Now ready.....FWTN Newsletter for March 2015

Click on the picture above to read the latest FWTN issue. Highlights include:

• Keep Calm and Carry On? – At FPC It’s “Stand Firm And Raise Funds”
• Faith Without Works Is Dead
• Our Downtown Is Growing Up! Population Boom in the Core!
• Ross Lepard is More than Delighted to be Organizing the Community Dinners at First Presbyterian
• Notes from FPC Session
• Do You Wonder How You Could Help? You could raise $10,000 if you have 33 friends!
• Obituary for Mary Kathleen Delaney (1917-2015)
• Obituary for Eileen McCallum (1927-2015)
• June 13 — The Ladies Aid plans a “Boot Sale” (Call it a Trunk or Tailgate Sale)
• Meet John Law
• Festival City Winds is “at home” in First Church
• Wendy Grasdahl...Honoured at Edmonton’s 2014 Salute to Excellence
• Small Bits Of FPC History
• Connect...You are not alone!
• 2015 Burns Dinner

REPOST of Gilroy Glass Blog on FPC Stained Glass Project

First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton

Gilroy Stained Glass Blog #1 of 29

April 6th, 2015 - 07:46 PM

I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing Easter.


I just wanted to let you know about an exciting upcoming project. Starting next month, we're going to be removing and restoring the 103 year old Great West Window in First Presbyterian Church, Edmonton. At over 600 square feet this is the largest leaded window in Alberta, and consists of seven main lights with shaped heads and thirty shaped traceries of various sizes. All of the lights are pointed directly into the surrounding stone mullions which, while challenging, won't be a problem for John as it is just what he is used to from our work on churches in the UK (I think there's something in the genes, having a Great Grandfather who was a stone mason). We're really looking forward to getting stuck into what will be an engrossing project covering approximately 18 months. We have been so pleased to see first hand how well the congregation of FPC, Heritage Alberta and the City of Edmonton are working together to enable the restoration of this amazing window, and how seriously they take its preservation for future generations.

We will keep you updated as we go, and you'll get to see the restoration process at each stage. You can see here an exterior photo of the window, to give an idea of the scale, and a photo of the church newly built in 1912.

Source: http://fineartamerica.com/blogs/first-presbyterian-church-edmonton.html

OBITUARY for Mary Kathleen Delaney (1917-2015)

On February 26, 2015, Mary Kathleen Delaney passed away at 98 years of age. Mary was active in politics and the community and was a proud recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

She is wearing the medal in this photo. Mary was predeceased by her husband Hugh Delaney and her stepson Bruce Delaney. She is survived by her step-children Warren Delaney and Maureen Bowers as well as grandchildren and great grandchildren. An internment ceremony was conducted at Forest Lawn Memorial Park 3789 Royal Oak Ave., Burnaby B.C. on April 7, 2015 at 12:45 p.m.

Pulpit Exchange (May 3)

On May 3, 2015 The Presbytery of Edmonton-Lakeland has arranged a pulpit exchange, whereby all of the ministers will be taking the service at a different Presbyterian church. Rev. Harry Currie will be at Westmount, Rev. Mark Chiang will be at Millwoods/Strathcona, and Rev. Elaine Nagy will be here at First Presbyterian.

Please join us to hear Rev. Nagy preside over that Sunday's service.

Sermons online

Listen to Rev. Harry’s sermons online!  It is like old-time radio!!!
You can always read the sermons on the church website but why not try listening to them.

To listen, go to https://SoundCloud.com/FPCedmonton

Car Boot Sale (June 13)

On June 13, the Ladies Aid (LA) plans a “Car Boot Sale” (call it a trunk or tailgate sale). To participate you will be asked to register a truck/car with Ladies Aid secretary Dorothy Stoutjesdyk to be assigned a stall in the church parking lot. On the day of the event, please bring your vehicle with the sale items, i.e., your “white elephants” and sell them from your tailgate for an LA benefit.

More details soon!

CONCERT - Organo Extraordinaire! ....Duo Majoya and friends (Mar 21 @ 7pm)

Saturday, March 21, 2015
7:00 pm

Holy Trinity Anglican Church,
10037- 84 Ave., Edmonton

Organo Extraordinaire!
New and Newish Music for Organ, Piano, Saxophone and the occasional Accordion. Marnie Giesbrecht, Joachim Segger, Charles Stolte, Reinhard Berg and Debi Harris.

The concert will deliver an extraordinary program of works by Edmonton composers for organ, organ/piano, organ/saxophone and [in a work called Genesis] for organ, piano,

accordion and two speakers.

Jointly presented by Edmonton RCCO and New Music Edmonton

Tickets: $20 (general - at the door)
$15 (students, seniors)
$10 (members)

History Talks (Mar 29)

Starting on Sunday March 29, 2015, the History & Archives Committee will begin delivering monthly 2-minute talks about the many archival items and artefacts that adorn our Church. 

The talks will begin a few minutes before the prelude is played at the Service of Worship. 

The first talk will be about the "McTavish Book" which rests in the small showcase on the south side of the front of the sanctuary.

Stewardship and Planned Giving Workshop (Mar 14)

This workshop is being held on Saturday, March 14 from 10:00 am to 4:00pm at the Millwoods Presbyterian Church located at 6607-31 Avenue NW.  The facilitator is Rev. Herb Gale.  Lunch will be provided.  The registration fee is $10.  Please inform them of any dietary needs.

Please RSVP via email to Rev. Charles McNeil at crmcneil@hotmail.com.

We're looking for new Board Members

The board is looking for new members to come and help us with the Business of the Church. The Board meets on the 2nd Monday of each month at 7.30 PM 

We don’t meet in July, August or December.

Annual General Meeting (May 24)

Our Annual Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, May 24.  The AGM will take place after the morning service. A lunch will be served the meeting.

Volunteers Needed for Community Dinner (Feb 28)

A reminder that First Church holds a community dinner the last Saturday of each month and volunteers are always needed.

Please contact Ross Lepard at rlepard@telus.net or by phone at 780.469.8169 or see Chris Sali if you can help.

Presbyterian Young Adults

You’re not alone! 

If you’re a young Presbyterian adult in the Edmonton Presbytery and you want to connect with other young Presbyterian adults, come join a conversation on Facebook. It’s a place to talk about what we can do to support each other in faith. Rev. Mark Chiang will be facilitating the conversation, so message “mdrchiang” on Facebook or email: mrdchiang@hotmail.com.

Music at First Church

First Presbyterian Church has a vibrant music program including the First Presbyterian Choir and the First Presbyterian Handbell Choir led by our music directors Marnie Giesbrecht and Joachim Segger. Hear and sing with our 1908 Casavant Organ, restored in 2007, as well as with our grand pianos. Vocal or instrumental solos are also frequent parts of worship at First Presbyterian Church. 

We welcome new members and encourage anyone interested to contact one of our music directors. The choir meets on Wednesday nights from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm, and on Sunday mornings at 10:00am before the 11:00am service. The handbell choir, coordinated by Mark Segger, meets on Wednesday nights from 6:15 to 7:15pm, and on Sunday mornings at 9:30am on days when we will be playing.

For more information:

• info@marniegiesbrecht.com
• info@joachimsegger.com
• marksegger.music@gmail.com

Wendy Grasdahl wins 2014 Arts and Culture Award

Great cities are built by people who are inspired to do more. The City of Edmonton's 2014 annual event recognized FPC's very own outstanding Edmontonian for her contribution in the area of arts and culture.

Wendy Grasdahl is a trumpeter, conductor, and music educator. She is the founder, artistic director, and principal conductor of Festival City Winds, a society that offers opportunities for amateur musicians. As conductor of three of the society’s four bands and overseer of all their performance aspects, Grasdahl has made substantial, enduring contributions. She frequently shares her expertise as a clinician and adjudicator at local, regional, and national levels and supports the wider musical community though membership in numerous organizations. Her involvement as an officer and director with the Canadian Forces Music Branch and 12 summers conducting adult bands at the Canada-USA International Music Camp are just some of the activities where her efforts have raised Edmonton’s music profile.

Wendy’s connections to FPC date back to the early 1970s, when she was hired as choir director. She and the organist were hired at the same time. The organist was Marnie Giesbrecht (FPC's current organist and choir director, who returned in that position a few years ago). Both women had been baptised in and have been attending First Church. They were the youngest team in such positions in Edmonton. When Wendy was hired she had her Bachelor of Music degree finished and had only her thesis to write to finish her Master’s degree.

SOURCES:

• Citation and Performance Awards Program (Nov. 25, 2014)
• Presbyterian Church Edmonton, A History by Dr. Kenneth Munro talks (p307)