The Chronicle   is   Published by   First Presbyterian Church  49 South Portage Street  Westfield, New York               2019

Church Office Hours 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 Noon Monday through Friday   Office:  (716) 326-2643 Fax:  (716) 793-6019   Website: www.steeplesinthepark.com   E-Mail: onestpresby@fairpoint.net    Pastor Rev. Dr. Shannon Smythe pastorshannon79@gmail.com Administrative Assistant Polly M. Knopp   Custodian Daniel E. Dibble   Deacon of the Month NOVEMBER 2019 Mike Cluchey

 

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November 17 is Commitment Sunday

By now, you should have received the first of two stewardship mailings explaining our stewardship theme this fall (please call the office if you did not receive this mailing). As we all continue to prepare for Commitment Sunday, please prayerfully discern and discuss with trusted others, your 2020 pledge. We ask you to consider giving sacrificially and being as generous as you possibly can. You will receive a pledge card and second letter with budgetary information in a week. Then, please plan to join us in church for our celebratory service of Commitment on November 17. This is a chance for us to bring forward our pledge cards, with great faith and generosity, and dedicate them during the worship service. Following worship, we will continue our celebration with a special fellowship luncheon. 

 

 "Since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God's people, this is the reason that I don't stop giving thanks to God for you . . . I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God's call." Eph. 1:15-16a, 18a

 

WHAT IS STEWARDSHIP? 

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word “stewardship”? Budgets and spreadsheets? Money? Pledge cards? A grateful response to God? What about love? 

For many congregations, stewardship means “the church asking for money” or it means nothing at all. If it draws to mind anything, it is the three-week annual financial response that happens every fall to ensure there is enough money to fund the budget for the next year. While the annual financial response may be wrapped up in religious language, at the end of the day it is about the need of the congregation to receive rather than the need of the giver to give. 

Stewardship encompasses so much more than money. It is a way of life. It calls for integration between our faith and the way that we live our lives — we are a church that is energized by lively engagement in our faith and life. Stewardship is a mindset, a culture and a discipline that can never be contained in an annual three-week financial response. According to one Christian leader, stewardship is everything we do after we say “I believe.” It is the way in which we use all of the resources that God has entrusted to our care so that we can love God and our neighbor. Stewardship is about love. 

One church member sees it this way: 

“Stewardship is a matter of the heart. My stewardship practices are a response to the boundless love God first showed me. It means that I am grateful for all that God has generously entrusted to me. As a faithful steward and child of God, I understand that (the) decisions I make, in all aspects of my life, reveal my priorities. It is a privilege to share time, talents and finances, to care for God’s earth and to serve my neighbors. Being a good steward has brought me great joy and has helped me grow spiritually. I am blessed to be a blessing.” 

 

DOWN, IN, AND OUT: LOVING GOD AND LOVING OUR NEIGHBOR 

The practice of stewardship invites us to look in three different directions: DOWN, IN and OUT. We begin by looking at how God has come down to us. We then look in to discover all that God has entrusted to our care. We end by looking out to understand the needs of our neighbors. While these three actions may not always happen in this order, the practice of stewardship always invites all three. 

DOWN 

Stewardship begins at creation, where God first comes down to us. A steward is someone who cares for someone else’s property. From the beginning, humanity is not an owner, but a steward of what God has created. We are first receivers, not givers! God's love comes down to us in Jesus Christ. In baptism, we are claimed as children of God. We belong to God and all that we have belongs to God. We are bearers of God's love, grace and gospel. Stewardship begins with God coming down to us in love and sharing some of what is God's with us.

 

IN

God has skillfully created us and blessed us with more than we could ever imagine. We are fearfully and wonderfully made! God knows us deeply and has created each of us uniquely. God has entrusted us with an abundance of tangible and intangible resources — time, talents, treasure and so much more. God gave in abundance that we might share in abundance. When we realize that all we have belongs to God and not to us, we can't help but give it away in thanksgiving for God's generosity to us. We give joyfully, graciously and sacrificially because we know our resources are not ours to keep but are God's to share.

 

OUT

We look out to see how God is calling us to love our neighbor with all that God has entrusted to our care. We are called to love, not just with our words but with our whole lives. Stewardship is the way that we use all of our resources--time, talents, possessions and money--to love God and our neighbor. Stewardship transforms God's commandment to "love our neighbors as ourselves" from a religious expression into a way of life.

Another church member puts it like this: 

“Relationships are what stewardship is all about. There are times of scarcity and abundance in all of our lives and stewardship calls us to creatively use God’s gifts to follow Jesus’ command to love God and our neighbor. Stewardship is a commitment of time and talents and, as necessary, money.” 

 

THE SHIFT

This new approach to stewardship requires a large shift in the way that we think and talk. The new approach to stewardship is not primarily about paying the congregation’s bills. Instead stewardship is about how the congregation together can do God’s work. It is about how the congregation can together live out God’s call to love God and our neighbors. Stewardship is directly tied to discipleship. It is no longer about the congregation’s need to receive, but about the giver’s need to give. Stewardship is a way of life. It is not just about what is given to the congregation, but about how generous we are with all that God has entrusted to our care both inside and outside of the church walls and in our homes.

What is tithing?

The biblical covenant of tithing, giving 10% of what you earn back to God, has shaped the people of God throughout history, as a covenant of trust and faithfulness with God. Tithing helps us remember that everything, actually, belongs to God, and we are merely stewards of what we've been given, called to generously share and bravely participate.

 

Some of us already tithe, others of us have never thought about it. Here is a chart of what tithing might look like for you.

O God,

in whose every creation we discover a gift freely given:

help us to understand that all we have

comes from the outpouring of your generosity,

inspire in our hearts a deep sense of gratitude,

and move us to share what we have received

with the same immensity of spirit in which it was given.

May our gifts of substance and service be an example

of Christ's enduring presence and outreach

to this community and all beings.

Amen. 

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A Note from Pastor Shannon

Hello dear siblings in Christ! As I sit writing this to you, I am amazed and deeply grateful  for all that God has done in our life together over the past month. You all have warmly embraced me and patiently walked with me as my family and I get settled, I learn your names, discover the operations of the church, meet with you, develop some new elements for Sunday morning, and put events on the church calendar. Thank you!! I'm so thrilled to have had this month, whirlwind though it has been, to get acclimated to being your new pastor. At one gathering one of you remarked that I just seemed to fit in so well, like I had been here for a long time already. That was encouraging to hear and also confirmed what I had also been feeling! How cool is that!?

A few highlights from October for me have been the "Get to Know the Pastor" gatherings, making home visits, meeting with Session and Deacons, visiting with folks at the Harvest dinners, a fun and productive All-Church Work Day and seeing Micah and Kevin joined in the Sunday school classroom by both children and faithful church volunteers. God is good!

My family and I have also had a few opportunities to get out and enjoy the gorgeous Western New York fall--we spent an afternoon hiking in the gorge and another exploring Panama Rocks and loved both of them. Wow--thank you God for your beautiful creation. We also took in some culture in Buffalo, attending a Halloween Spooktacular kids concert at Kleinhans music hall, which was very fun.

As we head into November as a church, we are heading fully into fall stewardship. I'm encouraged by the theme Session has for us this year: "Celebrate the Past. Inspire the Future," in part because I'm still so excited to hear more of your stories--stories of why you love this church, what God has done in your life through this congregation, how you have seen the gospel on display through the people and ministries of this church. There is much to celebrate, but let's not just say that, let's remind each other, through words of testimony, written reflections, anecdotes, memories, and pictures of how God has been present in this place. We have a bulletin board in the hallway outside of the parlor and, starting Nov. 3, we will be inviting you to put your memories and pictures on a special board.

I'm convinced that what we share with one another is going to be a critical element that will shape our work this coming year. It will help us as we discern who we uniquely are as a church in and for Westfield and the surrounding area. Our unique contribution to God's work of shalom, God's kingdom here on earth as it is in heaven, will arise out of our core identity as we prayerfully follow the inspiration of the Spirit. That is how we will shape our mission and guide our vision for this next chapter of our church's life. There has never been a more urgent time for us to gather together, united in our common Lord, faith and baptism, and committed, together, to each contributing to our collective communal work of seeing the gospel fully alive in our community. Please join me (and yes, you can literally join me, just reach out and we can set up a time to pray together) in praying daily for our church as we are preparing for our work of discerning our core identity and shaping our vision and mission for our next chapter. 

 

In closing, I want to share with you one aspect of who I think we are already becoming and how we can begin to lean more fully into that. As I met with the PNC, while interviewing to be your pastor, and as I have met with so many of you already this past month, I have heard over and over again of your desire to be an intergenerational community. You are not satisfied with no children, youth, and younger families among us for worship or deeply involved in the life of our communal life together. 

 

At the heart of it, becoming an intergenerational faith community is about pairing up the generations to learn from each other, serve side by side and build into each other. This keeps us older adults young and helps make us young people wise. And here is the really good news for anyone who is a GenXer, Baby Boomer or Elder: Millennials want to spend time with people older than themselves. They actually love being around older adults and are wide open to insights, questions, and conversations about faith and life. Really!! 

 

 

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All Saints Day

November 1, 2019

 

Remembering members and friends of our

congregation who have died since

"All Saints Day" last year:

Gloria E. Wakeley

Paul H. Farver

Beverly J. Yeaney

Kay N. Hall

Walter D. Brown

Jim Eversole

 

“For all the saints, who from their labors rest,

Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,

Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest.

Alleluia! Alleluia!” 

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REMINDER!!  On Sunday, November 3, Daylight Saving Time ends.  Remember to turn your clocks back on Saturday night before retiring.  We don't want you to be too early for church!

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Faith Formation/Christian Education News . . . 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mission/Outreach News....

 

Peace & Global Witness Offering

May the Lord...give you peace at all times and in allways..."

II Thessalonians 3: 16

 

On World Communion Sunday, October 6, our congregation gave $173.00 to the Peace & Global Witness Offering ~ the third Special Offering of the Presbyterian Church (USA).

Thank you for your donations!  Twenty-five percent of donations remains with our church.  The Mission Committee will designate $36.25 to a local cause.   The other 75% will be forwarded to the Presbytery of WNY where 25% will be used to support Presbytery and Synod peacemaking efforts and 50% will be forwarded to the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program of the Presbyterian Mission Agency so that it can continue to provide assistance and resources for congregations and other bodies of the PC (USA).

Operation Christmas Child

A project of Samaritans Purse

~ The Power of a Simple Gift ~

For the past 25 years, Samaritan's Purse has been collecting shoeboxes filled with gifts and delivering them to children in need around the world.  Each box 

is an opportunity for a boy or girl to experience the love of God in a tangible way and hear the Gospel.

 

Each and every shoebox gift, given in Jesus' name, opens doors for boys and girls and their families to hear the Good News of the Lord Jesus Christ.  As a result, churches are growing and communities are transformed.

 

We invite any member and/or friend to fill a shoebox.  Available in the Church

Library are plastic shoeboxes for anyone to pick up and use.  A pamphlet with

information on how to pack your shoebox and suggested gifts is available at the entrances to the sanctuary or in the church office.  Please have your shoeboxes

returned on or before November 18 for a special dedication during the worship

service.

 

Westfield Community Kitchen

For the month of October and November, we will be collecting some much-needed items for the Community Kitchen.  The "Wish List" is as follows:  small dessert plates, napkins, paper towels, salad dressings, decaf coffee, dry soup mixes, Jello, puddings, powedered creamer, canned carrots, biscuit mix, cake mixes, aluminum foil (wide), Sweet n' Low, bleach, bowls - 8 oz., 12 oz. and 16 ox.  The Community Kitchen greatly apprecaites our help.

Angel Tree

Plans are underway for the annual community  mission project "Angel Tree" sponsored by Westfield Union Relief - a ladies aid society.

 

The Angels will be available for pick-up on Sunday, November 10, before and after church.

Guidelines for your "Angel" gift are:  Have your angel's name and number taped securely to your gift(s);  Union Relief requests that all gifts be UNWRAPPED; gift boxes or bags are acceptable. 

 

A dedication of your gifts will be held during morning worship in December.

 

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THE SESSION

  Class of 2019

  Marie Edwards

  Polly Knopp

  Mike Ricketts

 

Class of 2020

Marjory Fritz

Marilynne Northrop

Vacancy

 

Class of 2021

Gloria Colgrove

John Daily

Laura Shearer

 

BOARD OF DEACONS

 

 Class of 2019

Carolyn Bills

Dean Mead

Pat Sciarrino

 

   Class of 2020

    Sharon Rau

     Elaine Parker

     Mark Smith

    Nancy Smith

 

Class of 2021

Mike Cluchey

Trudy Gollnitz

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October Highlights

 Following the call to order and prayer by Moderator Rev. Dr. Shannon Smythe the Session took up the work of the church on Tuesday, October 16, 2019.

 

~ Session reviewed a plan from Pastor Shannon for our upcoming stewardship season.

~ In her Modertor's report, Pastor Shannon shared some of her vision for Faith Formation/Christian Education, and hopes for increased communication and outreach in the coming months and year, as well as what she has been working on since her start date of October 1st. 

~ New Elders will be ordained and/or installed on November 17, our "Commitment Sunday" for receiving pledges.  On that day we will also be celebrating the end of our stewardship season with a Special Fellowship Hour.

~ Shannon's installation service is tentatively scheduled for a Sunday in March, 2020.  The exact date is still getting worked out.

~ Research is being done for video equipment for recording Sunday services for the church website.

 

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The Presbyterian Women wish to thank members and friends for the wonderful response to the "Kitchen Shower".  All donations are much appreciated and the kitchen is now well stocked with essential products for the coming year.

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Prayer Concerns

A special prayer that you'll be blessed with tender care and needed rest, warm thoughts of friends that mean so much and most of all, God's healing touch.

 

REMEMBER TO PRAY FOR....

Members of Our Congregation 

Dorothy Near, Betty Reid, Lillian Saunders,  Mark Robbins, Barb Lynn, Ople Gollnitz, Sharon Bane, Elaine Hall and Pat Hayes

 

Family and Friends of our Congregation

Darrell Colgrove,  Abigail Jopek, The Pandolph/Peary Families (Friends of John Daily), 

Jon Belcher, Crystal Lee, June Beers, Marsha Holland, 

 

Our Servicemen

Chief Petty Officer, James "JD" Watkins (Grandson of Betty Reid)

Lt. Victor Gutirrez, U.S. Army Rangers (Grandson of Jack Beckman) 

 

 

 

 

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Celebrations of Eternal Life...

 

Our deepest sympathy as a congregation is extended to the families and friends upon the death of their loved ones:

 

Jim Eversole ~ Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Howard A. Thornton  ~ Saturday, September 21, 2019

(Father of Gail Locke)

Kathleen Jageman ~ Thursday, October 10, 2019

(Companion of David Gross)

Calvin Bown ~ October 10, 2019

(Brother of Elna Meleen)

 

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FINANCIAL REPORT

Income through September 30:  71,163.60

(2019 Pledges Paid to Date:  $42,244.00 ~ 100% pledges paid to date as of month end)

Expenses through September 30:  $76,112.67

Investment Funds used through September 30:  $2,185.38

 

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Looking for a Unique Christmas gift? 

 

 The Church has available commemorative glass tumblers, goblets and ornaments.  The glassware has an etched picture of the church and the  ornament is a reproduction of the church building on porcelain.  The cost for each is as follows: Ornament - $10.00, Glass Tumbler - $5.00 and Goblet - $6.00.  To acquire a piece of history, please call the church office at (716) 326-2643.  If you are not local - arrangements can be made to have item(s) mailed.  Thank you for your support!

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2019 HARVEST DINNER REPORT

The Harvest Dinners for 2019 were once again a success financially as well as an opportunity for community outreach. On behalf of the Mission Committee and Women’s Association we want to thank all who worked and/or donated desserts. These fundraisers are successful because of the efforts of many members working together. Following are those who were involved this year:

*Sharon & Bob Rau, Jill Raynor, *Mike & Beth Cluchey, *Nancy & Mark Smith, Betty Felton, *Elaine Parker, *Marion & Don Eno, Henry Lynn, *Gloria & Warren Colgrove, *Marilynne Northrop, Sherry & Dean Mead, Barb Sanders, *Jean McCausland, Jane McMaster, Annalisa & Richard Barney, *Nancy Peters, Jeremy Riedesel, Trudy Gollnitz, *Carolyn & Peter Bills, *Betty Wilson, *Polly Knopp, Laurie Diehl, *Linda & Phil Young, *Sarah Fritz

Desserts were furnished by the above with asterisks as well as Pat Hayes, Joan Allen, Jan Wilson, Marie Edwards, Laura Shearer, Felicia Lawson, Julie Travis, Jodi Wilson, and Barb Kittle. 

Special thanks go to Penny & Jim Deakin who donated the corn and apples as well as the homemade rolls.  Also appreciated were the gifts of the carry out containers from Mary Ann Buettner, sterno from Art & Carol Webster and  the decorations by Sarah Fritz.

There were 564 dinners served with a profit of $6,026.85 which was an increase from 2018 when 510 dinners and $5,138.41 were the final figures.

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BIRTHDAYS

 We all join in extending Greetings

and Best Wishes for a Happy Birthday.

May this day be Richly Blessed

With Peace and Joy and

Everything that makes for Happiness

1st

Chelsey MacCubbin

Josh Monroe

2nd

Ryleigh Sanderson

 

3rd

Jack Beckman

Luella Reynolds

7th

Kaelyn Helman

Elna Meleen

13th

Rob Schofield

15th

Aimee Helman

Barb Lynn

16th

Beth Cluchey

Jonathan Corbett

17th

Bob Dymnet

18th

Kendra Bills

Pam Truitt

19th

Scott Freyn

Alberta Parker

20th

Mindi Monroe

Rhiannon Seminatore

22nd

Snady Haskin

24th

Ann Wise

25th

Casey Northrop

28th

Don Strobl

29th

Judy Womeldorf

Linda Young

30th

Cameron Wright

 

ANNIVERSARIES

A special Anniversary Prayer...

That God's Eternal love

Will fill your heart this day

With joy and blessings from above

 

13th

Barb & Hank Lynn

25th

Lillian & Earl Saunders

 

 

Saturday, November 2

10:00 a.m. - 12 Noon

Intergenerational Cookie Bake

Sunday, November 3

10:00 a.m.

Choir Rehearsal

Christian Nurture - Adult Education

11:00 a.m.

Family Worship & Children's Ministry

~ Communion ~

12:00 Noon

Fellowship Hour

Monday, November 4

5:00 - 6:30 p.m.

Westfield Hospital Auxiliary Community Dinner

Tuesday, November 5

7:00 p.m.

Mission/Outreach Meeting

Thursday, November 7

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Patterson Library's Community Connection 2.0

Sunday, November 10

10:00 a.m.

Choir Rehearsal

Christian Nurture - Adult Education

11:00 a.m.

Family Worship & Children's Ministry

12:00 Noon

Fellowship Hour

Monday, November 11

Veterans Day

Church Office Closed

Tuesday, November 12

7:00 p.m.

Westfield Women's Organization Meeting

Wednesday, November 13

11:30am-1:00pm

Get to Know Pastor Shannon, BYO Lunch in the Parlor

Thursday, November 14

7:00-8:30pm

Get to Know Pastor Shannon, Dessert in the Parlor

Sunday, November 17

10:00 a.m.

Choir Rehearsal

Christian Nurture - Adult Education

11:00 a.m.

Family Worship & Children's Ministry

~ Commitment Sunday ~

12:00 Noon

Fellowship Hour

~ Hosted by Presbyterian Women ~

Monday, November 18

7:00 p.m.

Deacon Meeting

Tuesday, November 19

7:00 p.m.

Session Meeting

Saturday, November 23

Breakfast with Santa

~ Hosted by Westfield School 7th Grader's ~

Sunday, November 24

10:00 a.m.

Choir Rehearsal

Christian Nurture ~ Adult Education

11:00 a.m.

Family Worship & Children's Ministry

12:00 Noon

~ Hanging of the Greens ~

Thursday, November 28

Thanksgiving Day

~ Church Office Closed ~

Friday, November 29

~ Church Office Closed ~