The Presbyterian Church of Bowling Green, Kentucky
Volume 19 August 2015 Issue 8
August used to be part of the summertime. But now the month of August is about beginning school, starting programs at the church, and gearing up for the Fall. On August 16th, our congregation will enjoy the annual picnic we call the Pig Pickin’. On August 30, we will observe the holiday haberdashery we call “Seersucker Sunday.”
Each of these events is a good opportunity to welcome visitors to our church. People do not automatically know what the Pig Pickin’ is, for instance, nor do they naturally know where we gather for the picnic (the Beard pavilion on Garvin Lane). Your encouragement might be the difference between someone coming or someone feeling
that they don’t know enough to attend. Pastor’s Column 1 The change of worship times is always confusing. You can do Presbyt. Women 2 yourself and others a big favor by talking about the change before it
Church/Community 3-5 happens on August 24. Communication is key, and we can’t say enough about our plans. Financial Report 6 Seersucker Sunday is an oddity of our church. People who are Session Report 7 unfamiliar with the practice of wearing some item of the distinctive
cloth on the last Sunday before Labor Day (August 30 this year) Youth Ministry 8-9 might need you to explain what we’re up to, so that they can feel College/Youth Min. 9 comfortable joining us on the special day. Aug. Birthdays 10 It can be fun, and it will help our church grow if you will help us communicate what we’re doing to our guests. Aug. Calendar 11 The Fall of 2015 is going to be great at the Presbyterian Church, and quite a few of our Fall programs will begin in August.
See you around!
And, as always, know you are loved.
Matthew
Page Presbyterian Women
PW Profile: Cheryl Gregory While Cheryl Gregory does not belong to The Presbyterian Church , she is truly a Presbyterian Woman. As secretary of TPC, Cheryl is known to most of us as the go-to person when we need anything clerical done. Cheryl grew up in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the daughter of Gary and Donna Shaffer. She attended Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, VA, studying both art and biology. At that time she thought she might chan- nel these two disparate interests into a career as a medical textbook illustrator. However, after college she was just ready to get away from home and find work in whatever area was both interesting and available. That’s when she decided to move to Bowling Green, Ky. At that time, Cheryl’s aunt, Dr. Rita Hicks, was a member of the Western Kentucky University Education Department and she encour- aged Cheryl to come to Bowling Green. Cheryl’s first job upon arriving in Bowling Green was as a theater technician at the Capitol Arts Center. From there she went to work for a few years in the call center at Camping World. That turned out to be a fortuitous move as she met and then later married Chuck Gregory. The two were married at Cheryl’s aunt’s house during Christmas, 1997. After meeting Chuck, Cheryl left Camping World and changed jobs to work as a graphic designer at Clip-It, a local Buy-Sell-Trade paper. She worked there for 9 years in total, as an ad designer and then as office manager. In summer of 2006 she accepted the position as secretary at The Presby- terian Church. Ask her what she likes most about her job, and she will tell you “it’s the people and the atmosphere.” “The people who come into this office,” Cheryl says, “ are always friendly and courteous. Whether they need something done for a meeting, for a luncheon, for the COURIER, or for the Sunday Bulletin -- whatever they need -- they treat all of us with respect.” Cheryl notes that the atmosphere in the office is comfortable, and the people she works with closely each day are “ like family.” Cheryl’s primary responsibilities are anything to do with printing, file-keeping, maintaining the database on all the members, and “ actually, anything from being the receptionist, secretary, and general support person to handing out food from the Food Pantry." Tom Moody, organist and fellow office staff member, shares the front office space with Cheryl and speaks highly of her. “Cheryl is efficient, hard-working, responsive to the needs of others and highly skilled in the use of computers,” Tom says. “And,” he concludes, “ she is very loyal to the Presbyterian Church." Cheryl has a number of hobbies, including reading, board games, crafts -- especially mixed media art -- and hiking. Both she and Chuck are enthusiastic hikers and have spent a great deal of together time enjoying the Kentucky outdoors. They are also attentive to Cheryl’s mother, Donna Shaffer, who moved to Bowling Green several years ago and lives at the Bowling Green Retirement Village. If you haven’t said “ Thanks “ to Cheryl lately, do so. She doesn’t just like her job. She likes you!
SHOUTOUT— Cheryl has taken on the responsibility for putting out the COURIER until someone can be found who is willing to take over as the new editor. The office is seeking a volunteer! Interested?... Call the church office at 270-843-4707.
Page 2 CHURCHWIDE PW GATHERING Thank you for the opportunity to attend the Churchwide Gathering. I will say that Minneapolis was not on my bucket list, but I am so glad to have had the chance to visit this charming city. The Westminster Church is a regal fixture in this town. It covers a block of the city and has beautiful gardens, colorful stain glass, and a classic sanctuary. I ate lunch with the Living Waters Synod in the glorious courtyard with water flowing through the area. It was picturesque.
Although all the sessions were informative, Innovative Leadership for the 21st Century’s Changing Landscapes and State of PC(USA) were especially good sessions. While at the exhibit hall, I met Donna Houston from LWW (and Franklin, KY) and she shared a preview of the new LWW VBS curriculum The water neck- laces pattern was shared as well. The necklace making will be a great addition to our fundraising for our next water installation in Belize.
Thank you for your support in attending the Churchwide Gathering. Peace, Susan Thomison
A NOTE FOR PW The Presbyterian Church will host a meeting of the Presbytery of Western Kentucky on Saturday, August 8. Lunch in Fellowship Hall will be catered by Blakey and Duffy Hayes and served by members of the Presbyterian Women Coordinating Team. Volunteers to help should call Nancy Moore at 270-781-1071. Church and Community Annual Pig Pickin’ set for August 16th
The entire church will be convening for worship and a picnic on Sunday, August 16th at the Beards' Pavilion, 1061 Garvin Lane. (See map or call church office for directions.) This will also be Montreat Sunday!
Worship will begin at 10a.m. and the picnic will follow.
Please dress comfortably, bring a lawn chair or blanket to sit on, and a dish to share. The roast pork, soft drinks and water will be provided, so please bring a vegetable, salad or dessert. The day will be filled with Montreat memories and our youth will be assisting with the service. Let's make some memories of our own - ...see you on August 24th!
Page 3 Church and Community
-VBS Volunteers—YOU ROCK!! Seriously, our mountain climbing adventure was a success due to your willingness to pitch in and serve our children. Truly it was a time of fun, fellowship and faith.
- Ernie Small, Sara Beth Capito, and Peggy Carthrae rocked us out in the VBS Band. - Provisions for our journey up the mountain were provided by Sandy Franklin, Elinor Kline, Carol Wedge, Barbara Grider, Helen Hatchett, Cindy Tanner, Sally Calkins, Larry Warden, and Clark Carthrae. - Our Sherpas for the daily hikes were Mary Evans, Ann Covington, Megan Algie, Karen Kreuzer, Melissa Johnson, Lynda Johnson, Liza Ahrendt, Gary Ahrendt, Emily Forshee, Sheryl Goad, Judy Whitson, Catherine Reber, Cathey Green, and Margaret Stein. - Our Camp Site trainings were provided by Matthew Covington, Kelly Goad, Jim Johnson, and Barbara Solberg-Hale with set design by Clark Carthrae, Ann Covington, and Resse Polen. - Our Camp Site Imagination Station was provided by Nancy Hulan, Susan Howard and Sandy Franklin. Henry was a big help too. - Our Physical strength was put to the test by Nathan Algie and Michael Spencer. - Our Clean Up Crew finished in record time. Thank you Teri Polen, Eleanor Short, Peggy Carthrae, Ernie Small, Rob McAllister, Tanner Polen and Brad Thomison.
THE EQUAL EXCHANGE COFFEE PROJECT sales will take place between services in the Fellowship Hall on August 23rd.
Registration is still open for the PLC. We still have a couple of spaces in the 3’s and 4’s program. Contact the church office or Dana Patterson by email if you (or a friend) are interested in enrolling a child, at [email protected] The PLC Open House for new students will be on August 11th and 12th at 9:30am.
Adult Sunday School—9AM August 2nd: Wayne Pope will lead a class on the History of Anthems. August 9th: Tom Moody and Mike Kanan will continue the Hymnal Study class, discussing folk tunes matched to sacred texts. August 16th: Pig Pickin’ - No Sunday School
Page 4 ART EXHIBIT
The Late Bloomers Gallery TPC Art Exhibit — August 6 to October 16 Lois Layne and Diane Simmons, friends linked by affection and art will be exhibiting in the Fellowship Hall in August and September. Although the community may recall Lois as Dr. Lois Layne of WKU's psychology department who retired with husband Clint to Nashville in 2006, and know Diane as a church member or as Mrs. Simmons of Bowling Green HS, these two friends have always shared an affinity for painting the shapes and colors of life, Lois with water- colors and Diane with any handy medium. "Lois is a quiet person. It took a while to convince her she was ready to exhibit," says Diane, who also says the exhibit dates pushed her to paint every week. "Both of us have enjoyed art all of our lives; to be free to indulge our passion is just pure delight," says Diane.
As August arrives the church is thinking about the Fall program and the change over from summer. Look for an announcement about the Fall in early August. Also note that August 30th will be our annual Seersucker Sunday!
Our deepest sympathy is extended to the following members and friends of this church who have recently lost loved ones:
Claudia Downey in the death of her mother Alice W. Gordon Rebecca Simpson in the death of her grandmother Ruth Brame Ann Huskey in the death of her daughter-in-law Gail Peacock Cedric Whitney in the death of his uncle Charlie Whitney The family of Dr. William Russell
Page 5 Financial Report
The church website has recently been set up to accept online donations. Just go to this link and fill out the simple form: https://bgpresdonate.cloverdonations.com/online- donations/ - Donations can also be made from your smart phone. You can also scan a QR code, found on our bulletins, to make a donation. Call the church office for more information.
Our church elders: Gary Ahrendt, Franklin Berry, Charlie Capito, Sam Evans, Jim Harris, Julia Roberts, Nancy English, Steve Todd, John Grise, John Fitts, Bobby Rabold, Michael Spencer, Margaret Stein, Susan Thomison and Larry Warden. Our church deacons: Karol Ahmed, Megan Algie, Barbara Brindle, Peggy Carthrae, Shannon Dyche, Kim Ferguson, Kelly Goad, Sheryl Goad, Anna Sue Heller, Todd Hudson, Frederica Kernohan, Donna Meredith, Charlotte Prow, Nick Rabold, Kevin Reber, Ken Royse, Diane Simmons, Debbie Trickey, Ginger Van Ness, Kyda West and Judy Whitson.
Page 6 Session Report
The officers of our church (the Session) want to maintain strong communication with the congregation. The Session will begin to provide a brief digest of their meetings each month in the newsletter.
Digest of Called Session Meeting July 14, 2015
This was a called meeting of the Session, for the purpose of hearing the report of the Leadership Team which had been working with the Center for Healthy Churches consultants. The report has five recommendations.
Recommendation #1 Hiring, Evaluation, Supervision, and Best Practices. It was agreed that proceeding to hire a Christian Educator is an immediate need, though the Center for Healthy Churches had recommended against an mmediate hire. Job descriptions and annual review processes to be discussed by the Personnel Ministry.
Recommendation #2 Visioning Developing a common understanding of our church’s uniqueness and direction is very important. Visioning will be an overarching umbrella throughout the entire process, of action on recommendations, but it may formally be done last.
Recommendation #3 Communication and Culture A digest of Session and Diaconate meetings will routinely be made available to the congregation through the newsletter. Deacons and Elders will designate someone to attend each others’ meeting each month, as an aid to communication.
Recommendation #4 Personal Relationships and Healing There is a need to identify persons in the congregation who are not yet fully involved. A process with dates/times for new member orientations will encourage new members.
Recommendation #5 Discernment Team Session acknowledges the importance, and will continue to discuss a process.
Page 7 Youth Ministry
Sunday Night Youth Group will not meet during the summer. We’ll resume on Sundays after Labor Day.
Wednesday Night Youth Fellowship will continue during the summer 5-6:30pm at Spencer’s Coffeehouse.
Upcoming Events:
Canoe/Camping trip on the Elkhorn Creek in Frankfort will be rescheduled after Montreat. We’ll let you know as soon as we have a date! We’ll be working with Canoe Kentucky. Christian Croxton, one of our former youth leaders, will be our guide. Cost will be $50 per person.
Holiday World/Splashin’ Safari August 22. This year we’ll wait until school’s back in session so more people are around to go. This will also be their Rock the World-Christian Music Fest. Cost is $60 per person. Check it out here: http://www.holidayworld.com/shows-events/rock-world/
Fall Youth Group Kickoff – September 13, 5–8pm: Julie Wedge will host our Fall Sunday Youth Group at her house, 1430 Euclid Ave. We’ll have some great food, lots of games, and bouncy houses! Bring your friends! All youth in grades 6-12 are invited. Parents are invited too!
Fall Youth Retreat at Camp Loucon – November 6-8: This annual tradition, sponsored by the Presbytery of Western Kentucky, is filled with lots our indoor and outdoor fun, fellowship, music, and engaging worship. This event is for all youth in grades 6-12. Cost is $55 per person. We’ll leave from the church on Friday, November 6 at 5pm and return around 3pm on Sunday.
Taking a break after rock hoppin’
The Montreat Gate
We had a great experience at Montreat this year!
12 youth and 5 adults from our church attended Week 4, July 18-25. This year’s theme was “This Is Our Story”. We shared many stories of our lives and how God is always part of our sto- ry. We’ll share our stories with the congregation at Montreat Sunday/Pig Pickin’ on August 16 at 10am! You won’t want to miss it! Here are some photos from our trip.
For more info on our Youth/College Ministries, contact David Muffett at [email protected] David will be serving on the 2015 Theta (weeks 3 & 4) Montreat Planning Team Page 8
Our Crew at Roger’s Place The Dam Picture! David served as a Small Group Leader during Week 3
Sheryl & Kelly Goad enjoying morning coffee on the porch!
David’s wild and crazy Small Group 14 during Week 3!
Rob McAllister also served in Jeremiah Project as a worship leader. Samuel Kernohan served in the Jeremiah Project as a worship leader.
Ann loves to cook but she gives a friendly reminder to pick up after ourselves.
The Awesome 2015 Planning Team Rock Hoppin’ through the tunnel! and on-stage Leadership
College and Youth Ministry COLLEGE MINISTRY: Theology Pub will continue to meet during the summer- 7:00pm at Mellow Mushroom. Come join us for free pizza and good conversation! Page 9 August Birthdays
August 1 August 12 August 24 Lauren Glasser Maya Lebedinsky Will Bowen McClaine Hudson August 13 Matthew Crocker Ella May Reese Polen Hannah Schafer August 3 August 14 August 25 Dan Brown Susan Begley Mac Reynolds August 15 August 26 Fred Higgins Ashley Long Erin Elliott August 4 Kevin Reber August 27 Denise Carter August 16 Nathan Love Chuck Coates Chase Embry Lee Truman, Jr. King Spencer Heather Kessler August 28 Matthew Spencer Nan Moore Ron Ramsing August 5 August 17 August 29 Mike Alexieff Annette Ballard John Stone Tucker Carmichael Heather Webb August 30 Susan Murphy August 19 Wayne Hendrix Dan Stelling Laura Isenberg Heather Higgins Linda Yeoman Brenna Murphy Heather Zeller August 6 Dick Roberts Michael Zeller Claire Boggess August 20 August 31 Robert Cash Andee Rudloff Della Bruch Neil Howell Ian White Judy Clark Wanda Hunt August 21 Emily Purpus Bill Krepps Janet Strode Landen White Steve Todd August 22 August 7 Madeline Davenport Beth Durbin Brad Howard Terry Flynn Sally Wysong Kalu Njoku August 23 August 10 Ann Covington Charlie Reber Deborah Raymer Rebecca Simpson
Betsy Tyrie
Page 10 August Calendar
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9:00am Sunday 11:00am Special City schools start Presbytery School Care Meeting 10:00am Worship 2:00pm Staff here 5:00pm Youth Meeting Fellowship 5:00pm 7:00pm 7:00pm Theology Gallery Hop 7:00pm Deacons Chancel Choir Pub
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 9:00am Sunday 9:30am PLC 9:30am PLC Habitat Build School open house open house 10:00am Worship 11:00am Special
Care 5:00pm Youth 2:00pm Staff Mtg. Fellowship 4:30pm 7:00pm Peacemaking Chancel Choir 7:00pm Theology 7:00pm Camera Pub Club
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 PLC 11:00am Special Youth Group Pig Pickin’ resumes Care to 10:00am Worship classes 11:00am Holiday 5:00pm Youth Finance Min Fellowship World 2:00pm Staff Mtg. 7:00pm 7:00pm Session Chancel Choir 7:00pm Theology Pub
23 not yet confirmed 24 25 26 27 28 29 8:30am Worship 11:00am Special 9:45am Sunday Care School 2:00pm Staff 5:00pm Youth 11:00am Worship Meeting Fellowship 5:30pm Bridge 7:00pm Ministry Chancel Choir 7:00pm Theology Pub
30 not yet confirmed 31 8:30am Worship 9:45am Sunday School 11:00am Worship
Seersucker Sunday
Page 11
The Presbyterian Church Non-Profit Organization 1003 State Street Permit No. 202 Bowling Green, KY 42101 U.S. Postage Paid (270) 843-4707 Bowling Green, KY
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
The full-color newsletter is online at www.bgpres.org. August 15 is the deadline for the August 2015 newsletter. Please send your information to the church office at [email protected] The Presbyterian Church August 2015 Bowling Green, Kentucky (270) 843-4707 www.bgpres.org
The Presbyterian Church Staff
Dr. Matthew W. Covington Pastor Thomas N. Moody Organist, Pastoral Assistant Rev. Jim Johnson Parish Associate Wayne Pope Choir Director David Muffett Director of Youth Ministries Property Administration “Our reason for being is to manifest Richard Barefoot Financial Administrator the good news of Jesus Christ in word Steve Moore Treasurer and deed so that disciples are made by Cheryl Gregory Secretary means of inspiring and engaging worship, John Grise Clerk of Session relevant and reliable education, Dana Patterson Director, Preschool Learning Center compassionate and caring fellowship, Cedric Whitney Custodian meaningful and magnanimous outreach, Michael Spencer Sunday Sexton to the glory of God.” Page 12