First Presbyterian Church Homewood 160th Anniversary

This evening we are celebrating the 160th Anniversary of our church and the One Hundreth Anniversary of the church's Women's Association.   

Tuesday Panera Bible Study

Flowers for the Sanctuary

Yes, it is time to think about Christmas decorations! The Worship Ministry Team invites you to participate in one of our traditions. It began as a simple gesture by individuals placing poinsettias in the sanctuary for the beauty of the Advent season. Over the past 57 years, members of our congregation have given poinsettias to commemorate or honor relatives, friends, or events. This year the tradition continues.

REMEMBER! REJOICE! REFLECT!

REMEMBER! REJOICE! REFLECT!

Mark the calendar! Saturday, November 17th, at 6:30 p.m. in Westminster Hall, the Women’s Association will sponsor the Celebration of the 160th Anniversary of the Church and the 100th Anniversary of the Women’s Association of the Presbyterian Church. There will be a chicken dinner, followed by a history program coordinated by Phil Dillman, our current church historian.

Remember, Rejoice, and Reflect is the theme of the evening. Several people are working with Phil on special years in the church history and will talk about that year and will reflect, rejoice, and remember what God has led us to do through the years. This should be a fun church family time, but guests are invited. Tickets are priced at $10 with children under 12 free.

Donations of desserts for the November 17th Dinner Celebration are needed. Please let Charlene Hansen know if you are able to bring a dessert.

160 YEARS

FROM THE PASTOR [December 19th is the birthday of First Presbyterian Church of Homewood. However, our celebration of 160 years will occur on November 17th with a dinner and pro gram. Rev. Dudley Elvery’s thoughts on past, present, & future set the scene well before going into the details of the celebration.

I spent at least two weeks each summer at my uncle’s house east of Tampa. Living on a lake meant he had boats. They first taught me how to row their 12 foot skiff. Since I had to row facing the stern, I learned to look at where I had been and line up two objects to keep the boat on a relatively straight course. As I mastered the row boat, I moved on to the water ski boat which could go 45 mph and was driven looking forward. Then the rite of passage called “getting my driver’s license” came, and I was at the wheel of the family car. Like the power boat and unlike the row boat, I drove mainly looking forward with occasional glimpses behind in the rear view mirrors. The only time I would spend a long time looking in the rearview mirror was to prepare to go backwards.

I realized that navigating a future direction for a congregation is much like driving a car. If we want to go for- ward, we spend more time looking out the windshield than in the rearview mirror. Sometimes we look forward just to be certain we’re following the road ahead of us.

Sometimes we have a particular need for fuel, food, or rest so we watch for signs along the way. Sometimes we know what our next turn will be so we watch for the intersection. Sometimes we are looking for new possibilities along the way so we look for upcoming attraction signs. Regardless, we go forward by looking forward.

So why would we even take time to look back? Looking back as we look for our route forward can help us if we look at how we decided our past directions. Asking what was important to us then that we need to carry forward gives clues. Core values were affirmed and acted on in the past, persist in the present, and shape the future. Looking back to reclaim and reaffirm our core values helps us know what to look for as we move forward.

s/ Dudley Elvery