October 2010

“Love

the LORD your GOD with all your HEART and with all your SOUL and with all your MIND and with all your STRENGTH…and, LOVE your NEIGHBOR as YOURSELF… You are not far from the KINGDOM OF GOD.”

That’s Why! Mark 12:29-34

OCTOBER 2010 First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs

Dear Friends,

In many ways October provides pictures of teamwork. Football teams, and soccer teams, and volleyball programs are well into their seasons and teamwork is of the essence. The baseball playoffs are about to happen and usually it is the best teams that make the playoffs—not just the teams with the best individuals. Marching bands with their music and their intricate movements show another aspect of team. Even an agricultural harvest often happens with a whole team of people.

This month marks the one-year anniversary of our First Pres Magazine, and it represents a team effort of people in our congregation gathering around one goal. It is a kind of harvest of stories for our congregation; the fruit of labor that has been a gift to us all over the past 12 months. I have been delighted by this project, not only because the product has been so inspiring, but because the process has been so inspiring as well. Where else could you find more than 40 people regularly rising up to freely give their talents and time to a publication? Their love has pointed praise to God, opened doors to deeper growth, and sent many of us in search of service opportunities. But most importantly, by sharing these stories together, we are becoming more unified as a congregation.

Through October the sermon series will continue to emphasize our life together as the body of Christ. Remember that the impact on our world when we stand side-by-side always supersedes what we can do alone. All around our church and web site this month, you’ll see pictures and hear stories about how the Kingdom of God shows up when we give ourselves as a community. Why would Stewardship 2010 focus on the impact of being with one another? Because there is an incredible, unstoppable, powerful joy in joining our gifts, great or small, to the life we share together.

That’s why.

In Christ,

Jim Singleton, Senior Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs

OCTOBER 2010

contents

Prayers, Presence, Gifts and Service . . . . 4 Hugh Eaton That’s Why! Stewardship 2010 . . . . . . 5 Dick Koons Did You Know? . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Susan Buenger That’s Why I Tell Stories . . . . . . . . . 12 Nicole Lowell 11

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in every issue First Pres Spotlight: Uncommon Folks Doing the Common Business of God . . 10 Ray Parry First Pres Spotlight: We Can Do Little Things for God . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Alison Murray Student Ministries: Restoration in New Orleans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Nate Stratman Love, Grow, Go—Together . . . . . . . . 14 Events Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Contributing Writers: Susan Buenger, Hugh Eaton, Richard Koons, Nicole Lowell, Alison Murray, Ray Parry, Nate Stratman Contributing Editors: Nicole Lowell, Alison Murray, Spencer Norman, Stacey Smith-Bradfield Proofreading Team: Mary Bauman, Daisy Jackson, Marty Kelley, Karen Kunstle, Gretchen Murphy-Bowman, Linda Pung Photographer: 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, October 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.

PRAYERS, PRESENCE, GIFTS AND SERVICE

By Hugh Eaton

Author’s Note: This article is based on excerpts from an interview with a member of our First Pres North Community.

T

here comes a time for most folks when they have to make a decision about the part Christianity will play in their lives. It seems fairly simple. All you have to do to “get in” is sincerely say, ‘I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior’.

“Ah, but once in, you find there’s more to it than meets the eye. For instance, if you want to grow in this newly found spiritual life, there are other requirements, like obeying God and changing priorities.

“During stewardship season the minister speaks about ‘prayers, presence, gifts and service’. You thought stewardship meant giving money, but you discover it also involves giving your time. Between your family and work, time is pretty scarce.

“Over time you see how important Sunday school and the youth program are to the kids. Your wife enjoys her Bible study group, and you joined a men’s group, a good fellowship experience.

“Slowly you become aware you are progressing on your ‘Christian walk’, and realize it’s now your highest priority.

“You believe you are doing what God expects with your prayers, presence and service, but the ‘gifts’ part is still a challenge. You increased your percentage of giving, but you still haven’t reached the ten percent the Bible requests. Surprisingly, being a part of a Stewardship drive brings an appreciation of the expenses involved in running a ministry. Our family began tithing and God was true to His word. ‘Give and it will be given to you…for by your standard of measure it will be measured to you in return’. (Luke 6:38) “Years have passed and God has blessed us so we could be a blessing to others. The Holy Spirit, who has excellent skills in managing financial affairs, led us to situations where we could help others, including paying the tuition for a single mom to go to seminary. We support four Compassion children, First Pres short-term missions and a young man who flies for Mission Aviation Fellowship. We continue to tithe to FP North and also support two small churches in the Colorado mountains.

“Any regrets? No. My wife and I are evenly yoked in this, and we wish we had started tithing sooner, since everything we have comes from God and we are just His trustees. One thing for sure, you can’t out-give God.” Hugh Eaton regularly submits articles on our satellite campus, First Pres North.

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S T E W A R D S H I P

2 0 1 0

By Dick Koons t first I scratched my head and sorta looked to the side. Hmmmm, “That’s Why,” what?

Then as I watched the first images unfold, I began to see First Pres. I saw the impact we have in all sorts of ways, in all sorts of people, in all sorts of places. When one stops for just a moment and looks around (and I mean really looks around), the impact this community has on single lives, on communities and even in foreign countries is remarkable.

I became a part of First Pres in 1984. My wife, Cindy, and I reared our children Scott and Mindy in the church. As adults, Scott and Mindy remain much involved in the Faith and for that we are grateful.

For my wife and me, we do believe in the concept of storehouse giving—or, “firstfruits” as it’s sometimes called. Each month we give back to the church first before we do anything else. That works for us. We also believe that First Pres is woven into our community of Colorado Springs. Its story is integral to the past, present and future of our city.

Throughout this month, you will have the opportunity to look at the impact we have as a community on individuals, organizations, our city and our world. Pick up a Prayer Guide found at reception desks around the church.

As you follow the Guide, you will understand individual stories and celebrate community activities. You will see that the impact First Pres has today is no less important than our founding in 1872. It is critically important for tomorrow. This is Kingdom-focused, Kingdom work—the most important job we have.

As you pray over your family’s participation in this year’s time of Stewardship, consider

your impact. In our world today, our calling is just as clear as it was 138 years ago.

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength… and, Love your neighbor as yourself… You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (Mark 12:30–34) That’s Why! Impact for the Kingdom. How will you respond?

Dick Koons is the 2010 Chair of our Stewardship Committee and long time member of First Pres. Dick is excited about what the future brings for First Pres as we strive to live the missional life laid before each of us and our beloved church, First Pres.

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Did You Know?

Impact. It’s everywhere!

202,608

meals

packed by 916 volunteers feeds 555 kids a meal a day for one year – Feed My Starving Children

On average, we give enough food to fill grocery carts for ESM each month.

650 70

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eals served on Tuesdays by our Marian House m Soup Kitchen Team

Mongolian teachers heard the Gospel for the first time, our team of 9 was there to help.

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children received a backpack filled with school supplies at the local Back to School fair.

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new Habitat homes can now be built in Egypt, thanks to donations to the 2009 Something Significant for Christmas Catalog.

r ural church planters and evangelists in India now have bicycles to ride as they serve our Lord thanks to your donations to the 2009 Something Significant for Christmas Catalog.

One church-to-church partnership with the Free Presbyterian Church of Kalimpong, India, through Compassion International, encourages kids a day

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Your donations make free medications available to those below the poverty line through The Lord Cares or TLC Pharmacy. Â 10/10 10/10 || www.first-pres.org www.first-pres.org || 7 7

That’s Why I Tell Stories little over a year ago, the magazine you hold in your hands was just an idea. It was an idea to tell the stories of what God was doing at First Pres.

We are busy people in a non-stop world.

There are countless possibilities for creating important projects, holding exciting events, and doing inspiring work. Our lives are full of opportunities to do more, and so is our church.

It was easy to see what we were doing, but as the idea of First Pres Magazine began to take shape, we started looking for the things around us that only God could do.

In the summer of 2009, writers and photographers, proofreaders and editors from all around our congregation gathered together and caught the vision for a magazine that told the story of God on the move. The inaugural issue launched this vision in October 2009 with articles about God’s loving action through the care in our own nursery, our hospitality to

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refugees learning English and families in homeless situations, and the ways the Spirit transforms hearts a world away in Mongolia.

For 12 months, the reports of God on the move have just continued to roll out.

But the stories published in the magazine aren’t the only place Jesus has been experienced. From the start, this endeavor has involved His body working together in exciting ways. Every month’s issue is the product of an entire community of people. From the pastoral team you recognize, to creative people sitting in the pew next to you, to talented staff working in a labyrinth of offices, the only way to capture our stories is through collaboration.

The publication you are reading is a mosaic of gifts, passed from hand to hand, heart to heart, deep to deep. Each month brings its own kind of adventure. We begin with the editorial board articulating themes and brainstorming about stories. Once the articles are

By Nicole Lowell

“ That’s why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight.”

Jesus in Matthew 13:13, The Message paraphrase

assigned, the writers set out to make connections and discover the hidden treasures in every corner of the congregation. Photographers join the fray, expanding each story beyond words, fleshing out mere names with faces and form.

Advertisements are designed. Calendars are compiled. The magazine is stitched into a tapestry of pages. From there, the proofreaders gather with red pens, quietly committed to the details of punctuation and grammar.

When the textual changes are made, print master Russell Schurbon’s careful eyes give final approval to the quality of images and color before all is sent for reproduction and mailing.

And while we have been busy all year seeking and telling stories of what God has been doing, it turns out He has also been busy doing things through our stories. A woman in Oregon, getting her brother’s mail while he is

out of the country, calls and asks for a “Something Significant for Christmas” catalog because she saw it in the December magazine.

After reading about ways people are living for Jesus in their work, one man asks God to show him how to make his job his mission field. A girl finds one article about love so moving, she cuts it out and pastes it in her journal, as a reminder of what God might be calling her to do. These are things only the Holy Spirit can do, but we have been blessed to play a part.

From beginning to end, the first year of First Pres Magazine has been about hard work and friendship, surprises and revisions, learning and laughter, creativity and grace. Come to think of it, it has been a lot like the Christian life: Small stories, gathered one by one, that add up to living a life that looks a little more like Jesus.

Nicole Lowell is Director of Ministry Involvement at First Pres.

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FIRST PRES SPOTLIGHT

e h t g n i Uncommon Folks Do of God Common Business

By Ray Parry

I

t used to be chickens delivered to the parsonage parlor on Sunday afternoon. At least that was my grandfather’s experience in his parish in upstate New York. Cash was harder to come by in those days. Thankfully, no chickens have been placed in offering plates lately. But $2 bills, pennies, foreign coins, prayer requests, and notes to the pastor and the Worship & Music Department show up alongside checks and offering envelopes. Someone has to sort through, separate, and count what we give.

At First Pres, there’s a committee of nine volunteers who do that faithfully every week for the combined receipts of six services and 20 adult Sunday-School communities. Gathered in the early morning hours in front of a disorganized pile, this dedicated group carefully brings order out of the chaos. Pledge envelopes, pew envelopes, deacon’s offerings, special offerings, Get Set and Doulos gifts, bills and coins are all sorted into piles. Each category is then added up and double-checked. Totals must match, or the entire pile is recounted until all discrepancies are resolved. After two hours of detailed effort, the sorted, stacked and summed piles of checks, envelopes, bills, and loose change are bound up and turned over to the Business Office for processing. That final computer effort takes another four hours of entry into databases from which weekly reports, monthly reports, year-end reports and quarterly statements to givers will be produced. Prayer requests and notes are passed on to appropriate groups or individuals. Not all 10 | www.first-pres.org | 10/10

our gifts are deposited in the offering plates. At least one-fourth is delivered via the mail, through credit cards or through bank transfers on www. myfirst-pres.org.

So, who are these nine faithful counters and stackers? Most of them volunteer as ushers or at the Soup Kitchen or in other capacities around the church. Most of them have been doing the counting for a long time: 25 years for the most senior member, 10 years for the most junior. All are retired from careers as varied as: banker, plant manager, builder, U.S. Air Force, school teacher, missile systems and utilities. A few substitutes are available to fill in for missing members, who then may advance to a regular member as the need arises. Perhaps it’s the rolls and coffee that attracts these stalwarts, or the weekly gatherings with those who have become friends. When asked why they do this every week, the answers range from, “Someone has to do it” to “Enjoy the fellowship” to “Like to count.” The most important requirement is confidentiality. While adding up the sums, names of givers aren’t even noticed, and no information from envelopes, checks, prayer requests or notes can ever leave the room. Only a very few people have any knowledge of giving records, and none of those are pastors. So you never have to worry when shaking hands with our pastors is that they know what you put in the offering plate!

Ray Parry has covered a number of our hidden saints for First Pres Magazine and takes great joy in writing these stories.

FIRST PRES SPOTLIGHT

We Can Do Little Things for God! bison, Ve

n, Jerry rn Robiso

Phyllis Ro

E

Gardner

very week, led by coordinator Janis Strickler, we have an ever-faithful group of First Pres men and women who clean out and restock the Sanctuary pew pockets. It’s a seemingly small thing. But as with all small things, it’s the little things that make a difference for each of us. And these folks know it!

Volunteers Phyllis and Vern Robison, for whom leaving their home each week is no small matter, faithfully spend an hour or two working pew by pew replacing cards, removing left behind children’s “artwork,” ensuring the offering envelopes are there, that pencils are sharp and that seasonal material is properly made available.

“I’ve been doing this every Tuesday for at least three years,” says another steadfast member of the group, Jerry Gardner. “I do it for a couple of reasons.” He continues, “somebody has to do it, but more importantly,” he says with a smile, “I do it for the Lord!”

Janis Strickler has coordinated this ministry for 14 years. Janis can be found most Sundays after worship in the ministry offices sorting and grouping all the pages from the blue Friendship Pads. Janis’ main job is to identify any new visitors to First Pres by noon for each Sunday! Phone calls are made to our new visitors Sunday afternoon based upon the information Janis gathers.

Janis then returns Monday mornings and spends five and a half hours putting all the information gathered for that Sunday into our computer databases.

For Janis, placing these hidden details at the top of her list of gifts she gives to our

By Alison Murray

community makes such a difference to all of us. “In the pew pockets, there is everything from Bibles, to hymnals, prayer request cards, blank cards to make notes, devotional material and cards to send notes to our pastors. It’s our job to make sure that all those things are available each week. It’s a very important way for members of our congregation to communicate with their church.”

There is no doubt that Janis and her volunteers fully understand the necessity of order within these pew pockets. It is a true ministry, a labor of love for each of these First Pres saints who serve in this way each week. Each pew pocket may be little, but it is, nonetheless, a lifeline to our community.

If you are in the church during the week, stop by the Sanctuary. You just might have the opportunity to hug and thank this special group of 12 faithful servants.

Alison Murray is a member of our First Pres staff and celebrates the hidden hands of First Pres.

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Walk with Jesus.

Rekindle your love for Him. Journey with others.

Be loved by God and His People.

A Spiritual Renewal Weekend Retreat La Foret Conference and Retreat Center Cost: $200 for individuals, $300 for couples ($150 for individuals, $200 for couples if you apply by Oct. 5) Scholarships may also apply

Register online at coloradopilgrimage.org

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STUDENT MINISTRIES

he last 12 days of July, the High School ministry took 55 students and leaders to New Orleans to participate in the Restoration Project, a week of biblical study, important service and incredible cultural experiences. From beginning to end, we felt the impact of what God can do through all of us when we’re together.

While we were still organizing the trip, one student posted a note on my Facebook page, saying that he wanted to go and serve but couldn’t afford it. A member of our church, who I don’t know very well, saw the note, came right in to the youth office, and anonymously covered the entire amount for this student whom he’d never met. While we were in Louisiana, this particular kid kept mentioning how blessed he was to have a stranger pay his way. I told him, “you may not know this person, but he is no stranger; he is your church being the church.”

The next sign of God at work showed up when three of our four vehicles broke down at some point along the way. Almost before we could grab our cell phones and call for help, God sent some

incredible people to spend countless hours fixing our buses; the students and leaders were amazed.

The impact we hoped to make on New Orleans itself began with helping to demolish a hospital so it could be rebuilt into a nursing home. Kids planted fields of sunflowers to soak up poisonous lead leached into the soil from all the paint washed off thousands of homes. There was a dance camp, an outreach to folks in a nursing home, and a project to pot plants that would make their way all over the bayou.

But the impact we made on New Orleans was nothing compared to the impact God made on us. By the time we headed home, we’d sweated and sung together, worked and worshipped together. We were seeing our world and each other a little more like Jesus does.

Nate Stratman is the Director of First Pres Student Ministries.

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Love, Grow, Go – Together. It’s a journey, a state of mind, it’s who we want to be here at First Pres. If, after you’ve read the articles in this issue of First Pres Magazine, you would like to know more about these serving communities, read on.

Business Office Volunteers. A dedicated group of retired bankers, accountants and bookkeepers volunteer weekly to assist with the many processes and procedures needed to keep the First Pres Business Office a well-oiled machine.

Contact Jim Brown at 884.6165 or jbrown@firstpres.org for further information.

First Pres Magazine. If you have a passion for stories and the written word, join us on the First Pres Magazine. We are looking for writers, editors and proofers. Contact Nicole Lowell, 884.6162 or nlowell@first-pres.org Marian House. To join the First Pres team at the Marian House Soup Kitchen, call Michelle Swanson, 884.6111 or mswanson@first-pres.org.

Missions Activities. There are ongoing opportunities to serve in local, national and international missions. Contact Pat Dickinson, 884.6108 or pdickinson@first-pres.org for further information.

Pew Pocket Team. This group of 12 dedicated volunteers is actively looking to increase their number! Contact Kim Kuck, 884.6152 to volunteer.

Something Significant For Christmas Catalog. Look for this catalog at the end of November.

Student Ministries. Extra hands are always a welcome sight in our Student Ministries. To volunteer for Grilled Cheese on Tuesdays, or student ministries on Wednesday nights and Sundays at the Downtown or North campuses, contact Kathy Freyschlag, 884.6220 or kfreyschlag@first-pres.org.

Other opportunities to serve? www.first-pres.org/volunteer Nicole Lowell 884-6162, nlowell@first-pres.org

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Events Calendar OCTOBER

week of 1–3

Sunday, Oct 3 World Communion Sunday Bible Reading Brunch

week of 4–10

Wednesday, Oct 6 Women’s Lunchbreak GTW

Friday, Oct 8 Singers Retreat Rt. 56

Thursday, Oct 7 Prime Time

Saturday, Oct 9 Star-Soccer begins

week of 11–17 week of 18–24

week of 25–31

Sunday, Oct 10 Doorways begins

Wednesday, Oct 13 GTW Tuesday, Oct 19 Session Meeting

Thursday, Oct 14 Prime Time

Wednesday, Oct 20 Men’s Lunchbreak GTW

Sunday, Oct 24 Commitment Sunday

Wednesday, Oct 27 GTW

Saturday, Oct 30 Legacy Matters

Sunday, Oct 31 Reformation Sunday

Thursday, Oct 28 Healing Service

Join us in Worship on Sundays

Downtown Campus – 219 E. Bijou Blended Worship with Choir, Sanctuary, 8:20 a.m. & 9:45 a.m.

Contemporary Worship, 9:45 a.m. Fellowship Hall and 11:10 a.m. Sanctuary Contemplative Worship, Sanctuary, 5:00 p.m.

First Pres North – da Vinci Academy Contemporary Worship, 11:00 a.m.

First Pres Online – first-pres.org Sanctuary Services live broadcast beginning at 8:20 a.m.

For church information, call 719-884-6144 or mail@first-pres.org 8/10 | www.first-pres.org | 15 10/10

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

219 East Bijou Street Colorado Springs, CO 80903

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