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Steve on Stewardship
“Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9 (NLT)
We are moving into our 2025 church year with Rodger having retired and our church family will be moving forward with questions – who we will get as interim minister, who we will get as a new permanent pastor, how we will function in the meantime. It can be easy for us to get discouraged in this environment. The apostle Paul teaches us in his letter to the Galatians that we need to resist discouragement. When we are discouraged, we can become ineffective. When we’re discouraged, we work against our own faith. When we’re discouraged, it’s as if we’re saying, “It can’t be done.” That’s the exact opposite of saying, “I know God can do it because of what he said in the Bible.” It is time for all of us to stand together to work forward as a congregation of believers, because we will succeed together
I recall from our recent church anniversary and the history of our congregation, the many long years in our beginnings when we had no minister and depended on traveling pastors to stop in occasionally and minister to us. We survived and grew. I know that we are an older group now, but we have all substantially supported our church as good stewards using our Time, Talents, and Treasures. In addition to funding our church operations, we made significant contributions to special offerings last year as we have in the last several years. I want to remind you to continue with your gifts and pledges – we still must support the operation of our church, and ultimately, we will be funding an interim or temporary pastor, as well as a permanent pastor.
Great people don’t know how to quit. The next time you feel discouraged, remember God is with you and this congregation, and God is for us.
We will reap a harvest of blessing if we move forward together and don’t give up.
Remember to see each other at church on Sunday mornings.
Since Ash Wednesday (March 5) has already come and gone, here is a list of the remaining dates for this holy season:
- Wednesdays, March 12 through April 9, Noon
The annual Wednesday Noon Lenten worship services, open to the whole community, held in our sanctuary. A half-hour worship service begins at Noon, featuring special music by a soloist or small group, the opportunity for prayer and reflection, and a short message from one of our Paris church ministers. Please consider attending and invite a friend from another church or with no church home to come with you.
- Helping Those in Need – During Lent we distribute envelopes and fish-shaped boxes for the “One Great Hour of Sharing” offering. Our main collection date is Easter Sunday (April 20), so you can drop coins into your “fish” throughout the season, or you may turn in your donation any time. The income is divided between the Presbyterian Hunger Program, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, and Self-Development of People.
- Sunday, April 13, 10:30 A.M. – Palm Sunday worship begins with joyous songs with palm branches, and then gradually moves toward the more sobering story of later on in Holy Week. Be part of the celebration and the reflection.
- Thursday, April 17, 7 P.M. – Maundy Thursday worship, with the New Providence congregation once again invited to join us. The sequence of Bible readings and songs (anthems, hymns, and solos), somewhat like the “Lessons and Carols” format of Christmas Eve, also includes the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, when we reach “the Last Supper” part of the story, and a gradually darkening sanctuary, as we approach the darkness of Good Friday. Come and appreciate what Jesus did for us.
- Friday, April 18, 5:30 P.M – Community Good Friday service, provided by Paris Ministerial This year’s service will be held at St. Mary’s Church, and they will provide a fish fry supper following the service. Please note the time change above.
- Friday, April 18, 6 P.M. – Good Friday worship at New Providence Presbyterian Church. As in past years, the New Providence congregation is invited to join us Thursday evening, and then we go there Friday evening at 6 p.m. for a joint service. It always proves to be a meaningful time of worshipping together.
- Sunday, April 20, 10:30 A.M – joyous EASTER WORSHIP! Come and celebrate Jesus’ resurrection with your church family in our beautiful sanctuary. Worship will include special Easter hymns and anthems.
Sanctuary Choir News
We have bid farewell to Rev. Rodger and Rev. Laurie, so our choir numbers are lower for the foreseeable future – at least until we can round up a few more! There will still be music in our worship services – surely there always will be – so please come and sing or listen and be blessed.
Our Wednesday noon Lenten services will begin on March 12 and continue through April 9. We will not be serving luncheons this year, but we are still hoping for a crowd of 30-40 each week.
Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Easter seem far off at this point, but they will be here in less than six weeks. It’s up to all of us to dig deeply within and find our reserves of energy and enthusiasm to properly share and celebrate this special season of our faith journey. –Susan
“Thank you so much for a wonderful send-off celebration, the cards, the flowers, and the very thoughtful and generous gift. A special thank you goes to the planners, food providers, and servers. While we believe it is time for us to move on to the next part of life and to be near family, we are sad to say goodbye to you and will miss you very much. Please stay in touch! Cell phone numbers and Laurie’s email will stay the same.
– Rodger and Laurie
Rodger and Laurie’s new address:
Rodger Allen and Laurie Williams
174 Wynne St. Pittsburgh, PA 15209
Cell phone numbers are the same.
A few other individuals who may appreciate a note:
Mary Anna Ludington
520 E Madison, Paris
Bob & Alice Sprague
Horizon Health, Room 124
721 E. Court St, Paris
Jeff Hodge
310 S. Eads, Room #3
Paris
EASTER FLOWERS – 2025 BOARD OF DEACONS’ FUNDRAISER ORDER FORM
_____ I/We will give $ _______ to the Deacons Fund with the understanding that the flower will be delivered to a special person.
_____ I/We will give $ _______ to the Deacons Fund and would like to take a flower home following the Easter service.
Average cost of flowers: $25.00
If your gift is a memorial or in honor of a loved one, please include this below for inclusion in the Easter bulletin.
Memorial/In Honor of (please circle memorial or in honor):
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Please sign here and bring or mail to the church
________________________________________________________________________
MAKE A DIFFERENCE THIS LENT!
A few thoughtful practices for this Lenten season:
- Give up bottled water. Giving up one bottle of water every day during Lent
could save you around $80, enough to donate to a mission cause.
- Fast social media for an hour a day. Use the time you spend on social media to interact face-to-face with a friend or family member. Study a Christian book together, pray for those who are sick in their body or need emotional healing, or sing praises to Jesus.
- Plant a tree. If every one of America’s 85 million gardening households planted just one young shade tree in their backyard or community, those trees would absorb more than 2 million tons of carbon pollution each year.
“Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.’
“ So Peter went out with the other disciple, and they were going toward the tomb. Both of them were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. And stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.
“Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.” –John 20: 1-8
ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING:
From a letter about this year’s offering:
“In 1949, the Presbyterian Church and other Christian groups came together to answer this challenge: How much money can we raise in an hour to address the suffering in the world? Eventually twenty denominations joined this effort to make the love of Christ real for individuals and communities around the world who suffer from the effects of disaster, violence, and/or severe economic deprivation. The visionary people who gave birth to One Great Hour of Sharing wanted to show the power that can be generated when Christians unite in a common cause.
Today, the offering’s purpose remains the same, and the need for the life-changing work of One Great Hour of Sharing is greater than ever.
“The season of Lent reminds us who we are, who we serve, and how we are called to live lives of faith. One Great Hour of Sharing presents us a wonderful opportunity to answer the call to Christian discipleship. From initial disaster responses to ongoing community development, your gifts provide safety, sustenance, and hope to individuals and communities in need.”
Easter Sunday is the main collection date for the offering, April 20 this year, but you may contribute any time. Envelopes, information, and coin boxes are on the table by the Koinonia Kafe, and the table at the rear of the sanctuary.
EXPLORE YOUR FAITH:
The Monday evening “Exploring our Faith” discussion group is watching and discussing a DVD series called Jesus: His Life. “Each of the eight chapters is told from the perspective of a different Biblical figure who played a pivotal role in Jesus’ life, including Joseph, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Peter, and Pontius Pilate.”
AN EARLY MAY EVENT
You can mark your May calendars now for the annual Paris Ministerial Fellowship National Day of Prayer event. It will take place Thursday morning, May 1 at the Paris Family Restaurant on Twin Lakes, 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Includes full hot buffet breakfast; donations appreciated to offset cost.
FREEDOM RALLY!
Join in for an evening of hope to give community support of recovery programs will take place the evening of May 1, 7 PM
at First Baptist Church at.
Southern gospel group ‘Anthem Edition’ will provide music. The group’s leader will share his testimony of victory over a heroin addiction by the power of Jesus Christ.
MARCH BIRTHDAYS:
1 Tom Bradshaw
Dale Thomas
3 Ann Hodge
Sidney (Jipp) Paulson
11 Tyler Penczek
Nancy O’Bannon
13 Chris Clawson
21 Rodger Allen
23 Joyce Mason
27 Virginia Collier
APRIL BIRTHDAYS
2 Scott Russell
Logan Spung
5 Brian Blair
7 Richard Franklin
8 Fred Pfeiffer
11 Juanita Kimball
15 Annalee Blair
17 Linda Lindsey
18 Chris Schilling
19 Karol Farris Schilling
Brittany Scott
20 Macsdyn Mae Blair
21 Elizabeth Robson
Georgeina Boland
24 Kevin Farris
Marsha DeVore
27 Cole McCulloch
28 Alicia Howrey Planincic
30 Matt Boland
Ethan Craun
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Planning has begun for the cooperative Paris Methodist and Presbyterian Churches Vacation Bible School.
The dates will be Sunday to Thursday evenings July 6 – 10, 5:30 p.m. dinner for kids and helpers, 6-8 p.m. VBS.
The location this year is First United Methodist Church. Please let your young friends know!
“Presbyterian night” to provide lesson and pizza (all the kids’ favorite!) is Wednesday, July 9, with we and New Providence working together. We need a lesson leader and helpers. The lesson that night is “Mary and Elizabeth’s Family Reunion: God is with us when we are joyful.” Please let Beth Ruff know if you can help.
The mission offerings this year will go to Backpacks for Kids.
The next planning meeting will be April 8 at 5:30 p.m. at Otterbein.
Jesus said, “Leave the little children alone, and don’t try to keep them from coming to me, because the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Jesus, Matthew 19:14
THANK YOUS. . .
Excerpts from thank you letters recently received:
“Thank you for your gift! Marion Medical Mission will use 100% of your donation as designated. 4,575 wells were built in 2024! We are involved in the IMPOSSIBLE! 450,000 people in Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique got a sustainable source of safe drinking water because of our well program. This is a God thing. This is Holy Ground. Thank you for loving your neighbor! Glory be to God,
- Tom Logan, President
Marion Medical Mission”
“Dear Friends,
We at Kemmerer Village are filled with warmth and gratitude for your generous support. Your contribution is a beacon of hope that makes a meaningful difference in the lives of the children we serve.
Thank you for journeying with us through every season. Together, we look forward to spring’s renewal and the opportunity to share more stories of the lives your support transforms.
With heartfelt gratitude and blessings,
Amie Sparks,
Donor Relations Partner
Kemmerer Village Foundation”