The Messenger

Can it really be the end of July? The long days of summer bring the most sunlight and is a perfect time of year for slowing down and taking a break from our usual busy schedules. It is the warmest time of the year as well. Flowers, fruits, and vegetables bring us fragrance, beauty, and deliciousness (oh those summer tomatoes!). The heat and warm weather brings us joy and refreshment (ice cream anyone?).

As much as the "earthly" season of summer brings us such joy, it's also a great time to spend on our "spiritual" season of summer. Whether it's a walk on a beautiful beach, a stroll along a nature path, or spending more of our leisure time for devotions, Bible Study, or quiet reflection, it is a perfect season to deepen our relationship with God. May the rest of the summer continue to nourish your body and soul! Love and blessings to all our church family,

Nancy Sherman and Brenda Malpass

As long as the earth endures seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,

summer and winter, day and night shall not cease.”

Genesis 8:22

Now in light of all that, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only this: to revere

the Lord your God by walking in all his ways, by loving him, by serving the Lord your God with all your heart and being.

Deuteronomy 10:12

Dear Friends,

As many of you know, I’m an avid hiker. I love to spend time in the woods, connecting with

God through nature, and recently walked about 170 miles of the Camino de Santiago in Spain

(The Way of St. James). In a society that grows more and more polarized by the day, taking

regular walks, grounds me. Walking allows me time and space to slow down my pace, to

connect with myself, with God, with my neighbors, and with the natural world. As I listen to the

birdsong, smell the fragrance of the pine, and notice the light dance though the trees, I soften and

relax into a nurturing rhythm, step by step.

A few years ago, after preaching a sermon about hiking, I received a note in the mail from my

dear friend, Donald Kinloch. The letter contained the Latin phrase, Solvitur ambulundo, which

means—It is solved by walking. I love this phrase because it is simple and yet deeply profound.

Sometimes I walk because I’m wrestling with a problem I don’t know how to solve and I need a

change of scenery. Other times, I walk because body aches from too many hours sitting behind a

desk, or my dog, Lacey, whines pitifully longing for some attention. Whatever the reason,

walking just makes me feel better. It allows me to get out of my own head, and into my body,

and it reminds me of the goodness of God. As troubled as the world is, the birds still sing and

the flowers still bloom and the stars shine bright in the night sky. Solvitur ambulundo: It is solved

by walking.

I encourage each of you to get out and take a walk. Notice the goodness of God all around you.

Connect with your breath. Move your body. Talk to your neighbor. Enjoy the company of your

dog. And remember: It is solved by walking.

God Bless,

Pastor Jaime

We were delighted to welcome five new members into the church on Sunday, July 21st. Pat and Nikki Little, Vic and Mary Patrick, and Jim Provost all joined the church! We are excited to have these new members! Please take the time to introduce yourselves and welcome them if you haven't already!

On July 21st, we held our annual picnic. It was a beautiful day and we had lots of fun! Thank you to everyone who put in the time and effort in organizing the event! We are blessed! If you have any pictures from the event, please email them to the church office! Thanks!

Vacation Bible School is scheduled for August 12-14 at the Community Church/Catholic Church from 5-8 pm. We need volunteers! We also need volunteers to serve on the Vacation Bible School Committee. This ecumenical committee was created to provide a great Vacation Bible School experience. Let Stacey know if you are

able to join!

Stacey Chipman

Director of Youth and Family Ministries

Greetings! It’s hard to believe we are looking toward fall. Hopefully, everyone has had a wonderful summer. Celebrating our graduating seniors in June was a true delight. I think it’s safe to say that we are all very proud of them and excited for their next steps in life. It’s also safe to say that celebrating with cake during fellowship made many people happy! Deacons enjoyed collaborating with the Worship Committee to help with the church picnic. Broasted chicken from MOM’s and beverages were provided by our group. Thanks to our generous congregation, we donated $1700 to the Ministerial Association through loose change offerings to help support individuals and families in our community with essential needs. Looking forward to autumn, Deacons are once again planning a fall activity. We have some new ideas brewing to enjoy the beauty right here in East Jordan. More details to follow when we get the plan solidly in place. We are grateful to serve our church family. Thank you!

Summer is moving along, and the church is busy filling baby bottles for the Moms and Tots Baby Bottle Campaign. The final date to turn in your bottle is Sept. 1, Labor Day weekend. If you don't have a bottle yet, they are in a basket in the back of the church. Please give your filled bottle to Susan Kinloch or leave it in the church office.

The Back-to-School sales have already begun, and the kickoff for the church collection of supplies for our school community will begin August 4th. Please take advantage of great sale prices and shop early! While shopping for our schools, you can also shop for our annual Christmas Shoebox Drive, which begins Sept. 29 and ends on November 10th. There are many great items like markers, paper pads, scissors, etc. which can fill a Shoebox and give a child something they need and will appreciate!

Beginning October 13th, we will be asking for your support to purchase gift cards for the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Baskets. The deadline will be November 10th. Last year, our church raised $1300.00 for this mission and we were able to purchase about twenty-six $50 gift cards to Save-A-Lot for the Thanksgiving Baskets!

Our church donated $457 for the Pentecost Offering, of which 40% will return to our Youth Program.

Ongoing programs that minister to Crossroads and Care and Share are also opportunities to bless others. Prayer Squares have been given to Crossroads and the baskets seem to empty quickly! Thank you, Joan Sherman, for knitting all of these squares. Also, each month different items are collected by our church for the food pantry. Please check the weekly update to get information before you go shopping.

Remember, you have been blessed to be a blessing!

Susan Kinloch

Elder, Mission and Outreach

The annual stewardship campaign will be kicking off soon. In 2023 we moved the campaign from our traditional November timeframe to late summer to make it easier for our seasonal residents and snowbirds. Many of our members and friends supported that change so we are going with that again this year. Please participate if you can. The letters and pledge cards will be coming in August and we will be doing presentations during Sunday services. If anyone would like to participate in the presentations please contact me anytime. Your help would be appreciated and your public expression of support for the campaign and First Presbyterian Church East Jordan would mean a lot.

We are blessed by our members, friends, and guests with financial support for our church. We ended June with a total income of $97,435.09. The total expenses were $102,356.48 leaving us with a deficit of $4,921.39. Small mid-year deficits are not uncommon and we have a congregation that supports our financial mission.

Have a nice summer,

Ralph Kooistra, Chairperson of finance and stewardship

CORN SALAD

Don’t you just love fresh sweetcorn? We do, but corn on the cob can become a little overdone. I have discovered a corn salad recipe from Ina Garten that allows the sweetness of fresh corn to be enjoyed without the mess of eating it on the cob. I don’t care what I’m making; if it calls for onion, I go straight to Vidalias! However, this recipe calls for red onion, so I decided to take a walk on the wild side and go with it. I must say, the combination is great! I do think the sweet Vidalias would pair very well with this, but the red onion adds a nice touch of color. You can enjoy this as a side dish with your favorite barbecue served cold or at room temperature and/or use some of it in a great Cob salad! When I serve this, I don’t really consider this a “salad,” but rather the vegetable for the meal. I hope you get a chance to try this while good, fresh sweetcorn is available to you!

Corn Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

5 ears of fresh corn, shucked

1 small red onion, diced

several fresh basil leaves

salt & pepper to taste

Dressing:

3 T. cider vinegar

3 T. good quality olive oil

To cook the corn, bring water to a boil and add a little salt to the corn. Let the corn cook for only 3 minutes. Drain and place the corn in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Once it is cooled, carefully slice the corn off the cob with a sharp knife. Put the kernels in a large bowl along with the diced red onion. Pour on the dressing and mix, adding salt and pepper to taste. Let this sit for at least an hour so the flavors can marry. Just before serving, add fresh basil leaves that you have sniped or sliced and give it another toss. The corn will be sweet and crunchy!

This can actually serve more than 4 adults if you are offering other dishes, like a salad and potato, which is a good thing, as you will have leftovers for the next day! Have extra cherry tomatoes you need to do something with? Throw them in the corn salad!

Enjoy!

Debbie Chappuies

May

• No Meeting

June

• Homebound Communion training was presented by Pastor Jaime
• Motion made to use money from the Sidebotham funds to cover the cost of the elevation inspection
• Motion to pay for asbestos abatement

July

• No Meeting

Submitted by Clerk of Session, Nancy Visser

Please pray for:

Ken Visser who has a compression fracture in his back following a fall; Nancy and Eileen's friend, Frances Fuller, who is having heart issues; Nancy Gordon-Hugman's sister, Peggy, who is struggling to recover from Covid; Zila Healey; Cal Gotts; Andrea Sarto, a member of Presbytery, who is battling cancer; Sally Cyr; Donna Kline; Vic Patrick; Lou Thumser; Ken Visser; Jeff Cook; Melanie McNitt; Tom Reid; John Doidge (brother of Lorna Peebles); Jeff Olstrom; Leslie (Sally Lilak's friend from Florida); Josh Fizer (Paul and Liz's nephew); Ben Wiklanski (Ken Kline’s nephew) ; Josh Spears; Stacey Vondra (Bob Bryan's daughter); Rich and Wava Dietrich's sister-in-law, Lynda, who is struggling with Dementia; Bob Visser; Artie Jones; Stephanie Saad; Clare Boyd; Kristine Olstrom; Mary Jason; Bonnie Grover; Ken Kline; Our Nursing Home Residents: Jim and Marie Shepard, Gayle Gotts, Nancy LaCroix.

**Please let us know if you need someone added to or removed from the list! Thank you!**

• Thank you to Matthew Kodis for providing special music on June 30th. Matthew is the son of Jim and Nancy Kodis and was a member of the U of M Varsity Glee Club.
• Thank you to Brenda Malpass and Stacey Chipman who coordinate the Meet and Eat each month! This has been a wonderful addition over the last year and we are so thankful for the time and talent they put into this event! Thank you Stacey and Brenda!
• Thank you to Pat McGinn for coordinating the asbestos tile removal in the basement!

• Ted and Tracey Sherman are proud to announce the graduation of their daughter, Alyssa, from EJHS. Alyssa graduated Summa Cum Laude and received the Academic Award of Excellence. She will be attending Michigan State university in the all. Alyssa is also the granddaughter of Ted and Nancy Sherman.

A year ago last June, we began a new outreach event at First Presbyterian Church called "Meet and Eat," and it is exactly what the title says, we come together as friends to spend an evening and enjoy a meal together. We average about 20 people each month for our Meet and Eat. The event intends to bring people together who may be eating alone, someone who really doesn't enjoy cooking or those who just like to spend time with friends with a meal thrown in. The food is provided so no one has to worry about bringing a dish to pass. We do have a small basket for donations if you wish to make one which goes towards the next meal, but this certainly isn't expected of anyone. The meals are scheduled for the second Monday of the month in the fellowship hall starting at 5:30. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. There will be a sign-up sheet in the sanctuary for you to sign up just so we know how much food to prepare. Hope to see you there!

On June 2nd, we celebrated five of our graduates in worship: Gabby Dunlap, Nolan Little, Olivia Payne, Alex Thumser, and Sam Wilson. Gabby, Olivia, Alex, and Sam also received the Gidley Scholarship. The laying of the hands and prayer was a special experience for the graduates and congregation! We celebrated them after worship with cake in the fellowship hall! Best of luck to all of our graduates in their next journey!

On July 15th, Pat McGinn supervised a big undertaking at the church. The asbestos tile in the small bathrooms and in the old nursery were removed. The Session has been looking at refurbishing this area of the church to make it more user friendly. However, when we went to remove the carpet, it was discovered that it was heavily glued to the tiles and removing it would break the tiles causing a safety issue. Additionally, there were tiles in the two bathrooms that had been cracked. Because the floor is made of asbestos tile, an abatement company came in and properly removed and disposed of the carpet and tiles underneath in the nursery and the tiles in the bathroom. The next step will be to paint and redo the flooring! Funds for this project will come from the generous donations made to our memorial fund.

We host a school supply drive each year for the East Jordan Elementary School and East Jordan Middle High School. Below is a list that the school has approved. Please bring any supplies you would like to donate and put them in the bins in the back of the church. Now is a great time to get things on sale!

Operation Christmas Child Shoebox campaign will start September 29th with completed shoeboxes and postage due by November 10th. Below is a link to learn more about how you can help. Boxes will be available in September.

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/

Did you know that you can build a shoe box online and have it sent? This is another great way to support this mission. You can actually follow your box online!

https://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/buildonline/

Each October, we begin collecting money to purchase Save A Lot gift cards for those in need in our community. These gift cards are included in Thanksgiving Baskets that the Ministerial Association works to assemble and distribute. Our congregation has always been very generous in their giving, and our community benefits greatly. Look for more information in the fall!

August 12th: Meet and Eat; 5:30 pm

August 12th-14th: VBS; 5-8 pm; East Jordan Community Church; Please let Stacey know if you can help ASAP!

August 18th: Session Meeting

September 9th: Meet and Eat; 5:30 pm

September 15th: Session Meeting

September 22nd: Stewardship Sunday...pledge cards due!

October 6th: World Communion Sunday; Peace and Global Witness Offering;

October 14th: Meet and Eat; 5:30 pm

October 20th: Session Meeting

November 3rd: Congregational Meeting

RECURRING MEETINGS/EVENTS:

DEACONS MEETING – Every-other month on Mondays

SESSION MEETING – 3rd Sunday of each month following Worship

DEVOTIONAL YOGA – every Wednesday at 10:00am (Fellowship Hall)

CHOIR - every Wednesday at 6:00 pm (Sanctuary)

LOOSE CHANGE SUNDAY – 3rd Sunday of each month. You can also give this via our online giving options (designate “Deacons”).

YOUTH GROUP: Second Sunday of each Month

MEET AND EAT: Second Monday of every month! 5:30 pm! Sign up if you can in the Sanctuary hallway or by emailing Stacey Chipman.

BIRTHDAYS IN AUGUST

1: GAVIN SPENCE; ALLEN DOWTY

3: WYATT GOTTS; BILL KUPP; DENNIS ARCHER; RALPH KOOISTRA

4: JOAN SHERMAN

5: NATHAN SKOP; LAURA SNYDER

6: SUSAN KINLOCH

11: JEN WILSON

14: MADISON BUCKHOLZ

15: BRENDA KLINE; PAUL NACHAZEL

16: VIC PATRICK

18: PAT MCGINN; DARCIE DIETRICH

20: TRACY MALPASS; MIKE JASON

21: DUANE CHAPPUIES; MIKE YOUNGS

24: ANNE PAYNE; BILL LORNE

26: REMY CHAPPUIES

27: HANNAH THUMSER

28: NANCY VISSER

29: STEVE BELL

BIRTHDAYS IN SEPTEMBER

1: EVAN CHAPPUIES

2: JULIE DOWTY

5: NANCY SHERMAN

7: ANTHONY WILSON; JACKY DUNLAP

11: EMMETT CHAPPUIES, MARLENA WILSON, MATTHEW SHERMAN

14: BILL SPENCE

15: LIAM CHAPPUIES

17: REV. JIM PORTER

25: CARTER SHERMAN

29: REV. JAIME KLINGER; TREVOR SPENCE

30: ROBERT C. CAMILLER

BIRTHDAYS IN OCTOBER

1: MATTHEW MALPASS; BILL OLSTROM

2: CORA HAWLEY

4: TONI JEFFERY

9: LEO THUMSER

14: CAROLYN MCGINN

15: TRENT RAYMOND

20: RHONDA BRENNAN

23: DEVIN KURZALS-HAWLEY

26: AXEL OLSTROM

ANNIVERSARIES IN AUGUST

1: BILL AND KAREN LORNE

3: JEN & JOHN WILSON

10: BRENDA & TRACY MALPASS

18: MATTHEW & NATALIE MALPASS; STEVE AND

KATHRYN BELL; ANTHONY & AMBER WILSON

21: KRIS & LAURA SNYDER

22: ABBIE HAWLEY & DEVIN KURZALS-HAWLEY

23: TED & NANCY SHERMAN

25: BOB & DIANE HAWLEY

26: BOB & CELE MALPASS

ANNIVERSARIES IN SEPTEMBER

8: RICHARD & PAT ALLEN

9: TED & TONI JEFFERY

11: RICHARD & PATTI HODGE

12: DUANE & DEBBIE CHAPPUIES

ANNIVERSARIES IN OCTOBER

6: RICHARD EATON AND SANDY JOHNSON

7: GEORGE & DEE SMALL

11: BILL & ANNE OLSTROM

16: JAMES & KARI CAMILLER

SESSION: Brenda K. Malpass, Patrick McGinn, Toni Jeffery, Susan Kinloch, Jen Wilson, Donna Kline, Ralph Kooistra. Nancy Visser is the Clerk of Session.

DEACONS: Kathy Frake, Dee Hawley, Natalie Malpass, Liz Nachazel, Brooke Hawley, and Anne Olstrom.

It's easy to sign up for online-giving to First Presbyterian Church of East Jordan! Either scan the code to the right or click on the following link!

https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZDWE/home

Email: ejfirstpres@gmail.com
Website: ejpresbyterian.com
Location: 207 Williams Street, East Jordan, MI, USA
Phone: 2315362941
Facebook: facebook.com/ejpresbyterianchurch