April Newsletter 2015

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FOUNTAIN HILLS PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

IN TOUCH
Fountain Hills, AZ

April 2015

From Ken Brown, Pastoral Associate

He Made Sure They
Were Sure!
Men have preached a lie, knowing it’s a lie if, in preaching it,
they have put gold in their
pockets.
Men have preached a lie, knowing it’s a lie, if when preaching it, they have achieved power
and authority.
But men do not preach a lie, knowing it’s a lie, if every time
they preach it, they are courting imprisonment, persecution,
poverty and death.
Men do not preach a lie, knowing it’s a lie, if every time they
preach it, they are pounding nails in their caskets.
Men do not preach a lie, knowing it’s a lie, if it means that
they will be crucified upside down as was Peter, or that they
will be beheaded as was Paul, or that they will be stoned to
death as was Stephen.
It is contrary to all human experience for men to go out and
spend their lives preaching a lie, knowing it’s a lie, if every
time they preach it, they are ostracized from the community,
hounded by the authorities and turned into the laughing‑stock of society.
And yet that is precisely the penalty the early Christians paid
for preaching the resurrection. It is because they were absolutely convinced that they were preaching a fact ‑‑ that they

FHPC VISION & MISSION STAMENTS
Our Vision:

Living God’s love.
calls us to . . .
Our Mission :

Reach out to all with faith and love.

had seen him, touched him, talked with him, eaten with him,
and had been taught the Scriptures by Him after He arose . It
is because they were so convinced, they went out across the
Roman Empire and preached it and sealed their witness with
their blood.
Yet, a thoroughly-modern-Millie Bible scholar boasted unapologetically,
“If you say that Jesus rose from the
dead biologically, you would have to
presuppose that a decaying corpse—
which is already cold and without blood
in its brain—could be made alive again.
I think that is nonsense.”
That’s funny (not funny “ha-ha,” but funny, “Whoa!”) because that’s exactly what the apostles concluded when they
got the initial report of Jesus’ resurrection. When the
women came from the empty tomb and announced that Jesus had risen, “these words appeared to them as NONSENSE, and they would not believe them” (Luke 24:11).
Surprise! The apostles were 1st century skeptics, which is
not the way many moderns and post-moderns think of them.
So many sophisticated 21st century skeptics think those 1st
century “morons,” like the apostles, expected granny to rise
from the dead every Tuesday afternoon for tea. “If they had
a brain cell,” these 21st century elitists suspect, “it would
have died of loneliness. They weren’t smart enough to be a
spell‑checker at an M & M factory.”
But that isn’t fair . . . and it isn’t true! Those early faith-less
followers of Jesus didn’t line up outside the tomb waiting
for Jesus to walk out alive. Their response was Scroogelike: “Bah, humbug!” They needed proof. Hard-core proof!
Which is what they got! “To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by MANY CONVINCING
proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and
speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of
God” (Acts 1:3).
Undoubtedly that's why Will Durant in his history of the
world says, "However you may explain it, those early apostles were convinced themselves that the resurrection was a
fact."

In Touch

page 2

Focus on Finance

OUR CHURCH STAFF
Rev. Bill Good
Pastor/Head of Staff

Rev. Stan Jones

Feb. Income

$ 45,627

Budget

$ 40,925

Parish Associate

Feb. Expense

$ 33,555

Budget

$ 34,548

Yr to date Income

$ 83,082

Budget

$ 85,550

Yr to date Expense $ 72,481

Budget

$ 77,626

Pastor Ken Brown
Pastoral Associate

Debby DeBernardi
Director Christian Formation

Marta Ludwig
Administrative Coordinator

Debbie Fisher
Director of Music Ministry

Dorothy Parris
Pianist

Caryl Bates
Organist

Lynn Medley
Custodian

CHURCH TREASURER
Linda Lull
CHURCH SESSION
Class of 2015
John Brockelman
Helen Quigley
Terri Schmidt
Chris Young
Class of 2016
Sally Atchinson
Bob Lull
John Skewes
Arlene Stewart
Class of 2017
Mary Alice Bivens
Bonnie Hollabaugh
Aleyne Larsen-Craig
Helen Roesch
Ron Waldo
BOARD OF DEACONS
Moderator: Nancy Wulfmeier
Class of 2015
Ben Fast
Jack Morris
Ruby Pearson
Bev Watters
Class of 2016
Suzie McCready
Dorothy Rudack
Donna Sims
Nancy Wulfmeier
Class of 2017
Michele Hasley
Mary Lee Lehrich
Cynthia Linton
Linda Warren
******

February Income came in much stronger, making up for a slow start in
January. We are now $2,468 short of making the budget year to date.
Expenses are currently below budget which also
helps offset the shortfall from January. The next
several months will be important to keeping up our
commitments to FHPC

Respectfully,
Linda Lull, Treasurer

On the Inside:
From Ken Brown, Pastoral Associate . . . .. . . . .. .. .. ….
Focus on Finance .. .. .. ..… … … … .. . … .. . .. … .
Holy Week Schedule .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . ..
Update on Community Straw Poll .. … . . .. .. .. .. . . . . .
Mission Ministry . . … . . . .. .. .. .. . . . .. . . . . … .. . . .
Happy Birthday Party .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . .. . . .. .. . . . …. ..
Presbyterian Women .. .. .. …. .. . . . . .. . … .. . . .. . . ..
Out ’n About... .. .. .. . . . … . … . . . .. .. .. . . . . . . .. .. .
Hooked on Books .. … .. . … .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . .. ..
PW Education Grant … .. . . .. .. .. … .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . .
Facebook .. … .. . . .. .. .. .. . . .. .. . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
New Members .. .. .. . . . … . … . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ..
Easter Brunch Invite .. .. … . .. . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jimmy Fortune at FHPC . .. . . . . . . .. .. . . … .. .. . . . .
Jeff Dayton at FHPC. .. … .. . … . . .. .. .. … . . . . . ….
Christian Formation .. . .. . .. .. .. .. …. .. . . . . .. . .. . . . .. .
From the Director of Christian Formation .. . . . . . . . . .
PW Reading List 2015-2016 .. . .. . .. .. .. . … . … … .. . .
Gifts of Women Sunday … .. .. .. . . . . . … . . .. . . . . .. ..
FHPC Foundation.. .. … .. .. . … .. .. . .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . .
Library Footnotes.. … .. …. .…. …. …. …. …. …. …
Music Ministry .. … … .. .. .. .. …. . . . . .. . . .. . . . . ..
Tablecloths??? .. .. . .. .. . .. .. .. … .. . .. . . . . … .. .. . .. …
Member Spotlight...Did you Know? .. .. .. .. .. .. . . . ...
Necrology for 2015… .. … .. . . .. … .. … . .. . . .. . . ….
April Birthdays .. .. .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . ..
Gifts of Women Sunday . … . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . … . . .. .. .

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page 3

April, 2015

Holy Week Schedule

Maundy Thursday — April 2 — 7 p.m.
Good Friday, April 3 – Noon – 1:00 p.m.
At Mountain View Presbyterian Church

Easter Saturday, April 4 – 7 p.m.
The Great Vigil of Easter
Easter – April 5 – 9 a.m. & 11:15 a.m.

The Answer is Easter
After the April 2013 suicide of his 27- year -old
son, Matthew, pastor and author Rick Warren was
often asked how he was able to keep going. His
frequent reply? “The answer is Easter”.
In the Easter sermons Warren preached the following year, he emphasized that Jesus’ resurrection is
the answer to discouragement, defeat and devastating trials. “The death, burial and resurrection of
Jesus happened over three days,” Warren explained. “Friday was the day of suffering and pain
and agony. Saturday was the day of doubt and
confusion and misery. But Easter, that Sunday, was
the day of hope and joy and victory.”
“You will face these three days over and over and
over in your lifetime. And when you do, you’ll find
yourself asking, as I did, three fundamental questions. Number one, what do I do in my days of
pain? Two, how do I get through my days of doubt
and confusion? Three, how do I get to the days of
joy and victory? The answer is Easter.”
-The Newsletter Newsletter
by Communication Resources, Inc

UPDATE ON
COMMUNITY
STRAW POLL
We have all invested much time in this process
over the past six months. I thank you for your
patience. The Straw Poll was more than numbers
and a simple yes or no. The total was two thirds
in favor of continuing the discussion. We also
received many thoughtful comments which we
need to prayerfully consider. Your Session is doing that and will have a report by the next “In
Touch.”
Thank you and please pray for our church.
John Brockelman
Clerk of Session

page 5

November 2012
page 4

In Touch

Mission Ministry
Helping others requires an investment in time and energy. We start by
praying for them and asking the Lord
how we can help. He may have us lend
emotional support, provide spiritual
guidance, offer assistance in a physical
or financial way, or find others who
can. Standing beside these people will
encourage them, sometimes to do great
things. Look at the all the people God
has called upon in the Bible who were
Terri Schmidt, Elder
mere servants or poor people who had
little but the clothes on their backs. He called many to step
up, and lead his people out of trouble
or to protect them. That is why we, in
the Mission Ministry, try so hard to
help those less fortunate, who knows
what great things these people might
do if they just had a chance. So many
people have been asked by God to go
forth and minister to those who are in
need; that includes the word as well as
physical help with food and medical
supplies and physical labor. Please
come and join us in our journey to
help others. Here are a few of the
things we are doing.

Easter for the kids at Changing Lives Center
We will be purchasing Easter gifts for the children down at the Changing Lives Center in downtown
Phoenix again this year. As you may remember this is
one of our more frequent and joyous projects. We love to
be able to give these children and women a little bit of
normal holiday fun. They are always so appreciative. We
will update you on the results in the next newsletter.

Extended Hands Food Bank
Thank you to Linda Warren, Susan Owens,
Susan Lickman, Vivian Virden, John and Cindy Sheely
for helping serve on March 6th. Thank you also to Nancy
Wulfmeier and Susan Titus for
stopping by and offering help.
They had to close the doors early
because they ran out of fish.
This has become quite the Friday
“Hot Spot” on the first and third
Fridays of the month. We purchased some Lenten place mats
for the tables to be used during
Lent. They seemed to be enjoyed by the people. They explained Lent and had a few jokes
so people could laugh and enjoy
their dinners. Thank you to all
who continue to bring in non
perishable and canned food each
Sunday.
This food and the
money from the Fish Fry help so
many local people who are in
need.

Blankets Plus
I apologize for last months
newsletter and not having the total of
money collected for this project. This
was a slight over-sight and now (drum
roll, please) the total collected was
$3,158.00. That is almost $700.00
more than last years $2,498.00. We
think this is the most collected by our
Church to date. YEAH!!!

National Day of Prayer

Food for Kidz
Well thank you to all who so
generously gave of your time to meet
at the Community Center on March
12th. We had a great time joining with
other Churches, and Civic Organizations to pack bulk food into family
serving sizes. These packs then were
packed into boxes and will be sent to places like Africa, Haiti
and places where there are poor. Thank you to those who
donated money for this worthy cause. It was used to purchase
more bulk food and supplies.

Food

The month of April has
been set aside to pray for Family.
We pray for the Unity and Love
individual family units have that
they may reach out in hospitality
towards others. To re-establish
relationships between parents
for Kidz
and children, brothers and sisters.
We pray for a return of family
values, that serves a nation as a
whole, and return to the biblical
mandate training their children at
home in the fear of the Lord and not leave the responsibility to others.
We ask that you join us in praying for Family
this month and then join us on May 7th at Fountain Park
for the National Day of Prayer, where we can pray in
unity as a Church, Town, State, and Nation.

In Touch

page 5

April, 2015 page 4

Mission Ministry
Please feel free to join us in our Mission work. We
are striving to bring new and different projects to the Church.
If you know of a project or would like to have us look into
one, please contact Terri Schmidt or Bonnie Hollabaugh, our
Mission Elders. We welcome all who would like to attend
our meetings. They are the 2nd Monday of the month at
4:00pm in the conference room.
Now as I close, I want to leave you with this. “P” is
for Praise, thanking God for what he has already accomplished through Jesus Christ. “R” is for Repent, confessing
your sins and shortcomings, both personally and for our Nation. “A” is for Asking God to reveal the truth and to turn
our hearts back to him and to bring healing. “Y” is for
Yielding to the Lord and recognizing that he has heard our
prayers and will answer according to his will. He will provide guidance and direction to those who ask.
Thank you to all of you who so generously give of
your time, talents and money.

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS/VETERANS
Easter cards were sent out to all our Church-connected military, with each card holding several hand-written notes from
our Deacons and I know that each and every one was really,
really enjoyed by the recipient.
Focus for the next few months will be our Veterans, whether
at the VA Medical Center, the VA Home or MANA House
(which totally helps our homeless Veterans). There are two
boxes for your donations located at Church; one in the Narthex and one in the Fellowship Center. If you can, items
most needed for the upcoming summer months would be
socks, t-shirts (sizes L, XL, XXL) and as usual, collecting
toiletries, magazines, books, etc., continues year-round.
Any questions, please just ask me.
Donna Sims,
Deacon

Terri Schmidt
Bonnie Hollabaugh

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARTY

page 7

December 2011
page 6

In Touch

Presbyterian Women
Presbyterian Women Coordinating Team for 2014-2015
Moderator: Maurene Gerson
Mission Coordinator: Mary Alice Bivens
Vice-Moderator : Linda Capon
Librarian: Barbara Oakeson
Secretary: Bonnie Matty
Membership/Yearbook Coordinator: Linda Warren
Treasurer: Maria Berry
Bible Study Coordinator: Evelyn Hrunek
Publicity: Sally Atchinson
Search Committee: Ilene Berg
Morning Circle Leader: Suzie McCready Evening Circle Leader: Judy Irvin
Afternoon Circle Leader: Martha Baxter
Historian: Office Angels
Hooked on Books Leader: Jan Hoff
Out n’ About Leader: Nancy Wulfmeier

APRIL DATES
April 2
April 7
April 9
April 11
April 15
April 20

9:00 a.m.
1:00 p.m.
9:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
7:00 p.m.

Coordinating Team Meeting, Adult Center, FHPC
Afternoon Circle at Fountain View Village
Morning Circle, Adult Center, FHPC
PW SPRING GATHERING (tickets required) Fellowship Center
Hooked On Books (see box for details)
Evening Circle, home of Jean Schopbach

Our BIG event for this month, of
course, is the Spring Tea & Fashion Show so I hope you got your
ticket and are ready for a real treat.
There will be music by Bill Covault
and a four course menu of tea sandwiches, quiche, fruit tarts, mousse
cups, scones, petit fours, cream puffs and a tea selection all prepared by our own Mary Carillo who is a pastry chef at The Boulders in Carefree, a Waldorf Astoria Resort.
A portion of each ticket price will be given to the Changing Lives
Center of the Phoenix Rescue Mission which is a faith based organization and requires a one year commitment of each resident
~~~~~~~~~~~
After this month we begin to miss each other as many of us
travel to other parts of the country to spend some time with family and friends in other locations as the weather improves. We
wish you safe travelling and naturally a safe return to us. Many
of us use a GPS to provide guidance in our travels. This is especially true when finding an unfamiliar location.
Since the future is always uncertain and we live our lives in
God’s care trusting Him to lead, to help and provide what is
needed, I’d like to suggest a new guidance system called GJS,
God, Jesus and Spirit. With this triune leadership we won’t get
lost for sure and we don’t have to worry about misdirection.

dates for next year’s programming and gatherings.
There will be leadership openings so please express
your interests in joining the leadership team to Ilene
Berg, who is Chair of the Search Committee (480837-3771) or Maureen Gerson (480-837-7843), who
is our Moderator. We need you and you might love
to be more involved with us. The fellowship and
support of other Christian women really is special,
and working together deepens that experience beyond just attending functions.
I want to thank all of you who helped and participated in our activities during this program year in
our specific PW activities, in our mission projects,
in Fellowship Hall service, ushering, ticket selling,
making posters, writing articles, baking, packing
lunches, taking responsibility for devotions and lessons, serving dinners at the Food Bank, buying gifts
at Christmas, filling Easter baskets, carting clothes to Silo and so
many other unseen acts of kindness and caring for others. It is
recognized that so many of you
also show up for needs throughout the community of Fountain
Hills.
Sally Atchinson

Your PW leadership is already busy planning for next year,
updating the Presbyterian Women’s Directory and establishing

page 7

April, 2015




It’s Time to Spring Clean!
Look through your closet, gals!
Gather what you won’t wear any
more!
The Clothes Silo needs your
“give a-ways.”

Presbyterian Women are again collecting
gently used women’s clothing for the benefit of the Clothes Silo.
This project benefits women who need a fresh look as they prepare to enter the work force after a time of hardship, crisis and
unemployment.




WHEN: Friday, April, 17, 2015
WHERE: FHPC Adult Center Parking Lot
TIME: Drop off - 9:30am - 11:30am

Your gently used clean clothes may be on hangers or in bags.
Purses, hand bags & accessories and the like may be included.
Just know all useful items are welcome. Also, men’s clothing is
now welcome!

Out ’n About—Out to Lunch
Out'n About will be going to Laura's
Place at noon on April 15, 2015. It is located at 16758 E. Glenbrook Blvd., Fountain Hills. We will order from the menu and
receive separate checks. Please call
Nancy Wulfmeier for reservations.... 8373021

HOOKED ON BOOKS
Hooked on Books will meet on Wednesday,
April 15th. at 9:30 AM in the home of Susan
Titus.
Leanne Reynolds will review “The Dovekeepers”, a novel based on the Jewish resistance during the Roman siege of Masada.
Books you no longer want may be brought for
the Book Exchange.
For further information contact Jan Hoff (480836-7551).

Gifts of Women Sunday

FHPC Women’s Chorus

In Touch

page 8

PW Education Grant
Provided by: P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education
Maximum Amount: $3000.00
REQUIREMENTS:
Female who is a citizen of the United States.
Will be studying and living in the US or Canada for the entire course of study.
Has had a minimum of one span, at least 24 consecutive months, in length in her adult life when not enrolled in any type of higher education programs.
• Is not requesting a grant for use in a doctoral degree program.
• Is accepted and/or enrolled in a certification or degree program that will lead to employment or job advancement in her chosen field.
• Will be within 24 months of completing the final planned educational program at the beginning of the
term for which the grant is requested.
• Grant can be used only for educational expenses such as tuition, books and supplies, childcare, etc.




IF INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT:
Karren Bogle: [email protected]
Kathleen Steinbach: [email protected]

FACEBOOK PAGE: Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church
Go to our website and click on Facebook on our home page. When you are there also click on the like it
icon. When you do that you will get news feeds directly from our site whenever anything new is added. It is just another way to stay connected.

Not Yet A Member?
*If you are attending our church and don’t have membership in another church, you can join our church by profession
of faith and receiving the Sacrament of Baptism or, if you’ve already been baptized, you can join by reaffirmation of faith in
Jesus Christ.
*If you belong to another church, but would like to transfer your membership to our church, we can arrange for a letter
of transfer from your current membership church to ours.
*If you are a winter visitor and are an active member of another church “back
home”, you can become an affiliate member at our church here and maintain your full
active membership there.
For additional information, please contact Aleyne Larsen-Craig at 602-625-6201, Sally
Atchinson at 480-837-1054 or call the church office at 480-837-1763.

Sally Atchinson

& Aleyne Larsen-Craig

page 9

April, 2015

How can you help?

How grandchildren perceive their grandparents
11. Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public
servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote: "The fireman
came down the ladder pregnant." The teacher took the lad
aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant
means?" she asked.
"Sure," said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a
child."
12. A grandfather was delivering his grandchildren to their
home one day when a fire truck zoomed past. Sitting in the
front seat of the fire truck was a Dalmatian dog. The children
started discussing the dog's duties.
"They use him to keep crowds back," said one child.
"No," said another. "He's just for good luck.."
A third child brought the argument to a close."They use the
dogs," she said firmly, "to find the fire hydrants."
13. A 6-year-old was asked where his grandma lived. "Oh,"
he said, "she lives at the airport, and when we want her, we
just go get her. Then, when we're done having her visit, we
take her back to the airport."
14. Grandpa is the smartest man on earth! He teaches me
good things, but I don't get to see him enough to get as smart
as him!
15. My Grandparents are funny, when they bend over, you
hear gas leaks and they blame their dog.
...The End...

Fry's Community Rewards Program
The more our church family shops at Fry's, the more monetary support our church will have. Won't you consider registering to allow Fry's to donate a portion of your grocery
expenditures to our church programs?
Register for the Fry's Community Rewards Program
Go to https://www.frysfood.com/topic/community?
activePage=community-rewards-2 make sure you enter the
whole address to visit the Fry's web page.




If you already have an account online, select Sign
In at the top right of the page. Enter your email
and password then click Sign In.
If you don't already have an account on line: click
Register at the top right of the page.
- Fill in the required fields, (be sure to write down
your password).
- Enter your zip code to find your preferred store.
From the drop-down menu below Find Store,
select your store. Now click Create an Account.
- You must sign up for a V.I.P. card to sign up for
the Community Rewards Program
- Check your email for a confirmation, click the
hyperlink in your email, and finish creating your
account.
- In your account, enroll for Community Re
wards program, using the new FHPC
organization #84123

POST - EASTER BRUNCH
You are invited:

FHPC POST-EASTER BRUNCH
April 12, 2015
10:00 AM
Fellowship Center

To allow our Hilltop Hospitality Committee the
chance to enjoy all of Easter Sunday with their
families,
we are planning our Special Easter Brunch on the
following Sunday.
Congratulations to Michele and Andy Hasley on
their 20th Wedding Anniversary!

In
InTouch
Touch

page
page 10
8

home by another way 11:15am service

Bill and Linda Covault
graciously invited
Jimmy Fortune of the
Statler Brothers to sing
at the second service.
There were over one
hundred people at the
service.

page 11

April, 2015

Family Gathering Area
Left to right: Dieter Ludwig,
George Holtan, Bob Lull, Art Spalding and Bob Titus working (?)
together to spruce up the Family
Gathering Area.
There will be new plantings and
paths and patio and table and
benches in the area.
We hope the work will be complete
by Easter Sunday.

home by another way 11:15 service
Jeff Dayton joined Pastor Ken Brown during
the 11:15 am service on Sunday, March 22.
Together they presented the sermon in tandem.

In Touch

page 12

Christian Formation
Christian Formation Opportunities:
Sundays
10:15 AM Sabbath Day Bible Study
10:15 AM Elementary Life with God
11:15 AM Blessed Beginnings Nursery
11:15 AM Preschool Life with God
Wednesdays
• Pastor’s Brown Bag Bible Study
12:00 PM Wednesdays
• The Way on Wednesdays
5:00 PM Elementary “Big God Story”
5:45 PM Community Meal
6:30 PM The Way (Bible Study)

New Series for “The Way”
Starting Wednesday April 8 at 6:30 P.M.

• Celebration Youth Rehearsal
3:45 PM on Wednesdays
• Committed Youth Band
5:00 PM on Wednesdays


Women’s Bible Study Circles
(Sept thru May)
9:00 AM 2nd Thursday
1:00 PM 1st Tuesday
7:00 PM 3rd Monday


Men’s Bible Study on
Thursdays
7:00 AM in the Adult Center
• Spiritual Formation Group
6:00 PM 1st & 3rd Monday

Easter Egg Hunt
Easter Day would not be complete
without children running through
the campus searching for colored
eggs filled with wonderful surprises. All children are invited to
join in the fun festivities immediately following the April 5, 9:00 am
Worship
Service, on
the playground. Parents and
grandparents are invited to observe and laugh with delight.

Elementary KidCommunities
Elementary kids are introduced
to how to live life with God by
identifying the 6 key ways Jesus lived His life. This will offer
a balanced spirituality for the
kids who will be leading the
church! Since spiritual beliefs
are almost irrevocably formed
by age 12-13…the church will
reap what is sown in childhood.

A Tour led by Pastor Ken Brown through some
fabulous verses in the Bible that address your
mental health and well-being

Angels explained by Children
It's not easy to become an angel! First, you die.
Then you go to heaven, and then there's still the
flight training to go through. And then you got to
agree to wear those angel clothes.
--Matthew, 9
My guardian angel helps me with math, but he's
not much good for science.
--Henry, 8
When an angel gets mad, he takes a deep
breath and counts to ten. And when he lets out
his breath, somewhere there's a tornado.
--Reagan, 10

Individual Response Time
during Wednesday Elementary “Big
God Story” KidCommunity with
Cheryl Kenna, Marilynn Pape, Judy
Irvin and Matt Jefferson.

Large Group Responses where
Elementary kids work out what
God is working within.

page 13

April, 2015

From the Director of Christian Formation
Let our ears be attuned to the still small
voice of the Holy Spirit! This is not just
for adults! We all desire for children to
find their voice, and the key to finding
their true voice is hearing the voice of
God! If a child does not hear and identify the voice of God, they will instead
echo the voice of the present world’s
culture. If a child listens to God, people
will listen to them and these children will
become a voice … dare I say a prophetic voice to their generation! So,
their prophetic voice begins with a prophetic ear. In
KidCommunity we desire and pray that every child will
be given the ear of Samuel and the help to identify the
voice of God.

Elementary children develop competence in the Lord
by belonging to a group, having relational adults helping them discover their identity and uniqueness, grow
in faith, serve, lead others to Christ and find their part
in God’s mission. They need adult’s assistance to develop thoughtful, faithful inquisitiveness in relation to
their spiritual experiences and time to reflect to claim
and name their beliefs.

They must live the truth to learn the truth!

How do we intend to do this? Can very young children
REALLY be present to God’s presence and listen for
His voice? YES! Children experience and respond
(express their faith) to God. We create various environments to give opportunity for spiritual sensitivity and
awareness of God. It just looks a bit different in various
seasons and ages of life!
Emerson Uphoff reviews one of the biblical stories and verses in the TimeLine with her Sunday
Elementary “Life with God” KidCommunity.
Summer Jones and Aly Wilson complete one of the
reflective engagement activities during the second
worship service. Children are not doing busy work…
to keep them quiet for adult convenience. They are
offered various reflection activities to help them become open and responsive to God and His message!

FaithFriend Karen Ford, Assistant Emerson Uphoff
praying with Mia Junk and Anabelle Good
Children are most open to spiritual training in the first 6
years of life and form a foundational concept of God by
age 2-3. Preschoolers develop a godly purpose in life
by having their questions taken seriously and identifying
with the values of godly, nurturing adults and youth.
They are powerfully influenced by prayer, nurturing relationships, biblical story and godly play to interiorize faith
ideas, language, and symbols. We have a faithful Preschool KidCommunity team with Karen Ford (Lead
FaithFriend), Mary Martinson (Substitute) and youth
assistants.

If God reveals something to them… they are learning
to respond! Revelation demands Response!

In Touch

page 14

PW Reading List 2015-2016
Fiction
The Fault in Our Stars, John Green. The story is narrated by a sixteen year old cancer patient named Hazel
Grace Lancaster, who is forced by her parents to attend a
support group where she meets and falls in love with seventeen-year-old Augustus Waters, an ex-basketball player and
amputee. The book contains humor, strong characters,
themes and new perspective on cancer and romance.
The Silver Star, Jeannette Walls. In a small town in
California, “Bean” Holladay is twelve and her sister, Liz, is
fifteen when their artistic mother, Charlotte, takes off to
find herself, leaving her girls enough money to last a month
or two. The story unfolds as the girls find not only their
way to their uncle’s home in Virginia but also their family
history.
The Spy Mistress, Jennifer Chiaverini. Based on the
story of an unsung hero, Elizabeth Van Lew who was born
to slave-holding aristocracy in Richmond, Virginia. When
Virginia seceded from the Union, Van Lew’s convictions
compelled her to work against the Confederacy. Her wartime activities threatened her reputation and her life.
Songs of Willow Frost, Jamie Ford. On the day the nuns
designated as his birthday William and the other orphans
are taken to a theater where William glimpses an actress on
the silver screen who goes by the name of Willow Frost.
Struck by her features, William is convinced that the movie
star is his mother. Determined to find Willow and prove
that she is his mother, William escapes from Sacred Heart
with his friend Charlotte.
Spilled Milk, K.L. Randis. Based on a true story, Brooke
Nolan is a battered child who calls Social Services for help.
When they jeopardize her safety by condemning her to keep
her father’s secret, it’s a glass of spilled milk at the dinner
table that forces her to speak about the cruelty she’s been
hiding. In her pursuit for safety and justice Brooke battles a
broken system that pushes to keep her father in the home.
The Daughter’s Walk, Jane Kirkpatrick. In 1896 Norwegian American Helga Estby accepted a wager from the
fashion industry to walk from Spokane, Washington to New
York City within seven months in an effort to earn $10,000.
Motivated by the money they needed to save the family
farm. Helga and her nineteen year-old daughter, Clara,
walked 3500 miles together. A year later they returned to
their family but Clara, by her own choice, became estranged
from them. This novel is an imaginary follow-up to a true
story.

Nonfiction
Orange is the New Black, My Year in a Woman’s Prison,
Piper Kerman. With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family,
Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who
delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. She is convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at an infamous federal
correctional facility. The privileged Smith College alumna is
now inmate #11187-424. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times
enraging, her story offers a rare look into the lives of women in
prison—why it is we lock so many away and what happens to
them when they’re there.
Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, Anna Quindlen. In this memoir, Anna Quindlen writes about a woman’s life, from childhood
memories to manic motherhood to middle age, using the events
of her life to illuminate ours. She considers and celebrates everything from marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, parenting, faith,
loss, to all the stuff in our closets, and more. Quindlen says for
us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves.
Blue Covenant, the Global Water Crisis, Maude Barlow. The
author addresses an environmental crisis that is one of the gravest
threats to our survival. She examines how water companies are
reaping vast profits from declining supplies, and how ordinary
people from around the world have banded together to reclaim
the public’s right to clean water, creating a grassroots global water justice movement.
The End of Your Life Book Club, Will Schwalbe. During her
treatment for cancer, Mary Anne Schwalbe and her son, Will,
spent many hours sitting in waiting rooms together. To pass the
time, they talked about the books they were reading. An informal
book club of two was born. Through their wide-ranging reading,
Will and Mary Anne are reminded how books can be comforting,
astonishing, and illuminating, changing the way that we feel
about and interact with the world around us.
Quiet, the Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop
Talking, Susan Cain. At least one-third of the people we know
are introverts. It is to introverts—Rosa Parks, Chopin, Dr. Seuss,
Steve Wozniak—that we owe many of the great argues that we
dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose
in doing so. She cited many works on this topic which makes the
reading slow, but worthwhile.
The Boys in the Boat, Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest
for Gold at the 1936 Olympic, Daniel James Brown. This
book celebrates the 1936 U.S. men’s Olympic eight-oar rowing
team who won the gold medal in Nazi Germany. Laborers and
sons of laborers from the American West, the boys took on and
defeated prestigious rowing teams. Finally, in an extraordinary
race in Berlin they stunned the officials of Nazi state as they
rowed for gold in front of Adolf Hitler. It also celebrates the life
of one of the rowers who at an early age was abandoned and left
to fend for himself.

page 15

April, 2015

Gifts of Women Sunday

Women’s Ensemble

Mary Alice Bivens

Pearwood Recorders

Atrium in Sanctuary

Phyliss Kern

Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church Foundation
“An Investment Today for the Life of Our Church Tomorrow”

Here to serve you!
The Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church Foundation is ready to serve you. The Foundation will help you understand how your gifts can benefit both you and the Church.
We can provide suggestions of how your life insurance, retirement accounts, Real estate, wills and trusts can
be structured to achieve your wishes to establish a legacy that will serve the Fountain Hills Presbyterian
Church far into the future. The Foundation is committed to follow any designations you provide and to carefully manage your gifts.
Members of the Board of Trustees are available to answer your questions.
Give them a call!
Foundation Board of Trustees
Barbara Oakeson
Matt Jefferson
Roy Nickel
John Skewes

480-837-5563
480-837-6001
480-688-8392
480-292-9021

Susan Phillips
Dawn Lau
Ben Fast

480-837-1225
480-837-2607
480-837-1119

In Touch

page 16

Library Footnotes
Review of 2025 Trilogy
2025 The Guardian
2025 City of Gold
2025 The Remnant
by S.D. Burke (Sylvia)

What if Americans are required to join a world monetary
system in which they receive an identity number to buy
and sell?
What if in the search for world peace a one-world religion based on mutual respect causes Christians to be persecuted, churches to be closed and the Bible to be outlawed?

Sylvia, what motivated you to write this trilogy?
Fear, I think. We aren’t hearing about the second coming
of Christ and I’m afraid we aren’t ready. I hope the series
would be a “wake up” call to Christians. I wanted people
to ask themselves how they would react if Christians began
to be persecuted.
Like Isis?
Exactly. Would we have a deep enough faith to stand firm
in our beliefs no matter the cost? Let me share a synopsis
from the cover of my books:
Phoenix 2025.
This is twenty-one-year-old Daniel Jordan’s story, a faith
journey, a story of following truth no matter where it leads;
a story of love, danger and adventure.
Earthquakes, floods, forest fires, and terror attacks cause
people to wonder if these are the end times.

What if the government passes new health care initiative
limiting end of life care in order to save the economy
from an aging population?
Families are challenged whether to be good citizens and
follow the new laws or follow the teachings of Jesus
Christ. One will put their souls in jeopardy. The other
may cause them to be homeless, unable to work or buy
food.
It’s 2025
What choices would you make?
The trilogy is now in the church library, available from Sylvia, Amazon
and Barnes & Noble. It is also an EBook. Come join the adventure.

America is changing. The American president, in a power
move, appoints a Council of Twelve and fifty state governors to a board replacing the congress. Ignoring the constitution, new laws are made...new initiatives adopted. In the
series, these questions arise:

-Sylvia Burke

Egg-stra facts


Although Easter eggs were once part of pagan spring festivals, they’re become Christian symbols of new life. A cracked-open shell also
represents Jesus’ empty tomb on Easter morning.



The early Christians of Mesopotamia began staining eggs red in honor of Jesus’ blood shed on the cross. Red eggs remain part of Greek
Orthodox celebrations today.



For Lent, some families used to give up eggs and dairy, so they prepared a pancake feast on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday.
They solved the egg surplus by hard-boiling them in various broths, which led to colored eggs.



In medieval times, churches held “egg-throwing” festivals. The priest threw a hard-boiled egg toward the choir boys, who tossed it back and
forth. When the clock struck 12, whoever was holding the egg got to keep it.



In some European countries, children go from house to house to collect Easter eggs.



Each year, the PAAS Dye Co. sells more than 10-million egg coloring kits, which consumers use to decorate 180 million eggs.



The tallest chocolate Easter egg ever produced weighed 16,000 pounds — more than an elephant!
-The Newsletter Newsletter
by Communication Resources, Inc

page 17

April, 2015

Music Ministry
"He has risen, indeed!"
We
have musically played and sung
our way into Easter! We have
been traveling through our
Lenten journey through March,
with our Vesper Services and
reflective music offered by the
musicians in our Celebration
Ringers and Vesper Choir. They
are accompanied by Dorraine
Aggen, who also added lovely
Preludes and Postludes each
Debbie Fisher, Director of Music
week prompting the selfexamining attitude for each Vesper service throughout our
Lenten season. Then our lovely Gifts of Women Services,
and all the ladies who participated to make both of our
services a reflection of our love, praise and commitment to
God, through our Savior, Christ the Lord! Then, there was
the fabulous presentation by our Celebration Singers singing the Cantata, "Come Touch the Robe" on Palm Sunday!
Wonderful job, Singers! Just the week before our Celebration Singers represented our church by performing some
very challenging music in the FHCCA Choral fest! These
folks do what they do with true Grace, and I am blessed to
work with them.
Our second service hosted two musicians through the
month of March, which was truly fun! Jimmy Fortune and
Jeff Dayton were both a part of our service, one at the beginning of the month, one at the end. What a great experience,. And "Hilltop" really had a great time when Jimmy
Fortune jumped up there and played all our music with

us. We have so much fun each week as it is, but, that
really felt good!
Last month the choir had a farewell party for Howard and
Arlene Olsen, long time members of church, and singers
with the choir. They have left Arizona for Texas, and we
will miss them! Now, we have to say goodbye to Phil
Katz, a great friend and musician who will be returning to
Chicago. He came into our church and really added a lot
to our music ministry. He sang in the choir, he played in
the bells, he has sung solo, and been playing saxophone in
"Home By Another Way" and he will be missed.
Truly! Besides the music, he was instrumental in setting
up our web page, our sound booth, and just been a great
Christian friend to many. We all hate to say goodbye to
our friends. The next month and a half take quite a few of
our friends back to their summer homes, and, if we don' t
get to tell you personally how much you all mean to us,
and how much we appreciate your friendships and your
"livening" up of our church when you are here, we say it
now. We are so glad this is your church home while you
are away from your other church homes! God be with you
'til we meet again!
"Show me Your ways, Lord, teach me Your paths. Guide
me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long. Remember, Lord,
your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not
remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways;
according to Your love remember me, for You, Lord, are
good."
- Psalm 25:4-7
Debbie Fisher
Director Music Ministry

TABLECLOTHS—Help please!
The tablecloths in the Fellowship Center
are slowly disappearing. We are finding it
difficult to find enough for the events we
have. Maybe some of them were stained
and had to be thrown away but if you have
taken some home to wash (by the way—
thank you!) and have just forgotten you have them, please remember
to bring them back.
From now on, groups that use the tablecloths will be given a sign-out
sheet. Those who take tablecloths home should sign it and when returned, cross your name off the list. That way if you forget, we can
call you and tickle your memory. The list is to be kept on the side
counter in the kitchen on a clipboard. Thank you so much for your help
in this matter.
Helen Roesch, Fellowship Center Manager

Thank you for
your prayers,
calls and thoughtful cards. To
all the wonderful choir friends
and church family- you should
know, they made me smile!
Jean Ipema

In Touch

page 18

Member Spotlight …. Did you know?
Jan and Milt Hoff
Milton Hoff was
born in 1934 and delivered
by a midwife in Tuttle,
North Dakota. His parents
were John and Kathryn
Hoff. He had 4 sisters and
1 brother, and grew up in
Dawson, ND. The times
were Depression years
with occasional dust
storms still raging over the plains. Milt was raised by his
grandparents for the first five years. They spoke only German and this became his native language.
Janis was born in Fargo, ND to Erling and Violet
Backe. She grew up in Fargo, ND with 3 sisters. Most
summers were spent at a lake cottage where Jan enjoyed
swimming but not fishing.
Upon graduation from high school, Milt moved to
Moorhead, MN to live with his sister and her husband
while attending Concordia College. Concordia was a strict
Lutheran school. One Sunday Milt decided to visit his
home denomination, Evangelical United Brethren Church.
He intended to attend the church service, but arrived in
time for Sunday school. When he entered he was met by a
lady who invited him to attend the Young Adult Sunday
School—”trapped”. The lady said just follow that young
girl and she’ll show you the way. This young girl was
Janis Backe and that is how we met.
College graduation for Milt was June 4, 1956, and
on June 16th he and Janis were married in Calvary United
Methodist Church. At the reception Milt’s mother gave us
a piece of advise that we have always tried to follow. She
was a person who had survived the Depression. She told
us: “Remember to start saving with the first loaf of bread.”
The next challenge was to choose a career that
was satisfying and paid a fair salary. We moved to Chicago and took jobs with a large corporation. After 3 years
we became discouraged with corporate life, and returned to
the Midwest. Milt took a job teaching English and German
in Herman, Minnesota—a culture shock! Moving from a
city of 12 million to a town of 750 population! But we
enjoyed it and Janis continued her undergraduate work at
the U of Minn. A year later our family expanded to include a daughter, Sandra Beth. Sandra and her husband,
Tim are both attorneys and have given us two wonderful
granddaughters.
From there it was history of moving to a larger
school, a year off to earn a MA degree while serving as an

Assistant Professor in the English Dept. at North Dakota
State University, and next a Graduate Assistantship at the
U of North Dakota State where he earned a doctorate degree.
During that time Janis continued working on her
degree with scholarships and in 1964 graduated Magna
Cum Laude with a degree in Elementary and Special Education and started teaching in public schools.
Milt then took the job as principal of a troubled
junior high school in Thief River Falls, MN. However,
there was a school board policy that wives of administrators were not to be employed by the school district which
almost broke Jan’s heart, but she became involved in volunteer work and raising our daughter.
By the end of the first year Milt had the school
organized and most of the truants back in school. However, his ‘61 Chevrolet station wagon took a toll from
unhappy kids! Milt remained there for 22 years until retiring from public schools and then went to the U of North
Dakota as chair of their Secondary Education and Middle
School Education Departments.
Janis researched going into business and opened
and managed a women’s clothing store in Thief River
Falls. It was successful, and expanded to three stores for
a while. During this time she was elected as the first
women president of the Retail Business Association. A
huge mall was opening about 50 miles away, so she sold
the stores.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) offered Jan the directorship of the area SB Development
Center, and she worked there for several years doing
counseling and workshops for prospective and existing
business owners. She helped several businesses to get
started, but probably encouraged many more not to proceed.
Over the years in our “spare” time we built 11
new houses. We drew the blueprints, Milt was the head
contractor (also doing some of the “grunt” work) and Jan
the decorator with Milt’s help. Milt also did the contracting and some of the work on Jan’s three stores
We started traveling many years ago, and since
retiring have gone on many trips which have taken us to
about 20 different countries. We especially enjoy large
ship cruises.
Over the years Jan has been active in many volunteer activities: Girl Scouts, Mayo Clinic and numerous
church related jobs including the local PW Circle and
Hooked on Books groups. Milt was a member of Rotary
and Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce Director, has sung
in several Church choirs and chaired the Men’s Fellowship for two years.

page 19

April, 2015
Hospitalized? Call the church!

With deepest sympathy we list
those members who have passed
away in 2015.
Billy Neal
Sylvester Taylor
Marjorie Koepke

If you are sick, hospitalized or home recovering from illness, we want you to call the church and let us know! In a congregation like ours where people leave in droves for extended
summer months, it is easy for the staff, elders and deacons to
assume, when we don’t see someone, that they are simply
“vacationing away”. The truth is that some of you are sick and
we are not aware of it.
You can help us by simply letting one of the staff know of your
situation. We have an excellent support system in place due to
the diligent efforts of our deacons. Help us serve you by communicating your situation.
Part II: While we are basking in the sun here in Arizona,
others are still putting up with cold and snow...look what
we are missing….

ÂjxÄÄ wÉÇx? g{Éâ zÉÉw tÇw yt|à{yâÄ áxÜätÇà‹A

XÇàxÜ à{Éâ |ÇàÉ à{x }Éç by à{ç _ÉÜwAÊ
Matthew 25:21

Complete victory
At the cross, evil is conquered as
evil...because God turns it back upon itself. He makes
the supreme crime, the murder of the only righteous
person, the very operation that abolishes sin. The
(maneuver) is utterly unprecedented. No more complete victory could be imagined.
-Henri Blocher, Evil and the Cross

-The Newsletter Newsletter
by Communication Resources, Inc

HAPPY APRIL BIRTHDAYS!
04/01
04/01
04/03
04/03
04/04
04/04
04/05

Gary Oakeson
Donna Ryan
Nate McGuire
Robert Thompson
Helen Roesch
Natalie Vitellaro
Kristi Robinson

04/06
04/08
04/10
04/10
04/11
04/19
04/20
04/22

Jake Hagerty
Jo Strehlow
Robert Larson
Mike McWethy
Karlyn Busche
Patricia Tuttle
Irene Cain
Paula Eberspacher

04/23
04/25
04/25
04/26
04/27
04/28
04/29

Althea Halchuck
Linda Warren
Karen Ford
Douglas Busche
Debby DeBernardi
Ron Christie
Amy Martinson

Non Profit Organ.
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
Permit NO. 299
Scottsdale, AZ

Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church
13001 N. Fountain Hills Boulevard
Fountain Hills, AZ 85268

Current Resident or

In Touch is published monthly; deadline for each issue is the 15th of the month before publication.
News and information should be submitted to the church office in hard copy, or email to [email protected] Editor, Marta Ludwig; Proof Reader, Helen Roesch; Staff Photographers: Gary
Oakeson & Michele Hasley; Production and Circulation: Mary Wernecke, Bobbie Dangremond, Ruby
Pearson, Marilyn Humes, Mary Martinson and Vivian Virden. Travel to Bulk Mail Post Office: Mary
Martinson.

Linda Lull

Gail Botsford

Gifts of Women Sunday

Aleyne Larsen-Craig

Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church
13001 Fountain Hills Blvd. - Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
Phone - (480) 837-1763 Fax - (480) 837-1729
Office E-Mail Address: [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday – Friday: 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
www.fhpresbyterian.info
Pastor/Head of Staff: Rev Bill Good
email: [email protected] cell phone: 480-329-8090

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