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First Presbyterian Church
Roswell, New Mexico
July 2019
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The Pastor's Reflections
Growing in Christ (Luke's Way)
The period from Pentecost Sunday through Christ the King (Reign of Christ) Sunday is called "Ordinary Time" in the liturgical calendar of the universal church. The days are not ordinary as in humdrum, routine, or boring. Much to the contrary. The word "ordinary" comes from the Latin "ordinalis" which means ordered or sequential. The Sundays in Ordinary Time are numbered (as in "the 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time"). Ordinary Time is the time in the church calendar of growth: spiritual growth, growth in Christ, growth in discipleship. It is by no means ordinary.
This summer and fall we will journey through Ordinary Time with Luke, encountering along the way those stories, sayings, and parables that are unique to Luke's gospel. Some of the most beloved of those texts are these:
- Jesus' self-proclamation, 4:14-21
- Jesus raises the widow's son at Nain, 7:11-17
- The parable of the good Samaritan, 10:29-37
- Mary and Martha, 10:38-42
- The parable of the friend at midnight, 11:5-8
- The parable of the rich fool, 12:13-21
- Counting the cost of discipleship, 14:28-33
- The parable of the lost coin, 15:8-19
- The parable of the prodigal son, 15:11-32
- The parable of the shrewd manager, 16:1-12
- The parable of the rich man and Lazarus, 16:19-31
- Cleansing of ten lepers, 17:11-19
- The story of Zacchaeus, 19:1-10
In addition to these there are passages unique to Luke in his birth and passion narratives. (Consider the shepherds and the walk to Emmaus.)
Over the next 20 Sundays (roughly speaking) we will journey with Jesus as Luke sees that journey. Of all the gospels, Luke is uniquely concerned about those who are poor, powerless, exploited, persecuted, rejected, and abused, and he invites us to consider in our own day and time who those may be, and how discipleship under Christ calls us (forces us) to come to their aid. Luke is also keen to remind us how much we are loved by God and God's Beloved Son.
Come and journey with us, and see if (perhaps) you are different in some way at the end.
Peace and joy,
Pastor John
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July 4th
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Independence Day Holiday - Office closed
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July 7th
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Communion Worship - 10:00am
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July 12th
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Church Management Meeting, 7:30am
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July 14th
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Sunday Worship - 10:00am
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July 21st
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Sunday Worship - 10:00am
Picnic and Ice Cream Social - 11:00am
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July 28th
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No Deacons Meeting in July
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No Session Meeting in July
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Weekly
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Wednesdays
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Wednesday Breakfast Gathering
Martin's Capital Cafe - 7:30am
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Fridays
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Friday Prayer Group, Parlor - Noon
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Every Day
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Noon Prayer and Meditation
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 The Lord's Supper
Sunday, July 7th
Come celebrate the Feast of the Lord!
Please call the Church Office (622-4910) if you would like to receive Communion at home.
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July 7th - 4th Sunday after Pentecost
2nd Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:1-16; Luke 10:1-20
July 14th - 5th Sunday after Pentecost
Amos 7:7-17; Psalm 82; Colossians 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37
July 21st - 6th Sunday after Pentecost
Amos 8:1-12; Psalm 52; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42
July 28th - 7th Sunday after Pentecost
Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-19; Luke 11:1-13
Read the Scripture passages HERE.
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Week of July 7th
Service Elder: Lynn Karnes
Liturgist: Dietta Hitchcock
Inspirational Message: T.K. Cully
Deacon Hospital Visitation: Lorrie Miller
Chancel Guild: Margo Fullinwider, Martha Brown
Week of July 14th
Service Elder: Deb Prince
Liturgist: Margy Barbour
Inspirational Message: Bob Carroll
Deacon Hospital Visitation: Ann Ruback
Chancel Guild: Martha Mayer, Deb Prince, Jacque Allen,
Kate Daniels
Week of July 21st
Service Elder: Bill Wolf
Liturgist: Dixie Loy
Inspirational Message: Roberta Pess
Deacon Hospital Visitation: Rebecca Johnson
Chancel Guild: Lynn Karnes, Ann Hultman, Connie Wolf
Week of July 28th
Service Elder: Bob Kurtz
Liturgist: Betty Young
Inspirational Message: Anna Maria Matteucci
Deacon Hospital Visitation: Martha Mayer
Chancel Guild: Mary Lou Glass, Rebecca Johnson, Roberta Pess
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Picnic Luncheon and Ice Cream Social
July 21st
The Fellowship Committee will host a Picnic Luncheon and Ice Cream Social on
Sunday, July 21st. This event will feature sandwiches, salads, chips, ice cream, and toppings. The Fellowship Committee will furnish beverages. There is a sign-up sheet in the Narthex. Call Deb Prince for more information.
BRING A FRIEND!
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Director of Communications and Outreach Resigns
Director of Communications and Outreach, Joan Arnold, resigned her position effective May 31, 2019. The FPC congregation is deeply grateful to Joan for her work over the past several months. During her tenure as Communications Director, Joan built an entirely new, more engaging, and much more easily maintained church website, oversaw advertisements for Lent and Easter worship services, contributed posts to the church Facebook page, and coordinated the selection and purchase of new church license plates and car window decals.
We are sincerely thankful for the dedication and gifts which Joan employed over recent months to improve the visibility and appeal of our church.
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Highlights of the Session Meeting
June 20, 2019
- Current renovation and construction projects
- Approval of Ruling Elder & Deacon nominees
- Visit by Rev. Majid Abel
- Congregational potluck luncheons
- New adult study for the fall
- Emergency Action & Recovery Plan
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First Draft Emergency Action Plan Now Complete
The first draft of an "Emergency Action and Recovery Plan" for FPC-Roswell is now complete. Work on the plan has highlighted many actions the church needed to take to be prepared for various emergencies, whether the product of human agency or natural, and the recovery afterwards. Ruling elder Bob Kurtz has led the development work on the plan.
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New Study for Adults This Fall
The class will begin in mid-August, meeting weekly through late November or early December. Participants will benefit much more by reading the weekly assignment (typically 20-30 pages), but everyone is welcome.
If you would like to participate, please email me and let me know what days and times are good for you to meet. I also need a firm count of interested folks so I can order the books.
You will benefit from this study. Join us!
Pastor John
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Stewardship 2019
The 2019 stewardship seasopn for First Presbyterian Church will have the theme,
"Amazing Grace, Amazing God"
The season will run for two weeks, three Sundays: October 13th, 20th, and 27th.
Watch for more information soon...
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License Plates and Window Decals
Show your FPC pride! A great way to start conversations about our church. Available in the Narthex and Office.
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Wednesday Breakfast Group
You are invited to enjoy breakfast at Martin's Capitol Café any Wednesday at 7:30am. |
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Men's Fellowship Luncheons
Men's Fellowship Luncheons will resume in September. Watch for announcements to come in the fall.
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Fifth Thursday Potluck Dinners
If you would like to host a "Fifth Thursday Potluck Dinner" please see or call Karen Bloodhart. Dinners are scheduled for August 29 and October 31.
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Daily Inspirational Phone Message
Start your day with an inspiring message!
(575) 622-4923
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 Daily Prayer and Meditation
Prayer servants pray and meditate over the noon hour, with each servant volunteering for a particular day or days of the month.
Additional prayer servants are needed. Contact Margo Fullinwider for more information.
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Friday Prayer Group 
The Prayer Group gathers every Friday at noon in the Parlor. Participants pray for our church and its members, and for our community, nation, and the world.
Everyone is welcome. Contact Pastor John for more information.
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New FPC Website
Check it out!
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July Birthdays
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| 5th |
Cindy Miller |
| 8th |
Allison (Kurtz) Storm-Valdez |
| 10th |
Ralph Brown |
| 13th |
Jim Young |
| 18th |
Elexa De La Rosa |
| 31st |
Wendy Lunsford |
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July Anniversaries
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| 1st |
Mike & Stacye Hunter |
| 1st |
Bill & Connie Wolf |
| 6th |
Jack & TK Cully |
| 20th |
Larry & Nancy Barbour |
| 20th |
Mark & Kate Daniels |
| 29th |
Ronnie & Martha Mayer |
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Roswell Community Disaster Relief Services
FPC houses the relief pantry for the Roswell Community Disaster Relief Services organization (RCDRS), and FPC members provide occasional assistance in organizing the pantry. RCDRS helps homeless people and those affected by disasters.
RCDRS participated in cleanup efforts in Hagerman after a severe storm battered the town in June.
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Featured PC(USA) Mission
Co-workers for July
Bernie came under appointment as a mission co-worker for the PC(USA) in 1991, and he has served continuously since then. Farsijana came under appointment in January of 2003.
Bernie is founding director of the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta. Farsijana is the founder of the House of Authentic Sense and works with the Center for Development and Social Transformation in the Faculty of Business at Duta Wacana Christian University in Yogyakarta. Bernie and Farsijana work with both Christians and Muslims to build a just society.
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The Presbyterian Church (USA)
Mission Yearbook
Published for many years in paperback form, the Presbyterian Church (USA)'s publication, the Mission Yearbook, offers readers the opportunity for a daily devotional and a means for keeping informed about mission work of the PC(USA).
The Mission Yearbook is now available online, and you can sample a devotional
HERE. You can click on different dates on the calendar you find there to see devotionals for those dates.
You can also subscribe to have the devotional, plus other PC(USA) news, delivered to your email inbox by going
HERE.
Check out all of the amazing work being done by Presbyterians in all corners of the world!
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Catherine Kaler and Donna Kaler-Ward
June 24, 2019
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Board of Deacons and Session
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Board of Deacons
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Session
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Betty Young, Moderator
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John Guthrie, Moderator
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Bob Carroll
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Wayne Bevers
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T.K. Cully
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Jim Bloodhart
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Tracie Edwards
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Bob Entrop
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Margo Fullinwider
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Roy Hayes
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Mary Lou Glass
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Mike Hunter
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Stacye Hunter
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Lynn Karnes
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Rebecca Johnson
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Bob Kurtz
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Martha Mayer
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Deb Prince
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Lorrie Miller
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Roberta Pess
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Ann Ruback
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Lucy Tucker
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Connie Wolf
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Christianity is a statement which, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important.
C.S. Lewis
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