Seeking New Director of Children's Ministry

Geneva Presbyterian Church’s Children’s Ministry mission is to edify and equip children, in partnership with their families, to be disciples who exalt God and engage the world through the power of the Holy Spirit.

We believe that children are the church of TODAY and tomorrow, and therefore integrate them, with their God-given gifts and talents, into the full life of the church, through worship, education, fellowship and service opportunities.

We are currently seeking a part-time (20 hrs/wk) Director of Children’s Ministry. For a detailed job description please follow this link or contact the church at 734-459-0013 or e-mail the church office.

December Geneva Gems

The December Geneva Gems has been posted on the web site. It can be accessed by following this link.

Holiday Worship Schedule

Monday, December 19 – Saturday, December 24

The Labyrinth will be set up in the Lighthouse
and available anytime the church open.

Check the Geneva calendar on our web site, 

genevachurch.org for times.

Longest Night Service

Wednesday, December 21 7:00 pm

A service of reflection and healing
on the longest night of the year.

Christmas Eve

4:00

A joyful retelling of the
Christmas Story

7:00 and 9:00

Service of Lessons and Carols
with candlelight and communion

Christmas Day

10:00 Worship

A Birthday Party for Jesus

New Year’s Day

10:00 Worship

Sunday, January 8

10:00 Worship

November Geneva Gems

The web site has been updated with the latest edition.  Follow this link November Geneva Gems

November Geneva Family Celebration Night!

You won’t want to miss the November Geneva Family Celebration Night! So mark your calendars now for Wednesday, November 16 at 6pm. 

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, our theme for November will be Gratitude! Our celebration will include a meal, as always, and some fun games for all ages. We’ll also have an opportunity to reflect on our blessings – places we see God’s presence and activity in our lives.

Anyone of any age who wishes to will be invited to share. So give it some thought, and come ready to bless and be blessed! Suggested donation for the meal is $4 for adults, $1.50 for children 10 and under with a family maximum of $15. Bring friends, and they will be our guests at no charge!

New Adult Education Opportunities

Wednesday Night, November 9 – Beads, Icons and Gestures. These things might things sound foreign to you, but they are well known aides and/or practices in other Christian traditions.  Come on Wednesday, November 9 at 7:00pm to learn about the history and background of these practices as well as have an opportunity to assemble prayer beads to enhance your own spiritual practice of prayer. 

 

Sunday Mornings: A Grace Disguised, led by Pastor Bryan Smith. How we or our loved ones experience loss can have a profound impact on all of life. This class is for everyone who has experienced any kind of loss, whether through illness, divorce, the loss of someone we love, aging, the loss of our life’s hopes and dreams, or anything else.

It’s also for anyone who knows someone who has experienced such a loss. That’s just about all of us! Join us for this class and discover how loss itself can be a doorway to experiencing God’s grace in new ways, and a doorway to becoming a channel of God’s grace to others.

We will be using Jerry’s Sittser’s book, A Grace Disguised as a resource. The class will begin on Sunday, November 20 during our education hour (9:45 – 10:45). Books cost $9.

 

Pray for our missions and missionaries: Interfaith Community Outreach

In this new century, The Salvation Army is serving more people in the USA than ever before. They report already seeing large increases in the number of Americans seeking the basic necessities of life - food, shelter, and warmth. 
More than 30 million people received help from The Salvation Army in 2008, but the magnitude of the mission facing The Salvation Army in communities throughout the United States remains great. 


Geneva participates in their Red Kettle Drive at Christmastime, and contributes to their Christmas program through Adopt-a-Family, as well as assisting families they direct us to. If you would like to learn more about the Salvation Army and how you can get involved in their ministry, visit their web site at www.salvationarmyusa.org.

Fall Worship Schedule

Fall Worship schedule starts Sunday September 18th. Worship services at 8:30 am and 11:00 am, with an education hour between the services.

Please came and join us.

Annual Coming Home Picnic

Annual Coming Home Picnic

When: Saturday, September 17^th

Where: Geneva Church

Time: 4:00 pm

Who: Everyone with an appetite for good food, fun and friendship.

If your last name begins with A-M, please bring a salad or side dish.

If your last name begins with N-Z, please bring a dessert.

More details coming soon!

Congregational Meeting Sunday Sept 7th

There will be a brief congregational meeting on Sunday, September 4, 2011 at 11:15.

For the purpose of electing one person to the Session class of 2013 to complete the term vacated by Cheri Pelic, and amending the Geneva Bylaws in accordance with the new Form of Government of the PC(USA).

September 11th Community Event

On September 11^th the Canton Mosque invites the whole community to an open house and an interfaith event commemorating the events of September 11^th, 2011.

The event will include a brief talk on the topic of peace given by members of the various faiths represented in our community. Our pastor, Bryan Smith, will represent the Protestant Christian faith.

 The event will be followed by a food and clothing drive, a joint project sponsored by the youth of the Canton Mosque and Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church.

This week at Geneva

Vacation Bible School is back! August 22-25

Camp Geneva will be from Monday-Thursday 9:30-noon

It is for children ages 4 years up to incoming 6th graders. Invite your neighbors and your friends to join in the fun! Each day will include faith and fun with a special focus on different camp activities.

There is a separate program for incoming 5th and 6th graders. On Wednesday night all families will be invited to toast s’mores and enjoy an evening at camp. Thursday there will be an awesome wildlife program!

Registration forms are at the church or follow these links:
Download VBS registration form HERE (pdf)
Download Family Information Page for Camp Geneva HERE (pdf)

We need adult volunteers and youth ages 7th grade and above. This year’s format is very user friendly so even if you can only help one day we will be glad to have you join the team.

For more information contact: Meg Wilson, Director of Children’s Ministry

Reaching Out

Just Coffee  orders will be placed on the third Tuesday of each month. Send your order to Tom at email, or to Cindy Thomas at the church or check the sign-up in the Good News. 

Sunday, August 14, 11:30-12:30, Assembling Love-paks – We will spend some time after our worship service providing help to the needy.  The Fellowship Room will be set up as an assembly line for producing toiletry kits for the homeless. These kits are used at both Fort St.’s Open Door Program and at The Wayne County Family Center. Come help us meet our goal of 300 kits.  We currently need donations of small toys and books to put into the packs for children. Donations can be taken to Mission Pointe and put in the appropriate basket.

Volunteers Needed! Habitat for Humanity Western Wayne County needs volunteers for its Family Selection Committee. Applicant families need to be interviewed to see if they meet the criteria and are willing to participate in Habitat's goals. Contact Sue Carlson if interested:  734-844-8258.

Vacation Bible School is back! August 22-25

Camp Geneva will be from Monday-Thursday 9:30-noon

It is for children ages 4 years up to incoming 6th graders. Invite your neighbors and your friends to join in the fun! Each day will include faith and fun with a special focus on different camp activities.

There is a separate program for incoming 5th and 6th graders. On Wednesday night all families will be invited to toast s-mores and enjoy an evening at camp. Thursday there will be an awesome wildlife program!

Registration forms are at the church.

For more information contact: Meg Wilson, Director of Children’s Ministry

Middle School Mission Trip

Middle School Mission Updates

Follow along the journey with our middle school missionaries in Sault Ste Marie this week by reading the middle school blog. Nancy will try to update the blog each evening and include pictures. We'd love you to comment after each post.  You can access the blog, at Mid High Blog

Geneva Senior High Mission to Grand Rapids

Please keep our Senior High Mission team in your prayers as the travel to Grand Rapids, Mi. to do Gods work.
Your can follow the trip at the Senior High Blog

Summer Worship Schedule

Summer Worship Schedule
begins on
May 29

Worship at 10:00 AM

Fwd: Holy Week Preparation

Dear Geneva Family,

The Seder meal is the climax of the Jewish Passover celebration. In a Jewish home, the week before Passover is spent preparing for the Passover. Whether or not you plan to attend our Maundy Thursday Seder meal, I though you might enjoy participating in an ancient Seder preparation ritual which I have adapted for Christians.

You will need: a wooden spoon, a candle in a holder, a small paper bag, a piece of string, some bread, a Bible.

This ritual is called the "bedikat chametz," or "hunt for the leaven." In both the Old and New Testaments, leaven (anything that causes bread to rise) symbolized sin, and the Jews were commanded to eat nothing containing leaven during the week before Passover. In a Jewish home, every nook and cranny was scoured and any trace of leavened bread removed. After dark on the night before Passover, the head of the family would lead a search through the whole house by candlelight. If the house had been cleaned thoroughly enough, no pieces of leavened bread would be found, but it has become tradition for the mother of the family to hide a few for the children to find. Since the house will be dark during the search, they need not be hidden in difficult places.

Begin your bedikan chametz by reading together Exodus 12:15, 19, 42. Then the lights are turned off, the candle is lit, and the family forms a search team. Search through the entire house with one person leading the way holding the candle. When a piece of hidden bread is found, it is scooped into the paper bag with the feather and wooden spoon (no one is to touch the bread). The pieces of bread that are found remind us that no one is without sin, and that in His love for us, Christ shines his light on our sin and offers to remove it. Another thing to reflect upon during your search is that no one can go off on his/her own. You need the light of Christ to guide the way, and the help of other members of God's family.

After all the bread is found, take some time to share your thoughts, feelings and insights about the experience. Then tie the bag closed with a piece of string and pray together in response to your experience. Include a time of silent prayer for confession. Turn on the lights and have someone read 1 Corinthians 5:6-8.  Have someone else read Psalm 103:12 and dispose of the bag together.

I look forward to sharing our Seder meal with all of you this Thursday at 6. May God bless you in your preparation.

Grace and peace,

Cindy Thomas

Worship Elder

Easter Sunday Pancake Breakfast

Join your Geneva family for pancakes, sausage, fruit and fellowship in the lighthouse on Easter morning from 7:30 – 10:45.


'A Night Out,' our youth mission trip fundraiser was a huge success! 

Thank you to everyone who attended, bid on auction items and donated items to auction off. Together, you helped us achieve our goal of raising enough money for each missionary.

Because of this, we'd like to offer our annual Easter Morning Pancake Breakfast as our gift to you for your support of the youth programs. This year we will not be selling tickets. The breakfast is open to all who worship with us that day!

Please RSVP to the church office

Maundy Thursday Seder Meal

On Thursday, April 21^st, we will celebrate the meal Jesus shared with his disciples on the night he was arrested. Come join us for this meal, now celebrated by Christians as the Lord’s Supper. The meal is for all ages. Please feel free to invite friends. A donation of $4 for adults and $2 for children 10 and under, with a family maximum of $15 would be appreciated. 

We invite you to contribute to the festive atmosphere by setting the table with your best dinnerware. Bring dishes, glasses, flatware, napkins, candlesticks, -- whatever you would use for a special celebration with your family. Doors will open at 5:30, so please have your table set before 5:45 so we can begin the Seder promptly at 6pm. We will have dinnerware here for those who do not want to bring their own.

Please RSVP to Geneva Church

A Night Out Auction Catalog

Check out the Auction Catalog by following this link

You can also Bid by Proxy


If you are unable to attend the auction you still have
chance to win items and support our youth.
You can bid by proxy.
Just call 734/658-8445 the night of the auction and
we’ll bid for you!
Just tell us the item number and your bid amount.
We’ll bid for you and keep you updated on the
progress of the bidding on that item.
You must have a pre-assigned bidder number

Auction and Youth Fundraiser Dinner - A Night Out!

On Saturday, March 26, Geneva Church will be transformed into an elegant eatery as the youth of our church treat you to a fabulous evening to raise funds for their summer mission trips. The youth will serve diners at their table, provide first-class entertainment, check your coat, and more during this “A Night Out Dinner and Auction.”

 

Before and after dinner, guests can bid on their choice of auction items ranging from services, to gift cards, to baskets full of goodies. Like last year, items will be available for bidding the Sunday before the event, and we will have a bidding-by-proxy number for those of you who can’t attend but who would still like to support the youth.  

Doors open at 5:30 for hors d’oeuvres and silent auction bidding. Dinner will begin around 6:30 with entertainment following.

A limited number of tickets (96) will be available for $22 beginning Sunday, March 6. Thank you in advance for supporting our youth. 

New Sunday Morning Adult Classes begin March 6th

Which Way to God? led by Bryan Smith. Not long ago, American Christians had very little contact with people of other world religions. Today, we may work with, live near or even have family members who are members of another faith. This class will help us explore the basic beliefs of Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Islam. As we learn what it means to be Christian in the context of these religions, we’ll become more grounded in our own faith and learn to appreciate the way other religions can speak to us. Materials cost $10 each.

God’s Welcome: a Look at Gospel Hospitality led by Cheri Pelic. Take a look at the hospitality God provides to each of us and see how it can transform our thinking about the welcome we provide in our congregation and in our everyday lives. Using the book, "God's Welcome: Hospitality for a Gospel-Hungry World, by Amy Oden, we'll explore Bible stories that highlight God's welcome and discuss how we can both experience and extend God's welcome in our lives.

The Holy Use of Money led by Steve Braun. Proverbs 30:15-16 states there are four things that are never satisfied. We might add a fifth – the family budget! Life is full of financial challenges that place tremendous stress on our paychecks and test our faith. As Christians, how do we practically handle money in a world where we “cannot serve God and riches?” This series will address that fundamental question and provide practical advice for improving your financial situation. You will be challenged and taught how to manage your household resources more effectively – understanding the spiritual nature of money, being a better steward of God’s possessions, setting goals and priorities, budgeting successfully, taming debt, saving and investing – all from a biblical perspective. This is not a dry “numbers” class for accountants, but rather a fun and easy-to-understand course on practical financial stewardship.

Steve Braun has been a Christian for 27 years, happily married to his wife Karen for 24 years, and is the proud father of their 6 children. He is founder and President of Liberty Financial Planning in Canton where he works as an independent financial adviser serving clients on a fee-only basis. He is also a writer, teacher, and conference speaker on various financial and family topics. Steve holds a BA and an MBA, with Honors, from the University of Michigan.

The letters of Paul led by Maribeth Petteys. This is an ongoing Bible Study that is currently exploring the Letters of Paul. Bring your Bible and let’s dig into the Word of God together.

Contact the church office 734 459-0013 or EMAIL

New Member Class

A New Member Class will be held Friday, March 18^th from 6-9pm and Saturday, March 19^th from 9am – 2pm. This class is designed for those who are deciding whether to make Geneva their church home. We will share a meal together (dinner on Friday and lunch on Saturday) and acquaint you with an overview of the Christian faith, the Reformed Tradition, the Presbyterian Church, the history of Geneva, and what it means to be a member. Child care will be provided.


Contact the Church Office 734 459-0013 or EMAIL

New Sunday Morning Adult Classes Beginning February 6

·   Adult Christianity and How to Get There led by Bryan Smith. Much personal and pastoral confusion results when we do not realize that the spiritual tasks of the first half of life are radically different from those in the second half. Both are essential, but much of institutional religion is concerned only with the tasks of the first half of life. Spiritual maturity depends on being able to move on to the challenges of the second half, which are much closer to the concerns of Jesus. No matter which half of life you are in, this class will help guide you toward the next step.

·   The Holy Use of Money led by Steve Braun. As Christians, how do we practically handle money in a world where we “cannot serve God and riches?” This series of 5 classes will address that fundamental question and provide practical advice for improving your financial situation. You will be challenged and taught how to manage your household resources more effectively – understanding the spiritual nature of money, being a better steward of God’s possessions, setting goals and priorities, budgeting successfully, taming debt, saving and investing – all from a biblical perspective.

·   Parenting in the Pews led by Elise Russell and Meg Wilson. Come and be part of a discussion about helping your children fully engage in worship. The discussion will be based on Parenting in the Pews by Robbie Castleman. You are invited to join every week or whenever your schedule allows. Books will be available to purchase or borrow.

·   The Letters of Paul led by Maribeth Petteys. You are welcome to join this ongoing Sunday morning class as they continue to explore the New Testament letters of the apostle Paul.

Congregational Meeting

There will be a congregational lunch and meeting on Sunday, January 30, 2011 for the purpose of receiving the 2011 budget and electing new Elders and Deacons. Lunch will be served at approximately 12:30 and the meeting will begin at 1:00. Suggested donation to cover the cost of lunch is $4 for adults, $2 for children 10 and under. You may pick up a report today on the table in the Gathering Space.

Interfaith Community Outreach

Interfaith Community Outreach is a cooperative group of people from the various religious traditions in the Canton area that work together on an annual mission project. Last year they blessed the community with a clothing drive. This year’s project is a food drive and Geneva will serve as a collection center. There are two ways you can help.

·         Donate food – canned goods, non-perishables, no glass please. There is a collection box in the Gathering Space for your donations.

·         Donate money – make checks payable to Canton Community Foundation. You will find self-addressed envelopes for your donation on the front of the collection box.

Donations will be distributed to the Canton Open Door food pantry, Harvest Loves in Plymouth, Salvation Army in Plymouth, John Bolde Food Pantry in Wayne. We’ll be collecting food through February 14^th. If you would like to know more about the Interfaith Community Outreach and how you can get involved, please contact Dawn Christenson at 734-397-1484 or Donna Gray at 734-844-1279.

Worship Preview Sunday 1/09/11

A new Congress has just convened, and while we may still hope, it doesn't look like the current Congress will will be any more united or any less contentious than the previous one. On both sides of the aisle, shrill voices proclaim that they and they alone speak for "the American People."  The message seems to be, "If you think like me and vote like me, you're a true American. If you don't, you're something else." While this kind of rhetoric seems to have escalated in recent years, it isn't new. In fact, its as old as humankind itself. From the very beginning we human beings have been adept at creating barriers regarding who is to be accepted and who is to be rejected. The "us and them" mentality is seen in every aspect of human life: political, social, national, familial and religious. In fact, that mindset provided the fiercest opposition Jesus ever faced, and overcoming it was the first challenge that faced the early church. As you prepare for worship on Sunday, please read Luke 5:27-31 and Acts 10:34-48 and ponder these questions: Why were the Pharisees so offended by Jesus attending Levi's party? Why do you think God needed to intervene so dramatically in the Acts story? How have you experienced being an "outsider"? How have you experienced being an "insider"? Is there a person or group of people that you feel uncomfortable considering as sisters and brothers in Christ? Do you hear Paul's words, "You are all one in Christ Jesus" as comforting or challenging? Why?

Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration

On Monday, January 17, 2011, Canton Township will be holding its annual Martin Luther King Day celebration at the Village Theater. Come celebrate and be inspired by the life and vision of Dr. King. This year’s keynote speaker will be our own pastor, Bryan Smith. Music and dance will be provided by:

·         Plymouth Canton Educational Park Madrigal Singers
and Chamber Choir

·         Plymouth Canton Educational Park Hip Hop Dance Club

·         Forever After Productions and the cast of Hairspray

Doors open at 5:30 pm for light refreshments; the program begins at 6:00 pm. Seating is on a first-come-first-served basis.

Reaching out: Local Habitat office provide a hand up

Check out this link:
Local Habitat office provides a hand up

Worship Preview, Sunday January 2, 2011

While a new year arrives as a matter of course, a new life arrives as a matter of grace.  Changing a calendar is one thing; having a changed life is something else all together.  As 2011 makes its entry, the gospel invites us not just to mark the passage of time, but to embrace this moment as the time to say Yes to God in a deeply, transformative way. So as we gather for worship in the first Sunday of this new year, let's do so determined to live in the faith, hope, joy, and love that God extends to us. To prepare for worship, I invite you to read Luke 2:8-20 and to think about these questions: --what other choices could the shepherds have made besides going to Bethlehem? --why do you think they took the journey to see the Christ child? --if you think of the life of faith as a journey, how would you describe your journey? --what have been some of the memorable points along the way? --where do you sense the journey might be heading in this new year? Blessings to one and all as the journey continues!