Green Hill Good News

Green Hill Good News Online* Edition for May 2022

*Online Edition: Church members, check your e-mail and/or a printed copy for the complete newsletter.

PASTOR’S CORNER—MAY 2022

5 CELEBRATIONS IN MAY!

Holy Communion, May 1st; Nat’l Day of Prayer, May 5th; Mother’s Day, May 8th, Ascension of the Lord Day, May 26th; Memorial Day, May 30th!

Add to that: Graduations and birthdays and anniversaries! It is going to be a busy month. God is with us!

See you in Church!

–David

NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER, WEDNESDAY, MAY 5

The theme of this year’s National Day of Prayer is “Exalt the Lord who has Established Us.” The theme verses (Colossians 2:6-7) are about Spiritual Fullness in Christ.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

BABY BOTTLE BOOMERANG

It’s that time of year again! We are participating in the Baby Bottle Boomerang fundraiser for the Wiregrass Emergency Pregnancy Services. Each year the bottles go out for Mother’s Day and are returned for Father’s Day. Bottles can be picked up in the Fellowship Hall. Please collect your loose change over the next month and return the bottles to the church office by Father’s Day, June 19.

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING

Thank you to those who contributed to the One Great Hour of Sharing last month. Our congregation’s total contribution of $445 has been forwarded on to Presbytery. Your generous gifts to this Special Offering help provide relief those affected by natural disasters, provide food to the hungry, and assist in helping to empower the poor and oppressed

ASCENSION OF THE LORD

Forty days after the Resurrection of the Lord (Easter Sunday), we remember and celebrate the Ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into heaven. On this day, the church gives thanks for Christ’s sovereign rule over all the earth, as well as his priestly intercession for us at the throne of mercy (Hebrews 4:14-16). This year the Ascension of the Lord is on May 26, with Ascension of the Lord Sunday falling on May 29. Pentecost falls on the first Sunday in June, the 5th.

CONGRATULATIONS KENDALL

Congratulations to Kendall D., Enterprise High School Class of 2022! Kendall will graduate from EHS at the end of May and she will begin taking classes at Enterprise State Community College in June. Kendall is the recipient of an ESCC Fine Arts Scholarship for Concert Choir.

CLEAN WATER UNIVERSITY

Congratulations to Denise A. on her completion of CWU 103. This course, which is offered by Living Waters for the World, teaches students how to operate a fully functioning clean water system, how to maintain it, how to troubleshoot problems, and how to pass these skills on to others. Living Waters for the World empowers everyday people to change lives through clean water.

Green Hill Good News Online* Edition for April 2022

*Online Edition: Church members, check your e-mail and/or a printed copy for the complete newsletter.

PASTOR’S CORNER—APRIL 2022

“April showers bring May flowers!” And, after a rather dry March, we caught up with the average monthly rainfall in one afternoon of rain!

This is the month of Easter, the highlight of our Christian calendar. It begins with our traditional monthly Communion Service on the 1st Sunday (April 3rd), then, Palm Sunday, the 2nd Sunday of the month. Then comes Maundy Thursday, when we will gather at 5:30 for a special Communion Service of Remembrance. EASTER SUNDAY, the 3rd Sunday of the month, our day of celebration. I look forward to seeing you!

-David

HOLY WEEK

• April 10 – Palm Sunday, Worship @ 11:00am
• April 14 – Maundy Thursday, Service @ 5:30pm
• April 15 – Good Friday
• April 17 – Easter Sunday, Worship @ 11:00am

EASTER LILIES FOR EASTER SUNDAY

If you are going to place a lily in the sanctuary for Easter, please let the church office know no later than April 10. The names of those being remembered and/or honored will be printed in the bulletin on Easter Sunday. Slips are available in the pew racks.SPRING BREAK

Enterprise City Schools will be on Spring Break from March 28 to April 1. The church office will be closed part of this time, the dates are not yet confirmed. 

SEASON OF EASTER

Easter isn’t just a Sunday — it’s a season. One day out of 365 is hardly sufficient to celebrate the great mystery of our faith — that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. Accordingly, the season of Easter lasts seven weeks (a “week of weeks”), spanning the 50 days from the Sunday of the Resurrection to Pentecost Sunday and encompassing the festival of the Ascension of the Lord.

The season of Easter is intended to be a joyful time for celebrating the presence of the risen Christ in the church. If your congregation doesn’t already celebrate the Lord’s Supper (a feast with the risen Lord) each week, the season of Easter is an excellent and appropriate time to explore this practice.

Of course, Easter really isn’t just a season either. In the fullest sense, Easter is a new way of life — in which we are “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 6:11), called to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). Every year, for fifty days, the church celebrates and rehearses this new way of life in the Season of Easter — as we await its completion in the fullness of Christ’s reign.

excerpt from Presbyterian Mission Agency: Season of Easter

ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING

Since 1949 Presbyterians have joined with millions of other Christians through One Great Hour of Sharing to share God’s love with our neighbors-in-need around the world. Your generous gifts to this Special Offering help provide relief those affected by natural disasters, provide food to the hungry, and assist in helping to empower the poor and oppressed. If you feel called to give, please use one of the special blue envelopes can be found in the pew racks. The final day this offering will be collected for 2022 will be Sunday, April 17.

GIRL SCOUT SUNDAY

The Girl Scouts would like to thank Green Hill for hosting Girl Scout Sunday last month. It means a lot to us that you took the time to recognize us, and to feed us cupcakes! Girl Scout Sunday is a time for girls to reflect on the words “to serve God” in the Girl Scout Promise. Thank you for helping us to do that.

-the Girl Scouts of Service Unit 923

CROSS CLOTH

Please take note of our cross on the hill. This is the only time of the year we place a drape on the cross. We use purple for the season of Lent, black on Maundy Thursday, and white on Easter. The white cloth will remain in place until June 5, the day of Pentecost.

Green Hill Good News Online* Edition for March 2022

*Online Edition: Church members, check your e-mail and/or a printed copy for the complete newsletter.

FROM THE PASTOR’S CORNER

Welcome Spring! Welcome Lent!

We begin the month celebrating Ash Wednesday (March 2nd). Our Wednesday Bible Study will be offering the Intinction of Ashes to commemorate the beginning of the Season of Lent. We will begin our month, as always, at the Table of our Lord for Communion and a special celebration. We will remember to turn our clocks FORWARD to welcome Daylight Savings, and to welcome Spring later in the month.

See you on Sunday!

David

DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME BEGINS

Don’t forget to change your clocks before you go to bed on Saturday night, March 12. On Sunday morning, March 13, Daylight Saving Time begins, and we will lose an hour. We look forward to seeing you at church on Sunday morning, at the correct time.

FELLOWSHIP LUNCH

On Sunday, March 6, immediately following the worship service, all members of Green Hill are invited to a lunch in the fellowship hall. 

SCOUTS BSA AT GREEN HILL

Scouts BSA Sunday was such a success last month. We are so happy that we were able worship with the boys, girls, and leaders of BSA Unit 150 and enjoy fellowship with them following the service.

Green Hill has a long history with the Boy Scouts of America. BSA Unit 150 was founded by the members of Green Hill more than 45 years ago. Many of our youth have gone through the program, and several of our members have become Eagle Scouts. Scouting helps youth develop academic skills, self-confidence, ethics, leadership skills, and citizenship skills that influence their adult lives, and Green Hill is proud to support these objectives as the Chartered Organization for BSA Troop 150B (boys), BSA Troop 150G (girls), Venture Crew 150, and Cub Pack 150.

GIRL SCOUT (GSUSA) SUNDAY

All area Girl Scouts are invited to attend the morning worship service at Green Hill Presbyterian Church on Sunday, March 13.

The Worship Service begins at 11:00am. All girls are asked to wear their uniforms. At the beginning of the service our Girl Scouts will post the colors, lead the pledge of allegiance, as well as recite the Girl Scout Promise and Law. The Girl Scouts will be called upon to act as ushers and to take on other tasks in the service. Immediately following the service we will have refreshments in the Fellowship Hall.

In March of each year, Girl Scouts take time to recognize the anniversary of the founding of the very first Girl Scout Troop. This year the Girl Scout organization is celebrating its 110th anniversary! Part of this annual celebration is Girl Scout Sunday which is a time for Girl Scouts to be recognized in their places of worship and for them to reflect on the importance of the words “To Serve God” in the Girl Scout Promise.

The mission of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America is to build girls of courage, confidence, and character. More than 50 million American women have participated in Girl Scouting, and that number continues to grow as Girl Scouts of the USA continues to inspire, challenge, and empower girls everywhere.

*Online Edition: Church members, check your e-mail and/or a printed copy for the complete newsletter.

PASTOR’S CORNER – December, 2021

Christmas is just around the corner! But of course you know that: WalMart’s been showing you that since before Halloween!

However, we know that this Season of Advent that launches a brand new Christian Year, beginning with the Sunday immediately following Thanksgiving.

We will have our lighting of the Advent Candle each Sunday—both indoors and outdoors! We will also celebrate Communion on the first Sunday (December 5th) and on Christmas Eve (December 24th)

Come, join us in the celebration of the true Joy of Christmas. See you Sunday!

David

PRAYER LIST NAMES

Please note that on the first Sunday in January, the church office will start off the New Year with a new prayer list. We are going to remove everyone and start fresh. If you know of someone who should remain on the list, or of someone who needs to be added to the list, please contact the church office. Thank you.

GIRL SCOUT GOLD AWARD RECOGNITION

Kendall is a Gold Award Girl Scout, but it’s not really official until we all eat cake! All church members are invited to join us at Green Hill on Sunday, December 5, at 2:00pm to have a reception in Kendall’s honor.

CHRISTMAS JOY OFFERING

The purple Christmas Joy Offering envelopes are available for anyone who feels called to make a contribution to this fund. Donations will be used to support retired ministers and their families and for racial and ethnic religious programs at colleges.

CHRISTMAS POINSETTIAS

If you are going to place a poinsettia in the Sanctuary for the congregation to enjoy during the Christmas season, please let the church office know no later than Wednesday, December 15. On the Sunday just prior to Christmas, the 19th, a list of all of the people being honored and/or remembered by poinsettias will be printed in the worship bulletin. Small slips for the information are available in the pew racks.

OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD BOXES

Thank you to everyone who packed a box for Operation Christmas Child. The boxes are on their way to the Samaritan’s Purse warehouse to be processed for shipping, and in a couple of months we should get a report on where they went.

ADVENT SEASON

On the first Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of Hope. This candle is also referred to as the Prophecy Candle.

On the second Sunday of Advent we light the candle of Peace. This candle is also referred to as the Bethlehem Candle.

On the third Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of Joy. This candle is also referred to as the Shepherd’s Candle.

On the fourth Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of Love. This candle is also referred to as the Angel’s Candle.

On Christmas Eve, we light the Christ candle. We remember the birth of our Lord and Savior, which was foretold by the prophets, happened in Bethlehem, was revealed to the shepherds, and proclaimed by the angels.

To view previous editions of the Green Hill Good News monthly newsletter, please click HERE.

 

*Online Edition: Church members, check your e-mail and/or a printed copy for the complete newsletter.

FROM THE PASTOR’S CORNER

Well, it is Summertime….”and the living is easy….”!

I’m not so sure about that, it is hot, we are weary with age, and it is not about to get better for a while. But, we are back together again with our Adult Sunday School meeting every week at 10 a.m. We are about to re-instate Café for those coming to Church (and not in Sunday School), this extends to just after Church reflections and fellowship.

We are a welcoming community of faithful followers, open to God’s leading for the immediate future. Our Session is looking for God’s leading regarding the proper stewardship of our church facilities. If you have ideas, suggestions, persons/groups to contact, please let us know.

But for now, we are a faithful group of disciples, serving God and our neighbors. See you Sunday!

David.

ORDINARY TIME VS TIME AFTER PENTECOST

Are we in Ordinary Time or are we in the Time After Pentecost? We are in both! The name “Ordinary Time” does not mean ordinary as we use the word. It comes from the word ordinal, an adjective denoting a numerical position of an object. It’s “first, second, third,” instead of “one, two, three.” Originally, all the Sundays that weren’t contained in the Advent/Christmas or Lent/Easter seasons were indicated by ordinal numbers, hence the designation. Ordinary Time is basically “counted time.”

IN-PERSON SUNDAY SCHOOL

Don’t forget that in-person Sunday School is back! Class starts at 10:00am in the Session Room, next to the Church Office. This is later than our pre-COVID meeting time of 9:30am. We are slowly returning to normal. Please join us to study the Word of God and then to Worship Him with joy!

If you would like to receive a Sunday School lesson book when the new books come out in the fall, please let Rev. Jamison know. He is working on a list for the office so we can place a single order for the books.

CHECK OUT THE CHURCH CALENDAR ONLINE

On the church’s website, http://www.GreenHillPC.com, you can see an interactive calendar of all church events, which includes a week, month, and agenda view, as well as the option to print. This calendar is always up-to-date with the latest information. If you have any questions about the calendar, or if you need to add an event to the calendar, please contact the church office at 334-347-9530.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF WILLIAM DENNIS JOHNSON

William Dennis Johnson, son-in-law of Bobbie Miller, has lost his battle with lung cancer. He was 60 years old. Please keep the Johnson and Miller families in your prayers.

POLLINATOR PRESENTATIONS

As part of Kendall’s Girl Scout Gold Award Project, she needs to educate the public about what she is doing and about the importance of supporting pollinator populations. Are you a member of the Rotary Club, Lions Club, or other organization that invites outside speakers? Please let Sandi know. Kendall has a (very short) presentation she can come and make to your club. She’s out of school for another month, so she’s available any time.

FAST FOOD DRINK HOLDERS

Kendall is also collecting fast-food drink holders, the kind you get at the drive-through at McDonalds. These drink holders are being turned into mini butterfly gardens with two types of pollen flowers and one type of milkweed. They also have a shallow water source. It’s everything a butterfly needs. Gardens don’t need to be huge. Even a small oasis like this can support butterfly populations. These mini gardens will be used to educate people about pollinators.

QUARTERLY GIVING RECORDS

The end of June brings an end to the 2nd quarter of the church financial calendar. The member quarterly giving records will be available at church on Sunday, July 4. Please pick up your copy so we won’t have to mail it to you.