September 2012 - First Presbyterian Church, Georgetown, Texas

8 F I R S T W O R D
F E L L O W S H I P
Rev. Mary Ferris
PW September
Dates
to Remember
September 4
PW Board, 1:00 p.m.
September 28
Circle study leader
training with Cynthia
Guidici, 11:00 a.m.
September 29
FPC Fall Gathering &
Brunch, 9:30 a.m.
Former Romanian mission worker is PW speaker
A firsthand report on services to Romanian
orphans, supported by a Presbyterian
Women’s Birthday Offering grant,
will be given by a former PC(USA) mission
worker in Romania at the PW Fall
Gathering and Brunch on Saturday, September
29.
Rev. Mary Ferris, who has been attending
FPC, was a mission worker in Romania
from 2001 until this past February, in
partnership with New Opportunities for
Romanian Orphaned Children (NOROC).
NOROC was one of three recipients
of PW Birthday Offering grants in 2012.
The organization offers spiritual, social,
physical and emotional support of children
from racial and ethnic groups, as well
as a large Roma population, who have
been orphaned. The grant is making possible
the purchase of land and construction
of a gymnasium/activity center for the
some 400 children served by NOROC.
At NOROC, Mary helped with three
programs: Big-Hearted Grannies, which
uses retired persons to give individual attention
to three or four infants or toddlers
on a daily basis; Big-Hearted Teachers,
which depends on retired teachers and
professors to tutor students; and Big-
Hearted Friends, which develops life-skills
training and arranges transitional employment/housing
for children who are required
to leave the orphanages at age 18.
Mary holds a Master of Divinity degree
from McCormick Presbyterian Theological
Seminary, Chicago. She was ordained
a minister in 2001 at First Central Presbyterian,
Abilene, which founded NOROC
and provides the primary support for the
program. A minister member of Palo Duro
Presbytery, Mary holds a master’s degree
in Christian education, and her bachelor’s
degree in psychology is from the University
of Texas, Austin.
Study books for the 2012-13 Horizon’s
Bible study, “Dispatches to God’s Household:
The General Epistles,” have been
given to each circle leader for distribution.
If you want to participate in this study but
are not currently in a circle, extra copies
have been ordered and are available. If you
are interested in participating in PW activities
and/or would like to become a
member of a Bible study circle, contact
me at 512-240-4969 or at judiththomson
50@yahoo.com. The PW bulletin board in
the hallway near the church library lists
circle meeting days and times. September
hostesses are listed below.
—Blessings, Judy Thomson
Officer Installation
The Presbyterian Women
officers for 2012-13 who
were installed August 19
by Pastor Mike are:
Moderator, Judy Thomson;
Vice Moderator,
Becky Hesson-Smith;
Secretary, Larian
Carson; and Treasurer,
Carala Carver. Also
installed and/or recognized
were both new and
retiring circle leaders.
September Circle Meetings and Hostesses
Circle Date Time Hostess Phone Address
Elizabeth 9/19 7:00 p.m. TheresaMcKenna 930-3751 Contact Theresa for place
Esther 9/5 Noon BettyBradford 868-9052 505 San Gabriel Blvd.
Hannah 9/19 11:00 a.m. Marty Curtis 864-2094 Church, Room 112
Lydia 9/12 1:00 p.m. Joan Shrader 819-9290 308 Rimrock Dr.
Martha 9/19 9:30 a.m. Jean Livengood 869-1597 101 Rosecliff Drive (Sun City)
Miriam 9/18 12:30 p.m. Jane Belford 863-5130 Church, Room 107
Naomi 9/12 9:30 a.m. Dot Riddle 864-0061 114 Goodwater St.
Rachel 9/19 11:00 a.m. Mary Jean Thorpe 869-7236 115 Daisy Path
Ruth 9/10 10:00 a.m. Lynne Moran 240-5099 30 Wildwood #153
Sarah 9/17 10:00 a.m. Mary Martha Denham 869-0771 609 Spring Valley Road