Let's Grow! • 8 Prime Time Meets the Troops • 4 Caretakers Extraordinaire • 6
JANUARY 2010 First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs
Dear First Pres Family, I don’t know about you, but the New Year feels especially new to me this year. Maybe it’s because I’ve spent time with our granddaughter seeing winter through one-year-old eyes. Maybe it’s because First Pres is launching Sunday services up north this month. Or maybe it’s because Advent, the coming of the Light of the World, felt more needed than ever after the challenges we all faced in 2009. Whatever the reason, with the start of 2010, I’m noticing that the nights are getting a tiny bit shorter. The sun is rising a smidge earlier. The darkness is already losing its grip and something new is on the move. This month, we return to the book of John, and the stories we find send the same message. Light emerges through Jesus as his ministry increases. And not only light, but living water flows from him to one woman—and from her, to her whole community. Increasing light; living water; transforming growth. You’ll find these themes in this edition of the First Pres Magazine. They’re the themes of a missional life, too. Starting in February, we’ll begin a new series in these pages on that very topic. In a world so in need of Christ (indeed, a world that increasingly resists his message), we will continue to explore how we can share our life’s commitment to Jesus with others. I’ll look for you around campus this January! Yours in Christ,
Jim Singleton, Senior Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs
JANUARY 2010 contents Prime Time Meets the Troops . . . . . . . 4 Rich Boyle Short Term Mission, Long Term Change . . 5 Marilyn Ehle Growing Up (North) . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Hugh Eaton with Paul Parsons What's Happening on Wednesdays? . . . 10 Adam and Jennifer Holz
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First Pres Spotlight: Caretakers Extraordinaire . . . College/Young Adult Ministries . Student Ministries . . . . . . . Children’s Ministries . . . . . . Events Calendar . . . . . . . .
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Contributing Writers: Rich Boyle, Hugh Eaton, Marilyn Ehle, Joe Farrell, Adam Holz, Jennifer Holz, Zola Paget, Ray Parry Contributing Editors: Susan Buenger, Alyce Fertig, Adam Holz, Nicole Lowell, Paul Parsons, Stacey Smith-Bradfield Photographers: Alison Smith All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, © 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. First Pres Magazine, January 2010, Volume Two, © First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs, CO. Published by First Presbyterian Church, a non-profit organization. To contact First Pres Magazine: 719-884-6162 or 219 E. Bijou Street, Colorado Springs, CO 809031392 or magazine@first-pres.org. Printed in the U.S.A.
Prime Time Meets the Troops by Rich Boyle
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t’s a quiet building at 4:00 in the morning. A few soldiers, including the Fort Carson band, sit in groups chatting, others catch a nap. Suddenly the quiet breaks as everyone moves to their assigned positions. You can hear the whine of the big charter jet before it appears in the darkness and taxis slowly to a stop, bathed in spotlights. Steps are rolled to the door and after a few minutes the first of this flight’s more than 300 troops head down the steps welcomed by the band’s music. They’re finally at the end of a 20+ hour flight from the war zone. They’re home, some of them after a third or fourth trip just like this one. A few more tasks lay between the arriving men and women and their families; turning in their weapons, a quick look by the medics, ever-present paperwork. Then a final briefing. But between the paperwork and the briefing, the soldiers encounter smiling faces, outstretched hands of welcome, soft drinks and McDonald’s cheeseburgers from members of PrimeTime, the First Pres ministry for those ages 55 and better.
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Working with Home Front Cares, a local organization that supports the families of deployed troops, PrimeTime members greeted 13 flights carrying 2,699 soldiers during August and September 2009. Spearheaded by Owen Perkins and Roger Hunt, who arranged teams to meet every flight, volunteers showed up at all hours of the day and night, whenever a flight was due. “It was a truly rewarding and emotional experience,” says Perkins. “We were the first civilians they saw, and they were surprised and pleased to be welcomed home by some local folks. We got a lot of smiles and ‘thank-yous’.” Established in the spring of 2008, PrimeTime quickly established support of the military as a primary part of its mission work. To mark Christmas of 2008, the group collected snacks, stockings, phone cards and other needed items, packed them up in one morning and sent 110 boxes to a Fort Carson unit then serving in Iraq. That was just the beginning. It’s safe to say that more military-oriented missional activities lay ahead for PrimeTime. Rich Boyle is a member of First Pres and a retired businessman.
e first met Dick in southern Siberia in 1996. Recently retired from an executive position with a major utilities company, going on a mission trip to Siberia was definitely not one of his long term goals. Although an active member of a vital Presbyterian church, he admitted that his participation in the project was primarily due to his wife’s persistent urging and enthusiasm. In his own words, he was “dragged kicking and screaming” into this new adventure. But there he was, assisting in one of the teacher seminars organized by the International School Project, a ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ. As a direct result of that trip to Siberia, ISP was eventually able to begin working in Mongolia, a country less than 200 miles south of that seminar site. Fast forward to 2009 and First Presbyterian Church. Our first project in Mongolia was in 2006 when a small team participated in separate outreach emphases. Since that time, First Pres short-term ministry participants have financially invested and taken time from their busy lives to be involved in reaching deeply into the lives of teens, teachers, military men and women, Campus Crusade for Christ staff members and others. Short term missions have an impact far beyond the receiving country or ministry, and Mongolia is only one of the places where First Pres people have had their lives changed. Vicki Witte writes about her involvement with our Katrina teams: “My heart broke for the people I met and the destruction I witnessed. God had me hooked… Through these experiences God revealed to me His ultimate sovereignty, the importance of obedience in the face of unknowing, and the importance of relationships in mission…” What about Dick? How is retirement going? At this writing, Dick (now 79) and his wife have been back to Mongolia over ten times, frequently staying from six to eight weeks, to prepare for ISP projects or involved in other ministry opportunities. Still a man who speaks his mind, he recently expressed frustration when a scheduled trip to Mongolia had to be cancelled because of an H1N1 outbreak. When asked about his experiences, he simply says, “I should have started this ten years earlier.”
Short Term
Mission
Long Term
Change By Marilyn Ehle
First Pres member Marilyn Ehle speaks to women’s groups and is a regular writer for several devotional Web sites. 1/10 | www.first-pres.org | 5
FIRST PRES SPOTLIGHT
Caretakers Extraordinaire By Ray Parry
Without this group of dedicated and largely invisible workers, the sidewalks would be deep in snow, hundreds of chairs would not be set up in Fellowship Hall, the bathrooms would not have towels, burnt out lights would never be replaced, and the Christmas angels wouldn’t fly in the plaza. Who are these always on-the-go folks who proudly wear First Presbyterian Church logos on their shirts? They are our custodial staff, made up of four full-time and six part-time employees. For this team, every day has its surprises and opportunities to minister to long time members and walk-in visitors. So what is it like to be a caretaker at First Pres? Preparing for Sunday is the foundation of the weekly routine, but no two days are alike. Much of their time is spent responding to the need of the moment. You can find members of the team opening locked doors when keys are forgotten, finding extension cords for laptops, or fixing a broken faucet. Then there are the special seasons of the year when extra work is required and temporary workers may be added to handle moving stuff from here to there and back again. Ken Hayward, Director of Facilities enjoys the daily activity, but he says the best part of
Willing Hearts & Hands abound to keep the church decorated and in top shape. Special thanks to all the volunteers who help the custodial staff. You can see them during the week cleaning chairs, polishing brass railings, and working on numerous other special decorating and repair jobs. the job is interaction with the other members of First Pres who are more than strangers passing in the hallways but friends who greet you by name. And there’s a difference working in a church rather than an office building. Ken can feel that people are growing, reaching out, working for the good of the community and the world. That makes the church a wonderful place to be day in and day out. This is where the rest of us can join the extraordinary custodial team. Ken and his staff always appreciate extra hands willing to serve fellow members and our Lord in making these buildings a sparkling witness to His presence. Volunteer writer and active member of our First Pres community, Ray Parry can be found singing in the Bass section of Big Blue most Sundays.
Would you like to lend a hand? Our first All Church Clean Up day for 2010 is coming up. Watch for announcements. 6 | www.first-pres.org | 1/10
God intended marriage to embody the intimacy, love and commitment that He desires to share with every person. Join other couples and speakers Cliff and Mary Anderson, and Joe and Anne Farrell.
February 5-7
Trail West Lodge, Buena Vista, CO
For more information, call 884.6144 or pick up a brochure in the church display racks Sign up at the Congregational Support Desk, 884.6144
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by Hugh Eaton with Rev. Paul Parsons
W
hen Jim Singleton was introduced as the new Senior Minister of First Pres, he was greeted with a warm and sincere standing ovation. Many in that first-day congregation live in northern El Paso County. Those “Northlanders” should have fastened their seat belts. Jim felt God calling First Pres to be a “missional” church. He explained a missional church reaches out to everyone, the lovely and unlovely, especially those who have never heard of God’s redeeming and forgiving love, whether global or local. The church’s Master Ministry Plan developed to include a goal of establishing satellite churches around Colorado Springs to serve members who live beyond a 25-minute drive from the downtown campus. Then, in 2007, representatives of Classic Homes asked church officials if they were interested in acquiring a building site for a church in a new community Classic was developing in northern El Paso County, an area with a growing population. Classic’s offer prompted Jim to invite First Pres “Northlander” members to a meeting to discern the level of interest in starting a satellite church “up north.” Over a hundred members attended, and the response was positive. Classic Homes, in a landmark moment, generously donated to First Pres a prime three-acre building site in their Flying Horse 8 | www.first-pres.org | 1/10
development. First Pres North (First Pres North) was no longer just a dream. Starting a satellite church involves a myriad of details, hard work, prayer and patience. In 2009, First Pres North formed a Campus Team to plan the launching of Sunday services. The Team, led by Paul Parsons and Elder Ralph Gates, includes Bill Bristol, Gene Cosby, Jeralynn Dix, Hugh Eaton, Stef Hille, Silvano Martinez, Pat Robertson, Kate Robinson, Bob Strauss and Mark Vlcek. Even in the midst of the excitement, all involved in the startup anticipate some feelings of loss when they begin attending First Pres North Sunday services, on January 17. It means not experiencing all that is the inspirational worship service downtown, but to a person they are willing to sacrifice to start First Pres North. Stef Hille, mother of a young daughter and actively involved in MOPS, said, “I thought about this long and hard and realized I was being led to First Pres North.” Jeralynn Dix and her husband, Dave, typify the core group members. Jeralynn began attending First Pres at age five. Dave completed his military service, and they joined this church in 1965. She says, “The folks attending First Pres North love the ‘downtown mother ship’ so much we want to share the First Pres DNA and the love of Jesus with the growing population of northern El Paso County.”
In August, First Pres held a Sunday evening worship service in a large tent on the site of the future First Pres North sanctuary. Jim Singleton preached to a crowd of over 400. The spirit of the First Pres North core group was greatly buoyed by this show of support. First Pres North volunteer Coordinators are busy making final plans and seeking volunteers for the startup of Sunday services. Church leaders and staff have been gracious with their time and advice. The prayers and support of the entire downtown congregation are critical for a successful beginning for First Pres North. The congregation is highly supportive of mission teams that go to places like Mongolia and Cairo. First Pres North members feel they are another mission team commissioned by First Pres to enter a local mission field. The Team wants to insure that First Pres North retains the First Pres “DNA”, while adapting its service to the unique needs of the people of northern El Paso County. The Team wrote and adopted the following vision statement: “First Pres North’s vision is to build a Christcentered, intergenerational community in northern El Paso County. Our community is built on a deep love for the Bible and is shaped by transformed lives as we share the Word in worship. We pursue a missional life style and turn outward to actively demonstrate God’s love beyond our culture.” Paul Parsons, called to be the founding pastor of First Pres North in May 2009, says, “We’ve been worshipping together on Wednesday nights, practicing what it means to be a worshipping community. The messages, prayer, music and sharing of faith stories, celebrations and failures before God is changing us from a collection of individuals into a living, breathing, organic new creation—the family of God. There’s nothing in all of life quite like the experience of being part of a new congregation! We look forward, with great anticipation and excitement, to what God has in store for First Pres North as we begin our Sunday worship services.” Independent writer and editor Hugh Eaton is one of the core members of First Pres North. Rev. Paul Parsons is the Senior Associate Pastor.
First Pres North Launch PHASE 1 January 17, 2010 – Worship at 11 a.m. for “core members” with a nursery provided. This is a “soft start” or dress rehearsal to get the kinks out of the process. PHASE 2 February 28, 2010 – Adult and children Sunday school at 9:30 a.m. Worship service 11 a.m. All First Pres members residing in northern El Paso County are welcome. Nursery provided. PHASE 3 March 28th (Palm Sunday) – All of northern El Paso County is invited to join the FPC family in Worship at 11 a.m. Nursery provided. Sunday services at The DaVinci Academy, 1335 Bridle Oaks Lane, Colorado Springs, CO. Plenty of convenient parking available. Wednesday night Bible study at the Community Bible Study building, 790 Stout Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80921 (No nursery provided.) For directions call 884-6141 Volunteers needed! Initiating Sunday services is FPN’s most challenging step so far, especially since we don’t know how many to expect for nursery, Sunday school and Worship services. Even if you can’t commit to a regular schedule, any hours you can volunteer on Sunday morning until things settle in will be greatly appreciated. Come and be part of this exciting startup. To volunteer call 884-6141.
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What’s Happening on Wednesdays? One opportunity we have to deepen our connection with Christ and with others is Wednesday Nights at First Pres. Recently, I sat down with Jennifer Holz to talk about how our church’s mid-week offerings might serve as a catalyst for personal spiritual growth. First Pres. Magazine: What are our Wednesday night options, and how do you hope they will impact those who participate?
Jennifer: Wednesday night’s primary offer-
ings are CORE, Renovation Workshop, Bridges Out of Poverty. We’ll also continue to offer practical classes like Love and Logic and Financial Peace University. [Check out our Wednesday Nights at First Pres. brochure for full descriptions.] Regardless of which track someone takes, we hope people will experience three things: the renewing of our minds, deeper relationships and space to reflect on how God’s Word shapes us. To facilitate those goals, most of our Wednesday night options will have three components: a teaching time, a time for reflection and small-group conversation.
FPM: Why are the small group and reflection components important?
Jennifer: Because our church is so large,
we need spaces for people to connect and grow together in the practice of spiritual disciplines. If we don’t carve out space for our congregation to be together in smaller groupings to explore spiritual truth together, then we’re 10 | www.first-pres.org | 1/10
sending people out into the world ill-equipped to be who God has called them to be. We’re trying to be intentional about how we’re helping people grow in relationship, grow in faith and live differently in the world. Think of small groups as learning communities where we reflect together on our faith.
FPM: How does this approach equip us to live missionally?
Jennifer: In Rom. 12:2, the Apostle Paul
wrote, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The world is constantly shaping our lives, conforming us to its way of doing business. In our culture, that means living as individualists and consumers. In contrast, the gospel calls us to be othercentered, to notice and care for the needs of those around us, to become interdependent with the body of Christ. As we learn, reflect and relate together, God’s kingdom grows and moves us out into the world, connecting and reconnecting people with Jesus. Adam R. Holz is Senior Associate Editor at Focus on the Family’s Plugged In Online. Jennifer Holz is Associate Pastor for Adult Ministries.
where
ORDINARY
meets
EXTRAORDINARY
What happens when an everyday human collides with the eternal, holy and all-powerful God of the universe? Amazing things! Explore it all with friends who are finding their way along the same journey.
WINTERCAMP February 26-28 Quaker Ridge Camp
(just outside Woodland Park)
Students grades 7-12 can register for just $135 before January 24 ($150 after January 24)
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COLLEGE/YOUNG ADULT MINISTRIES
By Joe Farrell
Something Old, Something New “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Make any New Year’s resolutions?” That question inevitably pops up as the calendar rolls into a new year. How will you answer? I’ll probably say the same thing as many of you: “Well …” and try to think of something clever on the spot. But I also know these great ideas on selfimprovement will likely not last beyond February. So instead of resolutions, this year I am going to consider something different. What if I made a “New Year’s discipline?” A new discipline would require greater commitment. It might require me to change something about my day-to-day schedule. Maybe it would force me to order differently when eating out. Perhaps it would require reorganizing my priorities. A new discipline could be painful. However, if I add one new discipline to my life in 2010, and do not remove something else, I will likely fail. I can’t count the times I’ve tried to add something new to my life—be it a resolution or a discipline—and had it fail because it did not have the time allotted to make it feasible. 12 | www.first-pres.org | 1/10
If I hope to succeed in a new discipline, then something old must go. If I am going to add a daily morning time of journaling and Scripture reading, sleeping in late must go. If I am adding a discipline of healthy eating, I must remove the old temptations from my pantry. If I add a new discipline of a monthly day of solitude and prayer, it may mean letting go of leisure time activities like watching football for an entire afternoon. When Paul wrote the above statement from 2 Corinthians, I doubt he was thinking of “New Year’s disciplines.” But the truth he points out comes alive for me when I think of how often I have tried to add something new without removing the old. The old has gone, the new has come! It also makes me wonder how much I hold on to my old self, instead of letting Jesus make me new. The start of a new year is a natural time to reflect, renew, and refocus. Maybe this year it also needs to be a time to remove. What “old” will you remove, and what “new” will come? Joe Farrell is the Associate Pastor of Young Adults
STUDENT MINISTRIES
face2face First Presbyterian High School Ministry Wall
Info
Photos
Discussions
Links
First Presbyterian Youth sends some shout-outs about Winter Camp (Comin’ up Feb 26-28, 2010!). So what’s so great about it? Here’s what some of the pros who went last year said…
Matt Goodale says winter camp has been a great getaway from everyday life. It’s a fun place to go where I can have good times with friends as well as get to know God better. Well, when I went to my first winter camp in middle school, at first I didn’t really know much of anyone, but by the time it was over I got to know a lot of cool people. I guess I still see it as an opportunity to get to know those people who are kind of new or don’t know much of anyone else.
Michelle Cage says 1. I personally see Jesus through other people and their fire, or when we are worshiping I can feel his presence. 2. My fondest memory is definitely going on “The Swing” my first year at the old camp we used to go to. It was so much fun because when I got off I saw all of my friends cheering for me and I thanked God for all of the people he had blessed me with. 3. Winter Camp definitely brought me closer to God. It’s such a cool opportunity to learn more about God in a very dramatic situation due to the lack of sleep that we had. But seeing God on retreats is a really great way to set us on fire and send us home with a lot to think about. 4. Winter Camp is where life is, within the love of God. That should be enough to encourage people to attend, but it’s definitely fun and spiritually healing. There are so many things that you can do and it’s all about God.
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CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES
2010 Resolution: Family Time with God As your family enters the new year, commit to Christ as the center of your home. An easy first step in this is to begin to practice a time of family devotions each week (or more often!). There are a number of resources that can inspire and help you! A children’s story Bible is often the best place to begin—just reading the stories of faith together is a wonderful way to grow closer to God as a family. One resource that may help you begin to think about your home as the #1 place where faith is nurtured is Faith Begins at Home by Mark Holmen. It contains lots of inspiration and practical ideas. If you need help in identifying ways to nurture faith in your home, our Children’s Ministry staff would be excited to partner with you—call or email Zola Paget at zgpaget@first-pres.org or 719-884-6125.
d in a hands-on setting for children in The Connection is a multi-dimensional Christian learning experience delivere grades K-4.
AK SNEE PE K
JANUARY MEMORY VERSE: Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Colossians 3:12
by God,” in a study from 1 Samuel chapIn January, kids in the Connection will learn about what it means to be “called listen for God’s call in our lives. to learn can ters 1-3. Like young Samuel, God calls each of us by name, and we
Creation Station is a place where pres choolers can begin to explore God’s Wor d through hands-on experiences that fit the unique needs and interests of children in this stage of development. We strive to be a model of Christ’s love by creating a nurturing environment where child ren can learn and grow as they begin the first steps of their faith journey.
SNEA PEEKK
JANUARY MEMORY VERSE: I will sing of the Lo rd’s great love forever. Psalm 89:1
In January, children in Creation Station will learn stories of Jesus’ teachings and mira cles—about our worry and fear, and God’s care and provision – and how to than k God for His loving care.
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Events Calendar JANUARY week of 1–2
Friday, Jan. 1 New Years Day—Church Closed
week of 3–9
Tuesday, Jan. 5 Men on Target Begins 6:15 a.m. Fellowship Hall Redeeming Sexual Integrity Begins 6:30 p.m. Boardroom
Wednesday, Jan. 6 Women’s Lunch Break 11:45 a.m. Fellowship Hall Men on Target 6:30 p.m. Room 031
week of 10–16
Tuesday, Jan 12 Engine Room Prayer Service 5:30 p.m. Sanctuary Sisters in Strength Daybreak 6:30 a.m. Room 209
Wednesday, Jan. 13 Wednesday Nights Begin 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 14 SIS CORE II 9 a.m. Sheldon Jackson Room
week of 17–23
Sunday, Jan. 17 First Pres North Soft Start 11 a.m. DaVinci Academy CORE II Beings 6:30 p.m. Fellowship Hall
Monday, Jan. 18 Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Church Closed
Wednesday, Jan. 20 Men’s Power Breakfast 6:30 a.m. Fellowship Hall Men’s Power Lunch 11:45 a.m. Fellowship Hall
week of 24–31
Thursday, Jan. 28 Healing Service 7 p.m. Fellowship Hall
Saturday, Jan. 30 SHIFT Job Change Workshop 8:30 a.m. Cathedral Room (418)
Interfaith Hospitality Network (from Sunday, Dec 27, 2009 to Jan. 3, 2010)
Thursday, Jan. 7 MOPS Begins 9 a.m. Fellowship Hall Friday, Jan 8 MOPS Begins 9 a.m. Fellowship Hall
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Non Profit Org. U. S. Postage PAID Colo. Spgs. CO Permit No. 419
Dinner - 4:45-6:20 p.m. (Adults $6 Children $3) Classes - 6:30-8 p.m.
WINTER SESSION BEGINS JANUARY 13, 2009
growth opportunities abound for the whole family on Wednesday Nights at First Pres
WHERE GROWTH HAPPENS
219 East Bijou Street Colorado Springs, CO 80903
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