Prattsburgh First Presbyterian Church

Prattsburgh, New York

Rev. Lois Gillaspie, Pastor
Church (607) 522-3387
Manse (585) 393-4772
email: lgillaspie@earthlink.net

January/February/March Newsletter

Introduction
Session
Deacons
Presbytery
Women's Circle
Stewardship
Monthly Dinners
Missions
Cookbooks
Website
Joys and Concerns
Presbytery Disaster Assistance
On The Lighter Side

Prattsburgh Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 347, Prattsburgh, N. Y.
Church 607 522 3387

Introduction
Sunday Worship Services: Rev. Lois Gillaspie, Pastor
Manse 585 393 4772

Sunday worship is 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
Children Service following worship.

• During the month of January, Rev. Lois led us in worship. On January 12th we welcomed into our congregation Shella Emmit who became a new member, and on January 26th her 6 month old daughter, Miracle Rose Emmit, was baptized by Rev. Lois. During the beautiful ceremony of baptism Rev. Lois had the Christ candle and a baptism candle lit, and presented the baptism candle to Shella to light every year on January 26th to celebrate Miracle's baptism birthday.
• January 19th new officers were ordained or installed. There was a joint Session and Deacons meeting following worship, and then most officers and spouses enjoyed a delicious brunch together at the Miller House in Penn Yan.
• January 26th the Congregational Meeting was held. Reports were discussed and approved, the 2003 budget approved by Session was discussed, the 2002 monthly dinners were discussed, and the 2003 dinners were planned.
• Rev. Lois is on vacation during the months of February and March. She and Peg Strite have arrived safely in Florida and are enjoying the warm sun and the beach!! We will miss them both.
• Rev. Laura Buisch will be leading us in worship until Lois returns in April. Rev. Laura will also be our Moderator during Session meetings and is available for emergency pastor care. If you need to reach Laura, her phone number in Naples is 585 374 2725. If you have other concerns about the church, you may still call Clark Davis, Clerk of Session, at 522 3834.
• Communion will be held February 9th and March 2nd.
• Boy Scout Sunday will be on February 23rd.

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Session:

The 9 Session members are Harriette Anderson, Clark Davis, Diane Davis, Ron Perkins, Joan Putnam, Barb Shaver, Shirley Shaver, Louis Smith, and Lyle VanAmburg. The next session meeting will be Sunday, February 16th following worship.

Deacons:

The 6 deacons are Diane Breton who is moderator for 2003, Lynn Dinehart who is secretary for 2003, Peg Kopilchak, Tracy Perkins, Laura Underhill, and Ruthel VanAmburg. They had their first meeting February 2nd. They discussed many plans for the year. Their meetings will be held on the first Sunday of every month. Please contact Diane Breton whenever you know of members or church friends who are in the hospital, or who are ill at home and would appreciate a visit, cards, or perhaps even a meal. Deacons will be contacting all church members and church friends soon also.

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Presbytery:

• Rev. Lois and our delegate Clark Davis attended the meeting in Palmyra January 25th. Numerous reports were given and the new Moderator of Presbytery, Rev. Cynthia Harvey, pastor of Hector and Lodi, was installed. The next meeting will be at Bath Presbyterian Church on Tuesday, March 25th at 2 p.m.
• Members of our church who are serving on Presbytery Committees in 2003 are: Clark Davis who serves on the Committee of Strategy, Committee on Women and the Church, and the Committee on Social Concerns; Diane Davis who is serving on the Committee on Peacemaking, and the Committee on Interpretation and Stewardship; Carson Godwin who is serving on the Committee on Representation and the Committee on Self-Development of People; and Ron Perkins who is serving on the the Committee on Camp Whitman Property.
• Saturday, March 1st from 8:30a.m. till 12:15 Presbytery is sponsoring Leadership Day/Church Officer Workshops at the Penn Yan Presbyterian Church. Please contact Clark Davis if planning to attend. Car pools can be planned.

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Presbyterian Women’s Circle:

• The January 8th meeting was held at the home of Diane Davis with 6 ladies present. The 2003 quilt squares are being embroidered by several church members. The ladies discussed the possibility of making a new banner to celebrate our 200th anniversary in 2004. The Circle voted to furnish stamps for the church newsletter, which in 2003 will be published every other month. Lesson 7 of our Bible Study book, Journey Through the Bible; Luke was completed.
• The February 12th meeting of Circle will be at the home of Theresa Lewis at 1p.m. The Bible Study will be chapter 8.
• The March 12th meeting will be at the home of Anne Poore at 1p.m.
• New ladies are always welcome to join our group. Remember the Prayer Chain and contact Harriette Anderson if you know of any members or their families or church friends who are in need of prayers.

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Stewardship:

Thank you to all members and friends who have pledged for 2003 and who make donations to the church. Our budgeted expenses this coming year will be approximately $32,351.00. Your donations of course help pay these expenses. One of our major expenses is paying Presbytery $2,432.30, the Per Capita of $37.42 per member based on our 65 members. If you would like to help support your church, and have not done so yet, you may send donations to Diane Davis, Treasurer at the church address.

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Monthly Dinners:

Our dinners for 2001 held on Monday nights and the Harvest Dinner on a Saturday profited $3218.78. All dinners held in 2002 on Saturday nights made a profit of $3376.37, $157.59 more than in 2001. So for the first few months of 2003, dinners will again be held on the 2nd Saturday. Thank you to all members and church friends who chaired dinners, donated food and who attended our dinners. You all helped make them successful. Hopefully 2003 will be even more successful!!
The January 12th 2003 dinner made a profit of $155.40. The February 9th dinner, chaired by Joan Putnam, will be Chicken and Biscuits. The March 9th dinner, chaired by Diane Davis, will be the St. Patrick's Corned Beef and Cabbage.
Dinners are still $6.00 for adults, children under 12 are $3.00, and preschoolers are free.

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Mission Work of our Church:

December 2002 Missions: In December we had the JOY Offering to help support retired pastors in need of assistance and help with scholarships for the education of those who have given their lives to ministry. We sent a total of $153.00 to General Assembly for this mission. The Christmas Eve Offering was $86.00 and will be donated for local and Presbytery mission.

Prattsburgh Food Pantry: In January church members donated paper products to the Food Pantry and Souper Bowl Sunday, January 26th, $24.00 and several cans of soup were collected during church and donated to the pantry. Prattsburgh Central School again joined in this effort and donated 1200 cans of food!! Many of our church members donate their time working at the food pantry on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Betty Purdell is the Chairman of the food pantry. In February there will be a box in back of the church to fill with cleaning products such as bath soap, clothing detergent, dish soap, shampoo, etc. to donate to the pantry.

2 cents a Meal: In 2002 we donated from our pennies and dollars $193.63 to Presbytery to help food pantries around the Presbytery. Please continue to support this worthy mission by leaving your change and dollars in the large jar at the back of the church and in the jars on the tables at our monthly dinners., or even write a check so it is tax deductible!! 2 cents a meal per person is only 6 cents a day, 42 cents a week, or $21.84 a year. Our donations help feed the hungry in Prattsburgh and around the Presbytery. So far in January, the 2 cents a meal collection has been $14.39.

Another mission of the church is having the youth of our community use our building. One group of Girl Scouts uses our church the 1st and 3rd Mondays. Another group of Girl Scouts uses the church the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays. Cub Scouts use the church the 1st and 3rd Thursdays. Occasionally the Venture Group uses the church Sunday evenings. And every Tuesday afternoon the dance group, led by Janice Seligman, uses the church.

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Cookbooks:

Cookbooks: Treasures from Heaven has profited $1000.88. Thank you Lynn Dinehart for being our top salesperson!!! We still have books to sell for only $10.00. Contact Diane Davis if you wish to buy or sell any books.

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Church Web site:

The address is: http://prattsburghpresbyterianchurch.org. If you have a computer, what a wonderful way to read about your church and view pictures. If you have any ideas for the web site, contact Diane Breton.

Joys and Concerns:

It is a joy to welcome Shella Emmit into our congregation and to have baptized Miracle Rose. In January we lost 2 members, Molly LaTour and Florence Allen, due to death. We express our sympathies to their families. Our thoughts and prayers are with Jay and Dona Flint and their daughter Chris Presher, Richie and Janice Seligman, Fred and Theresa Lewis, and Ruth Smith.

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Presbytery Disaster Assistance

Volunteers and /or donations needed to help this very worthy Presbytery mission for the flood victims in West Virginia. Read below for details. If you would like to send a donation, please send to Treasurer, Diane Davis and say it is for "Disaster Assistance."

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On the Lighter Side:

The Way to a Happy New Year - a beautiful poem submitted by Dona Flint

To leave the old with a burst of song;
To recall the right and forgive the wrong;
To forget the things that bind you fast
To the vain regrets of the year that's past;
To have the strength to let go your hold
Of the not worthwhile of the days grown old;
To dare go forth with a purpose true,
To the unknown task of the year that's new;
To help your brother along the road,
To do his work and lift his load;
To add your gift to the world's good cheer,
Is to have and to give a Happy New Year. Author Unknown

Christian One-Liners submitted by Ruthel VanAmburg

Many folks want to serve God, but only as advisors.
It is easier to preach 10 sermons than it is to live one.
The good Lord didn't create anything without a purpose but mosquitoes come close.
Opportunity may knock once, but temptations bangs on your front door forever.
God Himself does not propose to judge a person until he is dead. So why do we?
To make a long story short, don't tell it.
Some minds are like concrete, thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.
Why do some people change churches? What difference does it make which one they stay away from?
We are called to be witnesses, not lawyers or judges.
God wants Christian fruit, not religious nuts.?
Peace starts with a smile.

Church Gossip submitted by Ruthel VanAmburg

Brenda, the church gossip and self appointed supervisor of the churche's morals, kept sticking her nose into other people's business. Several residents were unappreciative of her activities, but feared her enough to maintain their silence. She made a mistake, though, when she accused George, a new member, of being an alcoholic after she saw his pickup truck parked in front of the town's only bar one afternoon. She commented to George and to others that everyone seeing it there would know that he was an alcoholic. George, a man of few words, stared at her for a moment and just walked away. He said nothing. Later that evening, George quietly parked his pickup in front of Brenda's house......AND he left it there ALL NIGHT!!!

Children were overheard saying: sent to me by a friend in Bath

• A little child in church for the first time watched as the ushers passed the offering plate. When they neared the pew where he sat, the youngster piped up so that everyone could hear: "Don't pay for me daddy, I'm under five.?"
• A little boy attended his first wedding. After the service, his cousin asked him, "How many women can a man marry?" "Sixteen," the boy responded. His cousin was amazed that he had the answer so quickly. "How do you know that?" "Easy," the boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the Bishop said: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer."
• After the baptism of his baby brother in church, little Johnny sobbed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him 3 times what was wrong. Finally the boy replied, "That priest said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I want to stay with your guys."
• Terri asked her Sunday school class to draw pictures of their favorite Bible stories. She was puzzled by Kyle's picture which showed 4 people on an airplane, so she asked him which story it was meant to represent. "The flight to Egypt," said Kyle. "I see--and that must be Mary, Joseph and Baby Jesus," Terri said. "But who's the fourth person?" "Oh that's Pontius--the Pilot."
• A college drama group presented a play in which one character would stand on a trap door and announce, "I descend into hell!" A stagehand below would then pull a rope, the trap door would open, and the character would plunge through. The play was well received. When the actor playing the part became ill, another actor who was quite overweight took his place. When the new actor announced, "I descend into hell!" the stagehand pulled the rope, and the actor began to plunge, but became hopelessly stuck. No amount of tugging on the rope could make him descend. One student in the balcony jumped up and yelled, "Hallelujah!! Hell is full!"

Kids in Church submitted by Laura Underhill

A little boy was in his relative's wedding. As he was coming down the aisle, he would take two steps, stop, and turn to the crowd. While facing the crowd, he would put his hands up like claws and roar. So it went step, step, roar; step, step, roar, all the way down the aisle. As you can imagine the guests were near tears from laughing so hard by the time he reached the pulpit. When asked what he was doing, the child sniffed and said, "I was being the ring bear."

Six year old Angie and her four year old brother, Joel, were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang and talked out loud. Finally his big sister had had enough. "You're not supposed to talk out loud in church." " Why? Who is going to stop me?" Joel asked. Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, "See those two men standing by the door? They're hushers."

Noah's Wife submitted by Laura Underhill

Ending his sermon, a preacher announced that he would preach on Noah and the Ark on the following Sunday, and gave the scriptural reference for the congregation to read ahead of time. A couple of boys noticed something interesting about the placement of the story in the Bible, so they slipped into church and glued two pages of the pulpit Bible together. The next Sunday the preacher got up to read his text. "Noah took unto himself a wife," he began, "and she was"--he turned the page to continue--"three hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high." He paused, scratched his head, turned the page back, read it silently, and turned the page again. Then he looked up at his congregation and said, "I've been reading this old Bible for nearly fifty years, but there are some things in it that still amaze me."

And we always have the wonderful interpretations and misspellings of the Bible stories by children: These were sent to me by LD Bates in Bath.

• Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. Noah's wife was called Joan of Ark. Noah built an ark, which the animals come on to in pears.
• Lot's wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night.
• Sampson was a strong man who let himself be led astray by a Jezebel like Delilah. He slayed the Philistines with the axe of the Apostles.
• Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread which is bread without any ingredients.
• The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterwards Moses went up to Mount Cyanide to get the ten amendments.
• The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.
• The seventh commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery.
• Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol.
• Solomon, one of David's sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines.
• When Mary heard she was the mother of Jesus, she sang the Magna Carta.
• And Jesus was born because Mary had an immaculate contraption.
• When the three wise guys from the east side arrived, they found Jesus in the manager.
• St. John the blacksmith dumped water on his head.
• The people who followed the Lord were called the 12 decibels.
• One of the opossums was St. Matthew who was also a taxi man.
• The epistles were the wives of the apostles.
• It was a miracle when Jesus rose from the dead and managed to get the tombstone off the entrance.

Newsletter: Thank you again for the many nice compliments about the newsletter, and thank you to so many who are submitting articles to be included. If you have any suggestions or articles, send them to me, Diane Davis, by snail mail, or if you have a computer, e-mail me at Aylaiza@aol.com. Please write "Church Newsletter" in the subject, so I don't delete it by mistake! The next newsletter will be printed in mid March.

Happy moments, praise God.
Difficult moments, seek God.
Quiet moments, worship God.
Painful moments, trust God.
Every moment, thank God.

And a final thought.....You can either complain that rose bushes have thorns--or rejoice that thorn bushes have roses.
Happy Valentine's Day!!

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