For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine

in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:6

JJ White Memorial Presbyterian Church

July 2013 Newsletter

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Unanimous Vote to Call New Pastor for JJ White

In a unanimous vote on June 16, 2013, the members of JJ White approved the recommendation of the Pastor Nominating Committee to call the Reverend Robert Phelps as our new pastor. We thank this committee for their diligence and faithfulness in carrying out their responsibilities.

The Pastor Nominating Committee takes a seat after making their report to the congregation. Pictured l. to r. are John Drummond, Sue White, Ralph Brock, Bill Mitchell, Kennon Singley, Andrew DeCoux and Stacey Moak.

Shown are the Reverend Bob Phelps and his wife Deanna. They will move from Brentwood, TN, to McComb in mid July, and Bob will begin serving as pastor at JJ White. His first Sunday in our pulpit will be on July 21. We all look forward to getting to know them and welcoming them into our church family.

Ms. BessRemembers...

Thanks to God and our Pastor’s Search Committee, we will be welcoming our new minister. Every morning for months I have sat at the breakfast table each morning and would pray for one, and soon. And often there were stipulations—a spouse who was musical was one of them. I would ask God to forgive me for that selfish request. May we give thanks often for our new pastor and family.

I remember when we first came to town in 1948. At that time Noggin Wild’s grandfather, Dr. Charles Guice, beloved minister, had died. There was an interim preacher a few Sundays . Then our new pastor Reverend Robert Craig and family arrived. They lived in the Manse on Missouri Avenue. Would you believe? His wife Floride played the piano and sang!!!This time my prayer was answered, too.

Let’s remember, when we are talking with our new minister and wife to say our names, not just the first time. May God be with them and all of us as we worship and serve our Lord Jesus Christ.

“The family of Newton H. James wishes to express their heartfelt appreciation to the J. J. White MPC congregation

for their visits, calls, prayers, and condolences during Newton’s illness and death.”

JJ White MPC Bible School a Success!

Thanks to the director India Warshauer and her crew the children who attended JJ White’s VBS “Go Tell It on the Mountain” had a great week, June 17-20. About 30 children attended and enjoyed crafts, singing, and learning together and raised $180 for the McComb Animal Shelter! Now they are all set to “go tell it on the mountain” or any other place they may go. Making this four days a success takes planning and help. Thanks to all the following who gave their time and energy to the kids:

Allison AllredStephen Allred Howard AndersonJoanna Barr Melisa DeCouxJudy DeerMelissa Kimmel

Will KimmelLinda MillerBillie NanceCarol RawlingsCarolyn RayJase RobertsMary Ann Ratcliff

Jackie RussellKennon SingleyMeredith SingleySara Beth WilliamsJ.D. WilliamsBeverly YatesElizabeth Yates

India Warshauer, Director

Bible

School

Faces

JJ White Memorial Presbyterian Church... Backstories _____________________Dr. Ralph Brock_____

Ceiling EmblemsIf you stand anywhere in the main sanctuary and look upward you see four gold coated emblems placed in symmetrical positions.  At first, they seem to be "out of place" in a House of

Worship, however, they have a history that is both unique a n d s o m e w h a t unusual.   They were i n s t a l l e d o n t h e c e i l i n g w h e n t h e church was built in 1921. The builder of t h e c h u r c h w a s August Wennerlund of German descent, and he was mainly responsible for using them. I f y o u a r e

fa m i l i a r w i t h t h e European part of World War II, you will notice that these emblems are very similar to what was used by the German Air Force. Between 1939 and 1945, Germany was considered our enemy, and some church members wanted these emblems removed completely. However, an interior decorator suggested that they be

covered with paint the same color as the ceiling, and they would not be as prominent. This was done and for the next 20-30 years no one seemed to know they were there.   Over time, bits and pieces of the emblems would fall off and when complete restoration of the Sanctuary was being planned, not a single complete emblem was left.   Jim Covington volunteered his time and talents to coordinate the restoration process and during this time, the bits and pieces of the remaining emblems were removed and enough parts were found to assemble one that was complete. The reassembled emblem was sent to a

lady in New Orleans who recreated four new emblems using horse hair and plaster and coated with gold paint and lacquer.The four new emblems were put in place and framed in a border as near like the original as possible.  They are there today for everyone to admire and enjoy for many years to come.

   

Missions Updates - Carol Wood, Missions Committee Chair✤ JJ White’s “Baby Bottle Boomerang” offering for the Crisis Pregnancy Center was $547.10. ✤ We have dispersed about $13,000 to local, regional and foreign missions this year.✤ The Reverend David Legters, long-time missionary in Merida, Mexico, and JJWMPC Missions Conference Expositor in 1993, passed away in March. Contact Carol for an address if you want to send a card or letter to the Legters family.✤ The money we distribute to the Living Waters for the World organization will be sent to the mission team for LWW based at First Trinity of Laurel to help fund their project in Cuba. (They presented information during a Wednesday Night Fellowship program earlier this year.)This team goes to Cuba and helps set up the project, trains local groups, then monitors it for several years.

Pictured is Jay Johnson as he performs a solo on a recent Sunday at JJ White MPC. Beth Wild has put together a great line up of performers for this summer while the chancel choir takes a little break. Jeremy Threlfall, Jennifer Sanders (frequent JJWhite musical guests), Mary Ann Ratcliff and Jay Johnson (JJ White members), Steve Cox, Robbie Cox, and Becky Rials (from First Christian of McComb) have been among this talented group of performers. We appreciate Beth’s work in making this happen and our performers for sharing their gifts during our morning worship service. The choir plans to resume after Labor Day. We enjoy the special music, but also look forward to having them back in their chairs on Sunday morning!

Special Summer

The Covenant Life Sunday School Class will soon begin a new study. The class has selected the book Journey to the Common Good by Walter Brueggemann. Walter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at

Columbia Theological Seminary. He is the world’s leading interpreter of the Old Testament and is the author of numerous books. Journey to the Common Good is described as follows: “Respected author and theologian Walter Brueggemann turns his discerning eye to the most critical yet basic needs of a world adapting to a new era, an era defined in large part by America's efforts to rebuild from an age of terror even as it navigates its way through an economic collapse. ...Brueggemann calls us to journey together to the common good through neighborliness, covenanting, and reconstruction. ... Brueggemann considers biblical texts as examples of the journey now required of the faithful if they wish to move from isolation and distrust to a practice of neighborliness, as an invitation to a radical choice for life or for death, and as a reliable script for overcoming contemporary

problems of loss and restoration in a failed urban economy. The study will be led by Bob Arnold, JJ White member, who moved to this area from New York City. As a lay leader in a local congregation there and in work for Church World Service, he learned about a broad-range of justice issues and the community organizing

work that is central to social justice ministry. He served as Clerk of Session at West-Park Presbyterian Church which led community action around public school and homelessness-housing issues in New York City when the Rev. Robert M. Davidson, the 1980 Moderator of the General Assembly of the United Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), served as pastor there.  From 1992-2009,

Bob worked in a specialized social justice ministry at Church World Service in New York City which assisted local churches throughout the country in developing response to natural and human-caused disasters in their communities. His life experiences definitely relate to this study. Please let Bob know if you want to join the class and need a book. The study will begin on July 14, but the books will be available next week. The Covenant Life Sunday School Class encourages you to come to their class on any Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m.!

Covenant Life Sunday School Class Begins New Study

Bob Arnold

Time with the children...

! Christian Ed. Chair, Kennon Singley (top photo) and Linda Miller (bottom photo), who taught ! at JJ White’s recent Bible School, each talk with the children during “Children’s Sermon” time--! a regular part of the morning worship service. One thing is pretty obvious from the smiles in ! the congregation--the adults look forward to this time as much as the children.

Luncheon to Honor Charles and Carolyn Ray

JJ White MPC will honor Pastor Charles Ray and his wife Carolyn

for their service to our church with a luncheonon Sunday, July 14,

following the morning service.Mark your calendar for this important event!

Ushers/GreetersTommy Ratcliff, CaptainRobbie DeCouxJohn DrummondStacey MoakBillie NanceMark StathamPhil Terrell

Men’s Interdenominational Breakfast Group

3 Phil Terrell, Kennon Singley 10 Dale Perdeye, Whit Whittington17 Steve Blue, Noggin Wild24 Renan Richmond, Rick Penick31 Jimmy C. Robertson, Whitney Rawlings

July Schedules and Lists

Ha!y Bi"hday to ...July

2 John Drummond 6 (Laris Mitchell) 7 Suzi Drummond 12 (Carolyn Ray)13 Lydia Williams20 June Hart 22 Lisa Sibley25 Rachel Catchings26 (Thaddeus Russell) 28 Linda Miller29 Conner Simmons30 Nicole Faucett

August

4 Keith Sanders6 Spike Simmons14 Jane Walman 16 Phil Terrell18 Beverly Yates19 Ron Yates21 Martha Simmons25 (Drew Parker)26 John Boyd

(Gary Russell) 27 Don Wickens 30 Eileen Cato

Flowers 7 Beverly and Ron Yates14 Donna and Darrell Smith21 Dixie and Trey Fouche 28 Rusty Whittington

Children’s Church 7 Meredith Singley 14 Melisa DeCoux21 Lee Williams28 Merissa Estes

Elder of the Month: Robbie DeCoux

1 2 3

7:15 am Men’s Breakfast 5:30 Wed. Night Fellowship (all ages)6:00 Adult Study

4

IndependenceDay

5 6

7

9:00 Breakfast9:30 Sunday School

10:30: Worship Communion

8 9

PW Noon

Bible Study

11:30 a.m. in Fellowship

Hall

10 7:15 am

Men’s Breakfast 5:30 Wed. Night Fellowship (all ages)6:00 Adult Study

11 12 13

14

9:00 Breakfast 9:30 Sunday School10:30: Worship

15

Nursing HomeVisitation

3:00 PM

16 17 7:15 am

Men’s Breakfast 5:30 Wed. Night Fellowship (all ages)6:00 Adult Study

18 19 20

21

9:00 Breakfast9:30 Sunday School

10:30: Worship

22 23 24 7:15 am Men’s Breakfast

5:30 Wed. Night Fellowship (all ages)6:00 Adult Study

25 26 27

28

MICA Sunday9:00 Breakfast9:30 Sunday School

10:30: Worship

29 30 31 7:15 am Men’s Breakfast

5:30 Wed. Night Fellowship (all ages)6:00 Adult Study

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

In summer, the song sings itself. ~William Carlos Williams

July 2013

Camp Sunshine - July 10-13