FPCO Columns - March 2008

8/14/2019 FPCO Columns - March 2008

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/fpco-columns-march-2008 1/16Vol 48, #3 March, 2008

Children’sEaster Egg Hunt

page 9


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ON THE WAYwith Dr. David D. Swanson

“…Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water

through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant

church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish.”

Ephesians 5:25-27

The Church. What an amazing, maddening, awed, beau-

tiful creation she is! In some moments, the church functions

just as God intended, wrapping her arms around those in needor revealing truth in a confused culture. Yet at other times, she

lives in the midst of the sin possessed by those who inhabit

her – namely, you and me. Sometimes we get it right, some-

times we get it wrong, but always, always, we desire the very

thing which Paul described: to present her to the Lord as pure

– without wrinkle or stain or blemish. That is our calling, and

sometimes I think we forget just what a holy privilege that is.

Together with our pastors and elders, we have set a vision

for this church. We want to move in the ways that God is lead-

ing us, and we strongly believe those to be in worship, prayer

and community – every member in discipleship and every

member actively serving. What makes the church strong, and

what makes us strong in the church, is when we worship, when

we pray, when we study God’s word in community with others,

and when we use our gifts to give and serve. Without each of

those elements, we founder under the weight of our humanity

– under the burden of wanting to be our own Lord. One of our

members, cognizant of the struggle to be the church, wrote me

these words:

“We are a sometimes-living, sometimes-dying, breath-

taking, messy example of an undertaking so great it is

doomed to fail without divine intervention, right? But if

it’s true, and I believe it is: I believe it with every sancti-

ed, immoral, burning, fearful, furious, beautiful ber of

my being... if there is more, then we have already won the

day. And we won’t deserve it, and we can’t even properly

explain it, but we will have been met by the greatest and

most soul-rattling Love in all of history and eternity. And

He will make up for the rest.”

Brennan Manning wrote in The Ragamufn Gospel

“The church must constantly be aware that its faith is

weak, its knowledge dim, its profession of faith halting,

that there is not a single sin or failing which it has not in

one way or another been guilty of. But if it is constantly

aware of its guilt and sin, it can live in the joyous aware-

ness of forgiveness. The promise has been given to it that

anyone who humbles himself will be exalted.”

That’s us. That’s the church in all her glory. And even lled

with the likes of you and me, God uses us. For good. For trans

formation. For restoration. For healing. The bride of Christ

His Church, has been entrusted to us in this place so that she

can make a difference in the world, be the hope of the world.

To be sure, there are challenges before us. We’ve had to

adjust and adapt to the increasing cost of doing ministry down

town. Uncertain economic times create strain for all of us. Even

so, our vision for worship, prayer, and community is clear and

our resolve to move towards that vision is rm.

I pray that you will take our call in this seriously. I pray

that the church – our church – will be more to you than a place

to sit on Sundays, or a comfortable place for social relation

ships, but that she would be the radiant bride of Christ, gently

placed in your hands, to be the light of the world. Join us. In

vest in what God is doing here. Take part. Give. Study. Serve

Pray. Worship. Draw together with us that we might be the

church – His church – as He truly

desires us to be.

With expectant hope and joy,

I remain

Your pastor and friend,

David

Dear FPCO Family and Friends,


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At the end of 2007, several signicant developments al-

lowed us to make some very positive progress on our Immea-surably More Campaign.

The Heart of the City Foundation made a grant to

First Presbyterian Church in the amount of $780,000 to be

applied to the Immeasurably More Campaign. This grant is

based on the current value of a piece of property received as a

part of the campaign. Due to the recent downturn in the real

estate market, we had been unsuccessful in monetizing this do-

nation of land. By taking a long term position in the property

as a part of its investment portfolio, the Heart of the City Foun-

dation was able to make this grant—providing liquid funds that

advance the campaign’s goals.

Year-end gifts to the Immeasurably More Campaign were also very strong. All told, $1,378,964 was received during

2007 toward Immeasurably More! We praise God for the faith-

ful and ongoing giving demonstrated by our congregation!

As a reminder, the Immeasurably More Campaign

has three major goals:

1) To eliminate the church’s long-term debt

(90% of the funds received)

2) To make several large mission grants to further the

Kingdom work of selected mission organizations(10% of the funds received)

3) To fund 10 long-term strategic vision points for

FPCO (by redirecting monies currently being use to

pay interest to the bank, toward these initiatives).

The combined impact of the Heart of the City Foundation

Grant, as well as the strong giving in 2007 by our congregation,

was $2,158,964! In accordance with the campaign goals,

we have allocated these gifts as follows:

1) $1,787,000 has been forwarded to SunTrust Bank

for debt repayment (90% of funds on-hand).

2) $234,088 has been set aside for the next round of

mission grants (10% of funds on-hand).

3) The interest line item in the 2008 Operating

Budget has been reduced by $275,ooo ($650,ooo

in 2007reduced to $375,000 in 2008), freeing up

those funds to be redistributed for other ministry

priorities.

That brings the church’s outstanding long term debt to

$6,814,649 ($6,100,899 on the bank mortgage, and $713,750on a loan from 2000 from the Heart of the City Foundation).

We anticipate distributing another $250,000 in grants to

our IM Mission Partners in March, 2008.

Although we were able to reduce the amount of the line

item earmarked for interest payments, that amount is still

$375,000 for the 2008 budget. That’s still a lot of ministry

that could be done! That’s still a lot of money that could be

leveraged toward the 10 Vision Points that Dr. Swanson has

presented to our congregation.

Here are a few thoughts to ponder regarding the

Immeasurably More Campaign:

• We are half-way there! The 4-year campaign started

on Palm Sunday 2006, and will conclude on Easter

Sunday 2010.

• Remember that the campaign’s goals were larger then

only paying off the church’s long-term debt! The

campaign was not called the “Let’s Just Get Enough

to Pay-Off the Debt Campaign.” Let’s keep the “more”

in “Immeasurably More,” and trust God to exceed

our human expectations.

• Consider accelerating your Immeasurably Morecontributions. As stated above, our annual operating

budget still contains a large budget earmark for

interest payments. If you have the ability to get ahead

on your IM pledge, that would help the church

tremendously.

• If you haven’t yet participated in the Immeasurably

More campaign, you still can do so! Perhaps you

didn’t make a pledge during the campaign…you can

still give! Perhaps you were not yet a member of

FPCOat the time we had the campaign… you can still

join with your fellow church members to help usfinish the campaign strong.

• We have a limited number of DVDs of the Immeasu-

ably More Celebrations. This DVD contains the full

presentation made on Immeasurably More. Viewing

the DVD is a great way to learn all about the

campaign goals, the 10 Vision Points, and the IM

Mission Grants. Please contact Dr. Keith Wright if

you would like a copy of the DVD.

• You can view information on the Immeasurably

More, on the campaign website: www.fpco.org/more

Signifcant Progress Made on

Immeasurably More Campaignby Dr. Keith Wright, Administrative Pastor



A Recipe for

Restoration

A Recipe for

Restoration

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The most striking characteristic of Keith Oldenberg is his hon-

esty. He tells his tale of a personal odyssey from being a homeless

and Godless drug-addicted wanderer to becoming a God-fearing

member of the Church in a very matter of fact tone.

Keith took his rst drink at the age of 12 or 13, and by his

18th birthday was a daily drinker. It was not long into his drink -

ing lifestyle that Keith quit school. He was in the ninth grade.

He went to work in the career path of many residents of New

Orleans, working in the restaurant industry, and became a

short-order cook. This new career continued to develop in New Orleans and at last Keith landed a job with the Del Frisco chain

of restaurants and became a manager. At the zenith of his career

with this company Keith relates that he had charge of a staff of 15

people and control of a multi-million dollar enterprise.

Unfortunately, Keith’s addiction to alcohol kept pace with

his growing paycheck. If he earned $2,000 in a week, then he

spent $2,000 that week, mostly on

alcohol, parties and good times. He

would spend only the bare minimum

on basic needs. As can be imagined,

management increased stress and

late hours, and further fueled Keith’s

downward spiral.

By the year 2000 Keith had cy -

cled to the bottom of a pit of despair

and hopelessness. He now constantly

needed to drink lest he go into with-

drawal. Keith washed up in Central

Florida and, as usual in his cycle of

personal destruction, lost everything

material. But this time, he also lost

his will and ability to keep full-time

employment and was reduced to working the day labor pools inOrlando. Even with such a low income he could have obtained

temporary housing, but opted instead to live on the streets.

Then one Sunday morning Keith went to the Good News

breakfast at FPCO, a partnership between FPCO’s homeles

ministry and Central Care Mission. The worship service had an

impact on Keith. Although he did not immediately seek place

ment at Central Care Mission, the wheels in his head began to

spin and he slowly but surely began to realize that the root cause

of his drinking was a spiritual problem; that he had cut himself

off from God and that the only possible path to survival would be

an unconditional surrender to God’s outstretched arms.This knowledge was the turning point in Keith’s life

Late one night, alone and on the streets of Orlando, he

prayed for the Lord to come into his life. His prayer was an

swered. The message of Good News had reached his heart

and would change him forever. He went to Compassion Cor

ner, which connected him with Central Care Mission where

he became a resident. After eighteen months and comple

tion of the Central Care program, Keith stayed on as a driver

taking residents to job sites in the greater Orlando area. He

enrolled in culinary classes at Florida Technical College. Af

ter graduation he became a line cook at the Hyatt Hotel near

Disney and continued his training to become a Head Chef

Keith at last became Head Chef when he was hired by Center

Pointe Community Church. He is currently there and serves

with distinction.

Keith takes no credit for his resurrection. In his opinion

the Lord did all the heavy lifting, so that getting his life back

together was no great feat; in fact his life, which had before

been so difcult, lonely, defeatist and lled with terror and

shadows of demons has become bright, positive, and lled

with hope, glory and companionship. “As I grow in Christ, I’l

always need to keep my personal relationship with God strong

through service to others at Central Care Mission and Center

Point Church. They are my life-lines,” concludes Keith. n



Our communities are often age segregated. How could thesenior generation of our church know the joy of the children

and how could our children be blessed by our seniors’ wealth

of knowledge and history?

Grandparent Sunday has become a

welcomed highlight during the Sunday

School year. The adult Sunday School

classes sat in quiet conversations in their

rooms as usual. Then the quiet was dim-

ly interrupted by the sound of hundreds

of little feet coming up the stairs. As the

sound drew nearer it obviously grew much louder and suddenly it seemed the

world had been invaded. And it had, in-

vaded with the enthusiasm and joy that

only a child can bring. Some of our very

youngest and oldest sitting together

talking and often laughing!

In December the Adult Sunday School class, Servants in theSon, hosted the 5-year-old Kindergarten class. The children and

adults were paired off and worked on a craft project together

They ate snacks and talked. Then they

had a Bible question game – “Are You

Smarter than a Kindergartener”. The chil

dren competed against the adults … and

the children won! (not sure if the adults

“threw” the competition or not!). The Ser

vants in the Son class invited the children

to return in January for a party. This time

the adults and children made a foam cross

imprinted with the saying “God is Love”

The second Bible question game was also

won by the children!

This is family, and even better, this

is God’s family. Building community in

cludes mixing the generations, as we al

have so much to give to one another. n

I John 3:1 says, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that

we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”

GRANDPARENT SUNDAYConnecting the Generations of Our Church



Our LIFE Groups are encouraged to fnd op-

portunities where the members go and serve to-

gether. The idea is to take the study of the Word

and make it relevant and tangible today - to be

like Jesus, to be fully engaged disciples.

Recently, one of our LIFE Groups served

dinner at Edgewood Children’s Ranch. Edge-

wood is a Christian-oriented residential program

serving children and families of Central Florida.Children are accepted regardless of race, religion,

color, ethnic origin, or ability to pay.

No boy or girl is ever “sent” to the Edge-

wood Children’s Ranch. It is essential that the

children themselves make the decision to come.

They agree to accept the rules, participate in

chores around the Ranch and become involved

in athletic activities. The average stay is one to

two years.

Edgewood’s mission

is to rehabilitate youth-

at-risk and their fami-

lies, returning children to

their homes and society

as healthy, functioning

young people and getting

them back to the appropri-

ate academic level in school.

On Sundays the families at-

tend non-denominational

chapel services with their

children, and after services

go off grounds for a family get- together.

This FPCO LIFE Group

received many thank you let-

ters from the children. What

they learned was that chil-

dren have a whole lot of ways

to spell “spaghetti”, but there is

only one way to show the love of

Christ—get out there and experi-

ence LIFE! n

Edgewood Children’s RanchLoving Care, Hard Work and Daily Prayer



Scarlett Stewart served as an FPCO Missionary Partner for

one year in Nairobi, Kenya, at Amani ya Juu, an organization

helping teach work skills and grow healing relationships be

tween refugee women. Scarlett completed her mission in De

cember, 2007.

Serving the Lord brings blessings to both the giver and

receiver. Just read these notes of appreciation.

FPCO MissionImpacting Nairobi



A tiskit, a tasket, grab your Easter basket! The cool crisp air

and blue-bird skies of spring are now upon us, reminding usthat Easter will be here shortly. Come celebrate the joyous oc-

casion and create wonderful memories with your family at the

Early Childhood Ministry Annual Easter Egg Hunt and Butter-

y Release on March 21, 2008.

The annual hunt for the alabaster Egg (the most coveted

and special egg in the hunt) is one of my husband’s most trea-

sured childhood memories. The excitement of searching for

those colorful hidden treasures and of course later nding out

what yummy treat is inside can bring out the giddy child in all

of us. If your little one has never attended an Easer Egg hunt

let this year start your family tradition.

The festivities will be held at Cypress Grove Park and will

begin at 9:15am, with an opening prayer by Dr. Swanson. At

9:30am, we will hold our second annual buttery release. The

butteries can be purchased before hand for $5 by check made

payable to FPCO placed in the drop box next to Kathy Mangas-

cle’s ofce in the Clayton Life Center. Please put buttery in the

memo. There will be a limited number of butteries available

for purchase the day of the event.

The Easter Egg Hunt will begin shortly after the release at

10:00am. The group will be divided into two separate hunts,

for those two years and under and the other for ages 3 -4 yea

After the hunt please stay for more play and don’t forget yo

blanket and picnic basket to enjoy the day even more. We ca

wait to see you there!!

Questions about the Buttery Release: Cari Earle at ca

[email protected]

Questions about Easter Egg Hunt: Endsley Hewitt at En

[email protected] and Jodi Thorp at jthorp@alum

lsu.edu n

By Endsley Hewitt

Early Childhood Ministry

Annual Easter Egg HuntButtery Release


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In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the parable of the Good Samar-

itan. “A man is walking to Jericho and is attacked by robbers. They

beat him, took his clothes, leaving him for dead. After others

passed him by, a Samaritan saw the man, took pity on him,

bandaged his wounds and took him to an Inn. After paying the

Innkeeper to take care of the injured man, the Samaritan says

to the Innkeeper that he would return and reimburse him for

other expenses. Then the Samaritan leaves.” Jesus tells us, like

the Samaritan, we are to have mercy on others.

In the 1990s, First Presbyterian Church established the

Good Samaritan Fund; the objective was to assist families and

individuals, members and non-members who had fallen on

hard times. The fund receives contributions from the congre-

gation each communion Sunday (special blue envelopes are

in the pews), when we rededicate ourselves to Christ and His

teachings for our lives. In addition, tithing envelopes are pro- vided throughout the year. Individuals and families also make

specic bequeaths. The mission of the fund is to minister to

members and to partner with members who are ministering

to others.

A committee of Deacons manages the Fund, review -

ing and approving requests for grants. Money is not given

directly to individuals, but to agencies providing service to

the requestor, e.g. utility companies, rental agencies, mort-

gage lenders, healthcare providers, etc. In order to receive

a grant, the requestor must make application that provides

background information and explains how the applicant

was directed to Congregational Care at the church. On aver-

age, the church receives two to three dozen applications per

year. Some of these requests come through Stephen Ministry,

Compassion Corner, Church staff, Elders, Deacons, or indi-

vidual members. Other requests come from area agencies like

Harbor House, OUC and Christian Service Center. Still others

come directly from individuals.

Although the request is for payment of specic bills, Con-

gregational Care often goes further in talking with applicant

about their broader situation. How did they get into debt?

What are their plans for changing their lives? They can rec-

ommend nancial counseling, Crown Ministry course work or

individual/family counseling.

Examples of requests made in 2007:

1. A former member, who had fallen and wanted to turn

his life around, requested three weeks rent for Bill’s

Place in Orlando. Bill’s Place is a structured living

community wherer men dealing with alcoholism and

drug abuse can have a safe, comfortable and alcoho

and drug-free environment in which to pursue their

recovery.

2. A member of the church’s staff received assistance

with health related expenses that they would not have

been able to afford.

3. Harbor House requested a grant for a woman, who

recently moved to Orlando from out of state to escape

domestic violence, for one month’s rent. Harbor

House empowers survivors to take control of their

lives – rediscovering safety and self-esteem.

4. A church member requested a grant for an

unemployed, single mother and her daughter (non

members) to pay back rent and prevent eviction.

After receiving the grant, she wrote a delightful thank

you note, part of which states “I would not give my

problems to God even though I always had a strong

faith…I just felt like I could do it alone…When I

realized how foolish that was…I did in fact give it all

to him…in a matter of weeks, I received the Good

Samaritan Fund (grant), got an amazing job beginning

on December 26th…Thanks to your church and your

love I have a head start.”

The Church is looking, not only for your financial

contributions but asking the congregation to reach out and

see those in need—those who have fallen on hard times—and

take action like the Samaritan. The Good Samaritan Fund can

provide assistance but we need members of the congregation

to make the connection. n

LIVING THE

PARABLEDonations to “Good Sam” help those with Urgent need


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My career keeps me so busy, I often feel caught in a wind

tunnel. With so much to do, it’s hard to keep up. That’s why I’m

constantly looking for ways to nd balance by getting closer to

God. That’s why I attended the women’s retreat in 2007.

The camaraderie with other Christian women was in-

credible. Just knowing they were taking time for themselves,

meeting new friends, and exploring their faith was inspira-

tional. Hearing other women’s testimonies increased my

faith and taught me to lean on God more often.

Together we shared, laughed, and learned all kinds of

new things. While the seminars about nutrition, health and

etiquette were extremely helpful, nothing compared to what

I learned about my relationship with God. One of the speak -

ers reminded me that I’m always trying to gure things out

on my own. She said simply, “You can worry…or you can

trust God”. She helped me see that I can enjoy life more if

I give up some control, and trust that God is really the one

directing my steps. The more experiences you have with God,

the more you know He will help you through each day.

I’ve always believed that spending time in the Word

helps me see things more clearly. Life makes a little bit more

sense and I feel I’m walking in the peace and favor of God.

He never moves, but I do, and I always nd myself walking

back to Him.

This retreat was a great way to feel His presence, and

to surround myself with an amazing group of women, many

of whom I have kept in touch with throughout the year. I

was constantly reminded of all the things God has done for

me. I know the blessings I have received are not by my own

doing, but by the grace of God. I had many obligations that

weekend, but I truly felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to

do this.

Looking back, nothing compared to the importance

of the time I spent at the retreat. I hope you will make it

a priority to join FPCO women in spiritual retreat this

June 6-8 n

OF GODBy Beth Robertson

WALKING IN THE

PEACE & FAVOR


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8

(

!


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Hurricanes – we know them well. We see one begin in the distant ocean as we watch the nightly weather report. The Dop-

pler radar begins to show turning and growth – and now, what earlier appeared as a speck in the ocean, is now a living storm.

It is on a collision course with our lives. We prepare. We stock up on food, batteries and candles. We begin to wait – and pray.

We know what is coming. The sky grows dark. Silence. The winds begin to blow. We smell the rain in the air. Then the rain

comes. The wind howls and bends the trees. It can last for hours. As the storm looses speed, the diminuendo begins – and we

are brought back to silence – and sometimes loss and damage.

Thus it is with Holy Week. On Palm Sunday the crowds welcome Jesus with shouts of Hosanna, but not long after the

hurricane begins to be visible. The crowds soon turn away and nally call for crucixion. This is a part of our history as be-

lievers. We should not ignore it. Holy Week is our time to prepare and to remember the storm that was necessary to fuel the

resurrection.

Holy Week is a progression. Each day of Holy Week, Chapel services will be held at noon for prayer, contemplation and

waiting. A Maundy Thursday worship service will be offered in which we remember the last supper Jesus had with his dis-ciples in the upper room. On Maundy Thursday, we celebrate the sacrament of communion as a body of believers. On Friday,

we observe Tenebrae. Tenebrae is the Latin word for shadows. During Tenebrae the story of the crucixion is retold. Our

Tenebrae service this year will retell the story in scripture reading, solo, choral, and instrumental music, dance, artwork and

congregational participation. At the conclusion of Tenebrae, the nal Lenten candle is extinguished representing the death of

Christ and the darkness and desolation of the world. Saturday, sometimes called Holy Saturday, is a day of silence – the storm

is past and the resurrection is still to come. Holy Week approaches – Join with us and prepare.

| Category 4 Holy Week |By Dr. Rebecca Bedell, Minister of Worship & Culture

| Holy WeekChapel Services |

Each day of Holy Week

Noon – Chapel

| Maundy Thursday |

Thursday March 20, 2008

Sanctuary 6:30

| Tenebrae:A Service of Darkness |

Friday March 21, 2008

Sanctuary 7:00

| Easter Sunday |

Traditional Services:

8:30, 9:45 & 11:00am,

Sanctuary

Genesis Service:

11:00am, LFH

4 | www.fpco.org



NEWS & NOTICESThe Holy Sacrament of Communion Has

Thirty-fve New ParticipantsOn February 10, taking their rst Communion were Ashley Bell,

Jonathon Bishop, Andrew Brinkley, Duke Bronson, Ellie Calla-

han, Brett Creel, Clay Dixon, Weston Dowdell, Zoanna Elmer,

Bella Fatigati, Spencer Fetter, Daniel Gonzalez, Jackson Haley,

Sutton Hardy, Morgan Hyltin, Parker Junod, Clayton Kolar, Me-

gan Magee, Taylor McNeill. Gabriel Mincey, Maggie Moran, So-

phia Nivison, Morgan Leigh Oldham, Danielle O’Mahony, Sarah

O’Mahony, Jackson Partlow, Michael Patillo, Megan Reed, Re-

becca Scheck, Megan Stowers, Mac Tews, Sophia Watson, Cam-

eron Webb, Carter Webb, and Jayme Wright.

B-I-N-G-O! Family Night March 26Join your church family for a fun night of BINGO on March 26

in the Lee Fellowship Hall. Dinner, which starts at 5:30, is $5

per person and will be a pasta buffet. BINGO will begin around

6:15 and last until around 6:45. Come join the fun!

Annual Meeting To be Held April 9The Annual Meeting of the Congregation will be held Wednesday,

April 9, 2008, at 6:30pm in the Sanctuary. Please plan to attend.

Sympathy to:Claire and Luther Shakarji, on the death of her mother, Mary

Hoijar, on January 1, 2008.

Jon and Susan Walls on the death of his mother, Shirley Walls,

on January 3, 2008

The friends and family of Elizabeth “Libby” Lampp, who died

January 12, 2008

Amy & Bill Talley and Lisa & Paul Ellis on the death of their

father, George Polk, on January 13, 2008.

Cherry and Michael Garasi on the death of her mother, Lois

Long, on January 24, 2008.

Randy and Alice Burden, on the death of his father, Henry Bur-

den, on January 20, 2008.

Priscilla “Patsy” Pittman on the death of her ancée, Walter

Fischer, on January 20, 2008.

John, Grayson, Jackson and Tristian Merrit on the death of

John’s mother, Bobbie Prout, on January 25, 2008.

Mary Elizabeth Peavy on the death of her brother, William Ty -

ler Fray, on January 28, 2008.

Mary Lou Rutledge on the death of her brother, Bob Moye, on

January 31, 2008.

Congratulations to:Jessica Gould Penney and William Thomas Dudley who were

married January 26, 2008. Jessica is the daughter of Kim and

Michael Penney.

Christine Elizabeth Cardinell and Craig Edward Garton who

were married January 12, 2008.

December ‘07 Giving Snapshot

General Operating Contributions Budgeted VariancDecember 2001 $1,280,987 $1,552,686 $(272,6Year-to-date $6,883,824 $7,156,904 $(273,0

Expenses Budgeted VariancDecember 2007 $1,777,487 $1,136,118 $41,370Year-to-date $9,514,486 $10,185,648 $67,162

Net Operating Results Actual Budgeted VariancDecember 2007 $239,315 $761,135 $(521,8Year-to-date $(117,143) $7,471 $(124,6

Cash In Bank $1,579,878 Line of Credit $0

Immeasurably More Outstanding Balance $6,814,649

December 2007 Collections $1,146,118Year-to-date Collections $1,961,842

NOTE: The amounts above are preliminary and subject to change with th

annual audit.



First Presbyterian Church of Orlando106 E. Church St., Orlando, FL 32801

The First Presbyterian Columns (USPS 604-040) is published onceper month, except for twice in March, by the First PresbyterianChurch. Circulation: 4750. (3750 by US Mail, 1000 by oncampus distribution). Periodicals postage paid at Orlando,Florida. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to COLUMNS,106 E. Church St. Orlando, FL 32801-3390.©2008 First Presbyterian Church of Orlando COLUMNS.

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ORLANDO,

106 East Church StreetOrlando, FL 32801

FPCO Main Ofce:( 407-423-3441www.fpco.org

Traditional Services: 8:30am & 11amGenesis Service: 11amSunday School: 9:45am

Count us as those who have been taken prison-

er by Christ and freed to go to those who are often

overlooked…except by Jesus.

On Saturday, January 19, a group of FPCO men

gathered in the parking lot of the Orange County Jail

on 33rd Street for the purpose of building relation-

ships with some of the men who are incarcerated.

For 10 Saturdays, these men will be discussing with

the guys on the 6th oor of the jail critical issues of

life. Sitting down with the prisoners and with openBibles they will consider such questions as: Who is

Jesus? Is the Bible trustworthy? Why is there evil

and suffering? Does God answer prayer? Who is the

Holy Spirit?

ALPHA is a course designed for people to ex-

plore issues of life and faith in an atmosphere where

questions can be asked and people can experience

the care of others for them. Freedom in Christ is not

only for those in the Orange County jail but people

just like you and me.

If you are interested in learning more about the ALPHA ministry, please contact Bill Cain (x1454

[email protected]) n

FPCO

GOES TO JAIL

FPCO

GOES TO JAIL

Documents

FPCO Columns - March 2008