Teacher Appreciation

Ward Parkway Presbyterian Church 7406 Ward Parkway, Kansas City, Mo 64114

Phone: 816-361-2200

www.wppresbyterian.org

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These words were penned by Ken and Janet North in honor

of our adult and youth teachers and was

presented to them on Sunday, May 25.

Christ is the Light of the World.

When we accept him unconditionally as our Lord and

Savior, His light glows deep within us, a searing ember in our hearts. But the darkness is always about us. Like a

candle in the wind, we must shield that flickering ember, protecting it from the storms that can so readily engulf us, yet never holding it so close that we deprive

others of the light that is always to be shared.

As teachers of God's Word, you do that quietly and unpretentiously each day, projecting the Light of Christ not just in word alone, but by the illuminating example of your faith, your commitment, and your gentle caring

for all those you encounter.

The Grace of God fuels that light, and, ultimately, that is the glowing lamp you hold high on the unknown night

when the Master returns . . . .

When people think of hunger, many imagine a homeless man in line at a soup kitchen.

However, the majority of the people Harvesters serves are families, and nearly half of the

households receiving assistance have someone who is employed.

Because of the community’s support, people at risk of hunger have somewhere to turn in

their time of need. Please help fill our bins located at the south

entrance and by the Sanctuary.

Ward Press

Sunday Worship, 10:30am

Christian Education, 9:30am

Office Hours M-Thurs 8am-1pm

Friday Closed

816.361.2200

Email: office@wppresbyterian.org

Church Staff

Pastor, Connie Happell

Office Administrator, Tina Hill

Choir Director, Joseph Hill

Organist, Arthur Rinehart

Accountant, Ruth Meyers-Melching

Custodian, Scott Curry

Preschool Directors, 816.361.2201

Kim Manford Leslie Bullington

Officers

Elders Worship: Diana Justus

Fellowship & Hospitality: Lynne Crossette

Mission and Stewardship: Jim Durig

Personnel & Administration:

Steve Nelson

Adult Discipleship: James Lusk

Youth Discipleship: Sean Stoy

Operations: Bob Liepsner

Clerk of Session: Mardy Cottrell

Deacons Jim Kurtz, Susan Stewart, Shirley Lytle, Jim Fletcher,

Rosemary McDaneld & Janet North

Trustees Marlene Durig , James Lusk,

Jean Hunter Tom Stewart-Treasurer

Glorify God Grow Disciples Go Serve July 2014

Reflections from Pastor Connie

“…we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From

him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament,

grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”

Ephesians 4:15-16

While you may think of summer as a quiet time at the church, this

summer our church is bustling with activity. In June, we hosted Vacation Bible School and we kicked off some building renovation projects. Look

inside for more on VBS! Earlier this year, the Preschool asked that the Session consider al-

lowing them to move their office from its current location to Room 2 (at the

end of the south wing). This places the directors closer to the door and the playground and enables them to repurpose the room that has served as their

office to be a new classroom in the 2015/16 school year. This move presented the Session with a dilemma because Room 2 is

a much loved space for meetings, bible studies and Craig Babb’s daily Rhythm of Grace ministry. The Session, in collaboration with the Choir and Craig Babb, determined that the best solution would be to renovate the

choir room, making it a welcoming space for prayer, bible study and meet-ings.

Our choir director, Joe Hill, moved all of the choir music and files to the office across the hall from my office. Craig Babb and Rhythm of Grace

participant Kurt Johnson are in the process of building walls and a closet to contain the choir robes and folders. The piano remains in the room for use by the choir and others. Many things stored in the choir room have found

new homes. When Sean Stoy removed the chalk and bulletin boards from the

choir room wall, he uncovered three window openings that, at one time, opened into our sanctuary. It was fun to find this piece of our church’s his-

tory, but no one knew why the doors were there! We have since learned

from longtime members that the windows were a pass through from what was then the kitchen to the current sanctuary. Our sanctuary was once a

multipurpose room that served as sanctuary, fellowship hall, meeting and playing place for adults and youth. Inside this newsletter, there is an ex-

cerpt from our church history book that addresses the use of that space in the early days of the church.

This effort has been a beautiful story of cooperation between many people in our church. Thank you to all who give time, talent, muscle, mon-ey and imagination to the project. When the new carpet is laid and fresh

paint is on the walls, we will have a beautiful space for prayer, meetings, choir robing and for brides. To God be the glory!

Yours in Christ’s love, Pastor Connie

Connie Hembree-July 2

Bob Rohlfing-July 5 Mileigh Hall-July 19

Jim Kurtz-July 19 Susan Stewart-July 22 Nathan Lusk-July 24 Rachel Lusk-July 24

Thomas Lusk-July 24

July Birthdays

Preschool News

Happy 50th Anniversary!

It has been an exciting month here at preschool!! After many candidates and interviews, our Preschool Board has decided to hire one of our own teachers, Leslie Bullington, as our new Assistant Director. Leslie has been a classroom teacher here at Ward Parkway for the past 6 years. She has a Masters Degree in Social Work from The University of Kansas with an emphasis in child and family. Her natural leadership skills with our staff and wonderful rapport with the children and families will be an asset to our program. Please join me in congratulating Leslie and welcoming her to her new role at our Preschool. In addition to hiring Leslie, we have hired two new classroom teachers. Karen Lang and Amanda Bartel will be co-teaching in Room 3. Karen comes to us as a past preschool teacher from Leawood Baptist Preschool. She has been teaching preschool for the past 6 years, so she comes with many great ideas! Amanda Bartel will be working alongside Karen. Amanda is a current parent at our school and has had children in our preschool for the past 5 years. Because of this, she has so much knowledge of our school and how it works. Both of these wonderful teachers have degrees in Elementary Education and are eager to share ideas and get the year started. Please join me in welcoming all of these wonderful women to our staff. We feel blessed to have them here! Summer camp is off to a great start and will contin-ued through the end of July. Our hallways are full of children’s laughter, wet bodies from sprinkler play, and sweaty little heads from lengthy outdoor play. Summer camp is always such a fun time for the children and we look forward to the next several weeks. Thank you for keeping the school, our staff, and our preschool families in your prayers over the next several months. It is always such a busy time as we prepare for the start of school. Happy Summer!! :)

Arthur and Carmen Rinehart shared the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary during fellowship after

worship on Sunday, May 25, 2014.

Prayers for:

Charlotte Williams, granddaughter

of Craig & Debbie Babb

Rosemary McDaneld

Dorothy Clarke

Todd & Julie Hendry missionaries

to Brazil (on furlough this year)

Our Preschool

Our congregation as we strive to be

salt and light in God’s world.

WPPC History April Session Notes

Vacation Bible School

An Excerpt from

Giving Thanks: Ward Parkway Presbyterian Church 1953-2003

The longer north end housed the multi-

functional nave. It was to be used for worship, fel-lowship, and as space for two Sunday School clas-ses. Charter member Ken Willyard recalled recent-

ly that an adult Sunday School class met on the west side of the nave and a young couples’ class

met on the east in back, as far from the other class as possible. The chancel was split, half the choir

occupying each of the two sections on either side of the window in the middle of the north wall. There were two shuffleboard courts printed on the

floor of the nave, which was covered in asphalt tile, and ping pong tables could be set up; both

shuffleboard and ping pong served as recreational activities for the youth when they were to meet.

Folding chairs were to be placed on pallets with rollers and stored under the chancel when not in use for worship or dining during fellowship events.

The kitchen was placed in a convenient location for such events and for serving communion, next

to the sanctuary/fellowship hall/classroom off the narthex, in the west wing of the church, along with

the nursery and a restroom. The Primary and Be-ginners Sunday School classrooms and another restroom occupied the east wing. In the southern

portion of the building, the pastor’s study, the par-lor, which doubled as the church office, the Junior

High School Sunday School classroom and three cloak rooms were located. The Senior High School

class met in the boiler room located in the base-ment beneath the chancel, and the choir claimed for its own the larger open room of the basement.

Of the original use of space, only the two re-strooms, nursery, and sanctuary remain.

In April, the session approved the preschool’s

request to move their office to room 2, which has

been used by Rhythm of Grace, Adult Sunday School,

weekday small groups, and session and other

meetings. This will enable the preschool to open a

new classroom for the 2015/16 school year. (The big

room shuffle is now in the process.) The session con-

sidered options for relocating current users of room 2.

We look forward to a visit from the Hendrys, our

missionaries in Brazil.

The need for better interior and exterior signage is

being considered by Lynne Crossette and her

Hospitality Council.

Preschool Summer Camp begins June 10th and

lasts for seven weeks.

Our youth experienced a Seder meal during Lent.

Vacation Bible School is on the calendar for June and

volunteers are being recruited. Their twice a month

Sunday evening gatherings will be at Lochmann’s this

summer.

Bob Liepsner reported that the Operations team

plans to have the south parking lot repaired this

summer.

- Mardy Cottrell

“You are the God who works wonders.” Psalm 77:14a

At Vacation Bible School in June we discovered how the ordinary becomes extraordinary with God.

We heard Bible stories about people who used what they had to do amazing things with God. Queen Esther used her imagination to work with God to

deliver the Jewish people in Persia from death. Zerubbabel and other Israelites returned to Jerusa-

lem after two generations of exile and, upon finding the temple had been destroyed, they went to work

with God to rebuild the temple. The children learned Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed, in which he describes how a very small seed grows into a

large plant. God does big things with and through little things!

At Vacation Bible school we witnessed the wonder of the 20-something children who came

each night ready to eat, create, sing, learn, play and pray together. We witnessed the wonder of God working through our many volunteers as they

poured out their many God-given gifts in service to God!

Thank you volunteers! God works wonders through you. Where have you witnessed God’s

wonder-working power lately? --Pastor Connie