Newly Added: 1988 Centennial Slideshow

In 1988, the First Presbyterian Church of Vernon, Texas celebrated its centennial. As part of the festivities, the church developed a narrated slideshow. That slideshow is now part of the internet age. You can find it here.

The slideshow runs about fifteen minutes and contains some rare audio of interviews with Mrs. Elliot and Mr. Sullivan. It's exciting to hear these voices from the past as the church looks toward the future.

Belize Mission Trip 2008

Five members of the First Presbyterian Church of Vernon,Texas are heading to Belize this week on an eight day mission trip. We are in partnership once again with Word at Work. We will be visiting orphanages, a prison, and a Presbyterian seminary. We will be working alongside Christians already there, doing the hard work of spreading the good news. Please keep Alice Tate, Julie, Letha, Valerie and James in your prayers.

Check out Word at Work's website. At the bottom of the page, click on the First Presbyterian Church's logo and read our web diary of the mission trip.

Meet the Members

Mark F and Cathy D are the owner/operators of the Vernon Plaza Theater. Cathy grew up in Vernon, and Mark grew up all over Texas in towns like Abilene and Waco before settling in Austin. They met in 2001 and were married three years later. Cathy has a master's degree in Speech Language Pathology and worked for many years in different private schools. Both she and Mark were active in the Austin theater scene, working with the Violet Crown Radio Players as founding members of the troupe. Mark also moonlights as an author (under the pen name Mark Finn). His most recent book, "Blood & Thunder: the Life and Art of Robert E. Howard" was nominated for the Locus Fan award for best non-fiction book and the World Fantasy Award.

Relay for Life

A message from Jack Frost III.

Can you believe that more than 1.3 million new cancer cases are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year? Those are staggering statistics, but there is hope. Each of us can do something to save lives and help those already fighting this disease. That's why I've decided to take action against cancer by supporting the American Cancer Society Relay For Life® event right here in my community.

Relay For Life is an overnight event that brings our community together to help support the American Cancer Society and its lifesaving mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. The Society works hard every day to prevent cancer and save lives by supporting groundbreaking research, affecting public policies that protect us from cancer, and educating people on how to prevent or detect cancer early. The Society helps people with cancer right here in our own community. And our efforts at Relay For Life can help the American Cancer Society to keep working toward a cancer-free future.

I want to invite you to show your support in the ongoing fight against cancer by joining us for this year's event. Please click on the link below for more information, including details on the inspirational Survivors' Lap and the moving Luminaria Ceremony. We hope to see you there! If you can't join us, will you please visit the site and make a donation to support our efforts? Either way, you will make a real difference in the lives of people facing cancer and in the lives of the people who love them. Thank you!

For state fundraising notices and the American Cancer Society's Privacy Policy, please paste this link into your browser: http://www.cancer.org/docroot/SU/su_0.asp

Click here to visit my personal page.

From the personal page...

My mother, Debra L. Frost, lived for two years with Stage 4 breast cancer. Her struggle was long and very hard. She never truly let on exactly how hard it was due to the fact that she knew my entire family drew our strength directly from hers. Without my mothers strength and resolve through her experience my family would have struggled to make it.

I believe that it is people like my mother that give cancer victims, cancer patients, and cancer survivors meaning and hope.

My mother lost her fight on November 16, 2007. I believe that without warriors like Debra L. Frost, we would all struggle to make it through our war on Cancer.

Elders as Spiritual Leaders

The March 2008 edition of "Presbyterians Today" (a denominational publication) has an article entitled "Elders as Spiritual Leaders"

http://www.pcusa.org/today/believe/2008/elders.htm

Here is an excerpt...

"Consider the spiritual vitality that might blossom within congregations if elders would give as much time and attention to providing models for discipleship and evangelism as they give to governance and discipline."

Mentoring

Building One Another: A Letter of Encouragement (I Thessalonians 5:11)

January 15, 2008
Volume 7, No. 3 Mentoring

Dear Friend,

In the midst of the epic story that unfolds in the Book of Acts there is what seems to be a small aside:

“Now there came to Ephesus a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria. He was an eloquent man, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the Way of the Lord; and he spoke with burning enthusiasm and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue; but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the Way of God to him more accurately.” Acts 18:24-26 (NRSV)

Certain matters just jump out of this story. Priscilla and Aquila were not threatened or jealous of the fervor and knowledge of Apollos. Instead they mentored him and sent forth a servant of Christ to use his incredible gifts.

Who are you mentoring? Into whose life are you encouraging life on life? If you have children, surely they are on your list. Who else?

Priscilla and Aquila could have excused themselves, “We’re too busy, the house is a mess, he has rough edges,” and done nothing. Instead, they mentored Apollos by spending their lives with him.

They focused on him. Invited him into their home – hung out with him. Shared their heart with him and so shaped his understanding of the faith.

Surely there is someone in your life that you could mentor. Why not begin with one?

“Iron sharpens iron, and one person sharpens the wits^* of another.” Proverbs 27:17

With joy

E. Stanley Ott

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E. Stanley Ott is pastor of the Pleasant Hills Community Presbyterian Church and president of the Vital Churches Institute and Vital Faith Resources. As author and teacher, Stan has communicated practices of congregational vitality and leadership to thousands of people throughout the United States and abroad.

Copyright 2008 E. Stanley Ott

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Royalty free stock photography for websites, PowerPoint, newletters, forums, blogs, schools and homework - FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Mission Trip to Belize in June 2008

A Message from Tim Tam of Word at Work:

Well, a few of your members got to participate on a Vision Trip with All Saints Church of Amarillo and were able to get a glimpse at our work in Belize.

Are you ready to launch a bigger assault?

The folks from All Saints are planning a mission trip for the 2^nd week in June and would like to invite you to join them again.

Here’s what I know so far about what you will be doing.

Staying at Banana Bank.

Construction on a home or church in the Valley of Peace.

Time at orphanages nearby…..also some of you will deliver fish to all the orphanages and elderly homes.

Final debrief on Ricardo’s island.

Of course there will be opportunities to see what is going on in the Burial Grounds and visit the prison and Mayan ruins if desired.

You can also visit your old friends the Pechs, Cann family, Benjamin, and work in the schools

FYI: This week a church from Clovis is in the Valley and they have a Doctor of speech pathology that will be examining Magdalina.

Trevor was at my house last week end and sliced his toe chopping firewood……it is all fine now and he joined his church in Belize on Sunday.

So, What do we need to do next?

Tim Tam

USSV Needs for February 2008

We collect for United Samaritan Services of Vernon every Communion Sunday. As Christ has shared his life with us, let us share with one another. Here is a current list of needed supplies:

• Brown paper grocery bags
• Tuna
• Macaroni & cheese
• Dried beans
• Peanut butter

Please also keep in mind that USSV often fills the needs that public assistance cannot provide. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS CANNT BE PURCHASED WITH FOOD STAMPS:

• Hygiene items
• Bar soap
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrushes
• Deodorant
• Dish soap
• Laundry soap

A Christmas Carol on the Radio

Join us for a new Christmas tradition, old time radio. The First Presbyterian Church in partnership with the Vernon Community Players presents Dickens' A Christmas Carol this Sunday, December 23 @ 5pm and Christmas Eve, December 24 @ 8pm on KVWC radio, 103.1 FM.

The First Presbyterian Church is a proud sponsor of this classic story of redemption. Whether you have heard the story a hundred times or you have never heard it before, we hope that you will enjoy spending time with that “squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old sinner”, Ebenezer Scrooge. One Christmas Eve, he learns the answer to the question, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?” (Matthew 16:26).

Cathy Day and Mark Finn directed this radio adaptation by Orson Wells. Ben Macklin stars as Ebenezer Scrooge.

Handel's Messiah Thank You

A big thank you to the choir this Advent season as we have made an offering of the music from Handel's Messiah. We are especially thankful for those folks from other churches who helped. Together we saw a witness that Christ is not divided. The Church is truly one. We are certainly blessed. I especially appreciate Mary Jane E's hard work as director and Lance B's countless hours on the Sunday School lesson and on the organ. God bless all of you this Christmas season.

As a Christmas treat, here is the Oxford Choir Choir singing "For Unto Us a Child is Born".