Thursday, June 28, 2023

FROM OUR MINISTRY INTERN

Carrie Haas Adams

Hello, GSPC friends! I am excited to serve as your Ministry Intern this summer. One of my projects is “Gifts of Government Street,” a series that will feature interviews with select members who are "pillars" of Government Street Presbyterian Church.

Each interview will be based around the same set of questions. It is our hope that this series will shine light on the meaningful history of GSPC and bring blessings through these personal reflections. 

The first installment of the series is below, and features my Grandmother-In-Law, Ann Greer Adams.

I hope you enjoy reading "Gifts of Government Street" this summer. If you have suggestions for the series, please feel free to email me, or call me at the church office.

Grace and Peace,

Carrie

Gifts of Government Street:

Ann Greer Adams

This year, Ann Greer Adams marks 60 years of membership at Government Street Presbyterian Church. She joined the church after marrying Marion Strickler Adams Jr. in 1960, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. Ann knew of Ma'on’s dedication to Government Street well before they married. She can recall countless stories he shared with her from his childhood and as a young man at GSPC. It was clear to her that this would be the place she would raise her family and establish roots of her own. Those roots have remained strong, as her great-grandchildren are now a part of the sixth generation to attend Government Street Presbyterian Church.

However, family traditions are not the only reason that Ann has remained a member for all of these years: It was the inviting atmosphere and inspiring leadership that made an impact on her from the start. “The women who taught our Sunday school classes were role models to me," she recalled. "They led lives of such intention and devotion, truly walking by faith. They were incredibly inspiring to me and had an enormous impact on the foundation of my Christianity and love of this church.”

Ann has always enjoyed Sunday School classes and other resources for adult members to expand their Christian education. She cherishes so many aspects of her membership at GSPC, particularly the opportunities to connect her passion for music and her love for the church. She fondly remembers her husband, Ma'on, assisting in the selection of the stunning organ installed in the balcony, and she was inspired when she was invited to perform meaningful duets and solos on the piano during worship.

When asked if there has been a specific time she felt God working through the church, Ann delighted in memories of Government Street’s mission work through “Meals on Wheels” and Coffee Club. “It has been a blessing to witness the impact the church has made for those in need within our community,” she said. She is proud of the way Government Street has served as a faithful pillar for the needy in our area over the years. 

One aspect of GSPC that Ann values most, she said, is “the way the church has always welcomed people from all walks of life, no matter what their place is in this world, they are welcome here.” 

The most vital lesson Ann has learned as a member of Government Street Presbyterian Church: “God’s ultimate purpose for us is to love one another. He never intended for us to be alone. Government Street has shown me that from my first days as a Presbyterian and it remains even truer today. My church family has meant more to me than anything.”

Ann, affectionately known as “Nanee” to her grandchildren, has so many wonderful memories about GSPC over the years. She shared stories of sitting in the balcony with family and friends; frequent attempts to fight back laughter when Stova McFadden would mumble a joke; hearing lectures from some of the most impressive theologists in the country; Easter Sundays so overcrowded that chairs were pulled into the aisles for extra seating; and the unforeseeable impact of Shelia’s move from the nursery to the kitchen!

The GSPC family is so thankful for Ann's dedication over 60 years, and we pray for God's continued blessings on her and her family. 

GSPC News

Vacation Bible School: We welcomed 41 children for a great week at VBS! Our thanks to the Rev. Alexandra Hutson and to the volunteers who worked so hard to bring it all together: Charlotte Crockett, Carter Hale Jr., Marlene, Houston and Carolyn Jones, Ann Thomas and Sam Lamar, Corinne, Mickie and Susan Lorge, Bonnie Mobley, John Moses, Dru Oswalt, Conrad, Jack and Margaret Otts, and Linda Reynolds.

PW Summer Conference: Presbyterian Women are invited to sign up for the Alabama/

Mississippi Women's Conference, which will be held July 13-15 at Spring Hill Presbyterian Church. The keynote speaker is Dr. Olive Mahabir, writer of the Horizon's Bible Study for next year. The registration fee for all three days is $160, which includes lunch and supper on Thursday and Friday, and a "to-go" box lunch on Saturday. If you do not wish to attend all three days, you may sign up on a per-day basis at $55 per day (lunch only) or $75 per day (lunch and supper). There is an optional Glass Blowing Field Trip at South Alabama on Thursday, July 13, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The additional fee for this trip is $15. To register for the conference, email Martha Knichel, or stop by Spring Hill Presbyterian to fill out a form. If you have questions, call the SHP church office at 251-342-1550. 

Baytreat is available for rentals this summer. Several of the rooms now have queen-size beds! For information, email Shelley Springer or call her at 251-605-0695.

Sanctuary Flowers: If you would like to place flowers in the Sanctuary in memory of or in honor of a loved one, please contact Ann Adams at Adams-marion@att.net or 251-591-8586.

Balcony closed for the summer: All worshipers are asked to find a seat in the main level of the sanctuary. We will reopen the balcony for Rally Day on September 10.

The next Interfaith Bible Study will be Monday, July 10, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at GSPC. All are welcome.

The next 20s/30s Women's Bible Study will be Tuesday, July 25, at 6 p.m. in the Guesnard House.

Upcoming Youth Service Days:

• Wednesday, July 12, at Dumas Wesley
• Wednesday, August 2, with Meals on Wheels

Talk to Alexandra Hutson for times and details.

The Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar will be away through Saturday, July 8. She will spend a week of Continuing Education at Montreat's Worship and Music Conference and then a week of family vacation in Montreat the week of July 2.

This Sunday in Worship



Join us as we sing favorite hymns in worship selected by the congregation, including “Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven,” “I Love to Tell the Story,” “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and many more. Assisting in worship will be Charlotte Naylor, recorder, and tenor Jacob Mohr, who will sing Hall Johnson’s setting of the Spiritual “Steal Away.” 

Sunday Assistants on Sunday, July 2:

Lynn McDaniel

Jasper Reaves

Bulletin for Sunday, July 2:

Sunday, July 9

On Sunday, July 9, the Rev. Rebekah Abel Lamar will continue her sermon series with “Sailboat Church: Unity,” with scriptural references of Psalm 100 and I Corinthians 12:4-13. While the Sanctuary Choir is on their summer break, our guest musicians will be Dr. Andra Bohnet, principal flute with the Mobile Symphony Orchestra and guitarist Ben Harper, Operations and Education Coordinator of the MSO, who will lead worship with “Morning Has Broken,” “Be Thou My Vision” and other selections. 

Talking Heads

This Sunday School class has recessed for the summer and will resume in the fall.

Sunday Book Study

9:30 a.m. in the Church Library. The group is studying the Interpretation Bible Series "Exodus."

Sunday School for Children and Youth

Sunday School for Children and Youth has recessed for the summer and will resume in September on Rally Day.

Spring Hill Women Bible Study

Tuesdays at 8 a.m. at the home of Ann Adams. The group is studying "Look Ahead" by George Sinclair. 

Tuesdays at Ten Bible Study

The Tuesdays at Ten Bible Study meets at 10 a.m. at the church. The group is studying the Book of Proverbs and the sermon text for the following week. For details, contact Mary Elizabeth Perry.

Men's Bible Study

The Wednesday night Men’s Bible Study has recessed for the summer and will resume in the fall. Contact: Bo Perry.

Parking lot



We suggest that all of our members park in the GSPC lot, double parking if necessary. If you wish to park in the lot next to GSPC's, you will need to pay $5 for 3 hours of parking.

The State of Alabama has begun issuing new tag plates with current year tag renewals. Please make sure that you update your new tag number by emailing it to the church office.

Premium Parking is handling our parking lot revenue. The company has added a service kiosk next to the Guesnard House patio entrance.

Please remember to update us if you have a new tag and or vehicle.

Please remember:

1. GSPC members park for free in the lot at all times.
2. If you have not registered, you may do so by emailing your license plate number to Heather Hamilton in the church office.
3. If you receive a ticket, do not pay it. Please bring the ticket or send a picture of it to Heather or Barbara in the church office and they will take care of it.