CHURCH ACTIVITY

Our Church Superstar is Jeanette Hocking

Jeanette is our Church Superstar of the Month and way over due to be recognized. Jeanette is our Choir Director and has been doing this since 2004. That’s 17 years of a lot of time and hard work so we as the congregation can listen to and enjoy the beautiful music she creates each Sunday morning. Not only does she pick out the prelude and introit music, the hymnal songs, along with the Pastor of course, but then has to practice that music on the organ and/or piano. When you hear the choir singing, who is standing before them directing them, it’s Jeanette. Plus, who taught the choir and practiced with them to perform those songs?  Jeanette did! When we get to listen to the guest musicians or singers, who made the contact to get them to attend our church and organized it all? Jeanette did! In other words, she makes it look so easy, but in truth there’s a lot of time involved. We are so blessed to have this talented lady with us and we as the congregation reap the rewards. 

Jeanette grew up in Detroit, Michigan and is a graduate from Wayne State University, also in Detroit, Michigan. She received a four-year scholarship in music and sang a solo at her commencement ceremony. That tells you, even in high school she was talented to receive such a scholarship. She had a wonderful teacher in college and contributes that teacher still to this date for her having the skills in playing and singing music. After graduation, she met the love of her life, Leroy Hocking, at the Methodist summer camp. Two years later, they were married and have been so for 66 years. They have three children and two grandchildren. She used her college education for the time before her marriage. After marriage she raised her three children. But it was put to good use later, because she was the Children’s Choir Director for many years for the Utica Methodist Church in Michigan. She and Leroy also help develop and start up a new Methodist church in Shelby Township, Michigan. She was also the Choir Director there. Throughout the years, she has sung and played at many weddings, funerals, graduations, banquets and many other functions. 

Thank you so very much, Jeanette, for all your years of devotion and hard work so we here at Braden River Presbyterian Church have the pleasure of listening to the beautiful music you create each Sunday. Please stop by to see Jeanette and give her a big thank you. You will usually find her sitting at the organ. Or better yet, write a thank you note to her.

Jeanette words “I love music so very much and have my entire life. I will be around until God has other plans for me.” 

P.S. I want to acknowledge and also thank Genie Polower and Jayne Strouse who have accompanied Jeanette during our Sunday service, along with many other musical gifted people that have contributed to the Church service.

By Elder Pam Tuohey 

The Manatee Food Barrel is one of our most accomplished and long-standing food contributions to help  in our local community. Let’s keep that excellent record going. A notice is posted on wall near the barrel  as well as on the board to list the guidelines for the food requirements. Please read them and let’s continue  our giving to help feed the hungry in the most appropriate ways. 

 Upcoming for November and December will be the toy drive for The Salvation Army’s Forgotten Angels  program as done in previous years. Also, Christmas gift cards will be given to those people in need whose  names are given to the Mission team by you the members. Those gift cards will be purchased with monies  from the Penny Fund. Amounts are to be determined by available funds at the time. So please continue to  put your coins, dollar bills or checks in the Penny Fund basket or mail it in because that’s the next usage  for those funds. If writing a check, specify “Penny Fund or Missions” on your check memo line. An  announcement for both Christmas events will be forthcoming soon.  Just a footnote: Usually, but not always, monies are taken from the Penny Fund and added to any specific  Mission project to make it a rounded dollar amount. In other words, your pennies do add up and are used  in many helpful ways. If you have any suggestions as to where we can help, please let either the office  know or one of the mission team members. We are always looking for new ideas to help.   

* Thank you all so very much for your continued support of your Mission Team's projects. As a whole, we can still call ourselves the "The Small but Mighty Church" because of your generous hearts and God's Blessings bestowed upon us in so many ways as a Church family.  

Pam Tuohey/Mission Team Leade