Pathfinder

  Last fall I taught a Sunday school class on the minor prophet of Zechariah. I knew then that our Advent series in 2024 would be from this little, oft-overlooked book. Why is that? Some have called Zechariah, “The gospel according to Zechariah.” Bryan Gregory chose to name his commentary on Zechariah, Longing for God in an Age of Discouragement. Think about that title for a moment. Are we living in an age of discouragement? Many of us perhaps feel that we are. Consider these words from another Old Testament scholar regarding the theme of Zechariah, “Writing to people who were discouraged by living, after the exile, in a “ day of small things” ( Zech. 4:10 ), when there seemed to be little progress toward the glorious future promised in the earlier prophets, Zechariah encouraged them to look forward to the day when the Lord would act once again. The righteous King was coming to bring salvation and to bring an end to war and suffering ( Zech. 9:9–17 )." (Iain Duguid)  ...

  Thus far, I think that my biggest take-away from Bryan's sermon series on Proverbs is that Solomon, in addition to being wise, was also a brutally direct, hard line pragmatist. He cuts right to the chase on every subject he broaches in his goal to teach the people of Israel how to lead Godly lives. That said, with the Christmas season once again upon us, I was curious as to what he had to say about “giving”. Proverbs 11:25 seemed appropriate:       “The generous will prosper; those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.” You will be pleased to know that there are a variety of avenues that will offer our APC congregation the opportunity to refresh others this blessed holiday season. Everyone enjoys receiving Christmas cards from friends, family and acquaintances alike. The Deacons thought it might be nice for us to keep in touch with those members of our family in Christ who have moved away by sending them cards. We already send cards to our Fri...

  Many thanks to all who made our Fall Work Day such a success. Windows, floor mats, refrigerators and garbage cans got washed. Vents were vacuumed and stained glass dusted. Coffee pots were cleaned, and switches, doorknobs and banisters were disinfected. Smoke detectors and emergency lights were checked. Storm windows were installed and window wells were cleaned. Silver was polished… and so much more! An extra note of thanks to the Thursday Evening Bible Study which provided us with a delicious Coffee Break… it was very much appreciated. Throughout the month, much more was accomplished. The diffusers in Mc Lean Hall were removed and brighter bulbs were installed…making it much easier to read in there. Floors and baseboards were scrubbed and shined. The front sign was cleaned and the posts were scrapped, primed and painted. Also, new treads were installed on the YH porch steps along with a new Food Pantry door latch. As Advent begins, the Nativity will be set up to share the ...

  It has been an extremely busy fall. Let me see if I can cover a few highlights:             First, our nominating committee met on 3 separate occasions through the month of October to fill some empty seats on our boards. We elect elders, deacons, and trustees each year (these are the boards of our church). Elders serve our church by providing vision and shepherding the congregation. Deacons serve our church by providing ministries of mercy; they are the arm of compassion in our congregation. Trustees serve our church by leading our efforts to steward the resources God has given us.           A majority of the nominating committee is selected at our annual meeting, with 1 more member chosen from among the deacons and 2 more chosen from among the elders. Once elected, a board member can serve 2 terms of 3 years each (a total of 6 years) and then they must cycle off. If you have serv...

  As autumn arrives, so does the need for fall cleaning and preparing our buildings for colder weather. While our Trustees and Friends have done many jobs like installing thermostats and lighting, cleaning and painting, there are still many jobs to be completed. Please join us on November 2 for our Fall Work Day. We will begin at 8:00 a.m. but feel free to join us when you can.   We appreciate your help in keeping our buildings clean and efficient. In His Service, Mary Ellen and Carl for the Trustees

  The Session met on 10/17 with the Deacons and Trustees to go over the 2025 budget. We started by discussing Proverbs 8 which speaks of wisdom. We should seek wisdom and love wisdom, because it comes from God. It provides abundance, an inheritance and enduring wealth and prosperity. We spent time praying over this and asking God for wisdom. We have some larger expenses that could come up in 2025 such as the boiler under McLean Hall, landscaping, copier and possibly a Children’s ministry coordinator. We discussed where those funds would come from if needed. There has been interest in a children’s church/Sunday school committee. We are excited to see how they want to pursue our children and teach them about Christ. We have also had several volunteers for a rapid response team to respond to medical emergencies at the church. If you are interested in either of these teams, please let the office know. We discussed the devastation from the two recent hurricanes. We have $500 set a...

  All business, no prose is the model for this month's message. Some may wonder why previous articles devoted so much attention to the Open Door Mission in Glens Falls. Besides trying to keep the many folks who have regularly volunteered there informed, the Open Door is the designated local mission that APC officially supports and as such it's important that we keep you aware of issues involving it. As you may or may not be aware, the ability of APC congregants to continue volunteering at Open Door has been on hold over the past few months. The good news is that the technical problems associated with the Mission's new, online “Volunteer Hub” have been rectified and you will once again be able to volunteer not just to serve meals, but for a number of varied tasks...and have the option of choosing the days and times that would be most convenient for you. First, here's how to access and navigate the “Hub”. Once you have logged on to their website at https://opendoor-ny...

  When I was in high school, I and many of my friends got our first car. And one of the first purchases a high school car owner made was a Haynes manual. We would drive our new whip down to the local Auto Zone and scour the shelves for the Haynes instruction manual on our make and model. If you didn’t have a lot of money, but you had access to your father’s tool chest, you could assume that you would be doing as many repairs as possible in your garage. The Haynes manuals had excellent instructions (with pictures) on about anything your car needed.           But nowadays, first car-owners (especially high school men) go to YouTube. Most of us go to YouTube or Google when we have a question about life or need help with a task. Where do you go for instructions and day-to-day help?           Let me put it another way; what do you expect to find when opening your Bible? What do you expect the p...

  Summer months always bring extra outside work for the Trustees and their friends. The driveway got a new coat of sealer and lines. Sidewalk cracks were repaired, vines chopped down, and weeds were pulled. The back lot was mowed, and downed branches and twigs from storms were picked up. Inside, the annual cleaning of the carpets was completed, with the help of many volunteers moving and replacing furniture. The manse porch project has been completed with new screens for the windows and door, and a new ceiling fan. Hopefully this will make this a much more pleasant living space for the Fitzgerald family. Thank you to Russ MacNeil and his crew for completing this project. As always, behind the scenes so much was done. Fans were moved and turned on, windows opened, dehumidifiers emptied, basement flooding cleaned up, trash picked up, and plants watered … and so much more! Thanks to all who see a need and take care of it! We appreciate your help in keeping our properties safe an...

  And, just like that, while we're wringing the last drops of leisurely fun out of summer, we find ourselves standing on the threshold of fall. We still have about three weeks before it's official though.           The autumnal equinox arrives early on Sunday morning, September 22.   Actually, it will arrive worldwide at precisely 8:44 A.M. EDT for earth's entire northern hemisphere at which time the center of the sun will pass through what is known as the “celestial equator”, an imaginary extension of the earth's equator into space. From that moment on, our days will progressively grow shorter and the nights longer. Isn't it ironic that, as we enter a season that requires a lot of our efforts and attention, we have less time in the day to accomplish tasks? Judith McKinnon, director of volunteer and community services at the Open Door Mission is facing that reality as the Mission's “Code Blue” operation makes preparations for an...

  As many of you know, we just wrapped up our VBS 2024 (Breaker Rock Beach Program). I want to share with you a story I heard that deeply moved me.           In one of our classes the teacher was talking with the children about the story of the rich young ruler who wanted to go to heaven but was told he would have to give away all his riches. The teacher asked would it be hard to give away the things that you love; video games, Legos, stuffed animals, dolls, etc. And one young man responded, “If some random person asked me for my Legos, I would not give them to him. But if Jesus asked me for them- I’d give them to Jesus.” Isn’t that the most wonderful, moving response? I’d give the thing I love the most to Jesus. Oh, for a heart like that young man.           There are more stories and other gifts on top of this one. The kids brought in a truck full of clothes to donate to those in need. T...

  As we sort of just laze our way into August, it's pretty evident that we are getting used to, and enjoying, having summer. There are no major August projects or activities in the wings for the Deacons, save for our annual Deacons' picnic in the middle of the month. We'll still be checking on our seniors, monitoring the congregation for situations that might require attention, and providing meals and other comforts as needed. None of that has a season, it's what we do!           The end of July did bring some updated and informative activity regarding the Open Door Mission and its volunteer program. On Sunday the 21 st Judith McKinnon, the new director of the facility's volunteer program, addressed our congregation during the “Minute for Local Missions” segment of worship.           In her overview address Mrs. McKinnon informed us that the Open Door is much more than merely a “serving l...

  The Session met in July with the Trustees and Deacons. It is always a blessing to hear what each group is working on and to spend time praying for each other. The Deacons have completed a very successful CROP Walk and will be assisting Lisa White with the Food Pantry and Operation Christmas Child. The Trustees had the parking lot re-sealed and striped and are working towards replacing the front sidewalk. We discussed the changes that have been made to our worship service (moving around music, Passing the Peace). Overall, the comments have been positive. Please reach out to a session member and let them know your thoughts. Bryan will be preaching a series on the Lord’s Prayer over the next several weeks. Ray Jenks and Ellen Fullerton will serve on our Nominating Committee. Deb Randles and Wes Clark will serve on our Financial Committee. Please be in prayer for these two important groups as they seek to honor God in the decisions that they make for the upcoming year. As alw...

  I asked many of you to pray for our denomination (the Evangelical Presbyterian Church) and our annual meeting in the third week of June this year. I just recently returned and I wanted to share with you some thoughts.           No denomination is perfect. We all have strengths and weaknesses. And the EPC is a young denomination which is still experiencing the growing pains of youth. That being said, what I saw this week was a tremendous blessing to me. We had moments of prayer together that revealed a deep heart for the work of God in the world. We had missionary reports that recounted miraculous, spirit-led work around the world. We had people who came into the meeting at an impasse leave with commitments to work together for the good of the church and the hope of the world.           I am convinced that the stated clerk is committed to perhaps the most important part of the EPC; evange...

            The Session met in May with the Trustees and Deacons It is always good meeting together and hearing about the ministries each group is working on. The Trustees reported on their spring work day and where they are in the process of replacing the front walk way. The Deacons reported they raised $1,750 from the Crop Walk and that 25% would remain here for our food pantry.           We talked about the position of Food Pantry Coordinator. Linda Burch is stepping down after nearly 10 years of dedicated service. We are grateful for her service. It takes approximately 30 volunteers to run the food pantry. Would we replace Linda with another individual? A committee? This is an ongoing conversation.           We met early in June so that Bryan could attend General Assembly. There are some hot topics being discussed and voted upon and we spent...

  Summer always brings lots of outside jobs to do. Weeds have been pulled and sprayed, invasive vines have been chopped and the grass around the parking lot has been trimmed. In addition, step, AC and window repair has been done. Russ Mac Neil and his crew have started work on the manse porch. We are very grateful that they are tackling this project in hopes of making this a more usable living space for the Fitzgerald’s. Session approved our request to have the parking lot resealed… so look for that work to be done soon, as well as repair to our front sidewalks.           As the summer heats up, please remember to keep doors shut when the AC and basement dehumidifier are on. It really is a money saver.           As always, if you see a need or have a concern, please contact a Trustee.                  ...

  “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, because this is the right thing to do.” Colossians 3:20 Paul wrote his letter to the Colossians while imprisoned in Rome, yet, in verse 3:20 he spoke directly to the children. He did so because he EXPECTED them to be there and he wanted them to know they were as much “in the Lord” as the adults around them. Every July APC, and hundreds of churches across the country, reinforce Paul's inclusive message through Vacation Bible School...teaching children about Scripture and about Jesus' life and how to follow Him. Adults voluntarily jump in and enhance the experience with positive and fun information. Turns out the experience benefits not only their current spiritual awareness and knowledge, it is also considered a positive investment in their lives as they progress to adolescence and young adulthood. In a Harvard, T.H. Chan School of Public Health study published online in the “American Journal of Epidemiology” (...

  I recently went to Iron sharpens Iron with a small group of men from our church. ISI is an annual one-day men’s conference. This was probably my sixth conference with our church. The conference is held at different churches, but is usually right around an hour from Argyle.           We gather with other men from the area and sing praise and worship songs. Some of which we know. Some of which we do not know. We listen to a speaker talk about topics particular to men and then we go to breakout sessions of our choosing.           The first gathered session was taught by a man named Dave Wilson. Dave was a chaplain for the Detroit Lions for nearly 30 years. He was a gifted speaker and he spent the first session talking about a REAL man. Dave used an acrostic to talk about manhood in a memorable way. He said that a REAL Man: Rejects passivity, Engages with God, Accepts responsibility, and Lea...

  The Session met on Thursday, April 18 for its regular meeting. We first spent some time reading the Emotionally Healthy Discipleship book. Next, we spent time sharing a large number of physical needs in the congregation and community. We prayed for them as best we could. It has been a difficult winter for many. We discussed the coming leadership change at the food pantry. Linda Burch has dealt with many challenges during the COVID years, and now will move on to other ministries. There are 30 people who are serving in some way now, and we may look at more of a committee structure. We are very thankful for Linda’s direction over the past 10 years. The personnel committee has done a lot of research into the way our buildings are cleaned. Our current staff has been doing areas on a rotation, and as the building gets used more during the week, this has made for some challenges.    The Yellow House in particular has some unique issues with regard to cleaning, and it may...

  When you think June, three things come to mind: Summer, Fathers' Day and the end of the school year. Summer is the fruition of spring's lush awakening of trees and flora, once again filling in and shaping the hills and fields. It's the savory smells wafting from grills and smokers in backyards flooded with the sounds of unabashed laughter, splashing pools and the gleeful shrieks of happy children free from the burden of school.   It's when families intentionally make time to be together, relax and enjoy each other.   But summer, especially where we live, is also the time to get things done in preparation for whatever demands fall and winter will place on us. (“...she prepares her bread in summer and gathers her food in harvest.” Proverbs 6:8). Relaxation and preparation are also elements of the Deacons' Summer. The Annual CROP Walk kicked it off for us last month when 33 walkers, accompanied by two volunteer crossing guards, strolled through the Village and rais...

  Many thanks to all who helped on our Spring Work Day. Windows were washed, trash cans cleaned, lights and smoke detectors checked, walls and baseboards scrubbed, lawn debris picked up, dust bunnies captured, flies removed from lights and window wells, along with other spring cleaning tasks. A special thanks to the Wednesday morning Bible Study for providing us with delicious treats for our coffee break. We are very grateful for your support of the Trustees and their projects.                                                           Carl Johnson and Mary Ellen Bain for the Trustees

  “Ultimately, it is impossible to separate word and deed ministry because human beings are integrated wholes — body and soul. It is both natural and necessary that ministers of mercy also minister the Word while they are in the process of meeting human needs, and that communicators of the gospel also show compassion with regard to the material needs of the people they are trying to reach. An integrative ministry means weaving together word and deed ministry as much as possible.” - Tim Keller           When we look at the life of Jesus in the gospels, we notice that he will spend his time both preaching and teaching (Matthew 5, Luke 15, etc) and healing and feeding (John 9, John 2, etc). One of Jesus miracles which is repeated in all 4 gospels is his feeding of the 5,000 (Matthew 14, Mark 6, Luke 9, and John 6). Jesus performed both word and deed ministry. In attending to both our physical needs and our spiritual needs Jesus shows us t...

  As if to mimic the wonder and joy of Easter, spring continues the awakening of life all around us. Bare trees, shrubs and plants begin to sprout healthy new growth that will mature into beautiful flowers and broad, colorful leaves. Birds and other animals are busy building shelters and nests in which to birth and raise their young. Dark skies and stormy clouds give way to the warmth of the sun and gentle soothing breezes. Such is the rhythm of the earth. In chapter three of Ecclesiastes Solomon reminds us that “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” (3:1). His list includes: “A time to be born and a time to die.” (3:2) and “A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.” (3:4). And such is the reality of our lives. As Deacons, each of these diametrically opposing “times” are part of the reality that beckons our attentions and drives our ministry. We have shared in the joy of welcoming newborns birthed into our cong...