Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
Stewardship, generosity and giving are not synonyms. Using these words interchangeably confuses people. Stewardship is a role, giving is an act and generosity is an attitude. In Biblical times, a steward was a respected person of high integrity who was entrusted with his master's possessions. The steward managed the possessions in accordance with his master's wishes.
Since God created and still owns all that we have, stewardship is recognizing that God is the owner and we are God's managers, responsible for using God's possessions to please God. Generosity involves a willingness to sacrifice for the benefit of others. Giving is simply the act of releasing something of value. Giving can be done without generosity, like the Pharisees, but you cannot be generous without giving. But generosity is only one characteristic of a Biblical steward. The primary responsibility of a steward is to manage the resources that are not given away.
The Bible contains more than two thousand verses on the subject of money and possessions! We have approximately thirty-eight of Jesus' parables recorded in the New Testament. Of these, there are sixteen about money and possessions. The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25 shows us a good example of both positive and negative stewardship.
During his summer internship with us, Victor gave one of the best sermons on stewardship that I have ever heard. You can listen to it on our website. He told us that poor stewardship is dangerous for us because God is a giver and our willingness to give reveals our relationship to God. He tried to help us understand that stewardship is wanting something for us and not something from us. Our relationship with money impacts our relationship with God.
This year as we approach stewardship, I invite you to re-listen to Victor's sermon and to then examine your own life and your relationship to the Giver of all. True generosity is found in the depths of Christian stewardship which entails giving of time, talents and treasures.
Yours in Christ,
Bonnie
October Monday and Tuesday Bible Study
Bible Study will continue on Mondays at noon (bring a lunch if you wish) and Tuesdays at 5:00 pm. at the church. We have started a new series about Moses. Everyone is welcome.
October Wednesdays Mayfield Youth Group
The Mayfield Youth Group mets every Wednesday from 6:30 – 8:00pm at the church. This is an ecumenical Youth Group and is open to all youoth in the Mayfield area. Bible stories, songs, games, fun, mission and once a month pizza and praise party. SPREAD THE WORD!! See PastorBonnie if you would like to help. Donations of snacks and refreshments will be appreciated.
October Thursdays Knitters and Quilters
Bring your lunch and some hand work or just stop by for social time on Thursdays from noon until 2:00 pm. Libby VanNostrand will teach knitting and crocheting to anyone who might be interested or is stuck on a project. The quilters are often working on quilt squares that anyone can learn to do or tying a quilt.
October 4 PW Night in Liberia
On Wednesday, October 4 at 6 p.m. the women of the church will host another special Networking Dinner " A PW NIGHT in Liberia". We chose Liberia this year because that is where our Princeton student intern, Rev. Victor Doe, is from and will return to start a Christian School. This year’s offering will be split between “Victor’s School” and Presbyterian Disaster Relief Fund, which supplies relief funds around the world in times of disaster.
We will be making the dinner starting about 1:00 on Wednesday and will need helpers. Speak to Chris Dahl if you can help or sign up on the bulletin board both to come and to help.
October 7 Annual Craft Fair, Family Fun Day & Blessing of the Animals
The Annual Craft Fair will be held October 7th from 10 am – 4 pm. Rev. Bonnie will be Blessing of the Animals that day at 1:00 pm. Pets should be on leashes or in cages/carriers. Besides crafts and vendors, we will have hamburgs, hot dogs and our famous hamburg barley soup. The "ladies of the church" will be selling baked goods and crafts and would appreciate donations of these items. It is also the day that the “Dashing Pinwheels” quilt raffle drawing will be held. If you are interested in helping, please call Sue Cichy at 843-4710.
October 17 Interfaith Tea
The 69th Annual Interfaith Tea of Fulton County will be held at the Foothills United Methodist Chuirch (17 Freemont St. Gloversville) on Tuesday, October 17th. Registration begins at 11:30 am and a luncheon-tea will be served at noon. Lt. Ann Marie Delanney from The Salvation Army will speak on “Keeping Faith in Times of Troubled Waters”. Entertainment will be provided by the Remnants from Wells. Non-perishable items for the food pantry are requested with registration and a free will offering is taken to be donated to the Salvation Army towards hurricane relief.. See Libby VanNostrand with questions or if you would like to make cookies or help clean up.
October 18 Presbyterian Women
The Presbyterian Women will meet on Wednesday, October 18 at 4:00 pm to discuss plans for the Rummage Sale and other upcoming events and to assemble Care Packages to be sent to our college students. The Bible verse letter is “O“. Please come join us for this fun and worthwhile project. If you have cartons suitable for mailing (corrugated shoeboxes with an attached lid are great) we would appreciate having them. We will be sending homemade cookies, candy, gum, snacks, tissue packets and anything else someone away at school may need. There are about 10 packages to be sent out this year. Bring them that night along with addresses or contact Chris Dahl.
October 19 Parkinson’s Advocacy & Education Group
The Parkinson’s Advocacy & Education Group meets in Fellowship Hall at 2:00 pm on October 19th. This month there will be a speaker from Health Link. These meetings are open to the community.
October 30 Session Meeting
The Session will meet on Monday, October 30 at 6:30 pm at the church. Please let Janis Frisch know if there is anything to come before the Session at that time.
October 27-28 Rummage Sale
PW will hold its Rummage Sale on Friday, October 27th from 7:00 am to noon. It will continue on Saturday the 28th from 8 am to noon. Set up will be Thursday at 9:00 am. There will also a food table and a few special items that will be priced over 25 cents. Since storage space is limited we ask that you do not bring in rummage until two weeks before. Remember items should be useable and clean.
LOOKING AHEAD
SAVE THE DATE!! SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4TH!!
The Harvest Ham Dinner is an annual event occurring the first Saturday in November. This year will be the 25th year it has been offered. It was originally created to honor the wondrous harvest season and remind us to be thankful for the many blessings bestowed upon us. The harvest dinner is lovingly prepared by church members using produce from our local community or surrounding farms. The dinner is served family style or is available for take-out. The dinner includes baked ham, scalloped potatoes, squash, cabbage salad with onions and fresh parsley, homemade roils, and gingerbread or apple crisp for dessert. The cost is $12.00 for adults and $4.00 for children ages 5-12. The Annual Harvest Ham Dinner is one of the larger fund raising events offered by the church. It is an enjoyable time where people from all over the community gather around God’s Harvest and share in fellowship.
Volunteers will be needed on Friday, November 3rd at 1:00 PM to help with the cabbage and onions and on Saturday at 9:00 AM to peel potatoes. For more information, please contact Colleen Ulrich (661-5151) or Janet Kucel (661-7682).
SESSION NOTES
The session has been acting on routine matters of business along with many building and grounds projects. All new toilets have been installed over the summer as the others were not functioning properly and new faucets are being looked into since the others are sticking. The labyrinth fence, railing and stones have been put in place and plantings are going to be planted. The counter top in the Sunday School room was also completed this summer.
The price of the ham dinner was discussed and was raised to $12.00 after being at $10.00 for three years. Rev. Bonnie is starting a Youth Group and will need some help and funds or donations of snacks. Rev. Bonnie will be on vacation October 14th to 22nd. and is looking for coverge for those Sundays.
Discussion about money collection for the recent disasters and it was decided to collect money in our church to send to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance up until October 4th. The fifth Sunday in December has also been designated for hurricane victims through PDA also. The fifth Sunday of this month will go to the Food Pantry .
OUTREACH -GET INVOLVED!
Jail Ministry
If you would like to help to support our jail ministry, you can help by helping us buy Bibles for the women and Upper Rooms or help to purchase some of the Bible study materials that we use. You can also pray for the leaders, Pastor Bonnie, Sharon Brower, Jane Bouton and Linda Jacobs. And you can pray for the women in jail.
Project Lifesaver
We are working to help the Fulton County Sheriff's Department to purchase wander bracelets for Project Lifesaver that helps youth with autism and adults with Alzheimer's disease. The GPS tracking bracelets can locate people who have wandered off. The cost of each unit is about $300 and the batteries have to be replaced every two months at a cost of about $50. If you would like to make a contribution, please make a check payable to the church with Project Lifesaver in the memo line. We have challenged every church in Fulton County to buy one!
Christmas Eve Jail Service
This year Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday. We will be doing our Christmas Eve jail services at 1:00 pm this year. We will probably be there for three hours. We can take five people with us and we do serve communion to each group. We do four to five services depending on if someone is in solitary. There are between 9 to 20 people in each group.
If you would like to experience this ministry, please see Pastor Bonnie. All participants must give Pastor Bonnie a copy of their driver's license to be run by the Sheriff's department. We try to allow new people to join us each year so sign up early.
Reusable Sanitary Napkins
We are going to begin making reusable sanitary napkins that we will send to Liberia and to Guatemala. Many young girls stop coming to school when they get their period because they do not have sanitary supplies and cannot afford them. The pads are made from flannel and Tyvek type material. They are absorbent and they are washable and reusable. If you would like to get involved in this ministry, talk to Mary Lou Bryan.
Nursing Home Services
When I went to the Nathan Littauer ECF to visit one of our members, she was quite excited because she had been able to attend a regular church service there. Pastor Bonnie goes once a month to perform a church service for the residents. Those who help her with this are Mary Lou Bryan who plays the piano and David Evans who plays his guitar at the service. It is a regular service, only more informal and shorter. Pastor Bonnie gives a sermon and they have communion. The woman I went to see was so excited with the songs they sang. She told me they sang "In the Garden", Jesus Loves Me" and many of the old songs that they all knew. She was so happy to be able to attend a regular service and said what a nice feeling she had afterwards. Also helping with their church service were Nancy Frank,
Sharon Brower and Cecie Evans. Speak to Pastor Bonnie if you would like to help one day.
FOOD PANTRY
I know it's early, but the holidays are coming quickly. Donations for the turkey gift cards are always welcome as wellas holiday foods, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, yams and dessert mixes. The usual items, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, soup, tuna, and eggs are always in demand. Copy paper boxes are needed.
The hours of the food pantry are 12:30 – 3:00 on the first and third Tuesday of each month. If you would like to get involved talk to Crystal Hinkle. Thank you for all your support of this important mission. Crystal
WORSHIP COMMITTEE
Worship Committee members worked with Session members to prepare a luncheon/coffee hour in celebration of “Pastor Appreciation Sunday” September 24th. Many thanks to everyone who signed up to help prepare lunch items and to make it a special day to show our appreciation for all that Bonnie does. The Committee is also helping with “breads from other countries” for World Communion Sunday on October 1st. Pastor Bonnie always has ideas to implement so new members are always welcome on this committee. Anyone interested can speak to Nancy Frank (661-5328).
CHURCH SCHOOL NOTES
Children picked apples on October 1 and will then make applesauce with many of the apples later in the month. They are continuing to learn Bible stories each Sunday. We will also be filling shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child again this year. A list of suggested items and things not to be included will be available in Sunday School and a box will be in the hall later in October.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!
Debra Hall October 2
Kelly Wagar October7
Bill Wemple October 7
Bart Warner October 8
Merry Dunn Brown October 8
Trevor Ruberti October 11
Laura Hime October 18
Kaile Kucel October 23
Jill Kaczor October 25
Trudy Yost October 27
Susan Cichy October 29
Noranne Marcellus October 29
Lorna Elmendorf October 30
DID YOU KNOW?
…that on Sept 4 about 45 people were fed and sent home with leftovers at Holy Spirit Community Center by our church team. The next time we provide a meal is November 10th.
MORE ANNIVERSARY NOTES
Hi , my name is Ann Warner Mallin. I’ve been a member here at Mayfield for about 11 years, which makes me still a newbie, for I’m still finding out the relationships of people. I moved here from California where I had lived for 30 years to be near to my daughter and her family and two other sons and their families on the east coast. I was born in NY, so I feel that my roots are here and there is something about roots that draw you back.
One neat thing about this church is that people seem to come out of the woodwork when you really need them. We are not a rich church, but when there is a need, folks step up to the plate. When there is a project to do, whether it’s our rummage sale, quilt show, chicken barbeque, ham supper or knitting hats and mittens for the Santa hotline, people give of their time, talent and money.
I know that the lifestyle of folks today is very busy but I think that people want to be part of a church that is doing things, things that matter in the community and in the world. And boy, this is the place. Take the food pantry. It has grown from an alcove in the old church and distribution of food as requested to a well organized room. With its connection to the Regional Food Bank volunteers distribute food twice a month to about 30 Mayfield families. And in addition there are 70 plus boxes of food given at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
There’s the Networker Dinner, so called because at one time the church made mosquito nets, our church was the collection point for thousands of them. Ask other members about the storage of those nets in the garage in frigid winter. The program has been dissolved, but the name remains, so each October a dinner is held featuring food of a particular country and the freewill offering given to a designated mission.
The church understands its call to mission. Pastor Bonnie has led countless trips to Guatemala where upon their return, the participants tell how the experience has changed them. The whole church is involved however, collecting medical and office supplies to be taken along with the group.
Mission – how about the jail ministry where a dedicated group leads a Bible study for women at the Fulton County Jail. The Parkinson’s Group which has grown as the word has gotten out, Friday’s Table where Mayfield members prepare a meal on a rotation with other churches. The CROP Walk where members walk to support Church World Service and its food programs. You might even mention our seminary interns who have been with us each summer and opened our eyes to a different way of worship and culture.
We lost the old church in a devastating fire in 2011, but we are, bent but not broken. We pulled together and built a new church with reminders of the past in the shards from the broken sanctuary windows restored in a beautiful communion table and in the cross in the front of the church constructed from the beams of the sanctuary.
What is it about the Mayfield Church? I guess it is the threads that our ancestors have passed on from generation to generation. We have been blessed with good leadership over the years to spark the flame. What is my job? I guess it is to continue to pass it on, to my grandchildren, great-grandchildren, to see the young people of this congregation, to the strangers I meet on the street. After all, it only takes a spark to get a fire going.
church email address is Mayfield preschurch@ gmail.com
church website is http://www.mayfieldpresbyterianchurch.org