Celebrating 125 years!

The Prairie Light

November 2014 Edition First Presbyterian Church * P.O. Box 236 * Liberal, KS 67905 * presby@swko.net * (620)624-5487 Office

Ramblings ….from Mary Lambert, Clerk of Session

Music on Sunday Mornings: I think everyone is aware that there is a shortage of people who can play the organ today.

We struggle each week to find someone who can just play the piano for our worship service. It is rare that we get to have an organist; and we have had weeks when we didn’t have anyone. I don’t know about you, but I left worship feeling something was missing.

Our church is fortunate to have a very nice, high quality pipe organ, but there is no one to play it. Many of us miss hearing it on Sunday morning.

There is something special about walking into the sanctuary on Sunday morning and hearing the organ playing. Until now, I have always attended a church that had a pipe organ, and hearing music from the organ along with the voices of the congregation has a very strong spiritual impact on me. I know others feel the same way.

Music is a very important part of worship in the Presbyterian Church. AND there is a solution!! The session members have been working with our “organ man” who maintains our

organ by tuning, repairing, etc. He can now install some equipment to the organ that will allow us to play recorded organ music through the pipes of our organ.

Isn’t technology wonderful!!!!

With this equipment, each week we can hear real organ music played by professional organists. The company will furnish us each week, via computer to our iPad, our choice of hymns along with the appropriate prelude, offertory, and postlude based on the hymns selected.

The fee each week is less than half what we pay a person to play the organ or piano on a Sunday morning.

The cost of this conversion is $4000.00 including installation. We are currently looking for donations to cover this. What a

Celebrating 125 years!

The Prairie Light

November 2014 Edition First Presbyterian Church * P.O. Box 236 * Liberal, KS 67905 * presby@swko.net * (620)624-5487 Office

Ramblings ….from Mary Lambert, Clerk of Session

great gift we all can share in giving, by donating to the Virtual Organist Fund.

If you would like to see this happen, and bring the organ back to our worship service, just mark your check “for organ project,” and place in the offering plate on Sunday morning, or mail or drop by the church office

Special Days!!!Holy Communion will be observed Sunday,

November 3, 2013.

Community Food Cupboard

Sunday, Nov. 3, 2013

First Sunday of the month is dedicated to helping those in need. Please bring your canned foods to support this ministry.

Support for the Deacon's

Fund Every Sunday

Every Sunday of the month the loose change in the offering goes to the Deacon Fund. The Deacons give generously to those in need through your generosity and support of this

ministry. Thank you for your generous support!

Harvest Festival Dinner

Our annual Harvest Festival Dinner, Nov. 17, is one of our most loved feasts of the year! There is be a sign up sheet in the foyer so we can be sure we have all our tasty favorites! This is a wonderful time for coming together in fellowship - to share our joys, give thanks, grow as a church family, & acknowledge all that God has provided for us!

Advent Decorating PartyJoin us after worship November 24 to help decorate the sanctuary (“Hanging of the Greens” traditionally) in preparation for Advent & Christmas! Get in the Christmas spirit with us. Bring a brown bag lunch that day and we

can eat together after we finish decorating, in the family room!!

From the Secretary It will soon be Thanksgiving a time to be thankful for what God as blessed us with in our lives. I am thankful for all the wonderful things I have in my life, I belong to a loving church with a very busy job as secretary. I also have a wonderful son Daniel and a brother Terry (my brother lives in Wichita). So I don’t see him often but we talk to each other by e-mail almost every day.

Also I am thankful for my sister Alberta (we have adopted each other). She has been such a blessing to my life and I know that God sent this wonderful angel to my life because he knew that I was going to need her, God is so good, he helps us in so many ways that we don’t even think about. Thank you God for this caring and loving friend!

I am also thankful for my other wonderful friends. They keep me really busy and when you are alone,you really need your friends!!

Blessings to you all at this Thanksgiving as you enjoy your time together with your family!! Cathy

Veterans Day, November 11In this month of Thanksgiving, let us say a special prayer on November 11 for those who have served our country & for those currently serving abroad. We have been & are blessed!!

CHRISTMAS JOYOFFERING

beginsSunday, December 1

(will be received throughout Advent)

This is the final of 4 denomination-wide offerings taken throughout the year. It is a special offering that goes specifically to the Board of Pensions to assist clergy with inadequate

pensions (50%) & to Presbyterian racial ethnic schools & colleges (50%). More on this next month & in bulletin inserts.

UPDATE ON THE PASTORAL SEARCH:

Special thanks to all of you who have completed and returned theCongregational Survey. If you haven’t had time to complete the survey, it is not to late. You can still complete and return. The more information we receive, the easier it will be to establish ourchurch’s mission and needs in a pastor. As we analyze and compile the information from the Survey, the pattern that develops will be the bases for which the Pastor Nominating Committee will base the search.

The next step for the session will be to assess the church’s finances and determine what we can pay a pastorto serve our church. Once we have established the mission of the churchand know what we will be able to offer as the compensation package,

it will be time to elect the Pastor Search/Nominating Committee who will be responsible for finding a candidate to serve as our pastor.

CONGREGREGATION MEETING REPORT:

Sunday, October 6, 2013, followinga Congregational Dinner, the Congregational Meeting for the purpose of electing members of the congregation to serve a three year term as an Elder on the Session or asa Deacon on the Board of Deacons.

Elected as Elders are Lori Hensley and Bob Oblander; and as Deacons are Janet Lewis and Jonice Oblander. They will be installed and take office in January 2014.

Elected to serve as members of the 2014 Nominating Committee are: Elder Fred Bloom, as chair and Mary Lambert, Ken Thompson, and Tammy Sutherland Abbott representing the congregation.

We appreciate each of these members for their willingness to serve and know that God will guide them in the tasks before them.:

Church Office ClosedNovember 11th Veterans Day

AndNovember 28th & 29th

Thanksgiving Holiday

HAPPY

THANKSGIVING!!

November 7 - Robin OliverNovember 8 - Tyler SutherlandNovember 9 - Angie JohnstonNovember 10 - Gary HensleyNovember 10 - Veronica ZainaliNovember 12 - Bob HouckNovember 20 - Robin AllamanNovember 21 - Jason OblanderNovember 24 - Connie LewisNovember 26 - Cristina TerryNovember 27 - Jace Sutherland

November AnniversariesNovember 16 - Travis & Tammy AbbottNovember 19 - Matt & Parisa DunkinNovember 21 - Gary & Lori Hensley

Preaching for NovemberNovember 03 - Lori HensleyNovember 10 - Carol LamarNovember 17 - Carol LamarNovember 24 - Lori Hensley

Would you like to be a part of Advent this year? .....and make this year's celebration of the birth of

Christ extra special for your family and yourself?

We would like to have 5 families volunteer to light the Advent Candles during worship each Sunday starting with the first Sunday in December (December 1). We would like a different family for each week, Dec. 8, 15, 22 and on Christmas Eve.

In addition to lighting of the Advent Candles, we would also like to have special music each Sunday and again on Christmas Eve. If you would like to present something on one of these Sundays, please call Cathy in the church office. PS: if we don't get volunteers, we will be calling you to participate.

Thanks So MuchDeacons,Thanks so much for all your work in putting on a awesome lunch for our big family. The tables were beautiful and the food wonderful. Presbyterian cooks rock!!

Thanks so much for the meal was great. It surely would have made

my Mom proud of her church (Thelma Trimmell).

Jill Pittman and Thelma Trimmell Family

Let Us Pray!

Far be it from me that I should sin

against God by ceasing to pray for you.

1 Samuel 12:23a

The The HEALTH of our church family members and friends (FPC): Blassa Arriaga (Cristina Terry’s mom); Julie Bunnell (Sarah Thompson’s friend); P.J. Carlisle; Jeff Chance; Dr. Earl Estill; Alberta Gilbert; Mrs. Donna Grimes; Lori Hensley; Estell Hontanosan (Veronica’s Zainali aunt); Mike & Michelle Houck; Dr. Belino Iway (Zainali’s friend/Elkhart - kidney transplant); Angie Johnston (Ken & Julia Thompson’s daughter); Teri Lee & Granddaughters (Tammy Abbott’s sister & nieces); Robert Lynn (Judy Chance’s father);

Betty Miller (Bob Oblander’s sister); Mindy (Julia Thompson’s friend); Hailey Novasda (Stephani Caldwell’s Niece); Freda Parcel (Kathy Bloom’s mom); Shelly Sally Family; Charles Scott (Ruth Trimmell’s brother); Violet Scott (Stephanie Caldwell’s Niece); Pat Seaman; Brita Trimmell (Theriot) (Mary L’s daughter); Ruth Trimmell; Rev. Max Whipple (Gilbert’s friend); Alaira Widener (Leroy & Johnna Black’s granddaughter); Kathryn Wood; Rev. Terry Woodbury Family.Church family member and friends battling CANCER (FPC):Mike Grande; Elaine Fitzgerald; Emma Diaz; Tess Fitzgerald; John Engel; Elaine Newlon (Jill Pittman’s friend); Scott Osborn

(Jonice Oblander’s Great Nephew); Judy Perez (Stephani Caldwell’s sister); Marian Pittman (Jill Pittman’s Aunt); Carol Wilhite (Inabelle Peters’ sister). RETIREMENT facility residents of our church family (FPC): Good Sam’s: John Peters (#B-17); Bonnie Toole (#A-8); Emeritus: Wanda Rundell (#211). OTHER REQUESTS of the Church family (FPC): Tucker (Amy Thompson’s friend in Peace Corps/Guatemala); our President, Nation, & Military serving abroad & at home; Christians – that we would be a nation surrendered to the authority of the Lord; The Staff, Elders, & Deacons as they lead us in ministry; Amy & Sterling College & School board -

prayer before the games!! Let us always

remember our

CHILDREN in prayer!

Let us also pray for the Presbytery of Southern Kansas and, in particular, her following organizations/Churches this month: Garden City Presbyterian Church, Bethel Presbyterian Church in Wichita, Federated Community Presbyterian Church in Spearville, KS., St. Luke Presbyterian Church, Wichita.

New Addresses:Bill & Connie Lewis

422 N ShermanLiberal, KS. 67901

Kara Lewis7128 S. WheelingApt. 2001Tulsa, OK. 74136

Sarah Thompson1809 E. 72nd

Apt. 1911Tulsa, OK. 74136

Jeff & Angie (Thompson) Johnston 3900 Parkwood Blvd.Apt. 410Plano, Texas 75093

Gatekeeper: Veronica Zainali

3GR: Leroy Black FamilyWL: Bob Oblander

Daylight SavingsTime Ends

4 5 6

10GR: Lester Caldwell Family WL: Fred Bloom

Gary Hensley &Veronica Zainali’s B-day

11

Veteran’s Day

12

Bob Houck’s B-day

13

Deacons Meeting5:30 PM.

17Harvest Festival Dinner (noon)GR: Dan & Janet LewisWL: Ken Thompson

18 19

Matt & Parisa (Zainali) Dunkin’sAnniv.

20

Robin Allaman’s B-day

24 Sanctuary Advent decorating (noon)Lunch in FamilyRoomGR: Dan & Ann Brown WL: Lester Caldwell

Connie Lewis’ B-day

25 26

Cristina Terry’s B-day

27

Jace Sutherland’s B-day

First Presbyterian ChurchP.O. Box 236Liberal, KS 67905

INSIDE THIS ISSUEHarvest Festival Dinner Nov. 17 Advent Decorating Nov. 24

A Year with the BibleNovember 2013

1. A plea for help Psalm 17:1-9 2. My eyes shall behold Job 19:23-27a 3. 31st Sun. in Ordinary Time Luke 20:1-8 4. God’s promise of renewal Haggai 1:15b-2:9 5. Great is the Lord Psalm 145:1-5,17-21 6. Stand firm in faith 2 Thess. 2:1-5, 13-17 7. Make a joyful noise Psalm 98 8. A royal line Psalm 89:20-36 9. The sun of righteousness Malachi 4:1-2a10. 32nd Sun. in Ordinary Time Luke 20:27-3811. A vision of newness Isaiah 65:17-2512. Make known God’s deeds Isaiah 1213. Shun idleness 2 Thess. 3:6-1314. God is light 1 John 1:1-515. A new perspective 2 Cor. 5:11-1616. God’s righteous servant Isaiah 53:11-12

17. 33rd Sun. in Ordinary Time Luke 21:5-1918. Coming of the Shepherd Jeremiah 23:1-619. To prepare his ways Luke 1:68-7920. Reconciled through him Col. 1:11-2021. A very present help Psalm 4622. By their own judgments Ezekiel 7:23-2723. Paths of faithfulness Psalm 25:8-1024. Reign of Christ Luke 23:33-4325. A welcome messenger Isaiah 52:7-1026. Praying for peace Psalm 12227. The armor of light Romans 13:11-1428. Thanksgiving Day Isaiah 2:1-529. Waiting in despair Psalm 69:1-1630. Not slow but patient 2 Peter 3:3-9