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First Presbyterian Church of Towanda
5 Court St., Towanda PA 18848
570-265-5575
Email - [email protected]
Website - www.fpctowanda.com
Facebook - Fans of First Presbyterian Church
FROM PASTOR RACHEL...
With the coming of September, many of our ministries are gearing up again, and others are starting
new. Here’s what’s going on, so you can get involved and bring a friend to take part, too!
Flourishing Disciples has been presented throughout the summer . Take your faith to the next
level by engaging in materials that evaluate your individual spiritual strengths and needs. This begins Sept.
8 at 11:30, and then meets Oct. 6, Nov. 1-2, and once more in January. You will be blessed, and bless oth-
ers, by taking part.
The 5th Quarter is serving Towanda youth after home football games for the 9th season. The
remaining dates are Sept. 6 & 20 and Oct. 4. Please see Craig Wollenberg to learn how you can pitch in.
Our monthly Community Dinners will resume on Tuesday, September 17, with a cookout. Come at
5:30 and be sure to invite a coworker, neighbor, or friend so they can be introduced to our congregation. If
you’d like to help with cooking, serving, or cleanup, please contact Danise Fairchild. Future dates are Oct.
15, Thanksgiving Day, and Dec. 17.
Cornerstone Presbytery will have its fall gathering at Grace Ridge Church, Honesdale, Septem-
ber 27-28. Come for Friday and Saturday, or just one day. Our guest speaker is national ECO leader Nate
Dreesman, who will be sharing about leadership development in our congregations. Please talk with Pastor
Rachel for details about attending.
These are just some of the ways you can grow in
faith and be involved in our ministries. Do you need to
do it all? Of course not. But everyone needs to pitch in
and contribute. The Body of Christ is strongest when
each and every one of us uses our gifts, loves one another
practically, and grows in knowledge of the Lord. Be sure
to do your part!
You’re Invited to a Party!
On September 21 from 5 to 7:30, please
come to Patterson Hall for a birthday
party. Pastor Rachel is turning 50! There
will be a light meal and of course, cake.
Instead of a gift, please make a donation to
Grace Connection, Hezekiah’s Hands, or
TACO. Please RSVP to Cathy Guffey at
[email protected] by September 9.
Fall Sermon Series About Worship
On September 8, Pastor Rachel will be starting a sermon series about worship. Until the
beginning of Advent, we will be thinking about what worship is, and is not. We will consider
what God’s Word tells us about genuine
worship, and how we can worship 7 days a
week. We will also consider why our congre-
gation worships the way it does, and what
church architecture has to do with worship. If
there is a topic or question you would like
Pastor Rachel to include in these sermons,
please let her know!
THE MONDAY NIGHT WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY will
resume its meetings on September 9 from
6:30-7:30. All ladies are
welcome! When we
meet the first time,
we’ll choose what study
we prefer. Please
contact Pastor Rachel if
you have any questions.
September Birthdays
3 - Carisma Howard
4 - Dawn Terascavage
9 - Virginia McPherson
11 - Bob Cooper
13 - Jerry Young
15 - Susan Hall
16 - Brynleigh Carey, Chuck Chenot
17 - Joyce Hinkson
19 - Linda Hall Smith
21 - Pastor Rachel, Allison Fairchild
24 - Patrick Walsh
25 - Sandy Walsh
28 - Judy Parmenter
June 30, 2019
First Presbyterian Church
5 Court St
Towanda, PA 18848-1801
Dear First Presbyterian Church,
I am writing to let you know that after 49 and 37 years respectively of successful ministry, Jim and Joan Farr have now
retired from Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. On behalf of all Jim and Joan's colleagues in Wycliffe USA, I want to express
our deep gratitude for your involvement with them through the years with your prayers, financial investments and
encouragement. Your support has sustained and encouraged them in this ministry.
We thank the Lord for Jim & Joan and for their significant contribution to the work of Bible translation. Jim completed
two New Testaments in the Korafe and Baruga languages and, along with his first wife Cindi (deceased), a number of
linguistic papers. He served as Associate Director of the branch and as a translation consultant and workshop leader. In
Joan's work with the Kombio people, she published Matthew and Jonah, directed the drafting of lectionary readings
and audio recordings. After marrying Jim, she oversaw adult literacy and audio recordings for the Barugas and taught
many Papua New Guineans in yearly translation training courses.
Jim and Joan will be living in a retirement village in the Orlando area and look forward to developing new interests and
relationships as well as spending more time with kids and grandkids. Jim wants to learn Spanish and perhaps tutor local
children. Joan is looking for opportunities to do some teaching or tutoring/spiritual direction or prayer ministry.
Jim and Joan are grateful that the Lord has blessed them financially. Their resources will provide ample retirement
income. Therefore, the Farrs urge you to continue to partner in Bible translation through other channels. Donor Rela-
tions will be happy to put you in touch with other missionaries whose Wycliffe ministries need additional financial part-
ners. They can be found at www.wycliffe.org/donate or by contacting Donor Relations at 407-852-3600.
Please join us in prayer for Jim and Joan as they make this major transition. Thank you again for the significant role
you've played in making their ministry possible, and for the progress this has meant in providing God's Word to all peo-
ple. If you have any questions, please contact Judy Stuckey at 706-816-4995 or senior_benefits [email protected].
Warmly in Christ,
Dr. John Chesnut
President/CEO
Wycliffe Bible Translators USA
Wycliffe
WYCLIFFE BIBLE TRANSLATORS PO BOX 628200
TEC 407-852-3600 FAX 407-852-3601
ORCANDO, 32862-8200 wycliffe.org
NOW IS THE TIME to buy flip flops at the dollar
stores for Operation Christmas Shoe Box. A large range
of sizes are needed (child to adult). This is a popular item
to pack each year.
ALSO…be on the lookout for good deals on school
supplies. These are also needed!
Prayer Items: Day of Prayer Sept. 4
For children and teachers as they return to school -- may they do their best, be
safe, and grow strong in mind and body
For our ministries that are beginning, or beginning again, to honor God, grow us
in faith, and inspire us to tell others about salvation through our Lord Jesus. May
many of us take part, and not be pew potatoes.
For our church leadership to be energized, have God’s wisdom and courage, and
be persistent in serving Him with enthusiasm.
For the children, teens, and their families we will minister to this school year--
may their hearts be touched by the Holy Spirit, and trust in Jesus.
For each of us to love and serve our neighbors, coworkers, family, and friends as
humble representatives of our Lord Jesus. Let’s pray for them regularly, and seek
out ways to show them kindness.
The following books have been donated to the library:
Autopsy of a Deceased Church, by Thom Rainer
Get Real: Sharing Your Everyday Faith Everyday by John S. Leonard
Additions include:
The Baggage Handler, by David Rawlings
Hope in the Dark, by Craig Groeschel
Heaven on Earth series by Ruth Reid
SACRIFICE=JOY God has bestowed upon some Christians the spiritual gift of giving. They often begin by sacrificing something dear to their hearts to express their love for their Savior. But the more they give to their church, missions, or to meet the needs of others, the more God provides! It be-comes a “vicious” circle, and the more God provides for them to give back to Him, the more joy they experience in giving. By the end of his life, one man, R. G. LeTourneau, was giving 90 per-cent of his income to the Lord!
Some of us with other spiritual gifts struggle to give, however. We may fall into one of the first four levels below:
1) The TIP level. Those who give a few dollars as they would tip a waitress or a parking at-tendant, just a little token of appreciation for the Lord.
2) The ENTERTAINMENT level. Those who give only when they come to church, as if they were attending a ball game or a concert.
3) The EMOTIONAL level. Those who give only when emotionally stirred, according to their feelings.
4) The PROMISE level. Those who promise between themselves and the Lord that they will give, but sometimes forget their promise.
5) The BIBLICAL level. Those who give tithes and offering as the Bible teaches—cheerfully, sacri-ficially, regularly—and find great joy in giving.
Even as King of Israel, David was aware of God’s authority over him, and knew he should honor that authority with sacrificial giving. In 2 Samuel 24:24, when he was offered property at no cost to use for worship, he refused, saying, “Neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing.”
“Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:20-21).
—K.E. Horsley
September Scripture Readers
1 - Jerry Young
8 - Lynn Homet
15 - Steve Homet
22 - Pearl Fox
29 - Jack Fox
September Greeters
1 - Cynthia Young
8 - Jack & Pearl Fox
15 - Lois Smith
22 - Robert Cooper
29 - Dave & Cathy Guffey
Growth as a Worshiper
Since Pastor Rachel is beginning a sermon series about worship, let’s get our minds and hearts “in the
mood” by thinking about how you and I worship now, and how we might grow to worship the Lord more
meaningfully. Steven J. Cole offers 7 practical ideas on how to grow as a true worshiper.
1. Make sure that you truly believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. You don’t worship to gain
eternal life; you worship because God has given you eternal life. Worship is your response after you have
believed by God’s grace through Christ’s atoning death on your behalf.
2. Establish a daily time alone with God in the Word and in prayer. I cannot over-emphasize this. Wor-
ship is your response to the truth that God has revealed in His Word. Prayer is a response to the truth of
the Word. Without spending consistent time alone with the Lord, your soul will shrivel up. You won’t wor-
ship.
3. Eliminate all of the garbage from the world that hinders your growth in worshiping God. The world
is constantly competing for our worship. It bombards us daily through media. If a TV show or movie defiles
you or crowds out your daily time with the Lord, cut it out. If the computer gobbles up your time, you’ve
got to restrict it. If you’re yielding to the temptation to view porn on your computer, you’re in serious spir-
itual trouble (Matt. 5:27-30)! You cannot glorify God with your body unless you flee from immorality (1 Cor.
6:18-20). You’ve got to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness (1 Tim. 4:7), because true worship is
inseparable from godliness.
4. Prepare your heart Saturday night for corporate worship on Sunday morning. I have an advantage
on you, in that to survive in the pulpit on Sundays, I have to prepare my heart Saturday evenings. I don’t go
to social events on Saturday evenings. I’m not suggesting that you do as I do in that regard, but I am sug-
gesting that you should get home early enough to spend some time before the Lord, making sure that your
heart is right with Him and praying that He would be honored by our worship as we gather on Sunday.
5. Put away distractions on Sunday mornings, and don’t be a distraction to other worshipers. Don’t
read the bulletin during singing or the sermon. If you have a medical condition that requires you to use the
restroom during the worship service, sit near the back and on an aisle so you don’t disturb others. If you’re
thirsty, you can wait until the service is over to get a drink. If your child is a distraction to others, take him
to the nursery or out of the service.
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6. Ignore others around you and remember that God is the audience. There is a balance here. We
should feel free to express our love to God outwardly without worrying about what others think of us. David
danced before the Lord even though it embarrassed his wife, but God sided with David (2 Sam. 6:14-23). On
the other hand, if you’re so demonstrative that you’re distracting others and calling attention to yourself,
you’re out of balance. “All things must be done properly and in an orderly manner” (1 Cor. 14:40).
7. Spend time worshiping God in His creation. If you live in a big city, you’ll have to work harder at this
than we who live in beautiful Flagstaff do. But wherever you are, pay attention to what God has made: the
night sky with its stars; the sun to warm the day and give light (Ps. 19:1-6); the flowers, the birds, the butter-
flies, and even the bugs; your body, which is fearfully and wonderfully made (Ps. 139:14). In Romans 1:18-21,
Paul indicts ungodly people who have ignored the evidence of the Creator that is all around them in His crea-
tion. Their sin was that they did not honor God or give thanks. In other words, they didn’t worship the Crea-
tor. But that’s our ultimate priority!
What are some worldly influences that choke out worship in your life? How should you deal with
them?
Complete this sentence: If truly worshiping God is my priority, my daily schedule must change by ….
Pray for the Lord’s guidance and discipline to make this a reality.
From bible.org, August 11, 2013
COMING IN SEPTEMBER...
“I depend on God to save me and to honor
me. He is my mighty rock and my place of
safety.” Psalm 62:7
Superheroes will be the theme for KIDS CLUB from
September through May! Each week kids will look at
an aspect of being a superhero and learn that God is
our ultimate superhero.
Sometimes superheroes do great
things. Other times it’s the little things
that make them super. Big and small
things add up to a life that honors God
and allows us to some super things for
others.
to KIDS CLUB on Wednesday, September 18!
6-7:30pm
S.W.A.G. also begins Wednesday, September 18 from 6-7:30pm Kids in grades 6th through 8th are invited to celebrate life and connect with God through great music, laughter, fun games and challenging messages from God’s Word.
Adult Sunday School will start Sunday,
September 15 at 11:30am.
The DeWitt Room class will begin the fall w ith Eternity Is Now in Session,
a five week study by John Ortberg and Gary Moon. What does it really mean to be
saved? Many people think “being saved” is about meeting the
minimum entrance requirements for getting into heaven when
they die. But that’s not how Jesus talked about it. In fact,
Jesus defines “eternal life” only once, with great precision,
and in a way that has been largely lost in our day.
Filmed on location in Israel in cooperation with the Dallas
Willard Center, the Eternity Is Now in Session curriculum thoroughly explores Je-
sus’ definition of eternal life and what it really means to be a disciple of Christ.
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD SHOEBOX PROJECT Every
fall the KIDS CLUB children participate in packing boxes for Operation Christmas
Child. Monetary donations are the most helpful!