Tower Notes Weekly Newsletter of First Presbyterian Church in Decatur, Illinois

Good Sam Dinners
First Presbyterian Church has made a commitment to the Good Samaritan Inn and the hungry of Decatur . . . a promise to provide and serve lunch on five Sundays during 2008. We will provide our last three meals on July 20, August 24, and November 16. Mark your calendars now to reserve that time to help. There are plenty of opportunities: bake 3 dozen cookies, help prepare the casseroles on the Saturday before, transport food to the Inn on Sunday morning, and work at the Inn with preparation, serving, and clean-up - the more hands, the lighter the load. Sign-up sheets for July and August are in the Gathering Room—but why wait? Call the church office now at 429-4195.

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RECEPTION FOR CINDY WAKELAND
On Sunday, July 13, after the 10:30 service, we will have a reception for Cindy Wakeland in the Gathering Room as it will be her last day with us as our Director of Youth and Family Ministries. We hope you can come and show your appreciation for her work with us for the past ten years. We will miss her at First Pres.

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CANNED AND BOXED GOODS ACCEPTED SUNDAY
First Sunday happens July 6! We are giving food to the needy as God gave Christ to the world, and we celebrate as we take communion in memory of Him. Share your blessings with the needy as you bring your food donations to both services. If that is not convenient, you can donate money or bring your cans in on Monday morning. Suggestions for donations to Northeast Community Fund are basics, like canned fruits, meats and vegetables, boxed items of rice, pasta, and macaroni and cheese, and jars of jelly and peanut butter.

Also, on the first Sunday of the month, the Peacemaking committee will sell Equal Exchange coffee, tea and cocoa in the Gathering Room. For each case purchased, a contribution is made to the Small Farmer Fund for projects supporting small farmers and their communities to invest in education, health care, and agricultural improvements. We hope you support the Presbyterian Coffee Project.

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ADULT STUDIES

9:00 a.m. church school hour - Sunday, July 6

→ PRESENT WORD – Unit II, Images of Christ in the Gospels, focuses on discussion of “Christ as Teacher”. Scripture reading is Luke 4:31-37; 20:1-8. Ray Landon & John Winick lead class in the pastor’s office.

→ A PRIMER ON OUR PRIME MEMBERS – EVERYDAY ISSUES

Last Sunday, June 29, we enjoyed hearing two more longtime members, Hoyt Coverstone and Natalie Buckles, tell their stories.
This Sunday our talented organist, Jeannie Rade, will assist Paul & Verlyn Rosenberger in an old-fashioned ‘Hymn Sing.’ Paul has researched a brief history lesson about several of our favorite hymns. Jeannie plans to teach us about using hymnbooks (Hymnology 101) and will try to stump us with ‘Name That Tune.’ Then it will be our turn to ‘Stump the Organist’ with old-time hymn titles you bring. This promises to be an enjoyable morning, so come one, come all.
On July 13 we will enjoy hearing two more ‘life stories,’ as longtime member John Baird, Sr. and a well-know friend of our church, Joan Brown, a former Roman Catholic nun, tell their stories. As future scheduling permits we hope to ask others to share their stories.

→ ADULT CONNECTIONS CLASS - Adventures in Missing the Point – Discussion on Brian McLaren’s & Tony Campolo’s book will cover the chapter under the section “Culture” on pg. 168. Please join us any week you can. You need not have been to previous classes to attend.

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Worship Highlights
July 6, 2008
14^th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper
Rev. Jim Montgomery, preaching

Lay leaders
Mac Moore - 8:00 a.m.
Ray Landon - 10:30 a.m.

Sermon Title
“For Your Camels Also”

Scripture Lessons
Genesis 24

Hymns and Songs
God of the Ages, Whose Almighty Hand
O Beautiful for Spacious Skies
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
Come, Labor On

Special Music
Morning Hymn - Georg Henschel
Paul Rosenberger, soloist

Flowers
The flowers this Sunday are in loving memory of Ernie Lohr by his family.

July Ushers
Myung Kim, captain
Carol and Dick Ferry
Tom and Nancy Force
Floyd Gingrey and Peggy Madden
Adrienne Stucky and Jeanette Swartz
Ron Wisher

Worship Aids
Children’s bulletins, large-print Bibles and hymnals, as well as hearing aids, are available for use during worship.

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Dove/RSVP
Aluminum Can Recycling Center
Needs to Move
The Decatur Public School District is reclaiming their space, and thus Dove’s recycling center needs to move. Their plan is to be relocated by mid-fall. They need a safe and secure spot for customers and for outside equipment, an inside facility for transactions, and an outside facility large enough for a semi-trailer to park. If you know of a location Dove might pursue, please give Joan Meeder a call at 428-6616 or e-mail at dove@doveinc.org.

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GENERAL ASSEMBLY CHANGES GUARD AND MOVES ON AMENDMENTS
The following summary on what took place at the 218^th General Assembly comes from our newly-elected Moderator, the Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow, and newly elected Stated Clerk of the General Assembly, the Rev. Gradye Parsons.
The assembly dealt with well over 400 business items—all with a focus on discerning the mind of Christ for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and seeking ways to live out this assembly’s theme: ”Do justice, love kindness, walk humbly with our God” (Micah 6:8). Over the next two years, elected commissioners will interpret the actions they took at this assembly. A few of the actions already have made headlines regarding ordination standards of our church, and these are the ones that your leaders want you to hear about firsthand in their actual wording:.

· By a 54% to 45% margin, the assembly voted to propose an amendment to our Book of Order to change one of our current ordination standards. The change is to replace the current language that says officers of the church must live by “fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness” (G-6.0106b) to this new language: Those who are called to ordained service in the church, by their assent to the constitutional questions for ordination and installation (W-4.4003), pledge themselves to live lives obedient to Jesus Christ the Head of the Church, striving to follow where he leads through the witness of the Scriptures, and to understand the scriptures through the instruction of the Confessions. In so doing, they declare their fidelity to the standards of the Church. Each governing body charged with examination for ordination and/or installation (G-14.0240 and G-14.0450) establishes the candidate’s sincere efforts to adhere to these standards.

· By a 53% to 47% vote, the assembly adopted a new Authoritative Interpretation (AI) on G-6.0106b: Interpretive statements concerning ordained service of homosexual church members by the 190^th General Assembly (1978) of the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America, and the 119^th General Assembly (1979) of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and all subsequent affirmations thereof, have no further force or effect.

· By a 54% to 46% vote, the assembly adopted a new AI on G-6.0108 which restores the intent of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity of the Church report (2006) to allow someone who is being considered for ordination or installation as a deacon, elder, or minister to register a conscientious objection to the standards or beliefs of the church and ask the ordaining body to enter into a conversation with them to determine the seriousness of the departure.

· The assembly left unchanged the definition of marriage found in the Directory for Worship (W-4.9000)—“a civil contract between a woman and a man.”

The assembly has initiated a new opportunity to focus ordination on primary allegiance and obedience to Jesus Christ, as well as to Scripture and the church’s confessions. The assembly places the responsibility onto sessions and presbyteries for discerning a candidate’s fitness for ordination. The assembly has not removed the church’s standard of “fidelity in marriage and chastity in singleness” For the proposed change—making obedience to Christ the ordination standard—to become part of the book of Order, a majority of presbyteries will need to ratify it over the next year.
Rev. Dan Holloway, moderator of the committee that took up the items on ordination standards, sums it up thoughtfully: “As we move forward, it is essential that we have conversations that are gracious and loving and welcoming, since we are not all of one mind.” Our hope is that none of us will act or react immediately to the decisions, choosing instead to pray and talk with one another about these issues…. As we move forward from this assembly, we know that storms may come, but we put our confidence and trust in the one who both calms the storms and leads us into God’s future with hope.

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PRAYER CONCERNS
Norm Jensen is at Decatur Memorial after having knee surgery on both knees on July 1 – Norm’s in room 3551.
Dorothy Johnson is discharged from Decatur Memorial.
Floyd Gingrey
Dennis Babcock
Pat Force
Sue Wilson
Morthland family
Charlie Platt’s mother, Mary Platt
Jackie Bullard is recovering from a broken foot.
Sally and Francis Ford’s 20 year-old daughter Jodie is undergoing chemotherapy for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma..

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CONGRATULATIONS
Paul McPherron received his PhD in Applied Linguistics from the University of California at Davis on June 12. He will start teaching at Stanford University.

Dear Friends,
            Thank you for your interest and support of our Campbell’s Labels for Education and General Mills Box Tops for Educations Programs. Thanks to you, these programs are a continuing benefit to our mission of caring for young people.
            The Campbell’s Labels Program has provided equipment for our Therapeutic Recreations Program; educational software, computers and reference books for the cottages.
            The funds we have received from the General Mills Box Tops for Education Program have helped purchase books for the Village library as well as help fund the Reading Counts Program in our on-grounds school. Again, we appreciate the time and effort of friends such as you, who contribute to these programs.
Alice Christenberry - Development Associate, Kemmerer Village

JULY BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
5 – Bob Wills
6 – David Fathauer
7 – Tom Hostetler
8 – Jan Kelsheimer
9 – Raymond Pollitt
11 – Charlie Blackburn
12 – Molly Paul

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Clean Out the Undercroft Area
Saturday, July 12, 8:00 a.m.
During the remodeling of the church, many doors were removed and stockpiled in the undercroft along with old electric exit signs, an old children’s coat rack, and other treasures of perceived value (and some things that beg the question—why did we save that?!) Our industrious custodian, Jim Lycan, is organizing a “Clean out the Undercroft” day on Saturday, July 12, beginning at 8:00 a.m. Call the church office if you can help us – 429-4195.

You will be staying at The Pilgrimage, a PCUSA Educational and Service Learning Center, and they will schedule Mission work for us. You will have time to see the sights and attend the Inauguration. If you have the interest to attend this 2009 event or be a youth advisor, please call the church office (429-4195) or Brenda Aymer (791-0493). You can also email Brenda at bkaymer@gmail.com if you have any questions.

The PCUSA museum is open every Sunday through August 31 at 9:00 am. The children are creating a PCUSA museum through learning activities, crafts, and computer games. We hope all the children visit during the summer months and show their creativity. We could always use some museum docents. If you are willing and able to volunteer, please call Jody Hantel - 767-2266.

July 6- The history of First Presbyterian
July 13- Our Sacraments: Communion and Baptism
July 20- Presbyterian Polity: How our church operates
July 27- Computer Lab games
August 3- Re-creation: games and fun as God would recommend
August 10- The Bible
August 17- What do we believe? Personal statements of faith
August 24- Museum opens to Public
August 31- Computer Lab games

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HELPING YOUR NEIGHBOR
We have a member who needs assistance with a car topper for his van. Call Doug at 521-1314.

LUNCH BUNCH
Recently a group from 1st Pres. took a trip to Peru which sounded like a great idea for a program. Jan Mandernach and Mary Turner, two of the people in that group will be giving us all their observations, pictures, and knowledge. We thank them in advance for their willingness to put this program together.
A reminder that Paul will be gone in July so callers need to get reservations to the Gingreys (428-5955) or the Carpunkys (877-0722), and please do that no later than Monday night before the Bunch meets. Try to nail down the "Iffys" if you can.
The third Thurs. is July 17 and the time is 10:45 to 12:45. Cost will be $5.00 as before. Wes and Marge Tower have come through with lots of the table items we need so you don't have to rush out and buy them immediately. We'll let you know when the next crisis occurs. People ask why we don't use the church's silver and plates, etc. If we did that it would make extra work for the custodian in the cleaning department so this way we can pass on a little help to him.
Plan to share your 3rd Thursday with us. You'll be glad you did.

Elmwood Board met in June
Our next door neighbors have a home to get back on their feet and our mission opportunity of helping others is being fulfilled. The Elmwood Board, composed of Jim Montgomery, Dick Fiala, Mary Nolte, Mark Morthland, Ray Batman from Dove and Lori Baker from Homeward Bound, met for their annual meeting in June. The Board reported good cash flow for the year. They will use $500 a month from a Reserve Fund to help with all Homeward Bound increased costs of staffing. They will then revisit its status within a year.
Harriet Sadowski and the Peacemaking committee continue volunteering at Elmwood, providing basket assistance to new clients or other assistance requested of them.

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37 Presbyteries Recognized as Tops in Mission Giving
Presbyteries of all sizes, and covering all parts of the country, were recently honored for their financial support of Presbyterian mission at the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)’s General Assembly in June. Our Presbytery, the Presbytery of Southeastern Illinois, attained Top 10 status in two categories of giving:
Number 6 of the top ten Presbyteries by Per Member giving to Shared Mission Support (SMS) & Directed Mission Support (DMS)
Number 7 of the top ten Presbyteries by Per Member giving in 2007
The Top 10 Presbyteries in Giving were honored on the Assembly’s opening day (June 20) during a report to the General Assembly, and were celebrated at a reception last week. They were also recognized in a printed report distributed at the Assembly.

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WANTED: A FEW GOOD MEN AND WOMEN
JULY 8-12
CampCarew, down south of Carbondale, is looking for a few folk who can spend a couple of days at the camp working with the Men’s Mission Work Group from First Church, Champaign. These guys have built one all-season cabin for the camp on their own and are now trying to finish the second one by the end of the summer. They have other commitments as well and need a little help. They are currently working on wiring, plumbing and drywall installation. You DO NOT need to be skilled in these areas; most of these guys have a lot of Habitat for Humanity experience and are used to working with and training volunteers. You only need to be willing to pitch in.
Rooms for overnight are available in the new cabin, or there are two older cabins with a new bathhouse available for overnight. The workers usually bring food for breakfast and lunch and then go out to dinner.
If you have questions, please talk with Mary Turner (963-1960 or email mturner4626@aol.com), or email Steve Gritten from the Champaign church at steve.gritten@sbcglobal.net.

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