The First 50 Years

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WE BEGIN THE THIRD QUARTER
Part 8

The format of our three Sunday worship services has remained fundamentally the same these last twenty-five years. At 8:15 a.m. a smaller group of worshipers meet in Evans Chapel. No Church School is available at this hour. Celebration of the Lord's Supper is observed at least once every month at this time. The 9:30 and 11:00 a.m. services are held in the sanctuary where communion is served four or more times each year including Maundy Thursday evening. Tennebrae worship is held on Good Friday evening.

The usual three-hour observance of Good Friday is held in cooperation with other Royal Oak faiths at various churches throughout the city.

A newly-introduced ritual is the Moravian Love Feast now celebrated at the Advent season. Also at Advent members are encouraged to volunteer to participate in Sunday services.

A meaningful program, not only to the participants but the congregation as well, is the installation of Church School personnel whose dedication assures us that the future of our Christian faith will go forward by the teaching of these unselfish instructors. Similarly, another service is the recognition of young people and their sponsors who represent our Church in their mission endeavors. They are laboring and teaching in less fortunate areas of the nation and the world where assistance will benefit all.

No history of First Presbyterian Church would be complete without a review of the Men's Fellowship and the Women's Association.

The Men's Fellowship meets monthly at the church for dimmer and discussion. Since 1980 they also convene at a local restaurant weekly for early morning breakfast and interdenominational devotions.

The Fellowship sponsors a yearly weekend retreat, usually in January, for all interested men of the Church. They sell poinsettias - to the Church members at Christmas time.

The Men's Fellowship founded and supported the Tom and Ruth Kirkman Scholarship Fund for college students which is still in existence to this day. However, active operation has now been transferred to the Session with the following controlling committee: one Session member, one from Church School staff and the Senior Minister. The Fund is a grant-type financial operation to help our Presbyterian youth gain a college or technical education.

Over the years the Women's Association, formed in 1914, has been a dynamic force in the life of our Church as evidenced by their accomplishments. Every woman is encouraged to take part in the Association and to join a circle organized for Bible and mission study, fellowship and Church service, both local and ecumenical. The circles with memberships of ten to forty in a group meet monthly, morning, afternoon of evening, in members' homes or at the church.

When Detroit Presbyterial in the 60's urged us to "rotate" membership in our Association circles every two years, one group of women chose to continue their previous identity independent of the Association and became known as Youthaiders. Their work was definitely philanthropic, especially aiding the Christian Education department in the Church. Now in the late '80's, when rotation as such has been abandoned, the Youthaiders have again become part of the Association.

The Association convenes as a larger body for luncheon and interesting and stimulating programs on the second Thursday of the month for eight months of the year with dinner meetings in September and May.

Monthly classes in Bible study and mission study are taught by trained personnel thus furthering the educational input for each circle.

The rummage sales and bazaars which the Women's Association stage each year are well-known throughout the area. Although these activities provide a source of income for Association mission projects they also are great fun for the workers because of the cooperation and the friendliness among the members. Good used clothing collected from the rummage sales is given to various inner-city and national Churches and Missions.

Other functions have been Mother-Daughter or Mother-Son banquets, fashion shows, bridal shows, plant sales, bake sales, publishing cook books, selling church stationery and staking jewelry.

The Association has assumed an active role in Detroit Presbyterial Society and has provided several officers for its board whenever asked to do so. We also send delegates to the National Triennium at Purdue University.

Likewise, the women are equally enthusiastic participants in South Oakland Church Women United sharing in all its study programs and its philanthropic endeavors including Least Coin. The Least Coin is a world-wide monetary contribution of the least coin of one's country to be used for special mission projects, evangelism and Christian fellowship among women.

When it comes to service never underestimate the power of women! The Association and circle projects have included: delivering flowers each Sunday to members who are ill; providing kitchen and dining room help for luncheons and dinners; collecting and delivering baby food formula, Easter eggs, Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets to Rose Bell; packing summertime lunches for inner-city children; contributing a memorial to the Church Library for every deceased lady member of the congregation; collecting blankets for migrant workers; contributing camperships, mew shoes and clothing, toilet articles, sports equipment for Camp Oakland; gathering Betty Crocker and Bill Knapp coupons, used eye glasses, nylons, Christmas cards; making preemie booties and bonnets, burn gloves and hand knit slippers.

Purely for our own enjoyment and for the beautification of Evans Chapel the Association made Chrismons to adorn due Christmas tree in the Chapel at the advent season.

Each circle chooses a second-mile project for the year. These include contributing food and money to Mobile Meals and Salvation Army and to the support of inner-city churches. Money has been given to Common Ground, Reyes Syndrome Research, Hutzel Hospital, Glorious Freedom Mission and Veteran's Hospital. Food baskets have also been given to our own members who are having temporary monetary problems.

Since women by nature are generally interested in kitchens and cooking, the Association has installed equipment in the church kitchen and the new stage curtains in Kirkman Fellowship Hall have added to the beauty of the room. The Association also owns china, silverware and silver tea service to be used for Church receptions, wedding or bereavement receptions, dinners and luncheons.

Beside their usual operating budget averaging $5000 per year the Association has donated approximately $64,000 in thank offerings these last twenty-five years plus over $68,000 in budgeted benevolences.

Women s Association is truly ACTION in high gear.