Greenfield Avenue Presbyterian Church

Announcements

• Peace and Justice Survey

  Peace and Justice Survey

  The Peace and Justice Committee (P & J) has a survey to seek your participation and evaluation of mission opportunities at GAPC through P & J. We are seeking to re-establish our priorities for serving God and our community. This will include other mission opportunities and possibilities. The link to the survey is here.  https://forms.gle/EcDzBKhbf7qJfdtk6 

  Also paper copies will be available in worship on Sunday. We’d like the surveys completed by June 19th.

• GOOD NEWS - PNC Approved

  GOOD NEWS - PNC Approved

  The Commission on Transitional Ministry of the Presbytery of Milwaukee has approved our request to establish a Pastor Nominating Committee (PNC). The Nominating Committee will begin its work soon. If you would like to provide information on the gifts and talents that you think would be helpful to the Nominating Committee or would like to serve or would like to submit a name, please contact Rev. Jones or a member of the Nominating Committee. Member at large -Dan Lefevre, Eler Sue Pope, Elder Libbie Jansen, and Deacon Sandy Reichert. You may share your thoughts to gapc97th@gmail.com. We will be meeting soon.

• Note on Stewardship

  Note on Stewardship

  As we prepare for our town hall meeting after worship this Sunday, we wanted to present information that you may not be aware of (or maybe need a little reminder).  For a number of years, we have had negative operating budgets, projecting to have less money at the end of the year than when we started.  If it weren’t for record growth in the stock market netting us significant returns on our endowment and going nearly a year without paying a full-time Pastor after Kevin’s retirement, our current financial situation would look much worse.  As an aging congregation, it is becoming more difficult to maintain the property with volunteers and we are looking at having to hire more professionals in the years to come.  Additionally, many of our top givers are on the upper end of our age demographic and our overall membership numbers have also been steadily in decline.  

  The Building Exploratory Taskforce has been given the task of exploring our congregation’s options moving forward.  If no significant changes are made to substantially increase income or decrease expenses, it is likely that we will start having to regularly utilize our endowment.  Only time would tell how long that would last if we don’t chart a new course.

  Jay Saugstad, BET Chair

• Food Pantry at Apostle Presbyterian

  Food Pantry at Apostle Presbyterian - note from Cathy Manthei

  We do have a free food pantry in front of our church as well as do an outreach on Mondays and Wednesdays.   We ask for food that is in "pop top" cans or things like pudding cups that have foil tops.  Most of our folks don't have can openers.  I neglected to mention that we need SMALL items---many of our folks carry their entire life in a backpack.  So while we think a giant can of soup is terrific, it is a burden for them.  Frequently they will open something BIG, eat a small amount and throw out the rest as they just don't have the capacity to carry  it.   We also go through a ton of hygiene products like SMALL tubes of  toothpaste--toothbrushes. SMALL bottles of shampoo or body wash, etc. We don’t ever know what we are getting from Festival Foods or Feeding America and frequently have to add to what we get.  Thank you so much! Bring your food/hygiene contributions to the box at GAPC.

• Friday Notes

  July 3rd  Friday Notes

• Per Capita

  Per Capita 

  Per Capita is a budgetary line item to support the work of the Presbytery of Milwaukee, the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, and the PCUSA General Assembly. (GA $8.98; Synod $5.50; Presbytery $25.52). This year the cost per member in Milwaukee Presbytery is $40. 

  Our per Capita dollars support the staff and resources we receive from the PCUSA. We invite you to share in this budget by giving a gift beyond your pledge to support our connectional church.

  We received extra contributions from 25 members. We budgeted $2,000 and we’ve received $1,000. Thank you for all you gave in addition to your pledge and offering for this expense that keeps us connected to the larger denomination. 

• New Year, New Leadership, New Opportunities to Serve

  New Year, New Leadership, New Opportunities to Serve

  As we begin 2022, we give thanks for the service to Elders and Deacons who served their term and will now enjoy a well deserved sabbatical (time to get refreshed and renewed). We give thanks for Peter Jansen and Dolly Edward who served as Deacons. We also give thanks for Elders Laurie Elliot, Barb Brunett, and LB Smith for their time, energy, intelligence, imagination and love. We especially give thanks to Barb who served up until she entered the Church Triumphant. 

  We begin the new year with the ordination of Elder Napoleon Lukong and Deacon Mirabel Yuven. We installed Elder Jay Saugstad, Kerstin Lefevre, and Mark Brodaczynski with Deacon Sandy Schueppel completing our elected officers. We celebrate their willingness to serve and look forward to God’s direction for 2022. Please pray for the Holy Spirit to empower them in their service to Christ and our community. 

  Before our next Session meeting, I plan to meet with each elder to discuss how they want to use their gifts in service. We hope to have an elder leader for each committee: Worship, Christian Education, Peace & Justice, Evangelism/Events, and Resources. We also need members of the congregation to serve on each committee. Please contact me or an elder to volunteer as a servant of Christ in our community through GAPC in 2022. 

• Sunday Fellowship

  We will be having  Fellowship the third Sunday of Each month. We will continue to hold Fellowship as long as the Covid numbers stay down. Our Fellowship will move outside as soon as the weather warms up.

  Our next Fellowship will be on Easter Sunday, we will have a light breakfast of coffee cake, kringle , fruit, hard boiled eggs and beverages. Easter Fellowship will be held in Fellowship Hall between the 8:00 and 9:30 Service.

  Please come and join us

• Building Exploratory Taskforce

  Project Regeneration - Presbyterian Foundation

  Following the Town Hall meeting 

  The Building Exploratory Taskforce, along with Session, met with two of our contacts with the Presbyterian Foundation.  We reviewed the materials from Sailboat Church and shared our experiences and insights.  We then had considerable discussion on what we do moving forward.

  There was a general consensus that if we don’t change anything, we will need to start utilizing the endowment which will disappear much too quickly.  After a lengthy discussion, we did not completely settle on one option. While we began exploring the option of selling the building to Maplegrove and becoming their tenant and continuing to worship here. 

  At this point, we are waiting for the appraisal before having any further negotiations with Maplegrove.  We need to be aware that this arrangement might not work and will need to explore other options.  We also need to think and pray about what we would do moving forward if we were able to make this work.  If we make no other changes, there is still a likelihood that we would just be putting off these same conversations for a few more years.  

  We also discussed several options that we believe should potentially be explored—a part-time or shared pastor or a merger with another congregation—amongst them.  Please continue to share your thoughts with a member of the Taskforce or Session, or send an email to Bruce, as we continue this discernment process. - Elder Jay Saugstad, Chair BET

   

   

   

• Mission and Vision Statement

  Mission Statement - Who we are:

  As a family of Christian faith, we believe in including our neighbors in worship and actively supporting mission, as guided by our traditions. 

  GAPC Vision Statement - Who God is calling us to be: 

  To strengthen our Christian community, 

  seeking to deepen our faith in one God  and love our neighbors; 

  bringing hope and peace through mission. 

   

• Communion Sunday

  It’s the First Sunday, why are we not celebrating Communion? - Rev. Jones

  Many congregations celebrate communion on the first Sunday of the month. GAPC has done this for years, maybe as long as you remember. In 2021, we will not regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper on the first Sunday of each month, but we will celebrate each month. Let me explain the theology and our Reformed tradition regarding this sacrament. 

  First, the Reformation focused the Christian faith to reclaim practices described in Scripture. The Latin Sola Scriptura means through Scripture alone, we gain our understanding of faith by relying on our understanding of Scripture. In the 16th century, many Christians practiced rituals without understanding why they did what they did. The Reformers wanted to guide Christians to a deeper understanding of faith and the practices of faith. 

  While John Calvin, our Presbyterian theological ancestor promoted the celebration of communion on each Lord’s day. This weekly practice was seen as excessive by the governing council and too ritualistic. On the other end of the spectrum, our Book of Order states that a responsibility of Session, 

  “provide that the Sacraments may be rightly administered and received. This responsibility shall include authorizing the celebration of the Lord’s Supper at least quarterly and the administration of Baptism as appropriate, in accordance with the principles of the Directory for Worship;”

  Second, the Presbyterian planning calendar provides a number of theological significant dates for Communion. Baptism of our Lord in January, Transfiguration in February, any Sunday of Lent or Advent, Palm, Easter, Pentecost, World Communion, Reformation Sunday, and Christ the King to name most of the dates. I’ve preferred to celebrate these theological significant dates to connect the sacrament with these theological concepts.

  Third, it’s a practical matter. As an Interim Pastor, my goal is to guide the congregation to be ready to welcome a new called and installed pastor. To guide this process, I encourage you to explore new possibilities for your faith practice. Your new pastor may have ideas that will challenge the status quo, “The way we’ve always done it.” In doing things differently during this transitional time, helps to open our minds to the next pastor’s new ideas. So I ask a lot of “why” questions. Why have you had communion on the first Sunday?

  So in January, Session approved the celebration of the Lord’s Supper on the second Sunday for the Baptism of our Lord. In February, we will celebrate next Sunday, February 14th which is Transfiguration Sunday. I hope you will reflect on this practice and let me or a member of Session know your thoughts about why and when we “Do This in Remembrance” of our Lord and Savior. 

  Grace and Peace,  

  Bruce

• Music Notes from Sheri

  Kathy Luty will be our musician for July 3rd. I will be in Seattle, Washington this week for the National American Guild of Organist Convention. You may contact me via email and phone as usual.   UPDATE:  Kathy’s brother (in California) is close to death and she has a flight scheduled at 4pm on Thursday if it might still be possible to sit with him in these final hours.  It is possible that we will have an acapella (no keyboard player) Service this Sunday.  Please keep Kathy and her family in your prayer.

                           

• Service Opportunities

  Service Opportunities: 

  1. Liturgist: If you’d like to serve as a liturgist contact Elder Sue Smith.

  2. Greeters/Ushers: There is a sign up at the back of the sanctuary or contact Elder Mark Brodaczynski.

  Cleaning Crew: Again, a sign-up in the sanctuary or stay after worship to help. It is helpful to know in advance if possible.