“Worshiping God together, Growing in Christ-like maturity, Reaching those unconnected to Jesus Christ and Impacting our community and the world.”

Volume 23

here@FIRST

first presbyterian church

February2011

The Bless Challenge

in this issue

PAG

E 34567889

10111213

February Events Pastor Jack’s Welcome FUSE Fellowship Ministry Team: Senior Adults Devotional Discipleship Ministry Team : Men’s Discipleship Ministry Team : Women’s Announcements & Opportunities Preschool Missions Discipleship Ministry Team : Students

15 Cristo Vive Discipleship Ministry Team : Children’s

Discipleship Ministry Team: Marriage Ministry

14

Here @ First is also available in a PDF format on the church web page at www.fpcyakima.comFor inquiries, submissions, omissions, and corrections, contact Curt Rosenkranz in the church office. 248-7940 x 113 curtis.rosenkranz@fpcyakima.com2

First Presbyterian Church of Yakima9 South 8th AveYakima, WA 98902(509) 248-7940

Monday, Wednesday, Friday Senior Adult Exercise 8:45aMonday TOPS 10:00a Over-Eaters Anonymous 12:00n Al-Anon 5:15p Church Basketball 7:00pTuesday Living a Spirit Led Life (Women) 9:15a Women’s Bible Study 9:45aWednesday Men’s Bible Study 12:00n WomenofAction(Prayer) 9:30aThursday Bible Study Fellowship (women) 9:30a Worship Rehearsal 6:00p ChristianServiceBrigade 6:00p Temple Choir Rehearsal 7:00p

WeeklyEvents

Communion - Every Sunday Ward Chapel 10:45aContemporary Services Sanctuary 8:00a & 9:30a Classic Worship Sanctuary 11:00aChildcare Ages 3 mo – Kindergarten RM 102 During ServicesKidzone Sunday School (Children released to teachers from 9:30 Worship Service) Sonbeams - 2 1/2 up to 4 *Parentstodropoffatclass L2 9:30a - 10:45a Cubbies - 4’s to Pre-K 103 9:30a - 10:45a Kinder - 1st Grade 208 9:30a - 10:45a 2nd-3rd Grade 217 9:30a - 10:45a 4th-5th Grade 203 9:30a - 10:45a *Special Needs classroom available 220 9:30a - 10:45aStudent Ministries (6th-12th grade) Worship service Sanctuary 9:30a Small Groups Gym 10:30a - 12:00nAdultEducationClasses AdultEdRm 9:30a-10:30aGolden Circle David Ferry Lounge 9:30a - 10:30a40 Days of Purpose Mid High Rm 9:30a - 10:30a

Sund

ayM

orning

s

3

SpecialEventsinFebruaryTuesday,1 PreschoolRegistrationBegins AdultEdMeeting 7:00p AdultEdRoomWednesday,2 WOWMeeting(Women’sMinistry) 4:00p RhinoRoom SanctuaryGuildMeeting 6:30p GardenRoomThursday, 3 Happy Travelers 1:30p Adult Ed Room SeniorAdultMinistryMeeting 3:00p AdultEdRoom PrayerMinistryLeaderMeeting 4:00p LibraryFriday, 4 MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) 9:00a Gym Weekend 4, 5, 6 SNOWBLAST! Senior High Retreat Ghormley 9-12 gradeSunday, 6 Communion Sunday Sanctuary EveryoneTuesday,8 DiscipleshipMinistryTeamMeeting 1:00p AdultEdRoomWednesday,9 PresbyterianWomen’sValentineDessert 1:00p GardenRoom WomenThursday,10 PreschoolBoardMeeting 9:30a RhinoRoom Preschoolboard FellowshipMinistryTeamMeeting 5:15p Friday,11 MOPSValentineDinnerandAuction 5:30p Gym EveryoneSaturday,12 PrayerShawlMinistry 9:00a MidHighRoom Knitters Cristo Vive Couple’s Night 5:30p Lounge CouplesSunday,13 FUSEMarriageClassKickOff 11:00a Gym AdultsTuesday,15 ServiceMinistryTeamMeeting(Missions) 7:00a AdultEdRoom SessionLeadershipTeamMeeting 7:00p AdultEdRoom EldersWednesday, 16 Ghormley Commission 6:30p Rhino Room Friday, 18 MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) 9:00a Gym Moms Women’sCraftNight 6:30p Lounge Women Union Gospel Mission Service 7:30p Mission EveryoneMonday, 21 President’s Day: Church Closed Tuesday,22 KaffeeKlatsch 9:30a GardenRoom Everyone SessionDinnerandMeeting 6:00p GardenRoom Elders&ProgramStaffWednesday,23 NaomiCircleMeeting 10:00a Parlor Mary McLean Luncheon 12:00n Parlor Friday,25 MOPSCreativeMoments/Zumba 9:30a Gym MomsWeekend 25, 26, 27 Jim Singleton Saturday,26 PrayerShawlMinistry 1:00p MidHighRoom KnittersSunday,27 Deacon’sMeeting 3:30p Lounge Deacons

March 4, 5, 6 Women’s Retreat / Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan Women

4

Pastor Jack

Jack Peebles

Senior Pastor, Jack.Peebles@fpcyakim

a.com 248-7940 x108

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.Matthew 4:23

Dear Church Family,We continue in our BLESS Challenge series in the month of February. It’s much more than a sermon series. As recipients of God’s grace in Jesus, we have truly been blessed. God loves us and offers us salvation. Those who have faith in that are to give evidences of their faith. We are to live out our faith and just as we are blessed, we are to be a blessing to others. Jesus says, “to love God and love your neighbor”. Hear what 1 John 4 says:“We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 John 4:19-21).

I believe our actions must be consistent with who we say we are. This sermon series is designed to help put people’s faith into action. Part of the discipling process Jesus used was by putting His followers into a position where they could serve. One thing I have

learned is that by engaging in acts of service, not only do you make a difference, but also a difference is made in you!

Do you believe God can work in and through you, despite your faults, warts, and blemishes? As followers of Jesus, we are also blessed with the eternal gift of God’s salvation, but that in of itself is not the end of our story. We too are blessed… TO BE A BLESSING. Isn’t that what Jesus did during His earthly ministry? He and His disciples walked around with their eyes and ears wide open with the intention of being a blessing to others. It didn’t matter how large or small the blessings. What mattered is they helped those in need.

We desire to be a faithful community where people discover and experience the transforming love of Jesus Christ, grow in their faith and dedication, and use their God-given talents and resources to help others experience God’s love. This is God’s mission for each of us. BLESS is a series of practices that I believe will help us collectively reach a

new level and live a complete and balanced life in Christ. These practices are:1. [B]e Aware2. [L]isten to God3. [E]at with Someone4. [S]erve Someone5. [S]tudy Scripture

These actions are focus areas for us to apply God’s mission in our individual lives, on our campus, and throughout the community and world. I have asked all of our program staff members and elders who oversee our ministry teams to participate in this series by creating opportunities to help members and friends of the congregation to put these practices into action. Do you have any ideas or opportunities that have been placed in front of you? These are, after all, things that each of us can do every day. The question to leave you with is how will you participate in the BLESS challenge?

Mark Tum

ney Pastor of Family Life &

Missions, M

ark.Tumney@

fpcyakima.com

248-7940 x108FUSE

5

We are excited to announce to the church community and our family that over the next few months we will be offering a tangible opportunity for people to improve their marriages! After thinking about it, we couldn’t invent a better way to officially kick off our Fuse ministry.

One of the things that you may not know about FPC is just how well our church helps to prepare people for marriage. Of all the churches I’ve had the opportunity to be part of, I can say without a shadow of doubt that FPC does the best job of helping couples prepare for their life together. Given how well this team does to help prepare people for marriage, we have asked Carol Licht, one of our marriage mentors, to help guide those of us who already have said “ I do” in some of the same principles.

Here are some of the principles that we hope to cover over the next few months on Sunday mornings at 11 o’clock:

1. Spiritual Unity: Does having a shared faith make a difference in a lifetime relationship?2. Family of Origin: What happens if my view of “normal” is different from yours?3. Roles: How do we decide who’s doing what?

Pastor Mark

4. Communication/Talk: Is the football game more important than I am?5. Friendship: What happened to my buddy?6. Conflict: Can we actually resolve the tensions that keep reappearing?7. Money: Do I have a secret lover?8. Sex: Am I only dreaming?9. In-Laws and Out-Laws: Why is she always on the phone with her mother?10. Help: How can we keep our relationship on track?

In addition to considering these various topics, we also hope to continue the emphasis that we’ve introduced in Fuse on helping parents increasingly become better spiritual leaders within their homes. Although we will have a marriage theme throughout the semester, we still will be encouraging parents to participate in service and intergenerational learning approximately once a month.

Although Fuse will have a distinct emphasis on improving our marriages, this does not mean that someone who is not married couldn’t benefit from what Carol will be teaching. You will find this class particularly beneficial if you are interested in being married in the future, or even if you are simply wanting to hone your understanding of the differences between the sexes, and how we might better relate to one another. Our Fuse gatherings are fitted for all families.

We are beginning our new semester together over Valentine’s weekend, on Sunday February 13th at 11:00a in the David Ferry Lounge. If you’re married or if you desire to be in the future, we hope you can join us!

6

Jim E

rixson Pastor of Congregational Care, Jim.Erixson@

fpcyakima.com

248-7940 x130

Senior Adults

Social Security and Medicare

Information meeting aimed at those

who are becoming of age (62 to 66)

soon and others who want to learn

about the benefits.

Tuesday, March 29

6:30p – 8:00p

Garden Room

Special Thanks to Dorothy Smithfor her dedication and service at the

Connection Center. Dorothy has been the organizing and driving force behind this

communication focal point. She schedules volunteers, updates information, and tracks

materials. Be sure to thank Dorothy next time you see her.

2011 Kaffee Klatsch ProgramsKaffee Klatsch is a German term with “Kaffee” meaning coffee and “Klatsch” meaning gossip. At every event, Klatschers start out sitting at tables enjoying refreshments, and engaging in conversation. Then there’s a time for announcements, a sing-a-long, a poem recitation, and finally the main presentation which may be a speech on a curious topic, a musical program, a demonstration, short play, or display of a unique hobby. Most of our speakers love to answer your questions, and we always leave time for Q&A at the end.Kaffee Klatsch usually meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month from 9:30a until 11:00a, in the Garden Room or the Sanctuary. We have an exceptional lineup planned for this year, and hope to have all events confirmed soon and posted on the bulletin boards. Here is a sampling of what is confirmed so far. On Tuesday February 22, (President’s Day, and the birthday of President George Washington) James Newbill, a well-known historian, will provide us with some interesting and entertaining information about American Presidents. In October, Laurel Krueger, an authority on the Muslim religion, will tell us about Muslim customs, beliefs, and their significance on the cultures of the world. On Tuesday, December 13 Shannon Ruiz, the choir director at Davis High School, will bring two of the school’s choirs to perform a Christmas concert for us.Come ready to share in good fellowship, delightful goodies, and interesting topics. Oh!...and bring a friend!

Senior Adult Exercize Group. M,W,F Mornings in the Garden Room.

I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. Psalm 34:1

Marv Becker

7

DevotionalAfter breakfast Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of

John, do you love Me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," Peter replied,

"You know I love You." "Then feed My lambs," Jesus told him. Jesus repeated the question: "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?"

"Yes, Lord," Peter said, "You know I love You." "Then take care of My

sheep," Jesus said. Once more He asked him, "Simon, son of John, do you love Me?" Peter

was grieved that Jesus asked the question a third time. He said,

"Lord, you know everything. You know I love You." Jesus said, "Then

feed My sheep. John 21:15-17

In this conversation between Jesus and Peter, Jesus

effectively tells Peter ‘If you love Me go help somebody!’ The

command expressed is not if we love Jesus to demonstrate it by serving but, rather because we love Jesus, we love and serve His sheep. This becomes the

identity of a believer. Love and service cannot be separated. We only achieve one by achieving the other. If we truly love God we will love His sheep, and as we engage in acts of love and

service to His sheep, we fall completely in love with our

God.

Loving and serving God’s creation is our Lord’s intention for those who are His followers.

Love and service become the foundation of our relationships and the invitation for all people to experience His unconditional

love.

Feeding His sheep may mean a small group collects loose

change for three months and then goes grocery shopping,

donating the food to a homeless shelter, or adopting a single parent, contributing to that household whatever

skills the small group members possess i.e., home repairs,

babysitting, budgeting, tutoring, etc. It may mean actually speaking to that

homeless person on the street corner, offering a ride to church to someone unable to drive, or being a friend to someone who

is lonely.

Janet Krieger

God loves us and He wants to see evidence that we love

Him. Our salvation is not dependent on our love for and service to others but if we are truly living in the midst of His unconditional love for us how

can we not respond by feeding His sheep?

In Matthew 7:24 Jesus concludes His Sermon on the

Mount by proclaiming "Anyone who listens to My teaching and obeys Me is wise, like a person

who builds a house on solid rock.” Jesus is calling us to not

only hear, study, memorize, and teach His Words but to do them.

So come on family . . . Let’s go help somebody!

Bill Starr M

en’s Ministries, Bill.Starr@

fpcyakima.com

965-3318

Shan Trick Wom

en’s Ministries, Shan.Trick@

fpcyakima.com

248-7940 x142

8

Valentine Party & DessertWednesday February 9, from 1:00p

to 3:00p, in the Garden Room. Ladies, come and enjoy fellowship time with an

interesting program showing Virginia Campbell and Jeanette Kempf’s antique

valentines. Joanne Benson will also be showing her baby celebration quilts. Call

Chris Leverett at 965-8481 or Frances Lockwood at 452-3242 for reservations.

Please consider bringing a freewill offering to help cover the costs.

Men & Women

Men, what is a Christian? What do they look like and how do they act? Together, we probably have as many definitions of what a Christian is as there are people in the world. The

Wednesday night Men’s Ministry class is back in full swing, studying the second half of Tim Kellers’ book, The Reason for God. Being led by Bill Starr, these questions & many like them will be discussed in depth. As men, we know that God commands us to be leaders in our homes, and in the Body of Christ. We need only to listen to, and read the word of God to realize that the definition of a Christian is plain and clear. As Christian men, we have been called to be holy, repentant, and obedient to a God that desires to have us as heirs of His kingdom with our true elder brother Jesus Christ. He commands us to take the “Good News” of salvation to all the people in the world with love in our hearts, in the hope that they will choose to follow Christ. Remember, God knew us first. He sought us out before we ever knew him. Seeking God is a very healthy choice to make, not only for you, but also for the health of Christ’s church. Men need to stand up and make a difference in the lives

of those around us. We are charged to be able to ‘give an answer’ for our faith in Christ. This starts first in our own homes. It is our sacred calling. God’s desire is to have a personal relationship with each and every one of us. He expects us to seek after Him so that we can come to know how holy, loving and sovereign He really is. As I pursue my own understanding of God, I realize that all that exists, the earth, the heavens, and all of humanity are created and sustained by God. He owns everything that has ever existed, yesterday, today and forever. Why then would I choose to spend my life focused on the things He has created instead of on the Creator?

We see in scripture that Christ regularly shared meals with people. A definite highlight of the Wednesday night class will be the fantastic dinner served prior to the class at 5:15p in Koehler Hall where our own chef, Tony Crawford, fixes up meals to remember. Men, come join us for good food, and fellowship, as we study God’s word.

I will praise

God's name

in song

and glorify

Him with

thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30

Jerry Smith

Attention Women!

Look on the back cover for information about this

year’s WOMEN’S RETREAT!

9

Announcements & Opportunities

Pastor Jack and Dr. Guder of Princeton Theological Seminary will be leading a trip to Europe to study the beginnings of the Reformed church. This reformation trip will begin on August 12, 2011 arriving in Prague , Czech Republic and ending on August 24, 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland. We will travel through the cities of Weimar, Wittenberg, Naumberg, Erfurt, Wartberg, Coburg, Nuremberg, Rotherburg, Augsburg, and Friedrichshafen, Germany and the Swiss cities of Constance and Zurich. We will also stop at the Wartburg Castle and sail across Lake Constance. Cost for the wonderful trip will be $4000.00 which will include bus transportation from Yakima to and from Seattle Airport, round trip air transportation, land tour, gratuities, cancellation insurance, 11 breakfasts and 11 dinners. Accommodations will be provided in superior tourist-class hotels, or best available tourist-class. The cost is per person at double occupancy. For more information you can contact Pastor Jim at 248-7940 or Nadine Warren of Accent Tours at 575-3949.

Cookies and CansDid you know that we go through about 600 cookies a week for our Sunday fellowship time? So, our Fellowship Ministry wants to take a moment to THANK YOU. Thank you for taking time to bake or buy cookies and treats for our church family to nibble on. We are asking each family to bring three dozen treats once a month. We also want to thank you for bringing non-perishable food for the local food bank we support: Calvary Rescue Mission. Leroy and Cassandra who, led by our Lord, run this mission are grateful for the weekly donations. They are able to provide food baskets to many families in our Valley each Saturday. Such a tiny thing, like bringing cookies or non-perishable food, really does make a big difference to others. What a blessing it is to be a part of this generous, thoughtful community. So, thank you and bless you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Savior.Sunday, January 30 Last Names: N – SSunday, February 6 Last Names: T – ZSunday, February 13 Last Names: A – FSunday, February 20 Last Names: G – MSunday, February 27 Last Names: N – S

$50 help can provide on going health

for many for a lifetime?Yes! If 300 people contribute $50 each, then a new water

filtration system can be installed in Chapab, Mexico. With

your financial partnership we will change the lives of many

in Chapab, especially for children and the elderly, who are

more vulnerable. This will be our second Living Waters for

the World project, which empowers a local church to use

pure water to flood their community with God's greatest

love, Jesus Christ, the Living Water.

Our good friendJim Singleton will be visiting us February 25th-27th. He will be preaching in part of our sermon series

The Bless Challenge

Valentine’s Dinner& Silent AuctionFriday February 11Tons of exciting donations from local businesses including Expresso Express, Homemade Gourmet, Zumba, Creative Memories, Auto Spa, Priscilla’s, Bea’n Touch Massage Therapy, Massage Associates, Expresso Etcetera, and many more.$30 per Couple ( general )

$25 per Couple ( Mops Moms ) For more information callFirst Presbyterian Church at 248-7940or Aimee Ozanich at 901-1838

Session I Friday Night 6:00p-8:00p – “Who Moved My Church?” Dinner at 5:15p. RSVP needed by February 18th. Cost $7.00 prepared by Tony CrawfordSession II Saturday Night 4:00p-6:00p – “Where Is This Train Headed?”(no dinner)Sunday Morning all three services – “The Harvest is _______, but the Workers are ________”

Rhonda Cardona Preschool Director, Rhonda.Cardona@

fpcyakima.com

248-7940 x119

10

Preschool

I have so many wonderful memories

of growing up in this church. Some of my fondest were from Jr. High…I know…Jr. High. Every summer I looked forward to the TREK intern program where college students would work in different ministry areas. The summers after my 6th and 7th grades my favorite intern was Melissa Harman. I remember her as the coolest person I had ever met. She was my counselor at Camp Ghormley and I had a blast! She would take me out to movies and pizza and I thought I was on top of the world. I would ask her about her boyfriend, Jeff, and she would always, with a little prodding, share about him. I remember we were at Wild Waves in Tacoma and Melissa had just gotten her nails done. Me, always being curious, asked why and she said that Jeff was going to propose soon. I was so confused as to how she knew he was going to

propose and why you would get your nails done. I was invited to their wedding, and to say that I was thrilled would be an understatement.

Melissa took an interest in me, and I can honestly say her caring heart and her willingness to hang out with a “tween” impacted me greatly. It may not have seemed like she was doing that much, but the little things add up and had a lasting impression on me. Later, I became a TREK intern. Because of her example, I felt I knew how to be the best intern. I may not have had all the right answers or given the best Sunday School lesson, but there was one thing I did know, and that was the importance of building relationships with young people. Taking an interest in a young person’s life may mean the world to them, like it did to me.

Jessica Van Horn

Melissa was and continues to be a blessing in my life. A few years ago she and her family moved back here and now we work together at the preschool. I still look up to Melissa, as a wife, a mother, a teacher and co-worker. And I know now why she got her nails done. I don’t, however, know how she knew Jeff was going to propose. I will always remember those times I had with Melissa and I am encouraged to be an encourager to the people of this church whether they are 4 or 84.

Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.Psalm 147:7

ICELAND

11

Missions

Several Years ago we moved into a new neighborhood and learned that we had several disabled neighbors as well as a couple who were shut-ins, and not long after two elderly men

died leaving behind frail widows. On a snowy night some three years ago my husband, two sons, and I decided to shovel the walks for these neighbors. Since then we have maintained walkways every snowfall. Gradually several of these neighbors have discovered us as they peeked out their

windows, and I began to grow concerned about what they might think. Would they think we wanted money? Would they think we were only do-gooders? How would they know that our motivation is the Love of Christ? Several weeks ago one of these neighbors saw our youngest

son passing by and invited him in. The man, who had recently come out of the hospital, began to express their gratitude to our son for clearing their walkway. Suddenly the wife started to weep. “Mom”, he told me later, “She kept on saying...Someone loves us. To think that someone loves us.”

Anonymous

As some of you know, since October I’ve had

the honour of staffing the first Discipleship Training School in Iceland. For the past 12 weeks we've had

wonderful speakers from all over the world, challenging

the students (and us) to grow in character. In these 6 months we’ve seen people

set themselves completely apart for seeking God, and we see a ton of truth revealed in their lives. It is a lot of work to help pioneer something, and to staff such an intense program! I've been learning a ton about my own character, and having to depend on God for His

wisdom.

There is something really significant about Iceland, and about the way God has brought this group together. In the past couple

of months God has healed individual hurts and changed our perspectives, all to the benefit of the whole school. In learning

openness we are more able to love one another, and others. When people come into the coffeehouse (which our Youth With A Mission

base runs in Reykjavik) they feel like a part of a family. There is so much isolation and loneliness here in Iceland. The key to breaking

out is in building a loving community centered around Christ. This is what a DTS is supposed to be: a body of people actively learning to

love God and one another more fully.

In a few short weeks we will be taking our little community of Jesus-people out to Kenya Africa! We will be spending time in Nairobi working with churches, in the slums, help build a school, work

with orphanages, laboring with existing long-term ministries, and evangelizing. Please pray for us as we go; that God would go with us, shield us, and that we would bear fruit in His name. We are in need of

financial support. It will cost approximately $2,400 to be able to go personally, and others on the team are equally in need. You can have

an impact in Africa and in these students' lives by partnering with us financially! If you'd like to support our mission you can make a donation at the church office in our name. Thanks, and God Bless.

Tyler Dougherty

Did You Know?

...that just outside the Parlor Kitchen we have a bulletin board where you can post a service? Do you have a small enterprise?

Do you need to hire someone for a task, or repair, or service? Bring a card or flyer

and let people know.

You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion,

and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.2 Corinthians 9:11

Jeff Murray Student M

inistries, Jeff.Murray@

fpcyakima.com

248-7940 x125

Tyler Van Horn Student M

inistries, Tyler.Vanhorn@fpcyakim

a.com 248-7940 x106

Students

12

A few years ago I met with a student for coffee. I had the hidden motive of studying scripture with him, so I printed a passage and brought it with me. During a lull in the conversation I took out the passage, as I planned to do before hand. Then I said, “Would you like to study this passage with me?” The look I got in return was one of hurt feelings and frustration. All this kid wanted was to sit with me and talk about life. My gesture gave him the impression not only that I had a hidden agenda but also that I didn’t really care about what was going on with him.

What I took away from that experience is that Ministry is about relationships. It can’t be a dynamic of one well-read leader trying to influence someone to be different. Ministry needs to be an expression of love. The most common word for love in the New Testament is agape. Outside of early church literature, the word agape is only found a

Jeff Murray

Students are selling Ugly Mug

Coffee as a fundraiser to buy

goats for villages in Africa. We

are doing this through Partners

International.

meager one time. This means that outside of the early Christian community the word agape didn’t hold much weight at all. But within the relational network of the early Church, agape became infused with new meaning. Its primary definition is love expressed in genuine interest in the other.

At First Presbyterian, we need to see the youth of our community as autonomous human beings with hearts and minds. It is not right for us to simply try to influence them to become more like us. Instead we should begin to take genuine interest in who they are now and who they are becoming. Without a caring community, adolescents can’t grow. This is where the church needs to step in.

Please be in prayer about what you can do to show adolescents in our community the love of Christ.

It’s good to be home.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

Wednesday Night Youth Groups

Mid-High 6:00p - 7:45pDinner served 7:15p-7:30pSenior High 7:15p - 9:00p

13

Susie Woodin Childrens M

inistries, Susie.Woodin@

fpcyakima.com

248-7940 x135Children

My 36 years with you as Children's Director leaves

lasting memories that will remain in my heart

forever. Thank you for your wonderful expressions

of love--the words, hugs, cards, gifts, dinners,

flowers, beautiful watch and cash gift...all are SO

appreciated!

Thanks for the blessings-Love to you,

Kathy Eaton

Susie Woodin

Look out…it’s coming!

Clear your schedule now!!

It’s not too early to think about where you will help with

Here are some great areas that you can get a jump start on… Call Susie @ 248-7940 ext. 135 for more information…

Volunteer CoordinatorThis is a really fun and exciting area to help. You could set up the recruitment board where volunteers sign up, then

coordinate the correspondence with volunteers. All of this is done prior to, and during the week of VBS. This person

needs to be extremely organized. Crafts

We need a person who would be willing to look at the crafts that are provided with the curriculum and choose

from them, or come up with others that tie in with the daily themes. They would then gather all supplies needed to

complete each daily craft. This person could also lead the craft station during the week of VBS, but it’s not required.

DramaDo you love storytelling and drama? Then you could help by taking a look at the bible stories provided with VBS and turn them into the daily drama for the Bible Exploration time. We

also need someone who would be responsible for the set each day during the drama, gathering props and supplies, and daily set up and take down. This is a great behind the

scenes job! You can also assist on the Tech crew running sound, lights, and media.

RegistrationThe team has already been meeting, so join us with the

preparations. This is where it all begins!

VBS BrochureDo you have a special talent in publications? We would love

your help with putting together our VBS brochure.

With the economy being what it is we

need more volunteers than ever before.

Come help prep’; lead; impact

the life of a child for Christ.

VBS

14

Gustavo Carvajal Pastor of Cristo Vive, Gustavo.Carvajal@

fpcyakima.com

248-7940 x133

Cristo Vive

This Christmas Madison Housereceived a blessing from the Lord. Plans

were laid out to give gifts to needy children in the Yakima area. Families were

invited in for snacks, a drama, gifts, a family picture, and more snacks. Some

300 people from all over the valley, including many from FPC and Cristo Vive,

handed out about 1600 gifts; over 2000 people attended; and the true Christmas

Miracle was that over 600 people indicated that they wanted to learn more

about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Let us all thank God

for pouring out His Spirit on our valley. And, be sure to thank Madison House Director Kevin Deyette for all his hard

administrative work.

Therefore, since we are receiving

a kingdom that cannot be

shaken, let us be thankful, and

so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.

Hebrews 12:28

15

Marriage MentoringA Fusion of Marriage Mentoring and Family Ministries

When Hamilton and I got married 36 years ago, we had zero pre-marriage counseling. We were part of a generation that distrusted its elders and thought the world and all its truth belonged to the young who needed no help. Even if we had been open to counseling, our circumstances of living on opposite coasts preceding our wedding day (I was finishing college at Berkeley and he was a first year resident at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore) conspired against any counseling.

The first time we had a disagreement in our new marriage, I coped by taking a tranquilizer. Hamilton suggested a better approach would have been to talk it through, but both of us found conflict to be deeply dismaying and threatening, and so a pattern of avoidance persisted for many years.

All of us enter marriage with a picture of what we hope it will be like. Surely our spouse will be our closest friend – you know, the one who can read our mind without words being spoken. Our spouse will be there for us in every moment of need, readily laying aside her work, or gladly forsaking fishing trips and football games to focus on us instead. Our spouse will eagerly protect us, rising with valiant passion to fend off anyone or anything at any cost to himself. And so forth.

What happens when reality collides with our ideal? Some simply walk away while others bury themselves in careers or kids. Some may turn to addictions or seek fulfillment outside their marriage.

Fortunately, Hamilton and I persevered. Eventually we signed up for a Marriage Encounter weekend and from there began our journey towards a much deeper, more resilient relationship. Like any other couple, we still have our jaw-clenching moments,

but we’ve learned how to see ourselves as players on the same team and to genuinely seek what is best for us together, rather than what is to our individual gain. Our marriage is a source of great joy and fulfillment and we wouldn’t trade it for anything.

About seven years ago as we were becoming empty nesters, I sought God’s heart for how I might best share my time and talent in service to others. The inspiration came to me that couples could benefit from an expanded pre-marriage course that would help get their journey off on a more solid footing than what Hamilton and I had experienced.

Today I volunteer with three other marriage mentors at FPC to work cooperatively with our pastors to offer a seven-session preparation course for soon-to-be brides and grooms. The feedback from couples has been incredibly affirming! And as we bless them, we ourselves are greatly blessed by the opportunity to frequently review how to model healthy marriage practices.

Starting in February, FUSE family ministries has invited me to share the essence of the pre-marriage course with people interested in enhancing their most precious relationships - whether between parent and child, siblings, best friends or spouses. We will be using a wonderful book called, The Most Important Year in a Man’s/Woman’s Life, as the basis for discussions about spiritual unity, family of origin, roles, communication, friendship, resolving conflict, issues over money, sexual relationship, in-laws and out-laws, and where to turn for help. Although the book is geared to married couples, the concepts and skills we glean will be highly applicable to all types of relationships. Pease join us!

Carol Licht

NONPROFIT ORGUS POSTAGE

PAIDYAKIMA, WA

PERMIT NO 59

FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH9 SOUTH 8TH AVEYAKIMA, WA 98902

First Presbyterian Church

Women’s Retreat March 4, 5 & 6, 2011

Campbell’s Resort on Lake Chelan

Knowing the Power of God's Love Come Away with Me

Come Away with Me

Ladies, take a weekend to step away from your responsibilities and routines. Step into deeper fellowship with God and with other women. Laugh and relax. Worship and learn. Join us for an amazing women’s

retreat, and prepare to be transformed by the power of God’s love. Our keynote speaker will be Kathy Bricel, teacher of “Living a Spirit Led Life” – a class held at the church Tuesday mornings.

Campbell’s Resort is on the shores of Lake Chelan, about a 2-1/2 hour drive north of Yakima. The quaint town of Chelan, with coffee shops, boutiques, restaurants, and a one-mile river walk, is right out your

door. Enjoy Campbell's outdoor hot tub or gym during your free time. If there's snow, bring snowshoes, cross-country skis, or even your snowmobile! There will also be time for naps, prayer, a guided outdoor

“refreshment” walk, games, conversation, laughter—whatever it is that refreshes you. All hotel rooms are lakeside and have views of distant snow-capped mountains. A continental breakfast is provided each

morning.

If you are in need of a retreat scholarship, please don’t let finances keep you away! Pray about how much you can afford. Contact Shan Trick - funds are ready and waiting for you. New this year is the Party Bus. For a small extra fee you can ride in comfort on a chartered bus which will leave the church parking lot at 3pm on Friday and will return around 3:30pm on Sunday. Your party bus hostesses will ensure that you have a

fun ride!

Want to help with scholarships? Consider adding $10 to $50 to your

registration payment to be used for those who could use a little help making it to the retreat. That’s how it is in the Kingdom of

God: those who have extra, share; those who need help, receive.

Sign up today in the

Church Office or online

at www.fpcyakima.com