GOOD NEWS LETTER
May, 2015
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Wow! Things are happening fast! I had a wonderful time in Guatemala. The first week, Kathy Gorman-Coombs, Pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church, Kate Kotfila, Pastor of Cambridge Presbyterian Church and I met with the Mam Presbytery to rewrite our Albany Presbytery Partnership with them. That was a great experience and for the first time ever, the women of the Presbyteriale (the equivalent of our PW) and the Distrito Mam (the youth) all sat at the same table. We also attended the annual gathering of the Distrito and brought them greetings from the youth of the Albany Presbytery who will be visiting them to share a retreat in July. On Saturday, I had to give a speech in Spanish (one week early before I took my class!) Trust me, it was not one of my finer moments! But, overall, we were very pleased with all of the meetings that we had and we made great progress on the partnership agreement. I will be sharing more about this because we will be sharing some worship experiences with the Mam in the future.
The second week in Guatemala was for me and I really enjoyed my time! I took Spanish lessons in the morning, took long walks about Antigua and in the afternoon, sat in the park, talked to all sorts of people and knit. I spent the entire week only speaking in Spanish and I think I made great strides in becoming bi-lingual. I have not felt so relaxed in a long time and it was a wonderful time for me.
I hit the ground running on my return and next week Jay and I will be making a very quick two day trip to Westminster College to see Olivia and to watch the play that she has been working on. We return from there and two weeks later, Evan will be graduating from Oswego State University. It seems like just yesterday Olivia was five and Evan was seven and we had just come to Mayfield. Time flies!
The day after we return from Evan’s graduation, Sheena, our new summer intern arrives and I am getting ready to welcome her to Mayfield. You can see a picture of her and read her bio in this newsletter.
All that before summer even begins! God is busy working among and within us. As the buds finally begin to sprout, take time to pay attention to where you see God working in your life and in the lives of your family.
Yours in Christ,
Bonnie
CONGRATULATIONS BECCA
It is with great excitement that we announce that Rebecca Booth Lawson, soon to be Putman, has officially accepted a call to become the Pastor of the Northville Presbyterian Church. She graduates from Princeton in May. She will be examined for ordination on the floor of the Presbytery at Silver Bay on June 1 and 2. She gets married at our church on June 13. She will be ordained at our church on August 2 and she will begin her call on August 1. Please congratulate Becca. Her head must be spinning about now!
Monday and Tuesday Bible Study
Bible Study groups are meeting at the church Mondays at noon (bring lunch if you wish) and Tuesdays at 5:30. Come join us!
Thursdays Knitters and Quilters
The Knitters and Quilters meet at noon in Fellowship Hall. Some of us are knitting hats and mittens and others are working on projects of their own or quilting. Call Libby Van Nostrand if you have any questions.
May 2 Clean-up Day
The Building & Grounds Committee has scheduled a clean-up Day at the church for Saturday, May 2 at 9:00 am. Bring a rake, leaf blower or clippers to tidy up the grounds after the winter. Rain date May 9.
May 6 Mother-Daughter Banquet
PW will hold its annual Mother and Daughter Potluck Dinner on Wednesday, May 6th in Fellowship Hall at 6:00 p.m. complete with entertainment. Please bring a dish to pass and table service for you and your guests. Plan to invite your mother, daughter, sisters or a special friend OR come by yourself there are many of us who will be solo that night!
May 20 Presbyterian Women
PW will meet on Wednesday May 20 at 7:00 pm in Fellowship Hall. We will be discussing the Networking Dinner in the fall and other upcoming events. The Bible verse letter is “T”.
May 27 Salad Supper and Shower for Becca
All of the women of the church are invited to a Salad Supper and Bridal Shower for Becca Lawson at 6:00 pm. on Wednesday, May 27. We ask that you bring something for their kitchen big or small and wrapped (no need to put your name on it but you may if you like) to be collected in big basket or useful conntainer. We want this to be a big send off from our church ladies, both into marriage and the minisrtry. Please sign up on the board at church so we have an idea how many will be attending and if you would like to make a salad for the occasion that would be great and there is a place for you to do that too!
LOOKING AHEAD
June 5 & 6 20th Annual Quilt Show
This annual fundraiser is getting closer and it is time to get commitments from helpers. A few strong people are needed to move the quilt racks down from the storage space. This will take place on Wednesday evening, June 3rd. On Thursday, we will need a couple of people who can climb on ladders to hang the quilts on the high supports on the walls. At the end of the show on Saturday, we will again need people to take the quilts off the walls (with ladders) and put the quilt racks away. In addition to these most important “jobs”, there are many other ways to be involved in this effort. A sign-up sheet is posted in Fellowship Hall with dates and times helpers will be needed.
This is the only quilt show that is held in Fulton County annually. It brings people here from all around the upstate area. It is an opportunity for us to “show off” our beautiful church and welcome people who might not have seen our new space. I encourage everyone that is able to get involved.
Deb Hall has tickets for our “Butterfly Garden” raffle quilt to purchase or sell. You may also become a sponsor of the event. (Gold Sponsor - $10.00 or Silver Sponsor - $5.00). A form is available at church for anyone who would like to sponsor this event. See Nancy Frank (661-5328) with questions.
June 13 Lawson-Putman Wedding
See the invitation to the congregation on the address sheet of the Newsletter!
June 20 Golf Tournament
Please mark June 20 on your calendar for our annual Golf Tournament and spread the word Don’t golf? We need lots of help, making food, serving food, gathering door prizes, etc. See Golf Tournament Notes.
June 28 Outdoor Worship & Church Picnic
The annual church worship service and picnic will be held on Sunday, June 28th at the Dahls’ on Priddle Point.
July 13 - July 17 VBS - Everest
Join us the week of July 12 for our 2015 Vacation Bible School. Everest, Conquering Challenges With God's Mighty Power. One of Sheena's biggest projects for her summer internship is to lead our VBS. Please mark the dates on your calendar and volunteer to help her make this a success for all the youth of Mayfield. We will need lots of help with snacks, group leaders, craft leaders, decorating, etc.
July 25 Barbecue
Save the date of Saturday, July 25 for the annual chicken barbecue.
MEET SHEENA
Sheena Crosby with the beautiful smile is currently an MDiv.candidate at Princeton Theological Seminary who loves to Praise God, Preach and Talk with Everyone! Outside of her academic classes, Sheena has had the pleasure of working on the Lenten Devotional and the Princeton Theological Review. Both of these endeavors allow Sheena, “to show my love for people by helping them to express themselves to the glory of God.”
During the academic school year, Sheena served as a Chaplain Intern at Trenton Psychiatric Hospital. Sheena also is a lay reader at Trinity United Methodist Church. Her boisterous voice and accurate pronunciation is appreciated by the hard of hearing in the congregation. Sheena, who is hard of hearing in her right ear, has a heart for those who persevere in spite of having a special need.
Sheena is excited about her opportunity to minister and be ministered to at Mayfield Central Presbyterian Church. What can the church expect when an excited Sheena arrives? Mayfield can expect Sheena to pray purposefully, to praise God spontaneously, and to provide pastoral care through active listening. Prepare to talk yourself free this summer!
“We overcome by the blood of the lamb, and the word of our testimony!” taken from Revelation 12:11.
CHURCH JOINS TRAIL
The Fulton Montgomery Quilt Barn Trail (FMQBT) is a tourism trail that visually connects the outdoor landscape with unique quilt barn squares throughout Fulton and Montgomery counties. A barn quilt square is a large painted wooden square that resembles a textile quit block and is hung on a barn, house or other structure.
Liz Argotsinger, a quilting artist and the driving force behind the FMQBT, offered to paint a barn square for our church and session approved the offer. The finished square has been mounted on the garage between the two doors. The traditional quilt pattern we chose is called “God’s Eye.” It is created in the church liturgical colors of green, red, purple and white.
There are over 60 completed barn squares in the two counties so far. Ours will be added to the brochure’s map which will be printed in the near future. To learn more about FMQBT, you can visit their website at www.fmquiltbarntrail.com or go “like” their Facebook page – Fulton Montgomery Quilt Barn Trail.
MUSIC NOTES
Our new music director and pianist, Alex Hitrick, is a person of eclectic abilities and tastes. He comes by the interest in music through his dad, Mark Hitrick, who was a notable high school musician. Alex has many natural gifts when it comes to playing piano. He plays “by note” which means he used printed music with notations on a page; he plays “by ear” which means that he can hear a tune or melody and duplicate the playing of that tune without music. He composes his own original tunes and chording. He arranges which means he can keep the same melody and have different harmonies and he enhances a piece of music by adding other instrumentation through overlays on a keyboard. Alex is part of a band along with his brother, Ben, with whom he also has DJ jobs. Alex plays the trumpet in the Broadalbin band and also plays the guitar. He is a star runner on the track team. We are fortunate for him to be a part of our church worship. Welcome, Alex.
MISSION NOTES
Friday’s Table
Mary DiSanto-Rose is looking for helpers at Friday’s Table between 3:30 and 6:30 (any or all of the time) on Friday, May 8 at the Church of the Holy Spirit on South Main St. in Gloversville. The food will be prepared there and served to appreciative eaters who come to have dinner every Friday night prepared by different groups in the community. Speak to her if you would like more information about this church project.
Food Pantry
Food Pantry continues to see several families every month and soon the Florida winter folks will be back and help us out covering for Food Pantry on first and third Tuesdays of the month. I again thank you all who do help us out and anyone interested in helping with our Food Pantry please give me a call.
Ginny Mei (725-2970)
WORSHIP COMMITTEE
Many thanks to everyone from both the Mayfield and Broadalbin congregations who took part in the Maundy Thursday program on April 2nd. With the music and “remembrances” of times with Jesus, it was a very powerful service. Again this year the “speakers” wrote their own scripts –retelling – in their own words - happenings from the Bible. To those who prepared the meal and then served it, we send a round of applause! There were close to 80 people in attendance. It was all wonderful!
Mayfield Central Presbyterian Church has received a Vital Worship Grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship (CICW) in Grand Rapids, Mich. The grant will fund a year-long project in which we will explore storytelling in worship, stories from scripture, stories from our congregational history and stories from our individual lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. It is one of 29 grants totaling more than $300,000 awarded for 2015 by CICW to churches and schools across North America.
“We learn a tremendous amount from these programs,” said CICW director John Witvliet, “from the wisdom demonstrated in designing them and the insights gleaned from implementing and adapting them as they unfold. We look forward to sharing insights from these projects with a larger audience in our future programming over the next several years."
We are are grateful for their grant and eager to get started with their project. The CICW’s Worship Grants program (formerly known as the Worship Renewal Grants Program) is now in its 16th year and has seen more than 700 projects funded since its inception. We have done two previous grants, one on liturgical dance and one after our fire to help us with our laments and our blessings.
“This year,” said Kathy Smith, leader of the Vital Worship Grants Team, “CICW approved proposals from 15 denominations, 18 states and one Canadian province, 25 congregations and church plants, two regional church bodies, and two college and seminary communities.” An advisory board of pastors and teachers from a variety of backgrounds gave valuable assistance in the grant selection process.
For the 2015 grant recipients, learning will begin in earnest this June when project directors for all the new grants gather on Calvin’s campus to dialogue not only with CICW staff, but also with the recipients of the 2013 grants, who will come to campus to share the results of their year-long projects.
“We look forward to a collaborative time of worshiping and learning together,” said Smith, “and trust that the stories people share will energize and encourage everyone for their own ministries.”
The Vital Worship Grants Program is generously supported by Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. Founded in 1937, the Endowment’s major areas of concern are community development, education, and religion. For more information on the grants program, including a complete list of this year’s grants recipients, please see: www.calvin.edu/worship
The worship committee is excited about this grant and the opportunities that it brings for our congregation. We will be sharing more with you as time goes on.
The Good News Letter Editor is Christine Dahl
Please give information that you may want to get in the newsletter to her
before May 22 for inclusion in the June Newsletter.
SUNDAY SCHOOL NOTES
The last day of Sunday School will be June 14. The children will participate with the service that day and will draw the winner of their raffle basket for their sponsorship of students in Africa. They are also planning a Fun Bak