A Letter from Pastor Richard Strick

Glorify, Build,

REACH

The purpose of St. Peter’s First Community Church is to glorify God, build up the body of Christ, and reach out to those in our community and world to help them become

followers of Christ.

Eva

nge

l

FEBRUARY

2016

Greetings from the frozen tundra

of Alaska! I literally walked on

water today when I had a chance to

do some exploring around the small

village where I’m working through

Revelation with a small group of

students. This trip has reminded me

of two very important truths:

1) How big and diverse the Body of

Christ is - After this I looked and

there before me was a great

multitude that no one could

count, from every nation, tribe,

people, and language standing

before the throne and in front of

the Lamb (Revelation 7:9).

2) “What is most universal is most

personal and that indeed nothing

human is strange to us” (Henri

Nouwen, Reaching Out).

As we mourn the passing of

Mary K. Schenkel, a longtime

congregation member and

encourager, I’m here with families

that are mourning the recent tragic

death of a 27 year old man. As we

rush and run from practices and

meetings to more practices and

meetings, I’m here with families that

also struggle to get everything done

in the few hours of daylight they’re

afforded. As we struggle to honor

God by honoring one another, so too

here. The food is different, the

language is new, and I am truly a

“foreigner” but humans are humans

and here is no different than

Huntington in that regard. I wish you

could see the view from here, near

the top of the world - it’s stunning in

its vastness.

As we enter into February, the

“love” month, I pray that that we

will be gripped by the immense love

of Christ for us and that grip will

deepen our capacity to love others,

even our enemies and especially our

brothers and sisters in Christ.

Tavvaujusi (goodbye) for now!

And now these three remain: faith,

hope, and love. But the greatest of

these is love.

(1 Corinthians 13:13)

February 7 February 14 February 21 February 28

Snacks Susan Enyeart

Reader Sally Morrison Jenna Strick Brandy Kalhoefer Jay Rinehart

Acolyte Jana Krueger Megan Engle Gabe Baumgardner Dana Meyer

Ring Bell Meyer kids Rick Chesterman Claudia Wilson Scott Baker

Sound System Phil Engle Drew Morrison Brian Royer David Morrison

Video Tech Ryan Lemon Sandy Hacker Claudia Wilson Barb Baker

Songleaders Ann Ambler, Lisa Harter,

Jim Hildebrand

David Morrison, Bonnie Hosler, Becky Lyons

Barb Derr, Adrian Halverstadt,

David Morrison Something Biblical

Open/Close Duty David Morrison Steve Schilling Brian Royer Tom Jennings

Announcements Adrian Halverstadt Brian Royer David Morrison Ann Ambler

Nursery Helper Dianna/Dawn Jana Krueger Sandy Shoemaker Drew Morrison

Little Discoverers Teacher/Helper

Megan Condry and Robin Baker

Megan Condry Megan Condry Megan Condry

Young Explorers Teacher/Helper

Claudia Wilson and Shari Brinneman

Claudia Wilson and Shari Brinneman

Betsy Royer and Jennifer Braun

Betsy Royer and Connie Baumgardner

Kids Ignite Teacher/Helper

Terry and Dorothy Rodgers

Terry and Dorothy Rodgers

Sally Morrison Sally Morrison and

Cindy Yeiter

Greeter-Wm St Jennifer Braun Laura Snider Sandy and Kevin

Shoemaker Shari Brinneman and

Claudia Wilson

Ushers & Greeters - West

Sandy and Mike Hacker Theda and Vern Neel Karen and Jay Rinehart Jill Krueger and

Mike Ward

Usher & Greeters - East

Doyle Krieg Doyle Krieg Doyle Krieg Doyle Krieg

Usher - Center Gary Yeiter and Tom Jennings

Tracy Blocker and Terry Rodgers

Adam Myers and Phil Engle

Rick Chesterman and Rick Baker

If you are unable to volunteer as scheduled, please find a replacement and notify

Megan in the church office of the change as soon as possible.

Valentine’s Day Dinner and a Movie:

The church Council is hosting dinner and a movie on Friday, February 12.

Doors open at 6 pm with dinner to be served at 6:30 pm and a movie to soon

follow. Family members of all ages are invited to attend, and a separate movie

will be shown for children. A free will offering will be taken at the event.

Please contact Megan in the church office at

(260) 356-7728 if you plan to attend.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Building hosts needed: Building hosts are needed to host groups that rent

the SPFCC facilities. Duties include unlocking and locking the building,

making sure all lights are off when leaving the building, and assisting

those renting the building as needed while they are here. Building hosts are

paid and would be contacted when a host is needed. If you are interested in

being a building host or would like to learn more, please contact Megan in

the church office at (260) 356-7728 or stpetersfirst@att.net.

Save the date for the Ladies’ Tea and Basket Raffle set to take place at

SPFCC on April 30, 2016! Mark your calendar and look for more

information coming soon. If you are interested in helping with the event or

donating a basket, please see Katie Schilling.

Kroger Rewards Program: If you signed up for the Kroger Rewards

Program last year, please go to www.kroger.com to reenroll now. There

are instruction sheets about reenrollment on the table in the William Street

entrance or you may see Becky for help reenrolling. Thank you for helping

SPFCC earn money through the Kroger Rewards Program. Once you are

reenrolled, you will see “St. Peter’s First Community Church” printed at

the bottom of your Kroger receipts. Our church received $368.42 for the

fourth quarter of 2015 through the Kroger Rewards Program.

Author and Speaker Ruth Haley Barton to be in Huntington from

February 5th-6th, 2016: Ruth is the director of the Transforming Center

in Wheaton, IL and is dedicated to helping people experience God in their

daily lives. The conference will be held at SPFCC from 6 - 9 p.m. on

Friday evening and from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday. The cost is $20, and

the first 100 registrants are guaranteed a copy of Ruth’s book, Sacred

Rhythms. To register, contact the SPFCC office or register online at

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-taste-of-sacred-rhythms-arranging-our-

lives-for-spiritual-transformation-tickets-19907687429.

Sunday morning service will be held in Fellowship Hall February 14,

21, and 28 while the hearing loop and new carpet are installed in the

sanctuary. We appreciate your flexibility! On March 6, Sunday service

will again be held in the sanctuary. A hearing loop delivers sound directly

to an individual’s T-Coil hearing aid. With the flick of a tiny switch the T-

Coil-equipped hearing aid switches from microphone (M) to T-Coil (T)

mode. If you do not know if you have a T-Coil or do not know how to

turn on, contact your audiologist.

Inclement Weather Policy: Just a reminder that whenever HCCSC

cancels school, there will not be any children’s or youth activities that

evening (HKC, Youth Group, Homework Help, or any other special

event). If school is dismissed early due to weather, children’s and youth

evening activities will be cancelled (except Homework Help).

Birthdays

02/01, Brian Royer

Tom Smith

02/02, Bill Switzer

02/07, Becky Lyons

02/08, Bailey Baumgardner

02/09, Riva Callahan

Betty Schoeff

02/10, Sandy Stephan

02/12, Edna Gamble

02/13, Marilyn Hare

02/14, Sierra White

02/15, Russell Poehler

02/17, Aliyah Kelsey

02/18, Justin Barker

Joyce Stahl

02/21, Linda Jennings

02/23, Gabe Baumgardner

02/24, Melvin Cox

Anniversaries

02/09, Robert and Jane Collins

02/12, Vern and Theda Neel

02/20, Gary and Cindy Yeiter

02/22, Dan and Carol Kimmel

02/23, Chuck and Marilyn

Hare

02/24, Jim and Cindy

Hildebrand

Youth Update

*Youth group meets on Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30

pm. All middle and high school students are welcome to

attend.

*This past month, some of our youth attended the area wide

Festivus event. They had a great night building relationships

and having fun as they went ice skating, played lazer tag,

and tried their best

at bowling. The

youth also helped

pack the bags for

Blessings in a

Backpack. It’s

always

encouraging to see

how quickly the

bags get packed

with everyone’s help!

Celebration Moment: The youth had a really great

discussion recently about forgiveness. They were very

engaged with one another and the conversation. It’s great to

see the youth going deeper and seeking to apply Biblical

truths to their everyday lives. a_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Homework Help Update

*Homework Help is for Middle & High School students and

meets Mondays – Thursdays from 3:00-5:30 pm.

*Thank you to all who brought in items to refill our

Homework Help pantry. We collected 250 drinks and over

350 snacks! The students are thrilled with all the new

goodies and are excited about all the variety. If you would

still like to donate, items can be brought in anytime

throughout the school year. Thank you so much for helping

out in this tangible way!

*We’ve had an increase in students attending the program

which means we are looking for more volunteers to invest in

the students. Several of our regular Huntington University

volunteers have scheduling conflicts and are unable to help

this semester. Most of the students who attend are in middle

school and have homework in math, science, social studies,

and language arts. Volunteers would assist a particular

student with their homework or monitor a few different

students. Students greatly benefit from the support and

encouragement of the volunteers. If you or someone you

know would be interested in volunteering on a weekly basis

or as needed please let Megan know.

Celebration Moment: It has been a real joy to see some of

the students grow over the year(s). One student in particular

has made huge progress this year not only in her studies but

in her attitude and behavior, as well. She now attends

regularly and is eager to receive help. She strives to do her

best in all of her work.

Children’s Update

*We are very excited to share that the Kids Ignite classroom

is finished and the kids are really enjoying this space!

Thanks to the property team, children’s team, and many

other individuals who helped with the project.

*To kick off the month of February, the kids will take part in

some special activities on Sunday mornings to get them

thinking about God’s love and ways to share that love with

others!

Celebration Moment: It’s been really exciting to dig deeper

into God’s Word with the kids on Sunday mornings! They’ve

been doing a great job of reading, discovering, and applying

God’s Word to their lives.

Please continue to pray for all the children & youth involved in these activities.

Pray for the volunteers who interact with them each week.

God at Work

Growing up, the seasons in the church calendar were quite

special both in the church and in the home. Maundy Thursday

was my mom’s favorite service of the year and I clearly

remember the song that would be sung each year on that day

and how I felt as a woman portrayed Mary during her last days

with Jesus. I remember the Advent wreath and giving things up

for Lent (thankfully, I’ve come to understand that this sacred

tradition is a bit more than giving up candy bars!). At church

camp, I learned a song to the seasons of the church calendar that

I can still sing!

This background probably has a lot to do with why Lent is

my favorite season in the church calendar. I love that it’s a

season of deep introspection, wrestling, seeking, and growing

that then is filled with such hope. The time of examination

leads to the great joy, celebration, and victory of Christ’s

resurrection! It’s fitting that the season begins in the heart of

winter when things (most years) are cold, bleak, and dark but

the hope of spring lies ahead! Easter Sunday is a joyous

celebration often filled with warmer weather and great hope.

Winter can sometimes get me down. It can be hard at times

to find motivation to bundle up to go out to clean off my car,

again. I’m finding in the winters outside and the winters in my

own life, God is still there and He still provides. I’ve been in

awe of that truth the last few weeks. I’d been a bit discouraged

about some things and then I was surprised when someone

recognized and honored the work I do. I couldn’t help but

think, wow, God, thanks for the reminder. A few weeks ago at

HKC we were sharing about the story of Jesus’ death and

resurrection. At our closing volunteer prayer time, two

volunteers shared how kids in their small groups may have

heard the story for the first time and were eagerly asking

questions and wanting to know more. God is at work in young

hearts! A student at Homework Help recently came in and was

very upset. His papers were all over the floor and he was not

willing to follow any directions. An hour and a half later I was

sitting beside him, working through each of his math problems

with him. He was laughing and understanding the work. He

even thanked me for helping and said he would have failed the

assignment otherwise. God is at work. Having a few

volunteers return to HKC and pick up right where they left off,

willing to jump in wherever. Thanks God for the beauty of

relationships.

I’m realizing more and more that God is at work all around

me. Each day, there are countless moments where God has

provided, orchestrated, and led. All too often I am moving at a

pace that is so quick and I’m so focused on what I need to do,

that I miss those simple, everyday joys. Those moments where

even on a bad day, there is a glimmer of hope. Even in an

overwhelming and unexpected situation, God provides.

Busyness does not equal holiness. Choose to be intentional

not busy.

I’ve got these words posted on the wall in my office. I can’t

remember where I heard them but they are quite profound,

especially as I think of these moments where I see God at work.

Sometimes things have to be stripped away. It’s like in the

home renovation shows when they pull up the old carpet to

discover a beautiful hard wood floor underneath. At times we

have to be willing to take the risk of letting go of things and

allow ourselves to be fully present in the day to see those

moments where God is at work.

As we enter this Lenten season, I want to strive for

simplicity and intentionality. I want to continue to do the hard

work of pulling back the layers to uncover what God has in

store. I don’t want to be busy, but I want to be intentional. At

the end of each day, I want to have been present in my day to

see how God was at work. Choosing intentionality over

busyness for me is making a phone call to a friend, taking the

time to truly listen to a kid at Homework Help, playing with a

friend’s child, sharing stories with others, or writing a card to

someone who is ill. It’s about reordering my time, and it’s

about choosing simplicity over a jam packed schedule. What I

find more and more is that those intentional things are life

giving for me. They are the things that bring me life, joy,

excitement, and hope. Those are things that help me to see God

at work all around me. Those are the kind of memories I want

to collect - experiences of God at work in my day to day life

and the lives of those around me.

What do you need to strip away in your life to see God at

work? How can you choose to be intentional instead of busy

this Lenten season? My prayer is that you’ll allow God to work

in you through this season of examination and that you’ll

rejoice that hope breaks forth from a tomb! May you find those

moments each and every day where you see God at work.

A Letter from Megan Condry

HKC Update

*HKC (Huntington Kids Club) meets on Monday evenings from 6:30-8:30 pm for kids ages 8-12 years old or 2nd-6th grade.

If interested in joining, see the brochures in the William St. foyer.

*We are looking for additional volunteers to help on Monday evenings. If

you would be interested in building relationships with students, sharing

Jesus, and having fun, see Megan for more details.

Celebration Moment: I continue to be so encouraged by what the kids

retain from week to week! They are putting the stories and truths from

God’s Word to memory. It’s great to see their excitement to share what

they’ve learned and how they are growing.

SPFCC February Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

6-8 pm Girl Scouts

6 pm Something Biblical practice

6:30 pm HKC

HH

2

SeniorPak Prep

6:30 pm Community Prayer Service - SPFCC

7 pm Circle of Faith

HH

3 6:30 pm Choir 7 pm The Flock (Youth) HH

4 HH

5 6-9 pm A Taste of Sacred Rhythms

6 8 am-4 pm A Taste of Sacred Rhythms

7 9:30 am Worship

8 6-8 pm Girl Scouts

6:30 pm HKC HH

9

6 pm YSB Parenting Class

6:30 pm Women’s Team Meeting

HH

10

6:30 pm Choir Practice

**7 pm The Flock (Youth)

HH

11

5:30-7 pm Meal Ministry HH

12 6 pm Valentine’s Day Dinner and a Movie

13 6 pm FH Rental

14

9:30 am Worship in FH

15 9:30 am Cooking with Love

6-8 pm Girl Scouts

6 pm Something Biblical practice

6:30 pm HKC

HH

16 SeniorPak Prep 6:30 pm Council HH

17

6:30 pm Choir Practice 7 pm The Flock (Youth) HH

18 HH

19

20

21

8 am Men’s Breakfast

8:30 am Children’s Team Meeting

9:30 am Worship in FH

22

5:30 pm Worship Team Meeting

6-8 pm Girl Scouts

6:30 pm HKC

HH

23

6:30 pm Property Team Meeting HH

24 6:30 pm Choir Practice 7 pm The Flock (Youth) HH

25 5:30-7 pm Meal Ministry HH

26

27

28

9:30 am Worship in FH

29 6 pm Girls Scouts

6:30 pm HKC

HH

*HH denotes Homework Help program, which runs from 3 - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday of each week in the Fellowship Hall.

**Youth are invited to attend an Ash Wednesday Service in lieu of regular Youth Group. More details to come.

A Note From the Ministry Coordinator:

Where is the beauty?

The beauty is in partially melted yet still pure

white snow hanging on to the trees and bushes outside

my window. The beauty is in the joy on my

daughter’s face when she pushes the door open and

peeks in to find me in the bathroom. The beauty is in

watching and hearing my husband read our daughter’s

favorite story to her before bed. The beauty is in

witnessing the random act of kindness performed by

one stranger to another. The beauty is in building

relationships by inviting one another into our homes.

The beauty is in sharing our lives with one another.

Beauty is all around us if we have eyes to see it.

It’s so easy to overlook beauty in the hustle and bustle

of life. Noticing and appreciating the beauty around

us doesn’t even take us any additional time. It just

requires a shift in perspective. Lately, God has been

bringing beauty to my mind and has been encouraging

me to focus on the beautiful. Many things overwhelm

me if I let them: my never ending to-do list, preparing

for my daughter’s first birthday, last minute changes

to my plans, suffering, uncertainty, etc. But, I have a

choice to make. I can focus on the overwhelming

aspects of these things or I can focus on the beautiful

aspects of these things.

I recently saw a sign that said, “If you think my

hands are full, you should see my heart.” I often feel

like my heart will burst with joy when encountering

such raw, unplanned beauty. My hands are full. Most

of us have full hands. But, with the proper

perspective, our full hands only increase the fullness

of our hearts. Our full hands can make us feel overly

busy and burdened if we let them. But, our full hands

can also help us appreciate and be overwhelmed by

the beauty surrounding us. Our full hands can help us

feel overjoyed. How are you choosing to use your full

life? Do you feel burdened by the hustle and bustle or

are you allowing yourself to be overwhelmed by

beauty? If our full hands aren’t making our hearts

more full, we probably need to reevaluate and

possibly eliminate some of the things that make our

hands full. Life is chaotic, even when we plan for it

not to be that way. But, I’ve been reminded to cherish

the chaos, to cherish the fullness, and not to wish a

single second away. Beauty isn’t found in perfection

or in having all the answers. Beauty is found in

honesty,

vulnerability, and

authenticity. Life is

beautiful, even when

it is chaotic and

messy and not what

we planned. “Surely

God is my help; the

Lord is the one who

sustains me,” Psalm

54:4.

I pray you will see the beauty, I pray you will be

the beauty, and I pray you will appreciate the beauty

found in the everydayness because that beauty on that

day only happens once. Thank God that there is more

beauty to come. God tells us that in the New

Jerusalem, His home will be with His people. “He

will live with them. They will be his people. God

himself will be with them and will be their

God,” (Revelation 21:3). And, the city will shine with

the glory of God (Revelation 21:11). The beauty to

come will blow away all the beauty we’ve seen here

on this earth. But, for now, enjoy the beautiful gifts

God gives you this day, share the beauty you see with

others, and thank Him that He has given us so much

more beauty than we deserve. “But the LORD made

the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him;

strength and beauty are in His sanctuary,”

Psalm 96:5-6. ~Megan Engle

PRAYER REQUESTS:

Please continue to pray for:

Ron Whitesell and his family as Ron deals with health issues.

The family of Opal Poe with sympathy after Opal’s recent passing.

The family of Mary K. Schenkel with sympathy after her recent passing.

All those facing financial, emotional, spiritual, and health stresses.

Eva

ng

el

ST. PETER’S FIRST COMMUNITY CHURCH 206 ETNA AVENUE HUNTINGTON, IN 46750

Worship 9:30 am Conversation and Refreshments

10:45am

Glorify, Build,

REACH

The purpose of St. Peter’s First Community Church is to glorify God, build up the body of

Christ, and reach out to those in our community and world to help them become followers of

Christ.

ST. PETER’S FIRST COMMUNITY CHURCH

phone: 260.356.7728

fax: 260.356.7514

email: stpetersfirst@att.net

web: www.spfcc.org

https://www.facebook.com/StPetersFirstCommunityChurch

Megan Engle, Ministry Coordinator

Office Hours:

Monday-Thursday 8 am-4 pm

Richard Strick, Pastor

260.224.2146

rstrickbttc@yahoo.com

Becky Lyons, Financial Secretary

stpetersfirstcom@yahoo.com

Megan Condry, Youth & Children’s Director

419.733.1272

megancondry@gmail.com

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love

covers over a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8