First Presbyterian Church

200 N. Vine Street, Somerset, KY 42501

March Monthly Vine From the Pastor—

This was not an encouraging opening for a conversation. Alice replied,

rather shyly, `I--I hardly know, sir, just at present-- at least I know who I

WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed

several times since then.' http://www.the-office.com/bedtime-story/classics-alice-5.htm

Just as Alice was struggling with her identity during her journey into the rabbit hole, this church is

going through the process of finding out who it is and what its mission is in this community. In

order to answer the question “Who are YOU”, members are asked to reflect about how this

congregation lives and works together as a community called in mission to serve Somerset. It is a

time to discover what is working and what is not working, what you want to keep, and what has

outlived its usefulness. Openness and honesty are important. It is not an easy task, and anxiety and

conflict are normal reactions and outcomes of this process. You will call a minister, and your

willingness to participate in the difficult business of identifying who you are will ensure that you

get the right one for this church at this time in its life.

The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in

silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth,

and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.

Image: ©Marshall Vandruff, 1993

`Who are

YOU?'

said the

Caterpillar.

Staff:

Interim Pastor:

Rev. Lorilyn Howie-Kipphut

Administrative Assistant:

Erica Salmons

Financial Secretary/Handbell Director:

Carol Henderson

Interim Director of Music:

John Neikirk

Pianist/Organist:

Beth Kleppinger

Director of Youth Ministries:

Josh Jones

Pastor Emeritus:

Jack Wilhelm

Nursery Attendant:

Linda Slaughter

Custodian:

Jeannie Casada

Weekly Activities :

Sunday:

9:15am Childcare Opens & Coffee Plus

9:30am Bible Study

10:00am The Thoughtful Christian

10:00am Women’s Sunday School Class

10:30am Choir Warm Ups

11:00am Worship

4:00pm Youth Group

Tuesday:

5:30-7:30pm Girl Scout Troop (except 2nd

Tuesday of the month)

Wednesday:

5:30pm Wednesday Night Meal

6:15pm Bell Choir

6:00pm Children’s Choir

6:30pm Children’s Cross Fit

7:00pm Adult Chancel Choir

Thursday:

6:00pm Silent Prayer in the Chapel

Saturday:

8:00pm Alcoholics Anonymous

Office Hours:

Monday—Friday

8:30 am—4:30 pm

Elder of the Month:

Paul Guffey

606-678-4652

paulrguffey@gmail.com

Deacons of the Month:

Rodney Patton:

Phone: (606) 679-7834

Email: pattonrodney3@gmail.com

Jane Ledford:

Phone: (606) 676-9852

Email: janeledford@windstream.net

Please contact the Deacons of the month

when someone is ill, hospitalized, has passed away or is

in need of prayer.

Elders Class of 2018

Jo Ball—Property

Laura Kamperman– TNT/

Stewardship

Tom Prater—Rental

Bruce Wilson—Worship

Elders Class of 2017

Paul Guffey—Mission

Connie Jamieson—Worship

Marshall Judy—Finance

Dan Phelps—Mission

Elders Class of 2016

Ed Ledford—Property

Wanda Mabry—Fellowship

Jo Marshall—Personnel

Deacons:

Doris Ball Rodney Patton

Nancy Holland Kathy Phelps—Chair

Suzanne Kidd Brad Schoolcraft

Jane Ledford Marty Whitson

Lay Leaders:

March 6: Norrie Wake

March 13: Nina Wilhelm

March 20: Susanna Hall

March 27: Kathy Phelps

Acolytes:

March 6: Katie Burlew & Nina Wilhelm

March 13: Jonah & Forrest Brock

March 20: John & Charlie Adams

March 27: Chance Stayton & Carter Ross (Communion)

Ushers:

March 6: George Joplin IV, Laura Kamperman, Wanda Mabry, and Bruce Wilson

March 13: Dan & Kathy Phelps, Morgan Wesley, and Josh Jones

March 20: Annie & Mark Watkins, and Paul & Sue Guffey

March 27: Claude & Peggy Tiller and JB & Daniel Pitman

Nursery:

March 6: Olivia Wilson

March 13: Christina Ross

March 20: Paula Burlew

March 27: Lynn Cain

Coffee Plus

March 6: Glenda & Bruce Wilson

March 13: Connie Jamieson

March 20: Suzanne Kidd

March 27: Easter Breakfast

IISY 1 & 2:

March 6: Jonna Stayton

March 13: Mary Norfleet

March 20: Lynn Cain

March 27: Christina Ross

Thank you for volunteering! If you are unable to serve, please look at the monthly list at other

volunteers, contact them to see if you can switch dates with one of them first. When you find a

replacement or if you are unable to find a replacement, contact the Elder of the Month, Paul Guffey

at 606-678-4652 as soon as you know so that they can find a replacement for you or make note of the

changes.

March Birthdays:

Daniel Pitman March 2nd

Paul Guffey March 3rd

Mark Watkins March 3rd

Dulcey Trimble March 3rd

Ginny Henderson March 4th

Caleb Wonn March 4th

J.D. Stockham March 5th

Hayden Roberts March 5th

Jane Ledford March 6th

Chris Phillips March 6th

Graeson Mobley March 8th

Nina Joplin March 9th

Nina Wilhelm March 9th

Cindy Fountain March 10th

Katherine March 14th

Stockham

Jeff Bishop March 16h

John Joplin March 19th

Charlie Adams March 29th

John Cain March 31st

March Anniversaries:

March 13th—Barry & Sue Burkett

March 15th—Gordon & Barb Germain

March 26th—Joe & Doris Ball

March 29th—Russ & Brenda Wesley

March 30th—Gordon & Agnes Bacon

Prayer List Lynn Snell; Josh Jones (loss of Aunt); Tom Prater's brother, Taylor Prater; Nina Wilhelm's friend, Terry Motyka, and her mother, Vera Daszynski; Becky Pitman's sister, Rhonda Roark; Marty Whitson;

Seth Vaught; Pauline House; Jim Crase; Ruth Mary McConnell’s daughter.

Please remember our homebound members with cards and prayers:

Pat DeBerry, Virginia McMillen, Joanne Jasper, Al and Wanda Hamilton, Alice Wayman, Odessa Douglass and Dudley & Shirley Hosch

*If we have missed your Birthday or Anniversary, please call

the office.*

Volunteer Calendar:

God’s Food Pantry

Can you give a couple of hours to help pack food boxes for the needy and

shut-ins of our community?

Join your Presbyterian Friends at God’s Food Pantry

at 12p on Wednesday, March 9th.

March Calendar:

Rev. Lorilyn will be in her office: March 1, 2, 8,9,16,17,23,24,28,30

Knit Wits: Join the Knit Wits every Thursday at 11:00am.

Beginners are welcome.

March 1st: 4 pm Worship Committee Meeting in Library.

March 4th: 7:30 am, Men’s Breakfast at Bob Evans.

March 6th: Potluck after Worship

March 9th: 4:15pm Deacon’s Meeting

March 13th: Children’s Easter Egg Hunt 3pm at Pisgah Presbyterian

March 17th: 6pm Session Meeting

March 20th: One Great Hour of Sharing Offering

March 24th: Maundy Thursday Service at 6:30pm

March 25th: Good Friday Service @ St. Patrick Episcopal Church,

Time- (TBA)

March 27th: Easter; Easter Breakfast (TBA)

March 28th: 6pm Meal Share

Starting FEB.10th GOD's FOOD PANTRY will be receiving enough food for 337 food boxes. The

director has said that the volunteers can now volunteer based on time, NOT number of packed

boxes. The agreement now between GFP and FPC is that the volunteers will volunteer tor no later

than 1:45. GFP will be responsible for the remaining food.

February Financial Update

Date: 2/7/16 2/14/16 2/21/16

Pledged offering budgeted through 18,810 21,945 25,080

Pledged offering received through 11,388 19,018 21,055

Under budget 7,422 2,927 4,025

Non-pledged offering budgeted through 3,246 3,787 4,328

Non-pledged offering received through 1,152 1,542 2,750

Under budget 2,094 2,245 1,578

Mortgage Loan Balance 616,392 616,392 616,392

Hold-U-Over Food Boxes Monthly Donation for March:

4 cans of Beef Stew

Thank you for helping feed your neighbors!

March 13th:

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St Patrick Episcopal Church

Easter Lilies

Place your order now for Easter Lilies. Cost is $12.00 per lily. The deadline for

orders is noon Sunday, March 20. Complete the order form below and drop it in

the offering plate. Checks should be payable to First Presbyterian Church and

marked Easter Lily.

Donated By # of Lilies In Honor or Memory of (Please circle)

____________________________ ________ ____________________________________________

_____________________________ ________ ____________________________________________

NUMBER ORDERED___________ PAID ____________

**Tear out this form and attach your payment.

Turn both in with the offering or into the office.

Please Join Us

Ecumenical Holy Week Services

March 21st to March 25th, 2016

Noon to 1 PM

Service begins at Noon with lunch to follow at 12:30 PM

Entire community welcome! No reservations necessary.

Monday

First Presbyterian Church (200 N. Vine St.)

Worship Leader: Rev. French Harmon of First Baptist

Offering designated to Habitat for Humanity of Pulaski County, KY

Tuesday

First Christian Church (1115 Hwy 39)

Worship Leader: Rev. Steve Spitzer of First United Methodist

Offering designated to Hospice

Wednesday

St. Mildred Catholic Church (203 S. Central Ave.)

Worship Leader: Rev. Amanda Musterman of St. Patrick Episcopal

Offering designated to AIM

Thursday

First Baptist Church (128 N. Main St.)

Worship Leader: Rev. Jay Vonhandorf of St. Mildred Catholic

Offering designated to God’s Food Pantry

Friday

First United Methodist Church (99 S. Central Ave.)

Worship Leader: Rev. Steve Lesher of First Christian

Offering designated to PERM

Worship Committee

The worship committee members share a vision for our congregation. This vision is to create an

atmosphere in which every individual is able to find peace and worship God. I feel this is an

important aspect of our church and is why I chose to be chair of this committee. We are responsible

for many things but as a committee we work together and get the jobs done. One of our busy times

is coming up. The Lenten/Easter period requires us to order Psalms and Easter Lilies, keep the lilies

watered, prepare/cleanup communion services, set the sanctuary with proper paraments and banners,

and have our worship helpers informed of their assigned duties. If you would like to join our group,

you are MORE than welcome! Our current members are Hannah Vaught, Brenda Wesley,

Bruce Wilson, John Neikirk, Beth Kleppinger, Rodney Patton, and Charlie Leveridge. Our next

meeting will be held on March 1st at 4:00 p.m. in the church library.

FINANCIAL THOUGHTS

Perhaps you think the concern of the Finance Committee is the General Budget and Capital

Campaign Budgets only. Of course they are the primary ones. The main concern, though, centers

around how we respond to God's love for us. At this time of transition at First Presbyterian, we are

called to decide for ourselves, individually and collectively, what we need to do to continue the

ministries of FPC. Considering the size of our membership, we need to respond in various ways.

We have just completed the time and talent surveys. As you know the offerings were many. FPC has

many moving parts-us, the members. If you have yet to complete the survey, please do so. That is

one piece of the ministry picture. The church is in need of your participation. Being a member of the

Session or the Board of Deacons is vital to the life of the church and thereby continuing the ministry

of FPC, you are invited to be a part of those two bodies either now by volunteering to be a member

or one of the committees or at the time a new slate of members is needed or both.

The chairman of the Finance Committee is the church's treasurer and would welcome any new

member to the committee. You are always welcomed to talk with me about the work of the Finance

Committee. Other members of the committee are Carol Henderson and Terry Randall. All of which

leads us back to my first sentence. Financially the challenges are numerous: the two budgets and

providing the resources for the PNC, and eventually a full-time pastor. The 2016 budget was

presented at a congregational meeting. It was a challenging budget to construct. Several cuts were

made based on pledges received and committee inputs.

Therefore, it is my hope that all members will be actively involved, spiritually, physically, and

financially.

MARSHALL JUDY

Finance Committee Chair

Committee Announcements:

***The deadline for information of the April Monthly Vine will be March 28th. Please make

sure to contact the office by phone (606)678-5731 or by email fpcsomersetoffice@gmail.com if

you want to insert information into the Vine! Thanks!***

Mission Committee

Mission Committee for First Presbyterian Church 2016 will be chaired by Paul Guffey and

supported by Dan Phelps from Session. Those church members who have a passion for past mission

programs or for new programs that could be provided going forward will supply additional support.

It is our goal in Mission to continue the loving and heartfelt outreach that is a cornerstone of this

congregation.

Programs in progress are: Meal Share, Hold U Over Boxes, God’s Food Pantry, Habitat for

Humanity support, and periodic special offerings. If you are interested in being involved with any of

these efforts, please contact Paul or Dan.

Other programs for 2016 are being evaluated for feasibility and appropriate support. These are CIA

Shopping, Bethany House, Over My Head Shelter and the homeless, Doctors Without Borders, and a

potential mission trip. The committee is looking for individuals to help evaluate and possibly

assist with these programs going forward.

Finally, we are seeking individuals with NEW ideas for Mission outreach. What other programs can

First Presbyterian Church put in place for 2016?

Facilities Committee

Ed Ledford

Tasks undertaken by the Facilities Committee tend to be very unique or conversely very

unspectacular but almost always an emergency. I enjoy the challenge of finding a solution in a short

period of time and getting the problem fixed. Having a list of persons willing to help on short notice

and knowing what skills they have (small electrical, plumbing, climbing a ladder, etc.) is essential in

keeping our church going.

The above covers the day to day problems but does not cover the things needed to keep our building

clean and looking nice. This spring we are looking for volunteers to help in three areas:

Landscaping both the church and the rental property. Due to a very limited budget this group

will have to determine a minimum planting plan and carry out its implementation. Initial meeting

will be in mid-March.

Window washing, painting 2 doors, painting the sign in front lawn, clean and polish pews.

Saturday work day in late April.

Striping and waxing the tile floors. Saturday work day in May.

If you can help with any or all of the above let me know at: Mobile – (606) 271-4228 or Home –

(606) 676-9852.

Fellowship Committee

Celebration Sunday

A few dedicated members of our congregation have worked diligently for quite some time

researching archives to create a timeline of the Presbyterian church in Somerset. They have

completed their task and would like to give us an opportunity to examine the documented history

and accomplishments in the life of FPC. It is relevant to recognize the past in order to begin the

process of where the church is going.

We have initiated a new step on the journey of the ministry of our church with the commission of

the PNC committee members. These folks deserve our recognition and encouragement and need

our support and prayers for discernment to fulfill this mission. The long history and this crucial

new step on our journey are both worthy of celebration. So celebrate we shall in typical

Presbyterian style with food and friends! We will gather in the fellowship hall following

worship on Sunday, March 6. Please bring a dish to share and enjoy this time of excitement with

your church family.

I would encourage anyone who has access to vintage photographs of both the property as well as

individuals to bring and share during Celebration Sunday.

Christian Education

I am so happy to be involved again with the Christian Education work of First Presbyterian. As we

start to make plans for the rest of this year and next, I am asking a couple things of you.

Our committee will focus on the education of all of our members, from nursery to adult and we

need to hear from you.

1. If you are called to serve on the Christian Education committee, please let me know. We will do

our best to meet at a time that is convenient for everyone. Once we know who is interested, we

will work on scheduling.

2. If you are not able to be a part of our committee, but have feedback regarding the current

education opportunities as well as others you would like to see, please let me know. Feedback

will be kept private if you wish it to be. We would like to know what is working, what is not

working as well as it could and what your education priorities are for the congregation.

We will be having an Easter Egg Hunt for the children and their guest, March 13th at 3pm at

Pisgah Presbyterian Church.

The best way to reach are via email or cell phone. cchamp7303@aol.com or 502-727-7371 (cell or

text)

Again, thank you for trusting me to support this extremely important facet of our church.

Christie Adams

AFTER THE SERMON

After titling my sermon on Feb 21,“Calling a Spade a Spade”, I was sent a link for an informative article

about the meaning of this phrase. I had never considered that this phrase might have historical and racial

connotations beyond my assumption that it means naming the truth about something. The following is ex-

cerpted from the essay “Is It Racist To 'Call A Spade A Spade'?” which can be found at http://www.npr.org/

sections/codeswitch/2013/09/19/224183763/is-it-racist-to-call-a-spade-a-spade.

Historians trace the origins of the expression to the Greek phrase "to call a fig a fig and a trough a trough."

Exactly who was the first author of "to call a trough a trough" is lost to history. Some attribute it to

Aristophanes, while others attribute it to the playwright Menander. The Greek historian Plutarch (who died in

A.D. 120) used it in Moralia. The blogger Matt Colvin, who has a Ph.D. in Greek literature, recently pointed

out that the original Greek expression was very likely vulgar in nature and that the "figs" and "troughs" in

question were double entendres.

"To call a spade a spade" entered the English language when Nicholas Udall translated Erasmus in 1542.

Famous authors who have used it in their works include Charles Dickens and W. Somerset Maugham, among

others.

To be clear, the "spade" in the Erasmus translation has nothing to do with a deck of cards, but rather the

gardening tool. In fact, one form of the expression that emerged later was "to call a spade a bloody shovel."

The early usages of the word "spade" did not refer to either race or skin color.

One of the more famous mentions of the phrase came in Oscar Wilde's 1895 play The Importance of Being

Earnest: *

CECILY:"Do you suggest, Miss Fairfax, that I entrapped Ernest into an engagement? How dare you? This is

no time for wearing the shallow mask of manners. When I see a spade I call it a spade."

GWENDOLEN:[Satirically.] "I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade. It is obvious that our social

spheres have been widely different."

In the late 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance, "spade" began to evolve into code for a black person,

according to Patricia T. O'Connor and Stewart Kellerman's book Origins of the Specious: Myths and

Misconceptions of the English Language. The Oxford English Dictionary says the first appearance of the

word spade as a reference to blackness was in Claude McKay's 1928 novel Home to Harlem, which was

notable for its depictions of street life in Harlem in the 1920s. "Jake is such a fool spade," wrote McKay.

"Don't know how to handle the womens." Fellow Harlem Renaissance writer Wallace Thurman then used the

word in his novel The Blacker The Berry: A Novel of Negro Life, a widely read and notable work that

explored prejudice within the African-American community. "Wonder where all the spades keep

themselves?" one of Thurman's characters asks. It was also in the 1920s that the "spade" in question began to

refer to the spade found on playing cards.

Wolfgang Mieder notes that in the fourth edition of The American Language, H.L. Mencken's famous book

about language in the United States, "spade" is listed as one of the "opprobrious" names for "Negroes" (along

with "Zulu," "skunk" and many other words that I can't print here). Robert L. Chapman struck a similar note

in his Thesaurus of American Slang (1989). "All these terms will give deep offense if used by nonblacks,"

warned Chapman, listing "spade" in a group that included words like blackbird, shade, shadow, skillet and

smoke.

So what does all of this mean for people who want to, well, "call a spade a spade"? I urge caution. Mieder

concludes his case study with the argument that "to call a spade a spade" should be retired from modern

usage: "Rather than taking the chance of unintentionally offending someone or of being misunderstood, it is

best to relinquish the old innocuous proverbial expression all together."

* See John Neikirk in this play at Flashback Theater March 4 & 5 at 7:30 PM and March 6 at 2PM