LINKS of WIPC Linking our members and friends

to our church, our community and our world.

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December 2018

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“Gratitude is a gift to receive as well as a virtue to pursue. We don’t have anything to give, except as we have received. Every breath of life, every heartbeat, every conscious thought is a gift. Every person we meet, every friend we make, every relationship that warms the heart and challenges the soul is a gift. Every opportunity to work, every meaningful task, every dollar earned is a gift. Our lifelong task is learning how to respond to grace with graciousness. In the meantime, poet George Herbert invites us to pray with him: Thou that hast given so much to me, Give one thing more: a grateful heart.” William G. Carter

Friends,

On December 2nd we will be kicking off our stewardship campaign with our Pony Express runs. Families in our church will have the opportunity to participate as Route Riders by filling out their “Estimate of Giving” card, placing it in the Pony Express Saddlebag and hand-delivering the Saddlebag to another family of our church. In the days that follow, this process will be repeated until each of the 9-10 family Trail Routes are completed.

I am excited about our Pony Express “Run,” but to be honest, it’s just a gimmick (although a fun one) to try to get more folks in our church to participate. The real foundation of our stewardship campaign is an opportunity to demonstrate our gratitude to God for all that God has done, is doing, and promises to do in the future in our midst.

As part of our preparation for our Pony Express program, we asked some of our members to respond to the simple question, “Why do I give to God through my church?” Their responses have been included in various mailings and emails throughout our campaign, but I wanted to pull out a few select quotes:

“God has been so gracious to entrust this treasure to me that I feel inspired and joyful to give back a portion.”

“My small contribution is much more effective when combined with other giving and channeled through the church.”

“I give to God through my church because He first gave to me. I support the ways our church educates its members and reaches out to the community. As I continue to grow in my faith and give to the church, God continues to bless my life.”

It is my hope and prayer that all of our members and friends will prayerfully seek God’s guidance and direction as we consider our stewardship commitments for the coming year. Our view of stewardship is rooted in an understanding of God who is the source of all that there is. And let us not forget that stewardship is more than just money: it is about committing our time, our talents and our treasures, for all are gifts from God; gifts to be used wisely and thoughtfully.

There are many things to be excited about in our midst, but there are many challenges before us as well. We need everyone to add their voices to the new songs that are being sung in our church – all to the glory of God!

In Christ’s love,

Andy

“Stewardship is not something we can put on or take off as the seasons change. Stewardship, like faith, must be woven into the fabric of our lives. Giving thanks, singing praise, and proclaiming God’s love to the world are our most precious gifts – to God, to neighbor, and to self.” Gregory Coulter

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All Sunday School classes will break for the holidays. No classes December 23rd or 30th.

Classes will resume on Sunday, January 6th, 2019.

Preparation for our 2018 Children’s Christmas Pageant is as follows: • Sundays, December 2

nd & 9

th Pageant Practices 9 AM Sanctuary

• SATURDAY, December 15th

Dress rehearsal from 9 to 11 AM • Sunday, December 16

th Final dress rehearsal & Pageant: 9 AM

Look for opportunities to plug your children into the pageant with either speaking or non-speaking roles! Thank you to this year’s directors: Meg Adams, Meredith Burns, Emily Kesterson, Melissa McCurry and Amy Estes.

The children’s Sunday school program, Christ’s Lighthouse Kids (CLiK) will not gather on December 23

rd or 30

th but will resume on January 6

th with a three-week rotation on the

Sacrament of Baptism.

Got children OR grandchildren?

How about Summer Camp in January?

This is a fantastic opportunity for your family to sample what

Savannah Presbytery’s annual summer camp is like January

4-5th, 2019. Our own Missy Nilsen will be Camp Director!

Registration forms are due to Savannah Presbytery by December 7th, 2018.

Youth Calendar of Events

On December 2nd

, following worship we will have a confirmation parent/youth meeting to answer questions and give overview of confirmation program. Confirmation class will begin in January and is for 8

th and 9

th grade students.

The Journey on December 7th

at 6:30 PM: Youth & families will leave the church at 5:00 PM for car pool.

December 9th

following worship: Christmas party and gift exchange: We will have lunch in the youth room. Please bring a wrapped gift costing no more than $10.

Youth are invited to participate with the Black Light Theater Troupe. Dress rehearsal will be held on Wednesday, December 5

th at 6:30 PM. Performance will be on December 12

th following

Wednesday Night Supper.

December 31st

from 10:30 AM - Noon: Noon Years Eve fundraiser party. Cost: $5 for Children ages 1-12, Adults are free. Please see the youth face book page and emails to see how youth families can sign up to participate.

Have You Heard? ________ ____ ___

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Wednesday Night Suppers

5:45 PM

In December we will meet on the first two

Wednesdays, December 5th, and 12th for dinner

at 5:45 PM followed by various programs and

activities that are sure to put you in the

Christmas spirit.

December 12th

O Come All Ye Faithful…

Come join us for dinner which will

be followed by a visit from our

favorite “Jolly” guy with the white

beard and red hat. Sign up on

Sunday mornings or call the church office

(897-1840) to reserve your place!

We will take a break over the holidays

and resume our gatherings on

Wednesday, January 9th.

Monday

December 24th

5:00 PM

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service

Come early to ensure a good seat.

Singers Needed!

We could use some help filling out our

choir loft on December 23rd for

Lessons and Carols at 10:30 AM and

Christmas Eve worship at 5:00 PM.

If you’re willing and able to help out, please plan to

join us at choir rehearsals in December on

Wednesdays at 7:00 PM.

Interest Circle Gathering

The ladies of the Interest Circle will gather at the home of Ken Dunn (11 N. Marsh Rd.) on

Tuesday, December 11th at 11:00 AM for lunch. Please bring a food item to share and a gift to

exchange. Please RSVP to Ken Dunn (897-2605). Also, please feel free to bring a friend!

...will soon be located in the sanctuary narthex for all members and friends who have made pledges for 2019.

If you have any questions, please contact our church accountant, Tom McNeal, or the church office.

MISSION REPORT 2018 is rapidly coming to a close and the Mission Committee is wrapping up important annual projects.

• Congregation members will be selecting Angel Tree gifts for children who have an incarcerated parent and gift distribution will take place.

Final mission dollars for 2018 have also been allocated to the following areas:

• $2,000 to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance to support devastation both here at home and worldwide.

• $2,000 to the Tiny House Project supporting the faith sponsored phase in Savannah with

possible more support to come in the new year.

• $500 to Mission Hope to assist in the post disaster relief in Indonesia.

Postponed!! Annual Silent Auction with a Low

Country Boil & Chili Cook-Off

This event will be rescheduled for after the new year.

Please watch for the new date.

VISA Lunch

Our Very important Senior Adults

will gather for lunch at

Cohen’s Retreat

(5716 Skidaway Rd.)

on Thursday, December 20th, at 11:45. Please RSVP by using the Sunday Bulletin insert

or call the church office.

Ben Duval 12/1

Nancy Hastie 12/1

Mike Adams 12/3

Mark Haskins 12/3

Andy Meeker 12/4

Emma Michaels 12/4

Hank Tucker 12/5

Jane Tucker 12/5

Joe Gonzalez 12/6

Cheryl Hunter 12/7

Debby McIncrow 12/7

Lily McIncrow 12/8

Tracy Gonzalez 12/9

Garrett Robertson 12/9

Susie Winn 12/10

David Maher 12/11

Bonnie McNeal 12/11

Emma Sprouse 12/11

Miki Duval 12/13

Hank Hutcheson 12/13

Dave Orr 12/14

Lydia Gross 12/15

Rick Ross 12/15

Stacy Earhart 12/17

Carol Bailey 12/18

John DeGryse 12/18

Davy Clay 12/19

Joe Dunn 12/20

Jim Olson 12/20

Max Robertson 12/21

Brian Poticny 12/23

Jeffery Gonzalez 12/25

Jessica Smith 12/25

Mary Simpson 12/26

Millie Croom 12/27

Emmaline Maher 12/27

Steven Estes 12/28

Bill Grubbs 12/28

Melissa McCurry 12/28

Bob Moore 12/29

Hunter Ginn 12/30

Holly Adams 12/31

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY

Paul & Maria Theron 12/04

Mark & Karin Best 12/09

Alec & Susan Jones 12/15

Stephen & Judy Walker 12/28

Steven & Lydia Cheshire 12/29

Jeff & Stacy Earhart 12/29

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WIPC Family,

Words cannot express how grateful I am for each one of you. Thank you all so much for all the help with the apartment, funeral home cost, and additional financial help for me. It means more to me than I can ever express. You all meant so much to Jeff and will always be my church family. I hope to see everyone when I come back to Savannah and visit. Love,

Amalia Stites

Tuesday Morning Bible Study is currently using Rob Bell’s NOOMA videos through the month of December for discussion. No preparation is needed to join in the conversation each Tuesday from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM. In January, we will begin a book of the Bible study of Acts of the Apostles. Our conversation will be guided by N.T. Wright’s For Everyone series. Everyone is invited to join us and childcare is provided. Thursday Evening Women’s Bible Study is not meeting through December but will resume on January 17th at 7:00 PM with the seven-week study; The Bible from Scratch: The New Testament. All women are invited to join us for study and fellowship at the home of Marty Susie. If you would like more information or to be added to the email list to get notifications of studies, please contact Marty at marbull@comcast.net. The Women’s Retreat participants created soup-mix kits during their time together at New Ebenezer Retreat Center. These kits will be given to each of the families that our congregation supports through this year’s Angel Tree Program in addition to the gifts.

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From the Finance Committee

Once again, our monthly expenses outpaced our income for October (see below). Some landscaping bills and higher than expected insurance premiums were the biggest culprits on the expense side. On the income side, our member giving continues to lag. Overall, through October, we have a budget deficit of almost $24,000.

In November we have done some analysis of member giving: 58%t of the congregation is behind on their pledged amount, and we have only received 86% of the total pledged amount.

If you are current with your pledge, we thank you for your faithful giving. If you are behind, we encourage

you to get current with your pledge before the end of the year. If you did not pledge, please know that your

generous giving will help us end the year on a positive note.

2018

Budget

October

2018

Year to Date

(thru 10/31/18)

Budget

Year to Date

Last Year to Date (10/31/18)

Contributions $22,960 $254,099 $264,417 $249,059

Other Income $8,350 $72,925 $72,225 $57,544

Expenses $40,578 $350,797 $336,642 $345,993

Total - $9,268 - $23,773 $0 - $29,390

Faith Enhancement Conference February 15,16, 2019 St. Simons Island

All are invite to experience the Savannah Presbytery’s annual Faith Enrichment Conference. This event provides an opportunity for you to meet and mingle with fellow PC(USA) congregants while enriching your own faith walk through workshops, worship and this year’s Keynote speaker, Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow.

Our own Youth will be providing a Prayer Room for participants to experience at the conference. There will be carpool available for those who would like to travel together. Childcare is available for young children, and youth are invited to take part in the conference workshops. Families eat meals (and room) together.

Nominating Committee

Please keep the Nominating Committee in your prayers as they meet to discern God’s will and to extend calls to serve as Elders and Deacons in our church (and congregationally elected members of next year’s Nominating Committee).

And be ready to prayerfully answer the call if you are contacted to serve!

Members of the Nominating Committee are:

Cary Adams Dave Maher

Mary Simpson Sarah Vohringer

Karen Martin Bazemore

“But as for you...pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession.”

1 Timothy 6:11,12

The Pony Express

is Coming!!

Get ready to be a

Trail Rider!!

Wilmington Island Presbyterian Church 450 North Cromwell Road

Savannah, GA 31410

912-897-1840

wipc@bellsouth.net

www.wipcsav.org

Rev. Andy Meeker, Pastor

Marty Susie, Christian Educator

Missy Nilsen, Youth Director

Amy Estes, Music Director

Harcourt Waller, Organist

Lucille Schaffner, Secretary

Tom McNeal, Accountant

Kathleen Pecic, Preschool Director 897-7568

NON-PROFIT ORG.

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

SAVANNAH, GA

Permit No. 448

Return Service Requested

• December Opening/Closing: Jack Susie, Lex Bailey,

Norvin Eubank III

• December Elder Greeter: Mary Simpson

• Sunday School Preschool Teachers: Meg Adams,

Barbara Kaneiwa,

• Nursery Helpers: Sarah Vohringer, Molly Krifchin

• December Communion Servers: Rhoda Voth,

Sue Burdette, Barbara Kaniewa, Mary Simpson,

Karen Martin–Bazemore, John DeGryse, Phil Burns,

Tom Marsicano, Joe Dunn