FINLEY
FOCUS
February
2008
Founded 1891
Picture by
From the
Interim Pastor…
Grace to you and peace from God and from our Lord Jesus
Christ!
Then Jesus was led up by the
Spirit into the wilderness
to be tempted by
the devil.
He fasted forty
days and forty nights…
-- Matthew 4:1-2
With these words
we begin the season of preparation known in the church as Lent. It is one of
the oldest cycles in the church year, and by the fourth century it was a fully
developed season of forty days (excluding Sundays) of prayer and fasting in
order to be properly prepared for Easter. At the time of the Protestant
Reformation, more emphasis was placed on the triumph of Easter than the
repentance of Lent by the new church. But it became apparent that without the
season of preparation, the celebration of Easter lost much of its power, and
the observance of Lent has been making its way back into the whole church over
the years.
With all this in mind, there are several
activities that we will use to mark this season here at Finley. Beginning on
February 3rd, we will have Lenten calendars available for each
family, so that you may do daily prayer and Bible readings in your own
home. On Ash Wednesday, February 6,
there will be a supper and service in the Fellowship Hall. We will celebrate
the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of Lent, February 10. We will use special bulletin covers during
Lent and have a time of prayer and the extinguishing of one candle each Sunday
leading up to Easter. Beginning on Wednesday, February 13, we will have a brown
bag Bible study on Wednesday nights through Holy Week beginning at
Often we think of
Lent as time to give up something. With all the things going on here at Finley
in the next couple of months, maybe this is a year in which you might want to
add something for Lent. Certainly daily prayer and Bible readings are a great
way to begin. Or come to the Wednesday night Bible studies. Or go ahead and
give up those desserts or candy, and put the money you would spend aside for
the One Great Hour of Sharing Offering on Easter Sunday.
But know that
whatever you do, the act is not the end. The idea is to strengthen your
relationship with God and with our Lord Jesus Christ, so that the power of
Easter Sunday will truly break forth in our hearts this year.
Yours in Christ,
Sally Robinson
Scripture
Feb. 3 Exodus 24:12-18
Matthew 17:1-9
“Living at the Bottom of the Mountain”
Feb. 10 Matthew 4:1-11
“Lead Us Not Into Temptation”
Feb. 17 Genesis 12:1-4;
John 3:1-17
“I Believe in the God of Surprises”
Feb. 24 Exodus 17:1-7
John 4:5-42
“An Idle Tale”
We will hold a light supper (food provided)
and a service of the Imposition of Ashes on Ash Wednesday, February 6 at
This is one of the oldest services in the
life of the church, and ashes on the forehead remind us of our humanity and
mortality. We are also reminded that our possessions, our rulers, our empires,
our projects, our families and even our earthly lives do not last forever. As the ashes are “imposed” – put on our
foreheads – the words used are “You are dust and to dust you shall return.”
This is an especially meaningful service for children, so please bring the
entire family.
Beginning on the second Wednesday in Lent,
February 13, at
The theme of the study is based on the idea
that what binds us together as a Body of Christ is not so much what we
have in common, but the fact that God loves each one of us just as we are,
and that God loved us enough to send Jesus as our Savior. It then asks questions
such as "What difference does this fact of salvation make in our
lives?" "Is there tangible evidence that we are
Christian?" "How do we treat the wounded and the strangers among
us?" If you take Easter as a fact, you won't want to miss this
study on what that day means to us everyday. Please join us for this
intriguing study.
Kelly & Sally Ratcliffe had a baby girl Saturday,
January 5. She weighs 8lb. and is 18” long, and her name is
Crock Pot Cook-Offs,
Slide Shows, Chrismon Making, Christmas Caroling, ReCharge,
Finley’s Fabulous
February Fellowship, and Talent Shows -
Do you remember these fellowship activities
from our past?
If any of these activities
sound interesting or spark more ideas, then the Fellowship/Stewardship
Committee needs YOU!
The F/S Committee is working on plans for a
new year’s worth of activities, events, and programs. Randy Fink and Margie
Robison are the committee chairs and we are looking for people with energy,
creativity, enthusiasm, and a heart for our Finley family to serve with us on
this committee. We would welcome any suggestions and ideas you have for
fellowship and stewardship opportunities. Plus, we’d love to have a few more
members on our committee. If you would like to be involved with fellowship and
stewardship programming and planning, just let Randy or Margie know.
Here are some questions that might spark
your imagination.
Fellowship:
Can
you think of anything that you’d like to learn more about? – Finley’s history,
local & global mission opportunities, Presbyterian resources, etc.
Can
you think of ways to help us get to know each other better?
Can
you think of ways we can extend the hand of fellowship to our community?
Stewardship:
Can
you think of ways that we can become better stewards of our gifts and
resources?
Can
you think of ways we can share our time, talents, and passions with each other,
the community, and the world?
If these questions prompt any brainstorms,
please send them our way. Just contact
Have you checked out our web site
lately?
Go to www.finleypres.org to see what’s new!
Playing to Alleviate World Hunger
If any of you have an interest in helping
relieve world hunger and improving your vocabulary, then here’s a website for
you:
Free Rice www.freerice.com
How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work?
FreeRice has a custom database containing thousands of words at varying
degrees of difficulty.
FreeRice automatically adjusts to your level of vocabulary up to level 50.
Here’s how you play:
- The site displays a
word and 4 choices of synonyms
- Click on the answer
that best defines the word.
- If you get it
right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word.
- For each word you
get right, we donate 20 grains of rice to the United Nations World Food Program
Who pays for the donated rice?
When you play the game, advertisements appear on the bottom of your screen.
The money generated by these advertisements is then used to buy the rice. So by
playing, you generate the money that pays for the rice donated to hungry
people.
Who distributes the donated rice?
The rice is distributed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). The
World Food Program is the world’s largest food aid agency, working with over
1,000 other organizations in over 75 countries. In addition to providing food,
the World Food Program helps hungry people to become self-reliant so that they
escape hunger for good. Wherever possible, the World Food Program buys food
locally to support local farmers and the local economy. We encourage you to
visit the United
Nations World Food Program to learn more about their successful approach
to ending hunger.
Check out the website. But be aware – you may find it addictive!!
PW
will be meeting Tuesday, February 5 at
MARIAN
C. FITCH SCHOLARSHIP
FUND
COMPLETES ELEVENTH YEAR
The Marian C. Fitch Scholarship Fund of
Finley Memorial Presbyterian Church completed its eleventh year in 2007. Over
those 11 years the fund has provided financial assistance to a total of 50
recipients, distributing just over $312M in scholarship funds to full time and
community college students. The number of fund participants has averaged 14 per
year with the scholarship amount ranging from $800 to $1800 per semester
depending on number of participants and the economic health of the fund. The
per semester amount for 2008 is $1000, as it was for 2007. 15 participants are expected in 2008.
Marian Fitch was a faithful member of
Finley Memorial Presbyterian Church for over twenty years. She was an elder,
active in the Presbyterian Women, active in Sunday school and she loved music.
Any child of a member in good standing of
our church who is seeking education beyond high school at an accredited
college, community college, or technical school is eligible to apply for the
Marian Fitch Scholarship. Requirements include completing an application and
submitting grades to show successful course work accomplishment at the end of
each semester. Applications may be obtained from any of the Trustees.
The Trustees of Finley Memorial manage the
Marian Fitch Scholarship Fund through the Wachovia Bank Charitable Funds
Division. Wachovia Bank in the name of the Marion C. Fitch Scholarship Fund of
Finley Memorial Presbyterian Church makes all scholarships payments directly to
the recipients.
James
L. Wellborn, Treasurer - Scholarship Fund
DECEMBER STEWARDSHIP
REPORT
|
Beginning Balance |
$ 2,423.73 |
|
Total receipts |
$13,107.53 |
|
Total |
$15,531.26 |
|
Total Expenses |
$ 9,987.47 |
|
Ending
Balance |
$ 5,543.79 |
2007 Year End Financial Report
Check account balance $ 5,543.79
Money market general fund 20,355.56
Money market building fund 104.18
Money market special gifts fund 359.47
Money market designated funds
7,654.11
Certificates of deposit 16,925.94
Savings account 25.76
Total assets
Total assets
Our decrease in assets for the year came about because we had to
withdraw from the money market to pay for designated projects such as the
Katrina fund, the new bells, and our two iCare children. We also had to
withdraw to cover operating expenses during slow cash flow periods. I will be
happy to answer any questions. Jack
Church Closing Info
It is a
good time for us to review the inclement weather procedures for the winter.
Please keep in mind that we will do all we can to have worship on Sunday
mornings if possible, therefore we will always try to make a decision to cancel
by
WHSV – TV 3 Channel 3 This is the best and quickest way to find out info.
WVIR – TV 29 Channel 4
WKCY 1300AM / WKCI 970AM
WNLR 1150AM
An Evening of Ivory &
Ebony To Benefit Baja Mission Trip
1.
Theme & Name: An Evening of Ivory &
Ebony…
To Benefit Baja Mission Trip
Dining
Silent Auction
Live Entertainment
2.
Financial Goal: $3,500 – 5,000.
All
proceeds to be used to finance Baja Mission Project &
Sommers’ participation in Mission Trip
Those attending will offer a donation
3.
Dinner: Kathleen & Phil Sommer will prepare and
oversee
Service
Sit Down Dinner
Menu to be determined
4.
Silent Auction: To be done in two parts
5.
Entertainment: CD Music until dinner
Live
Piano Music during dinner (Wes Allen & Lacey Harold)
Bill Gardner & Lucy Weston to sing & play after Dessert
Video
7.
Schedule:
- Reservations:
All RSVP’s to Bridgewater Church Office by e-mail (bridgewaterpc@verizon.net)
or Telephone (540-828-2442)
All RSVP’s (even maybes) by February 20th
The Finley men need your help. We meet on
the first Sunday of each month for breakfast, devotions and fellowship. Our
average attendance is about ten. The breakfast meeting begins at
The
men are working with the buildings and grounds committee to help maintain the
physical property of the church. We are making a list of projects around the
church, which will be posted for all to look at.
We need your help with this list! If you know of something that needs done,
contact our leader Paul Willey so that it gets on the list.
Some routine maintenance projects that are
perhaps little known include- checking the fire extinguishers and initialing
the card on each once a month, tightening the screws on all chairs twice a
year; oil and tighten screws on all the doors every six months; replacing
burned out light bulbs as needed; and maintaining a supply of cleaning products
(our custodians usually will put a note in the treasurers box when they need
something).
Our group talks about these and other
projects at our monthly breakfast meetings. We would like to do some outreach
in the community, but we could use a few more men with skills they would be
willing to share. The next meeting is February 3rd at
Several times in the past few months we
have noticed that there is a small amount of garbage left in the large trash
cans. Anyone with a sense of smell could tell there was something in the can.
We think the large cans are really too big
for small groups and people are not taking them out back so as not to waste a
large trash bag. To help alleviate this problem, we have purchased a couple of
small trash cans so that smaller groups using the kitchen will find it easier
to take the garbage out back by the storage building and put it in the large
cans there. This will also help to keep the kitchen cleaner.
Please help us get the word out to all the
groups that use the kitchen that we have the smaller trash cans. Please!--never leave garbage in the kitchen
over night, or until the can is full.
Thanks
for your help.
The
Finley men
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|
From the Frontier |
I am in the
Mk
Jn 13:34,35 …. Love one
another….
Rm 12:5 …individually
members one of another…
Rm
Rm
Rm
Rm 15:7 … accept one
another…
1 Cor
Gal
Eph 4:32… Be kind to one
another…
I Th 3:12… abound in love
for one another…
I Th
ITh
Heb
Jms
Jms
I Pet
I Jn 1:7 … having fellowship
with one another…
Ecclesia = church = “called
out ones”
Oikos = families or natural
networks
Blessed to be a blessing ~
mike
Youth News
Middle School Youth Group: Meeting at
Beth Gibson’s house, 7-8:15. Don’t forget to invite your friends!
High School Youth Group: Fellowship & Devotion at the Coble’s 7-9.
Bring your bibles and your friends!
On
This national hunger relief effort was
started by the senior high youth group at Spring Valley Presbyterian Church in
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Nursery Schedule |
Visitation Schedule |
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Feb. 3 |
David & Lisa Seaman;
Paul Willey |
Don Markle |
|
Feb. 10 |
Jeff & Julia Crist;
Mary Hadley |
Darlene Bowles |
|
Feb. 17 |
Dawn & Jay Christian
& Leslie Allen |
Janet Robinette &
Doris Willey |
|
Feb. 24 |
Darlene Bowles; Shirley
Meijer & Alisha Alcala |
Marjorie Shreckhise |
Keith Boswell CH
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John Gibson |
Beverley Ellis |
|
Brian Boswell |
Faye Wellborn |
Birthdays and Anniversaries
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Sunday |
Monday |
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
Saturday |
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1 |
2 |
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3 |
4 |
5 Kyle Seaman’s Birthday |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
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10 |
11 |
12 Cynthia
Bing-Wo’s Birthday |
13 |
14 Sue Brubaker’s Birthday |
15 |
16 |
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17 |
18 David Brubaker’s Birthday |
19 |
20 |
21 |
22 |
23 Kelly Hughes’ Birthday |
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24 Art Hendrickson’s Birthday |
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