Pastor Connection October 24th 2024

A Note From Pastor Randy

Sunday, October 27, is Reformation Sunday. One of the mottos of the 16th century Protestant Reformation was Sola Fide, “Faith Alone.” This exact phrase does not occur anywhere in the New Testament, but Luther slipped it into his translation.

I have been to the Wartburg Castle and the modest room where Luther was hiding from the Emperor and where he rendered the Greek New Testament into the common language of the German people over the course of eleven weeks. I try to imagine him coming across what Paul wrote in Romans 3:28. I offer the NRSV translation and then Luther’s.

“ . . . a person is justified by faith apart from works prescribed by the law.”

“ . . . der Mensch gerecht werde ohne des Gesetzes Werke, allein durch den Glauben.”

Even if we know very little German, we can see what Luther has done here. He has translated “by faith,” with “allein durch den Glauben” (by faith alone).

Calvin, for his part, translated Romans 3:28 like the NRSV and not Luther. He acknowledged that the word “alone” is an addition that is nowhere expressed in Scripture. However, Calvin said that it is “our doctrine” that a person “is justified by faith alone” and then (with a nod to Luther) he cites Romans 3:28! He argues that the adjective “alone” is necessary when interpreting Paul’s meaning. Calvin goes on to defend sola fide against the numerous attacks

made on it by critics (Institutes 3.11.19).

In modern times, the Reformers’ view seems to have won the day. On October 31, 1999, in Augsburg, Germany, an historic agreement was reached between Lutherans and Catholics. This agreement, the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, has since been adopted by several church bodies, including the World Council of Reformed Churches (to which the PCUSA

belongs). The agreement reads in part:

"Together we confess: By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping and calling us to good works" (paragraph 15).

Notice that the word “alone” has shifted from faith to grace. Even so, I think the Reformers would have been okay with this move. Whether we confess that we are justified “by faith alone” or “by grace alone, in faith,” it has the same meaning. The word “alone” protects the truth that there are no meritorious works of our own that contribute to our salvation.

As heirs of the Reformation, we celebrate the word “alone” and its application to grace and faith in Jesus Christ.

History Room Grand Opening

On Reformation Sunday, the history room will be open for a walk through after worship. Please pop in at 11:00 a.m. on October 27 before you head to Calvin Hall for fellowship or make your way home.

You will be able to see an amazing collection of artifacts, photographs, documents, and memorabilia. After becoming familiar with the contents of the history room, many of you will want to return at a later date during office hours to look in more detail at certain items.

Please thank Jackie Bass and the Building and Grounds team for their efforts in making possible this documentation and celebration of our heritage.

Nominating Committee Report

At the congregational meeting on Sunday, October 20, the Nominating Committee presented the following candidates for election:

Elders:

Dan Davis (2nd term), Craig Cose (2nd term), Jackie Bass (1st term)

Deacons:

Nancy Catterson (2nd term), Lynda Cose (1st term)

Foundation Board:

Richard Platt (1st term), Mary Mumm (1st term)

2025 Nominating Committee:

Dan Davis (Session rep), Diane Ernster (Deacon rep), Judy Lee (At-Large)

The motions passed.

Building Repairs and Power Shut Off

Thank you for your patience and understanding during the power shut off earlier this week. We had several cracks on the north wall that needed immediate attention, and the chimneys on the north side were crumbling. We also had a brick wall that was bowing out that needed to be removed, repaired, and rebuilt. Repairs are mostly cleanup at this point, and the power is restored.

2025 Stewardship Campaign

Pastor Randy's Stewardship Letter will be arriving next week. Our Stewardship Dedication Sunday will be held Sunday, Nov. 10, when the pledge cards will be turned in. Please fill out the cards in their entirety, including the personal contact information requested on the back, so that church records may be updated with the most accurate information.

For a copy of the pledge card, please click HERE.

Website Update

Mallory, Amber and Pastor Randy met this week to discuss the “Logo Design Questionnaire” sent by 1Vision Communications. At this point, we simply provided them some ideas for their design team to work with. It will be interesting to see how creative 1Vision will be with these ideas.

We thought our logo might include elements such as church bells (and tower), a heart(s), a cross. We would want the words to include “First Presbyterian Church.” A tagline might allude to bells/heart(s)—perhaps something like “Resounding Love in Waterloo.” The words we would use to describe our brand include Reformed, missional, confessional, connected, God- centered. As for colors, we like shades of greens and blues.

Our target audience is as broad and diverse as the residents of the Cedar Valley. We provide this audience a worship experience that is inspiring, traditional, participatory and liturgical. We provide fellowship and the opportunity to build meaningful relationships. We have a place for them to use their helping hands to make a difference in our neighborhood, city, and world. We offer a strong sense of community.

The Questionnaire asked about our competitors and what sets us apart from them. We agreed that we should not think of other churches as competitors, rather our competitors are a set of attitudes, values and lifestyles. What sets us apart from apathy, self-interest and greed is that we are caring, other-regarding and generous.

Finally, we have now raised $5,210 toward our goal of $6,424-$7,219. Thanks to all who have supported the new website. If you are still thinking about this, know that your gift is important in helping us reach our goal.

To read a copy of the fundraising letter that was mailed Sep. 30, please click HERE. You may donate by check with "website" in the memo line, or via the QR code online at the bottom of the newsletter with "website" in your notes.

UNI Glee Club Concert

Tickets have been purchased for the UNI Glee Club Concert on Friday, Dec. 6 at 7:30 pm. There will be a sign up in Calvin Hall if you would like to attend. The costs are covered by the Christian Nurture Team, 24 tickets have been purchased. Please join us for a night of great music!

Downtown Waterloo Trick or Treat

Christian Nurture will once again be handing out candy at the Downtown Trick or Treat event on Oct. 26 from 10-12. Thank you for your generosity in loving our littlest neighbors!

Greeting Cards

REMINDER:

There are various types of greeting cards for sale by the Presbyterian Women in the church office, available to all for purchase. The cards are $5 per box. You may leave payment in Susan Wexter's or Amber's mailboxes in the church office. Thank you!

LIVE STREAMING WORSHIP

We are now live streaming our Worship Services every Sunday! The stream will start at 10:00 am on Sundays, and you can view it live on our YouTube channel wherever you have internet access!

If you are unable to watch the service live, the video will be recorded and you can watch at any time by clicking on the video on the YouTube page. The link is (Click Here) bit.ly/1stpresby. The video will also be posted on our Facebook page and the website on Monday mornings.

You can also find the link to the YouTube page on the church website.

Please click HERE for the Sunday bulletin.

We look forward to worshiping with you every week!

Church Calendar

Thursday Oct. 24: 6:00 and 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsals

Saturday Oct. 26: 10:00 am Downtown Waterloo Trick or Treat

Sunday Oct. 27: 10:00 am Worship Service

11:00 pm History Room Grand Opening

5:00 pm Sunday Supper Fellowship Hall

Monday Oct. 28: 6:00 pm NECC Painting Class Fellowship Hall

Tuesday Oct. 29: 9:00 am Bible Study

10:00 am Staff Meeting Church Office

10:30 am PNC Meeting

5:00 pm Love Inc. Full Building

Thursday Oct. 31: 6:00 and 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsals

Friday Nov. 1: 12:30 pm 415 Walnut Collective Meeting

Sunday Nov. 3:

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME, FALL BACK AN HOUR

10:00 am Worship Service, Rev. Brad Braley Preaching

5:00 pm Sunday Supper Fellowship Hall

Staff on Leave

Pastor Randy will be out of the office beginning Wed. Oct. 30 through Tue. Nov. 5. He will be back in the office Wed. Nov. 6. If you have a pastoral emergency, please reach out to Rev. Christine Kaplunas at 319-883-1934.

Pulpit Flower Volunteers Needed

We are accepting donations of flower arrangements for our Sunday Services. We currently have December 1st, 15th, and 29th available. If you would like to donate, please contact Amber in the office to find a date that works for you. You can call the office or email Amber directly. 319-233-6145 or amber@1stpresby.org.  Alternatively, you can let Nancy Valentine know on Sundays after service and she will relay your information to Amber. Thank you!

Elder Standing Team Assignments 

Stewardship and Finance:  Nancy Newhoff 

Mission and Outreach: Sally Davis, Mallory Sage, Sue Albright 

Christian Nurture and Fellowship:  Terry Sage, Dan Davis 

Worship and Music:  Mary Kabel, Marsha Muir, Sally Davis 

Personnel: Dan Davis 

Building and Grounds: Craig Cose 

Church Prayer List

New to the Prayer List:

Pat Geadelmann

Ongoing/Continuing Prayers:

Karen Horsfall, Jan Bellinger's friend

Gary Catterson

Connie Leeper

Don Broadston

Pat & Kari Narey

Jan Schwab

Steve Miller

Prayer for Member Households:

Carl & Evelyn Boice

Kyle, Amanda, Addison, and Molly Bovy

Bruce & Cathy Bowers

Prayer in the Presbytery:

Central Presbyterian Church, 932 5th St., Nevada, IA 50201

Rev. John Molacek

Click HERE for their website

Prayer for Local Church:

First Baptist Church, 434 Baltimore St., Waterloo, IA 50701

Rev. Jonathan Singer

Click HERE for their website

 Add to the Prayer List

Click HERE to submit a prayer request online. Our pastors will be praying for you and sharing concerns with the congregation as requested.

Online Giving

Make a secure donation online using your phone's camera with this QR code. Tell us in the "notes" if you would like to designate your gift.

Thank you for your generosity.

Church Family Birthdays

We celebrate our members with birthdays in October and November. If you get a chance, please join us in wishing them a very happy birthday!

October

26 Gloria Frerichs

27 Sue Albright

November

04 Gary Lee, Melanie Smith

06 Alexander Quirk

07 Richard Platt

16 Don Schwab

22 Dennis Bass, Loren Sommerlot

23 Sue Halvorson

24 Debbie Miller

26 Ivy Gilles

28 Laura Christensen, Andy Frerichs, Janis Shea

First Presbyterian Church 505 Franklin St | Waterloo, IA | 319-233-6145 | www.1stpresby.org

Office Hours: M-Th 9:00am to 4:00pm