Click the track below to listen to the audio worship service for Sunday, March 22, 2020, the 4th Sunday in Lent. The SoundCloud track includes a call to worship, scripture, sermon, special music, prayers of the people, and benediction. In addition, a video of our Lenten Candle ritual was recorded and is posted below the audio link. Since we aren't meeting in person, we're trying to connect with our church family for worship in different ways through our website and social media. Our incredibly gifted pianist Sunny Sakai recorded herself playing a beautiful medley of "Be Still and Know" and "Be Still, My Soul." Shaun then took it and made a video to share with you. Take a few minutes to meditate pray, and be still. ![]() While it is sad that we are not able to gather in the sanctuary for worship this morning (thought it is the right decision in light of the social distancing we've been asked to practice during this unprecedented time), we have technology that allows us to still share in parts of the service together. This is not a "live streaming" version that some churches are doing, where someone is recording the service with leaders and musicians in real time to post on Facebook, YouTube, etc. This is an audio file Michael recorded this morning of him presenting parts of the service, including prayers, scripture, and sermon. I've uploaded it to our new Soundcloud file for the church. Click here to listen! https://soundcloud.com/user-656928378/worship-service-and-sermon-march-15-2020 Hope to see you soon. Peace, Shaun Since Pastor Michael has announced his decision to retire in June, the session has taken the first steps to prepare for the next pastoral leader of the congregation.
Rev. Brian Wallace, Presbytery East Branch and Elder Ann Turnock, Congregational Care Assistant, met with Session at the February 11 meeting to share ideas and information about the process of searching for a part-time minister. They distributed a document entitled the Pittsburgh Presbytery Commission on Ministry-Part-Time Ministry Guidelines and Worksheet. The document breaks down the part-time position into 5 tiers. We received a second document that outlined the part-time into duties and the hours needed to fulfill time based on the 5 tiers of Pastoral leadership. There is a difference between sharing a pastor and yoked churches. Yoked churches share a pastor and both churches contribute elders to a shared Session. Sharing a pastor means that two congregations share the pastor, only. The session decided to either seek a part-time pastor or, possibly, share a pastor with another congregation. Our first jobs are to establish a mission statement and to determine what tier of part-time responsibilities we would like to have the person fulfill. We then check with Presbytery to see if there are any natural matches. We will then write a description of our church and the tasks we expect our minister to do. This will be listed on a Presbytery website. It is recommended that we form a Pastoral Nominating Committee (PNC). The PNC would consist of 3 Elders, 1 Deacon, and 1 member of the congregation. We will need to start looking for supply pastors to replace Rev. Rucker when he retires. Brian recommends that we begin the search after Easter (at least 2 months before we need one.) If we need to find a preacher/worship leader between Pastor Michael’s leaving and a part-time pastor starting, we can get a list of supply pastors from Presbytery. The cost/Sunday will be approximately $150. It was recommended that we keep in contact with Ann Turnock with any questions. TWO INSPIRING THOUGHTS:
Throughout the season of Lent, we will be immersing ourselves in the forgiveness, mercy, and new beginnings that God offers us in the life of his Son, Jesus. We will also recall the night Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and called us to that same servanthood. Spend some time contemplating these two thoughts: “There is no future without forgiveness.” Desmond Tutu “If serving is below you, leadership is beyond you.” Anon. Spiritual Development with Pastor Michael… FOR EVERY DAY OF LENT Throughout the season of Lent, I will send a Lenten reflection, poem, thought, or prayer to all the people on our church email list. All of you will be invited to share a thought or reflection of your own. If you are not the email list and would like to be, call the church office. The internet can link us together into a FPCE web of prayer. A MID-WEEK ADULT CLASS – ARE YOU INTERESTED? For many, many years the pastors in our church have offered a Wednesday evening class on at least some of the weeks of the Lenten season. Over the past few years, the number of interested people has become less and less. But please – if you are at all interested or know someone who would be interested in such a class, call or text me at 412- 298-3140. I would love to meet with you.
Per Capita connects our church to the greater Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA). The funds are used to support the activities of the local Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly. Each church is assessed by the number of members, and each year, FPCE pays the entire Per Capita to PCUSA upfront. In other words, our church pays forward the amount for each member. For 2020, the Per Capita is $35 for each member. Please consider submitting your Per Capita to FPCE.
Blessings, Paul Ohori, Stewardship Pastor Michael Not one of us can predict the future; yet all of us make plans for it. On December 31, 2019, I watched my sister pull out the 2020 planning calendar and begin circling certain dates and writing reminders on others. Many of us have done the same thing.
We do the same here at the church. Every year the leadership sits down with the church planning calendar and sets dates; religious dates like Ash Wednesday or Easter; dates for session and deacon meetings; dates for Presbyterian Women events, and dates for the FROGS after school program. Most often, each year’s planning calendar is strikingly similar to the previous year’s. But the year 2020 is going to be different.
We do not have a plan in place as to how we will move forward. That will be on the top of the agenda at our January session meeting. Three decisions have been made.
There are many challenging decisions to be made. Will we share a pastor with another congregation? Will we hire someone part-time? Will we decide to merge with another congregation? Will we lease the building out to other organizations? Will we invite a developer to give us other avenues to take with regard to the facility? This is unnerving. FPCE has never done this before. Yet – this is an exciting time for the life of our congregation. What we do know is this: God will not leave us or forsake us. God will include us in his plan for this community. God has our back. May faith, hope and love abide with us as we plan for a very different 2020. ![]() The Annual Congregational Meeting of the First Presbyterian Church of Edgewood will take place on Sunday, January 26, 2020 immediately following worship in the sanctuary. Ministry and organizational reports will be received, the budget will be reviewed, and the pastor's terms of call will be voted upon. Any representative of a ministry team or organization who normally submits a report should send them via email: [email protected]. Deadline is Monday, January 20. Please stick around after our Epiphany communion worship service on Sunday, January 5 to help take down the Advent and Christmas decorations in the sanctuary. "Many hands make light work."
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