OLCC,P E-Newslink
July 3, 2020
From Pastor Paul
Greetings, friends!
As I write this on Thursday morning, the tents for our outdoor worship services are being put into place in our main parking lot! I’m excited about the opportunity to be gathered again in worship – properly masked and physically distanced of course – for the first time since Sunday March 8th! What a strange and unusual journey it has been since then!
As a reminder, if you plan to attend our 10 a.m. service this Sunday or any outdoor services in the future, please know of these protocols to follow:
- 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
- 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 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 or Monday morning for those choosing to avoid large groups, those on vacation, or anyone unable to join us in person
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.
In our continuing message series “Summerin’ With Jesus” we turn this week to Psalm 8 and a message entitled “Star Gazin’”. How wonderful it is in the summer to be out in God’s beautiful creation, to enjoy lakes and beaches and woods and forests and so many other parts of this world. At night we can look up and see the beautiful starry skies…at least on clear nights anyway! All of it is meant to remind us of our majestic Lord and Creator!
So come join us if able on Sunday by the lake…it is supposed to be quite warm, so wear shorts or comfortable outdoor clothes as we gather by the lake to offer our praise and adoration to the One who is worthy of our worship!
SEE YOU SUNDAY (so nice to write that again),
Pastor Paul
Summer 2020 Sermon Series
“Summerin’ With Jesus”
July 5: Star Gazin’
July 12: Summer Camp
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
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, Galen Hatcher, 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.
Sympathy to the family of Nina Linebaugh on her passing.
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
Welcome back to in person worship on Sunday morning! I can't wait to see you! For health and safety reasons, there will be no nursery or Sunday School classes offered this summer. Instead, I have provided worship activity bags for each child (preschool-5th grade). They are for the children to keep. Please bring the bags back empty every Sunday (except for the crayons and colored pencils). You will be provided with new materials. I will continue to email Sunday School lessons and videos each week.
Love and Sunshine,
Martha
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.
Women's 2020 Summer Bible Study
The Secret of Contentment by William B. Barcley
Wednesdays, 10 - 11:30 a.m., July 15 - 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.
New Wilmington Mission Virtual Conference, July 17-19
The New Wilmington Mission Conference, an intergenerational Presbyterian mission conference that has been meeting in western Pennsylvania for 115 years, will take place July 17-19 this year. Since we are unable to gather in person, the conference will be held online. The mission team encourages you to explore the website, register, and take advantage of this opportunity to attend without leaving home!
Yes, you will miss eating lunch with career missionaries who tell amazing stories, the in-person fellowship, singing together under the stars, and the ice cream -- all highlights of the week -- still, you will be able to get a feeling for what this conference is about and why people return year after year.
Registration is free this year! Visit the website at www.nwmcmission.org to learn more and to register. Questions? Contact Betsy Telford (starryskys@comcast.net) or Sandra Crane.
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.
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
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.
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:
An Armenian Trilogy
An Armenian Trilogy, a documentary currently airing on Amazon Prime, was written and composed by Dan Yessian. It is history, heritage and love of family combined with a personal achievement of using music to communicate. Dan and wife, Kathy worshiped at OLCC,P for several years and brother, Mark and wife Cindy still do.
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/