October 27, 2017

the H e ral d
Volume XXXXXI1I,
No 11

Celebration Dinner 2017

November 3 doors open at 6:00 p.m.

Dinner served at 6:15 p.m.

Join your Central Presbyterian Church family on Friday night for a delicious dinner
(for those who already have tickets) prepared by our own church cooks. This dinner
is in place of our Bazaar dinner evening. This evening will include our game/prize
night and the dessert auction fundraiser for our youth. This will be an evening of fun
and fellowship.
Inside this issue:

Christian Educator 2
Its time to get ready to decorate for the Ad-
Hanging of the 3 vent season. Poinsettia orders are now due in
Greens
the church office. The deadline to place your or-
Thanksgiving Sin g 4
der is Sunday, November 19. We have to call the
Praise/Advent De-
order into the greenhouse on Monday, Novem-
votional/ Communi-
ty Theatre
ber 20. The cost of the poinsettias will be $8.25.
We will be offering red and white poinsettias
Calendar 5 again this year. Order forms will be in the bulletins starting on November
3.
Church Happenings 6
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the He ral d

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION REPORT - Cheryl Moles, Christian Educator

All Sunday School classes will be recognizing the 500th anniversary of the
Protestant Reformation on October 29, Reformation Sunday.
Sunday School 2017-2018
Classes meet each week from 9:30 10:20 am.
Preschool (3-5 year olds) Room 108
Kindergarten 1st grade Room 202
2nd 5th grades Room 103
Middle School Room 201
High School Room FH classroom B
Adults Reading the Prophets Room 200
Marriage & Family Room FH classroom C

Josh Powers will be sharing his adventures of

climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro at a special presenta-
tion during the Sunday School time (9:30 am)
on Sunday, November 12.

Parents Night Out is on November 10. Childcare w ith supper is at the church
from 5:30 9:00 pm. Please notify the church office if your children are attending.

T3EM will be November 21 w ith supper and childcare from 5:15 8pm.

The family prayer group meets on Mondays at 11:00 am at the church. If you can-
not attend yet have needs for prayer, please email kaysf122@aol.com

Bible Sunday is November 12. Our first grade and sixth grade students w ill
be presented with gift Bibles.

Hanging of the Greens is Sunday, December 3 from 4:00 6:00pm.

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V o lu me X XX XX I1 I ,

LECTIONARY READINGS FOR

NOVEMBER 2017

November 522nd Sunday after Pentecost/31st Sunday in Ordinary Time/Proper 26

All Saints Sunday
Joshua 3:7-17
Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37
1 Thessalonians 2:9-13
Matthew 23:1-12

November 1223rd Sunday after Pentecost/32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time/Proper 27

Stewardship Sunday (Bring your pledges to worship)
*Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25
Psalm 78:1-7
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
*Matthew 25:1-13

November 1924th Sunday after Pentecost/33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time/Proper 28

Thanksgiving Sunday
Judges 4:1-7
Psalm 123
*1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
*Matthew 25:14-30

November 26Christ the King/Reign of Christ

Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
*Psalm 100
Ephesians 1:15-23
*Matthew 25:31-46

*--denotes probable text for that Sunday.

ADVENT DEVO-
The choir needs your help! We need and
TIONAL The Wor-
ship Commission with would welcome new members in all sec-
the leadership of Scott tions. The choir rehearses from 8:45 to
Paul-Bonham is creating
10:00 every Sunday morning. If you have
an Advent Devotional written by CPC mem-
bers and friends. Please see Scott if you are ever thought about contributing to wor-
willing to write a devotion using his scheduled ship in this important way, please prayer-
scriptures. The deadline for submission
fully consider joining the choir and con-
is November 13 to have the booklets ready
before Advent begins on December 3. tributing now.
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V o lu me X XX XX I1 I ,

Notes from Session, October 2017

During its October meeting, session reviewed reports from commissions and committees and transacted routine business.
Session met with Matt and Angel Guell and approved the baptism of Blake Amelia Guell on October 22, 2017.

Featured Report: Mission Committee

Nancy Edgerton reviewed the basics of the work of the committee, noting that they all feel a large sense of responsibil-
ity to share the caring and resources of the church. Our three major mission recipients are the Lighthouse Mission,
14th and Chestnut Community Center, and the HEME Fund. This is the third year for our participation in Kids Hope
and we also support Bread for the World, the SAWS ramp building project, United Campus Ministries, and ad hoc
summer mission opportunities.

Josh Powers reviewed our involvement with the Immigrant Welcome Center in Indianapolis. Several from our church
visited the IWC in June to learn about their processes and help with two distributions. Publicity from that event led to
interest from others in the Terre Haute community, resulting in the founding of the group Coalition of Terre Haute
Neighbors and the panel discussion held at Central on October 1. Donations associated with that discussion (including
items from Holypalooza sales at Central and St. Stephens) were loaded into the church bus and distributed to 35-40
families from the Muslim community in Indianapolis on October 7. It is our hope that perhaps during 2018 we, along
with others in Terre Haute, could be involved in sponsorship of a family.

Session approved the committees recommendation to donate $1500 to the Lighthouse Mission.

Treasurers Report
The September treasurers report was received with thanks. There was discussion of budgeted versus actual amounts.

Operating Fund Sum- Month of Septem-

Balance Sheet Summary 09/30/17
mary ber
Beginning of Month $59,465.75 Current Assets $657,164
Income $23,843.40 Fixed Assets $2,980,000
Expenses $27,906.99 Short Term Liabilities $2459
End of Month $55,402.16 Long Term Liabilities $275,000
Net Worth (Fund Balance) $3,359,705

Reports and Action Items from Committees and Commissions

Christian Nurture: the commission would like to see more of a social media presence for the church. CN an-
nounced dates for upcoming events
Bibles will be presented on November 12. Bibles will be out for the congregation to sign.
Hanging of the Greens is December 3. CN and Facilities will coordinate dcor for our renovated sanctuary
Childrens Christmas program is December 17
Page 5

Church Life-Church Action: there will be a baby shower for Blake Guell on October 22. On November 3,
the commission will host a dinner to celebrate the renovation. Similar in format to the bazaar dinners in past
years, the cost will be $8 for adults and $5 for middle/high school students. There is no charge for younger chil-
dren.

Communication: Dave Rader will teach liaisons how to post their materials on the web site during a training
session on November 12.

Facilities:

Session should review the draft safety and emergency plan (and associated costs) for discussion at the Novem-
ber meeting. Training and the chain of responsibility for decision making should be considered.
Upon joint recommendation from the finance and facilities commissions, session voted to authorize up to
$130,000 of additional borrowing from our line of credit with PILP in order to redo the roof ($75,000) and un-
dergo the most pressing tuck pointing ($50,000). The roofing contractor (Brown) is recommended by our gen-
eral contractor.

Finance:

Bob Guell gave a brief summary of the results of the capital campaign, noting that pledges are coming in on
schedule. The new borrowing indicates that we would have a 20 year mortgage with monthly payments of $800
-$900. Once the renovation is completed, we might make another appeal for donations or encourage members
to sponsor a month of the mortgage payment.
The new Sunday counting procedures are going well. For next year, any session member who is a counter
should not have open/close duty.

Worship: there will not be a cantata this year.

I&S: the campaign will begin on October 15 with pledge Sunday on November 12. Budget requests need to be
submitted no later than the end of October.

Personnel: the committee has completed its annual salary review using comparative data. The POV minimum
salary increase is 2% and they are recommending we use a 3% increase for those not on a fixed contract.

PNC: the committee has met twice, once with Rev. Susan McGhee for orientation, and the next three meet-
ings are scheduled. Our liaison is the pastor from Sullivan. Leanne Holder will chair the committee and Bob
Guell will serve as secretary. They will use the interim pastor MIF for demographic information and as a base
for answers to some of the questions, and may come to session for advice on others. Rev. Buchanan reminded
us all to be true to ourselves, avoiding the creation of an image that we are not. We should trust in the work-
ing of the Spirit.
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A Haphazard Supplication: Disputed Sovereignty

by Allen Holder

Grave questions asking where you will spend eternity abound, so much so that they seem to abate
into the cliched abyss of our surroundings. Even so, I am sometimes perplexed by the contempla-
tions spawned by the enigma of these questions. Indeed, to what end are these banalities? Are they
Godly adjurations, and if so, then why do they prey on our selfishness to promulgate repentance?
The message is, after all, that I should worship God to save myself, but this inclination counters Je-
sus' selfless command to ``Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this:
to lay down ones life for ones friends." (John 15:12-13) Are those broadcasting suspicion of my sal-
vation implying that Christian narcissism somehow advocates genuflection? Are they really suggest-
ing that each of us become a selfish worshipful scoundrel who can somehow assume an entitlement
to a blissful eternity under the guise that our pretentious glorifications will empower us to comman-
deer our salvation?

The flawed logic of leveraging our selfish fears against our personal parlay with destiny is not the
paradox of seducing those who would be first but is instead a continued sinful debate about sover-
eignty. The awkward selfish conundrum is simply a byproduct of our ongoing resolution to claim
what is not ours. See, salvation is within God's sovereignty, and we don't get to demand grace. We
don't get to argue our case, not even if our good works were to canvas the heavens -- let alone the
more despicable and uncomfortably familiar situation of a faith hatched from the greed for one of
our Father's many rooms. The tawdry flaw of associating salvation with a question of where you will
spend eternity is that it portends that your supremacy outstrips God's by disputing God's sovereign-
ty over His saving grace. The question mandates, or at least suggests, that we control God's deci-
sions by our actions, and hence, the question imbues that we have Godlike power.

Original sin was our first attempt at usurping God's domain by falsely asserting control, but this
blemish has devilishly persisted. For instance, the Reformation challenged the bribery of God to
show leniency to our loved ones. The rally cry became ``by faith alone," a straightforward attempt
to detach salvation from good works and indulgences. However, here lies the insidiousness, for
without clarifying that faith itself is from God, we leave ourselves open to snatching that control for
ourselves. Can't you feel that perilous desire to own your faith, to credit yourself for your belief,
and to bank on your love of Christ. Indeed, where would our destiny be without His unfailing pa-
tience and love?
Page 7

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 Womens 3 Celebration 4

Book Club 7:00 Dinner 6:30

Mary Symon Madeline

Good

5 Choir 8:45 6 Family Prayer 7 8 9 10 Parents 11

Sunday school Group 11:00 Night Out 5:30
9:30
Worship 10:30
Renee New- Murray Pate Charles
ton, Violet
Rubey
Templeton

12 Choir 8:45 13Family Prayer 14 15 Deacons 16 17 18

Sunday school
5:00
9:30 Group 11:00
Worship 10:30 Session 7:00
John Cleve- Matt Guell,
land, Claire Bill Hogan Alvin
Mang, Susan Buddy Berry Aspen Jean
Moulton
Kershaw Stinnett Wilkinson
19Choir 8:45 20Family Prayer 21 T3EM meal 22 23 24 Office closed 25
& childcare
Sunday school Group 11:00
5:15
9:30
Commission/
Worship 10:30 Committees
meet Hadley Erin Lucas
Eliza Payne ** VanNahmen

26Choir 8:45 27Family Prayer 28 Seekers & 29 Personnel 30 ** Xander

Sunday school Group 11:00 Searchers Bible Comm. 12:30 Green, Josh
9:30 study 10:00 Powers,
Worship 10:30
Agnes Moles, Linda Shaw
Keith
Eileen
Whalen Hawkins

Central Presbyterian Church
125 North 7th Street
Terre Haute, IN 47807
Phone: 812-232-5049
Fax: 812-232-5040
Email: CPCOffice@thcpc.org
Next Herald
Deadline The Japanese Lover by Isa-
November 27, 2017
Business Tagline or Motto
Sunday School for all ages 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Worship 10:30 a.m.
Rev. Kevin Buchanan, Interim Pastor
Scott Paul-Bonham, Parish Associate
Cheryl Moles, Christian Educator
Sarah Kelsheimer, Church Secretary
Church Happenings
Womens Book Club Donna Wilson will be the
The Womens Book Club hostess.
will be meeting on Novem-
ber 2 at 7:00 at the church.
The book to be discussed is
International Student This little birdie is
bel Allende. Dinner & Table Talk here to remind you its
sponsored by Mission time to Fall Back.
Committee will be on
Wednesday, November 1
Please set your clock
Womens Bible Study
at 5 p.m. at the United back one hour before
The Womens Bible Study
will meet on November 15 Campus Ministries. going to bed on Satur-
at 10:00 a.m. at the church. day, November 2.
Rev. Buchanan will lead the
discussion on The First
Christmas by Marcus Borg
& John Dominic Crossan.