Welcome to CPC's Newest Staff Members

• On World Communion Sunday, October 6, Maureen Butler began serving as CPC’s new organist! Welcome Maureen!
• On October 6, Julie Wells McQuarie and Jenn Lightsey began serving as adult nursery staff, overseeing the church’s nursery on Sunday mornings. 
• On October 14, Tracy Rynkowski began serving as Director of Children, Youth and Families. Welcome Tracy!

Reformation Sunday, October 27

What DOES it mean to be Presbyterian and how do our beliefs about God differ from other denominations? That’s what we’ll find out on Reformation Sunday! Wear red and join us in worship as we celebrate the uniqueness of our faith, brought to you by the Protestant Reformation! 

Session Reminder

All currently serving elders who signed up to take Boundary Training with the Presbytery partner SafeGatherings.com must participate in the online session, to be held on Zoom, 7:00-9:00 PM on Wednesday, October 30. Please complete your online education prior to this meeting.

Liturgists Wanted

Are you a good communicator who would like to serve the Lord by leading the congregation and reading scripture on Sunday mornings? Then CPC wants YOU! New Liturgists are being sought. Speak to Salle Crowe or Pastor Arlene for more information.

Bible Studies

Tuesdays at 7:00pm in Fellowship Hall

Thursdays at 10:00am at the Romaine residence, 195 Magee Road

Join us, as we read through the first-written book of the New Testament— the Gospel of Mark. All questions, ponderings, and doubts welcome! Just bring your Bible for this in-depth look, led by Pastor Arlene and Ron. The Tuesday sessions continue and we have now added another opportunity to join on Thursday mornings at 10:00am.

Garden Committee

The garden project is continuing. We will be having two more garden days before winter, on October 19 and November 30. Please join us at 9:00am and spend an hour or two helping out.  Coffee and water will be provided. Many hands make light work!

Thank you!

Tracy's Visit to North Carolina

I arrived in Hendersonville late Mon afternoon - I checked on my family there - and dropped your donations at IAM, (Interfaith Assistant Ministry - Hendersonville's equivalent to CFA). They were so appreciative.

Then I headed to Swannanoa. The drive over was shocking. Guard rails smashed all with heavy trees scattered about like twigs. Power lines everywhere and piles of ruined furniture and possessions stacked all along the sides of the roads. Bridges and roads gone, buildings crushed or relocated by the deluge of water and mud/rock slides. A trailer park usually full of mobile homes, vehicles, toys and people, swept bare of all that, everything gone, even the asphalt. The red clay littered by debris of the few trailers that were destroyed by water, mud and rock and not simply swept into the river and washed downstream. It was overwhelming. Swannanoa is decimated. My family and friends were so fortunate. Property and personal items were lost, but no lives. Just above my sister's home, there was a home destroyed by a mud slide and a father and grandfather were lost. 

The rest of the week was spent cleaning up. We made debris piles, sorted through wet and mud laden items, my brother in law helped retrieve items wedged in the creek bed. We salvaged, washed and dried what could be saved and tried not to over think what could not be. My father's car, wedged in the trees at the far end of her property was a constant study in frustration. So close - but in no way salvageable. But her grandmother's silver aluminum Christmas tree found wedged up under her deck was the thing that brought tears of relief. One case of scavengers looking to take what they could, unaware that my "tough as nails sister" was ever aware and was not willing to let one more item leave the property. Each night we sat on the front porch in the dark talking about the storm, what recovery might look like and how long it might take. We talked about blessings, fear and thankfulness. On my last morning there I took what was left of the money you and our community donated and had it converted to a cashiers check and sent it to Manna Foodbank in Buncombe Co. (Asheville & Swannanoa) The foodbank was gutted by the force of the river, everything lost. They serve some of the hardest hit communities, your donations will make a big difference. 

Thank you for all you did. The donations will go far in helping to begin a very long recovery. 

Mission Trip Report

This year our national mission trip was back to Panther West Virginia. We worked on two homes while we were there and wanted to take a few minutes to tell you about our first homeowner. Our first job site was at Mr Mickey's home. His front porch had fallen into serious disrepair while the roof above it was still in good shape. It was no longer safe for him to walk on. We built supports to hold up the roof while we completely ripped out the porch. From there we rebuilt the porch from the ground up. Once it was finished we removed the support beams and lowered the roof back over the porch and stabilized it. 

It was really nice getting to know Mr. Mickey while we worked on his home. He was a talented woodworker and electrician who unfortunately has had health issues which have made it impossible for him to do the work on his home now.  

One of the nicest things about our trips is getting to know the homeowners and hear the stories about their lives. 

Thank You,

Virginia and Lily

Creating a Culture of Change: Discern, Anticipate & Adapt

Presenter: Rev. Rich Hong

Thursday, November 7, 2024,

7:30pm Via ZOOM

Congregations can thrive by creating a culture of continual change that seeks to discern, anticipate, and adapt to their context. This workshop will discuss current trends, adaptations to congregational programs, online worship, and the use of social media, 

How can we lead our congregations -

• to be more innovative?
• to take chances on new initiatives?

It's a steady journey, not a quick fix. We'll hear possibilities taken from Rich's own story of moving a congregation forward, and hopefully give you ideas that you can adapt to your particular context.

Rich has been the pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Englewood NJ since 2005. Having run his own software consultancy for twenty years, Rich brings his technological background to ministry, and he writes a regular column on the "digital church" for Presbyterians Today magazine.

 Rich has a passion for evangelism and mission, and leads a church that he hopes will continue its growth as an inclusive, multicultural, and intergenerational community.

Register in advance for this Zoom meeting

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Boundary Training Workshop

Online Training - Month of October Required Zoom Meeting

October 30

Every three years Pastors, Certified Ruling Elders, Inquirers and Candidates under care, Certified and Associate Christian Educators are required by Presbytery policy and now by the Book of Order (G-3.0106) to complete a Boundary Training program. Also included in our policy are Honorable Retired pastors who are serving a church or anticipate serving in a church in the near future, all pastors, elders and others who are part of the Presbytery’s Pulpit Supply list and those pastors serving validated ministries or are members at large.

Read more and register