OLCC,P E-Newslink
July 17, 2020
From Pastor Linda
Greetings Orchard Lake Church Friends,
Rejoice and give thanks that we have had two Sunday’s of outdoor, in-person worship! It has been so wonderful to see one another and share in worship! As we continue our outdoor worship we would like to high-light a few items below in regard to our gathering protocol:
*Please check our web page, www.olccp.com , and our Facebook page, for any
weather related cancellations of outdoor worship!
As we embark on this Summer Outdoor Worship adventure together, we appreciate in advance your understanding of the new and different ways we will need to approach our life together as a gathered fellowship. We know some will choose to avoid group gatherings at this time or until a C-19 vaccine is available, and we completely understand and affirm that. We will also “learn as we go” how to do this both safely and efficiently for all involved. The video of the Sunday worship service will be posted Sunday afternoon for those unable to worship in person to enjoy!
Outdoor Worship Protocols
· Bring your own chairs (or blankets if sitting on the grass appeals) with you, along with face masks to be worn at all times. Some chairs available for those who need them.
· Offering may be placed in the black boxes as you enter our worship space or continue to send them to the church as you have done.
· Allow extra time for a brief health screening and registration process when you first arrive. Tables will be set up in the parking lot and clearly marked “Health Screening and Registration”. Remember, if you have recently been exposed to someone with C-19, have any symptoms of illness, or have travelled to a “hot spot” for C-19 in recent weeks, we ask you to remain home and watch our recording of the service later on Sunday
· Bulletins will be available as you register upon arrival. We will not be using any hymnbooks or bibles – all information will be printed in the bulletin
· Activity Packets for children and offering boxes will be available for you to use as needed
· Ushers will be available wearing vests to monitor physical distancing (at least 6ft) and assist with gradual dismissal at the end of worship
· Please avoid any physical contact while visiting and talking with friends before, during, and following worship
· The worship service will be recorded and then posted on our YouTube channel later on Sunday morning for those choosing to avoid large groups, those on vacation, or anyone unable to join us in person
Our Summer ‘in With Jesus sermon series takes us to the lake with Jesus disciples and Jesus. Jesus seeks to encourage the disciples in the middle of a storm on the lake, to trust him for all things and to take action in their faith. Perhaps Jesus is asking us to trust him more in the midst of our chaos and mess? Perhaps Jesus is asking us to find ways to reach out to others and offer them our hand (not literally at this time of course) filled with God’s grace and love?
Please join us “in the tent” or on-line as we worship God and give thanks for God’s gifts in the storms of life!
Peace,
Pastor Linda
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
Below are the lyrics to one of the songs we sing in worship at times. Please take a moment ad “hum” your way through this lovely song. The words are very powerful and appropriate for the theme of our worship this week! Enjoy!
Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery
In oceans deep
My faith will stand
(Chorus)
And I will call upon Your name
And keep my eyes above the waves
When oceans rise
My soul will rest in Your embrace
For I am Yours and You are mine
Your grace abounds in deepest waters
Your sovereign hand
Will be my guide
Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me
You've never failed and You won't start now
(Chorus)
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters
Wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger
In the presence of my Savior
Written by: Matt Crocker, Joel Houston and Salomon Ligthelm
Summer 2020 Sermon Series
“Summerin’ With Jesus”
July 19: Out On The Lake
July 26: In The Garden
August 2: On A Cruise
August 9: At The Hall of Fame
August 16 at Marshbank: On A Picnic
August 23 :Playing In The Rain
August 30: At The Theater
September 6: At The Beach
Tomorrow, July 18, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Christmas in July - Toy Drive for Big Family Michigan
DROP-OFF DAY is Saturday, July 18th at OLCC,P east parking lot at OLCC,P from 11am - 2pm.
Pastor Linda is asking all High School teens to volunteer to help with this event. Even if you just have 1 hour to spare? Are you looking for volunteer hours for school? Please email Pastor Linda at:
Big Family Michigan is an agency that supports thousands of foster children, especially those being raised by grandparents, throughout Michigan by providing school supplies, birthday bags and Christmas presents. Due to COVID 19, Big Family's many fundraisers have been cancelled. So, they are conducting a Christmas in July Toy Drive to collect NEW, UNWRAPPED toys, gifts, gift cards and monetary donations while our state is open. They are looking for gifts and toys for boys and girls ages 1-18 yrs. Please consider adding a few toys in your cart over the next few weeks to help a foster child have a merry Christmas! Then drop off at church parking lot on July 18th. For questions call Cindy Yessian at 248-360-9485
Video Worship
Each Sunday we worship outdoors, we will be recording the service to post on our YouTube channel as soon as possible. In the case of rain and cancellation of the outdoor services, we will record the worship service indoors and post it on our YouTube channel as soon as possible as well. We will continue to offer this video version of worship for all those who choose to remain home or cannot join us for in person worship on a particular Sunday.
OLCC,P on You Tube
Pray for one another...
Continued healing and health for: Fiona Bell, Robert Beauvais, John Brannon, Nancy Burton, Ron Carlson, Rebecca Caufield, Bud Conrad, Tom Conrad, Peter Cooper, Alan Coopland, Irene Guymer, Harold Jacobsen, Herbert Jarvie, Jackie Johnson, Larry Lankford, Jim Mann, Bill Marvin, Jean Mattinen, Trudy Morse, Bill & Joyce Pitchford, Sarah Robertson Nadeau, Jack Rothley, Greg Sables, Candy Sacharski, Marion Smith, Dara Sperstad, Melanie Telford, Doris Wiegert, Morgen Wright, Robin Wright, Madie Zurkan.
Office Hours
Our church office will continue to operate on modified hours through the month of July. Those hours are Monday-Thursday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Once again we ask that people call the office first before coming in person for a health screening and reason for needing to come to the office. Face masks are required and the person should ring the bell to gain entrance.
Face Mask Offer
Greetings to all. Hope you are all well and safe. To be safer we are all asked to wear non-surgical masks when in public. I have been making masks and would like to share them with you. I will be putting them on my porch for your pick up. These are made from fabrics out of my closets so the prints are what they are.
If you have a tightly woven, 100% cotton fabric that you would like to donate, there will be a bin for that. Please put your mane on it so if it isn't used, it can be returned.
Please call before you come so I can tell you if there are some available or when they will be. I will leave them on my porch.
Helene King
5255 Greer Rd.
West Bloomfield (directly across from Grectchko school}
248-520-3190
From Martha Piesko, Director of Children's Ministry
Prayer Journals
Every child will receive a prayer journal when they come to church this Sunday. They are tailored according to age (one for children entering preschool & kindergarten, and another geared for those in elementary school). Each journal contains prayer prompts (along with plenty of space to write and draw creatively). The children are encouraged to use them at both church and home. In the event your child is unable to attend worship this Sunday, they will be available the following weeks. Please keep the prayer journal in your child's worship activity bag.
Seeking Nominations
The Permanent Nominating Committee is seeking nominations from the congregation for people to serve as Deacons, Elders, Trustees, and Permanent Nominating Committee members beginning in 2021. Names may be submitted by email to PNC Chair Elder Steve Orr (sorr3_2000@yahoo.com), PNC Co-Chair Elder Carolyn Pender (cpender61@gmail.com), Pastor Linda (linda@olccp.com) or Pastor Paul (paul@olccp.com). Nominations are requested to be submitted by Friday July 31st. The PNC will meet on August 15th to nominate people for these positions.
Paint and Praise! August 17, 6:30.-8:30 p.m.
Paint and Praise! (August 17, 6:30-8:30)
This one is for the grown-ups! Praise God and experience the 23rd Psalm in a new and different way. Art teacher, Laura Wass, will be here to lead us in painting an image of the 23rd Psalm (a beautiful and pastoral scene)on canvas. No prior painting experience is needed. Laura will guide us through the steps, all while leaving plenty of room for creativity and a personal touch.
For health and safety reasons, we will be meeting under the worship canopy in the parking lot (a beautiful and inspiring view). Painting tables will be physically distanced. Temperatures will be taken upon arrival.
The cost of this workshop is $20.00 per person). Please email Martha, <<martha@olccp.com>> by August 12 if you would like to attend. Payment can be made upon arrival at the workshop. See you at the lake!
Alleluia Art Workshop- August 18 & 19 from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Alleluia Art Workshop (Animals of the Bible)
Alleluia Art will take place on August 18 & 19 from 6:30-8:30). This workshop is intended for children entering kindergarten through 6th grade. The children will learn and experience the stories of Jonah and the Whale, Daniel in the Lion's Den, the Baptism of Jesus (dove), and the serpent in the Garden of Eden, through painting, sculpture and other means of artistic expression.
The cost of the workshop is $20 per child (only $10.00 for each additional child in the family) For reasons of health and safety, parents will need to stay with their children during the course of the workshop. Families will sit together at their own table underneath the worship canopy in the parking lot. There is no cost for the attending adult(s). The tables will be physically distanced. Temperatures will be taken upon arrival. The most important thing is for your child to come and enjoy the workshop. Please contact Martha if the cost of the workshop is a hinderance to participating. Nobody is to be left out!
Please contact Martha at <<martha@olccp.com>> by August 12 if your family would like to attend. A registration sheet will be emailed to you in the next week. Hard copies will also be available on Sunday mornings. Payment can be made in advance or upon arrival at the workshop.
Online Resources from The Upper Room
Resources for Spiritual Wellness in Anxious Times. For navigating the pandemic, this link makes available to you a robust list of timely practices—for individuals and families as well as your faith leaders. Included are digital devotionals, videos, eCourses, podcasts, etc., all of which can be accessed and distributed free of charge to everyone in your congregation.
A PDF File of the July/August issue of The Upper Room is available to our standing order churches. Because you are a paid subscriber, we want to provide this service to you since we realize many readers are currently reticent or unable to pick up their copy of the devotional guide because of the virus or closed church office. We encourage you to freely share with everyone in your congregation as a gift.
Resources for the Spiritual Work of Overcoming Racism. For addressing the spiritual virus of racism that continues to tear our society apart, we’re compiling and adding more content each week to this list of helpful resources. Included is my blog which sets the context for the formational work of anti-racism—Reaching In, Reaching Up, Reaching Out: The Spiritual Work of Overcoming Racism.
Women's 2020 Summer Bible Study
The Secret of Contentment by William B. Barcley
Wednesdays, 10 - 11:30 a.m., until August 19
The temptation to be discontented is everywhere, especially as we've recently been dealing with Covid-19. We are bombarded with advertisements telling us we are incomplete and unfulfilled. And yet the seeds of discontentment are already present in our own sinful hearts.
William Barcley addresses the heart of the matter -- the discontent that lies within. Based in the writings of Jeremiah Burroughs and Thomas Watson, he presents afresh these great Puritans' meditations on contentment for a modern audience. Above all, he seeks the wisdom of Paul, who declared in Philippians that he had found the "mystery" or the "secret" of being content.
Contentment must be learned, and Barcley reveals the secret, calling us to a contentment that comes from knowing God and delighting in his sovereign goodness and fatherly care.
Join us for this six-week study as we read and discuss our need for contentment. Of course, appropriate safety precautions will be taken for your safety.
Please contact Bonnie Horner, 248-880-2327 or bnnhrn@yahoo.com to sign up.
OLCCP History book now on website
Good news! Thanks to the dedicated typing of Nancy Rataczak and the photo scanning of Jim Horner, we now have a digital copy of the book, "The Story of Orchard Lake Community Church Presbyterian". This book was produced in 1958 and includes a wonderful history of the church going back to "Indian Days". Nancy and Jim completed their part of this project diligently, and it is my shame that I must admit it has taken me more than A YEAR! to add this to the website. Gordy Steele deserves credit too, He helped Jim find all the hard-copy photos in the archive room so Jim could scan them.
You can read it and see the photos here:
Mid-Michigan Flood Relief
Important Message from Forgotten Harvest
Thank you to everyone who has already signed up for the pop-up pantries. We have added 5 more sites; 4 in Detroit and 1 in Romeo. We are looking for volunteers to help collect information, direct traffic, and place boxes and groceries into car trunks. Please CLICK HERE to sign up.
The safety and well-being of our community, staff and volunteers are important to Forgotten Harvest. We are monitoring the situation and taking our lead from the Michigan Public Health Department and the CDC. Forgotten Harvest can provide PPE, which will include; gloves, face masks and optional face shields.
We are asking any person considering volunteering to please practice necessary safety precautions:
If this describes you, we are unable to have you as a volunteer:
- If you think you are sick, please DO NOT VOLUNTEER.
- If you have been knowingly exposed to or have been a caregiver for someone that has been diagnosed to COVID 19.
- If you have returned from foreign travel, cruises or traveling from out of state, we ask that you refrain from volunteering for at least 14 days while you monitor your health. This is in accordance with CDC recommendations.
- Groups more vulnerable to a dire outcome if they contract the virus include people 60 years of age or older and those with certain health conditions. We discourage these groups to not volunteer and, therefore, avoid exposure to the virus.
- If you are under the age of 18 years of age.
It is important to stay informed as these types of situations can be dynamic. If a volunteer opportunity is not appropriate for you and if you are interested in other ways that you can help, the latest information will be on our COVID-19 response page. https://www.forgottenharvest.org/COVID19/
As always, thank you for all you do to support our mission!
Nicole Peeples, Volunteer Manager npeeples@forgottenharvest.org
OLCC, P Calendar
Our calendar is available to browse live 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at OLCC,P Calendar. You can browse all events coming up. You can also subscribe to the calendar on the same page.
Contact Us
Rev. Dr. Paul H. Thwaite (Sr. Pastor): paul@olccp.com
Rev. Linda Cochran (Temp. Supply Assoc. Pastor) linda@olccp.com
Margaret Bell (Organist): mtbellmusic@gmail.com
Stacey Cheff (Business Administrator): stacey@olccp.com
Emily Grakul (Faith Community Nurse): egrakul@yahoo.com
Martha Piesko (Director of Children’s Ministries) martha@olccp.com
Bruce Snyder (Director of Music Ministries): bruce@olccp.com
Jennifer Taub (Office Administrator): jennifer@olccp.com
Doug Wilson (Sexton)
Email: info@olccp.com
Website: www.olccp.com
Location: 5171 Commerce Road, West Bloomfield Township, MI, USA
Phone: 248-682-0730
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OLCCP/