TABLE OF CONTENTS
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SPECIAL ITEMS
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Church Office Hours
8:30-4:30
Mon - Fri
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Deadline for the
June/July 2017
newsletter is
May 20
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LISTENING TO THE HEARTBEAT OF GOD
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SUMMER INTERNS NEEDED
Presently, the Christian Education Committee is seeking college interns to work with our younger church school children this summer. Please contact Lynn Cronk if you are interested in this Sunday morning position.
May Calendar
May 7
High School and College Graduates honored. Jamieson Award presented.
Nursery and Preschool- Volunteer Needed
K-2- Sarah Miller and Deb Sayers, Grades 3-5- Amy Bartel
Grades 6-8- Prue Dana
Junior High Students go to Northminster Presbyterian to hear a Sudanese Missionary
Continue to Full Article
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CARES, CONCERNS, JOYS AND THANK YOUs
IN OUR PRAYERS
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Keep these friends in your prayers:
Betty Barnhart, Pris Berry, Bob Douglass, Connie Everhart, Cathy Fey, Nancy Gates, Genee Hesse, Breanna Kinneman, Stacey Winn, Marilyn Rettig, Sarah Soika, Jan Reinhart
Lord in Your Mercy, Hear Our Prayers
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CONCERNS
Our long time, dear friend and Parish Associate Bruce Bueschel died on Friday, April 21. May our Lord comfort his family and friends in this time of grief. He will be truly missed
JOYS
Sarah Miller shares this picture of our friend Eileen Jeck and her daughter
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The beautiful Easter lilies, daffodils and hyacinths. A joy!
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THANK YOU(s)
It takes a village (or make that Congregation) to support all the activities and ceremonies surrounding Easter. A Heartfelt thank you to:
Palm Sunday folks:
Karen Shearer, Bill Fisher, Matt Lykins, Lawrence Bartel, Brent Bader, Steve Flee, Mary Shinn, Rori Lykins, Isabell Lykins, Nancy Parkinson, Zack Groom, Scott Parkinson, Cal Klumb
Maundy Thursday folks:
MaryJane Roberts, Susan King, Bill King, John Bailer, Cal Klumb, Carol Klumb, Cornelia Browne, Lawrence Bartel
Good Friday folks:
Dick Munson, Scott Parkinson, Robert Simpson, Nancy Moeckel, Robert Smith, Anne Bailey, Lawrence Bartel
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DEACONS
Do you know someone who needs a Prayer Shawl? Shawls are given for comfort in times of illness or grief, as well as for celebration in times of joy. If you have a friend or relative to whom
you would like to give a Prayer Shawl, please call Diane Young. 513-255-6051
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OXFORD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WOMEN
THE TUESDAY AFTERNOON CIRCLE
will meet on May 16 at 1:30 p.m. in The Knolls Country Kitchen. Rosemary Fisher will lead the lesson, Jean Butterfield the Mission Yearbook and Lynn Cronk the Least Coin. Come join us for lunch before the meeting.
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HE TUESDAY EVENING CIRCLE
Will meet May 2 at the home of Janet Holmes, 210 Ridge Avenue. Co-hostess is Debbie Davidson. Deborah Benzing will lead the Devotions and Jo Reinhart the Program.
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Spring Rummage & Boutique Sale May 18 - 20
The Oxford Presbyterian women have been busy sorting and they will have lots of wonderful lightly used items for sale May 18-20. Please stop by to shop and to say hello. In addition to clothing for most everyone there will also be kitchenware, an assortment of jewelry and wonderful knickknacks and one of a kind items. Please spread the word and be prepared to buy.
In addition to finding wonderful bargains it will please you to know that when you buy something at the Rummage sale you are giving the Oxford Presbyterian Women money that will go back to the community to help those in need.
The sale starts Thursday, May 18 from 6:00 pm-8:00 pm at the Seminary and continues on Friday, May 19th, from 10 am-3 pm and a final Bag Sale will take place on Saturday, May 20th, from 10 am to noon.
The Seminary is open for donations Wednesday May 3rd and May 10 from 9:00 am to 11:30 am.
You can also drop off items outside of Bridgite's church office during the week or call for a pick up at 523-6364.
The date for setting up the Seminary for the rummage sale is Saturday, May 13th, at 9 am. Set up will involve moving the boxes filled with items on top or underneath the display tables.
It should only take about an hour, but we do need strong men to help with this.
Why should you support The RUMMAGE & BOUTIQUE SALE? It supports the mission work of the Oxford Presbyterian Women, helps the environment by recycling gently used items, provides an opportunity for all to find fantastic bargains and it helps those in our community who can not afford to buy new. Please spread the word and be prepared to buy.
 Many hands make light work. We are hoping for volunteers to help with the display and pricing of our sale items. Even if you can only come for an hour or two, your time will be greatly appreciated. Please show up any time between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on May 15, 16, or 17. And at the end of the sale on May 20h at noon, we need lots of workers to pack up the leftovers and transport them to Goodwill
. (Answer to the Q of the M. You cannot take a picture with a wooden leg; you need a camera. Sorry for that)
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OPW Spring Brunch
10:am - Noon Saturday, May 6 at the Seminary
Program:
Our featured speaker is Pastor Lawrence telling the story of  his pilgrimages on the Jesus Trail in Galilee and the Camino in Spain.
He will have wonderful pictures and slides to illustrate this journey. We may even hear about and see other holy ground that Lawrence has traveled. This should be a wonderful opportunity for all the women, children, grandparents, and friends of OPW
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Expect good food, great fun and glorious fellowship.
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2017 Jamieson Award
The Oxford Presbyterian Women are pleased to announce that on Sunday May 7, 2017, the S.R. and Luna Weede Jamieson Award will be presented to Olivia DeGennaro, daughter of Mark and Debbie DeGennaro.
Olivia will graduate from Talawanda High School on May 25, 2017. While attending Oxford Presbyterian Church, Olivia has been a very active youth participant. She has been on four mission trips and was very active in the fund raising for each trip. She has assisted in church school classes and the nursery. She has been a greeter, hosted the fellowship hour and served as liturgist.
Olivia plans on attending Miami University in the Fall, majoring in Communication/Marketing. She hopes to travel and continue performing service activities.
The S.R. and Luna Weede Jamieson Award was first awarded in 1966 as a $10.00 award to recognize a high school senior (or seniors) who have made a significant contribution to the church and its youth activities. Dr. Jamieson was pastor of the Seminary Church form 1914 to 1922.
The Jamieson's were always interested in young people and fully realized their importance to the church and to the community.
In 1992, Qunicy and Jean Butterfield increased the Scholarship fund in celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary. The Jamiesons were the pastor and wife for the Seminary congregation when Jean's parents were newlyweds. Upon their retirement the Jamieson's returned to Oxford to live. In December 1942, Dr. Jamieson officiated the marriage of Quincy and Jean.
Each recipient currently receives a certificate and a check for $200 from the Oxford Presbyterian Women. Their name and photo are entered in the Jamieson Scrapbook housed in the Molyneaux Library. There is also a plaque outside the Christian Education Office listing previous winners. It is in the process of being updated.
Congratulations Olivia!
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2017 BIRTHDAY OFFERING
GOD PROVIDES
Three projects have been selected for funding:
- NAVAJO WATER PROJECT, New Mexico
- THE FAMILY JUSTICE CENTER SAFE HAVEN FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, South Carolina
- FIRST HAND AID RURAL CLINIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, Cuba
The Birthday Offering of Presbyterian Women celebrates our history of mission giving. It was launched in 1922 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Woman's Auxiliary in the Presbyterian Church in the United States. Now an annual tradition, it has funded nearly 100 major mission projects, which continue to make a difference in the lives of women and children.
This includes the mission project Oxford Presbyterian Women submitted. This project provided $100,000 for the BETHESDA CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY CENTER for our sister church in Barranquilla, Colombia to build a new Community Center.
The offering will be dedicated at the June 3 Women's Retreat in the Western Lodge.
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OUR MISSION STATEMENT AT WORK
Seeking God, Serving Others, Sharing Christ's Love With All
The Deacons thank the Oxford Presbyterian Church for their generosity. Two hundred eighty nine pounds of food from the Deacon's Lenten Food Drive were taken to the Oxford Choice Pantry in March when the youth of Oxford Presbyterian Church worked at the Oxford Choice Pantry. One hundred nineteen pounds of food were taken in April.
A total of four hundred eight pounds of food were taken to the Oxford Choice Food Pantry. T
he Deacon's Lenten Food Drive raised 357.00 in monetary donations, which the Deacon's will use to shop for food for the pantry
Danny Cross
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
A huge thank you to our OPC family on behalf of the Talawanda Middle School seventh graders: In part due to the generosity of our OPC family, they were able to collect over 3,000 pairs of used shoes as part of their fundraiser and send them off to micro-entrepeneurs abroad!
The OPC seventh graders at TMS include:
Ezekiel Groom, Isabelle Lykins, Carlyle & Winston Myers, Bella Walters
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COME TO OUR INTERNATIONAL GATHERING ON May 21st!
The Intercultural Program students at Talawanda High School and their host families will be the guests of the Oxford Presbyterian Church congregation at a dinner on Sunday, May 21st at 5:30 p.m. in the Seminary building.
After dinner the students will tell us about their homes and share some of their experiences in the US and Oxford. This event has become a tradition in our church...the students enjoy the interaction and we always learn from them and have such fun.
The Membership, Evangelism & Fellowship Committee will provide several international dishes and drinks. Those attending should bring a vegetable, salad, or dessert, enough to serve their family and a guest family. Plates and utensils will be provided. Youth and children are encouraged to attend.
Sign up after Church on May 7th and 14th or call the church office at 523-6364 to make your reservation. Call Tom Holmes if you have any questions or ideas at 523-3857. We look forward to seeing you on the 21st!
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CHURCH SERVICES AT THE KNOLLS
Come join Becky Quay to enjoy Presbyterian Church services on DVD at The Knolls. Meet her on May 9 & May 23 in the Country Kitchen. Program begins at 10:00 A.M. and all are welcome!
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KINDLING NEW FIRES OF LOVE
Church Women United 2017 May Friendship Day will be celebrated Sunday, May 7, 3 to 4: 30 p.m. at Darrtown United Methodist Church. Chris Schultz, Director of Parachute CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates.) will be our speaker. The theme is Kindling New Fires of Love. We will learn about ways we can support an agency that in turn supports children in our community.
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PARACHUTE: Butler County CASA is a non-profit agency dedicated to  providing trained community volunteers to children who are in the Juvenile Court system due to abuse, neglect or abandonment; these volunteers are willing to take a stand for the Butler County's most vulnerable children. The CASA concept is based on the commitment that every child has the right to a safe, permanent home, as soon as
possible. All are invited.
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Deadline for the June/July Newsletter is May 20, 2017
Oxford Presbyterian Church Staff
Office Hours: 8:30-4:30, M-F
Telephone: 513-523-6364
Fax: 513-523-8215
Seminary Building: 513-523-7411
Pastor:
Lawrence Bartel
Music Director:
Kent Peterson
Organist:
Lynn Jacobs
Pastor Emeritus:
Dr. Joseph R. Hookey
Parish Associates:
Rev. Diane Ziegler
Clerk
: Julia R. Fisher
Administrative Assistant:
Financial Secretary:
Director/Teacher C.C.N.S.:
Newsletter Editor:
Custodian:
Priscilla Parks
OFFICERS OF OPC
SESSION
Class of 2017:
Mary Jane Roberts, Robert Smith, Janet Zeigler, Gwen Fears, Kim Logsdon
Class of 2018:
Carol Klumb, Amy McGoldrick, Katie Payne, Deb Sayers, David Wilson
Class of 2019
: Jenny Bailer, Lynn Cronk, Greg Hughes, Nancy Moeckel,
Johanna Reinhart
DEACONS
Class of 2017: Danny Cross, Connie Everhart, Matt Lykins, Rori Lykins, Jean O'Connell,
Class of 2018:
Karen Shearer, Lee Fisher, Virginia Layton, Joni Marcum, MaryJo McFadden
Class of 2019: Carol Burkhalter,Debbie Davidson, Janet Holmes, Pat Roberts Diane Young
TRUSTEES
Class of 2017:
Lisa Brunckhorst, Rick Bailey
Class of 2018:
Tom Holmes, Nick Fears
Class of 2019: Keith Payne, Joe Simpson
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MAY BIRTHDAYS
2 Lisa Brunckhorst
3 JoAnne Hagerman
3 Joe Simpson
5 Lynn Cronk
5 Joe Hookey
6 Katya Fisher
6 Michael Hughes
6 Vi Suit
7 Breanne Parks
8 Valerie Green
8 Ralph Jordan
8 Betty Wills
9 Spencer Lykins
9 Melanie Ziegler
10 Philip Lindsey
13 Cia Beal
13 Richard Williams
14 Bryson Fears
14 Nancy Gates
14 Genee Hesse
14 Ray Patterson
15 Bryan Richmond
16 Hank Thomas
17 Brent Bader
17 Zachary Grajewski
17 Katie Payne
18 Doug Gardner
19 Amelia Johnson
19 Katie McDaniel
20 Cathy Fujii
22 Rachel Grajewski
23 Dave Ferris
23 Keith Payne
24 Joan Teckman
25 Jacob Bailer
25 Dennis Deahl
26 Allyson Gayhart
26 Autumn Saylor
27 Mark DeGennaro
27 Kyle Gardner
27 Sarah Soika
28 Melissa Chase
28 Charles Teckman
29 Cristina Hunter
30 Candace Crist
31 Debbie DeGennaro
Some May-Hem for our Celebrants
Mother's Day
is on Sunday, the 14th of May.
Ringling Bros. Circus takes final bow in May The show's final performances will be held in Providence and in Uniondale, New York on May 7 and May 21, respectively.
It is estimated that 12 percent of American adults have a phobia of clowns. The fear is so prevalent it even has a scientific name: coulrophobia.
May is National
Date Your Mate, Foster Care, Barbecue, National Bike, Blood Pressure, Hamburger, Photograph, Recommitment,
Salad, and Older Americans
Month
A shape with 99 sides would be called an enneacontakaienneagon.
Witzelsucht is a rare neurological disorder whose sufferers have an excessive tendency to tell pointless stories or inappropriate jokes and puns. (I am NOT a carrier-ed)
Florida has more toll roads and bridges than any other state in the Union.
Oberlin College, founded in 1833, was the first interracial and coeducational college in the United States.
Question of the month
In British Columbia, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why not?
As always, read every article in the newsletter to find the article. (made you look, made you look!)
It costs approximately $10,000 to train a federally certified search and rescue dog
Dog nose prints are as unique as human fingerprints and can be used to identify them
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LISTENING TO THE HEARTBEAT OF GOD
Full Article
I marvel. Sometimes, I simply and truly marvel that the Lord led me back to this very place. After journeying thousands of miles through many countries and cultures, I'm writing from a porch watching traffic head west on a road that I drove once or twice about 24 years ago.
At that time, I was a college student on break coming to visit my college roommate and his family who lived in Oxford. Then, I thought God would turn my love and study of science into a related vocation. Today, in the light of Christ's resurrection at Easter, I recognize how the Lord had a different vision for my future.
An Easter passage that has long been a favorite of mine is Luke's telling of two disciples walking the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). The disciples left Jerusalem. Two days had passed since Jesus was killed. Perhaps they were fleeing the heartache. Perhaps they were going to tell other followers of Jesus that their Rabbi had been crucified by the Romans. Whatever the reason, they set off on the Journey Outward.
At some point, the Spirit of God accompanied them on this journey through the presence of Jesus. Perhaps the two disciples were blinded by grief, but at first they did not recognize their teacher. Even while they continued walking and talking with Jesus, the disciples didn't perceive that God was with them.
Upon reaching their destination, something changed. "Their eyes were opened, and they recognized him."
Was it the undeniable presence of God as Jesus "took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them?" Were the disciples finally in a different spiritual, emotional, and physical place that allowed them to perceive the presence of God that had been with them all along while they walked with Jesus?
Suddenly they understood. They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?"
"That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem." They returned home. Jerusalem may have been their spiritual home, perhaps it was their physical home, or perhaps both. They made the Journey Inward.
Back home, the two disciples found the others and said, "'The Lord has risen indeed and he has appeared to Simon!' Then they told what had happened on the road, how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread."
The journey away from home opens our eyes to recognize God. The presence of the Lord is always with us but is too often obscured by daily life at home.
On the Journey Outward we discover the presence of God with us and our hearts burn within us. We then recognize that whenever our hearts burn with a sacred passion - we are already in the presence of God, this is the Journey Inward.
This is the Journey Outward.
This is the Journey Inward.
These journeys are neither one directional nor a once in a lifetime experience. Instead, they may be better seen as interconnecting circles of seeking, serving, and sharing that form a never ending journey of faith.
Many stories outside of scripture also tell the story of the Journey Outward and the Journey Inward. One is The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo. Another is this story from the Russian Rabbis as told by Belden Lane:
In Krakov there lived a man named Isaac, son of Yekel, a very poor man whose family was often hungry. One night in a dream, he saw the distant city of Prague, noticing there a certain bridge with a treasure buried beneath it. The dream was so vivid that he could not forget it, especially when it kept recurring every night for two weeks. Finally, in order to get rid of the dream, he decided to walk from Krakov to Prague to see for himself.
After several days, he arrived in Prague, found the bridge and went underneath to locate the treasure. Suddenly, a soldier grabbed him and started questioning him. What was he doing prowling under the bridge? Being an innocent man, he told the truth. He was looking for a treasure he had dreamed was underneath the bridge.
The soldier roared with laughter. "You stupid man! Don't you know that you cannot trust what you see in dreams? Why, for the last two weeks, I myself dreamed that far away in Krakov in the house of a Jew named Isaac, son of Yekel, there is a treasure buried underneath the stove in his kitchen. But wouldn't it be the most idiotic thing in the world if I were to go all the way there to look for it? One could waste a lifetime looking for treasure that does not exist." Still laughing, the soldier gave Isaac a kick and let him go.
So Isaac, son of Yekel, walked back to Krakov, to his own home, where he moved the stove in his kitchen, found the treasure buried there and lived to a ripe old age as a rich man.
The rabbis later observed, "Isn't it interesting: The treasure was at home all along, but the knowledge of it was in Prague."
Over the next several weeks, you will be hearing the phrases Journey Outward and Journey Inward in a variety of contexts. This imagery emerged out of our leadership retreat in January and has developed to become a very helpful framework in many areas of congregational discernment from facility renovations to staff design.
I encourage you to consider how the Lord has guided your life along the Journey Outward and the Journey Inward. First, what spiritual, physical, vocational lessons have revealed the secret of Christ's abundant life to you? (In my life, God's grace worked for nearly a quarter of a century for me to recognize that the journey was leading me to OPC.) Second, how is the Lord leading our congregation to renew or create new ministries that engage future generations in both the Journey Outward and Journey Inward?
To adapt the wisdom of the Rabbi's for us - How will generations to come discover that the treasure was at Oxford Presbyterian Church all along, but the knowledge of it was in the world?
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CHRISTIAN EDUCATION
Full Article
SUMMER INTERNS NEEDED
Presently, the Christian Education Committee is seeking college interns to work with our younger church school children this summer. Please contact Lynn Cronk if you are interested in this Sunday morning position.
May Calendar
May 7
High School and College Graduates honored. Jamieson Award presented.
Nursery and Preschool-
Volunteer Needed
K-2- Sarah Miller and Deb Sayers, Grades 3-5- Amy Bartel
Grades 6-8- Prue Dana
Junior High Students go to Northminster Presbyterian to hear a Sudanese Missionary
May 14
Nursery and Preschool-Lynn Cronk
K-2 Sarah Miller and Deb Sayers
Grades 3-5 Missy Friede
Grades 6-8 Prue Dana
May 21
Nursery and Preschool- Lynn Cronk
K-2 Sarah Miller and Deb Sayers
Grades 3-5 Missy Friede
Grades 6-8 Prue Dana
May 28, Memorial Day Weekend
Nursery and Preschool only
June 4
Worship at Hopewell
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SUMMER SCHEDULE
June 11, 18 and 25
Nursery and Preschool Available plus Grades k-5 in the Art Room
June 25-30
Experience Mission Trip to Pike Co. Ky
June 25-July 1
Middle School Students to Kirkmont
July 2- Only nursery and preschool available
July 7-9 Vacation Bible School- Water All Around the World
July 9
No Summer Sunday School because of VBS only Nursery Available
July 16, 23, and 30-
Nursery and Preschool available plus Grades k-5 in Art Room with Debbie DeGennaro
August 6 and 13
Nursery and Preschool available plus Grades k-5 in Art Room with Katie Saylor
August 20
Kick Off for Fall.
Openings are available to teach in our church school this summer and fall. Please contact Lynn Cronk if you are interested.
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