First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield September 2017 The Messenger For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Ephesians 3:14-20 In a world where it seems like nothing is New Sunday Morning Schedule anchored down, faith roots and grounds begins September 10th!! us. Faith is more than a core value, though 8:30AM Adult Faith Formation in the it is that too. Faith is a centering force from Auditorium which all things become possible. Fresh coffee and sweet repast abound! More than a feeling, more than an idea, faith is God-reliance that builds “steel” into 9:30AM Worship in the Great Sanctuary our inner being so that we can face life’s Chancel Choir and pipe organ verities with peace and even joy. Faith grows when you feed it, and “feeding” it is 9:30AM Sunday School for children and simple. youth in the CE Wing Food for faith is worship, study of scripture, time in the community of faith and service 10:45AM Worship in John Calvin Hall with in action. Leave any of those pieces out of Youth Choir and Praise Band your life practice, and you’ll limp. Worse, you’ll find yourself pushed around by the Praying you a strong faith in your inner slings and arrows of “outrageous fortune” being, or misfortune. Do yourself a huge good--- Pastor Hawkinson by feeding the faith that is in you. September 2017 WORSHIP/MUSIC Sunday, September 3, Choirs begin New Season of Service Labor Day New Members Warmly Welcomed! One service at 10:00 a.m. Church Alive with the Sound of Music Bring a symbol of your work for blessing as we plan to bring our love of God to September 9, 9:00 -11:00 a.m. work! On this day, as we gather at the table of our Lord, we’ll dedicate our Members of the Chancel Choir, Festival Choir, children and work lives as expressions of faithfulness. youth ensembles, and singers from the contemporary New Fall Schedule Begins service will gather together to launch a new season on Saturday, September 9, from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. This is a time September 10 of regrouping after summer recess, welcoming new Sunday Worship members, rehearsing new music for the coming season and 9:30 & 10:45 a.m. renewing commitment to the ministry of music. Led by Royce Eckhardt, Bill Gordon with the youth choirs, and Adult Faith Formation Caesar Sanchez with the Praise Band---the morning effort promises to be a blast for all ages while we prepare for 8:30 a.m. common song in worship the next day. Pastor Hawkinson will Sunday School for Kids be present on this occasion to welcome and greet the choir singers. 9:30 a.m. Royce Eckhardt, interim director of music, strongly First Sundays encourages new members to join in the music ministry of our One worship service with choirs on September 9. If you are interested in singing or communion at 10:00 a.m. seek more information, please contact Royce at 847-251- 5329, or at [email protected]. Sunday School at 10:00 a.m. for 3rd graders and younger Join the service of song! Meet in John Calvin Hall. Monday Communion Casual Choir Begins September 11, 1:00 p.m. Rehearsals Begin September 17, 10:45 a.m. Join us for communion and worship in the Heritage Chapel. Contact the Have you ever thought you’d like to be in the choir but church office at 847-945-0560 if you can’t find the time to be at rehearsal every Wednesday? need a ride! Ever thought you’d like to sing with your children or another group of voices? The concept of the Casual Choir is the Worship Craft opportunity to engage in short term rehearsals to offer Team Development Gathering music in one service at a time. September 12, 7:00 p.m. With simple music and excellent leadership from Royce As an artist shapes the clay of a Eckhardt, you’ll find yourself with a few more songs in your masterpiece, so is the creation of heart and a sense of service as you offer occasional music corporate worship experience. Do you in small ensemble for worship leadership! have an interest in assisting with worship design and planning? Join Pastor Instrumental Opportunity Hawkinson for this overview session and Do you play an instrument and are you willing to add your find a place and medium for shaping sound in worship leadership? Contact Royce Eckhardt at worship at FPCD. [email protected]. See our website for: Links to past sermons News on upcoming services Ways to engage more deeply TIME, TALENT & TREASURE Stewardship and Generosity “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:21) Wow! Congratulations to a very generous congregation. In less than a year, we have pledged almost $3 million dollars to ensure that FPCD continues now and into the future as a Christian beacon in the community. We began with a successful stewardship campaign for 2017 that brought in pledges of $827,000, a $30,000 increase over 2016. This increase allowed us to restore most of the previous year program cut-backs and provide an overdue modest increase in compensation for staff. More recently we completed a capital initiative – Generation to Generation – that produced pledges of over $2 million dollars to ensure that our church remains, both physically and spiritually, on a solid foundation. You’ll recall that Generation to Generation (G2G) has four objectives – First, with highest priority, is to restore our beloved church home. By the time you read this much has been completed and more is underway to repair and In the midst of the street of it, and on restore areas of our property. We are also working on the either side of the river, there was the next two objectives - ways to enhance our outreach in Tree of Life, which bore twelve kinds of the community and launch new initiatives to enrich our fruit and yielded her fruit every month; mission and ministry. The fourth objective, to strengthen and the leaves of the tree were for capital reserves, is being planned. Keep in mind that the healing of the nations. pledges are payable over a three year period, so the Revelation 22:2 reserve strengthening will come after other commitments have been met. To this end we mention that G2G What do you think of when you think of a pledges are still being received, and that previous tree? pledges may be modified as your personal Deep Roots circumstances permit. Long life Fruitful We are indeed blessed with such a generous Strong membership – we can look forward to the future knowing A place to relax that First Presbyterian Church of Deerfield will be here for Is that your image of our church? our future spiritual needs as well as those of future generations. Our Generation to Generation Campaign has helped to deepen our roots and en- sure a long life. Our attendance every month helps to ensure we bear fruit. Our image in the community is as a strong body of faith. Pledges received (through July) $482,304 Total pledged amount $829,864 Generosity has no Season… ADULT FAITH FORMATION Sept 10 -- Catholic Background to Protestant Reform Christianity experienced unprecedented turmoil during the two hundred years prior to the Protestant Reformation. The papacy, after Innocent III’s reign (1198-1216) of exceptional power and majesty, first moved to Avignon and then broke apart during the Great Schism (1379-1417) as two popes vied for St. Peter’s throne. As the schism ended, the Italian Renaissance changed the culture, but not the nature of Catholic errors. Monastic orders (Dominicans and Franciscans) attempted reform within, as did men like Wycliffe and Huss from without. But with so little Biblical and spiritual progress, the demand for reform became urgent. Class is led by Rev. Paul Palmer. Sept 17 -- Luther Ignites a Reformation Fuse Tetzel’s way of hawking Indulgences spurs Martin Luther into action. Convinced that salvation comes through faith, not works or a pardon that money might buy, Luther writes 95 Theses and posts them on a church door in Wittenberg. Intended for scholarly debate, they become the focal point of a religious revolution that spreads across Europe. With the aid of Melanchthon, the new theology and Bible translation burns brightly in the hearts of many – but not among Church authorities and the emperor. Called before the Diet of Worms, Luther is ordered to recant, but instead utters the famous words: “Here I stand…” Class is led by Rev. Paul Palmer. Sept 24 -- The Development of Creeds and Splinter Groups Luther’s bonfire (his burning the bull of excommunication and denying key Catholic doctrines) lights up night skies all across Europe. Classes in September begin with Rev. Paul Erasmus’ advocacy for humanism had already Palmer’s discussion of “The Reformation(s) of the added fuel to the fire, and now with the easy printing 16th Century.” How did Protestantism begin? of pamphlets and tracts the propagation of the faith What was it about our Christian beliefs and revolution is unstoppable.