The Messenger

We've been blessed with some awesome fall days and will soon enjoy the blessings of Thanksgiving and the beauty of the Advent Season. We hope everyone will enjoy the coming weeks of family gatherings and special traditions. We have enclosed two Advent calendars that we hope you will enjoy with family, the younger ones in your life, or in a time of quiet reflection. Blessings to all our church family and friends!

Blessings,

Nancy Sherman and Brenda K. Malpass

"Rejoice in the Lord Always! I will say it again. Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all!"

Philippians 4: 4-5

For the past 10 years, Nancy Visser has faithfully served as our Clerk of Session. Her dedication, organization, and commitment have been a tremendous gift to our church. Nancy will be stepping down at the end of the year, and we are grateful to Linda Robinson for graciously agreeing to take on this important role.

Please join us during fellowship on Sunday, November 8, as we celebrate Nancy and thank her for 10 years of faithful service to First Presbyterian Church. We are truly grateful for all she has done!

Our 2027 stewardship campaign has concluded, but it’s not too late to submit a pledge card. Thank you to everyone who has made a commitment!

As we prepare the 2027 budget, our expenses currently exceed our income by almost $18,000. Unexpected repairs and a substantial decrease in giving this year have added to our financial challenges. Your continued generosity is essential to meeting our expenses and supporting the ministries and programs that are so important to our church.

As the year comes to a close, please contact the church office if you have questions about your giving or would like an update on your pledge balance. We also encourage you to submit year-end contributions early, as Sarah will be out of the office during the holidays.

Thank you for your continued generosity and faithful stewardship!

Ralph Kooistra, Treasurer

Session has been busy this quarter reviewing membership records, updating church policies and the Administrative Operations Manual, clarifying committee responsibilities, and reviewing bids for needed property improvements.

Looking ahead, Session will review church insurance policies and begin preparing the 2027 budget while continuing its regular work of overseeing church operations and guiding our congregation.

We are grateful to our Session members for their time, dedication, and faithful service as we continue moving Forward in Faith!

There are many ways to help during Advent! Sign-up sheets are in the back of the church, or you can email the church office.

• Decorating the Church - November 22: Join us after worship.

• Hanging of the Greens - November 29: Sign up to participate with a reading or decoration.

• Advent Happening - December 6: Sign up to host a craft table.

• Christmas Pageant - December 20: Open to all ages! Sign up for a part and bring a treat to share afterward.

• Christmas Eve Readers: Sign up to help with the Christmas Eve service.

Thank you for helping make this a special season for our church family!

Happy fall, everyone! Here is a brief update from the Deacons Committee on recent fellowship and upcoming Advent activities.

Thank you to everyone who attended our fall event at the Friends of the Jordan pavilion. We were blessed with a beautiful morning, an enjoyable trail walk, and a lovely setting for coffee hour. We are also grateful to Friends of the Jordan for allowing us to use the pavilion.

The Deacons are preparing for our annual Advent Happening on December 6th, immediately following the worship service. The event will include crafts and a light luncheon, and we are looking for volunteers to host craft tables for others to enjoy. If you are able to host a table, please contact any deacon or add your name to the sign-up sheet at the back of the sanctuary.

We hope everyone is having a wonderful fall and enjoying time with friends and family.

Respectfully submitted,

Dee Hawley, Deacon Moderator

This summer was lovely and has extended well into late October! The Moms and Tots Baby Bottle fund drive was underway through the summer, beginning on Father's Day and ending on Labor Day. Just over $2630 was collected! WOW! We collected school supplies in August and delivered them to the school in early September. The school sent the church a nice thank-you note. Many thanks to our generous congregation!

We celebrated World Communion Sunday on the first Sunday in October; we also received a collection for the Presbyterian Church's Special Offering, "Season of Preparation."

In early October, Samaritan's Purse "Operation Christmas Child" began the Shoebox collection. The boxes are in the back of the church. Please note the instructions regarding contents, labeling, and postage payment. Please do NOT make the postage check payable to our church or leave cash. If there are questions, please contact the church (231-536-2941) or Susan Kinloch (231-599-2077). Please return your boxes to the church by Nov. 15. Leave them in the Fireside room or give them to Susan Kinloch.

For Thanksgiving this year, our church is making a $3,000 donation from our Mission Fund for Save A Lot gift cards for families in need. East Jordan Public Schools will determine those who will receive these gifts from the EJ Ministerial Association.

The Toys for Tots/Care and Share Christmas box will be available in mid-November. Watch for information in the weekly update. Unwrapped toys and gifts for children and teens are needed, and a list will be available for gift suggestions.

Finally, the Christmas Joy special offering will take place on Christmas Eve. This offering supports our Presbyterian retired ministers and educator programs.

We are a compassionate and generous congregation - thank you for all you do! Remember that we have been blessed to be a blessing to others.

Susan Kinloch, Mission Elder

For the third year in a row, First Presbyterian Church handed out Halloween treats to our community, and what a wonderful evening it was! It was a busy night for trick and treaters and we ran out of candy half way through! A big thank-you to everyone who donated treats and helped make this community outreach possible. We also want to thank Brooke Hawley for organizing this event and to those that helped hand out treats throughout the evening! It was a great way to connect with our community and share a little joy with the children and families of East Jordan!

Join us the second Monday of each month at 5:30 pm for good food and fellowship! Bring yourself and a friend. Sign-up sheets are available in advance, but everyone is welcome, even at the last minute.

November donations will go to support Brady Schroeder and his family. A big thank-you to everyone who has helped prepare our meals this past season...George and Dee Small, as well as Tom and Kaye Hughes, and Rhonda Brennan.

The holidays are right around the corner, which means family and friends gathering for food and fun! I discovered this incredibly simple recipe at one of our dog agility competitions this past summer. At these events, the host club always puts on lunch for all the participants, and everyone went crazy over these sandwiches. Of course, at the next trial that my club hosted, I had to repeat this!

I’m sure many of you have marinated your chicken in Italian dressing, and you know you can’t go wrong. This recipe takes that up just a notch for a delicious meal. In fact, I’m thinking that instead of our usual White Chicken Chili for Christmas Eve, I might go this route!

Crock Pot Shredded Chicken

One large package of skinless chicken breasts (usually around 5 or 6)

One bottle of zesty Italian dressing

One block of cream cheese

I always cut the fat off the chicken...I already have enough of my own and don’t need

to consume more!

Place the chicken in the crock pot. Pour the entire bottle of dressing over the top. Cook on high for 4-5 hours, or until the chicken is fork-tender. Remove the chicken and shred it with 2 forks, or use one of those new meat-shredding gadgets.

Return the chicken to the crock pot and plop the block of cream cheese in. Let it continue to cook until you are ready to eat. Stir the ingredients to incorporate the cream cheese. Don’t worry if it seems a bit juicy, as it will be fine. We don’t add any barbecue sauce, but you certainly could.

Serve on your favorite buns or croissants. This time of year, I’ll serve it with baked squash or apples, and maybe some tater tots to make the kids happy!

August 2026

• No motions

• Approved flat roof repair due to leaks over Christian Ed. building by Cosier Roofing in the amount of $8,100.
• Approved Willet Studies to replace sills (if needed) and framing on the stained-glass windows, add protective covers and clean the windows for $65,000 (25% deposit of $16,250 will need to be submitted by November 1).

• Approved Operations Manual and Policies to be in compliance for the annual review
• Approved new gutter on roof above Christian Ed entrance as recommended by roofing company.

Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Healey family on the loss of Zila on October 20th. Her Celebration of Life was just as Zila wanted, and the beautiful sunshine that filled the day could not have been more perfect. May the love and memories they shared bring comfort to her family in the days ahead. Please continue to keep the Healey family in your thoughts and prayers.

• Thank you to Joan Sherman for her commitment to making prayer squares. She has been incredible and does this often for us!
• Thank you to everyone that helped with the outdoor clean up!
• All of our Meet and Eat helpers: Brenda K. Malpass, Stacey Chipman, Eileen and Nancy Gordon-Hugman, Connie Hunter, Dee and George Small, Kay and Tom Hughes, Rhonda Brennan, and Dee Hawley.

• Congratulations to Bristol Skop for placing 13th in the Regional Cross Country meet which earned her and helped earn her team a spot in the Cross Country State Finals that will be held on Saturday at Michigan International Speedway. This is a tremendous accomplishment! Congratulations, Bristol!
• Penelope Malpass finished 6th in the Training Level 3 Championships-Junior/Young Rider Division at the United States Dressage Federation Competition

We are working on updating our Church Directory. If you have any address, email, or phone changes, please let the church office know as soon as possible! Thanks!

This year, we are making a small change in how we support local families. Rather than asking congregation members to donate toward Save-A-Lot gift cards, we will use funds from our Local Missions Fund and money received from the Mary Glenna Malpass Mission Fund through the Charlevoix County Community Foundation to purchase the cards.

We recognize that the holiday season brings many opportunities to give, including our Toys for Tots collection through Care and Share. This change allows us to continue helping local families while easing the pressure on our congregation to contribute to multiple causes.

We are grateful for your continued generosity and the opportunity to share Christ’s love with our neighbors!

One of our church’s most important missions is caring for others and sharing Christ’s love, especially during times of hardship. By preparing to serve as an emergency warming center, we put our faith into action and live out Christ’s call to love our neighbors.

In 2026, First Presbyterian Church received two grants to help make this ministry possible. Charlevoix County Emergency Management Services provided our church with a generator, and the Charlevoix County Community Foundation awarded us $1,000 toward the installation of a transfer switch. We are grateful to Ralph Kooistra for picking up and unloading the generator and to Kathryn Bell for her work writing and submitting the grant application.

Our next steps are to purchase supplies and develop a list of volunteers willing to help if our community needs an emergency warming center. While we hope we never have to use it, being prepared means we can offer a safe, warm place for our neighbors during difficult times.

Would you be willing to help? Please contact Kathryn Bell if you are interested in volunteering.

We are thankful for everyone who has helped make this ministry possible and for the generous support of Charlevoix County Emergency Management Services and the Charlevoix County Community Foundation. Together, we can be the hands and feet of Christ in our community!

It has been brought to our attention that there is a special need for gifts for teens ages 10–18 through our community’s Care & Share Secret Santa Project, in conjunction with Toys for Tots. It’s always fun to shop for the little ones, and we certainly encourage you to continue doing so! We also want to offer some suggestions and ideas for gifts that older children and teens would enjoy. From sports and fishing gear to electronics, games, spirit wear, and gift cards, there are lots of ways to make Christmas special for these older kids, too. We will be collecting donations November 15 through December 6, with gifts distributed on December 12. We wanted to share these ideas early so you can keep them in mind as you begin shopping the great sales leading up to Thanksgiving!

Thank you for helping make Christmas brighter for children and teens in our community. Your generosity makes a difference!

Please let us know if you would like to receive offering envelopes for the coming year. We have used the same boxed offering envelopes for quite some time, but the company requires us to purchase a minimum quantity. Unfortunately, this means that many of the envelopes go unused and ultimately to waste. We are exploring a different option that would still provide offering envelopes for those who prefer to use them. If you would like to receive offering envelopes, please let us know so we can make sure to include you in our order. Thank you for helping us be good stewards of our church resources!

November 1st: Deacon's Meeting following worship.

November 8th: Fellowship to celebrate Nancy Visser for her 10 years as Clerk of Session!

November 9th: Meet and Eat 5:30 pm

November 15th: Congregational Meeting; Session Meeting following worship

November 22nd: Decorate the Sanctuary; Session Meeting following decorating; Many helpers make light work! Thank you!

November 25th: No Yoga

November 26th: Thanksgiving

November 29th: Hanging of the Greens; No Fellowship; Coffee in Sanctuary

December 6th: Advent Happening; Community Band Concert at 4pm! Admission is free!

December 7th: Meet and Eat 5:30 pm

December 20th: Christmas Pageant; Bring a snack or treat to share during fellowship!

December 24th: Christmas Eve Service; 5pm; Christmas Joy Offering

December 25th: No in-person worship

December 28-January 3rd: Church Office closed

January 3rd: We need volunteers to help after worship to take down decorations!

January 11th: Meet and Eat 5:30 pm; Deacon's Meeting

January 17th: Session Meeting

January 31st: Annual Congregational Meeting

RECURRING MEETINGS/EVENTS:

DEACONS MEETING – Every-other month

SESSION MEETING – 3rd Sunday of each month following Worship

DEVOTIONAL YOGA – every Wednesday at 10:00am (downstairs room)

CHOIR - Sundays before worship promptly at 8:30 am

LOOSE CHANGE SUNDAY – 1st Sunday of each month. You can also give this via our online giving options (designate “Deacons”).

MEET AND EAT: Second Monday of every month! 5:30 pm! Sign up if you can in the Sanctuary hallway or by emailing Stacey Chipman.

BIRTHDAYS IN NOVEMBER

1: Aubrey Skrocki

5: Nikki Little, Allyson Camiller

6: Sherry Pursel

7: Gabby Dunlap

9: Whit Armstrong; Ashlee Mumich

16: Mary Kraemer

17: Addie Steenwyk

18: Kris Snyder

20: George Small

21: Brady Schroeder, Sarah Malpass

23: Natalie Malpass

29: Kelly McGinn

BIRTHDAYS IN DECEMBER

5: David Stone; Ken Kline; Scott Thomas

8: Elizabeth Kooistra

10: Lou Thumser

12: Dee Small

15: Jon Gandelot

25: Abigail Hawley; Donna Kline; Tad Malpass

27: Brenda L. Malpass

29: Cele Malpass

BIRTHDAYS IN JANUARY

5: Everett Malpass

7: Bob Bryan

8: John Broad; Eric Dunlap

11: Christina Kooistra

13: Linda Snyder; Bryson Spence

15: Ryder Malpass

16: Andrew Malpass

19: Wessley Gotts

20: Ted C. Sherman

22: Richard Eaton

27: Connie Hunter

28: Mason Malpass

30: Stephanie Buckholz; Lily Snyder

ANNIVERSARIES IN NOVEMBER

3: Denny & Marilyn Jesiek

4: Eric & Karyn Dunlap

24: Bob & Judy Bryan

ANNIVERSARIES IN DECEMBER

3: Stacey Chipman and Kathy Frake

ANNIVERSARIES IN JANUARY

8: Rev.’s Jaime Klinger & Jim Porter

SESSION: Toni Jeffery, Susan Kinloch, Donna Kline, John Hunter, Abbie Hawley, Kathryn Bell, Stacey Chipman, and Ralph Kooistra. Nancy Visser is the Clerk of Session.

DEACONS: Karen Dunlap, Dee Hawley, Nikki Little, Brooke Hawley, Anne Payne, and Anne Olstrom.

It's easy to sign up for online giving to First Presbyterian Church of East Jordan! Either scan the code or click on the following link!

https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZDWE/home

Email: ejfirstpres@gmail.com
Website: ejpresbyterian.com
Location: 207 Williams Street, East Jordan, MI, USA
Phone: 2315362941
Facebook: facebook.com/ejpresbyterianchurch