July 2010

Witness the Great Drama • 8 Big Blue’s Song of Life • 4 Love Each Other as I have Loved You • 10

JULY 2010 First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs

Dear First Pres Family, The transformations that happen in the month of July never cease to amaze me. In the height of summer, gardens produce all kinds of things, the mountains are finally free of snow, and even our daily weather transforms before our eyes. Clear morning skies give way to afternoon thunderstorms, all followed by evening calm.

I will be undergoing some personal transformation this month. Sara and I will take a few weeks of vacation and then I’ll spend the latter half of the month on study leave.

It’s always refreshing to get away and watch how God uses that time to take me deeper into His heart.

While I’m gone, I imagine you as a congregation will be going deeper, too! The Love, Grow, Go—Together sermon series continues with a focus on growth. We’ll look at passages in the gospel of John and 1 Corinthians that talk about how our encounter with God transforms us, making us more like him. This transformation happens to us individually, but also as a community. We grow together.

Summer is always a good time to catch up on reading, and if you would like to go deeper into what it means to love, grow, go—together, stop by our library where a number of great books are available on a special display. If you are looking for something more active than reading this month, consider opportunities to work on the Habitat for Humanity house, various activities for men and women, and camps for the kids. May every one of us be part of the transformations happening all around us this July at First Pres!

Yours in Christ,

Jim Singleton, Senior Pastor First Presbyterian Church of Colorado Springs

JULY 2010

contents

Big Blue's Song of Life . . . . . . .

Jim DeJarnette Habitat Update . . . . . . . . . .

Alison Murray Witness the Great Drama . . . . . .

Paul Parsons Love Each Other as I have Loved You Wendy Buckler 6

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. . . 4 . . . 5 . . . 8 . . . 10

in every issue First Pres Spotlight: Guest Central . . . .

Bill Lambert First Pres North Youth: Part of the Fabric .

Hugh Eaton Children's Ministries . . . . . . . . . .

Vacation Bible School Love, Grow, Go—Together . . . . . . .

Events Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . .

. 6 11 13 . 14 15

Contributing Writers: Wendy Buckler; Jim DeJarnette; Hugh Eaton; Bill Lambert; Alison Murray; Paul Parsons; Michelle Swanson Contributing Editors: Marilyn Ehle; Mary Frieg; Danny Shaw; Nate Stratman; Michelle Swanson Photographer: Alison Smith Proofreading Team: Mary Bauman; Christine Dellacroce; Daisy Jackson; Sandy Johnson; Marty Kelley; Karen Kunstle; Linda Pung; Gretchen Murphy-Bowman; Jennifer White 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, July 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.

Photos by Alison Smith

E

lue’ s B igB song of Big Blue at Marian House

Every time I stand in front of Big Blue, I feel like the most privileged guy in the world, because I know the stories of its members. I could tell you a hundred stories of ordinary folks who have committed their lives to the extraordinary purposes of God. I’m not talking about leading in Sunday worship—I’m thinking about their daily lives.

I’m thinking about five doctors and two dentists who have literally extended God’s touch to thousands of lives, here and abroad, with the deeply held conviction that God heals. I’m remembering several teachers whose values are shaped by Christ’s teachings.

How many hundreds of students have been the beneficiaries of their love and guidance?

We have an attorney who has spent years ministering to inmates behind bars with the message, “You can be free inside, even when you are confined.” We have a judge who carries the heavy burden of decision making but who knows the Source of all wisdom. There are the

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By Jim DeJarnette

life

two fathers who have inspired their children to become missionaries. There are those who serve Care and Share, the Marian House Soup Kitchen, Compassion International, The Navigators and Focus on the Family. I think of the aerospace executive who serves as a Habitat foreman and the pilot who flies those in need of medical help to treatment centers around the country—free of charge. There is the couple who made five trips to Ocean Springs to help the victims of Katrina. There are those who led and prepared meals for Alpha courses at Colorado College and Springs Rescue Mission, and the bunch involved with Feed My Starving Children. I will never forget a member of Big Blue who, as a Compassion sponsor, paid to have a block house built for the mother of his sponsored child on a distant continent.

All this is summed up by a recent gathering after work hours at a local business owned by one of our members. We all joined hands in a big circle while people strolled the sidewalks outside. We prayed the business would extend God’s grace, touching the hearts of people for His glory.

In choir, we often talk about what makes beautiful sound. The deepest answer is a simple one: it’s not how the song is sung—it’s the people singing it. It’s the life behind the music.

Jim DeJarnette, Minister of Music, has conducted this cloud of witnesses for 27 years at First Pres and is just the happiest, luckiest guy on earth.

Photos by Alison Smith

Habitat Update

By Alison Murray

The Greathouse family

B

uilding began on the Greathouse Habitat house on April 17th, 2010 and we continue to work every Saturday for this special family. We are now framing the home and there are jobs for everyone, whether you are experienced with tools or not!

“Habitat is a great project to bring neighbors and friends together,” says Michelle Swanson, First Pres staff member who manages our local missions response. “Some of our friends may see church on a Sunday as a scary and intimidating

place. If they can swing a hammer, that’s all that’s needed on a Saturday at Habitat,” she continues.

“Habitat is the perfect place to love on people. Whether it’s your Habitat team, the family, or the members of the Habitat organization locally, it’s just a great project to find fellowship with others,” said Bill Lucas. “I have been on the leadership team for our Habitat projects for six years. This is about providing a home, not a house, for a family in need. It’s an amazing thing year after year to be a part of this ministry.”

This project needs your hands and your prayers. Grab the nearest 10 people you know: your Sunday School class, your Bible Study group, co-workers, neighborhood friends, and come on over to Habitat.

Any Saturday through November, 8:30 am – 12:00 Noon, 1:00 pm – 4:30 pm, or stay the day. No experience necessary. Sign up 24/7 online at www.first-pres.org/volunteer. Participants must be 16 years of age and those 16 and 17 must be accompanied by a parent. For further information, call Michelle Swanson, 884.6111, or mswanson@first-pres.org.

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FIRST PRES SPOTLIGHT

Photo by Alison Smith

By Bill Lambert

When my wife Joan and I were planning to

move to Colorado Springs from Los Angeles, I asked Pastor Mark Brewer at Bel Air Presbyterian Church to recommend a church. “Oh that’s easy,” he said. “Go to First Presbyterian Church and say hello to Pastor Jim Singleton for me.”

The first Sunday we arrived, we were ushered to seats in the second row in the section to the right. Cool. In the announcements they mentioned, “If you are new, be sure to go to Guest Central on the first floor.” Of course we went. There we met a charming couple, Chuck and Wendy Allor. They were very friendly, informative, and most importantly wanted to hear all about us. They told us about all the activities, groups, the new members’ class that was just forming, and they gave us a welcome bag with a discount coupon for breakfast. They also introduced us to Bob and Sue Lanting and Mary Frieg who all made us feel very much at home.

Well, yes, we were interested in the new members’ class, called Doorways – where did that happen? Our table leader at Doorways was Nancy Tollefson and that turned out to be an excellent introduction to the church, and again we felt very welcome and at home. Not long after that, Mary Frieg took us on a tour of the facilities including the print shop and the very special Sunday School area on the third floor. That was an eye-opener with the halls and specialized classrooms all done in a biblical architectural theme. What a tour!

Looking back, the friendly people at Guest Central made a perfect introduction to First Pres. Every person along the way welcomed us 6 | www.first-pres.org | 7/10

Chuck and Wendy Allor

and witnessed God’s love. We can highly recommend this church and especially Guest Central as a wonderful welcoming experience to anyone.

Bill Lambert and his wife Joan Wilms arrived in Colorado Springs in February 2009, joined First Pres in June 2009, and are now members of the Pathfinders Sunday Community.

Fast Facts!

• 34 first time visitors weekly sign the blue register at First Pres • Over 1600 people check out our church each year (not counting Christmas & Easter) • Soldiers, recently widowed, young families, students, parolees, newly relocated, retired, young singles, executives, recent college grads. All kinds of folk visit Guest Central • Greeters follow up with invitations to tango lessons, dinner, breakfast, Sunday communities, men’s groups, membership classes and places to serve

PATRIOTIC CONCERT & PICNIC

JULY 2, 2010 FEATURING WELSH TENOR

HUW PRIDAY PICNIC: 5 P.M. WEBER STREET CENTER $6 ADULTS, $3 KIDS

CONCERT: 7 P.M. IN THE SANCTUARY $6 GENERAL ADMISSION

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT CONGREGATIONAL SUPPORT DESK, WEEKDAYS; NARTHEX, SUNDAY MORNINGS OR CALL 884-6144

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By Paul Parsons About ten years ago,

Susan and I started a small group of five couples. None of the husbands were Christ followers. The rules were simple—every question welcomed, every person deeply respected, every relationship in the room valued above any outcome, every person permitted to tell their own story and experience, and every gathering centered on a story in the Gospels.

We always met in peoples’ homes, never in the church building. There was always good food.

The men were a fascinating collection. Dave was bitter at how his father’s church had treated the issue of his dad’s divorce. Jason found himself beleaguered in all of life, struggling in business, parenting and marriage. Howard, a school principal, was carrying the deep wound of the loss of their first baby, a stillborn child. John was a geologist by training, devoted to science, reason and evidence, and seeing no need for explanations that imported God into the picture.

None of them were particularly drawn to faith in Christ, but they all seemed to enjoy the relationships, the trust that we built together and the fun of talking openly about hard questions.

Witness. A key element in that small group was what we call “witness.” It’s clear that the missional lifestyle involves witness. But it’s such a bothersome word to so many of us that we’d

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rather not hear it. Many of us are too uncomfortable to even want to engage in it. But this particular group of men taught me a lot about what witness isn’t and about what witness is.

Witness isn’t a tract or a prepackaged speech. It’s telling your story, the story you are in, the one God is speaking into you, the Gospel story embodied in your life. Tell people that story.

Witness isn’t an add-on. It’s how we live in both words and deeds. It’s faith made visible.

For a lot of people today, they’re in no mood to tolerate a lot of talk from us. That has to be earned. And we earn it by making our faith real to them by how we live.

Witness isn’t a program. It’s doing life and interacting with the people you meet along the way. It’s all about growing friendships along the sidelines of the lives people are actually living.

Witness isn’t your ability to persuade. Jesus said that our part in fruit bearing is made possible by God’s life flowing into ours like a vine into branches. As Oswald Chambers wrote, “Keep your relationship right with Him, then whatever circumstances you are in, and whoever you meet day by day, He is pouring rivers of living water through you, and it is of His mercy that He does not let you know it. . . It is the work that God does through us that counts, not what we do for Him.” (My Utmost for His Highest) Witness isn’t a duty. Witness is love from the heart. It’s recognizing the astonishing dignity and beauty of the person we are with. C.S. Lewis said, “It is a serious thing. . . to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting

person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. . . . There are no ordinary people.” (The Weight of Glory) Witness is being fully present to someone, fully engaged, listening as an act of love, and, if God gives you a few lines to speak, speaking them.

The group met together for two years, and every story was a bit different, at least as far as we know. Dave and his wife dropped out; Dave not wanting to talk about God in that context anymore. Jason seemed to take steps towards Christ; after the group ended, he apparently backtracked. I hear that there’s much more to his story since I last saw him. Howard walked gradually and authentically into a relationship with the living God, right in front of our eyes. He cannot talk without tears about the importance of the years we spent together. John was struck one morning with the realization that he didn’t need to have answers to every question in order to believe in Jesus Christ. Not long after that, while he was driving up over Dallas Divide in a breathtaking new snowfall at sunrise, God encountered him. John crossed over the Divide from a world of skepticism into faith in Christ Jesus.

These men’s stories are not over, of course.

The amazing thing is that simple people like you and me are allowed, privileged, to be a witness to the Great Drama that is going on between a person with a name and a story.

That person and God. As Senior Associate Pastor, Paul Parsons is a witness to God’s Great Dramas at First Pres.

The two books noted in this story, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers and The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis, are both available for loan in our First Pres Library.

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Photo by Alison Smith

Love Each Other s � I have Loved You

By Wendy Buckler

“A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

This truth from Ecclesiastes 4:12 is beautifully illustrated through the lives of Christine Weems, Rufina Holstegge and Lisa Hallock (pictured above, front to back). This trio has worked together for fifteen years to teach the children of First Pres about missions. The Lord takes their shared love for Him, their passion for teaching, and their enthusiasm for sharing His love with others and creates an enduring ministry. The children who enter their People Quest Sunday School room learn to see the world in a new way.

The first thing young students notice about the classroom is the giant map of the world which covers an entire wall. It is much more than a decoration. “We teach children to love the people that God loves all over the world, beginning with our neighbors over at ESM [Ecumenical Social Ministries] across the street,” explains Lisa.

In addition to learning that the mission field stretches from around the block to across the sea, children hear first-hand accounts from missionaries. Rufina feels that children get particularly excited to hear from teens who have returned from mission trips. “The kids really relate to them and see that they can follow in the teens’ footsteps in a few years.”

Prayer is a vital component of the People Quest ministry. The children all place their hands on a particular country on the big map and pray for the people who live there. They also use their fingers to trace the steps of the missionaries for whom they are interceding.

The children pray for the children that they sponsor through Compassion.

Christine, Rufina and Lisa are perfectly suited to teach children about missions because sharing God’s love with others is a large part of each of their lives. Rufina travels to Utah each summer to teach Bible school to the children on a Native American reservation. Lisa works regularly with the kids at our Get-Set Preschool and with international students learning English as a second language.

Christine ministers to women in prison, teaching them to study the Bible. Though the work can be difficult, Christine loves it. “If Jesus is in your corner, you can do anything.

It’s not me—it’s Him.” Amen, Christine!

Our kindergarten through 4th grade children at our Downtown Campus rotate every Sunday among 18 workshops on the third floor as part of The Connection. People Quest is one of the workshops within this Sunday School program. Our ESL program was featured in the October 2009 issue of First Pres Magazine available online at www.first-pres.org/media.

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FIRST PRES NORTH

Photos by Alison Smith

By Hugh Eaton

The First Pres North vision statement says, “First Pres North’s vision is to build a Christcentered, intergenerational community in northern El Paso County.” The Campus Team knows that the future of any church is heavily dependent on its ability to attract and involve, among others, the youth of the community. In the planning stages, the team prayed for God’s guidance in this area.

God answered this prayer and sent Mark and Lauren Vlcek to be a vital part of this exciting new First Pres mission effort. Mark was an active leader in the youth program of First Pres Downtown, so it was an easy decision to appoint him Youth Coordinator at FP North.

Mark met with Nate Stratman, Director of First Pres Student Ministries, to plan the First Pres North youth strategy. Mark says, “Instead of a youth program, we have ‘Youth Members of FP North’ who actively participate in all aspects. We will also have some events with a strong youth flavor without creating any age/ stage barriers. We want our youth to plug into small, intergenerational groups based on interest and relationships. We also encourage our youth to participate in the major youth

events, such as camps and mission trips, conducted by First Pres Downtown.”

The adult members of the congregation have embraced the intergenerational philosophy and have asked the youth to serve as greeters, read scripture and pass the offering plates.

The teens relish these opportunities to serve.

Victoria Cosby, a sophomore at Pikes Peak Christian School, says, “I like the way things are set up with young people in mind. The music is good and the whole worship service has biblical wisdom and is a lot of fun.”

James Vlcek, a junior at The Classical Academy, says, “I like the small community feeling which allows us to get to know people of different ages. The youth feel included and we have a great pastor in Paul Parsons.”

Lindsay Cosby, a junior at Lewis-Palmer High School, says, “We are doing our best to be inclusive of all young people and there are no cliques. Every first-time youth visitor is greeted and made to feel a part of the group.

After church we go to the local coffee shop for Bible study and all youth are invited. We’ve got a good group at First Pres North.”

Intergenerational worship is alive and well at First Pres North.

Hugh Eaton is a regular contributor to First Pres Magazine on behalf of our FP North Community.

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CHILDREN'S MINISTRIES

Vacation

A

bible School

t First Pres, we do Vacation Bible School out in the surrounding neighborhoods of Colorado Springs. Each year, 15–20 members of our First Pres community host kids in their homes Monday through Thursday. On Friday, all the kids come to our downtown campus for an end-of-week celebration with crafts, bounce castles and games. This format provides kids, their parents and caregivers the opportunity to develop long lasting relationships.

If you would like to be a host location, we provide you with the plan for the week, all the supplies and the support you need to run Vacation Bible School in your backyard. This is what we’re about—God’s BIG Backyard!

See you in July!

To register:

www.first-pres.org/vbs July 19-23, 2010

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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 and you would like to know more about these serving communities, read on.

Children’s Ministry. There are many, many opportunities to serve children ages infant through 4th grade at First Pres on Sundays and weekdays. For further information, contact Danny Shaw at 884-6125, dshaw@first-pres. org or check out www.first-pres.org/children.

Ecumenical Social Ministries (ESM). Located on the corner of Weber & Bijou Streets, First Pres is one of the eight downtown churches supporting this front line ministry for the working poor and homeless. For further information, contact Michelle Swanson, 884-6111 or online www.ecusocmin.org English as a Second Language (ESL). At First Pres we host an ESL class for political refugees identified through the Lutheran Family Services and District 11 Adult & Family Education Program. We work alongside teachers from D-11. For further information, contact Michelle Swanson, 884-6111 or mswanson@first-pres.org.

First Pres North. There are many places to volunteer at First Pres North. Whether it’s

working with children, greeting visitors, band set-up or bringing the brownies, First Pres North welcomes your contribution to this special community. For information on FP North call 884-6141.

Guest Central. A missional community is a welcoming community. If you have the gift of hospitality, if you love people, our Connecting Ministry is for you. For further information, contact Mary Frieg at 884-6189, or mfrieg@ first-pres.org.

Habitat for Humanity. If you have an interest in assisting on our eighth Habitat House contact Michelle Swanson at 884-6111 or mswanson@first-pres.org Sanctuary Choir. The Sanctuary Choir meets on Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. If you have a passion for singing, Big Blue welcomes you.

Contact Chris Sebby at 884-6172 or csebby@ first-pres.org for further information.

Vacation Bible School. This is our third year with the “God’s BIG Backyard” concept where we host Vacation Bible School in our homes all over the city. Each host home is encouraged to host both First Pres kids and neighbor kids. If you would like to volunteer for any part of VBS, contact Kathy Dobyns at 884-6127, kdobyns@first-pres.org or check out www. first-pres.org/vbs.

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

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Events Calendar JULY week of 1–4

Friday, July 2 Of Thee I Sing Concert and Church-wide Picnic

Sunday, July 4 Independence Day IHN begins thru 7/18

week of 5–11

Monday, July 5 FUNtastic Camp begins

Saturday, July 10 Habitat build day

Sunday, July 11 Bible Reading Brunch

Friday, July 9 Father/Son rafting trip

week of 12–18

Monday, July 12 Piano camp begins

Tuesday, July 13 Engine Room

Saturday, July 17 Habitat build day

week of 19–25

Monday, July 29 VBS, String Camp, Art Camp begin

Friday, July 23 String Camp Concert

Saturday, July 24 Habitat build day

week of 26–31

Friday, July 30 Rt 56 dinner

Saturday, July 31 Habitat build day

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 band-led, 9:45 a.m. Fellowship Hall and 11:10 a.m. Sanctuary Contemplative Worship, Sanctuary, 5:30 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

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July 19-23

VBS is coming!

For information about signing up or volunteering go to first-pres.org/children

Join us again this year in backyards and parks all across the city as we celebrate Vacation Bible School in God’s BIG Backyard

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

219 East Bijou Street Colorado Springs, CO 80903

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