SWIFT
PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH
NEWSLETTER
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The Practice of Passionate Worship
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Reverend Michael Moore
Interim Pastor
We are happy to announce that Reverend Michael Moore will be joining our church as interim pastor June 1, 2022. Reverend Moore, along with his wife Denise, are looking forward to getting to know our church family and serving with us during this time of transition.
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Sunday, April 3
Dr. Walter Lawrence
Communion Sunday - All are welcome at the Table.
Sunday, April 10 - Palm Sunday
The Reverend Lois Phelps
Please bring Palm branches.
A special service of scripture and hymns as we begin Holy Week.
Friday, April 15 at 6:00pm - Good Friday
Pastor Jody Beth and Philip Melton
The Good Friday Service will include scriptures, prayers, meditation, hymns, handbells, piano duet, Last Supper Communion, Tenebrae (the extinguishing of candles), placing our sins on the stripped Cross, and the tolling of the bell beside the Cross in the cemetery.
Sunday, April 17 - Easter Sunday! He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!
Dr. Walter Lawrence
Communion Sunday - All are welcome at the Table.
Scriptures, prayers, sermon, hymns, handbells, and piano duet.
- Decorate the Easter Cross with flowers from home
- Annual pictures in front of the cross
- Easter Lilies in Chapel and Sanctuary.
- Easter Breakfast provided by Deacons between services.
- Easter Egg Hunt after late service.
Sunday, April 24
Elder Kendall Loper
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Easter Sunday Breakfast
The Deacons will be providing Breakfast on Easter morning. We will serve the Handbell Choir at 8:30am and the congregation will be served at 9:00am. The Breakfast is a gift to you from your Deacon. Please come and "taste and see that the Lord is good!"
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The Swift Church Session met on March 20, 2022, opening the meeting with prayer by Rev. Bob Madsen, our guest moderator and Regional Executive Presbyter. Some highlights include:
- Finance committee reviewed the report for February, noting that we have had a couple of families give their tithe for the full year in that month accounting for an increase in donations.
- Approval of written reports.
- Reviewed an interim pastor candidate and voted to meet again on the topic in a called executive session meeting.
- Confirmed 8AM service in the chapel will continue as we have pulpit supply preaching and understand that there may be some occasions where we need to flexible with the availability of guest preachers.
- Discussed some storage challenges we are having and how to ensure that boxes, etc. are not impeding access to or resting on mechanical systems.
Our next meeting will be April 18, 2022 at 6:30PM
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IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER
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Join us for Clean Up Day - Friday, April 8
We will be cleaning the Prayer Garden and the flower beds. Contact Lynn Aspray at 251-424-4551 for more information or just show up ready to work!
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Step Away & Pray Prayer Group
9:00am
Wednesday,
April 6 & 13
Fellowship Hall
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Bible Study with Rev. Bert Tuggle
10:00am
Thursday,
April 7 & 14
Annex, Room 2
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Good Friday Service of Tenebrae
6:00pm on Friday, April 15
in the Sanctuary
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Church Session will meet at
6:30pm on Monday, April 18
in Annex, Room 2
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Deacons will meet at 10:00am on
Monday, April 25 in Annex, Room 2
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It's Directory Time
Over the past couple of years, maybe you have moved or discontinued your landline phone at home, so fill us in on how our church family can get in touch with you! Please update your contact information on the sheets that are available in the Chapel and the Sanctuary so we will have your correct contact information. If you have any questions, contact Susan Pichoff at tabfanatic@gmail.com or 251-233-9486. We will also be setting up some dates to take new directory pictures if you would like to update yours.
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Join Us For Fellowship
We invite everyone to join us for Fellowship Time, immediately following 10:00 service, in the Fellowship Hall. The Fellowship Deacons set out such items as cookies, cakes, cupcakes, donuts, fruit, etc, along with coffee, tea, hot chocolate, and other beverages.
We would like to offer you the opportunity to help by providing either a home-made treat or a store-bought treat for our fellowship time. If interested, we have a sign-up sheet in the fellowship hall, where you can sign up for a particular day or days in the upcoming months. We usually prepare for approximately 20 people. If you feel so called, we thank you for your service.
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Presbyterian Women Homecoming
The Presbyterian Women of the South Alabama Presbytery will have their Annual Spring Gathering on May 7, 2022 at the First Presbyterian Church in Bay Minette, Alabama.
Dee Koza will present the 2022-2023 Bible Study "Celebrating Sabbath" Accepting God's Gift of Rest and Delight by Carol M. Bechtel. Worship and Communion will be led by Dr. Anna Fulmer Duke.
Registration is from 9:30 - 10:00am and lunch will be served at noon.
The cost for the event is $15.00 (make checks payable to PW of South AL
and mail to: Judy Persons, 500 East Rose Street, Jackson, Alabama 36545
The deadline for registration is April 30, 2022.
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Presbyterian Home for Children
If you are interested in receiving information about the Home and their ministry though scheduled updates
and the Beginnings magazine, please email your information to Carl Martin, Manager of Development and Donor Relations at emartin@phfc.org.
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The Practice
of Radical
Hospitality
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Two or More Luncheon
Thursday, April 7 - Two or More luncheon attendees are encouraged to attend the Lenten Lunch Group.
Thursday, May 5 - Two or More will return to monthly gathering at the Bowling Alley
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BUTTERFLY GIRLS AND GUYS NIGHT OUT
Thursday, April 21 at 6:00pm
The Brick Oven (www.BrickOvenFoley.com)
21040 Miflin Road (County Road 20), Foley
We gather together once a month for great conversation and fellowship over dinner. Men and women sit separately. If you've never come, please consider joining us - it's a great way to get to know others in the church, and guests are welcome as well. Please RSVP to Mary McNair by text at 251-295-5267 or email at marymcnair@centurylink.net. Please provide the names of all for whom you are making the reservation and indicate any who would like a ride.
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The Practice
of Risk-Taking
Mission & Service
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Prayer Shawl Ministry
We will be starting a new Prayer Shawl Ministry, supported by the Swift Church Deacons. We are asking anyone who is interested in joining this group - whether you knit, crochet or quilt - to get in touch with Janelle Armbruster at janelleir@live.com or 715-292-5962.
Plans are for members to work on their own and meet once a month to review progress and offer names of prospective recipients. The initial organizational meeting will be on Monday, May 2nd
at 10:00 am in the Annex, Room #2.
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Food Pantry
The Food Pantry served
160 families and 343 individuals in March.
The Food Pantry is open every Wednesday from 10:00 - 11:00am.
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Swift Financial Assistance
If you are in financial need from lack of work, medical bills, or other reasons, please contact Pastor Jody Beth for assistance. Your generosity to the Pastors' Discretionary Fund allows us to provide those in need with financial support.
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The Practice
of Intentional Faith
Development
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Sunday School Classes will not meet on Easter Sunday as we join together for Easter Breakfast provided by our Deacons.
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Adult Sunday School Class Led by Cheryl
Cheryl's class meets in the Annex, Room 2 every Sunday at 9:00am.
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Snacks with Susan and Daryl
Join Susan and Daryl in the Fellowship Hall every Sunday at 9:00am.
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Youth Sunday School
Youth meet in the Annex, Youth Room every Sunday at 9:00am.
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ReFUEL
Wednesday April 20, 2022
6:00-8:00pm
at the Akins home
9132 Woodland Drive, Elberta, AL.
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The Practice
of Extravagant
Generosity
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Extravagant Generosity describes practices of sharing and giving that exceed all expectations and extend to unexpected measures. Thank you for your generous pledges and ongoing offerings. Your support and commitment to our church is greatly appreciated.
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Can you believe that it is April already?
We want our children to have great childhoods, filled with many experiences and memories. But when we try to do too much, try to go to every Easter Egg hunt offered in the city, what are we really doing? Easter is a time of re-birth. Like Christmas, sometimes the meaning of Easter gets lost in the hunts, candy and bunny. We can use those activities, the fun and excitement of dying eggs and chocolate bunnies, to tell the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. It takes small effort to use such activities to your advantage. Jesus' death is a harsh story, and the resurrection is hard to explain to a child, so use your resources to help explain those events. You will find that you will also come away with a renewed sense of Easter and the true meaning.
"The great gift of Easter is hope - Christian hope which makes us have
that confidence in God, in his ultimate triumph, and in his goodness
and and love, which nothing can shake." - Basil Hume
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Earth Day is Friday, April 22nd. Did you know that Earth Day started in 1970? This environmental movement began when Gaylord Nelson (then U.S. Senator from Wisconsin) saw a massive oil spill. He soon realized that he might be able to do something about the air and water pollution. An astonishing 20 million Americans took to the streets on April 22,1970 to demonstrate a healthy, sustainable environment and to protest the deterioration of the environment!
There are so many things we can do to help the environment. The Preschool, personally, is trying to use less electricity by turning off lights, as well as starting a recycling bin in the office. What are some things you can do at home? Well, you can turn off lights when you're not in the room, walk or ride a bike to nearby places, and recycle your milk jugs, plastic bags, paper, etc.!
We will be celebrating Earth Day this year by turning out the lights and eating lunch outside. Please pack picnic friendly lunches (this includes Capri Sun for lunch drinks)! Please join us at home by celebrating Earth Day by getting out and playing!
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Important dates:
- 4/4-4/6 Spring Break (No school)
- 4/14 Easter Egg Hunt
- 4/15 Good Friday (No school)
- 4/18 Spirit Day (Wear school T-shirt)
- 4/22 Earth Day/Picnic Day
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ADDRESS and PHONE UPDATES
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Chuck Carneal
New email address: ccarneal1943@gmail.com
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PLEASE PRAY FOR OUR MILITARY FAMILY MEMBERS
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Zane Brewer - US Marine Corp, Jacksonville, North Carolina
Dennis Trey Brown - US Army, Fairbanks, Arkansas
Jeffrey Cain - Coast Guard, Miami, Florida
David Esparza - US Marine Corp, Jacksonville, North Carolina
Cody Havel - USN, Jacksonville, Florida
Rich Kleen - Quantico, Virginia
Jeremy Rechkemmer - US Army
Jeremy Timm - Major, National Guard, Arkansas
Tarah Young - US Army, South Korea
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Pastor Jody Beth Melton
Assistant Pastor
jodybeth7@yahoo.com
251-213-6625
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Judy Walker
Administrative Assistant
swiftpc@gulftel.com
Sena Cooper
Administrative Assistant
swiftpc@gulftel.com
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Jessica Hammontree
Preschool Director
Lisa Cardwell
Director of Music
Jenni Cain
Pianist
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Church Office 251-943-8367
Church Website www.SwiftChurch.org
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