Vision

A newsletter of the First United Presbyterian Church

Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors
MAY 2011

Spring Showers Bring May Flowers

24

stained glass Blackened By Fire within

No Light Enters Or Radiates

the Passion of flames

alive, searing bright, consuming

they warm the heart and soul, as candles

left untended to breed and grow, Destruction

in the Aftermath, Pain of Loss and Confusion

gather in the Strength Of The Lord

though Darkness now

with Love and Restoration
the Light will illuminate again

like the Phoenix Burned To Ashes

to Rise Again More Glorious than before.

Debra A. Brown
April 9, 2011
 A Pastoral Note 2

from Jacquelyn Pinkowski

―Signs [miracles] reveal Jesus as God at work among us, but they also reveal how unready so many of us are to accept
and embrace what is revealed and how contentious we can become when the God in heaven that we worship turns out to
be involved in the details of our daily lives on this earth in ways that don’t fit our preconceptions.‖
From Christ Plays in Ten Thousand Places” by Eugene H. Peterson, page 96

CONGRATULATIONS!
Shellyann Holder became a U.S. citizen in March. This has been a very long process for Shellyann. We rejoice with
her and Jennifer Nelson, Everest and Seneca that what once was a dream has finally been accomplished. ―but for God all
things are possible.‖ (Matthew 19:26)

From your Interim Pastor

We are in the midst of the Easter Season. The church once again is out of step with society. For most people, Easter
ends on Easter Sunday afternoon. But, as Christians we continue to celebrate Easter for 7 weeks. Our Easter ends with
Pentecost. Jesus’ disciples enjoyed the presence of Jesus 40 days and continued to be in a spirit of awe and wonder long
after. On the 50th day, the Day of Pentecost, the disciples were so filled with the Holy Spirit that the beginning of what
we now know as the Christian Church was born.
During the Easter season you my notice some differences in the worship service. First, there is no Prayer of Confession.
This is a time of celebration and joy, In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus is asked by the Pharisees why his disciples did not
fast like other people. ―And Jesus said to them, ―The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with
them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them and then they will fast.‖ (Matthew
9:15) During Easter the bridegroom (Jesus) is still with us and so we continue to rejoice. We will confess again after
Pentecost.
You will also notice that each week during Easter we will not be reading from the Old Testament, but will be reading
from The Acts of the Apostles. Again, our focus is on the days immediately after Jesus’ resurrection. History is always
important, but during this very special time, we are called to rejoice, for Jesus is risen.
We will continue to worship in Fellowship Hall for the foreseeable future. The entire sanctuary must be cleaned and un-
til that is accomplished we will not be able to use the sanctuary. May we all celebrate the wonder and mystery of Easter
throughout the entire Easter season by worshiping together, rejoicing in the knowledge of the love that God has for each
of us.
Blessings,
Jackie
Sermons for the Upcoming Month of May
May 1, 2011 - 2nd Sunday in Easter May 15, 2011– 4th Sunday of Easter
―Wanting Proof‖ ―Finding Pasture‖
Scriptures: Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter Scriptures: Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23, 1 Peter 2:19-
1:3-9; John 20:19-31 25; John 10:1-10

May 8, 2011– 3rd Sunday in Easter May 22, 2011– 5th Sunday in Easter
―Remembering‖ Reverend Al Siegel—Guest Pastor
Scriptures: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116; 1 Peter Scriptures: Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16; 1
1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35 Peter 2:2-10; John 14:1-45
May 29, 2011—6th Sunday in Easter
Reverend Rick Otty—Guest Pastor
Scriptures: Acts 17:22-31; Psalm 66:8-20; 1 Peter
3:13-22; John 14:15-21

Things to Ponder...
Being Presbyterian
Theology
Some of the principles articulated by John Calvin remain at
the core of Presbyterian beliefs. Among these are the sover-
eignty of God, the authority of the scripture, justification by
grace through faith and the priesthood of all believers.
What they mean is that God is the supreme authority
throughout the universe. Our knowledge of God and God’s
purpose for humanity comes from the Bible, particularly
what is revealed in the New Testament through the life of
Jesus Christ. Our salvation (justification) through Jesus is
God’s generous gift to us and not the result of our own ac-
complishments. It is everyone’s job — ministers and lay
people alike — to share this Good News with the whole
world. That is also why the Presbyterian church is governed
at all levels by a combination of clergy and laity, men and
women alike.
Points of interest
Presbyterians confess their beliefs through statements that
have been adopted over the years and are contained in The
Book of Confessions. These statements reflect our under-
standing of God and what God expects of us at different
times in history, but all are faithful to the fundamental be-
liefs described above. Even though we share these common
beliefs, Presbyterians understand that God alone is lord of
the conscience, and it is up to each individual to understand
what these principles mean in his or her life.
3
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA)
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance enables congregations and
mission partners of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A) to wit-
ness to the healing love of Christ through caring for com-
munities adversely affected by crisis and catastrophic
events.
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is the emergency
and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A.
The core budget, including staff and administrative costs, is
funded through the One Great Hour of Sharing, and its pro-
gram work is additionally funded through designated gifts.
FUPC experienced the fire on March 26. As I was trying to
make sense out of how to coordinate various projects and
programs I remembered a conversation that I had 3 years
ago while attending a General Assembly. That conversa-
tion was with the Associate for Disaster Response in the
U.S. We talked about the scares that remain after a church
has a fire, so I sent an e-mail to him. A few days later Cass
Shaw (Executive Presbytery) knocked on my door and
asked if I would like some help. PDA had contacted her
and they were willing to send a team in to help us with the
various issues after a fire. I was overjoyed. This is a won-
derful example of what it means to be Presbyterian. If one
part of the body (a specific church) is hurting, the whole
body responds.
We have had tremendous help from Gary Popson from
Erie, PA and Rev. Merritt Shatz, from Md. Gary is a re-
tired insurance agent and Merritt is a clergywoman. Both
are specially trained to help churches when they have ex-
perienced a fire. In the first meeting with Gary, he casually
mentioned that PDA had $10,000 available to help us with
whatever expenses we might be incurring during this time.
He said it so casually that I almost missed it. There needed
to be a letter from Cass requesting the funds. They will be
directed through Albany Presbytery. Again, how we help
each other in difficult times.
This help is coming to us from the funds that PDA receives
from our annual One Great Hour of Sharing. We have sup-
ported this special offering for many years, never expecting
that we would be recipients of their great ministry. One
Great Hour of Sharing is our way of helping others in the
midst of disasters all around the world.
Thank you for your support of this year’s One Great Hour
of Sharing.
Thank you PDA for Gary and Merritt and their knowledge
and wisdom.
Thank you PDA for the $10,000 that will help us see that
the restoration of the fire will be complete.
 4

Ministry of Music News

from Maury Castro
Thanks to the recommendation of Marsha Cutting, a tal-
ented composer and musician in our congregation, I’ve re-
cently discovered www.pandora.com. This website is a ra-
dio station that, through the music genome project, allows
an individual to create the radio station of their choice. One
simply enters a song or performer that one likes; then the
website will play music similar to that song. One’s prefer-
ences are finely tuned by indicating a thumb’s up or a
thumb’s down on any given selection. These preferences
are saved in your account. I love it, and have a 19th century
opera station as well as a funky cool station. I’m constantly
hearing new music within a genre that I enjoy. I’m thinking NEST Benefit Concert Cancelled. Some may be won-
of creating a kid’s music station for my daughters. If you’re dering if this annual event is taking place this year –
looking for a way to spice up your listening life and bring a sadly, it has been cancelled. The status and mission of
bit more joy around, try it out! NEST has been uncertain as of late, so it was thought
that it would be best to cancel this benefit concert. Fur-
thermore, Brian Bowes, friend of our congregation and
one of the main forces behind this event, moved to
Nashville in February! We hope to see this event return
in 2012!
A Troy Night Out Event: Katelyn Steele in Concert. 3nd Annual Troy Music Day Camp. Do you want to
Friday, May 27, 7 pm. Ms. Steele will present a variety of
introduce your child to the world of music in a fun-filled
selections, repeating her senior recital as a voice major at
environment? Or perhaps you want to strengthen your
the College of St. Rose. Her clear, full tones fill our space,
child’s already-developed musical foundation? Troy
making this a concert not to be missed! Admission is free
Music Day Camp is for you! This camp, which runs at
with donations accepted.
First United from June 27 – July 8 (two weeks this
year!), will give your child a variety of fun-filled learn-
ing experiences associated with music such as singing,
dancing, introductions to a variety of instruments and
composers, field trips, guest musicians, and more. The
camp is open to children entering grades 1-6. The pro-
gram day runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with extensions to
7:45 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. If you are interested in register-
ing, please pick up a registration brochure at church or
go to www.unitedprestroy.org to find a downloadable
form there.

Dedicate an Anthem - Congregants are invited to do-

nate $25 toward the purchase of new choral music, and
the church will match that $25 in order to purchase a
new anthem (each anthem in our library costs about
$50). The donor may dedicate the anthem to the person
(s) or event of their choice, and when that anthem is
sung in church, this will be recognized. To participate in
this ongoing program, please contact Maury A. Castro.

Faith Education News
from Leslie Kelly
Faith Education Open House and Dedication
Sunday, May 15th there will be a plaque dedication cere-
mony during worship in memory of Robin J. Wheeler.
After the service and refreshment time, a plaque donated
by Jean Miller will be placed on the second floor naming
it the Robin J. Wheeler Faith Education Suite. The large
balcony room has been refurbished and all the faith educa-
tion rooms, including the nursery will be open for viewing
at that time. Robin was a professional counselor, educa-
tor, and strong supporter of our faith education program.
She was also a 50 year member of the congregation whose
positive energy and faithful service inspired us all. All are
welcome. Joan Rogers will be hosting the refreshment
time after worship.
Robin J. Wheeler (March 29, 1945-June 2, 2010)
―HONK IF YOU LOVE JESUS!‖
Please join us in the Rose Room after worship on May 8
for a closer look at bumper stickers - ―Honk if you love
Jesus‖. That is one of the oldest religious bumper stick-
ers around. You probably had some reaction to it, and it
may or may not have resulted in your tooting your horn.
Miriam Parmelee, John Buckley and Don Drew will facili-
tate this adult education opportunity. We will explore how
we react to religious slogans not only seen on bumper
stickers, but everywhere. Remember John 3:18? What do
you think about when you see a Jesus fish on a car? How
about a Darwin fish? How about OPEN HEARTS, OPEN
MINDS, OPEN DOORS?
5
Sunday School
Faith Ed classes for children will be held May 1, 8, and 22
after the children’s message during worship time.
Godly Play classes will be held for children, ages 3-5. Chil-
dren ages 6 and over will be involved in ―The Great Commis-
sion‖ workshop rotation. All children are invited to partici-
pate.
On May 22, the Sustainable Living Group, that meets here
at the church, ―will share some of the many environmentally
friendly ways to get along with everything.‖ Please plan on
joining us for this informative program.
Book Packs are ready for the children to borrow from the
Wheeler Room. Each book pack has 2 or 3 books for you and
your child to read and talk about together. There is also a fun
activity included in each pack that reinforces the theme of the
books. Please sign out and borrow one book pack at a time.
Save the Date – Vacation Bible School will be held Aug. 1-
4, 5:30pm-8pm
Hygiene Kits
The children of the church invite you to participate in helping
them put together hygiene kits, as a ―way to reach disaster sur-
vivors and those in need, with the hope of Christ.‖ This pro-
gram is encouraged by Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
through Church World Service. We are collecting the follow-
ing items for the kits: bar of soap (bath size in wrapper),
toothbrush in original packing, washcloth, wide tooth comb,
nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards), hand towel
16”x18” (no fingertip or bath towels) and 6 bandages. We
will also need one gallon size zip lock bags to pack the kits
in. There is a basket in Fellowship Hall for you to leave these
items. Anything that you can contribute will be much appreci-
ated.
Thanks to everyone for their contributions to the Food
Fair! Over $400 was raised to go toward the “Raise Our
Roof” fund and everyone enjoyed a delicious buffet.
I’d like to share the words to a song that we sing in Sunday
School with you, it sums up that good feeling in the air when
everybody works together.
“Love, love, love.
That‟s what it‟s all about.
„Cause God loves us, we love each other,
All of us here are sisters and brothers.
Everybody sing and shout,
„Cause that‟s what it‟s all about!!
It‟s about love, love, love,
It‟s about love, love, love.”
 6

PRESBYTERIAN RAINBOW

INVITES YOU TO A

POST-AMENDMENT 10-A VOTING

WORSHIP GATHERING AND RECEPTION

SUNDAY, MAY 22, 2011, 4:00 PM

WE WILL GATHER . . .
To pray for our Church
To celebrate those who have come before us
To share the ONE Gospel
which is good news for all persons,
NO EXCEPTIONS.

WHO SHOULD COME?

Elders . . . Members of congregations . . . Deacons . . .
Pastors . . . YOU!

First United Presbyterian Church

1915 Fifth Avenue, Troy
(Downtown, between Fulton and Grand)
www.unitedprestroy.org /272-2771

www.presrainbow.org

Announcements
Happy
Mother’s
Day!
Raise Our Roof Food Fair A Success!
Just a note to thank everyone who contributed their
time and energy to making our Palm Sunday Food Fair
a success. The variety of favorite foods prepared made
it a smorgasbord of tasty treats. As of press time the
total amount raised for the roof fund for our historic
church building was $425.00. Blessings to all and our
appreciation to you for your patience and support. This
is a message from the Faith Education students, par-
ents, teachers, and committee.
Meals on Wheels for the Eadie Family
As many of you know, Betsy Eadie is dealing with kid-
ney failure and will soon begin dialysis. She is proba-
bly a candidate for a transplant, but finding a donor is a
very large challenge. An associate of hers is beginning
the process of coordinating offering the Eadies' help,
particularly meals. Her name is Jennifer Hurd. Jenn's
contact information is: jhurd1@nycap.rr.com or 518-
283-5187. She prefers emails but phone calls are
fine. Be aware that any phone messages will be re-
turned, but may take a day or two. Jenn also has a re-
source that offers meal ideas and recipes for the diet
restrictions that accompany this health issue.
7
Coffee Hour Hosts for May
May 1- Roof Task Force
May 8 - Jennifer Nelson
May 15 - Joan Rogers
May 22 - NEEDS A HOST!
May 29 - Bonnie Kerr
Thank you to those who have signed up! Can you
help? Please sign up and share in creating our fellow-
ship time. Questions? Call Don Lutz at 283-6920
An Evening with Betty LaDuke
The Chapel + Cultural Center at RPI is pleased to present
―An Evening with Betty LaDuke‖ on Thursday, May 12,
2011 at 7:00 PM. Admission is FREE! A reception will
follow.
Betty LaDuke is a nationally renowned artist, educator, and
humanitarian who is exhibiting her series of 21 paintings
entitled ―Dreaming Cows‖ at the Chapel + Cultural Center
from May 9, 2011 until June 30, 2011. This exhibit cele-
brates the work of Heifer International, a non-profit humani-
tarian organization dedicated to ending world hunger and
saving the earth by providing livestock, trees, training and
other resources to help poor families around the globe be-
come self-reliant. Heifer International bases its practices on
the principle of sharing and teaches recipients to ―Pass the
Gift‖ to other families.
Betty LaDuke will be speaking about her profound experi-
ences on numerous Heifer International-led educational
study tours throughout almost 50 countries, including
Rwanda, Uganda, Cambodia, Vietnam, and Kosovo. It was
this important work with Heifer International that inspired
Betty’s ―Dreaming Cows‖ series of paintings.
Come and hear this thought-provoking artist whose commit-
ment to social justice world-wide inspired paintings of in-
credible beauty and power, works that reflect a spirituality
and deep respect for cultural diversity, communities work-
ing together, gender equality, and Mother Earth!
The Chapel + Cultural Center at RPI is located at 2125 Bur-
dett Avenue, Troy, NY 12180. For more information,
please contact Anne Tory, Director of the Chapel + Cultural
Center at 518-274-7793 or torya@rpi.edu. You may also
visit us at our website: www.chapelandculturalcenter.org.
.
 8
Session Notes
The session met in a marathon meeting that occurred over two
nights, April 25 and 26. ―How can they do that?‖, you might
May Birthdays
ask. They adjourn at a decent time on Monday night to return
on Tuesday night for a four hour meeting. Here’s what hap-
pened. (Please note: the newsletter deadline means that full 3 Donna Elia
explanation doesn’t happen here. These are NOTES. Watch 5 Miriam Russell
your email and snail mail for more information.) 6 Mark Abbott
Received an invitation from Tim Coombs, Presbytery staff for Lois Jensen
Congregational Transformation, for a regional gathering to hear 7 Lynne Stevens
about how the presbytery can help local congregations. First
United’s invitation is for May 19. Speak to Jackie or Chandlee 11 Trudi Wybourn
if you want more information and would like to attend. 15 Iliana Harpe
Received the resignation of Bonnie McCaig from the session 18 Mark Duggan
effective July 1, so that she can deal with some personal mat- 20 Jane Husson
ters.
21 Heather Hewitt
Heard that the lunch with Oakwood members has been resched-
uled for September 11.
26 Sarah Shuster
28 Alexis Hooten
Heard from Faith Education Ministries that dedication of the Lois Lanoue
Faith Education Suite will happen on May 15.
Mary Magnan
Received a report from FaFinStew about the 2011 budget defi- 29 Kylie Kerr
cit. The session acted to request that committees, task forces,
and team expenditures be cut for the rest of 2011 by 10 percent. Alice Kirstein
On first reading , the session acted to take up an additional 1 % 30 Aidan Strayer
draw from the General Endowment to cover the projected defi-
cit of $31,000. The endowment policy requires action at two
separate session meetings Background: the session passed a
deficit budget in December 2010 with a commitment to revisit
the budget in April after the first quarter. The session referred
back to the committee a discussion of an additional request to
the congregation.

Invited Michael Adee, executive director for More Light Pres-

byterians to be at First United on a date in October.

Welcomed Merritt Schatz and Gary Popson, PDA volunteers,

who reviewed the status of the cleanup, insurance, and stress
related to an event such as a fire. Plan to attend the informa-
tional meeting on May 1.

Agreed that the roof capital campaign will be delayed for a few
months. Stay tuned, as task forces will be established to deter-
Happy Birthday to
mine what will be included and how much it will cost. Soon
you will have input to how big a plan should get. Please answer
you all!
the call to serve God in this way.

Acted to begin the process for seeking a new pastor with an all
day Saturday retreat in September focused on Appreciative In-
quiry with the Rev.Tim Jones. Stay tuned.

The session adjourned at 10:30 with the celebration of the

Lord’s Supper.
 9

May 2011
Sunday Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
1 9:00 Chancel Choir 2 3 4 5 6 7
10:00 Worship
(Children in Sunday 10 AM AA Group
School)
11:00 Refreshments
11:30 Faith Ed 4:30 Worship
Committee Meet-
12:30 CROP Walk ing
6:30 Human Re- 6:30 Bible Study 7:00 Chancel
7:30 NA Group sources Meeting Choir

8 Mother’s Day 9 10 11 12 13 14
9:00 Chancel Choir 3:45 Troy 10 AM AA Group
10:00 Worship Children’s
(Children in Sunday Chorus
5:30 MLMT Meet-
School) ing 6:00 Music Com-
11:00 Refreshments 7:15 Faith Educa-
tion Committee mittee
11:30 Faith Ed Meeting 7:00 Chancel
6:30 Bible Study Choir
7:30 NA Group

15 16 17 18 19 20 21
9:00 Chancel Choir
10:00 Worship 10 AM AA Group
3:45 Troy
11:00 Refreshments Children’s
Chorus
11:30 Wheeler Room
Dedication 4:00 Fa-Fin-Stew
7:00 Membercare Meeting
7:30 NA Group and Outreach Meet-
ing 7:00 Chancel
Choir

22 9:00 Chancel 23 24 25 26 27 28
Choir
10:00 Worship 10 AM AA Group
(Children’s Sunday 3:45 Troy
School) Children’s 11:00 Concert for
Chorus Special Care
11:00 Refreshments members
11:30 Faith Ed
4:00 Pres. Rainbow 7:00 Chancel 7:00 Kate Steele
Reception Choir Recital

7:30 NA Group

29 30 31
9:00 Chancel Choir
10:00 Worship
3:45 Troy
11:00 Refreshments Children’s
11:30 Faith Ed Chorus

7:30 NA Group
6:30 Session
 10

Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open Doors:

Where People with Differences Unite in Christ

First United Presbyterian Church

1915 Fifth Avenue
Troy, New York 12180
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

In this issue: Things to Ponder...

Notes from Jackie, Maury, and Leslie
What’s happening in the community
And more...

Vision Newsletter is published 11 times a year by

First United Presbyterian Church Officers for 2011,
2012 & 2013 First United Presbyterian Church, Troy, New York
The Session Jacquelyn Pinkowski Interim Pastor
Moderator - The Reverend Jacquelyn Pinkowski Maury A. Castro Minister of Music
Class of 2011: Debbie Brown, Sue Steele, Courtney Savaria, Leslie Kelly Faith Education Director
Karen Harpe
Carlie D’Annunzio Financial Analyst
Class of 2012: John Buckley, Pat Carlson, Peg Drew, Chandlee
Gill Carla Fisk Administrative Assistant
Class of 2013: David Lanoue, Bonnie McCaig, Dan Rogers,
To Contact Us: you may call 518-272-2771
Trudi Wybourn
you may write to us at
The Board of Deacons
Class of 2011: Martha Juenger, Don Lutz, 1915 Fifth Avenue Troy, New York 12180
Marsha Mintz-Botsford, Pat Rudebush
Class of 2012: Bob Harrington, Bonnie Kerr, Courtney Savaria, or you may email us at info@unitedprestroy.org
Claudia Schwendeman
For pastoral emergencies call (518) 279-7401 or (406)794-
Class of 2013: Shirley Bowes, Steven Paul Bowes II, Dana
Crobok, Shirley Street
9360
or email Jackie@unitedprestroy.org