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Compiled by the Faith Newsletter editor: Burt Pearson
Contents:
From your Pastor
Sanctuary Renovation: Facts, Trivia and Behind the Scenes
Library Notes
Welcome to the Soule Family
Kitchen Korner
Today's Little Red Hen
Crisis of Faith
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From your Pastor |
In early autumn of 1621, the 53 surviving Pilgrims celebrated their successful harvest, as was the English custom. That 1621 celebration is remembered as the "First Thanksgiving in Plymouth." The Pilgrims did call this harvest festival a "Thanksgiving," although they did give thanks to God. To them, a Day of Thanksgiving was purely religious. The first recorded religious Day of Thanksgiving was held in 1623 in response to a providential rainfall. The religious day of thanksgiving and the harvest festival grew into a single event: a yearly Thanksgiving, proclaimed by individual governors for a Thursday in November. The custom of an annual Thanksgiving celebrating abundance and family spread across America. Some presidents proclaimed Thanksgivings, others did not. Abraham Lincoln began the tradition of an annual national Thanksgiving in 1863.
Our Thanksgiving celebration in America today is mostly a day of family gatherings, with turkey and all the “fixins,” along with parades, and football. The next day, financial excess follows closely behind caloric excess as many of us will participate in the ultimate shopping experience known as “Black Friday.” Still, at the heart of the Thanksgiving celebration is the “idea” of giving thanks for the goodness of the season past. And yet, as America becomes increasingly secularized, Thanksgiving is rarely used as a day for giving thanks to God. Our society is largely influenced by the hopeless ideology known as secular humanism. What are the basic beliefs of Secular Humanism? What do Secular Humanists believe? (I’m glad you asked.)
Theologically, Secular Humanists are atheists. Humanism contends that instead of the Creator, creating the universe, human beings created gods (or the idea of a god) through their imagination. Philosophically, Secular Humanists are naturalists. That is, they believe that nature is all that exists - the material world is all that exists. There is no God, no spiritual dimension, no afterlife. Secular Humanist beliefs in the area of biology are closely tied to both their atheistic theology and their naturalist philosophy. If there is no supernatural, then life, including human life, must be the result of a purely natural phenomenon. Hence, Secular Humanists must believe in evolution. Atheism leads most Secular Humanists to adopt ethical relativism - the belief that no absolute moral code exists, and therefore man must adjust his ethical standards in each situation according to his own judgment. If God does not exist, then He cannot establish an absolute moral code. Secular Humanism, then, can be defined as a religious worldview based on atheism, naturalism, evolution, and ethical relativism. But this definition is merely the tip of the iceberg. The bottom line as it relates to Thanksgiving is, there is little room for the giving of thanks within the constraints of such a worldview.
The Bible, on the other hands, teaches that we have been lovingly and deliberately created by God, and that we exist to worship and bring glory to Him. Within this worldview there is great room for thanks. In fact, this worldview cannot exist without thanks. Thanks and Christianity are inseparable. While everyone likes to give thanks for things at Thanksgiving, what has often been lost is the fact that we do not merely give thanks, but give thanks to. Millions of Americans will say during Thanksgiving that they are thankful for their families, for their jobs or for the freedoms they enjoy, but who are they thankful to? It seems to me that there is little purpose in being thankful if we do not acknowledge that there is One to whom we owe this thanks! The giving of thanks is not only a hallmark of Christian character, but it is a duty incumbent upon all men. Romans 1:20-21 reads: "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened." All men owe thanks to God. We have so much for which to be thankful that time and words would fail us to even scratch the surface. But planted at the top of the list this year let us be thankful that we can truly feel and express gratitude and that we know the One to whom thanks is due.
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Grace and peace,
Pastor Adams |
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Sanctuary Renovation:
Facts, Trivia and Behind the Scenes |
The sanctuary renovation is now behind us and many of us marvel at what was accomplished. What a beautiful place we now have to come together as a church body to worship our God!
But, what brought about our sanctuary renovation? After all, our church had established a building fund and our members had been actively contributing to this fund for several years. Faced with the prospect of one day having a new church, our attention became narrowly focused on that goal and consequently attention to the current facility began to diminish. Various comments about the state of repair (wallpaper peeling off the walls, chairs missing hardware, chairs dirty and stained, gloomy interior, etc) gradually made their way back to members of the diaconate. We started asking ourselves what impression was our church making? We didn’t like the answer. The diaconate and session elders took a long hard look at the various prospects and after much prayer, ultimately decided that a new church building was years away and that the current facility required immediate attention.
The sanctuary renovation became the focus topic of discussion at all diaconate meetings, both formal and informal. What could be done? How much would it cost? Are we being good stewards of the church’s money? With the input of Susie Adam’s sister, who works for an interior design firm, we learned something about scale, human nature and color. Many photos and pictures were floated around to provide ideas and examples. Estimates for new carpet and chairs were being obtained. The project had now begun to take shape.
Jack Poole’s name surfaced as an individual who enjoys woodworking and who might be able to help us out. Little did we know at the time how instrumental Jack would become? Jack was approached and it didn’t take much convincing of his willingness to help. Around the 3rd week in May Jack submitted a design for the church renovation. The design was approved with only a few changes which involved raising the chair rail to eliminate wallpaper. This also improved the design scale. Jack’s designs were accomplished with so much professionalism, enthusiasm and speed; he was asked if he would lead the project.
Tangible work finally began June 20th. The Narthex and rear hallway were the first to be renovated to the new design. The west (rear) wall of the sanctuary was next, followed by the side walls (north then south).
The choir area was a real challenge, especially the ceiling. At one of the deacon meetings, Bobby circulated pictures of various church interiors to provide ideas on wall treatments. One of those pictures showed a church with a curved ceiling over the choir. I was inspired by that look and was moved to see if it could be implemented in our redesign. In principle the design was approved, but architecturally, could we make it happen? We had to get Jack on board. Jack made a scale model out of cardboard to determine the feasibility of attaching curved rafters to the steel “I” beams which would support the ceiling. It was eventually determined the curved ceiling was ‘doable’, albeit not a simple task. Jack and Bryan Hall laid out the arched pieces in the church driveway using a length of string to draw the 50 ft radius that formed the arch.
The choir area continued to receive additional enhancements with the extension of the floor. The floor was extended 18 inches plus the extended steps. Decorative knee walls were installed on either side, inheriting the 3D molding design of the church walls. Aside from their decorative appearance, they also provide the functionality of hiding the monitor speakers as well as providing built-in speaker connection wiring. The area around the cross was revised per the new design. Lighting around the cross was also added. Brazilian Cherry Laminate was installed on the stair case. A privacy wall was provided across the choir area, incorporating the new design theme.
Time Frame Our renovation of the church sanctuary began on Friday, June 20 and was finished September 26. The event was marked with a Re-Dedication of the newly renovated sanctuary on October 5th and celebrated with an open house. The renovation spanned a period of 3 months with 65 days actually spent on the project. Initially, the work week was Monday thru Saturday, but that time frame eventually took its toll and the work week settled in at Monday thru Friday (with Friday afternoon’s dedicated to cleaning up and preparing the sanctuary for Sunday). The workday averaged 6 hours per day with manpower levels between 4 - 5 workers. On some days the total manpower levels approached 8 workers. It is estimated that some 2500 man hours were spent to complete the renovation.
People and Talents What I find most remarkable is, with the exception of the carpet installation and color recommendations; every aspect of the sanctuary renovation was completely performed by church members. We have many talented individuals in our congregation who gave freely of their time, talents, skills and expertise.
I would like to acknowledge those individuals who were instrumental during this renovation project:
Jack Poole – with every project there is that one individual who is the “in charge” and “go to guy” and our renovation project is no exception. Jack wore many hats. He took on the roles of: manager, supervisor, coordinator, designer and architect. Aside from his working in a supervisory capacity, his main efforts were the design and fabrication of: choir loft stairs, choir domed ceiling & knee walls, all the door casing headers and most of the wall frames.
Rudy Seiffer - Second in command and Jack’s right hand man. Rudy acted in the capacity of general contractor. Worked on each and every aspect of the renovation project and did much of the precise molding and trim work.
Bryan Hall – Until classes started in September, Bryan didn’t miss a day. He was totally dedicated and worked in the capacity of “Junior Apprentice”. There wasn’t anything that Bryan wouldn’t or couldn’t do. He approached every task with that “can do” attitude, an extremely dedicated and willing worker. As the project evolved, so did Bryan, he became more self assured, confident and took charge over things that he saw needed to be done. Bryan was a daily asset to the team, quick to learn, reliable and a pleasure to work with. Additionally, he is our resident sound system expert.
Steve Richardson - Sheetrock expert. Applied tape and compound like a pro. Steve was also the “go to” guy for air conditioning duct work and thermostat relocations and wiring.
Steve Caylor - Reliable and dedicated. He did whatever was asked of him. Loved using all the tools. Good learner.
Tom Purer - All around helper. He and Bryan did preliminary framework on the choir steps.
Al Spengler - Upgraded electrical switches, relocated emergency lighting and exit signs to allow a better fit with the new door casing headers. Painted most of the high wall areas.
Herm Grey - Constructed the 3D door skins for the choir loft and Narthex doors. He also installed the lighting in the choir loft. The only one to slip on a ladder (Ouch).
Joseph Richardson - Helped with the clean up and trash removal.
Tony Chambers - Audio hookups.
Frank Morrison / Ron Chapman / Dave Lemons - Painters & general laborers.
Karen Thornton - Kitchen painting & cleanup.
Susie Adams / Tracey Holmes - Classroom painting & cleanup.
Karroll Purer, Barbara Caylor, Jean Poole, Linda Seiffer, Brenda Crooker & Lenora Morrison - Supplied lunches or snacks.
Materials Used
With every project, there must be a list of materials. Here’s what went into our renovation:
Molding/boards - 2600 feet
Plywood - 16 (4’ x 8’) sheets
Paint - 24 gallons (12 gals. each of the white dove and running bear (tan)
Primer - 12 gallons
Drywall - 100 (4’ x 8’) sheets
Insulation - 300 sq feet
Liquid nails - 36 tubes
Caulking - 30 tubes
Drywall mud - 100lb
Stair lumber - 144 ft of 2x12
Stair laminates - 230 sq feet
Stair nose - 265 ft
Electric switches and outlets - 25
Choir lights - 12
Chairs - 210
Carpet - 12’ x 294’ (392 sq yards)
Renovation Cost
The initial projected cost of the renovation was $27,500. The final total cost of the project was: $33,311.45
Did you know…? Jack Poole really enjoys working with wood. His passion started as a child when his dad purchased a Shop Smith saw. Later in life, his dad passed that saw on to him and Jack has since passed it on to his oldest son. Jack considers himself an all around handyman and every job is a challenge and an education. His home workshop abounds with an envied collection of tools. But as varied and what most would consider complete, Jack finds it amazing that many a new job usually needs that “special” tool which he’s always glad to add to his collection. His wife, Jean, is pretty certain that he single-handedly keeps Home Depot in business!
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Submitted by,
Al Spengler, Interior Deacon |
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Library Notes |
Our library was torn apart during the remodeling, and I am not quite sure what has happened to the boxes of books! Bobbie and I have an appointment next week to track the boxes down!
We will be getting some new shelving in our library, which is now located in the Sunday School room off of the sanctuary. We will
begin after next week when I conduct a search of the church for our supplies! Please be aware that we will be forming a committee to empty boxes and load shelves.
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Submitted by,
Ann Pusar |
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Welcome to the Soule Family |
On September 28, 2008, Russ and Ginger Soule along with their four children joined the Faith Presbyterian congregation. They live in the Eau Gallie/N. Melbourne area. Their children are Bethany - 13, Timothy - 11, Tabitha – 9 and Josiah – 6 years old.
Russ is an engineer at GE Energy in Melbourne and Ginger is a stay-at-home mom. They have been married for 19 years. Ginger enjoys running (~ 4 miles), video games (aren’t her kids lucky?!) and volunteering at the children’s schools. Russ enjoys football, baseball, singing, music, and teaching. Faith has been grateful for his willingness to be the pianist since Michael Chambers left for college. In previous churches, Russ has also been active in both Bible study and worship planning.
Though Russ was raised with a Presbyterian background and Ginger was also raised in the church, neither actually understood it all; they both finally grasped the gospel after they married and started growing in their faith in a Baptist congregation. However, over the years they have been drawn to the Reformed environment and started looking for a new church home. Since they had several friends and acquaintances attending Faith, they looked other places first, not wanting to be drawn to a congregation simply due to “comfort.” Finally, after many months of searching, they decided to visit Faith and now decided to make this their church home.
The morning they joined Faith was rather unusual with an ambulance needed due to a medical emergency. However, during the course of events, they realized that they were viewing the church as it should be – acting like family!
Welcome to the Soules!
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Submitted by,
Mari Richardson |
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Kitchen Korner |
Believe it or not it is almost that time of year again. Yes, I am talking about our Thanksgiving church dinner. This year Al Stewart and I will be cooking all the side dishes for you. (Please keep us in your prayers)
The sign up sheet to volunteer to cook turkeys (4) and 3 people to carve them will be in the narthex in the upcoming weeks.
All we ask this year is that you bring a pie or your favorite dessert to the dinner and we will do the rest.
I will be calling people the week of the 10th from the “Kitchen Team Cards” you filled out to help us in the kitchen.
Please mark your calendar for November 22,
6 pm for a wonderful Church family Thanksgiving.
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Submitted by
Karen Thornton |
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Today's Little Red Hen |
Once upon a time, there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered some grains of wheat. She called her neighbors and said, "If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?"
"Not I," said the cow.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Not I," said the pig.
"Not I," said the goose.
"Then I will," said the little red hen, and she did. The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. "Who will help me reap my wheat?" asked the little red hen.
"Not I," said the duck.
"Out of my classification," said the pig.
"I'd lose my seniority," said the cow.
"I'd lose my unemployment compensation," said the goose.
"Then I will," said the little red hen, and she did. At last, it came time to bake the bread. "Who will help me bake the bread?" asked the little red hen.
"That would be overtime for me," said the cow.
"I'd lose my welfare benefits," said the duck.
"I'm a dropout and never learned how," said the pig.
"If I'm to be the only helper, then that's discrimination," said the goose.
"Then I will," said the little red hen. She baked five loaves and held them up for her neighbors to see.
"Excess profits!" yelled the cow.
"Capitalist leech!" cried the duck.
"I demand equal rights!" shouted the goose.
The pig just grunted.
Then they hurriedly painted "Unfair" picket signs and marched angrily around the barnyard.
The government agent came and said to the little red hen, "You must not be greedy."
"But I earned the bread," said the little red hen.
"Exactly," said the agent, "that is the wonderful free enterprise system. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as they want.
But under government regulation, the productive workers must divide their product with the idle."
And they lived happily ever after. But the little red hen's neighbors wondered why she never baked bread again.
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From the Fishwrapper,
submitted by Marian Sweigart |
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Crisis of Faith |
When a person finds himself in a situation which appears to have no potential for improving, when he has prayed over and over for relief from that situation and no relief has come, then, on top of the unhappy situation is often added a crisis of faith.
He says to himself, “I must not have sufficient faith, otherwise things would get better. If faith the size of a grain of mustard seed could move mountains, then, things would surely get better if I had just a little real faith. He is looking for a miraculous occurrence. If he is in financial difficulty, he wants God to cause him to win the lottery or receive an unexpected inheritance. If he has a serious health problem, he wants to go to sleep one night and the next morning find his condition gone. What is sometimes not realized is that a miracle may not be called for.
When Jesus said things like, “If you have faith, all things are possible to him who has faith, and, “If you have faith of a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move hence to yonder place and it shall remove”, He didn’t mean that we could expect miracles where miracles weren’t needed. Remember, James wrote, Faith, without works, is dead.”
Look at the miracles Jesus performed. They were almost all performed where there was no other solution. People blind from birth, people with leprosy, people deaf and mute from birth, and paralytics were healed, and several were raised from the dead. The only exceptions that come to mind are turning water into wine, the cursing of the fig tree, calming the sea, walking on water and feeding the 4,000 and 5,000.
Men of faith have performed the very wonders that Jesus talked of. Men like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, James Watt, Albert Einstein, and other familiar scientists and inventors had faith that the energy of the universe could be harnessed to accomplish much more than man could accomplish with his limited strength and the results have been that mountains have literally been moved.
Men like Louis Pasteur, Jonas Salk and others had faith that diseases that plagued mankind, could be eliminated, and by-and-large, through backing their faith with work, many of these diseases have been eliminated.
When a person has a health problem and prays for a cure, he sometimes forgets that God knows his true potential to overcome the problem himself. God also knows if a person can solve a financial or other problem himself, and, of course, He also knows whether, what that person is praying for, is his real problem.
The apostle Paul had a miserable infirmity of some sort that he said he prayed fervently, three times for God to remove, and finally the answer came to him from God that, “My strength is sufficient for you, for in your weakness, my strength is made manifest”. So Paul accepted his fate, so to speak, and proceeded with his mission, perhaps, becoming the greatest missionary of all time.
God wants people to do as much themselves as is possible, but He will still provide a miracle where He knows it is called for. What we must remember is that, while we can fool ourselves and others into thinking a miracle is called for, God knows just what we are capable of, if trust and rely on Him.
The bible tells us our purpose is to glorify God. We don’t all have the same intelligence, strength or beauty. But we glorify God when we make the most of what we have been given.
When people, who have been dealt tremendous burdens obviously adore their Lord and Savior, and live at their full potential, their lives become living witnesses, their every action shows forth His praise.
They glorify God.
When we hear of a young man, with a leg lost to cancer, walking from the Atlantic to the Pacific, we get a very warm glow. When a young woman, through a diving accident, becomes a quadraplegic, but expresses her love for the Lord, and becomes a capable artist and writer, we see God’s strength made manifest in human weakness.
With some persons, telling them they will have to quit some activity that they love, for health reasons, only causes them to fight harder and, in many instances, to overcome the health problem, so that even the doctor must admit that he doesn’t understand the improvement. It’s a miracle, he may say, but what he is really saying is that he doesn’t understand and thus it must be from God.
God is glorified.
Others, given the same warning, may submit to living a much less joyful life rather than fight back, and the result is the doctor’s warning becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, and the patient continues to go downhill, and to give up more and more of what made his life worth living, and God is not glorified. Only the doctor is glorified for being proved right.
Why is it that some persons would rather fight than switch to a joyless existence, while others so easily give up everything that made life good for their own personal prisons?
These persons cannot realize the pain caused loved ones when they give up the fight so easily. But no matter how much persuasion, some persons are just bound to give up. Is there nothing that can cause them to fight back? Only God knows the answer and all we can do is pray that He will provide the encouragement that will change their response to their problems.
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