Seen Around Church: Week of February 2, 2025

SMPC Represented at National Educators Conference

SMPC member Joel Winchip is the Executive Director of the Presbyterian Church Camp and Conference Association and the Campfire Collective! Last week he gave an update to the Midatlantic region of the Association of Partners in Christian Education at their annual conference in Memphis, TN. (Read PC(USA)’s feature on Joel’s unique spin on team building here!) Director of Spiritual Formation Rebecca Guzman was also at the conference and has brought back all that she has learned! We are so proud to have SMPC represented so well!!

Photo credit: Rebecca Guzman

We {Heart} Our Acolytes!

Cuties Jones and Zoe express how much they “heart” being acolytes this past Sunday! 🙂 Children in first through fifth grade are invited to lead us in worship as acolytes. Contact Rebecca Guzman for more information.

Photo credit: Steve Stevenson

Best Youth Choir in Town is Right Here!

We caught a pic of our Youth Choir during rehearsals Sunday night! We are so blessed to have so many youth involved in our Music Ministry!! They’ll be singing this Sunday during Youth Sunday – don’t miss it!

SMPC Welcomes Local Author for Inspiring Discussion, Fellowship Opportunity

We were blessed to have author Kathy Izard at SMPC on Sunday evening, February 2, to give a discussion on her newest book, “Trust the Whisper.” Kathy spoke how about she first “heard a whisper” to leave the world a better place through helping the houseless in our community, and she gave the audience tips on how they, too, can listen to their whispers and connect “God dots” in their own lives. It was a beautiful exclamation point to our All Church Reads on “Trust the Whisper” (we also enjoyed a four-week study on the book led by Rebecca Guzman and Melissa White). Following the discussion, Missions/Outreach Committee Co-Chair Katherine Martin led a Q&A and a short reflection excercise. If you read the book and missed the author event but want to participate in the reflection, simply fill out this reflection, “What’s Your Whisper.”

While the adults and youth learned more from Kathy, Director of Spiritual Formation Rebecca Guzman read Kathy’s children’s book, “Grace Heard a Whisper” to children and led them in a craft project.

Following the discussion, Kathy stayed to meet participants and sign books, and we all enjoyed delicious treats, lemonade and coffee (including the cutest Groundhog Day cookies made by Kathy Paquette!!!).

Thank you to event organizers Kathy Paquette and Terry Gaines and all who volunteered during the event or brought goodies. We are so thankful for our faith community’s thoughtfulness, warmth and eagerness to “do good” in our community and world!