SWIFT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
A Church That Practices Fruitful Living
PASSIONATE WORSHIP
April 3 Holy Humor Sunday
Communion
All ages in worship
Swift Presbyterian Church is resurrecting an old Easter custom begun by the early Christians — “Holy Humor Sunday.” The origins are found in the very fact of Easter. The devil thought he had won on Good Friday, but the joke was on him.
For centuries in all Christian faith traditions, the week following Easter Sunday was observed by the faithful as “days of joy and laughter” with parties and picnics to celebrate Jesus’ “Easter laugh.” Churchgoers and pastors played practical jokes on each other, told jokes, sang, and danced. The custom slowly vanished.
In 1988, the Fellowship of Merry Christians began encouraging churches to resurrect these Sunday services.
Swift Church will celebrate Holy Humor Sunday, April 3 at both the 8:00 and 10:00 worship services. The theme is: Proverbs 17:22 — “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” People are encouraged to wear scrubs, lab jackets, stethoscopes, or other medically related items. There will be “humor breaks” throughout the service, giving people the opportunity to tell their favorite jokes.
April 10 John 21:1-19
Minute for Mission — Building and Grounds
April 17 John 10:22-30
Minute for Mission — Living Waters for the World speaker
April 24 Lauren preaches
Lauren will be ordained as a Teaching Elder (Presbyterian minister) on April 3rd. This will be an opportunity for her to preach at Swift celebrating this special event.
May 1 Jody Beth preaches
Communion
No Children’s Church
May 8 John 17:20-26
May 15 Pentecost Sunday Acts 2:1-21
May 22 Trinity Sunday
Preschool graduation
Pastor Keith’s Vacation
Pastor Keith will be on vacation Wednesday, April 27 through Tuesday, May 3. He will be enjoying time with family and making a quick trip to Indy. Contact your deacon, the church office or Pastor Jody Beth for pastoral care.
MUSIC NOTES
Lisa Cardwell
We are very appreciative and grateful to the many people who participated in the music program for the Journey to Easter. The chancel, handbell, and chime choir members all worked many hours, yet gave of their time so generously. We also want to thank Carolyn Bennett for assisting the chancel choir members in learning their parts during rehearsals, and Jenni Rachel for playing for rehearsals the last two weeks and for the services. We certainly could not have done it without your help!
We also want to express our gratitude to Jimbo Woodall for his beautiful visual images that he presented during several of our anthems which helped complete the worship experience. And, thank you to Marvin King, who handled all of our sound amplification needs so efficiently. We believe that God was glorified and honored through our efforts!
Now the chancel choir continues to work weekly to bring worshipful music for our Sunday services. They rehearse on Tuesday evenings until summer, when we will move to Sunday mornings at 9:00am.
Our handbell choir has begun working for our next worship leadership on May 15 (Pentecost). You won’t want to miss these anthems which include “If You're Happy and You Know it!” and “Oh, How Jesus Loves Me.” If you like to listen to the different techniques that handbells can use, you will like these two anthems!
SESSION HIGHLIGHTS, MARCH 21, 2016
Session met for their stated meeting in the Andy Lay Room. The opening time of Bible reading and prayer was followed by a discussion with the newest elders of how things are going and what help they need.
Business:
- Financial report approved
- Minutes, committee reports, pastors’ reports approved
- Heard of business from Presbytery meeting held February 26-27th.
- Building and Grounds updated session on kitchen repairs and the bid of $5600 for the next level of work and an update to be given to the congregation on April 10.
- Approved Preschool Board’s request for a minor change in the “safe conduct policy”
- Approved Worship’s request that we move to intinction at all worship services beginning in May.
The session concluded the meeting with prayer.
Worship Committee
With much prayerful consideration the worship committee, with concurrence of session, has decided to serve communion by intinction every month in both services. We believe that this meets our Passionate Worship practice by more deeply experiencing God’s gift for us to receive.
RADICAL HOSPITALITY
Swift Presbyterian Church’s “Two or More” Lunch Group
“Two or More” is a monthly ecumenical fellowship luncheon, open to all. We meet once a month, on the first Thursday of each month, at 11:30 a.m.
April 7th, we will meet at Captain’s Choice Restaurant in the Gulf Bowl. Please RSVP to Pastor Jody Beth Melton at 251-213-6625 or the church office at 251-943-8367 to make a reservation.
Butterfly Girls and Guys Night Out
Thursday, April 21st, 6:30pm
Butterfly Girls and Guys Night Out are opportunities for us to gather for a meal and fellowship, with no agenda and no commitments.
ALL ladies are invited to Butterfly Girls & ALL men are invited to Guys Night Out.
Our next gathering is Thursday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m.
Girls at Jade Garden Chinese Buffet (across the street from entrance to Tanger Outlets).
Guys at Applebee’s restaurant (a little further north on 59).
RSVP to Susan and Daryl Pichoff, 251-213-9486.
INTENTIONAL FAITH DEVELOPMENT
Easter Egg Hunt
Thank you to everyone who donated eggs and candy to the Easter Egg Hunt! Although the weather did not allow us to “hide the eggs” for the children in the cemetery, we hope they weren’t too disappointed to receive their share as they left church Easter morning.
Vacation Bible School
Vacation Bible School at Swift will be from Sunday, July 17th through Thursday, July 21st in the evenings. Go ahead and mark your calendar. We already have our team of directors lined up: Tosha Thomas, Tara Morrow, and Jane King. Carlie Sims is our Teacher/Volunteer Coordinator, and Susan Pischoff is going to be our Food Supervisor. Keep an ear out from them as we start recruiting volunteers to be teachers and help with meals. We are still looking for a Decorations Supervisor. This is someone who will get a team together to work on the decorations. They will work with the co-directors, Teresa Thomas (who will help monitor the budget), and the teachers to help bring the theme and the Bible stories for the week to life. If you are interested in volunteering to be the Decorations Supervisor, please email Lauren Peters at swiftconsultant@outlook.com.
Children’s Ministry Leaders
The Children’s Ministry Vision Team is looking for people who are willing to be leaders in Swift’s children’s ministry, and to serve under the leadership of our Children’s Christian Ed Elder, Teresa Thomas, in the following roles:
- Children’s Sunday School Coordinator: The Children’s Vision Team would like to rotate Sunday School teachers in the same way we rotate nursery volunteers and children's church volunteers. We need someone who is willing to collect teacher information, schedule teachers, distribute Sunday School curriculum (chosen by the Christian Ed elder, Teresa Thomas), help the teachers get supplies, and serve as support for the teachers.
- Possible Children’s Church Coordinator: At the end of May the Children’s Ministry Vision Team will be evaluating the children's church program at Swift Presbyterian. If we decide to continue with Children’s Church in the fall we will need someone to coordinate volunteers for Children’s Church. This would include collecting volunteer information, scheduling volunteers, distributing curriculum (chosen by the Christian Ed elder), helping the teachers get supplies, and serving as support for the volunteers.
- TWO Children's Special Events Coordinators: The Children’s Vision Team is looking for two people who will be willing to organize special events coordinators for the children's ministry at Swift. The coordinators would start with the events coming in the next school year and organize the following: the Fall Festival, the Easter Egg Hunt, and Vacation Bible School. The Christmas Pageant would fall under this category as well, but we already have someone taking the lead on it this year. THESE TWO PEOPLE WOULD NEED TO BE GREAT AT DELEGATING! We are looking for two people who will be able to recruit volunteers, and NOT two people who would try to do all the events themselves. We need two people who are comfortable asking for help.
If you would like to take on one of these positions or if you have any questions, please email Lauren Peters at swiftconsultant@outlook.com.
“Ecclesiastes: Looking for the Answer to the Meaning of Life” Bible Study continues to meet on Thursdays from 9:30–11:00 a.m. in the Swift Church Library.
New Bible Study Offerings
If you are interested in participating in a Bible study, day or evening, weekday or weekend, a few weeks or a few months, please talk with Pastor Jody Beth and together we will prayerfully consider where God is leading us.
College and Adult Education Students
Please continue to pray for our college and adult education students:
Pate Cardwell, Columbia Southern University, On Line Bachelor of Applied Science in Fire Administration program
Rene Guidroz, University of South Alabama
Tessie Helton-Carrel, Faulkner State Community College, Culinary Arts Program
Tracy King
Karely Kleinschmidt, Faulkner State Community College
Tara Morrow, Pensacola State College, Physical Therapist Assistant program to earn Associates Degree in Applied Science.
Philip Melton, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary,
On Line Christian Leadership Program.
Zach Melton, Central Alabama Community College
Karleigh Neese, University of South Alabama
Tanya Vetrano, Criminal Justice, Faulkner State Community College
Youth Yard Sale Fundraiser
Swift Christian Ed Youth Group
Yard Sale/Trash & Treasure
April 16, 2016
9am – 3pm
Melton/Barnwell Compound (behind Lowe’s)
20376 Miflin Road
Contact: Ginny Kleinschmidt Home 949-7605 Cell 978-4498
Storage Unit: Azalea Storage Unit (donated 10 x 10 to store stuff until yard sale)
The youth are hosting a yard sale as a fundraiser to offset the cost for conferences and camps this year.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure!! So, we are taking contributions for our yard sale. If you have anything you would like to donate we can store it in our donated unit from Azalea Storage. Or you can bring it to the church and we will take care of it. You can put it in the Youth Room. If you need big items picked up, please contact me, Ginny, at 978-4498, and I will get together a team to pick up your items. We ask to have most items donated by Thursday, April 14, so we can price and set up for yard sale on April 16. This is a big fundraiser for the youth to receive money to support their conferences and camps.
If you have any questions, please call me, Ginny Kleinschmidt at 978-4498.
Thank you!!!!
GɸG has a meeting April 17th in youth room 4pm to 6pm. Hope to see all the youth (grade 5 through 12 grade). We also have a Refuel April 27th, at Kaechele Bay House, 6 -8-pm.
We are preparing for Montreat High School Conference, June 4th through 11th. The Montreat Gang will begin meeting to prepare for the conference in April. Those dates will be announced. We are so excited for the “gang”….Jessica Gosa, Logan Harris, Sarah Kleinschmidt, Maycie Ulrich, William Vanbrimmer, and Shane Zook. Please be in prayer for our youth!!
We have on the calendar a Swift Cafe Fish Fry for April 24th, at this time we will have to see how our kitchen and fellowship hall progresses to keep this date. If we need to change the date it will be announced.
The youth have had a great turnout for their activities this spring and hope to continue through the summer months. We will be working on our fire pit and field, to be used for football, soccer and jam cam! We want to help with the outdoor chapel and set up outdoor prayer stations for the youth.
We ask for prayers in several areas we are looking at, with service in mind, that we want to initiate into our missions! God’s guidance and the Lord’s instruction in service, to create and maintain the mission we could put in place for Him and the people who could benefit from Him and what we could provide. Prayers!!
Live simply,
Speak kindly,
Care deeply,
Love generously.
Is that not what we want our youth to learn from us…and to carry into their future lives in Christ!
In Christ’s service,
Ginny Kleinschmidt
MISSION AND SERVICE
Mission Report
Submitted by Cathy Rogers
We were very happy to have Allison Wehrung, PC (USA) Special Offerings Ambassador and intern at Government Street Presbyterian visit Swift Presbyterian March 20th and share about the One Great Hour of Sharing offering. Her talk made this offering so much more personal. This offering will also be collected at the April 3rd services in addition to Easter Sunday.
April 3 will also be food pantry donation week. We need the typical items brought in including canned goods, peanut butter, cereal, boxed dinners, and paper products. We serviced 22 families at the first March distribution and 10 families at the second distribution. Philip Melton purchased some hams for the second distribution to assist with Easter meals. Thanks to all who volunteer their time to man the food pantry on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday mornings of every month. Our volunteers for this month are Bob Bergman and Linda Morrison on April 13th and Janelle Armbruster and Susie Alexander on April 27th.
We are looking forward to Jerry and Verniece Goode’s visit on April 17th to teach us about The Living Waters For the World Mission. They will speak at both the 8:00 and 10:00 services as well as to the combined adult Sunday Schools at 9:00. We collect 2 cents a meal on the third Sunday of every month to donate toward this worthy mission. So far this year, $653.62 has been collected for this mission. Please put this date on your calendar and plan to attend.
The Pentecost Offering will be collected on May 15th and 22nd. A gift to the Pentecost Offering helps the church encourage, develop, and support its young people, and also address the needs of at-risk children. 40% of the Pentecost offering can be retained by individual congregations wanting to make an impact in the lives of young people within their own community. The remaining 60% is used to support ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency:
- Young Adult Volunteers
- Ministries for Youth
- Children-at-Risk
- Pentecost Offering Financials
Look for the mission bulletin boards in the hallway outside the sanctuary and in the fellowship hall for updates on Swift missions. Thank you for all your prayers and monetary donations to our missions that do so much for others. As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
Pastor Kim Vanbrimmer, a member of Swift Church, will begin serving at Orange Beach Presbyterian Church as a Commissioned Ruling Elder (CRE) as their Interim Pastor beginning March 29th. Pastor Kim will no longer be available as a Supply Preacher to the Presbytery and will be leaving her full time job at a Bay Minette law firm, but she will continue to serve as the CRE Pastor of Cook Chapel in Bromley (near Spanish Fort), which meets twice each month Sunday afternoons. Congratulations, Pastor Kim!
IN THE COMMUNITY
CELEBRATE THE INAUGURAL
PRESBYTERIAN HOME FOR CHILDREN APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
Sunday, April 17, 2016
1:00-2:00pm
Spanish Fort Presbyterian Church
6620 Spanish Fort Blvd., Spanish Fort
Residents will be attending to share their testimony and their children’s choir will joyfully entertain with a concert during lunch
(This is not a fundraising event, rather a joyful celebration to thank you for your support.)
RSVP to Jacque Cordle 256-362-2114 or jcordle@phfc.org.
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44th Annual Art in the Park Weekend, May 7-8, 2016
Art in the Park is an annual arts and crafts event held Mother's Day weekend and featuring more than 110 exhibitors displaying their original works. There is also entertainment, a children's activity area and a variety of foods featuring local chefs.
It is held in John B. Foley Park at the corner of Alabama 59 and U.S. 98.
Worship at the Fountain, Sunday, May 8th
For almost 10 years, Swift Church has been providing a worship service on the Sunday morning of the Art in the Park weekend, 8:30–8:50. This brief service allows vendors to worship and then return to their booths in time to open at 9:00am. This year, Pastor Jody Beth Melton, Brother Don Dewrell, and Marvin King will provide worship leadership. All are welcome. Rain plan is to worship in the Gazebo.
We will also have our 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. services at Swift Church on Mother’s Day.
CORRESPONDENCE FROM UP NORTH
Robert Kinblom, who regularly attended the 8:00 service with his wife, Gerri, when she was alive and they were winter residents, recently revisited, and wrote to let us know that he arrived home safely “1410 miles later.” He further wrote …
“I can’t tell all of you how much it meant to be back in Swift Church, and see all of our friends; I felt Gerri was with me all the time.
“You were all so much of a part of her life, and a spiritual inspiration to both of us. I can’t begin to express the feeling when I (we) walked in that first Sunday. This was the highlight of my visit to Al. in Feb. 2016. I visited many old aquaintances during my brief time there, didn’t realize how I missed all of you, y’all….”
We miss you too, Bob!
