FINLEY FOCUS

January 2007

Founded 1891 Picture by Karen Brown

From the Pastor’s Desk

Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I hope and pray that this Christmas was a time of blessing for you and your family. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the Christmas Eve worship service with all of you. The children’s Christmas pageant was so cute and wonderful. Their faces and enthusiasm were priceless. It was a very special night.

As the Christmas season continues for us in the church, we now begin to turn our thoughts toward the beginning of the New Year. It is now 2007, and with the New Year comes all of our hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow. I look forward to what this new year will bring for us as God continues to work in the faith and life of this church, and continues to call us to participate together in God's mission and ministry in the world.

The start of a new year is always a refreshing and renewing time for me, because it allows me to have a clear distinction between the past and the future. The new year allows me to move on and put the past behind me, to see where I have succeeded and where I have failed, and to use the experiences to make myself better. But, it also gives me the opportunity to make a fresh start, to look upon the new year as a new future of endless promise and possibilities. It allows me the opportunity to venture out to try something again, to do something new, and to once again have great hope in what God has planned for me in the coming year.

In this coming year, as we remember the good news of great joy of the gospel of Jesus Christ, let us constantly keep in our hearts and minds how our loving and just God continues to renew us and transform us, and allows us to move on, and put the past behind us. And then through God’s abundant grace, continues to give us new opportunity after new opportunity to live in a hope for the future, to look with fresh eyes upon a better tomorrow that is always within our grasp through Christ. May the riches of God's grace, the abundance of God's love, and the blessing of God's favor be upon you this new year.

Your companion in Christ,

Dan

From the Member Fellowship Ministry

With the New Year and new Session members come many changes in the Session ministry structure. The Member Involvement Ministry will combine with the Fellowship Ministry to become the Member Fellowship Ministry. Much of this ministry’s work will remain the same, and it will continue to be chaired by the two Elder co-chairs, Jill Matthews and Randy Fink. However, it will now more intentionally emphasize member participation and relationship building in its new mission.

This Winter and Spring, our focus will be two-fold: creating a Stewardship campaign for the fall, and planning new fellowship ideas to continue to offer ways in which members can join together in the life and ministry of the church and fortify their relationships with other members. We will also be recruiting new ministry members to help realize our new mission. If you would like to serve on this exciting committee, please let Jill or Randy know, or just come to the meeting!

Our first meeting of the new year will be on Sunday, January 7, 2006 after church, downstairs (BYOL…bring your own lunch :). Hope everyone had a joyous Christmas, got some rest, and is ready to make good things happen at Finley!

It's not Water into Wine, but...

It's coffee into pot luck! As part of the restructuring of the Fellowship Ministry, we have decided to change our traditional coffee time on the last Sunday on the month, to a pot luck Lunch. After all, I've heard many people make the comment, "eat up...this is lunch!" So let's turn it into a lunch, sit down, and have some great food and fellowship time! Lemonade and Tea will be provided, so just bring something for lunch to share. The first Pot luck for the year will be Sunday, January 28, 2006. Please plan to attend and

Let's Fellowship!

Men’s Fellowship Breakfast will be on January 7, at 8:30 am. All men are encouraged to join us for food, fellowship and service.

Presbyterian Women will meet Tuesday, January 2 at 7:00 pm. All women are welcome and encouraged to attend and participate.

Thank you all for your amazing generosity in fulfilling the wishes on our Angel tree this year. We were able to give to many people and make a lot of Christmas’s brighter. Thank you for your support.

Mission Opportunity

The Midlothian Rotary Club is seeking volunteers (men and women) to restore homes in Biloxi, MS March 18-25. Food and lodging will be provided on site. Transportation is at personal expense with air or road being the options. Those interested should contact Walt Shugart (Julia Crist’s dad), 804 739-5288 or you may email him at wshu2@comcast.net. Call Julia (943-1123) if you need a ride. This trip is being sponsored by PCUSA.

Souper Bowl Sunday

Our Youth will again be collecting cans and money for Hunger Relief for the Souper Bowl on February 4^th! Watch your bulletins for more information as we get closer to the big day!

For what you've done in the past . . .

I want to thank all who helped to make the music of Finley so special during 2006 and in particular, during the recent Advent and Christmas season. Chris Davis and the Bell Choir added so much to our weekly service by accompanying the hymns and by providing anthems and preludes. Also, a group of lovely ladies (were they angels in our midst?) brought Christmas carols into the pre-service morning of December 24 (and on Wednesday nights). Thank you to Julia, Margie, the Karens and all the others who helped and joined in singing! I thank ALL the choir members who, every week, support the ministry of worship through music.

And for what we will do in the future . . .

Oprah Winfrey has said, “Cheers to the new year and another chance for us to get it right.” That, I think, is a good philosophy and one that, as 2006 comes to an end and 2007 starts, I want to embrace. There are lots of things that our choir did right in 2006 and there is lots of room for improvement in 2007.

For instance, I want to see our choir grow in numbers. We are blest with many talented people who give selflessly of their time and talent, but we need new members, too! Every section of the choir needs bolstering; we need basses, tenors, altos, and sopranos. There are those of you who have sung in this or other choirs in the past; you may be “hiding your light under a bushel.” There is no better way to sing AND FELLOWSHIP in the church than by singing in the choir! Please, join us beginning on Wednesday night, January 3 at 7:30 p.m. To accommodate younger members (or their moms and dads), the time may change to an earlier hour in the near future, so watch and listen for Sunday morning announcements.

The music of the church is changing and we need people (young and old) who will help us make those changes. If you have suggestions for songs you would like to sing (or hear), please, let me, Kelly, or any of our choir members know.

So, cheers to the new year and our chance to get it right in 2007!

The peace of Christ be with you and those you love. Elise

MARIAN C. FITCH SCHOLARSHIP FUND

COMPLETES TENTH YEAR

The Marian C. Fitch Scholarship Fund of Finley Memorial Presbyterian Church completed its tenth year in 2006. Over those 10 years the fund has provided financial assistance to a total of 49 recipients, distributing just over $281,000 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.

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. Marion loved asking questions, playing scrabble and she added a sparkle to the events in which she participated. Marian also had a love for education and for the youth of this congregation. The true measure of Marian’s love has come to reality for many of the youth of our church through her legacy as they have sought to better themselves by higher education. We have been truly blessed by Marian’s gift.

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

Youth News

Middle School Youth Group: Meetings will be at the Nelson’s house Sunday nights at 7:00 pm.

High School Youth Group:

Sun. Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28 – Fellowship & Devotion at the Coble’s 7:00 – 9:00 pm. We’ll kick off the new year with a series on Christian debate. We’ll be using the movie “The Cider House Rules” to look at the rules in our lives - those we set for ourselves, those set for us by others and those given to us by God for our own happiness. During these weeks, our recreation time will be from 7-8. We’ll watch a segment of the movie beginning at 8, followed by discussion. Since the discussions will build upon one another, we’d like as many to come to each week as possible. If you miss a section of the movie one week and want to make it up another Sun., they’ll be an opportunity for you to do so from 7-8. So please come, bring your friends, an open mind and your Bibles!

Sun. Feb. 4 – Souper Bowl Sunday! We will again be collecting cans and money for Hunger Relief.

	Nursery Schedule	Visitation Schedule
January 7	Coble family & Yvonne Simmons	Esther Winton & Beverley Ellis
January 14	David & Lisa Seaman & Paul Willey	John Gibson & Gloyd May
January 21	Jeff & Julia Crist, Tammy Steele, & Amanda Argenbright	David Wenner & Don Markle
January 28	Dawn & Jay Christian & Denise Brady	Darlene Bowles

Usher List

Don Splaun (CH)	Don McClure
David Brubaker	Elspeth Splaun
Denise Brady	Caitlin Brady
Nancy Coble	Josh Coble
Leigh Anne Coble	Dustin Henderson
Hollie Matthews

Peanut Butter Drops

2 eggs

1 cup chunky peanut butter

1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350

Beat the eggs. Stir in the peanut butter and sugar.

Drop by small spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Makes approximately 2-1/2 dozen 2-inch cookies.

Birthdays and Anniversaries in January 2007

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

PJ Willey’s Birthday

Heather Allen’s Birthday

Chris Moneymaker & Jessica Steele’s Birthday

Roy & Edith Rotenberry’s Anniversary

Mason Seaman’s Birthday

Leslie Allen’s Birthday

Kathy Boswell’s Birthday

Dan Matthews’ Birthday

Ann Willey’s Birthday

Martha Moneymaker’s Birthday

Sunday

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

New Year’s Day

Presbyterian Women

7:00 pm

Chancel Choir practice 7:30

Epiphany of the Lord

Men’s Breakfast 8:30am

4¢-a-Meal

Meeting of Member/Fellowship Ministry after worship

Baptism of the Lord

Session

7 pm

Chancel Choir practice 7:30

Ordination and Installation of new elders

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday

Pray for the Nations

7-8:30

Chancel Choir practice 7:30

Focus article deadline

Covered dish lunch after worship

Chancel Choir practice 7:30