MEMORIAL PRESS
731 Walnut Street - P .O. Box 70 - Dayton, Indiana - 47941 (765) 296-3199)
Web: www.daytonpres.org
Pastor Justin: pastorjustin@daytonpres.org
Darlene : secretary@daytonpres.org
March 2014
Pastor’s Epistle
If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging
cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith,
so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions, and if I hand
over my body so that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its
own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all
things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will
come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. For we know only in
part, and we prophesy only in part; but when the complete comes, the partial will come to an end. When I was
a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult, I put an end
to childish ways. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know only in part;
then I will know fully, even as I have been fully known. And now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; and
the greatest of these is love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
The thirteenth chapter of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians is commonly called The Love Chapter. We
often hear it read during marriage ceremonies, as even Elizabeth and I did during our wedding eighteen years
ago. Interestingly, Paul wasn’t writing about what it takes to make a good marriage, rather he was describing
what it takes to create a great Christian community! And it begins with love! The truth is whether between
individuals entering into the covenant of marriage or individuals who covenant in community together, how
well a relationship works comes down to how those in the relationship live in the way of love that Paul
describes above.
At the outset of our mission statement, we state that we are “to witness to the love of God and Jesus
Christ”. Right out of the gate, we lay claim to our belief that our identity and life as a community of faith begins
with love. And not any old kind of love, but a love that is patient and kind, that believes in and hopes for the
best in all people. It is a love that endures, that lasts, that will never, ever give up! Loving others with this kind
of love can sometimes take great effort because let’s face it, none of us is perfect. It’s not that the congregation
of Memorial Presbyterian Church consists of kinder and gentler people, but rather our congregation consists of
people who make a conscious decision to live in and into the kind of love that
bears a faithful witness to the love of God and Jesus Christ.
What may be even more important about the love that marks us a
Christian community is also making the decision to not be or behave in certain
ways. Paul actually writes as much about how not to act while in relationships
with others as he does about what to do, saying to be mindful of being envious,
boastful, arrogant or rude, that we are not to force others to do as we do, or say
“my way or the highway”, and we are to be ever careful of being an angry
thundercloud of irritation and resentment because things didn’t go how we
wanted them to. What this means in the positive is we must be willing to
compromise, to put the needs of others above ourselves, to look at the glass half
full instead of half empty, and above all not to dwell on what our differences
are, but rather be united in ministry in the many, many ways we agree with how
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we believe Jesus Christ wants us be! This too is a conscious decision to live in and into the kind of love that
actively demonstrates the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In my time as a pastor I have seen, heard of and even experienced too many congregations who profess
to know all there is to know about Jesus, who claim to understand every mystery of God, who are so full of the
right kind of faith, that the rest of us better get on board or pay the price, if you know what I mean. As they raise
their voices in a cacophony of boastfulness, they forget that it is not by our knowledge that we are known to be
of God, but rather it is by how we love others that our identity as Christians is made known to the world. (John
13:35)
In the sanctuary of our beautiful church, there is the stain glassed window of the sower, a memorial of
the church’s founding pastor, Rev. Carnahan. His and the church’s historic example of sowing the seeds of love
since the church’s founding in 1834 continue to be the foundation upon which Memorial Presbyterian Church
builds its identity. It is no surprise to me that the very beginning of our mission statement stresses how love is
the most important aspect of our ministry. As Paul states at the very end of this letter, “Let all that you do be
done in love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
Blessings,
Pastor Justin
Memorial Presbyterian Church – Mission Statement
The Mission of Memorial Presbyterian Church is to witness to the love of God
and Jesus Christ to all people of the community and to serve their spiritual and
physical needs through meaningful worship, Christian education, and community
outreach programs.
* * * SESSION NOTES * * *
Your Session met on Tuesday evening, February 18, 2014, and during the meeting the Elders:
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Approved the Session Annual Statistical Report for 2013
Perused the G/A Clerk’s Annual Questionnaire for 2013
Learned that our church has been committed to Peacemaking since 1980
Approved a DVD & Book curriculum for the Adult Class titled Surprised by Hope by M.T. Wright.
Approved the Youth Cookie Walk on March 2
Learned that the Confirmation Class is working on their statements of faith
Heard that the Zumba class and the Dine with Nine groups are doing well
Michael E. Grimes, Clerk of Session
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Memorial Presbyterian Church
7:00 pm Service
March 5, 2014
The 3rd Annual LUM Good Samaritan Fund Follies, a
lighthearted evening of food, fun, fellowship and follies
entertainment, is on Friday, April 4th at 5:30 p.m. at St.
Andrew United Methodist Church, and it all benefits the
Lafayette Urban Ministry Good Samaritan Fund.
Make your Reservations Online Today — Go
to http://ow.ly/tV0Oi or call 423-2691.
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March Sunday Morning
Breakfast Host
March Deacons
March Elders
Kathy Deckard
Kathy Shaw, Capt.
Wes Shaw
Communion
Cindy Bull
Communion
Susan Y. Clawson
Devotions
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2
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6
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8
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10
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13
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14
15
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Carolyn Finkenbinder
Carol Frantz
LuAlice Huston
Margaret Grimes
Debra Ward
Layla Chism
Joseph Grimes
Jeremy Holladay
Justin Schlesinger-Devlin
Nathaniel Biery
Karen Summers
Candace Fitzgerald
Morgan Valenta
Terry Pfeiffer
David Max Coleman
Austin Perry
Mark DeGolyer
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Kayla Fields
David Burns
Shannon Cassady
Lee Michael Shaw
Betty Barnett
Abigail Fitzgerald
Ryan Kemmer
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29
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Dennis & Carol Lane
Dave & Muriel Grimes
Alex & Cindy Zdravich
Lerry & Jane Holladay
Jon & Renee Petrie
IN OUR PRAYERS:
Our military, our nation & its leaders; persecuted Christians; people locally & nationally in
need; victims of domestic violence; Carolyn Finkenbinder; Russell Lucas; Marjora Odenkirk;
Jackie Ginther (Niece/Joy Schwartz); Richard Triplet; Seth Ratcliff; Ethan Pfaltzgraff
(Susan Clawson’s relative); William Baker, Terry Lynn Pfeiffer; Dawn Morgan; Cindy
DeGolyer; Randy Smith, Monica Bretz;, Cheryl Byers (friend of J.Coleman); Gene Smith;
Andy Vasiento (father of Nicole Rosen); Bob & Susan Yost; Kevin Konrad; Amy McGuire;
Ellen Hiday (friend of T. Lineback); Sally Wengal (friend of J. Schwartz)., Betty Pfeiffer;
Jack Ferry (friend of Don & Joy Schwartz); Richie Holmberg (nephew of Lynn & Judy
Ryan); John Downham; Ann Jarboe (daughter of C. Gribble); Lucas Bush; Margaret
Stonecipher (friend of C.Stanford); Jennifer Bower (daughter-in-law of Claude Bower);
Miriam Woodrow; Kathleen Smith (co-worker, Karen Summers); Carol Bolander (daughter
of Lina Guenther); Robert Ewing; Ron Carter (son-in-law of Betty Pfeiffer); Diane Bower;
Rick McCullom (nephew of Joy Schwartz); Scott Basden; Sarah Campbell; Matthew Montgomery (friend of Emily
Mundell); Caroline Warren, (Niece of D. Boles); Jon Grimes; Kevin Daniels; Mary Terry; Mintonye
Elementary/Southwestern Middle School Students and Staffs; Susan Battson (sister of N.EdwardsRev. David McDonald;
the family of William Keith Overman (Great- Grandchild of Marge Smith); Jill Plantenga (Vyse’s family friend); the
family of Ben Huston; the family of Charlotte Parker; the family of Jack Miller; the family of Steve Bowlin.
You Have Mail!!
Church Family:
You Are Invited!
Please join us as we celebrate the
50th Wedding Anniversary of Ron and Harriett Berry!
An open house will be held in the church basement on March 22, 2014 from 2
pm – 4 pm. Please share the gift of your presence only. Hope to see you then.
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"Many Christians believe our future in heaven is all
that really matters. But that's not what the Bible
teaches. Through this small group bible study,
Surprised by Hope, premier Bible scholar N. T.
Wright brings you inside the Scriptures to grasp the
full, breathtaking hope Jesus offers the world, and its
implications for your life today. Gain an exciting new
vision for your life on earth in light of your future in
heaven. Wonderful as is the promise of heaven, a
glorious hereafter is just part of what salvation is
about. What about today? Jesus called his followers
the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Your
life here and now is of tremendous consequence, and
what you believe about the future has a direct impact on how you live in the present. In six
transforming, faith-inspiring DVD sessions, premier biblical scholar N. T. Wright opens your
eyes to the amazing full scope of what God's Word has to say about the world to come and the
world that is."
Pastor Justin will be leading this six session study during the season of Lent during the
Adult Sunday School hour.
March 9: Session 1. Hope for the World
March 16: Session 2. The Hope of the Resurrection
March 23: Session 3. The Hope of Heaven
March 30: Session 4. The Hope of Jesus' Second Coming
April 6: Session 5. The Hope of Salvation
April 13: Session 6. The Hope of the Church
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Youth Group News
Memorial Presbyterian Church Youth Group Winter/Spring
2014 Schedule
Sunday, March 2 after worship. Mardi Gras Cookie Walk
Sunday, March 2 at 5 pm. Dinner/Dialogue.
Sunday, April 6 after worship. Sonrise Service practice.
Sunday, April 13 after worship. Sonrise Service practice.
Sunday, April 20 at 7 am. Sonrise Service!
Greetings from the Pre-K through 2nd Grade
Class!
The past couple of months, we have been
learning about Jesus and when He began His
ministry. We currently are reading the stories
that Jesus told the people to teach them how to
listen to God and serve Him and know that God loves us! We also have an activity after our
Bible stories, may be a craft, artwork, or game, which relates to our lesson. Stop by and check
out our wall and bulletin board and admire their work! We only have three in our class, but we
share lots of smiles and love as we learn about Jesus and God. We’d love to share with more
young ones so please join us 
Debbie Ward & Stephanie Valenta
Co-Teachers
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Though our weather hasn’t been good, the Food Pantry has been
busy.
We are always in need of detergent (don’t forget you can get it at the
Dollar Stores for $1.00 per bottle). The need for vegetables and fruits as
well as toilet tissue is ongoing.
Thanks to everyone who helped this past month to keep our Pantry open.
Paul Houser & Carol Frantz
Mark Your Calendars!!!!
2014 VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL
Monday, June 16 – Friday, June 20.
It’s never too early to start planning. If you would like to help with this
year’s Weird Animals Vacation Bible School, please feel free to join the
team. The VBS Planning Team meeting schedule is:
Scheduled meetings will be held immediately after worship at
approximately 11:45 am. For more information about this years’
theme, you can visit group.com/WeirdAnimalsPromos
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Sunday, June 8, 2014
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Who refreshes others will be refreshed. – Proverbs 11:25
New or gently used donations of winter clothing are being accepted, girl’s and boy’s sizes Newborn
through girl’s junior and young men’s and maternity wear.
If you’ve never come to a ‘sort’, please come join the fun in being God’s hands in action! If you have
questions, please contact Julie Boles.
The next daytime sort will be March 10, 10:00 am until Noon. The next Distribution/Sort will be
March 29, 2014, 9:00 am until Noon.
Change for Change!!!
As part of Sunday school we will have a special offering called,
Change for Change. This offering is meant to support mission projects,
such as Heifer Project – a program featured in our kick-off, Animal
Crackers! Please, SAVE your loose coins (no bills – we want to make the offering buckets ring!). In February
we collected $141.80. On March 9, 2014, bring your change to help with Change in our community and
throughout the world!
DPW:
We are missing a large cream colored turkey roaster from the kitchen. Please check your cabinets and see if you may
have borrowed it or mistook it for your own.
Thanks, Kathy Deckard
C.E. NEWS:
The first Sunday in Lent we are sending home quarter cards with the kids, (one per family) to put a quarter in each day
for "One Great Hour of Sharing". These will take the place of the card board banks we usually use. We will also have
devotionals at each entrance and a Lenten calendar in the bulletin.
Thank you, Kathy Deckard & Committee
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Staying in the Word Together – March 2014
Join Christians throughout North America as they read together – each Sunday – the scriptures for the week. Known as
the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL), the collections of readings is organized so that after a three year cycle, members
of churches will have read through the majority of the Bible. In our church, our Sunday school curriculum follows the RCL.
As a church and denomination, we use the RCL and provide these to the pastors for direction on the order of worship and
for guidance in Christian Education. A guest pastor may choose not to use the scriptures, but we are providing them to the
congregation as a means of Staying in the Word Together. Traditionally, there will be an Old Testament, Psalm New
Testament and Gospel reading. For additional readings go to http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu/.
Lent
Year A
First reading
Psalm
Second reading
Gospel
Transfiguration
Sunday
March 2, 2014
(Last Sunday
Before Lent)
Exodus 24:12-19
Psalm 2
or
Psalm 99
2 Peter 1:16-21
Matthew 17:1-9
Ash Wednesday
March 5, 2014
Joel 2:1-2, 12-17
or
Isaiah 58:1-12
Psalm 51:1-17
2 Corinthians 5:20b6:10
Matthew 6:1-6, 1621
First Sunday in Lent
March 9, 2014
Genesis 2:15-17;
3:1-7
Psalm 32
Romans 5:12-19
Matthew 4:1-11
Second Sunday in
Lent
March 16, 2014
Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17
or
Matthew 17:1-9
Third Sunday in Lent
March 23, 2014
Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42
Fourth Sunday in
Lent
March 30, 2014
1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 23
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41
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2014
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
1
2 Transfiguration of the 3
Lord
8:30 am Con. Breakfast
9:00 am Sunday School
10:00 am Con. Breakfast
10:30 am Worship
Youth Group Cookie
Walk
Youth Group
Dinner/Dialogue, 5 pm
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Cub Scouts,
6:30 pm
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Lectionary Bible
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Choir, 7:00 pm
Study, Noon
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Food Pantry,
9:00-11:00 am
Trustees, 7:15 pm
Ash Wednesday
Service, 7:00 pm
9 1st Sunday of Lent 10
11
12
13
8:30 am Con. Breakfast
Kid’s Closet Sort
Lectionary Bible
9:00 am Sunday School
10:00 am – Noon
Choir, 7:00 pm
Study, Noon
10:00 am Con. Breakfast
Pine Wood Derby,
10:30 am Worship
Finance, 6:00 pm
6:00 pm
Zumba, 6:45 pm
Change for Change
Confirmation Class, 11:45 Mission, 7:00 pm
Daylight Savings Time
begins.
Set up for Pine Wood
Derby
16 2nd Sunday of Lent 17
18
19
20
Lectionary Bible
8:30 am Con. Breakfast
9:00 am Sunday School
Cub Scouts,
Choir, 7:00 pm
Study, Noon
10:00 am Con. Breakfast
6:30 pm
10:30 am Worship
Zumba, 6:45 pm
VBS Planning Team,
Session,
11:45 am
7:00 pm
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23 3rd Sunday of Lent 24
8:30 am Con. Breakfast
9:00 am Sunday School
10:00 am Con. Breakfast
10:30 am Worship
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30 4th Sunday in Lent 31
8:30 am Con. Breakfast
9:00 am Sunday School
10:00 am Con. Breakfast
10:30 am Worship
11
25
26
Zumba, 6:45 pm
27
Choir, 7:00 pm
15
Food Pantry,
9:00-11:00 am
21
Food Pantry,
9:00-11:00 am
22
Ron & Harriett
Berry’s Open
House,
2:00 – 4:00 pm
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Kid’s Closet
Food Pantry, Distribution/Sort
9:00-11:00 am 9:00 am – Noon