This Week at Peace, June 26th

Greetings, Peace family,

Not so long ago I was preparing the confirmands for their examination, and we reviewed the three most important books for Presbyterian Christians. Do you know what they are? In descending order of importance, they are the Bible, the Book of Confessions, and the Book of Order.

While it is not official until the Office of the General Assembly receives notification from presbyteries that have voted, as of June 7, 2011, the proposed new Form of Government (FOG) has been approved by a majority of our 173 presbyteries, and will replace the current version within the Book of Order of the church’s Constitution. New FOG is a better organized and more compact version of the current Form of Government. If you would like to read more on this, please visit:
http://www.pcusa.org/news/2011/6/7/churchwide-letter-concerning-new-form-government/

The Deibert family is away this Sunday in Montgomery, AL as they celebrate the 20th anniversary of Immanuel Presbyterian Church, the other new church development Elizabeth and Richard co-pastored. Elizabeth will be back in the office Tuesday. Rev. Bill Kemp will be leading us in worship and preaching on Genesis 2, where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son Issac, whose birth was so long waited. May we also put our trust in the LORD.

Please keep the Burkholder family in your prayers as Jim is at Sarasota Memorial Hospital having surgery today.

Peace and many blessings,
Tricia

This Week at Peace, June 19th

As it was my rotation to write for the Faith and Values column in the Bradenton Tribune this week, I was able to reflect upon my personal observation of Father’s Day. I’m fortunate to have a spouse whose fathering improves my mothering, whose children find him both hilarious and nurturing. I also feel blessed to have been raised in a home where because my own father was absent, members of my family, neighborhood, and church community acted like surrogate fathers to me. So I wish a Happy Father’s Day to those of you who are fathers, have been fathers, who struggle to be father’s, and who are like fathers to children not your own.

This secular holiday lends itself for an interesting reflection on this Trinity Sunday. How amazing is our God, who like a father, runs to the prodigal.

The Deibert family is away this Sunday for the Worship and Music conference in Montreat, NC. Rev. Grant Lowe will be leading us in worship and preaching on the creation story. Father’s Day is one place to start when we ask where we came from, what kinds of genes we inherited, and what we may be like. A larger answer, however, is in Genesis 1 where God is the creator, and we are created in God's likeness.

There is still time to sign up and pay Suzi Regulski Shirey this Sunday for the upcoming baseball game on June 26. In order to get the group price, we need 10 people. Tickets must be purchased in advance. See Suzi or the fellowship table for more information.

Peace and many blessings,
Tricia

This Week at Peace - - June 9, 2011

Dear Peacemakers, I am taking a moment away from a wonderful conference called CREDO in rolling hills of upstate NY, to write this email to you. Thirty-two Presbyterian ministers between ages 40-55, following a pattern started by the Episcopalians, are taking an eight-day break from ministry for guided reflection on our spiritual, vocational, financial, and emotional health. It has been a very meaningful time of study, worship, refreshment, and discernment. There are six of these conferences per year, significantly funded by the Presbyterian Board of Pensions. Sunday is Pentecost, and Pastor Tricia will be preaching. She will be assisted by our friend, retired minister and presbytery executive, Rev. Grant Lowe. Director Gia will begin rehearsal for the summer musical at 11:30, and all who have nurtured the faith of children, youth, or adults will be thanked for their teaching with a fire-red “Pentecost” plant. Don’t forget to wear red for Pentecost, as we celebrate the fire of the Spirit! I am seeing your email nearly every day, though I do not have time to respond. Know that you are in my prayers while I am away, and that I am grateful for the ministry we share. So many of my new friends have been pleased and inspired to hear about you and the progress of Peace Presbyterian Church! Some of you may have heard that the new Form of Government of the PC(USA) has been passed by a majority of the presbyteries, and will go into effect in July. Most of you will notice little or no difference in the way Peace is run. Proponents of the six-chapter nFOG (Your pastors are among them) say it is designed to be flexible and recognizes the changing nature of the church. The current 18-chapter Form of Government was adopted in 1983 and has been amended hundreds of times. The major difference between the proposed nFOG and the current Form of Government is not in what governing bodies are expected to do, but in how and who does it, said the Rev. Dan Williams, co-moderator of the nFOG task force. If you want to read more, see this website link: http://oga.pcusa.org/formofgovernment/ Peace, Elizabeth

This Week at Peace - - June 3, 2011

Dear Peacemakers, I am so excited about all the new people at Peace this spring -- new adults, new young adults, new youth and children! You are a blessing to us, and we look forward to getting to know you better, even as we struggle to say good-bye to friends who are moving on! Young adults -- 19-35 -- you are invited over to the Deiberts for a last-minute, informal meal tomorrow -- Saturday night at 7:00. 6421 Blue Grosbeak Circle 34202 756-8153 Yesterday was the 40thDay after Easter, Ascension Day. This Sunday we will celebrate the power Jesus gave us to be his witnesses, even as we revel in the promised presence of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost – celebrated next week . Trinity Sunday follows on Father’s Day this year, and then we’re into the long season of ordinary time. The Mission Team invites all adults to a special one-time Lively Learning session on Disaster Preparedness and Relief this Sunday. We also encourage you to bring a special offering for Pentecost, to Family Promise of Manatee County, the ministry to homeless families with which we are involved. Part of the offering will go to other PC(USA) projects for children & youth at risk. The Fellowship Team invites you to two casual and fun events to build relationships: Stories and Sweets on June 15 – bring a cool summer dessert and hear and/or share a story (3-5 min long) which is inspiring, funny, or otherwise interesting to hear. Mark your calendars for the Fireworks Night at the Bradenton Marauders Baseball Game at McKechnie Field on July 3. More info later. Our musical rehearsals start on June 12th. The youth of Peace will be featured in Light Shine, but there will be parts for children too. So children and youth will spend part of the Lively Learning hour with Director Gia and the other part with various other teachers all through summer. August 8-12 we will have Vacation Bible School in the mornings and will culminate with the musical production on Sunday, the 14th at 11:30. An exciting new class for adults, called Seasons of the Spirit, will begin on Pentecost! Summer shalom to you all, Elizabeth