January 2020

The First Presbyterian Church

The Evangel

4 Things to Remember This Year

In 2018, one of my favorite authors went to his eternal reward – Eugene Peterson. Peterson was a pastor

who tended to write about pastoring. He was a pastor sent by God to be a prophet to other pastors –

especially those who, like Esau, might be tempted to sell their pastoral souls for a bowl of quick-but-

unbiblical-church-growth stew. I read a good number of his books for my Doctor of Ministry studies,

and, truth be told, loved every one of them.

At his funeral, Peterson’s son Leif told a secret: even though his Dad was known for creative pro-

jects like The Message, a wildly popular modern language paraphrase of the Bible, nevertheless over

decades of ministry, he really only had one sermon. He said that somehow, his father, fooled everyone

into thinking he was saying something fresh each week when, in reality, he kept preaching the same

message – a four-point sermon: 1.) God loves you; 2.) God is for you; 3.) God is coming after you; and

4.) God is relentless.

Let’s take those one-by-one: first, God loves you. That’s really the most incredible news in the

world, isn’t it? I mean, this is God we are talking about here – the Creator of the Universe, the One who

has numbered the stars, the One who came up with the idea of things like gravity and nuclear fission and

quantum mechanics. That such a great God could even be bothered by creatures like us is incredible

enough. But of course, there’s even more to it than this – for we are sinful. God created us, and then we

turned on Him. He is holy, and yet we insist on being anything but holy. And yet God loves us! He

loves us with a holy love, an insistent, unyielding love, a sacrificial love, a never-ending love. If we

remember anything this year, it must be that!

But even more than this, God is for you! This is the logical extension of the first point, of course –

God loves us, and therefore He is deeply invested in our best interests. God loves us, and therefore we

are incredibly important to Him – and as a result, He is invested in doing what is right and best for us.

This is best seen in the fact that God is Emmanuel – God-with-us. He is so for us, so with us, that He

even became a human being. He lived for us, earning the righteousness we need but could not earn for

ourselves. And He died for us, taking the punishment we deserve so we would not have to take it.

That’s how much God is for us. As much as we are for the people we love, God is for us, His beloved

children, even more!

The truly radical point here is the third one: God is coming after you! Just think of the parables Je-

sus tells: a shepherd has one hundred sheep, but one gets lost. He therefore leaves the ninety-nine in the

care of his associates and goes to search for the lost sheep. In the same way, God comes after those He

loves. He searches us out, and He finds us. And when He finds us, He puts us on His shoulders, and

joyfully brings us home. Psalm 139 teaches that we cannot hide from God – that there is nowhere we can

go where He is not already present with us. Lots of people have tried to run from God or to hide from God;

they all have failed! This year, let’s be sure to remember that – and perhaps stop trying to run away from

Him! Life is so much better and so much more joyful when we stop running and let God catch us. After

all, He loves us, and He is for us! We can trust Him!

And even if we doubt all that, the truth is that God is relentless. In other words, God is going to win.

His love is going to triumph over the cold hatred and indifference of our world. God being for us is greater

and more powerful than all those who are against us. And God, in His quest to come after us, is going to

find us. The Lord knows those who are His (2 Timothy 2:19). Just as a mother could never forget her

nursing child, so God could never forget us, His beloved people (Isaiah 49:15)! He will never give up on

His promises. He will never give up on His plan to conquer sin, death, and evil. He will never give up on

us – His salvation will absolutely win out over our sin. God’s got this!

How different would 2020 be if we remembered these four points each day? How much richer would

our lives be if we lived them in light of these foundational truths? What would happen if, on the days we

are tempted to be depressed, on the days we are tempted to run ourselves down, on the days when we are

tempted to do what we know is wrong, we would instead repeat to ourselves: God loves me. God is for me.

God is coming after me. God is relentless! Wouldn’t life be so much better? Wouldn’t it be better to live

in light of God’s truth than to wallow in the Devil’s lies?

So, as you make your resolutions for 2020, why not resolve to repeat to yourself each morning or each

evening (or both!) these four things? Knowing the truth sets us free from the chains and lies of the Devil,

and draws us closer to Jesus Christ. And really what could be better than that?

To Him alone be the glory!

In Christ’s Love,

Joshua

“The minute the church and pastors start saying ‘what do people want?’ and then giving it to them, we betray our calling. We’re called to have people follow Jesus. We’re called to have people learn how to forgive their enemies.” - Eugene H. Peterson

The Pastor’s Bible Study continues! The pastor continues to teach

Bible Study each Monday night at 7pm in the Conference Room. This

school year we are studying the Book of Isaiah. Whether this is the first

time you have ever studied Scripture, or if you’ve been in Sunday

School and Bible Studies all your life, you are welcome to join us as we

study God’s Word together! See you there!

Coffee & Tea With the Pastor

Library Corner:

Start off the new year with inspiration from the lives of Christian men and women!

January’s selections feature biographies from the church library’s collection. Visit

the library corner in Faith Hall and pick up a book about the Christian journeys of

20th century evangelists, heroes of the faith, and others – it’s a great way to pass the

cold days of January!

The church library is open during the following hours for more great selections:

Sunday mornings during the Sunday school hour and after the 10:45 a.m. worship service

Mondays at 6:30 p.m. before the Pastor’s Bible Study

Upon request during church office hours (Monday – Thursday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.)

Coffee and Tea with the Pastor returns! Be sure to join us this

month at the Coffee Peddlar (112 Harrison Avenue in downtown

Harrison) on Wednesday, January 8 from 2-4 for caffeine and good

conversation – and bring your questions! Here’s a chance to ask all

those things you’ve ever wanted to ask about the church, the Bible,

or the Christian faith! See you there!

Our annual congregational meeting will be held after the 10:45 service on Sunday, January 12th for the purpose of receiving the 2020 budget, receiving the 2019 Annual Report, approving the pastor’s annual terms of call, electing new church officers and electing a congregational representative to the 2020 Nominating Committee. All active members are encouraged to attend. If you have any

questions, please see Clerk of Session Doug Jones.

Our January Love Thy Neighbor mission is for West

Cincinnati Presbyterian Church. They are

requesting school supplies (pens, pencils, filler paper,

notebooks, etc.) and hats and gloves. Remember,

Christine Luca is willing to do your shopping for you.

Just let her know.

Young Adult Sunday School Class Young adults are invited to join our new Sunday school class,

facilitated by Doug Jones, meeting in the Y.C. room on the 2nd floor

during the Sunday school hour. We are using Timothy Keller's The

Reason for God study to discuss questions that many Christians

grapple with, such as "Why does God allow suffering?" and "Is the

Bible a myth?" All young adults in high school and in their 20s are welcome! For more

information see Doug Jones or Janet Walton.

Join the Adult Sunday School class as we begin a new 8-week curriculum titled Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. If you were asked, “Why are you a Christian?” how would you respond? Could you provide compelling evidence as to why you’re a Christian? Can you share your faith with others and provide evidence for why Christianity is the one true religion? Come join us as we examine the evidence and make a case for our faith. If you are new to Sunday School, this is a great starting place. We meet in the Conference Room at 9:30 AM each Sun-day. Contact Sean McCauley (513-702-4345) with any questions.

Epiphany Sunday is January 5th. Be sure to join us in worship as we celebrate the coming of the Magi, and the wonderful news that Jesus came as the Savior of all nations! See you there!

There will be HEALING PRAYER in the chapel after the 10:45 Service on January 26. All who wish to receive anointing, the laying on of hands, and prayers for healing are welcome.

Our free community meal, Bountiful Hearts, continues on the first Saturday of every month. Our next meal will be on Saturday, January 4th from 11am – 1pm here at our church. We need lots of

volunteers to help make this event a success! Be sure to sign up on the sheets in Faith Hall if you wish to bake, to serve, to clean up, or to deliver carry-out meals!

TWO CENTS A MEAL COLLECTION IS January 12th

Please look for the gold pots at both entrances to the sanctuary to place your monthly donations. If you are not able to make it to a service, please feel free to mail your donation to the church. It goes to a good cause of helping feed the hungry. As always, thanks for your generous donations. ~ The Mission Committee

Young Youth Group fun

and learning resumes on

January 5, 2020.

Our annual Necrology Service, during which we remember all church members who have died in the previous year, will be held on Sunday,

January 12th. Come join us as we give thanks “for all the saints, who from their labors rest!”

Soup for the Soul

The next gathering of Soup for the

Soul is January 9th at 6:30pm in the

Conference Room. For more

information, see Jeff Sindiong or

Deanna Jones. See you there!

“God’s love is unconditional.

Be sure that yours is, too!” -

Author Unknown

“You aren’t loved because you’re

valuable. You’re valuable because God

loves you!” - Author Unknown

The YYG will be sponsoring the

Chili Cook-off on 2-9-20 after

the 10:45 service. More details

to come. Get your recipes

ready. (Hint: we typically have

very few hot entries)

Looking Ahead to... Get ready for the Soup-er bowl! For the past

several years, we have asked everyone to bring in cans of soup on Superbowl Sunday as a way to restock the shelves of our local food pantries. Last year we collected 254 cans of soup. Do you think we can beat that this year? Start shopping today! See Christine Luca for details!

The Session will be holding its annual Session Retreat on Tuesday, February 4 at 6:30pm (during their normal meeting time). All active elders are encouraged to attend.

The Season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on February 26th. This year, we will again join with our brothers and sisters from Providence Presbyterian Church for a traditional Ash Wednesday service. The imposition of ashes will be offered. Watch the bulletin and Evangel for more information!

The pastor will be on vacation from Friday, February 14– Friday, February 21. If you have a pastoral care need during this time, please contact the church office and Judy will put you in contact with a local pastor. Be sure to join us on Sunday, February 16 when we host a guest preacher. (There will be no 8:30 service that Sunday!)

The YYG Chili Cook-off is on 2-9-20 after the 10:45 service. Watch the bulletin for more details to come.

Office Hours: 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday Bulletin Deadlines: Wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. Febuary Evangel Deadline: January 20, 12 Noon Send all bulletin and Evangel items to Judy at office@presbyterian.com, call the office (367-4301) or drop by the office.

Facilities invites anyone

with the time to lend a

hand removing snow

around the entryways

this winter. Thanks in

advance!

The office will be closed on Wednesday, January 1 in observance of New Year’s Day.

Look for Worship and Sunday School cancellations

and delays at the following TV channels & websites.

You can also check the Church’s Facebook page for

updates.

WCPO– Channel 9

www.wcpo.com/closingsadmin

WKRC—Channel 12

www.schoolwatch.com

WXIX—Channel 19

www.fox19.com

4 Foster Harris 5 Jo-Jean Kleinfeld, Evan Kessler 7 Belinda Moul 10 T.J. Snape 11 Lou Rozmarynowski 12 Shirley Fury 16 Phyllis Wolf, Elizabeth Landfried 17 Chris Hellmann 20 Jim Trabel 25 Louanna Smith 26 Raymond Loos 27 Millie Koehler, Marcia Merse 28 Jerry Francis, Mike Green 31 Greg Bybee, Sandra McCauley

Heart to Heart meets on Thursdays at

9:30am in the YC Room. This is a

women’s group to study the Bible,

encourage one another, and a time for great

fellowship. We are studying “Having a

Mary Spirit” by Joanne Weaver. We will

resume Jan. 9th. Any questions should be

directed to Deanna Jones, Debbie

Menninger, or

Linda Hellmann.

JANUARY FELLOWSHIP TABLE

Jan. 6 Mission Committee Jan. 12 Lana Bybee Jan. 19 Barb Wolf Jan. 26 Birthday Sunday Bakers

Did you miss one of Dr. Long’s sermons?

You can catch up by watching it on

YouTube! Just enter “First Presbyterian

Church of Harrison, OH” in the YouTube

search bar to find our very own channel.

More than a year’s worth of sermons are

posted there for your edification. Enjoy! P.S.

– You can also live-stream our worship

service during the 10:45 hour each Sunday by

checking out the link on our church website!

PRAYER CHAIN CALLS: The Prayer Chain is a group of people

who are committed to praying daily for those requesting prayer. This

ministry is administered through our Board of Deacons. If you have a

prayer request, please contact Linda Hellmann 600-8295 during the

day or Phyllis Wolfram 367-4578 during the evening. For two

weeks, the people on the chain will pray daily for the person or

situation requested.

Senior Saints Pauline Zimmerman Evelyn Stutzman

Theresa Johnson Juanita Lacy

Ginny Thiele Anale VanWagenen

Jane Poland Gene & Virginia Steelman

Bob Clark Marvin Cook

Esther Kipp

Specific Prayer Needs Deb Menninger: for her son’s health;

Stephanie Trabel: for her aunt’s health;

Ryan & Maggie Warmuth: for their work in Asia;

Debbie Frenz: for brother’s health;

Lou Rozmarynowski: for her son’s health;

JoJean Kleinfeld: for her son-in-law’s sister’s health

Mindy Sindiong: for her brother-in-law’s health;

June Merten: for her sister’s health;

West Cincinnati Presbyterian Church: Our January

“Love Thy Neighbor” Mission;

Janet Acra: for her brother-in-law’s health;

Harshbarger family: for nephew Michael Stank and

for niece Beth Schraw’s health

Hellmann family: for the health of daughters’-in-law Michelle and Gina;

Family of Randy Jones: grieving his loss

For Health Needs Bill Bates

Louanna Smith

Bennie Pierson

Bill Snape, Sr.

June Merten

Carol Barnes

Carter Jones

Jo Kleinfeld

Earl Dwelly

Shirley Fury

Ladeana Summey

Joe Kelley

Jim Puckett

Ken Harshbarger

Lisa Steuver

Minutes of Special Session Meeting

First Presbyterian Church

Harrison, Ohio

January 28, 2018

Reverend Joshua Long opened the special Session meeting with prayer at 12:08 pm in the

church conference room.

Reverend Joshua Long, Clerk of Session Doug Jones and active elders Fred Burkey, Erwin

Hein, Barry Fury, Deanna Jones, Terry Frenz, Christine Luca, Jeff Sin- diong and Sandra

McCauley were in attendance.

A quorum was declared present.

New Business

The purpose of this Special meeting of Session was to discuss and ap- prove the hiring of an

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