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First Presbyterian Church
of Littleton
1609 W. Littleton Blvd.
Littleton, CO 80120
Phone: 303-798-1389
Fax: 303-798-9920
E-mail: [email protected]
www.littletonpresbyterian.org
US Postage
PAID
Non-Profit
Permit # 47
Littleton, CO
OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Friday 9:00 am to Noon and 1:00pm to 4:00 p.m.
Office is closed on Saturdays.
WORSHIP TIMES
Sunday Worship 8:30 am
Adult Bible Study 9:30 am
Children’s Sunday School 10:30 am
Sunday Worship 10:30 am
FIRST WORD NEWSLETTER
The deadline for the January newsletter is December 16th
Return Service Requested
FIRST WORD First Presbyterian Church of Littleton December 1, 2016
Advent & Christmas
Advent: A Sight to Behold
December 4: Seeing God’s Justice, Chancel Choir (8:30)
Memorial Handbell Choir 10:30)
December 11: Seeing God’s Heart
December 18: Seeing God’s Plan, Lessons and Carols
Christmas Eve: Seeing Jesus
1 pm A Baroque Christmas
4 pm Children and Family Service
7 pm Chancel Choir, Communion and Candlelight
Christmas Day: No Service—Have a blessed Christmas
New Year’s Day: One service with Communion at 9:30 only
Inside This Issue Outreach Outpost Poinsettia Order Form Senior Lunch Stewardship News Children’s Sing Along Financial Update Staff Directory Youth News Leaf Raking News Prayer List December Newsletter Deadline Circle Info Men’s Breakfast
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Adult Education Ministry
Grow Closer to Christ and Grow Deeper Relationships Through Bible Study Groups!
One of our goals this year is to help everyone grow at least one part of their spiritual tree. Have you grown in your Seed of commitment to Christ, your Soil of worship, your Roots of relationships, your Trunk of spiritual practices, your Branches of service, or your Fruit of sharing Christ with others?
One way to grow your faith and your relationships is through our Bible studies. Consider this your invitation to join!
Sunday morning co-ed Bible study meets at 9:30 in the basement level classroom. This study is currently on 1 Samuel and led by Rev. Dave Blackburn.
Men’s Monday morning study meets every other Monday at 7 AM in the Welcome Center Men’s Monday evening study meets every 2nd and 4th Monday at 6:30 PM in Ayers Parlor
COMING IN THE NEW YEAR!!
SUNDAY MORNING CO-ED STUDY AT 0930 A 5 WEEK DVD SERIES LED BY SUSAN GRAHAM:
Adam Hamilton’s God Helps Those Who Help Themselves and Other Things the Bible Doesn’t Say-
Discover the truth and wisdom found in Scripture compared to many commonly used ‘Christian sounding’ cliches.
Start date and location to TBA.
Prayers for Advent, Christmas & Epiphany
Once again our Prayer Ministry group has created a prayer
booklet for this special season. Available in Chandler Hall and
at the Windermere door.
We pray that each day of Advent
brings you hope, peace, love and
joy and great anticipation for a
Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Circle Meet-ings
December 15
Staff Directory Pastor Cody Sandahl: (303) 798-1389 Ext 104,
Emergency Number: 720-258-6185, Email: [email protected] Pastor Carol Parsons, Director of Congregational Care: (303) 798-1389 Ext 106
· Cell: (303) 919-7624, Email: [email protected] Allie Atchison, Youth Director, (303) 798-1389 ext. 110,
· Cell: (303) 335-8122, Email: [email protected] or [email protected] Mary Dailey, Chancel Choir Director (303) 798-1389 Ext 108 Cell: (303)668-0727
· Email: [email protected] Susan Cicirello, Organist (720) 320-3697
· Email: [email protected] Karen Meersman, Director of Handbells & Children/Youth Music
Email: [email protected] Cynthia Kern, Wedding Coordinator C-(720) 985-7090, H- (303) 988-1984. Marian Becker, Wedding Coordinator (303) 904-2228. Elinor Packard, Office Administrator (303) 798-1389 Ext 101,
· Email: [email protected] Joan Lund, Financial Secretary (303) 798-1389 ext. 103
· Email: [email protected]
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Financial Update
“Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one
another with whatever gift each of you has received.”
1 Peter 4:10
A big thanks to all that have sent in their pledge cards for 2017. This helps so much with our budgeting process. If you haven’t yet pledged for 2017, please do so. The finance team is committed to presenting a balanced budget for 2017. Feel free to contact Joan Lund, Financial Secretary, in the office if you have any questions about pledging or giving.
October 2016 Year to Date 2016
Sept 2016 Budget Actual Budget
Income $43,968.75 $37,999.89 $376,836.07 $ 405,500.95
Expenses $33,680.50 $38,346.39 $382,615.95 $ 398,448.49
Surplus/Deficit $10,288.25 ($346.50) $(5,779.88) $ 7,052.46
Prayer List
Jim Grow
Susie Russell
Kerri Daw
Corbin Padilla
Jean Wilbur
Lois Reish
Joyce Fuller
Sophia Baldwin
Hank Rollert
Tom Joy
Betty Arment
Grace Banigan
Kathy Morgan and Charlie
Wilmajean Coate
Paul Arther
Marlene Cass
Kent Griffith
Rhea McCoy
Hans Updegraff
Jeannie Payne
Connie Strandberg and family upon the death of Russ.
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In Service to Our Country
Capt. Ricky Cashburn, Middle East
2nd Lt. Connor Venrick, Bethesda, MD
Brett Wilson, at sea
Sgt. Benjamin Lund, Afghanistan
WC2 Justin Robert Kohler, Iraq
Bobby Johannsen, Student Naval Aviator & OCS
Missions
John Altemus
Jory Bayne, Metro Denver
Presbytery of Zimbabwe
Metro Saints Covenant Community
South Asia Mission
Our Church Officers
ELDERS Barb Biner, Clerk of Session
John Ansted, Finance
Jeff Colwell, Outreach
Janice Fagan, Christian Education
Maria Franklin, Christian Education
Bill Frear, Properties, Personnel
Jim Grow, Outreach
Charles Kellogg, Renovation
David LeMay, Stewardship,
Presbytery Commissioner
Blythe Lund, Worship
Kathy McDaniel, Congregational Life
Tanya Smith, Mission
Mick Venrick, Personnel
Lynda Kizer, Presbytery Commissioner
DEACONS Maggie Ashworth, Worship Cheri Blanchard Diane Cannizzaro, Vice Moderator & Worship Joy Carreño Ron Cooper Vi Cooper Karen Ervin Briana Fowler Pete Gordon, Treasurer, Stewardship & Properties Suzanne Gordon Linda Miller Jeannie Payne Ann Peterson, Moderator Dan Smith Pam Wendell, Secretary Lonna Williams John Wilson
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A Memorial Service for Russ Strandberg will be held at the church on
Thursday, December 29th at 10am. A reception will follow.
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Children’s Ministries
There will be no Sunday School on Sunday 12/25/16 or Sunday 1/1/17. Classes resume Sunday 1/8/17. Children & Family Worship Time: Please join us for worship at 1030 AM! Worship activity bags are available for all children at the main and side entrances to the sanctu-ary. Children will participate in the service up through the Children’s Sermon and then are invited to join their teachers and shepherds for Sunday School! In Sunday School, our fun-filled mornings include lessons from Bible-based stories, mu-sic, and creative crafts designed to teach our children of God’s Grace & how to express our Gratitude! Sunday School classes for pre-K/K (ages 3-5) are held in the Ocean Room and for Grades 1-5 in the Yellow Room. All rooms are located in the Windermere entrance hallway. Check out the free e-book resource for use at home! It is available at-www.growinggracegratitude.org/for-the-home.html#ebook. The e-book includes Bible stories from each week, the story art, audio files, and activities for home that reinforce the grace event in the story. Childcare and Nursery: Available (Newborn - 5 years) Sunday mornings from 0845-1145 AM in the Childcare/Nursery Room located at the far end of the hall on the parking lot level. In order to provide safety and security, we ask that you sign your children in and out. When signing in, an attendant will issue you a pager so you may feel confident that we are able to contact you during worship if needed. We have a wonderful group of Nursery attendants who look forward to meeting you and your children! TEACHERS NEEDED! Please prayerfully consider if God is calling you to share your time/talents by teaching the wonderful children of FPCL on Sunday mornings! Even if you have never taught be-fore - it’s OK! We are MORE than happy to individually orient you to the classrooms, les-sons, and supplies - all you need is a willing heart to try just one time! Please contact us and watch your own faith grow through the hearts and minds of God’s children! In Christ’s Service Together, Maria Franklin and Janice Fagan Co-chairs CE Committee
Men’s Breakfast— Dec. 10th @ 7:30 am Louis’ Diner
The Afternoon Book Club
The Afternoon Book Group will meet at noon on Thursday, December 8 for our annual Christmas potluck. No book this month!
Plan ahead for the New Year:
January 12: The Baker’s Daughter by Sarah McCoy
February 9:Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis
All gatherings are in Ayers Parlor and, except for December, begin at 1:00 pm.
Please join us for our lively discussions.
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2017 Calendars for Sale! Your Tintinnabulation Ringers handbell choir is currently selling 2017 calendarsfeaturing King James Biblical scriptures and beautiful
photographs. Calendars are only $12.00 each and will be available each Sunday. If you would like to purchase a calendar during the week, please visit Elinor in the church office, or contact Karen Meersman at [email protected]. Over half of the money from each calendar sold will go directly to the TNT Ringers to support their trip to Snow Mountain Ranch in June for the Youth Ringers’ Camp. Thank you in advance for supporting the youth bell choir!
Youth Group: Sunday Evenings.
Middle School Youth Group: 4:-5:30pm
Dinner Together: 5:00-5:30pm
High School Youth Group: 5-7:00pm
All who step through our doors are welcome just as they are. If you have grown up in
church, just started coming, came because of a friend invited you, or you are curious
to know what is Jesus really like, you are welcome.
Upcoming Youth Events:
Annual Youth Christmas Party! December 4. Before the chaos of finals lets
have a fun evening together playing games, creating Christmas crafts, and
celebrating Christmas together! Bring dish to share, and a white elephant gift.
5pm-9pm.
Parents Night Out: December 9, join us as we give a night out for parents of kids of
our congregation! The kids will be attending the sing-a-long for the Christmas program
and then we will have a night of fun activities and games for the kids afterward! 5-
9pm.
Action Center’s Santa Shop: December 17. 11:30-5pm. Join us as we help families
pick out presents for their kids who can't afford Christmas for their families. This is an
incredible mission opportunity and we will get to serve families in our
community. (Eat before you come)
Want to know more? Contact Allie Atchison, youth director,
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Youth Serve Day 2016: Leaf Raking This year we participated in our second youth and family serve day raking leaves at homes of many from our congregation. For many raking leaves is a hard and arduous task which many in our church family are no longer able to complete. We delight as a youth group to serve these families and spend the day together having fun with leaves! On Saturday November 5, 22 youth and their family members came together to rake 14 homes, filling hundreds of bags! Every youth and family member gave up their entire Saturday to serve their community, and what a blessing it is to work with each of them. We split into 4 groups and set off on an amazing day of leaf
raking. Each team had between 2-5 homes per team. It all depended on size of the yard and number of people in the group. While raking leaves there were many a pile jumped in by the youth. Make sure to check out the pictures in our gallery, and see all the fun we had during the day. The day was beautiful and we had wonderful weather all day. I am incredibly grateful to each of them for their hard work and the care they gave each family. Thank you families for all your help. What a joy it is to serve with you.
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Poinsettia Order Form: Help us add to the beauty of our Sanctuary this Christmas season by purchasing a poinsettia. The plants will be in the Sanctuary on December 18 and for our Christmas Eve services. You may take your plant home after any of our services or leave it to be delivered to our homebound. Poinsettias can be ordered immediately, but if you would like someone's name included in the
Dec. 20 bulletin, the order must be received by Monday, December 13h.
In Memory/ Honor of (Please circle one):
Ordered by: Phone:
Make checks payable to: First Presbyterian Church. Please include payment with your order. Place it in the box in Chandler Hall or mail it to: First Presbyterian Church, 1609 W. Littleton Blvd., Littleton, CO 80120.
OUTREACH OUTPOST If you have not checked out our new website, please do so at www.littletonpresbyterian.org. You'll see that our new website is fresh, welcoming, and built around telling stories about FPCL. We have our technologically proficient Pastor Cody to thank for
the development of this beautiful new website, and it has proven to be the primary means by which recent visitors have discovered FPCL and chosen to visit with us. While the Outreach Committee is responsible for maintaining the website ... we need all of YOU to share your FPCL stories with us so that we can post them and share them with the world. There are so many wonderful things, big and small, that FPCL members are doing in service to our Lord ... take a moment to share some of them. This could be sharing about an event or function at FPCL. It could be sharing about serving the Lord and making a difference in someone else's life It could be sharing about how someone or something at FPCL made a difference in your life. It could be about what FPCL means to you. There are no rules or limits here. How do you share your stories? It's easy! Write up a simple story; it only has to be a few sentences, maybe a paragraph long. It does not have to be in any particular format. Email your story to [email protected]. Include a photo with your story. This photo should be taken in landscape mode (this means hold your phone side-to-side when you take the picture, not up and down). Voila ... you are done! Now, periodically repeat with more stories. We all know that it is the people at FPCL that keeps us coming back and sharing our stories is what draws others to join us. Your name does not even have to be on the story. So don't be shy ... share! Check out our featured stories at: www.littletonpresbyterian.org
Quantity Price Color
Red, White or Marbled
Take Home Give to
Homebound Total Due
$18.00
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A Minute from Stewardship – Christmas Joy Offering 2016
While much of Stewardship’s effort during the year is to encourage the congregation
to connect with FPCL through the giving of time, talent, and treasure, Advent is a time
where we also hope you’ll consider giving to the larger denomination and its
ministries. The Christmas Joy offering is a chance to support current and retired
church workers in their time of need.
PCUSA explains how the gifts are used this way:
Each year during the Advent and Christmas season, we turn our eyes to Bethlehem
and celebrate the wondrous gift of Jesus Christ, our Savior. By giving to the
Christmas Joy Offering, you honor this gift by providing assistance to current and
retired church workers in their time of need and developing our future leaders at
Presbyterian-related racial ethnic schools and colleges.
The Assistance Program of the Board of Pensions
Racial Ethnic Schools and Colleges
Racial Ethnic Leadership Development
Please join us in supporting this effort during Advent by placing your donation in the
special offering envelopes during worship, or visiting the Christmas Joy Offering
website: http://specialofferings.pcusa.org/christmasjoy
See you in church - Merry Christmas!
FPCL Stewardship Committee:
Dave LeMay, (Committee Chair): 303-741-6522, [email protected]
Sue Chandler, 303-347-9191, [email protected]
Dee Getzinger, 303-797-8343, [email protected]
Pete Gordon, 303-929-2917, [email protected]
Don Meersman, 303-319-6774, [email protected]
Many thanks for everyone’s participation in the Commitment Sunday potluck. We had over 80 members and friends to enjoy great food and fellowship as we celebrated the pledging of gifts for 2017!
