November 2016, Volume 29, Issue 4

November 2016, Volume 29, Issue 4 PRISM A Publication of the Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of Detroit Prism Subscriptions: Mailed to home - $6...
Author: Diane Stephens
0 downloads 2 Views 817KB Size
November 2016, Volume 29, Issue 4

PRISM A Publication of the Presbyterian Women in the Presbytery of Detroit Prism Subscriptions: Mailed to home - $6.00/year Contact Ruth McKinnon (248-476-3855), 29615 Meadowridge, N. Farmington Hills, MI 48334

OR Emailed free of charge at

[email protected]

Directions to: Grosse Ile Presbyterian Church, 7925 Horsemill.. . Take I-75 south to exit 32A (It will say Trenton, Grosse Ile, and Wyandotte) which is West Road. Go back over the I75. (Truck stop on R and Buffalo Wild Wings on L.) First main road is Allen and turn R. On Allen a Target is on L and Walmart on R. Take Allen to Van Horn and turn L. Follow Van Horn all the way til it dead ends onto W. Jefferson. (Chrysler plant on L.) Turn L on W. Jefferson and immediately R on Grosse Ile Parkway. Go over the county bridge (free---the bridge to the north is the toll bridge!) Stay on Parkway to the second light and turn L; on Meridian. Drive down Meridian going north and you'll pass Ferry and Church Roads. Turn R on Horsemill and the church is at the end of Horsemill on the R. The church is handicapped accessible.

December 7,2016 Gathering Grosse Ile Presbyterian Church 9:45 through Lunch PROGRAM: Meet Charles Dickens and enjoy Grosse Ile's Renaissance man portraying the legendary author of The Christmas Carol. Music by Island troubadour Barry VanEngelen playing and leading the singing of Christmas carols on the guitar including "Silent Night," which was played for the first time on a guitar in Oberndorf, Austria in 1818. RESERVATIONS: Call either Pam Frucci, (734) 671-0170. Email: [email protected] or the Grosse Ile Presbyterian Church (734) 676-8811. Email: [email protected] by Fri., Dec. 2. Lunch: $8 (Box lunch along with homemade Christmas cookies.) . Motion Break: Hunger Walk

Inside This Issue: December Gathering Directions to Grosse Ile PC Moderator’s Letter

Justice & Peace

1 1 2

2-3

Study/Spiritual Development Ingathering/Mission Second Mile

Disaster Preparedness Retreat save the Date

3 4-5 5-6

6 6

Moderator’s Letter: Dear Sisters, As we are closing in on Thanksgiving and Christmas I want to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season. We have lots of mission groups that we can support during this time of year. I don't have to tell you this. Our churches have "Giving Trees", there are the Goodfellows, the Salvation Army, the Hunger Program and many more agencies, but I want to put the Second Mile Center at the forefront. All the agencies I .mentioned are of course great charitable groups, but please help the Center that PWPDAshas been sponsoring for just about 10 years.I want Thetostaff we are closing in on Thanksgiving and Christmas wishand you all a safe volunteers are asking for food for holiday baskets. I have asked Ruth Azar and happy holiday season. We have lots of mission groups that wefor can7support during this time of year. don't to tell you this. please Our churches "Giving names and if anyone wants to help meIfill thehave items requested call orhave email me. Trees", there are the Salvation Army, the Hunger and The center can use warm clothes forGoodfellows, the clothesthe closet. The homeless and Program even those many more agencies, but I want to put the Second Mile Center at the forefront. with homes are lacking in items that are a necessity --food and clothes to keep warm. Please keep reading our Prism for events coming up. Get involved with our Gatherings, our Retreat, all our activities, become a participant, become a leader. Presbyterian Women have been working on mission, justice and peace and we are not like the charity groups that are not faith based. Our organization is based on belief in the triune God. If your PW is studying the Horizon Bible Study "Who is Jesus" and you are not a part of the study I suggest that you get involved. Everyone I have asked are thoroughly enjoying it and learning a lot. Your sister in Christ. Joan

Justice and Peace DOMESTIC AND GUN VIOLENCE CONTINUE TO BE TOP CONCERNS The Justice & Peace Committee is tallying the surveys of what our PWPD members listed as their five top concerns we should be addressing in 2016-7. Obvious are two forms of violence: domestic and gun violence. Until we can get guns out of the hands of the wrong people, innocent lives will continue to be taken. Since the “right to bear arms” is ingrained in the minds of too many Americans, our committee will continue to work for SENSIBLE gun laws that protect lives. Domestic violence also victimizes innocent people. A local newspaper columnist just wrote about losing her niece. She was stabbed to death by a disgruntled boyfriend multiple times who then took his own PRISM

Page 2

life. Statistically in 94 percent of the murder suicides, the victims are women. Over half of the domestic violence homicides in Michigan are committed with guns. In a typical day domestic violence hotlines in Michigan receive 21,000 calls which equates to 15 calls every minute. Our committee is working to find answers to these major concerns. Pamela A. Frucci, chair Justice & Peace Committee

Study/Spiritual Development . I had prepared to share a book review when I ran across this short story. A friend needed some inspiration and this story came across the computer screen. I decided to also share this story with Presbyterian Women. A book review next month unless I find another good story. LIFE IS LIKE A CUP OF COFFEE A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - asking them to help themselves to the coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups". The jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of Life we live. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us." God brews the coffee, not the cups.......... So start enjoying your coffee today! "The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything." Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to GOD!

PRISM

Page 3

Ingathering Volunteers

A successful 3-day Ingathering was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Detroit on Oct. 17-19. Presbyterian Women from thirty-seven churches brought their items to the Ingathering and over 65 volunteers from 17 churches helped to sort and package the items for delivery to 34 agencies in the metro Detroit area, including Second Mile Center in Detroit. Monetary totals will be announced at the November and December Gatherings and will be mailed directly to the Ingathering Chairs in the participating churches. Details will also be in the next issue of the Prism. Thank you to everyone who participated in 2016. We couldn’t do it without you!

Mission Committee With Advent and Christmas approaching, this is the time of year when we buy gifts for our loved ones. Why not purchase a gift that is both functional and helps to support artisans worldwide or provides services to help others? If you did not attend the October Gathering but would still like to purchase Palestinian hand carved olive wood items and needlework from Pal Craftaid, you can order from their website www.palcraftaid.org or contact Carol Hylkema at [email protected] You can also have Carol bring a selection of items to your church to sell. PRISM

Page 4

For the person who has everything, how about giving a flock of chickens, honeybees, crop seeds or a goat to a farmer in an impoverished area of the world through Heifer International (www.heifer.org) or Church World Service (www.cwsbestgift.org)? These are only a few ideas of agencies that could be supported with your donations this Christmas season. At the December Gathering we will have the traditional “Hunger Walk” as our Motion Break. You will have an opportunity to walk to the front of the sanctuary and drop your small change (or paper money or checks) into the soup pots. This money will support the Presbytery of Detroit Hunger Program. Emily Nietering Mission Vice-Chairperson

Second Mile Center It seems like Thanksgiving and Christmas are far away, but Second Mile Center is planning for their food baskets now. We are asking for your assistance in providing food for families for the holidays. The items needed for each basket are: Nonperishable: Perishable: 1 box elbow macaroni 2 bags shredded American cheese 2 cans cranberry sauce 1-14 lb. turkey or 2 whole chickens 1 large can of yams 1 package dinner rolls or loaf of bread 1 box cake mix or brownie mix 1 sweet potato/cherry/apple or pumpkin pie 1 container frosting 2 cans green beans or corn 1 box or bag white self-rising corn meal For the purchase of perishable items, please issue a check payable to “PWPD” or “The Second Mile Center of Detroit, “ or purchase gift cards from Kroger, Walmart or TargetI You can still bring the nonperishable items to the December Gathering. The Second Mile Center of Detroit “So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.” John 10:7 A “door of faith” is The Second Mile Center of Detroit. We share the “good news” of Jesus standing at the door waiting for each of us to open the door to welcome Christ into our lives. Thank you for supporting this ministry. PRISM

Page 5

We are in full swing with the After School Program (4 or 5 after school tutors are needed) and also the Monday Night Community Dinners . The busy seasons are fast approaching Thanksgiving and Christmas. It is a time of giving. If you would be kind enough to support our food pantry the items we are requesting in addition to the mission report are cream of mushroom soup, crunchy peanut butter, snacks, tuna fish, gift cards from Wal-Mart, Target, Kroger, etc. We are also asking you to open your hearts to provide Christmas gifts for our community, please call for more information. Hope to see you at the center in November. God bless, Ruth Azar

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance—Presbyterian Women Disaster Preparedness Training Friday June 23, 2017: 8 AM to 5 PM (First Day of PWSOC Gathering) – Training for women only First Presbyterian Church 111 Capital NE, Battle Creek, MI “Disaster Preparedness Training” is a train –the-trainer event designed to give women the tools needed to conduct Disaster Preparedness Workshops for churches, Presbyteries and communities. Applications and registration deadline is June 9, 2017. Find applications online at www.pcusa.org 888-728-7228 ext.5806 or contact Pat McBride at the Presbytery of Detroit for additional imformation.

Save the Date for the Retreat March 4, 2017 at Allen Park Presbyterian Church Keynote Speaker, Rev. Elizabeth Downs Watch the Prism for Further Information PRISM

Page 6