F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6

F I R S T U N I T E D P R E S B Y T E R I A N C H U RC H

N A M P A , I DA H O

Nampa First United Presbyterian Church Purpose Statement

To bring people together to love and magnify

God through worship, to minister to the needs of

all His children, to fellowship in God's family, to

spread the Good News, and to develop people to

Christ-like maturity for their mission in the

world.

Pastor Aaron Berkowitz Email: 909-953-1011

Phone: alb733@gmail.com

Office email: firstpresnampa@gmail.com

Website: www.firstpresnampa.org Phone: (208) 466-7061

Fax: (208) 466-7176

Office Hours

Monday - Friday

9:00am -1:00pm

Pastor’s Message 2

Lent Bible Study 2

General Fund Activity 3

Session Highlights 3

Deacons Highlights 3

Birthdays & Anniversaries 4

Thank Yous 4

Youth Events 5

PW Happenings 5

Movie Night 5

Kids Page 6

Calendar of Events 7

Inside this issue:

Page 2

Ash Wednesday and Lent

February 10th at 7:00pm, we are having an

Ash Wednesday service here at church. Jesus

fasted for 40 days in the desert, where he was

tempted by the Devil himself. This is one way we

know that the verse is true: “For we do not have a

high priest who is unable to empathize with our

weaknesses, but we have one who has been

tempted in every way, just as we

are--yet he did not sin.” Hebrews

4:15

Ash Wednesday has begun

the Christian season of Lent for

hundreds of years. Lent is not

only for Catholics. Martin Luther

and John Calvin, along with other

Lutherans, Methodists and Pres-

byterians celebrate Lent. It is a

time for self-examination. Socra-

tes said that, “The unexamined

life is not worthy”. The saying

should apply all the more to Christians. We cannot

permit ourselves to live as the vast majority of peo-

ple do, seeking our own pleasure and comfort, be-

lieving whatever justifies the life we currently en-

joy. No, Christians must look critically at their own

lives. Jesus said, "Repent, for the kingdom of

heaven has come near.” Matthew 3:2 So we prac-

tice self-examination, self-denial, and self-

discipline during this season.

There is an urgency to our self-

examination. We have only one life to live on this

earth before eternity. The opportunity for our re-

pentance will not stay open forever. Someday, each

of us will die. Our mortality, though uncomfort-

able, helps us to draw our attention

away from the demands of this

world, onto the care of our own

souls. “For what shall it profit a

man, if he shall gain the whole

world, and lose his own soul?”

Mark 8:36

So, on Ash Wednesday, I

would like to invite you personally

to join us in worship. It will be a

brief, contemplative service. You

will have an opportunity to medi-

tate on the Savior who knows your

every suffering, temptation and anxiety. You will

also be challenged to search your own soul for the

dark places that need God’s light. We will close

with the imposition of ashes on our foreheads to

remind us that we are made of dust, and to dust we

must return.

-Aaron Berkowitz

Lent Bible Study You are invited to attend a Lent Bible

study lead by Pastor Aaron. We will be

studying the book, Hard Sayings of Jesus by

F.F. Bruce. The four sessions will start at

6:00pm on Tuesdays, February 16th, 23rd,

March 1st and concluding on March 8th.

We will meet in the Fireside room. Please

contact the office if you plan to attend so we can

be sure we have enough books for everyone.

The church will purchase the books ahead of

time. The books are $14 and you can make

your checks payable to the church.

Balance as of December 15, 2015: $52,032.40

Balance as of January 15, 2016: $51,114.76

The Session heard from Stephen Craig about his music ministry plans.

The Christian Ed Committee is working on plans for a summer mission trip for youth in Seattle.

The 2016 budget was approved.

The Adopt-A-Highway contract to continue was approved.

The Scouts will participate in worship on one Sunday in February.

Session Highlights January 18, 2016

Respectfully submitted,

Linda Zornik, Clerk of Session

Treasurer’s report was approved with a balance of $835.90. The Hope House dinner for the amount of

$734.00 was not reflected in this balance.

Visitations, birthday calls and cards were completed for the past month.

The decision was made to suspend all spending until the February meeting.

The next meeting will be Monday, February 1st at 7:00pm.

Deacons report January 4, 2016

Respectfully submitted,

Wendy Coons, Secretary

Page 3

February 19th

General Fund Financial Activity

Actual

Revenue to date $13,216.32

Expenses to date $22,879.35

Carmel Corn Puffs

2 3.5oz bags of Chester Cornpuffs

1 C brown sugar

1/4 C white corn syrup

1 stick of butter

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp of baking soda

Pour corn puffs in a brown paper grocery bag. In a

glass bowl, mix brown sugar, syrup, butter and salt.

Microwave for 2 min. and then stir. Microwave for

2 more min.

Add 1/2 tsp baking soda and stir well. Color will

change lighter. Pour over the corn puffs in the

paper bag. Shake.

Microwave 1 min. 30 sec.—Shake

Microwave 45 sec.—Shake

Microwave 30 sec.—Shake

Pour onto wax paper to cool.

~Submitted by Alice Kiernan

Page 4

Known February Birthdays

2/11 Sean Murphy

2/08 David Haylett

2/09 Barbara Ballance

2/10 Tom Reed

2/11 Tammy Swanson

2/14 Jean Agnew

2/20 Barbara Greene

2/21 Nathan Haylett

2/25 David Barrett

2/25 Nancy Spencer

2/25 Emily Stafford

2/26 Bertha Mullin

2/27 Dana James

2/06 Tom & Patsy Hamilton

I would like to give my

very sincere thanks to

Karen Lolley for filling

in as disbursing

treasurer & for running

Presby Kids Club

while I was out on

maternity leave. Karen volunteered her

time (outside all the time she spends as

secretary) and did an absolutely fantastic

job! Our church is so blessed by all of

her many talents and I am so thankful for

her help while I was home with baby

Samantha!

~Tiffany Neely

Thank you so

very much for your

prayers, cards,

calls and hugs in

sympathy and

support, and for your remembrances

of Ken. We are so blessed to be

surrounded by such a thoughtful,

caring church family and friends.

~Nancy Frederiksen and family

A Word about DOORS We have a building that was built for

ease of access and safe escape in case of fire

or other danger. This is a good thing but

keeping 13 doors secure is a challenge. We

have a very lenient key use policy and that

allows for our many functions to access the

building to further our mission in the

community. This is also a good thing.

Those who open doors must be diligent

about closing them securely and locking them. We recommend groups use one door

for entry and don't prop it open. There are

those who work on projects in small groups

and alone in the building and are vulnerable if

a door has been left unlocked. Bud Bennett

checks our doors each evening and often finds

doors ajar or unlocked. Please be more

careful about securing our building.

Page 5

The month of January brought two new faces

to the Sunday school rooms. Both Karen Lolley and

Ed Cisek volunteered to teach our youth this month,

giving both Jaci and Brett a break.

The help is very much

appreciated, and it also gives a

fresh perspective to the youth.

Both Youth Group and

Presby Kids Club continue to roll

forward, focusing on both the

aspects of happiness and grace.

Along with the lessons, there are

also a sprinkling of crafts and games.

A successful fundraiser was held, as the

youth and their parents sold soup meals to the

congregation, with all proceeds going towards future

mission activities. The youth would like to extend

their thanks and appreciation to the congregation, as

over $600 was raised to support future

youth mission activities! Plans for a

summer youth mission trip are starting to

take shape, as a project in Seattle,

Washington has come up as a potential

destination.

Please pray for the youth of this

church, and if you know of anyone that

would like to join us please have them

contact the office or Brett Lolley at 208–989–3121.

Thanks!

Christian Ed Committee

Christian Education Updates

PW Happenings PW would like to send a thank you to all

who have helped the stamp ministry for the Congo.

The 92 year old leader will finish the

stamp ministry February 1st. Our

prayers will continue. We continue

collecting Campbell family coupons for

Menaul School.

Presbyterian Women is

planning the annual Friendship

Gathering for Saturday, February 27th

at 2:00pm. The theme will be Vintage

Weddings! All the women of our

church are urged to participate in this nostalgic

event. Look in your closet and find your wedding

dress or your Mom’s or Grandmother’s. Find

someone who will model it or model it yourself. For

those who no longer have their wedding

dresses, please bring your wedding picture

to the event. There will be a table set up for

display. Of course, prepare a card with your

name on it to place by the picture. You

may signup for your modeling with Kathy

Mattson or Lorraine Diehl.

The next PW planning meeting will

be on Tuesday, February 9th at 10:00am.

All women are welcome to attend.

Movie Night — February 13th The next movie night is Saturday,

February 13th at the church at 5:30pm. The

movie is "The Bridge of Spies". You can

rent the movie at Redbox and watch it ahead

of time. Then bring a potluck dish to share,

your own table service and beverage to the

movie night, and join in the discussion and

fellowship.

Page 6

Bible Quiz At a time of deep struggle in Elijah’s life, God made his

presence known to him. How?

A. In a strong and destructive wind

B. In an earthquake

C. Through fire

D. Through silence

Answer: D (See 1 Kings 19:9-12, NRSV.)

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January 3 ........................................... 108

January 10 .......................................... 151

January 17 .......................................... 129

January 24 .......................................... 127

400 Lake Lowell Avenue

Nampa, ID 83686-6617

FIRST UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

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