June / July 2015
Desert Hills Presbyterian Church
Echoes
FRIENDS from
JAMAICA
34605 North Tom Darlington Drive P.O. Box 874 Carefree AZ 85377 480-488-3384
Echoes
June / July 2015
IN THIS ISSUE:
03 Pastor's Message 04 Welcome New Members 05 Deacon's Doings 05 Stephen Ministry 06 W elcome Jamaican Brothers
07 Spring All-Church Picnic 08 R emembering the Past, Embracing the Future: Larry Soughan
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and Sisters
FEELING SOCIAL? Be sure to “like” Desert Hills Presbyterian Church on Facebook! Simply go to the DHPC website: www.deserthills.org and click the Facebook icon. You may also type “Desert Hills Presbyterian Church” in the search bar on Facebook. We have security set so that “tagging” of photos is not permitted, so check out the page and enjoy the photos and information about your church family.
Echoes is published every other month by and for the congregation of Desert Hills Presbyterian Church in Carefree, Arizona. If you have received this publication by mistake or you would like to no longer subscribe to the magazine, simply call the DHPC office at 480-488-3384 or write to admin@ deserthills.org. The lead time for the publication is four weeks before the first month displayed on the cover. For the August September issue, deadline for submissions is July 10. Contributions from any and all DHPC members are always welcome! Simply e-mail your documents and pictures to
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editor@deserthills.org or drop them off at the church office. The Echoes staff welcomes any and all feedback. If you would like to submit any questions, concerns or comments about the contents of this publication, please send them to editor@deserthills.org or drop them by the church office and we’ll make sure they are read and addressed as promptly as possible. Please allow 2-4 weeks for any necessary replies. If you have been blessed with the ability to write or take pictures and feel called to use your talents to serve the Lord, Echoes would love to have you be part of our editorial team! Just call Patrick McAvoy at 602-549-7217 or write us at editor@deserthills.org.
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Pastor’s Message Jim Noble, Senior Pastor
jnoble@deserthills.org 480-488-3384
Summer Wanderings for Christ An old Celtic tradition was to go wandering for
and sisters from Jamaica. All of these adventures for
the Lord. It was a band of believers who went on
the Lord are intended to glorify His name and make
adventure together worshipping and glorifying the
more people, more like Christ.
Lord as they went. They rarely had a set destination in mind and would often let the Lord decide. In fact, they were known for getting into boats and after a little ways throwing the oars and sail overboard, trusting the Lord to get them to where He needed them to be. Wherever they found themselves, even in the boat, they worshipped the Lord through Scripture, psalms and songs, and acts of service. Summer is upon us and we will all be going wander-
I would like to propose that when we come back together that we spend time sharing what our wandering for the Lord was like; a time when we share God sightings and moments, miracles and wonders, and how we were changed as a result of our wandering as a band of believers for the Lord. So watch for a time in September when we will pull together a celebration at the church for all that we have experienced.
ing for the Lord through vacations, mission trips, and outings around our community. Let us not forget to worship the Lord wherever we find ourselves
May the Lord grant us all safe journey till we meet
and be of service to others. We have been blessed
again.
in order to be a blessing. And perhaps like the Celtic Christians we should take some time to simply let go and see where the Lord will lead us. This summer DHPC will be sending out missionary teams to go wandering for Christ in Scotland and the Navajo Reservation. We will be sending youth out to summer camp and welcoming our brothers
Peace in Christ,
Jim
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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
Paul Brassea
Bob & Diane Vryhof
Sam & P.J. Pullen
Christopher Bergstrom
Joyce Proctor
Chris Holm
Cabot Fowler
Maya Hemingway
Clark Benham
Zachary Hoffman
Thanks to Confirmation Class Leaders! Amiens Fowler Graham Benham Amber Rush Ashley Murphy (not pictured)
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DEACON’S DOINGS: SERVICES PROVIDED TO DHPC MEMBERS WHEN NEEDED The Services Ministry is part of the DHPC Deacon Board. This ministry assists people within the Church who have a need for various services, such as meals, memorial receptions, transportation, and various household repairs/assistance. Deacons Myra Sherriff, Judie Preston, and Jacqy Kilgore currently serve in this ministry. Also interested members in the Congregation can serve in this ministry. Meals are provided to those who need temporary meal assistance because of medical reasons, family hardship, loss of a loved one, or who had a baby. These meals are coordinated using a program called Lotsa Helping Hands (www.lotsahelpinghands.com). This program allows us to establish and maintain our DHPC Volunteer Community through volunteers who have indicated an interest to serve in this area. As needs arise, we list an activity, establish a date/dates needed, and send an email to the volunteers asking them to help if they so desire. DHPC Volunteers select a date on the calendar to provide the service. The program issues a reminder to volunteers of their commitment.
Stephen Ministry
We plan to add a list of volunteers to the Lotsa Helping Hands Program we can use to schedule other services as needed. This may include such things as driving someone to church as needed, changing light bulbs or air filters, or other identified tasks for members who can no longer physically perform the task. Until this volunteer list is developed, calls are made to request help.
In a Forward Direction Successful people keep moving in a forward direction regardless of results. Everyone fails. If we don’t, we are not living. Failure in and of itself is nothing. The meaning we attach to it is everything. We are always producing results and nothing more. Sometimes what we try is effective and sometimes it’s not.
DHPC could not begin to meet the needs without volunteers. Being a volunteer does not require meeting every need. The more volunteers (lots of helping hands) we have, will help reduce work and burnout of volunteers.
When we learn how to “fail forward”, we will see that each event we describe as a failure now can turn into nothing more than outcome that we produced.
If you would like to volunteer in any of these areas, please contact one of the Deacons, identified below - we need you and would love to have your help:
In case we’ve forgotten, we have already mastered the art of Failing Forward. Every child inherently knows how to do this without an owner’s manual! To remind ourselves, simply watch a baby when it is learning how to walk. It falls CONSTANTLY but isn’t moved in the slightest by it. It simply looks around, maybe cries for a bit but gets right back in the game. Babies do this time and time again.
Myra Sherriff, 480-502-9431, or email at sherriffmyra@aol.com
Judie Preston, 480-269-6608, or email at jp85377@gmail.com
Jacqy Kilgore, 480-363-8199, or email at jacqy.kilgore@gmail.com
It is one of the most powerful life lessons that we sometimes forget we ever learned. Failing successfully means to Fail Forward.
Volunteers are also needed for Memorial Receptions. Assistance might include bringing requested food items to the reception, assisting in preparing and serving the food and drinks at the reception, and assisting with set up and clean up afterwards. Lotsa Helping Hands emails our volunteers requesting the food and assistance needs. This way, the workload is divided up among volunteers. We have had as many as 24 volunteers bringing two-dozen cookies to one of the larger receptions, and 8 volunteers bringing a dozen deviled eggs.
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WELCOMING OUR
JAMAICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS
We are so very excited to be hosting a team from our sister church in Jamaica! Twelve folks from Ebenezer United Church in Mandeville will be here from July 15-27, though part of that time will be spent in Leupp. There will be many opportunities for you to meet and greet the team and fellowship with them. Stay tuned for more details as their visit gets closer, but get to know them a bit in the meantime! Rev. Khereen Wilson- Bailey is the Minister of Ebenezer United Church and Andrews United Church in Mandeville Jamaica. She is vibrant, dynamic and loves the ministry to which she has been called.
Karim Smalling, Sammy’s son, is 14 and is a very jovial young man. He is Grade 9 at the Belair High School. He enjoys playing musical instruments (keyboard and drums) and playing football (soccer) basketball and table tennis. Charmaine McLeod is actively involved in the Children’s Ministry of the church and is a member of the choir. She is a captivating story teller. Dennies Mighty is a Primary School teacher who enjoys arts, music and outdoors. She is actively involved in church as she holds the position of Elder, Sunday School Teacher and advisor.
Rev. Clifton Bailey, her husband, is the Minister of Mineral Heights United Church. He is known for his gift of teaching the Word, and loves anything agricultural. Samuel Smalling, affectionately called “Uncle Sammy” is the Dean of Discipline at the Cross Keys High School. Uncle Sammy is the Sunday school teacher for the adult group, a Youth advisor, and the Chairman of the Property Committee. Uncle Sammy enjoys talking to people and is a motivational speaker. He is a sport fanatic, he loves playing dominoes and watching football (soccer).
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Melisia Swaby (pictured with Katelyn Noble) is a Computer Science teacher at the high school level. She enjoys playing and listening to music. She is a badminton player and competes at local tournaments. She is a member of the choir and one of the PRO’s for the Young Adults Action Movement.
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Barbara Spencer enjoys singing and listening to music. She is an Elder, treasurer for the church and the Girls Brigade Officer and choir member.
Lillian Cornwall is a member of the choir and a great cook. She is actively involved in worship and takes the work of the Lord seriously. Ms. Lillian is a mother to many and is known for her willingness to participate and her jovial spirit.
SPRING ALL-CHURCH PICNIC! The Spring All Church Picnic was great fun and a fundraiser for the Scotland Team. Face painting, hot dogs, pie in the face and more!
Rajae Graham is a 15 year old young man who enjoys playing basketball and likes listening to music and is learning to play the guitar. Rajae likes to do art pieces and he enters competitions. He is currently in grade 9 at Manchester High School. His favorite subjects include Mathematics and Science. In the future he hopes to become a Marine biologist or an architect. He is actively involved in the youth group and church school. Leohrandra Graham (Rajae’s sister) is a 20 year old young lady who enjoys reading, playing musical instruments (drums, piano, steel pan). She is currently studying Bachelor Basic Medical Sciences in Pharmacology at the University of the West Indies. In the future she hopes to be a Pharmacologist. You may remember Marva Graham, their mother, who was with the Jamaican team who visited in 2012. Omar Baker is a Physics and Chemistry teacher at the high school level. Omar enjoys watching sports (track and field, cricket and volleyball). He holds the position of Elder, Assistant Sunday School Teacher, one of PRO’s for the Young Adults Action Movement and a member of the choir.
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Remembering the Past, Embracing the Future: Larry Soughan Larry Soughan was Property Manager at Desert Hills Presbyterian Church from 1999 through June 2014.
IN THE BEGINNING My wife, Carol, and I were attending a neighborhood church when we learned that the pastor of our Presbyterian church from Glen Ellyn, Illinois had accepted a call to Desert Hills. We had a wonderful reunion with Pastor Dave Phillips and his wife, Cathy, and started attending the church in 1997.
STEPHEN MINISTRY COMES TO DHPC Pastor Dave had a vision and desire to start Stephen Ministry here at our church. Stephen Ministry is a oneon-one lay caring ministry that provides care to people who are hurting. We attended the Stephen Ministry training in San Diego and launched the program in 1998. I lead the training for new Stephen Ministers for several years and Stephen Ministry has been an integral part of our church ever since.
A SEXTON DOES WHAT? Shortly afterwards, I was asked if I would be interested in full time employment as the church "sexton." The dictionary describes the sexton as "one who dug the graves and rang the church bell for worship." My corporate life didn't include those two skills, but I accepted the position anyway.
was so willing to share her knowledge, was a tremendous help to me in those initial steps as sexton.
HISTORY
When I began, I was led to a back room with a few cans of paint on the floor, no shelves, workbench, inventory or tools and—most intriguing of all—a five pound coffee can full of unidentified church keys.
By searching the archives and reviewing architectural drawings, I discovered some of the early history of our church. The early founders of Carefree, K.T. Palmer and Tom Darlington, donated 6.9 acres to the PCUSA in 1968 with the requirement that the property be used for a church. Carefree was born with the desire to live in harmony with the desert and all our structures certainly reflect that harmony with views of the boulders inside and out.
At first I brought my own tools until Tom Mills took me on a shopping spree and, eventually, we constructed what is now called The Workshop. Nan Campbell, who
The first building was the Fellowship Hall constructed in 1972. It had seating for 75 people and a small area for childcare. The building was used for worship
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services and also for dinners and fellowship activities which required changing the room for dining and setting up heavy wooden tables. Those tables have since been replaced by lighter ones and the originals can now be seen at our Navajo sister church in Leupp. Large ornate wooden doors greeted the worshipers. These were saved from demolition and are now stored in the fellowship center basement. The three crosses, visible from the windows of our current Fellowship Center, are the originals. The Coffee and cookie service was started back then and is still a favorite tradition at our church. A wooden cart was rolled down a steep sidewalk to a small patio. (That original cart has also been saved and is stored along with the wooden doors in the fellowship center basement.) Once a rattlesnake curled up under the cookie table. If it hadn't been for Steve Campbell's keen eye someone might have been bitten.
The dedication of the building committee was phenomenal. We met weekly with the general contractor, Dan Daniels, to make decisions about carpet, tile, paint etc. With the creative help of Ron and Jan Brockman, coffee service continued even during the construction period. The new building was dedicated in 2008. I give thanks to all those who through their dedication and persistence were able to turn the initial dreams into the physical reality that we see today - our beautiful sanctuary and new Fellowship Center. I give thanks to God, the Fellowship Center Building Committee, past and present Buildings and Grounds personnel, pastors and staff for such a wonderful place to serve our Lord and our community.
NEW SANCTUARY As the congregation grew, the need for a larger worship setting became evident. The original idea was to expand the Fellowship Hall and add a building for administration. But plans for a completely new sanctuary won out. The new sanctuary moved ahead in design and construction and was dedicated on Easter Sunday 1989. A wing for new offices and Sunday School space was added to the building in 1996.
NEW FELLOWSHIP CENTER As time went on, there was talk of modernizing and expanding the original Fellowship Hall. It was decided instead to go ahead and replace the old building with a brand new facility. The old building was demolished, stirring up a few rattlesnakes and requiring removal of asbestos. I had to field several calls from our neighbors at the Boulders complaining about all the noise.
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34605 North Tom Darlington Drive P.O. Box 874 Carefree AZ 85377 480-488-3384
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