SWIFT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
A Church That Practices Fruitful Living
PASSIONATE WORSHIP
May 1 Pastor Jody Beth Melton preaches
The Lord’s Supper is celebrated
Worship at Live Oak Assisted Living at 1:00pm
May 8 John 17:20-26
Mother’s Day
Art in the Park Worship at 8:30am led by Pastor Jody Beth Melton
May 15 Pentecost Sunday
Wear red to celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit
May 22 Trinity Sunday
Preschool graduation during 10:00 worship
Graduate Recognition Sunday. If you know of any graduates please let the office know.
May 29 The beginning of a six-week look at Galatians
Pastor Keith’s Vacation
A reminder that Pastor Keith will be on vacation Wednesday, April 27 through Tuesday, May 3. He will be enjoying time with family and making a quick trip to Indianapolis. Contact your deacon, the church office or Pastor Jody Beth for pastoral care.
Worship Committee
Submitted by Kim Whitchard
HOLY WEEK AND EASTER: It was such a blessing to be part of Holy Week and Easter Services which were a very meaningful journey to Easter. Thank you, Pastor Keith, Lisa Cardwell (and choir), Pastor Jody Beth, and everybody else that made these services so special. It certainly met our Passionate Worship mission in re-creating Christ’s journey to the cross AND Resurrection. I hope that everyone was blessed. We are looking to re-create (improve upon) those services next year. Start thinking NOW about your contribution to these blessed experiences. The Sunday after Easter we also enjoyed Holy Humor Sunday which is an old tradition in the church to celebrate the Biggest JOKE ever played — the one on Satan where Jesus denied death. I hope to continue that tradition and find other times throughout the year that we can laugh and rejoice together as a Church Family.
May starts Communion by Intinction in both services from now on. We also have a number of exciting things in store for Worship over the next couple of months so plan to attend so you don't miss out.
Thank you for those of you who have volunteered to serve during Worship. If you are called to serve, I am still looking for Volunteers for Service during Worship. Not only is it a way of helping during the worship service, it is a way of serving the LORD. Please let me know if you would like to serve as greeters, acolytes, nursery workers. Thank you in advance.
Swift Church will provide “Worship at the Fountain,” Sunday, May 8th
You are invited to an outdoor “Worship at the Fountain” service at John B. Foley Park on the Sunday morning of the Art in the Park weekend, May 8th, 8:30am-8:50am. All are welcome to the service. Seating is limited, so folding chairs are welcome, too! Pastor Jody Beth Melton, Brother Don Dewrell, and Marvin King will provide worship leadership. Rain plan is to worship in the Gazebo.
Note: Swift Church will also have their 8:00am and 10:00am services at Swift Church that morning.
RADICAL HOSPITALITY
Swift Presbyterian Church’s “Two or More” Lunch Group
“Two or More” is a monthly ecumenical fellowship luncheon, open to all. We meet once a month, on the first Thursday of each month, at 11:30 am.
May 5th, we will meet at Captain’s Choice Restaurant in the Gulf Bowl. Please RSVP to Lee Mansell at 251-232-4775 to make a reservation.
Butterfly Girls and Guys’ Night Out
Thursday, May 19th, 6:30pm
Butterfly Girls and Guys’ Night Out are opportunities for us
to gather for a meal and fellowship, with no agenda and no commitments.
ALL ladies are invited to Butterfly Girls & ALL men are invited to Guys’ Night Out.
Our next gathering is Thursday, May 19th at 6:30pm.
The Girls will meet at L.A. Bar-B-Que.
And the Guys will meet at the Summerdale Diner.
RSVP to Susan and Daryl Pichoff, 251-213-9486.
Sunday Morning Fellowship Time Simplified
Sunday mornings the Deacons provide for a time of fellowship after the 10am service, which has most often been set up in the Fellowship Hall. Due to the work being done in there, the Deacons have been setting up on the porch area just outside the Sanctuary doors. This makes for lots of extra work! So that our Deacons can remain in worship longer, and especially while the Fellowship Hall is still being worked on, we are going to simplify what is offered.
Coffee and a cold drink will still be available, along with perhaps just one simple goodie to nibble on as we do what is most important…fellowship with one another!
If anyone would like to contribute a simple goodie one (or more) weeks, please contact one of the Fellowship Deacons: Beth Brewer, Brett Cooper and Tosha Thomas. And remember to thank them for setting up (and cleaning up!) our Fellowship Time week after week!
You are invited to a Play and Work Day
May 21 a family/youth party will be at the Kleinschmidts’ home. This gathering is a kick-off for the Christmas play planning. We hope the children and their parents come. There will be food, swimming and painting props for the play. Please RSVP Lynn Aspray 424-4551.
INTENTIONAL FAITH DEVELOPMENT
Board of Deacons Update
Your Deacons meet monthly for Bible study, training, business items, and prayer.
The Bible Study in April was on patience, and they will study patience again in May!
This year’s training has included Participation in Sunday Worship and In Home Communion, Effective Listening Skills and Praying in Groups using the ACTS prayer model: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.
Jack Williams coordinates monthly In-Home Communion teams, Beth Brewer, Brett Cooper and Tosha Thomas provide fellowship after worship, and the Congregational Care Deacons are Don Aspray, Lisa Cardwell, Marlene Hastings, Tresa Melton, Kathy Menk, Teresa Neese, Linda Runtz and Judy Walker. Please pray for them — they pray for you!
College and Adult Education Students
Please continue to pray for our college and adult education students:
Pate Cardwell, Columbia Southern University, On Line Bachelor of Applied Science in Fire Administration program
Rene Guidroz, University of South Alabama
Tessie Helton-Carrel, Faulkner State Community College, Culinary Arts Program (graduating)
Tracy King
Karely Kleinschmidt, Faulkner State Community College
Tara Morrow, Pensacola State College, Physical Therapist Assistant program to earn Associates Degree in Applied Science.
Philip Melton, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary, On Line Christian Leadership Program.
Zach Melton, Central Alabama Community College (graduating)
Karleigh Neese, University of South Alabama
Kathryn Rachel, graduated from University of West Florida
Tanya Vetrano, Criminal Justice, Faulkner State Community College
MISSION AND SERVICE
The Pentecost Offering will be collected on May 15th and 22nd. A gift to the Pentecost Offering helps the church encourage, develop, and support its young people, and also address the needs of at-risk children. 40% of the Pentecost offering can be retained by individual congregations wanting to make an impact in the lives of young people within their own community. The remaining 60% is used to support ministries of the Presbyterian Mission Agency:
- Young Adult Volunteers
- Ministries for Youth
- Children-at-Risk
- Pentecost Offering Financials
Look for the mission bulletin boards in the hallway outside the sanctuary and in the fellowship hall for updates on Swift missions. Thank you for all your prayers and monetary donations to our missions that do so much for others. As Winston Churchill said, “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
Mission Report
Submitted by Cathy Rogers
Jerry Goode gave a very informative presentation to the adult Sunday School classes and Moments for Missions about Living Waters for the World on April 17th. Jerry and Verniece were guests of Moe and Kathy Menk for the night and entertained them for lunch on Sunday, and Philip and Jody Beth were their hosts for their Saturday night meal. We were able to learn so much more about what our monetary support goes for that we collect through the 2 Cents a Meal offering on the 3rd Sunday of the Month. During the first quarter of the year, $653.62 has been offered to this mission. Please prayerfully consider putting a few dollars in the collection plate for this very deserving mission.
Allison Wehrung, Special Offerings Ambassador for our area, will again be visiting Swift on May 1st to do Minutes for Missions about the Pentecost Offering that will be taken on May 15th and 22nd. Allison visited Swift to give us information about the One Great Hour of Sharing offering that was collected at Easter. That collection amounted to $572. Thanks to all who supported that mission.
Fourteen families have been served at our food pantry so far this month. Bob Bergman and Linda Morrison volunteered at the April 13th distribution and Janelle Armbruster and Susie Alexander were food pantry volunteers for the April 27th distribution. On May 11th, Janelle Armbruster and Susie Alexander will again serve the food pantry. On May 25th, Jim and Linda Runtz will volunteer. May 1st will be our regular food pantry Sunday and the cupboard is bare. Items specifically needed are hot and cold cereals, canned fruit, spaghetti sauce, noodles, dry milk packets, soups, tuna helper, one step meals and paper products.
