The Messenger
New Eyes, Open Hearts, Able Hands: Grow - Connect - Serve
Message from the Co-Moderators
As we write our message in December, we are basking in the glow of the beautiful and meaningful Advent Celebration and smiling as we remember all of you who joined us in person and online. Seeing the community of Presbyterian Women gathered in the sanctuary was a gift to behold! Patty Slentz-Howard and her Advent Committee and the church staff who gave of their time and talents to bring that lovely evening to life hit it out of the park! We are also so appreciative of our Circles’ generosity in donating food for Harvesters’ Christmas baskets that your PW Board assembled in early December. Your gifts enabled those in need to serve a Christmas dinner to their families, a luxury we might take for granted. Elsa Aguilar, Stephanie Morrison, and Jan Zimmerman did an excellent job of organizing and executing our December service project and we appreciate your gifts of altruism and hospitality.
The new year is a wonderful time to consider where we are in our journey with “New Eyes and Open Hearts.” Psalm 51, verses 10 and 12 remind us: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Prayerfully seeking God’s desires for us through a traditional quiet time, journaling both our prayers and God’s responses, and actively moving our bodies while being alert to that still small voice are three ways to be open to all God has in store for us.
Noticing our thoughts with curiosity opens our minds and hearts to new points of view. For survival reasons, our human brain naturally sees ourselves, others, and the world through a judgmental lens. It can be life-changing to intentionally notice our thoughts with curiosity. In addition, the practice of being grateful and naming that for which we are thankful also opens our minds and hearts to a new appreciation for ourselves, others, and to situations in our lives.
Presbyterian Women offers many opportunities for spiritual growth, interpersonal connection, and service to the community. Our outstanding Board is active in creating new ways to connect and serve. We have both ongoing ways to be involved and one-time, “pop-up” opportunities for growth, connection, and service. We invite you to look at the offerings on our webpage, in the Messenger, or in your PW directory and consider what may speak to your needs in this new year. If you have ideas or feedback for us, we welcome your input.
Our wish for you in the coming year is that you notice with NEW EYES that you are beloved by God, wonderfully made in His image, created with a unique and holy purpose, and that you BELIEVE and CLAIM God’s promises to you.
With joy and gratitude for you,
Cindy Henderson, cshsh15@gmail.com, 913-709-0472
Susan Satterlee, sgsatterlee@sbcglobal.net, 913-909-1361
Co-Moderators
Spiritual Growth Corner
In November many of our PW Circles participated in a project with Harvesters by collecting food items for Holiday Boxes. We collected enough for 61 Holiday Boxes which were packed by the PW Board members at the December Board Meeting and delivered to Harvesters. It is truly amazing what we can do when we have a project that will help those in need. This was a joint service project with the Christian Action Committee.
And speaking of projects to help others, be on the lookout for "yarn making" parties starting in January and continuing through March. We will learn how to make "plarn" from plastic grocery sacks which will be woven into beds for homeless individuals in the metro area. This project is called "Bed of Bags". So start now by saving your bags from HyVee, Price Chopper, Hen House, Walmart & Target. Below is a picture of the finished bed.
Happy New Year to all!
Stephanie Morrison and Jan Zimmerman
Advent Celebration Overflows with Joy!
I hope no one is offended when I say I imagined God sitting in a comfortable chair watching December 6’s Presbyterian Women’s Advent Celebration smiling and laughing with joy!
The evening was coordinated by a dedicated and energetic committee and enthusiastically supported by the expertise of many of the church’s staff members. Collectively there was the sound of women exuberantly greeting each other, followed by words of welcome and assurances through liturgy and poignant stories that God is always with us even in our darkest seasons. There was music that tugged at our hearts as soloists sang from the “Messiah” and lifted us with joy as the sanctuary full of sisters in Christ raised the roof in song.
This year four senior citizen communities joined the Celebration while it was streamed live. At each location, communion was served by present and past Village Church ministers including Tom Are, Jay McKell, and Diane Quaintance while it was being served in the sanctuary.
One of the most celebrated moments, and very much filled with grace, was when it was realized that there were many more attendees than expected and that we had run out of pieces of communion bread. When that was announced the sanctuary rose up in cheers. The unexpected women were joyfully welcomed, and we knew our amazing ministers, Hallie, Sally, and Melanie would figure out what to do and they did. Everyone received the elements with reverence and gratitude.
Finally, hearts and pocketbooks were opened that evening in the amount of $2600 (and donations are still coming in!) to benefit Veronica’s Voice, an organization whose mission is to empower women to exit, prevent entry into, and end all demand for prostitution-sex trafficking in the United States through survivor leadership. By mid-January, all expenses will be accounted for and then we will be in a position to report the final amount we are able to donate to this wonderful and important organization. The generosity has been amazing and greatly appreciated.
The energy and joy felt in the sanctuary that evening were very, very special. I hope all who were there, in person or via the internet, left knowing that thanks to God and God’s light, we, too are the light of the world. Give light and receive light. May it be so.
Patty Slentz-Howard
Moderator-Elect
PW Circles - All are Welcome!!
Please come and join us in one of our 8 Circles as we gather for fellowship and discussion of the Horizons Bible Study, Celebrating Sabbath, Accepting God’s Gift of Rest and Delight.
Most Village on Mission Circles meet the second Tuesday of the month at various times of day. The Village on Antioch Circle meets at 6:00 p.m. the second Monday of the month. All are invited to attend the Circle of your choice.
For questions and information regarding meeting times and locations for the Circle meetings, please contact Sherri Robeson, PW Circle Activities Coordinator (srobeson49@gmail.com) or 913-219-9925.
"Circle of the Month" - Circle 1
Circle 1 began in the 1980's as a group of professional women who wanted a consolidated Bible study before work. Current members Judy Cooper, Mary Bertsch and Penny Singer were in the starting group.
We meet at 8:00 am. and some women stay for a social hour at the Village Cup. This "ONEderful Circle" welcomes all early-rising women and meets in Room 126/127 at Village on Mission on the second Tuesday of the month. When asked to describe our Circle in one word, several members suggested "welcoming, generous, efficient, caring."
For more information about Circle 1, contact Margaret Boomer at boomerang54@gmail.com.
PW Treasurer's Corner
Lisa Mann
Treasurer
Amazing Graces Book Club Selections for 2023
The Amazing Graces Book Club has selected the following books to read and discuss over the next several months:
- January 4, 2023 - Ella Minnow Pea, by Mark Dunn
- February 1 - Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Grams
- March 1 - Demon Copperhead, by Barbara Kingsolver
- April 5 - Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post, by Allison Pataki
- May 3 - Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
We’re happy to have you join us! We meet year round, usually on the first Wednesday of the month at 5:30 p.m. All are welcome (if fully vaccinated). We meet in homes, so please contact Sara Wallace to be added to the monthly email distribution.
Quarterly PW Book Club Discussion on January 18
The Quarterly PW Book Club will meet Wednesday, January 18 at 7:00 p.m. at the Tillotson Building/Food Pantry Conference Room.
Sue Monk Kidd’s book, The Book of Longings, should make for a great discussion!
We’re meeting at the 99th Street campus conference room for a change of pace. Refreshments will be served!
Page Turners January Read is "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek"
Come one, come all, as Page Turners Book Group begins 2023 with The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson at our regular meeting time, Tuesday, January 24, 10:00 a.m. Room 127.
“Cussy” Mary Carter is the last of her kind, her skin the color of a blue damselfly in these dusty hills. As a member of the Pack Horse Library Project, Cussy delivers books to the hill folk of Troublesome Creek, hoping to spread learning. But not everyone is keen on Cussy’s family or the library project, and the hardscrabble Kentuckians are quick to cast blame for any trouble in their small town. This is a story of raw courage and one woman’s determination to bring a bit of hope.
Our book for February 28 is The Maid by Nina Prose. Stay tuned for details.
We extend a cordial welcome to visitors and prospective new members. If you would like to join the discussion or just listen, there is a place for you in Page Turners.
For more information please contact Barbara Lee, lhlee@att.net 217-891-3557, or Ann Raikula, ann.raikula@sbcglobal.net 913-481-4730.
Thursday Mission Sewing Recognizes Home Sewers
We'd like to recognize four women who sew from home and regularly donate items to the Thursday Mission Sewing group.
With gratitude to the following ladies who produce mounds of peanut pillows and dream bags for Mission Sewing -- quietly, steadily and humbly they stitch for those in need!!
- Renee Arnett
- Vicki Graham
- Laurel Green
- Samantha Sturgeon
Dee Gound and Nancy Cantril
Thursday Mission Sewing
PW Craft Night Scheduled for February 1
Wednesday, February 1, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. - Village on Antioch, Fellowship Hall.
Are you working on a sewing, needlework or knitting project? Bring it and make great progress while chatting with friends. Do you have a box of photos you’ve wanted to sort through? This is the night to get it done! Don’t have a project? We’ll set up several card-making stations so you can leave with several cards to send out this winter! AND we’ll learn how to repurpose plastic shopping bags into sleeping mats. Refreshments will be served!
Presbyterian Women
Email: laura.hobbs@villagepres.org
Website: villagepres.org/pw.html
Location: 6641 Mission Road, Prairie Village, KS, USA
Phone: 913-262-4200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PWofVC