st-charles-presbyterian-church

February 2025 Newsletter

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 23:35:23 GMT

Friends, the February newsletter is here and contains all of the regular monthly information plus some new information about new friends in Christ leasing our building. Read the newsletter for more information about these events and more happening this month:

Book club on February 4
Women's Fellowship on February 6
Wednesday Night Dinner and Discussion Group on February 12 and 26
Prime Time

Click to Download the February Newsletter

January 2025 Newsletter

Wed, 01 Jan 2025 23:51:40 GMT

Happy New Year! The January newsletter is here and filled with updates, new and ongoing events, and a prayer for the new year. Snuggle up under a blanket and enjoy reading about what is happening in the life of our church. Inside there are:

Updates from the Pastor Nominating Committee and the Session
Prime Time resumes January 12
Adult Spiritual Formation study on Galatians led by Travis McMaken Sunday mornings at 9:30

Check out these opportunities to connect with God, each other, and our community and more!

Click here to download the January 2025 Newsletter

Giving to Connect

Sun, 10 Nov 2024 20:56:56 GMT

When I was first asked to share what I loved about St. Charles Presbyterian Church, I didn’t know where to begin. For those of you who don’t know, my first experiences with SCPC began in the late 1980s when a friend invited me to youth group. I was 13 years old.

I wasn’t born into this church like Carol Brown but you could say I’ve been part of this church for quite some time. I was trying to think about a special SCPC moment to share with all of you. But to be honest, there are far too many wonderful moments of my life that are connected to this building, connected to this congregation, and connected to each of you.

I thought about when I joined this church as a 16 year old. Marrying Greg just over there almost 30 years ago. Introducing - baptizing - and raising our 3 children in this church. Meeting some of my best friends like Doug & Colleen White, having long talks in the parlor and more often than not in the parking lot with Dana Bova, laughing & crying with the women of Circle 2 on Thursday nights. I’ve witnessed so much love given not only to my children but to all of the children of this church from people like Jo Ann Lynch, Sally Gribble, the Yorks, the Lyons, the Careys. I could go on and on about the different memories I have of SCPC or all of the wonderful people I’ve connected with over the years. So I started thinking about what these memories have in common.

There are 2 things I noticed. These moments connect me to God and connect me to each of you. Life is all about connections and

everything I’ve experienced at this church has brought me closer to God and closer to you.

At the beginning of this year during Sunday School, we began the hard work of discerning and reflecting on what type of church we are, what type of church we want to be, and what qualities we need in a leader to help us do what God has called us to do. It was beautiful work. We spent over three months really reflecting and discerning what God wants SCPC to be.

What did we learn? God wants us to be connected to Him and he wants us to be connected to our community. He wants us to love our neighbors, all of our neighbors - not just the ones who look like us, not just the ones who think like us. And this excites me and has me feeling hopeful. God is calling us to pour into our community.

All of my wonderful SCPC memories over the past 37 years shows me that God has poured into me and He has done this so that I can pour into my community. God wants me to give of my time, to share the gifts He has blessed me with, and give of my financial resources so I can stay connected to Him, so I can build connections with my community, and so I can be connected with each of you. I am looking forward to the new memories and connections we will make.

--Angie Southard

2 Corinthians Giving

Sun, 03 Nov 2024 20:56:56 GMT

From Corinthians 2 Chapter 9 Verses 6-12

The person who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the person who sows generously will also reap generously. Each one of you should give just as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, because God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace overflow to you so that because you have enough of everything in every way at all times, you will overflow in every good work. Now God who provides seed for the sower and bread for food will provide and multiply your supply of seed and will cause the harvest of your righteousness to grow. You will be enriched in every way so that you may be generous on every occasion, which is producing through us thanksgiving to God.

We give freely of our time, talents and in our financial commitments to St. Charles Presbyterian Church. My family Dara, Rachel, Sarah and Jacob have been blessed by this church by it’s love and strong spiritual foundation it has created in our family. My children are heavily involved in their churches and Christ is a vital and important part of their lives because of St. Charles Presbyterian.

My Dad was a Presbyterian minister, and I had the great joy of growing up a Presbyterian later to be in a development church and on session, traveling around southern Illinois with my Dad as interim like Marilyn and the great blessing for my Dad to preach here at St. Charles Presbyterian, with me as the liturgist. When I was a kid maybe it was not a great idea for a couple of young boys to be in the balcony by themselves. Hillary this made me think of your boys up there in the balcony. As a kid It’s possible a paper airplane may have flown down and hit a baby making them cry. I’ll never forget that moment after church when my Dad somehow met us at the bottom of the steps with the two finger point confronting me and my buddy John. I will never forget that day!

As a child church was home, as an adult St. Charles Presbyterian is home.

When we visited my Grandmothers church as a child the fondest memory I have is my grandmother retrieving money from her purse to put in the offering plate. This symbol built in me an understanding of the importance of giving and the joy and rewards this provides for others. Our family continues this today. Let’s continue to embrace this tradition of giving freely every Sunday.

--Paul York