From: Richard Deibert
Greetings in Christ from your pastor’s spouse!
While Elizabeth and Emily are roaming the ancient hills and shores of Paul’s Greece, I’m taking the liberty to share our family’s thanksgiving for your inspiring support from the moment of her call through the moment of our charter. It may not always be apparent, but our six hearts overflow with peace by the mercy of Jesus Christ through you.
As Christ’s Church, let us rejoice together over the following good news from Graham Hart,the General Presbyter of the Presbytery of Peace River.
First …
We’re going to make it! The congregations of Peace River Presbytery have loudly and clearly expressed their support for Cedarkirk, Beth-El, and Beth-El/Immokalee. We have received $122,005.48 to date in response to the Special Appeal for restoration of budget cuts in 2009 and support for Misión Peniel in 2010. In addition, we have pledges and reports of church offerings totaling $25,511.00 for an anticipated grand total of $147,516.48. We have no doubt that we will reach the $150,000.00 goal.
The funds to restore the original 2009 budgeted amounts have all been distributed, and the remaining gifts will be used to support Beth-El and Misión Peniel in 2010.
And the best news of all…the Board of Directors of Beth-El decided at their meeting last week to reverse the suspension of operations at Misión Peniel and to retain Rev. Miguel Estrada at least through 2010.
Second …
The National Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Kirkuk, Iraq, has been chosen to receive a grant from the Presbyterian Women’s 2010 Birthday Offering, up to $400,000, for its innovative Kindergarten and Primary School. This is near and dear to Peace Presbyterian because Carol and Charlie Haeussner, members of Church of the Palms in Sarasota have been our supporters. Carol’s parents, Jefferson & Helen Glessner, organized the Kirkuk Church in 1930 through the American Board of Foreign Missions, and ministered in Iraq for more than 30 years.
Third …
Don’t forget to "Fall back" that alarm clock this All Hallows Eve night.
With the blessing of peace, I’ll See you in worship on All Saints Day,
Richard
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 23, 2009
This Week at Peace - October 23, 2009
Peace Family,
I continue to hear from friends in the presbytery who were inspired by sharing our day of joy! There are wonderful photos from the day, thanks to the "Peace paparazzi." Two people said it had been years (more than twenty) since they had experienced such a meaningful worship service. Others have been amazed at the professional quality of the commemorative publication, and astounded at what a new church has accomplished in such a short period of time.
With the gospel spirit of "O Happy Day" still ringing in our ears, let us ride on the wings of gratitude and fly into the future as Peace Presbyterian. "Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Remember to distribute your Halloween Offering flyers this week. This is a great opportunity to speak to your neighbors and encourage them to help Peace feed the hungry while they fill children‘s bellies with sugar. Tom and Barbara suggest dressing up on Halloween to collect your non-perishables.
Would you like to learn more about the Islam faith from a Muslim? Email Pastor Tricia at rompandrun@hotmail.com to get tickets for a dinner and discussion on October 30th at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
Peace in the Park is on November 11. Thanks to all (including youth) who are planning to help with this ministry to elementary school children. Contact Richard at rdeibert@mindspring.com
Remember that there‘s a lot to see, read, and learn at www.PEACEpcusa.com and at www.pcusa.org. Gary Miller welcomes your suggestions for the Peace website.
Thanks to Judi Creneti for the Peace directory. Please know that with your CCB (Church Community Builder) password, you can also find info and change your own info online. There‘s a link to our web-based communication system on the home page of our website.
Jason, Betsy, and Gerald are in our prayers, among others.
I fly to Greece in just a few hours. My computer is staying home. Love one another. Peace be with you all.
With lots of love and gratitude,
Elizabeth
I continue to hear from friends in the presbytery who were inspired by sharing our day of joy! There are wonderful photos from the day, thanks to the "Peace paparazzi." Two people said it had been years (more than twenty) since they had experienced such a meaningful worship service. Others have been amazed at the professional quality of the commemorative publication, and astounded at what a new church has accomplished in such a short period of time.
With the gospel spirit of "O Happy Day" still ringing in our ears, let us ride on the wings of gratitude and fly into the future as Peace Presbyterian. "Let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith." (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Remember to distribute your Halloween Offering flyers this week. This is a great opportunity to speak to your neighbors and encourage them to help Peace feed the hungry while they fill children‘s bellies with sugar. Tom and Barbara suggest dressing up on Halloween to collect your non-perishables.
Would you like to learn more about the Islam faith from a Muslim? Email Pastor Tricia at rompandrun@hotmail.com to get tickets for a dinner and discussion on October 30th at Lakewood Ranch Town Hall.
Peace in the Park is on November 11. Thanks to all (including youth) who are planning to help with this ministry to elementary school children. Contact Richard at rdeibert@mindspring.com
Remember that there‘s a lot to see, read, and learn at www.PEACEpcusa.com and at www.pcusa.org. Gary Miller welcomes your suggestions for the Peace website.
Thanks to Judi Creneti for the Peace directory. Please know that with your CCB (Church Community Builder) password, you can also find info and change your own info online. There‘s a link to our web-based communication system on the home page of our website.
Jason, Betsy, and Gerald are in our prayers, among others.
I fly to Greece in just a few hours. My computer is staying home. Love one another. Peace be with you all.
With lots of love and gratitude,
Elizabeth
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
This Week at Peace - October 20, 2009
Peace's Happy Day!
Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for Sunday‘s chartering celebration and for the tremendous blessing we have shared in shaping the early identity of this congregation.
What a joy to see the good work God has done among us and to anticipate a wonderful and challenging life together as a church.
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? (1 Thessalonians 3:9)
Let‘s continue to feast on gratitude for this happy day and for all that God is calling us to be and do in the future!
Don‘t miss this great one minute video clip by Pastor Tricia‘s husband, Clay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUVantMyVZo
Peace,
Elizabeth
Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude for Sunday‘s chartering celebration and for the tremendous blessing we have shared in shaping the early identity of this congregation.
What a joy to see the good work God has done among us and to anticipate a wonderful and challenging life together as a church.
How can we thank God enough for you in return for all the joy that we feel before our God because of you? (1 Thessalonians 3:9)
Let‘s continue to feast on gratitude for this happy day and for all that God is calling us to be and do in the future!
Don‘t miss this great one minute video clip by Pastor Tricia‘s husband, Clay:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUVantMyVZo
Peace,
Elizabeth
Friday, October 16, 2009
This Week at Peace - October 16, 2009
Chartering Sunday is nearly here! Remember, no morning service. Bob S. has kindly agreed to be at SCF/MCC from 9:00-9:35 to welcome any visitors who might show up unaware that worship is from 4:00-5:30.
The service will be led by Peace people and by presbytery commission members, representing churches who have supported our development and land purchase. The service will be filled beautiful music as we celebrate God‘s goodness at Peace, and as 135 of us covenant to be Christ‘s faithful disciples together, and as we ordain, install, and commission leaders for the congregation.
We set up at 2:00. All eager helpers welcome before and after the service. Choir meets at 2:45. It would be great to get photos of choirs and elders and early founders 3:00-3:15. A photo of all Peace children would be super too. Photographers will be ready with cameras, but they will need subjects to be ready too!
After the service, we will have a lovely reception, thanks to the great organizational work of the Fellowship Team. When the guests have gone home and we‘ve cleared the college, the calm down "chilax" charter party is at the Deiberts from 7:00-9:00.
Wednesday night at choir and last night at one of our "Feasting on Gratitude" dinners, I was keenly aware of the remarkable blessing it is to be pastor of a church like Peace serving Christ with people like you. God has gifted us with a wonderfully open and embracing church family. Thanks for venturing out in faith, believing God was creating something special among us. Thanks for persisting in prayer, taking seriously your relationship with God‘s Spirit and with one another. Thanks for being generous in Christ‘s mission, giving your time, talent, and treasure to build PEACE. "I have heard of (and seen) your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers." (Ephesians 1:15-16)
With love and immense gratitude,
Elizabeth
The service will be led by Peace people and by presbytery commission members, representing churches who have supported our development and land purchase. The service will be filled beautiful music as we celebrate God‘s goodness at Peace, and as 135 of us covenant to be Christ‘s faithful disciples together, and as we ordain, install, and commission leaders for the congregation.
We set up at 2:00. All eager helpers welcome before and after the service. Choir meets at 2:45. It would be great to get photos of choirs and elders and early founders 3:00-3:15. A photo of all Peace children would be super too. Photographers will be ready with cameras, but they will need subjects to be ready too!
After the service, we will have a lovely reception, thanks to the great organizational work of the Fellowship Team. When the guests have gone home and we‘ve cleared the college, the calm down "chilax" charter party is at the Deiberts from 7:00-9:00.
Wednesday night at choir and last night at one of our "Feasting on Gratitude" dinners, I was keenly aware of the remarkable blessing it is to be pastor of a church like Peace serving Christ with people like you. God has gifted us with a wonderfully open and embracing church family. Thanks for venturing out in faith, believing God was creating something special among us. Thanks for persisting in prayer, taking seriously your relationship with God‘s Spirit and with one another. Thanks for being generous in Christ‘s mission, giving your time, talent, and treasure to build PEACE. "I have heard of (and seen) your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers." (Ephesians 1:15-16)
With love and immense gratitude,
Elizabeth
Friday, October 9, 2009
This Week at Peace - October 9, 2009
Peace People,
Over the last month, the twelve "elders" you elected to lead the church for the next three years have been praying, studying, and training together. They have read significant portions of the Presbyterian Book of Order and Book of Confessions, and they have taken personality profiles and spiritual gifts surveys.
In terms of personality (Myers-Briggs), the session is dominated by SJs – those who are practical, dependable, thorough, organized, cooperative, warm, and enthusiastic. We also have some NFs who are especially encouraging, imaginative, adaptable, responsive, and very concerned for others. In terms of spirituality, we are fairly balanced, but we lean toward heart-faith over head-faith, which may be our new way of being Presbyterian.
The elders will be serving as liaisons between ministry teams and the session (leadership team). Ministry team leaders (usually not the elders on session) will continue to build small groups of folks who grow in their relationships with God and one another, and accomplish tasks. It is my dream that every single adult (and maybe some high schoolers) will join a ministry team, because it is such a meaningful way to make friends and make a difference. Ministry teams meet no more than monthly, and most of them, just 6-8 times a year.
I tell you some of the richest moments in my life have been in prayer at ministry team meetings and in faith-sharing moments with elders, as we did last night. We talked about pivotal moments, significant people, painful events, times of growth or distance, and all kinds of positive and negative experiences in the church. This is the real stuff of life.
Speaking of stuff, this Sunday text is about unloading it. Yes, Jesus says, it‘s pretty tough to enter the kingdom of God with a bunch of possessions. So we will think and squirm over that and try to understand what it means to simplify our lives and be liberated/saved.
For those of you who have prayed hard for Peace to have a more permanent worship space and place to meet on Sunday evenings and other nights of the week….keep praying because our other considered option is not going to work out. Let‘s keep doing all we can to be good tenants at SCF/MCC. God has a plan and a timing which is not ours to know.
And the good news is that NOW IS THE TIME for CHARTERING! Remember, no morning service on the 18th. 4:00 worship with reception at 5:30ish and a "chilax" chartering party at Deiberts at 7:00ish. Sign up this Sunday (or email back) to offer food for the reception. Wear red as a sign of the Spirit or a Peace polo shirt and be ready for this happy day!
To God be all the glory,
Elizabeth
Over the last month, the twelve "elders" you elected to lead the church for the next three years have been praying, studying, and training together. They have read significant portions of the Presbyterian Book of Order and Book of Confessions, and they have taken personality profiles and spiritual gifts surveys.
In terms of personality (Myers-Briggs), the session is dominated by SJs – those who are practical, dependable, thorough, organized, cooperative, warm, and enthusiastic. We also have some NFs who are especially encouraging, imaginative, adaptable, responsive, and very concerned for others. In terms of spirituality, we are fairly balanced, but we lean toward heart-faith over head-faith, which may be our new way of being Presbyterian.
The elders will be serving as liaisons between ministry teams and the session (leadership team). Ministry team leaders (usually not the elders on session) will continue to build small groups of folks who grow in their relationships with God and one another, and accomplish tasks. It is my dream that every single adult (and maybe some high schoolers) will join a ministry team, because it is such a meaningful way to make friends and make a difference. Ministry teams meet no more than monthly, and most of them, just 6-8 times a year.
I tell you some of the richest moments in my life have been in prayer at ministry team meetings and in faith-sharing moments with elders, as we did last night. We talked about pivotal moments, significant people, painful events, times of growth or distance, and all kinds of positive and negative experiences in the church. This is the real stuff of life.
Speaking of stuff, this Sunday text is about unloading it. Yes, Jesus says, it‘s pretty tough to enter the kingdom of God with a bunch of possessions. So we will think and squirm over that and try to understand what it means to simplify our lives and be liberated/saved.
For those of you who have prayed hard for Peace to have a more permanent worship space and place to meet on Sunday evenings and other nights of the week….keep praying because our other considered option is not going to work out. Let‘s keep doing all we can to be good tenants at SCF/MCC. God has a plan and a timing which is not ours to know.
And the good news is that NOW IS THE TIME for CHARTERING! Remember, no morning service on the 18th. 4:00 worship with reception at 5:30ish and a "chilax" chartering party at Deiberts at 7:00ish. Sign up this Sunday (or email back) to offer food for the reception. Wear red as a sign of the Spirit or a Peace polo shirt and be ready for this happy day!
To God be all the glory,
Elizabeth
Friday, October 2, 2009
This Week at Peace - October 2, 2006
This Sunday is World Communion and Peacemaking Sunday. Watch the video about the special Peacemaking Offering we will collect this Sunday. Please take a moment to see it. It is only a couple of minutes long.
http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?v=dxw78n0d
Twenty-five percent of what we collect will be used for
Peace in the Park to help children in our community learn to be peacemakers at home, and in school, neighborhood and world.
Our text for Sunday from James 3 says, "A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace." As members of a congregation named Peace, we are especially called to be makers of peace. This peace begins in our own relationship with God and extends then to others, as we learn to live out of "gentleness born of wisdom."
Come, pray with us, that God will make us more effective channels of peace.
Peace to you,
Elizabeth
http://vidego.multicastmedia.com/player.php?v=dxw78n0d
Twenty-five percent of what we collect will be used for
Peace in the Park to help children in our community learn to be peacemakers at home, and in school, neighborhood and world.
Our text for Sunday from James 3 says, "A harvest of righteousness is sown in peace for those who make peace." As members of a congregation named Peace, we are especially called to be makers of peace. This peace begins in our own relationship with God and extends then to others, as we learn to live out of "gentleness born of wisdom."
Come, pray with us, that God will make us more effective channels of peace.
Peace to you,
Elizabeth
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