First Presbyterian Church
2016 - Our 56th Year
2017 - Our 57th Year
482 Tequesta Drive
Tequesta, FL 33469
561-746-5161
Holiday Issue
2017 Issue No. 1
December 2016 - January 2017
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sunday - December 4
Sunday - December 4
Sunday - December 11
Sunday - December 17
Sunday - December 18
Saturday - December 24
Sunday - December 25
Tuesday - January 17
Sunday - January 29
In This Issue
Communion Sunday
3:00 p.m. Pastor Dan Commerford Installation Service
4:30 p.m. Christmas Concert
7:00 p.m. Flute Concert
6:00 p.m. Live Nativity on the lawn
3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Christmas Eve Services
Christmas Sunday
Beacon Deadline for items to be included in next Beacon issue
11:30 a.m. Presbyterian Women Special Dinner
Page(s)
2-3
4
5
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6
7-8
9
10-11
12-13
14
15
16-17
18-21
22-23
24-25
26
27
Description
Dan Commerford - Celebrating Advent
Christmas at First Presbyterian
Wednesday Bible Study continues in January
Adult Sunday morning Bible Study
Preschool News
Family Ministries
Trunks, Treats and Eats
Annual Church Picnic
Youth Group
Session Report and Building and Grounds
Mission Report and Generations Bible Study
Music
Turtle River Great Banquet #3 and #4
Presbyterian Women
New Members
Tropical Flutes and November Christmas Present
Birthdays
Page 2
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Celebrating Advent
Every year
Rachel and I begin the Christmas season the
Friday after
Thanksgiving by
taking out all of
our ornaments
and putting up
the Christmas
tree while listening to Christmas
music. This is
just one way we
celebrate the
Christmas seaDaniel Commerford,
son together.
Pastor
Now that
Hannah has made our family bigger and
better we have begun new Christmas traditions that are aimed to help her experience the
festivity of the season. I know all of you have
traditions of your own to mark the holiday
season. For that reason, Christmas season is
primarily regarded as a time to get together
with family and give gifts to those we love.
But the period between Thanksgiving
and Christmas is much more than the
“Christmas season.” The four weeks preceding Christmas day is known as Advent which
is a time to anticipate God’s very own presence in this world in Jesus Christ. Advent is a
time to prepare for the coming of our Messiah
and to look forward to the fulfillment of
God’s promises for humanity. Advent is also
a time of spiritual renewal where we can reflect on our need for a savior. It’s is a time for
commitment, as we proclaim how Christ has
transformed our lives. Advent is marked with
a special kind of waiting, hope and anticipa-
tion for our Lord Jesus Christ to come to us.
For this reason, the way we celebrate Advent
is distinct from the way we celebrate Christmas. Here are a few ways we can celebrate
Advent.
1. Do a daily Advent devotion: Daily devotionals are always a great way to connect to
God between Sundays. In the same way, taking a few minutes everyday during Advent to
devote to our relationship with God will help
keep the focus of the season where it is meant
to be. Devotions can be done alone, with family, with friends, or with brothers and sisters in
Christ at church. If you want a free devotional series, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary
has one that is written by their alumni who are
now serving as pastors. You can find it at
www.pts.edu/devotional_1
2. Pray every day: Christmas season is
often filled with family events, work parties
and shopping for gifts. Many people may feel
that the Christmas season is the busiest of the
year. Advent, on the other hand, is a time to
get away from the busyness of our lives in order to connect or reconnect with God. While
our daily devotions help us grow closer to
God through intentionally building our faith,
prayer is the conversation we have with God
that really makes our faith come to life! Praying with family, close friends or one-on-one
with God is a wonderful way to celebrate Advent. Pick out a time each day and devote it
to talking with God.
3. Assemble a crèche and other decorations: Christmas is often marked by its most
popular symbol, the Christmas tree. I am sure
that all of us have some sort of Christmas tree
in our home during the Christmas season. But
a crèche (nativity scene) can serve as a tangible reminder that Advent is about the coming
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 3
Pastor Dan - Celebrating Advent - - continued...
of Christ as a baby in a manger. As a father I
have been amazed by how observant Hannah is of her surroundings. I am constantly
talking to her about what she sees and now
look forward to telling to her about Christ
every time she looks at the nativity and Advent decorations we put up in our home.
Having this reminder to see in our homes
every day helps keep our mind on the true
meaning of Christmas.
4. Give to the needy: It’s impossible to
anticipate Christ without taking his message
to heart. Christ came into the world because
of the hospitality of an innkeeper who gave
refuge to a pregnant girl who had nowhere
to sleep for the night. In the same way,
Christ calls all of us to care for those who
are less fortunate. In that light, Advent is a
season for us to share the Good News of
Christ’s arrival with those who need it the
most. As a church family we are buying
Christmas Angel gifts for the children we
support at the Real Life Children’s Ranch in
Okeechobee as well as children in need
through the Jupiter Community Center. Consider participating in both of these mission
opportunities.
5. Come to church! Christmas Eve is traditionally one of the highest-attended services of the year. For many, it’s one of the
most meaningful parts of the Christmas season. But Advent is an entire season to grow
closer to our brothers and sisters in Christ
and is not meant to be celebrated alone! This
is a time for all of us to come together as a
family to prepare for Christ’s arrival together. Just as we use the Christmas season
to get together with our own families, our
family at First Presbyterian Church of Tequesta has many opportunities to gather and
prepare for Christ’s arrival. Whether you
haven’t missed a worship service this year or
have yet to make it to one, come celebrate Advent with us.
6. Embrace our hope in Christ: As a nation we seem to be in a season of unparalleled
cynicism. This past election has shown how
divided we are and how little we are willing to
come together for a purpose greater than our
own desires. Many feel that we are walking in
darkness. But in Christ, we are reminded that
God has given us the Light of the world! Advent is a season for us to embrace God’s love
that was shown to us in the revelation of Jesus
Christ. That’s a love that is stronger than our
failures, shows us the best way to live, and
gives us hope of eternal life. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light! More
now than ever, Advent is a season for us to
embrace the Good News of Jesus Christ and
proclaim it to the world.
I am looking forward to journeying the Advent season with you for the first time this
year! It’s a wonderful season that culminates
when God’s love is fully revealed on Christmas morning. Until then, may Advent be a
time of hope, renewal, and excitement for all
of us.
Blessings,
Page 4
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Christmas at First Presbyterian Church.
Christmas Concert - Sunday December 11
Christmas Eve - Saturday December 24
Live Nativity - Sunday December 18
Christmas day - Sunday December 25
December 2016 - January 2017
Wednesday Bible Study Continues in January!
Come join the adult Bible study class
Family,
We are pausing in the study of Matthew to have a four-week
study of advent. After Advent, we will return to our study of
Matthew.
God bless,
Ken Sloan
Page 5
Page 6
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Preschool News !
As you could have guessed the preschool
is very busy this time of year. We have so
Merry Christmas from the
“little elves” at the Preschool.
much fun preparing for the special birth of
Jesus! We have once again participated in
“Samaritan’s Purse Shoe Box Ministry”
along with the church and have enjoyed so
much sharing Jesus love with less fortunate
children. We are learning to have “generous
hearts”. Our Christmas program was once
again a beautiful evening with lots and lots
of families gathered to hear us sing Christmas songs
January will be a time of beginning fresh!
Our Fitness Fridays will begin once again on
the 13th and run through April. On these Fridays we go out to the field and exercise with
a special fitness coach and learn how the
proper nutrition and exercise makes us
healthy and strong!
We will also be talking about the season
of winter and the colors blue and white and
snowflakes!
This is also the time that we re-register for
the school year starting September 2017!
My, how time flies when you are having
fun!! And we are!!
May God
Bless us All !
Penny Rogers,
Preschool Director
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 7
Family Ministries
The Family Table
Thanksgiving is
my favorite holiday
of the entire year.
It’s the one special
day that isn’t focused around stuff,
but rather the family and friends that
surround the framework of our lives.
Now don’t get me
Crystal Botha
wrong…I love
Christmas and
Director of Family
Easter and those
Ministries
days are also very
special because
they represent the birth and resurrection of our Lord
and Savior, however it is often discouraging to me that
so much emphasis is placed on the secular. People who
aren’t even Christians celebrate Christmas just because
it’s a pretty holiday and a good excuse to go shopping.
I absolutely love Thanksgiving, though, because my
children come home from college, the grandparents
come over, and we share a few days of just being together. It’s all about relationships. Some of my best
memories of family time are at Thanksgiving. I get
great pleasure out of preparing a table for my loved
ones. Cooking, serving and entertaining for many people is something I really enjoy. It’s such a treat to see
the look on my dad’s face when the sweet potato casserole comes out, the smell of the turkey, and the yummy
smiles that pop up all around the room when dessert is
served. And then there’s the family picture. It’s the one
time in the year when we can all get together and snap
a photo that will be cherished for years to come.
I can remember one Thanksgiving that wasn’t ideal,
though. It was the very first time as a single parent that
I had to let my children be with their father during
Thanksgiving following our divorce. I didn’t really
know how that was going to affect me, but it was
tough….to say the least. I was able to spend that
Thanksgiving with my best friend and her family in
Tennessee and it was that day that I learned not only
the value of family, but the true value of friendship.
The love that they extended to me on a very difficult
day was overwhelming. Her dad reassured me that I
was a part of their family and it made the emptiness
I was experiencing turn into an act of loving kindness.
I often wonder why we don’t place more importance on the family table following our Thanksgiving feasts. If it’s really that great, shouldn’t we
strive to replicate that sense of family all throughout
the year? We live in a world that seems to be fueled
by social media and our surface relationships with so
many people can be shallow and meaningless. Full
schedules and fractured families prevent us from
spending quality time with the people we love the
most, much less a family meal gathered around the
same table. We are guilty of focusing our time and
energy on facebook feeds instead of the person
standing in front of us at home. Furthermore, if we
can’t find time for the people we love, where is Jesus in the midst of all that?
Scripture has so much to teach us about what
good relationships look like. The Bible gives us so
many wonderful examples of relationships that are
fueled by love and acceptance instead of selfish ambition or convenience. And, although we frequently
find flawed individuals in the Bible, we can be reminded that everyone struggles with the same things
in life. We all struggle with sin and doubt.
In the same way my best friend’s family took me
in that one Thanksgiving and taught me more about
friendship and acceptance than I ever thought possible, the Bible teaches us that Jesus wants to be in
friendship with us. He calls us into a relationship
with Him. Jesus wants us to get to know him better,
and just like we share every detail of our lives with
our closest friends, we too should share those things
with Jesus. Every worry, every celebration, every
doubt, every hurt, every tear and every joy we ex-
Page 8
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Family Ministries Continued….
perience should not be experienced alone. When we
grow in our relationship with Jesus, it becomes possible for us to develop relationships with others that
reflect the great love that Jesus has for us. In John
15:12-15 we are reminded of this, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have
loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that
someone lay down his life for his friends. You are
my friends if you do what I command you. No longer
do I call you servants, for the servant does not know
what his master is doing; but I have called you
friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I
have made known to you."
Jesus walked alongside the people he ministered
to, not in front of them. He shared their burdens and
their sorrows, their struggles and sickness. He laid
hands on people and prayed for them. He broke
bread with his disciples and treated them as friends.
He made a way for the children to come to him. In
preschool chapel we sing this cute little song called
“Jesus is my best friend.” It’s a really simple song
with a great message. Jesus is my best friend, he’s
always there for me. Every day of the week. 24/7.
That’s what a best friend is!
This holiday season I’m going to try to be a better
friend. I’m going to try to strengthen my friendship
with Jesus so that I can strengthen my relationships
with my family and friends. Above all, I’m going to
try to extend the same grace that is freely given to
me to the people I share relationships with. And I
know that ultimately that will be the greatest gift of
all. Most of all….I am going to remember to set a
place for Jesus at the head of our family table.
Thankful blessings,
Family Ministries Calendar
The fall season is upon us! We are enjoying the cooler weather and the seasonal events that come with it. We started
off late October with a great fall festival, the Trunks, Treats & Eats. Many families from our local community filled their
trick or treat bags with canned goods to help the hungry. We were able to collect a sizeable donation to give to CROS
Ministries. Children enjoyed trick or treating, costume contest, a hayride, and cupcake walk. Many thanks to the Presbyterian Women for providing the cupcakes again this year.
Our Sunday School classes have begun working on Advent and Christmas music to share with the congregation, and
we look forward to hearing a special performance from our Youth Music on Dec. 18th. This year we are having a Christmas Cookie Fundraiser on Dec. 11th to benefit our children and families who will be attending Cedarkirk this year.
Please support this effort by purchasing a delicious plate of homemade cookies after church in the courtyard. We are also
eagerly anticipating this year's Live Nativity on Dec. 18th. Remember to bring a lawn chair and enjoy the telling of the
Real Christmas Story with live animals. Anyone interested in participating should contact the Office of Family Ministries. We will be fitting for costumes on Nov. 27th and Dec. 4th. And, last but not least we can't wait to share Christmas
Eve with you at either 3:00pm or 7:00pm and then again on Sunday morning! Children are encouraged to dress comfy
and just wear their pajamas to church on Christmas morning for a service of carols and prayers.
Nov. 27th Live Nativity Costume Fitting (after worship)
Dec. 4th Live Nativity Costume Fitting (after worship)
Dec. 11th Christmas Cookie Fundraiser (after worship)
Dec. 18th Children's and Youth Music in Worship @10:00am
Dec. 18th Live Nativity @6:00pm on the front lawn
Dec. 24th Christmas Eve services @3:00pm and 7:00pm
Dec. 25th Christmas morning service and Pajama Day!
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 9
Trunks, Treats and Eats
Scary Youth
Winnie the Pooh Commerfords
The Cone Family
The Frog car
The O’Neill Pirates
Page 10
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Fellowship and Special Events
We hope you didn’t miss the Annual Church Picnic !!
The Annual Church Picnic held on Sunday, October 16 at the Jupiter Beach Pavilion was a wonderful success. The weather cooperated until mid afternoon when the dark clouds formed over the ocean and it was time
to clean up and start for home. The picnic photos show the fellowship among the 80 plus adults and 40 plus
children, many who came from the Real Life Children’s Ranch. We had an abundance of hamburgers and hot
dogs, chips for all, plenty of desserts and various sodas and water. The children enjoyed youth games, tug of
war and plenty of prizes. Many adults enjoyed similar games. The photos show a few of the happy faces at the
picnic. Many thanks to Jane Speak, our photographer.
Picture of worker bees
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 11
Fellowship and Special Events
Annual Church Picnic...continued
Picture of 3 girls with Liano on right
Picture of Marilym Mote with
Joani
Pictures of Diane Beach
Respectfully submitted by
Joani R. Thomas,
Co-Chairman
Joani Thomas,
Fellowship Committee Chair
Fellowship and Special Events Committee
coming events:
Sunday December 4 at 3 pm: Pastor Dan’s Installation Service
with Reception to follow
Page 12
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
New table games for Youth Group
I would like to start off by saying a big THANK
YOU to Fred Cone and David Sloan for giving up 6
hours on a Saturday to help the Youth Group get
new games for the Youth Room. First Presbyterian
of Ft. Lauderdale gave away a full-sized air hockey
game and a foosball table. Fred and David went
accomplish
all of this.
Thank you
also
to
Marty Harn
who helped
put
the
games back
together with Fred on Sunday. The Youth Group loves
these games and we are so thankful for such thoughtful
people who helped make this happen. Thank you!!
Youth Group has been very busy the past two
months. They helped with the games during the church
picnic, they sponsored a car at Trunks, Treats and Eats,
they taught the elementary Sunday school students on
Sunday, November 20 and they donated items for and
put together two Operation Christmas Child shoebox
gifts, one for a teenaged boy and one for a teenaged
girl.
down to Ft. Lauderdale with me, took the machines
apart, loaded them into Fred’s truck, and then
unloaded them at our church. As you can imagine,
they were very heavy and it took a long time to
Over the last couple of months during Sunday school
and Evening Youth Group, we have learned about many
of our Biblical ancestors, including Deborah, Samson,
Ruth, David, Solomon, and Elijah. The curriculum we
are using, re:form Ancestors, is amazing and makes it
so much fun for the kids to learn about the Bible. The
kids built Solomon’s temple using spaghetti and marshmallows, they learned about Elijah passing his mantle
of ministry to Elisha by building an obstacle course us-
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 13
!
Youth Group continued
Learning about King David with added balloon fun
In December, the Youth Group will have a Christmas
party and we are planning to go to the movies. They will
also be helping with the Live Nativity the evening of
December 18th and with Jesus’ birthday party during
Sunday school that morning. We are going to have a
lock-in again on New Year’s Eve. And in January, we
will be going to Cedarkirk with the families.
The Presbytery has also started a Youth Group Task
Force and I attended the first meeting in November. We
have already planned two events for 2017, a campout in
January and the Spring Retreat in April. We are looking
forward to worshiping and making friends with kids of
other Youth Groups in our area.
Operation Christmas Child
ing furniture and pillows, and they acted out a political campaign ad by forming two groups, a ProDavid group and an Anti-David group, who gave
their reasons why we should all vote for or against
David. The timing was a God thing since we were
right in the middle of our political season for our
new president and the kids had many ads to rely on
for their side’s advertisement. We are enjoying our
current curriculum and will be learning about the
New Testament ancestors in the next couple of
months.
Our Youth Group is full of such amazing kids and we
are all learning so much through our Bible study, mission trips and conversations that we have about everyday life. I am looking forward to what looks to be a
very busy Christmas and New Year season!
.
God is good!
God is Good!
Shannon Sloan
Trevino
Director of Youth
Ministries
Page 14
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Session Report: (A lot of ) "Business as Usual"
Most of what our Session does never gets into print
because we assume you'd think the nitty gritty business of operating the church is, um, too boring. But
somewhere along the way you ought to know that 18
(volunteer) elders are slogging away at making this a
better place in which to worship.
At the November meeting, for example, we pleaded
for usher coordinators, signed up Communion servers,
planned new events, prepared for annual staff evaluations, discussed the 2017 budget, heard ideas on how
to improve the next Strawberry Festival and fretted
because a new visitor couple complained that nobody
even said boo to them after worship. What you also
don't see is the hand-wringing when we don't have
enough money and the scrums that go on when we
happen to get a bequest. Meanwhile, here are some
items that we'd like you to know about this month:
The Sanctuary has a splendid new sound system. New sophisticated microphones from pulpit to
choir loft to the back control console. Cost: about
$7,000. Thanks to all who donated to make the sanctuary additions possible.
Please check out the upgraded church web site.
It was presentable before, but we didn't always keep it
up to date. Now Elder/Youth Ministries Director
Shannon Trevino will be in charge of making sure we
do. Look for back sermons and issues of The Beacon
to go digital as well.
A new employee handbook will soon emerge,
thanks to grinding, grueling work by Elder Michael
Barry and his Personnel and Planning Committee. Our
present version (circa 1993) needs to catch up to
changes in health care, wage-hours laws and umpteen
regulations.
The Church Preschool will get new tile flooring
throughout its offices and classrooms thanks to the Session's decision to allocate up to $20,000 from the Reserve Fund. The Session also agreed to ask the Church
Foundation to provide funds to replace the Preschool's
aging playground equipment.
Keep your fingers crossed. Consultants will soon
be examining every section of the church roof. Frequent leaks and patch-ups in recent years have raised a
red alert that we may need a completely new roof ere
long. (If you've ever re-roofed your own home, just
take what you paid and multiply it by what you see
covering the church.)
Spending surprises (see above) have whittled the
church operating budget. As of October 31, the
$20,000 that had been budgeted as a surplus for 2016
had shrunk to about $6,800.
Treasurer Scott Rippe is forecasting a year-end deficit of
around $9,000 barring "a significant increase in unplanned income."
We gained eight new members last month. Total membership now stands
at 307.
Jim Snyder,
Clerk of Session
Building and Grounds
CLEAN-OUT DAY: A special “Thank you,” to
Lynn Weidman for organizing Church Clean-Out Day
on October 1st. A lot of not-needed items were discarded. We are blessed with several members who put
their organization and planning skills to work throughout the church. Thank you, Lynn, and all of you who
helped.
MAINTENANCE WORK: Our church is now 56
years old. That means all of our buildings, even the
newer additions, are showing their age. Every week
something needs to be replaced or repaired. Due to age
and attrition, our crew of faithful workers has grown
smaller. If you have carpentry, plumbing, electrical or
other property maintenance skills, we need your help. If
you are not able to be involved on a regular basis, let us
know your area of expertise, and we will call on you
when we have a need. If you’d like to join us on a
regular basis, we meet at church on Wednesday mornings at 8:30 a.m., after the Men’s Breakfast.
ROOF: Another leak has appeared in the hallway
to the music room. This is a difficult area because it is
where old and new buildings are joined. We will ask
our roofing consultant to evaluate this area to see if any
design changes need to be made in conjunction with the
re-roofing of Shaffer Hall, which will be done in 2017.
One of the two large a/c units on the roof of Shaffer
Hall will be replaced at that time.
Jane Speak, Co-chair, Building &
Grounds Committee
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 15
Mission Committee outlines mission opportunities
We fundraised another $24,000 and if we put a
monetary value on all other contributions of gifts,
food, feeding the needy and school supplies it comes
to roughly $17,000. That gives us a total of $96,000
for missions in your church.
This means that almost $1 in every $4 dollars goes
African Havens
towards missions. This is a wonderful ratio and we
should all rejoice and praise the Lord for this accomTwo Presbyterian Churches in Johannesburg, South
plishment. Aside from the money, countless volunteer
Africa
Family Promise of North/Central Palm Beach County hours have been contributed so that those who need
Real Life Children’s Ranch in Okeechobee
help can receive it through the hands and feet of the
Turtle River Great Banquet
body of Christ.
The year is not quite over and there is still an opportuPresbyterian Relief Work
nity to give through the Christmas Angel Gifts.
Edna Runner Tutorial Center in West Jupiter
Be on the lookout for the Christmas Angel Tree in the
Thanksgiving meals for the needy
courtyard after Thanksgiving.
We are a small church with a very big heart. It is evi- Thanks again and let’s make next year an even greater
dent that our reach touches not only the local commu- one.
nity, but those world-wide. The church has a plate
and pledge budget of +/- $435,000
Clive Botha
and this year we had a $55,000 budget for missions.
Chair, Missions Committee
As we are approaching the end of the year the Missions committee would like to thank everyone for
their help and participation in all the projects that we
embarked on this year. We are happy to report that we
have made a positive impact towards the following:
Saturday Fellowship now “Generations Bible Study”
Saturday Fellowship Bible Study is now Generations
Bible Study. We are a cross generational Bible
study that is lay-led and everyone is welcome. We
meet one Saturday each month and start the night
with a potluck dinner and fellowship. After dinner,
the children go into the sanctuary and the adults remain in Shaffer Hall. Because the children and
adults study separately, you do not have to have
children to attend. Currently, the youngest person
who fellowships with us is eight and the oldest is 75.
And we welcome the ideas and perspectives that all
of the generations bring. This is a relaxing, fun and
friendly way to learn more about the Bible and we
would love to have you join us.
We will be meeting on the following Saturdays in
the first part of 2017: January 7, February 18, March
11, April 8 and May 13. We meet in Fellowship
Hall at 5:30 p.m. for dinner and then have our Bible
study from 6 -7. We buy a main dish and everyone
brings a side dish to compliment it.
We are having our Christmas party this year at the
Overfield’s house in Tequesta on Saturday, December 3rd and everyone is welcome. If you are interested in joining us, please email Shannon Trevino at
[email protected] or call her at 561-7078045 for further details. This is a great way to get to
know our group in a festive atmosphere. And if you
would like to know more about future meetings or
would like to be added to the email list, contact
Shannon at the information above.
2015 Christmas Party at Botha’s
Page 16
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Music program - Preparing for the Christmas Concert
worship experiences will come alive because of the
inspiring music.
Our Chancel Choir will be featured each Sunday
and in the concert on December 11 at 4:30 p.m.
The Hand Bell Choir will perform on December 4
during worship as well as special appearances at both
Christmas Eve services — December 24th at 3 pm
and 7 pm. You will want to be there!
Looking back over the last few weeks, we have many
to thank for special music which was offered in addition to the Chancel Choir. Lynne Spotts’ rendition
of “I’ll Walk With God”; Amy Jamison Curell from
Hobe Sound playing her stunning violin rendition of
“Amazing Grace”; our Hand Bell Choir; Audrey
Destito (French Horn soloist) accompanying a choir
anthem; Galen Rowe and Melina Crider, trumpet
Allison Sullivan Solo
Psalm 9:1, 2----“I’m thanking you, God, from a full heart,
I’m writing the book on your wonders.
I’m whistling, laughing, and jumping for joy:
I’m singing your song, High God.”
Greetings from your music department! As we head
into the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons, we pray
that you will “catch” the joy expressed in the above
translation from the Psalms. Many musicians have
been rehearsing beautiful music for the weeks ahead
and we hope that you will be blessed and that your
duo; and Allison Sullivan’s lovely solo interpretation
of “Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart”. We
are truly blessed to have such fine music every Sunday.
We look forward to seeing you every Sunday and to
hearing your voices blend with the choir as we worship God with great hymn singing!
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 17
Music program - continued
What words come to mind when you think of
Christmas music? For us, it could be happy, bright,
children, hope, light and a host of other similar words.
Perhaps foremost in our minds, Christmas is a “Season
of Joy.” Our Christmas concert this year takes “Season
of Joy” as its theme. We invite you to join us on December 11 at 4:30 in the afternoon for an hour of beautiful music presented by our Chancel Choir. We will
be joined this
year by a portion
of Masterworks
Chorus of the
Palm Beaches
known as the
Camerata Singers, and other
community singers who traditionally unite with us
for our seasonal
Two tenors who joined us from
Masterworks Chorus
concerts.
In addition to
the singers, we will be joined by strings, flute, oboe,
harp and a little percussion. This concert is always a
great opportunity for our church to reach into our com-
munity with beautiful seasonal music and tell the
story of Christ’s birth. But remember, they won’t
know if you don’t tell them! Admission to the concert
is free; the cost of bringing it to you and our community is not. If you are able, please consider contributing to the music fund to offset some of the expenses.
It will be not only a gift to our community, but a gift
you give yourself. Gloria, in Excelsis Deo!
If you have felt the tug to be a part of our wonderful music program and would like to “give back” in a
special way to the life of our church family, please
consider joining either our Chancel Choir or our Hand
Bell Choir. It is steady employment and the rewards
are great! Email: [email protected] or
mention your desire to George, Marlyce or any of our
fabulous choir members.
May God hold you in the palm of His hand and
shower richest blessings on you every day as you
share His love with those you meet.
God’s rich blessings to all........be
safe..........have fun!
Marlyce and George
Marlyce Pedersen
Music Director and
Organist
George Sullivan
Choral Director
Page 18
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Turtle River Great Banquet #3
Reflections on the Turtle River Great Banquet #3 by Rachel Commerford
Rachel Commerford was one of the guests at the Turtle River Great Banquet #3. She wrote the following
Reflections on her experiences:
First, I want to give thanks to God for his amazing grace that he continuously and consistently gives to me
despite my fears and failures. Second, I’d like to thank all who participated and planned the Turtle River
Great Banquet #3.
When I was asked to write an article reflecting on my time at Great Banquet, the words that kept coming
back to me are, “I am a child of God and I am his beloved.” I wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up
for the Great Banquet. For days, I kept running through question after question leading up to the day of the
send off. How would I manage to be away from my family for three full days without the ability to communicate with them? Would I feel changed after? Would I be asked to step out of my comfort zone? What
goes on at Great Banquet? I haven’t been feeling close to God lately, will I feel his presence while I’m
there?
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 19
Reflections on the Turtle River Great Banquet #3 by Rachel Commerford...continued...
As many of us have experienced in life, transition can be a difficult and stressful time. Some of us may
even experience a change in our physical, spiritual, or emotional life when they are in a time of transition.
Before going into Great Banquet, I was in a spiritual valley. As Dan talks about on Sunday mornings, some
people in the congregation are on the mountain top and some people are in the valley. I was in the valley. I
was the lost sheep that Jesus referred to in his parable of the lost sheep in Matthew 18:12-14. For almost a
year, I was at a spiritual low. I had not felt God’s presence, his voice, his commands in my life. As someone
who has always had a strong faith life and a strong connection to God, I could not understand why this was
happening. Was God really being silent or was I not listening?
?
I spent a few days in prayer before going and I asked God to open my heart, my soul, my mind, my enthusiasm. I asked him to consume me to the fullest so that I could solely focus on my relationship with him that
weekend. Not knowing what was going to happen next during my time at the banquet left me nervous beforehand, excited during, and grateful after the Banquet. I realized that for the first time in what has felt like
a long time, I was not a wife, I was not a mother, I was not a sister or a daughter, I was not an employee, I
was not a caretaker, I was just Rachel. I was myself. For the entire weekend, I didn’t have to worry about
making sure everyone was taken care of and that all the details were worked out. I was simply able to be my
true, authentic self. I was reminded that this is what God desires from us, our authentic self. I had forgotten
that I was a child of God.
The very first night at the banquet, we spent the night in silence so we could “be still and know that he is
God.” I opened my Bible and the page I opened to was Matthew 18:12-14, the parable of the lost sheep. I
knew God was trying to get my attention. I realized then that God had not stopped speaking to me, I had
stopped listening. I knew in my heart and in my mind that God never abandons us and continuously tries to
bring us back into relationship with him but I wasn’t willing to listen. It is a common misconception that a
pastor’s wife has it all figured out, has an extensive knowledge of the Bible, and always has a wonderful relationship with God. I want to share that this just isn’t the case. I am a human being on my own journey with
Christ, trying to decipher God’s voice from the world’s voice. Great Banquet provided me a weekend to be
reminded that I am a child of God and I am beloved by him by surrounding me with wonderful women who
are also beloved by God. He always fills our needs, but we have to be willing to take up our own cross and
follow him where he leads us. I am forever grateful for my time at Great Banquet that allowed me the
.
chance to surrender myself to God, to allow him to fill my life and renew my spirit.
By Rachel Commerford
Page 20
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Turtle River Great Banquet #4
Reflections on the Turtle River Great Banquet #4 by Jim Scalf
Yes, that’s me in the red shirt in the middle of the
third row of the Turtle River Great Banquet #4 group
picture.
I was very apprehensive about going to a Great
Banquet. I have always felt stressed when faced with
an unknown. If I had to say why I was there, I would
probably say truthfully that I was there because it was
expected. After all, my wife Mary had gone, my
daughter Karen had gone, many others in my extended
family and many of my friends had gone. I was getting
encouragement (and pressure) from every direction. I
guess I needed to find out for myself what it was all
about.
On Thursday night we began a period of silence
and there was no talking until after the opening session on Friday morning.
On that first evening when I was asked to take off
my watch and turn off my cell phone and store them
away in my suitcase I knew I was being pulled out of
my comfort zone. After all, I have always planned activities and been more of a technical person than an
emotional one. Toward the end of the first full day I
felt overwhelmed.
The second day was a little easier and I began to
feel better about my experience. On the third day, this
engineer was feeling vulnerable and after one exercise
my eyes were filled with tears.
My overall observation was that every single one
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 21
Reflections on the Turtle River Great Banquet #4 by Jim Scalf...continued
of the 15 presentations was from the heart and all of
the people on the Great Banquet team were the most
dedicated and spiritual people I have ever met. It took
an incredible amount of planning and work for them to
put on this Great Banquet. Last but not least, there is a
reason they call it “The Great Banquet.” Every meal
was awesome!
During the three days we did a lot of studying, a lot
of discussing, a lot of singing and a lot of Praying.
Each table presents charts, skits and a summary of
each of the 15 presentations that took place over
the three days.
I was one of four people at the “Table of Mark”
We sang before each meal. We also sang a blessing
for the food and we sang thanks after the meal. We
sometimes had humor during dinner such as Fred
Cone telling stories at this dinner.
These were the four people from the “Table of
Luke.” I do not have a picture of the
”Table of Matthew.”
Page 22
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Presbyterian Women in the Congregation
By Jane Speak
PWC Moderator
PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN’S EVENTS
Monday, December 12th
11:00 a.m. - The Presbyterian Women in the Congregation (PWC) meet in the Harrington Parlor to plan for
the upcoming year. All women of the church are Presbyterian Women and are invited to join us. We welcome
your ideas and smiling faces.
12:30 p.m. – The Ladies’ Lunch Bunch dines at Sinclair’s Ocean Grill in the Jupiter Beach Resort, 5 N. Hwy
A1A, Jupiter, at the east end of Indiantown Road. Order from the menu, Dutch treat. To reserve a seat, call Jane
Speak or e-mail [email protected]. Forgot to reserve? There’s always room for one more.
Friday, December 9th
11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – The Christian Women’s Connection luncheon and program at the Tequesta Country
Club, 201 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta. Cost $28 (full meal and tip included). Enjoy the Jupiter Christian School
Christmas program and hear Carolyn McCort talk about “the Puzzle of Life.” Reservations required. Call 561254-8934 or e-mail [email protected] or go to www.cwcnpb.com and click “reservations” to reserve your seat
and pay by credit card. Must pay with cash or check at the door. Reserve or cancel by December 5th. To join ladies from our church, ask to sit at Judy Campbell’s table.
Monday, January 9th
11:00 a.m. – Beverly Reid will host the Presbyterian Women in the Congregation at the Waterford, 603 Universe Blvd, Juno Beach. We use the meeting room in her building.
Drive along the east side of the complex to an entrance on your right. Someone will meet you at the door to let
you in. Parking is scarce. A carpool will leave the church at 10:20 a.m. sharp! Join us to celebrate the new year,
form a committee to Celebrate the Gifts of Women in March and plan for events throughout 2017. To reserve a
seat in the car pool and/or for lunch at Teapots & Treasures Café, call Jane Speak at 561-764-0386 or e-mail
[email protected].
12:30 p.m. – The Ladies’ Lunch Bunch dines at Teapots & Treasures Café, 14137 US Hwy. One, Juno Beach,
in the Loggerhead Plaza, ¼ mile north of Donald Ross Road. See meeting info to reserve a seat.
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 23
REPORT ON THE PRESBYTERIAN WOMEN OF THE
SYNOD OF SOUTH ATLANTIC GATHERING AT EPWORTH-BY-THE-SEA,
ST. SIMON’S ISLAND, GA
Thirty-four women from the Presbytery of Tropical Florida were part of over 400 women from Georgia, South
Carolina and Florida at Epworth-by-the-Sea from October 21 through 23rd. Thirty-three of us rode the charter bus
that started in Miami and stopped in Fort Lauderdale, Boynton Beach and Jupiter. Nadene Watson, Lynne Spotts,
Kenly Drummond and Jane Speak from Tequesta climbed on that bus early Friday morning. We were at Epworth at
1:30 p.m. Thank you, Kenly, for coordinating bus riders and scheduling.
Mornings were in the low 50’s, coupled with warm, sunny days in the 70’s. In other words, perfect. The giant
oaks were a bit bare, and a few large branches had cracked from the winds of Hurricane Matthew. Structurally, the
only damage Epworth sustained was loss of their dock on the Frederica River.
It was great to see familiar faces. This was Kenly’s and my third Epworth gathering, and Nadene’s second.
Lynne Spotts was a first timer. She stole the show with her soprano solo in the Sunday morning choir anthem. During the lull while the choir walked back to their seats, everyone around me gushed with awe at her performance. I
confess to the sin of pride, as I patted my chest and told them, “She’s ours. She’s from our church.”
We heard from author Judy Yates Siker about her 2016-17 Presbyterian Women’s Bible Study, “Who is Jesus?”
We attended fun and interesting workshops, installed our new PW Synod officers, shopped in the Mercado, sang,
prayed and ate way too much. This was also a business trip for Kenly. She was a voting member from our PW
Presbytery who attended the Synod business meetings. We left at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday with a belly full of some of
the best fried chicken I’ve ever had.
The next Synod Gathering at Epworth will be in late October of 2019. This is a great event on a beautiful campus. They have 4 hotels on the property and their own cafeteria. Once you’ve been, you’ll be sure to return. See
you at Epworth in 2019 – and at our December meeting in the Harrington Parlor.
Jane Speak, Moderator of the Tequesta Presbyterian Women in the Congregation
Lynne Spotts awes the women of the
Synod of South Atlantic with her solo.
From left, Tequesta Presbyterian Women Jane
Speak, Nadene Watson, Lynne Spotts and
Kenly Drummond at St. Simon’s Island, GA
for the PW Synod Gathering.
Page 24
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
Welcome our new members...
Lodewyk “Chris” Beyers - Chris is a Civil Engineering Technician who works for Radise International.
Chris lives in Jupiter and he grew up in the Dutch Reformed Church. Chris’s talents include being an artist, carpentry, handicrafts and being a handy man. He also says
he is experienced in public speaking. Chris, welcome to
the First Presbyterian family and I’m sure we can utilize
your talents.
Rachel Commerford - Rachel needs little introduction. She is the wife of our pastor Dan Commerford.
Shown with Rachel is her daughter Hannah who just
learned to walk. Rachel attended the recent Turtle River
Great Banquet # 3 at our church on November 3-6. She
is a gifted writer and her very moving reflections of her
Great Banquet experience can be found on page 18.
Kevin and Bethany Connor - The Connors have three
children. Claire is 6, Kale is 4 and Will is 1. The Connors
live in Palm Beach Gardens. Kevin is in banking at Northern
Trust. They hope to get more involved in volunteer opportunities as their kids get a little older. They are both interested
in photography. Jim Scalf is always looking for people to
take pictures for the Beacon so their talents may be requested
before they know it. Give a hearty welcome to the Connor
family. We are glad they are here!
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 25
Welcome our new members...continued
Kyle and Lauren Donham - Shown with their
eight month old son Sawyer. The Donhams live in Tequesta. Kyle is a CPA with Joseph C. Kempe. We are
very pleased to welcome them to our First
Presbyterian family.
Dr. Gail Jordan and Brian Jordan - Gail and
Brian live in Jupiter. Gail is a retired educator and
Brian is a retired corporate executive with the Revlon
Corporation. They are both from a Presbyterian background. They have one grown son Brian, Jr. Gail has
been a Stephen Minister trainer and leader, an elder at
two churches and served on a Presbytery Committee on
Ministry and a church level Personnel Committee She
has expressed interest in several areas of our church.
Gail and Brian, we welcome you to our church. We are
happy you chose us.
Joy to the World
Page 26
The First Presbyterian Church, Tequesta, Florida
The Beacon Highlights...
Tropical Flutes Christmas Concert
December 17 at 7:00 p.m. at First Presbyterian
Tropical Flutes will once again be performing their Christmas Concert at
First Presbyterian this year. It will be themed "A Peaceful Christmas Around
the World.” The date is Saturday, December 17, and it will be at 7:00 p.m.
The Tropical Flutes features piccolos, C-Flutes, Alto Flutes, and Bass Flutes,
and will present a program of beautiful Christmas music.
Our own Dr. Robin Sykes-Rowe is a member of this group.
A November “Merry Christmas”
Pedersen. She ordered the bells some time ago,
but because they are so large (and pricey) the
company does not stock them. The bells are
individually crafted after orders are received.
We now have large bells C3, D3, E3 and F3
to augment the low end of the scale and
provide true bass notes for compositions that
use those notes. The bells are so large that
each one requires its own case. Notice the size
of the bells when compared to the box of tissue
on the table. When you see Marlyce, please remember to thank her for her generous gift of
these four bells and cases to the church.
The Handbell Choir and the Church received an
early Christmas present from Music Director Marlyce
December 2016 - January 2017
Page 27
Happy Birthday !!!
December 2016
Ben McClain Luke Beach Braam Botha Karla Ludwick Jackson Melendy Caitlyn Pinkston Clayton Pinkston Anne Scholl Rosemarie von Zabern Laura Cochran Martha Mazzella Mark Eyeington Jack Saffold George Sullivan Judy Finn Craig Simon Jim Scalf Hazel M Barry Ann Young Kim Miller Jeff Price Joan Smith Mason Hires Carolyn Quigley Libby Over Beverly Ugles Sarah Mock Stella Williams Bob Ause Dec 3 Dec 4 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 5 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 6 Dec 7 Dec 11 Dec 11 Dec 12 Dec 12 Dec 13 Dec 14 Dec 14 Dec 17 Dec 19 Dec 19 Dec 23 Dec 23 Dec 24 Dec 27 Dec 27 Dec 28 Dec 28 Dec 29 Dec 29 Dec 30 January 2017
Leon Greyvensteyn Keira O'Neill Emily Overfield Rion Hamelin Cassie Lofquist Brenna O'Neill Sasha Melendy Michelle DeVivero Diane Beach Jack Noble Heather Adams Tim Palmer Doris Cline Phoebe Saffold Crystal Botha Mary Hudson Al Dowrick Galen Rowe Elise Overfield Sophia Sloan Emil Conti Roan Greyvensteyn Bailey Rigsby Ronald Fenaughty Liani Trevino Barbara Holton Jan 1 Jan 3 Jan 3 Jan 4 Jan 5 Jan 7 Jan 8 Jan 9 Jan 11 Jan 12 Jan 13 Jan 13 Jan 14 Jan 14 Jan 16 Jan 18 Jan 20 Jan 20 Jan 21 Jan 22 Jan 24 Jan 25 Jan 26 Jan 28 Jan 28 Jan 29 The Beacon
December 2016 - January 2017
The First Presbyterian Church
482 Tequesta Drive
Tequesta, Florida 33469
Rev. Dan Commerford, Pastor
Crystal Botha, Director of Family Ministries
Penny Rogers, Preschool Director
Marlyce Pedersen, Music Director and Organist
George Sullivan, Choral Director
Shannon Trevino, Director of Youth Ministries
Jim Scalf, Beacon Editor
Church office 561-746-5161
FAX 561-746-7709
Dial-a-Ride 746-5161 ext 10
Email : [email protected]
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage Paid
West Palm Beach, FL
Permit No. 1894
Address Service Requested