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First Presbyterian Church
5 Court St., Towanda PA 18848
570-265-5575
Email - fpchurch@comcast.net
Website - www.fpctowanda.com
Facebook - Fans of First Presbyterian
FROM PASTOR RACHEL….
A few months ago, I decided to sign up for ancestry.com to compile a genealogy as a gift for a
relative. I’ve always been interested in history and had a few blank spaces in my knowledge of my family.
There have been some surprises and a few dead ends, which themselves often raise questions. I’ve
discovered a few relatives (still living) I’d never heard of, and an adopted great aunt I never knew existed.
A great uncle signed up to serve in WWI, but died of influenza while in boot camp. There was a suicide, a
mother who died in childbirth, and several veterans of the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, and the
Civil War. One of my great-grandfathers emigrated on the ship Planter in 1635 and first resided in Ips-
wich, Massachusetts, where I lived for 4 years during graduate school. He went on to found Flushing, New
York. Another relative was one of the first settlers of New Jersey. Nearly all of my relatives first came to
Philadelphia in the early 1700s, settled in the York area or surrounding counties, and never left.
Aside from learning all this, studying their birth, death, and marriage dates
has made them seem much more like real people to me. I’ve learned their stories
of emigration, loss, illness, and struggles in what was once a frontier. I’ve won-
dered how many times I walked where one of them walked, or drove on a road
that once was for them a horse path. I’ve also realized that many of them are bur-
ied in the same cemeteries where relatives I’ve personally known were laid to
rest. There were Lutherans, Episcopalians, Mennonites, and a few Catholics.
There were pastors, farmers, soldiers, laborers, silk workers, cigar makers, and
mill workers-- so many people I’ve never met or even knew of who contributed
to me being me, today, here in Pennsylvania.
You and I have a genealogical legacy, but we also have a spiritual legacy that can be traced. We
know the people who told us about the Lord Jesus, and maybe we know who told them. We can look to
church records to learn of people who came before us in this place. We can imagine how they dealt with
logging in the canal on our church doorstep, or smallpox or influenza epidemics, or the wars that touched
even this rural area.
(Continued on next page)
Thankfully, we also have a sure record of our spiritual legacy in the very pages of Scripture. We can
read about people much like us who trusted in God (or not), and who’ve left us precious examples. Since
this “spiritual genealogy” was inspired by the Holy Spirit, we can be certain of learning from its people and
their experiences. As valuable and interesting as ancestry.com may be, God’s Word is immeasurably more
valuable as a resource for understanding who we are as Christians, knowing and loving the God who created
us, and confirming hope for our future. As Jesus’ followers and children of God, faith, hope, and love are in
our spiritual DNA.
Monthly Day of Prayer: October 3
1) Continue in prayer for our students, teachers, coaches and administrators to have a safe,
productive school year.
2) Take a moment to list at least 3 ways the Lord is blessing you on Oct. 3.
3) For the Presbytery gathering in Cohoes, NY, on Oct. 5-6 to be spiritually successful with safe
travels and blessed fellowship for those attending.
4) For the Lord to be with our homebound friends through special comfort and encouragement.
Send them a card, give them a call, or stop by for a visit!
5) For the Lord to inspire and bless our church’s leaders. May He give them vision, perseverance,
passion, and humility as they lead.
October Scripture Readers
7 - Jody Stroud
14 - Claudia Mehalchick
21 - Rhea Johnston
28 - Jerry Young
October Greeters
7 - Cynthia Young
14 - Lois Smith
21 - Jean Hall-Kafes
28 - Cathy & Dave Guffey
October Birthdays
5 - Ryland Carey
8 - Art Spengler, Dorothy Scott
11 - Marguerite Fox Picou
14 - Nancy Hughey
15 - Brenda Webster-Houck
17 - Sue Gore
21 - Elizabeth Lightbourn
25 - Baylee Clark
29 - Janice McConnell, Karl Tewksbury
30 - Shaylee Greenland
Join the Praise Team!
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord, my soul! I want to praise the Lord throughout my life. I want to make music to praise my God as long as I live. Psalm 146: 1-2
There are many ways to be a part of the Team. Can you sing or play an instrument? If you can carry a beat, try your hands on the cajon box. If singing/playing are not for you, select music to sing or videos, prepare Power Point slides for songs, or operate the computer during worship. Talk with Pastor Rachel or a Praise Team member or contact Cathy Guffey (570-265-7518 or cdjm@frontiernet.net) to discuss how you could be involved.
LIBRARY NEWS!
“Hillbilly Elegy, A Memoir of a Family and Culture in
Crisis,” by J. D. Vance has been added to the church
library.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO HELP? Every Tuesday at 10 at the Personal Care
Home there is a short worship and prayer time. Helpers are needed to
transport residents to it, and return them. If you would like to help, please
call Bob Pzynar at 570.297.2586.
PASTOR RACHEL will be presenting a paper at a pastors’ conference
in Chicago in October. The topic is Puritan Jonathan Edwards’ views
about spiritual transformation. It is 13 pages long. Please see her if
you’d like a copy.
A BRIEF CONGREGATIONAL MEETING will take place on
Sunday, October 14, at the conclusion of worship. We will
elect officers to serve in 2019. Please be sure to attend!
WE WILL CELEBRATE FOUNDERS’ DAY on
Sunday, October 21, immediately following
morning worship. Please bring a dish to pass.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SHOEBOX DEADLINE—
Sunday, November 4 if you are packing your own shoebox. Please pick up a packing
box from the display in the Narthex. When you finish packing your box, tape your
completed label to the lid of the box, enclose the required postage and secure with a
rubber band. Drop off your box at the CE office.
Suggested Items to include in your own box: toys, pens, crayons, hair bows, head-
bands, socks, T-shirts, school supplies, kid's watches, flashlights with batteries, dolls,
and toy cars. Hygiene items including bars of soap, toothbrushes and washcloths are
also requested. Please put soap in a plastic bag.
Do NOT Include:
Candy; toothpaste; gum; used or damaged items; war-related items such as toy guns,
knives, or military figures; chocolate or food; seeds; fruit rolls or other fruit snacks;
drink mixes (powdered or liquid); liquids or lotions; medications or vitamins; breakable
items such as snow globes or glass containers; aerosol cans.
For more detailed information use this link:
https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/what-goes-in-my-
shoebox-suggestions/
If you do not wish to pack a box but would like to be a part of this worthwhile
project, consider a monetary donation toward the items purchased for Kids Club
members to pack. We will be packing boxes on Wednesday, November 7.
“The Right Way To Pray” by Xochitl Dixon
“When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is un-
seen.” Matt. 6:6
I admire people who record prayer requests in journals tattered from daily handling,
those who keep track of every prayer and praise and then faithfully update their lists. I’m in-
spired by those who gather with others to pray and whose kneeling wears out the carpet at
their bedsides. For years, I tried to copy their styles, to emulate a perfect prayer life, and to
imitate the eloquence of the so-much-more-articulate-than-me folks. I strived to unravel what
I thought was a mystery, as I longed to learn the right way to pray.
Eventually, I learned that our Lord simply desires prayer that begins and ends with humil-
ity (Matthew 6:5). He invites us into an intimate exchange through which He promises to listen
(v. 6). He never requires fancy or memorized words or phrases (v. 7). He assures us that prayer
is a gift, an opportunity to honor His majesty (vv. 9–10), to display our confidence in His provi-
sion (v. 11), and to affirm our security in His forgiveness and guidance (vv. 12–13).
God assures us He hears and cares about every single spoken and unspoken prayer, as well
as the prayers that slip down our cheeks as silent tears. As we place our trust in God and His
perfect love for us, we can be sure praying with a humble heart that’s surrendered to and de-
pendent on Him is always the right way to pray. Calling on Jesus as our loving Savior and Lord
is the right way to pray.
Lord, thank You for reminding us that You hear every prayer.
From Our Daily Bread, Sept. 16, 2018.
Addiction Awareness Sunday
On Oct. 28, we will have a special time in worship devoted to learning how
we as individuals and as a church can support people with addiction and their
families. Our speaker in worship will be Keith Kinsman, who lost his son to the
disease and has been highly active in ministering to those impacted by addiction.
After worship, Todd and Amy Carr will join Keith in leading a discussion and
answering questions. There will also be time for prayer. Invite your friends and neighbors! Please
contact Pastor Rachel if you have any questions.
Monthly Community Dinners Coming
Our community dinner for October
will be held on the 16th. The menu will be
spaghetti and meatballs with salad and
bread. This is your chance to invite your
friends, co-workers, and neighbors to join
us for fun and fellowship. We can always
use help preparing the food, serving,
cleaning up, and providing desserts like
brownies and cookies. If you would like to
help, please see Pastor Rachel or Danise
Fairchild.
We are also planning to have our
yearly Thanksgiving Dinner on Thanksgiv-
ing Day from noon-1. Check near the
secretary’s office to see what you can
donate to help clear out “Charlie Brown’s
pumpkin patch.” And we can always use
help the day before to prepare. Please see
Pastor Rachel or Danise Fairchild if you
can contribute. All are welcome!
All are invited to a spaghetti
dinner fundraiser held by our Knight
Life youth group. It will take place in
Patterson Hall on Saturday, Oct. 20,
from 5:30 to 6:30. Cost is your dona-
tion. No reservations are needed. All
proceeds will benefit the youth group’s
2019 summer mission trip to Toronto.
If you would like to help out with the
dinner, please see Pastor Rachel.
8 Steps to Forgiveness
Forgiving someone who hurt you is never easy. But with God, it
is possible. —Amber Penney
1. Acknowledge the pain. Sometimes it’s hard to admit you’ve
been hurt because doing so intensifies the feelings. But you
won’t be able to work through the pain until you admit you’re
hurting. Tears are a pretty good indicator that something’s
wrong. So are feelings of resentment.
2. Think through the pain. Be honest about how you feel, even if you think you shouldn’t feel that way.
Admit that you don’t like what happened or how you were treated and that it makes you sad or angry.
Try writing these feelings in a journal or sharing them with a trusted Christian friend.
3. Put yourself in the shoes of your offender. Think about a time when you have wronged another person,
maybe your parents, a sibling or a friend. You needed their forgiveness. Did that person extend for-
giveness to you, or withhold it? How did it make you feel? When it comes to forgiving others, remem-
ber these words from Jesus: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to
you…” (Matthew 7:12)
4. Remember that God forgave you. If you’re a Christian, you’ve admitted your need for God’s forgiveness.
Remembering how He forgave you, when you didn’t deserve it, can help you forgive others. You may
not be ready at this point to voice your forgiveness to your offender. IN fact, communication with that
person may be impossible if, for example, the person is no longer living. That’s OK. You can forgive
someone without having your offender accept your forgiveness.
5. Remember that God commands us to forgive. When Jesus taught about prayer, He stressed the im-
portance of forgiving others (Luke 11:14. And in Mark 11:25, He says, “If you hold anything against any-
one, forgive him…”
6. Let go of the pain. Once you’ve gone through the stages above, refuse to hold onto your hurt. Don’t
replay the offense over and over. Allowing yourself to get sad or angry again and again will only cause
you more pain. Determine that you are going to choose to forgive your offender. Your emotions might
not agree with this decision. This is where prayer comes in. Tell God you want to forgive, and ask Him
to change your heart toward the person who wronged you. You may want to consider voicing for-
giveness to your offender either vocally or through a letter. But again, if this isn’t possible, it doesn’t
mean you haven’t expressed forgiveness.
7. Continue to forgive. If the wound was deep, you’ll probably have to forgive more than once. When
memories of the wrong come to mind and you find yourself getting worked up over it, immediately go
to God in prayer.
8. Pray for the one who hurt you. It may be impossible to restore a relationship with your offender. For
example, you don’t know where the person lives or contacting this person could be a safety risk. But
you can pray for the one who hurt you. Ask God to reveal His love to your offender. Doing so will help
you to release any remaining resentment.
OCTOBER 2018
SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY
1
1PM Worship Team
5PM Trustees
6:30PM Scouts
6:30PM Women’ s Bible Study
2
9AM BS/Prayer
Group
12PM Seekers
3 Day of Prayer
8AM HH at Cup
5:30PM Kid’s Club
7:30PM Choir
4 5 6
7 Holy Communion
10AM Worship
11:30AM SS Classes
6PM Youth Group
8 Columbus Day
6:30PM Scouts
6:30 PM Outreach
Team
6:30PM Women’ s Bible Study
9
9AM BS/Prayer
Group
12PM Seekers
1:30PM Christian
Ed team
10
5:30PM Kid’s Club
7:30PM Choir
11 12
1PM Fellowship
Team
5th Quarter
13
14
10AM Worship
Congregational Meeting
11:30AM SS Classes
5:30PM Girl Scouts
6PM Youth Group
15
6:30PM Scouts
6:30PM Women’ s Bible Study
Tidings Deadline
16
9AM BS/Prayer Group
12PM Seekers
5:30 Community Dinner
17
5:30PM Kid’s Club
7:30PM Choir
18 19
5th Quarter
20
5:30PM
Youth Group
Spaghetti Dinner Fund Raiser
21 Founder’s Day
10AM Worship
11:30AM Founder’s Day Lunch
5:30PM Girl Scouts
6PM Youth Group
TACO Collection
22
6:30PM Scouts
6:30PM Women’ s Bible Study
23
9AM BS/Prayer
Group
12PM Seekers
24
5:30PM Kid’s Club
7:30PM Choir
25 26
5th Quarter
27
Halloween Parade
28
10AM Worship
5:30PM Girl Scouts
6PM Youth Group
Pastor Rachel on study leave
29
6:30PM Scouts
6:30PM Women’ s Bible Study
30
9AM BS/Prayer
Group
12PM Seekers
6PM Session
31
Halloween
NO Kid’s Club
7:30PM Choir
Presbytery Meeting in Cohes NY
Pastor Rachel on study leave
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