Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
It is almost summertime! We have waited a long time for this! We think of all the promises that we made ourselves about the things we were going to do last summer and how they didn’t get done. This summer we are really going to do something with the yard. This summer we are going to relax and enjoy the sun and spend lots of time outdoors. This summer we are going to exercise and get ourselves back into shape. This summer we are going to read some good books. This summer we are really going to spend some time with our families for a change. This summer we are going to take a decent vacation and see something. This summer we are going to entertain all of our friends at outdoor barbecues. This summer we are going to use the time in a productive way.
But just like all of these same things that we told ourselves we would do last summer, will the summer come and go before any of them get done and it is once again the long, long season of boots and ear muffs, slush and snow, frozen streets and high fuel bills? "Well," we can only lamely say, "perhaps next summer, perhaps next summer ..."
Perhaps next summer I’ll make peace with my neighbor. Perhaps next summer I’ll forgive my enemies. Perhaps next summer I’ll develop the habit of devoted prayer. Perhaps next summer I’ll start loving people in the way I ought. Everything will, somehow, work out much better, with less effort and more fulfillment next summer.
Our Lord saw everywhere this deadening streak in our human nature - the ever-present temptation to procrastinate - the damning tendency to postpone life. If you take a good look at Jesus' preaching, you discover that while He was concerned about people taking the wrong bus in life, He was perhaps much more concerned about their not taking any bus at all, their missing every one that arrived, because they always thought that there would be another one coming along.
The parable of the five wise and the five foolish virgins saw half of them missing the wedding and the feast that followed, because they postponed getting oil for their lamps. In another story in the Gospels, you see a great supper ready and the invitations all out. But those who were invited were all tied up - the one looking at a piece of ground, another looking at a yoke of oxen, another taking care of a new bride. They missed the feast. They apparently thought that there would be another one that they could go to.
We like to say that it’s our life, and we’ll live it the way we want to. We forget that life is a precious gift of God, designed for the highest type of stewardship. That should remind us that we are supposed to do something important with these lives of ours before next summer! Yes! YOU have the obligation of doing something worthwhile with that life of yours before next summer.
The problem of procrastination is a very real one for all of us. Our Lord gives us the constant warning: "Work while it is day, before the night comes when no one can work." It’s a simple fact that as we sit making plans for next summer that within this day or this hour, we might be lying on a hospital bed or even in a funeral home. Oh, I know, we don't like to talk about such things, but the fact remains that next summer doesn’t always come.
When is your moment before God? It’s right now! It always is! Don’t let it pass! Harvey S. Firestone, Jr. puts it this way: "Today is the first day of the rest of my life." Start now to establish a relationship with God in worship and stewardship in your life. No matter where or when you start, there is never enough time to do it the way it ought to be done.
I remember a a very successful business person who had just had a very serious heart attack. As I sat by his bedside, he said to me: "Pastor, look at the guy who never had time for God. Well, now I’ve got time, all the time that’s left - if there is any left. Pastor, I’d like to have you tell me about God."
Remember, sisters and brothers next summer may not come. Would you like me to tell you about God?
Yours in Christ,
Bonnie
Worship Service
On Sunday, July 1st we will begin our worship service at 9:00 am with a hymn sing until 9:15 am. We will be done about 10:00 am so we all have more time to enjoy the out of doors. Worship services will go back to 10:30 after Labor Day.
Food Pantry
The Food Pantry will be open this summer on the first and third Tuesdays of the month from 12:30 to 3:00 pm.
June, July & August Knitters and Quilters
The knitters and quilters will continue to knit at church through the summer (It is nice and cool on hot days!). Come join us at noon on Thursdays.
June 1& 2 Annual Quilt Show
Our 23nd annual Quilt Show will take place on Friday, June 1st from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m.and continue on Saturday, June 2nd from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday evening, Sue Schoch will present a trunk show and program at 6:00 pm. See Quilt Show Notes for More details. Tell your family and friends and be sure to come see the church transformed with the beauty of quilts.
June 4 Building and Grounds Committee
The next Building and Grounds Committee meeting is Mon. June 4th, 2018 at 6:00 pm.
June 16 Golf Tournament
A golf tournament will start at 8:30 am on Saturday, June 16th at Holland Meadows Golf Course with registration beginning at 8:00 am. See article for details or call Art Dahl (661-5800).
June 17 Children’s Sunday
June 17th will be the last day of Sunday School. The children will be participating in the service. The recipients of the Niles Scholarship will also be coming to church on this day.
June 21 Presbyterian Women
The Presbyterian Women will meet at 4:00 on Wednesday, June 21th to discuss the Networking dinner in the fall. This month’s letter is “M”.
June 24 Outdoor Worship & Church Picnic
The annual church picnic will be held on Sunday, June 24th at the home of Chris and Art Dahl, 183 Priddle Point Rd. The outdoor service will begin at 10:30 a.m. and a pot-luck picnic will follow. Everyone is asked to bring a chair, if possible, table service and a dish to pass. In case of rain we will worship at the church at 10:30 a.m. followed by a picnic in Fellowship Hall.
June 25 Session Meeting
The Session will meet at 6:30 pm on Monday, June 25th. Speak to Janis Frisch or Rev. Bonnie if you have anything that needs to come up before them.
June 25-June 29 Vacation Bible School
From 9:00 to noon, Monday – Friday, June 25 – June 29, our church will come alive with eager children at Vacation Bible School. More details follow in the newsletter.
July 2 Summer Worship
Our worship time changes during summer. Beginning on July 1 worship time will change to 9:00am and will continue through September 2. We will begin worship with an old-fashioned hymn sing. Call out a hymn and we will sing the first and last verse. Worship time will change back to 10:30 am on Sunday, September 9.
July 29 Annual Chicken Barbecue
Our Annual Chicken BBQ is fast approaching on Saturday, 7/29! Advertising flyers to display in your car window to get the word out while you travel around the area will be available soon. Sign up sheets will be posted next Sunday and pie calls ware usually made early July! Brooks will be cooking the chickens at church this year and hopefully the smell of chicken will help us sell our quota of 500 chickens! This year we are asking that you please label your pies so that we can have an accurate list of all varieties available for our guests. We will also be making some at church on Friday so watch for details on that. Lori Kucel
October 6 Annual Craft and Vendor Fair
Our annual craft and vendor fair will be held on October 6, 2018. We will once again be selling soup by the container to go, so donations of soup, baked goods for the "church ladies table" and grannies attic will be greatly appreciated. I will need people to help on the day of to make all run smoothly. Last year was a great year ~ let's make this year even better. And once again ~ thanks to all who have donated money, food and or time to make this a fun day. A meeting will be held in June for suggestions and ideas. Contact Sue Cichy if you would like to help with plans.
VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL NOTES
This year our Vacation Bible School is called Rome, Paul and the Underground Church and will be held from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon from Monday June 25th to Friday, June 29th. Kids from throughout the surrounding communities are welcome, so make sure your children invite their friends! Please mark the dates on your calendar and volunteer to help make this a success for all the youth of Mayfield and beyond. We need lots of help, volunteers to work in different areas, donations of food for snacks, items for games and crafts. If you can help in any way, please contact Pastor Bonnie or look for sign up sheets on the bulletin board. Victor is returning to Mayfield again this summer and will be helping so it is sure to be a wonderful experience for everybody.
GOLF TOURNAMENT NOTES
Our annual golf tournament is on Saturday, June 18th (rain date of June 25th) at the Holland Meadows Golf Course on Route 29. Registration starts at 8:00 am, with coffee and donuts and a shotgun start at 8:30 am. Teams of four will be starting at different holes at the same time. Anyone wanting a cart please call ahead to the golf course (518-883-3318) to reserve your cart ahead of time. The cost for each golfer is $50 for 18 holes of golf, a home made luncheon, prizes and lots of fun.
If you wish to purchase a new sign to put on the tees the cost will be $50 per sign and you would need to call Art Dahl (661-5800) so he can have that sign made up for you. Anyone who has had signs made up in the past can renew their sign for a cost of $25 and moneys can be given to Art Dahl or put in the offering plate with a notation of the purpose. Donations are welcome. We have sign up sheets if you are so inclined, we can always use more help, and any ideas you may have are welcome. Elaine Putman will be taking registration and fees before the start or you can pay before at church, and Mary Lou Bryan has graciously agreed to coordinate the luncheon.
WORSHIP NOTES
In case you have not heard, Victor Doe (last year’s student-intern) is returning to spend most of the summer with us! Do I hear “cheering”? He will be preaching (for sure) on the Sunday that Bonnie and the choir will be travelling to the Caroga Lake Chapel – on July 15th. In addition to that, our “flexible” pastor has stated that Victor can preach any Sunday he wants to during his time in Mayfield. So be sure to drop in for the early worship time – 9:00 a.m. – through the months of July and August. Our summer worship begins with an old-fashioned hymn-sing until about 9:15 – always ending with Thelma’s favorite hymn, “Gentle Shepherd”. Call out your favorite hymn number and we will all sing along. We are also blessed to have Alex Hitrick returning to play for us while he is home from college. There are many good reason to come to church for an hour of peace and worship – remember that we are air conditioned, too. In order to give the congregation more “outdoor time”, the services will end at about 10:00. We look forward to seeing you often.
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
For the remainder of the school year we will be practicing for the year end performance on June 17th. It is very important that all attend these practices in order to participate. We will be telling the congregation what we have learned this last year. On Sunday, June 10th we will be selling homemade lemonade and popcorn. The money will go to the BackPack Program at Mayfield Elementary School.
MUSIC NOTES
ATTENTION: Free concert at Proctor’s on Tuesday, June 12 from noon to 1 pm. Malcolm Kogut, organist extraordinaire, will be playing the theater organ, Goldie. The choir is carpooling and would welcome all to join them. Please see Mary Lou for details.
OUTREACH NOTES
DO YOU KNOW OUR MISSIONS?
Please take time when you come to church to check out our mission board. Did you know that we have over 35 missions that we participate in and support in our church? Each week we feature one mission, describe what it is and how you can get involved.
ALZHEIMER SUPPORT GROUP
On June 21 we will begin an Alzheimer's Support group. This group will meet from 10:30 am to 11:30 am on the third Thursday of each month. It is open to all caregivers and/or partners of those with Alzheimer's or dementia. It is an opportunity to learn from each others and to offer a place to meet with others and support each other.
PARKINSON’S SUPPORT GROUP
Our Parkinson's Support Group is open to caregivers and care-receivers of Parkinson's and other neurological diseases. This group also meets on the third Thursday of the month but it is from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm in the afternoon.
FOOD PANTRY
Thanks to everyone who helped pick up food from the post office and get it sorted for the shelves. We could use condiments, ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise for summer. The usual items, pb&j, cereal, tuna, are always welcome. The sign up sheet for giving out the food is posted in Fellowship Hall. Thanks to all for the support of this important mission. Crystal
FRIDAY’S TABLE
The Mayfield Group is scheduled to serve at Friday’s Table on July 20th, 2018 at Holy Spirit Community Center and again on Oct. 12th. We have a great time preparing the meals. All are welcome and we range in age from 9 to 80 years young! We gather at Holy Spirit Community Center, 161 South Main Street, Gloversville at 3:30pm or whenever folks can get there! We usually serve roast pork, carrots, and roasted potatoes! The bread, salad fixings, and desserts are all donated by Price Chopper and Hannaford.
If you can join us please arrive at 3:30pm or whenever you can, we serve at 5:30pm and we are all cleaned up by about 6:30pm, amazing! Please let Mary DiSanto-Rose at mdisanto@skidmore.edu or 224-2080 know if you can come.
Mary
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Melinda VanPatten June 11
Darla Perham June 12
Crystal Hinkle June 14
Paul Haschytz June 14
Bonnie Van Patten June 16
Katrina Ruberti June 23
Ian Warner June 24
Kevin Brown June 27
Jaret Warner June 28, 2002
Cecie Evans June 28
Judy Betler June 29
Trevor Hatcher June 30
Betsy Saltsman July 1
Sandy Clifford July 4
Matthew DiSanto-Rose July 6
Libby VanNostrand July 7
Joann Brooks July 7
Sean Brown July 8, 2008
Joan Rorick July 9
Don Howard July 11
Elaine Putman July 15
Liam Donde July 15
Judy Wemple July 15
Ginny Mei July 16
Casey Warner July 25
Abby Brown July 28, 2005
Jay Orth July 29
Sharon Brower August 8
Alan Olson August 11
Tom Newton August 14
Arianna Ruberti August 17
Beth Potter August 19
Deja Donde August 19
Leslie Lanzi August 21
Becca Lawson-Putman August 21
Betty Hughes August 23
Rachel Brown August 24
Ginny Hall August 25
Mary Lou Bryan August 27
Anda Kilm August 28, 2010
Art Dahl August 29