Death of Jay Whitaker

The sympathy of the congregation is extended to the family of Jay Whitaker.  Jay and his wife Alex, former Young Life leaders in Surry County, were active in the life of our church.  This past Friday afternoon, Jay died after a long battle with leukemia.

Visitation will be held at Clements funeral home in Durham this Tuesday, October 29th from 5-8pm. The funeral will be Wednesday at 2pm at Rosé of Sharon Baptist Church, also in Durham.

“If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” Romans 14:8

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Weekly Grapevine – October 27, 2013

*DON’T FORGET TO TURN THOSE CLOCKS BACK by one hour on Saturday night, November 2^nd, before you go to bed!*

 TODAY

 

Head Usher: Nancy Davis                 

Side Usher: Mary Higgs

Nursery: 10/27: Anna Merritt; 11/3: Lydia Taylor

Spark Teachers: Leslie Meador, Jane Rountree

 WEEK AT A GLANCE

 Sun, Oct 27               

10:30 – Choir meets to rehearse

11:00 am – Worship

5:30 pm – Beacons in the Lighthouse

Tues, Oct 29             

3:30 pm – Tuesday Tales

Wed, Oct 30              

7:30 pm – Choir Rehearsal

Sat, Nov 2                  

9:00 am – Sandwich Saturday

 

 PRAYER AND PRAISE MINISTRIES

Prayers: Jay & Alex Whitaker, Tony Rigney, Linda Gatchel, Rex Younger, Hal Brownfield, Madison Houck, Jay Aron, Connor Rife, Jacob Pettitt’s family, Bradley Wall, Terry Pruett, Catherine Beal, People in I-40 accidents, Jenna Richie, Jane King, Gerri Hatcher, Bo Asbell

 

CHURCH MINISTRIES

The Flowers in the Church today are given to the Glory of God and in honor of Mae (Nana) Turpin by Claude & Anne Turpin Cody, Carr, Braxton & Catherine.

Beacons: Will meet in the Lighthouse at 5:30 p.m. this evening.  We will be spending some time with Steve before he embarks on a new adventure.  Please make plans to be there.  The Hatcher family will provide dinner.

Keenagers: Will be going to the Biltmore House on Thursday, November 21^st.  If you would like to go, sign up on the Keenagers board.  Today is the deadline to turn money in.

Celebration Reception: Everyone is invited to a reception honoring the life and service of Steve, Lorie, Connor and Hunter Lindsley to our church next Sunday, November 3^rd.  It will be held immediately following worship in the Fellowship Hall.

Tuesday Tales: Tuesday, October 29^th; 3:30 p.m.All preschool-5^th graders are invited to come as we talk about what it means to be thankful, share a snack and make a craft.

Confirmation 2014: If you are currently in 6^th grade or older and have not been confirmed, but would like to, now is the time.  Please sign up on the bulletin board outside of Shasta’s office.

Salem Presbyterian Women Scholarship: Scholarships are available to high school or college students by the Salem Presbyterian Women.  Application forms can be found on the table in the upstairs foyer – or you may get a copy from Lynn in the church office.  Applications must be received on or before December 1st.

WITNESS

Sandwich Saturday: Saturday, November 2^nd; 9:00 a.m.

Offering for Hunger & Hope: Sunday, November 3^rd; Please bring your Cents-A-Bility offering along with your Yokefellow food offering.

 

CELEBRATIONS

Birthdays: 10/27: Mae Turpin, Laura Belk; 10/28: Lorie Lindsley, Kayla Lowe, Randy Surratt; 10/30: Garrett Bush, Dan Harrison, Emily Keck, John Merritt; 11/1: Millie Beal

Anniversaries: None this week

 

Random Act of Spiritual Growth 

 

“Never give up on anyone. Miracles happen every day.”

 Brought to you each week by the Spiritual Growth Ministry Team

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Weekly Grapevine – October 20, 2013

TODAY

 

Head Usher: Pepper Mayes               

Side Usher: Mary Higgs

Nursery: 10/20: Emily Lowe; 10/27: Anna Merritt

Spark Teachers: Leslie Meador, Jane Rountree

WEEK AT A GLANCE

 Sun, Oct 20               

10:30 – Choir meets to rehearse

11:00 am – Worship

5:30 pm – Beacons in the Lighthouse

Wed, Oct 23              

6:30 pm – Help-Thanks-Wow Bible Study

7:30 pm – Choir Rehearsal

Thurs, Oct 24

8:00 am – Bob Chilton Memorial Bible Study

Sat, Oct 26                

9:30 am – Faith Friends Day of Service

 

 PRAYER AND PRAISE MINISTRIES

Prayers: Jay & Alex Whitaker, Tony Rigney, Linda Gatchel, Rex Younger, Hal Brownfield, Madison Houck, Jay Aron, Connor Rife, Jacob Pettitt’s family, Bradley Wall, Terry Pruett, Catherine Beal, People in I-40 accidents, Jenna Richie

CHURCH MINISTRIES

Today is Dedication Sunday – the day we make our commitments to God.  We are thankful for you and your ministry to First Presbyterian Church.  We are glad that you are here to worship with us.

Our heartfelt sympathy is expressed to the family of Jack Hardy who passed away recently; his daughter, Sarah Scott; his granddaughter, Catherine Scott; sisters Mae Turpin, Billie Bradley, Bobbie Lane, Frieda Chauncey as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Beacons: Will meet in the Lighthouse at 5:30 p.m. this evening.  The McCluskey family will provide dinner. 

Keenagers: Will be going to the Biltmore House on Thursday, November 21^st.  If you would like to go, sign up on the Keenagers board.  Deadline to turn money in is Sunday, October 27^th.

Help – Thanks – Wow: “A Conversation on Prayer”: Will conclude on Wednesday, October 23^rd from 6:30-7:30 p.m.  All are welcome.  We will meet in the Fellowship Hall.

Faith Friends Day of Service: Meet at the church at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, October 26^th, and we’ll head over to Ms. Ronella’s to do some cleaning, painting, yard work and flower planting.  There will be something for everyone to do and it will be a GREAT way for parents and their children to serve together.

Confirmation 2014: If you are currently in 6^th grade or older and have not been confirmed, but would like to, now is the time.  Please sign up on the bulletin board outside of Shasta’s office.

Salem Presbyterian Women Scholarship: Scholarships are available to high school or college students by the Salem Presbyterian Women.  Application forms can be found on the table in the upstairs foyer – or you may get a copy from Lynn in the church office.  Applications must be received on or before December 1^st.

WITNESS

Yokefellow Cooperative Ministry: Food(s) for the month of October are: Dried Milk and Oatmeal.  Yokefellow accepts donations of any type of non-perishable items. 

 

CELEBRATIONS

Birthdays: 10/20: Lib Burke; 10/21: Sarah Scott; 10/25: Jordan Gwyn

Anniversaries: 10/20: John and Kelly Merritt; 10/23: Tony and Debbie Stoltz

 

Random Act of Spiritual Growth

  

“Listen.  You never know how God will speak to you.”

 

Brought to you each week by the Spiritual Growth Ministry Team

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Church, We Have a Vision!

On the Apollo 13  space flight in 1970, the one that was supposed to land on the moon, Command James Lovell exclaimed in a rather precarious position: “Houston, we have a problem.  We’ve had a main B bus undervolt.”  What a main B bus undervolt is, I have no idea; and perhaps that’s why that part of the quote has largely been forgotten.  Today we simply remember: Houston, we have a problem.

We are great in our culture at paying attention to what’s not working, what’s problematic, what isn’t going the way it was planned.  Which is why I want to make sure our church takes some time, especially in the next few days, to focus on what is working: namely, our 2014 Vision Statement.  The result of a lot of prayer-filled, hard work on behalf of your session, this vision lays out in wonderful form the kind of church FPC can become in the new year, with God’s help.  I hope you’ve had a chance to read it already –  if not, you can find it right HERE.

But here’s the thing about visions – they don’t magically materialize on their own.  Which is why I want to encourage you to not only celebrate this vision, but tosupport it.  This coming Sunday, October 20th, is Dedication Sunday.  In worship we will have a special litany of dedication and celebration.  We will also ask you to make your annual pledge to the church’s mission (if you need a pledge card, you can print one off HERE).

Please understand that there is a direct tie between your commitment to the church (time, talent and treasure) and the church’s ability to live into its vision and make it a reality.  A vision granted is not automatically a vision realized!  It took lots of hard work to capture this vision in verbal form.  Now it is our responsibility as a church to make it happen.

I look forward to seeing you this Sunday as we worship God and dedicate ourselves to the vision God has given us.  Thank you for prayerfully considering the significant role YOU will play in bringing this vision to reality.  Church, we have a vision – thanks be to God!

Your pastor and friend,

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Death of Jack Hardy

The sympathy of the congregation is extended to the family of Jack Hardy.  While Jack was not a member of First Presbyterian, his ties to our church run deep: father of Sarah Scott and grandfather of Catherine Scott; brother of Mae Turpin, Bobbi Lane, Frieda Chauncey and Billie Bradley, and numerous nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends on Friday, October 18th at 2:30pm at Moody Funeral Home.  A service of witness to the resurrection will follow at 4pm, also at Moody’s.

Please keep Jack’s family in your thoughts and prayers this week.

 

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Impact Story – Joan Godwin

Once a month, church members share “Impact Stories” in worship – the ways in which this church has impacted their life and the life of those they love. We hope you are moved by these gifts of grace! If you are interested in sharing your Impact Story, please let Steve know.)

*********************

It was in the fall of 1990 that I attended my first worship service at First Presbyterian Church of Mount Airy.  Little did I know then what an impact that day would have on my spiritual life.  That was the day I met Ms. Nancy Minor. As I entered the sanctuary, this sweet little lady introduced herself and just insisted that I sit with her during worship service. 

After the service ended, Ms. Nancy told me she was so thrilled that I had visited and she invited me to come back the next Sunday.  She assured me she would save me a seat!  So I did, indeed, return for several consecutive Sundays.  Each Sunday, the sermon was absolutely amazing, well delivered, and thought provoking.  I was so impressed with all the smiling faces and the warmth and friendliness of the congregation.  I thoroughly enjoyed the worship service and sitting with my new friend.  

Having been away from my church for several weeks, I felt a bit guilty, so the next Sunday, I returned to my home church.  During the entire worship service, I kept wondering what was going on at First Presbyterian?  What was the sermon about?  Did Ms. Nancy save me a seat?  Would she be upset that I didn’t come that Sunday?

I didn’t have to worry about it too long.  By 2:00 that Sunday afternoon, Ms. Nancy was ringing my telephone to say how much she had missed me during worship service that day.  She had saved a seat just for me!  Needless to say, the next Sunday, I returned to First Presbyterian Church, to Ms. Nancy, and to lots of folks who welcomed me back.  Never had I felt such a presence of God, such inner peace, and such genuine love in any place.  I thanked God for leading me to this wonderful church.  I knew I had come home.

 That was many years ago.  That same loving, caring church family was there for me in 2006 when I lost my mom, my only brother, and my dad – all within four months.  There are no words to describe how overwhelmed I felt.  How could I survive losing my entire immediate family in such a short period of time?

The prayers, the hugs, the cards, the phone calls, the constant flow of words of encouragement were all that kept me going for those unbelievably difficult months that followed.  I truly felt every prayer that my church family said on my behalf.  It was the continued love and support of my church family that enabled me to get through this loss. 

What a blessing it is to be a member of First Presbyterian Church.  Today, as Felton and I sit in the same place I sat with Ms. Nancy, I often close my eyes, and just feel God’s spirit and love surrounding me. Sometimes I can almost hear Ms. Nancy whisper, “I’m so glad you are here”.  What would happen if we all welcomed visitors to our church the way Ms. Nancy welcomed me?  What a powerful impact this simple gesture could have on someone’s spiritual life!  I am so thankful God worked through Ms. Nancy to bring me to this wonderful church.  

Would you allow Him to work through you?

     

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EQUIP Cluster Minute For Discipleship

DEDICATION SUNDAY IS OCTOBER 20th! Thank you for prayerfully considering how you and your family will support the vision God has given our church for 2014!

*************

(Given in worship on Oct. 13th)

Under Steve’s leadership the Session operated differently this year.   He had us form into 3 groups.  We call them Clusters – GROW, SERVE, and EQUIP.  The EQUIP cluster is standing here today proud of the work we have done this year and the work we’ve done to prepare the Session, the Congregation, the First Presbyterian Church for 2014 and beyond.

You have all seen and read this trifold description of the Session’s vision for 2014.  The messages captured in the pamphlet are the result of the collective inputs and many, many hours of the Sessions’ members’ time.

Upon reflection the EQUIP cluster must have been inspired or prescient about the near future.  We crafted the mission of our cluster to specifically:

• Provide stability and resources for its mission, and
• Sustaining the church’s infrastructure while at the same time responding to and cultivating the inevitable change

Whether we like it or not, the church is constantly going through change, some changes much bigger than others.  And we have built good foundations and are ready to transform once again.  Steve’s departure is on everyone’s mind and you will hear more details about the Session’s preparation for Steve’s departure after service today.

It is our desire to continue to fortify our foundations.  With your blessing and support, and with God’s help, we envision the following:

• Adding a reserve fund for ongoing facility needs to our annual balanced budget.
• Work with the GROW cluster to create a job description and budget line item for a part-time “Music Coordinator” position.
• Provide a compensation increase for our hard working staff.
• Continue to properly maintain our grounds and facility.
• Develop a comprehensive plan to encourage end-of-life giving to grow our Endowment.
• Continue our commitment to being a “green church” lowering our carbon footprint and decreasing utility costs.

It doesn’t take much to accomplish these goals, but we do need your support and commitment.  Simply a 7% increase in total pledges over last year will fortify those foundations.  Please complete your pledge card today and drop into the basket in the hallway.

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God’s certain presence in times of transition

A little over a week ago, I mailed this letter to the members of our church and posted it on our website, announcing my impending departure as pastor of First Presbyterian next month.  Still, I realize that even the most well-crafted letter cannot capture the depth and breadth of all a pastor wants to express as they say goodbye to a church they’ve grown to deeply love.  To that end, I took a couple of minutes at the beginning of worship this past Sunday to share a few thoughts.  You can listen to them here:

Later in worship I was moved, as I know many of you were, by Jessica Tate’s sermon on being a church in Exile and at a crossroads.  If you’ve not had a chance to read or listen to Jessica’s message, or if you were there and want to experience it again, you can do so HERE.

And yet the day was not done!  Our Beacons had their annual Mission Trip lunch; and if there is ever a powerful testimony to the way God moves mightily in our midst, it is certainly this.  Later that afternoon, your session met with the Rev. George Goodman from Salem Presbytery to hear about the process and “plan” our church now enters; one that will lead to the hiring of an interim minister soon after my departure, and then eventually to the calling of your next installed pastor.  As an odd sort of bystander in that session meeting, watching George talk and elders listen, I literally saw bodies unclench and relax – and felt mine do the same.  These women and men had come to the meeting feeling the weight of a thing our church has not faced in over a decade; and as George spoke and cracked his contagious smile we all came to realize the truth we already knew but sometimes forget: that change is inevitable, that we always grow through change, and that this church would not be facing that change alone.

All of that, in one day!

It was our first Sunday together since “the news” broke; and while emotions are still raw, we were embraced by grace that day.  And we still are.  More than ever before, perhaps, I am aware of God’s presence in all phases of congregational life and ministry; when we are together and when we are apart. And that is truly a reason to give thanks.

As I said in my comments, we still have work left to do together, and then even more work after that.  Thanks be to God for giving us a vision to guide us through it all!  Grace, peace and much love to you in this time of transition,

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GROW Cluster Minute For Discipleship

DEDICATION SUNDAY IS OCTOBER 20th! Thank you for prayerfully considering how you and your family will support the vision God has given our church for 2014!

*************

(Given in worship on Oct. 6th)

Good morning!

I’m Erica Carlisle, and I will be speaking on behalf of the GROW Cluster this morning.

As you can see from our vision statement below, we believe in rooting people in the story of the Christian faith-a story that fosters active engagement and growth in people’s relationship with Jesus and the world. As Christians, we never learn it all, and we-the GROW cluster-are here to offer more opportunities to learn and grow in faith.

Some of the highlights of our vision statement are:

• We will begin a “Read the Bible in a Year” program.
• We will also start a “Coffee Hour” for the Beacons. This will be a time of fellowship and Bible study.
• We are also going to plan more intergenerational events to foster a stronger relationship between the children and adults of this church.

These will all help us grow spiritually. In my time at this church, I have grown spiritually by all of the ways in which we encounter God through Beacon activities. The ways I interact with the children, whether by teaching SPARK, staying in the nursery, or helping with VBS and Tuesday Tales. Through the music ministry of the church, as a member of H2O N2 Wine, the Beacon Choir, and a soon-to-be member of the Chancel Choir.

The things that the GROW Cluster has planned for 2014 will let this church family grow closer to each other, grow stronger in our faith, and-most importantly-grow closer to our God. Thank you!

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GROW Cluster Vision for 2014:

We believe in rooting people in the story of the Christian faith – a story that fosters active engagement and growth in people’s relationship with Jesus and the world. We believe in telling the story in a way that cultivates community, nurtures both individual and communal faith experiences, and transforms us for witness and effective discipleship. We do this through: effective Christian nurture/growth ministry for all ages, music ministry in worship and in church life, intentional spiritual growth practices, and intergenerational education and fellowship for all of God’s children.

With your blessing and support, and with God’s help, here is GROW’s vision for 2014:

• We will foster spiritual growth in the congregation through the following: a “Read The Bible In A Year” initiative, a Lenten Bible study on the Book of Confessions, ongoing study opportunities, and working with the SERVE cluster to create a vibrant small group ministry.
• Working with the EQUIP cluster, we will create a part-time “Music Coordinator” staff position to cultivate and grow our church’s music ministry by fostering congregational ownership in the ministry and tapping into the rich, diverse gifts of our church, bringing them on board during the first half of the year.
• We will strengthen the ties between our older adults and the church’s children with specific gatherings to bring both together for fellowship.
• We will begin a “coffee hour” ministry for each of our middle school and senior high ages, to build on the already strong foundation of our Beacons youth ministry.
• We will continue growing our children’s ministry to include opportunities for nurture and mission.
• We will enhance our chancel choir through increased participation and resources.

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Weekly Grapevine – October 6, 2013

Dedication Sunday will be October 20^th –  Don’t miss it!

TODAY

Head Usher: Mike Gatchel

Side Usher: Mary Higgs

Nursery: 10/6: Lydia Taylor; 10/13: Aimy McCrosky

Spark Teachers: Kelley Carlisle, Pepper Mayes

 WEEK AT A GLANCE

 Sun, Oct 6                 

10:30 – Choir meets to rehearse

11:00 am – Worship

5:30 pm – Beacons

Wed, Oct 9                 

6:30 pm – Help-Thanks-Wow Bible Study

7:30 pm – Choir Rehearsal

Thurs, Oct 10

8:00 am – Bob Chilton Memorial Bible Study

5:00 pm – Friends Feeding Friends

Fri, Oct 11-13           

Autumn Leaves Festival Parking & Pumpkins

 PRAYER AND PRAISE MINISTRIES

Prayers: Jay & Alex Whitaker, Tony Rigney

Slips are in your bulletin to list any prayers or praises.  Place them on the Prayer/Praise board in the hallway next to the church office.

CHURCH MINISTRIES

Congregational Meeting

A Congregational Meeting has been scheduled immediately following worship on Sunday, October 13^th.  The purpose of this meeting is to hear a report from the Nominating Committee, and to approve the effective date and terms of the dissolution of the church’s pastoral relationship with Steve Lindsley.

The Flowers in the Church today are given to the Glory of God and in loving memory of Mary Lou Bartley and Mike Bartley by J. D. Bartley.

Today is World Communion Sunday!  It is a day when Christians all around the world come together to feast at the table of God.  The breads you will have today represent the breads our Brothers and Sisters in Christ will have at their tables today:

Challah – Jewish Passover bread

Naan – India

Pumpernickel/rye – Germany

Tortilla – Central & South America Rice cracker (gluten free) – Orient

Irish Soda Bread – Ireland Scottish oat bread – Scotland

Sourdough – USA

Beacon Summer Mission Trip Lunch: Join the Beacons immediately following worship today as they share about their summer mission trip. Lunch is soup & salad.  Donations accepted for next year’s trip.

Beacons: Meet at the Lighthouse at 5:30 p.m.  The Perkins family will provide dinner.

Help – Thanks – Wow: “A Conversation on Prayer”: Steve will be leading a prayer workshop on Wednesday, October 9^th, 16^th and 23^rd from 6:30-7:30 p.m.  All are welcome.

Bob Chilton Memorial Bible Study: Thursday, October 10^th; 8:00 a.m. at Pages Bookstore.

Confirmation 2014: If you are currently in 6^th grade or older and have not been confirmed, but would like to, now is the time.  Please sign up on the bulletin in the upstairs foyer.

WITNESS

Friends Feeding Friends: Thursday, October 10^th; Volunteers are: Steven Lowe, Mark & Pam Morency, Lydia Taylor, Patrick & Paul Belk.  Additional hosts, servers & folks to provide desserts are needed.  Please sign up to assist if you’re able.

 

CELEBRATIONS

Birthdays: 10/6: Evan Chilton; 10/7: Louise Wardle, Logan Draughn; 10/9: Leona Banks; 10/11: Allison Hiatt, Heather Hatcher, Paul Denny

Anniversaries: 9/27: Shawn and Alex Gilley; 10/6: Richard and Sharon Johnson; 10/7: Steve and Margaret Frye; 10/9: Pete and Beth Pequeno

Random Act of Spiritual Growth

“Never underestimate God’s power to change you.”

 Brought to you each week by the Spiritual Growth Ministry Team

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