinsured in our

area three times a year. This fundraiser will be used to support

Capernaum’s ministry to those who might not otherwise have

access to medical and dental care. The Whitney is a historic

location, and this event promises to be a meaningful time of

fellowship as people from all over our community gather together to break bread in support of Capernaum.

Our brunch will offer three seatings: 10:00 am, 10:30 am and 11:00 am. Once we have received payment, we

will assign seating times and issue tickets. We will do our best to honor all requests for seating times, but due

to space limitation we may not be able to.

Tickets for the brunch cost $50 person. Or if you prefer, you can become a Friend of Capernaum for $75 per

person which includes a ticket to the Whitney, special clinic communications throughout the year and an invi-

tation to our annual meeting and luncheon. Tickets can be purchased through the church or online using Pay-

Pal at www.capernaumhealthclinic.org. (Please note that valet parking is available at the Whitney for $10 per

car and will be paid directly to the Whitney the day of the event.)

Please contact Rev. Katy Doyle-Hohf, Capernaum Executive Director, at k.doylehohf@gmail.com or

248.535.6776 if you have any questions.

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Prayer requests received during the month of March.

Please pray for the following . . .

• the family of Billy Lintner on his passing

• the Britschneider family on the loss of Karen.

• Aaron Weinburger fighting pneumonia

• Joe and Harriet Kofta’s daughter Diane, returning

from the U.P. and starting a new job.

• Barb Johanningsmeier’s oldest son recovering from

surgery; Barb’s friend recovering from open heart

surgery and three strokes.

• Ann Clifton’s friend Ian Grapp recovering from a

stroke.

• The Jansky family on the passing of Mrs. Jansky.

• Asher Hohf on his baptism.

• Don Anderson recovering from broken ankle and

blood clots.

• Phyllis Goodman recovering from dislocated shoul-

der.

• Thelma Owen, Judi Ross recovering from surgery.

• Craig Jones

• Jonathan B. (4 yrs. Old) serious health issues at Mott

Children’s Hospital

• Baby Bash

• Mary Bond, Debbie Allen, Barbara Donley, Mary Lue

Verran

• UMC as their denomination struggles with issues

• Those who must walk to get potable water for their

families

• Christchurch, New Zealand and Muslim community

• Those dealing with devastation from floods in

Nebraska

• The Catholic Church and leaders as they struggle to

deal with church issues.

Our Shut-ins and Homebound

➢ Mary Bond

➢ Joan Borsh

➢ Edna Carey

➢ Bette Haack

➢ Edna Hope

Our Men Serving in the Armed Forces

➢ Kenny Bond

➢ Jared Roth

Our Friends Under the Care of Presbytery

➢ Anne Lyke

Request prayer by calling the church office at 248.437.2875

or online at www.fpcsouthlyon.org/prayer-requests.

Please let your Deacon know how your prayer is being an-

swered. If you do not know who your Deacon is, contact

the church office.

Birthdays Anniversaries

4/20 Susan Williamson 4/9 Jay & Cherrie Fergusson

4/21 Peggy Hart

4/22 Pat Cooper

4/23 Claude Danielson

4/30 Dian Cullens

4/7 Andrea Dingeldey

4/14 Harringtons

4/21 EASTER

4/28 Ed Beckstein

In Memory of

Billy Edmund Lintner

B. February 23, 1926

D. March 24, 2019