MAY 2015

JUNE NEWSLETTER

DEADLINE

Newsletter deadline for the

JUNE issue is

Thursday, May 21 Email articles to:

prasor@genevapresbyterian.org

17 Helen Bickert

20 Wayne Flowers

23 Grayson Loftus

25 Jonathan Tayloe

26 Lauren Guy

27 Halley Headrick

28 Teri Batchelor

29 Keith Kessler

3 Rose Huffman

6 Kathie Ettinger

Betty Swindle

8 Jay Loftus

9 Linda Damle

David Ogburn

12 Carter Grant

13 Ruth Reavis

May 21

Pete and Ginny Peterson

May 21

Billy and Lorrie Watkins

May 23

Daniel and Carol Adams

Geneva

Connection

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Pastor’s Article 2

Servers for MAY

Session Update 3

News from the PCUSA

MAY Calendar 4

PNC Update 5

Financial Status

Stewardship Committee

Youth News 6

Presbyterian Women 7

A woman named Lorna Cade from Calgary tells a

story about a time when a magnificent moose was

on her property inside the city limits. After two

hours of trying to coax it out, the Fish and Wildlife

officer shot it with a tranquilizer. The moose took

off down the street and eventually collapsed on a

neighbor’s front yard. Reporters who had been

following the events interviewed the neighbor at

her house. They asked what she thought about the

moose which was passed out on her lawn. “I’m

surprised,” she answered, “but not as surprised as

my husband will be. He’s out moose hunting!”

Life is actually full of surprises. Some surprises

bless us richly - a kind word, a promotion at work,

a serendipitous find. Some leave us feeling

shocked or angry or in turmoil. The truth is we do

not know what tomorrow holds - or even the next

few moments.

MAY 2015 Page Two

The famous pastor Henry Ward Beecher once

wrote, “Every tomorrow has two handles. We can

take hold of it with the handle of anxiety or the

handle of faith.”

Beecher also wrote:

God asks no man whether he will accept life.

That is not the choice. You must take it. The

only choice is how.

I pray that no matter what surprises happen in

your life, that you would take hold of today and

tomorrow with the handle of faith.

Grace and Peace,

Joe

Pastor’s Article Joe Albright

SERVERS FOR MAY

2015 MAY 3 MAY 10 MAY 17 MAY 24 MAY 31

LECTOR Julie Wright Tony Clarke Jennifer King Stin Lenkerd Jan Kukar

CHILDREN’S

MESSAGE Lorrie Watkins Joe Albright Sharon Hartsell Ellen Ramsey Sharon

Murawski

OFFERING

COUNTERS Tony Clarke

Vivian Lee

Cliff Smith Rita & Ron Bryant

Pat Allalemdjian

Ralph Pitzer

Jerry Lee

Rick Ulp

Sallyanne Smith

Ralph Pitzer

SOUND

SYSTEM Patrick Clarke Christian Davis Stephen Clarke Hunter Hartsell Christian Davis

POWER

POINT Linda Harper Bonnie McCarty Sallyanne Smith Linda Harper Bonnie McCarty

MAY 2015 Page Three

Summary of Stated Session Minutes from April 13, 2015

A motion was made and approved to accept into Geneva membership, by Reaffirmation of Faith, Glenn

and Kim Voisine.

The Financial Report was submitted for the month of March 2015. A motion was made and approved

to make the Mike Hammock account, in the amount of $1,065.00, be designated for use by the Worship

Ministry. A motion was made and approved to include an effective salary range of $48,000 - $52,000

for use by the Pastor Nominating Committee in negotiations with a prospective candidate. A motion was

made and approved, for a $3,900.00 expenditure for replacement A/C, be taken from the Capital Fund.

Four (4) other resolutions concerning the process of allocating emergency capital expenditures were

approved.

A motion was made and approved to add $7,393.00, from the Capital Fund, to monies already approved

for the playground project to provide for additional mulch and fencing.

Discussions on Amendment 14F to the Book of Order, recommended that an article on the amendment

would be included in the newsletter. Additionally, there is no intent to amend the current Geneva Wedding

Policy at this time. Questions should be directed to the pastor.

A motion was made and approved to accept the Mission Information Form as prepared by the Pastor

Nominating Committee. This will be forwarded to the Presbytery Committee on Ministry for review and

approval.

Elder Rick Ulp was elected Commissioner from Geneva for the Presbytery Stated meeting to be held at

Montgomery Conference Center on 5 May.

A motion was made and approved to have the following guest preachers: Dr. Carol Adams on 04/19;

Rev. Dr. Dan Adams on 05/15; and Rev. Dan Graham on 06/21.

News from the Greater Presbyterian Church (USA)

As many of you may recall from the news last summer, our General Assembly (2014) voted to amend

our constitution in such a way that would allow churches to perform same sex marriages. In order to go

into effect, this amendment had to be passed by a majority of Presbyteries around the country over the

course of the following year.

This has in fact happened, and the amendment will now go into effect in June of this year. It is

important to note that this amendment is not a mandate. Instead, it allows each individual church

session to make the decision. Our session has discussed this, and has decided not to change our current

wedding policy at this time. They plan to revisit this policy after the next pastor is installed. If you

would like a copy of our current wedding policy (last revised and approved by session in February of

this year), or if you have any questions or concerns about this amendment, please contact Pastor Joe.

MAY 2015 Page Four S

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MAY 2015 Page Five

Financial Status—Income and Expenses Summary

MARCH 2015 YTD through MARCH 2015

Actual Expenses $21,318.81 $59,186.95

Offerings to Operating Fund $24,046.62 $75,268.13

Over/(Under) $ 2,727.81 $16,081.18

STEWARDSHIP COMMITTEE Who was Elizabeth B. Smith……

And why should we talk about her?

Elizabeth B. Smith, 94 years old, was a long time resident of Jacksonville. She went

to be with her Lord and Savior on March 3, 2014. Her obituary said that Mrs. Smith

had worked for years as a 5th grade teacher in the Duval School System. She was a

graduate of Florida State College for Women and a member of the Alpha Chi Omega

sorority. She was also a member of Chapter H, PEO sisterhood. Elizabeth had lived at

Westminster Woods since April 1990. And yes, she was a member of Geneva Presbyterian Church, joining in

January 2001.

Through her generous heart, with a commitment and passion to support Geneva, Elizabeth left a bequest for

Geneva of over $35,000, a final testament to her faith and values through her giving By making this gift she said

that Geneva, and the Presbyterian Church, had played an important role in her life.

It is hoped that you find inspiration in her generosity and that you are again reminded of God’s presence in all that

you do.

Many opportunities to show your support are available through the Presbyterian Foundation, estates, will and be-

quests. For more information on how you can help others as well as yourself, please contact Ralph Pitzer or other

members of the Stewardship Committee.

Thank you Elizabeth B. Smith! Your Church family will remember you fondly.

Pastor Nominating Committee Update

Good news!! You may already have heard in worship that the PNC has completed our MIF (Mission Information

Form) and sent it to the Session and received their approval on April 13. It was then sent on to the Committee on

Ministry (COM) of the Presbytery for its review on April 14. We received some suggestions from the COM on

April 21 for making our narrative statement stronger.

By the time you read this our revised MIF should have been sent to Louisville and posted on the Church Leadership

Connection of the Presbyterian Church USA. This program is designed to match our expectations with the

competencies of pastors seeking a new call. We hope to be receiving and reviewing Personal Information Forms

(PIF) in the very near future.

Please keep our committee in prayer as we seek to discern whom God is calling to lead Geneva into the future.

MAY 2015 Page Six

Youth News Lorrie Watkins, Youth Director

Dear Geneva Family,

Thank you to everyone who contributed, worked, and ate during our Cook-off and Spaghetti Lunch Fundraisers!

Together, we raised about $1230.00 for our trip to Montreat, NC for the Summer Youth Conference! You are each so

caring and generous! Because of you, our trip to Montreat will be a success! What a blessing you are!

Love, The Geneva Youth

Sunday Mornings! 9:00-10:00 am in the Fellowship Hall

On Sunday mornings, 6th - 12th graders gather together for announcements Sunday morning GPS (Sunday School)!

Everyone is welcome and we usually have yummy snacks too! Join us Sunday mornings for good people and good fun!

“Live Christ” WOW! Your gift of “Live Christ” during worship in April was amazing! I absolutely

loved looking around at the faces of everyone singing. Our congregation was all

smiles! 1 Peter 4:10 tells us, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received

to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.” You,

Geneva Youth, are living this Word. Thank you for sharing your gifts!

May Events: May 3rd

6:00 pm – Bible Study

Why is it so important for us as Christians to be in service to others?

7:00 pm – Yummy Dinner

May 10th

Mother’s Day – No Evening Meeting

May 16th

8:30 am to 2:00 pm – Car Wash Fundraiser

Cars will begin arriving at 9:00 am for a thorough cleaning! Let’s do our best! We are

suggesting a donation of $10.00 for each car wash. Advance ticket sales will be the key to

success! We are asking each youth to sell at least 16 tickets! This will cover the remaining

cost of our trip to Montreat, NC for the Summer Youth Conference in June. It’s gonna be a

bubbly fun time!

May 17th

6:00 to 8:00 pm – Video Game Night (and some “Old School” Games!)

We will have Xbox and Wii set up along with ping pong and some of your favorite board games!

Rock Bang, Ping Pong, and MORE! Bring your favorite appetizer/munchie to share!

May 24th

Memorial Day Weekend – No Evening Meeting

May 31st

4:00 to 7:00 PM – End of Year Pizza Party Pool Bash

Join us at the Julington Creek Pool (350 Plantation Club Pkwy #350, St Johns) for an afternoon of

fun as we celebrate a fabulous year! We do need to know in advance if you are planning to come so

your name will be on the list for admission. Please RSVP by May 17th. Let’s make a splash!

Graduating Seniors: Please notify the church office if you will be graduating this year. We

want to acknowledge you at a worship service in the near future.

MAY 2015 Page Seven

PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN Amy Finnigan

Morning Circle – We will meet on Wednesday May the 13th at 9:30 am. We gather in the Knox Room in our

Fellowship Hall. We are now on the final Lesson of our Horizons Bible study; Reconciling Paul. Lesson 9 – A Call

to Apostleship in the 21st Century. Focus Texts: 2 Corinthians 12:1-13:13. Our final lesson will focus on the

relevance of apostleship for our contemporary situation.

Leader: Amy Finnigan 287-4303, email afinnigan@txninc.com

Westminster Woods Bible Study – We will meet also on the 13th of May at 3 pm in the Eastwood Village

Clubhouse at Westminster Woods. Please note the change in time. We are also on Lesson 9 in our Horizons Bible

Study. Fran Meza is the leader, 287-7139 or email franmeza@comcast.net.

Helping Hands – Join us on Thursdays at 10:00 am in the Knox Room of our Fellowship Hall. All are invited to

join our group. No special talent is necessary; we will always find something for you to do. The more helping hands

we have the more projects we can get completed. We will be working on Welcome Bags for the Betty Griffin

House, Dresses for Africa, WIC, Hospice, prayer quilts for our church family and other projects.

Leaders: Barbara Enos 762-4600 Benos2@aol.com and Sally Pitzer 940-7288 salpitzer@comcast.net.

W.I.S.E. ((Women in Study and Encouragement) - We meet Friday mornings for prayer, study and conversation at

10 am in the Knox Room. We currently number five regular participants but would like to encourage more women

of the church to join us. We will be viewing Ray VanderLaan Ten Lesson series "Death and Resurrection of the

Messiah". No preparation is required. The lessons will "transform your understanding of God and challenge you to

be a true follower of Jesus." For more information about the group and study call Jan Kukar at 940-7332. Summer Book Club – The Morning Circle will be reading a book and getting together in June for lunch and book

club. Everyone is welcome! More details on the book we choose and date of our lunch will be coming soon.

Suggestions are welcome!

PW Birthday Offering and Mission Sunday – May 17th

Come to our Mission Fair starting at 10 am before worship. Meet the people who work every day helping women and

children in our community through the Betty Griffin House, The Family Integrity Program of SJC, Food 4 Kids,

Sanctuary on 8th Street, Camp Montgomery, and our local food bank, Christ’s Cupboard. Helping Hands will have

many items on display. Information on Geneva’s Missions will be shared and representatives from The Jamaica

Medical Mission will be with us too! Learn about Habitat for Humanity, The Crop Walk and The Bloodmobile and

how you can get involved. Learn about our Youth and their heart for Mission! Sign up to be a Mentor and make a

difference in the life of a child!

Celebrate with us and have some Birthday Cake after church! We look forward to this exciting Sunday.

Come and see how we can all be the hands and feet of Jesus! Hope you can join us!

GECKOS NEWS Teri Batchelor

I want to send a special THANK YOU to Rita Bryant and Jennifer Weithman for leading GECKOS for the past

several weeks while I was recuperating from knee surgery. Their dedication to the Children’s Ministry here at

Geneva is truly a blessing to all of us.

I loved seeing the posts on Facebook of all the fun things the GECKOS were doing and most especially I loved

receiving all the beautiful cards that you made for me. They really cheered me up! I really missed seeing all your

smiling faces!

We will be doing lots of fun things during the month of May, so you won't want to miss out! I hope to see you at

GECKOS each Wednesday night starting at 7 pm following Wednesday Night Dinners. For more information about

GECKOS, please contact the church office.

OPPORTUNITES FOR CONNECTION AT GENEVA Sundays 9:00 am Sunday School 10:30 am Morning Worship 6:00 pm Youth Group Tuesdays 10:00 am Staff Meeting 6:00 pm Bell Choir Rehearsal 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal Wednesdays 6:00 pm Fellowship Supper 7:00 pm Group Activities (GECKOS and Bible Study Groups) Thursdays 9:30 am Prayer Meeting 10:30 am Helping Hands Fridays Church Office Closed 10:00 am W.I.S.E. (Women in Study and Encouragement) May 2 7:00 pm Café et Al Musique May 4 7:15 pm Christian Ed Meeting May 10 11:30 am MOTHER’S DAY Finance Meeting May 11 7:00 pm Session Meeting May 13 9:30 am Morning Circle Meeting 3:00 pm Westminster Woods Bible Study May 14 7:00 pm Deacon Meeting May 16 Youth Car Wash May 17 PW Birthday/Mission May 21 Newsletter Deadline May 24 6:00 pm Men’s Group May 25 Church Office Closed (Memorial Day) May 27 4:30 pm Community Connection Meeting