Christine
and I are starting to give our almost 7-year-old son Daniel an allowance. You
might think that this is an easy thing to do, but you would be wrong.Money is after all a complicated thing.Christine and I have talked about Daniel’s
allowance many times now.What is the
right amount?What does he have to do
for his allowance?What should he just
be doing as a member of the family, and occupant of the house?What do we expect him to pay for?Obviously, it is not really about the
money.There are lessons to be learned
about budgeting and responsibility and giving.Important stuff to be sure.
This
discussion of allowance also relates to Daniel’s church life, as well as Mom’s
and Dad’s.It seems Christine has been
sending Daniel to church with a dollar every week in his children’s offering
envelope.Now that he is getting a
dollar allowance, it seems strange that Daniel brings 100% the value of his
income to church, even if it comes out of Mom’s wallet.After all, we at church encourage 10% as an
ideal, a tithe, and in truth I find it admirable when people pray and discern
what percent of their income they can give away, even if it is 2%, 4%, or
7%.What I believe is most important is
a generous heart and a desire to give to God of our time, talents and
treasures.
Certainly
the importance of giving and a generous heart are things we want our children
to learn.As a result, in the short
term, I think the church is going to loose 90% of Daniel’s weekly
offering.(And Christine is going to
have a dollar more of mad money every week.)In the long term, it is my hope that the church will help Christine and
I nurture a child who knows in his core, the power and the importance, of
giving.It is this long-term investment
that I believe God wants to make in each one of us.
Blessings,
CHURCH
EMAIL LIST
– We are in the process of compiling a complete church email list for use in
some upcoming new and exciting projects.Won’t you please help us out by sending an email from each member of
your family, stating your name to office@fppchurch.org.?If you are a member of a specific group,
such as: an Elder, Deacon, JHYF, or SHYF, a Bible study group, church school
teacher, etc., please include this in your email.Your help in this project would only take a minute of your time
would be greatly appreciated.Thank you
in advance!!!!
CHURCH DIRECTORY – If you haven’t received your
church directory, please see Carolyn Boak or Julie Carmichael or stop by the
church office to pick one up.
ALL CHURCH PICNIC – Unfortunately, due to the
threat of inclement weather, theFPPC picnic was cancelled.If we plan on rescheduling the picnic, we
will keep you posted.
CLEARWATER SAIL RESCHEDULED! - Come sail with us on the
Clearwater Sail on Monday, October 9 (Columbus Day).The boat will be departing from Poughkeepsie at 2:00 PM and
returning at 5:00 PM.The cost is $35
per person.There will be a sign up
sheet in Fellowship Hall.If you have
any questions, please contact Rene Milliken at 227-6374.
WOMEN
IN THE THEATRE – Freedom Plains Presbyterian Women have invited Hudson
Valley AAUW to join us for an evening program called “Women in the
Theater”.It will be held on Wednesday,
October 11 at 7:00 PM at the Church. Marie Hasenpflug and Nancy Auffarth will entertain us with their
experiences and talents.Following the
program there will be a social hour featuring fall desserts.
RUMMAGE
SALE –
Church rummage sale Saturday, October 14 from 9:00 - 2:00.Please bring your items for sale to the
church basement during the week of October 8.We are also in need of volunteers for setting up during the week and all
day during the sale.Please sign up to
help at the bulletin board.
NEW MEMBERS TEA – There will be a new members
tea at Rev. Lent’s home on October 15 at 4:00.Anyone interested in membership, please talk to Rev. Lent or Rev. Finck.
FPPC HOLIDAY CRAFT FAIR! – Our annual holiday craft
fair will be held Friday, November 17 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.and Saturday, November 18 from 10:00 AM to
4:00 PM.This is a great opportunity
for holiday shopping, and to purchase food and baked goods.Volunteers are needed for set up, clean up,
baking and working the fair.There will
be a sign up sheet on the bulletin board and at a table on Sundays in
Fellowship Hall.For more information,
please contact Nancy Townsend at 221-9063 or Christine Lent at 471-4146.
CRADLE ROLL MINISTRY – We would like to thank
Don Budd for sending out cards to children who get baptized, and then birthday
cards for their 1st and 2nd birthdays.We appreciate his time and effort to make
children feel a part of our church.Don
has been doing this for many years and is asking for a volunteer to take over
this position.If you are interested in
serving the church in this capacity, please call the church office at 452-0684.
FREEDOM
RINGERS EMERGENCY APPEAL AND CHALLENGE! – The Freedom Ringers need at least one additional
person to be able to reconvene this coming season.Any adult players (post high school males/females) interested in
helping to keep them ringing should contact Em Jorgensen at 471-2979.Our rehearsals are Thursday evenings, from
6:30 PM to 7:30 PM and will begin in mid-October.Prerequisites are the ability to read music and a strong
commitment to attending rehearsals.Training sessions will be held in the fall for new players prior to the
first rehearsal.
NOVEMBER
HERALD – Please
submit articles for the November Herald in writing or by email to Susan Walsh
at the church office by Monday, October 15.The email address is office@fppchurch.org.Thank you in advance.
FREEDOM PLAINS CHURCH ONLINE CALENDAR! – Please visit our website:
www.fppchurch.org and click on “calendar” to view our current events.. If you
would like an event posted to the calendar, forms are located at the church
office, or submit the event in writing by email with any pertinent details
regarding the event to office@fppchurch.org.
As
the cooler weather and shorter days approach, we are beginning to gravitate to
more of our indoor activities.For the
Library Committee, that includes scrap booking some of the church’s recent
activities into our church photo albums.We would like to invite you to submit your church event photos from the
past year or two, so that we may include them in our books.We will then display our albums, both old
and new later this month in Fellowship Hall.If you miss us in FH, you may also place your photos in the photo box in
the Library.Please record when the
photos were taken and any other pertinent information regarding the event or photo.
While in the Library, don’t forget to check out our Newest
Books shelf for new additions.We
invite your input for ideas or requests of the library.In addition, we invite you to join our
Library Committee.The commitment is a
small one, but each new member adds to our library in a very large way!Please consider it, and speak with any of
our current members.
Library
Committee:Liz Miglis, Pam Woodward,
Kathy Newton, and Laney Newton
Office Hours – Sundays 10:00
– 11:00 & 12:00 –12:30 For an appointment, please
call the church office or
Bonnie Biskup at
724-5631.B/P Screenings and
Consultations ongoing on Sundays.
Care Notes - Fellowship Hall.
-Spiritual
and Emotional health and well-being for adults.
-Help
for parents and kids on school issues, peer pressure, bullying, anger, grief,
self-esteem, fear, respect.
Lending Library in Parish Health
Nurse Office – We now have the following books to lend:
Adults – “You – the
Owner’s Manual”
Parents & Kids Books-
Divorce, Family Death, New Baby.
Focus on Your Health – Arm yourself against
chronic diseases.You can’t change your
family history, but you can better your odds against developing some chronic
illnesses.Many chronic diseases, such
as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and alzheimer’s can be prevented or delayed
by taking a few steps yourself.Keep
your weight down by proper eating.Eat
smaller portions of food.Include lean
meats, fish poultry, complex carbohydrates (avoid white flour and grains),
fruit, and vegetables.We eat too much
in too large a portion.Drink less soda
and more water.Walk – everyday!Take the stairs and park further from your
destination.Let’s start a healthier
year.
Prayers for Comfort &
Healing – Jean Bernard, Mary Best, Kajsa Bupp, Alice Cann & Mom, Maureen
Cavanaugh, Jill Edmonds, Madeline Hanka, Emily Johnson, Tammy Maier, Ellice
Tobin, Edwan Van Etten, Jim & Ann Vaughan, Dick Volk.
For Visits or Cards: – Jean Bernard –
Lutheran Care, Room 119.She needs a
home for her two dogs.See Bonnie if
interested.
Prayers for Bereavement:The Johnson Family for the loss of Ed Johnson.
Joys:Marriage of Heather Roy to David Johnson, daughter of Gabriel and
Linda Roy.
Yours In Christ, Bonnie Biskup, Parish Health Nurse
A Morning for Mom!
- Beginning September 20th, we will start a Wednesday morning
fellowship group for mothers of young children.We will meet at 10:00 AM at the church.We hope to provide childcare for the children.Please contact Rev. Heather Finck if you
have any questions.
vWomen’s Bible Study - 2nd &
4th Tuesday of the Month at 7:30 PM in Fellowship Hall.
vDorcas Bible Study – Will Resume Wed., September
27th in the Church Common Room.We will continue with Genesis.
vMen’s Breakfast Bible Study- Will resume
Thursday, September 14 – 7:30 AM in the Church Common Room.
SUNDAY CHURCH SCHOOL UPDATES - We are excited to have a
great group of teachers and assistants that will be teaching several new
curricula called Exploring Faith (toddlers thru 5th grade),
Tweens (6th Grade) and Bible Lessons for Youth (7th
& 8th grades).During
Advent, we will also try a rotation curriculum based on the book of Isaiah
(similar to VBS format).Church School
takes place during the 9:00 service.Children attend the service with their families and immediately
following the children’s message, the leave the sanctuary for Church
School.We also have childcare for
infants and toddler, who can be dropped off prior to the start of the 9:00 or
the 11:00 service.
There are several ideas (new
and not so new) that we will be incorporating into the Church School
program.A letter with more details
will be distributed on the first day of Sunday School.
1)Children’s
Fellowship – once a month the children will meet together immediately following
the children’s message in Fellowship Hall, where Rev. Finck will lead a 10-15
minute fellowship.This will include
songs, offering, the Doxology, and The Lord’s Prayer.Afterwards, the children will go to their Sunday School Classes.
2)Bring
your parent (s) to Church School – Each month a different grade will have an
“open house” so that parents can see what their children are doing in Church
School.
(Church School Updates
continued on back)
3)Children’s
participation in Church Service – Each month, we hope to have a different class
involved with the service.This could
include readings, music, greeting/ushering, skit, etc.These dates will coordinate with the dates
for the parent “open house” dates.
4)Bible
Sunday – Will be held on Sept. 24.3rd
graders will receive Bibles on this Sunday.Usually, 6th graders also receive Bibles, but since the 5th
& 6th grade class was taught together, if there are any 6th
graders this year who didn’t receive a Bible last year, please notify Christine
Lent ASAP, so that we can make sure they receive one.
Church School will be in
session for 34 Sundays.As in the past,
attendance pins will be given to students who are in attendance for 25
Sundays.Lastly, if you haven’t had a chance
to submit a registration form, please do so and submit it to the teacher, the
offering plate, and church office, or to Gail or Christine.We look forward to a new and exciting
year!Thank you.
Gail
Gemmell and Christine Lent, Church School Directors
CHILDREN’S AND YOUTH BELL
CHOIR - The Children’s Bell Choir is open to all 4th
to 6th Graders, or any younger child who already studies an
instrument or voice and can read music.The season is from mid November to Palm Sunday.The Youth Bell Choir is open to all 7th
to 12th graders who can read music and want to take part in a
spirited musical activity.The season
is from mid-November until the Sunday prior to Memorial Day.
Bell choir rehearsals will resume in November.YBC will be held at 10:20 and CBC will be
held at 11:15.
FREEDOM
PLAINS NURSERY SCHOOL
Our
church-sponsored Freedom Plains Nursery School 2006-2007 School Year is
presently accepting registrations for the 4-year-old program.The four-year-old class schedule is as
follows:Tuesdays, Wednesdays and
Thursdays, 12:30 PM to 3:00 PM.Mondays, Tuesday, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Please
contact Call Valorie Parry, Nursery School Director, at 485-1145 to register
your child for this wonderful program.
ASP MISSION
TRIP REPORT – A great mix of forty adult/youth and even a few college
students headed off to Brenton, West Virginia this summer from Freedom Plains
on our annual mission trip.Once again
it was both a powerful and profound experience.We are planning a Spaghetti Super at the Church to share the
experience with the congregation on October 1 at
6:00
PM.More details will follow – but
please save the date!Rev. Paul Lent
LUNCHBOX– Thanks to
all who helped prepare food with the assistance of MaryLou Eshelman and all who
helped deliver and serve the delicious meal under the direction of the Auffarth
family.If you patronize Stewarts on
Route 55, please thank the manger for the free ice cream and likewise for Adams
who gave us a discount on the chicken to feed 150 people.We will be preparing a meal next on the
Sunday closest to St. Patrick’s Day.Don’t forget that every 4th Wednesday, we prepare and serve
dinner to twelve people at the homeless shelter.Please sign up at the bulletin board.
CROP
WALK- The Crop Walk will be held on Sunday,
October 1.Please try to participate
this year as a walker, sponsor, or both.At least 25% of the money raised is used in Dutchess County to fight
hunger; the remaining money is used nationally and globally, under the
direction of Church World Service.
PEACE
OFFERING
– One of the four PCUSA special offerings each year is dedicated to increasing
awareness of our efforts to create peace in this world with our fellow humans
and with the environment.25% of the
total offering stays here at FPPC to fund our support of the Clearwater and the
local branch of the Nature Conservancy.Please consider the serious issues of peace in the world and give
generously.Dedication of the offering
will be on World Communion Sunday.
CWS
NEWLETTER
– A reminder that the issue of hunger in our world is about access to food and
the money to pay for it.Despite a
growing population, there is still enough food to feed everyone.The roots of hunger are found in poverty,
war, inequitable trade patterns, ignorance, and disease.For which of these do we hold
responsibility?We are still a long way
from realizing the goal of the last World Food Conference on cutting hunger in
half by 2015.
DCIC – Rev. Philip Carr-Harris
is replacing Rev. Gail Burger, who recently retired as Executive Director of
the DCIC.Rev. Carr-Harris is an
ordained minister in the Canadian Anglican Church who served as the Rector of
an Episcopal Church in Pleasantville, NY and as an interim Priest at St. Paul’s
Church in Poughkeepsie.He has been a
strong proponent of interfaith activities for years.The DCIC looks forward to working with Rev. Carr-Harris in our
important work of promoting respect and understanding among diverse religious
communities.
INTERFAITH
SERVICE
– A community interfaith service for Hope, Peace, and Reconciliation will be
held on September 10, 7 PM at Christ Episcopal Church, Barcley and Academy
Street in Poughkeepsie.More
information at dutchessinterfaithcouncil.org
LOCAL MISSION TRIP – Several excellent
suggestions have been made and more information will be forthcoming soon.
