May 2020 Outreach Newsletter

In the Heart of Naples with the Love of God: we worship, we love, we grow, we serve

May 2020

After every storm the sun will smile; for every problem there is a solution, and the soul’s indefeasible duty is to be of good cheer.

William R. Alger

Rev. Craig Goodrich Session Finance

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Congregational Care Missions Preschool

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Children and Youth Christian Education Birthdays Staff

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Rev. Craig Goodrich, Senior Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer in his classic book Life Together, the subject of which is Christian community, wrote this: “The physical presence of other Christians is a source of incomparable joy and strength to the believer.”

craigg@fpcnaples.org

Second, we are grateful to our Reopening Task Force, chaired by elder Tom Morr, and including elders Jill Crawford, Shirley Hagerson, Jim Kier, Deborah Meeson-Vige, Barb Weiss, and staff members Craig Goodrich and Sharman Pfaus. This group is currently and thoroughly exploring all aspects of “reopening” the church and will be making recommendations to the Session.

Third, I want you to know that you have an amazing staff team, who in this time have continued to work This is true and in this with great dedication, adaptability and spirit to make time of the Coronavirus, sure we are all staying connected. Please thank them we miss each other, and and remember them in your prayers. long for the day when we can be together again.

When the apostle Paul was confined to house arrest, And yet we have learned another very valuable truth: he wrote these words to the Philippians, “I thank my the church is not the building. No, we are the church. God every time I remember you, constantly praying You are the church – the people of God. And with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, although we have not been able to meet face to face, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first we have continued to be the church through phone day until now.” (Philippians 1:3-6). calls and emails, online worship, and many other connections.

Friends, we share in the gospel together. Like Paul, let us pray with thanksgiving and joy for the gift of And we have “Zoomed.” Session, committees, each other and the love of God in Jesus Christ. fellowship groups, the Preacher’s Study on Wednesday nights, youth group, confirmation class, Faithfully and Gratefully, and Preschool teachers, students and families all have met on Zoom. What a blessing it is to have the benefit of this technology!

Our worship services, recorded on Saturdays are drawing many more worshippers than would otherwise have been physically present. Many thanks to our worship team which has included Rev. Rex Childs, Nancy Van Fleet, Director of Children and Youth, Dr. Brice Gerlach, Director of Music, and special guest soloist, Michele Byrd, who is singing all over town and blessing us with her gift of music. And let’s not forget Colin Gerlach in the balcony running our cameras!

Three final things. First, thanks to all who have so generously given to maintain the ministries of our congregation in this time. And to those who have given to the Coronavirus Emergency Relief Fund to support local agencies that provided for person’s basic needs. Our Mission Committee is making recommendations to Session about how these funds should be distributed to best meet these needs and we will report back to you.

From the Pulpit May 24 Rev. Rex Childs “Restoration and Power” May 31 Day of Pentecost Rev. Craig Goodrich “The Language of the Spirit” June 7 Trinity Sunday Rev. Craig Goodrich “Dancing with God” June 14 Rev. Craig Goodrich “Getting it Right”

Session

Saralene Oldham, Clerk of Session, soldham@helmsbrisoe.com

Session Action At a special teleconference call on May 6 the Session took the following actions: •

Approved the extension of the suspension of worship services and church programs through May 31, 2020. All church services will be recorded and posted on the church’s website, Facebook and other social media.

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All activities and programs are also suspended.

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Many committees and groups are now meeting by Zoom

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The church office will remain closed, however, staff will continue to work from home, answering voicemails and e-mails.

The Session will evaluate whether further extension of the suspension of public worship is necessary at its meeting on May 26.

www.fpcnaples.org

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Finance

Anna Focht, Director of Finance annaf@fpcnaples.org

GENEROSITY UPDATE AND WAYS TO GIVE We would like to extend our sincere gratitude and appreciation for your generous support of our church, especially during this time of uncertainty due to the impact of the Coronavirus. The commitment and generosity of our community and families continue to amaze us! Thank you! In this challenging time, please consider taking these actions to cover the operating costs of the church.

1. Give online!

2. Consider fulfilling your pledge sooner rather than later.

3. If you have not yet made your pledge for 2020, please do so today. You may already be giving in 2020, but have not yet pledged. If so, we would like to apply your giving toward your pledge.

4. Contribute to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). The purpose of this fund is to receive contributions for the purpose of providing needed funds to local organizations and entities which have been significantly impacted by COVID-19 and whose purpose is to provide for persons’ basic needs. Distributions from the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund will be made upon recommendation by the Mission Committee and approval by the Session.

5. If you have received federal stimulus funds, and do not need them, consider giving to the church or to those in need. Please read the article Share your CARES money (if you can) by Robert Hay. 6. Take advantage of the newly passed CARES Act related to charitable giving. The Act encourages Americans to contribute to churches and charitable organizations in 2020 by permitting a new above-the-line deduction of up to $300 for cash contributions in computing AGI, whether they itemize or not. Additionally, the provision temporarily increases the limitations on deductions for certain cash charitable contributions by individuals who itemize. When doing this, be sure to consult with your tax advisor to fully understand the recent changes in tax law.

To date, we have received 268 pledges for $1,292,605 toward our goals of 325 pledges and $1,500,000.

You can pledge and give online at www.fpcnaples.org or send your contribution by mail to 250 Sixth Street South, Naples, FL 34102. For questions, please contact Anna Focht, Director of Finance at annaf@fpcnaples.org or 239.262.1311 ext. 2042.

Thank you!

Congregational Care

Shirley Hagerson, Director of Congregational Care shagerson@comcast.net

By David Witman Some months ago, I wrote in this column about the role of Stephen Ministers as being spiritual guides for people who are inbetween major events or periods in their lives. For example, upon the death of a loved one and the various stages of the mourning process, upon a debilitating accident through recovery, during the recovery process for an addict, and during many other such transition periods with which we are all too familiar personally. A Stephen Minister is trained to help care receivers regain or retain connection with God during these transition periods of challenge. God is the only true care giver, but we, as Stephen Ministers, try our best to be care givers, tools of God on Earth. Since God is within each of us, our comfort and help is always present if only we can recognize, accept and draw on God’s presence in our heart of hearts. With the help of God, we can all make it through the valley of Psalm 23.

During this pandemic, the entire world, or at least much of it, is going through its own inbetween time. We move away from what was and transition into what will be, perhaps a new normal, perhaps a return to the old, but the transition is in process right now.

Richard Rohr, a noted contemplative, calls periods like this one “liminal” time and space.

The word liminal is derived from the Latin word meaning “threshold,” and with this pandemic we have clearly crossed a threshold from a known way of life into an unknown way of life.

Much has been written and discussed about what we all need to do to move through the pandemic. It seems to me that this is one of those times when Christianity needs to shine, to show what it is all about. The Stephen Ministers serve individual care receivers, but in times like these all of us need to be Stephen Ministers, recognizing and serving the needs of others on a micro level in our

own daily contexts and on a macro level of all our brothers and sisters. Both the micro and macro levels are human communities in which we live and form relationships. Jesus’ covenant with us is to love one another as he loves us, especially when it is not all that comfortable to turn our attention away from our own needs and concerns and refocus them on the needs and concerns of others.

Richard Rohr’s May 5 daily devotional relates all this to the existence of the Trinity. Please take a moment to read a part of what Rohr has to say and then reflect for a bit on how all this can be applied to your own life.

“The 12th-century mystic Richard of St. Victor (1123–1173), wrote about the Trinity as a mutual, loving companionship of friends—a community, if you will. In my book The Divine Dance, I summarized some of his thinking: For God to be good, God can be one. For God to be loving, God has to be two, because love is always a relationship. But for God to share “excellent joy” and “delight” God has to be three, because supreme happiness is when two persons share their common delight in a third something— together. [1] All we need to do is witness a couple after the birth of their new baby, and we know this is true.” – R. Rohr

In Memoriam Lynne Hixon Holly April 30, 2020

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Missions

Carleton Cleveland, Mission Chair, carleton_cleveland@hotmail.com

International Missions Uniting In Prayer

at 9 a.m. (EDT) each morning In Cuba the hardships wrought by the embargo are multiplying, causing shortages of food, fuel, and medical supplies and equipment, with more people getting sick every day. The church buildings are closed. People are asked to stay at home. There is no public transportation. It is difficult to keep a distance in the long lines to buy food.

In the face of the pandemic, God’s people in Cuba continue to serve and support each other however they can. Churches with Living Waters of The World installations have set up hand-washing stations. They are finding creative ways to deliver water and chlorine so people can disinfect their hands and their homes. The churches send people to shop for the elderly and deliver food to the vulnerable population. Above all, our Cuban sisters and brothers remain united in prayer.

At 9 a.m. each morning,

Reverend Dora Arce of the Presbyterian -Reformed Church in Cuba (IPRC) leads pastors in prayer on WhatsApp. In solidarity they pray for our two countries and for our world. They pray for the strength to adapt to this difficult situation, for health, for compassion and the strengthening of our faith in the Lord. Our sisters and brothers are also accessing daily devotions in Su Voz, daily scripture and reflections by the leadership and laity of the IPRC. Presbyterian-Reformed Church in Cuba prays for us each morning at 9 a.m. All of us are invited to increase the multitudes by joining them in prayer each day.

Preschool

Ashley Houk, Preschool Director, ashleyh@fpcnaples.org

April 2020, the month I should be celebrating my nine-year anniversary with First Presbyterian Preschool. I should be handing out hugs and smiles to our 80 students and their families.

Unfortunately, the celebration is different this year-this year, I celebrated my anniversary by working from home.

member has been keeping caterpillars and allowing the students a window into their progress. Books have been shared using YouTube and Zoom and I even presented a book on Facebook Live for the first time.

With over 300 views, I believe we may be on to something! There will be more ‘live’ events in my future.

This time of uncertainty and unprecedented circumstances have caused us to do things a little differently. The Preschool began our Spring Break on March 9, and we haven’t been able to return to school since.

With the absence of our students and our staff, we’ve become a little creative! We now rely on Zoom calls to see our students once a week. Our teachers have created bingo games to allow the students to review their numbers, conducted scavenger hunts around the house, and more. One staff member has conducted simple yoga classes on YouTube that the students can participate with. A staff member’s children got involved by showing off their own classical ballet skills and gardening skills using YouTube videos. Yet another staff

I believe I can easily speak for the staff in saying that we would much prefer to be at the school, seeing our students face to face on a daily/regular basis, but at least we’re able to see them virtually. We aren’t sure we’ll be able to return this year; we don’t know if we’ll have the chance to say goodbye to our students that will not be returning (VPK students-our ‘Seniors’ of the Preschool or those students that are moving).

This is a crazy time, that makes me truly appreciate the Preschool staff and their individual creativity and devotion to the children in their care. I also can’t wait to return to my routine, to see the faces of our children, the staff, the parents and grandparents.

I pray that everyone stays healthy and that we can see everyone again soon.

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Children and Youth

Nancy Van Fleet, Director of Children and Youth nancyv@fpcnaples.org

Our confirmands and their mentors have been meeting weekly as a group learning about new spiritual practices. Each week, one of our confirmands shares a new practice and then we join in on that practice as a group. After that, we have time for reflection. I wanted to share a practice given and created by Maryn Coine (a freshman at Gulf Coast High School). She calls the practice “Illuminated Lectio Divina.”

Donna Nolan, Maryn’s mentor, added, “Maryn takes her place in a long line of Bible illuminators. In reading sacred text, Maryn ‘sees God and waits for certain words to call out’ to her. Then she sets about bringing those words forward with color and decoration. This is what the early illuminators did by bringing light to initial letter, decorative margins and small illustrations, all to highlight and bring forth the sacred message.”

Please continue to keep our confirmands (and all our children and youth) in your prayers as we navigate through this new time in our lives.

Blessings, peace and every good, Nancy Van Fleet Director of Children and Youth

As Maryn described her practice to me she said “In preparation to sharing our psalms at the confirmation retreat , I was looking through the different psalms and annotating them and highlighting words that really spoke to me. I really wanted to highlight every word because they were all so meaningful to me. I ended up getting another paper and writing each word out and then I could highlight the words that were really meaningful. That allowed me to see the importance of the entire line and each individual word inside of it. I choose how to mark my texts based on how I was feeling at that time and I realize that if I decide to write the same verse at a different time in my life, I might have a totally different looking paper because different words will call out to me and help me where I am.”

Maryn used this practice as a way of letting her emotions out – like a diary of sorts – not with the intention of sharing it with anyone. It was not until we began this weekly practice in our confirmation class, that this possibility of sharing with her class came to her mind.

Children and Youth

Nancy Van Fleet, Director of Children and Youth nancyv@fpcnaples.org

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Zoom Youth Group VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL We want to begin with some very important news – Vacation Bible School (VBS) is not cancelled this year!

Like you, we have spent the last two months following news about the COVID 19 pandemic. As information has changed and continues to be updated, it has become clear that in the current climate we simply cannot hold our Vacation Bible School on our church campus. We also realize that our children and grandchildren might need this experience now more than ever, so instead of bringing your children to VBS, we are going to bring VBS to you!

BOLT, a virtual VBS experience, will be made available to all our families. Also, if you have grandchildren in another state, this may be the perfect time to invite them into this experience with you knowing these shared family experiences are so important for all of our faith formation! The platform is user friendly and it is the perfect solution for our current setting. We will be here to support you in every way – from a Zoom live introduction that will answer your questions and help prepare you in your role, to a virtual live BOLT ending celebration. We hope you will consider being a part of this new and exciting experience held the week of June 22! More information will be forthcoming.

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Christian Education

Jill Crawford, Committee Chair, jillccrawford@gmail.com

Rite and Ritual

by Nancy Van Fleet

How we frame sacred experiences often trumps much of the material found in the middle; beginnings and endings do matter.

The labyrinth is a perfect tool to help mark some of the important milestones in our lives. I would like to share two instances that have taken place at our church, and one instance that we can look forward to when we will be able to meet face to face.

The beginning of the confirmation journey for five of our students, called The Ceremony of Lights, took place back in February. At that time, our confirmands held candles, and as their parents lit their candles, they walked into the center of a temporary labyrinth created by Jill Crawford and myself. That center represented the heart of our congregational life and the hope that our candidates for confirmation would experience the congregation’s will for God’s love, care, and guidance in their lives.

At that time, a Bible was presented to them as a gift from the congregation to use during the confirmation journey.

Confirmation Sunday, originally planned for May 17 has been postponed until we can meet again.

However, we no longer have to “create” a labyrinth since we have been gifted a beautiful 7-circuit labyrinth from our wish list. I am so grateful! Once we can again meet and celebrate Confirmation Sunday, we will invite the congregation to join the confirmands, before the service if they wish, by our labyrinth. These students will begin in the labyrinth’s center and walk out as a sign of walking out into the world with their faith and as a commitment to take responsibility of their own evolving faith journey.

Intentionally marking milestones is something we don’t do well in our culture today. My daughter, Julia, is graduating from college this spring. She joined me at the church as we were able to see our new labyrinth for the first time. We unfolded the labyrinth in the Chapel – a space where it fits perfectly. Then we took the time to walk the labyrinth, marking this milestone in her life. She, like so many other graduates, had no idea that a normal school day would be her only closure to a lifetime of education. Even though she will not actually be able to “walk” for graduation, she was able to walk the labyrinth marking this rite of passage. I am so grateful for the labyrinth and the ritual it enabled us to participate in at this very special time in her life. I look forward to the time when you, our congregation, can also enjoy this powerful spiritual practice.

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Birthdays

May 2 Bev TenCate May 5 Jerry Miller Vicki Jessopp May 6 Barbara Church May 7 Frank Kiningham Jenny Haire May 8 Judy Humphrey Kathy Grandi May 9 Tom Norris Mike Calyore Craig Goodrich Barbie Kellam May 10 Pete Debbink Sandy Johnson May 11 Cathy Trampe May 12 Jim Lutz Tina Guillford May 13 Norman Brown Mozelle Padgett May 14 Marv Herb Terri Storter Tom Grady May 15 Susan Sonderby May 16 Michael Holmberg

May 18 Dan MacLea Doris Frace Robin Huffman Roxanne Hanks May 19 Kathie Doerbaum Tom Tichenor Dellie Nevins Christine Brady May 20 Howard Anker Jan Jeckel May 21 Kristin Brandt May 22 Paul Corwith Nancy Wallace May 23 Kay Pfouts Alex Bos

May 24 Bob Fultz May 25 Joy Merder Sallie Wright Deb Taylor May 26 Sue Guyett Karen Parker Nancy Walkenhorst Leah Psota

May 27 Betty Plum Taylor McGinn Madison Connell May 28 Dick Banko Barbara Gibson

May 30 Bob VanderPolder David Gunning Jon Gartley May 31 Rich Miller Edith Andrew June 1 Jack Sumlin Lou Mahigel Carolyn Bennett Alison Yang Doug Jensen Jean Scholtens Kyle Sherry June 2 Cynthia Esler June 3 Lynne Strohaver June 4 Fred Garner June 5 Jack Foust Michele Gerlach Rachael Holloway June 6 Stan Adams Joe Johnston June 7 Sylvia Marsh June 8 Janis Cummin Yancey Brame June 9 Dan Weiss June 10 Mary Kissel Robert Mason Janet Koonce Bill Wright Deborah Weidner

June 11 Kathy Peterson

June 22 Diana Childs

June 12 Walt Meyers Anne Raymond Barbara Beach

June 23 Layne Tarbutton Janie Casassa Alex Yanushefski Peter Weidner

June 13 Millie Iarossi Diane Miller June 14 Florence Calyore Robert Knudson Nancy Dunlap Kat Langenheim Kim Witmer Ashton Quinn Chloe Van Vuren June 15 Mary Vande Voren Decker Boyd June 16 Spyros Zorbalas Mike Autera Joanne Slager Carleton Cleveland June 17 Janet Root Naleeya Jones June 18 Kelly Holmberg June 19 Jay Swallen Nancy Masterson Jane Holbrook June 20 Jack Marsh June 21 Diane Stellema Chuck Work Gary Lubben Michelle Bloom

June 24 Sheldon Veil Andie Goodrich Kelly Assaad June 25 Sheila Lytle Carolyn Starns David Brown Tom Burghardt June 26 Dottie Morse Chuck Lyon Jan Modesitt June 27 Linda Rader Daisy Scott June 28 Janet Visgilio Mariellen Lemasters Amy Manley June 29 Connor Biehl June 30 Lisa Brock

First Presbyterian Church of Naples

Non-Profit Org. Postage PAID Naples, FL 34102 Permit No. 8

250 Sixth Street South Naples, FL 34102 www.fpcnaples.org 239.262.1311

STAFF LISTING Name Phone: 239.262.1311 Ministers Rev. Craig Goodrich, Senior Pastor Rev. Rex Childs, Associate Pastor

Ext.

E-mail

2035 2027

craigg@fpcnaples.org rexc@fpcnaples.org

Music Dr. Brice Gerlach, Director of Music Ministries

2039

briceg@fpcnaples.org

Christian Education Jack Fogelman, Kidz Lab Teacher Audrey Gordon, Childcare Provider Ashley Hancock, Christian Education Assistant Nancy Van Fleet, Director of Children and Youth

2012 2029

ashley.hancock@fpcnaples.org nancyv@fpcnaples.org

Office Anna Focht, Director of Finance Maria Huffman, Administrative Assistant Angie Johnson, Office Assistant/Receptionist Kathleen Law, Communications Coordinator Sharman Pfaus, Executive Office Manager

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annaf@fpcnaples.org mariah@fpcnaples.org angiej@fpcnaples.org kathleenl@fpcnaples.org sharmanp@fpcnaples.org

Facilities Lisa Ethier, Custodian Eduardo Martinez, Maintenance Sandy Poore, Director of Facilities

2016 2014 2028

lisae@fpcnaples.org eduardom@fpcnaples.org sandyp@fpcnaples.org

Preschool Ashley Houk, Preschool Director Lindsay Willkomm, Assistant Preschool Director

2009 2038

ashleyh@fpcnaples.org lindsayw@fpcnaples.org