When May Newsletter
FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
200 N. Witte, Poteau, OK 74953 Sunday school 9:45 Church 11:00—12:00
Phone 918-647-3565 E-mail poteaupres@windstream.net
Web poteaupresbyterian.org
From the Pastor’s Desk
When we reflect upon the life of Jesus, we realize that he spent more time DOING for people than talking. If we want to be a church of true followers of Jesus, we should find ways to DO and not just talk about what we should do. We have a special opportunity coming Sunday. This first Sunday in May, we will have special speakers, James Gardner and Rev. Thony (pronounced “Tony”) Paul.
If you have worshipped with us in 2011, you have heard James Gardner’s considerable talents as a musician. What you may not know is that James also has a passion for mission work. In college, he helped lead an arts ministry that went to prisons, hospitals, and an AIDS ward.
In 2008, James took his first international mission trip to Haiti, which changed his life. Seeing the faith of a people who have nothing, but give all they have, expanded his view of Christianity beyond the American experience. He has since made it his ambition to take cross-cultural mission trips each summer, while teaching music throughout the school year. In 2011, he will go back to Haiti. He hopes to help by bringing American technology and knowledge to the people, and he expects to take back a deeper faith learned from them. But most of all, his desire is to see the people of Haiti transformed by the Spirit of Christ
James and the Rev. Thony Paul of Haiti will share with us stories about Christian mission work in Haiti. Rev. Paul’s personal story is fascinating. He was born in the midst of voodoo country in Haiti and first heard Christians speak when he was 16. Over the course of the next dozen years, Thony went from an illiterate backwoods boy, to an educated young man graduating from Christian seminary. He says he was called to “dig a big hole to bury voodoo.” Pastor Thony has sacrificed through the years, in order to build schools for children in the poor mountain communities, to establish churches, and to meet the needs of the poor.
This is a special opportunity for our congregation to meet and hear from the dynamic Rev. Thony and his life of ministry in Haiti, and to hear James’s experience of working with Rev. Thony. We will project slides to what they talk about. James has a special musical presentation.
This will be a very unique service, and one you won’t want to miss. Invite a friend. Come a little early to see the slides. And plan to contribute generously to this mission work. You may not be able to be the feet on the ground, but you can enable Thony and James to continue the work of Jesus Christ in 2011.
Blessings,
Pastor Jan
Adult Bible SchoolThank you to Susan Evans for leading us in 24 Hours That Changed the World. It was a very enjoyable and enriching study. We appreciate Susan leading the class.
Beginning May 1, Tom Brennan will be teaching. Tom is planning a class centered around Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. The class will be a combination of lecture, video and discussion. This will be a short term class and is a great time to check us out.
Invite a Friend to Sunday School
When Christians Get It Wrong is the title of our new adult Sunday school class. The study addresses a lot of the hard questions Christians ask and wonder about. If you have a friend who’d like this discussion, invite them to come during November. The discussion is lively. If you haven’t been to the adult class recently, you might enjoy the next few weeks.
National Day of Prayer
May 5th is National Day of Prayer. You are invited to attend the local prayer service from 12:00 – 1:00 on the Courthouse lawn. Persons will be leading prayer for many of our local agencies, ministries, joys and prayer concerns. Join with your friends and neighbors as we lift our spirits to the Lord!
May Birthdays
May 4: Tom Brennan
May 6: Ethan Harrison
May 8: Charlie Evans
May 11: Doug Sanders, Sr.
May 12: Kevin Rice
Happy AnniversaryMay 17: Rick & Carolyn Andrews
May 23: Michael & Kristin Harrison
May 24: Richard & Paula Reif
Vacation Bible School
June 6-10
9:00 AM – Noon at the Methodist Church
This year we are partnering with First United Methodist Church for Vacation Bible School. The theme this year is Shake It Up Cafe: Where Kids Carry Out God's Recipe! It offers a lot of fun twists and unique ways through FOOD to build our children's spiritual lives. Come and become a chef as we serve up quite an experience! Suzanne Brennan will be teaching the science portion for the preschool students. All the teaching spots have been filled, but extra hands are always needed. For more information see Suzanne. Enrollment forms will be available soon.
Hoping to see all of our Presbyterian kids at VBS this summer!
Dwight Mission
It’s time to register for summer church camp! There is a camp designed for all ages of kids & youth, a Family Camp, and even Adventure Camps. As well as the fun & exciting activities, camp allows us to step away from our day-to-day routines and focus more intently on our relationship with God, to experience Christian community, find Christian mentors, and to practice living out our spiritual values in a supportive atmosphere away from home. Campers will have the opportunity for reflection and active learning of the scripture. Once you attend, Dwight Mission will become a highlight you look forward to every year. Brochures are on the table in back of the sanctuary, or visit www.dwightmission.org
First Presbyterian Church will be happy to provide assistance with camp tuition.
Easter Lilies
We thank those who sponsored Easter lilies for our Easter worship service:
Margie Anderson in memory of her daughter, Kim Anderson
The Brennan family in memory of Suzanne’s dad, Jim Olive
The Brennan family in memory of Julia Waitrovich
Mike and Sandy Harrison in memory of Mike’s mother, Sybil Harrison
Michael and Kristin Harrison in memory of Michael’s brother, Patrick Harrison
The Hoffman family in memory of her mother, Muriel Hardin