Congregational-Presbyterian Church Fund
College Scholarship Application
Application will be taken until May 15, 2021
Through the generosity of former and current members and friends of our congregation, a trust fund has been established for the purpose of furthering educational opportunities for members of our congregation and others who are or have been involved in the life and ministry of our church. The trust fund yields an annual interest which is used by our Congregational-Presbyterian Church Fund Ministry to award scholarships to students. The CPC Fund ministry is excited to announce that the application for our 2021 College Scholarship is now available. The CPC Fund Ministry has set the following guidelines:
1. The recipient must be a member of our congregation or active in the Congregational-Presbyterian Church youth program at the present time, or previously if now in college or going back to school.
2. The award is renewable annually upon application, for a maximum of four years, toward certification or an associate, bachelor or graduate degree.
3. Awards will be granted:
- Those graduating from high school and going on to college
- Current undergraduate and graduate students
- Those in vocational training
- Those in career changes
Applications are available in Fellowship Hall and the church office.
Programs
All programs will implement COVID-19 protocols including social distancing, the wearing of face coverings, and the use of hand sanitizer. Please do not attend if you have a fever or display any other symptom of the virus.
Senior Exercise – Welcomes everyone on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings, 9:00-9:45am in Fellowship Hall for low-impact exercise according to the “Fit and Fall Proof” method.
Women’s Association – We meet the second Monday of the month, 10am-12noon in Fellowship Hall. All women of the church are invited for fellowship, refreshments, a devotion led by one of our ladies, and a study on the Parables of Jesus led by Pastor Steve Wilbraham.
Monday Evening Women’s Bible Study – This study meets on the second and fourth Mondays of the month, 6:45-7:45pm downstairs in the Administration Building. Our current study is “The Fruit of the Spirit.”
Deep Roots: Theology for Today – Join Pastor McLane on Tuesdays at 3:00pm in the Chapel for a reading of important Christian texts aimed at enriching our lives today. Questions? Contact Pastor McLane at mclanes@congopres.org
Wednesday Men’s Bible Study – Meets weekly with Pastor Steve in Fellowship Hall, 6:45 – 7:45am. Join us for good fellowship around God’s Word as we study the book of Acts, and enjoy coffee and donuts.
Wednesday in the Word – Join us every Wednesday with Pastor Steve, 12:00-1:00pm in the Chapel, as he leads our discussion of the coming Sunday’s scripture passage.
MidWeek – Wednesdays, 6:00-7:00pm meeting in Fellowship Hall. Pastors Steve and McLane are teaching a Wednesday evening series on “Important Themes for Understanding and Reading Scripture” including such topics as Generosity, the Tree of Life, Justice, and the Day of the Lord.
Friday Morning Women’s Bible Study – We meet weekly on Fridays, 10-11am in the Chapel. All women are welcome to join. Jean Allen, 208.746.0557, coordinates this study. Note: We plan to begin meeting again in February.
DivorceCare – Sundays, 3:00-4:30pm meeting in Fellowship Hall. DivorceCare is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. Don’t go through separation or divorce alone. For additional information, contact Loa Vornholt at 509-295-3930; www.divorcecare.org.
Food Bank Sunday – On the third Sunday of each month we invite our congregation to bring food to Fellowship Hall and place it in the shopping cart. The food is delivered to the Lewiston “Community Action Food Bank” located at 124 New Sixth Street where those in need can go and be served.
Pastor Steve’s Annual Report Letter for 2020
Dear Church Family,
“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” The opening line of Charles Dickens’ novel, A Tale of Two Cities, seems an apt summary of this past year, easily the most unusual of my forty years in ministry. It was the best of times because, as a church, we ministered with one another in new and innovative ways without losing the foundational strength of who we are as the people of God who seek to love him and to love our neighbors as ourselves. It was the worst of times because the reality of COVID-19 kept us from being able to come together as we have in the past, limiting our interactions with each other and, for some, eliminating person-to-person contact altogether.
We learned about live stream and social distancing. We wore masks and practiced hygienic precautions. We stopped meeting, for a while, and then slowly and carefully found ways to be together, albeit with limits. And, through it all, we looked to the Lord to guide and encourage us along the way, and he blessed us as a congregation.
I want to thank the staff of our church for their faithful and caring stewardship of our life together during this difficult year. Associate Pastor McLane Stone took the lead on all things technical. He spearheaded the research and implementation of our live stream worship capability, learned the intricacies of video editing software, and did the work of providing weekly worship service recordings for our congregation. Beth Katzenberger guided our music ministry, blessing us with her vocal and instrumental leadership. Kelly Paynter showed us how to safely do ministry with our children, creating fun and innovative learning environments for our young ones.
Kathy Johnson, our Administrator, retired in April after serving our church for more than 25 years. This brought Lisa Huddleston onto our staff, and she has guided the finances of our church ably and effectively during these uncertain times. Also leaving our staff this past year was Jim McCracken, our Director of Senior Adult Ministry, when he took a position with Union Gospel Mission in Spokane. The job was more than ably filled by Mike Gabby as he returned to his former position of leading the ministry with our seniors. Rich Goodwin, our Facility Manager, continued his steady and insightful work on the maintenance and renovation of our church buildings and vehicles.
Our two secretaries, Anna Bruce and Bobbi Jo Sinner, also experienced significant changes to the way in which they did their work of supporting the ministries of our church, as did our custodian, Rich Kaiser. While office routines were altered and ministry needs changed, they remained flexible and always willing to do their very best for the church.
Leading our church during this complex year were the committed women and men of our Board. Dedicated to the ministry of our church under the Lordship of Jesus Christ who alone is Head of the Church, they guided us through the various stages of COVID-19 restrictions, making decisions for how best to provide ministry and service to our congregation and community, while maintaining high standards for health and safety. Often difficult decisions were made after prayerful and respectful discussions as they sought to “be the church” while they did the work of the church.
I am encouraged as I look to the coming year. We are a congregation of faithful, caring people who truly enjoy ministering together. Our church has a strong spiritual foundation on which God is building: we honor and study the Word of God, we practice prayer in our daily lives, we consider mission and outreach a priority, and we are committed to supporting all in our church – from the youngest to the oldest. While we may not know what the year will hold, we do know that our lives are in God’s hands. I am glad you are a part of our church family!
Yours in Christ, Pastor Steve
In-Person Worship
9:00 am Singing
Dear Church Family, July 15, 2020
The board of our church met last night, and the decision was made to open the church for in-person gatherings, including Sunday morning worship and weekday ministry activities. So, beginning this coming Sunday, July 19, we will meet in our Sanctuary for our two services: the 9am Contemporary Service and the 11am Traditional Service.
The board also adopted an Operational Plan for our church that lessens the risk of spreading COVID-19. The plan incorporates guidelines from the State of Idaho’s Protocols for Places of Worship and information from the Nez Perce County Office of Emergency Management. The primary elements of the Plan are as follows:
- Maintain appropriate social distancing. For Sunday worship we will have designated seating in the Sanctuary that will help to maintain distance by blocking off every other pew. We will also set up chairs in Fellowship Hall should we run out of space in the Sanctuary, with sound and video brought in from the Sanctuary. Worshippers from the same household will be able to sit together.
- Face coverings will be required. We ask that you bring your own, but we will have some available for those who don’t.
- Hand sanitizers will be provided and people will be encouraged to use them.
- High touch areas will be disinfected after each worship service and ministry activity.
- We ask that everyone self-monitor for fever and other symptoms of COVID-19 and refrain from coming to the church should you have any symptoms.
These actions are meant to protect each one of us from being exposed to or transmitting the coronavirus. We trust that we all recognize the importance of caring for each other in this way, not only as our social responsibility to one another but also in response to the will of our Lord who has instructed us in his Word to place the needs of others ahead of our own.
The board also approved the plan of our Children’s Ministry to offer Children’s Church during the 9am Service. Families with children fifth grade and younger will be asked to bring them to the children’s area under the Sanctuary before the service begins where our children’s ministry team will meet them. Our nursery for ages three and younger will be available during both services. Families in our church will be contacted by Kelly Paynter, our Director of Children’s Ministry, with more detailed information.
We are aware that there are some in our church family who will chose not to participate in worship or other ministry activities at this time, and we want to be sure you know that we understand your concerns. We are all a part of the spiritual family that is Congregational-Presbyterian Church regardless of whether or not we attend worship and ministry activities in person, and we value your participation in our church in whatever way you feel most comfortable.
In order to minister to those who chose not to attend worship, or who are unable to attend for whatever reason, we have invested in video and sound equipment and software that will allow us to livestream the worship services. Beginning this Sunday, each of the Sunday services will be available live on our church website, www.congopres.org. All you need to do is log on to the website at either 9am or 11am and click “livestream” on the home page. Should you wish to view the service at a later time, you will be able to do so from the same “livestream” page.
Please pray for the health and safety of all in our church. As we begin meeting again we know there will be a period of adjusting to this new way of doing things. While we look forward to the day when we can return to the way of meeting together that we so much enjoyed before this virus, may we do all we can today to care for one another in the spirit of Christ, our Lord and Savior who continues to bless us as a congregation.
Yours in Christ, Pastor Steve
11:00am Preaching