Thursday, January 3
7:45 PM Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, January 6
9:30 AM Christian Education: "The Parables of Jesus"
11:00 AM Worship, Rev. Powers preaching
12:15 PM Session Meeting
Thursday, January 10
7:45 PM Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, January 13
9:30 AM Christian Education: "The Parables of Jesus"
11:00 AM Worship, Rev. Don Stroud preaching
Thursday, January 17
7:45 PM Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, January 20
9:30 AM Christian Education: "The Parables of Jesus"
11:00 AM Worship, Rev. Powers preaching
12:15 PM Annual Congregational Meeting & Potluck Lunch
Thursday, January 24
7:45 PM Choir Rehearsal
Sunday, January 27
9:30 AM Christian Education: "The Parables of Jesus"
11:00 AM Worship, Elder JoAnn Ruther preaching
S.O.B.E.R. Sunday
Thursday, January 31
7:45 PM Choir Rehearsal
Teachings Of Jesus
Join us on Sunday mornings from 9:30 to 10:15 a.m. to study and gain insight into some of the teachings of Jesus. We are using the book "The Parables of Jesus" by Simon J. Kistemaker. Copies are available through the church office for $12 each. Please let Roger know if you want a book, and he will arrange, through Bonnie, to have one ordered for you. Please come and join us for what has proven to be very interesting and informative discussions.
Thanks - You Helped Make Our "Adopt-A-Family" a Success!
Thanks to everyone who helped Light Street Adopt-A-Family for Christmas
Thank you for your generous and heartwarming response to Light Street Presbyterian's Christmas Giving Project with the House of Ruth's Adopt A Family Program. The House of Ruth is one of the nation's leading domestic violence centers helping thousands of battered women and their children find the safety and security that so many of us take for granted.
The many Christmas gifts collected for our adopted family were received and dedicated in worship on Sunday, December 16, and were delivered to the House of Ruth on December 18. We know that this year Christmas will be much brighter for one family!
It is our intention to participate in this program again next year, perhaps adopting two families instead of one (a "family" consists of four people, and may be divided among two or more actual family units). If you need further information, please contact Bonnie Cosner or Audrey Jewett. (Their contact number is available through the church office.)
Light Street Membership Grows by 40%!!
The active membership of Light Street Presbyterian Church grew in 2007 from 30 members to 42 members -- a 40% increase! This is great news for our congregation! Thanks be to God!
Our newest member, Michael Moore, was received into membership on Sunday, December 16. Michael was born in Annapolis in 1970, and grew up in Severna Park, where he attended Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church until 1999. He graduated from the University of Baltimore Law School in 1996, and practices law throughout the State of Maryland. Michael and his wife, Heather, have one son, Matthew, who is 15 months old. Michael loves to sail and to spend time with his family.
Cuba Delegation Returns
Our pastor, Roger Scott Powers, and three Light Street elders, Bonnie Cosner, Carol Eshelman, and JoAnn Ruther, returned from Cuba on November 30. They were a part of a 13-person delegation that went to help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Presbyterian Church in Cabaiguan, the congregation with which Light Street and Ashland Presbyterian Churches have a sister church relationship.
On Sunday, November 25, a standing-room-only crowd packed the Cabaiguan church sanctuary for the special worship service marking the church's centennial. Among the gifts given to the Cabaiguan congregation was a beautiful needlework piece with the words of the Lord's Prayer in Spanish, sewn by Bonnie Cosner.
The delegation visited with families in their homes, and also worshipped with the congregation of the Mission Church in Paraiso. Structural work on the Paraiso chapel has been completed. All that remains is installing electrical fixtures, painting, and landscaping. Then the chapel will be ready for use again.
A luncheon presentation about our partnership with the Presbyterian Church in Cuba is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, March 2. Please mark your calendar and plan to join us to hear more about this exciting mission!
Many thanks to everyone who made a pledge to the 2008 church budget. As of mid-December, we had received 24 pledges to the 2008 operating budget, totaling $53,164, compared to $48,465 in 2007; a 10% increase! Your pledges are a great help to the Session when it comes to budget planning. If you have not yet made a pledge for 2008, it's not too late. Please contact Carol Eshelman, our financial secretary, if you would like to make a pledge.
At its meting on Sunday, December 9, the Session adopted a budget for 2008, which is summarized below. You will note that our projected expenses still outpace our projected income. It is hoped that, as more visitors attend worship, and more people become members in the coming year, this shortfall will be covered by additional pledges and contributions.
INCOME (Budget)
Member Pledges & Gifts
2007 - $52,000
2008 - $52,000
Cash Gifts (loose offering)
2007 - $3,200
2008 - $2,500
Friends of Light Street Donations
2007 - $3,000
2008 - $1,700
Fund Raising Events
2007 - $4,000
2008 - $9,000
Dewling Fund Income
2007 - $26,400
2008 - $26,400
Estimated Previous Year Surplus
2007 - $3,000
2008 - $0
Miscellaneous Income
2007 - $500
2008 - $500
TOTAL INCOME
2007 - $92,100
2008 - $92,000
EXPENSES
Personnel
2007 - $61,596
2008 - $65,231
Spiritual Growth
2007 - $1,200
2008 - $1,250
Community Church Outreach
2007 - $1,800
2008 - $1,800
Mutual Mission
2007 - $7,900
2008 - $7,900
Sustainable Development & Grounds
2007 - $300
2008 - $300
Building & Operations
2007 - $26,956
2008 - $25,463
TOTAL EXPENSES
2007 - $99,752
2008 - $101,944
INCOME MINUS EXPENSES
2007 - ($7,652)
2008 - ($9,844)
New Lending Library Features Books About Being Presbyterian
What does it mean to be a Presbyterian? What do Presbyterians believe? What is is the history of the Presbyterian Church (USA)? These are questions that many members and friends of Light Street may ask from time to time, since so many did not grow up Presbyterian. We come from a variety of religious backgrounds. Even church members who have been Presbyterian for a long time may not have delved into their denominational identity in any depth.
To help address these questions, Light Street has a new lending library of 12 books about being Presbyterian. They are available at the book table downstairs to borrow, read, and return. (Please borrow only one book at a time, and be sure to note the title on the sign-out sheet.) Available titles are:
Faith in Words: A Celebration of Presbyterian Writers
A Brief History of Presbyterians
Presbyterian Beliefs: A Brief Introduction
This We Believe: Eight Truths Presbyterians Affirm
Witness Without Parallel: Eight Biblical Truths That Make Us Presbyterian
To Be A Presbyterian
Living Water: A Guide to Baptism for Presbyterians
How To Spell Presbyterian
Presbyterian Creeds: A Guide to the Book of Confessions
Being A Presbyterian in the Bible Belt: A Theological Survival Guide
Calvin for Armchair Theologians
Presbyterian Questions, Presbyterian Answers: Exploring Christian Faith
Holiday Wreath and Greens Sale, Dec 7-8
Thanks to everyone who helped with this year's Holiday Wreath and Greens Sale, December 7-8; decorating wreaths, filling orders, and buying wreaths for yourself. A special thank you to Jackie Nunn, Colleen Seremet, Carol Eshelman, and Julie Helms for their work on this fund raising event.
Annual Congregational Meeting & Potluck Lunch
On Sunday, January 20, immediately after worship, members and friends of Light Street are invited and encouraged to attend the Annual Congregational Meeting and Potluck Lunch. We'll reflect back on the activities and accomplishments of 2007, review the church budget, and anticipate what's ahead for 2008. Please bring your favorite dish to add to the potluck table!
Leadership Transition
Special thanks to Elders Alma Hays, Don Hetz, and David Shortle who rotate off of the Session this year. Their leadership in the congregation is very much appreciated.
At the Congregational Meeting on Sunday, December 16, three members were elected to the Session for the class of 2010 -- Edwin Barron, Melissa Christ, and McEwan Mbambo. We give thanks for their willingness to serve and for the gifts they bring.
Lent Begins Early This Year
The Lenten season begins early this year -- On Wednesday, February 6. Light Street's Ash Wednesday Communion Service will be at 7:30 p.m. This is a change from past years, when the service was held early in the morning at 7:00 a.m., so that people could attend before going to work. It is our hope that by moving the service to the evening, more people will be able to attend.
Wednesday morning meditation will be available during Lent again this year. Each Wednesday from February 13 through March 18, Bonnie Cosner will hold a short service at 7:30 a.m. Please speak with Bonnie if you have questions or need further information.
Bread Ministry Rising At Light Street
During Advent, Sunday morning visitors to Light Street received a home-baked loaf of bread as they left worship! Deborah Szostak and Audrey Jewett initiated the project as another way of welcoming newcomers and helping them to feel at home at Light Street. If you'd like to help, please let Deborah or Audrey know.
Help Lead Worship
Volunteers are needed to help lead worship each Sunday. This usually involves leading the congregation in the "Call to Worship" and "Prayer for Illumination" and reading the scripture lesson(s) for that Sunday. There is a sign-up sheet on the downstairs bulletin board.
Fellowship Hour Volunteers Needed
It's wonderful each Sunday morning following worship to be able to gather downstairs for a time of fellowship and refreshment. But it means someone needs to take responsibility each week for making coffee, providing refreshments, and cleaning up afterwards. If everyone in the congregation signed up to do this just a few Sundays a year, we would have it covered. Many hands make light work! Please sign up on the downstairs bulletin board.
S.O.B.E.R. Sunday - January 27
S.O.B.E.R. stands for South Baltimore Emergency Relief. Two dedicated people, John and Elizabeth, staff the operation, caring for the homeless and others in need of special help. They stock supplies in the small basement of Holy Cross Church at 110 E. West Street. On the last Sunday of every month, we collect non-perishable food items (soups, peanut butter, tuna, and one-dish meals) for their food pantry. Flip-top cans are especially helpful for homeless persons who don't have access to kitchen facilities. Personal hygiene items, gloves, and socks, as well as financial contributions are also welcome. Checks made payable to Light Street Presbyterian Church should be clearly marked for SOBER.
SERMONS
Copies of Roger's sermons are available on the downstairs hall table. A few selected sermons are posted on this website. If you are visiting our church, please feel free to pick up a copy if you missed a Sunday. Or, pass one on to a friend!
DEADLINE FOR FEBRUARY NEWSLETTER: January 15
Send all newsletter material to John Ginovsky at jginovsk@aba.com