The Sanctuary Banners

This photo is from First Presbyterian Church of Sun City 1963-1998, Thirty-Five Years of Spiritual Life. We would like to locate and use these banners as part of our 50th anniversary celebration. If you have any information about what happened to these banners or where they are stored, please contact the church office so we can have them cleaned or restored if necessary in time for this fall's festivities.

The Early 1990's (continued)

From First Presbyterian Church of Sun City 1963-1998, Thirty-Five Years of Spiritual Life:

Pastor Beanland announced his wish to retire as of October 31, 1991, and in October Alan Sorem came on board as Interim Associate.  Pastors Jack Becker, Dick Zabriskie and Gayle Beanland had developed a visitation program and initiated the Deacon District System.

A new Lenten Program was begun with eight groups of people formed for Bible Study for five weekly meetings, gathering in pastors' and members' homes, rotating to different homes each week.

Pastor Martz and wife Shirley led 15 participants in a work camp at Ghost Ranch, with the members enjoying the area and accomplishing much.

The year 1992 was busy with the Columbarium program
under way, a new Chapel roof added and new signs
erected on church grounds.  The Evangelism Committee

was created by the Session and our congregation gave special assistance to the West Valley New Church Development by making over 1,600 phone calls.

Forty members participated in the Mission tour to the San Francisco area led by the Zabriskies, under the direction of the Mission and Fellowship committees.

Several changes in the pastoral staff occurred in 1993 and 1994.  Rick L. Myers was installed as Associate Pastor on February 21, 1993.  Upon Pastor Martz' retirement November 1, 1993, Lawrence R. DeLong was installed as Interim Senior Pastor on January 5, 1994.  Annaline Drake joined us as Pastoral Associate on April 17 and on November 20, 1994, was ordained in our Sanctuary.  On October 31, 1994, Dick Zabriskie retired after eight years of service.  Harvey L. Moore was installed January 3, 1995,
as Interim Associate.

The Early 1990's

From First Presbyterian Church of Sun City 1963-1998, Thirty-Five Years of Spiritual Life:

Dr. Wright retired on January 31, 1989, and on May 7, 1989, the Reverend Robert V. Martz was installed as Senior Pastor.

In 1990 the Brunch Bunch program was started, bringing together, once a month after the 10:00 a.m. service, people who are alone, to eat lunch together at a local restaurant.  It was met with great success.

The Sunday Morning Bible Class continued with vigorous and exciting discussion, leadership given by an associate pastor.

At about this time, with the Session Finance Committee, Pastor Beanland discovered an opportunity to step into the electronic age.  Session voted $10,000 with which to purchase our first computer system.  The first computer purchased was graced with the name "Theodore" which translated from Greek is "God's Gift," and indeed it was.

With the help of nimble-fingered needlepointers new paraments for the sanctuary were created, along with new upholstery for the Pastors' chairs on the altar.  Each church season these beautiful designs are appreciated anew.

In 1991 a new Allen organ was purchased for the Sanctuary.  A Sunday afternoon recital to demonstrate the many features of the organ was given by an Allen Company representative.

With the many new members in our midst, a new pictorial directory was published at this time.

The Zabriskies hosted a mission tour to Greece and Turkey with 15 participants seeing many of the ruins of the communities of the early church.

To be continued.

What Else Was Happening in 1996?

First Presbyterian Church celebrated the 30th anniversary of our building in 1996.  Here are a few other things that happened that year:

• Bill Clinton, Boris Yeltsin, and Benjamin Netanyahu were elected leaders of their countries.
• Kofi Annan was named UN Secretary General.
• Peace was declared in Bosnia.
•  Madeleine Albright became the first female Secretary of State in US history.
• The Unabomber suspect was arrested.
• Great Britain had an outbreak of mad cow disease.
• Prince Charles and Princess Diana divorced.
• IBM's Deep Blue computer won a game against chess master Gary Kasparov.
• Gene Kelly, George Burns, and Carl Sagan died.
• Braveheart won the Academy Award for best picture.
• Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes was a bestseller.
• Seal's "Kiss from a Rose" won the Grammy awards for Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

 For more, go to:
http://www.cnn.com/EVENTS/1996/year.in.review/
http://www.infoplease.com/year/1996.html
http://www.historyorb.com/events/date/1996?p=4

The Library

Our well-organized library is open any time of day, year round, for your use.  If you should find the door locked, stop at the office and get a key, but do plan on having enough time for browsing.  You'll have access to over 1000 books starting with an impressive Biblical Reference area in the entrance and encompassing fourteen color-coded subjects in the main library room.  The color code chart hangs, eye level, on the library wall by the entrance, easy to see and refer to.

You will find subjects such as Bible Study, Biographies, Christian Church and Life, Devotions, God/Jesus, Grief Support, Health and Aging, Holidays, Human Relationships, Reference Books, Women's Issues, World Religion, World Missions, and a huge selection of fiction for hot or rainy weather reading.  It's a variety of books that you won't always find in a public library.  There is also a good selection of large print books.  I was surprised to see autobiographies of our past clergy; their personal stories are all there for you to enjoy.  In the entrance to the library, from the court, are book shelves of free books; give them a glance, the very book you've been looking for may be there.

A cozy sitting area for reading a magazine article or skimming through a book is provided and on the table are recently donated books for you to check out.  Take time to review all of the book categories and find something that piques your interest or answers your questions.  Checking out a book is so easy.  Remove the card from the book, sign your name and the year, and place the card in the basket on the desk.  Enjoy the book for up to three weeks.  Return the book to the wooden box on the desk when you are through.  So simple!  No library card is required, no overdue book fees, no extra car trips.  This gratifying library experience is yours to enjoy thanks to a multitude of donated books and our three dedicated librarians -  Muffy Keen, Carolyn Bruno, and Helen Petersen.  What a deal!

~Donna Roth

The Church Building's 30th Anniversary - conclusion

From the "Lifestyles" section of the Friday, October 4, 1996 edition of the Daily News-Sun:

Presbyterians mark 30-year milestone

Celebration heralds ecumenical sharing

By J.J. McCORMACK
Senior staff writer

(Continued from yesterday.)

...[Rev.] Calhoun, who retired in 1979 and worships at First Presbyterian Church, said he has noticed a "deepening of the spiritual life" of the congregation as it marks 30 years of worship under the same roof. "There's a greater appreciation for the ministry that can be rendered to people who are mature," he said.

[Rev.] Wright described his nine years of ministering in First Presbyterian Church as a "tremendous experience."  He described the congregation as the "most spiritual, responsive and loving" group he had ever been associated with.

Wright, Calhoun and the Rev. Dennis Clarke, the current senior pastor of the church, all said anniversaries are important milestones in a church's life that should be celebrated.

"It lifts up the memory of people who have given so much to the life of the church - people who have been so much a vital part of the life of the church who are left only to the memorial books," Calhoun said.

"This day and age, it's good to check back on your roots," Clarke said.

Anniversaries serve as a reminder of the people who worked hard in establishing the church, and they inspire others to "capture the vision of reaching out and helping others," Clarke said.

Anniversaries are also a time to look to the future, Calhoun said.

Come visit us at First Presbyterian as we celebrate our 50th anniversary and shape our vision for the church's next 50 years! 

The Church Building's 30th Anniversary - continued

From the "Lifestyles" section of the Friday, October 4, 1996 edition of the Daily News-Sun:

Presbyterians mark 30-year milestone

Celebration heralds ecumenical sharing

By J.J. McCORMACK
Senior staff writer

(Continued from yesterday.)

...Since its humble beginnings, First Presbyterian Church members have continued the tradition of sharing with other ecumenical churches that dot the Sun City landscape.  They also have been successful at expanding the Presbyterian church's reach in the Northwest Valley.

It was First Presbyterian Church that purchased the site on Del Webb Boulevard for Faith Presbyterian Church at a cost of $70,000.  First and Faith Presbyterian later pooled resources to buy a $150,000 parcel in Sun City West for Desert Palms Presbyterian Church.  Now the three congregations are trying to buy land in Sun City Grand for about $600,000.

When it was dedicated, First Presbyterian Church boasted 223 members.  The congregation grew steadily over the years, as did the church structure.  Membership peaked at nearly 1,500 in the late 1970s and for years afterward, the vast church parking lot filled up for three Sunday services.

Membership has fallen off in recent years because, as former senior paster the Rev. Doug Wright put it, "people have a way of dying off and moving away."

Wright and another former senior pastor, the Rev. Paul Calhoun, stayed in Sun City after retiring from full-time ministry.  Both men characterized First Presbyterian Church as "mature" even though at 30 years old, it is nowhere near the age of some Presbyterian churches around the country.

See the rest of this article in tomorrow's post.