First News

Reach - Worship - Grow - Impact

a lOOK iNSIDE

fIRST pRESBYTERIAN cHURCH OF YAKIMA

Finding Strength When Times Get Tough

SPRING - SUMMER 2009

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FPC YAKIMA

9 S 8th Ave, Yakima, WA 98902 509-248-7940

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impacting young lives

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DEVELOPING ROOTS

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CLIMBING NEW HEIGHTS

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LIFE IN GROUPS

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table of contents

FPC

YAKIMA AVE S 7TH AVE

S 8TH AVE

SUMMITVIEW

Children (birth-5th grade)

Sunday Kidzone: Sundays / 9:30-10:45a / call 248-7940x114 for details Vacation Bible School (VBS): June 22-26 / 9a-12n / ages 4 - going into 5th grade Weekday Preschool: Ages 3 to 5 / Sept-May / call 248-7940x119 for details

Students (6th-12th grades)

Sunday Worship & Classes: Sundays / 9:30-10:40am / Chapel Mid High Youth Group: Wednesdays / 6-7:30pm / Dinner@7 / 6-8th grades Sr High Youth Group: Wednesdays / 7-9pm / Dinner@7 / 9-12th grades

Families

Sunday Social: Sundays / 11:00-12:15pm / Gym Wednesday Family Nights: 2nd & 4th Wednesday of every month during the school year Dinner@6 / Activities for all ages 6:45-8 / Call Norm at 248-7940x125

Group Life Ministries

Life Is Better In Groups! Meet weekly throughout Yakima County in homes, businesses and at First Pres Church. Call Shan or Judy at 248-7940.

CELEBRATE NEW LIFE Sunday Services

Contemporary Worship: Sundays / 8:00 & 9:30 / Sanctuary Traditional Worship: Sundays / 11:00 / Sanctuary Cristo Vive: Spanish language service / 12:15-1:15p / Chapel Childcare Available: 7:45a-1:15 / Across from Main Office Online: www.FPYYakima.com/listen_online.cfm

want more information? visit our website at

www.FPCYakima.com want details of activities?

HERE AT FIRST

our monthly newsletter is available on the web or in hard copy at the Connection Center in the Garden Room

REACHing those unconnected to Jesus, and together, WORSHIPing God, and GROWing into Christ-like maturity, IMPACTing our community and the world.

Dear Friends, Spring and summer are so full of life. Things get a bit greener and you can see the sun. I still don’t know what causes an inversion, but I know I don’t like it! I love when the trees and flowers are in bloom. The leaves and petals are beautifully colored and shaped. In terms of fruit, we have the benefit of enjoying the delicious harvest of apples, pears, peaches and cherries!

I know I don’t have to tell you, but the colors, shapes and tastes would not be possible if not for the roots of the trees and plants which gather water and nutrients. In the same way, those that profess to follow Jesus must receive their sustenance. Instead of water and nutrients, we are fueled by reading God’s Word, praying, and engaging in practices where we train ourselves to live as Jesus lived. Simply put, we get filled up so that we can better love God and love one another.

Let me personally invite you to come to Sunday morning worship at 8:00, 9:30 or 11:00

In 2009, I am challenging our church family to become “Inwardly Strong: Growing in our Relationship with God.” It may be the case that you have a great relationship with the Lord that needs minor tweaking, don’t yet have a good relationship with Jesus, or have never quite been introduced to Him. In any event, let me personally invite you to come to Sunday morning worship at 8:00, 9:30 or 11:00. We are going to be specifically looking to God’s Word for guidance in how to start and strengthen a relationship with Him. I have teachings planned on prayer, practices, and lessons straight from Jesus. These are practical series on how to enact His Word into your life.

In an uncertain world, it’s so very important that we have a solid foundation. I am reminded of what Jesus says regarding the wise man who built his house on a rock: “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”

(Matthew 7:24-27, NRSV - New Revised Standard Version) The following pages are filled with stories and opportunities where you can begin to build a solid foundation. FPC is blessed with many wonderful individuals who strive to carry out Jesus’ commands to love God, love people. As individuals, we work toward becoming inwardly strong through building a foundation on God’s Word, outwardly focused as we seek to share His Good News with the Yakima community and the world, and faithfully connected as we build relationships with one another that will last a lifetime. We believe we are to be rooted in God’s truth for the purpose of bearing His fruit into the world.

My hope and prayer is that you would make it a point to stop by the church and experience all that FPC has to offer!

Blessings in His service,

Senior Pastor

Follow Jack’s Blog

HTTP://T he S ent C hurch .BLOGSPOT.COM

Jack Peebles

Senior Pastor

Impacting Young Lives Have we got the perfect place for your kids!!!

FPC “KidZone” meets every Sunday morning at 9:30. Kids have fun together, learn together, and most of all, they begin to understand who Jesus is and how much God loves them. Each week we spend time discussing life and faith in small groups, where kids get to ask real questions and together we look for real answers.

Volunteers really care about each child in KidZone and help make what they learn meaningful for everyday life at home, school, or in the neighborhood.

Those who lead in KidZone have found hope in Jesus and they share what it means to live out love for God and love for others seven days a week.

Kids receive most of their guidance from their parents and families. But it’s important to have other adults who can serve as good role models reinforcing that life can be lived with honesty, integrity, compassion and love. FPC Yakima is a place where your son or daughter will be safe, cared for, and encouraged as they begin understanding how valuable they are because God made them and loves them.

We strongly believe that God brings other people into the lives of our kids to help them grow into the people God intends them to be: people who are genuine, compassionate, and willing to serve others. All of that happens when we come to believe in the amazing truth that God really loves us.

A Mother’s Heart

Years ago, as my teenage daughter got caught up in things that make a mother’s heart ache, I began praying for her and asked God to take care of her. I remembered back to my daughter’s early years when she was cared for by so many wonderful Sunday School teachers at First Pres. I held on dearly to that wonderful verse in the Bible, “Train up a child in the way she should go, and when she is old, she will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) Thank God. He is so good!! I thank God that my daughter, now a young woman, has returned to God! I thank the many volunteers at First Pres who shared God’s love with my daughter and with so many others through the years.

4_CHILDREN @ FPCYAKIMA.COM

roots

DEVELOPING deep

By Tyler Van Horn, Student Ministries Director

Have you ever tried to rip a very old tree out of the ground? I have had this wonderful pleasure only a handful of times in my life, and each time I have been amazed by the same simple thing: ROOTS. The problem with deep roots is that they don’t budge very easily, and only after much digging, chopping, pulling, and sweating are you able to get the whole mess out of the ground.

If you have not experienced this process with an old tree, can you think of a time when you may have pulled a younger plant from the ground? This is a much easier task for the very same simple reason: ROOTS. A younger plant has not had the time to develop a root system to protect it from wind, animals, or an angry gardener.

What kind of a root system does the average teenager have in place? How deep and how steady are most middle school and high school students? In a society with a current as fast and as deceptive as the American culture, unfortunately it isn’t very surprising to see so many young people get swept away.

We are trying to build the type of community amongst our students that allows them to grow deeply. We believe God loves these young people and that He is looking to live in and among them with the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Growing roots is not a fast process, but it is happening one small act of love at a time.

Is this something you want to be a part of?

A Student’s Story

Five summers ago at Camp Ghormley, I made my first commitment to following Jesus. It was a very real experience of love that compelled me to enter a relationship with God. But when I got home the love of God didn’t seem real for me because I was not perfect like all of the Christians around me appeared. For the next four years I slowly slipped away from this experience of love and into habits and routines that sucked the life out of me. My faith was whittled away by my questions, and my life began to feel meaningless.

About a year ago, I decided to talk to someone in the church. Slowly I found myself plugged into a bunch of different relationships and experiences that reminded me of the love I felt that week at camp. It has been hard to be honest with people about my struggles, but I am thankful I have opened myself up because I now feel like I am not alone. I want to be baptized in this church and continue to be surrounded by people who will love me and care for me even with my imperfections.

STUDENTS @ FPCYAKIMA.COM_5

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First Pres Preschool Now Accepting

Registration For 2009 - 2010 Classes For 3, 4 & 5 Year Olds

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STUDENTS

Tyler Van Horn Karin Skone

CHILDREN

ADULTS

Curt McFarland 6_GROW @ FPCYAKIMA.COM

Kathy Eaton Susie Woodin Rhonda Cardona Monnie Miller

WOMEN

Kathy Bricel MEN

Bill Starr

Climbing New Heights to bring marriages & families closer to God

Opportunities for

FAMILIES Family Ministries is committed to loving and supporting each other. We believe in spending time laughing together, crying together, learning about God together, challenging each other, playing together, eating together, raising our families together, and becoming part of each other’s lives.

Family Ministries isn’t just for young families; it’s for all families no matter the age.

We invite you to join us in a variety of activities that people of all ages are welcome to attend.

Climb Mt Adams!

July 9-11 / Call Norm @ 248-7940x125

Sunday Social

• Sundays / 11:00-12:00 / gym • A time to meet & greet other families in the Church • Build relationships • Get plugged in with others

Wednesday Family Night • 2nd & 4th Wed each month (April 8, 22, May 6 & 20) • Dinner at 6:00 • Interactive Adult & Children’s program at 6:45 • Fun activities that the entire family can learn & do together

Special Events • 80’s Dance Night - April 18 • Clear Lake Camping - May 29-31 • Mt Adams Climb - July 9-11 • Movie Nights • Sunday Swim Parties in June & July

Small Groups • Building your personal relationship with Jesus through group studies • Making heart-to-heart connections with one another • Praying and sharing together • Support during tough times & celebrations during joyous times • Living life deeply with others

FAMILIES @ FPCYAKIMA.COM_7

Come Home.

Friendship.

Faith.

Freedom.

ps U O R G N I LifE

Y a S s K l O f T Wha heard” “Place where I’m ve each other” “Have come to lo her’s back” “We watch each ot st temptation” si re to h gt en tr “S red for” “Supported and ca ship” “Biblical fellow stretched” “Challenged and God better” “Getting to know

iritually” “Helps me grow sp each other” “Accountable to “Acceptance” ” “Honest dialogue ndships” “Meaningful frie -changing” “Authentic, life er” “Becoming a lead e of sin” “Free from bondag is fun” “Serving together

To get involved, contact Judy or Shan at 248-7940

8_GROUP LIFE @ FPCYAKIMA.COM

starting point

Every Journey, every Adventure needs a STARTING Point

Life is a journey and an adventure ‌ at First Pres Yakima (FPC Yakima)

we believe that the journey and adventure of life is better when we live it together.

Friday, May 15, 7-9p & Saturday May 16, 9a-3p - Questions? Call 248.7940

What do I need for the journey of life? How can I live life with meaning?

What does First Pres do that has a real impact in the lives of others in Yakima and around the world?

Find answers to these questions and many more as we begin at the Starting Point.

Membership isn’t required of those attending this class, but it is an option at the end of the course.

STARTING POINT @ FPCYAKIMA.COM_9

So.

Wh Do We Care y For Others?

Giving Free Clothes at First Pres Yakima

Rebuilding Homes in New Orleans

Helping Orphans in Cambodia

Shouldn’t church be a place where people honestly care about others? Doesn’t God speak constantly about compassion and love for the poor, the broken and the lost? Isn’t that what those who follow Jesus, those in the church, are suppose to do?

At First Pres Yakima we have heard the clear call of God to serve, love and care for those who are hurting and in need. Serving others is the result of sinking deep roots into the love and power of God. God is increasing the size of our heart for others in Yakima and beyond. As Pastor Jack continues to remind us, we are a church that is growing “inwardly strong and outwardly focused!”

We don’t claim to be perfect. We still make mistakes. We still say things and do things that are against what God wants us to say and do. But God is changing our priorities and lives.

If you want to be a part of a community of people that is taking seriously the call of God to help, heal, sacrifice for and be friends with, others who are hurting and in need, we invite you to drop-in and check us out and then join us in one of the many ways we are serving others.

We are providing meals, clothes, offering shelter, building houses and building friendships with people throughout our community. We are also sending teams and support to places across the country and around the world: Tacoma, New Orleans, Kenya, China, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Indonesia. Everyone of us needs the love and hope of God. We are extending the hand and heart of God, one life at a time!

Because God Cares For Us. 10_SERVICE @ FPCYAKIMA.COM

Wonderwoman...

Batman... Superman?

Who’s Your Super Hero?

If you could choose any superpower to possess, what would it be? Strength? Invisibility? Speed?

This summer at Ghormley Meadow Christian Camp we will help the hundreds of children and youth who attend summer camp discover the supernatural gifts and unique shape God has designed just for them. Our goal is to introduce them to the love of Jesus and challenge them to grow deeper in their understanding of how He wants to work in and through them to impact their world.

Campers will experience wild and crazy yet safe adventures, be loved unconditionally by our camp staff, learn valuable recreational skills, make new friends, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Campers can learn and experience more in a session of summer camp than in almost any other organized activity.

At Ghormley, we have been working with families for 70 years.

Please let us have the privilege of serving you and your children.

2009 Summer Camps Primary Camp Junior Camps Mid High Camps Sr. High Camp Mid Hi Adventure Camp Sr Hi Adventure Camp Water-Ski Camp

2-4th Grade 5-6th Grade 6-9th Grade 9-12th Grade 6-9th Grade 9-12th Grade 9-13th Grade

July 5-8 June 15-19, July 26-30 Jul 12-18, Jul 19-25, Aug 2-8 June 27-July 3 June 21-26 July 12-18 July 26-30

For details, visit the Ghormley website at www.GhormleyMeadow.org call 509-672-4311 or pick up a summer camp brochure at church GHORMLEY MEADOW @ FPCYAKIMA.COM_ 11

Newit’s Life a gift Easter Celebrations Palm Sunday, April 5

Celebrate Jesus’ triumphant entry in Jerusalem with our KidZone children as they lead in worship at 8:00, 9:30 & 11:00.

Maundy Thursday Communion, April 9

During Jesus’ last meal with his followers he told them to celebrate His loving sacrifice as a new way to connect with God. Following Communion, poignant readings will recount the events of that final night.

Sanctuary at 7:00pm.

Good Friday, April 10

Jesus took the pain, separation and death.

Reflect on this Love through quiet time, readings and music.

Chapel at 7:00pm.

Easter Sunday, April 12

Easter Sunrise Service / 6:15 / North Lawn Contemporary Worship / 8:00 & 9:30 / Sanctuary Traditional Worship / 11:00 / Sancturary Cristo Vive (Spanish) 12:00 / Chapel Easter Breakfast / 7:00-11:00 / Gym KidZone Holy Week Walk / 9:30 / Classrooms

The story of Easter is, quite simply, the greatest story ever told.

On Easter, we proclaim, “Jesus Christ is Alive! He is Risen!”

Easter is about victory! Easter is about God’s faithfulness to us.

No matter how dark life may seem, God offers to us light. Through the resurrection, we see that God does not leave us alone. We rejoice as we encounter the risen Christ. Please don’t miss this opportunity to experience this life-changing message. Please join us for any of our Easter services on Sunday, April 12 - or on any Sunday.

The Gift of Easter is not a one-day event!

Coming this Summer

This summer, we will explore practical steps for ordinary people to deepen their relationships with God. Together, we will learn how to love God and one another.

NONPROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID YAKIMA, WA PERMIT NO 59