First Presbyterian Church, Las Cruces, NM July 2002

TIGHTEN UP FOR THE SUMMER SLUMP! The schedules of the regular year are put aside and we are free to move around much more. But a person can’t afford to lose one’s soul in a summer’s dalliance. There used to be songs about how sweet summer loves don’t hold when the days grow short.

Tighten up, Presbyterians, tighten up! Have fun, but keep in touch with God each Sunday here or wherever you may be. Concentrate on what is essential. Take time, but take care. Test your faith. Hold fast the good.

Our Interim Pastor’s series of sermons on Bible Characters begun in June will continue in July. The series is entitled “Tell Me The Old, Old, Story”. July’s sermons will be as follows:

JULY 7

Have you ever felt the desire for power? We all feel it, even in our small spheres of influence. Power is a heady wine! Read Judges 6:11-18 and read about Gideon, who refused power.

JULY 14

Queen Victoria once said very primly and severely, “David is not a person with whom I should wish to associate.” I guess not. But there he is in the Bible. There he is in the words of Paul, “a man after God’s own heart.” Go figure. Read I Samuel 16:1-13.

JULY 21

Worship led by Don and Kim

Don and Kim are among the 17 missionary ministries we help support. They are serving in Kunming, China. Kim will be enriching our worship with music and Don will be preaching. Come, welcome them back to Las Cruces.

JULY 28

Solomon; what kind of man was he? We really don’t know. We only see bits and pieces of him from the outside. In spite of all we know “about” him, we know very little “of” him. Read Kings 2:10; 3:3-14.

Bring someone to worship with you in July to hear these sermons

Our Interim Pastor will be on study leave July 19 – 27. He will be participating in the second phase of formal Interim Training involving study, papers to write, and thirty hours of class time.

The training will be held at Zepher Point Presbyterian Conference Center, owned by the Synod of the Pacific and the Synod of Southern California, in Lake Tahoe, NV.

This will complete his training as a certified Interim Pastor.

Fall will be here before you know it, and the search for Sunday School Teachers and persons willing to serve in Salt and Light has begun. We are asking members of our congregation to accept the responsibility for the Christian Education of our children, youth, and adults by becoming involved in these Sunday and Wednesday programs.

Please prayerfully consider what portion of your time you can give to this ministry. Remember, the sharing of your Christian faith is the greatest gift you can give to another person. To volunteer please contact Judith Ames at 526-3247 and/or Adele La Verne at 523-1507.

The pastor invited the children to come forward for the children’s sermon. After they had seated themselves on the chancel steps, he announced he was going to talk about frogs. He asked the group, “When I say ‘frog’, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind?”

Promptly, a child answered, “God”. Surprised, the pastor asked with obvious puzzlement, “Why do you think about God when I say ‘frog’?” The child replied, “Cause I know you didn’t bring us down here to talk about frogs!”

Our thanks to Bo Rogers, Chancel Choir Director, for spending the past few weeks painting and refurbishing the choir room. What a gift! Even if you’re not a member of the choir, stop by and take a look. Who knows, it’s so bright and cheerful you might want to become a choir member. Thanks again, Bo!

Three couples of our congregation have recently celebrated their 50^th Wedding Anniversaries. They are: Archie and Mary Beckett; Barney and Joan Rawson, and Joe and Miriam Walstdad. We rejoice with them as we offer our congratulations.

Celebrating her 100^th Birthday on July 6^th will be Mary Lou Rath. A very happy, happy, birthday to her from us all.

This year’s Vacation Bible School, SonCanyon River Adventure, was a huge success. It was a week of singing new songs, doing fun craft projects, listening to Bible stories and learning how to follow God’s word through the Proverbs. We had around 52 children every day (36 of whom do not normally attend FPC) and about 30 youth and adults helping to make this VBS a great experience for the children attending. The mission project this year, Full Speed Ahead, provides school supplies for local children whose families are not able to provide for them. Our children brought money each day to help out and the total at the end of the week was $251.00. Thanks to the many volunteers who put in their time, effort, and love into this year’s VBS!

The Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC) received fifty-five survey responses having comments on the final page. The majority of the comments were “solo,” i.e. were not repeated by any other respondent. Thus most of the comments in the summary below are the input of a single person or perhaps two persons. Many paragraphs were condensed for a more efficient presentation. No strong threads were revealed by the comments.

It is also important to recognize that a number of the comments are not representative of the general sentiments of the congregation as revealed by the statistical results of the survey. Some comments deal with ideas and issues not specifically addressed by the survey. Many comments deserve and doubtlessly will receive further consideration.

There were 16 solo comments concerning the pastor selection and five “double” comments where two persons made essentially the same comment. There was one comment that was repeated three times, and was related to excluding the pastor from session meetings on occasion. There were no pastor’s comments repeated four times. The only comment that had five repeats was the recommendation that we get someone like our Interim Pastor.

On comments about the church and the congregation, there were eleven “solo” comments, six “double” comments, one “triple” comment and none repeated more than three times. The triple comment had to do with the need for more young people in the church.

The completed survey forms are available for further study by individuals and groups within the congregation.

The comments are summarized below.

We need a pastor whose sermons are motivational and reflect that he is Christ centered, who can present a well organized sermon that is not too long and that makes a clear point.

He/She needs to have good vocal variety and volume with good enunciation and a voice suited to our sanctuary and must be energetic, inspirational, motivational and charismatic.

The pastor should have a Ph.D. in theology and be able to teach us the bible, particularly since hardly anyone goes to Sunday school. He should be proven and experienced. He should also teach us to pray as individuals and groups.

There were many votes for a clone of our Interim Pastor.

There is some fear of nepotism and the suggestion that pastor’s family not be hired as staff. One suggested that the pastor’s wife be heavily involved in the church as a volunteer.

There is a sentiment that the pastor should be our spiritual leader only and leave the management of the facility and staff to lay leaders and congregation. The thought was advanced that the pastor must agree that, on occasion, the session must meet without him being present.

The new pastor should be open to the possibilities of changing the times of services, the length of services, as well as the possibility of adding services on different days.

The new pastor should not limit himself to topics from the lectionary for his sermons.

The tenure of the pastor should be limited to something like six or eight years. This to avoid the formation of “personality cults”.

There was a belief that the salary of the pastor is too high with the advice that the PNC should negotiate a smaller salary. Somewhat related was the thought that mission giving was above average with the implication that it was too high.

Sermons should be down to earth and designed to get us though the trials of our daily existence. The pastor should also have a sense of humor and personal integrity and be responsive to new ideas.

There was a suggestion that the pastor should know music and thus would be able to use contemporary music and services to bring in younger folks. These might be extra services produced by and for high school and college students.

We should require of our pastor a clear commitment to the Bible as the revealed Word of God, a clear statement that we are saved only through Jesus Christ and uncompromising opposition to the ordination of those involved in immoral behavior. The Pastor must not succumb to the influence of popular culture.

There was a plea for compassion and understanding of folks who do not fit in.

There was a desire for a strong leader, organizer, and builder who would promote membership and the place of the church in the community. The pastor should be committed to expanded programs. He/she should be a patriot and support the military.

The Pastor should keep the congregation informed. Also when the Pastor doesn’t implement suggestions from the congregation, he/she should be obliged to tell members why not.

The Pastor should be a male in his 30’s or 40’s and be a family person.

The Pastor should be devoted to his/her calling and be a good shepherd.

The Pastor should be friendly to all and know all people personally and know the needs of the congregation generally.

One respondent observed that the questionnaire implied a tall order for a new pastor.

There was one plea for closer attention to the flock, especially those undergoing the trials and tribulations of aging. This is distressing to those who have contributed of their time and wealth in the past to the Presbyterian Church but are no longer able to do much and seemed to be pushed aside with a lot of experience going untapped.

The thought was advanced that we should reach out to the community through opening our facilities to organizations, charging rent in some cases, and in these ways become more involved with the community. There is the implication that we could serve and grow.

It was recommended that we keep the congregation informed though monthly or quarterly breakfast meetings. Interestingly one respondent realized, while filling out the form, that how well informed he/she was depended on how much effort he/she expended to be informed. Never the less it was concluded that he/she would still appreciate all of the help he/she could get.

There was concern that we get younger members brought in and involved in running the church. One of the advocates for more young people (20-40) pleaded for new approach in general as the only means of survival of Our Church. There was a sentiment that the church must become more contemporary if it is to live and grow. This seemed to be a desire to add something to the Church rather than change it fundamentally.

The “Salt and Light” program was lauded and it was thought that there ought to be a version for adults and singles.

It was thought that sermons might be too long and suggested that they be shortened by five minutes.

It was suggested that there is a need for dignity and reserve in our services (e.g., no clapping).

Mission giving was judged above average and this was seen as not desirable.

It was stated that we need to facilitate bringing in new people for committees and there was the thought that people needed help in gaining knowledge for more participation.

It was suggested that resources are overextended and that money for building and improvements could be better used on the mission of the church.

It was recommended that a group should be formed for the developmentally disabled.

It was also recommended that a joint mission plan should be developed with other PCUSA Churches in Dona Ana County.

It was recommended that we should organize small discussion groups to explore issues.

It was opined that we must make new members feel more welcome than we do.

Due to a series of circumstances that have recently developed, the Deacons’ Camp Chimney Spring Retreat, to have taken place at the end of July, had to be cancelled. If you have already registered, please contact the Church office.

You are invited to 100^th Birthday Celebration for Mary Lou Rath on Saturday, July 6, 2002 at 2:00 PM at Good Samaritan Nursing Center. (Enter on Terrace Drive, Building has circular driveway.) Please no gifts; however cards are welcome and would be extra special if you wrote a special memory inside or a short synopsis of how you first came to know Mrs. Rath. For more information call Diana Seward 527-6336 or Kathy Kitchena at 527-6335.

A sincere and loving thank-you for your prayers for Cam when he underwent brain surgery in April. He is doing well, and we give all thanks and praise to God for his recovery. “Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee,” Psalm 55:22.

Mel and Sandra Hester

Do you have a new zip code? If you do, please call the church office with your new number.

The church office will be closing at 12:00 noon every Friday from June 28^th through August 9^th.

The Lantern deadline for the month of July will be Monday the 22nd. Please get your articles into the office by this date.

Raegan Renee Gorzeman was baptized on June 16, 2002.

Communion will be served on July 7 and August 4.

June 2 233

June 9 292

June 16 257

June 23 274

Presbyterian and Disciples

Campus Ministry at NMSU

2511 Chaparral St. 522-6404

David Sallee, Campus Minister

Sunday, 9:00 am Bible Study at Milagro Coffee Shop

Wednesday, 7:30 pm College Student Fellowship and Study at the Bridge

Friday, 7:00 pm Movies and Fun Night at the Bridge

Monday, 8 pm Habitat for Humanity-Student Chapter at Corbett Center

Tuesday, 4:00 pm Christians in social work. Student Chapter at social work building.

The cover of this issue features the Tall Cross located in Monasterboice, Ireland in a drawing by Christopher Miller from a photograph by Alan Soren. It is provided by Mission Interpretation and Promotion, a Ministry of the General Assembly Council.