Steeple Times, March 2018 (Vol. 13, Issue 3) by FPC Tyler

M o n t h l y N e w s f r o m F P C Ty l e r • Vo l u m e 1 3 , I s s u e 3 : M a r c h 2 0 1 8

Your Giving Keeps Continuing! by The Rev. Dr. Stuart Baskin

Three times in February we had great things happen in the church. (Well, truth be told, we had a lot of great things happen, but these three are the proverbial icing on the cake.) First, on the first Sunday in February, we witnessed a ton of generosity. Actually, more like 4 tons of generosity. That was the day we dedicated our Souper Bowl of Caring offering. By the time the dust settled, we had collected some 12,200 cans of food for PATH. I am told the average weight of a can of food is about 1 pound. Using that rough estimate, that means we collected about 12,200 pounds of food—or a bit over 4 tons! And I tell you, it was a sight to see.

their renditions of several popular tunes. Among the Stars was our own Abigail Franzen on vocals. Finally, on Tuesday, February 20, we took the final lump sum payment to Citizens 1st Bank and paid off the loan from our capital improvement project. To quote from the fans of a popular financial advice guru, “We’re debt free!” I should cease to be amazed at the great things this congregation can do when it puts its collective mind to something!

Second, our Mardi Gras party for missions raised over $5,000 (and counting) for local and global witness. Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the presence of the Caldwell Elementary Arts Academy jazz band, “The Star Band.” They provided music for the parade, and then entertained the crowd with

i n t h i s i s s u e | H I GH LI GHT S & F E ATU RE S Gateway Class Begins | Pg 5 A learning opportunity to consider why membership matters at FPC.

2018 Mardi Gras for Missions | pg 4 Merci Beaucoup from the Mission Committee!

FPC’s Donations to BGC | Pg 5 Learn how FPC’s donations impact the Tyler Boys and Girls Club.

First Presbyterian Church of Tyler, Texas 230 West Rusk Street, Tyler, Texas 75701-1696 (903) 597-6317 | www.fpctyler.com

CO NGR E GAT I O NAL N E WS We Are Thankful!

PRAYERFULLY SPEAKING from the FPC Prayer Team

We are thankful for Jan Carpenter. Jan currently serves as the coordinator for the Thursday Women’s Bible Study, is a member of the Thursday prayer team and in Core Ed. Additionally, she writes the monthly Prayerfully Speaking column for Steeple Times. Jan is always around FPC’s campus helping out members and welcoming new faces! Thank you, Jan, for all you do for FPC - you are a blessing!

In a recent blog Max Lucado writes that God will teach you to pray. (Didn’t Jesus teach His disciples to pray?) Lucado urges that we not think of God as watching us from a distance, arms crossed, waiting for us to get our prayer lives together. And then he quotes Revelation 3:20 - “Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in and eat with you, and you will eat with me.” He finishes by saying, “Jesus waits on the porch. He taps and calls. He waits for you to open the door. To pray is the hand of faith on the door handle of your heart.”

Membership Updates New Members Join us in welcoming our newest members: • Donald & Cathey DeKunder • Nancy Flowers • Pete & Pat Houting • Richard, Sandra, Annie & Alexander Newton Deaths Condolences to the families of our FPC members who entered the Church Triumphant: • JoAnn Limmer (January 9) • Joyce Oliver (January 27)

Even if your kitchen is messy and you aren’t the best conversationalist, Lucado encourages, invite Jesus in. Simple prayer is a powerful thing. (If you would like to submit a prayer request, please fill out the form found in the church pew and drop it in the collection plate or into a prayer request box found in the Chapel, Sanctuary, and church office.)

Tables of Eight: 2018 Program Registration Tables of Eight, FPC’s supper club fellowship program, is about to kick off for 2018, and we want you on board! Participants are divided into groups of eight. The groups meet for dinner either in homes or restaurants throughout the year in order to get to know each other, building friendships that reach beyond Sunday morning. Groups will begin meeting shortly after Easter. Each group will have a “leader” to get started. Registration forms can be found in the bulletin or at the church office and are due by Sunday, March 18, either in the collection plate, at the church office, to Kate Starnes, or Bettie Clancy. Questions? Contact Bettie Clancy (903521-1383) or Kate Starnes (281-221-3579).

Easter Lily Order Forms Look for inserts in the March bulletins to honor friends and loved ones with an Easter lily. Proceeds support Fine Arts @ FPC.

Student Ministries Update! With our former Director of Student Ministries, Neil McKown, taking his call to Austin, Phyllis Kidwell will step into the role of Director of Christian Education. Phyllis will continue to coordinate the children’s ministries activities, as well. If you have any questions or want to help out, feel free to contact Phyllis at the church office (903-597-6317), her cell (903-681-5504) or email (pkidwell@fpctyler.com).

Daylight Savings Time Begins

FPC Campus Work Day - All Are Invited!

Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour on Sunday, March 11.

FPC will have a campus work day on Saturday, March 24 from 10-3 p.m. Visit fpctyler.com/events/fpcworkday.

s a ve t h e d a t e | APRIL 2 018 Easter Sunday | April 1 Celebrate the Lord’s resurrection with us!

Fine Arts : Trio Colorida | April 15 An entertaining concert featuring a trio of clarinet, cello and piano. 2

Kirkin’ of the Tartans | April 22 A procession of tartan plaid and bagpipes celebrates our church’s Scottish heritage.

M O N T H LY E V E N T H I G H L I G H T S Fine Arts @ FPC: UT Tyler Spring Finale Concert

Maundy Thursday

Saturday, March 3 | 6 pm | Sanctuary

Thursday, March 29 | 7:30 pm | Sanctuary Also known as the Thursday of Mysteries, this worship service commemorates the Lord’s Last Supper. Child care is provided for infants–grade 2. Visit fpctyler.com/events/ maundy-thursday.

ADULTS: $7 / STUDENTS & CHILDREN: $5

Welcome in the start of spring with an evening of beautiful singing! Don’t miss the UT Tyler Patriot Singers and Concert Chorale their final concert of the season. Visit fpctyler.com/ events/springfinale.

Good Friday

Bill Wagoner Pancake Breakfast

Friday, March 30 | 7:39 pm | Sanctuary This service begins right at sunset to honor the night of the Lord’s passion, and a ceremonial extinguishing of candles marks the beginning of tenebrae (Latin for darkness). The service includes a reading of the passion narrative and a special offering of choral meditations by the Chancel Choir. Child care is provided for infants–grade 2 in the Children’s Wing. Visit fpctyler.com/events/good-friday.

Sunday, March 11 | 9 am | Fellowship Hall Join us and the Men of the Church as they host the 7th Annual Bill Wagoner Pancake Breakfast. All are invited to attend a morning of pancakes and mission. The meal is free. Donations will be accepted in memory of Bill Wagoner, who frequently organized groups to work around Camp Gilmont. Donations received will be given to Camp Gilmont. Visit fpctyler.com/events/pancakes.

Easter Sunday

Fine Arts @ FPC: Voices of Faith Spring Concert

Sunday, April 1 | 8:30 & 11 am | Sanctuary The holiest day of the Christian calendar, Easter, maks the day of resurrection and is celebrated in a joyful service filled with music by the Chancel Choir and organ. For more information, visit fpctyler.com/events/easter.

Friday, March 23 | 7 pm | Sanctuary FREE ADMISSION

Voices of Faith choir gathers together over seventy-five talented vocalists from the East Texas area - including middle school, high school, and college students - in a Christ-centered, community choral program under the direction of Pam Eikner, with accompanist Dana Bertino. For more information, visit fpctyler.com/events/vofspring.

Easter Eggstravaganza Sunday, April 1 | 9:30 am | Front Lawn Enjoy a church-wide brunch in celebration of the resurrection, complete with Easter egg hunts and family games. Invite your friends and neighbors! For more information, fpctyler.com/events/easter-eggstravaganza.

Palm Sunday Sunday, March 25 | 8:30 & 11 am | Chapel & Sanctuary At the 11 a.m. service, join us as we commemorate the Lord’s triumphal entry to Jerusalem with a palm processional led by bagpipes. Special music by the Chancel Choir and Children’s Choir. Visit fpctyler.com/events/palm-sunday.

FPC welcomes its newest members: Don & Cathey DeKunder (left), Pat and Pete Houting (bottom left), Sandra, Richard, Annie and Alexander Newton (below) and Nancy Flowers (right).

THE MISSION STORE Yo u r m i s s i o n H Q a t F P C • M a t c h y o u r t a l e n t w i t h o u r c o m m u n i t y ’ s n e e d s Souper Bowl of Caring! FPC collected 12,200 canned PATH (People Attempting To Help) goods and non-perishable items! With all of your doPATH is collecting peanut butter and personal care items. nations, PATH will be able to feed 440 families in Smith Bring donations to the PATH crates located in the foyer of FelCounty. We should all be so proud of this accomplishment! lowship Hall and near the elevator on the ground floor of the And, now for the results of the Sunday School Showdown... main building. Monetary donations are also accepted. For inthe winning Sunday School class is (drum roll please)...THE formation, visit pathhelps.org. FORUM with 4,644 items collected! Congratulations to Sewing Bees - Sewing with a Mission this class that received a catered breakfast! Thank you again Wednesday, March 21 | 10 am | F 104 to everyone who contributed this year. Connect with sewing buffs of all ages and levels of expertise. Simple patterns and guidance provided. Join the SewMerci Beaucoup from the Mission Committee! ing Bees and help us continue our mission of helping those Mardi Gras 2018 was a huge success! The gumbo, beignets, in need. Visit fpctyler.com/events/sewingbees. Group contact and desserts were outstanding, and the parade was colorful is Mollie Bobo (903-530-2772). with children in “floats” created by David and Michael PalKnit Wits - Knitters Unite for Camp Ministry ady. A huge thank you to the Caldwell Elementary School Brass Band under the leadership of John Williams. The Monday, March 5 | 1:30 pm | The Hill Room group entertained us with When the Saints Go Marching In Each monthly meeting comes with patterns, personal inand other jazz tunes. Thank you to all who cooked gumstructions, and knitting yarn, paired with delightful conbo, made desserts, volunteered, donated, and joined in the versation and interaction. Questions? Contact Pat Cryer fun. Thanks to your generosity, the Mission Committee es(903-561-5242). timates that over $5,000 was raised for the local and global We Did It! One Can At A Time! ministries supported by FPC Tyler. Save The Date: Mardi A HUGE thank you to everyone who donated to this year’s Gras for Missions 2019 will be on March 5!

You are invited … Saturday, March 31 | 8:30 am | Hopewell CME Church | Arp Hopewell C.M.E. Church (20180 FM 850, Arp, TX) has invited FPC members to their annual Missionary Breakfast on Holy Saturday, March 31. At the Missionary Breakfast, our Associate Pastor, the Rev. Pamela Leach, will be the keynote speaker. They are bringing out the china for this special meal, but will also provide meals to go. The cost of breakfast is $10 at the door.

Analysis of Revenues & Expenses January 2018 Summary MTD ACTUAL

YTD ACTUAL

YTD BUDGET

REVENUES

$77,104

$619,058

$652,632

EXPENSES

$86,288

$666,280

$654,204

NET TOTAL

($9,184)

($47,222)

($1,572)

Planned Giving

Stay in the Know Stay in the know about news and events by connecting with FPC online. Subscribe to the weekly e-newsletter, and you’ll receive stories, event reminders, and mission updates. You’ll even get a sneak peek into what Stuart has planned for Sunday’s pulpit! Follow the QR code above or find the e-newsletter signup link on the website at fpctyler.com.

Have you remembered the church and other charities in your will? If you need help, contact Nanci Pollard (903-5976317) to request information, or visit the Texas PresbyteriStay in touch with us on social media, too: an Foundation at tpf.org. Assistance is confidential and free /fpctyler @fpctyler of charge. 4

@fpctyler

Senior High Small Groups • • • •

SAVE THE DATE: Souper Bowl of Caring Celebration Sunday, April 29 | 9:45 am | FPC & Gabriel residence The Youth Group will meet during Sunday school and the 11 a.m. service times for breakfast and fellowship. We will walk to the Gabriel’s home where we will celebrate our incredible Souper Bowl of Caring success. After, we will walk back to the church together and arrive by 11:55 a.m. Plan now to join us!

FPC’s Donations Directly Impact Tyler Organization by Brian Head A few weeks ago I was picking up our daughter, Maddie, from the Boys & Girls Club (BGC) afterschool program at Caldwell Elementary Arts Academy. It was the week after the Tyler snow storm. Apparently a parent had asked a question I suspect many parents had— why were we being charged for a full week when our kids were only in school for two out of five days? I grumbled under my breath about how absurd that policy was, but it just so happened that one of the BGC directors was there and was posed this question openly. Since I’m not one to shy away from asking questions, I took the opportunity to hear his response and ask follow-ups. What I learned both quieted my complaints and gave me another reason to be thankful to be

a part of this congregation. You see, while tuition is heavily subsidized for some lower income families, I learned that even parents who pay “fulltuition” only cover about 80% of the cost to send a child to BGC. The other 20% is covered by generous donations from organizations like FPC Tyler. Without those donations many parents wouldn’t be able to have children in after school programming. That means families might have what used to be termed “latchkey kids”—perhaps doing things that could change their life trajectory. It means kids who need the tutoring BGC offers wouldn’t get it. It means kids from lower income families wouldn’t get the snacks that may be

the last food that child gets until the next morning when they can get a free breakfast. It also means families like ours, who are middle class, would have our budgets stretched a little farther. I was a bit ashamed that I didn’t know this, given that I see updates on the church finances on a monthly basis. But, thankfully my embarrassment was quelled when I commented on it at a recent Session Officer’s Retreat and others replied they didn’t either. If several of us didn’t know, I’m confident many others in the congregation don’t know this donation comes from the interest in the Vardaman Trust at FPC. I’m writing to let you know how your generous donation to BGC directly and positively impacts your neighbors and community. Thank you!

New Class Offers a Peek into Church Membership Have you recently joined us in membership or have you been visiting us for a bit? Or perhaps you want to learn more about what it means to be Presbyterian? Then the Gateway class, with teacher Rev. Dr. Stuart Baskin, is perfect for you! This 4-week learning session provides

participants with the opportunity to consider why membership matters at FPC. Beginning Sunday, March 4 at 9:30 a.m. in room M 102, we’ll explore how we live out our calling–our life and ministry–in community through the lens of our theological beliefs, historical events, and 5

governing principles. And we’ll discover how these things allow us to boldly proclaim the gospel message as a people rooted in a compassionate faith. Save your seat today by registering (fpctyler.com/events/newtofpc) or by contacting the church office (903-5976317 x 102 / lmcollyer@fpctyler.com).

Childr en & Youth C a lenda r

march

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1 KEY CM: Children's Ministry (6 weeks-5th grade) SM: Student Ministries (6th-12th grade) SHSG: Senior High Small Group (9th-12th grade)

6:30 PM | First

Friday Fun

5 PM | Carol

Choir 6 PM | SHSG

5 PM | Carol

Choir 6 PM | SHSG |

Chuy’s Restaurant – bring $5!

6:30 PM | SM

5 PM | Carol

7:30 PM |

7:39 PM | Good

Team Meeting

Choir 6 PM | SHSG

Maundy Thursday Service

Friday Service

Steeple Times is a publication of First Presbyterian Church, 230 W. Rusk St., Tyler, TX 75701. Acting editor: Stuart Baskin. FPC reserves the right to edit and/or exclude all submissions. Submit content to Dana Durman by the 15th of the month prior to publication: ddurman@ fpctyler.com, fax (903) 597-6326, or mail. An archive of the Steeple Times can be found online at fpctyler.com/archive.

CHILDREN’S MINISTRY N EWS & EVENTS First Friday Fun: Kids Night Out!

It’s beginning to look a lot like… Easter?

Friday, March 2 | 6:30 pm | Children’s Wing Since it will be more like spring, we are hoping to get outside and move around at the beginning of our time together. After dinner, our craft project will be making decorations for our ministry area by creating a few new paths using color coded feet! Our Bible story for March is about prayer. We will learn about preparing our hearts to talk to and listen to God. Parents remember to invite friends and neighbors to bring their children (RSVP to fpctyler.com/firstfridayfun).

This year we start April with Easter on Sunday, April 1st. If you have some time to give to prepare for the annual Easter Eggstravaganza, contact Phyllis Kidwell (903-681-5504 / pkidwell@fpctyler.com). This year a team will work together to create structures for the hiding of eggs. Our kiddos are so good at finding, we need to make it a little more interesting! All ideas will be considered and some will come to fruition with this team. Again, you can give the time you have - as little as an hour, or as much as an afternoon – to help in all the preparations for this fun time on Easter morning. It is a great time of celebrating the glory of our Risen Lord!

A look back at the Mardi Gras festivities from our 2018 Mardi Gras for Missions celebration!

SUNDAY SCHOOL / SMALL GROUP LISTING SUNDAY SCHOOL @ 9:45 AM

SMALL GROUP SCHEDULE

FAITH BUILDERS

| Lectionary Tuesdays | 6:30 am | Premier Flexipac | Contact: Skip Womack (903) 533-9433 or Bob Schmoker (903) 714-5746

THE FORUM

209ERS | Young Adults M209 | 40 Days With The Holy Spirit | Contact: Debbie Pitts (debbiepitts@ gmail.com) THE

MEN

| Study & discussion M 207 | The book of Mark

WESTMINSTER

WORSHIP WITH US

FPC’s Regular Sunday Services 8:30 a.m. Service (Chapel) 9:15 a.m. Coffee Fellowship (The Hill Room) 9:45 a.m. Sunday School (campus-wide) 11:00 a.m. Service (Sanctuary)

Meadow Lake Bible Study. 11:45 am, Meadow Lake. First Friday Fun: Kids Night Out. 6:30 pm, Children’s Wing. Fine Arts @ FPC: UT Tyler Spring Concert Finale. 6 pm, Sanctuary. Third Sunday in Lent Knit Wits. 1:30 pm, Hill Room. Games Day. 1 pm, Anderson Room, F 101-102. Fourth Sunday in Lent Bill Wagoner Pancake Breakfast. 9 am, Fellowship Hall Presbyterian Women Sunday Circle. 9:30 am, M 102. Presbyterian Women Weekday Circle. 10 am, F 101-102. Games Day. 1 pm, Anderson Room, F 101-102. Steeple Times Submission Deadline. Sewing Bees. 10 am, F 104. Fift h Sunday in Lent Fine Arts @ FPC: Voices of Faith Spring Concert. 7 pm, Sanctuary. Presbyterian Women Project Day. 10 am, Fellowship Hall FPC Campus Work Day. 10 am, Campus wide Palm Sunday. Maundy Thursday Service. 7:30 pm, Sanctuary. Good Friday Service. 7:39 pm, Sanctuary. Easter Sunday. 8:30 & 11 am, Sanctuary. Easter Eggstravaganza. 9:30 am, Front Lawn. RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Budget & Finance. March 8 @ 12 pm — Conference Room | A 110 Building & Grounds. March 12 @ 12 pm — Conference Room | A 110 Children’s Ministry. March 20 @ 5 pm — Library Governance. March 5 @ 5:30 pm — Conference Room | A 110 Mission. March 12 @ 5:30 pm — Library Session. March 20 @ 7 pm — M 207 Stewardship. March 5 @ 6 pm — Library Student Ministry. March 26 @ 6:30 pm — Conference Room | A 110 Worship. March 6 @ 5 pm — Conference Room | A 110

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

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MARCH HIGHLIGHTS

Non-Profit Organization U. S. Postage

230 W. Rusk Street, Tyler, TX 75701-1651

PAID

Permit No. 683 Tyler, Texas 75701-1651

To everyone at the home of: